hj»^K
M
^c
-1
m
x&
I
^si§
//
A
,%3)J
/ / 7*
/ /A
L>w
[uL/^^
£WI
i
M.
31
PWH
ST#J [or, free tor smtfon ipsmbers]
212 Productions Ltd
454 W Cordova St.
604-686-2426
Antisocial
Skateboard Shop
2337 Main St.
604-708-5678
Audiopile
2016 Commercial Dr.
604-253-7453
Band Merch Canada
www.bandmerch .ca
Banyan Books
3608 W 4th Ave.
604-732-7912
Baru Cafe
2535 Alma St.
604-222-9171
Beatstreet Records
439 W Hastings St.
604-683-3344
The Bike Kitchen
6138 Student Union
Blvd.
604-822-BIKE
Blim
197 E 17th Ave.
604-872-8180
Bonerattle Music Ltd
2012 Commercial Dr.
604-251-BONE
Devil May Wear
198 E 21 st Ave.
604-216-2515
Dream Apparel +
Articles for People
311 W Cordova St.
604-683-7326
The Eatery
3431 W Broadway
604-738-5298
The Fall Tattooing
644 Seymour St.
604-676-3066
Flaming Angels
Boutique
644 Seymour St.
604-689-3224
Fresh is Best Salsa
&Co
2972 W Broadway
778-737-2442
Grindhouse Video
2911 W 4th Ave.
604-734-7463
Gumdrops
2029 W 4th Ave.
604-733-1037
Hart and Sole
Clothing Inc
843 Granville St.
604-630-9151
Highlife Records
1317 Commrecial Dr.
604-251-6964
Hitz Boutique
316 W Cordova St.
604-662-3334
The Kiss Store
2512 Watson St.
604-675-9972
Lucky's Comics
3972 Main St.
604-875-9858
Pacific
Cinematheque
1131 Howe St.
604-688-8202
People's Co-op
Bookstore
1391 Commercial Dr.
604-253-6422
Prussin Music
3607 W Broadway
604-736-3036
Red Cat Records
4332 Main St.
604-708-9422
The Regional
Assembly of Text
3934 Main St.
604-877-2247
Royee Clothing
and Shoes
2817 W Broadway
604-731-4474
R/X Comics
2418 Main St.
604-454-5099
Rufus' Guitar Shop
2621 Alma St.
604-222-1717
Scratch Records
726 Richards St.
604-687-6355
Spank Clothing
1027 Commercial Dr.
604-255-1131
&
856 Granville St.
604-677-3202
&
2082 W 4th Ave.
778-371-1305
Spank Shoes
1181 Commercial Dr.
604-568-1229
&
2066 W 4th Ave.
604-677-3583
Thriller
3467 Main St.
604-736-5651
True Value Vintage
710 Robson St.
604-685-5403
Twigg & Hottie
3671 Main St.
604-879-8595
Vinyl Records
319 W Hastings St.
604-488-1234
The Wallflower
Modem Diner
2420 Main St.
604-568-7554
Woo Vintage
Clothing
321 Cambie St.
604-687-8200
fSMfrfoM ofpitr! 1
lAFriends of QTR Card scores
you sweet deals at N^ncouver's
finest small merchants and
supports CiTR 101.9 FM. mfj
IShow it when you shop!
lwww.citr.ca •>€
SUBSCRIBE £
TO DISCORDER!
I WOULD LIKE:
AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TO DISCORDER MAGAZINE
($20 FOR CANADIANS, $25 FOR U.S. SUBSCRIBERS) $_
TO SUPPORT DISCORDER MAGAZINE WITH A DONATION OF $_
TOTAL $
DISCORDER IS VANCOUVER'S LONGEST RUNNING INDEPENDENT MUSIC MAGAZINE. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR VANCOUVER'S
INDEPENDENT MUSIC COMMUNITY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW WRITERS, EDITORS AND ARTISTS. SIGN UP TO HAVE DISCORDER
DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR!
FILL OUT THIS FORM AND MAIL IN CASH OR A CHEQUE TO 233-6138 SUB BLVD., VANCOUVER B.C., V6T 121, C/0 BRENDA GRUNAU,
PUBLISHER, DISCORDER MAGAZINE EDITOR
Jordie You;
ART DIRECTOR
lindsey Hampton
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Debby Reis
COPY EDITORS.
Alison Atkinson, Simon Foreman,
Steve Louie, Corey Ratch, Debby Reis,
AlecJ. Ross, Mini? Sallrin
AD MANAGER
David Stansfield
UNDER REVIEW EDITOR
Mine'Salkin
RU EDITOR
Steve Louie
WEB EDITOR
Reilly Wood
INTERN
Susanne Dewein
CALENDAR LISTINGS
Melanie Coles, Debby Reis
ACCOUNTS MANAGER
Corey Ratch
PROGRAM GUIDE
Bryce Dunn, Debby Reis
OFFICIAL TWEETERS
Susanne Dewein, Debby Reis,
Maegan Thomas
CiTR STATION MANAGER
Brenda Grunau
PUBLISHER
Student Radio Society of UBC
COVER
Ntall Hamill
EDITOR'S NOTE
Dear Discorder:
About a month or two ago I was chatting with Lindsey
Hampton, Discorder's art director. She had just returned
from touring with her band the Friendship & the Fawn and
had an interesting story to tell. While on tour she had mentioned how everyone involved in Vancouver's music scene
knew a bunch of comedians and that they were pretty much
interchangeable with the musicians in our scene. Whoever
she was talking to remarked that this was unusual and didn't
happen wherever they were from. This got our respective
brains percolating. Though we've mentioned some comedy
in Discorder the past, there's a lot going on in town.
We felt that Vancouver's comedy scene is big and cool
and awesome enough that we could devote an entire issue
to it, and pretty much all of our features this month tie to
the theme of humour and comedy in some way. Take a
look at the hardest working comedian in town, Graham
Clark, on page eight, explore Vancouver's vibrant improv
scene with an article from one of its key players, Kaitlin
Fontana, on page 16; then take a look at all the other players we had space to cover in our short profiles on funny
people, starting on page 12. When you're done with that,
take a look at the interview with the host of CiTR's Laugh
Tracks on page 38. Even the one "normal" band interview
we did (the SSRIs on page 36) surprisingly worked out to
be on the lighter jokey side of things.
Another organization in town that recognizes the talent
and wonderfulness of our local comedians is Music Waste.
They have an entire segment called Comedy Waste in which
many of the people we talk about will be performing. We
love Music Waste so much that we really, really wanted to
print their program guide, which you can find in the middle
of our magazine (page 19) in an easy-to-rip-out segment.
Rip it out, consult the map, make your plans and enjoy Music Waste, Art Waste and Comedy Waste. It's put together
by and will feature our favourite people in town.
Until next month,
Jordie Yow
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE!
DISCORDER.CA IS HOME TO LOADS OF CONTENT WE CAN'T FIT INTO THE
PRINT ISSUE OF THE MAGAZINE, LIKE EXTRA FEATURES, REAL LIVE ACTION
AND UNDER REVIEW. CHECK DISCORDER.CA REGULARLY FOR NEW ARTICLES,
PHOTOS AND ALL THINGS MUSIC RELATED!
CORRECTIONS
In the May issue, we incorrectly stated that Susanne Tabata was involved in a live variety show called Night Gtaves.
The show was actually called Nite Dreems as was pointed out to us by the host John Tanner.
JUNE
WRITERS
Gracelle Bonifacio, Katherine Boothroyd, Nathaniel Bryce, Slavko Bucifal, Sarah Charrouf, Susanne Dewein, Bryce
Dunn, Kaitlin Fontana, Simon Foreman, Robert Fougere, Trevor Gilks, Brenda Grunau, Erica Hansen, Andy Hudson,
Tamara Lee, Greg McMullen, Grace McRae-Okine, Kliph Nesteroff, Dorothy Neufeld, Mark PaulHus, Jonny Philpott,
Andrew Reeves, Gavin Reid, Alec J. Ross, Mine Salkin, Jasper Walley, Angela Yen, Jordie Yow
PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS
Merida Anderson, Tyler Crich, Gerald Deo, Mairin L}eery, Cody Fennell, Robert Fougere, Jessica Gnyp,Niall Hamill
Karlene Harvey, Kate Henderson, TJ Reynold, Emiliano Sepulveda, Dan Siney, Kari Tucker
PROOFREADERS
Penny Clark, Susanne Dewein, Simon Foreman, April Knibutat, Steve Louie, Debby Reis, Mine" Salkin, Doerte Stanek
©Discorder 2010 by the Student Radio Society of the \
CONTRIBUTE.
To submit written
j SUBSCRIBE.
: Send in a cheque for
j ADVERTISE.
: Ad space is available
j DISTRIBUTE.
: To distribute Discorder
University of British Columbia. All rights reserved. •
content to Discorder,
: $20 to #233-6138 SUB
: for upcoming
: in your business, email
Circulation 10,000. Discorder is published n times •
please contact:
• Blvd., Vancouver, BC,
I issues and can be
I distro.discorder®
a year by CiTR, which can be heard atioi.9 FM, online •
at www.citr.ca, as well as through all major cable
systems in the Lower Mainland, except Shaw in White •
Rock. Call the CiTRDJ line at (604) 822-2487, CiTR's :
office at (604) 822-3017, email CiTR at CitrMgr® .
ams.ubc.ca, or pick up a pen and write #233-6138 j
editor, discorder®
gmail.com. To submit
photography or
illustrations, please
contact:
artdirector. discorder®
gmail.com.
: V6T1Z1 with your
• address, and we will
| mail 11 Discorders a
: year to your doorstep.
: booked by calling
: (604) 341-7591 or
| emailing promotions.
: discorder®gmail.com.
I Rates are available
I upon request.
: gmail.com. We are
• always looking for new
; friends.
SUB Blvd., Vancouver, B.C., V6T1Z1, Canada. •
4 TABLE OF CONTENTS //JUNE 2010 // DISCOROER.CA
KEVIN LEE OF THE SUNDAY SERVICE / PHOTO BY ROBERT FOUGERE
GO
08 /GRAHAM CLARK
Kliph Nesteroff takes a long hard look at the life and times of one ofVancouver's
most talented and prolific comedians, Graham Clark.
uu.
12/FUNNY PEOPLE
Vancouver has lots of them. Check out these briefs on some of our favourites.
Read about Pump Trolley, ManHussy, Paul Anthony, Pony Hunters, Rip Rip
Roar, Bronx Cheer, Hero Show and Colin Edward Cowan.
16/THE HOUSE OF YES
Kaitlin Fontana chats with numerous improvers about town about what makes
their style of comedy so successful. The reason is very agreeable.
19/MUSIC WASTE GUIDE
What's going on in our favourite festival? You can find it all here.
36/SSRIS
If you dig thrashy pop music then you should check out this Q&A with
Vancouver's SSRIs, who have their debut album Effeminate Godzilla-Sized Wind
Chimes coming out in June.
38 /LAUGH TRACKS
If you're looking for something amusing to listen to on the radio (or Internet
via podcast) it would be in your best interest to check out Laugh Tracks on CiTR
ioi.gFM and this interview with its host
06/TEXTUALLY ACTIVE
Canuck Rock by Ryan Edwardson WB0
07/RIFF RAFF
The Jolts / Steve Adamyk Band / Vicious Cycles / Young Governor
11/FILM STRIPPED
^Silsjt Year of the Carnivore
!Z3 18/ UALtNUAK ~ Kaki King/ The NixDicksons/Rah Rah /This is Franco /Wolf Parade /XiuXiu
fJJS Art by Cody Fennell (you have to rip out the Music Waste Guide to JJJiB
GO
36/ART PROJECT
Art Waste: Play Time, What Does Info Want?, New Works by Dan Siney
39 /CHARTS
28/UNDER REVIEW
m I The Apples in Stereo / Bison B.C. / The D0 / Hannah Georgas / Gogol Bordello /
view it properly)
24/PROGRAM GUIDE
j 31/REAL LIVE ACTION
#%#» The Besnard Lakes / Fuck Buttons / The Grave Level Final Show / Ladyhawk
mmmm
I Liars / Longwalkshortdock / Next Music from Tokyo / Owen Pallet / Pat
^sT** LePoidevin/The Tallest Man on Earth TEXTUALLY ACTIVE //
CANUCK ROCK:
A HISTORY OF CANADIAN POPULAR MUSIC
BYRYANEDWARDSON
University qfToronto Press, 2009
REVIEW BY ANDY HUDSON
ILLUSTRATION BY LINDSEY HAMPTON
Canuck Rock is not what it looks like—an "A" for Paul Anka to "Z"
for the Zolas catalog of Canadian rock musicians.
Blame the publisher, University of Toronto Press, for whiffing
on the subtide and packaging the book like a popular history. The
truth is that Ryan Edwardson, a rock fan with a PhD in history,
wrote a scholarly book.
Funded by a federal research grant, centered on the 1971 Canadian radio
quotas (Cancon), and gracedwith a nod from the CBC's Jian Ghomeshi, Canuck Rock is "a Critical look at the cultural and commercial supports backing
Canada's rock music industry"—or something like that.
Unless you happen to be super keen on Canada's national identity crisis,
skip or skim over Edwardson's intro, which reads like a journal abstract and
gives the book's whole game away, ponderously.
Most of the fun, storied tales that do get covered in Canuck Rock play out in
the first hundred pages, where Edwardson charts the shaky rise of home-grown
rock 'n' rollers, acts that often had to make it in the U.S. before Canadian radio
DJs would play their singles.
Beginning with Halifax's Asteroids, whose 1957 hit "I'm Your Satellite" only
got airplay because it launched at the same time as Sputnik, Edwardson follows
several of the early, English-Canadian rockers who often did better to jump the
border or keep their Canadian-ness a secret Ronnie "the Hawk" Hawkins, one
who stayed, lent fledgling Canadian bands a car with Tennessee plates so that
they could tell club owners they had just driven up from Memphis. Neil Young
had already played through Winnipeg and Thunder Bay before he gave up on
the Toronto hippie scene and packed his hearse for L.A.
After a confusing cover and a dull intro, Canuck Rock's academic angle shows
some real advantages. Particularity in the opening chapters, Edwardson stitches
interviews and archival research into a surprising social history. It is a well-
known story, new to me, just how Elvis Presley's Canadian debut went down
in Vancouver. I was amazed to read that the Vancouver Sun, ever the exemplar
of fine journalism, ran headlines like, "Daughter Wants to See Elvis?: Kick Her
in the Teeth!" or that a Beatles conceit sent 210 fainting and overexcited girls
to the Montreal Children's Hospital.
But shortly after these chapters, which also look into Quebec's distinct, more
self-supporting chansonnier and ye'-ye' rock scenes, Edwardson finds the real
heroes of Canuck Rock—people like music journalist Ritchie Yorke, who lobbied
hard for Canadian content regulations in the pages of RPM Magazine.
The 1971 Cancon regulations are the big turning point in Canuck Rock, sending
the book from social history into a critique of the sentimental nationalism and
economic interests that promote the idea of a "Canadian sound."
Canuck Rock got mostly mixed reviews because, I think, readers really wanted
stories about Rush or Arcade Fire or k.d. lang. But for anyone involved in
Canada's musk industry, Edwardson makes a strong case against the "Janus
head" multinational record companies who have learned to exploit the Cancon
regulations to sell a few stars at the expense of a wider Canadian music scene.
Although I have heard and enjoyed "Bobcaygeon" played from the back
of a pickup truck, beside a cold lake with the members of my peewee hockey
team, I do find myself siding with Edwardson and singers like Bruce Cockburn
and Leonard Cohen, who get a bit edgy when bands really wrap themselves
in the flag.
Canuck Rock is a bit too academic. It would also be an easier sell as a straight-
up social history or an industry critique. Still, on the very small shelf of books
devoted to the history of Canada's only non-extractive rock industry, the book
holds a few stories worth remembering and some important things to say. ^
6 RIFF RAFF //
BY BRYCE DUNN
Oh what a difference a month makes. Truth be told, it was a busy
time for yours truly as I spent April venturing south of the border on a rock 'n' roll path of good times. But having returned
road-worn and weary, I am armed with a stack of goodies to
share. Let us begin with our hometown heroes and road warriors themselves, the Jolts and their newest slab, set to stun on creamy yellow
wax. Side A kicks off with "Kaminari Lover," and if you keep up on Japanese
mythology as much as the Jolts do, you know you don't wanna mess with this
weather goddess. She controls thunder and lightning. So needless to say, these
boys bow to her altar, offering a surging mid-tempo storm of their own rock
fury with swelling guitar breaks and lumbering bass to keep her at bay. Seeming unconvinced, she steps up her game and the boys follow suit with "Loser
(Baby I'm A)," which barrels full-steam like the howling winds of Kaminari's
sister, Kamikazi. But the Jolts are on no suicide mission here—only victory is
in their sights and they live to see and rock the hell out for another day, and
you get to enjoy this for even longer.
Welcome brothers and sisters of the two-wheeled show stopper, to your
new favourite band, the Vicious Cycles! Their misfit motorbike beat comes
courtesy of their debut platter of twang and clang for one and all to hear. Well
maybe not everyone. Moms and dads may not want to bear the racket [ed. I
would like to point out that since Bryce is a father, he is an authority on what dads like.]
Crank the bars, step on the gas and tell your folks to stuff it in their tailpipe, cuz
"Momma" you've got to ride! Your friends will say that you're "No Good" for
listening to that hill-billy punk stomp; butwho cares? You're too busy doin' the
"Kickstart" to notice and so are the members of the Vicious Cycles Motorcycle
Club. So join them in a rousing rendition of "Food, Sickles & Girls" and keep
the rubber side down, friends; this is rat bike rock V roll!
What ever happened to the "fanzine"? You know, the magazine for fans,
mostly music-based of course, but with the floodgates of the Internet opening
to the blogosphere, it seems that the lost art of getting your hands dirty while
reading about your favourite bands has gone the way of the dodo. Thankfully
there are a few beacons of hope left like our fine Mongrel Zine and Corporate
Rock Knock Out from Germany. Now even though most of the content of
Corporate Rock Knock Out is in a language I can't understand, I can still get
my hands dirty because it came with a bonus 45 of the Steve Adamyk Band, and
boy what a bonus! Two tracks of power pop pizzazz from members of Sedatives,
a punk rock powerhouse from Ottawa. "Speed It Up" is a revved up and ready
to go tune, much like the Queers' finest material. "20/20," while not an ode to
the great band from Hollywood, is a tip of the hat to a more modern version
of that legendary combo, the Exploding Hearts, with its swinging backbeat
and ooh-la-la backing vocals. With summer almost here, this is the first song
(or songs, take your pick) of your soundtrack.
And while we're on the subject, don't forget to add Young Governor's
"Cindy's Gonna Save Me" on thatmixtape 'cause you'll be hummiir' this one
for days after just the first 30 seconds. Shimmery, upbeat and chock-full of
melody would not necessarily be normal words to describe a guy who played
for a veteran hardcore outfit (No Warning) and now plays for another veteran
hardcore outfit (Fucked Up), but Young Governor (a.k.a. Ben Cook) will blow
your preconceived notions out of the water with this single. We should have
known he had this ace up his sleeve from his time in the criminally under-rated
Marvelous Darlings (ifyou do not own any of their singles, you must stop reading this and surrender all monies to your local record dealer now), but wow, this is
amazing. "Cannabanoids" is, I think, what Cindy is gonna save me from, 'cause
whatever Ben is smoking, I'm not sure I want any. Either way, track this—and
Young Governor's other releases—down. It will not disappoint
Carry on, friends!
The Jolts: Meaty Beaty/No Front Teeth Records, myspace.com/Ionjshotmusic or www.
nqfrontteeth.net
Vicious Cycles: Teenage Rampage Records, #170-13988 Maycrest Way Richmond BC
V6V3C3
Steve Adamyk Band: P.Trash Records, www.ptrashrecords.com
Young Governor: Dtrtnap Records, www.dirtnaprecs.com n GRAHAM
BY KLIPH NESTEROFF
PHOTOS BY ROBERT FOUGERE
k
Emm he5 iY
I GUESS WEIL FIND OUT.
Five years before Brent Butt was known as the face of the most successful Canadian sitcom in television history, the star of Corner Gas
hosted a popular stand-up comedy show at a now-defunct Vancouver
nightclub. One of the perks of hosting the show at the Urban Well
each week was the perfunctory free meal. Halfway through the
show, while comedians good and bad took their turn on stage, Butt sat at the
bar and ate his complimentary dinner. Known as one of the great gendemen of
Canadian comedy, friends would jokingly say, "Don't come between Brent and
his food." One night in early 2002, an amateur comedian named Graham Clark
did just that Clark had only been telling jokes for a few months and Butt could
safely assume that Clark would be just another amateur comedian of fleeting
ability. After introducing Clark, he made a beeline for the nightclub's trademark
pasta dish. Three minutes into his meal, as Graham Clark's amplified routine
echoed through the venue, Butt stopped eating. "His ears perked up," said
Jamie Hutchinson, Butt's business partner at the time. "It's the only time I've
ever seen Brent stop in the middle of a meal to watch a stand-up comedian."
Clearly, "Graham Clark was not a run-of-the-mill joke teller.
"I was 14 years old, living in Calgary," recalled Clark. "I sent in a script
for Seinfeld to the studio and it came back with.a [rejection letter] but with
an invitation to attend this Warner Brothers writers workshop. My parents
[thought] it was a scam. Butitwas actually a well-known sitcom-writing thing
... my parents thought I would fail math if I went and took this workshop in
the middle of the school year. So they didn't let me go." The people that did
attend the workshop that year went on to high-level writing positions at a
variety of well-known television programs. Clark kept writing material in the
meantime, developing comedy routines while his body had barely developed
pubic hair. "I had read interviews with guys like Woody Allen. He had just sent
in jokes to guys like Sid Caesar. [Caesar] accepted them... [Allen] was writing
jokes for TV when he was just a teenager. So, I thought that's how you break
into show business ... easy as that. That's what I was thinking... apparently
that's not how it works."
Clark performed stand-up comedy for the very first time at the age of 15.
"I did a talent show affiliated with the Calgary Stampede called The Youth
Talent Showdown. It was almost entirely country singers and maybe a couple
girl groups dancing to TLC songs," he recalled with a laugh. "I was the only
comedian. I don't remember any of my jokes. It was hosted by this guy, Buckshot, who was a regional [children's] television host. I lost the talent show."
Reflecting on this failure, Graham concluded the fix was in "because I wasn't
a country singer. It was inside a theatre that I think might have doubled for
cattle auctions." The early career of any stand-up comedian will introduce
them to less-than-ideal performance situations. Today, at the age of 30, Clark
seems to have encountered more than most. Known by his peers for having
an unparalleled work ethic, Clarks career path was ironically chosen, he said,
out of laziness. "I did [stand-up] again a couple years later when I was 16 ...
there was always some amateur night at the pool hall near where I lived. I tried
it a couple times and it went well. But [I thought], 'I don't think you can do with Saturday Nfpfi
Clark was* vx^fe
a group of fellow c
the crowd wgs indeed t|
her, "confirmed Sara £
ingthatvpi^
for the same r
past: to perfoi
a well-known
this for a living. This seems like a very ridiculous way to make a living.' So,
then I went to film school." Clark left Calgary and enrolled in a Vancouver
film program where he made an amusing documentary about "the funeral
and casket industry." After graduation he found himself working on various
film sets doing a number of exhausting, menial jobs. "I worked in film for a
year. Then I [thought], T should try doing that thing where you only have to
work a little bit'
Although he has gone on to share the bill with well-known comedians
like David Cross, Patton Oswalt, Emo Phillips, Joan Rivers and the Smothers
Brothers, Clark has also found himself telling jokes for the financial equivalent
- of table scraps—sometimes in bizarre, even bloodstained, situations. "Now
they're sanctioned inside the city, but back then you couldn't have them on
Vancouver city property: Ultimate Fighting Championships. I don't even
remember who [booked] us into this... but it was myself and [three other
stand-up comedians]... None of us were feeling great about what was about
to happen. I don't know what we thought. We thought there'd be a separate
stage. We performed stand-up in the ring... We noticed when we were walking
in that they were handing out three-packs of golf balls—some promotional
thing... they were thrown [at us] during the set. We got paid $100."
By 2003, the weekly comedy night at the Urban Well was the epicenter of
Vancouver's comedy scene. It far surpassed the city's two comedy clubs that at
the time, were widely perceived by both comedian and crowd alike as outmoded
and depressing. The Urban Well, by comparison, attracted a more erudite
[ired venue of choice for famous comedians passing
jrant welcomed unexpected, drop-in performances
Williams and Zach Galifianakis on several occa-
:arre evening that featured an unforgettable run-in
mna Victoria Jackson.
self to go on stage in front of a packed house while
is tried to determine if a familiar looking woman in
lalodorous voiced SNL cast member. "It's definitely
n, who was working the door. "There's no mistak-
Ittendance assumed that Victoria Jackson was there
I of her famous contemporaries had appeared in the
|p set. Jackson had recently changed personas ftom
inner to a regular on the church circuit, performing
Christian-thensed stand-up comedy. However, this particular evening, Jackson
made no effort to Introduce herself to any of the comedians in attendance. In-
stead she sat in rhe^^^W\thoutt~zr\t~2Lr:e, as if she were just another audience
member. wik^ft^^^Blark took to the stage, Jackson brought out a small,
handheld camcord^^^Bed it at table level, and recorded his act. "What the
hell does she^^p^^^^H)ing?" fumed Peter Kelamis, one ofVancouver's most
widely respe^^^^^^Mcomics. Kelamis had to be subdued, so incensed was
heatwhat^^^ll^^^pntial joke thievery. Clark left the stage seven minutes
later, fisftYbiga$ audi^cesonvulsed. He was surprised when informed that the
blonde rotable had just recorded his act. Clark decided to tiptoe over to her
table,«Hfun£coduce4 himself and confirmed her identity. He asked her why
she hacferecotded his s&% $> h e explained nervously that she would be shooting
a TV si^win-yancouver.#ooii and was just "scouting locations." Moments
after this po$® cOflfrqntainon, Jackson and her camera quietly left the venue.
She, never fUgied a^^don show in British Columbia.
^ft$Fi o^lfe* ^srjiadd. would film a television show in B.C. For a full year
^■-week TV comedy, until it fell victim to recession era
list was a humorous take on a variety of current events
and was infinitely more successful than his previous television ventures. "I've
written for television in subsequent years in different forms as a gag writer,"
he said. "I helped write a script for a television show I've never seen. It was on
the Aboriginal People's Television Network. I don't even remember the name
of the show. It was a family sitcom where some of the members of the family
were First Nations and some of the members were Ukrainian." Asked if he just
recycled the old Seinfeld script he had written when he was 14, Graham joked,
"Yeah, instead of talking about bagels it became about bannock."
Clark has regularly impressed high profile comedians are unfamiliar with
his work. Brian Posehn, best known for his roles on the television programs
Mr. Show and Just Shoot Me, hosted an evening at the Vancouver Comedy Festival
in 2007. The lineup included notable American comedians Maria Bamford,
Todd Barry, David Cross and Janeane Garofalo. Clark was the only local on
the bill and he was to perform first Posehn, in his usual sardonic fashion,
introduced Clark with great skepticism. "Your first act is a local guy," he said
without enthusiasm. "I hear he's funny. I guess we'll find out Please welcome
Graham Clark." Clark performed ten minutes of sure-fire material that not
only overwhelmed the crowd, but also made it impossible for the nay saying
Posehn to follow. Posehn's act would falter the rest of the evening. It was a
sweet revenge.
Clark remains one of the most prolific stand-up comics in Canada. Unlike
many of his contemporaries who often use the same 20 minutes of material
for, literally, years, Clark's act is consistently changing. A return audience is
usually treated to something both new and hilarious. His rapid development and
ever-changing act was born out of necessity. For approximately five years, Clark
welcomed return crowds to his weekly Laugh Gallery, an innovative comedy night
continued on next pa^e THIS SEEMS LIKE 4 VERY
RIDICULOUS WAY TO MAKE A LIVING
continued from previous page
for the hipster set, taking place at an El Salvadorian restaurant The El CoCal
on Commercial Drive was notorious for some of the city's worst bar service,
an annoying yet inherent part of its charm. Clark scoured thrift stores and flea
markets for one of the evening's most beloved features—a consciously crummy
prize draw. The prizes doled out at Laugh Gallery shows were loved by some
and abandoned by many. At the end of the night tables could be littered with
not just the residue of spilled beer, but often Alf paraphernalia, Erik Estrada
VHS tapes and all manner of nauseating, pop culture ephemera.
Clark's offbeat comedy show became a favourite for Zach Galifianakis, star
of the motion picture The Handover. Living in Vancouver at the time, Galifianakis
was working on a FOX series called Tru Calling, that costarred local-boy-done-
good, Jason Priestly. The former Beverly Hills 90210 heartthrob was another
familiar face at Clark's weekly happening. One evening, Clark found himself
doing battle with a drunken heckler. She disrupted the show several times using an assortment of ill-timed expletives. Finally one frustrated comedian on
the show shouted at her from the stage, "Would you shut the fuck up!?" The
highly intoxicated woman announced defiantly, "I don't have to shut up! I'm
with Jason fucking Priestly!" Another time, after a series of highly attended
Laugh Gallery gigs, Galifianakis insisted that some of the staff from Jimmy
Kimmel Live fly to Vancouver to witness the evening for themselves. "It's the
best comedy show in Vancouver and one of the best in North America," he once
claimed. The Kimmel people trusted Galifianakis' endorsement Unfortunately,
the night the Kimmel people attended, they ended up being the only people in
the audience. Such is the fickle fate of stand-up comedy in Vancouver.
Graham Clark was asked by weekly alternative paper the Georgia Straight
what was the best thing about performing in front of a Vancouver audience.
"It makes you tough," he concluded. Vancouver comedians have been saying
for years that they are blown away when they perform in other metropolitan
areas, how gracious and appreciative the crowds are. It can make a performer
feel guilty, knowing how hard it can be to get a Vancouver gathering to laugh at
the same material. Clark said that Vancouver's tough crowd reputation is made
up for by the amount of places there are to perform. "I could play six shows
in a week and there'd probably be an audience at all six of them. Certainly not
an audience that is going there to give it up in any way, shapeor form! They're
not easy." Regardless, they respond to Clark more than anybody else. If there
was ever such a thing as a crowd pleaser, Clark is it
In recent history Clark, with fellow comedian Dave Shumka, has moder
ated Stop Podcasting Yourself, a highly entertaining Internet audio sensation
(stoppodcastingyourself.blogspot.com). The informal sounding podcast has
a simple premise. Two funny people (Clark and Shumka), often with the help
of a special guest, banter about the ludicrous things they've encountered that
week and, in doing so, entertain thousands of people around the world. The
popularity of the podcast was solidified when Shumka and Clark expanded the
program to include calls from listeners. The area codes on their call display
came from all over America, England and Europe. They've started to mount
occasional live recordings of the show, always to a packed crowd of fans that
they're often meeting for the very first time. A sole photograph of the duo on
the Stop Podcasting Yourself website gives no clue to the curious of who is who.
Devotees of the podcast attending the live show for the first time are often
astounded to discover which is which, having picturing each voice to have
been emanating from the wrong body. They have recently teamed with The
Sound ofYoung America, arguably the most popular alternative comedy show in
the USA, to deliver podcasts in tandem. Guests on Stop Podcasting Yourself have
included the polarizing Jon Dore and the beloved Paul F. Tompkins. Buckshot
has yet to be booked.
As James Brown is dead, Graham Clark might be the hardest working man
in show business today. A weekly podcast, the conclusion of a five-day a week
television show, and a stand-up gig pretty much of every night of the week have
made him one of the most recognizable faces in the city. The Laugh Gallery has
been enjoying a quarterly revival that is frequented by many of the nostalgic
regulars. Clark is the glue that makes the show worth seeing even if it turns
out everyone else on the bill is a bum. Clark and his bevy of thrift store prizes
can be enjoyed Friday, June 4 at the Cambrian Hall. Join the "Laugh Gallery!!"
Facebook group for information about all Laugh Gallery happenings.
Graham Clark is universally loved in the comedy community. Audiences
adore him. To watch Clark take control of a crowd is an impressive spectacle.
Up until now, Clark had never heard of what happened off-stage his first time
up at the Urban Well, the night in which Brent Butt stopped eating. "That
sounds like an old timey showbiz anecdote," he said. "Like something Art
Carney would have done." Indeed, the arc of Clarks comedy career seems to
be mirroring his famous predecessors. He appears to be on the same path as
the great comedy giants that came before him. Ik
10 FILMSTRIPPED //
BYTAMARALEE
Sook Yin Lee's debut film as a writer-director, Year of the Carnivore, is a
quirky—even squirm-inducing—coming of age story. This romantic
comedy can be cute and cheeky, but doesn't shy away from hard
truths, with characters colliding in unredeeming experiences at
regular intervals. But if you can endure the uncomfortable parts (possibly viewing it through a couple of fingers), you'll notice that what resonates
is a story filled with beautiful and relatable human emotion.
The film is the next installment in the eventful career of Canadian hero
Sook-Yin Lee. Originally from North Vancouver, she has hosted a CBC Radio
show, VJed at Much Music, led a band (Bob's Your Uncle), and acted (in the
controversial Short Bus).
Year of the Carnivore is the tale of a woman exploring sex, love and all things
in between. Our young tomboy/heroine, Sammy (Cristin Milioti), is awkward,
inexperienced and has hopelessly fallen for her dear friend Eugene (Mark
Rendall). After mustering the courage to confess her feelings, they engage in a
gruelingly uncomfortable exploration of each other's bodies. The dissatisfying
night ends when he rejects her as being too inexperienced. Disaster ensues
when she sets out to prove him wrong.
This film creates an interesting juxtaposition between fantasy and reality.
Every character is struggling with expectations of how life is "supposed" to
happen, and how the truth rarely measures up. "Society creates these standards
that really only a small percentage of people can actually fit in to," Lee told me
over the phone on the topic of sexuality. As a tomboy, and the Asian minority
in her high school, she felt she couldn't meet impossible standards set by her
siblings' Cosmo magazines.
"I still feel oppressed by my inability to walk around in bikinis and heels!"
she said, laughing. Without much to learn from, unearthing her own sexuality
was simultaneously painful and funny. "I got my sex training from a pamphlet
at a doctor's office!" she laughed.
As Sammy struggles with her emerging sexuality, other characters grapple
to reconcile their experiences with their expectations. Eugene thinks he can
find resolve through fame and rock 'n' roll. Sammy's parents (Kevin McDonald and Sheila McCarthy) are trapped in a marriage of habit and convenience.
The neighbors (Emily Holmes and Patrick Gilmore) experience post-partum
difficulties. Every character's reality is a bleak cry from the social fairy tales
of their youths. Plus, Lee doesn't candy coat her delivery. When I asked if her
intention was to create a no-holds-barred movie for her audience, she replied,
"I wasn't trying to be harsh! This just came from things Fve seen and my own
experiences. Some things in life are too painful... We don't want to talk about
it but it exists. You know, but these things are beautiful too ... when we put
ourselves out there for others."
She explained that each character comes from a personal experience.
Sammy's story comes from her first love and all its complications. The cynical
Sylvia (Ali Liebert), who believes that love is a human invention that precedes
the business "contract" of marriage, embodies an old frame of mind.
Surely it is Lee's ability to infuse her own escapades and observations into
her storytelling, that gives it so much truth. "Love is a theme I find myself
exploring. I can only tell the story from my personal view point", she said. Her
perspective is usually bold, sometimes crass and always empathetic. ||
// Rip Rip Roa* is a fresh sketch and improv comedy duo consisting of Lauren
Cochrane anosAaron Merke. They have been working together for four years
but only recentVlaunched Rip Rip Roar as their brainchild, and are now
enriching the Vancouver comedy scene with a new homemade video clip each
month. They get their inspiration from television, music and watching people
in thrift stores or familial situations. The outcome is a montage of short and
self-contained clips that show abSurdwhat-if scenarios: where two divorce
lawyers who were once married to each olther-srjJUhave a law firm together,
ILLUSTRATION BY MERIDA ANDERSON h
LINDSEY HAMPTON
where a muppet confesses a murder, and where Cochrane and Merke'i dads
host a parenting show. With the combo being a newcomer, Cochrane said
she still has to earn a living by doing "whatever pays the bills." Ietykeep our
fingers crossed that that won't be necessary for much longer!pheck out their
YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/ripriproar)iprtfomedy Waste to
share the enjoyment of some observant and spojyjirtomedy.
—Susanne Dewein
tWE'S A LOT OF
DICK JOKES,
Cam MacLeod said feiilescribmgManHussy.
ManHussy is a vj^eo-based^loetch comedy group consisting of MacLeod,
Daniel Code, Steveffelson and Peter Hadfield that specializes in a blend of absurdity and crassness. The crassness shows through in dick jokes and gross-out
humour while the absurdity shows through in a dedication to surrealness that
causes characters to emerge screaming from beneath cushions—and if you see
them live, you might find them right next to you in a sketch-like situation.
"We kind of have our niche and we're sticking to it," MacLeod said about
the group's dedication to keeping the ManHussy feel. While other groups
may explore new ground together, ManHussy is dedicated to their established
themes. If any of the members want to explore other creative avenues, they
tend to start separate projects.
ILLUSTRATION BY TYLER CRICH
In addition to ManHussy, they put together a comedy series called Total
that consists of a number of sketches with some sort of narrative arc tying
them together. In the future they have Total Pool Party planned, which will take
place at an actual pool, with a BBQ and swimming. The comedy will happen
spontaneously, surprising the audience when it appears. Another project they
have planned is Total Paranoia: "I can't give too much about that one, but the
audience will have to sign a waiver to enter," said MacLeod.
Check out ManHussy when they perform at Comedy Waste on Thursday,
June 3 and keep an eye on their website (manhussy.com) for their videos and
future appearances.
—Jordie Yow
12 mm what
GOING TO
CHURCH IS LIKE?
After seeing a particular stirring
speech from a fan ata SjiTrek cojriKum, Kaitlin Fontana from Pony Hunters
felt particularly moved—as if she finally belonged.
"I turned to Nicole [Passmore] and said, 'Is this what going to church
is like?'"
The two-woman sketch comedian crew that makes up Pony Hunters has an
affinity for Star Trek and will incorporate it into as much of their work as possjble^
The duo puts together a series of sketches that eifcnJncorpofatesStar TrekaT
a regular talking point. Their sketches focusjKffjjn^egular supply of punch
lines, but on attempting to brmgthe^wicTiel^elnon the jokes that Fontana and
Passmore, two veterans cpZatfcouver's improv scene, share.
So while their Uyrteenactment of Garfield comic strips doesn't have any
more jokes than^me original strip, the abkurd concept of recreating Jim Davis'
ILLUSTRATION BY MERIDA ANDERSON
famous feline comic done very, very
seriously is something the two find to be quite hilarious.
"We care about performing and just being on stage and being passionate
about it," said Passmore.
Working in the male-dominated world of sketch comedy, they do identify
as feminists, but as you can see in the aforementioned examples, they don't
:h|^^oyertiie head with it "We love our dude friends and we love our dude
^ro^yTbin^varTe^sd^espice of life," said Fontana.
To see Pony Hunters you^ajtcheck out their website www.ponyhunters.ca,
watch for their upcoming productionXShitty Spock and watch them perform as
part of Rosa Parks (check www.rosaparksramrov.com for more details).
—Jordie Yow ^v
Upon asking where their name comes from, one answeclget is that it conveys
a beautiful image of people working together. And in this caselfee^^ny
people working together. Pump Trolley Comedy, the self-proclaimed largest
sketch group in Canada, if not in the world, is comprised of 12 young comedians who set forth to do something "exciting and weird," Nicole Passmore
said. Most of them come from strong improv backgrounds and met at UBC
Improv, which according to Ben Gorodetsky explains the "Uvely youthfulness
of improvisational theatre* in their sketches. Their focus is on the performance
art aspect rather than on finding a punchlne, whkh becomes obvious when
./ ILLUSTRATION BY KARLENE HARVEY
watching someofth^clips online—for example, a two minute video which
shjw^f>evm-Ma dad turning into a pimp, showing offhis sparse chest
hair and putting on temporary tattoos. "We are trying to define ourselves as
doing somewhat experimental comedy," as opposed to the conventional Corner
Gas style, Gorodetsky and Passmore explained. To see them hve you can either
visit their monthly shows at Cottage Bistro, or of course their appearance at
Comedy Waste. Apart from that many of the members have other projects
gping on as well.
—Susanne Dewein
13 tl illDALIKEAPOu-R
MAN'S R. KELLY
No discussion about cable-access television is complete without a reference to
the 1992 semi-classic Wayne's World, the A Star is Born of no-budget television.
When it comes to Paul Anthony, host of "Vancouver's best and only variety
show" on Channel 4, the question is: is he more Wayne Campbell, a sincere,
oblivious everyman who just wants to share his special joy with the world, or
is he more Mike Myers, masterminding a goofy caricature to lovingly mine
humour from clueless, suburban nai'fs?
Despite adopting what seems like a knowingly over-the-top persona as the
host Anthony dismisses accusations of irony. "I wouldn't call it satirical," he
said. "[It's] more like a nine-year-old holding his own talent show in his basement for his relatives, which is exactly how the show started for me."
In terms of traditional entertainment classifications, the show exists somewhere in between a variety show and a talk show. Like a talk show, Anthony hosts
alongside a sidekick and a house band and sits down with his guests for quippy
banter. But Anthony doesn't confine himself to on-stage conversations and a
closing act; each show has eight slots that get filled with an enormous variety
of acts. Anthony looks for "something uniquely entertaining and inspiring"
ILLUSTRATION BY MERIDA ANDERSON
about each guest. "It doesn't matter if you understand it or not, you just feel it
... I want to bring people acts they would never see anywhere else," he added,
and lists an impressive array of past guests, including a pre-teen ballerina,
a husband-and-wife accordion duo, a Christian airband group and an R&B
singer named J. Tickle ("kinda like a poor man's R, Kelly").
Paul Anthony's standing on the Wayne's World continuum may ultimately
be irrelevant. The one thing that Wayne and Mike have in common is their
sincere desire to entertain you, which Anthony unequivocally shares. The live
versions of the show, especially, explode with manic, improvised joy devoid
of cynicism or negativity. When he says "it feels great to leave the crowd not
just entertained but inspired," it's easy to believe him and foolish to read too
much into it.
Paul Anthony's Talent Time airs at 11 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. everyday on Channel
4 on the Novus Network. Live shows take place the first Wednesday of every
month at the Biltmore.
—Trevor Gilks
WE'RE ALL
OF IN BED Wl
EACH OTHER
Anyone whdk seen B$0. Cheeks digital shorts, the With Friends Like These online sitcom oAthe Miami Beast weo series, probably associates group founders
Craig Anderso^ and Conner Holler with the well-meaning, clueless characters
they portray and the deadpan, quietly observant humor they uncover. But this
digital output—4nd its narrative, character-based approach—is only part of
the overall equation. (Viewable atwww.bronxcheercomedy.com.)
Their bi-monthly live show is a loose, freewheeling mix of ideas and media,
with everything frW old-fashioned stage banter and characters, to non sequi-
tur absurdism. The H«o^fttyw~f^e-titiej3£each month's first show) features
a variety of local solo comedy acts with Cam McTBcM^as-theJiQstJj^^
read more about it on the next page). The second show features Bronx Cheer
ILLUSTRATION BY LINDSEY HAMP"
teaming up with an informally recurring cast of comics and sketch groups
performing skits, telling jokes and showing videos. "We're all sort of in bed
with each other," stated Anderson, referring to the large group of comie talent
he semi-sincerely brands "The Vancouver Comedy Players." /
This live show, currently going on at the China Cloud Theatre on? the first
and third Tuesday of every month, has always been and is likely to be Bronx
Cheer's primary focus, according to Anderson. "The videos are more Woject-
to-project," he said, "but the live shows have always been happening, piat's
what I really enjoy doing."
—Trevor Gilks
14 DAN BROWN ONLY WEARS 0
On the first Tuesday of every month, Cam MacLeod hosts a tiny tribe of local
comedians that veer not too far from the traditional menagerie of comedy.
The Hero Show is like an odyssey of one-person sketches with no stand-up at
the China Cloud Theatre (located a bit off the beaten path near Chinatown).
Once you're there, you're bound to have a great time. Especially when you're
going to see acts from the folks of Knights of the Night, whose comedy is like
all the best of music and chivalry put together, and Bronx Cheer. Highlights
include Craig Anderson's "Dan Brown Only Wears One Outfit" and Emmett
Hall's "giant news anchor" sketch.
ILLUSTRATION BY TYLER CRICH/
MacLeod, the congenial host and comedy curator for the Olio Festival, isalsoj
a part of a collection of comedy acts including ManHussy, a Vancouver-basej
comedy group, and helped write and produce the Mental Beast series as well. J
if you happen to be in the Chinatown hood, check out this awesome comedy
show, featuring Graham Clark, Emmett Hall, Devon Lougheed, Kaitlyn Fonts
Colin Cowan, Conor Holler, Craig Anderson and many more! Be prepared I
waves of hilarious sketches peppered with offstage banter, not to mention sop]
quality local art. I really can't imagine this not being a good time.
—Dorothy Neufeld
If you were to apply a razor to Vancouver's burgeoning comedy scene, you
would discover that a few key players are responsible for weaving a fine tapestry
of laughs. Colin Edward Cowan is certainly one of those players. His name
graces the rosters of several comedy troops including the tentatively named
Vancouver Comedic Players and the Ryan Steele show, of which he said he is
"proudly one of two straight members." And if you've ever visited China Cloud
you'll remember him as the outrageous bartender.
The Comedic Players perform the third Tuesday of every month in the Chinatown venue China Cloud, which is run in part by Cowan with his friends and
co-performers Cam MacLeod, Craig Anderson, Ryan Beil, Tazman VanRassel
and Chris Kelly, who among other things produces a podcast for CBC Radio 3
\and performs with Analog Bell Service. Some of the skits at China Cloud seem
ynore rehearsed than others, leaving a window for improvisation and
even a little crowd interaction, which is where Cowan shines. Cowan often
purveys his unique style of character driven sketch comedy from behind the
China Cloud's fully functional bar. At the most recent performancl he tended
as Colin's cousin from Newfoundland, Squid Cowan, no doubt pawing on
his formative years in New Brunswick, which also included someftime on the
road with the infamous Picnicface, which hail from Halifax [ed. Actually, one of
the members of Picnicface, Mark Little, is from Vancouver.]. /
Cowan's foray in show business does not stop at comedy. Ifs no secret that
he is a successful musician in his own right; he plays bass guitar with his own
band Analog Bell Service and gigs regularly with numerous musicians, including
a present tour with Dan Mangan. And if forced to choose between comedy and
music? Cowan's response is a single and unsimplifiable:/'impossible."
—Robert Fougere /
/
15 THE HOUSE OF YES
AN ENDORSEMENT FOR THE PUNK ROCK OF IMPROV
BY KAITLIN FONTANA
ILLUSTRATION BY KARLENE HARVEY
On a Sunday night in Vancouver, most streets are eerily quiet. But
the half block around the Hennessey Restaurant on Broadway is
wide awake. At first, it just looks like every hipster you know has
decided to go for dinner at the same restaurant. Then you notice
the four guys commiserating on the stage up front
"Most people come the first time by word of mouth," said Taz VanRassel,
a founding performer of the Sunday Service, which has been doing a weekly
improv show at the Hennessey for a-few years (before that, they performed
at the now-defunct Wink Cafd, under the auspices of Alistair Cook as part of
Instant Theatre). "Once they come in the door, they're sold," VanRassel added.
He, along with Ryan Biel, Kevin Lee, Aaron Read and musician Emmett Hall
play to a packed house every week.
Disclosure city: I am an improviser. Over the past nine years, I've performed
with everyone who speaks in this article. I am part of the all-female Rosa
Parks Improv, a cast member at Vancouver TheatreSports League (VTSL) and
an organizer of the Vancouver International Improv Festival, along with the
aforementioned Alistair Cook. I may seem hyper-involved, but so are most
improvisers, because improv is d.i.y. by nature. In fact, I have a theory that
punk rock in the late '70s parallels improv theatre today. I like this theory for
a lot of reasons, one being that it casts me and my friends as punks. But I also
like it because it works.
The Sunday Service, Rosa Parks Improv and VTSL are part of a scene in
Vancouver that grows by the year—as more young performers leam about the
art form in high school, see shows by local groups and test the waters with
their own performances, the scene is guaranteed perpetuity. Cook has been
putting on improv shows for more than 15 years, and running the Vancouver
International Improv Festival for 11, but he said the last decade in particular
has seen improv gain serious ground, both here and worldwide. "Lots of
styles have been brought here, through the festival and other means. It's been
cool to see."
The core of the growth, however, is the spontaneous nature of things.
"Improv is about creating life on stage that you don't get to see every day,"
said Nicole Passmore of Rosa Parks. "It's a pretty beautiful blend of comedy
and art"
18 YES TO EXISTENCE
At improv's fast beating heart is a basic proposition: Say Yes. In the teaching
of improv, this is the wellspring from which all else flows. Two people get on
a stage. One says something. The other says, "Yes!" This creates action, which
translates as a simple equation: You + Me + Yes = Scene
Really all we need to make improv happen is you and me. Sure, a stage
helps. So does lighting and all that other good theatre stuff. But it's not essential. What is essential is that relationship between two people. "It's really
accessible, no matter what resources you have available to you," said Sasha
Langford from Rosa Parks. "This is culture created by regular people for an
audience. It's not created for money." Creation out of nothing, for next to
nothing. The d.i.y.-est!
Of course, it's not that simple. After agreeing to say yes, serious skills
come into play, and the best improvisers are the ones whose training is near-
invisible. Like punk, there's this feeling of rawness that comes from the ease
of skill, or from experience. And then, of course, there's always the possibility
of failure. "Hold on tightly, let go lightly," Taz VanRassel said about improv
performance. Fellow Sunday Servicer Ryan Biel added, "We don't take ourselves
too seriously. It's about taking the piss out of ourselves, and out of improv in
general." The idea of failing joyfully is one that definitely prevails. So does
taking the audience along for the ride.
"When we bite it, it's funny and we make fun of ourselves," said Kevin Lee.
Biel added, "But when we get back up, the audience is right there."
The appeal of this can't be underestimated: the improviser is free to fuck
up, and to bounce back, and the audience gets to feel the catharsis of watching
someone else fail and rise again. In the real world, failure is deeply depressing.
In improv, it's an opportunity.
YES TO THE SCENE
As it is in punk, the average improviser is on a stage because they saw
someone else doing it and wanted in. "I remember watching Taz and Ryan
with Instant," Aaron Read said. "That's the cool part of improv—my heroes
weren't on SNL, they were doing a fucking awesome show in a tiny venue like
Little Mountain."
Primordial swamp-wise improv has its share of founding fathers. But for
the sake of argument we'll stickwith two: first, Del Close, the so-called "guru"
of long form improvisation. Close and his fellow performers began staging
theatre happenings in 1960s California that were completely invented on the
spot—and that would eventually congeal into a form he called the Harold.
The Harold is the foundation for all long form improv and is essentially a
series of scenes, games and monologues that come together to create a full,
interconnected narrative.
Close, who would eventually be killed by his heroin addiction (another
unfortunate punk link), bestowed the Harold upon his students, who in turn
took the form across North America and Europe. The Harold came to Vancouver
through Close student Randy Dixon, of Seattle's Unexpected Productions, who
taught it to the Instant Theatre cast.
Contrast this with short form, which features games, scenes and monologues that are generally not interconnected. One originator of this form is
Brit Keith Johnstone, who brought the concept of TheatreSports to life; Vancouver's TheatreSports franchise is the second one ever created and has been
in operation since the '80s.
These two variations are often fought over in the improv world—almost
everyone goes through a phase when they dislike either form. But the well-
rounded improviser comes to see the value in each. "Just because it might be
less complicated or less mysterious, doesn't mean it's not amazing," Read said
of short form. The Service guys open their show with short form. Likewise,
VTSL has a show that blends the two (Stretch, on Wednesday nights).
So Vancouver's improv scene embraces all kinds. And now, as well, audiences get it "People now understand that improv is something that's learned,"
Sasha Langford of Rosa Parks said. "I used to have to use the jazz analogy a
lot," added Passmore. "In jazz, musicians improvise, but they have to know
how to play their instruments first. Now, people get that about improv theatre
without me having to explain."
YES TO MAGIC
On a recent episode of Elvis Costello's awesome music show Spectacle, Bruce
Springsteen said that great art comes from making 1+1=3. There is you, the
product and that something else, that bit of magic that springs out of the collision of you and your art form. I'm no expert (though I like that Bruce and I
both enjoy equations), but there are only two places where I've truly witnessed
1+1 equalling 3: excellent concerts and excellent improv shows.
"Stand up and sketch are more like currency," said Kevin Lee, who's performed all three comedic forms in the past "It's 'I'm giving you something.
Laugh at it' In improv, the audience and the performer are in it together."
Suffice it to say that I think you should see as many improv shows as you can,
not only because I am in some, but because improv is, quite literally, magical.
"We've all laughed at cheap jokes, because they're funny," Passmore said, "but
at our show, you feel good because you invest in the characters and the story.
You're laughing at the connection you have with the material."
And the show you see today will never happen again, just like that one-time
concert experience that convinces you and your friends to start a band. "Improv
is the most live experience in live theatre," said Alistair Cook. Passmore agreed:
"It's wonderful; it's limitless."
There is no wrong answer to the improv question, but there are a lot of
right ones. Where else in life does this exist?
The Vancouver International Improv Festival is Oct. 5 - 9 at Performance Works on Granville
Island (vancouverimprovfest.com).
Rosa Parks Improv performs the third Thursday ofevery month Jbr the rest of the summer:
June 17, July 22 and Aug. 26,7 p.m. at Carousel Theatre on Granville Island.
Stretch is at the Improv Centre on Granville Island, Wednesdays at 7:3 0 p.m. (vtsl.com).
The Sunday Service is every Sunday (duh) at the Hennessy Lounge at 9 p.m.
See also: Sister Act, UBC Improv, Hip:Bang, The Last Duchess, improvisation.ca g|
17 I
<i
Si
18 RIP ME OUT!
IMGAZWF
imwrm®
51C WASTf
MUSIC/ART/COMEDY/JUNE 2-5
m
THIS YEAR, MUSIC fo^TE WILL FEATURE NEARLY 100 BANDS AT DOZENS OF SHOWS OVER FOUR DAYS. NOT TO MEpitlN, THREE COMEDY REVUES,
EIGHT ART EXHIBITIONS^OWLING PARTY AND PARK BBQ + BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT. WITH ALL THE VENUES KEPT WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE
AND FULL FESTIVAL PASSES PRfC|D AT ONLY $15 (PLUS SERVICE CHARGE), MUSIC WASTE IS THE EA^f WAY TO EXPERIENCE VANCOUVER'S
ART AND CULTURE. PASSES CAN BE FflUJID AT: ZOO ZHOP (223 MAIN STREET) /NEPTOON R|C0R6s (3561 MAIN STREET) / AUDIOPILE (2016
COMMERCIAL DRIVE) / ZULU RECORDS (1972 W4TH AVE) / SCRATCH RECORDS (726 RICHARDS STREET) / REDCAT RECORDS (4332 MAIN STREET) MUSIC V\TASTE
NWS\cFtST.\AL wbHL^WTirt&TH* WW"*'
N\DST ExciT\NO hNPlHNOVATWtBM'fts.
JKLTWSTF 1
\S A ^vW^SOf Exm^lTW)NStAWN6?IACt
■ tNPlNNWW CjMU^'IS fcCtott Tv*t C\T>f.
IcoMedi \naste 1
GO 10V)ft OYIN WAST E
.20
\NCDNESDA^
JVNE 2N0
A If ZA CLUB
PSYCHIC WASTE
V.VECKER ENSEMBLE-12:00 am
BLACKWIZARD-ii:oopm
FORTRESS-io: jo pm
WHITE UMBRELLA-9:30 pm
HONH
FAKE JAZZ/WASTE
ANGEL LUST-12:40 am
KALKI -12.15 AM
NIHILIST PARTY-12:00 am
NATURAL-11:30 PM
NURSE -11:00 pm
FUSH PALACE-10:30 PM
DOUBLE-DOUX-10:00 pm
LICK
FAKE JAZZ/WASTE
GROSS LORDS-12:30 am
NAMSJJUB- 11:45 PM
EUGENE CHADBOURNE -10:00 pm
THURSDAy.
d\)NE 3RD
?ft\NfJTON
THE ABRAMSON SIN6ERS - 11:30PM
MOONSHINER-10:30 PM
THE MAGICIAN & THE GATES OF LOVE-9:30PM
H0NE7
VAPID -12.00 am
JUVENILE HALL-11:30 PM
KEEP TIDY-11.00 pm
PHONECALLS-10:30 PM
CRYSTAL SWELLS-10.00 pm
1I7MAIIV/
DBL DRAGON-12:30 am
SEVEN NINES AND TENS 11:45
BALACADE-11:00 pm
STEFANAFRATILA-10:15 PM
LICK
BAPTISTS-12.00 am
BOOGIE MONSTER -11:15 pm
AHNA-10:30 PM
JOYCE COLLINGWOOD - 9.-45 pm
HIDDEN TOWERS - 9:15 pm
ZOOZHOP
CANARIES - 9:00 pm
HALF CHINESE - 8:00 pm
COLLAPSING OPPOSITES-7:00 pm
BLEATING HEARTS-6.00PM
CHlNACLOVlb
SKETCH AND IMPROV - HOSTED BY CAM MACLEOD
- SISTER ACT / BRONX CHEER / MANHUSSY / KEVIN
LEE AND EMMETT HALL/ HIP BANG / COLIN COWAN /
PUMP TROLLLEY / CANADIAN CONTENT FEATURING A
PERFORMANCE BY NO GOLD 8:00 pm SHUDDER ■■
SHOW TITLE: "NEW WORK BY DAN SINEY"
R*R ST\)Wo
SHOW TITLE: "WASPS NESTS"
CAITLIN LIVINGSTON / STEPHANIE TRUDELL / AMIE G. /
BEN JACQUES/JUSTIN PATTERSON
CHlJM*ClD\)D
(5:oopm opening)
SHOW TITLE: "CLOUD CREATURES"
ARTISTS: CHRIS LEITCH / MIKE LEITCH / NICK FABIN /
BRADLEY MESSER / CARLA GILDAY / KATIE WELDON
FRIDAY,. 1
J\)NEi|TH I
fWNCtTOrt
APOLLO GHOSTS-12.00 am
PLUS PERFECT-11:00 pm
SHANE TURNER OVERDRIVE -10:00 pm
BRAZILLIAN MONEY-9:30 PM
DRANDIZ
B-LINES-12:00 am
THE SHILOHS-11:06 pm
SLAM DUNK-10:00 pm
■Ml
PETROLEUM BY-PRODUCT -1:00 am
COSMETICS-12.00 am
FINE MIST-11:00 pm
SOFT FOCUS -10:00 pm
ASTORIA
WASTED GOODS
MT 401:00 am
MYTHS-12:00 am
ANIMAL BODIES-11:00 pm
MUSCLES -10:00 pm
WITH THE DAMAGED GOODS DJS
Goow
MAKEOUT VIDEOTAPE 2:00 am
NEEDLES//PINS-1.00AM
KOBAN -i2:ooam
WITH THE WINNIE COOPER DJS
UTTlt MOUNTAIN
GO YOUR OWN WASTE
"ERR ON: THE SIDE OF CAUTION" - 8:00 pm
EHREN SALAZAR
ERYN HOLBROOK
ERIN GRAVES
AARON READ
TOASrcoLlFCTNt
GO YOUR OWN WASTE
MT. CAREER / CUCKOLDS 7:00 pm -10:00 pm
Vivo
GO YOUR OWN WASTE
VON BINGEN / SOUNS / KONX OHM PAX / HOLZKOPF /
KVIK/ ROBERT PEDERSON / FILIP GORECKI - 8:00 pm
CH»N*ClOV)D
COMEDY WASTE VIDEO CONTEST - HOSTED BY RYAN BIEL
JUDGES: BOB KRONBAUER / PAUL ANTHONY / TAZ VAN
RASSEL 8:00 pm
ISbW-HA^TIA/bS
ARTISTS: GOOD IDEA GROUP SHOW
SHOW TITLE: "WHAT DOES INFO WANT"
ARTISTS: KATE HENDERSON / ELEE KRAUII GARDINER /
JESSICA ALICE GNYP / REBECCA LAMARRE / REBECCA-
ELLEN FARRELL / JOHN MAVIN + DEREK WALTER /
DENVER LYNXLEG
CURATED BY EMILIANO SEPULVEDA + RAY HSU
PERFORMANCE BY FALCAO & MONASHEE - 9:30 pm
SM"V)M)K/w
vHINESTMf
plUMOfiE
TOUGH GUYS AND GIRLS CRY -12:00 am
DJS MY!GAY!HUSBAND! & SINCERELY HANA
FUNM WNteWfcANS
KELLARISSA -1.00 am
FANSHAW-12:00 am
SLEEP HOLIDAY-11.00 pm
SHIPYARDS-10:00 pm
<?I7Niai,v
NO MORE STRANGERS
WORLD CLUB-1:00 am
GANG VIOLENCE-12:00 am
WALTER TV-11:00 pm
COWARDS-10:00 PM
MILKY WAY-9:00 PM
WITH THE WINNIECOOPER.NET DJS
ASTORIA
LORD BEGINNER-1.-00 am
SUN WIZARD-12:00 am
WITCH WATER -11.00 pm
FRIENDSHIP AND THE FAWN -10:00 pm
ZOOZHOP
TIMECOPZ - 9:00 pm
DIN DIN DAK-8.00PM
BOY VOYAGE-7.00 pm
AiVZACLVIB
GO YOUR OWN WASTE
MEZAMAZING-11:00 pm
KNIFEY SPOONEY-10:00 pm
BOOBY TRAP-9.00 pm
AtfZACLVB
BASKETBALL-1:00 am
VINCENT PARKER-12.00 am ^
BARTEL -11:00 pm H
OtNE
MAGNETICRING-4:00 PM
GAK- 3:15 pm
ftfcDCAT Mcotort
HERMETIC-4:00 PM
PEACE-3.00 pm
TIGHT SOLID-2:00 pm
/VtPTOOtf RtCORbS
STUDENT TEACHER-2:45 PM
EX-FRIENDS-2:15 PM
CAT ATTACK-1:45 pm
LOS TYCOONS-1:00 pm
CHINACLOUD
STAND-UP - HOSTED BY CRAIG-ANDERSON
CHARLIE DEMERS / GRAHAM CLARK / DAVE SHUMKA /
SEAN DEVLIN / ALICIA TOBIN / JIMMY BARNES
FEATURING SOLO PERFORMANCES BY MEMBERS OF
ANALOG BELL SERVICE 8:00 pm
LOS
SHOW TITLE: "BLOW UP"
ARTISTS: MELANIE COLES / KATE HENDERSON /
LYNDSAY POMERANTZ / MAIRIN COOLEY / ROB
ONDZIK / ZAIN BURGESS / EMILIANO SEPULVEDA /
AJA ROSE/JOSH ROSE CURATED BY MELANIE COLES
AND KATE HENDERSON
PERFORMANCES BY SPRING BREAK - 9.-00 pm
PROPHECY SUN -10:00 pm
UTTlt MOUNTAIN
SHOW TITLE: "RETURN TO THE 36 CHAMBERS:
RETURNS" BOBBY MATHIESON / DAN SNELGROVE / SOL
SALLEE / ERIN MARRANCA/ ANDY DIXON / ROBERT
MEARNS / ADAM DODD / KEITH WECKER / MEGHAN
ANCHETA / BEN JACQUES / BITA JOUDAKI / STEVE GILMET
/ ABIGAIL FERNANDES / DAVID DETENBECK/ PAUL
SIMONS / SALLY H / JUSTIN ALM / MORGAN MAMENI /
STEVE NEVETS / MERIDA ANDERSON / LINDSEY HAMPTON
/ CANDICE MACKENZIE STORER (HAILFAX) / JUSTIN
DALE PATTERSON / IAN WILLIAM PRENTICE / RACHEL
D WHITE / ALEX CIESLIK / ERIK LYON / AARON READ /
CHAD MURRAY / EHREN SALAZAR / BRIAN TONG / IAN
EDMONDS / MICHAEL P FIKARIS (AUSTRALIA) / TEVIS
BATEMAN / ALEXANDER CHO / BEN FREY
MUSIC BY: DJ REVISE AND DJ BOBBYGOODTIMES
SHOW TITLE" "TREATS FOR FACEBALLS"
ARTISTS: DUSTY PEAS: JAMIE Q & JAMES KIRKPATRICK
iUNlA7.
JUNEbTtf
O&MWUW tOWLiNC, LANES
BOWL YOUR OWN WASTE 1.00 pm - 4oo
ROLE MACH pm
APOLLO GHOSTS
CAT ATTACK
TWIN CRYSTALS
CHRIS-A-RIFFIC
SrftATHCD/VAPAftK
WASTE JAM 1200PM
PRESENTED BY CITR & RAPVSWEDEN
BBQ AND 3-0N-3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
. DJS CAM DALES, ETHNIC FRIENDS, CHERCHEZ LAFEMME,
TYLER FEDCHUCK
NOTE: ALL FESTIVAL PASSES USED AT GYOW SHOWS ARE
SUBJECT TO CAPACITY AND ALL SET TIMES AND LINEUPS
ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
21 ©ISbW-HMTIA/bS ©HWMO @6^Nt ®n*hTHtwrm.
©HON^l ©ASTDftlA ©A^ACLUB @0»'^N(J
©LICK ©Goot^ ©IJHT/VIDRE
©FVA/M WNKtWtANS ©ffttNCJTDN* ©ToAsrcoLLFcTNt
©LOS ©Z0OZH0P ©/VtPTOOtf
©SHUDDER OALLE^ ©CHINACLOMD ®WtKfS
©BUNV ®*JI7 MAIIN/ @UTUtr MOUNTAIN
©&RAND1Z ©VNO ©(\tDCAT
22 //CiTR 101.9 FM PROGRAM GUIDE
DISCORDER SUGGESTS LISTENING TO CiTR ONLINE AT WWW.CiTR.CA EVERY DAY.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
9
te
11
12pm
1
2
3
I
5
■H
i
9
16
11
12dm
1
2
3
4
5
QTR Ghost Mix
CiTR Ghost Ma
Prof Talk (Talk)
Pacific Pickin' (Roots)
WEDNESDAY
CiTR Ghost Mix
Sounds of Africa
THURSDAY
QTR Ghost Mix
FRIDAY
CiTR Ghost Mix
SATURDAY
Tana Radio (World) | Breakfast With The
Browns (Eclectic)
Suburban Jungle
(Eclectic)
End of the World
News (Talk)
Shookshookta(Tallc)
KolNodedi (World)
Stranded
(Eclectic)
Alt Radio (Talk)
TheKB^ereShow
(Reggae)
Blood On Shameless
IheSaddle (Eclectic) I
(Roots) ]
Saint Tro-
Parts Unknown (Pop)
The Rib (Eclectic)
Third Time's The
Charm (Rock)
Morning After Show
(Eclectic)
Laugh Tracks (Talk)
Give'Em the Boot
(Talk)
Wings (Talk)
Pop Drones
(Eclectic)
Anoize (Noise)
The Green Majority
(Talk)
Democracy Now {Talk)
Radio Freethinker RumbletoneRadioA
(Talk)
Chips i——. | News I0I (Talk)
(Pop) pez(Pop)
Weners BBQ (Sports)
Go Go (Rock)
Arts Report (Talk)
Friday Sunrise
(Eclectic)
Synchronicity (Talk)
Sweet And Hot (Jazz)
Duncan's Donuts
(Eclectic)
We All Fall Down
(Eclectic)
Ink Studs (Talk)
Japanese Musicquest
(World)
Ftencb Connection
(World)
Career East Track (Talk;
^SSrmTSSSST
Rhythms
(World)
Awesomi
111
Mondo Trasho
(Eclectic)
Transcendance
ODancej^
This Side of Monday
(Eclectic)
Exploding Head
Movies
(Eclectic)
Native Solidarity News
(Talk)
Ska-rs Scenic Drive
(Ska)
Barnburner
(Eclectic)
Radio Zero (Dance)
CiTR Ghost Mix
The Saturday Edge
(Roots)
Generation Anihilation
(Punk)
;j>9werChojcd
(Metal)
Nardwuar Presents
(Nardwuar) •
CodeBl.ue,,(RooMI;
News 101 (Talk)
Flex Your Head
(Hardcore)
Reel tx> Real (Talk)
Sam-
squ1mtich[
(Eel)
life On Jumpstreet
(Dance)
The Jazz Show (Jazz)
Crimes And Treason;
(Hip-hop)
Folk Oasis (Roots)
Sexy In Van City
(Talk)
Are Von Aware
(Eclectic)
Exquisite Corpse
(Experimental)
Hot Mess (Eclectic)
.^^^canRhythin^
-(fideettc)'
The Leo Ramirez Show
(World)
NashaVoina (World)
Notes from the
Underground
(Electtonic/Hip-hop)
CabaRadio (Talk)
Rainbow Groove
Lj^Erom ThunderbjrdL-v, .» J&sHMSL*
Radio Hell (Live)
Synaptic Sandwich
(Dance/Electronic/
Sore Throat, Clapping
Hands (Eclectic)
Hans Kloss Misery
Hour (Hans Kloss)
Hypnotic Groove
(Dance)
Shake A Tail Feather
(Soul/R&B)
Beats From The
1 Basement (Hip*hop)
CJTRGhostMix
.CiTRGhostMbi
CiTRGhQ&tMja
The Vampire's Ball
Aural Tentacles
(Eclectic) MdM,
CiTR Ghost Mix
Dreamscene Radio
(Dance)
CiTR Ghost Mix
Sam
7
9
10
11
12pm
1
2
3
I
5
I
7
I
9
II.
11
■Hi
12am
1
HI
3
I
5
\24 SUNDAY
TANA RADIO
(World) 9-ioam
SHOOKSHOOKTA
(Talk) io-nam
A program targeted to
Ethiopian people that
encourages education and
personal development.
K0LN0DE0I
(World) nam-i2pm
Beautiful arresting beats
and voices emanating from
all continents, corners and
voids. Always rhythmic,
always captivating. Always
crossing borders.
THE ROCKERS SHOW
:/ i2-3pm
Reggae inna all styles and
fashion.
BLOOD ON THE SADDLE
(Roots) 3-5pm
Alternating Sundays
Real cowshit-caught-in-yer-
boots country.
SHAMELESS
(Eclectic) 3-5pm
Alternatina Sundays
Dedicated to giving local
music acts a crack at some
airplay. When not playing
the PR shtick, you can hear
some faves you never knew
you liked.
CHIPS WITH EVERYTHING
(Pop) 5-6pm
Alternating Sundays
British pop musk from all
decades. International pop
(Japanese, French, Swedish,
British, US, etc.), '6os soundtracks and lounge.
SAINT TROPEZ
(Pop) 5-6pm
Alternatina Sundays
Welcome to St Tropez!
Playing underrated music
from several decades!
sLtropez101.9@gmail.com
QUEER FM
(Talk) 6-8pm
Dedicated to the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transexual communities of Vancouver. Lots
of human interest features,
background on current issues and great music.
queerfmradio@gmail.com
RHYTHMSINDIA
(World) 8-gpm
Alternating Sundays
Featuring a wide range of
music from India, including
popular musk from the 1930s
to the present; Ghazals and
Bhajans, Qawwalis, pop and
regional language numbers.
ALL AWESOME IN YOW EARS
(Eclectic) 8-9pm
Alternating Sundays
MONDO TRASHO
(Eclectic) 9-iopm
The one and thconly Mon-
do Trasho with Maxwell
Maxwell—don't miss it!
TRANCENDANCE
(Dance) iopm-i2am
Join us in practicing the
ancient art of rising above
common ideas as your host
DJ Smiley Mike lays down the
latest trance cuts.
trancendance@
hotmail.com
MONDAY
PROF TALK
(Talk) 7:30-8am
Prof Talk is a radio talk
show that brings UBC
professors in to talk about
current/past events at the
local and international
level. http://ubcproftalk.
wordpress.com
proftalk@gmail.com
BREAKFAST WITH THE BROWNS
(Eclectic) 8-nam
Your favourite Brownsters,
James and Peter, offer a
savoury blend of the familiar and exotic in a blend of
aural delights.
breakfastwiththebrowns@
hotmail.com
STRANDED
(Edecfic) nam-i2pm
Join your host Matthew for
a weekly mix of exciting
sounds, past and present,
from his Australian homeland. And journey with him
as he features fresh tunes
and explores the alternative
musical heritage of Canada.
ALTERNATIVE RADIO
(Talk) 12-ipm
Hosted by David Barsamian.
PARTS UNKNOWN
(Pop)i-3pm
An indie pop show since
1999, it's like a marshmal-
low sandwich: soft and
sweet and best enjoyed
when poked with a stick
and held close to a fire.
THE RIB
(Eclectic) 4-5pm
Explore the avant-garde
world of musk with host
Robyn Jacob on the Rib.
From new electronic and
experimental music to
improvised jazz and new
classical! So weird it will
blow your mind!
NEWS 101
(Talk) 5-6pm
Vancouver's only live,
volunteer-produced,
student and community
newscast. Every week, we
take a look back at the
week's local, national and
international news, as seen
from a fully independent
media perspective.
CAREER FAST TRACK
(Talk) 6-6:30pm
Join host and author
Philippe Desrochers as
he teaches you how to
dramatically INCREASE
your income doing work
you LOVE.
THIS SIDE OF MONDAY
(Eclectic) 6:30-7:3opm
Fun and independent musk
supported by a conversational
monologue of information,
opinion and anecdotes
focusing on the here, the now
and the next week.
becktrex@gmail.com
EXPLODING HEAD MOVIES
(Eclectic) 7:30-9001
THE JAZZ SHOW
(Jazz) 9pm-i2am
Vancouver's longest
running prime-time jazz
program. Hosted by Gavin
Walker. Features at 11pm.
June 7: It's legendary tenor
saxophonist Harold "Tina''
Brooks' birthday today.
We'll play his classic Back To
The Tracks.
June 14: The annual Jazz Festival show with Coastal Jazz's
John Orysik picking and
talking about the musk with
Gavin along for the ride.
June 21: Pianist Chick Corea
is a major star at this year's
Jazz Fest. We'll hear Mr.
Corea's Trio Music Solo and
trio s tylings by a master.
June 28: Tenor saxophon
ist Harold Land, pianist
Elmo Hope, bassist Scott
LaFaro and drummer Len-
nfe McBrowne recorded in
Vancouver, Nov. 1958 at the
original Cellar Jazz Club.
SORE THROATS, CUPPING
HANDS
(Eclectic) i2am-iam
Sore Throats Clapping
Hands relies on simple
melodies and poignant lyricism to drive our passions.
We embrace music that
takes little production and,
for that reason, is extremely
accessible to play, share,
create and enjoy—music
that can be produced with
little more than clapping
hands and sore throats.
TUESDAY
PACIFIC PICKIN'
(Roots) 6-8am
Bluegrass, old-time music,
and its derivatives with
Arthur and the lovely
Andrea Berman.
pacificpkkin@yahoo.com
SOUNDS OF AFRICA
(World) 8-9:3oam
Showcasing musk, current
affairs & news from across
the African continent and
the diaspora, you will learn
all about beat and rhythm
and it will certainly kick-
start your day.
THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM
(Rock) 9:3o-n:3oam
Open your ears and prepare
for a shock! A harmless
note may make you a fan!
Deadlier than the most
dangerous criminals!
borninsixtynine@
hotmail.com
MORNING AFTER SHOW
(Eclectic) ii:3oam-ipm
An eclectic mix of Canadian
indie with rock, experimental, world, reggae, punk
and ska from Canada, Latin
America and Europe. The
Morning After Show has local bands playing live on the
Morning After Sessions.
LAUGH TRACKS
(Talk) i-2pm
Laugh Tracks is a show about
comedy. Kliph Nesteroff
from the 'zine, Generation
Exploitation, hosts.
generationexploit@yah.oo.
com, musicalboot@yahoo.ca
GIVE'EM THE BOOT
(World) 2-3pm
Sample the various
flavours of Italian folk
music from north to
south, traditional to
modern on this bilingual
Italian/English show. Un
programma bilingue che
esplora il mondo della
musica etnka italiana.
WINGS
(Talk) 3-3:30pm
RADIO FREETHINKER
(Talk) 3:30-4-.3opm
Promoting skepticism, critical thinking and science, we
examine popular extraordinary claims and subject
them to critical analysis.
The real world is a beautiful
and fascinating place and
we want people to see it
through the lens of reality
as opposed to superstition.
WENER'S BARBEQUE
(Sports) 4:3o-6pm
Daryl Wener talks about the
world of sports. Everything
from the Canucks to the
World Rock Paper Scissors
Championship.
ethanwener@hotmail.com
FLEX YOUR HEAD
(Hardcore) 6-8pm
Punk rock and hardcore since
1989. Bands and guests from
around the world.
LIFE ON JUMPSTREET
(Dance) 8-gpm
CRIMES & TREASONS
(Hip-hop) 9-npm
crimesandtreasons@
gmail.com
CABARADIO
(Talk) upm-i2:3oam
For the world of Cabaret
Tune in for interviews,
skits, musical guests and
more. It's Radio with sass!
WEDNESDAY
SUBURBAN JUNGLE
(Eclectic) 8-ioam
Live from the Jungle Room,
join radio host Jack Velvet
for an eclectic mix of musk,
sound bites, information and
inanity. Not to be missed!
dj@jackvelvet net
25 POP DRONES
(Eclectic) io-n:3oam
ANOIZE
(Noise) n:3oam-ipm
An hour and a half of avant-
rock, noize, plunderphonic,
psychedelic and outsider
aspects of audio. An experi-
; ence for those who want to
be educated and EARitated.
lukemeat@hotmail. com
THE GREEN MAJORITY
(Talk) i-2pm
Canada's only environmental news hour, syndicated by
CIUT 89.5 FM Toronto or
UMW.greenmajority.ca.
DEMOCRACY NOW
(Talk) 2-3pm
RUMBLETONE RADIO
A GO GO
(Rock) 3-5pm
Primitive, fuzzed-out
garage mayhem!
ARTS REPORT
(Talk) 5-6pm
REEL TO REAL
(Talk) 6-6:30pm
Movie reviews and
criticism.
SAMSQUANTCH'S
HIDEAWAY
(Eclectic) 6:30-8pm
Alternating Wednesdays
All-Canadian music with a
focus on indie-rock/pop.
anitabinder@hotmail.com
FOLK OASIS
(Roots) 8-iopm
Two hours of eclectic folk/
roots music, with a big emphasis on our local scene.
C'mon in! A kumbaya-free
zone since 1997.
folkoasis@gmail.com
SEXY IN VAN CITY
(Talk) io-npm
Your weekly dose of education and entertainment in
the realm of relationships
and sexuality.
sexyinvancity.com/category/
sexy-in-vancity-radio
HANS KLOSS'MISERY HOUR
(Hans Kloss) npm-iam
Pretty much the best thing
on radio.
THURSDAY
END OF THE WORLD NEWS
(Talk) 8-ioam
SWEET AND HOT
(Jazz) ioam-i2pm
Sweet dance music and hot
jazz from the 1920s, '30s
and '40s.
DUNCAN'S DONUTS
(Eclectic) 12-ipm
Sweet treats from the pop
underground. Hosted by Duncan, sponsored by donuts.
duncansdonuts.
wordpress.com
WE ALL FALL DOWN
(Eclectic) i-2pm
Punk rock, indie pop and
whatever else I deem worthy. Hosted by a closet nerd,
www.weallfalldowncitr.
blogspotxa
INK STUDS
(Talk) 2-3pm
Underground and indie
comix. Each week, we interview a different creator to
get their unique perspective
on comix and discuss their
upcoming works.
JAPANESE MUSICQUEST
(World) 3-3:30pm
Syndicated from CJLY
Kootenay Co-op Radio in
Nelson, B.C.
FRENCH CONNECTION
(World) 3:30-5pm
French language and music.
NATIVE SOLIDARITY NEWS
(Talk) 5-6pm
A national radio service and
part of an international network of information and action in support of indigenous
peoples' survival and dignity.
ARE YOU AWARE
(Eclectic) 6-7:3opm
Celebrating the message
behind the music: Profiling
music and musicians that
take the route of positive
action over apathy.
EXQUISITE CORPSE
(Experimental) 7:30-9pm
Experimental, radio-art,
sound collage, field recordings, etc. Recommended for
the insane.
artcorpse@yahoo.com
LIVE FROM THUNDERBIRD
RADIO HELL
(Live Music) 9-npm
Featuring live band(s) every
week performing in the
CiTR Lounge. Most are from
Vancouver, but sometimes
bands from across the country and around the world.
HYPNOTIC GROOVE
(Techno) npm-i2am
AURAL TENTACLES
(Eclectic) i2-6am
It could be global, trance,
spoken word, rock, the
unusual and the weird, or it
could he something different. Hosted by DJ Pierre.
auraltentacles@hotmail.com
FRIDAY
FRIDAY SUNRISE
(Eclectic) 7:30-9am
An eckctic mix of indie
rock, hip-hop and reggae to
bring you up with the sun.
SYNCHRONICS
(Talk) 9-ioam
Join host Marie B and
discuss spirituality, health
and feeling good. Tune in
and tap into good vibrations
that help you remember
why you're here: to have
fun! This is not your average
spirituality show.
SKA-T'S SCENIC DRIVE
(Ska) ioam-i2pm
Canada's longest running
Ska radio program,
dj ska_t@hotmail. com
BARNBURNER
(Eclectic) i-2pB4> -•
JThe; greasier side of rock
'n' roll, rhythm 'n' blues,
and country... Crack a beer,
order some BBQ, and get
your boogie on.
RADIO ZERO
(Dance) 2-3:30pm
An international mix of
super-fresh weekend party
jams from New Wave to
foreign electro, baile, Bollywood and whatever else.
www.radiozero.com
NARDWUAR
(Nardumar) 3:30-5pm
Join Nardwuar the Human
Serviette for Clam Chowder flavoured entertainment. Doot doola doot
doo... doot doo!
nardwuar@nardwuar.com
NEWS 101
(Talk) 5-6pm
See Monday for description.
HOT MESS
(Eclectic) 6-7:3opm
With banging beats of rock,
funk, electro and more music
from the beautiful DJ Blonde
Tron and entertaining banter
from seasoned hosts Handsome, Jay and Eddy.
AFRICAN RHYTHMS
(Eclectic) 7:30-9pm
Your Host, David Love
Jones, plays a heavyweight
selection of classics from
the past, present and future
including jazz, soul, hip-
hop, Afro-Latin, funk and
eclectic Brazilian rhythms.
Plus interviews with local
and international artists.
Truly international flavour.
RAINBOW GROOVE
(Dance) 9-io:3opm
DJ BEAD presents a kaleidoscope of funky grooves for
your mind, body & soul. Tune
in to hear everything from
fe Underground Disco, Roller
Boogie, Space Funk, Rare
Groove, Jazzy House, Dub
Reggae, and anything from
Chaka Khan to the Clash.
SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER
(Soul/R&B) io:30-i2am
The finest in classic soul
and rhythm & blues
from the late '50s to the
early '70s, including lesser
known artists, regional hits
and lost soul gems.
THE VAMPIRE'S BALL
(Industrial) i2-4am
Dark, sinister music to
soothe and/or move the
Dragon's soul. Industrial,
goth and a touch of metal
too. Blog: thevampiresball.
blogspotcwm.
thevampiresbali@gmail.com
SATURDAY
THE SATURDAY EDGE
(Roots) 8am-i2pm
A personal guide to world
and roots music—with
African, Latin and European
music in the first half, followed by Celtic, blues,
songwriters, Cajun and
whatever else fits!
steveedge3@mac.c0m
GENERATION ANIHILATION
(Punk) 12-ipm
A fine mix of streetpunk
and old-school hardcore
backed by band interviews,
guest speakers and social
commentary.
crashnburnradio@yahoo.ca
POWER CHORD
(Metal) i-3pm
Vancouver's longest running metal show. If you're
into music that's on the
heavier/darker side of the
spectrum, then you'll like
it. Sonic assault provided by
Geoff the Metal Pimp.
CODE BLUE
(Roots) 3-5pm
From backwoods delta
low-down slide to urban
harp honks, blues and blues
roots with your hosts Jim,
Andy and Paul.
codebiue@
buddy-sfsiEem.org
THE LEO RAMIREZ SHOW
(World) 5-6pm
The best of mix of Latin
American music.
leoramirez@canada.com
NASHAVOLNA
(World) 6-7pm
News, arts, entertainmentand
music for the Russian community, local and abroad,
nashavolna.ca
NOTES FROM THE
UNDERGROUND
(Electronic/Hip-hop/More)
7-9pm
Start your Saturday night
off right with our weekly
showcase of the local
underground DJ and
electronic music scene.
notesundergroundradio.
blogspot.com
notesundergroundradio@
gmail.com
SYNAPTIC SANDWICH
(Dance/Electronic/Eclectic)
9-npm
If you like everything from
electro/techno/trance/8-bit
music/retro '80s this is the
show for you!
www.synapticsandwich.net
BEATS FROM THE BASEMENT
(Hip-hop) npm-iam
Mr. Joi, being a cinemaphile
as well as a DJ, will surprise
you with the likes of:
French NewWave, Golden
Age, Noir, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Coming of
ageDrania, Epic/Myth,
Fantasy, Gangster, Horror,
Romantic Comedy, Science
Fiction, Social Drama, :
Thriller, the Art Film, the
Black Comedy, the Musical
and the Porno.
DREAMSCENE RADIO
(Dance) iam-3am
Immerse yourself in cutting edge electronic music
from every point on the
spectrum. Christoker spins
the latest tracks taking over
dance floors around the
world and introduces you to
the producers behind them.
Turn the stereo up and have
a dance part with your cat
(cats love Electro!)
26 UNDER REVIE
THE APPLES IN STEREO
TRAVELLERS IN SPACE AND TIMS
The quest for the perfect pop song
is the Apples iii $$e*«o*s motivation. Their latest offering provides a
plethora of melodies that will be stuck
inside your head like a late night television jingle. Travellers in Space and Time
makes use of all of the cliches and pop
motifs available in the stratosphere,
and, for the most part, there are a lot
of excellent moments. However, parts
of the album are plagued by problems.
First is the overuse of a vocoder. A few
tracks extensively use the harmonized
robot voice effect distracting the listener from the otherwise infectious
background sounds. The second
problem is that at times, Robert Schneider's voice sounds like it has yet to
hit puberty—and there is something
about listening to a io-year-old sing
about love and dancing that makes one
want to shiver (especially considering
that adult is bald, rather burly and
has a beard). Thankfully, Schneider's
voice magically matures throughout
the album sounding more like a Davie Jones sort of thing. Barring those
two somewhat minor details, there
is definitely perfect pop to be found
here. Look no further than "No One in
the World" for a catchy horn section
and a great pop melody. ^Dignified
Dignitary" is a great example on the
appropriate uses of a cow bell and the
correct placement of "ooh ooh ooh
ooh." Just try and listen to that one
once without humming it for the rest
of the day. Truth be told, tracks seven
through 15 (out of a possible 16) are
as perfectly pop driven as one can get.
Though there are a few abnormalities
with the various voices and effects,
overall, Travellers in Space and Time is a
fun album and a must purchase for the
retro-pop loving people—just have
the skip button handy.
—Slauko Butifal
mmu.
DARK AGES
(Metal Blfcle)
Vancouver thrash masters Bison B.C.
somehow managed to take time out of
their relentless tour schedule to hole
themselves up in the Hive with local
wizard Jesse Gander and pound out
some metal. The end result is seven
massive tracks of Bison B.C.'s signature epic thrash that dwarf their
two phenomenal previous releases.
Dark Ages is laden with huge riffs,
punishing beats, airtight rhythms
and demonic howls and growls. Each
track is a dark, ugly and bloody fun
journey, none clocking in less than
five minutes and many going over six.
"Stressed Elephant" slowly eases you
into the darkness, and then tears your
head off at the bridge, while "Fear
Cave" blasts off immediately into the
abyss where Dan And is waiting to
grind his voke into your nightmares.
The pace of the album rises and falls
flawlessly, weaving through generations of metal. Dark Ages will hammer
itself into your head as the masterful
production consumes the room while
vocalist James Farwell wails, "make it
go louder!" Once again, Bison B.C.
have managed to make a serious metal
album without taking themselves too
seriously. The road has made men of
these punks from East Van and this album is sure to gain even more respect
in the metal community.
—MarkPauIHus
MB*
A MOUTHFUL
(Six Degrees)
The D0*s musk Is not easily pigeonholed* Different genres are interwoven m their new album A Mouthful.
Anything is possible: lively pop,
Finnish folk, love ballads and rap.
The French-Finnish duo's first album
was released in 2008 in Europe, but
Canadians had to wait two years for
it Apart from one song with Finnish
lyrics, their music sounds more like
a passionate French lover than a shy
northern European. The use of many
different instruments and the mixture
of genres has resulted in a colourful
and playful work of art, but at times
it sounds glutted. Olivia Merilahti's
breathy yet girlish voice adds a melancholic and wistful touch to many of
their songs, and this is probably what
rescues A Mouthful from being overly
florid. The first track "Playground
Hustle" resembles a marching band
of primary school kids, equipped with
flutes and drums, eager to defend
their sandbox. "Queen Dot Kong" is
a rap song that sounds like a collaboration between Eminem and M.I.A.,
whereas "Travel Light" very strongly
calls to mind the Dresden Dolls. Another unusual highlight is "Tammie,"
which evokes images of Merilahti and
Dan Levy, the other half of the duo,
standing on a Carribean beach, accompanied by a hand clapping gospel
choir. Their epic sounding melodies
are probably due to Levy's previous
experience as a film composer. All in
all this CD offers a whole mouthful
of sweet, sparkling and refreshing
music, a feast for the senses!
—Susanne Dewein
GOGOL BORDELLO
TRANS-CONTINENTAL HUSTLE
(Columbia Records)
If you've never listened to Gogol Bordello before (incidentally, I wonder
where you've been hiding) the first
thingyou'll notice is the band's catchy
gypsy-folk rhythms and lead singer
Eugene Hutz's enchanting Ukrainian accent. Trans-Continental Hustle,
produced by Rick Rubin, is the newly
released LP by the New York-based
band. Like all of Gogol Bordello's music, the assembly of violin, accordion
and the conglomeration of percussion
have the power of displacing anyone
within earshot to an altogether different time and culture. You'll be overcome by images of street vendors and
dirt road block parties.
Gogol Bordello is known for their
captivating live shows, but even without all the performative theatrics, Trans-
Continental Hustle is certainly capable of
arousing its listener from their dairy
slumber. In it's entirety, the album is
impassioned, enlivening and exotic.
Still, the band has achieved a balance
between upbeat songs like "Break The
28 Spell" and slower jams like "Sun On My
Side." The arrangement of the album
is practically flawless as it bounces between tempos and instrumentation.
It's hard not to crack a smile listening
to this newest treasure released by the
nine-piece band.
—Sarah Charrouf
HANNAH GEORGAS
this is sooe
(Hidden Pony)
Last summer's Juno Fest was the first
bceasldrt^^
darling, and since then, Hannah
Georgas' popularity has soared into
the skies of Canadian indie music
stardom. The Vancouver singer-
songwriter's debut full-length, This is
Good, has garnered blazing hot reviews
from critics across the country, and if s
not difficult to see why. With a voice
that seamlessly crosses over territories
of extreme heartbreak, the crooning
of deep-seated regret and full-on anti-
establishment wrath, Georgas could
easily be likened to heavies like Feist
and Annie Lennox.
The album opens strongly with
"ChitChat," a throwback for scorned
lovers and the egomaniacal, but this
sassy attitude is coupled nicely with
pizzicato tones and sweeping string
gestures. A few aspects of the album
point to heartbreak as a creative impetus for her work, such as "Lovers
Breakdown," but Georgas isn't as
one-dimensional as that. Another
standout track is "Dance Floor," a
catchy, unpretentious rock tune that
brings early Metric to mind, but with
the strong suggestion that Georgas is
a closeted dance diva.
Lyrically, the album is provocative and thoughtful. Particularly in the
track "Thick Skin," a darker song with
a tragic, sprawling melody, where
Georgas softly sings "We can all get
along/ in the first five minutes/ but
then just hold your breath."
The perfect album to get through
a heartbreak, or to get through a tax
audit, Hannah Georgas' music is literally the lighter side of everything that
sucks in the world.
—Mine'Salkin
■■
KAKI KING
JUNIOR
(Rounder)
Kaki King returns with her fifth album Junior. For the uninitiated, Kara*
erine (Kaki) King is a hell of a guitar
player. Her playing is multi-layered,
skilful and so evocative that her lyrics
are almost a secondary thought An
indie darling admired by her peers
(Dave Grohl among many), Kaki King
still somehow manages to slip under
my radar.
"The Betrayer" kicks off the album. A rolling up-tempo track that
gets your feet tapping, it is a wonderful indication of the songs to follow.
Sprinkled throughout the album are
a handful of instrumental pieces.
"Everything Has An End, Even Sadness" is a particular highlight. The
final track "Sunnyside" feels like the
most lyrically "real" track. Backed by
guitar and piano, the aftermath of a
break-up never sounded so sweet.
Juniorworks bestas a whole. Listen
to it from start to finish and let Kaki
King work her magic on you. The
incendiary guitar and awe-inspiring
harmonies you'd expect of King are
all here. The drumming by Jordon
Perlson is also a highlight. Furious
when it needs to be, Perlson never
overshadows the rest of the music.
Junior not only shows skilled musicianship, there is a maturity and
depth here that is unique. Kaki King
has a lot to say, and hell, you don't
get Rolling Stone calling you a "Rock
God" for nothing. Take note young
aspiring guitar virtuosos; this is how
you do it right Definitely worth checking out
—Katherine Boothroyd
THE NIX OICKSONS
1HE6IRAFFE
(Independent)
After achieving success landing
amongst X92.9 FM's top ten Canadian Indie Releases of 2009 with
their debut EP, as well as slowly taking over both Canadian and American
broadcasts, the folks from the Nix
Dicksons are well on their way. They
have created a strong following of
progressive, indie beach bums with
their latest 2010 offering The Giraffe.
This latest release from the Nix Dick-
sons reflects their relatively unconventional upbringing as a group that
refuses to be pigeon-holed into one
particular musical genre. Each track
attempts to create a hybrid love-child
of something that could be defined as
a little "punk-esque," or "folk-like."
Regardless, the assortment of styles
the album holds is like discovering
the genetic jackpot (music wise) for
something absolutely gorgeous. The
first track, fittingly entitled "Small
Town Heart," lays on plenty of harmonica and strong steady guitar riffs,
serving as a blissful opening number.
The momentum and energy is strung
throughout the entire six track album,
which is consistently upbeat containing rapid-fire tempo and short and
sweet melodies. The variety of vocals found in each track, with some
containing punk laden influences,
while others remain relatively "folk-
esque," leaves no listener out of the
loop. While tracks in the self-released
EP are relatively shorter in length, the
harmonious amalgamation of different instruments and styles is a perfect
channel to release any pent up ADD
vying to be freed since that seven
month binge of lectures and seminars
most of us had to experience this year.
The Giraje serves as the ultimate indie
summer album and a summer necessity next to your sun block. This is the
kind of stuff that makes you want to
drop the convertible soft top and take
a drive to nowhere, just so the album
can play through.
—Gmeelie Bonifam
RAH RAH
BREAKING HEARTS
(%ung Soul)
Rah Rah is some of the most easily
listenable and enjoyable music this
reviewer has had the pleasure to bat
for. This Regina, Saskatchewan band
has a sweet knack for taking plucky
high-energy songs, rounding the edges and softening the insides for easy
heart access. But it's not all popcorn
farts and jelly tarts. While the music E APPLES II ITHE»
is light hearted enough to keep you
feeling fuzzy, it carries a political edge
designed to make you think, but then
it will also be the first to remind you
not to take stuff so seriously.
Like a one-two punch, Breaking
Hearts begins perfectly with "Arrow,"
a tight and quick paced number that,
like a little arrow of intention, finds
its mark and delivers. What follows
is a dozen full-bodied song-tales
that reach for the heights of Broken
Social Scene-like indie rock urgency
as well as beer and tear stained
seafaring folk songs for the lonely.
What is lovely about the album is that
the band hasn't changed their sound
drastically but have matured and
improved upon it, stitching together
some of the catchiest music this side
of the border.
Like tea with a cute friend, a
drunken dust up, or a breakup on a
perfect summer day, Rah Rah's music
is refreshing, surprising, beautiful
and heart-breaking. However, like
that good friend, it will stick with
you and remind you to see the beauty
in it all.
—Nathaniel Bryce
THIS IS FRANCS
SHELTER
(Independent)
It is pretty hard to try and write a re-
have been released, however things
for This is Franco look bright. After
only two years together, and this being
their third CD, they have the maturity of sound that suggests they're a
much more experienced band. This
indie outfit has beautiful little melodies and will give you that feel-good
warmth, although their soft-core pop
sound might not be for every listener.
Their EP has all the sonic evidence of
being well produced, with their two
track offerings "Shelter," and "Stuck
Between."
The first of these songs starts
up with has a gorgeous indie guitar
riff, bringing to mind the sprawling
quietness of early Coldplay, but with
vocalist Mark Bridgeman drawing you
in more dreamily than Chris Martin.
Featuring the vocal talents of Kirsten
Cudmore of Language Arts, her stunning, velvet voice is reminiscent of
the style of California-based hip-hop
group, Subtle.
"Stuck between," the other track
released on the EP, is a cheery little
number. However that is about all
you could say about it, as it doesn't
really have, a hook to getyour attention
and it almost seems like a filler. They
just lack the passion with this song.
Let's hope that the next few tracks
released will be improvements or
the band's following will be greatly
disappointed.
—-Jonny Philpott
WOLF PARADE
EXPOSS
(Sub Pop)
At long last Canadian indie-rock
mainstays Spencer Krug and Dan
Boeckner have combined songwriting
forces, reuniting with Dante DeCaro
*an$A?!eii'tt^
Wolf Parade record (unfortunately,
Hadji Bakara sat this one out, deciding to pursue academic valor rather
than rock 'n' roll infamy). All four
individuals took time off from their
multitude of other projects (Handsome Furs, Sunset Rubdown, Swan
Lake and Treasure Hunt to name a
few) coming together as a band for the
entire writing and recording process;
each adding their individual talents
and discernable styles to create a unified sound. Expo 86 is very much a
collaborative effort, resulting in the
most cohesive, well rounded Wolf
Parade effort yet. Due to be released
on June 29th, the n tracks that make
up Expo 86 are sure to define Wolf
Parade as a band with a unique sonic
formula. All the usual ingredients are
there: big guitars, keyboards, diverse
rhythms, bleeps and blips (despite
Hadji's absence) and distinct vocals
and melodies. However, everything
seems bigger and brighter. Expo 86 is
the most upbeat Wolf Parade album to
date; everything is clean, crisp, vibrant
and rejuvenating. In true Wolf Parade
fashion, the songs' huge, thoughtful
constructions are full of melody and
character that somehow manage to
lack pretense. Composed and recorded by a group of very talented men, it's
clear that the band harbours a true
passion for what they do, and have the
ability to translate that passion on to
tape. Expo 86 is the Wolf Parade album
we've all been waiting for!
—Mark PaulHus
XIUXIU
DEAR G0Dr I HATE MYSELF
Your initial teac&on on listening to
Dear God, t Hate Myself might very well
t^slthfgsifise of superktifafm the
certainty that you will never come
across with as much pretense as Jamie
Stewart, frontman and nucleus of Xiu
Xiu. Stewart's clearly enunciated lyrics
can sound sometimes like the creative
writing of a 16 year-old goth on Ritalin
and weed; sodden with metaphors and
similes that try too hard and wallow in
a self-loathing quagmire. With lines
like "this sopping wet towel of stupidity" and "like a whip covered in pins
and glue," it can be easy to dismiss
Stewart as a self-absorbed wanker.
However, this would be a premature
and incomplete judgement. Repeated
listening will reveal a sense of humour
that so unabashedly penetrates the
murky black depths of inner experience to emerge triumphantly from the
opposite extreme, like the rising sun,
and offers a sweet glow of hope and
beauty amidst even the most oppressive despair. As Stewart himself puts
it in an online interview, it is to "use
humour from your heart and crotch
rather than a way to avoid showing
yourself." Stewart shows quite a lot of
himself; undoubtedly it will be more
than many people want to see.
The undeniable fact is that the
songs are well-written, and achieve
a working balance between the self-
conscious yet unapologetic egotism
of a charismatic frontman, with
engaging and creative production
comparable to Why?'s Alopecia. There
is a healthy intermingling of instrumentation, synthesizers, electronic
beats and weird samples. The second
track, "Chocolate Makes You Happy,"
is catchy as fuck and might even be
danceable, which is a lot to be said for
a song about bulimia. Even Stewart's
delivery of the eponymous chorus of
title track, "Dear God, I hate myself"
has a heavy, charming elegance in the
tradition of Morrissey and Ian Curtis.
That being said, "intense" is the word
for Xiu Xiu, and while DGIHM might
have a pleasant cathartic effect listened to alone when you're depressed
or heartbroken, it's a little overwhelming to listen to in any kind of social
situation. At least everybody danced
to Joy Division. Xiu Xiu is the opposite
of party.
—Andrew Reeves
Powering
CITR
and
DISCORDER
Online
Concert
Calendai
\30 THE GRAVE LEVEL FINAL SHOW: 24 BAUDS
April 24 / Graue Level
t Have you ever gone out to a restaurant during its last week, because you wanted
to know what the fuss was about, and then it turns out It's great, and yon kick
yourself for having not gone sooner? Well, mis wasn'texactly it Although Grave
Level's last hurrah was, indeed, a great time, it was pretty clear that they were
pulling out all the stops to end with a bang, like if that great restaurant you
went to had free last week pitchers. Vm sure Grave Level, the house situated
near the large graveyard on Eraser St that hosted many bands, was always tun
in itself, but it's not like die 12-hour concert didn't help, or maybe thafs just
my lack-of-nostalgia talking. You'd have thought we were at the oP cabin, what
with ail the misty-eyed "this was my bedroom"-isms.
As one would expect, 24 bands made for wide variety in the quality of the
musk. A half-hour set presents unique challenges to a band, and those sets
ranged from jam-packed to just a handful of songs over ten minutes* The first
truly great set of the day, Master Chef, faxmd a nice compromise of the two. In
what I assume was a one-off, Adrian Teacher of Apollo Ghosts and Alex Zhang
Hnngtai of Dirty Beaches jwa^d from guitars to pedals to drums creating
very moody, mostly loop-based post-rock. It was hard to tell how much of the
music was planned, but it definitely worked.
Buftaloswans' set was a refreshing change of pace from the last couple
hands before it, and itwas disappointing that their crowd wasn't more densely
packed. Bad Fate followed downstairs, with a full set of sprawling, emotional
and largely instrumental rock. Their musicianship was some of die best of the
night, beat only by the British Columbians. After a solid two-track ten minutes
(featuring a new song possibly named "Broken Capt Beef-a-doo"), the BCs
chose the "potentially disastrous" route of jamming out the rest of their set—
and it worked! The band played through a wide variety of moods without ever
missing a beat or dropping a melody.
The stat of the evening, though, was Chris-a-Rjffic's Bible Belts. Leading a
parade of accordion and melodka upstairs from the basement afrer Organ Trail,
Chris -a-Rjffic enlisted a drummer from the crowd to pound out simple tribal
beats as he recited poetry/lyrics/gibberish. The place was standing room only,
and Chris-a-Riffic led the crowd clapping and chanting through his hypnotic
rants and stories, swearing frantically after each about how litde time they were
taking. The whole spectacle was almost musk by way of performance art, md
the audience was in step enough to carry an unplanned second go of the chorus
of his last song. Pius, In talking to him afrer, his status as die nicest fucking
guy m. Vancouver music has once again hem reaffirmed.
The band at the end of Giave Level, however, &xte& with a whimper. A teveter
with a few too many fell down the front steps, and an ambulance was called.
Kidnap Kids were put on hold, then shut down as one of the Grave Level head
honchos announced the cops were on their way, although maybe die owners
were just tired. Anyway, I've heard the guy was fine, and die Kidnap Kids play
all die time, $0 Gtsve Level's only real casualty was the promised Shipyards/
Lord Fuck collaboration of Graveyards. And the house itself. Hopefully, they'll
both live on, in practice ('yards} and in spirit (Grave Level).
^^isperWalleu
LONGWALKSHORTDOCK / VINCENT PARKER / RUAIRt LAZERS
April 24 / Biltmore Cabaret ■
1 The Biltmore was transformed into a psychedelic dance party by Rnairi Laz*
ers, Vincent Parker and Longwalkshortdock with the help of RIM VISUALS
and Robin Greenwood for this show. The stage was bathed in tripped-outeye
candy, ranging from a spastic loop of Maria from Metropolis to a sheet of space
invaders scrolling down the walls and the side of the stage. With that setting,
how could the night go wrong?
Ruairi Lazers built a tent of shower curtains on stage to serve as a base of
operations for his audio assault He brought a drum kit, a flute and heaps of
electronics across from Victoria to create perhaps the most engaging set of
the night—deep, murky bass layered with live drums and beatboxing, looped
and filtered Into smart, glitchy, dub-infused soundscapes for the dozen or so
people who arrived early enough to enjoy it
Once the tent was taken down, Vincent Parker took overthe stage. Be
delivered crunchy 8-bit beats with his laptop and Kaoss pads, warming up die
dancefloor as more people filtered through me doors. The night was effectively
the release party for his new album, Prism M$$r, and bf die time he was finished
his set the crowd was partying along with him.
lb close out die night, Longwalkshortdock, also known as Vancouver's
Dave King, brought his tower of electronic tricks f^i treats to the Biltmore
31 stage for the first time. LWSD flailed about die stage,, blasting out some new
acid-infused tunes in preparation for summer festivals. The new songs were
v^tM received, but the biggest cheers of l^fewere saved for his encore, rtHigh
Expectations", a LWSDJavorite that had the entire crowd screaming along.
When ii p.h> came around; the Glory Days crowd outside was feeling like
-^igrajL missed me^lial, party.
■—Gre#McMullen . V1
LIARS/FOL CHEW
Venue/April 30 |
Angus Andrew was a bundle of nerves as he ambled on stage at Venue to announce that Liars would be playing sans guitarift^karon Hemgjpiil, who had
injured his hand thj^ay before. He had thought of can0e$thg'ijse gig—"but
.%jk4%" he exclaimed, "this is Canada!" Thus, Andrew, drummer Julian Gross
and two members of Fol Chen soldiered through aloud and furious set. They
didn't miss a note.
The band's previous Vancouver engagement opening for Radiohead two
y^s^ack saw them straying towards the less accessible side of their catalogue
&iftujepoking run at the chagrined T-Birdffedttim crow^fhut here they stuck
6ore|opunkish guitar scorchers. "Scarecrows on a Killer Slant" pounded like
an angry. C#|Magnon, anid^Scissor" repeated^^irste out ofifaietude with
^fe^yCJ^fenid crashing cymbals. However, th^^etformancg^uldn'thelp
but feel a bit blunt at times.: rhdr traditional guitar/bass/drums setup, while
supplying ample force to die big choruses of songs like "Clear Island," sadly
fmJittie room for die finer experimental passages from their recorded work.
Xflf^iiiey were a JGpf& watch, right up until an encore of^feeak Out" that saw
Andrew go positively batty.
Fol Chen were anl^genre-hoppin^compleme^#4i^ipiin attraction. They
drew in elements from Hot Chip's playful beats, ^j^incenfs guitar stab®, and
ffoe-tf-'ftench-era Liars' jilted melodl^ overlaid with smooth malejfjpfnale vocals.
The real heart of the band resided in the drummer, a madman whose feats of
rhythmic ingenuity showed distinct worship of Don Caballero and similar gods
of math rock. Conversations in the audience overpowered some softer sections,
butafter enough solid tunes (and after people stopped to notice their coordinated
neon orange outfits) it was Fol Chen who won out in the end.
-^-Simon Foreman
LADYHAWK / NEEDLES & PINS / MAKEOUT VIDEOTAPE /■:
Rickshaw Theatre / May 1st 2010
.Thank goodness for the Rickshaw Theat^ Being that it was:M|Emily Can-
Graduate show, I expected/tosee at .least some form of art tha^buld make
me say "hnhj^* And baby I wasn't let down!. Through the duration of the
show, obscure videos of hand drawn animation werei&ojected on top of
stock footag^of Hell's Angels, nude hippies and talking sandwiches stoked
on Florida orange juice.
First up ^sj^flout Videotape, the trio of yoith in revolt, who 0fe§.
quite an exceptional show^ such a you^g group. Ma^iDeMarco anA^fef
.Calder both did a laudable job at playing to a less than full house, but it was Jen
Clement that gave the band a niche image. Placed in. the middle of die stage,
Jen stood and thrashed on the drums hi the best childish demeanor since Meg
White. Although with somewhat of a small audience, Makeout Videotape did
not allow for an energy drefeand their songs, altfi^ugh quite short, are filled
with bass heavy dmms, clean driving bass lines, and a roffgpLguitar twang that
^Bpeplements DeMarco as he signs hisj^peet melodies.
Next up to bat was Needles & Pins. This is power punk at its finest, true bar
music. Once that twang hits your ears, it's very difficult to stop your gluteous
maximus from shaking side to side.
By 11PM, the Rickshaw had transformed into a social house of skaters;
rockers, artists and high-waisted pant wearing pixies. The PBR was flowing,
and one of Vancouver's most reputable indie-rock bands was about £0 hit the
stage. It was time to get a little Ladyhawk in our blood.
.Keep in mind this isn't the New Zealand electro-^op act Ladyhawfcej tins
IsVaasouver's own via Kelowna. After a few seconds of feedb/aj||,. the levels
3S$&fttit and the music was succulent to my ears. The ggfeat thing about Ladyhawk is that they make a lot sound, more than you would e^^t from the
average foufe^iece rock'n'roll band. With layered orchestral guitars and the
occasional tube Screaming fuzz wah, Ladyhawk push themselvefijp infect you
with jheir noise, and it is very refr^h%j|j^witness a band not obsessed with
the pre-conceived notion of having the lead singer front and center. With lead
vocalist Duffy Driediger on the far right of the stage and lead guitarist Darcy
Hancock on the far left, the audience is forced to view all speej$nms of the
performance. The dudes got the ball rolling by their 3rd song "The Dugout"?
personally, this is the song that has been resonating in m^lgead since its debut
on their self-titled debtit in 2006. Throughout the entire set, all vocalists were
32 together and tight, with Driediger's voice sustaining a level of high intensity
and perfect pitch over the arrangements of fuzzy, tube screaming guitars. Sean
Hawtyiukand his luscious, long locks danced on stage and never missed a note
on bass, and Ryan Peters banged on the skins with the intensity of a racehorse
I^^^TSifl^dons to th#Moening band^tew songs fo^S^^fence, what
more can y#§Jbsk for? Lao^awk are thei^itome of dudes just trying to rock
out with a ferocious yet approachable demeanor;
^^w«j^Ross^
THE BESNARD LAKE^^pRADO
The Media Club/May 5
Montreal has in recent years produced an abundance of amazir|||trtists. The
Arcade Fire, Stars afifd Plants Sci^hnals have achieved critical acclaim and
" amassed nationwide popularity while djlpering art that not only is accessible but daring in its construct and musicianship. Another Montreal band
the Besnard«£akes, on a similar rise, played the Media Club this Wednesday
night, delivering a.mystical musical experience. But before the main cgu||g||
Hollerado kick-started then%ht with a blues-inspired rock appetizer. With a
heavy dose oitouriftg, the boys from Manotick, Ontario have garnered high
praise for their raw, genuine image and off-me-aSitlive energy. Having just
released their debut disc Record* In A Bag, the boys are embarking on a summer
tour playing alongside Toronto's Fucked Up, as well as rising stars out of
Brooklyn, Fang Island. ';
With the adrenaline in the room pumping, it was now time for tiki Besnard
Lakes.. Through fog and bftte>light, the quartet, led by husband and wife Jace ■
Lacek and Olga Goreas took to the stage, delivering a mesmerizing medley of
atmospheric, progres&vegpsychedelic and shoe-gaze rock 'n' roll. While debate
can be had on howto label the sound of the Besnard Lakes, their musicianship
i^i^|ftiabie. Prefaced with eerie samplings of recordings taken from shortwave radio numbers stations, recordings thought to communicate messages to
-spies, the Besnard Lakes' songs begin shrouded in mystery. With the infusion
of Lacek's haunting falsetto and the band's smooth power, the songs take on
a life and echo a state of expansive magnificence and grandeur.
Including hits from both The Besnard Lakes Are The DarkH&rst and their cur-
' rent record, Ihe Besnard Lakes Are The Roarina Njghit, the set showcased die foil
spectrum of the grd^fifs evolution j^idate. Highlights inclui|ed the soothing and
swaying "Albatross," "And This Is WhatWeCaU Progress," "Like The Ocean,
li^^^eInnocent^@|>th parts) and the|^pchedelic "Devastation".
—Gavin Retd
PAT LEPOIDEVIN
A House in Kiteilano /feay 7
An accidental double booking at Cafe" Deux Soleils led Princeton, B.C.'s singer/
Ifomgwriter, Pat Lejf||8jtevin, to an unexpected new location: a reincarnation-
thenaed birthday party at a house in the heart of Kitsilano.
Fpr such a quairji and low key location, you ^aldn't expect much from
i 'Hffffe§]astics. However, when LePoidevin and drummer Matthew Sarty started
playing, it became apparent that the tiny backyard, complete with people in
random animal costumes and soft dangling lights, complimented LePoidevin's
blend of Celtic sounds and indie-folk, far better than any actual enclosed venue.
LePoidevin's husky, Bon Iver-esque vocals resonated throughout the entire yard,
impressing even the neighbours, whom applauded politely after each song.
The most captivating moments are when it is just LePoidevin and his ukulele,
and watchil^him gradually build a layered backtrack with a loop pedal. The
beautiful song "You Know Your War," displays LePoidevin's talent for effectively -
looping his vocals, into an ethereal and dreamy three-part vocal harmony.
The set elated with "Th^loonwolf Departure." The fto^^mping track
loosened everyone u^ and when the guel^in costume started twirling and
swaying, I felt like I had been transported to some whimsical renaissance fair.
The crowd immediately demanded an encore and by encore I actually mean, we '"
demanded that He play the same song again. He happily complied.
- Like a"true rock star, LePoidevin steppj|Ctoto the crowd, and got everyone
. bouncing and singing along. I found myself in die midst of a dance circle,
^consisting of LePoidevaihimself, and peofle'd^ewfdas an owl and an arbutus
tree. It was then I realized this show was something special.
—Angela Yen
OWENPALLETT/SNOWBUNK .
Vbaue Theatre /May 9
Go back two or three years, and you couldn't keep Owen Pailett away from Vancouver if you trigdj^fefa lastSept^ffi^f s showatip Andrew's-We&ley Church
cancelled due to illness, it's worked out to have been a while since we've heard
that irnmaculate violin. All the better to stoke excitement for Final Fantasy's first
Vancouver Ifjtw under a new nantj^his own. An^l^asn't the Vogue a perfect
venue for it? It's ghetto enough to not feel fussy like the Orpheum, but fussy
enough to keep the crowd seated and attentive for the entire show,1 including.'
fabulous openers Snowblink. Delicate fingerpicking from the band's two
members was supported by synch basslines powerful enough to make up for
-jt^le^f percussion (anil, controlled by foot!). The stron^fc;pl£f of their set
and thehvsound was clearfe|^aniela Gesuidheit's vocal melodies. Her voice's
gentle folksiness matched well witiltSie songs' lilting phrases, and were often
reminiscent of Joni Mitchell (at least, this reviewer thought so).
Snowblink's playfulness contrasted the formality of Pallett's. Opening with,"
;m,enielancholy "E is for Estranged," Pailett kept his first iw songs restrained.
"Tins is the Dream ofWm Sr&egine" was played to the delight of the audience, 34
and followed by unreleased rarity "Scandal at the Parkade" and an old favourite
"Thafs When the Audience Died." Pailett was then joined onstage by touring
multi-insrrumentalist Thomas Gill, who helped bring some of Heartland's tracks'
grandness to the stage. It was during these new songs that the show began to
loosen up, with the mo musicians giving varied reviews of their dinners (Gun
didn't work out so well) and generally becoming more comfortable on stage.
After a few songs (including a beautiful and cheered-upon-recognition of *The
Great Elsewhere"), Gill left the stage for Pailett to play a few more tracks, a cover
of Simon Bookish's ''Interview" being a highlight, before returning to show his
guitar proficiency on "Many Lives 49 MP* and ended the show with the dramatic
"Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" A standing ovation brought the two back quickly
for an encore ofoldstandbys, "Better Than Worse* and "This Lamb Seas Cott-
dos.* The two tracks were a nice touch considering the Heartland-centric nature
of the show and the lead-up to it Considering their skillful performance, and
the thunderous applause that followed, it should be clear that Owen Palletthas
always been an incredible musician, but it's now that he's beginning to get the
foil popularity and recognition he deserves.
—Jasper Walley > *;;s* :
THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH / NURSES
St. James Hall /May 12
After getting hot m& sweaty to folkadelic rockers Nurses, the crowd waiting
for headliner the Tallest Man on Barm were probably expecting the intensity
of die show to dim down. "You seem like sweet people,* singer Krisrian Mats-
son greeted his audience in a misleadingly gentle voice, "III play a soft one
Fans of the American-style Swedish folk singer were not disappointed by
his soft songs as they swooned and crooned along word for word to romantic
winners like "The Gardner," Drawing worthy comparisons to Dylan for his
storytelling abilities, guitar plucking prowess, and cryptic lyrics like "I know
the runner's going to tell you/ There ain't no cowboy in ray hair/ So sow he's
buried by the daisies/ So I could stay the tallest man in your eyes, babe," there
is much shout die Swede to love. Armed lastly with looks to kill (think 70s
era folkv, extra lanky and bearded), It was certainly difficult not £0 he pulled
under Matsson's spell
However, the most pleasant shock of the evening came with over-driven
amps, ripped chords and the roaring vocals of a man twice his age as the method
of delivery for his solidly folk repertoire. Tracks off Matsson's newest release
The Wild Html as well as aooS's Shallow Gram were performed with more gusto
than can possibly be captured in their recorded form.
"So this is a Canadian church?" Matsson remarked during a guitar change
and quick tune. "Good. Or not good, I curse and scream in church and Fm
not sorry, tm going to do it again." Considering his use of open tuning, the
song breaks to switch between three guitars were short, sweet and pocked
with cynically pleasant banter like, "If s a lovt song—about a divorce" (before
launching into a cover of "Graceland").
Matsson was thanked for his intense efforts by mucous applause from
his Vancouver audience. Dripping with sweat ra a church as hot as a sauna,
he returned to the stage for a double encore. The crowd was unwilling to let
bfm go. "Thanks,* the dripping Matsson at last sighed, as if so a lover, *Pfl
f be back in the fall.*
—Grace McRoe-Okine
FUCK BUTTONS/CAVINfi
The Biltmore/May 14
Local mainstay Andy Dixon has recendy been producing dubsteppy, glitchy
re-imaginings of modem hip-hop under the name Caving. On this night,
chopped-op vocal samples from the likes ofJay-2 and Missy BIHott ran tandem
with wonky, wobbly grooves and Secret Mommy-style squeaks to compose a
seamless set that excited the crowd to various levels of gyration. Dixon had
people who wouldn't bother with a mainstream hip-hop night grooving to Be-
yonce' and Slim Thug with swampy bass lines as an oudet for people to indulge
their secret love of urban sounds. Check out his MySpace page for a taste.
Afterwards, Dixon's small table of gear was moved aside to reveal a much
larger table wkh much more gear, which was to be home to Bristol's Buck
Buttons until |ust before one a.m. The duo switched between hazy, beat-
driven panoramas (*Surf Sokr"), forays into primitive tribalism ("Ribs Out")
and harsh noise odysseys ("Sweet Love for Planet Earth"). It was everything
you might expect from then: album Tarot Sport: a kraut-ish journey through
hypnotic rhythms, atop which was built a tower of esoteric synth creations
And yet, it was also something more: the mutated electronica spewed forth
fitom the Biltmore's speakers brought a whole range of emotion into the iow-
ceilinged room. For some, this was set to be one of the best shows they've seen
in the past year; others were oblivious, and ended me night so drunk rJhey could
barely stand Some people got visibly intimate on the dance floor; others, it
seemed, may have been torn apart. Some moved their bodies with deep-rooted
feeling, started violent scuttles near the stage or even crowdsurfed. Others
remained consistently motionless—some completely entranced and others
<**bimon Foremen ' -,„
NEXT MUSIC FROM TOKYO VOL.! - TO* 1811
ANDYMORI / MOTHERCOAT / OWARIKARA / 608M1 / X0UI KULU SftftOSN
The Biltmore Cabaret / May 22
Promoter Steve Tanaka is the brain behind Next Music from Tokyo Viol. 1. His
love of Japanese indie music lead him to bring five bands to Canada that most
of us would have never heard about, let akme get die opportunity to see live. *
Kulu Kulu Garden kicked things off. Sounding like a revved-up Sonic Youth,.
their pop-rock was infectious. Singer KotoneMiyahara was so endearing and,
for lack of a better word, happy, it was impossible not so get caught In their
freak out of a show. Goomi were up next Royogo Kobata's violin playing was
inspiring and a beautiful accompaniment to their pretty harmonies. Gentle but
never submissive, these 2 girls and guy delivered a rapturous set
Owarikara. Were they ever loud. Their music came at the audience like a
wall of sound. Showing they have listened to a few Jimi Hendrix records in
their time,, the guitar playing was incendiary. They played like demons and
had the best example of 'extreme' keyboard playing and even threw in a few"
choice moves by playing guitars behind then* heads. Awesome. Momercoatwere -
pure pop perfection and the highlight of the night This is a band to really get
excited about They belted the crap out of their instruments and put on a hell
of a show. Andymori were the last to take the stage, ^op-rock; that was simple
but effective, they were the least impressive of the group. However, given how
high the bar was set by the previous bands, they have nothing 10 be ashamed
of. Sushi between sets and the occasional t-shirt give away m&ds this gig feel
like a real treat Seriously, when was the lastyou went to a gig and they fed yon?.
Free food aside, is it too early to call k one of the best gigs of the year?
This was fantastic opportunity to see some really'amazing musicians.
Tanaka is considering putting the event on again later in the year so hopefully
this is the start of a semi-annual event
—KflthoineBwithnBd - -;\ ■ft
// EASING YOUR ANXIETY DISORDER
BY ERICA HANSEN
ART BY LINDSEY HAMPTON
SSRIS OR SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS, ARE USED TO TREAT ANXIETY. SSRIS CAN ALSO BE USED TO TREAT INSOMNIA AND PREMATURE
EJACULATING. THOUGH MORE MELODIC AND A TAD MORE THRASH THAN YOUR AVERAGE PRESCRIPTION, I WAS PRETTY EXCITED TO PROFILE THIS VANCOUVER
BAND, SO REMINISCENT OF THE POST-HARDCORE OBSESSION OF MY YOUNGER YEARS. I GOT IN TOUCH WITH BAND MEMBERS ELLIOT LANGFORD AND JOE
HIRABAYASHI VIA EMAIL AND THEY COLLABORATED TO PUT TOGETHER THESE ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS.
DISCORDER: FIRST OF ALL, ITS SO RAD YOU GUYS ARE PLAYING SLED ISLAND IN CALGARY.
SUCH A DOPE FESTIVAL HAVE YOU PLAYED IT BEFORE? ITU BE GOOD TIMES. I WISH
I COULD GO THIS YEAR.
SSRIs: Yeah, it's pretty rad. Lastyear was super fun. I think we all have a weird
perception that Calgary is the most fun city just because the only time any of
us have been there was for that. So if it is as fun as lastyear, then it will be very
fun, and fun is fun, so thafs fun, which is funny fun fun. Anyhow, snakes.
D: CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR NEW ALBUM?
SSRIs: It is called Effeminate Godzilla-Sized Wind Chimes. It is the first time we've
pressed vinyl. It is our first full-length release, and it's our first release with
Tony [Dallas], and Aaron [McKinney] in the band. We recorded it last winter/
spring and it has ten songs on it. Hoorah.
D: I LIKE THE ALBUM ART. WHO DID IT? WHOSE CAT IS THAT?
SSRIs: Caitlin Livingston did the album art and the cat is her cat Thor. Thor
also worked on the album art
D: FAVOURITE TRACK AT ALL?
SSRIs: Not really. If we picked favourites, the other songs would get jealous.
D: HOW DO YOU WRITE SONGS? DO YOU JUST JAM IT OUT? DO YOU ALL WRITE LYRICS?
SSRIs: Sometimes we jam out the song, sometimes they are thoroughly composed, sometimes they are different peoples parts put together. Usually lyrics
are by Elliot [Langford] or Joe [Hirabayashi]. Sometimes we cover CCR tunes
and then just gradually change the lyrics and music.
D: WHAT BANDS DO YOU GUYS LIKE?
SSRIs: I'm really going to like the bands that our kids form.- Hopefully, they
sound like Fugazi. Elliot spends most of his days watching Cardiacs videos
on YouTube.
D: WHAT KIND OF SOUNDS DO YOU GUYS LIKE (SMASHING SOUNDS, BELL SOUNDS,
SCRATCHING SOUNDS, ETC.)?
SSRIs: Keyboard typing sounds. Loose change in pockets. Electronics malfunctioning. Bubbling soup. (Yum!) That thing DJs do thafs like
weeooweeooweeooo.
D: DARE I ASK YOU TO DEFINE YOUR SOUND?
SSRIs: I don't know, we're just so undefinable. We just sound like nothing else,
ever. We don't have guitars or anything. We're just so crazy experimental out
there, man. It's kind of like if all the world cultures mixed together, and then
got some fucking alien cultures in there, too, man. Like fucking Neptunians or
whatever the shit Like, don't even try to listen to us through speakers, just listen
for us in the sound of the wind...but try to specifically listen for the Neptunian
parts of the wind. But actually, we just sound like pop songs that have more
parts than usual and are sometimes thrashier than usual.
SSRIs' new album comes out this month. They have a CD release party at the Biltmore
on June 18. Check them out! fe
35 ART PROJECT// ■pi
ART WASTE IS
WORDS AND IMAGES COURTESY OF ART WASTE
ART WASTE IS A SERIES OF EXHIBITIONS TAKING PLACE AT INDEPENDENT
GALLERIES ACROSS THE CITY DURING MUSIC WASTE. THIS IS A SMALL
SAMPLING OF WHAT YOU CAN SEE. SEE THE MUSIC WASTE PROGRAM
GUIDE ON PAGES 20-21 FOR THE REST OF THE LISTINGS
NEW WORKS BY DAN SINEY
SHUDDER GALLERY
OPENING: THURSDAY JUNE 3 FROM 7-11 PM
Dan Siney's work finds moments of union with the world. This union
provides an opportunity to witness ourselves through our relationships
to the objects and events surrounding us. Within the viewing experience
there is a feeling of inseparability and an unspoken language inherent
to this aspect of our being. This language is also in tune with questions
involving the nature of light and the intrinsic objective and abstract
qualities of photography. On display is a selection of photographs and a
video installation reflecting the artist's continued fascination with this
process. Within this process Siney's photos develop their own narrative
symbolic language displacing the original context.
36. EMILIANO SEPULVEDA (SUMS OVER PATHS)
JESSICA GNYP (SIMPLE LIFE DIMAXION MAP/ SIMPLE LIFE ENERGY MAP)
WHAT DOES INFO WANT
BUM
OPENING: FRIDAY, JUNE 4 FROM 8-11PM
ARTISTS: KATE ROBIN HENDERSON / ELEE KRAUII GARDINER /JESSICA GNYP /
REBECCA LAMARRE / REBECCA-ELLEN FARRELL / CURATED BY: RAY HSU AND
EMILIANO SEPULVEDA
What Does Info Want is an exhibition exploring the idea of the infoscape, a
landscape which is the physical expression of information, and it looks to the
archive as an index for visceral experience.
By bringing together indices ranging from geological zones to pie graphs,
we ask, "What is an index? What does it stand for?" In our experiences of these
pieces, the hand that organizes information is ever-present, so that it becomes
clear that the archive manages not only material, but also human experience.
Subjective experience haunts any objectivist fantasy of information management
and directs the form that the data will be communicated. This creates a myriad
of ways for information to be visualized and with which to interact.
The exhibition brings together a diverse group of people working across
different disciplines, including science, poetry, archiving and visual art.
LEFT BY MAIRIN DEERY AND KERI TUCKER
RIGHT BY KATE HENDERSON
PLAYIME
156 WEST HASTINGS
OPENING: FRIDAY, JUNE 4 FROM 6-11PM
As a collective of emerging artists and students, Good Idea strives to showcase
artworks that would otherwise be unnoticed by the mainstream art world. Our
principal mandate involves the reapppropriation of atypical and unconventional
spaces—transforming them into temporary art galleries. We believe abandoned
spaces should be occupied—in our case, we believe these spaces should
serve to challenge the exclusivity of Vancouver's art community. Our current
show, Playtime, explores the theme of play, specifically, the sentimentality
and nostalgia of childhood playing. Our featured artists for the Playtime show
have submitted multimedia pieces including sculptural installations, video art,
photography and drawings. All works will be on display at the newly renovated
156 West Hastings from June 4 and 5.
37 LAUGH TRACKS WITH KLIPH NESTEROFF
BYJONNYPHILPOTT
ART BY LINDSEY HAMPTON
KLIPH NESTEROFFS LAUGH TRACKS AIRS ON CITR EVERY TUESDAY AT 1 P.M. FOR AN HOUR, THOUGH
IF YOU MISS IT, THERE'S A PODCAST YOU CAN GRAB ON THE CITR WEBSITE. AS YOU'VE PROBABLY
GUESSED, IT'S A SHOW ABOUT COMEDY HE TOOK OVER THE SHOW ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO AND
SINCE THEN, HE HAS MADE THE SHOW HIS OWN. AMONG MUCH ELSE, HE HAS A BLOG AND PODCAST,
BOTH CALLED GENERATION EXPLOITATION, AND HE HAS A HEALTHY BACKGROUND IN COMEDY HIMSELF.
DISCORDER GOT IN TOUCH WITH HIM JUST BEFORE ONE OF HIS SHOWS IN MAY.
DISCORDER: WHAT IS YOUR COMEDY SHOW ABOUT?
Kliph Nesteroff: About five years ago, I took it over and started playing like
old comedy records and slowly started playing ones that were unintentionally
funny, that weren't comedy records but were Christian, anti-drug LPs and anti-
sex LPs and stuff like this, and they were funny by default And then over the
course of time, it has become a different mish-mash of pop culture ephemera.
Today for instance, I'm playing a comedy show from 1965 that is a profile of
Woody Allen, back when he was still a stand-up comic.
0; WHO WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR FAVOURITE COMEDIAN?
KN: I like tons of different comics, like there are guys that, if they are in town
then I will definitely go see, like Louis C.K. or Norm MacDonald, but at the
same time I like anybody who is funny. I also enjoy old style comedians from
the '40s, '50s or '60s, whether they're funny or not, sometimes the ones that
are not funny are just as enjoyable because they put so much effort into it and
actually make an audience laugh.
D: SO IS THERE ANYBODY NOW WHO YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO SEE, WHO YOU
HAVEN'T SEEN?
KN: I don't know if there is. A couple of years ago there were a few guys I
wanted to see before they died. I had not seen Don Sickles, I had not seen the
Smothers Brothers, but now I've seen both of them several times, and met
them and I've also seen and met Steve Martin.
0: WHAT ABOUT IMPROVISATION AND OTHER SORTS OF COMEDY?
KN: I appreciate any comedy, you know; any format is capable of being funny.
I don't discriminate against one genre. I like anything that is funny.
D: WHAT WAS THE BEST HECKLE YOU HAVE EVER HEARD?
KN: I don't get [heckles], yet it happens all the time, only at comedy shows.
Like if you go to a play, people don't scream at the actors and go "AHHH you're
a shitty actor." It just doesn't happen, so I don't know why it happens at stand-
up shows. I think because if s more personable, because the person is there
as themselves talking, even though it's an act. I don't think most people that
heckle realize that he's doing an act, you know.
D: HAVE YOU ANY ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET INTO COMEDY?
KN: The key is to do as many shows as you possibly can, whether they're good
or bad, or for six people or 60 people. And if you have a real horrible show,
you have to go and do a show the next night to get that shitty show out of your
mind, otherwise you will stew, and the feeling will get worse and you won't
want to do it anymore. But really thafs very true of stand-up. Like the guys who
are really good, if you ask them how many comedy shows they have done, they
will tell you thousands, fc //CiTR 101.9 FM CHARTS
STRICTLY THE DOPEST HITZ OF MAY
#
ARTIST
ALBUM
LABEL
#
ARTIST
ALBUM
LABEL
1
Defektors*
The Bottom of the
City
Nominal
26
Hellsongs*
Hymns in
the Key of 666
Aporia
2
The Pack A.D.*
We Kill Computers
Mint
27
Groove Armada
Black Light
Om
3
Apollo Ghosts*
Mount Benson
Independent
28
Drive-By
Truckers
TheBigTo-Do
ATO
4
The New
Pornographers
Together
Last Gang
29
Fanshaw*
Dark Eyes
Mint
5
Caribou*
Swim
Merge
30
Heiki*
Paper + Sound
Paper + Sound
6
Frog Eyes*
Paul's Tomb: A
Triumph
Dead Oceans
31
Hannah Georgas*
This Is Good
Hidden Pony
7
Jenny Omnichord*
All Our Little Bones
Label Fantastic
32
The Flaming Lips
Dark Side
of the Moon
Warner
8
The Sadies*
Darker Circles
Yep Roc
33
The Ferocious Few
Juices
Birdman
9
The Vicious
Cycles*
Momma b/w
No Good
Teenage Rampage
34
Wooden Shjips
Vol 2
Sick Thirst
10
Mark Sultan*
$
Last Gang
35
Dum Dum Girls
I Will Be
Sub Pop
11
Collapsing
Opposites*
In Time
Independent
36
Natalie Merchant
Leave Your Sleep
Nonesuch
12
Brasstronaut*
Mt. Chimaera
Unfamiliar
37
Woods
At Echo Lake
Woodsist
13
Loscil*
Endless Falls
Kranky
38
Unnatural
Helpers
Cracked Love
& Other Drugs
Hardly Art
14
Microbunny*
49 Swans
Independent
39
Evelyn Evelyn
s/t
11
15
Holy Fuck*
Latin
XL Recordings
40
The Slackers
The Great
Rocksteady Swindle
Hellcat
16
Slam Dunk*
s/t 7"
Old Life
41
Male Bonding
Nothing Hurts
Sub Pop
17
Jandek
Camber Sands
Sunday
Cor wood Industries
42
The Brains*
Zombie Nation
Stomp
18
The Fall
Your Future
Our Clutter
Domino
43
Stamina Mantis*
There is a Right Way ...
Made of Cobras
Needs More Ram
19
Jamie Lidell
Compass
Warp
44
Yellow Swans
Going Places
Type
20
Old Man
Luedecke*
My Hands Are On Fire
& Other Love Songs
Black Hen
45
Grand Trine*
Sunglasses
Divorce
21
The Radio Dept.
Clinging to
a Scheme
Labrador
46
Willie Nelson
Country Music
Rounder
22
Ghostkeeper*
s/t
Flemish Eye
47
Various*
Musicworks 106
Musicworks
Magazine
23
Hot Chip
One Life Stand:
The Remixes
EMI
48
Acrassicauda
Only the Dead See the
End of the War
Vice
24
Bocce*
Disambiguation
Dadmobile
49
Joanna Newsom
Have One On Me
Drag City
25
Harlem
Hippies
Matador
50
Moon Duo
Escape
Woodsist
CiTR's charts reflect what's been played on the air by CiTR's lovely DJs last month. Records with asterisks (*) are Canadian. Most of these
excellent albums can be found at fine independent music stores across Vancouver. If you can't find them, give CiTR's musk coordinator a shout
at (604) 822-8733. His name is Luke Meat. If you ask nicely he'll tell you how to find them. Check out other great campus/community radio
charts at www.earshot-online.com.
39 AU TIE INGREDIENTS IEBH) FOR
ZULU'S PICNIC IN THE MRK!
THE CHAOS
**mf'i m
THE SOUNDS!
New Releases now in stock!
^RWKfilf0kr Heart#p«ienewer CD
DANIEL JOHNSTON - The Story of An Artist
W
BETTYE LaVETTE - Interpretations: History
Of British Songbook CAg
FUTUREHEADS - The Chaos CB/LP
B.O.A. - Talk-Action {0 LP
TEENAGE FANCLUB - Shadows CB/LP
REFUSED - The Shape of Ponk to Come LP
REISSUED!!
BEERTICK - The Black Dirt Sessions CB
EMERALDS - Does It Look Like I'm Here
NASA SURF - If I Had A Hi-Fi CB/LP
ROONEY- Eureka CB/LP
SLEIGH BELLS - Treats CB/LP
HARVEY MILK - Small Turn Of Human
Kindness CB-'•;
HERE WE GG MAGIC - Pigeons
BBRN RUFFIANS-Say It
MELVINS - The Bride Screamed Murder
WINTERSLEEP - New Inheritors CO
RATATAT-LP4 CB/LP
ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI
- Before Today CB/LP
YB LA TENG8 - Here to Fall CBEP/12"
KURT VILE - Square Shells CB#t2"
Teewnpfmrtiiti thadom
REFUSED 1
wpp?n^
:p«tll
THE RECENT TOI
PICNIC BASKET ADDITIONS:
THE NATIONAL-High Violet CD/LP
PAVEMENT - Quarantine The Past CB/LP
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS - Together CD
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM - This Is Happening
CDAP
THE BLACK KEYS - Brothers CB/LP
JAPANDROIDS - No Singles CD/LP
BANB BF HBRSES - Infinite Arms CB/LP
HOLY FUCK-Latin CD
OEAB WEATHER - Sea of Cowards CB/LP
FLYING LOTUS - Cosmograima CB/LP
TICKET GIVE AWAY!!
Get It TOGETHER with
ZULU and THE NEW
PORNOGRAPHERS!
A top by the store and
check out one of the best
new releases from our own
home town heavy hitters -
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS!
We have free posters to give
away and you can also enter
to win tickets to see them
live! Wednesday July 1*th
or Thursday July 15th i
THE VOGUE THEATRE!!..
Zulu Records
1972-1976 W 4th Ave
Vancouver. BC
tel 604.738.3232
STORE HOURS
Mon to Wed 10:30-7:00
Thurs and Fri 10:30-9=00
www.zulurecords.com L
40
Discorder
Discorder CITR-FM (Radio station : Vancouver, B.C.) 2010-06-01
Item Metadata
Download
- Media
- discorder-1.0050286.pdf
- Metadata
- JSON: discorder-1.0050286.json
- JSON-LD: discorder-1.0050286-ld.json
- RDF/XML (Pretty): discorder-1.0050286-rdf.xml
- RDF/JSON: discorder-1.0050286-rdf.json
- Turtle: discorder-1.0050286-turtle.txt
- N-Triples: discorder-1.0050286-rdf-ntriples.txt
- Original Record: discorder-1.0050286-source.json
- Full Text
- discorder-1.0050286-fulltext.txt
- Citation
- discorder-1.0050286.ris
Full Text
Cite
Citation Scheme:
Usage Statistics
Share
Embed
Customize your widget with the following options, then copy and paste the code below into the HTML
of your page to embed this item in your website.
<div id="ubcOpenCollectionsWidgetDisplay">
<script id="ubcOpenCollectionsWidget"
src="{[{embed.src}]}"
data-item="{[{embed.item}]}"
data-collection="{[{embed.collection}]}"
data-metadata="{[{embed.showMetadata}]}"
data-width="{[{embed.width}]}"
data-media="{[{embed.selectedMedia}]}"
async >
</script>
</div>
Our image viewer uses the IIIF 2.0 standard.
To load this item in other compatible viewers, use this url: https://iiif.library.ubc.ca/presentation/cdm.discorder.1-0050286/manifest