Archive for February, 2011

High Five Trumps Devil Horns! Lou Barlow gives it up to Mikala Taylor (aka The Backstage Rider).

A couple of weeks ago some guy named Lou Barlow was playing the Rickshaw Theatre with some band named Sebadoh. But before he rocked out on the electric he played a pretty killer acoustic set at Zulu Records (which if you didn’t already know, plays host to quite a few free in-store shows… remember when bands played music stores? Remember music stores? Sigh.)

I caught him giving is Vancouver is Awesome “frenemy” Mikala Taylor a high five. Because high fives rule! Read more about the lovely Mikala being profiled on Granville Online HERE and do check out her blog HERE (but only after you vote for Vancouver is Awesome HERE.) ;-)

Lou having fun – for an hour! – at Zulu Records.

Every week V.I.A. Giveaways will give you a chance to win … something. Watch this space and if you’re a real keener, follow @VIAGiveaways on the Twitter for even more good times and random free stuff! So many layers of awesome … 1. One of two chances to win double passes to the White Stripes’ documentary Under Great White Northern Lights at Vancity Theatre and a $25 gift certificate to The Helm. 2. An amazing package of five Bar Method classes with instructor Carolyn Williams. 3. Your very own personalized portrait package ($495!!) with Klik Photographic‘s Kyrani Kanavaros. 4. One of three t-shirts from Hamburger Disco! Keep reading.

Director Emmett Malloy’s, The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights.

I have been banging the drum for Vancity Theatre for ages now and am constantly impressed by their world-class programming, but when I read about their new $5 Music Mondays (which you can read about HERE) I knew a giveaway was in order. Firstly, $5 anything (for the most part) makes me happy. Combine that with an amazing array of music-related movies in a swank theatre and in my book, you’re golden.

Scratch that – combine that with a $25 gift certificate to The Helm and then you’re better than golden. You’re platinum.

Yumminess from The Helm: grilled scallop on a bed of cucumber noodles, braised oxtail on parsnip purée, butter-poached cod with a mint coulis on haricots verts.

Photos by Kyrani Kanavaros.

How’s about a personalized portrait package from Klik Photographic valued at $495? Think of the Facebook update potential!

So, you and instructor Carolyn Williams walk into a bar and … she targets, tones and sculpts your bod from head to toe. Five classes. Bar Method. Who knew?

T-shirts. Hamburger Disco. Three to give away, three chances to win. (I’ll take mine with cheese, please).

What is the hardest button to button? I think it’s the snappy shoulder button that you get in dresses sometimes, the one that holds your bra in place. What do you think? To win one of TWO pairs of tickets to see The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights on Monday, February 25 and a $25 gift certificate from The Helm, leave your comment below. …READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

Every day we share a single photo from our Flickr Pool shot by one of our faithful and talented readers (that’s you!).

As an inquisitive sort, the word ‘stumped’ is one that I try to use sparingly at best. Not that I can always figure something out, but if my interest is piqued, I start to dig. Conversely, I’ve also learned that some phenomena are simply beyond reasonable explanations. These things are often better left unexplored, and just taken at face value.

refreshment_66 has submitted a photo today that I can comfortably admit has left me every bit as stumped as I am intrigued. Scottsdale crew cab contains elements that in their basic forms I can understand: an older truck, showing its age and parked on a residential street on a slight grade; Canucks flags on the back windows; a stuffed, over-sized teddy bear wearing an unidentified (but possibly pro-Canuck) t-shirt riding in the truck bed. So how come when I add up all these elements I’m left scratching my head?

I suppose this is one of those cases where its the scratching of my head that makes me stay with an image for a while. And as much as I want to know more, I’m going to be satisfied with the fact that I am stumped. If I had happened to come across this myself, I would have stopped for a photo too.

Gary

I wrote a letter on behalf of V.I.A. in support of The Cheaper Show today. If you don’t feel like reading it allow me to paraphrase: they rule.

You may have seen her work at Abbott and Hastings, a souvenir of her participation in Paint Your Faith last spring. Or you may have seen her stencil from the very few pictures that came out of the super secret Underbelly Project in New York last fall.

Indigo, nee Shallom Johnson, is an artist in every sense of the word: painter, stenciler, typographer, dancer, choreographer, writer and soon-to-be filmmaker. Despite having worked in the company of international artists like Workhorse, Peeta and Remi/Rough and being constantly involved in various projects all over the world, Indigo still finds time to teach classes at Purple Thistle and to find beauty in the roughness of her downtown eastside neighbourhood.

And that makes her awesome.

Where did you grow up, and what brought you to Vancouver?

I was born in Victoria, but my family moved up to Burns Lake, in Northern BC, when I was four years old. After high school I came to Vancouver and went to SFU. I did a BFA in Contemporary Dance, with an extended minor in English. I’ve been here ever since.

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

Not unlike our “The Local Competition” feature last week, CBC Radio 3 has taken it upon themselves to create “Meet The Nominees” posts where the nominees themselves describe their websites. Well I’ve poached these so I can show you what we are up against…

We already reblogged the first 20 nominees CLICK HERE TO SEE THOSE and then GO HERE TO GIVE US SOME VOTING-LOVE! — today is the last day to do so before they announce the Top 20 tomorrow on Grant Lawrence’s show (11am-ish PST).

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Painting Over Silence
Mission: My focus is on Winnipeg – to provide a comprehensive list of upcoming concerts, to run features on musicians about to play here, and to post news about various Winnipeg-based acts …all with an unapologetic bias toward indie!Why: Good question – probably that my site may encourage readers to invest time (and maybe even some money) in some Winnipeg musicians that they might not have been exposed to before.
Check out… my feature on roots-rockers Twilight Hotel – they’re a (former) Winnipeg band everyone should hear; “former” because they recently relocated to Texas but, as with Neil Young, Winnipeg still claims Twilight Hotel as its own.

Broken Speaker
Mission: The Broken Speaker focuses on keeping Canadian indie music fans up to date on new music, including live concert reviews, all with a distinct East Coast flavour.
Why: The chance to interact with the musicians, the fans, and the supporters of Canadian indie music make each word on the blog worth it.
Check out… our review of Hey Rosetta’s new album!

AWmusic.ca
Mission: We’re at T.O based mp3 blog and our main goal is to share our love of music, I know it sounds cheesy but its true, we love music!
Why: It’s all about the music!
Check out…my favourite post to write : Top 20 Songs of 2010

Sticky Magazine
Mission: provide exposure for great music, the people behind that music; we want to share those musically-induced sensations we get in our brains when listening to amazing music.
Why: Everyone who contributes to Sticky Magazine does so out of their love for …READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

“Comedy is tragedy plus time.” It’s been said many times by many comedians. I believe the original usage dates back to the great Carol Burnett. It’s a quote I have borrowed from to title this column about the wonderful talent in the comedy community right here in Vancouver.Since I’ve lived in Vancouver, I’ve heard a lot of people say that they had a bad experience at a comedy show and never went back. This is as ridiculous as swearing off restaurants as a whole because of one case of food poisoning. It’s my hope, that the profiles here will bring back those who have turned away or open the door for those who have never seen live comedy.

Finally, for those out there that don’t like to laugh, they might be best served by a quote from another lady of show business, Julia Roberts:
“Show me a person who doesn’t like to laugh and I’ll show you a person with a toe tag.”

A new kitty twice a week! Yup, we want YOUR cat photos and stories! Click here to find out how your cat can appear on Van City Kitty.

VIA reader Andrea submitted her gorgeous blue-eyed beast Cleo. Here’s what Andrea had to say about Cleo:

Name: Cleo Tong-Tucker Breed/Colouring: Siamese Snowshoe Tabby Hood: Fairview Habits: Sleeping, eating, looking for cuddles (only from her family—I stress the ‘only’ part) Hangouts: In the spring/summer, you will most likely find her lying in a sunbeam, and in the winter, propped up next to the radiator. If you have anything soft and plushy, you can pretty much bet that she will be on it. Other info: Cleo was rescued from the BC SPCA in May 2003. Apparently her old owners were moving and didn’t think she would adjust well to new surroundings. She was the second cat I saw at the shelter and it was love at first sight. We bought her home, she hopped out of the box and has been home ever since.

Are you looking for a (or another) little furry beast to love? Please check out Happy Tails, our weekly segment featuring the BC SPCA and one of the animals they currently have available for adoption. (You may have noticed that many of the Van City Kitties came from the SPCA!) Check back every Saturday for a new Happy Tails segment!

And if you adopted your pet from the SPCA and would like to share your awesome story on Happy Tails, send an email to vancitykitty@vancouverisawesome.com or Rory.Blanchard@novusnow.ca.