BeatRoute Magazine BC Edition - February 2020

VANESSA FORTIN
TABOO…THE NAUGHTY
BUT NICE SEX SHOW
February 7-9
Vancouver Convention Centre East
Tix: tabooshow.com
Whether you want to expand your
bondage knowledge, learn new techniques
to please your partner, or buy
some toys to enhance your solo sex
life, nothing is off limits at this annual
adult trade show. Long renowned for
its inclusive and sex-positive environment,
Taboo offers a thoughtfully
curated lineup of live entertainment,
exhibitors, and educational seminars.
Don’t miss one of the many wide-ranging
talks by renowned author and
sexologist Dr. Jess.
FORGET ME NOT
February 4-March 1
Secret Location
Tix: thecultch.com
Puppet master Ronnie Burkett gives
the crowd an all-important role in
his mysterious new production:
the navigator. Onstage during the
whole show and each given one
of Burkett’s handmade puppets,
audience members quite literally
hold the story’s fate in their hands
in being responsible for moving the
narrative along as it develops. Set in
a time where the written language
has been phased out, Forget Me
Not is at once absurd, thrilling, and
whimsical.
DAHLIA KAT
By YASMINE SHEMESH
LOCAL
ARTIST
SPOTLIGHT
We Are The City
Largely inspired thematically by the unexpected passing of Kyle
Tubbs, the band’s childhood friend and early collaborator, We
Are The City’s newest effort RIP is an intimate rumination on
mortality in various capacities. With lines on the title track like
“Man, I’m afraid to die—were you?” floating over sharp swells
and a pounding beat, the prog rockers’ fifth full-length draws
their usual wild experimentals into a focused and nuanced place.
They are celebrating the album’s release on tour in Europe.
Trulla
They may only have been playing together for a few months,
but Trulla’s Selina Koop and Heather Ross have the chemistry
of bandmates who have jammed together for years. Omens,
the first EP from the duo, is out now and, well, wow. Think
infectious melodies anchored by soulful vocals and big,
fuzzed out riffs that, together, hit you right in the guts from the
onslaught of opening track “Mama.” We can’t wait to hear what
comes next from these two.
KRISTEN HUCULIAK
GHOST
February 12-15
Historic Theatre
Tix: thecultch.com
Fusing elements of contemporary
dance, hip-hop, and martial arts, Montreal’s
Tentacle Tribe use their bodies
as a means to interpret the life-giving
rhythm of breathing. Ghost has the
street dancers, known for their philosophical
approach to choreography,
rise, fall, and constantly shift in tandem
to the music.
LIL FEST
February 16
PNE Forum
Tix: ticketleader.ca
It may be small, but it sure is mighty.
This festival is both providing
much-needed access to all-ages
shows and presenting some of hiphop’s
most exciting emerging artists.
Alongside international favourites
like Shoreline Mafia and Lil Tracy,
the lineup features local powerhouses
such as Prado—already a star in
her own right here in the city.
lié
You Want It Real, lié’s newest effort, is out this month on
February 28. Produced by Jesse Gander, the eight-track
full-length aims to blur out the punk band’s usual direct lyrical
approach in favour of metaphor and place a larger emphasis
on imagery. Songs like “Digging in the Desert,” achieve that
balance well, with growling guitar and feverish drum patterns
that claw through hazy tones.
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 37