verb issue s290 (may 16-22, 2014)
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Photo: courtesy of mike ford
arts culture music saskatoon
issue #290 – may 16 to may 22
T h e B a l c o n i e s
+Jae Ford “Let’s talk about crazy”
musical evolution Q+a with skynet
million dollar arm +
mistaken For strangers films reviewed
Verbnews.comVerb magazine
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Verbnews.com@verbsaskatoon
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editorialPublisher / Parity PubLishingeditor in chief / ryan aLLanmanaging editor / Jessica Patruccostaff writers / adam hawboLdt + aLex J macPhersoncontributing writer / Jeff davis
art & Productiondesign lead / andrew yankograPhic designer / bryce kirkcontributing PhotograPhers / Patrick carLey, adam hawboLdt + Jeff davis
Business & oPerationsoffice manager / stePhanie LiPsitaccount manager / nathan hoLowatysales manager / vogeson PaLeyfinancial manager / cody Lang
contactcomments / feedback@verbnews.com / 306 881 8372
adVertise / advertise@verbnews.com / 306 979 2253
design / Layout@verbnews.com / 306 979 8474
general / info@verbnews.com / 306 979 2253
contentscontents
let’s talk aBout crazy Jae Ford breaks down mental health stigmas. 6 / local
recreating the PastLocal author turns Regina into 1940s San Francisco. 4 / local
Pedal PushersOur thoughts on making Saskatoon more bike friendly. 8 / editorial
commentsHere’s your say about changes to drink-ing and driving laws. 10 / comments
Q + a with skynetBlake Louis Prince on musical evolution. 12 / q + a
nightliFe Photos We visited Beily’s + Yard & Flagon. 24 / nightlife
listingsLocal music listings for May 16 through May 24. 20 / listings
million dollar arm + mistaken For strangersThe latest movie reviews. 22 / film
on the Bus Weekly original comic illustrations by Elaine M. Will. 30 / comics
music reviewsWe review Snake River and Pink Mountaintops. 15 / music reViews
FiFties style diningWe visit Broadway Cafe.18 / food + drink
the PistolwhiPsSK rock band talks carrying on a legacy. 14 / arts
entertainment
news + oPinion
musicFoam Lake, Jordan Klassen + Scott Weiland 19 / music
games + horoscoPesCanadian criss-cross puzzle, horoscopes, and Sudoku. 31 / timeout
on the cover:
the BalconiesForward momentum 16/ feature
vehiclesThe Ford Fiesta ST, local car clubs, and more! 32 / Vehicles
Photo: courtesy of mike ford
culture
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Photo: courtesy of cydney toth
recreating the Past
wLocal author turns regina into 1940s san fransisco by adam hawboLdt
local
hen Jessica Eissfeldt walked into the Regina Florist build-
ing on Hamilton Street, she had a good feeling.
An old red brick place with two greying Doric columns on either side of the entrance, the Regina Florist building looked promising from the outside. Inside it was even better. It had the vibe, the atmosphere, the essence of what she wanted. You see,
for the past few months, Eissfeldt had been working on a short story called Dialing Dreams — a romantic tale set in the 1940s. And now that the story was finished, she was look-ing for a place to take some photos to accompany it. To bring to life the key points, the most dramatic moments of her tale.
Up on the second floor of the old floral shop, Eissfeldt looked around. She saw paneled doors, tarnished
brass railings, broken lamps and faded photographs. The smell of sun-warmed wood and history hung heavy in the air. She turned a corner into one of the vacant rooms and there it was — a frosted glass door. The exact frosted glass door she’d envisioned in the recording studio where a scene from her story takes place. Eissfeldt ran her finger down the door’s paneling. Her mind was made up.
“Soon as I walked into that room I was like, ‘Yep! This is exactly what I had in mind,’” recalls Eissfeldt. “I was looking for a place to do the record-ing studio photos and this was it.”
But her search for photo locations was far from finished. In her mind, Eissfeldt envisioned having a picture to accompany each chapter, plus a cover photo and a photo after the fi-nal page to bookend the project. She scoured the city looking for places
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that had a similar feel. Places in downtown Regina where she could recreate San Francisco in the 1940s. Eventually she found them.
But locations weren’t the only things Eissfeldt needed to find.
“The clock’s ticking seemed louder than usual. How many times had she sat at this very switchboard, fighting tears of regret, tears of boredom, tears of frustration at not having a chance to live her dream? And now that it was here? How could she give in to fear again? But she couldn’t help her emotions. She just couldn’t.”
That’s an excerpt from Eissfeldt’s short story, Dialing Dreams. A story she turned into a 35-page book. A story inspired by a jazz song.
“I was listening to Matt Dusk in the car one day,” says Eissfeldt. “I was just driving along, listening to his song ‘Operator, Please’, and this image popped into my mind.”
It was an image of a guy standing in a phone booth. It’s midnight. The rain is pouring down. And this guy, he’s dejected. Really sad. The only person who will listen to him is the telephone operator.
This picture kept rolling through her mind, and Eissfeldt knew there was a story behind it. She went to a local Starbucks with her laptop, ordered a tea, and wrote. It started out as a really short piece, something like 12 pages. The first draft came very quickly.
At some point during the writ-ing process, Eissfeldt went to San Francisco to soak in the city’s atmosphere. She did research on the 1940s. She watched old movies
from that era to get an idea of the mannerisms, language and feel of that moment in history.
The first draft of her story turned into a second draft. More followed. And when everything was finished, she turned her attentions towards creating the photos.
The idea to include pictures in Dial-ing Dreams came to Eissfeldt out of the blue.
“I was at work one day — I work at the library — and I was flipping through some books,” says Eissfeldt. “I’d picked up a copy of The Wizard of Oz and noticed that each chapter, was prefaced by a picture. A light bulb went off in my head. I thought it’d be really cool if, because it’s a short story, I included pictures to give the reader something extra.”
So she found a photographer and went looking for places to take the photos. At the same time she also set out in search of an actor to play the lead character in the story (Nick Hart), and clothing that would fit the time period.
“For the hero, I contacted acting and modeling agencies in town,” says Eissfeldt, who posed as the heroine Be-linda in the pictures. “I told them what I was looking for, what the story was about, what the shoot would embody, a physical description of the hero.”
Eissfeldt ended up meeting with five or six potential men to portray Nick, but none of them seemed right for the part. “It was interesting,” she says of the process. “You know how you get first impressions of people? Well, I’d meet up with a guy and think this isn’t the right one for Nick
Hart. He’d make a good football player or Elvis or James Bond.”
In the back of her mind, Eissfeldt had a concrete image of Nick. She knew his personality, his manner-isms, his favourite dessert. She knew exactly what she was looking for. And when she met with a local actor named Greg Ochitwa, she knew she’d found her man.
All that was left was to find the right clothes for the photo shoots. Clothes that would make the ‘40s come to life.
“That was the biggest chal-lenge,” says Eissfeldt, “finding the clothing. There’s not a lot of vintage clothes around so I went to the Regina Little Theatre and they gra-ciously allowed me to go through their wardrobe selection.”
There, Eissfeldt found a dress and a fedora to use in the photo shoot. She found another dress at a second-hand store, and one at Le Chateau. Then she found an old phone and a burgundy hat with a veil and a bow at an antique store.
Once she had everything she needed, it was time to take some pictures. The photo shoot lasted two days and spanned five different loca-tions around Regina. And when it was finished, Eissfeldt felt she’d made the right decisions. The right decisions on setting and characters and clothes. The right decisions that would help accentuate her short story and bring her characters to life.
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et’s talk about crazy,” says Jae Ford. “It’s great that we can use the
term mental illness, but there’s not much stigma attached to it. The real stigma is around the word crazy. So let’s start talking about crazy. Let’s break it down. Let’s start telling the stories behind it and examine what we mean when we say that word. Let’s change the conversation around.”
It’s just after one o’clock on a crisp May afternoon, just a little over a month since Ford admitted himself into the Dubé Centre for Mental Health. We’re sitting in the Reflection Room on
the main floor of the facility. The room is shaped like a quadrilateral. It’s clean and empty and sun-drenched. Two of its walls — the ones facing west and south — feature floor-to-ceiling win-dows, with a plant in the corner where they meet. Ford is sitting with his back to the plant; outside, a cyclist pedals along the Meewasin Trail.
This is a room Ford knows well. He spends a couple hours here each day. Sometimes, when he feels anxi-ety creeping in, he comes here to get centered, to do some deep breathing and relax. One time, about a week after he came to the Dubé Centre, a young man was walking down the
trail that runs next to the building. He looked at Ford and circled his index finger beside his head. The universal gesture for crazy.
This pissed Ford off. But instead of bursting out the hospital’s doors and challenging the young man to fight (even though that’s what he wanted to do at first), Ford wrote a blog post about the incident.
Ford writes a lot of blog posts. And he’s always in the same place when he does it — here in the Reflection Room.
“After Admission” is the title of the first thing Ford wrote on his blog,
saskatchwan blogger Jae ford aims to break down stigmas surrounding mental health by adam hawboLdt
l
let’s talk aBout crazy
Photo: courtesy of adam hawboLdt
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Jae Interrupted. It’s dated Tuesday 8 April 2014, and reads: “It looks like the cat is out of the bag, so I’ll fill everyone in on what’s been happen-ing in my life over the past little bit. As many of you know, I have Type I Bipolar Disorder. Recently, my Lithium levels got too low and some other meds stopped working. I was having major problems with anxiety, depression, and psudopsychosis [sic]. On the advice of my psychiatrist, other members of my care team, and my amazing partner, Michelle, I made the decision to go inpatient at the Dubé Centre for Mental Health. I have no idea how long I’ll be here…”
A few days before that, when it looked like hospitalization was inevi-table, Ford made another decision.
He decided to write about his experience at the Centre.
“When I was getting sick this time, I started kicking around the idea of the blog. I kept thinking back to 2006, when I went away for six months,” says Ford, referring to his first trip to a psyche ward after a suicide attempt involving his 1988 Chevy Sprint, the #11 Highway and the RCMP. “When I got out people asked where I’d been. I immediately lied. I was terrified to tell anyone I was in a psyche ward for six months so I told them I was on vacation. I told them I was in the States or wherever. Anything to avoid telling them the truth, which was shameful for me. I was ashamed of what was wrong with me, ashamed of where I’d been.”
This time around, Ford vowed things would be different. He wouldn’t play the avoidance game. Wouldn’t lie. What he’d do was write a blog about how he was feeling, what he was going through. A blog he figured only his family and co-workers would read.
Ford figured wrong.“It started out small,” says Ford.
Sitting straight up in his chair, his hands are curled around the cellphone in his lap, a saline lock poking out from under the left sleeve of his hospital-issued robe. “The blog wasn’t getting many hits, but somewhere along the line it got on social media and people started talking about it. I was terrified. One day I checked, and there were a few thousand hits that morning. I don’t
know a few thousand people, so that was problematic. Then after lunch the CBC called me about the blog. I checked it again and there were a few thousand more hits. I thought to myself, ‘well, I guess everybody knows. It’s out there now.’”
Ford had a quick little sit-down with himself to think things over. He had two options: pull the blog and that would be the end of things or keep it going.
The emails he received, many from people with mental health problems saying Jae Interrupted spoke to them, convinced him to opt for the latter.
It now gets 19,000 hits a day.
Sometimes Ford finds it difficult to write.
The cocktail of drugs he is currently taking doesn’t help — a cocktail consisting of Seroquel, Lithium, Trazodone, Lamotrigine, and Celexa. Nor does the electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) treatment.
“Parts of my body are hurting that have literally never hurt before,” reads Ford’s blog after his first ECT experience. “I have a bizarre hybrid jaw/skull/neck ache, I earlier tried to eat my milk with a fork, but I’m alive. I spent a minute and twenty-seven seconds this morning having an electrically-induced seizure in my first electroconvulsive therapy treat-ment. This post will be short as my brain is still chugging along in first gear. I just wanted to let all of you know I made it.”
These days, Ford finds the effects of the ECT treatments easier to deal with, but they’re still there. On cer-tain days Ford still walks around in an “ECT fog.”
That’s when writing becomes the most difficult.
“Those posts are so damn hard to write,” he says. “It’s a situation where I type one word and then I’ll have to remember why it is I typed it. I can’t remember that, so I have to delete it and start over with a new word. I’ll have that word down. Think, what’s the word I want after it? Screw that word, time to start again. Eventually I’ll force myself. I’ll lay down on the floor with my head in the corner so that all the distractions are gone. All there is is that blinking cursor. I’m going to
write a sentence if it kills me. When I get that sentence down, I’ll lean back and take a breather … Not being able to write or use language frustrates the hell out of me. It’s scary when it happens.”
But it doesn’t happen all the time. When Ford emerges from the ECT fog, he has a unique ability to define his sickness. To describe mental illness. He likens his depres-sion to a wet wool sweater that clings to him. A sweater that won’t dry and that he can’t take off. He refers to his brain as being a “baked potato” after ECT treatments, and describes his anxiety “as the feel-ing of trying to breathe through a snorkel. You can draw air into your lungs, but it requires a good deal of effort to expand your chest against the weight of the water.”
Ford writes about the blunt truths of his existence, and says things like, “I’m not crazy—I’m sick. This is no different than a sick liver causing liver disease or a sick pancreas causing diabetes.”
Outside the Reflection Room, a woman in black spandex pants jogs along the Meesawin Trail, looks up,and smiles. “Being able to explain and describe my sickness, putting it into words that people can under-stand and relate to, is important,” says Ford, his voice echoing in the near-empty room. “It’s important if you want to break the stigma — the stigma of crazy.”
But Ford may not be writing about these things much longer. He’s set to leave the Dubé Centre on May 22, and is unsure whether or not he’ll keep Jae Interrupted going once he’s out. If it’s useful in his healing process or useful to others who need help, he will. If not, he’ll focus on the business of getting better.
Until then, though, he’ll return to the Reflection Room every day. He’ll sit down with his computer and post on his blog. He’ll continue to try to change the conversation by chipping away at the stigmas attached to the word crazy.
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Pedal Pushers
sbike-friendly cities benefit cyclists and drivers alike
pring is in the air (finally), so it’s time to dust off those bikes
and hit the road. Which for us means it’s time to start talking, once again, about making our city more bike-friendly.
In case you haven’t noticed, there are more and more cyclists on the road every year. People who drive surely notice this, cyclists notice it — even our city council notices it. And that’s why, in recent days, there has been a lot of talk about bike lanes in our cities.
Here in Saskatoon, the city is currently considering adding a couple of protected bike lanes to the downtown core. A petition from Saskatoon Cyclists is encouraging that these lanes be found on 4th Av-enue and 24th Street. And while we applaud our city for thinking about adding lanes downtown, we feel like there’s more we could do.
Look — our province loves bik-ing. According to Transport Canada, approximately 2.4 percent of Saskatoon’s commuters are cyclists — the second highest percentage in the country. In Regina cyclists account for 1.4 percent of all com-muters, a number that ranks them in the top 15 cities in Canada in that category.
With this many pedal pushers on the road, it would serve our cities well to focus not just on the
downtown core, but on putting ad-ditional bike lanes throughout the entire city. Apart from our down-town area and a handful of other pockets around Saskatoon, we are seriously lacking when it comes to commuting by bike. Cycling between many of our city’s major hubs can be scary and downright unsafe. After all, bikes who comply with the laws and stick to the streets often impede the flow of traffic for vehicles, forcing quick lane changes and endangering both drivers and cyclists alike. Those who stick to the sidewalks out of self preservation risk injuring pedestrians and getting ticketed by police. Clearly, we need to make changes that will accommodate cyclists of all different abilities, in all different areas of the city.
The benefits of these changes would be twofold. First off, improv-ing bike transit in all areas of the city would benefit drivers. If more people were able to cycle around the city safely, then there would be less traffic hassle for all commuters. You could get from point A to point B quicker and more efficiently, not having to worry about hitting a biker or getting stuck behind one in traffic.
Then there’s the issue of safety. Installing more bike lanes — not only downtown but on other busy outlying streets and streets
connecting major hubs of the city — would make things less danger-ous for cyclists. A study from the University of Calgary examined data collected from emergency rooms in Edmonton and Calgary over a three-year period, and deter-mined that bicyclists who collided with motor vehicles with four times more likely to incur serious injury than cyclists who got in other types of accidents.
Put in more bike lanes, and the risk of this decreases. It’s as simple as that.
So let’s not halfass it when it comes to bike lanes projects. Let’s not just focus on the downtown core. Let’s make things safer by having separate and visible desig-nated bike lanes that can provide linkages between all the high-vol-ume traffic areas in the city.
Doing so will help traffic flow more freely, and improve the safety of everyone in transit.
These editorials are left unsigned because they represent the opinions of Verb magazine, not those of the individual writers.
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commentscommentscommentscomments
on toPic: Last week we asked what you thought about the new pun-ishments facing people who drink and drive. here's what you had to say:
text your thoughts to881 verB
8372
– If ur caught drinking n driving then I dont care if u don’t have a lisence its ur fault. Don’t drink n drive no problems then
– I didn’t know breath tests had such a wide range of “accuracy” I didn’t think it was a big deal because I have no sympathy for
someone who chooses to drive after drinking. But how many of us work in construction and would potentially blow over on a roadside breathalyzer? And then lose our cars and likely our jobs. They’re has to be something better.
– Who cares if people who are convicted of drinking and driv-ing don’t get to drive until their trial who actually contends those findings? This sounds like giving criminals a break. Stupid.
– The precedence set by the government to punish those who are not yet convicted of a crime, no matter how obvious it might be that they are guilty, is troubling. We should be worried about this, very much.
– No drinking and driving no prob-lems it’s that simple so who cares
– I have no sympathy with anyone caught drinking and driving it’s a stupid thing to do if you hurt your-self whatever but you could hurt an innocent person so I say take their licence away and if you don’t want that to happen that don’t do the crime.
– I saw people will also have to have a breathalyzer put on their cars if they are uncovered drink-ing and driving I think thats good. If you’re dumb enough to do such a stupid thing that who cares about the cost to you or inconvenience.
– Innocent until proven guilty is so important and we should be fighting this. We need to punish people convicted of drinking and driving for sure, but if they are awaiting trial then we shouldn’t punish them beforehand (unless it could count as time served I don’t know but that would only work if they get a guilty conviction). This sounds like there was good inten-tion behind it but that it’s not really well thought through.
– I agree with your premise that we should be focussing on harm reductive approaches and not trying to fix the problem once it already happens but I don’t agree with your argument that drivers shouldn’t have to give up their licence before a trial. People are often jailed prior to a trial even though they haven’t been con-victed of anything yet. Is this that much different?
– People should just take buses and taxis if you want to drink and not drive then you can get wasted and have fun and not have any problems :)
– I understand what you’re saying about punishing someone not convicted yet so what if instead of taking their car away they had to have those breath things on their steering wheel until their trial?
It’s like a lesser punishment than totally not being able to drive.
– If you can’t do the time you shouldn’t do the crime that’s an old saying but it’s as relevant now as ever before. Don’t drink and drive and you won’t have to worry about any of this it’s as simple as that.
– People should have no sympathy for those who drive while drunk they could murder someone and we shouldn’t be giving them any breaks.
oFF toPic
– Re. Photo radar. Why are so many large cities getting rid of this photo shop $ machine ? Could it be terrible accidents have been reoccuring even deaths due to different habits in the changes in patterns ? Citizens have spoken in these cities.. LET,S BE HONEST about this !
In response to “Speed Demon,” Editorial,
#288 (May 2, 2014)
– Photo radar is a cash scam the only reason they are interested in it is to generate revenue it doesn’t do anything else.
In response to “Speed Demon,” Editorial,
#288 (May 2, 2014)
– If you are going the proper speed, you should have no reason to be bothered by photo radar.
In response to “Speed Demon,” Editorial,
#288 (May 2, 2014)
– My heart broke reading the Robbie Waisman story. What an incredible journey! It is astonish-ing that a young person could have endured so much. Excellent, excellent. Thank you Adam
In response to “Remembrance of things
past,” Local, #289 (May 9, 2014)
– I really enjoyed your feature on Robbie Waisman there are so few
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survivors from that terrible terrible time left that it is important for their narratives to be recorded, for their stories to be shared because we cannot forget this, we cannot forget that regular people divided into horrible guards and terrified victims.
In response to “Remembrance of things
past,” Local, #289 (May 9, 2014)
– I was crying on the bus reading Robbie’s words. That poor child losing his family all those years ago. Thank you for sharing his story with me.
In response to “Remembrance of things
past,” Local, #289 (May 9, 2014)
sound oFF
– Warning to all drivers, the ignorant, rude, and self-centered drivers are now on the road Truth Is Power-Try It
– Garbage Is Power-Eat It.
– WhyTF do we have any housing problems urban reserve whtvr in this country? We have huge forests we mow like lawn sell cheap to other countries for housing. Its not like we don’t have the resources and capacity to easily give everyone good homes! This ain’t Haiti or Somalia! So Canada! Whats the problem? FUS!
– I’m tired of people considering nonsense to be art. If you want to see garbage, go to the landfill. Tons of art for you to look at all day long.
– If the purpose of art is to gener-ate conversation, that I’d say this young lady achieved her goal. I haven’t seen so many different people fired up (and coming from both sides) about the art installation in a long time.
– I can’t believe in this day and age we have a crime committed such as the mass kidnapping of school
girls in Nigeria. The world should be outraged. We should not turn our eyes away from this. It’s a crime against humanity and affects us all. We need to value everyone and the world needs to band together to find these girls.
– The firing of Buckingham by the U of S could not have been handled more poorly by the institution. I am appalled at first their gag order on upper members of the various colleges, and also their frankly disgusting behaviour when Buck-ingham made those public. It’s not for me to say whether or not what he did deserved some punish-ment, but stripping of tenure and firing seems outrageous, and the institution’s handling of the matter certainly made my alma mater a laughingstock in the national media. If you can’t question ideology at a university, then where can you? Absolutely disgusting. If you think this won’t have an affect on student enrollment, think again. Good luck attracting the best and brightest in faculty and students with a reputa-tion like the one we’re getting.
– Disgusted to hear about the firing of a dean at the U of S what a cluster-f word.This was appalingly dealt with. Where are the students up in arms? They should demand better of their university.
– TransformUs is divisive, we all know that but I think we can all stand together and acknowledge that Professor Buckingham’s firing was beyond the pale. I’m looking forward to seeing what will all come of this. I’m sure it will really make others at the institution feel safe and secure to speak their minds.
– Boring articles in the Verb. I’m try-ing hard not to fall asleep.
– One hot day and good luck finding a seat on a patio anywhere lol sum-mer is coming to stoon.
– Great set at the capitol last night it’s wonderful to see another place sup-porting the amazing local musicians and talented singers we have here. Support your local music scene!
– When you’re out with your honey and your nose is runny you might think its funny but, itsnot! Read it aloud.
– The world is really in turmoil when you take notice of everything hap-pening environmentally, financially and socially. Killings, mass kidnap-pings, wars, global warming, climate change, natural disasters and the list goes on. We need a positive change in this world.
– Why do we continue to allow criminals back onto the street? After the first offense, it only becomes
easier to reoffend. It’s so tragic when they kill someone after having stolen a truck. These criminals were nothing new to stealing cars. We need a tougher punishment to deter criminals. Lashes? Caning? Bread and water and locked in isolation? A slap on the wrist justice system does not work.
– Happy mommas day to all you amazing moms out there! Everyone, thank ur mom lol
next week: what do you think about more bike lanes in sas-katoon? 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.
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q + a
lake Louis Prince and Donny Levasseur have been playing music
together for the best part of a decade. Their latest project, Skynet, emerged after their departure from the metal band Modern Miniatures. After countless late nights spent discussing their dreams and ambi-tions, the two men set about trans-forming Skynet, Levasseur’s solo recording project, into a new band. In 2012, they traveled to Plain City, Ohio to re-record an EP Levasseur conceived in his home studio. Re-leased later that year, the record es-tablished Skynet as one of the more
innovative bands on the Canadian metal and hardcore circuit. It also set the stage for The Wild, Skynet’s second EP. Released in November 2013, The Wild continues the pat-tern established by Skynet. There are thunderous riffs, mind-bending technical sections, and long melodic interludes: the ideal fulcrum of brute force and calculated preci-sion. The Wild also benefits from the band’s willingness to look beyond conventions of the genre. Although some tracks, like the colossal “Heart Burn,” consist of little more than a few thunderous guitar riffs strung out across a complex time
signature, others are more adven-turous. The EP includes sparkling acoustic guitar licks (“The Wild”), spacey atmospherics (“Devour”), and melodic choruses reminiscent of hard rock, or even punk (J.R.M.) These are not garnishes, but they are not structural, either. The more unusual sonic elements seem to be about subverting the idea that metal is hermetic, sealed off from outside influence. (Of course, The Wild of-fers some of that, too: “Bottle Neck” is a titanic collection of chainsaw riffs and screamed vocals.) Because nothing on the record feels gratu-itous, due in no small part to Levas-
out in the wildskynet’s blake Louis Prince talks musical evolution and the band’s latest eP by aLex J macPherson
B
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seur’s cagey production, The Wild is always surprising, never jarring. It is inventive Canadian metal at its finest. And earlier this month, I spoke with vocalist Blake Prince to find out more about Skynet.
Alex J MacPherson: Skynet evolved out of a side project. What was that like?
Blake Louis Prince: Donny [Levasseur], the guitarist and founder of the band, and I have been in several bands together.
We did Straight Reads The Line back
in the day, and then we did Modern Miniatures. It was when we both departed from Modern Miniatures that we decided to turn his solo side project, Skynet, into a full-functioning band. Things just evolved from there, and we’ve been going hard ever since.
AJM: Did the decision to do that hap-pen quite suddenly?
BLP: Donny locked himself in his studio for a couple months. He just had at it and created this beautiful EP. We basically saw so much potential in it, and he’s like, let’s turn this into a band and see where it goes. At that point, I was pretty exhausted from the last two bands that we’d already done. It was pretty trying. I had to be convinced to do it, pretty much. But we ended up doing it and it just seemed like it was meant to be after awhile.
AJM: Starting from scratch is obviously exhausting, but at the same time it must give you an opportunity to deploy all of the experience you’ve gained playing in other bands.
BLP: Absolutely. That’s the beautiful thing about music. There’s always new experiences to be had and shared, and you always learn new things along the way. You’re always learning things, it’s always fresh, and it keeps things interesting, which is pretty much why I love the business so much. It’s an ongoing learning process and it’s fun to learn if you’re into music. Definitely the place to be.
AJM: Let’s talk about the new EP, The Wild. What was the process like?
BLP: It was basically Donny and I compiling some songs together. He does a lot, if not all, of the instrument side of things and I do all of the vocals and lyrics, and put in my two cents as far as production values go. We had two different bandmates at the time who departed around the time we went into the studio. They just weren’t as serious or as passionate about the project as much as Donny and I were, and we had no room for error at that point so they had to be removed from the situation, which at the time was really complicated. We were in the studio, we weren’t signed, we had no
financial help, and we were busting our asses, working real jobs and trying to pay this thing off, this record that wasn’t cheap to make. It was a bit of a struggle at times, but in the end it all came together.
AJM: Even though it was just the two of you for the most part, The Wild emerged as a very diverse record with a lot of dif-ferent sounds on it. Was that something you wanted to achieve?
BLP: There’s something for every-one in that album, I think. We never really go into pre-planning what we want to do. It always kind of subcon-sciously happens. We just go with the flow, and out comes the final prod-uct. We find that’s probably the most natural and organic way of putting out our product. There’s no set plan. We don’t try to be anybody else or be like anybody else; we just do our own thing, and that’s rewarding all on its own. We know we’re real and
trying to be real, and I think it shines through in the music.
AJM: What do you think it is that ties the songs together?
BLP: I think the intensity of it all, re-ally. It’s all very chaotic when it comes down to it, and that kind of matches [our] lifestyle. We’re kind of crazy people, so we always have a lot of stuff on the go. It’s just the way we live, and
it shines through in the music. It’s all we know, really.
AJM: Given how diverse the record is, where do you think Skynet fits into the Canadian metal scene?
BLP: I don’t know if it’s just me being a hog, but I like to place us alone in the industry. I don’t know where we belong. It’s just that we keep grinding away and keep doing what we’re do-ing, and we’re kind of just looking out
for ourselves at this point. I guess we’re just heading in whatever direction the wind takes us. I don’t know where we belong in this industry, to be honest.
AJM: The Wild is still pretty new, but EPs tend to suggest that full-length is on the way. Are you working on some-thing new?
BLP: That full-length is already writ-ten. Donny’s been slaving away on the tunes, and I’ve been writing like crazy myself. The album is probably about sixty percent done at this time. There are twelve songs that we’re playing with right now. I don’t know if we’re going to do the full twelve on the full-length, or if we’re going to do a ten-banger … In the meantime we have a couple of tours coming up, and those are kind of going to be conquered first before we decide to hit the studio.
Skynet (@ Mazzfest 2014)may 31 @ o’brians event centreall ages; doors open at 1:30pm$25+ @ tickets.obrianseventcentre.ca
i don’t know where we belong in this industry, to be honest.
bLake Louis Prince
@verbsaskatoon
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ew bands are more intimately connected to the Saskatoon music
scene than the Pistolwhips. Since the four-piece rock band emerged from the Lydia’s Pub scene in 2006, its rotat-ing cast of characters has included
members of many local bands, includ-ing the Rebellion and the Sheepdogs. After what frontman Rylan Schultz describes as a “little break,” the band reformed in 2012. The Pistolwhips’ current lineup features bassist Zach Davies (Hip’s Whiskers), drummer
Jason Hattie (911 Turbo, The Steadies), and guitarist Paul Kuzbik (Fountains of Youth).
“Everybody in the band has been a part of more than one project that, at least at one point, has been prominent in the Saskatoon music scene,” says Schultz, who in addition to frequent solo performances has also appeared with the Rebellion and several other local bands. “It definitely lends a lot of experience to what we’re doing now. We’ve toured Canada and stuff like that. And we’ve definitely done it wrong enough times that hopefully this time around we know what not to do.”
Buoyed by the prospect of starting over, the band went into the studio almost immediately. In late 2012, the Pistolwhips released an eponymous EP, four groovy rock songs driven by Kuzbik’s wailing guitar and Schultz’s rough-around-the-edges voice. After playing dozens of raucous shows in support of the EP, the four men decid-ed to take on a much more ambitious project. Earlier this year, they started work on a full-length album. Accord-ing to Schultz, the record — which was cut with engineer Ryan Anderson at Red Door Recording in Saskatoon — reflects the strength of the new lineup.
“The EP was four songs that I had written, Pistolwhips songs that already kind of existed,” Schultz says. “Paul came in as a guitar player, but playing parts he hadn’t written himself. The majority of the [new] album is songs we’ve written together, the four of us. The exceptions are a couple of older songs that I’d written, but we totally reworked them, and made them into entirely new things.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Schultz expects the forthcoming record to be much more diverse than the EP. What was once an outlet for Schultz has become a collaborative project, with each band member contributing ideas and parts. This is apparent on the first single, a groovy mid-tempo
rocker titled “Whatcha Doin’.” Unlike the songs that made up the EP, which were constructed from chunky power chords and straightforward bass and drum lines, the album teaser is intricately detailed. Kuzbik’s tasteful guitar line floats in and out of the mix as Schultz rasps out the verses. The chorus features some more rock and roll riffing, as well as a solid vocal hook.
“Whatcha Doin’” is also the sub-ject of a forthcoming music video, the first of three to be released this sum-mer. According to Schultz, the album and video releases are scheduled to coincide with a period of unprec-edented activity for the band. He and his bandmates already traveled to Toronto for Canadian Music Week. They are planning a fundraiser for the Pink Wig Foundation, a local cancer charity, as well as a pair of tours and an album release show in June. The last, according to Schultz, will feel like a homecoming of sorts.
Although Lydia’s, the landmark bar that gave every member of the band his start, is a relic of an earlier age, its legacy is preserved elsewhere. Earlier this month, former Pistolwhip and current Sheepdog Leot Hanson, along with several other partners, opened the Capitol Music Club. “It’s this cool, full-circle thing,” says Schultz. “Leot and some buddies of ours from P.A., who are friends with those guys, bought the stuff that was Lydia’s — and now it’s the Capitol.” Lydia’s may be gone, but it lives on in the Capitol Music Club — and in the Pistolwhips themselves.
The Pistolwhipsmay 24 @ rock bottom$tba
arts
the PistolwhiPs
F
reformed saskatoon rock band poised to release new LP, carry on the legacy of notorious local club by aLex J macPherson
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amacpherson@verbnews.com
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album reViews
music reviews by alex J macPherson
snake river — mckruski 13th aVe records, may 2014
Pink mountaintops — get back JagJaguwar, aPril 2014
According to the liner notes, the lyrics on Snake River’s sophomore al-bum, McKruski,
were “culled from conversations, arguments, and a dream had by Snake River Mountain towns-folk on the evening of February 23, 1989.” That the town and its inhabitants are completely fic-tional is irrelevant; what matters to Christopher Sleightholm, the creative force behind Snake River, is the blank slate — a screen onto which he can project his ideas about what the world is, and what it should be.
Sleightholm, who released his first album under the name Snake River in 2011, shares more than a little D.N.A. with fellow Regina songwriter Andy Shauf. Both men are prolific bedroom
composers and talented multi-instru-mentalists. And both are fond of con-structing elaborate fictions populated by memorable characters. But whereas Shauf’s creations are fully-realized, Sleightholm’s are murky and indistinct.
On McKruski, Sleightholm uses the passage of time to blur narrative and obscure emotion. Like the figures in old family photographs, his charac-ters are grainy and indistinct. Long stories are presented as vignettes in which form trumps context. Sleight-holm’s Snake River Mountain is a place where complex actions and interactions are reduced by time and distance into simple expressions of love and loss. An overwhelming sense of distance pervades every song on the album.
This is accentuated by the musical choices. Sleightholm’s 2011 debut, Songs No One’ll Hear, was essentially a folk album. McKruski expands this
palette with psychedelic guitars and buckets of reverb. The songs are gritty, sometimes caked in grime. Sleightholm’s frail voice is drenched in reverb; the whole record feels weathered and worn.
McKruski reaches its climax on the title track, an 11-minute concoction of ominous guitars that builds into a sprawling rock anthem. “Can’t you feel it? Can’t You see It?” he wails, his voice corroded by a fuzzbox, “All the wicked, wicked lies we are living in this town.” These lines point to the album’s fundamental truth, that noth-ing is simple or easy. On McKruski, Sleighthom creates a detailed tableau, a moment of perfection. Then he strips away the veneer of nostalgia, revealing life for what it is: tenuous, complicated, and unrelentingly beautiful.
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Any attempt to dissect Get Back, the fourth LP from Vancouver’s Pink Mountain-
tops, will eventually confront the album’s one major problem: the second half of “North Hollywood Microwaves.” A shambolic garage rocker driven by manic saxophone wailing and a choppy, fuzzed out guitar riff, “North Hollywood Mi-crowaves” is dominated by a sur-realistic rap performed by Giant Drag’s Annie Hardy. Her saccha-rine delivery contrasts mightily with her choice of subject matter: sex, sex, and bears.
“North Hollywood Microwaves” is one of the most polarizing tracks of the year. Its uninhibited, almost joy-ous, vulgarity will repel some listen-ers. But it is also an extreme parody of the society frontman Stephen McBean seems intent on abandoning.
Get Back is soaked in contempt for western excess, and consequently nostalgia for a simpler time. McBean, who is best known for fronting the Vancouver sludge-rock outfit Black Mountain, spends much of his time chronicling the evils plaguing soci-ety: obsession and alienation, excess and dissonance.
The malaise hovering above Get Back is heightened by the knowledge that McBean recorded the album not in Vancouver, but in Los Angeles. The City of Angels may be an ocean paradise and a nexus of raw talent, but it is also the last stop for burned-out Ameri-can Dreamers and the high citadel of corporate rapaciousness. This is the society McBean skewers on Get Back. And, after tackling the evils of “com-puterized segregation” and watching “the shakedown from [his] isolation,” McBean reveals his desire for a “Sec-ond Summer Of Love” — 1987.
The last Pink Mountaintops record, Outside Love, was released
in 2009. McBean has clearly spent the last five years pondering his life within an industry, and a society, that seems bent on destroying itself. At the same time, he couldn’t help but produce a solid rock record — a compelling collection of snarling riffs, washed-out chords, anthemic saxophones, and anguished howls. The record reaches its zenith, or its nadir, on “North Hollywood Micro-waves.” Some will consider the track, with its weird stream-of-conscious-ness rap coda, the ultimate parody of western excess. Others will skip it entirely — and in no way diminish the rock credentials that make Get Back so much fun.
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laying more than one hundred shows in a single year is an
accomplishment for any rock band. Considering the distances involved in touring North Amer-ica, as well as the physical and emotional demands of a long night of performing, spending a third of a year on the road is extremely daunting. But that hasn’t stopped the Balconies. After ascending to the national stage in 2012, the Toronto-based power trio spent most of the next two years on tour. In 2013, the band played about 130 shows. “It’s so funny,” laughs Jacquie O. Neville, the group’s statuesque lead singer, whose ability to churn out propulsive guitar riffs is eclipsed only by her striking presence behind the microphone. “Every time I tell people that, they’re like, ‘Holy crap! When did you sleep?’ That’s the thing: we didn’t sleep.”
After forming in Ottawa, On-tario in 2007, the three members of the Balconies spent several years refining their sound before mov-ing to Toronto in search of success. In 2012, the power trio released its debut, a cheaply-recorded and hyper-energetic EP titled Kill Count.
Over the next year, Neville and her bandmates — drummer Liam Jaeger and her bassist brother, Stephen — played shows across North America and Europe. They toured with several high-profile bands, including Rival Sons, Big Sugar, and Wide Mouth Mason. For a young band with big ambitions, it was “a pretty big deal.”
Late last year, after hundreds of sweaty rock shows, the band retreated to Toronto’s Coalition Music Studios to cut their debut full-length. According to Neville, the band was pleased with how a year’s worth of hard living and hard rocking trans-lated onto tape. Whereas Kill Count
was conceived as a low-budget col-lection of unhinged pop-punk rock songs, Fast Motions is more diverse and more measured — but just as much fun.
“Sharing the stage with huge acts definitely forces you to set the bar a little higher,” she says of the sessions that produced Fast Motions, which was released in January. “You want to challenge yourself. You want to con-stantly evolve and experiment with sound — what works, what doesn’t work. I just feel like that year we learned so much from these incred-ible people. I wouldn’t say it was a conscious effort to change our sound, but we did start noticing a progressive shift over the course of the past two years, just from touring experience.”
Fast Motions channels the raw exuberance of Kill Count into a
cleaner and more sonically sophisti-cated package. Part of its success can be attributed to the band’s experi-ence, both on the road and in the studio. But Fast Motions’ punchier
Pthe balconies are quickly becoming unstoppable by aLex J macPherson
…i look back on this and it reminds me of where i came from. and that’s the most important thing…
JacQuie o. neviLLe
feature
Fast motions
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sound is also the product of a more fundamental change.
For the first few years of its existence, the Balconies was a power trio. Jacquie sang and played guitar, Stephen played bass, and Jaeger kept time behind the drum kit. This arrangement unraveled when the band joined forces with producer Arnold Lanni (Finger Eleven, Our Lady Peace) to make Fast Motions. As Neville recalls, Lanni’s studio as-sistant, Steve Molella, “just happened to be an incredible drummer.”
This realization led the band to conclude that Jaeger, who hap-pens to have a degree in classical
guitar, should switch instruments. Molella agreed and wound up playing drums on every track. “The dynamic between the four of us was so amazing that we couldn’t ignore
it,” Neville says. “Just the way the sound of the band was progressing, it would have been impossible for us to achieve what we were doing in the studio [onstage].”
The upshot is that the Balconies became a four-piece. Besides giving Jaeger an opportunity to deploy his formidable guitar chops, the expand-ed lineup allows Neville to concen-trate on engaging with the audience. Although she is a talented guitarist, playing the exuberant frontwoman is arguably her greatest skill. She is a talented singer, capable of producing spine-tingling howls, and her fond-ness for leather pants, exaggerated gestures, and iconic guitar postures transforms the Balconies from a solid rock band into a killer live act.
“I feel like we were almost doing ourselves a disservice by having me doing double-duty, basically — doing lead guitar and singing,” she says, explaining that the guitarist’s “foot-pedal dance” interfered with her singing and performing. “Now, I can focus on being the frontwom-an I always wanted to be and really engaging the audience as much as I can. I’m still playing awesome licks, but I have that freedom to worry more about getting lost in the moment.”
The expanded lineup also al-lowed the Balconies to draw on a wider palette of sounds. The sonic differences between Kill Count and Fast Motions are easy to discern because two tracks appear on both releases. “Serious Bedtime” was altered considerably for Fast Motions, where it appears as “Do It In The Dark.” The palm-muted introduction was stripped away, as was the subdued chorus riff. The newer version is a snarling rock anthem, shaped by a pair of blister-ing guitar riffs and a soaring bridge during which Neville and Jaeger trade lines. “Do It In The Dark” is probably the most accessible song the Balconies have ever recorded. It is also one of the most infectious.
It’s the same story with “Kill Count,” the song that catapulted the Balconies onto the national stage two years ago. “I felt like we had unfin-ished business with it,” Neville says of the song, which opened Kill Count with a crunchy guitar riff, a burst of
joyously uninhibited “woo-hoos,” and two verses worth of deeply am-biguous lyrics. “We wanted to push [it] even more. When we perform it live, I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, the reaction from the audience is night and day compared to how people reacted to the song before.’ It’s more anthemic. I like it even more now.”
The latest — and according to Neville, final — iteration is forged from much harder metal than its predecessor. The guitars are grittier, the drums louder, and Neville’s delivery more impassioned. More noticeably, the rhythmic “woo-hoos” have been expanded.
On the Kill Count version, they felt incomplete; this has been rectified on Fast Motions, which Neville demon-strates by singing both parts into the phone: “Before, it was ‘Woo-hoo-hoo.’ Now, it’s ‘Woo-hoo-hoo-ooh-ooh-ooh.’ It feels complete, the idea feels com-plete.” After a pause she continues, “We wanted to keep things fresh for people who had previously listened to it. It’s the same song, but we added an extra splash of colour.”
But Fast Motions also includes several sonic experiments, depar-tures from the Balconies’ rock and roll wheelhouse. “Moving Parts” is a minute-long tapestry of atmospheric
synthesizers that introduces “The Slo,” one of the most ambitious rock cuts the band has ever recorded. “Moving Parts” also sets the stage for the album’s closer, a richly detailed confection of synthesizers titled “Let Me Go” that features one of Neville’s strongest vocal performances to date. More importantly, the last track on Fast Motions is an uplifting coda for the album’s major theme.
“I think it’s a portrait of me being in my early twenties,” Neville says, explaining that she wrote most of the album’s lyrics five years ago, after the band relocated to Toronto. It was a big change, and Fast Motions reflects Neville’s struggles to fit in. The songs on Fast Motions cover a range of sub-jects, including sex (“Boys and Girls,” “Good And Ugly”), disintegrating relationships (“The Slo”), unbridled lust (“Kill Count”), and vulnerability (“Beating Your Heart”).
“In my head, it’s like I was still in high school — trying to find your group, trying to find your place in the world,” she continues. “I found it very overwhelming and very exhausting, but it was also very ex-citing. So to me, when I think of Fast Motions, that’s what it is: the chaotic big city that can consume you, for good and bad reasons.”
This duality is woven into every song on the record. It builds and builds, until it is released by the sombre strain of “Let Me Go,” which signals the end of one chapter and the beginning of another in the band’s career. Neville concedes that her struggles to fit in, chronicled in exacting detail on Fast Motions, are largely a relic of the past. She prefers to view the band’s formative years in Toronto not as an unpleasant memory to be excised, but as an inevitable part of the long journey toward rock and roll glory. “Maybe it’s not my best work, or something I’m completely proud of, but I look back on this and it reminds me of where I came from,” she says of Fast Motions. “And that’s the most important thing, that I’m here now, that I’m still alive, and that I’m a bet-ter person than I was yesterday.”
The Balconiesmay 26 @ vangelis tavern $10 (ticketedge.ca)
Photo: courtesy of mike ford
Photo: courtesy of courtney Lee yiP
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food + drink
FiFties style dining
tbroadway cafe does diner food right by adam hawboLdt
let’s go drinkin’ verB’s mixology guide
strawBerry-rhuBarB sangria
If you’re a fan of traditional margaritas, you definitely have to try this recipe. It’s a bit of a twist on the original, but it’s terrific. Light, fresh and fruity, the strawberry basil margarita is a refreshing drink to have on a warm spring day.
ingredients
1 can (12 oz) frozen limeade concentrate10 strawberries8 basil leaves2 cups of tequila
directions
Empty limeade concentrate into a pitcher. Add two and a half cans of water and the tequila. Hull the strawberries and slice lengthwise. Add to pitcher. Crumple basil in your hands and toss it in there too. Stir and serve. (Note: if you want added taste, let the margarita sit in your fridge over night.)
@verbsaskatoon
ahawboldt@verbnews.com
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Photo: courtesy of adam hawboLdt
here’s a Marilyn Monroe to my left. You know the one — it’s taken by
Sam Shaw. In it, the beauty icon is standing atop a New York City subway grate outside the Times Square subway station, trying to hold down her white skirt as it billows in the updraft.
Next to that there’s another Monroe picture, and another. The wall on the other side of the room is filled with photos of her, too, which are hanging right next to pictures of Elvis and James Dean. There’s a jukebox behind me. Towards the
back corner of the room sits an old diner counter, complete with some cool looking black and chrome stools.
Chances are if you’re at all familiar with this city’s dining scene you know exactly where I am. Broadway Cafe — a Saskatoon institution of sorts. The ‘50s-style diner has been around for decades, its popularity never waning — and for good reason.
The food at the Broadway Cafe is tasty — good, down-home diner cooking. And the portions are way more than ample.
Sitting there under the iconic picture of Monroe, I look over my shoulder at the whiteboard on the far wall to see what the specials are: meatballs subs and a Monte Cristo-style BLT. I’m leaning towards the BLT until the owner of the place, Shelley Woloshyn, sits down for a chat. She tells me one of the more popular items on the menu is the Newport sandwich, so that’s what I order.
Now, I have to admit that when I first saw the Newport on the menu I was skeptical. The description reads: Grilled on rye, turkey, swiss cheese, with Thousand Island and cranberry sauce.
It was the last two ingredients that threw me for a loop. Thousand Island dressing and cranberry sauce? For some reason, I couldn’t meld those two flavours together in my mind.
But you know what? My skepti-cism vanished the second I bit into that bad boy. Done up like a grilled cheese sandwich, the Newport is delectable. It oozes cheese, features big pieces of real turkey, and the sauces turned out to be a match made in food heaven.
You have the option to get your sandwich with fries, cottage cheese, fruit cocktail, salad or soup. I went with the fries, and added some gravy in there for good mea-
sure — smart move. The fries are house cut, and you can’t go wrong with a thick, delectable gravy. Toss in a side of coleslaw and what you have is a hearty, delectable meal for under $11. Thank god for the good ol’ days, and the Cafe for bringing them back.
broadway cafe814 broadway avenue | (306) 652-8244
/Verbsaskatoon entertainment
19may 23 – may 29
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music
Photos courtesy of: the artist/ the artist/ the artist
Coming upnext Week
Foam lake
Bands featuring brothers are noth- ing new in the world of music. There’s the Beach Boys (Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson), Van Halen (Eddie and Alex), CCR (John and Tom Fogerty), Oasis (Liam and Noel Gallagher) — and the list goes on. One of Saska-toon’s entries to that list is Foam Lake. Made up of the Ross brothers — Paul, Barrett, Tyler, and Kalen — this indie/experimental pop-rock quartet cre-ates catchy rock riffs drenched with explosive rhythms, nuanced lyrics, whirring guitars and synth textures. What makes their songs even more infectious is how the four brothers balance their energy and musician-ship while still keeping things gritty. Foam Lake will be in town to rock Vangelis next weekend, so don’t miss it. Tickets at the door.
@ vangeLissaturday, may 24 – cover tbd
There’s a sincerity in Jordan Klassen’s music. Something real and intimate, without being sentimental. A singer/songwriter from Vancouver, Klassen plays an infectious brand of folk music that is at once both poppy and grounded. From fun-loving songs like “Go To Me” and “Piano Brother” to the cool intensity of “The Horses Are Stuck,” Klassen proves himself, time and time again, to be a talented folk musician with a knack for writing sincere lyrics. Oh, and did I mention all of these are accompa-nied by Klassen’s trademark falsetto and a diverse range of instruments? His latest album, Repentance, is an LP full of whimsy and intelligence and catchy songs. Advance tickets are available through the Capitol Music Club’s Facebook page.
Jordan klassen
Sure, Scott Weiland has had his share of problems. He has a well-doc-umented problem with drug abuse, he’s been arrested for buying drugs, and charged with driving under the influence — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. But while the problems might seem never-ending, one thing is indisputable: the man is one helluva singer. In a career that is now into its third decade, Weiland has fronted two terrific bands (Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver), and has carved out a niche for himself in the solo market. The man from San Jose, California, is the kind of singer who knows how to grab hold of a crowd and wrap them around his finger. He’ll be bringing his flamboyant, chaotic act to Saskatoon this summer. Tickets at tickets.obrian-seventcentre.ca.
– by adam hawboldt
scott weiland
@ caPitoL music cLubwednesday, may 28 – $8+
sask music PreviewCreative Saskatchewan announces a new funding intake! The Creative Saskatchewan Investment Fund grant programs are available to creative industry projects and endeavors that encompass music, sound recording, film, television, screen-based media, interactive digital media, visual arts, crafts, publishing, and live performing arts. The deadline is May 23, 2014 at 4pm; for more information and to apply, please visit www.creativesask.ca
@ o’brians event centrewednesday, July 9 – $45+
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listingslistings
may 16 » may 24
Friday 16House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk,
soul & lounge DJs liven up the atmosphere
at 6Twelve. 9pm / No cover
All MigHty Voices / Amigos Cantina —
With Fisticuffs. 10pm / Cover TBD
MArtin JAnoVsky / The Bassment — Feel
like taking in some smooth jazz stylings?
4:30pm / No cover
FlAsHbAck FriDAys / Béily’s UltraLounge
— The best of the 80’s, 90’s & top 40 hits of
today. 9pm / $5 cover
bAnJo VAn / Bon Temps Cafe — Rockin’
banjo tunes. 9pm / Cover TBD
Men WitHout sHAMe / Buds — A glami-
fied classic rock band. 9pm / Cover TBD
nortHern ligHts / Capitol Music Club
— A rockin’ gypsy folk band. 9pm /
Cover TBD
bPM / Diva’s — Resident DJs spin electro/
vocal house music. 10pm / $5
DJ eclectic / The Hose & Hydrant — Local
turntable whiz DJ Eclectic pumps snappy
electronic beats. 8pm / No cover
DJ big Ayyy & DJ HencHMAn / Outlaws
Country Rock Bar — Round up your
friends ‘cause there’s no better country
rock party around. 8pm / $5; ladies in free
before 11pm
selF eVolution / Piggy’s — An Edmonton
rock four piece. 9pm / Cover TBD
sligHtly-oFF-centre / Prairie Ink — Play-
ing rock and country. 8pm / No cover
cHronobot / Rock Bottom — With Itchy
Stitches + more. 9pm / Cover TBD
DJ stikMAn / Rain — Come and get your
weekend started! 9pm / Cover TBD
brAnDeD Honey / Somewhere Else Pub
— A local band playing country/rock. 9pm
/ No cover
Jett run / Stan’s Place — Come out for a
rockin’ good time. 9pm / No cover
Future Forests / Vangelis — With
Ravewind and Pandas in Japan. 10pm /
$10 (ticketedge.ca)
saturday 17House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs spin
deep and soulful tunes. 9pm / No cover
eVAn DAnDo / Amigos Cantina — With
guest, Sara Johnston. 10pm / $12 (ticket-
edge.ca)
DJ AAsH Money + DJ sugAr DADDy / Bé-
ily’s UltraLounge — These two DJs throw
down a dance party every Saturday night.
9pm / $5 cover
Men WitHout sHAMe / Buds — A glami-
fied classic rock party band. 9pm / Cover
TBD
DJ nigHt / Capitol Music Club — Funk and
soul all night long. 9pm / Cover TBD
sAturgAy nigHt / Diva’s — Resident
DJs spin exclusive dance remixes every
Saturday. 10pm / $5
DJ kADe / The Hose & Hydrant — Saska-
toon’s own DJ lights it up with hot tunes.
8pm / No cover
DJ gooDtiMes / Longbranch — Playing
the hottest country music all night. 8pm /
$4 cover
nigHtrAin / O’Brians Event Centre — 100
Mile Ride Child Abuse Awareness Show.
9:30pm / $20
DJ big Ayyy & DJ HencHMAn / Outlaws
Country Rock Bar — Round up your
friends ‘cause there’s no better country
rock party around. 8pm / $5
tHe lost keys / Prairie Ink — Playing
eclectic easy listening. 8pm / No cover
DJ stikMAn / Rain — Playing all the
ladies’ favourites for girls night out! 9pm /
Cover TBD
brAnDeD Honey / Somewhere Else Pub
— A local band playing country/rock. 9pm
/ No cover
Jett run / Stan’s Place — Come out for a
rockin’ good time. 9pm / No cover
DJ AncHor / Sutherland Bar — It’s the
world famous video mix show! 10pm /
Cover TBD
MotHerF**kers / Vangelis — With Mys-
tery Squad, Exoskeleton + more. 10pm / $8
sunday 18inDustry nigHt / Béily’s UltraLounge
— Hosted by DJ Sugar Daddy; this crowd
favourite has always been known to break
the latest and greatest tracks in multiple
genres. 9pm / $4; no cover for industry
staff
Acoustic nigHt / Buds — Featuring Kelly
Read. 9pm / Cover TBD
city AnD colour / Credit Union Centre —
Come see singer/songwriter Dallas Green
on his cross-country tour. 8pm / $46.50+
DJ kADe / The Hose & Hydrant — Saska-
toon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm /
No cover
neko cAse / O’Brians Event Centre — One
of the most talented singer/songwriters in
the country. 7pm / $35
rock on tHe beAcH long WeekenD PArty / Rain — Featuring Rock Candy.
8pm / $10+
blue DAVen’s coDe / Rock Bottom —
With Charger. 9pm / Cover TBD
blues JAM / Vangelis Tavern — The Van-
gelis Sunday Jam is an institution, offering
great tunes from blues to rock and beyond.
7:30pm / No cover
monday 19sAbrinA Weeks / Buds — The queen of
bouncing boogie blues. 9pm / Cover TBD
DJ AuDio / Dublins — Spinning dope
beats. 9pm / Cover TBD
MerzboW / Vangelis — With Slime Street
and Pulsewidth. 9pm / $20+ (ticketedge.ca)
tuesday 20sAbrinA Weeks / Buds — The queen of
bouncing boogie blues. 9pm / Cover TBD
DJ sugAr DADDy / The Double Deuce
— Able to rock any party, this crowd fa-
vourite has always been known to break
the latest and greatest tracks in multiple
genres. 9:30pm / $4 cover
DJ nick ruston / Dublins — Spinning
dope beats. 9pm / Cover TBD
Verb Presents oPen Mic / Rock Bot-
tom — Come and rock the stage! 9pm /
No cover
oPen Mic / The Somewhere Else Pub —
Come out to show your talent. 7pm / No
cover
wednesday 21DJ MoDus / 302 Lounge & Discotheque —
Spinning all your favourite tracks. 9pm /
No cover until 10pm; $3 thereafter
sAlsA nigHt / Béily’s UltraLounge — Latin
music and salsa dance lessons. 8:30pm /
Cover TBD
APollo cruz / Buds — Playing high-
octane blues. 9pm / Cover TBD
DJ MeMo / Dublins — Spinning dope
beats. 9pm / Cover TBD
DJ kADe / The Hose & Hydrant — Saska-
toon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm /
No cover
buck WilD WeDnesDAys / Outlaws
Country Rock Bar — Come out and ride
the mechanical bull! 9pm / $4
AutHority zero / Rock Bottom — Punk/
ska band from Arizona. 8pm / $15+
tiM VAugHn / Rock Creek (Willowgrove)
— Come out for some laid-back tunes. 8pm
/ No cover
tHe sHoW / TCU Place — A tribute to
ABBA. 7:30pm / $46+ (tcutickets.ca)
tHe reD riDe tour / Vangelis — Featur-
ing Cris Derksen, Kristi Lane Sinclair and
George Leach. 9pm / $8+
@Verbsaskatoon entertainment
21may 23 – may 29
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Have a live show you'd like to promote? Let us know!
get listed
layout@verbnews.com
thursday 22scott nolAn AnD brAnDy zDAn / The
Bassment — A folk duo you won’t want to
miss. 8pm / $15+
toMMy eMMAnuel / Broadway Theatre
— A trend-setting guitarist from Australia.
8pm / $40
APollo cruz / Buds — Playing high-
octane blues. 9pm / Cover TBD
DJ kADe / The Hose & Hydrant — Saska-
toon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm /
No cover
DJ gooDtiMes / Longbranch — Playing
the hottest country music all night. 8pm /
$4 cover
ligHtHouse / Prairieland Park — Good ol’
rock and roll from Toronto. 8pm / $25
oPen stAge / The Woods — Hosted by
Steven Maier. 9pm / No cover
Friday 23House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk,
soul & lounge DJs liven up the atmosphere
at 6Twelve. 9pm / No cover
sAVAge Henry AnD tHe inFAMous one PounDers / Amigos Cantina — With Herd
of Wasters. 10pm / Cover TBD
PiAno FriDAys: Dennis borycki / The
Bassment — Feel like taking in some
smooth jazz stylings? 4:30pm / No cover
ryAn bolDt / The Bassment — Deep Dark
Wood’s frontman doing his solo thing. 9pm
/ $17/$23
FlAsHbAck FriDAys / Béily’s UltraLounge
— The best of the ‘80s, ‘90s & top 40 hits of
today. 9pm / $5 cover
riPPertrAin / Buds — A local rock/alt-
metal band. 9pm / Cover TBD
DAisy blue groFF / Capitol Music Club —
With DJ Brother Earth. 9pm / Cover TBD
bPM / Diva’s — Resident DJs spin electro/
vocal house music. 10pm / $5
DJ eclectic / The Hose & Hydrant — Local
turntable whiz DJ Eclectic pumps snappy
electronic beats. 8pm / No cover
cAVes / Local Coffee Bar — With Travis
Cole + more. 7pm / No cover
DJ big Ayyy & DJ HencHMAn / Outlaws
— Round up your friends. 8pm / $5; ladies
in free before 11pm
tHe stAnDArDs trio / Prairie Ink — A
talented jazz trio. 8pm / No cover
DJ stikMAn / Rain — Come and get your
weekend started! 9pm / Cover TBD
bAnD WArs X / Rock Bottom — With the
Patch and more. 9pm / Cover TBD
blue collAr / Somewhere Else Pub —
Playing good, ol’ fashion drinking tunes.
9pm / No cover
eVening sHiFt / Stan’s Place — Come out
for a rockin’ good time. 9pm / No cover
saturday 24House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs
spin deep and soulful tunes all night. 9pm
/ No cover
riDe ‘til DAWn / Amigos — With Unquiet
Souls. 10pm / Cover TBD
oliVer Jones / The Bassment — A Juno-
winning jazz pianist. 8pm / $40/$50
DJ AAsH Money + DJ sugAr DADDy / Bé-
ily’s UltraLounge — These two DJs throw
down a dance party every Saturday night.
9pm / $5 cover
riPPertrAin / Buds — A local rock/alt-
metal band. 9pm / Cover TBD
long WAlk sHort Dock / Capitol Music
Club — An electronic act from Vancouver.
9pm / Cover TBD
sAturgAy nigHt / Diva’s — Resident
DJs spin exclusive dance remixes every
Saturday. 10pm / $5
DJ kADe / The Hose & Hydrant — Saska-
toon’s own DJ lights it up with hot tunes.
8pm / No cover
DJ gooDtiMes / Longbranch — Playing
the hottest country music all night. 8pm /
$4 cover
DJ big Ayyy & DJ HencHMAn / Outlaws
Country Rock Bar — Round up your
friends ‘cause there’s no better country
rock party around. 8pm / $5
no Hurry trio / Prairie Ink — Playing
easy listening and classic rock. 8pm /
No cover
DJ stikMAn / Rain — Playing all the
ladies’ favourites for girls night out! 9pm /
Cover TBD
tHe PistolWHiPs / Rock Bottom — Rock
your Saturday night! 9pm / Cover TBD
blue collAr / Somewhere Else Pub —
Playing good, ol’ fashion drinking tunes.
9pm / No cover
eVening sHiFt / Stan’s Place — Come out
for a rockin’ good time. 9pm / No cover
DJ AncHor / Sutherland Bar — It’s the
world famous video mix show! 10pm /
Cover TBD
tHe DePArtMent HeADs / Underground
Cafe — With special guest, John Stewart.
9pm / Cover TBD
FoAM lAke / Vangelis — With Robot Hive.
10pm / Cover TBD
Verbnews.comentertainment
22may 23 – may 29
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he other day a friend asked me a rather dif-ficult question: what
are the top five sports movies of all time?
I didn’t know what order I’d put them in, but I knew the top three right off the bat: Raging Bull, Bull Durham and Rocky.
The last two installments were more difficult to figure out, but in the end I wound up putting Hoo-siers and Hoop Dreams in the #4 and #5 slots (though a case could also be made for Caddyshack, Major League, Slap Shot, Rudy, Warrior or Million Dollar Baby).
Then my friend asked me an even harder question: what are the top five sports movies ever made by Disney?
Crikey! This was some strange, esoteric territory we’d wandered into. But I obliged and told him that, in no particular order, my top five favourites were Miracle, Remember
the Titans, Invincible, Cool Runnings and Secretariat.
That was a few days ago. And having since seen Disney’s Million Dollar Arm, starring Jon Hamm, that list hasn’t changed. Now look: that’s not to say that Million Dol-
lar Arm was a bad movie, it’s just wasn’t quite as good as the others on the list. But it’s nowhere near as bad as, say, the Air Bud series or Full-Court Miracle.
As mentioned before, Million Dollar Arm (which is based on a true story) stars Jon Hamm as sports agent J.B. Bernstein. After
losing out on some lucrative sign-ings, J.B.’s agency is in danger of folding. To save it he comes up with an out-of-the-box idea: create a reality show/competition in India called Million Dollar Arm. It would be a contest that would attempt to
mine the cricket market for poten-tial baseball players.
What follows is a predictable, paint-by-numbers, uplifting Disney story. J.B. goes to India. With the help of a baseball fanatic named Amit (Pitobash) and a surly old MLB scout named Ray (Alan Arkin), he finds two prospects — Rinku Singh
(Suraj Sharma) and Dinesh Patel (Madhur Mittal).
He brings them back to America, where they have a hard time fitting in. There are scenes of despair. They come oh-so-close to fulfilling their dream, then disaster strikes. Then … oh hell, if you’re a fan of baseball or you know your Disney movies, you know what happens next.
So why the faint praise for Mil-lion Dollar Arm? Why did it come close to cracking my top-five Dis-ney sports movies of all time?
Well, the answer is twofold.First off, the scenes in India are
terrific. The sights, the sounds, the musical score. They all add up to give the film — at least when it’s in India — a certain feel, a certain stylistic and narrative verve that a lot of other Disney sports films don’t have.
The second reason is because of Jon Hamm. Even though he’s a bit of a self-centred sh*t, and
even though he’s a slow-walking, fast-talking sports agent cliché, he somehow makes you feel something for his character. Is it warmth? Affection?
I don’t know. I just know that Million Dollar Arm is better than I expected it to be. Good, but no-where near the top-five sports films of all-time.
t
[Jon hamm] somehow makes you feel something for his character.
adam hawboLdt
Photo: courtesy of waLt disney studios motion Pictures
Million Dollar Arm is pure disney, through and through by adam hawboLdt
Feedback? text it! (306) 881 8372
@verbsaskatoon
ahawboldt@verbnews.com
film
million dollar arm
directed By Craig Gillespie
starring Jon Hamm, Suraj Sharma,
Madhur Mittal + Lake Bell
124 minutes | Pg
PredictaBle, But PassaBle
/Verbsaskatoon entertainment
23may 23 – may 29
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n 2010, just as the indie-rock band The National was about to embark on
its biggest tour to date, lead sing-er Matt Berninger had an idea.
Since The National was literally and figuratively a band of brothers (twins Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and brothers Scott and Bryan Devendorf are the other band members), Matt thought it would be a good idea to invite his younger brother, Tom, to come on tour with them as a roadie.
Tom — a stocky, hapless screw-up who still lives in his parents’ basement — is elated. Wild parties, epic shows, groupies and a never-ending stream of booze is what the heavy-metal-loving Tom wants. It’s also what he’s expecting, so he brings along his video camera to
make a rock-doc about the band and the mayhem of the road.
What he captures is something completely different.
Called Mistaken for Strangers, Tom’s film is something new and refreshing in this genre. With a nod to navel-gazing documenta-ries like Ross McElwee’s Sherman’s March, it isn’t so much a film about The National and the sweeping, melancholic music they make as it is about Tom. About him liv-ing in Matt’s formidable shadow, about his penchant for constantly screwing things up, about brotherly bonds and the tension that can arise amongst siblings.
But what a documentary it is! Mistaken for Strangers is funny,
raw, emotional, poignant, awk-ward and, at times, cringeworthy.
It begins with a scene in which Tom is interviewing Matt in a field. With unfettered, behind-the-scenes access to the band, you’d expect Tom to ask some meaningful, hard-hitting questions, to cut to the core and find out what The National is truly about. What drives them? What make them tick?
So what does Tom ask Matt in the opening scene? He asks him if he ever gets sleepy on stage. If he ever has nightmares.
Matt rolls his eyes, leans for-ward, claps his hands together and asks, “Do you have any kind of organization or plan for this film?”
Over the next 70 minutes or so you’ll come to realize the answer to this question is no. No, Tom doesn’t have a bloody clue how to put the documentary together.
He doesn’t know how to ask real questions, opting instead to ask band members if they carry their wallets on stage or where they see the band in 50 years.
He doesn’t know how to be a roadie. At one point he loses a guest list for a concert, leaving Matt’s parents-in-law, along with Werner Herzog and the cast of Lost, stuck outside the arena.
Truth be told, the bumbling Tom doesn’t know how to do a helluva lot. And eventually he’s fired.
At this point the film switches focus. Tom returns to his parents’ home and interviews them about the differences between him and Matt. Then he moves in with Matt and tries to finish the documentary. Then he, well … it’s best not to give too much more away. Just rest easy
knowing that Mistaken for Strang-ers is one of the better music docs made in the past little while.
Mistaken for Strangers will begin screening at Broadway Theatre on May 23; see broadwaytheatre.ca for more information.
i mistaken For strangers
directed By Tom Berninger
starring Tom Berninger
+ Matt Berninger
75 minutes | nr
Photo: courtesy of freestyLe reLeasing
@verbsaskatoon
ahawboldt@verbnews.com
Feedback? text it! (306) 881 8372
a tale oF Brotherly love (sort oF)
Mistaken for Strangers is so much more than a music documentary by adam hawboLdt
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24may 23 – may 29
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tuesday,may 13 @
yard &FlagonThe Yard & Flagon718 Broadway Avenue(306) 653 8883
cHeck out our FAcebook PAge! These photos will be uploaded to
Facebook on Friday, May 23.
facebook.com/verbsaskatoon
nightlife
Photography by Patrick Carley
@Verbsaskatoon entertainment
25may 23 – may 29
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cHeck out our FAcebook PAge! These photos will be uploaded to
Facebook on Friday, May 23.
facebook.com/verbsaskatoon
saturday,may 10 @
BÉily’sBéily’s UltraLounge2404 8th Street East(306) 374 3344
nightlife
Photography by Patrick Carley
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Photography by Patrick Carley
nightlife
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29may 23 – may 29
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Verbnews.comentertainment
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comics
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31may 23 – may 29
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timeout
horoscoPes may 16 - may 22
© walter d. Feener 2014
sudoku crossword answer key
a b
aries march 21–april 19
It’s important to dig deeper in
order to find the true meaning of
things this week, Aries. You will not be
disappointed with what you uncover.
taurus april 20–may 20
If you’ve been feeling angry or
frustrated lately, Taurus, try to
find constructive ways to release all those
pent-up emotions.
gemini may 21–June 20
Normally, you aren’t one to suffer
fools. But this week, try to grant
them a little leeway. A pearl of wisdom
could come from an unexpected place.
cancer June 21–July 22
This week will be full of challeng-
es for you, Cancer. Don’t buckle
under the pressure — you’re more than
ready to take them on.
leo July 23–august 22
You may find yourself being more
reserved than usual this week,
Leo. Try to push yourself to get out there
and engage. Someone might need you.
virgo august 23–september 22
There’s a chance that jealousy will
rear its ugly head this week. Don’t
let it blind you — there’s something more
important you need to pay attention to.
liBra september 23–october 23
Dare to dream in the coming days,
Libra, and dare to dream big! You
never know when one of those dreams
may come true.
scorPio october 24–november 22
Don’t hesitate to let your guard
down this week, Scorpio. This is a
great time to open yourself to new opin-
ions and experiences.
sagittarius november 23–december 21
Try to be as truthful as possible
for the next few days, Sagittarius.
Remember — a small lie can quickly spin
out of control.
caPricorn december 22–January 19
Expect some intense times in the
near future, Capricorn. Whatever
you do, don’t let them get the better of
you. They too will pass.
aQuarius January 20–february 19
You may experience problems
navigating your way through life
this week, Aquarius. Don’t be afraid to ask
for help.
Pisces february 20–march 20
Strive to maintain a delicate balance
above the chaos that threatens to
consume you, Pisces. Pick and choose the
important things, and scrap the rest.
sudoku answer key
a
b
4 9 6 1 2 7 5 8 37 1 8 5 3 6 9 2 42 5 3 9 4 8 1 6 79 6 5 8 1 4 3 7 23 7 1 6 5 2 8 4 98 4 2 3 7 9 6 1 55 8 4 7 9 1 2 3 66 3 7 2 8 5 4 9 11 2 9 4 6 3 7 5 8
6 1 9 3 7 2 5 8 43 4 7 5 6 8 1 9 25 8 2 9 4 1 7 3 67 5 6 2 1 3 8 4 94 2 1 7 8 9 6 5 38 9 3 4 5 6 2 1 71 7 8 6 9 4 3 2 59 3 5 8 2 7 4 6 12 6 4 1 3 5 9 7 8
4 6 7 8 5 9 2 2 3 9 8 1 9 5 8 1 7 1 6 8 4 3 6 5 4 9 2 6 3 7 2 5 4 1 3 7
6 1 7 4 6 25 9 1 7 3 6 2 8 4 1 8 6 5 3 9 3 4 5 8 3 9 8 2 7 12 4 5 9 7
across 1. High-school dance
5. Nowhere to be found
9. Symbol of the papacy
10. At right angles to the
keel of a ship
12. Unit of astronomical
length
13. Seabird
15. Big, oval-shaped fish
16. Promising
18. Take a crack at
19. Bumped into
20. Be economical
21. Place for a lion
22. Take for granted
24. Rulers after an
overthrow
25. Makes holes in
27. Give medical aid to
30. Spoil the peace
and quiet of
34. Mother’s sister
35. Look for
36. Round green vegetable
37. Computer monitor
38. Drove in a nail at
an angle
39. Long-necked bird
40. Big, silvery game fish
42. Computer key
44. T-shirt size
45. Stands on the hind
legs, as a horse
46. Bouquet of flowers
47. Transmit
down 1. Criminal who
plunders at sea
2. Diaper problem
3. Metal in rocks
4. The art of tying knots
in patterns
5. Go back to bad
behaviour
6. Take orders from
7. Things that go together
8. Plaid fabric
9. Candle
11. Deserve
12. Magnificent display
14. Constellation Vega is in
17. Past the payment
deadline
20. Be right for
21. A deadly sin
23. Silly fight
24. Make fun of someone
26. Ashes
27. Skill in dealing with people
28. Of country life
29. Trick into incriminat-
ing oneself
31. In a direction from
lower to higher
32. Harvests a crop from
33. Deadly poison
35. Term of endearment
38. Clothes
39. Look over quickly
41. In favour of
43. Consider to be
crossword Canadian Criss-Cross
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Continued on next page »
aLL Photos: courtesy of Jeff davis
mighty mousesouped-up ford fiesta an unexpected thrill by Jeff davis
Vehicle
@Verbsaskatoon Vehicles
33may 23 – may 29
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’ve got to confess there’s a special place in my heart for the hot hatchback.
Ever since driving a Honda Civic hatchback back in high school, I’ve been yearning to recapture the pep, spunk and stank of that ferocious little ride.
A twist on normally-unremark-able people movers, a well-execut-ed hot hatchback can elevate your daily commutes to driving bliss. And while they may look the same as lower-end models, they’re made for drivers and act the part.
Which brings us to the 2014 Ford Fiesta ST. The really important part of that last sentence was the
“ST” part. This is what separates this sweet ride from its milk-drinking cousins — the S, SE and Titanium editions.
Ford got the fundamentals right with this one. The Fiesta ST is extremely small and light, yet is powered by a turbocharged 1.6 litre engine delivering an impressive 197 horsepower. It’s also rocking a six-speed manual transmission, electronic stability control, sweet 17” aluminum alloy wheels and a twin exhaust.
The steering wheel is leather and very grippy, with well-placed bumps at 10 and 2, and the instru-ments look good, with a prominent
tachometer which jumps into the red before you know it.
But what really hits the Fiesta ST out of the park is the Recaro racing seats. These cloth and leather-trim beauties will let any passengers know they’d better buckle up, cause it’s gonna be a white-knuckle ride.
For anyone who may not know, Germany’s Recaro has cornered the market for upscale racing seats. They’re what you’d find in an Aston
Martin, Lamborghini or Porsche, and are designed to keep your fleshy bits from flying all over the car during high-speed turns.
Sitting in these racing seats can feel a little uncomfortable at first, and I find they tend to squeeze my thighs in a weird way. But get up to speed and you’ll forget about this, as they hug you like a lover in the night.
Nimble and quick, the Fiesta ST really excels on busy highways.
Handling is neat and incredibly responsive, so passing and zipping in and out of traffic is easy and tons of fun.
The six-speed manual will keep you shifting a lot too, a potential cure for your texting-and-driving habit.
For having such a small engine, the Fiesta ST will surprise you with just how much torque it turns out, especially in low gears. Maybe it’s just my lead foot, but I was
i
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@verbsaskatoon
jdavis@verbnews.com
Feedback? text it! (306) 881 8372
2014 Ford Fiesta stclass: Subcompact
Base Price: $24,999
transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel caPacity: 47 L
Fuel economy : 5.6–7.8 L/100 KM
cargo volume: 363 L
frequently spinning the tires and churning up dust in first gear.
The Fiesta also sounds simply fantastic. The engine note is loud and rude, especially when the whirr of the turbo kicks in. In fact, it sounds so good you may find yourself flooring it and driving like
a mad person — until you notice the tach kissing the red zone.
With a price tag of $24,999, the Fiesta ST costs more than double the base model Fiesta, which starts off at $11,999. That said, it comes impressively equipped with do-dads like heated seats, pushbut-ton start, aluminum pedal covers,
decent stereo, custom badges, rear spoiler, heated sideview mirrors and a full-size spare.
Plus it’s got MyFord Touch, with a 6.5” touch screen and plugins for USB SD cards and auxiliary audio
While I’m obviously a fan of this car, I do have a few peeves.
Firstly, the Fiesta is still a sub-compact. This means an overall cramped interior, with a fairly small back row.
And while the steering wheel is fully adjustable, I still found my knuckles annoyingly catching on my thighs when making hand-over-hand turns.
Fiesta means party and the ST lives up to that name. So congrats to Ford for producing a compelling option in a space dominated for years by Volkswagen’s Golf.
Anyone looking for a small, sporty car that sips fuel should test drive one of these. It should also appeal to fans of the Volkswagen Golf TDI who don’t have the money to go German. After all, at $24,999 the Fiesta ST is the same price as a base model Volkswagen GTI.
The Fiesta …sounds so good you may find yourself flooring it and driving like a mad person — until you notice the tach kissing the red zone.“ “
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rolling with my cliQuear clubs are a great way to meet fellow gearheads, find parts
for your car, and participate in fun events.
Fortunately, in a province as car-crazy as Saskatchewan, there are many such clubs to choose from. Each has a distinct subculture of its own, and has its own customs and traditions. Some are very action ori-ented, while others exist primarily as mutual admiration societies.
This list is really just the tip of the iceberg, and there are even more groups focussed on specific brands, like Jeep or Hondas.
Flatland 4X4
Flatland 4X4 is a club for guys and gals who like to get dirty. This group is highly action-oriented, and spends weekends running muddy off-road trails in and around Saskatoon. Next time you see a mud-covered truck driving through town, there’s a good chance there’s a Flatland 4X4 sticker hidden under
the grime. Preferred vehicles in-clude the Toyota 4Runner, modified American trucks, and lots of Jeep Wranglers, Cherokees and TJs. This is a very active group with lots of members. Great place to swap parts and advice, or even find an off-roader to buy if you’re new to the scene. Find them on Facebook.
redline society
This groups has more urban, mod-ern flavour. Perhaps the largest car club in town, you can often see mem-bers of the Redline Society gathering for weekly meet-ups in high-visibil-ity parking lots on 8th St or near the Farmer’s Market. This set takes a lot of cues from Tokyo Drift and The Fast and the Furious, and takes a lot of pride in customizing their cars. There are lots of sub-groups, like Honda lovers or Nissan fanatics, and is a good place to find parts and advice. Active in both Saskatoon and Regina, you can find more info and check out the very active message board at www.redlinesociety.org.
saskatoon sports Car Club
This is a club concerned primar-ily with speed and thrills. They race throughout the summer at a makeshift pylon track in the park-ing lot of the Credit Union Centre. Races are held on a weekly basis from June to September, and the club has a healthy roster of over 50 registered drivers for this season. All makes and models welcome. In years past they even did “ice racing” but have not been holding this event lately. Monthly meetings are held at Remai Centre, on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30. For more info check out www.ssccracing.org.
draggins rod & Custom Car Club
The Draggins have been around for 54 years now, and are a force to be reckoned with. The focus here is old, custom cars and lots of Turtle Wax. Members have lots
of muscle cars, painted flames and posh vintage roadsters. They recently held their annual car show at Prairieland Park, but will appear at events throughout the summer. This includes club cruises, show’n shines and August’s Cruise Day in Saska-toon. Boasting many members of the boomer generation, these guys are very involved in charitable causes as well. More info at www.draggins.com
saskatchewan British Car Club
Classic British cars have always brought out an obsessive fascina-tion in some drivers. Small British roaders like the MGB, Midget and TR6 were not the most reliable at the best of times, and need lots of maintenance to keep rolling. Nevertheless, the style and class of these rides has an enduring appeal. Unlike some other subcultures, this is one that aims to be true to the original, down to the finest details. Parts and advice swapping is a ma-jor activity, as is reminiscing about
the good old days. They meet year round the first Wednesday of the month at Boffins Club at 7:30; you can learn more at www.sbcc.com.
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cLocal car clubs to roll with by Jeff davis
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hey just don’t make ‘em like they used to.
Tony is the proud owner of one of the more unusual rides on the road: an International Harvester L-120 grain truck. Built in 1952, this old girl should be getting a senior’s discount on gas by now.
Now an arborist with the City of Saskatoon, Tony bought this truck some 25 years ago. He was looking for a cheap beater to haul around branches, trees and other junk to the dump. After shopping around for a while, he saw this unusual piece and got it for a song.
“The guy wanted 650 bucks for it,” he says. “I offered $500 and he took it.”
After a $1500 engine rebuild, it hasn’t needed much maintenance, short of a pint or two of oil every year. Its old straight six just won’t quit.
Fewer than 5,000 of these trucks were made, but many of these were
sold here on the Canadian prairies. As such, it’s a familiar sight to many old timers, who remember piling it high with bushels of grain.
“Every so often if I met a guy who grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan — over the age of 50 — who will say ‘I learned how to drive on one of those.’”
Because of its weight and the lack of any power steering or brakes, muscling this beast through the city is a real workout. Plus it’s got an old fashioned double clutch, which adds another heavy chore.
“It’s kind of like driving a semi, with the shifting,” he says. “You either have to use the clutch twice or not at all to shift up.”
It’s unique, old-timey look and feel has attracted requests that Troy’s truck be featured in theatri-cal productions. It appeared in the Saskatchewan-made feature film Run, Broken Yet Brave and also on
stage during a production Carmen at Persephone Theater.
Despite its age, this beast can still haul loads that could literally crush modern trucks. In fact, Tony has hauled over 4400 pounds with it, even more than some new 3500 size trucks can handle! Plus it’s got a hoist, to con-veniently dump loads off the back.
With all that weight, Tony says his truck is “a real workout” to ma-noeuvre around parking lots. And while he has gotten it up to speeds of 130 km/h, this proved to be a hair-raising experience.
“You don’t want to drive it at highways speeds — it’s just not sen-sible,” he says. “It’s got no seatbelts, the engine is roaring and it’s got a pretty serious driveline shake.”
While it suits him fine, Tony says that he wouldn’t recommend buying an International L-120 as an ordinary runabout.
“As a daily driver, most people would find it not satisfying,” he says. “Manual steering, manual brakes, no seatbelts, very vague and terrible steering, and then the double clutch-ing — it’s work driving that truck!”
t
my ridetony’s vintage international farm truck by Jeff davis
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continued on next pageaLL Photos: courtesy of Jeff davis
levels oF the lancereconomy four-seater has rally car potential by Jeff davis
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ummer is coming, and week-ends at the lake or cruis-ing the town are drawing
tantalizingly close. To make the most of things, bring your friends! Just don’t make them sit in a backseat that will have them wishing they could saw off their legs.
Fortunately, getting a comfortable back row doesn’t have to be pricey.
The Mitsubishi Lancer is a handsome looking mid-sized sedan that’s surpris-ingly affordable. And depending on how deep your pockets are, it can be tricked out like something out of Tokyo Drift.
Perhaps the best thing about the Lanc-er is its looks. It has really nice, long lines and a low snout. Ground effects in the front and a spoiler in the back complete the visual package.
The driving position is comfortable, with lots of room to stretch out. There is
lots of headroom too, and a power sunroof that will keep the wind in your hair.
The rear row is quite spacious and large enough to seat two adults, maybe even with a kid in the middle. Legroom is ample, as is headroom.
The disappointing thing about the Lancer is the materials used in the inte-
rior. The cloth seats have an unattractive sheen, plus all surfaces seem plasticky and insubstantial, producing hollow sounds when you knock on them.
The interior again loses some points for lack of innovation. The centre console is fairly straightforward, though free of any high-tech gadgetry now so common in the Lancer’s competitors. Its radio and CD player, plus a lack of convenient plug-ins screams for a redesign.
The Lancer’s price starts off at a rather responsible $14,998, but with perfor-mance options it can reach to almost $50,000.
The one I drove had a few options (including heated seats, always a bonus in these parts) and went for $21,500. Under the hood it had a 2.0 litre four cylinder engine that produced 148 horsepower.
For a car this size and weight, the Lancer wasn’t quite as zippy in the power
department. The engine note is subdued, and it sounded a little bit winded as I put it through the paces. It also had two-wheel drive, and seemed a little relaxed in turns.
For those with a taste for excitement and performance, Mitsubishi offers the turbocharged Lancer Evolution. Known as
s
Perhaps the best thing about the Lancer is its looks. It has really nice, long lines and a low snout. Ground effects in the front and a spoil-er in the back complete the visual package.“ “
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2014 MitsuBishi LanCerclass: Compact
Base Price: $14,998
transmission: 5-speed manual
Fuel caPacity: 59 L
Fuel economy: 5.7–7.9 L/100 KM
cargo volume: 348 L
“the Evo,” it is a performance rally car with a long history on the rough tracks. Now in its ninth generation, it’s a finely tuned sports car and retails for upwards of $42,000 here in Canada.
This beast has a 2.0 litre turbo-charged engine that produces 291 horsepower, which gives it lots of pickup. It’s also got all-wheel drive, upgraded brakes, advanced transmission, racing seats and a top-shelf suspension.
In short, it’s a real driver’s car.For taking your friends and
family to the beach, or going out to paint the town red, the low-end Mitsubishi Lancer is a relatively fair option.
Where it really excels is exterior styling, since it looks great and is nearly impossible to tell the base model from the Evo at curbside.
In this sense, it’s a good option for people who need four doors but aren’t quite ready for a mature per-son’s car, like a Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla or Chrysler 200.
The Lancer also looks great with inexpensive aftermarket ground effects, which can give it an edgy racer look. These are widely avail-able, and the Lancer is a popular platform for building the pimped-out street racer of your dreams.
Just don’t expect to win any drag races. For that you’ll need some aftermarket engine upgrades too.
When it comes to the Lancer, it’s all about how you dress it up.
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