Issue #132 – June 13 to June 19
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TEGAN A N D SARA +
punching through On comics + community library voices + tanya tagaq Album reviews 22 jump street + empire of dirt Film reviews
Photo: courtesy of chris buck
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On the cover:
tegan and sara
On transforming indie rock. 12 / feature Photo: courtesy of chris buck
culture
NEWs + Opinion
entertainment
Q + A with old man markley Cali bluegrass punk
Live Music listings
rockers still going strong. 10 / Q + A
Local music listings for June 13 through June 21. 16 / listings
Jody Cason on comics + community.
Who’s Afraid of A Few Windows?
We visit the Artful Dodger.
4 / Local
Ph. 11 / Arts + REVIEWS
18 / Nightlife
album reviews
22 jump street + empire of dirt
PUNCHING through
Nightlife Photos
We review Library Voices + Tanya Tagaq. 11 / Arts + REVIEWS
We review the latest movies. 20 / Film
Short stories, long bus rides Nicholas Olson’s stunning new collection. 6 / Local
Our thoughts on prostitution laws.
Sex trade overhaul
Two Words: Gnocchi Poutine
on the bus
8 / Editorial
We visit The Lobby. 14 / Food + Drink
Weekly original comic illustrations by Elaine M. Will. 22 / comics
comments
Music
Game + Horoscopes
Here’s your say about ending supply management. 9 / comments
Heart, Leeroy Stagger + Modest Mouse. 15 / music
Canadian criss-cross puzzle, weekly horoscopes and Sudoku. 23 / timeout
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Punching througH illustration: courtesy of Ken Savis and Jordan Ratzlaff
Continued on next page Âť
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Punch creator Jody Cason on comics and community acceptance by ADAM HAWBOLDT
A
sk Jody Cason about comic book writer Warren Ellis, and this is what she’ll tell you: “Ellis is like nobody else. He’s out there, has a really big imagination. You know, he just released a new series with Image called Trees.” Ask her about recommendations, about writers like Ellis, and she’ll tell you, “There’s really nobody quite like him.” She pauses for a second, then says, “But [Grant] Morrison is really good too, kind of a similar vein. Jonathan Hickman is a great writer, too. And [Brian Michael] Bendis. Oh, and Daniel Clowes, too … His Eightball is the single best comic I’ve ever read in my life.” Cason knows all this because it’s her job. She works at a comic store in Saskatoon called Amazing Stories which — along with Comic Readers in Regina — is one of 10 comic stores nominated for the 2014 Harry Kremer Award for best retailer in the country. Cason has been working at Amazing Stories for more than two years now, helping those on the prairies who love comics find new and exciting material. “There are so many people who come in and are passionate about what they’re reading,” says Cason. “They want to talk about it, discuss it. And this is the place where they can come and do that. Just being
there to talk with them, that’s a big part of my job.” But interacting with customers is not the only part. From Monday through Thursday, Cason is constantly busy getting invoices ready, planning events, making posters and more. In the last couple of years, however, Cason has also been busy doing something else. She’s been busy editing a magazine she helped create called Punch.
There was a time, not so long ago, when comics weren’t so mainstream. That isn’t to say they weren’t popular, because they were. It’s just that, for a long while, reading comics was an esoteric hobby of sorts. Something done by so-called geeks and comic nerds. “In the past, you’d go to your neighbourhood comic store and there really wasn’t a super strong community,” explains Cason. “You might have felt isolated in your love for, oh I don’t know, say, Dr. Who or whatever obscure thing you were into because you didn’t really know anybody else who was into it … People would tend to do their thing in the shadows, and often there was a stigma attached. You really didn’t talk about the fact that you were a comic book collector or a nerd or whatever.”
Recently, though, that’s all changed. Comics have become more accepted by the general public than they’ve ever been. They’ve moved from arcane geek culture into the mainstream. Movies based on comics are popping up all the time, television shows too. Less and less are people looking down their noses at comic books. “The internet had a really big impact on that,” says Cason about the culture’s shift towards the mainstream. “Now you can go on the internet and there are millions of people who are into it. So that stigma of ‘I’m the only one who likes this, I must be a loser’ … you automatically feel connected to other people. There’s a pride that happens with that, the stigma is gone, all of a sudden it’s cooler. It’s okay for me to like Wonder Woman or Zatanna as a result of just being connected and meeting people you share a passion with.” That’s not the only reason, though. ComiCons, once small events attended by only hardcore fans, have exploded to the point where major news outlets like CNN are covering them. And then there’s the money factor. Or, more specifically, who is in charge of the money. “A lot of what we see in pop culture tends to be 30 years out,” says Cason. “You have people who were
into comics early in life then, thirty years later, these are people who are in power. Who are in charge of marketing companies, in media, in production, in making decisions about what gets out in the world. These people have a lot of influence over what gets out to the public, what movies are going to be made … what books are going to be published … what characters toys and tshirts are going to be made for. They go back to the things they love.” The result has been an expanded interest, an expanded acceptance, and an ever-expanding community. Community. That’s the ticket. That’s what Cason is trying to enhance with Punch Magazine — the local comic community.
These days there are a lot of first issues of comics that come out with a blank cover. You know, so that fans can attend ComiCons, take these issues with them, and have their favourite artist draw a cover for them. A few years ago, when Amazing Stories was having an anniversary sale, they took a few of these blank cover comics that they had and asked local artists to do some art work on them. What they got back was awesome. So awesome, in fact, it gave Cason an idea. “We have all this talent in our back yard, so my first thought was,
well, why don’t we do something with it?” remembers Cason. “Why don’t we make a magazine?” And from that thought, Punch was born. A full-colour, glossy magazine with real aesthetic appeal, Punch aims to strengthen the local comic community here in Saskatchewan. To give beginners and professionals a chance to get their work published. In the most recent issue, the third one that has been put out since the magazine was launched last year, there’s a little bit of everything for comic lovers. There’s artwork by Tom Grummett, a local artist who does work for Marvel, DC and many more. There’s work by local creatives who have made webcomics. There are profiles and advice columns and graphic novel reviews. “A lot of beginners submit work to us, and we put it in the magazine,” says Cason. “There is so much passion in this community, so much talent. I don’t want to discourage any of that. I want to give everyone an opportunity to have their work seen.”
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Photo: courtesy of Nicholas Olsen
Short stories, long bus rides Regina author Nicholas Olson talks about his new short story collection by ADAM HAWBOLDT
M
y short stories are like soft shadows I have set out in the world, faint footprints I have left. I remember exactly where I set down each and every one of them, and how I felt when I did.” — Haruki Murakami. Nicholas Olson remembers exactly where he was when the idea for “Cancelled Due to Plague” took hold — a story about a hockey-
loving academic who loses his job and starts discussing philosophy under bridges and on houseboats in Poughkeepsie, New York. It was three, maybe four years ago. Olson was on a train leaving Montreal bound for New York. Sitting there, watching the lush wine country of Hudson Valley roll past the window, he had an idea. “I remember sitting on the train thinking about a dream I had a few
nights before,” says Olson. “In the dream, the entire city of Montreal exploded when I was travelling, and I claimed that I knew that it was going to happen. So I was thinking about that, and stewing on leaving a relationship and a city I really liked for no real good reason, and I began to wonder if the dream and my trip made me somewhat uncertain. This led to the idea of the subjectivity of normal, and how it all depends Continued on next page »
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on who or how you look at it. The Adirondack Trail train that I was on passed by the city of Poughkeepsie and the ideas went from there.” From there the story began to take form. He got the name of the main character, Mark Rolon, from a decal on the train window. Other ideas followed. But he didn’t start writing the story on that southbound train. That would come later, on a bus ride out of New York. The trip Olson was taking was a long one. He’d been living in Montreal and decided to move back home to Regina, but there would be some stops along the way — Oklahoma, Mexico, California, B.C., Alberta and everywhere else in between. The point of the trip was to visit friends, to see this vast continent of ours, and to write stories about what he’d seen and experienced. Prior to the trip, Olson had never written a short story before. He had a blog, and in 2011 released a book of essays called To Call Them To Wander. But short stories were a new form to him — a form he desperately wanted to try his hand at. “If I wanted to get an idea across, initially I had a hard way of subtly doing that in an essay,” says Olson. “In those, the idea would just kind of be blunt and straightforward. Nothing gentle about it. But with short stories, it’s different. If I wanted to get something across, an idea that people would take seriously, maybe this would be the medium to do it. It wouldn’t be so heavy handed.”
So as Olson snaked his way across the U.S., down into Mexico and back up the west coast into Canada, he took notes. Lots of notes. And he wrote. He wrote at friends’ houses along the way, he wrote in parks while his friends were at work, he wrote while riding the bus from one state to another. His short story “Nobody Beats Mitch” was written largely on a bus. “PayDay” too. Olson spent a lot of time on buses, an estimated 10-12 days in total during his trip. The bus is where he jotted down notes and typed paragraphs into his computer. Little did he know it then, but the 200-plus hours he spent on those buses would one day shape the ethic and feel of what would become his first short story collection.
The Adirondack Haystack Still Floats is Olson’s debut collection of short stories. A collection that begins with the line “I ever show you how to break a man’s wrist, thumb and collarbone at once?” It’s a line from the story “The Unknown Collarbone.” It’s also a line that sets a mood and a tone for the 11 stories that follow. There’s something vaguely threatening in these stories, as though the main characters can come undone at a second’s notice. Plot twists pull you into new, dark places. There are episodes of quick, visceral vio-
lence in these stories. Moments of laughter, of sorrow, of the fantastical, too. There’s also booze, sports, and elements of Americana. At the centre of it all, though, stands the working class. Everyday, unexceptional people doing everyday things — more or less. “In our culture, there’s a lot of wealth and celebrity and idol worship,” says Olson. “I’ve read The Great Gatsby and really liked it, but I had a hard time relating to the people in that story. My book, these stories, tend to show the type of person who are often overlooked in society. People who are considered mediocre or worthless. I tried to show the lives of these people, tried to tell their stories. They are important stories.” But as Olson was creating these stories, meeting people and listening to them on long bus rides, he didn’t realize they would form the basis of his book. That came later. “I started drafting the first half of the book and realized the stories were inspired by the setting I’d put myself into,” says Olson. “It wasn’t on purpose. It was something that just kind of happened.” After that realization, Olson began to focus on the working class, began to purposely write about them. He wanted to give them a voice, bring their stories to life. That didn’t happen while he was traveling, though. While Olson was
on the road, he mostly came up with ideas and wrote first drafts. The real work happened when his trip ended and he returned home.
The basement of the Norwood Shop — located on 11th Avenue in Regina — is big. It’s dark and dirty too. No internet. This is where Nicholas Olson gave shape to The Adirondack Haystack Still Floats. Where he edited and wrote stories about his isolated, sometimes degraded characters. At the far end of that basement, Olson set up a makeshift desk using paint cans and plywood. When he wasn’t working in the shop upstairs, Olson was down in the basement. Sometimes he wrote and edited before his shifts, sometimes after, usually five or six hours at a time. “By the time I got home from my trip, I had about half of the stories drafted,” says Olson. “And I had
notes for the other half written down in a little notebook. I got to work on them in the Norwood basement. It was a good quiet place to write, better than where I was living. Less people, a whole lot quieter … I really enjoyed the writing part of it. But the editing, I despised it. I think the editing process took just as long as the drafting process, maybe two years. It was so extensive, but it would’ve been a mess without editing. Some of the stories changed minimally from the first or second draft. Other stories, they went through 10 or 15 drafts.” Stories that began on a train bound for New York four years earlier.
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Sex trade overhaul Targeting johns, pimps does not make prostitution, our communities safer
L
ast year, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the prostitution laws in our country. It did so because it found that existing laws‚ some of which dated back to British law from the 17th century, severely diminished the security and safety of sex workers. The Supreme Court also said existing prostitution laws stood in direct violation of section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That was in December. The Supreme Court of Canada then handed the ball to the government and told them to come up with a new set of laws. People held their breath (figuratively speaking, of course) and waited to see what the government would come up with. Well, the wait is over and we think the results are far from satisfactory.
There are a number of reasons why we think this is a terrible way to approach the issue. Now, don’t get us wrong. We’re all for making our communities safer (which also includes making them safer for sex workers), but the newly proposed prostitution laws — which experts believe are “even money” to get the go-ahead — are wrongheaded. Simply put, they do absolutely nothing to enhance the security of sex workers, which, as we mentioned above, was the primary reason the old laws were shot down in the first place. Think about it: if it is an offence to communicate for the express purposes of sexual services anywhere there might “reasonably” be a person under the age of 18 present, if it is an offence to advertise in newspapers or online, where will people go to find prostitutes? And make no mistakes about
Introduced in the last couple weeks, Bill C-36 (if passed) will essentially create a new protection of communities and exploited persons act. Here’s the gist of what the government is proposing: it will be an offence to purchase sexual services or to communicate for that purpose in any place where anyone under the age of 18 may be reasonably expected to be present. The new law also makes it an offence for anyone to profit off the prostitution of another person. Oh, and it also prohibits the advertising of sexual services in publications or online. The thinking behind the government’s new proposed laws is that it will target “the perpetrators, the perverts [and] the pimps,” as Peter MacKay, Attorney General of Canada, said. They also aim to get prostitution out of communities, hence the under-18 stipulation.
it, people will go to find them. People have been paying for sex since time immemorial, regardless of what laws were in place. So where will these sex workers be able to ply their trade? Not in the safety of a regulated brothel, that’s for sure. They’ll be forced to the streets and to the outer edges of communities, to industrial zones and dock areas and whatnot, where their personal safety will be at far greater risk. In numerous studies, including one out of the University of British Columbia and a peer-reviewed report in British Medical Journal Open, it’s been found that targeting johns in no way enhances security for sex workers. All it really does is force prostitutes to work harder to avoid the police. When this happens, it’s highly unlikely that those who are in the profession will be be able to screen clients beforehand,
an important process in determining whether a prospective john is a safe bet. It also inhibits sex workers from inquiring about potential health risks. Bill C-36 is clearly not designed to improve the safety of sex workers, so how can we meaningfully help those in the industry operate in a manner that is both safe and secure? Check back next week to see how we think the sex trade in Canada should be revamped. These editorials are left unsigned because they represent the opinions of Verb magazine, not those of the individual writers. Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
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On Topic: Last week we asked what you thought about how we can transition away from supply management. Here’s what you had to say: – Supply management thought... transitioning away will make the industry more viable by allowing those in the industry to grow by using the FreeMarketSystem which will reward those who develope more efficient methods as opposed to less efficient methods that are the result of supply management and consequently cause lethargy due to “support all regardless of efficiency”.
– While am in favor of dismantling the supply mgmt system, destroying $18 billion worth of farm equity as per your suggestion of book not market value is draconian. This equity owned by dairy farmers was paid to buy quota to buy cows, build new barns, automated equipment, inheritance for their kids, retirement for themselves. They never created this system, they had to adjust and live with it.
– A few years ago producers in the USA got so little for their milk they couldnt even cover the cost of medications for their cows
hope that all Canadians take a moment out of their day to thank those who protect us. We may not like them and perhaps they don’t like us, but that doesn’t stop them from putting themselves in harm’s way. The true definition of SELFLESS!
text yo thoughtsur to 881 ve r b 8372
– Great interview with Despistado I have been waiting a long time for these guys to get out there again. They really changed the music scene here and are so talented. Love them!!! :D In response to “Despistado,” Feature #131
– The dog sniffing the Stetson is too much. So sad. RIP.
– What did one donut say to the other donut? Sometimes I feel a little empty inside.
(June 6, 2014)
SOUND OFF – Oh Emperor Worm! I pray Thee! Write this humble player one more act pon the wordly stage! (for Uncle Albert R.)
– Solution for our traffic congestion downtown: make all of the streets one-way. Then you’ve got lanes for people to move around in. Once we remove the now unnecessary boulevards we also have room for bike lanes.
– Little nicks and cuts on fingertips can make using hands painful. Coat them with superglue to make an artificial scab. Stings for a few secs. Stops bleeding.
– A fairly deep clean cut on the hand can also be superglued closed right away. Heals faster and you can often keep working clean hands. Cowboy up! It stings!
– People think it is better to justify their wrongs with those of other people than take responsibility for their own actions.
– Colder summer than usual? Come on Saskatchewan you can do this! Make up for the colder winter than usual :D
– All the garbage blowing around the city is disgusting. People need to pick up after themselves and stop being so lazy!
– Try to be grateful for each day you have because you never know.
Next week: What do you think about the proposed prostitution laws? Text in your thoughts to Verb to get in on the conversation. We print your texts verbatim each week. Text in your thoughts and reactions to our stories and content, or anything else on your mind.
– While recumbent bicycles may be comfortable to ride, I think the rider is making themselves less visible to traffic. I know I wouldn’t want to be riding around the streets with big huge trucks roaring around the streets. How do you know those drivers will see you since they are sitting up so high and you’re only a foot off the ground?
– People think it is better to justify their wrongs with those of other people than take responsibility for their own actions.
OFF TOPIC – Interesting story about the young lady pianist going to the same acting studio as those famous actors!
– What a cowardly act to kill and injure the RCMP officers in Moncton. The real heroes are those who serve and protect.
In response to “Chasing a Dream,” Local #130 (May 30, 2014)
– Yes Despistado I can’t wait for there reunion show! One of the best bands to come out of Regina EVER! Go to see them when you have the chance!
– It saddens me to know that there can be such hatred for authority that someone would take the lives of RCMP officers who are trying to protect the community. Rest in peace to the fallen officers of Moncton.
In response to “Despistado,” Feature #131 (June 6, 2014)
– I will be watching the funeral for the three slain RCMP officers, and I
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point, you know? And since then, it’s just been so fun to continue that format and keep doing some of our favourite songs bluegrass style, or punk-bluegrass style. Hopefully one day we’ll have enough to do a little release of all of our cover songs. That’s kind of a fun thing to aspire to. AJM: How do you decide which songs to cover? Is it a difficult process?
Old Man Markley Photos: courtesy of the artist
California bluegrass punks on covering NOFX, writing new songs, and musical evolution by Alex J MacPherson
P
unk rock has been around in one form or another for almost fifty years. Over the last several decades more than a few bands have attempted to transform the genre with new musical flavours and textures. One of these is Old Man Markley, a group of seven musicians from Los Angeles, California who decided to infuse traditional American bluegrass with the energy and wit of a seminal punk rock record. Formed in 2007 after an impromptu jam session revealed a wellspring of talent and a desire to explore the outer reaches of punk music, Old Man Markley was inspired by bands like Old Crow Medicine Show, as well as genrebenders Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys. Over the last several years, the band has developed a sound that weaves together a multitude of threads: cheerfully
Alex J MacPherson: You’ve got a new single out, with an original song and a cover. What’s the appeal of covering punk classics?
sardonic lyrics, unrepentant political activism, tightly-coiled arrangements, and the sort of frenetic energy that characterizes so many iconic punk records. After signing to Fat Wreck Chords, the band released a pair of albums as well as several 7-inch singles. Old Man Markley’s latest offering includes a new original song and a hyperkinetic cover of the NOFX anthem “Reeko.” Like their 2013 album Down Side Up, the new 7-inch finds Old Man Markley blurring the line between tradition and innovation — and expanding the idea of what punk can be. This is a potent combination, and it translates well to the stage. Which is why, on the eve of the band’s return to Canada for a string of raucous, beer-drenched shows, I spoke with autoharp player and vocalist Annie DeTemple about the past, the present, and the future of Old Man Markley.
Annie DeTemple: When we first did it, it was because we were going to be new on Fat Wreck Chords. Nobody had heard of us from that label, and we figured that it would be a good way to
AD: Yes, and that is usually up to Johnny [Carey] and Joey [Garibaldi]. This last time, they toyed around with a few songs. I think they were trying a Toy Dolls song. They did some demos of a Descendents song. When they finally demoed “Reeko,” just with guitar and bass, it was the winner by far. AJM: It’s been awhile since Down Side Up came out. Are you working on a new record at this point? AD: We have been touring so much, so the 7-inch was really more of a, ‘wow, we haven’t done any releases in awhile, so we should do something.’ Really, we’ve been on tour since the end of December. It’s been nonstop: not in our home studio, away from everything. After this tour I’m hoping we can get in for a longer stretch and do some recording. Maybe a full album, maybe
AJM: Is balancing the bluegrass and punk rock influences something you find difficult, or does it just sort of happen? AD: Absolutely. Especially with having a drum set. Drums are not typically a bluegrass instrument. It’s kind of shunned by the bluegrass community, having a drummer. AJM: At the same time, there’s something about that combo that people find compelling. What do you think attracts people to the music you’re making? AD: You know, after sets a lot of times people will come up to me. They’ll be punk rockers, or they’ll just be regular guys or girls. But no matter who they are or what they look like, someone always says, ‘Your set reminded me of growing up. My dad used to play banjo, and it reminds me of going camping with my family,’ or something. I think that no matter who you are, America folk music in the U.S. — and probably Canada, too — has been in peoples’ lives no matter what. So to do it in such a fun way, with high energy, it’s new — it’s newer than the old-time music. I think it brings a smile to people’s faces. It’s nostalgic in a new way. AJM: So you’re embracing this idea that even the most traditional forms of music can grow and change and evolve?
Sometimes, bands get pigeonholed … that’s just silly. ANNIE DETEMPLE
give the punk rock fans a familiar song that they know, and then hear how we do it. It was to lend them a reference
sound like in the room, what they sound like in the studio.
an EP, I don’t know. But we’re definitely feeling the urge to release something, since we haven’t since March of 2013. AJM: How has the band grown sonically since Down Side Up came out? How does all that touring affect the sound? AD: Oh gosh. Well, we’ve definitely, as far as recording goes, gotten a lot better about how we mic our instruments to get the actual true sound of our instruments across on an album, to stay true to the bluegrass side of things. I think that’s something we’ve gotten really good at, from recording and from touring: knowing what our instruments
AD: Exactly. Everything changes. Our first album wasn’t the same as our second. The 7-inch we put out now doesn’t sound the same as our first. And I think that’s important. Sometimes, bands get pigeonholed into, like, ‘I liked their first album, and I can’t believe their second album doesn’t sound anything like it.’ That’s just silly. Everything has a natural progression of growth — and it should, you know? Old Man Markley June 20 @ Vangelis Tavern (Saskatoon) Only show in Saskatchewan! $TBA Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
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Who’s Afraid of A Few Windows?
Joy Walker’s massive installation looks inside the Dunlop Art Gallery — and beyond
J
oy Walker’s massive installation on the Dunlop Art Gallery’s east-facing windows hints at the contents of the gallery’s current exhibition, Who’s Afraid of Purple, Orange and Green? Like many of the female artists whose work is on display inside the gallery, Walker appears to be riffing on the malecentric legacy of the mid-century modernist movement. “Untitled,” which consists of dozens of long vinyl strips, both echoes and disrupts the gallery’s rigid modernist façade,
as well as the movement’s weighty past. However, Walker prefers to think of her work in broader terms. “I’m using these formal qualities, straight lines, and then introducing this element of chance,” the Toronto artist says. “That’s been a big theme in my work over the last few years.” The installation appears to be in motion, its straight lines warped by some unseen force. It is both orderly and chaotic, rigid and malleable. “For a long time I worked with the grid in a strict minimalist way,” she continues. “But then
Joy Walker, Untitled, 2014, vinyl on window glass
by alex J MacPherson
I started to play with it a little bit, and get a little bit looser. [“Untitled”] has a post-minimalist thing going on, when I’m letting the thing do something else, rather than leave it static.” “Untitled” can be read as a subversion of mid-century modern aesthetics and ideas. But it also reflects a much deeper understanding of how repetitive patterns have been used in artwork over the last several centuries. “It just so happens I studied textile design, which leads to repeating patterns,” Walker says. “Grid systems have been seen since ancient times. In weaving, for example, which is one of the oldest forms, and in the lacing of yarns.” In other words, she is playing with a history that reaches far beyond the middle of the twentieth century. At the same time, “Untitled” is also rooted in a much more specific history. Unlike many works of art, which are designed to operate within
a carefully controlled gallery space, public installations must interact with a vibrant and generally unpredictable environment — in this case, Regina’s downtown core. “I didn’t want to have an autonomous work of art,” Walker says. “For me, it was really important that [the installation] had a relation to the windows, to the building, as well as to across the street.” This operates on several levels. First, “Untitled” slices the reflected streetscape into thin strips that mirror the work itself, as well as offering viewers a new way of seeing Victoria Park. Second, the movement of the sun across the sky casts an everchanging pattern of shadows across the building’s lobby; it is a moving, shifting negative of Walker’s original installation. Third, the vertical lines in the work itself echo the blinds in windows up and down the street. This also creates a dialogue with “Pavilion
fable power of music to bring strangers together. Ultimately, though, For John’s existence undercuts Dawson’s worry about meeting Farrell’s expectations, or anyone’s. Already established as purveyors of smart, engaging pop, Library Voices have proven themselves capable of an entirely different musical feat — and, one hopes, made a record their friend would have loved.
but that doesn’t mean Animism can’t be wildly beautiful. Tanya Tagaq was born in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. She practices throat singing, a traditional Inuit technique that produces a visceral, sensuous sound. Animism is anchored by Tagaq’s voice, which ranges from harsh and guttural to smooth and airy. Produced by Jesse Zubot and featuring programmer Michael Red, percussionist Jean Martin, and opera singer Anna Pardo Canedo, Animism frames Tagaq’s throat singing as part of a larger musical continuum. The album’s most straightforward track is its opener, a densely orchestrated cover of the Pixies’ “Caribou.” Besides introducing one of the album’s major themes, “Caribou” acts as a conduit into the much less rigid middle section. “Uja” spins around a repetitive, fluttering vocal phrase, building itself into a spongy tower of electronic sounds and percussion. “Tulugak” is more scattered, a collection of disjointed vocal contortions threaded together by a sense of impending resolution.
of the Blind,” a kinetic painting by Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins that dominates Who’s Afraid Of Purple, Orange and Green? Like the works in Who’s Afraid of Purple, Orange and Green? “Untitled” is rooted in history and illustrative of the present. With just a few strips of vinyl, Walker created an installation that challenges the legacy of the mid-century modernist art, explores our fascination with patterns and shapes, and re-energizes the world in which it exists. “I’m trying to engage everything around it, and manipulate it with the lines, break it up,” Walker says. “In a way, all these things came together at the same time. Thinking about all those possibilities, it really excited me to have that opportunity.” Joy Walker: Untitled Through June 20 @ Dunlop Art Gallery
album reviews Library Voices — For John Prairie Shag, June 2014 by alex j macpherson
For John is the most unusual record Library Voices has ever made. The seven-track EP was conceived as a tribute to John Farrell, a radio personality from Buffalo, New York who became an ardent supporter of the Regina indie pop ensemble. After Farrell’s unexpected death last year, the band decided to honour his friendship and contribution to their success. Not surprisingly, For John jettisons the buoyant, infectious pop sound of 2011’s Summer Of Lust for a darker, grittier sonic palette. The plodding, psychedelic groove of the opener, “Some Mezcal Morning,” sets the tone for what follows: a collection of sparse, brooding rock songs. “Space Age” opens with a recording of Farrell muttering, “Boy, does it look
like a good night to stay right where you are,” before launching into a fuzzy sixties-style pop groove. One of the strongest tracks on the EP is “Snowshoe Training Might Save Your Life,” a conflicted instrumental that doesn’t need lyrics to convey grief and regret. These themes are echoed in the lyrics. “Antimatters of the Heart,” a spacey desert rocker, finds frontman Michael Dawson ruminating on Farrell’s influence, and the hollowness that accompanied his death: “We never showed you what we could have been / Gone and gone / Vultures picking at the bones of better days / Come on and on and on / John, you know I see you sometimes.” On “John Farrell Buffalo” he summarizes Farrell’s legacy: “John Farrell Buffalo / The golden age of radio / Still believed in rock and roll.” This might seem idealistic or even anachronistic, but it’s true. Rock and roll matters to Library Voices, just as it mattered to Farrell. Which is part of the reason For John can sometimes feel like a celebration of life, or at least the inef-
Tanya Tagaq — Animism Six Shooter, May 2014 by alex j macpherson
It is easy to dislike Tanya Tagaq’s new record, Animism. The song structures are unfamiliar, the instrumentation unconventional. But while the shape is different, the result is the same: on her third album, Tagaq uses sound to compress and convey emotion. It may not be a traditional pop record,
“Fight” is a powerful ode to resistance, “Fracking” an agonizing appeal that finds Tagaq’s haunting vocal writhing above a bed of unsettled strings. As Animism unfolds, its themes become clearer. As the title suggests, Tagaq is interested in connections between people, animals, the environment, even inanimate objects; Animism is a record about harmony, and about understanding. Although it will never be easy, it can be mesmerizing, even rapturous. And Tagaq’s message is worthy of consideration. Just as she turned Inuit throat singing into a bridge between tradition and innovation, past and present, her songs emphasize connections that transcend politics, cultural differences, and the banality of everyday life. This is important; it may be all there is.
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Heartthrob How Tegan and Sara’s new album transformed the indie rock duo into national stars by Alex J MacPherson
T
egan and Sara’s latest album is unlike anything else in their catalogue. After years spent mining a rich vein of upbeat folk-rock, the Quin sisters from Calgary, Alberta traded in their battered acoustic guitars for racks of synthesizers and compressors, and recruited producer Greg Kurstin to transform their sound. Released last year to near-universal acclaim, Heartthrob elevated Tegan and Sara to the upper echelon of Canadian pop. After its release, Heartthrob won the sisters a slew of awards, including three Junos and a spot on the Polaris Music Prize shortlist. It also generated a great deal of radio play, including spins on stations that had spent years ignoring the duo’s incisive songs about love and lust and loss. Perhaps most importantly, Heartthrob introduced Tegan and Sara — beloved by many in the music community — to a much wider audience. Put another way, in an industry where marked changes of direction can be career suicide, Tegan and Sara are flourishing. Identical twins Tegan and Sara Quin were born in Calgary in 1980. By the time they turned fifteen, they were writing and performing original songs using acoustic guitars. In 1999, they released their first album, Under Feet Like Ours, and began touring western Canada. They played in tiny clubs, for even tinier audiences. And then their debut album’s stark arrangements and smart, cathartic lyrics captured the attention of Neil Young’s manager, Elliot Roberts. Charmed by the sisters’ confessional songs and raw, unpretentious approach to songwriting and performing, Roberts signed Tegan and Sara to Young’s label, Vapor Records. Over the next several years, the sisters continued
to release albums and tour extensively. They began to generate serious momentum in 2004, after releasing So Jealous. The record’s darkly introspective lyrics generated a wide response, amplified by song placements on the television medical drama Grey’s Anatomy and an American radio hit in the form of “Walking With A Ghost” — a simple yet powerful exorcism of an unnamed lover. Following the success of So Jealous, Tegan and Sara released two more records, 2007’s The Con and 2009’s Sainthood, both of which injected their stripped-down, confessional songs with richer textures and more elaborate instrumentation. And then, in 2012, Tegan and Sara left Canada for Los Angeles to start work on their seventh album. “We intentionally went looking for a producer who wouldn’t dwell on protecting the signature Tegan and Sara sound,” Tegan said in a press release, hinting at the group’s desire to experiment with new sounds and textures — and perhaps escape the tendency of the industry to apply labels and definitions. The duo hired Kurstin, who, according to Sara, “took everything we do and put it on steroids.” The sisters also began writing songs together, rather than separately — a significant change for a group whose earlier albums can be divided into groups of “Tegan songs” and “Sara songs.” “No one will confuse this with any of our other records,” Sara said of the group’s new direction. Her sister added, “I kept asking myself: Can I hear this in an arena? Can I hear this on a teenager’s iPod as they’re riding the bus to school?” The answer to both questions is yes. But not because of the album’s glacial pop treatments or its driving rhythms. Heartthrob works because of the songs. The first single, “Closer,” a relentlessly upbeat
Photo: courtesy of Chris Buck Continued on next page »
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ode to lust, features one of the most infectious hooks the duo has ever written: “It’s not just all physical / I’m the type who won’t get oh so critical / So let’s make things physical / I won’t treat you like you’re oh so typical.” Like “Closer,” most of the songs on Heartthrob aspire to the universal, rather than the personal. Tegan and Sara have traditionally lived inside their songs, telling stories and confessing sins in real time. But tracks like “I’m Not Your Hero” and “Now I’m All Messed Up,” as well as the sprawling piano ballad “I Was A Fool,” find them contemplating the past — rather than living it. The upshot is that Heartthrob is the most accessible record Tegan and Sara have ever made. By coating the unalloyed humanity that characterized their early career with an icy pop sheen, the sisters found
Sara Quin: A little bit of both. We definitely discussed both the sound and approach to the album before we actually made it. We wanted to surprise people, inspire our audience while also gaining new fans, and that seemed achievable to us. We wanted to make an undeniable record, something that was both appealing and pop but also intelligent and with depth. So those conversations and ideas certainly influenced the writing and the selection of producers. AJM: In music there’s always an element of risk attached to moving in a new direction. Was that something you worried about before the album was released? SQ: My experience has been that some people won’t like it. No matter
Being in my thirties has made me feel less introspective. I feel calmer, more confident…
AJM: A lot of the themes on Heartthrob aren’t dissimilar from those on your earlier records — anxiety, heartache, lust, complicated relationships — but these songs seem to be striving toward the universal, rather than looking inward. Why do you think that is? SQ: I imagine it has a lot to do with the age we are at. Being in my thirties has made me feel less introspective. I feel calmer, more confident about the person I am and the partnerships I’ve built. The songs still focus on the rockier side of our personal lives, but there is a wiser and more confident analysis at the root. AJM: How did the new sound affect the way you approached live performance? SQ: It definitely has forced us to re-approach our live sound. Updating our equipment, moving into the future. Its also a very intense record for us performance-wise, so there was some training involved to get our voices and bodies into shape. We are two years in to the album cycle and only now do I feel truly strong enough to perform at the level I want to be at. I’m pretty hard on myself.
sara quin
the perfect fulcrum of accessibility and meaning. Heartthrob is the sort of album that can — and already has — endeared itself to a wide audience. The singles have been heard by countless thousands of people, and the group’s stunning new stage show has been seen by thousands more. Even today, more than a year after its release, Tegan and Sara are still promoting it — touring hard, and touring often. Which is why I caught up with Sara Quin, who splits her time between Montreal and New York when she isn’t on the road, to learn more about Heartthrob and the incredible response it generated from longtime fans and brand-new listeners alike. Alex J MacPherson: There’s no question that Heartthrob marked a significant step away from the sound of Sainthood. Did you write the record with that step in mind, or did the songs you were writing dictate the musical direction?
which album, song, tour, t-shirt, hair cut, interview, there are always people who have critical feedback. So I try to imagine that none of that matters, that I want to make something purely for artistic joy, to inspire myself and Tegan. Of course doubt or fear or excitement sneak in to the process, but I manage it as much as possible! AJM: Was it a struggle to maintain the sense of identity that has endeared you to so many people while writing and experimenting with a new sonic palette? SQ: I don’t think it [was]. We are still the same and we mostly approach the actual writing and recording of our records the same way. Certainly we wanted to make something that would help us reach a new level of success and visibility, and we definitely wanted a BIG sound … but the message and heart of what we do will always remain intact.
AJM: Obviously you’ve released successful and critically acclaimed records before, but Heartthrob seems to have struck a chord with a much wider audience. How has the success of the album affected the crowds at your shows, and the people who come up to you in the street? SQ: In a way it almost feels like we are a new band. We love seeing the fans who have been with us for the long haul, and there is an awareness and passion for our older material, but in general I feel an energy that had been absent for a long time. We’re thrilled! Tegan and Sara June 26 @ Saskatchewan Jazz Festival (Bessborough Gardens/Saskatoon) Only show in Saskatchewan! Sold Out
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Photos: courtesy of Marc messett
Two Words: Gnocchi Poutine The Lobby Public House is bringing a custom twist eatery to the Queen City! by Eilidh Thain
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mere couple of months in business, and The Lobby has already generated a healthy curiosity around town while
the gap between pub, restaurant, and lounge,” explained Bahia. The idea is folks can stop in for an after work drink, stay for a chef-created meal, and if the mood is right, hang around until late into the night while enjoying live music and entertainment. “Sourcing local whenever we can is very important to us,” said Bahia, a sentiment that is clearly reflected throughout the menu. One example: the majority of the bread used at The Lobby is supplied by the Orange Boot Bakery and the Kneaded Bakeshop. Another shout-out to the local scene is the two local beers on tap that rotate weekly. Featured during my visit was MÜS Knuckle (from the District Brewing Company) and O’Hanlon’s Moustache Stout. Stop by after work at the end of the week for Local Flavour Fridays to enjoy these local brews on special. “Our menu is very special,” Bahia said. “We wanted to offer pub
also building a strong customer base. Owners Kashmir Bahia and Alvaro Santamaria were looking to create a new type of eatery in the city. “We wanted to bridge
let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide THE DANDY SHANDY
INGREDIENTS
Everyone can agree that beer is the perfect summertime drink to enjoy while chilling on the deck. And what’s summer without a refreshing, cool, tangy lemonade? That’s why the Shandy is the perfect summer drink — it’s beer and lemonade in one! It’s so easy to make, you’ll be back on the deck before you can say dandy shandy!
Beer (pilsner, lager, pale ale are dandy choices) Lemonade or “lemon” soda (Sprite or 7-Up) Ice (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Half fill a pint glass with beer. Fill the rest of the way with lemonade. Add ice if desired. Enjoy!
food, vegetarian dishes, as well as cultural dishes.” Appetizers such as the unique BLT Bites (bacon, lettuce, tomato served on a honey mustard glazed crostini) and the scrumptious homemade samosas (Bahia’s mother’s own recipe) served with a delightful sweet mint chutney are quickly becoming customer favourites. Choices like the rich, creamy butter chicken (another one of Bahia’s mother’s recipes) and the Grilled Tofu Pad Thai Bowl offer a little something different alongside the typical pub fare of burgers, pizza, ribs. There’s also an interesting selection of salads (with your choice of protein included). You had me at gnocchi poutine! Bahia and Santamaria wanted to do something different and figured gnocchi might be just the ticket to set their poutine apart — and they were right. This dish is the perfect storm of delicate, melt-in-yourmouth gnocchi (handmade every morning), smothered in blackstrap
molasses bourbon sauce and topped with squeaky cheese curds. And if this wasn’t enough, rich pulled pork finishes the awesomeness. I’m going to crave this fortnightly! June sees the kick-off of the Summer Music Series, which highlights local bands and DJs. As well this month, The Lobby is celebrating the World Cup. Brazilianinspired dishes and drinks are the perfect match to watch the match! The patio is now open, the weather is ideal, and with an interesting daily drink feature (hello, Noche de Vino Thursdays!), The Lobby is sure to become a popular gathering place. Meet you in The Lobby. The Lobby Public House 2545 Broad St | (306) 789.5545 Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@VerbRegina ethain@verbnews.com
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music
Next Week
coming up
Heart
Leeroy Stagger
Modest Mouse
@ Brandt Centre Monday, June 23 – $59.50+
@ Artful Dodger Wednesday, June 25 – Cover TBD
@ Conexus Arts Centre Friday, July 25 – $42
It’s been a wild, up-and-down ride for sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson — better known collectively as Heart. After paying their dues and learning their trade throughout the late ’60s and early ‘70s, the Wilson sisters rose to fame in the mid ’70s playing a brand of music influenced by hard rock, heavy metal and folk. Their popularity waned in the early ’80s, then skyrocketed again in the late ’80s before they — well, you get the point. It’s been a roller coaster ride for Heart, but along the way they have become Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and pioneers who inspired women to pick up their guitars and rock the hell out. They’ll be in Regina later this month. You should probably check them out. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
Leeroy Stagger’s had a varied musical education. He has a punk rock past, he’s played in Hot Hot Heat (an indie rock band), he played with Carolyn Mark (an alt-country artist from B.C.). After all that, he transformed himself into a formidable singer/songwriter. On his latest album, Truth Be Sold, Stagger teamed up with Steve Berlin of Los Lobos and delved deep into heavy roots and rock and roll. Truth Be Sold features a wide array of different sounds. Some return Stagger to his punk rock roots, others come courtesy of fuzzed out guitars or foreign objects taped to drum kits. And you know what? It’s a pretty darn good record. But that’s to be expected from a guy like Stagger, who’s shared the stage with the likes of Steve Earle and The Pixies. Check him out next week.
There’s a passage in Virginia Woolf’s story “The Mark on the Wall” that reads: “I wish I could hit upon a pleasant track of thought, a track indirectly reflecting credit upon myself, for those are the pleasantest thoughts, and very frequent even in the minds of modest, mouse-coloured people, who believe genuinely that they dislike to hear their own praises.” That’s where the indie rock band Modest Mouse got its name. Formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, Modest Mouse released its first EP in 1994. However, it wasn’t until the 2000s that they began receiving critical acclaim, with the album The Moon & Antarctica. From that point on Modest Mouse was adored by critics and fans alike. You can see them live when they roll into town next month. Tickets at conexusticket.com. – By Adam Hawboldt
Photos courtesy of: the artist / the artist / zoe
Sask music Preview SaskMusic is presenting a number of great educational workshops in the coming weeks. These are free for SaskMusic members, and $30 for non-members. On june 21 check out “How to Write a Killer Marketing Plan with Farideh Caesar,” which will be taking place at The Bassment in Saskatoon. Following that will be “Managing your Career in the Music Industry,” which is happening at the Den in Saskatoon on June 28, and the Exchange in Regina on June 29. Please call 1-800-347-0676 or visit www. saskmusic.org/workshops for a complete listing of workshops and full details on times, presenters, and registration!
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June 13 » June 21 The most complete live music listings for Regina. S
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Friday 13
HowOwl / Artful Dodger — Album release show, with Pulsewidth. 8pm / Cover TBD Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan / Casino Regina — With special guest, Lisa Brokop. 8pm / $60.90+ Queen City Riot / The Club — Featuring Solids, KEN Mode + many more. 7:30pm / $30 DJ Dallas / Eldorado Country Rock Bar — Regina’s number one party DJ! 9pm / $5 Queen City Riot / The Exchange — Featuring Solids, KEN Mode + many more. 7:30pm / $30
DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s — Local DJs spin top 40 hits every Friday night to get you dancing on the dance floor. 9pm / $5 cover Big Chill Fridays / Lancaster — Come out and get your weekend started with some live DJ sets every Friday night. 10pm / Cover TBD The Montagues / McNally’s Tavern — Good tunes all night. 10pm / $5 Diana Desjardin / Pump — A country singer with a story to tell, Desjardins will amaze you. 9pm / Cover TBD JazzFest Regina / Ramada Plaza Hotel — Featuring Jeffery Straker. 7pm / $10+ Steve Gibson / Whiskey Saloon — Rockin’ country out of Yorkton, Saskatchewan! 9pm / $5
Diana Desjardin / Pump — A country singer with a story to tell, Desjardins will amaze you. 9pm / Cover TBD JazzFest / Ramada Plaza — With Alexander Brown Quintet. 7pm / $10+ Milkman’s Sons / Western Pizza — Come check out their new Tom Petty set! 9pm / No cover Steve Gibson / Whiskey Saloon — Rockin’ country out of Yorkton, Saskatchewan. 9pm / $5
Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra / The Exchange — An eclectic folk music group hailing from British Columbia. 8pm / $15 JazzFest / Ramada Plaza — Featuring Iroko Project. 7pm / $10+
Tuesday 17
Music Jam / Artful Dodger — Come out and get down with local musicians. 8pm / No cover DJ night / Q Nightclub + Lounge — DJs Snakeboots and Code E play bass heavy breakbeats. 9:30pm / No cover
Sunday 15
Saturday 14
Johnny2Fingers & Deformities / Artful Dodger — With Mother Night, Newera. 8pm / $10 JazzFest / City Plaza — Featuring Lorraine Klassen. 7pm / Free The Gentlemen Thieves / The Club — With Skytanic; come down for a great Sunday night of tunes. 8pm / $8
Phil Smith / Artful Dodger — A night of musical delights. 8pm / Cover TBD DJ Dallas / Eldorado Country Rock Bar — Regina’s number one party DJ! ppm / $5 The Old 21 / Lancaster Taphouse A three-piece band from rural Sask. 9pm / Cover TBD The Montagues / McNally’s — Good tunes. 10pm / $5
Monday 16
Open Mic Night / The Artful Dodger — Come down and jam, or listen and check out some talented individuals from Regina! 8pm / No cover Monday Night Jazz and Blues / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring the talents of Shane and Ethan Reoch. 8pm / No cover
Wednesday 18
havok
COURTESY OF facebook
JazzFest / Ramada Plaza — Featuring Brandi Disterheft Trio. 9:30pm / $30+
Wednesday Night Folk / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring Tara Dawn Solheim. 9pm / No cover Wayback Wednesdays / McNally’s Tavern — Featuring Leather Cobra and Drinko Bingo. 9:30pm / $5 Cory Marquardt / Pump Roadhouse — A dynamic new country talent. 9pm / Cover TBD
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Thursday 19
Friday 20
Saturday 21
Havok / The Exchange — With Wretched, Itchy Stitches, Scythra. 7:30pm / $15 (ticketedge.ca) Decibel Frequency / Gabbo’s Nightclub — A night of electronic fun. 10pm / Cover $5 PS Fresh / The Hookah Lounge — DJ Ageless started spinning in Montreal, DJ Drewski started in Saskatoon. They both landed in Regina and have come together to sling some bomb beats. 7pm / No cover Open Mic Night / King’s Head Tavern — Come out, play some tunes, sing some songs, and show Regina what you got. 8pm / No cover Kinder Scout / McNally’s Tavern — With Smoke Break and the Shoes. 9pm / $5 Cory Marquardt / Pump Roadhouse — A dynamic new country talent. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs as he drops some of the best country beats around. 8pm / Cover TBD
Amy Nelson / Artesian on 13th — Confident country rock from Queen City. 8pm / $20 Treeline / Artful Dodger — With Sharia Miller. 8pm / Cover TBD DJ Dallas / Eldorado Country Rock Bar — Regina’s number one party DJ! 9pm / $5, no cover for ladies before 11pm Room 333 / The Exchange — With Port Noise, Suffersurge and In Darkness. 7:30pm / $15 DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s Martini & Cocktail Club — Local DJs spin top 40 hits every Friday night that are sure to get you on the dance floor. 9pm / $5 cover Big Chill Fridays / Lancaster Taphouse — Come out and get your weekend started with some live DJ sets every Friday night. 10pm / Cover TBD Wonderland / McNally’s Tavern — Playing one-hit wonders and classic rock. 10pm / $5 Cory Marquardt / Pump Roadhouse — A dynamic new country talent. 9pm / Cover TBD Alex Runions / Whiskey Saloon — Playing urban country rock. 9pm / $5
Arturo Sandoval / Casino Regina — A master jazz musician. 8pm / $25+ (ticketbreak.com) DJ Dallas / Eldorado Country Rock Bar — Regina’s number one party DJ! ppm / $5
Wonderland / McNally’s Tavern — Playing one-hit wonders and classic rock. 10pm / $5 Cory Marquardt / Pump Roadhouse — A dynamic new country talent. 9pm / Cover TBD Alex Runions / Whiskey Saloon — Playing urban country rock. 9pm / $5
Get listed Have a live show you'd like to promote? Let us know! layout@verbnews.com
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saturday, June 7 @
artful dodger
Check out our Facebook page! These photos will be uploaded to Facebook on Friday, June 20. facebook.com/verbregina
The Artful Dodger 1631 11th Avenue (306) 757 9956
Photography by Marc Messett
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We’re going meta Photo: Courtesy of columbia pictures
Tatum shines as 22 Jump Street pokes fun at its very existence by adam hawboldt
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t the New York premier of 22 Jump Street, Amber Stevens — who plays Jonah Hill’s love interest in the movie — had this to say about Channing Tatum: “The most annoying thing about him is that he’s way funnier than he needs to be, because he’s so attractive. He’s the perfect husband, the perfect father. Go f*ck him.” My sentiments exactly. I remember a few years ago when they first announced the cast of 21 Jump Street. Hill, I thought, was an excellent choice for a funny action film of that ilk. Channing Tatum? Not so much. Up to that point, I’d only seen Tatum in serious movies. Some — A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Stop-Loss — were excellent, while others, like Dear John and The Eagle, left much to be desired. For me, Tatum was just another pretty boy who, if given the right role, could do a decent job. Then I watched 21 Jump Street and all those perceptions shifted. Sure, he was still a pretty boy, but as Jenko he was also hilarious. His comedic timing was spot-on. It was almost as though he was born to play a lovable meathead who was as funny and adorable as a confused golden retriever pup.
Tatum was so good that he stole scenes from Hill. And in the franchise’s second installment he does it again. Time and time again, to be precise. So what is 22 Jump Street about? Well, to be honest, it has pretty much the exact same plot as the first Jump Street. When we last saw Jenko (Tatum) and Schmidt (Hill), they’d just finished breaking up a high school drug ring. Now they’re being sent to college to break up yet another drug ring, this time featuring the new drug whyphy. Schmidt falls for another girl, Maya (Amber Stevens). There’s a bunch of slapstick humour. There’s a bromance. There’s a chase and explosions and, well, everything you saw the first time around. But don’t go into 22 Jump Street expecting a simple retread of the original. Do that, and you’d be way off base. I mean, sure, 22 Jump Street follows the same premise as the first, but it does so in a meta, tongue-in-cheek kind of way. One of the first times you realize this is when Deputy Chief Hardy (Nick Offerman) says to the officers, “Nobody gave a sh*t about the Jump Street reboot.” Or when he says, “We’ve doubled the budget, as if that would double the profit.”
22 jump street Directed by Phil Lord, Chris Miller Starring Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube + Amber Stevens 110 minutes | 14A
On the surface, yes, what is being talked about is the actual Jump Street program. But at the same time, what’s also being talked about is the movie, in and of itself. This is just the first of a long line of self-aware, inside jokes littered throughout the film. Jokes about sequels and franchises set amidst funny set pieces, featuring cameos from people like Seth Rogen and Queen Latifah and a host of characters from the first movie. And through it all, there’s Channing Tatum — being funnier and more adorable than anybody who looks like him has the right to be. Damn that Channing Tatum.
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The past is never far away
Photo: Courtesy of Double Dutch International
Empire of Dirt examines the lives of three generations of Cree women by adam hawboldt
S
o we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote that sentence in his 1925 masterpiece, The Great Gatsby. It’s a wonderful sentence, full of beautiful sentiment and hard-spun wisdom. It’s also one of the themes at the heart of the compelling Canadian drama, Empire of Dirt. Written by first-time screenwriter Shannon Masters, Empire of Dirt is a talk-heavy, low-key drama about three generations of Cree women, and the past that keeps coming around to haunt them. There’s Lena (Cara Gee), a single mother with a troubled past. There’s her daughter, Peeka (Shay Eyre), who seems destined to walk the same path as her mother. And there’s Minnie (Jennifer Podemski), Lena’s mother and a recovering gambling addict with a host of state-imposed demons in her closet.
When the action opens we see Lena living in downtown Toronto, cleaning houses, volunteering at a native youth centre, and trying as best she can to raise her daughter. Her life has been, up to this point, a series of dead ends caused by drug abuse. Lena’s hellbent on making sure her daughter doesn’t follow in her footsteps, but when Peeka is
sequently ran out of after she became pregnant with Peeka. So Lena and Peeka set out to visit Minnie. This switch from urban to rural is handled beautifully and skillfully by director Peter Stebbings (the guy who made Defendor). And while visually and thematically this is lovely, returning home is far from pleasant for Lena. She is forced to
Podemski is incredible as the wisecracking, embattled Minnie. Adam Hawboldt
hospitalized after huffing paint, Lena knows something has to be done. But what? The solution isn’t a pretty one: to return to the northern Ontario home where she was born, raised, and sub-
face a past she has left behind, to deal with a mother who still struggles with demons that Lena and Peeka don’t fully understand. There’s also old feelings Lena has to contend with, feelings for her former lover
Russell (Luke Kirby) and a whole host of other stuff that crops up. But this isn’t just a story about Lena. It’s about the three women dealing with their present struggles by diving into a less-than-savoury past. It’s about alcoholism, drug abuse, gambling, pregnancy, poverty, broken families and everyday life. About people seeking redemption and salvation. And while Empire of Dirt may sound a bit like an after-school special, Masters’ script and the film’s excellent camera work keeps it from feeling like a made-for-TV movie. So too does the acting. Podemski is incredible as the wise-cracking, embattled Minnie. Gee is terrific and soulful as Lena. And Eyre, while the youngest of the bunch, is pitch perfect as the sarcastic, rough-aroundthe-edges teenage Peeka. And while Empire of Dirt is full of uneasy moments, it’s a truthful character study (of three characters, no
empire of dirt Peter Stebbings Starring Cara Gee, Shay Eyre + Jennifer Podemski Directed by
99 minutes | PG
less!) that feels authentic and familiar and right. It’s also an examination of the lingering, echoing effects of the residential school system, an ode to family and a rumination on personal histories. But above all that, Empire of Dirt is, simply put, a good movie. Empire of Dirt will begin screening at Regina Public Library on June 19.
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Š Elaine M. Will | blog.E2W-Illustration.com | Check onthebus.webcomic.ws/ for previous editions!
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crossword canadian criss-cross 32. Brass instruments 36. Glutinous 37. Liquor made from molasses 39. Powerful wind 40. Not even 41. Computer language 43. An untruth 44. Make tidy 46. Screw feature 48. Bee injury 49. Musical sounds 50. Sword with a bowl-shaped guard 51. Distance between bridge supports
A
1. Flip-flop, e.g. 2. Coffee cup 3. Jamaican fruit 4. Capital of East Flanders 5. Zodiac sign 6. Canned fish 7. Everything 8. Plant disease 9. Unit of petrol 11. Slow mover 12. Sound of relief 14. See at a glance 17. Tawny-coloured 20. Half of 100 22. A gesture involving the shoulders 24. Spanish cheer
26. Remove the intestines of a fish 28. Put in order 29. A Monopoly token 30. Protuberances 31. Inform with the latest information 33. Whalebone B 34. Another name 35. Plant of the future 38. Baseball gloves 41. Nota ___ 42. Cut of meat, containing a section of a rib 45. Knock over 47. Genetic carrier, for short
1 7 5 2 3 9 8 6 4 4 3 9 8 6 1 5 7 2 2 8 6 5 7 4 3 1 9 5 6 1 7 4 2 9 3 8 3 9 4 6 1 8 2 5 7 7 2 8 9 5 3 6 4 1 6 4 2 3 8 7 1 9 5 9 1 3 4 2 5 7 8 6 8 5 7 1 9 6 4 2 3
1. Self-satisfied 5. Attack with a knife 9. Roll in the aisles 10. Picks out 12. Not married 13. Connected to the Internet 15. Contraction 16. Prefix with red 18. Car fuel 19. German tennis player 21. Male sheep, in Britain 22. Large seagoing vessel 23. Sun prefix 25. With little weight 27. Distinctive taste 29. Before birth
© walter D. Feener 2014
sudoku answer key
DOWN
3 5 2 8 7 9 6 1 4 7 8 6 4 2 1 5 3 9 4 1 9 5 3 6 2 7 8 6 4 8 1 5 2 3 9 7 1 7 3 9 6 4 8 2 5 9 2 5 3 8 7 4 6 1 5 6 4 7 1 3 9 8 2 2 9 7 6 4 8 1 5 3 8 3 1 2 9 5 7 4 6
ACROSS
Horoscopes June 13 – June 19 Aries March 21–April 19
Leo July 23–August 22
Sagittarius November 23–December 21
You’ll be left alone with your anxieties and questions this week, Aries. Do what you will with them.
Be pragmatic in all endeavours this week, Leo. Fanciful thinking will get you absolutely nowhere.
If people have been in conflict around you lately, it’s best to keep them at arm’s length.
Taurus April 20–May 20
Virgo August 23–September 22
Capricorn December 22–January 19
Have you been working hard lately? Maybe too hard? It’s time to take a break, Taurus.
Your actions this week will have lasting and important consequences in the months to come, Virgo.
You need to cut down on stress, so stop sweating the little things in life. Why get upset over nothing?
Gemini May 21–June 20
Libra September 23–October 23
Aquarius January 20–February 19
In times of trouble, don’t forget about your friends. You may very well need them this week.
The solutions you’ve been looking for will pop up in the most unsuspecting of places, Libra.
Try to avoid arrogant people this week, Aquarius. They’ll get to you in ways you never thought possible.
Cancer June 21–July 22
Scorpio October 24–November 22
Pisces February 20–March 20
Forget about all your many faults, Cancer. It’s better to focus on your strengths this week.
You may find yourself bursting with energy in the coming days, Scorpio. Don’t let it go to waste.
This week it’s important that you embrace both the joy and the pain of existence, Pisces. Very important.
sudoku 7 4 1 5 9 4 1 9 3 6 2 8 6 9 1 3 6 4 8 2 2 8 7 6 5 4 7 3 2 1 5 3 8 9 5 7
crossword answer key
A
1 9 8 4 1 5 7 8 6 5 4 9 6 1 4 2 9 3 3 6 7 2 3 6 7 9 1 4 2 5 8 8 5 7 2 3
B
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