BeatRoute Magazine AB Edition - November 2019

NOVEMBER 2019 • FREE
VAGABON:
LAETITIA TAMKO IS
TEACHING INDIE
ROCK WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE
RESILIENT
+
City And
Colour
Jeff
Goldblum
Rich
Aucoin
High
on Fire
TR/ST
Melo.Nade
Manila
Grey
Louise
Burns

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Contents
BEATROUTE
BEATROUTE
BEAT
ROUTE
BR
BRLIVE
BRYYZ
Music
4
7
21
23
29
The Guide
City and Colour gets out
of his head on A Pill for
Loneliness.
Artist Features
Louise Burns, Jazzy Jeff,
Rich Aucoin, Melo-Nade,
Manila Grey and more.
The Playlist
All the singles we can’t stop
listening to this month.
Album Reviews
TR/ST, Corridor, Woolworm,
Sudan Archives, The Dreadnoughts,
Little Scream,
Cursive, Leif Vollebekk,
Mount Eerie, Pelada, Beat
Happening.
Live Reviews
Thrush Hermit brought their
rollicking nostalgia to the
Palace Theatre in Calgary.
Cover Story
16
VAGABON:
LAETITIA TAMKO IS
TEACHING INDIE
ROCK WHAT IT
MEANS TO BE
RESILIENT
City And
Colour
Jeff
Goldblum
Rich
Aucoin
Jidenna
Sorry
Girls
High
on Fire
TR/ST
Tyla
Yaweh
NOVEMBER 2019 • FREE
+
Vagabon
Indie Rock songwriter
Laetitia Tamko finds strength
in vulnerability as Vagabon.
Screen Time
30 Edward Norton channels some
of the jazz greats for his latest
role in Motherless Brooklyn.
LifeStyle
32
36
Style
Music and fashion merge
explosively in King Of Hearts’
vivid designs.
Travel
We bask in the warm glow of
the hot Arizona sun during the
action-packed HOCO festival.
Dear Rouge
Play It Loud:
Style page 32
PUP, October 11, 2019 at MacEwan
Hall in Calgary. Read this review
and more online at beatroute.ca.
YYC
39
40
41
42
43
45
GIRAF
Independent animation festival
rings in 15 years of wild and
imaginative dreams.
CUFF.Docs
Quentin Tarantino doc among
stacked lineup for this year’s
underground documentary fest.
AEMCON
Ambitious electronic music
festival descends once again on
Calgary with biggest lineup yet.
Woodhawk
Calgary heavy riff rockers talk the
talk and walk the walk on latest
release.
Femme Wave
Feminist festival leads the way in
Calgary on their fifth and biggest
year.
Cheat Sheet
BeatRoute’s guide to the best
shows in Calgary this month.
JESSE GILETT
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 3

RENÉE RODENKIRCHEN
UpFront
NOVEMBER
City and Colour's large-scale
intimate experience By CODY CAETANO
D
espite the unknown cold snaps,
seasonal affective disorders,
and other come-what-mays
that usher in the first dark days
of winter, City and Colour’s sixth LP, A
Pill for Loneliness, is a dose of insight
for our changing times.
From the opening Fruit-Rollup
licks and spacey riffs of “Living with
Lightning” and the apocalyptic parade
into a “Difficult Love” to the uncanny
keys that prop up “Lay Me Down,”
the album offers 53 minutes of Dallas
Green’s company.
“It’s about trying to find a way in
this clouded 24/7, 365-day-a-year
world where you don’t need to shut
things off if you don’t want to,” Green
says of the album, speaking to BeatRoute
before soundcheck for his
first of two shows in New York. “It’s
nice to be with just your thoughts
sometimes,” he says.
APFL is currently the number one
record in Canada on the Canadian Albums
Chart and Green is twenty days
into his North American Tour with
Ben Rogers, Ruby Waters, and Jacob
Banks. Despite his high profile and
success, he still squares with those
original intentions from his Sometimes
years.
“When I first started writing, I realized
I could write to get myself out of
my own head and into a melody, and
then maybe into a song that somebody
else might be able to take something
from,” he reflects on his early
days. “That’s all I have ever wanted
and still want to do. And whether it
led me to where it led me today, or it
led me to just singing and playing in
coffee shops in St. Catherines, I would
still be doing it.”
Saturday, Nov. 9 // Pacific Coliseum (Van)
Tuesday, Nov. 12 //Scotiabank Saddledome (Cgy)
Friday, Nov. 22 // Scotiabank Arena (Tor)
BEATROUTE
Publisher
Julia Rambeau Smith
@beatroutemedia
Editor in Chief
Glenn Alderson
Associate Editor
Brad Simm
Creative Director
Troy Beyer
Managing Editors
Josephine Cruz
Melissa Vincent
Contributing Editors
Sebastian Buzzalino
Dayna Mahannah
Contributors
Ben Boddez • Dora Boras
Cody Caetano • Lauren Donnelly
Alessia Dowhaniuk •
Fraser Hamilton
Courtney Heffernan
Albert Hoang • Brendan Lee
Cam Lindsay • Dave MacIntyre
Maggie McPhee • Pat Mullen
Sean Orr • Jibril Osman
Adam Piotrowicz • Lamar Ramos
Yasmine Shemesh • Sumiko Wilson
Drew Yorke • Aurora Zboch
Contributing Photographers
Lance Bang • Lindsey Blane
Baron S. Cameron
Renée Rodenkirchen
Pamela Evelyn • Maria Govea
Noa Grayevky • Anna Maria Lopez
Scott Munn • Thomas Neukum
Lara Olanick • Sela Sheloni
Reto Sterchi • Mel Yap
Joseph Yarmush
Coordinator (Live Music)
Darrole Palmer
Advertising Inquiries
Glenn Alderson
glenn@beatroute.ca
778-888-1120
Distribution
BeatRoute is distributed in
Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary,
Edmonton, Winnipeg,
Saskatoon and Toronto
Contact Us
26 Duncan Street, Suite 500,
Toronto ON,
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e-mail: editor@beatroute.ca
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6 BEATROUTE NOVEMBER 2019

MUSiC
It’s such a great
moment for pop
music. I’m just really
excited by all of the
songwriting and
production I’m
hearing.
LOUISE
BURNS
RETURNS
TO HER POP
ROOTS
By CAM LINDSAY
W
hen a musician says they’re
returning to their roots, it’s
rarely in reference to a teenage
pop group that was signed by
Madonna and released a music
video starring peak period Lindsay Lohan.
But this is the life of Vancouver’s Louise
Burns.
“It sounds kinda cheesy. When most
people say that they mean folk or punk or
DIY, but for me it means corporate pop,”
she says with a laugh. “I’ve been embracing
all of the lessons I learned from when I
started out as a kid in Lillix. I was like, ‘Fuck
it. I’m just gonna write the most saccharine
melodies I can and say some really emotional
things.” Because I’ve never really
been that open before with my lyrics.”
Since leaving Lillix, Burns has made
music on her own terms. Her first three
solo albums were all well-received collections
of synth-y indie pop, but when it
came time to record number four, Burns
felt a change needed to be made. She
wanted to make unapologetic pop
music again.
“It’s such a great moment for pop
music,” Burns says. “I’m just really
excited by all of the songwriting and
production I’m hearing. I think I was
getting a bit bored of myself. I think
CONTINUED ON PG. 8 k
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 7
DUSTIN CONDREN

MUSiC ARTIST INTERVIEW
LOUISE
BURNS
k CONTINUED FROM PG. 7
that happens to a lot of people. I definitely
honour what I did in the past, it’s been very
good to me. But a lot of these new sounds
have come from me being more open to
embracing my pop side, especially in the
world of electronic music.”
Album number four, Portraits, feels like
a giant creative leap forward for Burns in
all respects. With its slinky rhythms, neon
synths, raw lyrical admissions and breezy
sax solos (Burns is a massive Roxy Music
fan), she has entered that mature pop
niche, alongside artists like Christine and
the Queens, Shura and Carly Rae Jepsen
that she always seemed destined for. A big
part of this process was letting down her
guard and exploring her emotions through
lyrics.
“This record I did focus more on my
lyrics, which I think is a huge part of pop
music right now,” Burns admits. “As a
non-emotional person, I found it to be a
pretty crazy exercise to actually explore
that side of my writing, rather than just hide
behind a wall of reverb, lots of guitars or
crazy drums. I was just trying to put myself
into this position of, almost discomfort, so I
could try and grow.”
One way in which she found the courage
to do this was in returning to the city where
it all started for her: Los Angeles, where
she lived during the Lillix years.
“A lot of it was closure for me,” she
explains. “There have been some weird
wounds I’ve had since that time, which goes
with being a teenager I think. Everyone has
their shit that they hold on to throughout
their adulthood. But for me a lot of the insecurities
and neuroses were really put under
a microscope in LA when I was a teenager
and I still had the same perspective in a lot
of ways ever since. So I figured I’d go back
to that city where I began my career and
make amends with it, to see if I could move
forward and have a healthy relationship
with my past instead of trying to hide it or
be so self-deprecating.”
It was also there in Los Angeles where
Burns connected with producer Damian
Taylor (Arcade Fire, Björk), who previously
worked on her 2017 album, Young Mopes.
This time, however, Burns invited Taylor
into her songwriting process, another first
for her.
“Damian is amazing. I call him my guru,”
she says avidly. “He knows how to push
me and get the best work out of me. The
way we talk about music, I just always learn
from him. I’m so lucky that this was my first
real collaborative experience because he
paved the way for it to be a positive thing
for me. This record wouldn’t have existed
if it weren’t for him. I feel like with him, I put
more work into my songwriting, getting the
sounds I wanted, and deciding what I want
to do as an artist.” ,
8 BEATROUTE NOVEMBER 2019

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MUSiC ARTIST INTERVIEW
JAZZY
JEFF
Jeff Goldblum cut his teeth as a
pianist in Pittsburg before hitting
the silver screen By LAUREN DONNELLY
SELA SHELONI
J
eff Goldblum
is calling from
a “luxuriously
roomy little
closet” inside
his home in Los
Angeles. He only
has 15 minutes
for an interview, but he’ll spend
at least five of those minutes
singing jazz songs. Sometimes
the music says it best.
Asked about his first
memories of jazz, he sings
the trumpet line from Herb
Alpert’s instrumental 1965
album, Whipped Cream and
Other Delights. Considering
the relevance of jazz in an era
of distrust and corruption, he
reprises a moment from an appearance
on The Colbert Show,
talk-singing Irving Berlin’s “Let’s
Face the Music and Dance” in
his velvet voice.
“Soon we’ll be without the
moon, humming a different
tune, and then there may be
teardrops to shed,” he rushystop
sings. “But while there’s
moonlight, music, and love and
romance, let’s face the music
and dance.”
He ends the song doing both
vocal parts in crescendo. He
takes a breath, letting the lyrics
sink in.
“I think that has something to
do with our time,” he concludes.
“That gives me a little lift — it
gives me a lift and chills too. It’s
a chilling time we live in.”
The father, husband, legendary
charmer, and gregarious
character best known for iconic
acting performances in films
like Jurassic Park, The Big Chill,
The Fly, and The Life Aquatic, is
also a passionate jazz pianist. I
Shouldn’t Be Telling You This is
Goldblum’s sophomore album
with his band the Mildred
Snitzer Orchestra.
Nostalgic and fun, the album
features a mix of renditions of
classics like “Let’s Face the
Music and Dance,” and delightful
mashups of standards like
“Sidewinder” with the Sonny
and Cher hit, “The Beat Goes
On.”
These aren’t stale covers
of the same classics. Goldblum’s
music is as enigmatic
and enthusiastic as his acting
performances. Looking back,
he says that as an actor he
sometimes over-prepared to
get to the right emotional place
for the scene. But music was
different.
“As you started to play it,
whether it was a sad song, or a
happy song, [the music] sort of
provided,” Goldblum explains.
“Trying to render the song and
the story, and communicating
it somehow gave you all the
feeling that you needed.”
Music came before acting
success did. He cut his teeth
as a pianist growing up in
Pittsburgh. Though he wasn’t
educated at a jazz institution,
he took lessons, learning
chords and exercising his improvisational
muscles with the
standards in fake books. That
set his course.
After years of playing weekly
gigs in L.A., Goldblum and
the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
released their live album debut
in 2018. The Capitol Studio
Sessions topped the charts
in the UK, U.S., Germany and
Australia, and received a warm
critical welcome. It was only a
matter of time before a sequel
was in the making.
Skills that make Goldblum a
captivating actor—improvisation,
curiosity, and generosity
towards —also serve him well
as a jazz musician.
After making his film debut
45 years ago, Goldblum has
captured Hollywood’s elusive
holy grail: longevity. Duets on
I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This
feature a diverse range of collaborators
from Gregory Porter
and Miley Cyrus, to Fiona Apple
and Sharon Van Etten. A contagious
sense of joy is palpable
throughout the record. Transposing
songs from bygone
eras, Goldblum’s album serves
a powerful counterpoint to the
foreboding doom of the current
political climate.
It’s not surprising that people
are still clamoring to work with
him given his joie de vivre, but
where does he draw his enthusiasm
from?
“Any time where general stupidity
and backwardness and
darkness can befall us, music
of all sorts can lift our spirits,”
he says. “[It can] be relevant to
our healing and an upliftment
toward our better angels. But
on this album specifically...”
He’s mid-sentence when
something strikes him.
“Ooooh,” he rumbles in his
excited, somewhat sinister-sounding
baritone. “Ooooh,
wait a minute, wait a minute,
well...”
He starts singing again.
“Make someone happy —
make just one someone happy,
then you’ll be happy too,” that
Gregory Porter sings [on the
new album]. “Ooooh, that has
something to do with a nice
credo, you know?”
I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This is
released globally on November 1,
2019. ,
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 11

MUSiC CONCERT PREVIEWS
GET
RICH
QUICK
Rich Aucoin made an album
about death by celebrating life
By COURTNEY HEFFERNAN
SCOTT MUNN

B
est known for his vibrant
electronic albums and
confetti-filled live shows,
Rich Aucoin’s fascination
with death seems
incongruous. However,
reconciling these ideas
is central to the Halifax-based
musician’s
creative process.
His upcoming Death
Tour this fall will be a celebration
of life and his dazzling new album,
Release, is a colourful exploration of
ideas around existence and mortality.
“I knew I wanted to make a record
on death,” says Aucoin, matter-of-factly,
as he sits back in his
chair in a bright café in downtown
Toronto. “And I wanted a lot of colour
so it wasn’t this dark connotation of
death and was more in line with my
view of the celebration of life until it’s
over.”
To talk to Aucoin is to understand
how seemingly disparate interests
come to cohesion. In conversation,
Aucoin is animated and engaging;
he smiles and laughs a lot, using his
hands when he talks. He speaks as
passionately about the art he creates
with friends and collaborators as he
does about existential philosophy.
“The whole album is about looking
at how we build our foundations for
viewing existence,” says Aucoin. He
talks about philosophical concepts
with a warmth that makes even the
most obscure ideas accessible.
Release was inspired by Aucoin’s
reading of The Denial of Death by Ernest
Becker, a psychological text that
harkens back to Aucoin’s philosophy
and contemporary studies in university.
One of the themes from Aucoin’s
reading that resonates through the album
is the idea of being present. “And
presence being fuelled by a healthy
awareness of death,” he says.
It’s a fitting topic for Release,
which is the last in a trilogy of albums
rounded out by We’re All Dying to Live
(2011) and Ephemeral (2014). Aucoin’s
Death Tour marks an end to a creative
trajectory that was nearly 10 years in
the making. Though the albums are
thematically connected, Aucoin acknowledges,
“I didn’t have it planned
out so much. They all just seemed to
focus around death in different ways.
Now that I’ve fully made the record I
know this is a trilogy and it’s over.”
On album opener “The Base,”
Aucoin uses audio from Sam Harris’
talk, Death in the Present Moment. “I
thought it was a nice way to start the
mindfulness of the record I was trying
to make,” he says. “It really puts in
perspective how quickly the mind can
be racing towards
future
anxieties.”
He intends
to promote
mindfulness
through his
live show by
interspersing
his performance
with
RICH AUCOIN
Friday, Nov. 1
Queens (Nanaimo)
Saturday, Nov. 2
Lucky Bar (Victoria)
Saturday, Nov. 30
Commonwealth Bar &
Stage (Calgary)
Tix:$14.50-$20, eventbrite.ca
ideas from philosophers, further
expanding on the ideas of each song.
“I want to have the show be almost a
meditation through the themes of the
record,” he says.
Injecting a heady dose of colour to
otherwise dark themes around death
and dying, Aucoin is synchronizing his
Release live shows to Disney’s Alice in
Wonderland. The dreamlike imagery,
as well as the concept of Wonderland,
resonates with Aucoin.
“Wonderland is a metaphor for our
own ideas and beliefs of the world,”
Aucoin says. “Alice is just going
deeper inside her own beliefs until it’s
the end of her. That’s our journey too,
to keep figuring out how we want to
view everything and redefining our
foundations of beliefs.”
Aucoin equates the process of
shaping and defining our beliefs to
a game of Jenga. “When we’re kids,
it’s just as simple as setting up the
pieces,” he says. “In order to grow,
you need to keep taking pieces out
and adding more – even if it makes
your whole foundation of the way you
view existence teeter back and forth.
Nevertheless, you have to keep going
if you want to keep growing.”
Though existentialism is an intense
subject, it certainly isn’t Aucoin’s
intention to bring the mood down.
When asked how he wants his audience
to feel after one of his shows,
he says, “Really stoked on life,” insisting
that his Death Tour will still offer
the party atmosphere that has made
Aucoin’s live shows renowned.
In a lot of ways, Aucoin has created
an immersive “choose your own
adventure” experience, where he
brings together philosophical themes
nurtured throughout the trilogy of
albums while making his audience
feel like they’re part of a celebratory
community.
“Some people really enjoy thinking
about philosophy, some enjoy the
celebration of joy and the communal
aspect of the party,” Aucoin says.
While he’s content with an audience
that just wants to feel the vibe,
he admits, “I’m happy if people take
away the philosophy that’s been
laboured over as part of the show as
well.” ,
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MELO.NADE
CALGARY PRODUCER
SPEAKS UP ABOUT
HOW MUSIC
SAVED HIS LIFE
By KASIA GORSKI
Artist to Watch
Y
ou wouldn’t realize it to
talk to him, with readiness
and lucidity shining in his
eyes, but ten months ago,
local electronic music producer Navin Huq,
aka Melo.Nade, suffered a brain injury.
Severely concussed after being
rear-ended, he describes the first few
months of recovery as a scary time, where
he knew little about what was happening to
him. He is still on his path to recovery, but is
now confident talking about how music has
saved his life.
Classically trained in piano, music was
a big part of Melo.Nade’s childhood. He
recalls playing his dad’s records — everything
from Beethoven to The Beatles —
over muted Saturday morning cartoons.
“I’d eat my cereal and watch TV, but not
actually watch it,” he says with a laugh.
As the classic story goes, Melo.Nade
went to his first Shambhala in 2005, which
got him hooked on electronic music. He
began experimenting with his own tracks
and spinning records at local venues,
eventually getting booked at the beloved
Salmo, BC festival. Originally immersed in
the breakbeats scene, he found his true
love in an uplifting subgenre of trap, which
he lovingly dubs, Heavy Chill, brimming with
a spiritual, light-heartedness.
“It’s cutting edge, but different. I like stuff
that’s melodic, even psychedelic, but with a
weight to it,” he says.
Melo.Nade’s creative process includes
achieving a particular flow state, “where I’m
not thinking about the past or the future,”
he explains. “Producing music is about
losing all those things in your mind that
you worry about — it’s where you’re really
present.”
Through his sets, he loves to tell stories,
finding a solid beginning and preparing a
crate of tracks to guide where the adventure
will go. “I want to give the audience
an audible hug,” he laughs. “I love getting
people into that special vibe.”
But since his accident, the role of music
has changed for Melo.Nade, working through
the recovery process and learning how to
slow down and treat his health as a priority.
“It’s so important to ensure your body has
fuel before your tank is empty. And you have
to let yourself chill sometimes!”
Still suffering from the occasional migraine
as a result of his injuries, Melo.Nade
feels his good days are becoming more
consistent. “When you’re in it for the long
game, taking self-care time isn’t going to
set you back as much as you think.”
Melo.Nade plays on November 2
at the #1 Legion.
CONCERT SOCKS
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 15

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VAGAB
LAETITIA VAGAB
LAETITIA VAGAB
TAMKO
IS BORN
AGAIN ASVAGAB
AGAIN ASVAGAB

the release of
her sophomore album,
the Cameroon-born,
ONWith
Brooklyn-based indie
artist reflects on finding
identity in an alias and
how this album served
as the soundtrack to
her self-discovery
By SUMIKO WILSON
I
n many ways, it’s not a stretch to compare
creating an album to giving birth:
the conception, the waiting, the pain, and
the fear of haow your creation will fare
in the world. On the day Laetitia Tamko
released her self-titled sophomore album
as Vagabon, that fear was eclipsed by excitement
anchored with a sense of calm.
“Because it’s my second album, release
day is exciting but it’s really about the year.” she
explains in a phone conversation with BeatRoute
CONTINUED ON PG. 18 k

VAGABON
k CONTINUED FROM PG. 17
initially came from a place of pain,
Tamko now sees them as “songs of
triumph.” “In their conception they
were powerful in the freedom I felt
being that vulnerable. Now, they’re
powerful because they remind me of
what I’ve learned through performing
them,” she elaborates.
On Vagabon, Laetitia Tamko stepping
into herself is multifaceted. In
addition to handling all of the production
on the album, there’s another
subtle difference in the liner
notes. Vagabon is being distributed
under a self-titled LLC: an independent
imprint through which she will
take greater responsibility over the
album’s commercial distribution, but
also reap the rewards more abundantly.
In essence, this serves as a
sign that Tamko is inching towards
ultimate artistic independence, befrom
Los Angeles, days before joining
Angel Olsen on the North American
leg of her upcoming tour.
Her tone is soft-spoken, but
self-assured, and she stretches the
word “year” to reflect the long-game
that awaits. “I’m not worked up or
anything,” she continues. “I just feel
glad that it’s available. I think that’s
the most exciting part — seeing what
kind of life this child of mine will
make for itself.”
At 13, Tamko migrated to New
York City from Cameroon, speaking
limited English. She got her start as
a multi-instrumentalist when her
parents gifted her a guitar from Costco
in her teens. After high school,
Tamko opted for a full-time career in
computer and electrical engineering
while gestating her artistic alter-ego,
Vagabon, through playing DIY indie
shows in Brooklyn after work.
When she eventually made the
decision to leave her engineering career
and make music full-time, Vagabon
was born. Since then, she has
released three critically-acclaimed
projects, toured internationally with
indie icons like Courtney Barnett and
Tegan and Sara, and headlined a Tiny
Desk concert that has amassed nearly
100,000 views.
Where the face of indie rock so
rarely deviates from its norm, Tamko
offers a refreshing take on the genre
beyond face-value.
Over the phone Tamko’s confidence
bleeds into her tone, which
echoes her singing voice; strong and
steady, but never ascending to a roar.
Clocking in at just under 40 minutes,
over Vagabon’s ten tracks, Tamko delivers
an evolved sound that is more
revelatory and honest than ever.
She opens up about an overwhelming
love on “Flood” (“I know even if
I run from it I’m still in it/I know I’ll
hold you so close”) and addresses
her position as an indie outlier on
“Wits About You” (“I was invited to
the party/ They won’t let my people
in/Well then never mind, never mind,
never mind/We don’t wanna go to
your function/I want it all for my
own”).
On tracks like “Every Woman” and
“In a Bind,” Tamko leans into her
indie roots, pairing gently ascending
strings, rising tension, and a straightforward
song structure, similar to Bill
Callahan or Cat Power. “Water Me
Down” and “Flood,” depart from her
signature sound, and instead opt for
edgy, impossibly danceable synths, to
amplify the raw power of her vocals.
At moments, Vagabon plays like a
meditative sound bath, particularly
on “Home Soon.” Sonically, it flows
with the rest of the album by fusing
her airy vocals with disjointed, symphonic
instrumentals, but there is
no chorus, verse, beat or melody to
follow. This track transcends the
conventional song structure with no
apologies, just as Tamko rejects society’s
conventions and comes into her
own throughout the course of the LP.
While Tamko’s journey to self-realization
plays out over the course
of the album, it started while she
was touring her debut album Infinite
Worlds. She opened Infinite Worlds
with the punchy mid-tempo track
“The Embers,” where she sang about
being a small fish and getting gobbled
up by sharks. While touring her last
album, she recalls “being directly in
tune with the transformation from
songs deriving from feeling weak and
feeling tired.
Over time, her lyrics took on new
meaning and grew to be mantra-like,
setting the foundation for the growth
that would play out in her 2019 follow-up.
Rediscovering and redefining
her debut album prompted a comingof-age
for Tamko. “To perform these
songs over and over and over and
find such confidence in reiterating
this message to myself, the timeline,
everything in between, just reshaped
those songs for me.
“In turn,” Tamko says, “it reshaped
me.”
Though the songs on Infinite Worlds
Having the
record be self-titled
just felt appropriate.
It was really an act of
discovering ones-self
and discovering the
powers within me.
yond the bounds of expression.
This transition was by design. “I
want people to remember that I am
self-reliant. That’s most important
to me,” Tamko says. “I have
taught myself all these instruments,
I produced my own
record, and I engineered on
my record.”
On Vagabon, she accomplished
this goal. “I actually
found myself impressive at several
moments of this album-making
process.” She specifically cites
her work behind the boards as a feat
that has stuck with her.
“Making a song like ‘Water Me
Down’ is something where I sat back
at the end of it and thought ‘How the
fuck did I make that?’ Actually being
able to say nice things about my music
instead of downplaying it, or minimizing
myself.” Still, she is secure
enough to ask for help. “I just want to
be an all-encompassing well that can
still outsource help,” she says.
The self-titled debut project has
been a long-standing, cross-genre
tradition with roots so deep that
the concept’s origin is impossible
to peg. When Diana Ross split from
The Supremes and released her first
solo album in 1970, it was self-titled
to distinguish herself from her former
group. In 2013, when Beyoncé’s
self-titled her fifth solo album, it was
to herald a new era of creative independence.
Similarly, Vagabon used
her sophomore album title to assert
her identity under a self-appointed
alias.
“Having the record be self-titled
just felt appropriate for this [album],”
she explains. “It was really
an act of discovering ones-self and
discovering the powers within me.
So in that journey it felt right to reintroduce
myself. It was time to put a
face to the name.”
On one of the album’s standouts,
“Every Woman,” Tamko exudes affirming
security with lyrics like: “I
belong to no one” and “I won’t ask
permission from you. In a press
statement ahead of the album’s release,
Tamko referred to this track as
Vagabon’s “thesis.”
In her own words and on her own
terms, Tamko has shed the skin of
uncertainty and insecurity in order
to tell the story of her settling into
herself. On Vagabon, she is the story’s
narrator and its hero. In just two albums
and one EP, Tamko has solidified
her presence as an indie-rock
force and has truly lived up to her
name. ,
18 BEATROUTE NOVEMBER 2019

Wings $5/lb after 4pm with beverage purchase, gst not included, dine in only.
18+, legal ID required. this event is open to all SAIT students, staff, faculty,
alumni, members, and guests. please visit Saitsa.com for more information.
18+, Legal ID required. This event is open to all Sait students, staff, faculty, alumni, members, and guests. Please visit Saitsa.com for more information.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
FREE
TO PLAY
Sat. Nov. 2, 2019
Calgary Folk Music Festival Presents
TERRA LIGHTFOOT
+ A Day As Wolves & Poke The Bear
Wed. Nov. 20, 2019
The Gateway Presents
BEER & BUILD
Ginger Bread House
Tue. Dec. 10, 2019
The Gateway Presents
HOCKEY DAD +
DZ DEATHRAYS
+ Horror My Friend
WED, NOV. 6, 2019
Wed. Nov. 6, 2019
The Gateway Presents
WINGO
BINGO + WINGS! FREE TO PLAY!
Thu. Nov. 21, 2019
MRG Concerts Presents
RIA MAE
+ Matthew V Music
Wed. Dec. 11, 2019
The Gateway Presents
STAR WARS TRIVIA
FREE TO PLAY
$5/LB WINGS
5:00PM REGISTRATION | 5:30PM BINGO
Saitsa.com/Events
Fri. Nov. 8, 2019
Calgary Folk Music Festival Presents
THE EAST POINTERS
+ Special Guests
Fri. Nov. 22, 2019
The Gateway Presents
PROZZAK
Farewell Tour
Wed. Jan. 15, 2019
The Gateway Presents
DISNEY TRIVIA
FREE TO PLAY
Sat. Nov. 9, 2019
Calgary Folk Music Festival Presents
LEMON BUCKET
ORKESTRA + Special Guests
Sat. Nov. 23, 2019
The Gateway Presents
THEO AND THE THUGS
+ Not Inpublic, Fizzgigs, The Shiverettes
Tue. Jan. 21, 2020
The Gateway Presents
Jon Bryant
+ Special Guests
Wed. Nov. 13, 2019
The Gateway Presents
HARRY POTTER TRIVIA
FREE TO PLAY
Fri. Nov. 29, 2019
The Gateway Presents
ALTAMEDA
+ Special Guests
Wed. Jan. 22, 2020
The Gateway Presents
DIRTY BINGO
FREE TO PLAY
Thu. Nov. 14, 2019
StFX YYC Presents
SIGNAL HILL
Sat. Nov. 30, 2019
The Gateway Presents
HILLTOP HOODS
+ Adrian Eagle
Sold Out
DIRTY BINGO
Hosted by Felicia Bonée
SCANDALOUS
PRIZES and GIVEAWAYS!
WINGS $5/LB
+GST W/ purchase of beverage
DRAG QUEEN
PERFORMANCES
Sept. 18 2019
FREE TO PLAY • Registration 5 p.m. • Game 5:30 p.m.
THE GATEWAY V203 Campus Centre
Wed. Feb. 21, 2020
The Gateway Presents
Bedouin Soundclash
+ Special Guests
Fri. Nov. 15, 2019
The Gateway Presents
WANNABE
A Spice Girls Tribute
Sat. Dec. 7, 2019
Monster Energy Presents
ONE BAD SON
Free Tickets via Universe.com
For a list of all upcoming events visit GatewayYYC.com/Events
And make sure to follow us @gatewaybar to catch all the latest announcements!
18+, Legal ID required. This event is open to all Sait students, staff, faculty, alumni, members, and guests.
Please visit Saitsa.com for more information.
GatewayYYC.com

Artist to Watch
MANILA
GREY'S
FILIPINO PRIDE IS
TAKING THEM
AROUND THE
WORLD
By JOSEPHINE CRUZ
I
t’s been ten years MANILA GREY biggest tour yet, The
since childhood Friday, Nov. 15 Silver Skies Tour, which
friends Neeko Commonwealth (Calgary) will take them to 10
and Soliven
Friday, Nov. 22 cities across Asia and
first started
Fortune Sound Club
Canada.
experimenting (Vancouver)
The decade of
with making their own
music, and three since
they officially formed
Manila Grey and decided
Friday, Nov. 29
Toybox Nightclub
(Toronto)
preparation is evident in
their output, which is as
polished as any other
mainstream R&B or
to make a serious go at their
career. Since then their journey
has resulted in a number of big
wins, including streaming numbers
well into the tens of millions
and a handful of overseas shows.
Now, the Vancouver-based duo
are about to embark on their
hip-hop and sounds perfectly at
home on a playlist alongside other
top-tier talent like The Weeknd,
Bryson Tiller, 6lack and others.
But it’s the way Manila Grey incorporate
their Filipino heritage into
their music and brand that’s set
them apart, and now it’s propel-
ling them onto the global stage.
Pay close attention and you’ll
notice references in their lyrics, imagery
in their videos, and even the
inclusion of an indigenous Tagalog
script Baybayin in some of their
graphics. It’s subtle enough that
it doesn’t feel like a gimmick, and
yet prominent enough to make a
statement. For Filipinos around the
world, it’s the type of genuine
representation they’ve craved—
and frankly, deserved—for
years, and Manila Grey is here
to deliver.
AN ONSLAUGHT OF DANK DEATH METAL
AND STONER HORROR THAT WIELDS RIFFS
LIKE WEAPONS. THIS IS ANOTHER NEW
HIGH FOR CANNABIS CORPSE.
COMING NOV. 1 ON DIGIPAK CD, LTD.
LP, DIGITALLY & MORE.
1349 are back with ‘The Infernal
Pathway,’ their latest offering of aural
hellfire that is sure to set you ablaze with
a fiery collection of true Norwegian
black metal.
Out now on Deluxe CD box, Digipak
CD, Ltd. 2LP, digitally & more.
NECRONOMICON
UNUS
Vicious, ultramodern death metal
that harnesses the dark magick of
their name.
See them on tour now with
SUFFOCATION & BELPHEGOR
Out now!
CLOAK
THE BURNING DAWN
'The Burning Dawn' melds the
gothic nuance of its predecessor
with a more aggressive and
vehement spirit.
Out now!
VOYAGER
COLOURS IN THE SUN
A vivid, uplifting, and
exhilarating album of their
self-pro claimed “epic electro
progressive power pop metal”!
Coming Nov. 1
20 BEATROUTE NOVEMBER 2019

The Playlist:
BEATROUTE
1
BEATROUTE
BEAT
ROUTE
BR
BRLIVE
BRYYZ
5
3
7
10 songs in heavy rotation at the BR offices right now
1 Caribou
Home
Indietronica veteran Dan Snaith
returns for the first time since 2015
with a jazzy track heavy on live
percussion that weaves around
an old-school soul sample from
Gloria Barnes. A melting pot of
genres that moves through about
four different acts in two and a half
minutes, it’s all centred by Snaith’s
calming falsetto.
2 Pusha T
Puppet (Ft. Nicholas Britell)
In one of the unlikeliest teamups
of the year, Pusha T links up
with Academy Award-nominated
film composer Nicholas Britell
(Moonlight, 12 Years a Slave) for
a short but hard-hitting track for
the new HBO show Succession.
Like always, King Push makes
every syllable count as he offers
short bursts of flow, the orchestra
behind him a worthy match for his
dramatics.
3
Bishop Briggs
Jekyll & Hide
Bishop Briggs’ fusion of driving
rock and roll instrumentals and
powerful vocals coming straight
from a background in gospel
music always makes for something
intriguing, and she returns with
a track that’s just as eerie as the
story that lent it its name. Based
around a clever play on words,
Briggs’ quickly whispered vocals
explode into a distorted instrumental
chorus.
Travis Scott
4 Highest In The Room
Has Travis Scott suddenly
become the world’s
biggest rapper before
our eyes? This sounds
like a track that would
have fit right in on
his monster album
Astroworld, and it’s recent
debut at #1 on the
Billboard Hot 100 shows
that Scott’s woozy,
psychedelic
trap sound is
the current
cultural zeitgeist.
Writing
another
smash hit is
simple for
him.
4
6
5
Jessie Reyez
Remember To Breathe
One of the most unique and immediately
recognizable singing voices
out there right now, the Canadian
rising star dials up the production
value, letting her sharper tones sink
into some warm piano chords instead
of being the main focus. But
don’t worry, her refreshingly blunt
lyricism hasn’t gone anywhere.
6
Sturgill Simpson
Show Me Love
Outlaw country and southern rock
artist Sturgill Simpson’s latest
album’s artwork depicts a
car driving away from a
massive explosion. That’s
just about how cool the
bassline groove of this
track makes you feel, as
he seemingly sings about
calming yourself down to
successfully pull off some
sort of crime. This is one
for dark shades and latenight
joyrides.
8 9
7
The Damned
Black Is The Night
Who says you can’t still be punk
in your 60s? Nearly 40 years
into a storied career, the UK
legends keep on rolling with the
gothic material they’re known for.
Frontman Dave Vanian’s deep and
resonant voice is perfect for the
spooky fall season as he sings of
ghosts emerging from their crypts
at twilight.
10
Wolf Parade
8 Against The Day
Montreal group Wolf Parade, now
a trio, offer the first taste of their
upcoming fifth album with a buzzy
synth-rock jam session that sees
the band’s two vocalists both
singing on the track for the first
time in over a decade. Anchored by
a catchy synth line, it’s driven home
when it’s answered by the guitar
playing the same riff.
9
Summer Walker
Playing Games
(Ft. Bryson Tiller)
The year’s biggest breakout star
in the world of R&B offers her own
spin on a classic, flipping Destiny’s
Child’s “Say My Name” into a
modern, laid-back groove calling
out commitment-adverse dudes …
before Bryson Tiller hops on the
back end of the track and offers his
side of the story.
10
Free Nationals
Eternal Light
(Ft. Chronixx)
Anderson .Paak’s longtime backing
band continues to step into
their own spotlight with another
high-profile single release, infusing
their usual funky rhythms with
some syncopated reggae flavour
from Chronixx. An ode to “positive
vibes,” this track makes you envision
beach weather in November.
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 21

Reviews
ALBUM
TR/ST
The Destroyer - Part 2
Grouch/ House Arrest
Arriving as the twin flame to The Destroyer
released earlier this year, The
Destroyer - Part 2 is the second album
of 2019 by Toronto darkwave outfit TR/
ST and functions as its necessary sequel.
In the five years since the release
of 2014’s Joyland, the project’s anchoring
member Robert Alfons has taken
inventory of himself by deconstructing
the concept of shame, and addressing
it head on.
The result is an exploration into
interiority, emotion and memory told
through lo-fi vocals with an emphasis
on atmosphere. The Destroyer - Part 2
establishes a new landscape from its
predecessor by masterfully emphasizing
ambiance and control. It’s a collection
of contemplative, energetic, and
sometimes sparse tracks that unfold
like micro vignettes.
Though consistent, the album features
similar thematic audio cues, like
the repetitive use of slow, echoing, and
hypnotic keys. “Enduring Chill” serves
as an overture to the album, and exists
as a wash of sound hinting at the peaks
and troughs of the album’s sonic ambition.
Elsewhere, “Darling” is dark and
beautifully harrowing, providing lyrical
robustness, and a spirit of experimentation.
The slow-moving interlude “Cor”
is held together with an almost-idiosyncratic
melody.
“Iris,” however, is the album’s
electro-pop standout. Executed as a
hopeful, multi-layered track, it’s fitted
with plenty of spacey synth lines that
burst with energy and glimmer like
confetti. You want to dance, but maybe
by yourself.
The dynamic range of tracks on
the album feels intentional. Together,
they offer a vivid lens to understand
the complexities of the album’s titular
theme and contrasting emotions. On
Part 2, Alfons refuses to shy away from
the reality of these experiences, but
attempts to explore how they often
function together.
Best Track: Iris
Dora Boras

24 BEATROUTE NOVEMBER 2019

NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 25

MUSiC ALBUM REVIEWS
Interview
CORRIDOR TAKE
UNPRECEDENTED LEAP
OF FAITH ON JUNIOR
CORRIDOR
Junior
Bonsound/Sub Pop
The rapid rise of Montreal-based
quartet Corridor can be likened
to contemporary rock folklore,
even if the story is a familiar one.
After the band’s tour agent sent
the iconic Seattle label Sub Pop
their four-song demo, representatives
who attended their
show in New York a month later
promptly sent them a record deal
within days of the performance.
It’s an impressive trajectory.
The four-piece consisting of
Dominic Berthiaume (vocals/bass),
Jonathan Robert (vocals/synth/
guitar), Julian Perreault (guitar) and
Julien Bakvis (drums) are the first
francophone band to sign with Sub
Pop, and the first Montreal band
since Wolf Parade in 2004.
Chatting to BeatRoute over
drinks at Notre Dame Des Quilles a
quaint, cozy cocktail bar in Montreal’s
Little Italy district, Berthiaume
says their third album and Sub Pop
debut, Junior, maintains the songwriting
approach its predecessor,
Supermercado (2017), while dialing
up the production.
“Our first EP and the first two
records sounded more lo-fi,” he
says. “Junior still has this warmth
and analog feel, but it feels like a
bigger production.”
Berthiaume explains that the
album focuses more on how songs
feel rather than what sonic category
they fall under. “All of the songs
came out of jams and improvisation,
and then we structure it. We
don’t think about genre or anything,
because this is where you restrict
yourself.”
“I think one of the things that
we have [throughout] our three
albums is a unity in the songs, but
it’s really diverse too. That Corridor
signature has to be somewhere,
but the point is, if it’s a good song,
it’s a good song. We don’t mind the
rest.”
While the band took their time
constructing previous albums, Le
voyage éternel (2015) and Supermercado
(2017), they had no such
luxury with Junior.
In January, Sub Pop told them
that they needed to submit their
masters by mid-May if they wanted
a fall release. By March, they had
begun writing and recording the album’s
six remaining songs, finishing
by late April. Berthiaume describes
the sessions as “intense,” spending
a month and a half recording six
days a week. “For every song, we
kept it really simple: one, two or
three riffs,” he explains of the process.
“[We] just keep on repeating
them, adding layers and creating
something more hypnotic,” he says.
“Our producer and engineer
would never bounce anything off
in the studio, so we never listened
at home to what we were doing,”
he continues. “Every day, we did
something new, and never
looked back. It was exciting,
but at the same time, it was
weird doing that at such a quick
pace.”
The result is carefully crafted
melage of indie rock, post-punk,
shoegaze and even dance-punk
sprinkled throughout — plus
plenty of reverb, lush harmonies
and call-and-response vocals.
By the end of 2019, the
band will tour throughout
North America and in Europe.
Although the language they sing
in is a hotter topic with media
outlets in Quebec and France,
Berthiaume says that their audiences
in English markets don’t
tend to focus on language as
much, instead letting the music
speak for itself.
“When we go to the U.S., or
the U.K., or even Germany, it’s
not really a subject. They’re
more focused on music than
anything else,” he says. “We
put effort in writing lyrics, but
the most important thing is just
that we play music, and we’re a
band.”
Best Track: Agent Double
Dave MacIntyre
WOOLWORM
Awe
Mint Records
Woolworm is Icarus. The Vancouver
quartet soar so close to
the boundaries of Brit-Pop tinged
shoegaze and hardcore infected
power pop they almost get burned.
Awe, the band’s third LP, is a
terrifying balancing act between
hopeful and heavy, cool and kitsch,
merry and morose. The result is
a delicate tension of sensible vox
anchored to the ground by earth
angering rhythm. It’s a palpable
tension as they fly neither too high
nor too low.
Nowhere on the album is this
tension more prevalent than
on “Hold the Bow,” the album’s
first single. Inspired by Marina
Abramović’s performance art piece,
Rest Energy, where Abramović’s
partner holds a bow with an arrow
pointing at her heart for four whole
minutes. It’s a perfect visual metaphor
for the songs message of
total trust and unconditional love.
It’s clear Woolworm has carved
out a unique space for themselves,
one that simultaneously lands them
gigs with Orville Peck and hardcore
legends, Integrity. Perhaps that’s
why Awe seems to find the band
more open-minded and impulsive,
more varied and less symmetrical,
and even more playful. Maybe it’s
that same restless hubris that led
Icarus too close to the sun.
Best Track: Hold the Bow
Sean Orr
26 BEATROUTE NOVEMBER 2019

SUDAN ARCHIVES
Athena
Stones Throw Records
THE DREADNOUGHTS
Into the North
Stomp Records
LITTLE SCREAM
Speed Queen
Dine Alone
CURSIVE
Get Fixed
15 Passenger
LEIF VOLLEBEKK
New Ways
Secret City Records
On her debut full-length, themes of
duality break open Brittney Parks’
(AKA Sudan Archives) lyrical prowess.
The unearthly Athena embodies
everything the rising violinist/
songwriter stands for: understated
feminism, electric sexuality, and rebellious
vulnerability are delivered
by her sultry voice.
Parks harnesses her full power
as an artist with skill and spontaneity,
dancing from acoustic soul to
sensual R&B to experimental hiphop,
all wrapped generously in her
hypnotizing violin loops and West
African-inspired rhythms.
Unfolding like a cinematic score,
Athena is celestial yet relatable,
hitting universal notes on the
complexities and dichotomies of
being human. Lo-fi acoustics and
smooth vocals tempt on “Did You
Know?” “Confessions” swoops in
with ecstatic Sudanese-centric
fiddle beats and robust lyrics about
the compromises of following
a dream. The album swells with
orchestral-like elements and slips
into glitchy electronic riffs as Parks’
voice takes on a spooky tone, like
in “Green Eyes.”
The dramatic Athena rounds off
in moody jazz ensconced with a
voice of liquid gold dripping onto
sun-baked earth.
Parks pulls us from one side of
the coin to the other, both soothing
and energizing us all the while.
Best Track: Confessions
Dayna Mahannah
Gather round the table and hold
yer frothy drink up high, the Dreadnoughts
are back with their most
vigorous, heartfelt album yet. The
15-song collection of modernized
sea-shanties speaks to a different
time, where it’s often forgotten that
something as simple as a strong
accordion-backed harmony can fill
a room to the brim.
Based out of Vancouver’s Downtown
Eastside, the six-piece ragtag
crew of folk-punkers continue to
carry the torch for a genre that celebrates
the misfit. After dedicating
their previous album to World War I,
Into the North feels less focused in
one direction and more tapped into
what the band does best: gathering
folks together to drink, dance, and
be merry at all costs. More often
than not, the songs start stripped,
leading with singer, Nicholas
Smith’s deep, echoing vocals, leaving
the flute, accordion, and violin
no choice but to follow suit.
The album varies throughout,
ranging from cheerful to somber
and all notes in between, yet
boasts a substantial weight at its
center. With Into the North, the
Dreadnoughts continue sailing, no
matter the height of the waves, all
the while singing their jaunty song.
Best Track: Northwest Passage
Brendan Lee
Montreal-based singer, songwriter
and multi-instrumentalist Laurel
Sprengelmey returns with her
third studio album, Speed Queen,
picking up where she left off with
Cult Following and The Golden
Album to propel her dancy rock into
new thematic realms of justice and
geopolitics.
The album’s name refers
to a washing machine, which
Sprengelmey describes as the
ultimate token of the american
dream — “you know you’ve made
it if you’ve got your own washing
machine,” she says.
On hyper-political opener “Dear
Leader” she addresses climate
change, the migrant crisis and the
prison industrial complex, flitting
from subject to subject like a social
media newsfeed. Sprengelmey
matches the scope of content
covered with an impressive range
of instruments, from horns, to violin,
to synth, accordion, xylophone and
even a gong.
Little Scream tackles complex
compositions with confidence
amidst masterfully crafted orchestration.
The crisp percussion and lush
instrumentation redeem the record,
building rhythms with the same
heart-racing excitement as Arcade
Fire at their most anthemic while
Sprengelmey’s electric guitar hits
with ferocity.
Little Scream’s optimistic rockpop
ultimately sparkles like an 80s
prom night, nostalgic and wistful
and Pepto-Bismol pink.
Best Track: One Lost Time
Maggie McPhee
Cursive have always stood tall
among their emo rock peers since
emerging from the depths of Omaha,
NB in the early 2000s.
Following the critically acclaimed,
The Ugly Organ (2003),
vocalist Tim Kasher and a rotating
cast of comrades were keeping a
notably low profile until their 2018
comeback offering, Vitriola, which
showed the band reinvigorated and
ready to fight. That momentum continues
on Get Fixed, an album as
sharp and cutting as the scissors
dawning the album art.
As on Vitriola, Kasher continues
full force with his blunt views on
society, clearly frustrated with the
state of his America today.
Songs like “Marigold” and title
track “Get fixed” sound like a haunting
orchestra musical, while “Horror
is a Human being” and “Content
Conman” bring back their post
hardcore roots with its distortion
and tantrum filled drumming.
Cursive have a way of presenting
both ugly and beautiful at the same
time, while offering plenty of food
for thought. Even if you don’t fully
vibe with its dark subject matters,
Get Fixed retains a unique charm
in Kasher’s jaded vocal delivery on
top of playful and inventive musical
arrangements.
Best Track: What’s Gotten into You?
Lamar Ramos
If Leif Vollebekk’s record Twin
Solitudes in 2017 was a personal,
self-reflective journey tinged with
heartbreak and an existential
yearning for meaning, New Ways is
distinctively more tender, still personal—
but now for someone else.
The Montreal songwriter creates
scenes, poetic memories, and
whispered conversations that
depict moments and stories that
we are not a part of but listening to
as they unfold.
Vollebekk’s reverent attention to
the small details has always been
the softly shining star of his work,
and here they not only bring his
lyrics to technicolour vibrancy, they
also equally share the stage with
the figures of his songs.
“Lightning evening in the holy
highlands/Down in the hall up
against the wall/I know you’re
struggling what to call it/Why you
gotta call it anything at all?” he observes
during a quiet conversation
in “Hot Tears,” making the setting
just as significant as the dialogue.
As he sings about past experiences
with longing and affection,
pain and joy, his words are warm.
There are no traces of bitterness
in his soulful voice. In “Never Be
Back,” he is no jilted lover, only
wistfully honest: “She’s my woman
and she loved me so fine/She’ll
never be back.”
Much like the record’s namesake,
Vollebekk remembers these
moments and sees them differently,
“looking at the sun through my
eyelids.” He’s sees them in new
ways.
Best Track: Never Be Back
Albert Hoang
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 27

MUSiC ALBUM REVIEWS
MOUNT EERIE
Lost Wisdom pt. 2
P.W. Elverum & Sun
On Lost Wisdom pt. 2, Mount Eerie
is looking towards the future and
the world around him. Whether it’s
bleak, warm or a mix of the two,
he’s looking forward nonetheless.
Songwriter Phil Elverum’s latest
album is a sequel to an earlier
collaboration with Canadian singer
Julie Doiron titled Lost Wisdom.
Part 2 focuses mainly on Elverum’s
tumultuous past year, still recovering
from the death of his wife,
his remarriage, and subsequent
divorce from actress Michelle
Williams.
Like his lyrics, Lost Wisdom Part
2’s production is mostly simple, quiet
and far from frivolous. Backed by
mainly just an acoustic guitar and
piano, it’s the words we’re needing
to focus on here. What follows is
a heartbreaking yet somewhat
hopeful collection of songs that
confirm how effective Mount Eerie
is at confessional songwriting.
Doiron’s accompanying vocals
provide a shoulder of support
to these confessions. You can
almost imagine them holding hands
throughout the recording of the album.
“I believed in love and I still do.
I’m not going to seal up my heart”
they both sing together in “Belief
pt. 2”. It’s nice to know that together,
they’re still looking forward.
Best Track: Belief
Fraser Hamilton
PELADA
Movimiento Para Cambio
PAN102
Known for its tendency to draw
attention to some of the most
unconventional sounds in contemporary
music, Bill Kouglias’
decision to release Movimiento Par
Cambino, the debut album by Montréal-based
duo Pelada is far from
a surprise. It’s a natural addition to
his eclectic and impeccably-curated
Berlin-based PAN imprint.
The playful interaction of vocalist
Chris Vargas and producer Tobias
Rochmann throughout the album’s
10 dancefloor-ready tracks flows
seamlessly between house, techno,
hip hop, Latin dance music, gabber,
UK bass, rave music and IDM
without getting bogged down in a
singular aesthetic.
Vargas’ vocal delivery ranges
from gentle singing and spoken
word to barking yells and grunts
bearing a distinctly hardcore punk
energy. And the lyrics, delivered
in an urgent Spanish, deconstruct
notions of privacy, gender and
sexuality against a backdrop of
state surveillance and “big data”
information practices by global
corporations.
Producer/multi-instrumentalist
Tobias Rochmann constructs a
positively globetrotting rhythmic
accompaniment to Vargas’ chant
that invokes the spirit of classic
electronic label Raster Noton as
much as it does the cumbia music
of Columbia. Elsewhere, icey
synths and decisive kicks complemented
by flavourful rhythmic
diversity that bounces between
genres with every track while remaining
universally accessible.
Hard-house-future-flex-funk-club
is the vibe —DJs take note.
Best track: Ajetreo
Adam Piotrowicz
THEY ARE
BEAT HAPPENING
B
eat Happening have always
been the score for outsider
punks.
Maybe it’s the way Calvin
Johnson’s voice rolls in with that
first “yeeeeaaaah” on “I Dig You;”
how the song becomes, all-atonce,
a groovy ode to every crush
you’ve ever had, and a droning
backing track to many solo bedroom
dances. It makes sense that
all the weirder, funkier punks were
identifying with a band who, in
essence, rejected the abject aggro
notions and aesthetics of hardcore,
but who still expertly claimed
and interpreted the underground.
After playing their first gigs in
Japan, Olympia’s Beat Happening
later toured the UK, fostering an
alliance to kindred spirits alongside
groups like The Vaselines
and The Pastels, and shocking
fans when they toured with iconic
Washington D.C. punk outfit Fugazi.
Percussionist Heather Lewis
notably borrowed drums at gigs,
and oftentimes created makeshift
drum sets out of any bangable
materials at hand.
With a stripped-down sound and
a gentler DIY ethos, Beat Happening,
consisting of Johnson, Heather
Lewis and Bret Lunsford, created a
space in punk scenes everywhere
for a larger scope of identities,
presentations, and overall weirdo-types
to feel like they belonged
in underground music communities.
“At the time, there was no one to
do it for you. So you just did it yourself,”
Johnson says over the phone.
“The whole concept of punk,
from the beginning, was to be
original and express yourself in
your own unique way. In that sense
I just felt like I was following in the
tradition of iconoclastic artists,” he
continues referring to Patti Smith
and Television.
The much-anticipated reissue
of their entire catalogue, We Are
Beat Happening, will be released
on Nov. 29 on Domino and arrives
during a period where DIY, though
still meaningful, means something
largely different. Given that
millennial musicians have access
to SoundCloud and GarageBand,
interacting with analog media is a
stylistic choice rather than a community
necessity. And underground
music lovers of today are used to
exploring bands in a less catalogued
way.
Type “Beat Happening” into
YouTube and you receive a less
cohesive experience of the band,
with each song or album re-uploaded
separately and sporadically.
You can pick and choose what you
want to hear instead of playing a
tape or EP all the way through. It
doesn’t negate the experience of
experiencing underground music.
But it’s certainly different.
The reissue, which features seven
LPs, was remastered at Abbey
Road Studios by Frank Arkwright.
It’s the first time in a decade
that all of their work has been in
one place, including their 1985
self-titled debut, which Johnson
describes as their “ultimate statement”
as a band, and feels like
the most “potent” representation
of their work. It serves as both an
accessible journey through Beat
Happening’s evolution, and categorical
relic of the underground.
There is something about Beat
Happening’s anarchic approach
to humour, tenderness and punk
that’s outlived its expiry date. Their
ability to weave homemade percussion
and sparing guitar chords
into a longing, innocent narrative
of adoration is easy to love.
Johnson notes that the band
always had a clear idea about their
sound.
“We were attempting to write
classic pop songs. Hopefully we
were successful.” When asked
if timelessness was always the
intention for the band’s sound, he
affirms with the same casual drawl
he’s made his signature, “mhm.”
Best Track: Fourteen
Alessia Dowhaniuk
We Are Beat Happening is available
Nov. 29 via Domino Recording Co.
LANCE BANG
28 BEATROUTE NOVEMBER 2019

Live
MUSiC
Calgary
THRUSH
HERMIT
October 12, 2019
The Palace Theatre
It was a packed night full of nostalgia
and old friends at the Palace Theatre
for Thrush Hermit’s long-awaited
show in Calgary. The iconic Haligonian
90s alt-rock outfit cemented their
place in so many contemporary indie
bands’ imaginations on the strength
of their seminal 1999 release, Clayton
Park.
That energy, their wild unpredictability
and straight up eagerness
for the riff, were on full display on
stage at the Palace as Thrush Hermit
seemingly forgot that it’s not 1999
anymore and put on a show that felt
as youthful and essential as ever.
Led by Joel Plaskett, who worked the
spotlight and crowd like the seasoned
ringleader he is, Thrush Hermit
elevated their set from mere reunion
show to something vital enough that
everyone in the near-capacity room
hoped would carry on all night.
Shotgun Jimmie, Canada’s modern
day answer to Pavement, opened up
the night with his trademark bashful
wit and endless charm. His quirky
presence and delightful songs filled
the room despite him being alone
on stage, singing, strumming and
drumming all at the same time. On the
heels of his latest release, Transistor
Sister 2, Shotgun Jimmie continues to
position himself as one of Canada’s
most underrated songwriters.
Sebastian Buzzalino
SEBASTIAN BUZZALINO
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 29

SCREEN
TIME
JAZZING
IT UP: THE
MUSIC OF
MOTHERLESS
BROOKLYN
In conversation with Edward
Norton about how jazz is
the backbone of his new film
Motherless Brooklyn
By PAT MULLEN
E
dward
Norton juggles riffs and
rhythms as actor, writer, and director
of Motherless Brooklyn. The film, a
passion project 20 years in the making,
stars Norton as Lionel Essrog, a
detective with Tourette syndrome navigating
the criminal underworld of 1950s Brooklyn.
Motherless Brooklyn adapts Jonathan Lethem’s
novel of the same name as Lionel uncovers
a case of racial discrimination in the city’s
housing market, touring through jazz clubs
and political rallies while investigating the
death of his mentor and falling in love with
an activist named Laura (Gugu Mbatha-Raw).
Fuelled by the jazzy rhythms of the city, the
film is a symphony of racial tensions and altered
scales.
Norton, speaking with BeatRoute at Toronto
International Film Festival, says he adapted
Lethem’s 1990s-set novel for the 50s to
increase the audience’s empathy for Lionel.
“The novel is really about the experience of
being inside this character’s brain, knowing
him, and feeling empathy as you watch him
navigate this painful and funny affliction,”
says Norton.
The beat and syntax of Jazz help put the
audience inside Lionel’s head. “One of the arguments
for acting and directing was knowing
I could experiment with the condition,
but also sculpt the balance of the performance
in the editing room,” explains Norton.
The rhythms of jazz lend Lionel’s spastic tics
a certain musicality as Norton’s performance
evokes a musician riffing on the scales and
echoes the drum beats and trumpet toots of
Daniel Pemberton’s score.
The film makes the connection
between jazz and Tourette’s explicit
when Lionel encounters a
trumpet player at a club. “I feel
about Lionel the way the trumpet
player communicates
to him saying, ‘I know that
headspace.’ It’s a gift, but
it’s a brain affliction just the
same,” explains Norton.
“Lionel says back
to the trumpet
player, ‘But you
have a way to
push it out
and make it
sound pretty.’
If I laugh lots of times, I feel lucky to have
a vehicle for it. If the dial got turned up a little
bit, it could be a paralyzing mental state.”
Norton’s empathetic performance draws
upon Lionel’s unavoidable awkwardness
without making light of it.
Motherless Brooklyn further evokes Lionel’s
struggle through an original song, “Daily Battles”
by Thom Yorke. “Thom expresses this
duality of longing in the heart, but also psychic
terror, fracture, and dissonance,” says
Norton. “Musically, he expresses Lionel’s
headspace perfectly for me.”
“Daily Battles” echoes throughout the
soundtrack with classic and contemporary
variations, including one by
Pulitzer Prize-winning trumpeter
Wynton Marsalis, who
“You have to pick yourself
up and out of your personal
struggles and engage
with the bigger fights.”
curated the jazz selections in the club scenes.
“When Laura reaches out and is so empathetic
to Lionel, senses his distress, and helps
calm him down, I was nervous about using
a known jazz ballad,” explains Norton. “The
last thing you want to do is take people out
of that moment if they recognize the song or
get distracted. Wynton did this beautiful arrangement
of Thom’s song and played it like
a Miles Davis ballad from the Birth of the Cool
era.”
Norton says that Yorke’s ballad captured
the essence of the story so strongly that it inspired
a revision to the script. “I put it in the
scene when Lionel complains about his condition
and Laura says, ‘We all have our daily
battles.’
“Laura is a Black woman who’s a lawyer in
the 50s and everyone only sees her as a secretary,”
explains Norton. “You have to pick
yourself up and out of your personal struggles
and engage with the bigger fights.” ,
30 BEATROUTE NOVEMBER 2019

BEATROUTE.CA
Get even closer
to the music.
Visit the all-new
beatroute.ca
Photo : Darrole Palmer
TERRA LIGHTFOOT
w/ SAM WEBER
NOV 8
NOV 2
THE EAST POINTERS
w/ LINDSAY LOU
NOV 14
FORTUNATE ONES
w/ SHERMAN DOWNEY
NOV 15
ALEX CUBA
NOV 7
THE YOUNG’UNS
NOV 9
LEMON BUCKET ORKESTRA
w/ TOTAL GADJOS
NOV 30
CHARLIE BROWN’S CHRISTMAS
w/ JERRY GRANELLI
TICKETS & DETAILS AT
CALGARYFOLKFEST.COM
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 31

Style
PLAY IT LOUD

Music and Fashion
Merge Explosively
In King Of Hearts’
Vivid Designs
Amber Mariel lives life in full saturation
and the young designer’s fashion line,
King Of Hearts, screams it from every
colour-soaked seam.
England born-and-bred, Mariel
infuses deliciously impractical yet
soulfully necessary pieces with the
musical subcultures of her British
heritage. As she says, “Who would the
Mods have been without The Kinks?”
It’s no wonder, then, that Mariel’s
loud and proud designs (boasting an
undeniable performative calibre) are
finding their way onto the bodies and
into the hearts of intrepid musicians.
Danielle McTaggart of Vancouver rock
duo Dear Rouge has performed in
numerous KOH outfits. “I don’t like to
be shy about style,” McTaggart says.
“People come to see an honest expression
of you and your music. Loud
is me and that’s what I try to wear.”
Learning to sew from a mother who
encouraged her at a young age to
alter clothing from local shop’s sales
sections in order to fit her (and the
family budget) ignited Mariel’s ardour
for design.
Later, despite years of experience
in the creative industry, she was
unqualified to attend a fashion course
at a prestigious university. She tucked
her dream away. But when Mariel unearthed
her sewing machine to make a
costume for Pride festivities one year,
people gushed. Ambition stirred anew;
King of Hearts was born.
The fashion line is a celebration
of expression and, less obviously, of
health. Depicting King Charles VII’s
descent into ‘madness’, the playing
card of choice represents a battle with
mental illness — something personal
for Mariel, an advocate of mental
health awareness. The heart imagery
reflects ideals of environmental and
ethical consciousness, as well as
shape and gender inclusivity.
Most importantly, King Of Hearts
embodies fun. “There’s always
a tongue-in-cheek aspect to my
designs,” Mariel says, who takes
seemingly dull or overlooked subjects
to alter how they are perceived,
and combines a love of satire with
“neck-breaking, eye-popping prints
and colour!”
By DAYNA MAHANNAH
Photos by LINDSEY BLANE
RHINESTONE
COWBOY
This canary yellow-andblue
sequin-and-rhinestone
suit is an uncanny nod to
the work of Nudie Cohen,
creator of the “Rhinestone
Cowboy.” With over 300
rhinestones hand-applied
to the two-piece ensemble,
Dani rocked this eye-popping
outfit during Dear
Rouge’s performance at the
Calgary Stampede.
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 33

Style
PLAY IT LOUD
CROCODILLY
BLUES
Hand-picked on Dani’s travels,
this lustrous blue crocodile
print fabric was brought to life
by Mariel. The retro-mod crop
top and coordinating dress
shorts express versatility and
noticeability. Worn separately,
they amp up an outfit. Together,
they are unstoppable.

BOBBY
DAZZLER
Inspired by the strategic
‘dazzle camouflage’ used
in WWI on battleships to
disorient enemy ships, the
Bobby Dazzler print throws
passers-by off-balance and
may cause lost-train-ofthought
syndrome. Custom
created in collaboration
with graphic designer
Adam Gaucher, the draped
sleeves and cape-like
shape give the wearer
superhero confidence.
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 35

TRAVEL
TUCSON, ARIZONA
EXPLORING THE VIBRANCY
OF THE SUN-BAKED
SONORAN DESERT
By MELISSA VINCENT
ALL PHOTOS: JEANINNE KAUFER
I
f you’ve never encountered
the hyper-specific experience
of inhaling Arizona’s
infamous dry heat, it’s
difficult to describe to Canadians
accustomed to life
on the periphery of great
bodies of water. In short, it’s clear,
oxidizing, and a blunt reminder
you’re now in cowboy country, so
buckle up.
In so many ways Tucson is
an example of a city in flux with
unique interest in the weird and
spectacular. Initially the ancestral
home to many nations of indigenous
people, including the Tohono
O’Odham and Pascua Yaqui, the
city experienced its first big boom
in the early 20th century when, for
a split second, it was larger than
Phoenix.
Due to its shape shifting identity,
in 2019 Tucson is a bunch
of things at once: It’s moderate
climate finds it reaching to be an
international conference hub; and
its stunning landscape, vibrant
art scene, and affordable housing
makes it attractive for both new
artists, and young locals who
have made their way around the
world before deciding to land back
home.
Each February, Tucson plays
host to the Gem, Mineral, and Fossil
showcase, one of the biggest in
the world. And for the last several
years, HOCO Festival has brought

How Sweet It Was
424 E 6th St.
Founded in 1974, How Sweet It Was
Vintage has curated its selection
for around a single mission: imagine
the way specifically found items can
have “meaning, soul, and a story.”
With racks organized by both era
and style, expect a blend of timeless
ready-to-wear finds, single-wear
show-stoppers pulled from America’s
sun-baked west, and matching
sets with prints inspired from just
south of the Mexican border.
Owl’s Club
236 S Scott Ave.
When this 86-year-old funeral
home was remodelled to make way
for the Owl’s Club, the idea was
to retain the glamour of the early
20th century. Walking up the super
lush, palm tree-lined corridor to
the doorstep of Owl’s Club feels
like an apt reflection of their menu
of “complex original” cocktails and
“Old world” wines. But don’t let
Owl’s swanky interior fool you, one
night during HOCO Festival this
year saw Deaf Kids and Vancouver
noise destroyers Minimal Violence
take the stage at the location of
the former pulpit and shake the
venue to its core.
ANDI BERLIN
Taqueria Pico De Gallo
2618 S 6th Ave.
Ordering from the takeout counter,
the menu is concise and, with most
tacos priced less than $2, the
menu is equally cost-conscious.
But what really makes these tacos
stand out are the tortilla shells,
thick and viscous rolled from a ball
of corn masa flour, and the sweet
and salty tamarind raspados.
The Boxyard
238 N 4th Ave.
Possibly one of Tucson’s most
unique local dining spots, the 10
intentionally painted shipping
containers feature four restaurants,
two bars and a courtyard to
connect everything together. From
Bronx-inspired BBQ to Vietnamese
fare, this dog-friendly new addition
to the city’s downtown strip boasts
dynamic open-air seating, capable
of withstanding Arizona’s many
changing climates.
RECORD STORES
Odds and Ends/ Don’t Forget This
some of the most forward-thinking
artists on the continent
including Dean Blunt, S.H.I.T.,
Bbymutha, and Omar Apollo to
the historic Hotel Congress.
But Tucson is much more than
a college town, or a sleepy place
to retire. It’s a community with an
underdog spirit, wrestling with its
newest period of development
while also making itself amenable
to inviting guests from outside,
squarely on their own terms.
DESTINATIONS
Hotel Congress
311 Congress St.
The folklore around the Hotel
Congress is largely derived from its
proximity to a crucial part of American
western history, and a tangled
relationship with supernatural.
Built in 1918, the Hotel Congress
first rose to national attention
when it became the site of capture
for the infamous criminal John
Dillinger, and almost 60 years later
when it acquired an in-house ghost
as a result of a death by suicide on
the premises in the early 90s.
Now named as a federally recognized
historic building, the Hotel
boasts an award-winning music
venue, Club Congress; two dining
spots, The Cup Cafe and Maynards;
and an impressive roster of
year-round programming including
as home base for HOCO fest.
Tucson Museum of Art
140 N Main Ave.
Located in the city’s Presido district,
the Tucson Museum of Art is
more than an impressive showcase
for Latin, Western, and Contemporary
art, it’s become a crucial
cultural epicenter of the ongoing
redevelopment of Downtown
Tucson. Comprised of an entire
74,000-square-feet historic block,
what sets the museum apart is its
clearly considered social mission
reflected in both the programming
and the structure of the space.
Throughout the year they offer
public lectures on the subject of
border politics and indigeneity, and
while the museum is undergoing
construction, they’re offering a pay
what you can model for all patrons.
Gates Pass
You can’t say you’ve been to
Tucson if you haven’t visited the
mountains that frame the Sonoran
Desert. Featuring a unique blend
of flora and fauna found nowhere
else in the world, from a distance,
the hills seem covered in grass
until you move closer and realize
that towering Saguaro cactus
populate the mountain’s highest
peaks. Walk, don’t run, or you’ll
miss it.
EATS AND DRINKS
Boca’s Tacos
533 N 4th Ave.
Recognizable by a puckering set
of lips adorned on both outside
the restaurant and on every menu,
Boca’s Tacos have been celebrated
by the New York Times and
the Food Network. Both open
late and conveniently located on
the historic and artsy 4th Avenue,
expect the usuals like pulled pork
and camaron tacos executed at
the highest level, their trademark
tri-colour tortilla chips, and truly
imaginative creations like the AM
taco topped with a hash brown
and fried egg.
Exo Roast Co.
403 N 6th Ave.
Bustling, laptop-ridden, co-working
cafe space by day, and smoky, live
music bar by night, Exo Roast. Co
is housed in a repurposed warehouse
with massive floor to ceiling
windows and mismatched rustic
furniture. But calling Exo a coffee
shop would do a disservice to
their ambitious event roster, which
includes Wednesday hatha yoga
classes on the patio, and Mezcal
tastings followed by traditional
cumbia and Mexican ballads on
Thursday.
NIGHTLIFE
191 Toole
What was once Skrappy’s, a
DIY-music scene devoted to
uplifting Tucson’s at-risk youth, was
renamed 191 Toole in 2013 with a
renewed effort to exist as one of
the few places in the city to regularly
host all-ages shows. A weirdly
angled venue, the stage is actually
on a diagonal, providing fantastic
sightlines for artists as diverse as
Cass McCombs and Gatecreeper,
to Chastity Belt and Maxo Kream.
Che’s Lounge
350 N 4th Ave.
Che’s states that they’ve been
located in Tucson since “forever,”
which seems hard to argue with
since its open from 12 pm to 2 am
every day of the year. From the
well-stocked bar stationed in the
centre of the room, to a gorgeous
back patio featuring live music and
the tallest and cheapest pour of
whisky on ice, this is your spot to
come early and stay late.
Wooden Tooth Records
426 E 7th St.
Depending on the night, Wooden
Tooth might be the place where
you stumble across a new Boris reissue,
or bear witness to a wild and
riotous in-store performance by
any of the city’s impressive group
of rising local artists. This year, the
record store levels up its ambition
as one of the city’s newest and
best record stores by hosting the
first annual Woodenstock, which is
exactly what it sounds like.
YOGA Annex
439 N 6th Ave.
When it comes to taking a yoga
class in a new city, comfort is key.
Newly opened, YOGA Annex is
the place where “the music goes
up and the lights go down.” The
vinyasa flow class we attended led
by Gabriela Pintado, featured live
electro-acoustic drumming by local
multi-disciplinary artist Quiahuitl,
and an intentionally malleable set
of poses. Both heart-pumping,
deliberately gentle and ultimately
restorative, the class was a necessary
reprieve from the hot desert
sun.
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 37

YYC
11.19
GIRAF:
CALGARY’S
ANIMATION
EXTRAVAGANZA
CELEBRATES
15 YEARS
By BRAD SIMM
T
he limits of animation begin and
end with imagination.
Now in its 15 th year, the Giant Incandescent
Resonating Animation
Festival (GIRAF) is a celebration
of independent animation in every form possible.
“From putting a spotlight on local artists
to work from all around the world pushing
animation in different directions,” says Peter
Hemminger, director of Calgary’s Quickdraw
Animation Society.
One artist Hemminger is excited to have
involved this year is local indie-rock luminary,
Chad VanGaalen, who’s also a talented illustrator
and created the promotional materials for
the fest.
“As much as he’s known as a musician, his
visual sense and playful animations in all these
weird sci-fi worlds are strongly associated with
him. It’s a really nice connection because some
of the very first experiences Chad had with
animation were through classes at Quickdraw.”
Over the past year and a half, Quickdraw has
been doing a series of screenings and working
on a publication that explores queer contributions
to animation. For the festival’s opening
gala they’ll launch the full book, which contains
all of the collected essays. Sonya Reynolds and
Lauren Hortie create shadow puppet animation
of under-appreciated Toronto queer history
and will be the feature artists in attendance.
In the world of stop-motion animation and
visual effects, “few figures stand taller than
Phil Tippet.” Hemminger proclaims, “He’s an
absolute legend who did major special-effects
work on Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Robocop
and Starship Troopers, all these classics from
the 70s to 90s.” Tippet will be speaking and
showing the dark adventures of his Mad God
sci-fi animation trilogy.
GIRAF // Nov. 21 – 24 // various locations //
giraffest.ca
Chad VanGaalen
CALGARY’S ESSENTIAL NOVEMBER HAPPENINGSk
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 39
SEBASTIAN BUZZALINO

11.19YYCAGENDA
NOV. 2
SKYDIGGERS
QT8:
Quentin
Tarantino
Doc Highlights
Two Decades
Of The Good,
The Bad, And
The Ugly
NOV. 11
REMEMBRANCE DAY CONCERT
KANTOREI “AFTER THE WAR”
NOV. 17
CALGARY YOUTH ORCHESTRA
NOV. 22
HAWKSLEY WORKMAN
AT THE BELLA
TAYLORCENTRE.CA
By BRAD SIMM
W
hen the reviews for
Once Upon A Time In
Hollywood started rolling
in, film critics sharpened
their pencils and went in
for a volley of deep, multi-layered analyses.
Not only does the internet give writers infinite
space to spew away, but some well-known
publications took numerous kicks at the can
to get their ya-yas out on director Quentin
Tarantino’s latest cultural exploration.
While the praise largely favoured Tarantino
doing a fantastic job, criticism also fell that
he reinforced male heroism with the lead
characters (both men), didn’t elevate Sharon
Tate’s role (played by Margot Robbie) that’s
central to the tragic storyline, stereotypes
the 60s (those damn hippies), and still uses
far too much violence.
QT8: The First Eight documents 21 years
of Tarantino producing hip Hollywood cinema
while addressing his artistic maneuvers. To
do so, filmmaker/director Tara Wood teases
out playful, smart and heartfelt interviews
with a wide cross-section of collaborators
close to Tarantino who reveal much about the
man and his unconventional craft. Tarantino
himself, however, doesn’t make an appearance,
which is how Wood also approached
her documentary on Texas filmmaker Richard
Linklater (Slacker, Dazed and Confused).
“We don’t interview directors,” she says.
“It’s more interesting to hear about them
through other people, rather than hear somebody
talking about themselves. It kind of
chooses different paths when you go down
that way, which I think kind of opened it up.”
Wood adds, “That’s what Quentin loved
about the Linklater doc and why he and his
team supported the film. But he also said,
‘Yes, I’ll tell everyone to show up (to the interviews),
but you and I are not going to meet
until this is complete.”
Consequently, QT8 is a very open, honest,
unfiltered account of people who know, trust
and respect Tarantino and his work. In it,
Kurt Russell talks about crushing the male
macho stereotype, supreme stuntwoman
Zoe Bell discusses at length roles where she
plays herself or filled in for Uma Thurman,
redefining female characters as strong and
dominant, and Jamie Foxx and Samuel Jackson
speak towards how Tarantino takes an
anti-racist stand.
Of course, there’s the elephant in the
room, Tarantino’s former boss, Harvey
Weinstein. Wood also confronts that extreme
complication midway and at the end of the
film, and not causally.
“On the darker side,” says Wood, pausing
for a moment. “It was very interesting to learn
all these things about Quinten, then learn
what we learned about Harvey and how that
could possibly exist together. Wow, you just
can’t imagine these two people working in the
same room, on the same planet together.”
The 7th annual CUFF.Docs runs Nov. 27 to Dec 1
at Globe Cinema.
40 BEATROUTE NOVEMBER 2019

11.19YYCMUSIC
ALBERTA
ELECTRONIC
MUSIC
CONFERENCE:
Ambitious
Programming
Brings Global
Electronic Music
Culture To Calgary
By KASIA GORSKI
The fourth annual Alberta Electronic Music
Conference (AEMCON) descends on Calgary’s
world-class music museum, the National Music
Centre (NMC) this month with an exciting
program for local electronic music producers,
selectors, and fans. The information-packed day
schedule gives pass-holders access to 60+ technical
workshops, showcases, panels, mixers, and
artist talks, while the nightlife is filled with fun and
dancing at a dozen or so venues around town.
More than 150 artists and speakers will share
their ideas and talent during the week-long
electronic music smorgasbord. This year, a new
flagship brand for the National Music Centre,
NMC: ON, intersects with AEMCON to bring
global electronic music to Calgary via special
performances and artist talks focused on digging
deep into the art and culture of the wide-ranging
DJ world.
To make sense of the sprawling conference
schedule, BeatRoute has highlighted five of the
hottest tickets during AEMCON to check out.
Friday, Nov. 15
NMC ON: After Hours
Tix: $40 or included with AEMCON pass
Location: Studio Bell (850 4 St SE)
Headlined by Los Angeles beatmaker
Daedelus, and joined by Montreal
multi-instrumentalist Ouri, eclectic
house and disco selector Dane, Toronto-based
experimental electronic
performer Korea Town Acid, and The
Funk Hunters’ Nick Middleton as The
Outlier, After Hours is a favourite
nightlife event at AEMCON that kicks
off the weekend festivities of the festival.
The entire National Music Centre
will be transformed from museum
to club with multiple stages, bars, and
vibes spread over five floors.
Read our
full interview
with Daedelus
online at
beatroute.ca
Saturday, Nov. 16
NMC ON: Buchla Masterclass with Suzanne
Ciani
Tix: Included with admission to Studio Bell or AEM-
CON Pass
Location: Studio Bell (850 4 St SE)
Suzanne Ciani shares her intimate knowledge
of the Buchla 200 synthesizer in an in-depth
lecture on the instrument. The workshop will
include quadraphonic demonstration, which involves
four independent signals channelled from
speakers in surround sound. A ground-breaking
composer, musician and sound designer for
the better part of half a century, Ciani has been
referred to as the “Diva of the Diode” and a
synth hero.
Saturday, Nov. 16
AEMCON: LongWalkShortDock and RIM
Visuals presented by Oscill8 and Bass
Turtle Productions
Tix: $20 early bird, $25 advance or included
with AEMCON Pass
Location: Junction (628 8 Ave SW)
Attending a performance by LongWalk-
ShortDock is a little like watching a mad
scientist in his evil lair through a keyhole
in the door. His eclectic combination of
stacked melodies, aggressive synths
and heavy drums speaks to his unique
approach to sound design and penchant
for invigorating live performance. Peel back
the wires with LWSD in a not-to-be-missed
workshop prior to the show.
Saturday, Nov. 16
403DNB & AEMCON present BREAK
(UK/Symmetry Recordings)
Tix: $20 early bird, $25 advance or included
with AEMCON Pass
Location: Dickens Pub (1000 9 Ave SW)
The long-awaited Calgary debut for UK
producer Break offers an easy style of
Drum ‘n’ Bass that can be enjoyed by
anyone, from mild dabblers to hardcore
junglists alike. With crisp, clean melodies
layered over hard-hitting bass, laced with
mood-lifting vocals, Break is one of the
genre’s most prolific DJs.
Sunday, Nov. 17
AEMCON: Join The Future book launch
Tix: Free
Location: Central Library (800 3 St SE )
Longtime writer for Knowledge Magazine,
Colin Steven has launched Velocity Press
to specialize in non-fiction publications
about the culture of electronic music. The
debut publication is Join The Future by
author Matt Anniss. Join Steven and Anniss
in a discussion about bleep techno and
the previously untold story of British dance
music’s first sub-bass revolution.
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 41

TREVOR HATTER
11.19YYCMUSIC
LOCAL ARTIST
SPOTLIGHT
WOODHAWK
RIFFS THEIR WAY TO
SELF-REFLECTION
By CHRISTINE LEONARD
I
t’s a long way to the top if
you want to rock and roll
and, according to Turner
Midzain, lead vocalist/guitarist
for the Calgary-based
stoner riff rock outfit, Woodhawk, the
shortcuts to the summit aren’t even
worth taking.
“I think the journey is the most important
part. You won’t get to your destination
without taking it,” says Midzain
of Woodhawk’s path to recording their
sophomore album, Violent Nature. “You
don’t always end up where you wanted,
but you wind up where you have to go.”
In Woodhawk’s case, that landing
place turned out to be Vancouver’s Rain
City Recorders, the same facility that
yielded their scorching full-length debut,
Beyond the Sun, back in 2017. There
normally freewheelin’ trio (once again)
entrusted producer Jesse Gander with
translating their emotionally weighty new
material into an electrifying, but cohesive
new album.
“To get where we are, we went through
unexpected trauma and had so much
going on behind the scenes that I don’t
think Woodhawk would be the same band
if it didn’t happen. Everything that went
wrong went wrong for all the right reasons.
But you didn’t see it at the time.”
Armed with the perspective they’ve
acquired in the two years that have
elapsed since their previous release, the
flourishing songwriter, Midzain, and his
bandmates, bassist/vocalist Mike Badmington
and drummer Kevin Nelson have
endeavoured to bring a heightened level
of personal authenticity and meaning to
their strikingly compositions.
“It was our outlet. It was a place that
the three of us could go and find a humbling,
therapeutic ground that we all felt
connected to. It helped us through whatever
demons we were battling. Whatever
we were going throu gh, playing together
was the one thing that consistently allowed
us to voice our concerns and talk
about matters that usually weren’t talked
about,” he explains. “It’s okay to say that
you’re not okay.”
Cutting straight to the heart of the
matter, Violent Nature doesn’t sacrifice
style for substance as Woodhawk’s
famous knack for turning out anthemic
riffs and contagious rhythms endures.
Still, there is a newfound sense of
vulnerability and self-reflection that
permeates and illuminates the dense
metaphorical mirrors of Violent Nature.
Thankfully so. The cracks are where the
light gets in.
Woodhawk celebrate the release of Violent
Nature on Nov. 8 at the Palomino (Calgary)
and Nov. 9 at Temple (Edmonton).
42 BEATROUTE NOVEMBER 2019

FEMME
WAVE
FEMINIST MUSIC
AND ARTS FESTIVAL
DREAMS BIG FOR
YEAR FIVE
By JESS ARC
F
emme
Wave is Calgary’s only feminist arts festival
and this year, for their five-year anniversary,
they’re celebrating big and dreaming even bigger.
A successful fundraiser at the Globe in September
raised $8,000 for the festival, which, along
with the announcement of its biggest and most diverse lineup,
it’s clear Femme Wave has cemented its spot in Calgary’s
packed festival schedule.
Co-directors Kaely Cormack and Hayley Muir are not
strangers when it comes to the DIY femme-punk scene. Muir
and Cormack, both founding members of Calgary punk band
The Shiverettes. As they started playing regular shows and
becoming more involved in the community, they noticed a
trend that they were not happy with: the lack of femme representation
on the stage.
“Hayley and I felt that there were barely any women on
stage. We would play shows and it was just men everywhere
and men booking the shows and running sound, but where
were all the women?” says Cormack.
“In the early days, we’d say, ‘This sucks, there’s no girls
anymore,’ but then The Shiverettes played a show and we
were like, ‘Wait a minute, we’re on an almost all female bill,
not even on purpose.’ We know a bunch of these bands and
these people who are doing these things, but why don’t we
ever see more of them?” says Muir.
From that moment on, it was Muir and Cormack’s mission
to create a safe and inclusive platform that celebrated women
and non-binary musicians.
What initially started as a one-off event quickly evolved into
a four-day festival. They continued to expand its programming
into visual arts, music, comedy, film, spoken word, workshops
and, this year, the addition of a “wild card” programming
— think clothing and plant swaps, drag and burlesque
shows, astrology, all done through a feminist lens.
Muir and Cormack stress that the festival is not about
being a victim. It’s about reclaiming artistic spaces and embracing
them in a positive, empowering way with the people
whose aims are to build one another up.
“The arts community is for you. If you go to a show or
opening night in the arts community, maybe you feel like it’s
not quite your space or that you’re not quite supposed to be
there, but I hope at Femme Wave people feel like they absolutely
should be here — and not just at Femme Wave, but in
all of those spaces,” says Cormack.
Muir adds, “Femme Wave started going hard on making
safer spaces, trying to normalize that by making it a huge
priority and demanding that of places. We didn’t invent this
type of work, but when people start to make noise about it, it
starts to spread and becomes the normal and if we can push
these boundaries and raise these bars, the whole community
grows and gets better.”
Hua Li
Traditional and unceded territory of
the Kanien’keha:ka, Montréal, QC
Classically trained, self-identified queer
and biracial musician Hua Li defies
genre boundaries, combining jazz, R&B,
and experimental hip hop that is dancey
and emotionally charged. Her debut
album, Dynasty, dropped in September
and projects a deep-level of self
awareness that is bound to connect
with many.
The Pack A.D
Unceded traditional lands of the
Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh,
Vancouver, BC
Blending indie rock with electric blues,
The Pack A.D have been a mainstay
in Canada for 15 years. Pivotal players
in the mid-2000s garage rock revival
scene, they offer a refreshing, insightful
perspective to the genre that gets
better with each year.
Haviah Mighty
The Dish With One Spoon Territory,
Toronto, ON
Haviah Mighty made history this year
when she became the first black woman
and hip-hop artist to win the coveted
Polaris Prize. She raps about her struggles
struggles with racism, classism and
sexism, bringing a new level of wokeness
to the Canadian hip hop scene. Her
headlining set at Femme Wave will be her
Calgary debut.
Kimmortal
Unceded traditional lands of the
Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh,
Vancouver, BC
Femme Wave has a history of bringing
in artists that are on the brink of hitting
a massive wave of popularity and
Kimmortal is no exception. Recently
long-listed for the 2019 Polaris Music
Prize, queer and Filipinx rap musician,
Kimmortal, needs to stay on your radar.
With tracks that should be household
anthems, like “Sad Femme Club,”
Kimmortal’s commanding bars will leave
you feeling empowered.
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 43

ad_HolidayRebate2019_BeatRoute_QuarterPg.qxp_Layout 1 2019-10-08 2:15 PM Page 1
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NMC presents
ALBERTA
SPOTLIGHT
SERIES
A MONTHLY CONCERT SERIES
HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE MOST
SOUGHT-AFTER ALBERTA ARTISTS RIGHT NOW.
NOVEMBER 22
COPPERHEAD
Anchored by lead singer Liz Stevens' smoky,
spine-tingling contralto, Copperhead blends R&B,
swaggering rock ‘n’ roll, and folk with a rusty edge.
DETAILS AND TICKETS AT STUDIOBELL.CA/WHATS-ON
Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre | 850 4 Street SE Calgary, AB
studiobell.ca @nmc_canada #StudioBell
44 BEATROUTE NOVEMBER 2019

11.19YYCMUSIC
The Cheat Sheet BR PICKS THE 5 ESSENTIAL LIVE MUSIC SHOWS
INDIE
FOLK
HEAVY
EDM
POP
1
DANNY LAJ & THE LOOKS
Friday, Nov. 15 at The Palomino
Perfect power-pop blasts, courtesy
of Montreal’s long-running Danny
Laj & the Looks.
2
SCENIC ROUTE
TO ALASKA
Saturday, Nov. 16 at The Palomin
Golden hooks and twee harmonies
abound in the Edmonton power trio’s
danceable set. With support from
locals Thomas Thomas and The
Northern Coast.
3 COPPERHEAD
Friday, Nov. 22 at Studio Bell
This sprawling five-piece features
expansive soundscapes that blend
lo-fi noise, R&B and minor-key
murder ballads into one seamless
package.
4 ALTAMEDA
Friday, Nov. 29 at SAIT’s The Gateway
Edmonton heartland rockers return
to Calgary after a successful Germany
tour in support of their latest
album, Time Hasn’t Changed You.
5
RICH AUCOIN
Saturday, Nov. 30 at Commonwealth
An East Coast staple, the party-starting
madman returns for
another night of ebullient anthems
and super-catchy hooks from his
new album, Death.
ROOTS
KIM CHURCHILL
Wednesday, Nov. 13 at Commonwealth
1
The Australian guitarist, songwriter
and multi-instrumentalist stands tall
with his bouncing, uplifting night of
adult-contemporary inspo-folk.
2
ALEX CUBA
Friday, Nov. 15 at Festival Hall
Latin music traditions are turned on
their head with sugarcane-sweet
melodies, pop-soul hooks and
powerful guitar riffs that keep the
fire burning all night.
3
FORTUNATE ONES
Saturday, Nov. 16 at Festival Hall
Anthemic melodies and effortless,
soaring hooks transform the
award-winning duo’s folk and country
roots into something more than
beautiful the sum of its part.
4
THE FOLK PODCAST
(PRESENTATION AND
PERFORMANCE)
Thurs, Oct. 24 at Lee’s Palace
Folk-scholar-turned-podcaster,
Mike Tod, dives deep into the
lesser-known stories and histories
of folk and roots music across
Canada.
5
OLD MAN LUEDECKE
Friday, Nov. 29 at King Eddy
The two-time Juno winner showcases
his easy East Coast charm
and lilting banjo arrangements for a
night of extraordinary storytelling.
1 BAPTISTS
Friday, Nov. 8 at Broken City
The iconic indie venue celebrates
15 years with a stacked weekend of
shows to celebrate, including Vancouver
hardcore punks, Baptists,
alongside Fall City Fall, Mortality
Rate and Trench.
2 WOODHAWK
Friday, Nov. 8 at The Palomino
Howling riffs and psych anthems
will be on full display at Woodhawk’s
album release for a stacked
night with Gone Cosmic and
Flashbac
3 ALESTORM
Thursday, Nov. 14 at Dickens Pub
Bring out your tankards, eye
patches and peg legs and prepare
to weather the heaviest storms
on the seven seas with Scotland’s
pirate-themed party machine.
4
IN FLAMES
Tuesday, Nov. 19 at The Palace Theatre
The fathers of Gothenburg-style
melodic death metal return for a
huge, punishing show that promises
to be louder than hell.
5
THE PRIMALS
Saturday, Nov. 23 at The Palomino
Fuzzy punk with a heavy edge, this
Los Angeles outfit bring the grungy
bop to Calgary for the first time,
joined by Paradise and Act Natural.
RAP
HAVIAH MIGHTY
Thursday, Nov. 7 at #1 Legion
1
Femme Wave presents: The Ontario
native made history this year
when she became the first hip-hop
artist and black woman to win the
Polaris Prize
2
HANNAH WANTS
Sunday, Nov. 10 at Commonwealth
From the clubs in London and Ibiza
to sweaty rooms in North America,
this rising, ultra-focused house DJ
will get any dancefloor moviong.
3
DNB GIRLS SHOWCASE
Friday, Nov. 15 at Broken City
Presented by AEMCON, this
stacked lineup features some of
the best talent in Calgary drum
and bass, including Molly Fi,
Missfudge, Distinct, Droplet, Lotus
Queen, Crystal Fresh and Ninjette.
4
MANILA GREY
Friday, Nov. 15 at Commonwealth
Part of Commonwealth’s 8-year
anniversary week, these Vancouver-based
hip-hop newcomers are
blowing up, blending their Filipino
culture with confident beats and
rhymes.
5
NMC ON: AFTER HOUSE
WITH DAEDELUS
Friday, Nov. 15 at Studio Bell
NMC’s popular late-night series
returns with this Los Angeles
beatmaker, joined by Ouri, Dane
MacDonald, KOREA TOWN ACID,
The Outlier and locals DJ SON-
IDEF and DJ BLKFT.
1
ELLEN DOTY X
MONOGRAM COFFEE
Thursday, Nov. 7 at Monogram Coffee (Fih
Ave Place)
Indie jazz singer Ellen Doty teams
up with local songwriter Kate Stevens
to release “Next to the Fire,”
raising money for The Mustard
Seed.
2 bülow
Friday, Nov. 8 at Commonwealth
Themes of meeting people for the
first time, figuring out commitments
and poignant tracks about boys all
belie the young, rising pop artist’s
age as she sings over synth-saturated,
bouncy beats.
3
JEREMY DUTCHER
Friday, Nov. 8 at Jack Singer
Concert Hall
The Toronto-based classically
trained Indigenous tenor, musicologist
and activist performs his 2018
Polaris Prize winning music for a
moving, inspirational night.
4
RIA MAE
Thursday, Nov. 21 at SAIT’s The
Gateway
From Halifax, the activist pop
singer has worked closely with
Classified, who produced her
self-titled debut and helped propel
her into the upper echelons of
Canadian R&B
5
PROZZÄK FAREWELL TOUR
Friday, Nov. 22 at SAIT’s The Gate
The iconic pop duo are calling it
quits after more than 20 years of
hits. Come for the 90s nostalgia,
stay for the all-night dance party.
NOVEMBER 2019 BEATROUTE 45

Savage Love
BY DAN SAVAGE
Quickies
My little dick has always held me
back. I didn’t date in high school
because I couldn’t stand the
thought of girls discussing my tiny
manhood. That said, I’ve adapted
fairly well and become skilled with
my tongue and hands. The biggest
problem is that my dick is just
small enough that the head pokes
straight forward and can be seen
through my pants. I never tuck in
a shirt because of it. Because I am
always in oversize shirts that hang
past my waist, I never look professional.
I’ve tried stuffing with socks
and it didn’t work. Do you know of
anything that can mask a pathetic
johnson? I’d love to move up in the
world.s.
Physically Embarrassing
Nub Isn’t Sufficient
Have you considered packing?
Trans men, drag kings, butch dykes,
and even straight cis women experimenting
with gender expression
will sometimes pack—that is, wear
“packing dildos” that create the
appearance of a masculine bulge.
Packers are modeled on soft cocks,
not hard cocks, and they come in a
range of sizes and colors. And so
long as you don’t engage in false
advertising, PENIS—so long as
you make it clear to new partners
that the bulge in your pants is not
a prologue—there’s no reason why
you couldn’t pack, just as there’s no
reason why you and other guys with
small dicks can’t strap on a regular
dildo when your partner wants a
deep dicking.
I’m a mid-20s straight woman,
and there’s a pattern in my life
that I’m trying to break: Since high
school, I’ve repeatedly ended up
being friends with wonderful men
who I shared an obvious sexual
tension with at the start of our
“friendships.” (Our mutual friends
often noted the sexual tension.)
Not a single one has ever turned
into more than a one-off drunken
kiss. Maybe it’s who I’m picking,
but I’m starting to think that I’m the
problem. An ex of mine (who I met
on Bumble) told me that I give off
“don’t touch me” vibes. Looking
back, I can see that all my relationships
started in settings where romantic
interest was implied—apps,
blind dates, etc. I’ve been spending
a lot of time with a classmate of
mine. We get along well, and he’s
hot and single. How do I (for lack of
a better term) seduce him?
Dreading The
Friend Zone
Don’t seduce, ask. Don’t put the
moves on someone, use your
words—or think of your words as
your move, DTFZ. Since you give off
“don’t touch me” vibes (that’s some
valuable feedback from an ex!), and
since we’ve asked men to do a better
job of perceiving and respecting
a woman’s “don’t touch me” vibes,
you will have to make your interest
clear and unambiguous: “Hey, classmate,
we’ve been spending a lot of
time together, and I was wondering
if you might be interested in going
on a date sometime.”
I am a public-school teacher in the
United States. I love teaching, and
I want to teach for the rest of my
career. I am very good at it, but
unfortunately that doesn’t affect
my pay in the slightest. After 10
years of poverty, I’m getting tired
of going without. I thought perhaps
I could do some sex work on
the side to help pay off my student
loans and get some more money
for classroom supplies. Thanks
to de facto segregation, all of my
students are one specific ethnicity
and very poor, so I think I could
easily avoid accidentally servicing
a parent or relative of a student.
But how on earth does someone
safely and discreetly embark on
sex work as a side hustle?
Need a Second Job
That Actually Pays
Someone you work with, someone
you went to school with,
someone you used to date, someone
who lives in your apartment
building—it’s not just parents and
relatives of your students you
need to worry about, NASJTAP.
Vindictive exes and small-minded,
sex-negative busybodies
of all stripes can be a problem
for sex workers. And since the
consequences of being outed as
a sex worker are always swift and
severe for someone who works
with children, you’ll want to find
another side hustle. You should
also get out there and support—
we should all get out there and
support—Democratic presidential
candidates who are calling
I have had a very hot, sexy bodybuilder
friend with benefits for
many, many years. He’s Dominant
and into really intense bondage and
SM, and it’s fantastic. The harder
he goes on me, the more aroused
he gets. Sometimes he comes
three times in one session, always
with me in superintense and painful
bondage positions. It turns him on
so much—and it turns me on, too.
The thing is, he hates my dick. We
have so much fun during our sessions,
but he won’t touch my dick
and won’t let me touch it, either.
Bodybuilder Is
Neglecting Dick
Ignoring your dick and not letting
you come and then seeing you
crawl back for more abuse is most
likely part of the power trip that
turns your hot, sexy friend on, BIND,
and he’s unlikely to start lavishing
attention on your dick on my orders.
And since it sounds like he gives
you plenty of hot JO material for
after your bondage sessions, it’s not
like there isn’t something in it for
you, right?
to forgive or cancel student-loan
debt, like Elizabeth Warren and/
or Bernie Sanders. And, yes, it’s
possible to support more than
one candidate at this stage of the
political process.
IMy girlfriend and I have been going
strong for almost 10 months. She
told me that in the past she dated
only older men—her teachers, her
boss, a police officer, and other
older men who were, in her own
words, “flat-out wrong for me” (two
of them were married). I am interested
in your take on why she is
dating me now. I’m a couple of years
younger than she is—she is 30, and
I am 28. She says she sees a future
with me and I’m unlike anyone she’s
ever met. Can what someone likes
change in this way?
The Younger Man
You may be the exception—the
rare younger man your girlfriend
finds attractive—or it could be that
she was never attracted exclusively
to older men. Just because
someone dated a string of one type
of person (older, younger, taller,
shorter, maler, femaler), it doesn’t
follow that someone isn’t interested
in other types, too. Someone realizing
they’re attracted to more types
of people or acting on long-standing
attractions to other types of people
doesn’t mean they’ve changed, TYM,
it means they’ve grown.
On the Lovecast, Dan enlists
straight-boy help from Michael
Ian Black: savagelovecast.com.
46 BEATROUTE NOVEMBER 2019

new album includes “strangers” & “astronaut”
out now
canadian tour
11.08 — victoria, bc @ save on foods memorial centre
11.09 — vancouver, bc @ pacific coliseum
11.10 — kelowna, bc @ prospera place
11.12 — calgary, ab @ scotiabank saddledome
11.13 — edmonton, ab @ rogers place
11.15 — regina, sk @ brandt centre
11.16 — winnipeg, mb @ bell mts place
11.19 — sudbury, on @ sudbury arena
11.20 — windsor, on @ the colosseum at caesars windsor
11.22 — toronto, on @ scotiabank arena
11.25 — ottawa, on @ canadian tire centre
11.26 — kingston, on @ leon’s centre
11.28 — moncton, nb @ molson canadian centre at casino new bruswick
11.29 — halifax, ns @ scotiabank centre
each ticket purchased online includes a CD or digital copy of the new album
$1 from each ticket will be donated to MusiCounts & Indspire cityandcolour.com

CANADA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT CONCERT PROMOTER
UPCOMING SHOWS
JAY PARK
Nov 8 - MacEwan Hall
SEAWAY
& SPECIAL GUESTS
Nov 2 - Dickens Pub
JOHN JOSEPH
OF CRO-MAGS
Nov 7 - Commonwealth Bar & Stage
BÜLOW
Nov 8 - Commonwealth Bar & Stage
Nov 9 - The Starlite Room
HANNAH WANTS
& SPECIAL GUESTS
Nov 10 - Union Hall
IN FLAMES
Nov 19 - The Palace Theatre
Nov 20 - Union Hall
RIA MAE
Nov 20 - The Starlite Room
Nov 21 - The Gateway
RICH AUCOIN
& SPECIAL GUESTS
Nov 30 - Commonwealth Bar & Stage
HELLYEAH
Dec 5 - The Palace Theatre
Dec 6 - Union Hall
KACY & CLAYTON
Dec 12 - Commonwealth Bar & Stage
Dec 13 - Temple
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT MRGCONCERTS.COM