BeatRoute Magazine BC Edition May 2019

MAY 2019 

FREE 

KALI 

UCHIS: 

THE 

NEXT R&B 

DIVA HAS 

ARRIVED 

+ JORJA 

SMITH: 

ON THE 

BRINK OF 

SUPER 

STARDOM 

PLUS! ORVILLE PECK • JENNY LEWIS • SNOTTY NOSE REZ KIDS • DESTINATION NXNE • YVES JARVIS & MORE

KNOW 

YOU’RE 

WEIRD! 

JOHNFLUEVOGSHOESGRANVILLEST··WATERST··FLUEVOGCOM

Contents 

Up Front 

4 

7 

8 

9 

10 

The Guide 

The Chromatics 

Dream Pop masterminds 

retrace their steps back to 

familiar territory 

The Agenda 

VanCity Places 

West End Nigerian restaurant 

Arike hits home with 

heart and soul 

That’s Dope 

Big canna loophole: Celebs 

partner with companies, not 

endorse them 

VanCity People 

Retired filmmaker turned 

restaurateur, Uwe Boll 

stands up to the haters 

Music 

17 

31 

35 

Concert Previews 

Yves Jarvis, Orville Peck, 

Lemonheads, Jenny Lewis, 

SonReal, Snotty Nose Rez 

Kids 

Album Reviews 

Mac Demarco, Lizzo, 

Vampire Weekend, L7, 

Schoolboy Q, Tacocat, The 

National and more! 

Live Reviews 

Alice In Chains, Earl Sweatshirt, 

Maggie Rogers 

MAY 2019 

KALI 

UCHIS: 

THE 

NEXT R&B 

DIVA HAS 

ARRIVED 

+ JORJA 

SMITH: 

ON THE 

BRINK OF 

SUPER 

STARDOM 

PLUS! ORVILLE PECK • JENNY LEWIS • SNOTTY NOSE REZ KIDS • DESTINATION NXNE • YVES JARVIS & MORE 

Cover Story 

24 

Kali Uchis & 

Jorja Smith 

Catching up with two of the 

hottest names in r&b on the 

forefront of innovation 

FREE 

Movies|TV 

37 

38 

Travel 

44 

Film review 

JT LeRoy poses questions on 

truth, identity, fact and fiction 

This Month In Film and 

The Binge List 

Destination: 

NXNE Toronto 

Celebrating its 25th year, Toronto’s 

North by Northeast creates a 

street level festival experience 

38 

July Talk, April 18 at the Pacific 

Coliseum. Read our review of this 

show and more online at beatroute.ca 

The Arts 

40 

40 

41 

43 

Horoscope 

46 

Hunch Festival 

Solo Performances offer a new 

kind of festival experience 

The Yes Men Combating fake 

news and divisive rhetoric in An 

Evening of Corporate Drag 

Last Podcast On The Left 

Podcast troublemakers turn true 

crime on its severed head 

This Month In Theatre 

No matter your sign, there’s 

always a song for you here 

LINDSEY BLANE 

11 

Fashion 

Donald Glover partners 

with adidas to let your 

feet tell the story 

11 

MAY 2019 BEATROUTE 3

The Guide 

MAY 

Chromatics: 

A soundtrack 

for spring 

Thursday, June 6 • Vogue Theatre 

Portland-born dream pop band Chromatics are 

undeniable masters of fusing electronic and pop to 

create a unique, hazy sound fit for the silver screen. 

Under the watchful eye of producer and multi-instrumentalist 

Johnny Jewel, their songs have been 

used in a handful of film soundtracks including 

neo-noir cult classic Drive, where their sound 

feels so unbelievably organic to the setting. 

Their most recent cinematic venture was 

their appearance on the latest season of Twin 

Peaks when the full band, fronted by lead 

vocalist Ruth Radelet, played out the credits 

live inside the titular town’s otherworldly 

Road House bar. 

Beyond their contributions to film, 

Chromatics have been operating under 

the radar with modest, quiet releases 

over the past few years. Last year the 

band released two EPs of remixes and 

instrumentals for their songs “Shadows” 

and “Looking for Love,” as well 

as their Camera EP. This year they’ve 

released another EP consisting of 

three variations of their track “Time 

Rider,” which acts as a welcome 

return to form. 

Going back to their dreamy 

and lo-fi sound, Chromatics have 

retraced their steps back into 

familiar positions, which will undoubtedly 

bring on a new slew 

of fans who didn’t get a chance 

to experience them the first 

time around. 

By Joey Lopez 

Editor/Publisher 

Michael Hollett 

Senior Editor/Western Canada 

Glenn Alderson 

Creative Director 

Troy Beyer 

Editorial Coordinator 

Jordan Yeager 

Contributing 

Writers/ Coordinators 

Noemie Attia • Ben Boddez 

Leyland Bradley • Sebastian Buzzalino 

Lauren Edwards • Kenn Enns 

Karina Espinosa • Rachel Fox 

Kathryn Helmore • Willow Herzog 

Safiya Hopfe • Kim Jev 

Robann Kerr • Brendan Lee 

Christine Leonard • Joey Lopez 

Dayna Mahannah • Maggie McPhee 

Jennie Orton • Johnny Papan 

Jamila Pomeroy • Dan Potter 

Paul Rodgers • Judah Schulte 

Yasmine Shemesh • Leah Siegel 

Brad Simm • Clarence Sponagle 

Graeme Wiggins • Jordan Yeager 

Contributing Photographers 

& Illustrators 

Lindsey Blane • Mihaela Bodlovic 

Sebastian Buzzalino • Kira Clavell 

Maya Fuhr • Jesse Gillett 

Joshua Grafstein • Michael Grondin 

Ben Houdijk • Zee Khan 

Spencer Marsh • David Monteith-Hodge 

Darrole Palmer • Michel van Collenburg 

Advertising Inquiries 

Glenn Alderson 

glenn@beatroute.ca 

778-888-1120 

Distribution 

BeatRoute is distributed in Vancouver, 

Victoria, Calgary and Edmonton 

Contact us 

2405 East Hastings St. 

Vancouver, BC 

V5K 1Y8 

e-mail: editor@beatroute.ca 

beatroute.ca 

 

@beatrouteBC 

 

@beatroutemedia 

 

beatrouteBC 

4 BEATROUTE MAY 2019

UPCOMING SHOWS 

REAL ESTATE 

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS 

MAY 25 

THE GREAT GET DOWN 

WISH FUNDRAISER 

MAY 4 

KT TUNSTALL 

W/ SPECIAL GUESTS 

MAY 6 

LÉON 

W/ MORGAN SAINT 

MAY 7 

THE PHILOSOPHER KINGS 


BRUNO MAJOR 


KEVIN MORBY 

W/ SAM COHEN 

APRIL MAY 8 11 APRIL MAY 1011 MAY APRIL 1511 

AMERICAN FOOTBALL 


SIN CITY 18 YEAR 

ANNIVERSARY FETISH BALL 

APRIL MAY 1611 MAY APRIL 1811 MAY APRIL 3111 

THE PLANET SMASHERS 


TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT IMPERIALVANCOUVER.COM


ALLAN DAN RAYMAN MANGAN 

SPECIAL GUESTS 

FEB MAY 25 6 


EPIK HIGH 


may FEBRUARY 2 & 3 7 

RIVAL SONS 


may 4 

LA DISPUTE 


may 6 

ALYSSA EDWARDS 

DANCING QUEEN LIVE 

may FEBRUARY 9 7 

A NIGHT OF WORLD CLASS 

PROFESSIONAL BOXING 

may 11 

YANN TIERSEN 


may 14 

WALL EXCHANGE 

WITH CARL HART 

FEBRUARY 7 

may 23 

SHANE KOYCZAN 


may 24 

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE 

SEASON 11 

may 31 

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT VOGUETHEATRE.COM

MAY 

The AgendaBy YASMINE SHEMESH 

4 

DERADOORIAN 

Saturday, May 4 at Western Front 

Best known as a former vocalist and bassist 

for the indie rock band Dirty Projectors, 

Angel Deradoorian works within hushed, 

minimalist and ambient textures. The young 

songwriter will be in-residence for five days 

at the Vancouver artist-run-centre, Western 

Front, with a special, culminating public 

performance on May 4. 

5 

GLITTER BALL 

Saturday, May 4 to Sunday, May 5 at the Pace 

The first of its kind in Vancouver, this music 

festival features bands exclusively fronted 

by women and those who identify with other 

marginalized genders. The first day showcases 

hip-hop artists, including Bbymutha, while the 

second will feature rock acts including Sylvia 

Wrath. Partial proceeds from Glitter Ball will go 

to WISH Centre Drop-In Society. 

10 

CROSS CULTURAL 

STRATHCONA WALKING 

TOUR 

Sunday, May 5 to Sunday, May 26 

at various locations in Strathcona 

This guided walking tour explores 

the richly diverse histories of the 

Strathcona neighbourhood, from 

early immigrant communities to 

present day. In celebration of 

Asian Heritage Month and Jewish 

Heritage Month, both occurring in 

May, the tour will highlight important 

landmarks like the Vancouver 

12 

Japanese Language School and 

Lord Strathcona Elementary, 

Vancouver’s oldest primary school. 

Tours take place every Sunday 

this month. 

18 

Comics. 

Lil Clitty 

Friday, May 10 at Little Mountain Gallery 

Comedy veteran Ese Atawo created Lil 

Clitty, a character for her act to parody the 

current state of female hip-hop. She aims to 

push the boundaries with her show, Sweet 

Release: A Hip-Hop Comedy Concert. The 

event celebrates her album release. 

Check out our expanded feature online at 

beatroute.ca. 

VANCOUVER COMIC ARTS FESTIVAL 

Saturday, May 18 to Sunday, May 19 at Roundhouse 

Community Arts & Recreation Centre 

This two-day celebration of comics and graphic 

novels is back with another exciting lineup 

of exhibitions, panels and events. Featured 

creators this year include Canadian author 

and artist Vivek Shraya and Ian Boothby, who 

draws comics for The New Yorker, 

MAD Magazine, and Simpsons 

26 

SHUCK IT FORWARD 

Sunday, May 26 at Chewies Steam 

& Oyster Bar Coal Harbour 

Shuck it Forward is back for the 

fifth year in a row to raise funds 

and awareness for those affected 

by Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

Along with an oyster-shucking 

competition that features 24 

of North America’s best shuckers, 

there will also be a pop-up 

barbershop, live music and a silent 

auction. The event has raised more 

than $110,000 since 2015. 

30 

TACOFINO HASTINGS X 

STRATHCONA BEER COMPANY 

COLLABORATIVE DINNER 

Thursday, May 30 at 

Tacofino Hastings 

Tacofino and Strathcona Beer 

Company join forces for a fivecourse 

meal of west coast-meets- 

Baja cuisine. Held at Tacofino’s 

Hastings location, the dinner will 

have Regional Executive Chef Stefan 

Hartmann and Hastings Head 

Chef Daniel Echeverría collaborating 

on a vibrant, multi-course menu 

with unique beer pairings. 



Food 

HEART AND SOUL 

West End Nigerian restaurant Arike hits the mark locally and globally 

By DAYNA MAHANNAH 

N 

ostalgia runs deep through 

the intrepid flavours of Arike, 

the new Nigerian eatery in 

Vancouver’s West End. 

“It stems from memories 

and the tastiest food you 

ate when you were a kid,” 

co-owner Sam Olayinka says, reminiscing 

on how his Nigerian roots became 

the essence of his new restaurant. “I 

haven’t tasted, still to this day, anything 

as good as my dad’s bronco stew.” 

Nestled just below street level on 

Davie Street, Arike serves up a delicious 

blend of traditional Nigerian and 

Canadian West Coast food, with a dash 

of classical French cuisine. 

Born in Ottawa, Olayinka lived all 

over Canada before meeting his business 

partner, Mike Hayman, at Vancouver’s 

Art Institute. They refined their 

cuisine chops in French 

ARIKE 

fine dining and corporate 

sous programs. 

But Olayinka claims the 

Michelin-star chefs he’s 

trained with have nothing 

on his dad’s traditional Nigerian 

stew. 

1725 DAVIE STREET 

Salad, cassava fries, goat, chicken 

wings, flatbreads, and dessert — all 

with that unique Nigerian-Canadian 

essence — populate Arike’s menu. It’s 

the famed jollof rice, however, that 

reigns. 

Arguably the most good-natured 

battle in existence, the jollof rice war 

between West African countries is a 

one-upmanship of who-does-it-better. 

The rice is traditionally made with 

seasoned tomato stew, using the same 

palm oil for every batch (like a “mother 

oil”), creating a depth and complexity 

otherwise impossible. 

Olayinka presents it with a grilled 

suya — a spicy beef striploin skewer. 

Stakes are high; this food critic has 

experienced Ghana’s jollof. Olayinka’s 

Sunday - Thursday - 5:30 

pm to 10:30 pm 

Friday, Saturday - 5:30 pm 

to 12 am 

version? Complex spice rolls over 

the tongue, leaving a halcyon tingling 

foundation for the suya — thin and 

boldly flavourful — to melt in the 

mouth. The dewy rice teems with 

boisterous spirit; a new contender 

in the global jollof rice battle steps 

forward. 

Arike’s flatbread — a mainstay — 

uses a traditional agege bread recipe 

for the base. The oxtail and pork belly 

option is rich, juxtaposed with a mild, 

house-made goat cheese 

and roasted tomatoes. 

Agege goes where no 

pizza dough dares, to the 

crispy, bubbled side of 

delicious. 

An espresso martini is 

an oddly appropriate pairing, setting 

a precedent for dessert. Unfortunately 

for the martini, Milo ice cream is 

up to plate. Milo, a chocolate malt 

product from Nestle popular outside 

of North America, is transformed. 

“I’m not gonna tell you the exact recipe,” 

Olayinka says with a half-smile. 

Milo, vanilla, tonka bean, whipping 

cream: an exotic scoop of heaven. 

Different and undeniably delicious, 

the menu will change with the 

seasons. After all, Arike was sparked 

by an unrelinquished taste for Olayinka 

dad’s stew. “And I’m still trying 

to chase that.” , 

300 words. 

ARIKE — which means 

“to pamper” in the 

Yoruba language — is 

named after Olayinka’s 

grandmother. 

Vegetarians have 

options too — corn 

fritters, onion rings, 

flatbreads, and desserts 

— with more to come as 

the menu changes. 

Ghanaian-Romanian 

pop artist Sister 

Deborah sings about 

jollof wars in her song, 

“Ghana Jollof.” 


That's Dope 

THIS 

BIG NAME 

BACKERS 

BEHIND 

LEGAL WEED 

Big cannabis has paid 

celebrities to partner with 

their companies, not endorse 

them By DAYNA MAHANNAH 

C 

anadian cannabis laws 

may have been loosened 

but cannabis marketing 

restrictions are super tight. 

As the billion dollar 

industry explodes across this 

country, immense creativity is 

being expended to get bud brand 

name recognition from companies 

desperate to market new products 

when any form of advertising and 

promotion is basically not allowed. 

While celebrity-endorsed cannabis 

is illegal in Canada, companies 

are finding legal loopholes to work 

with big names in other ways. 

These entertainers – among others 

– have partnered with big canna in 

ways not technically involving high 

profile endorsement. Whether it’s 

through buying shares or holding 

executive positions, they’re finding 

ways to extend their personal 

empires into the green stuff. 

The Tragically Hip 

“We are happy to announce that 

we have become partners with 

one of Canada’s newest, soon to 

be public, licensed producers of 

medicinal marijuana,” said The 

Tragically Hip when they announced 

their partnership with 

Newstrike in 2017. Up Cannabis 

Inc. is the product of that partnership, 

focusing on uniting quality 

adult-use cannabis products with 

the power of music. The Tragically 

Hip have been longtime supporters 

of legalization and hope for this to 

extend their advocacy of safe use 

through investments and creative 

collaboration. Up Cannabis Inc. 

strains are grown in Ontario, like 

the band, making use of what is 

expected to be Canada’s premier 

growing region. 

Snoop Dogg 

It won’t come as a surprise as, 

second to Bob Marley, Snoop Dogg 

has been the most weed-identified 

cannabis advocate of the celebrity 

world. The 45-year-old rapper and 

entrepreneur brings his line, Leafs By 

Snoop, into Canada in partnership 

with Tweed. The company offers 

three strains in their newfound Canadian 

market: Sunset, Ocean View, 

and Palm Tree CBD. Expanding into 

the tech side of the industry, he has 

recently invested a reported $2-million 

USD into Trellis, a Toronto-based 

software company that provides 

management tools for businesses in 

the cannabis industry. 

MONTH 

IN CANNABIS NEWS 

AND VIEWS 

Martha Stewart 

America’s favourite lifestyle 

authority and convicted felon, 

Martha Stewart, announced her 

partnership with Canopy Growth 

in February. It may not surprise 

those familiar with her close 

relationship with canna-preneur 

Snoop Dogg but it’s a big leap 

from her gingham and good times 

image. Her collaboration with 

Canopy includes the Sequential 

Brand Group, a cannabis themed 

fashion and lifestyle brand. We 

can expect to see developments 

this summer, like expansion into 

hemp-derived CBD products 

for animals as well as cannabis 

research. 

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: BEATROUTE 

Whoopi Goldberg 

Whoopi Goldberg and 

award-winning edibles maker 

Maya Elisabeth launched 

Whoopi & Maya in 2016. As one 

of the fastest growing cannabis 

companies in California, the dynamic 

duo have expanded from 

their initial offering of medical 

cannabis products, formulated to 

provide relief for women experiencing 

menstrual cramps, into a 

dynamic line including tinctures, 

bath soaks, body balms and 

edibles. 

Seth Rogen 

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s 

new Cannabis line, Houseplant, 

launched in March 2019. The 

recreational cannabis company 

made its debut alongside 

Canopy Growth. Rogen and 

Goldbergs’s company partners 

include the California-based 

United Talent Agency. The 

company has somehow found 

a way to get around Canada’s 

strict packaging laws, with its 

fiesta orange packaging, which 

fits perfectly with the company’s 

retro branding. 

Gene Simmons 

It may not contain pyrotechnics, 

facepaint, or platform boots, but 

Invictus does have the rock and 

roll power of Gene Simmons. 

Known for living a sober life, Simmons 

is taking a less hands-onproduct 

role as “chief evangelist,” 

leaving the cannabis logistics 

to other members of his team. 

The company, which operates 

cannabis businesses in Canada, 

has Simmons responsible for 

“providing marketing counsel, 

serving as a spokesperson in the 

media, public appearances and 

participation in the company’s 

annual general meeting and 

investor meetings.” 

Ghostface Killah 

Dennis Coles (aka Ghostface 

Killah) of the Wu-Tang Clan 

and founder of the record label 

Starks Enterprises, launched 

Wu-Goo alongside Killa Priest. 

The brand features a 70 per cent 

THC hash oil and was released in 

alliance with vape pen company 

Dynamite Stix. Other products 

include vape cartridges, disposable 

pens, pre-rolled joints and 

edibles. , 


VanCity People 

UWE 

BOLL 

Retired filmmaker 

turned restaurateur 

Uwe Boll stands up to 

the haters By RACHEL FOX 

wCity 

Briefs 

ZEE KHAN 

What drew you to live and 

work in Vancouver? 

Uwe Boll: My first movie 

Sanctimony in the year 2000 

brought me to Vancouver and I 

felt that here is the same shitty 

weather like in Germany. So I 

came back for more movies. 

What do you love about the 

restaurant life? 

UB: I love good food and wine, 

and Bauhaus delivers that. 

What I didn’t know was that it 

is a never-ending job I signed 

on to. A film is done after it 

is delivered – a restaurant is 

a daily drama. It is fun, but 

it wouldn’t work without my 

active involvement in the 

business. 

Is running a restaurant like 

running a film company? 

UB: I loved making movies and 

didn’t stop because I wanted 

to. It is just that now, if Netflix 

or Amazon doesn’t finance 

your movie, then you cannot 

refinance it. All independent 

buyers worldwide are dead, 

because the DVD business is 

dead. The restaurant business 

side is juggling numbers. You 

never know how many guests 

you will have two weeks from 

now, or how much they will 

spend. And that is like a movie: 

You don’t know how many 

people will buy a film ticket or 

a DVD. 

Independent filmmakers want 

to know how you managed to 

be so prolific, despite having 

a number of “bombs.” How 

did you keep getting funding? 

UB: My first movie was German 

Fried Movie, a comedy based 

on Kentucky Fried Movie, and 

we made it for $60k with private 

money. We recouped that 

money over two years. After 

four German movies, I was 

able to raise private capital in 

Germany, and doing this for 

five years in a row, on a bigger 

scale, made all those other 

movies possible. Sometimes 

a bomb is not a bomb. If you 

make a movie for a good price 

and it doesn’t work theatrically, 

you can do well with DVD 

sales. 

Now retired from filmmaking, Vancouver-based 

and German-born 

Uwe Boll is a notorious figure, 

known as much for his challenging 

disposition as he is for being 

behind a staggering number of 

B-level action movies, many of 

which were commercial flops. 

Reviled by critics who seemed 

to relish in pummeling his unique 

oeuvre, he famously took them 

to task in the boxing ring for 

charity. Now the subject of a new 

documentary called Fuck You All: 

The Uwe Boll Story, the one-time 

“most hated man in Hollywood” 

currently owns and operates the 

trendy Vancouver gastronomical 

hot spot Bauhaus. 

Over the years you’ve had a 

lot of negativity directed at 

you. Does it ever get to you? 

How do you handle that? 

UB: Of course it affected me, 

and also my ability to hire 

big movie stars. That is the 

reason I boxed the critics and 

beat them up. But overall, you 

cannot think too much about 

reviews – you have to make it 

work and keep going. 

In a Vanity Fair article in 2017 

you revealed that you courted 

George Clooney for a role. 

What role and what film? 

UB: Darfur. He was very active 

helping in the Darfur crisis and 

I wanted him to play one of the 

journalists, but he and Matt 

Damon didn’t even answer me, 

and that was because I was 

not in “the club.” They work 

only with people they know. 

Who was the most difficult 

actor you’ve worked with, 

and why? 

UB: I normally always had very 

good relationships with all the 

actors I worked with. Ray Liotta 

was not easy on the set of In 

the Name of the King, because 

he hated that kind of movie. 

But he was great in Suddenly. 

Michele Rodriguez tried to 

change her role in Bloodrayne 

all the time, and the dialogue of 

the other actors. That was crazy. 

But she is a lovely person. 

Tell us a bit about this new 

documentary. Is this the final 

word from Uwe Boll? 

UB: This is the second doc 

made about me. I think it 

shows more about my real 

personality and about my movies. 

It is entertaining, and that 

is the main message of all my 

movies: never be boring. Boring 

movies are the worst. Terrence 

Malick proves that with all the 

movies he has made in the last 

10 years. 

Uwe Boll will be in attendance for a 

screening of Fuck You All followed 

by a Q&A at the Rio Theatre on 

May 5. 

The Dude abides! 

The Vancouver Art House Society 

is raising funds to bring the cedar 

sculpture that inspired the nickname 

of Mount Pleasant’s “Dude 

Chilling Park” back to its rightful 

home. The sculpture was moved 

from the park — real name Guelph 

— to Denman Island for repairs and 

bronzing in 2017 after extensive 

deterioration. Now, a campaign 

has begun to secure the long-term 

installation of the Dude at its 

namesake grassy knoll via 

indiegogo.com. 

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun 

to Receive Honorary Doc 

Emily Carr University will present 

Canadian artist of Coast Salish 

and Okanagan descent Lawrence 

Paul Yuxweluptun with an Honorary 

Doctor of Letters for his contribution 

to contemporary art. His works 

confront issues of colonization, politics 

and the environment. “They’re 

recognizing me for standing up, for 

talking to the world,” Yuxweluptun 

says. “Politicians come and go. 

Artists are for life.” 

BC Proposes 

Anti-Ticket Bot Law 

The British Columbia government 

has introduced legislation to ban 

software and bots from purchasing 

large amounts of tickets to live 

events. In an effort to make buying 

tickets more fair. Lisa Beare, the 

Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, 

said in a statement, “People 

will be able to enjoy the diverse 

performances and entertainment 

BC has to offer without being 

unfairly gouged at the box office.” 

If passed, the act will require 

clear price disclosure, guaranteed 

refunds from secondary sellers, 

and mechanisms for buyers to 

sue if they’ve suffered losses from 

breach of the law. , 


Fashion 

CHILDISH 

KICKS 

By KIM JEV 

L 

eave it to an unstoppable 

force like Donald 

Glover to use Coachella 

2019 for the grand 

unveiling of his partnership 

with adidas Originals. 

A small number of lucky 

music fans at the desert 

valley music festival were 

surprised when an AirDrop 

request appeared on their 

smartphones, asking to 

accept a photo from an 

account claiming to be 

Glover. Those brave enough 

to accept the random offer 

were awarded a free pair of 

shoes. 

Donald Glover Presents 

is the creative partnership 

between the multi-talented 

artist and the iconic sportswear 

brand. Since its unveiling, 

word has spread about 

this collection as a symbol 

of life’s experiences, where 

product and vision collide. 

“Rich is a concept,” says 

Glover. “With this project, I 

wanted to encourage people 

to think about how their 

stories can be told on their 

feet.” 

Donald Glover Presents 

reimagines three classic 

adidas styles — the Nizza, 

the Continental 80 and the 

Lacombe — in subtle, toneon-tone 

white canvas. 

Check adidas.com for availability 

The Nizza DG 

Debuting in the 70s, the 

hardwood-inspired styles of 

the Nizza are designed for 

everyday wear. Considered 

to be the retro B-ballers 

choice, they are perfect for 

knocking about and working 

things out in. 

The Continental 80 DG 

With accents straight from 

the archives, the Continental 

80 pays straight 

homage to the early 80s 

court designs, showing 

off a swooping stripe and 

retro-style logo window 

next to the laces. These 

throwbacks re-up the split 

rubber cup sole and are 

even lined with French Terry 

to seal the classic deal. 

The Lacombe DG 

Designed for the streets 

with tailored court style, the 

Lacombe DGs are inspired 

by the vintage Newcombe 

shoes. Classic tennis style, 

these kicks take back the 

court and throw preppy out 

the window. 




TUNE-UP 

TIME: 

ASK THE 

EXPERTS 

The best cycle shops, bike 

parts, and tune-up tips for 

summer 

By DAYNA MAHANNAH 

Spring has sprung in Vancouver 

and those clouds could clear at any 

time so bikers should be road-ready. 

BeatRoute checked in with experts 

at five Vancouver bike shops to talk 

about the most important things to 

look for in bike upkeep. Here’s the 

lowdown on how to prep for a solid 

summer of smooth cycling. 

Adam Douglas believes 

in the power of grease 

Ride On Bike Shop 

2180 Main Street 

Daily: 11 am-630 pm, 

Holidays: noon-5 pm 

The Main Street location’s 

top technician, Adam 

Douglas, describes the 

owner as a “pure legend” 

and cycling advocate who 

keeps the shop simple 

and approachable to all 

levels of bike-enthusiasts. 

A standout? Their bike 

baskets, which come 

in sizes ‘six-pack’ to 

‘weekend grocery-load’. 

The stays make them 

secure as heck (read: 

hard to steal) and go for 

$45. Douglas emphasizes 

the importance of chain 

upkeep; “Less is more 

with oil.” Once a month 

and after a long, rainy 

rides, run a thin oil over 

the chain and wipe excess 

off with an old rag. 

KRISTI CALDERON 

Super Champion 

Specialty Bike Shop 


Mon—Sat: 11 am-6 pm, Sun: noon-5 pm 

BLAKE STARTUP 

Kirsty Stevens is ready to build 

or fix anything thrown her way 

Landyachtz Factory Store 

1146 Union Street 

Mon-Fri: 8am-7pm, 

Weekends: 10am-6pm 

“We can handle anything a bike 

needs,” says store manager 

Blake Startup. “Because we 

build them from the ground up.” 

Hundreds of tires ($50-$150 

each) hang from the shop walls 

and ceiling. The “world of gravel 

tires” references a new form 

of biking, off-road exploration. 

Top brands including Shwalbe, 

Panaracer and the new Teravail 

are available. Landyachtz sees 

tons of commuters from the 

Adanac bike route and Startup 

knows a squeaky brake can be 

dangerous. “Listening to your 

brakes is one of the most important 

safety things you can do.” 

Nick Hart 

has a 

handle on 

handlebars 

Sidesaddle Bike Shop 

2496 Victoria Drive 

Mon-Sat: 11 am-6 pm, Sun: 11 am-5 pm 

Vancouver’s first women-focused bike shop boasts 

a saddle library of 60 to 100 styles between $30- 

300. Want to try before you buy? Test drive as 

many as you like for a $50 fee and get $25 credit 

towards your saddle of choice once you’ve found 

the perfect fit. Staff mechanic Johanna Bleecker 

says saddles are a huge factor in a rider’s comfort 

and, subsequently, how much they ride. “Don’t wait 

until things are super bad,” is her tune-up advice. 

Changing gears, for example, should not feel difficult. 

“That usually means your cables are corroded 

or rusted.” Replacing them will make it smoother, 

easier. Don’t we all want that? 

Johanna Bleecker 

wants you to take 

a seat 

DARROLE PALMER 

Full of punk and bike curios, Super 

Champ still has a practical yet 

extensive handlebar collection 

of road and track styles. Proper 

handlebars can improve comfort 

and diminish wrist pain. They range 

from $5 to $150 in-house, but 

co-owner Nick Hart says they can 

order anything. On the road, Hart 

advises, “Try to avoid cross-chaining.” 

That is, for bikes with gears, 

you never want to be on your 

biggest ring and your biggest cog 

at the back, which puts the chain at 

an extreme angle and causes it to 

strain, skip and wear out. 


Resident mechanic 

Joshua Manimtim is 

at one with two wheels 

Our Community Bikes 


Daily: 11 am-6 pm 

Our Community Bikes is uberstocked 

with cool parts, but 

co-manager Emiliano Sepulveda 

is stoked about their stash of 

interesting hubs (the centre part of 

the wheel the spokes are threaded 

into), which can be rebuilt into new 

wheels if you change a bike. Used 

hubs start at $6 and vintage ones 

go for $40-50. Aside from oft-neglected 

advice of putting air in your 

tires every two weeks, Sepulveda 

suggests raising your seat post. If 

it’s too low, you don’t have full leg 

extension which can create knee 

problems. “Even 10 millimetres,” he 

says. “That makes a big change.” , 

COURTESY OUR COMMUNITY BIKES 


SoCIAL Lite 

Based in Ontario 

with distribution 

across the country, 

SoCIAL Lite is the 

easy-breezy of 

vodka sodas with 

its sugar-free 4 per 

cent alcohol content 

that’s only 80 

calories per can. 

Another distinction 

is they like mixing 

their flavours, 

creating colourful 

combos that 

include grapefruit 

pomelo, pineapple 

mango, lime ginger 

and lemon cucumber 

mint. 

Drink 

BATTLE 

OF THE VODKA SODAS 

Vodka is in a class of its own — clear, clean, refreshing and 

refined. It’s at the centre of plenty of amazing, sometimes 

complex, cocktails. Its popularity reigns with cool sophistication 

from cocktail lounges to dance clubs. While 

mixologists know how to make marvelous mixes, less can 

be more and the simplicity of distinction slightly tempered 

with flavour works very well in a can. And sometimes 

you want a lite, convenient drink you can toss in your 

knapsack, easy as a beer. Meet four Canadian 

low-cal, low effort vodka soda cocktailsin-a-can 

battling for supremacy. 

By BRAD SIMM 

Nude 

Just like its name, 

Nude is a strippeddown, 

sugar-free 

vodka soda 

that’s designed 

to eliminate the 

sickly-sweet hangovers 

that come 

with too many cosmic 

concoctions. 

Made in BC with 

triple-distilled vodka, 

sparkling water 

and all natural fruit 

extracts (peach, 

lime, mint, kiwi), it’s 

crisp and light at 

only 100 calories 

per can, but still 

has a nice bite. 

Last Mountain 

If you’re looking 

for a little more 

punch and a touch 

of sweetness, Last 

Mountain Distillery 

offers its Sweet 

Tea Vodka Lemonade 

and Mojito 

Vodka Soda, each 

with less than 20g 

of sugar weighing 

in with 7 per cent 

alcohol content. 

They also have 

their lemon and 

lime sugar-free 

flavours dialed in 

with the same high 

alcohol level and 

all natural ingredients. 

Nütrl 

Nutrl Vodka Soda 

is an offshoot of 

Nutrl Vodka, a 

craft product that 

uses a 76 step 

distilling process 

to achieve its pure, 

uncorrupted taste 

experience. Nutrl 

boasts of having 

a super-simple 

formula with “no 

carbs, no sugar, 

no sweetener” and 

offers a variety of 

flavours to choose 

from (lime, lemon, 

blackberry, black 

cherry, cranberry 

and pineapple). 


JESSIE REYEZ • BAHAMAS • SERENA RYDER 

HALF MOON RUN • A TRIBE CALLED RED • WINTERSLEEP 

DEAR ROUGE • PEACH PIT • SHAD • JOCELYN ALICE • FOXWARREN 

COSMO SHELDRAKE • FAST ROMANTICS • SCENIC ROUTE TO ALASKA 

FRED PENNER • THE JERRY CANS • ART D’ECCO • THE BOOM BOOMS 

SARAH MACDOUGALL • LUCA FOGALE • daysormay 

PARKER BOSSLEY• JESSICKA • THE SUNSET KIDS 

HUNTING • BEGONIA • THE MODELOS 

SAM LYNCH • TAYLOR JAMES 

THE OOT N’ OOTS • THE KWERKS 

CAT MADDEN 

At all Long & McQuade locations, including: 

lineup subject to change 

368 Terminal Avenue ∙ (604) 734-4886 

vancouver@long-mcquade.com 

1363 Main Street ∙ (604) 986-0911 

northvan@long-mcquade.com 

MEDIA SPONSORS 

AVAILABLE NOW 


MUSiC 

I listen to 

absolutely everything. 

I won’t even say I have 

taste. Of course I’m 

offended by music 

sometimes, but 

I try to take in 

everything. 

By JUDAH SCHULTE 

I 

n the six years Jean-Sebastien Audet 

has been releasing music, his 

YVES 

persona has constantly evolved. 

Performing now as Yves 

Jarvis, the 22-year-old Calgary-born, 

Montreal-based 

songwriter writes ethereal 

JARVIS 

compositions that occupy a 

space between folk and R&B, 

only because there’s no 

other place for them to go. 

Defying conventions of both 

structure and genre, his 

songs wander and explore; 

sometimes sounding like 

THE DIY 

a mad-man D’Angelo, at 

other times, a twisted, 

space-age Harry 

Nilsson. Yves Jarvis 

is always Jean-Sebastien 

Audet, and 

both refuse to sit 

KING 

still. 

Often saturated 

with 

grain and 

samples 

of rain or street noise, Audet’s music 

feels like something expressed in 

confidence, a conversation with a 

friend you didn’t know you had. 

Endless, seamless vocal layerings 

and swelling organs make his 

expressions feel as huge and 

significant as gospel while 

his whispered vocals and 

candid lyrics offer a level 

of intimacy comparable 

to singer-songwriters 

like Judee Sill and Nick 

Drake. 

The disjointed 

post-punk of Tenet, 

Audet’s first fulllength 

album 

released as Un 

Blonde, reflects 

the young 

songwriter 

as he was 

CONTINUED 

ON PG. 20 k 

MAY 2019 BEATROUTE 17 

MAYA FUHR

MUSiC CONCERT PREVIEWS 

RUN FOR 

COVER 

Orville Peck breaks the rules of the 

Wild West with his debut, Pony 

By MAGGIE McPHEE 

“Who was that masked man?” 

was a classic query in old time westerns. The answer used to be “the 

Lone Ranger” but now it’s Orville Peck, a risk-taking and mysterious 

Canadian musician determined tor reinvent the country sound. 

“North America feels the most like the 

Wild West than it has in a long time,” says 

Peck over the phone in a steady voice, worlds 

away from his baritone that belts out ballads 

of heartbreak and loneliness on his glimmering 

debut, Pony. 

“The rules don’t really matter that much 

anymore, largely on a negative scale,” he says. 

But to him these tumultuous times also inspire 

subversive artists that reject the status 

ORVILLE PECK 

Vancouver: 

Friday, May 19 

The Wise Hall 

Calgary: 

Thursday, May 23 

Commonwealth 

Edmonton: 

Saturday, May 25 

The Starlite Room 

Tix: $12 


quo and make their own rules, 

“like outlaws.” 

Peck embraces the contradictions 

of being a country musician; 

a rebel and performer, clad in 

rugged jeans and bedazzled satin 

shirts, craving normalcy and seeking 

freedom, embracing machismo 

and homoeroticism. The phallic 

imagery evoked by his 10-gallon 

hat and fringed leather mask 

is probably no accident. Within 

these fluid binaries, he moulds 

masculine western tropes into 

something personal for him as a 

queer musician. 

At the core of this alchemy lies 

a sense of respect for himself and 

for country music listeners. 

“A mainstream country radio 

station would look at what I do 

and think it’s too inappropriate for 

their listeners,” Peck says. “But I 

receive messages every day from 

middle aged white men who live in 

Alabama telling me they’re driving 

their kids to school every day with 

their wife and they’re all listening 

to ‘Dead of Night’ in the car.” 

Country music audiences are 

dying for diversity and Peck feels 

part of pushing for the genre’s 

comeuppance. He harkens back 

to his punk roots, laughing that 

being a “weird country star” feels 

like being a punk rocker because 

he’s rallying against this “facade of 

what people are still trying to push 

as country music.” 

His fans tell Peck they crave 

fresh perspectives and idiosyncratic 

stories. They want to outgrow 

country music’s “stigma of 

being a conservative, bland pedestrian 

genre.” 

Pony stands in bold opposition 

to these stereotypes. Peck assembles 

sprawling and sparkling landscapes 

within which his cast of 

outsiders love, lose, and long. On 

opener “Dead of Night,” drawn 

out chords craft a never-ending 

desert for he and his man to drive 

through. 

Peck’s lingering, rumbling vocals 

on “Big Sky” carve a skyscape 

expansive enough to hold a lineage 

of ex-lovers. And on “Buffalo Run,” 

thrashing guitar and rhythmic 

drums transmute into stampeding 

buffalo. 

Setting plays a major role in 

Peck’s storytelling. “When I started 

putting together these songs, 

the places I’ve visited and the people 

I’ve met, those are the things 

that have really stuck with me.” 

Having been on the move his 

whole life, from the Pacific Northwest 

to London, England, to Toronto, 

Peck developed a strong 

memory connection to environment. 

“It’s definitely important to the 

cowboy and western aesthetic because 

it’s so much about travelling 

and being this nomadic soul,” he 

explains. “You leave a little piece 

of yourself everywhere and you 

take a little piece with you as well.” 

These pieces sneak into Pony 

in subtle ways. Peck draws inspiration 

from his experiences on 

the road as well as his personal 

obsessions with theatre, cinema 

and a slew of musical genres. He 

cites new wave, gospel, girl groups, 

punk and 80s rock as things he enjoys 

that “just had to kind of creep 

in for the record.” The end result 

is a sound “rooted in outlaw country” 

that can travel into rougher 

territory and sometimes soars into 

glittery falsetto. 

“I think if you’re doing anything 

with sincerity it will always have a 

uniqueness to it,” he says. 

Peck has just started his first full 

North American tour. “I’m not really 

a fan of apathy,” he says of performing. 

“You can expect a lot of 

drama and cool outfits and stories 

wrapped up with sincerity, hopefully 

to come and hang out in Orville 

Peck’s world for a while.” , 

MASKED FOR MUSIC 

Some artists love basking in the warm glow of the 

bright stage lights they’re performing under. Others 

would rather hide in anonymity and let the music 

speak for itself. Here are some of our favourite 

artists hiding in plain sight. 

By BEN BODDEZ 

Daft Punk 

All hail the dance-party 

powering robots. These iconic 

helmets have evolved, now 

coming equipped with colourful 

LED displays. It’s rumoured that 

these impressive and complex 

extensions of the famous duo 

cost $65,000 each to produce. 

Nobunny 

Wearing an unkempt bunny 

mask and often not much 

else, the identity of the sweaty 

garage rock anti-hero isn’t as 

hidden as most. At the same 

time, it’s a strangely perfect, 

albeit creepy, accompaniment 

to his chaotic live shows. 

Pussy Riot 

Donning colourful balaclavas, 

the Russian punk rock activists 

remain masked for different 

reasons than most as they’re 

known to stage public protests. 

“Anybody can be Pussy Riot, you 

just need to put on a mask and 

stage an active protest of something,” 

says band member Nadia. 

Leikeli47 

More than a fashion statement, 

Brooklyn rapper Leikeli47 says 

her trademark bandannas and 

balaclavas help her cope with 

shyness. She takes her dedication 

to the mask a step further, staying 

concealed in interviews and other 

public appearances as well. 

Marshmello 

The latest EDM star to cross 

over to the pop world with 

some big-name collaborations, 

this sweet-tooth foam enclosure 

was inspired by the artist’s 

fascination with fellow masked 

party starter Deadmau5. . 



MAYA FUHR 

YVES JARVIS 

k CONTINUED FROM PG. 17 

at 16, too avant-garde to be fully appreciated 

by the population of the 

Calgary streets he was busking on. 

Its follow-up, Water the Next Day, 

is a sonic chronicle of his relocation 

to Montreal in his late teens. It picks 

up that same experimental spirit 

and drops it into mellow, contemplative 

territory. Breaking away from 

Un Blonde and adopting the name 

Yves Jarvis with his latest release, 

The Same but by Different Means, Audet 

YVES JARVIS 

doesn’t seek to reinvent his sound so much as 

to richen it. Here and there, a lyric or melody 

will break through the blanket of seemingly 

infinite piano, organ, vocal harmonies, and 

textural sounds. In such swirling, transitory 

soundscapes, it’s the slight moments of 

rupture and subtle ascensions that hold the 

music together. 

“It’s very ungrounded, unhinged, and impulsive,” 

says Audet. “I guess at the centre, it’s 

like fire or electricity. Something brilliant. The 

only thing I think I could liken it to is chipping 

away at wood. I’m working with one core, and 

that’s what I’m trying to get at.” 

Vancouver: 


KW Studios 

Tix: $10, eventbrite.ca 

Calgary: 

Wednesday, May 8 

King Eddy 

Edmonton: 


Sewing Machine Factory 

Tix: $10 

When Audet speaks, it’s equal parts 

thought and vocalization. Speaking of his 

own music, his voice contains a palpable 

consideration and hesitation, as if not entirely 

sure what to make of it yet. When talking 

about the work of others, Joni 

Mitchell in particular, his speech 

quickens, his voice softens and the 

conversation takes a tone of warm 

familiarity. But regardless of who 

made it, Jarvis speaks about music 

poetically, using colours, textures 

and experiences to paint a picture. 

His appetite for listening to music 

is just as insatiable as his drive 

to make it, Audet draws inspiration 

from sources old and new. 

“I listen to absolutely everything,” says Audet. 

“I won’t even say I have taste. Of course 

I’m offended by music sometimes, but I try to 

take in everything.” 

The enigma of his ever-changing yet 

unmistakable musical identity is something 

Audet has been earning for years. He’s been 

growing alongside it and documenting it 

all the while, as if writing his music like one 

would note their height on the doorframe of 

the world. 

Whichever direction he takes and whichever 

colour he explores, one thing is certain: 

each entry to come will be written a little 

higher up than the last. , 


Tickets on sale now! 

SQUEEZE PLAY 

Hip-hop duo Snotty 

SQUEEZE 

PLAY 

Nose Rez Kidz think 

ahead and look towards 

Dando the future and the with 

Evan 

Lemonheads responsibility break a 

10-year hiatus with 

By SAFIYA HOPFE 

a second anthology 

of covers 

By GRAEME WIGGINS 

MICHEL VAN COLLENBURG 

THE LEMONHEADS 


Rickshaw Theatre 

Tix: $25 

E 

nding a 10-year hiatus 

with an album of covers 

is one way to shrug off 

any expectations. It’s 

certainly in keeping 

with The Lemonheads’ 

Evan Dando’s way of doing things. 

The Lemonheads seemed poised for 

greatness in the mid-90s; the combination 

of Dando’s model looks, musical hooks and 

slacker charm seemed destined to take 

the world by storm. But a combination of 

constant touring, drugs and off-stage antics 

made for a slim discography. They took 

a nine year hiatus starting in 1997, then 

released two albums between 2006 and 

2009, the latter all covers. Ten years later, 

they’re back with a sequel: Varshons II. 

“I’m competing for the most slacker of all 

time because I haven’t finished my own record 

yet,” says Dando. “I like other people’s 

songs. It’s kind of a cool thing to do.” 

It was also a nice way to get his feet wet 

back in the studio after a long break. 

“Been writing a bunch, but don’t really 

have enough for a new album so I went in to 

record a bunch of covers as something to 

tour on until I get my album done. I like going 

into the studio and letting it inspire me. It 

was fun.” 

The first Varshons album came about 

from trading mixtapes with album producer 

(and Butthole Surfers frontman) Gibby 

Haines. It was an eclectic assortment of 

songs that avoided clichéd choices. The 

new one is also diverse with a brilliant Lucinda 

Williams cover (“Abandoned”) 

alongside punks The Eyes and 

Nick Cave. 

“A lot of them I’ve been doing 

for years. Wouldn’t do something 

like ‘Pale Blue Eyes’ or something 

classic of all time, just songs that I really like.” 

There were some sacred songs that 

couldn’t be touched, to keep the album 

fresh. “No Velvet, no Stooges, no Modern 

Lovers. No Hendrix.” But there is an Eagles 

song (“Take It Easy”) on there, and “Round 

Here” by country superstars Florida Georgia 

Line, which seems delightfully out of character. 

“I like that song. It’s a hard one to like. It’s 

a little overblown, a little over-produced. But 

it’s a great song.” 

After this tour, Dando hints at the possibility 

of a new record. 

“Going to start recording a new album. 

I have a bunch of songs, and we’ll hit the 

studio soon. Like a back to school thing. Get 

a new record out.” 

As much as he might be construed as a 

slacker king, his perfectionist streak is really 

the only hold up: “It’s not easy. I don’t want 

to do it until it’s really good and I haven’t 

got there yet. I’m trying. I’ve done a lot of 

records I’m really proud of so I don’t want to 

do one until I’ll be really proud of it. I should 

be ready soon.” 

Until then we have some great covers and 

a tour of the hits. Hopefully the recent hiatus 

will be the last and The Lemonheads will be 

back in full. , 

Media partner 

May 30 . 7:30 PM 

Queen Elizabeth Theatre 

Ticketmaster.ca 

HAHAHA.COM 



JENNY 

LEWIS: 

TO HELL 

AND 

BACK 

Jenny Lewis takes ownership 

of her narrative 

with latest solo release 

By KARINA ESPINOSA 

T 

he most striking thing about 

speaking with Jenny Lewis 

is the way she manages to 

make our conversation seem 

fluid and relaxed. As she 

answers questions with tiny, 

thoughtful details, she radiates 

the charm of California 

cool girl, but never comes 

across as aloof. 

“There’s a little bird making a nest 

outside my bedroom window,” she 

says. “It’s very cute, but it makes this 

repetitive squeak that woke me up at 

6:45 in the morning.” 

According to Lewis, her neighbourhood 

in Studio City, Los Angeles, is basically 

a bird sanctuary. “My neighbours 

are bird fanatics and they throw like, raw 

meat to the ravens. There are so many 

different kinds of birds, so yesterday I 

just decided to do a little bird watching.” 

But ravens feeding on raw meat? “Yeah, 

I didn’t know that either until I stepped 

onto a raw piece of ribeye,” Lewis says 

without missing a beat. 

There’s something to be said about 

a person who can enliven the most 

mundane small talk with vivid imagery. 

Since her days as the front woman 

of cult indie-rock band, Rilo Kiley, 

Lewis has been a master storyteller, 

drawing from everyday hardships and 

heartaches of life. But for someone 

who once wrote, “You say I choose 

sadness, that it never once has chosen 

me,” Lewis is surprisingly warm 

and upbeat. “I’ve learned that positivity 

is a choice for survival. I wouldn’t characterize 

myself as happy or sad, but I 

5 CHILD 

STARS 

TURNED 

MUSICIANS 

Jenny Lewis isn’t the only one 

who established herself early on 

as someone to watch in more 

than one medium. Here are five 

young movie and streaming stars 

who transitioned their fame into a 

music career. By BEN BODDEZ 

AUTUMN DE WILDE 


do try to see the glass as half-full—on 

most days,” she says. 

Lewis began her career as a child actor, 

landing roles in TV shows like Growing 

Pains and Troop Beverly Hills. But 

it’s not a period she remembers fondly: 

forced to mature early, she became the 

sole breadwinner to support her mother 

and sister. As to whether she’d ever return 

to the profession, Lewis says she’s 

open to anything “that feels right in the 

moment,” especially if the dynamic is 

healthy and the relationship is healing. 

“But that kind of performance gives 

me anxiety, and I don’t think I like playing 

other people. Or maybe I do. I don’t 

know. It was just such a big part of my 

life, and I pivoted from acting so that I 

could take control of the narrative creatively. 

The idea of going back doesn’t 

feel as exciting to me because it’s not 

my story to tell.” 

In writing music, she’s able to do 

just that. Two years ago, Lewis began 

recording On the Line, her fourth 

solo effort, at Capitol Records in Los 

Angeles. There, she had legendary 

equipment—including the piano that 

Carole King played on Tapestry and a 

microphone used by Frank Sinatra—at 

her disposal. 

“There’s Frank Sinatra DNA in the 

capsule of this microphone at Capitol 

Records. And now my spit is with 

Frank’s spit forever on this Neumann 

mic. It’s pretty fucking cool,” she says 

gushing. What’s more, Lewis assembled 

a backing band of renowned musicians, 

including Beck bassist and legendary 

hitmaker, Don Was, and Ringo Starr. 

It’s a far cry from early Rilo 

Kiley when she and her 

bandmates recorded music 

on four-track tapes in her 

living room. But Lewis says 

that she still felt at home 

playing with those big names on her 

album. 

“To end up in a studio with really seasoned 

musicians was kind of a logical 

step for me. I’m not making records in 

my home anymore. I’m free to explore 

different sounds and methods.” Recording 

as a solo artist comes with its 

insecurities, however, and Lewis admits 

to feeling mixed emotions when she 

tackles new work on her own. 

“Freedom, fear, responsibility. You’re 

alone, but you’re autonomous. You have 

creative freedom and choice, but there 

isn’t that one person you can turn to 

and say, ‘Is this okay? Am I doing the 

right thing?’ And to be single on top of 

that, when in the past, my partner and I 

would bounce off each other.” 

But that experience, she concedes, 

was ultimately rewarding. “You get to 

make your own, pure vision. It’s still 

collaborative, but at the end of the day 

I’m the one making the decisions.” 

On the Line is a sweeping symphony 

of loss and rebirth. Written over multiple 

years shortly after her breakup with 

longtime partner, Jonathan Rice, it began 

as an album of self-exploration. But when 

Lewis’ estranged mother passed away 

right before recording, the album took on 

new meaning, and it became a way for 

the songwriter to process her grief. 

The barren piano ballad “Dogwood” 

YVES JARVIS 

Monday, May 20 

Commodore Ballroom 

Tix: $39.50, ticketmaster.ca 

acts as the “core and soul” 

of the record and reflects 

the overall theme of losing a 

loved one—romantic or familial. 

It’s Lewis’ own favourite 

track from the album, and 

one she finds difficult to perform live. 

“For me, it’s very moving. And I guess 

some nights I don’t want to feel that 

way. Or I don’t want to remember feeling 

that way,” she confesses. 

As anyone familiar with Lewis’ music 

knows, her fraught relationship with 

her mother has hung heavy over her 

songwriting for years. But it’s always 

appeared in oblique references, blurring 

the line between memoir and fiction. It 

isn’t immediately obvious, with its slick 

groove and almost mythic lyrics, but 

“Little White Dove” was written about 

Lewis’ time with her mother at the hospital. 

But in this instance, she and her 

mother have reconciled. 

“My mother is a great source of inspiration. 

She’s a very mysterious figure 

in my life and a complex person. I’ve 

always tried not to be too judgemental 

of her. My relationship with her is very 

personal and formative and something 

I’m trying to figure out in all areas of my 

life. It’s just been a constant, and now 

that she’s gone, I’m not sure that there’s 

anything more I can write, honestly.” 

She hesitates before adding, “It might 

be time to start writing about something 

else.” 

It’s the beginning of a new chapter. 

Now the “heroine” of her own story, 

Lewis is in control and won’t let her past 

pain dictate her future. , 

Juliette Lewis 

Nominated for an 

Academy Award at 18 

for her role in Cape 

Fear, Juliette Lewis – 

no relation to Jenny 

– has since released 

seven albums, both 

with indie rock band 

Juliette and the Licks 

and through her own 

solo material. The 

band is currently 

working on their first 

studio album since 

2006. 

Macaulay Culkin 

The quintessential 

child actor, Culkin 

made a short-lived 

venture into music 

with parody rock 

band the Pizza 

Underground, which 

replaced Velvet Underground 

lyrics with 

material surrounding 

the doughy delicacy. 

The band broke up 

in 2016. 

Finn Wolfhard 

The Vancouverite 

star of Stranger 

Things and It didn’t 

wait until adulthood 

to pursue a music career. 

The 16-year-old 

frontman released 

his debut EP with his 

alternative rock outfit 

Calpurnia in June 

of last year and it’s 

not as scary as you 

might think based on 

his acting resume. 

Drake 

The one of the 

world’s most 

streamed musician 

made his debut 

on the Canadian 

high school drama 

Degrassi at age 15, 

leaving the show six 

years later to pursue 

a music career that 

got him signed to Lil 

Wayne’s Young Money 

Entertainment. 

Miley Cyrus 

Miley Cyrus got her 

start at age 11 in the 

Tim Burton classic 

Big Fish. And while 

her dad, Billy Ray 

Cyrus, might be 

experiencing a small 

career renaissance 

on the back of country-trap 

banger, “Old 

Town Road,” Miley 

continues in a long 

line of teen Disney 

stars turned *ahem* 

adult musicians.

MUSiC COVER STORY 

KALI 

UCHIS 

LIVES A RETRO 

DAYDREAM 

By Jamila Pomeroy 

Kali Uchis, the stage-persona of 

Karly-Marina Loaiza, is the Latina 

Rosie the Riveter, here to serenade 

you with her old school funky flavours 

of R&B. 

The Colombian-American singer/ 

songwriter is living a retro daydream 

where only the aesthetic remains; 

equal rights are praised and 

celebrated; and women are at the 

forefront of innovation. 

Outside of music, Kali says she 

spends her time “Investing in 

property and going for long walks 

on the beach.” Kali states through 

her presence that strength can 

be found in duality; embracing 

old-school feminine visuals, with 

modern feminist values. 

Knowing her true purpose, often 

skipped classes in high school 

to spend time in the photo lab 

making experimental short films, 

explaining why her music videos 

carry a highly cinematic quality. 

This interest in photography led 

her to creating mix-tape cover art, 

and eventually music to pair with 

these works. As a multidisciplinary 

artist, Kali has been able to bridge 

her personal aesthetic, persona, 

and now empire, outward through 

a multiplicity of expressions: all 

remaining within the realm of 

vintage, pin-up, and visuals of old 

KALI & J 

24 BEATROUTE MAY 2019 

CONTINUED ON PG. 26 k

JORJA 

SMITH 

STAYS LOST 

IN THE STARS 

By Jordan Yeager 

ORJA 

Jorja Smith emanates self-assured 

grace and confidence, 

an embodiment of the duality 

of being both soft-spoken and 

completely badass. The young 

singer is contemplative, poised, 

and to the point, carefully handpicking 

words to convey the 

thoughts spinning around the 

heights of her Gemini mind. 

Though her ascent to stardom 

might seem sudden, Smith has 

been hard at work for years. She 

started writing songs and playing 

keyboard as a child; some 

tracks off her debut album Lost 

& Found were written when she 

was 16. She’s 21 now. 

“My parents always encourage 

me to do what I love and 

follow my dreams,” says Smith. 

CONTINUED ON PG. 26 k 



BEN HOUDIJK / SHUTTERSTOCK 

DARROL EPALMER 

KALI 

UCHIS 

and really just any type 

of artist that seemed like 

they were doing their own 

thing.” 

PNE Forum 

For Kali, being a female 

pop star in 2019 Tix: $49.50 

means using her platform 

for philanthropic deeds, 

speaking at the podium 

of women’s empowerment 

and approaching 

life with a kind heart. She has been 

JORJA SMITH AND 

KALI UCHIS 

Vancouver: 


Toronto: 


RBC Echo Beach 

Tix: $49.50 - $175.00 

hometown in Colombia 

with her charity, Visión 

Valores Y Vida. 

“I have my own charity 

with my family in 

Colombia and all the 

proceeds go to Visión 

Valores Y Vida.” The 

foundation, which is primarily 

geared towards 

providing clothing and 

toys to children was announced last 

JORJA 

SMITH 


playing music since she was seven year. 


school Latina culture. 

While all things retro may be today’s 

craze , for Kali, these vintage 

vibes were born out of necessity and 

generating a persona within limitations. 

and says she was “one of those little 

kids making drum beats off of pots 

“I think growing up, my goal has 

always been to be successful enough 

to be an independent person who 

doesn’t need help from anyone and 

can do whatever I want to do and 

also a provider, not just for my family 

“I’ve always loved all things retro. I just loved being but to other people in less fortunate 

As a teenager, I developed my personal 

style shopping for secondhand 

For Kali, the topic hits close to 

situations.” 

able to take 

clothes and creating new clothes out something old and home. Her father grew up on the 

of them. I would reinvent myself make it new, fresh, streets of Colombia as a kid, and her 

through those expressions of fashion 

and play around with vintage 

tershocks of Colombia’s decades of 

family was deeply affected by the af- 

modern and make it 

styles whether that was the 90s, 80s, my own.” 

political turmoil. 

70s or 60s I just loved being able to 

Through her many artistic platforms, 

take something old and make it new, and pans.” Encircled by music in her 

philanthropic expressions, 

fresh, modern and make it my own,” 

she says. 

Influenced by music of the 60s, 

early soul, R&B, doo-wop, and jazz, 

Kali bridges visuals of the past with 

rhythms reminiscent of early 00s’ 

soulful pop and R&B: “I love artists 

that are free and do what they want 

to. I’ve always loved Erykah Badu, 

Amy Winehouse and Selena. Growing 

up I was really into all types of 

experimental music: Jimi Hendrix 

community and encouragement by 

her family, Kali grew up playing piano 

and saxophone, while participating in 

a jazz band. She spent those years in a 

bicultural upbringing in Virginia and 

Colombia. 

“I think being bicultural made me 

very open minded to the world.” 

With a global and empathetic eye, 

Kali participates in many philanthropic 

efforts helping children and 

families in need, in and around her 

and as she continues to build her empire, 

Kali believes the route of true 

success comes from a place of kindness 

and a place of softness. 

“If all of us had empathy and were 

reminded of people who are in less 

fortunate circumstances then we 

could turn a lot of lives around and 

have the opportunity to do something 

greater. It’s something that I’ve 

always personally tried to keep in 

mind and stay passionate about.” , 

“They boosted my confidence 

early. I used to sing all the time in 

the house and play them songs 

I’d written. My mom got me into 

playing the keyboard when I was 

eight.” 

Some of us would be mortified 

to read songs we’d written in our 

Don’t compare 

yourself to other 

artists as we all 

have our own path. 

Love and believe in 

what you do.” 

vulnerable, awkward teenage 

years, let alone perform them in 

front of global audiences. But 

Smith transcends that embarrassment 

– she knew herself 

then, just as she does now. 

“It’s mad to think things I go 

through now I can relate to 

through my music from years 

ago,” she says. “They can give me 

the same feeling.” 

Growing up in the small town 

of Walsall, England, Smith was a 

fish too big for her tank. She got 

restless, and by 16, she knew she 

wanted to move to London to 

pursue music. 

“I didn’t know any different than 

Walsall when I grew up,” she says. 

“When I started going to London 

I realized that’s where I wanted to 

be. I’m a busy body and love to be 

constantly doing things.” 

Smith has collaborated with 

artists like Stormzy, Drake, and 

most recently Kali Uchis, who is 

accompanying her on this North 

American tour. But she’ll never 

work with someone just for the 

clout. In fact, she almost said no 

to working with Drake. 

“I write my own songs, and ‘Get 

It Together’ was a cover for me 

to sing,” she says. “At first I didn’t 

relate to the words, but over time 

things changed in my life and I 

listened back. I was like, ‘Oh, now 

I get what she is saying.’” 

The singer-songwriter has always 

known what she wants, and 

to witness her thoughtful process 

is to know that she is right in her 

certainty that she’ll succeed. Her 

advice to anyone chasing similar 

goals is poignant. 

“Don’t compare yourself to 

other artists as we all have our 

own path. Love and believe in 

what you do, explore your craft 

and push yourself even further 

than you think you can go. Don’t 

be afraid of criticism either – it 

can help. But trust yourself.” , 


THE 

REAL 

DEAL 

Canadian rapper 

SonReal finally taps 

into his true self 

on The Aaron LP 

By LEYLAND BRADLEY 

SONREAL 

Victoria: 

Sunday, May 26 

Capital Ballroom 

Vancouver: 

Thursday, July 11 

Commodore Ballroom 

Calgary: 


Commonwealth 

Edmonton: 


The Starlite Room 

Tix: $15, Ticketweb.ca 

“I just got back 

from Coachella,” 

says Aaron Hoffman, aka BC-rapper 

SonReal, in a voice filled with the 

sort of excitement you’d expect from 

someone fresh from a few days in a 

desert musical oasis. “Honestly, for me, 

Coachella is more of a grind. It’s gogo-go, 

and by the end of it you’re just 

annihilated.” 

Was it worth it? 

“Yes.” 

His favourite performance? “Weezer. 

Hands down.” 

SonReal is one of the most creative 

and hardest working rappers in 

Canada. Fresh from another JUNO 

nomination, this time for Video of the 

Year—his fourth JUNO nom since 

2013—SonReal recently announced 

his first world tour to accompany his 

upcoming introspective full-length, The 

Aaron LP, out May 10. 

Seven countries in three months is a 

lot for any artist, but for SonReal, touring 

is all about connecting 

with his fans around the 

world. 

“When an artist is really 

cult and they’re bubbling 

and boiling, and the fans are 

loving it, things can happen 

really quickly. It’s out of 

everyone’s hands at that 

point,” he says. 

“When I played Europe 

last time, I could see people 

singing my songs, watching 

me and just singing along. 

I mean, I’m not the biggest artist in the 

world, so seeing that made me want to 

make more music, better music.” 

After the release 2017’s One Long 

Dream, SonReal commemorated the 

passing of his father with the song and 

video “My Friend.” The need to tell his 

story and rethink what sharing his private 

life versus public life meant to him 

paved the way for a new approach. 

“The Aaron LP is what my mom, my 

sister or my dad would think sounds 

the most like me. After my dad passed, 

I was like, ‘I’ve got to say whatever the 

hell I’ve got to say,’ so this is really the 

first time I’ve been this vulnerable and 

this open on an album. It also sounds 

really cohesive. I literally recorded the 

entire thing in one room, by myself. It 

was just me.” 

Passionate would be an understatement 

for SonReal. Now 33 years old, 

SonReal still puts in the work, and he’s 

confident in what the future holds. 

“Honestly, I’ve been doing this for so 

long. There’s no telling how big this is 

going to get,” he says. “I’m so hyped. 

I’m excited. I’m just beaming.” , 

RIO 

THEATRE 

1660 EAST BROADWAY 

MAY 

3 

MAY 

4 

MAY 

5 

MAY 

6 

MAY 

7 

MAY 

8 

MAY 

10 

MAY 

12 

MAY 

13 

MAY 

15 

MAY 

17 

MAY 

18 

MAY 

24 

MAY 

27 

MAY 

May the Fourth be With You! 

The Geekenders present 

A NUDE HOPE: 

A SCI-FI BURLESQUE ADVENTURE 

Also May 4 & 5 

TALKING HEADS: STOP MAKING SENSE 

Friday Late Night Movie 

Oscar-winner 

GREEN BOOK 

Additional dates www.riotheatre.ca 

Japanimation Classic! 

PERFECT BLUE 

20th Anniversary Remaster 

FREE SOLO 

Final Screening 

UWE Boll Live for Q & A!! 

F**K YOU ALL: THE UWE BOLL STORY 

Ethan Hawke & Noomi Rapace 

STOCKHOLM 

#CDNFilm 

Filmmakers in Attendance! 

ONCE UPON A SUPERHERO 

STORY STORY LIE 

Fight Club 

The Gentlemen Hecklers Present 

TOP GUN 

La Maison Lust Presents 

WET Also May 11 

John Waters’ 

SERIAL MOM 


Happy Mother’s Day! 

CatVideoFest 2019 

MAMMA MIA! 

The Yes Men’s 

MIKE BONNANO 

Live! 

COCO MONTOYA 

Live! 

The Fictionals Comedy Co. Presents 

IMPROV AGAINST HUMANITY 

#IAHatRio 

Double Feature! 

Keanu Reeves 

JOHN WICK 1 & 2 

David Cronenberg’s 

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE 


The Geekenders Present 

DUNGEONS & DRAGLESQUE 

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW 

Sing-a-long! 

GREASE 

Also June 22 

AMERICAN HISTORY X 


THE CRITICAL HIT SHOW 

A #DNDLive Improv Comedy Adventure 

JUNE 

Paul Anthony’s 

TALENT TIME 

6 First Thursday of Every Month! 

*www.riotheatre.ca for additional times 

COMPLETE LISTINGS AT WWW.RIOTHEATRE.CA 

S 



MARC DE VINCI 

ORAL MORALS 

Hip-hop duo Snotty 

Nose Rez Kids think 

ahead and look back 

to the future with 

responsibility 

By SAFIYA HOPFE 

Fast-rising West Coast rappers 

Darren “Young D” Metz and Quinton 

“Yung Trybez” Nyce remember when 

their relatives in Kitimat would call 

them “snotty nosed kids from the 

rez” with endearment– carefree kids 

who wouldn’t let a few boogers get 

in their way. Now, they go by “Snotty 

Nose Rez Kids” to honour being a little 

rough around the edges, and that 

this is what makes them beautiful. 

The journey of the last couple of 

years has been wild, and in many 

ways unexpected– but they say it’s a 

dream come true. 

Since their 2017 debut, they’ve 

been nominated for the 

Polaris, a Juno, and best 

hip-hop album at the Indigenous 

Music Awards. 

But Nyce says, they’re not 

in it for that. “At the end of 

the day, it’s just to have a 

positive impact on people.” 

The project started as 

a vision when the two 

were in school preparing 

to work nine-to-five jobs. 

Since then, each album 

SNOTTY NOSE 

REZ KIDS 

has had what Metz calls a “snowball 

effect.” “With each project” says 

Metz, “trying to get up there, trying 

to define ourselves and our style, we 

healed in ways that we thought we 

couldn’t heal. And not just that, but 

helping others heal.” 

In late 2017, The Average Savage 

marked Nyce and Metz’s emergence 

from their shells. This sparked a 

healing journey as they explored 

their roots and their power through 

verse. New record Traplines, signifies 

that they now have their confidence. 

It was this confidence in their collective 

voice that brought it into being. 

Last summer, the two wanted to 

make a mixtape, Rez Bangers & Koolapops, 

but realized a project of that 

scale wouldn’t be true to them. They 

wanted to make a full-length record– 

and they wanted it to have a message. 

And the time really couldn’t be 

riper. After all, as Nyce points out, 

our planet is dying, slowly but surely. 

Describing the album, he says, “It’s a 

reminder to people that the land we 

come from comes with responsibility. 

Our ancestors upheld those re- 

Vancouver: 


Fortune Sound Club 

Victoria: 

Friday, June 7 

Capital 

Calgary: 

Tuesday, May 21 

Commonwealth 

Edmonton: 


99ten 

Tix: $15, Ticketweb.ca 

sponsibilities and passed 

those responsibilities 

down to us.” 

He adds, “People need 

inspiration from an outside 

source, not necessarily 

holding them up 

on the frontlines. We give 

them a different energy. 

We make anthems for 

that sort of thing.” 

Although forward-thinking 

action is 

definitely a focus of theirs, Snotty 

Nose Rez Kids are far from forgetting 

where they came from. Having been 

raised in a culture and an environment 

where oral storytelling is pivotal, 

their work is in many ways shaped 

by what their grandparents, parents, 

aunties and uncles shared with them 

in hours spent at the dinner table. “A 

lot of the stuff on Trapline, is a lot of 

just that,” says Nyce.. “My mum’s on 

the opening skit, she’s telling us exactly 

what our traplines are and what 

they mean, letting us know that we 

don’t own these traplines we don’t 

own this land, but we have a responsibility 

to preserve it, protect it, and 

pass it onto the next generation for 

us to survive. So we give and we take, 

when it comes to storytelling.” 

They aim to speak not only for 

themselves but for all of those who 

came before them. Nyce describes 

this as a relationship of responsibility. 

“Without us, there’s a missing link. 

The generation before us can’t have 

that information passed on to the 

generation after us without our link.” 

, 


MAY 

WED 1 

NICK WATERHOUSE 


FM-84 

THU 9 WITH SPECIAL GUESTS 

TUE 21 

IQ 2000 TRIVIA: 

SEINFELD 

THU 2 

LADY LAMB 


FRI 10 

NO REQUEST FRIDAYS 

WITH ALAN 

SUN 19 

MOGLI 


FRI 3 


SUN 12 

W/ ALAN & BAZZ 

IQ 2000: RU PAUL’S DRAG RACE 

TRIVIA NIGHT 

MON 20 

NEXT FOOLISH MUSIC FAR FROM BACK TOKYO 

VOL BIG 14. SHOES. BIG HAIR. BIG ATTITUDES. 

FRI 3 

DIZZY 


SAT 11 SAT 25 

OMAR APOLLO 


NITE FOOLISH MOVESFAR BACK 

DANCE BIG PARTY SHOES. JAMS BIG HAIR. FOR BIG THE ATTITUDES. YOUNG, RESTLESS, & BORED! 

SAT 4 

TELEKINESIS 


SAT TUE 17 14 

LAUREN STEVENSON 


SAT 

FRI 

17 

24 

JESSE ROPER 


SAT SAT 17 4 

BYE FELICIA 

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU 

THU 16 

LIZ COOPER & THE STAMPEDE 


FRI 24 


WITH ALAN & BAZZ 

SUN 5 

JON BRYANT 


CAMP COPE 

FRI 17 VANCITY ROYALTY DRAG PARTY! 

SUN 26 

THE AMERICAN WET DREAM 2: 

WETTER & DREAMIER 

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WAND 


SAT 17 FOXING & NOW, NOW 

SAT 18 

SAT 

FRI 

17 

31 


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FRI 10 

JESSE RUTHERFORD 

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SAT 18 WITH SPECIAL GUESTS 

ANYTHING GOES! 

THU 30 

THE OUTtv OFFICIAL RUPAUL’S 

DRAG RACE SEASON 11 FINALE PARTY

SPENCER MARSH 

Reviews 

MUSiC 

Mac 

rides 

the indie 

range 

Album Review 

MAC DeMARCO 

Here Comes the Cowboy 

MAC’S RECORD LABEL/ 

ROYAL MOUNTAIN RECORDS 

2018 saw the rise of the “yeehaw 

agenda,” a movement revolving 

around the reclamation of cowboy 

culture. It started slowly and gained 

traction through memes, songs like 

Beyoncé’s “Daddy Lessons,” and 

even TikTok, which helped skyrocket 

“Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X to 

stratospheric heights. 

This year, we have prince of indie 

rock Mac DeMarco jumping on the 

yeehaw train with his fourth album, 

Here Comes the Cowboy. It’s the 

first album to be released on his 

new label, Mac’s 

Record Label. 

In “Hey Cowgirl,” 

DeMarco invites a 

cowgirl to “try the 

big city lights for a 

while,” and “All of 

Our Yesterdays” is a 

bittersweet number 

about the passage 

of time, featuring 

country-inspired lead 

licks and an absolutely beautiful 

sun-drenched chorus. 

DeMarco’s previous album, This 

Old Dog, his most personal release 

to date, contained lyrics relating 

to his relationship (or lack thereof) 

with his alcoholic father. On Here 

Comes the Cowboy, DeMarco still 

has some serious feelings to unburden 

through his usual brand of 

laid back indie rock. One example 

is the slow and solemn lead single 

“Nobody,” where he expresses his 

disillusionment with being in the 

public eye and how he can’t go 

back to being a nobody. 

We also get to see his classic 

goofball persona shine through for 

the first time since his debut album, 

2. On “Choo Choo,” he sings about 

riding a train over funky instrumentals, 

and at the end of “Baby Bye 

Bye,” there’s a two-minute-long jam 

outro with DeMarco falsetto singing 

“yeehaw,” with plenty of screaming, 

and maniacal cackling. 

Here Comes the Cowboy isn’t exactly 

country, but it shows DeMarco 

is willing to take risks. Musically, 

it’s minimalistic, but there’s beauty 

in its simplicity. He wears his heart 

on his sleeve through his lyrics and 

proves again that he’s a compelling 

songwriter and a driving force in 

indie rock. 

Robann Kerr

MUSiC ALBUM REVIEWS 

ALEX LAHEY 

The Best of Luck Club 

Dead Oceans 

The Best of Luck Club is the second 

album from Melbourne, Australia’s 

indie sweetheart Alex Lahey. A 

great choice for fans of Liz Phair’s 

Exile in Guyville and Lahey’s fellow 

Aussie icon, Courtney Barnett. 

The Best of Luck Club is a simple 

but enjoyable pop album. After 

her debut, Love You Like a Brother, 

where fans might have hoped for 

more emotional depth, they’re met 

with just as catchy, slightly more 

hollow pop songs. 

The first single from the album, 

“Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself,” 

stands out with a cheesy but 

charismatic saxophone solo from 

Lahey as the focal point. The high 

energy teen anthem, “Am I Doing It 

Right?” pulls from more pop-punk 

influences and certainly wouldn’t 

sound out of place playing at your 

local Hot Topic, especially when 

she shouts “Don’t say I’ve got nothing 

to prove” in the chorus. 

“Unspoken History” and “I Want 

to Live With You” stand out as the 

emotional core of the album, both 

introspective ballads dealing with 

relationships. 

Towards the end of the album 

the songs begin to blend into each 

other, fitting into a similar stylistic 

pattern. Though it feels like a step 

back from where the artist could’ve 

gone after her debut, The Best 

of Luck Club still manages to be 

an entertaining sophomore effort. 

Kenn Enns 

AMYL AND THE 

SNIFFERS 

Amyl and the Sniffers 

ATO/Rough Trade/Flightless 

Records 

Australia’s Amyl and the Sniffers 

have made a name for themselves 

in the past year due to their wild, 

hedonistic live performances, 

which often feature frontwoman 

Amy Taylor completely disintegrating 

the barrier between band and 

audience. 

Amyl and the Sniffers’ self-titled 

debut harnesses this explosive 

energy into a 29-minute, 11-track, 

breathless sprint of an album 

that is as fun as their live shows 

promise. 

Amyl and the Sniffers is, at its 

core, an update to the breakneck 

glory days of the 70s, when rock 

and roll was fuelled primarily by 

endless cheap booze and amphetamines. 

Dirtbag anthems, such as lead 

single “Got You,” are drenched 

in nihilism and pandemonium as 

the band swirls and rips around 

Taylor, feeling like they could come 

undone at any moment. And like 

the best luminaries of rock and roll, 

Taylor manages to hold everything 

together through sheer force of 

will, a testament to her strength 

and power as one of the most 

engaging performers today. 

After the hype they garnered 

at this year’s SXSW, Amyl and the 

Sniffers are rocket-bound for the 

highest echelons of rock royalty, an 

immediate and unstoppable tour de 

force that leaves you gasping for 

more. Sebastian Buzzalino 

BLACK MOUNTAIN 

Destroyer 

Dine Alone 

If you’ve been missing the clean 

refreshing taste of Canada’s psychrock 

darlings Black Mountain, the 

time is now to rejoice. Destroyer 

has arrived just in time to quench 

your summertime blues and transport 

you to their silver mothership 

in the sky. 

Far from an abandonment of 

their 70s space rock roots, Destroyer 

pulls its sinister title from 

the 1985 Dodge speed demon of 

the same name. 

Peeling away from the post with 

the Sabbathy overture “Future 

Shade,” the expanded ensemble 

lays a fuzz-covered offering on the 

cybernetic altar of “Horns Arising.” 

Video game monitors tumble 

down the hillside like granite boulders 

and levitate in a field of static 

electricity on “Closer to the Edge” 

and the lackadaisical Beatles meltdown, 

“Pretty Little Lazies.” 

Hip-thrust hustle and string 

bending swagger rule the galaxy 

on the mercurial “High Rise” 

and “License to Drive,” while the 

leather-wrapped “Boogie Lover” 

oozes with nocturnal heaviness. 

Reboot and unwind with “FD 72”, 

Black Mountain’s zero G tribute to 

the man who fell to Earth, and then 

return to launch sequence and 

start all over again. 

Christine Leonard 

L7 

Scatter the Rats 

Blackheart Records 

It’s been 20 years since L7, the 

cultish Los Angeles collective, released 

their last album, Slap-Happy, 

but vocalist/guitarist Donita 

Sparks and friends haven’t struck 

the revolution off their to-do lists. 

Scatter the Rats is a streetsmart 

11 floor elevator ride 

complete with leather fringe, mirror 

balls and a giant bag of cocaine. 

Ballsy Sunset Strip sizzlers like 

the surfy “Burn Baby” and “Fighting 

the Crave” showcase marquee 

grooves and flash bomb riffs, while 

roadhouse ramblers “Prototype” 

and “Murky Water Cafe” betray a 

brittle frailty. 

Shades of a newly made over 

identity emerge on the sweetly 

suburban “Holding Pattern,” but 

domesticity is short-lived as they 

dive back into the gutter with “Cool 

About Easy” and revel in the grimy 

catcall of a title track. 

Revving into high gear for “Ouija 

Board Lies” and “Garbage Truck” 

the jaded foursome summons a 

western-tinged punk rock momentum 

that will ultimately leave 

you passed out on your front lawn 

come morning. 

If this anarcho-femme punk band 

goes down in history for one thing 

it will undoubtedly be their 1992 

smash hit “Shit List,” but coincidentally 

Scatter The Rats continues 

with the perfect anthem for the 

modern #MeToo era. 

Christine Leonard 

LIZZO 

Cuz I Love You 

Atlantic Records 

Fresh off a breakthrough Coachella 

performance, the genreless 

singer, rapper and flautist has been 

having a meteoric rise this year, 

appearing as a guest judge on 

RuPaul’s Drag Race and promoting 

her empowering self-love anthems 

across the late-night TV circuit. 

Cuz I Love You is a project 

infused with Lizzo’s infectious 

personality, dropping quotable and 

fun rap lyrics while also translating 

her loud, unapologetic nature into 

passionate and impressively soulful 

R&B material. Thirty seconds into 

the opening title track, Lizzo has already 

sung a full-voiced a cappella 

soul belt, and giggled as she raps. 

Structured more like a series of 

high-octane dancefloor fillers than 

a cohesive album, it still works because 

Lizzo’s all-out celebration of 

all aspects of her identity is genuinely 

inspiring. She celebrates body 

positivity on “Tempo,” interracial 

love on “Better in Color” and enjoys 

the single life on “Soulmate.” 

Songs written for the primary 

purpose of being a feel-good anthem 

can often elicit eye-rolls, but 

Lizzo is both authentically herself 

and inclusive enough that it’ll make 

anyone want to join her party. 

Ben Boddez 


SCHOOLBOY Q 

CrasH Talk 

Interscope Records 

TACOCAT 

This Mess Is A Place 

Sub Pop 

TARIQ 

Telegrams 

Tonic Records 

THE NATIONAL 

I Am Easy To Find 

4AD 

VAMPIRE WEEKEND 

Father of the Bride 

Columbia Records 

After delaying his fifth studio 

album following the death of 

his close friend Mac Miller, TDE 

rapper ScHoolboy Q’s CrasH Talk 

is finally here. Taking a break from 

the quirky high-concept material of 

his past, every song on this project 

gets straight to the point. 

ScHoolboy Q has never been 

the most technically gifted rapper, 

but he certainly has one of the 

most commanding voices in the 

rap game. Often rhyming over 

what sounds like a horror movie 

soundtrack with a trap beat, Q’s 

menacing, grimy delivery slices 

through and draws attention even 

when he’s not saying all that much. 

There’s a lot of empty space in his 

flow, choosing each of his words 

carefully. 

CrasH Talk is one of Q’s most 

cohesive projects yet in terms of its 

sound. Skittering hi-hats keep the 

energy up throughout, but the album 

offers a few surprises as well 

when Q adapts his sound to fit his 

guests. “Lies” sees him playing off 

the soulful Ty Dolla $ign, while he 

dives into the paranoid psychedelia 

of Kid Cudi on “Dangerous”. The 

best guest of all proves to be 21 

Savage on “Floating,” spitting the 

closest thing to Q’s brand of understated 

yet threatening confidence. 

Ben Boddez 

After 10 years surfing the soundwaves 

of fun bubblegum punk, 

Seattle-based quartet Tacocat shift 

to a softer, more polished brand 

of pop. 

Featuring punchy, kick drum-driven 

rhythms, Beach Boys-esque choruses 

and lyrics free of pretension, 

This Mess Is A Place is an energetic 

jaunt through bouncy melodies. 

Singer Emily Nokes takes the 

lead with her all-or-nothing singing 

style that is garnished with winding 

inflections that nod to the late Dolores 

O’Riordan of The Cranberries. 

Many tracks aren’t as straightforward 

as you might expect from a 

punk band. Tacocat make frequent 

detours from their main chord 

progressions to explore more 

hook-laden melodies. 

WIth This Mess Is A Place, 

Tacocat wear the pop punk title 

well, putting together dynamic 

tracks that feel decidedly upbeat 

while expressing thoughts that are 

decidedly not, like on their summertime 

anthem, “Crystal Ball,” when 

Nokes proclaims, “What a time to 

be barely alive,” like a victory cry. 

Judah Schulte 

For his fifth full length, Vancouver’s 

Tariq offers 10 immaculately 

produced folk songs with the 

thoughtfulness of an artist who 

has been doing so for more than 

20 years. Perhaps his lushest and 

most cinematic release to date, the 

record has the a big-band level of 

grandeur with almost every track 

featuring brass and string arrangements. 

Though the instrumentation 

is consistently grand and sunny, 

Tariq’s lyrics are unsparingly candid 

while drawing deeper meaning 

from everyday life in the Pacific 

Northwest. 

“Coquihalla” kicks things off 

with plucky piano and a rhythm 

that bounces. Almost nodding to 

the title of the opening song, the 

tracklist plays out like a road trip on 

a sunny day. With instrumentation 

that is almost always playful and 

soaring and the lyrics meaningful 

but never morose, one can imagine 

listening to Telegrams around a fire 

on a summer night. 

The record glitters most for “Radio 

Song,” a folk pop gem, while the 

finishing track, “Light of the Moon,” 

returns to a more traditional roots 

music with an acoustic guitar and 

cascading layers of vocals. 

Tariq continues the folk tradition 

of making extraordinary stories of 

ordinary occurrences and people, 

but with a modern polish and lustre. 

Telegrams is an uplifting addition to 

Canadiana folk music. 

Judah Schulte 

The National are known for their 

obsession with sex, love, death and 

relationships through their musical 

expressions. Whether it’s dainty 

piano notes or quickened drum 

beats, lead singer Matt Berninger’s 

iconic voice, often comparable to 

Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave, 

strings the pensively sad lyrics into 

indie-rock instrumentals. 

Their eighth album, I Am Easy To 

Find, strikes with a force, bringing 

new attributes to the table. Not 

only is it the longest recorded 

album so far, but nearly every track 

also features female vocalists. 

I Am Easy To Find includes Lisa 

Hannigan, Sharon Van Etten, Mina 

Tindle, Kate Stables, and Gail 

Ann Dorsey, David Bowie’s former 

bandmate, heard on “Oblivions,” 

“Roman Holiday” and “Hey Rosey.” 

Another female contribution is 

Berninger’s wife, Carin Besser, 

who also wrote several songs. Her 

optimistic, romantic lyrics bring the 

band into a new fold, differing from 

the well-known difficult lyrics highlighting 

self-loathing and shattered 

relationships. 

Berninger’s deep, sunken 

baritone lifts and soars through his 

wife’s lyrics, inviting listeners into 

music more hopeful than before. 

In their 2013 album Trouble Will 

Find Me, the album finished with 

the melancholic track “Hard to 

Find,” and since then, it seems 

they’ve changed their minds. 

Lauren Edwards 

The six-year wait between Vampire 

Weekend albums may have felt like 

an eternity, but fear not, Father of 

the Bride is here and you’ll want to 

be the one catching the bouquet. 

Frontman Ezra Koenig teased 

early in the game via Instagram 

that the band’s new album would 

be “a lil more springtime” than 

2013’s Modern Vampires of the 

City. 

Father of the Bride boasts a 

whopping 18 songs, a total Koenig 

reports was even tough to pair 

down from the potential 23. With 

its lush arrangements and bouncy 

lyrics, Koenig has delivered on his 

spring-like vision and brought some 

friends along for the ride. 

Appearances from Steve Lacy 

of The Internet, Jenny Lewis of Rilo 

Kiley, and David Longstreth of Dirty 

Projectors add a freshness to the 

band’s sound. 

One previously released single 

is the blissed-out “Sunflower,” 

blossoming with its dream-pop 

demeanor paired with plucky vocals 

and a kaleidoscopic-like video 

directed by Jonah Hill. 

Pop aside, there are also gentle 

country influences throughout, 

with the help of vocals by Danielle 

Haim of HAIM in “Married in a Gold 

Rush” offering a back-and-forth 

duet of two lovers promising a 

brighter future together. 

Leyland Bradley 


LOCAL ALBUMS 

THE PIETASTERS Leroy Sibbles 

DUB PISTOLS (DJ SET) ONE DROP 

THE LEG UP PROGRAM MAT THE ALIEN 

ENTANGADOS MAMA PULPA Chainska BRASSIKA 

VIEJA SKINA SWEETLEAF LOWDOWN BRASS BAND 

THE BANDULUS SCOtCH BONNETS SALSAHALL COLLECTIVE 

DEf 3 THE BRROKS THE CAPITAL COLLECTIVE ERICA DEE LIVE 

TANK GYAL BOOGAT MT. DOYLE STEPHEN LEWIS MERYEM SACI 

BLACKWOOD KINGS GREENLAW DANNY REBEL & THE KGB PHONOSONICS 

GANJO BASSMAN APEX BREAKS DJ ANGER HANDSOME TIGER REBEL SELECTOR 

THE FUNKEE WADD BOOMSHACK BREHDREN TECSTYLEZ SEXWEATHER DJ ABEL 

JULES UNO DUNDIDIT 

ALEX LITTLE & THE 

SUSPICIOUS MINDS 

No Control EP 

Light Organ 

Alex Little and her band of musical misfits 

ironically reel it in and take the reins on 

their debut EP, No Control. The five tracks 

mix confident rock and roll with pop 

sensibilities and psychedelic undertones. 

Little offsets heavy subject matter like 

substance abuse and heartbreak with her 

made-for-college-radio vocals that break 

through with a whiskey and cigarette 

coated clarity. Rounded out by Andy 

Bishop (White Ash Falls), drummer Cody 

Hiles (The Zolas) and bassist Mike Rosen, 

the band recall all the right elements of 

the Cure and the Pretenders while making 

a modern sound all their own. 

Lauren Edwards 

JOVANA GOLUBOVIC 

Act: Natural 

Independent 

There’s something deliciously retro 

about Jovana Golubovic’s latest. It’s a 

soundtrack befitting Hepburn-esque cigarette 

holders, floor length silk nightgowns 

and black and white stills of rainy nights 

illuminated by gas lamp posts. 

The 10-track album, set for release 

June 2, features cooing vocals from the 

Serbian born Golubovic, where she talks 

lost, complicated and broken love. The 

vocals stand apart, complemented by the 

antique ‘ohh’ and ‘aww’ of background 

singers, piano melodies and, of course, 

the timelessly seductive saxophone. The 

album is unapologetically nostalgic, a 

sexy and elegant homage to times gone 

by. 

Kathryn Helmore 

APOSTROPHIC 

These Old Tapes 

Tastefaker Records 

Vancouver electronic producer Apostrophic 

begins this bone-crushing EP with 

a seven-minute track that conjures the 

image of a single passenger on a sinking 

ship as the horns blare. The hull is torn to 

shreds and the passenger sinks into the 

murky deep. 

These Old Tapes is a grand, Hans Zimmer-esque 

operatic record that comes on 

as destructive until it eventually simmers 

into a serene calmness as notes are 

drawn out, backed by hypnotic, echoing 

percussion. 

Exciting and satisfying, These Old 

Tapes is confident and is a strong 

contender for one of the best Vancouver 

electronic EPs this year. 

Joey Lopez 

KIMMORTAL 

X Marks The Swirl 

Coax Records 

Vancouver rapper Kimmortal’s latest project 

X Marks the Swirl demonstrates her 

abilities as a storyteller with a series of 

tracks that examine aspects of her queer 

Filipino identity and spirituality. 

Mostly backed by ethereal, contemplative 

synths and strings, it allows the 

listener to pay even more attention to the 

importance of what she’s saying. Her vocals 

are always the most interesting part, 

especially when she showcases some 

impressive speedy flows to accompany 

her lyricism. 

Also in her arsenal is a fluttery, quieter 

singing voice that provides a great contrast 

to her up-front confidence in speaking 

about her experiences. Ben Boddez 


Live 

MUSiC 

ALICE IN 

CHAINS 

April 10, 2019 


Switching up the classic Alice 

in Chains live experience by 

demoting the monster stacks 

of guitar and bass amps in the 

background for huge lighting 

rigs instead was a 

defining choice of the 

evening. 

Mirroring their recent 

venture into the 

sci-fi realm, their 

light show made it 

seem like the band were 

performing in an alien 

spacecraft. 

Bathing in orange 

radiating from the massive 

floodlights, the audience 

would witness an Alice in 

Chains still in a state of 

growth. The fire within to 

perform was on full display as 

Mike Inez made an example 

out of his bass, pummeling it 

just inches away from faces in 

the front row. William Duvall, 

who never stayed in the same 

place twice, strode the stage 

reaching skyward as if to rip 

inspiration from the heavens 

to use in his wailing vocal 

performance. 

From the opening dissonance 

of “The One You 

Know,” the emotional heaviness 

of AIC’s vast catalogue 

came alive. The atmosphere 

would only get heavier as the 

glaring light boxes flipped 

around mid-set to reveal massive 

video screens. As oblique 

images swept across the 

stage, an emotionally riveting 

tribute to deceased former 

bandmates Layne Staley and 

Mike Starr played out during 

“Nutshell” as Jerry Cantrell 

cooked up some heartfelt 

guitar solos. 

Nearing the end of a 

lengthy encore, the venue 

was transformed into a giant 

intergalactic beer hall. As 

everyone screamed, “If I 

would, could you?” it was 

conclusive; the gravitational 

pull of Alice in Chains is 

still undeniably heavy. 

Dan Potter 

KIRA CLAVELL 



MUSiC LIVE REVIEWS 

MAGGIE ROGERS 


The Commodore Ballroom 

ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” blared through 

the speakers as Maggie Rogers came 

bounding from stage right, skipping and 

clapping, embodying the energy of a young 

Fiona Apple. She opened her set with “Give 

A Little” as she released her hair from a 

top bun, allowing it to dance as freely as 

she was. 

Rogers has the ability to take you on an 

undeniable, unforgettable lyrical journey, as 

if every song was not just a part of her life, 

but part of yours. 

“In different cities I find the space to 

work through things by dancing,” Rogers 

said, softly addressing the audience. 

Integrating nature and calm tones into 

her set had the audience sitting at her feet, 

looking up asking for more. From “Falling 

Water” to “Back In My Body” and “Light 

On,” she never stopped dancing, sharing 

and reminding fans why she’s infamously 

known for once bringing Pharrell Williams 

to tears. 

After the audience stopped chanting 

her name, pleading for more, Rogers stood 

centre stage, mic in hand, saying, “I’m just 

going to sing,” and offered a beautiful a 

capella send off. 

Clarence Sponagle 

EARL 

SWEATSHIRT 


The Commodore Ballroom 

Rap shows aren’t known for their punctuality, 

so when Earl Sweatshirt took the stage 20 

minutes early it was a little bewildering. This vibe 

continued into the performance. 

One doesn’t name an album I Don’t Like Shit, I 

Don’t Go Outside without being somewhat of an 

introvert, but there was a calculated distance in 

the performance that was definitely atypical of 

a rap show. 

Even on more high energy tracks like “December 

24 (bad acid)” Sweatshirt rarely moved 

quicker than a lackadaisical stroll. It wasn’t quite 

low energy, but neither was it notably intense. 

The crowd ate it up however, screaming words 

alongside his nonchalant delivery. 

He moved through songs quickly, playing fragments 

of about 20 or so, with a slight focus on 

newer material. The pace blurred it all together. 

The short songs from Some Rap Songs 

juxtaposed with the claustrophobic, bass heavy 

production of his earlier work was disorienting 

in a good way that captured the essence of his 

albums. 

The show ended with about 10 minutes of his 

DJ playing rap classics and there was no encore; 

a mystifying finish to a half-baked evening. 

Graeme Wiggins 

JOSHUA GRAFSTEIN 


MOViES|T.V. 

HOAXING AROUND 

Standing in the shadows 

of an imaginary 

persona in JT LeRoy 

By NOÉMIE ATTIA 

J 

T LeRoy was a jaded, vulnerable 

boy with an endearing 

Southern accent and two 

best-selling books in the early 

2000s. 

He was always hiding behind sunglasses 

and blond wigs – because JT 

LeRoy was never a real person. He 

was actually a persona born in writer 

Laura Albert’s brain and embodied by 

artist Savannah Knoop for nearly six 

years. 

Director Justin Kelly adapted 

Knoop’s memoir, Girl Boy Girl: How 

I Became JT LeRoy, into a film called 

JT LeRoy about the six-year hoax. 

The film portrays the true story 

through the eyes of Savannah (Kristen 

Stewart). We see them discovering 

their creative legitimacy as a 

young artist leaving their hometown 

for San Francisco. Laura (Laura 

Dern), the experienced writer, fosters 

that confidence through encouraging 

Savannah to play the part of LeRoy. 

“When you’re young, you’ve just 

gotten out of high school, and you 

meet someone who’s an 

amazing artist – I read both 

books and I loved them,” 

Knoop tells BeatRoute 

about Albert. “When she 

eventually asked me to 

perform this character, 

it was sort of like accessing 

a creative path. It was 

getting the feeling of what 

it could be like to be an artist after 

you’d already made the work, which 

is a strange process.” 

The film portrays the genius of 

Knoop’s impersonation of LeRoy. 

More importantly, Knoop’s agency 

glows through Leroy’s dark shades. 

JT LEROY 


(5:30 pm) • Sunday, 

May 19 (7:30 pm) 

• Monday, May 

20 (6:00 pm) • 


(6:10 pm) 

Vancity Theatre 

Tix: $13, viff.org 

“I think it was just 

good casting. I was a 

good person to play that 

character, because I already 

had some of those 

interests.” Becoming Le- 

Roy also coincided with 

Knoop’s exploration of 

their queer identity: it 

was an outlet for them 

to learn more about themself. 

However, one thing is clear for 

Knoop: “I’m pretty sure I would 

be where I am now, regardless of 

playing JT LeRoy. But of course 

it affected me as a young person, 

deeply.” Knoop, who co-wrote the 

film’s screenplay, didn’t become a 

writer because of LeRoy. 

“Me playing JT was sort of quixotic,” 

says Knoop. “It brings up that 

question of when you play something, 

you become it. What are the 

boundaries around that?” 

Stewart’s interpretation of 

Knoop’s character is particularly convincing. 

Knoop was a consultant on 

set for any emotional and logistical 

questions. They donated their favourite 

DIY clothes from that period to 

Stewart’s wardrobe, which makes the 

character even more authentic. 

“It’s very meta,” Knoop says, when 

asked how it felt to have someone 

play them playing another character. 

“There would be moments when 

I would see Kristen do something I 

had done as JT. There’s this specific 

way of clapping at readings. I feel like 

I didn’t know I was doing it when I 

was playing JT. I really did get to see 

how JT LeRoy was a very separate 

person from me, that I was playing a 

role to the best of my ability, and that 

that character was not me. 

I don’t know why, but I didn’t 

totally understand that, probably 

because I didn’t really have any footage 

of me playing JT and it was very 

blurry in my memory. So to see the 

differences was illuminating.” 

JT LeRoy poses questions on identity 

and truth when a story is constructed 

by many perspectives, even 

fictional ones. 

“Can you only write on the page, 

or can you write out in the world?” 

asks Knoop. “What happens when 

you write out in the world? What is 

different than when you write on the 

page?” 

Above all, this story seems to be 

about Knoop’s ability to become what 

they already had inside them, no matter 

what physical form it took. , 


MOViES|T.V. 

THIS MONTH IN FILM 


GODZILLA: KING 

OF THE MONSTERS 

May 31 

In what sounds like every kid’s 

dream come to life no matter 

their generation, Godzilla 

returns in all his CGI glory 

and must battle his long-time 

nemeses Rodan, Mothra, and 

the three-headed dragon, King 

Ghidorah Into The Dark. It’s 

wish-fulfillment with an interesting 

cast including Kyle Chandler, 

Millie Bobbie Brown and Sally 

Hawkins. 

ROCKET MAN 


Taron Egerton has gone all in 

with the Elton John ‘biopic’ he 

has described as not so much 

a biopic but an R-rated fantasy 

musical. Committing to the role 

by singing - not miming - every 

song, and doing his best at 

mastering the piano, Egerton 

plays Elton as the film takes 

our hand through various 

moments in the life that saw 

a child prodigy emerge as a 

musical legend. Will we see 

more music biopic Bohemian 

Rhapsody magic here? 

1985 

April 25 

Stories from the past often 

resonate with even more 

vibrancy when told through the 

lens of reflection. Directed by 

Yen Tan, 1985 is the story of 

Adrian, played by Cory Michael 

Smith, a young man who returns 

home to Texas to tell his family 

and friends of his contraction of 

AIDS during the 80s epidemic. 

ÁGA 


A film almost as much about 

the cold, harsh environment of 

the Russian far-North as the 

indigenous Yakut people who 

live there. We follow Nanook 

and Sedna, two elderly Yakuts 

who do their best to cling to the 

old ways, while everyone - and 

everything - slowly slips away. 

Directed by Milko Lazarov, Ága 

closed out the 2018 Berlin Film 

Festival. 

By Brendan Lee 

BiNGEWORTHY 

GOOD OMENS 

NETWORK: 

AMAZON PRIME 

AIR DATE: May 29 

It was 1990 when beloved 

authors Neil Gaiman and the late 

Terry Pratchett published the 

epic, eccentric, and wholly unique 

Good Omens novel. Now, after 

years in development, and after a 

posthumous letter from Pratchett 

to Gaiman that urged him to 

continue with the series after his 

death, Crowley the demon and 

Arizaphale the angel are now 

ready for prime time. 

The story follows the two 

representatives of Heaven and Hell 

on Earth (played by Michael Sheen 

and David Tennant), as each must 

work in unison as the world prepares 

for the coming of the antichrist. 

With the six part miniseries 

penned and showrun by Gaiman 

himself, the series promises to 

be proficiently ‘out there.’ 

WHEN THEY SEE US 

NETWORK: 

NETFLIX 


In 1989, five juvenile 

males were falsely 

convicted of 

brutally raping a 

jogger, and the 

media had them 

vilified. Despite 

flimsy evidence 

and false 

confessions, 

the teenagers 

spent between 

six and 13 years behind bars — 

then private citizen Trump wanted 

them executed. This is their story. 

Created, written, and directed by 

Avu DuVernay (Wrinkle in Time), 

the limited series boasts a strong 

ensemble cast and emerges in a 

current climate where truth and 

accuracy in the news and the justice 

system has never been more 

important. 

INTO THE DARK: ALL THAT 

WE DESTROY (EPISODE 8) 

NETWORK: 

HULU 


Hulu is trying something a little different 

and it seems to be working. 

In October, they released the first 

episode in a year long 

horror anthology series 

that began a 12-episode 

jigsaw that sees 

episode eight, ‘All That 

We Destroy,’ releasing 

this May. Each episode 

is based around 

a holiday in the month 

that it’s released, 

Mother’s 

Day is 

the 

chosen 

theme 

this 

time 

Jharrel Jerome as 

Korey Wise in Netflix’s 

When They See Us. 

David Tennant (left) and 

Michael Sheen in Good Omens. 

around (oh no...). 

The episode follows a geneticist 

who fears her son may be on the 

verge of becoming a serial killer, 

so she does what any sane mother 

would do. This lovely woman creates 

a few clones which she uses 

to stage the scene of the son’s 

first murder, to hopefully cure him 

of ever doing it again. 

THE RAIN: SEASON 2 

NETWORK: 

NETFLIX 


A Danish post-apocalyptic Netflix 

series about killer rain set to 

storm into its damp and raucous 

second season. The first eight 

episodes told the story of a horrible 

Scandinavian viral epidemic, 

transmitted via rainfall, that nearly 

wiped out civilization. 

Six years later, a Danish 

brother and sister find the nerve 

to ascend from their bunker and 

set out in search of their scientist 

father, who left them alone and 

never came back. 

The children meet other 

survivors in their quest throughout 

season one, with the finale 

foreshadowing some very dark 

implications surrounding the 

origin of the virus, and the terrible 

possibilities of what’s to come. 

It can become tiresome 

watching the same old American 

shows, so if you’re looking to see 

a somewhat familiar story told 

in an unfamiliar setting, look no 

further - but don’t forget to bring 

an umbrella. By Brendan Lee

DAN’S HOMEBREWING SUPPLIES 

Huge selection 

of beer and 

wine-making 

equipment & 

ingredients 

NEW ALBUM AVAILABLE NOW 

INCLUDES CRYIN’ AND DANGEROUS HEART 

www. joeylandreth.com 

835 East Hastings ST. Vancouver, BC • 604-251-3411 beermaking.ca 


ARTs 

SAY YES 

Mike Bonanno uses satire to find truth within a 

system of fake news and divisive rhetoric in An 

Evening of Corporate Drag ByJENNIE ORTON 

MIHAELA BODLOVIC 

FLYING SOLO 

HUNCH: A Festival of Solo Performances offers a new kind of festival experience 

By KATHRYN HELMORE 

H 

UNCH is a brand-new 

theatre festival in 

Vancouver dedicated to 

solo performance work, 

pushing boundaries with 

a three-day celebration 

of dance, immersive theatre and 

comedy. 

“Solo performance work is 

incredibly important,” says HUNCH 

co-founder and former general 

manager of the Montreal Fringe 

Festival, Al Lafrance. “It’s intimate 

unlike any other type of theatre. It’s 

amazing because of how a single 

person can hold an entire crowd.” 

HUNCH HEADLINE HIGHLIGHTS 

Butt Kapinski 

Friday, May 10 at 8:00pm 

Created and performed by Deanna 

Fleysher, this show rethinks solo 

performance. Private eye Butt Kapinski 

invites the audience to co-star 

in a choose-your-own-adventure 

murder mystery infused with sex, 

sin, shadows and subterfuge. 

“Butt Kapinski is the juggernaut 

of touring solo performances,” Lafrance 

says. “Acclaimed by reviews 

of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 

it is a noir detective piece that is 

impossible to escape from.” 

Three headlining 

shows will display the 

variety that can be 

found in solo performance. 

Across three 

nights, the festival will 

move between a riveting 

murder mystery, an exploration 

of state sovereignty and youthful 

rebellion, and a never-before-seen 

tap dance and spoken word fusion. 

“I hope the festival knocks down 

doors in people’s minds,” says 

Lafrance. “Many people picture 

solo performance as one person 

complaining about their life. The 

HUNCH FESTIVAL 

Thursday, May 9 to 


Red Gate Revue Stage 

Tix: $25, 

brownpapertickets.com 

Magic Unicorn Island 

Thursday, May 9 at 8:00pm 

Set in a new state created by 

disenfranchised yet ambitiously 

optimistic children, Magic Unicorn 

Island by Jason McDonald is a 

politically poignant piece of work 

which ponders the questions of 

utopia, childhood, state sovereignty 

and warfare. 

“This is a life altering show,” 

says Lafrance. “While incredibly 

emotional, it is also very accessible 

and perfect for newcomers. You’ve 

just got to be ready for it.” 

point of the festival is 

to show that you can 

do so much more, and 

offer performances with 

great depth, with just one 

person.” 

The closing night cabaret, 

an ambitious 11 act showcase, 

mixes a number of genres including 

traditional Chinese dance, improv 

solo work, and clowning. 

“Our performers are masters of 

their craft,” says Lafrance. “This 

is a stellar line up. I don’t see how 

anyone could be disappointed in 

this show.” 

Tap Tap 

Saturday, May 11 at 7:30pm 

In the world premiere of Tap Tap, 

dancer Travis Knights explores 

themes of meaning, connection 

and community in a technologically 

advanced society using tap dance 

as the staging ground for the 

expedition. 

“The play is about the human 

interaction and the difficulty of connecting 

in the modern age,” says 

Lafrance. “A 65-minute show fusing 

tap dance and spoken word, it is an 

ambitious undertaking by a world 

renowned dancer.” , 

M 

ike Bonanno, of the activist 

AN EVENING OF 

duo The Yes Men, has taken 

CORPORATE 

advantage of the current atmosphere 

of click bait and person- 

Sunday, May 12 

DRAG 

ality politics to take the piss out of some The Rio Theatre 

of the most egregious culprits of corporate 

and global politics. 

“We have a global culture of capitalism that is more deranged 

than any in history,” Bonanno says. “We cook up complex excuses 

to continue elevating our weird business gurus and excusing 

a ravenous system that we invisibly worship, even as it destroys 

the places we live. With a system so fucked up, there are plenty 

of hypocrisies and idiosyncrasies that are ripe for satire. And 

sometimes a tactically deployed satire can influence policy or 

culture.” 

The Yes Men have a proven track record of infiltrating the 

most tightly guarded institutions. From posing as a rep from 

Dow Chemicals on BBC World to crashing fossil fuel energy conferences, 

to operating a fake website as the World Trade Organization 

itself, the group continues to grab the attention of the 

power brokers on their own turf and expose their inherent blind 

priorities. 

“If we infiltrate a business event and are featured on stage 

as some kind of VIP, the satire becomes invisible to that audience, 

or at least most of them,” Bonanno says. “But then when 

we show what happened to the outside world, the ridiculousness 

is brought forward. It’s not that the audience is funny, it’s that 

we’re all absurd to believe what we do about our culture and to 

believe all these things people in power say and do to excuse the 

indirect violence of their actions.” 

An Evening of Corporate Drag aims to dismantle the double-talk 

of current corporate speak, complete with audience participation, 

satire and absurdist role play for those frustrated by 

the system of fake news and divisive rhetoric. 

“Fake news is always, to my knowledge, not meant to be revealed 

as fake,” Bonanno says. “It is meant to live on tricking 

people with misinformation. Whereas we may employ lies while 

making a satirical story or intervention, but then we immediately 

reveal the truth, usually within hours. We are meticulous about 

fact checking with the truthful stage of our actions — and the 

goals always include promoting factual information and contribute 

to a more informed public.” , 


LAUGHING 

ALL THE 

WAY TO THE 

MORGUE 

Last Podcast On The 

Left turns true crime on its 

severed head 

By PAUL RODGERS 

F 

ascination 

with true crime 

and the paranormal is nothing 

new, though some believe 

such subjects should 

not to be taken lightly. 

Marcus Parks, Ben Kissel 

and Henry Zebrowski of 

Last Podcast on the Left, 

have been able to turn 

their own brand of black 

comedy and a long-held 

interest in the darker 

sides of life into one of 

the most successful podcasts going. 

They have a globetrotting live show 

and fiercely-dedicated fanbase. 

“True crime and an interest in the 

paranormal has always been a thing, 

it’s just now becoming revealed,” 

says Zebrowski, who in addition to 

the show is an accomplished actor in 

films such as The Wolf of Wall Street 

and the Adult Swim series Your Pretty 

Face is Going to Hell. 

“The media is catching up to what 

millions of people were already into.” 

The show, and its live iteration, 

specialize in what the trio call 

LAST PODCAST 

ON THE LEFT 



Tix: $30-$45, 

Ticketmaster.ca 

“edu-tainment.” They do 

deep dives on heavy-hitter 

serial killers, the paranormal, 

conspiracy theories, 

cryptids and more. Parks 

tackles the bulk of the research 

with the aid of assistants, 

and is responsible for driving 

the narrative. Zebrowski’s acting 

background allows him to get into 

the heads of the characters involved, 

while Kissel, a political pundit who 

appears on CNN and Fox, ensures 

the content is accessible. Together, 

their tangible long-lasting friendship, 

comedic nature and razor sharp intellects 

create a podcast that is disturbing, 

informative and hilarious. 

“It’s funny when describing the 

show to people, cause I’ll be like, 

‘yeah it’s true crime but then it’s also 

funny,’” Kissel explains. “And they’re 

like, ‘well how can it be funny?’ And 

I’m like it’s difficult to describe because 

it’s about making fun of these 

idiots, it’s about making fun of these 

serial killers.” 

Take Dennis Rader, the BTK killer, 

one of the show’s earlier deep-dive 

subjects, who Kissel refers to as the 

“archetype of a douchebag.” 

“He’s just such a frickin’ fat, useless 

nerd who liked horrible poetry. That’s 

how we try to mine the comedy and 

it’s always in the weird little details. 

That’s the trick of it, to never make 

fun of the victims, always make fun of 

the so-called monsters and just make 

the world see these people as the 

dumpy losers that they are.” 

While the trio have a knack for 

presenting the material for laughs as 

they “de-fang” killers often sensationalized 

in the media, the content 

of the show, and the research required, 

can be emotionally taxing 

on its hosts. Putting the worst 

parts of humankind, like Ed Gein, 

John Wayne Gacy, the Columbine 

shooting, 9/11 — or in a more recent 

episode, Nazi scientist Josef 

Mengele — under the microscope 

every week is a heavy task. 

“Obviously when talking about 

serial killers, it does make you 

think about how depraved human 

beings can be,” says Kissel. 

“But on the flip-side, when we 

have our audience and get to interact 

with people it gives you a 

validation of humanity,you realize 

people are good. We’re talking 

about outliers here, we’re not 

talking about mainstream people. 

Most people do not bury other 

people in potted plants, most people 

are just trying to do the best 

they can to survive and they focus 

on family and friendship.” 

In their live shows, fans are 

treated to all the edu-tainment 

and high-octane banter they know 

and love from the podcast. The 

body of the show features individual 

segments from each of the 

three hosts, and opens with repartee 

tailored to the specific crowd. 

Vancouver fans can likely expect 

Robert “Willie” Pickton to come 

up in the dialogue. 

The three are also in the process 

of releasing a book. After 

absorbing a horribly grim library’s 

worth of material for research 

purposes, Zebrowski says it feels 

they’ve “come full circle” by adding 

one of their own to the world. 

With a back catalogue of more 

than 360 episodes plus many 

more “Side Stories” episodes, if 

you’re new to the show you have 

a wealth of material to get caught 

up. , 

ON TOUR 

May 4 Vancouver KW Studios 

May 8 Calgary The King Eddy 

May 10 Edmonton The Sewing Machine Factory 

May 12 Winnipeg Forth 

“as comforting as it is uncompromising” 

PITCHFORK (8/10) 

FLEMISHEYE.COM 


NORTH BY NORTHEAST 2019 

MUSIC & GAMING FESTIVAL 

TAKING OVER TORONTO 

FESTIVAL 

VILLAGE 

A WEEKEND OF LIVE MUSIC, 

COMEDY AND IMMERSIVE 

EXPERIENCES. 

JUNE 

GAME 

LAND 

THREE DAYS OF HIGH-STAKES 

ESPORTS AND FULL-ON GAMEPLAY. 

AT STACKT 

JUNE 

YONGE & DUNDAS 

SQUARE 

NXNE 

TALKS 

BRINGING TOGETHER CULTURAL AND 

COMMUNITY LEADERS TO DISCUSS 

IDEAS ESSENTIAL TO CANADA’S MUSIC 

AND GAMING INDUSTRIES. 

JUNE 

LAND 

JUNE 

$29 WRISTBANDS 

AT NXNE.COM 

CLUB 

SO MANY BANDS, SO LITTLE TIME. 

1 WRISTBAND, 30+ CURATED SHOWS, 

20+ OF TORONTO’S BEST MUSIC VENUES. 

NXNE.COM

ARTs 

DAVID MONTEITH-HODGE 

THIS MONTH IN THEATRE 

Here are out top stage picks for the month of May. 

The Sea 

Tuesday, April 30 to Sunday, May 19 at 

Jericho Arts Centre 

It’s 1907 in a small English seaside village 

and when a tempest capsizes a villager’s 

boat, one man makes it back to shore. 

The local conspiracy theorist decides 

that the town is being invaded… by Martian 

militants. 

VAMP: A Supernatural Musical 

Burlesque 

Friday, May 3 to Saturday, May 18 at 

Performance Works 

Sometimes titles just sell themselves. 

VAMP is a new, body-positive and 

hilarious burlesque musical inspired by 

classic horror movies and everything 

Nassim 

that goes hump in the night. Combining 

circus, burlesque and musical theatre to 

tell the story of a young woman’s sexual 

awakening in a ghoulish world, this play 

is for adults only. 

Nassim 

Tuesday, May 7 to Sunday, May 19 at 

Historic Theatre 

It’s hard to go into what this play is 

about, in part because it’s kept a secret 

from everyone — including the one performer 

in this solo-ish show. Every night, 

a different Vancouver actor will read the 

lines for the first time in this semi-autobiographical 

piece by Nassim Soleimanpour. 

Get ready to learn Farsi. 

By Leah Siegel 

JULY 19 TO 21 2 1 0 

9 

JERICHO BEACH PARK 

BASIA BULAT | THE HAMILTONES 

DAVID HIDALGO | LARKIN POE | CORB LUND 

REBIRTH BRASS BAND | SAM ROBERTS BAND 

CHARLOTTE DAY WILSON 

THE AERIALISTS | BLACK STRING | DANNY BOUDREAU BAND | MATTHEW BYRNE 

CELEIGH CARDINAL | ANDREW COLLINS TRIO | COPPERHEAD | THE DARDANELLES 

DESIREE DAWSON TRIO | STEVE DAWSON | BROTHER TITO DELER 

DWAYNE DOPSIE & THE ZYDECO HELLRAISERS | BOBBY DOVE 

RAMBLIN’ JACK ELLIOTT | MIKE FARRIS & THE FORTUNATE FEW | LUCA FOGALE 

FRONT COUNTRY | AMOS GARRETT & JULIAN KERR | RAINE HAMILTON STRING TRIO 

ZAKI IBRAHIM | ILLITERATTY | KIRCHEN, COX & MCRAE | KITTY AND THE ROOSTER 

JOEY LANDRETH | LA MEXCALINA | GEORGE LEACH BAND | LE VENT DU NORD 

LOCARNO | LONESOME ACE STRINGBAND | LOS PACHAMAMA Y FLOR AMARGO 

DON MCGLASHAN | PABLO MENENDEZ & MEZCLA | MIDNIGHT SHINE 

IRISH MYTHEN | NAMGAR | TAL NATIONAL | OKTOPUS | MARIN PATENAUDE 

THE RAD TRADS | JOHN REISCHMAN AND THE JAYBIRDS | RIIT 

PHARIS & JASON ROMERO | LUCY ROSE | ROSIE & THE RIVETERS 

SARAH SHOOK & THE DISARMERS | VIVEK SHRAYA/TOO ATTACHED | RUBY & SMITH 

SON OF JAMES | NANO STERN TRIO | EMILY TRIGGS 

TSATSU STALQAYU (COASTAL WOLF PACK) 

| SUNNY WAR 

WWW.THEFESTIVAL.BC.CA 


Travel 

NXNE 2019: 

SUMMER 

SOUNDS TAKE 

OVER TORONTO 

STREETS 

DREW YORKE ANTON MAK 

Celebrating its 25th year, 

Toronto’s North by Northeast 

creates a festival experience 

that’s street-level 

Destination: Downtown Toronto 

When: June 7-16, 2019 

Why: North By Northeast Music Festival 

T 

he once crowded Toronto 

and area music festival 

scene has thinned out 

recently as festivals have 

“gone on hiatus” or simply 

shut their doors. Toronto’s 25 year 

old street party, North by Northeast 

(NXNE) music and eSports 

continues to go strong , taking over 

many of the city’s top venues for 10 

days from June 7 – 16. Northby is a 

multi-media festival that peaks with 

Tinashe 

NXNE 

FESTIVAL 

VILLAGE 

Yonge & 

Dundas 

(JUNE 14 -16) 


massive free shows in the centre of 

Toronto. 

NXNE’s Yonge Street shows have 

included: Flaming Lips, Iggy and 

the Stooges, Run the Jewels and 

last year, Chvrches, Lights and Jazz 

Cartier. 

NXNE features emerging-acts 

club shows best seen with by club 

hopping wristband that gets priority 

access to over 30 shows. Most 

shows are programed by Canada’s 

top musicians presenting their four 

favorite up-and-coming acts. 

Confirmed Curators include: Jim 

Cuddy, Brendan Canning (Broken 

Social Scene), The Elwins, Charlotte 

Navigating The Village 

GETTING THERE 

NXNE Yonge Street Festival Village 

– Subway directly to heart of 

the Festival at Dundas (mainstage) 

or Queen stations. 

Cornfield, Ian Blurton, Menno 

Versteeg (Hollerado) and Royal 

Mountain records, The Jerry Cans, 

Six Shooter records and more. 

Amercian Football, Cupcakke, 

Haviah Mighty, Persons, Owen, 

Just John x Dom Dias, Nick 

Schofeld, Most People, Syngja and 

Dishpit are among acts already 

booked. 

The festival also hosts a free 

eSports tourament opening 

weekend at Stackt, a cool new 

shipping container marketplace 

featuring competitive game play 

on La Forza, Super Smash bros 

and NBA 2K. 

FOOD 

3Eaton Centre Urban Eatery 

(Food Court) --Decent food court 

worth the escalator rides down. All 

major chains plus less mass market. 

Healthy options include: Urban 

Herbivore and Fast Food Fresh. 

3Fantastic, affordable Thai legend, 

Salad King (340 Yonge) steps 

north of Dundas stage. 

3Raptors-slayer LeBron James 

owns a slice of Blaze Pizza (10 

Dundas E), north of the Square. 

Build your own pies are a tasty deal. 

3The Senator (249 Victoria) classic 

diner, around corner from NXNE 

been serving awesome comfort 

food since the early 20th century. 

ANTON MAK 

Jazz Cartier 

3Toronto’s original Chinatown has 

great choices, west on Dundas 

past Bay for cheap dim sum, noodles 

and crazy popular Japanese 

Cheescake. High end dim sum at 

Lai Wah Heen, Hilton Double Tree 

(101 Chesnut). 

3Jump up Jamaican at Ritz Caribbean 

(211 Yonge) festival site, steps 

from the Comedy Tent. 

3There’s also a grocery store in 

Atrium mall basement, northwest 

corner of Yonge and Dundas. 

Lights gets up 

close and personal 

3Budget buster – Modern South 

American food at Lena (176 Yonge) 

festival site at Queen; modern 

American at Richmond Station (1 

Richmond W), old school steakhouse 

at Barberians (7 Elm) or; 

high-end madness at one of Toronto’s 

best, George (111 Queen E). 

DRINKS 

NXNE has a beer and spirits garden 

in Yonge Dundas Square and even 

some free sampling. Happy with

Yungblud 

IF YOU GO: 

Details/line-up: nxne.com 

Cost: Clubland all-access wristbands - 

$29. Festival Village shows - free 

Where: Downtown Toronto 

NXNE CLUBLAND 

The best way to discover new acts at 

NXNE is to club hop with a priority access $29 wristband that gets 

you into over 30 shows. Go to the gig curated by your favourite artist 

but then, hit up a neighboring venue and see acts you’ve never heard 

of. There are over 20 downtown NXNE venues, seasoned club hoppers 

pick a neighbourhood with a few adjoining venues. Here are two 

of our hop happy hoods. 

Die Mannequin 

6 

MORE IN THE 6 

SIX MORE SUREFIRE 

TORONTO JUNE JOINTS 

Toronto Pride 

All of June 

Said to be world’s largest Pride 

event, activities all month but 

massive parade is June 23. 

warm, knapsack beers? Head into 

the Atrium mall basement to the 

LCBO provincial liquor store. 

3Ironic dive bar or, just kind 

of grimy, the Imperial Pub (54 

Dundas E) has been serving cheap 

beer for decades. Their free 

popcorn is probably older than 

you but low cost lager and decent 

top floor patio make this a solid, 

nearby option. 

3The Brewers (275 Yonge) is a 

glitzy pub with lots of craft beers 

and decent food. 

3Jack Astors, (10 Dundas E) is 

worth the effort if you can grab 

a seat on their fifth floor balcony 

for an amazing view overlooking 

the festival site. 

CANNABIS 

One of the newest – and fanciest 

– legal pot shops, Tokyo Smoke 

(333 Yonge), just north of the 

Festival Village in former HMV 

store, east side of Yonge. 

Original Queen West 

Queen West, near Spadina has 

been a longtime musical epicenter 

of Toronto. 

Top rooms include: The 

Horseshoe (379 Queen W) 

was an old school country bar, 

embraced new music in 80s, 

rootsy vibe, Blue Rodeo, The Hip 

and The Police all played early 

shows here; The Rivoli (334 

Queen W) intimate, classy music 

back room – they even have air 

conditioning – was early home to 

Kids in the Hall and has decent 

Thai food; The Cameron House 

(408 Queen W) big in the 80s 

and still relevant. Kids of original, 

artsy-owners operate it currently, 

play there as Ferraro. Jim Cuddy 

got his start here, now son Devin 

is a regular act; The Bovine Sex 

Club (542 Queen W) gloriously 

grimy with kick-you-in-thecrotch-kitsch, 

reliable for late 

nights and loudness at this punk 

friendly place, check out upstairs 

rooftop Tiki Bar; and, The Drake 

Underground (1150 Queen W) 

art bar vibe in the basement 

of the elegantly restored, one 

time dive, now diva Drake Hotel. 

Check out the outdoor Sky Bar 

upstairs. 

Westside, Dundas and 

Ossington 

Near one of Toronto’s hottest 

restaurant strips are more, reliable 

music rooms. 

Unpretentious rooms, The 

Garrison (1197 Dundas W) and, 

not surprisingly, smaller, The 

Baby G (1608 Dundas W) share 

the same owner and, commitment 

to emerging indie rock; 

The Dakota (249 Ossington) 

hosts some of Toronto’s best 

roots gigs; the Night Owl (647 

College) features mixed genres 

and a good kitchen and; nomadic 

Toronto programming legend 

Dan Burke brings his astute ear 

and eye for breaking bands in the 

indie and art rock world to the 

Monarch (12 Clinton). 

ACCOMODATION 

Air BnB has tons of rooms in Toronto. 

There are plenty of hotels close 

to Festival Village. Biggest bargain 

is Bond Place Hotel (65 Dundas 

E). Decent rooms start at $139, you 

can see and hear festival from the 

front door. 

3The Marriot in the Eaton Centre, 

Pantages (200 Victoria) and the 

Hilton Double Tree (101 Chesnut) 

have swell rooms starting at around 

$200. The Marriott and Pantages 

are steps from festival, 

Chesnut, two blocks away. 

3Budget Buster – Swank, secret 

hotel with only four rooms 

($400-$500), Ivy at Verity 

(111 Queen E). Rooms upstairs 

above posh Verity women’s 

health club. Female guests get 

unlimited access to the Verity 

club and spa, sorry dudes, no 

fly zone for you. , 

ANTON MAK 

Dundas West Fest 

June 7–9 

Owner/programmers of two 

great west end live venues, 

The Garrison and The Baby G 

raise the band bar at this cool 

neighbourhood’s fest with acts 

like: Dilly Dally, Suuns and Teen 

Anger. 

Luminato 

June 7-23 

Lots of high brow hijinks as 

Toronto “high arts” lovers take 

in experimental art, dance, 

opera and more. 

Stackt, June 14 -16 

Toronto’s awesome new shipping 

container marketplace has 

it’s “official” opening weekend 

with tons of free stuff and live 

bands. (Home of NXNE’s eSports 

tourney the week before). 

Toronto Jazz Fest 

June 21- 30 

Toronto’s long running jazz fest 

takes place across down- and 

midtown with a mix of free 

shows, club acts and ticketed 

concerts. Headliners include: 

Norah Jones and Diana Ross. 

Wolf Pack rugby 

June9, 15, 22 and 30 

Hungry for the Wolf(Pac)? 

Toronto has a professional 

men’s rugby team that plays 

in the British Rugby Football 

League, the only North 

American squad. The games 

are relatively cheap, lots of 

action at a full on party played 

at creaky and fun outdoor 

Lamport Stadium. The stadium 

sits in trendy Liberty Village 

near the Ossington restaurant 

district. Three games in June 

including June 15, 1 pm versus 

the Dewsbury Rams. 


Horoscopes 

Messages from the Stars: A look into the cycles and cosmic 

details of an unfolding forevermore, paired with a song 

suggestion curated for your sign by Willow Herzog 

Aries (March 21 - April 20) 

Unexpected and challenging 

conditions have been surrounding 

upwards momentum. You have 

accomplished much since this time 

last year in the realm of dream and 

goal actualization. Be willing to let 

go of ego to deepen into potent 

heart messages. This cycle is about 

the heart and deep listening. 

Song suggestion for the month: “Eon” 

-Meredith Monk 

Taurus (April 21 - May 21) 

Much is being excavated from your 

internal waters and it’s time to 

release. Release old wounds, old 

hurt, old sorrows. Channeling your 

chaos into creativity will bring about 

ingenuity. Tap into the power of 

your feelings and how feeling them 

can allow you to heal. You are going 

through an energetic growth spurt, 

one that requires rest and attention 

to recalibrate. 

Song suggestion for the month: “I Go To 

Sleep” - Anika 

Gemini (May 22 - June 21) 

Healing psychic secrets and letting 

creativity bloom go hand in hand 

this cycle. There is pain in unreleased 

communications and a surge 

of healing that comes from sharing 

words. Let the sound of your own 

vibration heal you. This is a strong 

month for writing, singing, painting 

and creativity of all kinds. 

Song suggestion for the month: “Out of 

Sight” -Jack Name 

Cancer (June 22 - July 23) 

Realization of endless change and 

reaffirmation of love towards self. 

You are a forever growing thing and 

you’re now learning to outgrow limiting 

patterns. Be soft with yourself 

and accept discomfort as part of 

growth, as growing pains. Trust in 

your innovations and new ways of 

doing things - even if you may feel 

temporarily misunderstood and 

possibly exhausted. 

Song suggestion for the month: “Magellan” 

- Felt 

Leo (July 24 - Aug. 23) 

You are an innovative force to be 

reckoned with and ideas are coming 

through you from a higher place 

of mind. It has been a potent time 

of connections, reimagining your 

processes and seeing the past two 

years of work brought to a greater 

place. You have a uniqueness that 

gives you a highlighted spot as a 

leader and innovator within your industry. 

This is a month for starting 

large projects and making creative 

breakthroughs. 

Song suggestion for the month: 

“Everybody Wants to Love You” - Japanese 

Breakfast 

Virgo (Aug. 24 - Sept. 23) 

It’s time to get down to business 

and reconstruct some parts of your 

plan if you want it to take you into 

this next cycle smoothly. This past 

month, you have learned formative 

pieces of information about what 

does and doesn’t work for you. It 

is time to step outside of what is 

comfortable, of what is your current 

experience, and shake up the container 

of your reality. 

Song suggestion for the month: “Orlando” 

- Exploded View 

Libra (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23) 

This could be a charmed month 

ahead for you if you are willing to 

experiment, reinvent, and heal parts 

of your old personality. This is a cycle 

to investigate your roots and pull 

them up with the dirt still clinging to 

them. This means bringing forward 

the parts of your foundation that are 

so uniquely you, while infusing them 

with an analytical self-purging of the 

outdated. Be willing to dive deep into 

your inner world and do away with 

daily distractions 

Song suggestion for the month: “Sunrise 

of the Planetary Dream Collector” -Terry 

Riley, Ragazze Quartet 

Scorpio (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) 

Relationships will be the priority, and 

the unfolding potential of where you 

are placing your time and energy will 

be magnified. There has been momentum 

in your mission and pieces 

are starting to fall into place, though 

often not in the way you most 

expected. If something is feeling 

too good to be true, be grateful. 

Reclaim a capacity for joy 

by purging unnecessary relationships 

and life pieces 

this month. Onwards and 

upwards, sweet dreamer. 

Song suggestion for the 

month: “Celestial Power” 

-Henry Flynt 

Sagittarius (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21) 

There is a strong urge to change 

the tapestry of your life and the 

industries you exist within. Check 

in with where to place your energy 

and who to trust your heart with. 

Be open to conversation and new 

collaboration within realms of 

business and creativity. Don’t underestimate 

your power; feel empowered 

in your ability to choose 

your path. Gently analyze what has 

chosen to reveal itself. 

Song suggestion for the month: 

“Trance #2” - Angus MacLise, Tony 

Conrad, John Cale 

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 20) 

You have been on a powerful 

trajectory of pouring your energy 

towards actualizing dreams and 

healing old wounds. Make sure 

you take time to pause and sip 

in the potency of stillness. Much 

can happen in the quiet spaces, 

sitting with self. Messages about 

how to use your creative ingenuity 

wait in these ethereal pockets for 

you to listen and tap in. Trust 

in the experiences life has 

been presenting and know 

how capable, resilient and 

beautiful you are. 

Song suggestion for the 

month: “Towergate” -Tower 

Recordings 

Aquarius (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) 

Energies may be conflicting this 

month as you are asked to relive 

parts of your past in order to create 

a future that sees you in a place 

of healthy boundaries and healed 

trauma. You have been asserting 

yourself in ways that illustrate your 

worth, and this is causing energetic 

support or push back depending 

on the situation. Keep going with 

cultivating the life that allows your 

creative energy its greatest actualization. 

Keep knowing your worth 

and standing up for yourself in truly 

realizing what is healthy. Know you 

are so loved. 

Song suggestion for the month: “The 

Dream” - Thee Oh Sees 

Pisces (Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) 

Finally, seeds are coming to fruition 

and you are tasting the fruit. You 

have put in much hard work to 

cultivate key areas of your life, 

especially in the realm of work 

innovations, career building and 

solidifying of mission. It is as if you 

are inside an unfinished painting 

watching it take form around you. 

Perceive with wonder while taking 

on some of the key brushwork, to 

paint a new vision into being. 

Song suggestion for the month: “Rich 

Witch” - Vibracathedral Orchestra 

ANIKA MEREDITH MONK JAPANESE BREAKFAST THE OH SEES 



CANADA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT CONCERT PROMOTER 


YANN TIERSEN 

May 14 - The Vogue Theatre 

DIZZY 


May 3 - The Biltmore Cabaret 

IONNALEE 

WITH ALLIE X 

May 4 - Venue 

LA DISPUTE 



WAND 



FM-84 



FILTHY FRIENDS 


May 10 - Rickshaw Theatre 

LAURA STEVENSON 



CAMP COPE 



ALLAN RAYMAN 




TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT MRGCONCERTS.COM

BeatRoute Magazine BC Edition May 2019

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