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| Come to Canada: Big Acts/Small Venues (A Common Occurrence) By Christine Albrecht |
| 03.23.09 (8:44 pm) [edit] |
Great Bands Play Awesome Venues in VancouverI pulled out my January, 2008, Spin magazine and did a flip-through to determine if I should save or recycle the publication. I do not like to throw out any music magazine, but I equally dislike magazine clutter, so I force myself to critically evaluate if the issue is a keep'er or toss'er. It's not uncommon for me to have a second or third read-through of Spin's archives, so as I was reacquainting myself with January's articles I noted several familiar names. The names are familiar because I just posted an update of Vancouver concerts. As I noted familiar headliners, I had to take a second look at the booked venues. How is it that up and coming, popular musicians, sell out mid-sized arenas throughout the world, yet continue to be booked into small venues while touring Canada?This is not the first time I have puzzled over the Big-Act/Small-Venue Canadian phenomenon. In the early '90s I attended a Radiohead gig at Vancouver's The Town Pump (recently known as Sonar). The Town Pump was a small pub/dance club in downtown Vancouver which allowed an audience of approximately 400+ patrons. The club's booking manager kept musically 'current', often bringing in top talent who could sell out 5000+ venues anywhere else (than Canada). Richard's on Richards is a similarly sized venue.Lykke Li  and The Charlatans UK will be playing at Richard's on Richards. As well, the extremely popular The National played there in 2007.I'm not sure of the reason for currently popular bands being booked 'down' in Canada, but I'm always grateful for the 'up close and personal' experience. I often wonder how the performers reacted to the venue. Were they surprised, appalled, embarrassed, oblivious, annoyed, or indifferent? Canadian concerts spoiled me as I now refuse to attend a concert if the venue holds an audience larger than 1000 (using The Commodore Ballroom as my quota template). The Commodore's capacity limit is advertised as 990, but sardine-packed audiences at sold-out gigs appear 'fuller'.TV on The Radio will be playing the Commodore on Sept. 7th.  Canada's knack for showcasing amazing talent in contrarily matched venues consistently baffles me. The only explanation I've arrived at is our nation's tendency towards delayed appreciation. The Fine and Performing Arts rarely receives priority status in the media. As a teen, I was reliant on local/national Canadian media for my music news, and our country remained six months to over a year behind the rest of the world. Although the Fine and Performing Arts are still largely under-reported, the internet has allowed music lovers to fall into sync with similar-minded fans around the world. However, the average Canadian concert-goer still depends on the media to alert him/her to an upcoming concert rather than proactively seeking updates.With an 'audience alert' in mind, here is a sample of upcoming performances by artists presently riding a popularity wave. And to avid fans of specific bands - Canada may be your last chance of viewing your favourite musician(s) in a more intimate setting (and you won't need a video screen to see them perform). I may not understand the reasoning, but I appreciate the bang-for-yer-buck entertainment outcome.September 1st - Estelle - The Commodore Ballroom (capacity 990)The London rapper/singer/producer (Shades of Lauren Hill) coos her 'American Boy' hit .... groove from will.i.am that's way better than his half-baked crap. Spin MagazineSeptember 7th - TV on the Radio - The Commodore Ballroom (Capacity 990)... one reason TV on the Radio gets listed among the best American bands of their generation is because their free-ranging sound... Rhapsody Mp3 Spin Magazine 2008's Artist of the Year.October 8th - The Charlatans UK - Richard's on Richards (Capacity 400)...played a number of high-profile supporting gigs during the summer of 2007, including for The Who and The Rolling Stones, at venues including Wembley Stadium and Twickenham Stadium in London... WikipediaOctober 16th - Duffy - Croation Cultural Centre (Capacity up to 1000) Duffy's rise to success has been remarkable. She already has a number 1 single under her belt, as well as critically acclaimed TV performances and is the current darling of the music industry. October 17th - Sara Bareilles - The Vogue (Capacity 1150)achieved success in 2008 with the hit, 'Love Song', which brought her into the number one spot on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. WikipediaOctober 28th - Lykke Li - Richard's on Richards (Capacity 400)... the Swede of the month... tentative, tuneful love song, 'Little Bit', is buoyed by wispy indie-tronic production...To see more upcoming concerts go to Swanktrendz Concert Listings.FYI: Capacity Numbers for Vancouver's Musical Venues BC Place: 59,687UBC Thunderbird Stadium: 21,500GM Place: 14,000Vancouver Coliseum: 16,123 |
| All Aboard the Internet: Sola Caritas by Lezah Williamson |
| 03.23.09 (8:26 pm) [edit] |
I'm all for things that make our world a better place, and simply by googling Sola Caritas and watching a couple of ads, you too can help to make our world a better place.Sola Caritas is the brainchild of an amazing young guy I know, David Wen. Along with some partners, he has created a website where you can help send money to charities - and it doesn't cost you a red cent! Gotta love that!It's brilliantly simple: businesses team up with the Sola Caritas website, which in turn runs ads for said businesses. Every time you watch one of these ads on the Sola Caritas website (for free, I remind you), 50% of the ad fees get sent to a charity. The more clicks, the more money. This brilliant idea found Sola Caritas take 1st Place at Dalhousie University's EcoVenture 2008, (Canada's first ever green business plan competition.)Easy peasy. Visit Swanktrendz
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| Book review: Water for Elephants By: Lezah Williamson |
| 03.23.09 (8:22 pm) [edit] |
Visit Swanktrendz A friend of mine loaned me Water for Elephants by former Vancouverite Sara Gruen. It's a love story filled with animals - what could be better, I ask you?Set in the Great Depression (I'm a sucker for Depression-era stories), Water for Elephants is the story of Jacob Jankowski, a young man who, a week before he sits his final exams in Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, has the rug pulled out from under him. His life, both as he knew it and as he envisioned it, is gone; in a fit of despair, he runs off and jumps the first train out of town.Jacob has leapt, unknowingly, into the lion's den. He finds himself hooked up with a second rate circus that criss-crosses the country, looking as much for the next score as for other failed circus outfits to cannibalize. The cast of this ragtag crew is probably more entertaining than the pathetic illusions their circus act offers: Al, the boss, envies Ringling Bros. to the point of obsession; Marlena is the beautiful wife of the alternatively abusive and charming August; Rosie is an elephant who can only understand Polish; Blackie, is a brute whose sole purpose seems to be 'redlighting' employees who have outlived their usefulness; Kinko is a dwarf who puts up walls around him so high that no one can get in; and Camel is an old drunk who paves the way for Jacob.The story is told from the perspective of Jacob as an old man. Either 90 or 93 years old (what does it matter when you're that age?), he recalls the story while suffering the indignities of old age as they play out in his nursing home. The story explores the bizarre subculture of the circus world, and throughout the book, black and white photos illustrating aspects of the circus world evoke the difficult life those people led.Water for Elephants was on the NYT Best Sellers list for over 55 weeks. Fox 2000 has acquired the movie rights to the novel, and is said to be fast-tracking the project. Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) has signed on as director.
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| Glowing Review for Vancouver’s Glowbal Grill and Satay Bar By Lezah Williamson |
| 03.23.09 (8:19 pm) [edit] |
Visit Swanktrendz
Glowbal Grill and Satay Bar is a restaurant located in the Yaletown district of Vancouver (1079 Mainland Street). Situated in an area that had previously been a warehouse district and is now filled with trendy shops, restaurants and luxurious condos, Glowbal is a perfect fit with its neighbourhood.My friend and I popped in on the last night in February; we had just had snow two days previous, and when the waiter asked if we wanted to sit inside or out. I must admit I looked at him a little askance. However, he led us out onto the patio, and I have to admit, it was the right choice. There was plenty of street ambience, so much so that it took me back to my trip to Paris last year. But unlike Paris, at Glowbal I was warm! We were there for two full hours, and I was comfortable and warm the whole time - in fact I not only shed my jacket, but also my sweater. (That rarely happens anywhere for me between the months of November and March!) And the outdoor patio was lovely in other ways, too - the decor was upscale casual. Inside, it was a little more nightclubby, and so that patio fit our mood better.
Next came the food: my friend decided she wanted to share appies rather than eat an entrée each, and that suited me fine. We ordered sweet potato fries first - and they weren’t even on the menu, but the chef was kind enough to accommodate us. Next we had a Baby Spinach Salad with warm pancetta vinaigrette ($12), oven-dried tomatoes, saffron egg, buffalo mozzarella and candied pecans. This was not at all overwhelming in size, but it left me feeling very satisfied. The melding of the sweet and the savoury was fantastic. Next up was the lobster mashed potatoes ($10) and the grilled lamb chops ($15), which the waiter brought to us on a long plate for our convenience. While the lobster mashed potatoes was fine, it wasn't something I'd order again; the lamb, on the other hand... I haven't stopped thinking about it! Between you and me, I haven't eaten lamb since I owned a pet lamb, and I was somewhat reluctant to try this. But it was lovely and tender - absolutely delectable. Finally, dessert: in keeping with our sharing theme, we chose the Pastry Chef's Dessert Selection (($12), which gave us a pot of creme bruleé (the best I've ever had!), a warm chocolate coffee cake (which I had misread on the menu as a lava cake, so was a bit disappointed with at the time - but I got over that!), and a white chocolate mousse (smooth!! creamy!!). Truly the best restaurant dessert I've had in a long, long time. On top of that, their coffee was great. For me, that's the all-important crux that is missing in many dining establishments.And for all you single ladies out there: Glowbal has what is undoubtedly the finest stable of male employees I have ever laid eyes on. It looked like they had raided the files of every modelling school out there to come up with their wait staff. These guys are hot! In fact, I don't recall even seeing a female employee there, although I could be mistaken.The executive chef at Glowbal is John Crooks, and yes, reservations are recommended.
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| Annie: A Theatrical Review By Lezah Williamson |
| 03.23.09 (8:16 pm) [edit] |
Where: Vancouver: The Centre for the Performing Arts, March 5, 2009Visit SwanktrendzWe went to see Annie on March 5th; not being a fan of the original comic strip, I certainly wasn't familiar with its print format, and although I will admit to having seen the movie, I must have been on drugs or something, because I had the story completely wrong. In case you're not familiar with the story, here's a brief overview:< >Annie is set in the depression in New York. Annie is a resident in an orphanage, but unlike the other 'abandoned' children, Annie was dropped at the door with a note stating that her parents would be back for their darling daughter as soon as they had some money to support the family. The parents left Annie with half a silver locket; the other half would be produced by the parents as proof that Annie was rightfully theirs when they came to claim her. Because of this, Annie was far more independent than the other orphans, and was a frequent runaway. Miss Hannigan, an alcoholic who runs the orphanage, was constantly on the look out for Annie's next escape. Annie does successfully manage to run away, but is caught and returned to the orphanage. Meanwhile, Grace, the assistant to the very rich Daddy Warbucks, has shown up to 'borrow' an orphan for the Christmas holidays. Annie is spotted, and the deal is set. Similar to the Ann of Green Gables story, it was a boy he had in mind, but he begrudgingly agreed to keep the girl - only to decide to adopt her. Complications arise when Annie reveals that she has a 'real' set of parents out there somewhere; further complicating the issue is Miss Hannigan's unscrupulous brother and his girlfriend Lilly, who decide to pretend they are Annie's parents in order to get the reward posted by Daddy Warbucks.Being a story for kids, this has a happy ending. 'Nuff said.We saw the Broadway production that is currently touring North America. So, understandably, the sets and costumes were very professional looking. Annie is being played by Madison Kerth, and although she acted well, her voice just grated - alternating between a scream and bellow. On the contrary, AnnaLisa Leaming, who plays Grace, has an absolutely lovely voice. Another standout was Lynn Andrews as Miss Hannigan. |