Verb Issue S184 (April 5-12, 2012)

Free weekly Apr 5–12, 2012 • Pass it on

Photo: courtesy Jason of Halstead

Verb

Canadian Rocker Strikes Out On Solo Tour P11

John K. SamSon

STC Ups FaresCompany Charges More

To Stay Competitive P2

WhitehorseIndie Duo Talks

Marriage, Music P12

American ReunionRaunchy Comedy

Reinvigorates Franchise P15

Super TreehouseWorld’s Biggest Boasts

Basketball Court P7

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comLocalPage 2

Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

STC Ups Fares, Aims To Stay CompetitiveCompany Charges More For Tickets, Still Below Western Canadian AverageAlex J MACPherSon

SASkATOOn, Sk — The Sas-katchewan Transportation Com-pany has raised its average fare to keep pace with its competi-tors.

Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) — a provincial crown corpora-tion — increased its ticket prices by an average of 4.76 percent, or $1.45 for a 117-mile one-way trip.

Bus companies across north America use miles as a standard measure of distance; 117 miles is 188.3 kilometres. The average fare over that distance now comes in around $31.85.

“The increase reflects the need for STC to recoup some of its in-creased costs and at the same time deliver on the company’s mandate to serve Saskatchewan,” Shawn

Grice, STC Ceo, said in a news re-lease.

“STC fares are affordable and comparable to average rates in Western Canada, and we believe that people who try our service once are very likely to become re-peat riders due to the enjoyment of their travel experience.”

Deanna Berg-busch, STC ex-ecutive director of planning and communication, attributes the in-crease to fluctua-

tions in the market, competition and increased costs.

“We want to keep pace with the western Canadian average [price], but we want to be below it,” she explains.

“We don’t want to be the high-est [cost] provider in the market.”

Bergbusch says STC was oper-ating at three percent below the Western Canadian average price

in late 2010 and early 2011. earlier this year Greyhound, the company’s closest competitor, raised its prices, driving STC’s prices further below the average.

“[o]n our balanced scorecard we have a target to stay within one to four percent below the western Canadian average,” she states.

“With this increase we put our-selves still within three percent.”

STC last adjusted its prices in March 2010. The company also made changes in July 2008.

But a two-year increase cycle is not a rule, according to Berg-busch. Any jumps in ticket price,

which must be approved by the highway Traffic Board, are based on the market, competitors’ prices and inflation.

Under the new metric, a one-way trip between Saskatoon and regina costs $42.25 for adults; the same trip runs $38.05 for students and $21.15 for children under 11.

Bergbusch doesn’t think the in-crease will affect ridership, which she points out increased 7.4 per-cent between 2010 and 2011. every age group uses the service, she explains, with riders between 40 and 59 forming the largest segment at 25 percent. People between 18

and 25 comprise 21.7 percent of the company’s ridership.

Bergbusch believes that the big-gest draw are the amenities. STC offers WiFi in about 75 percent of its coaches; by 2012, every STC bus will have wireless internet.

“It’s the convenience,” she says. “If you’re a person traveling be-tween Saskatoon and regina and choose to take the bus, you can get some of your work done [or] you can entertain yourself, versus if you’re tired and trying to con-centrate.”

“From a safety, convenience, worry-free travel [perspective], it’s a very attractive option to a lot of customers,” she adds.

Victoria Martinez, who studies physics at the University of Sas-katchewan and frequently travels between Saskatoon and her home in lloydminster, would prefer to take the bus but is frustrated by the price of tickets.

“It costs me about $80 to get to lloydminster and back [on the bus],” she says. “If I drive instead, it takes about half a tank of gas to go there and back, which is maybe $40, total. It’s really frustrating to pay that much more for a much less comfortable ride.”

“If the prices go up, my hands are still tied. If I have to go home, and there’s no other way to get there, then the bus it is,” she continues.

“It’s too bad, because theoreti-cally I’d love to take the bus more often.”

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photo: courtesy of trekphiler

“[W]e believe that people who try our service once are very likely to become repeat riders…”

-Shawn Grice

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.com

LocalPage 4Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

Parking Ticket Charges Set To DoubleMinimum Fines To hit $20, A Move Council hopes Will Increase TurnoverAlex J MACPherSon

SASkATOOn, Sk — The mini-mum fine for an expired park-ing meter is set to double this summer, a move aimed at dis-couraging people from gambling on the chance of getting a ticket.

City council’s executive com-mittee, comprised of the mayor and all ten councillors, voted to hike the minimum fine from $10 to $20 after hearing that some citizens refuse to pay for parking, opting instead to take their chances with parking

enforcement. The current penalty — $50 dis-

counted to $10 if paid within 14 days — is cheaper than paying for eight hours of metered parking at $2 per hour. The change will be implemented June 1st if approved

by council.“right now,

it ’s cheaper for people to abuse the system than it is for people to

use the system properly, and we want to correct that issue,” says city councillor Mairin loewen.

“Basically, this recommendation came to us because it became clear

to the administration that people were taking advantage of our rela-tively low early payment option, and that was causing a lack of turn-over,” she continues.

“[P]eople had deduced that it was actually cheaper to let your car sit in a stall for an entire day and get a ticket than it was to pay at the meter,” loewen says. “That was causing some stagnation.”

A report submitted to the execu-tive committee illustrates the dis-parity between fines in Saskatoon and other Western Canadian cities. The penalty in Winnipeg is $70, $35 if paid within 15 days. regina has a flat rate of $45.

The stiffest fine is in Calgary, where an expired meter costs $90, chopped to $55 if paid within 10 days. The only city comparable to Saskatoon is Victoria, where the fine is $40, or $20 if paid within two weeks.

The report states that the current $50 penalty is appropriate, and in-dicates that raising the discounted fine from $10 to $20 “would provide a deterrent, while still providing an incentive to pay the penalty early.”

Councillor Pat lorje agrees. “I was actually surprised at the

number of emails I got. I received several from people who said they don’t bother plugging the meters; they just take their chances on a $10 ticket because it’s cheaper. one man in particular told me that he parked downtown last summer …

for the grand total of two $10 park-ing tickets.”

lorje and loewen agree that minimum fees, if applied fairly, will encourage turnover without deter-ring people from visiting down-town. Both councillors expressed their hope that a higher minimum will reduce the total number of tick-ets issued — a figure that has been rising steadily since 2010.

“Changing parking fees is never a popular move, but we think this is an appropriate balance in terms of ensuring turnover,” says loew-en, who describes the increase as “pretty reasonable.”

According to the report, the change would not affect the bud-get.

“This isn’t a cash grab, this isn’t designed to get more money for the city,” she says. “In fact, we think this will be revenue neutral. This is designed to encourage people to use meters properly, and to encour-age turnover so that businesses don’t suffer from the side effects of our parking rules.”

on June 1st, lorje says, “scofflaws and parking meter delinquents” will have to start plugging the meter to avoid a more onerous fine.


“Right now, it’s cheaper for people to abuse the system…”

-Mairin Loewen

Photo: courtesy of Sheila Steele

GlobalPage 5Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

Dog (Work) DaysPooches At Jobs ease StressADAM hAWBolDT

RICHMOnD, VA — not only are dogs loyal, steadfast com-panions, but apparently they’re also pretty darn good at reducing your stress levels, too— espe-cially if you take them to work.

In a study conducted at Vir-ginia Commonwealth University, researchers found that taking your dog to your place of employment can decrease your stress level while increasing levels of job satisfaction in your co-workers.

“Dogs in the workplace can make a positive difference,” says head researcher randolph T. Barker.

“The differences in perceived stress between days the dog was present and absent were signifi-cant.”

This first-of-its-kind finding stud-ied 75 employees at a dog-friendly manufacturing company in Greens-boro, north Carolina.

researchers compared individu-als who took pets to work, who had pets but left them at home, and who did not have any pets.

Using surveys and saliva samples to determine stress levels, research-ers determined that, during the course of a work day, dogs lifted morale and lessened stress.


LeAPInG ROBOT — The American mili-tary has, in conjunction with engineer-ing company Boston Dynamics, devel-oped a five-kilogram robot that — like a big honking metal flea — can leap

great heights. The robot rolls around on four wheels, but when confronted with a vertical obstacle can spring up to 30 feet in the air. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Global At A Glance

looking on Past With Bitterness Bad For healthADAM hAWBolDT

GrAnADA, SPAIn — The British rockers oasis may have had it right all along with their song “Don’t look Back In Anger.”

researchers at the University of Granada in Spain found that

looking on your past with bitter-ness or regret is bad for your health.

“We have observed that when people are negative about past events … they also have a pessimist or fatalistic attitude towards cur-rent events,” says coauthor Cristián oyanadel. “[T]hese people present

worse quality of life indicators.” researchers analyzed 25 men

and 25 women between the ages of 20 and 70, asking them about their past and future, as well as their physical health and quality of life in general.


GlobalPage 6Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

HeALTH TATTOOS — Scientists have developed a skin patch that can moni-tor your heart and brain functions, as well as stimulate your muscles for reha-bilitation purposes. It also has wireless capabilities, which could be used to transmit data to the subject’s cellphone

and then on to his or her doctor. The patch is made of a mega-thin layer of electronics that gets applied directly to the skin; these devices are put on much like a press-on tattoo, and once in place can’t be felt by the wearer. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Global At A Glance Facebook’s Heavy IssuesSocial Media Triggers Desire To Be ThinnerADAM hAWBolDT

BALTIMORe, MD — Does Face-book make you feel fat?

If so, you’re not alone. And we’re not talking about

the extra pounds you may (or may not) put on while your posterior is parked in front of the computer.

What researchers at the Center for eating Disor-ders at Sheppard Pratt in Maryland have determined is that Facebook is adding fuel to the fire of our society’s desire to be skinny.

It’s true: more than half the 600 people surveyed (ages 16 to 40) say that Facebook makes them more self-conscious about their bodies, and in particular, their weight.

And while more women than men admitted they want to lose a few pounds (to the tune of 75 percent compared to 58 percent), men were more vocal in posting negative comments about their own bodies.

“People are now constantly aware of their appearance, thanks to Facebook,” Steven Crawford,

associate direc-tor at the centre, explains to Tech-newsDaily.

“A common re-action is, ‘I need

to be thinner.’ And it’s that kind of thinking that can lead to hazardous dieting.”

In fact, Crawford went one step further by saying Facebook “is an influential factor in developing se-vere eating disorders.”

The reasoning works something like this: when you’re unhappy with how you look, it’s easy to avoid mirrors.

But if you’re hooked on Face-book, it’s hard to avoid pictures of yourself, and can lead some to take dramatic actions.


“A common reaction [to Facebook] is, ‘I need to be thinner.’”

-Steven Crawford

Junk Food Gives You The BluesADAM hAWBolDT

GrAnADA, SPAIn — Fast food can give you the blues, new re-search has found.

Scientists at the universities of las Palmas and Granada in Spain found that people who frequently ate food like ham-burgers, hot dogs and pizza were 51 percent likelier to develop depression than their healthier eating peers.

They were also more likely to be less active and smoke cigarettes.

“even eating small quantities is linked to a significantly higher chance of developing depression,” lead researcher Dr. Almudena Sán-chez-Villegas said in a statement.

however, other researchers suggest that eat-ing junk may not cause the prob-lem, but be a symptom of one.

“We use the term ‘comfort food’ for a reason,” Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University’s Prevention research Center, tells ABC News.


“even eating small quantities is linked to … depression”

-Dr. Almudena Sánchez-Villegas

OffbeatPage 7Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

eat Off Your LapPicnic Pants Snack-ready, StylishADAM hAWBolDT

ROMe, ITALY — There have been some pretty bad fashion trends in the past: gold lame leisure suits, Crocs, platform sneakers.

Add Pic nic pants to the list: designed by an Italian fashion company called Ac-quacalda, Pic nic pants are exactly what they sound like — a pair of jeans that double as a picnic table. And yes, they’re every bit as silly as you imagine.

The pants are constructed with a piece of fabric over the groin big

enough to spread out like a table when you sit cross-legged, allowing the wearer to dine off their crotch.

“Pic nic pants take advantage of the usual cross-legged position to become a com-fortable surface useful for the consumption of a

meal outdoors,” says Acquacalda on their website. “laterally pants have an orientable pocket for drinks.”

That’s right: Pic nic pants (which, by the way, look remarkably similar to hammer pants of the late-80’s) are both a crotch plate and a beer holder at the same time.


“Pic nic pants … are both a crotch plate and a beer holder…”

-Adam Hawboldt

Put Your Tweets on roll of TPADAM hAWBolDT

neW YorK, nY — Chances are you’ve heard of Twitter. But have you heard of Sh*tter?

With the tagline, “Social media has never been so disposable,” Sh*tter is a service that will take feeds from your Twitter account and turn them into toilet paper.

The concept for Sh*tter is cred-ited to a team of four developers who live in new York and Sydney, Australia, including David Gillespie.

“obviously this is fairly tongue-in-cheek, but we’re reasonably pleased we monetized Twitter in a way that avoided advertising,” Gillespie tells VentureBeat.

The Sh*tter has quickly become an Internet sensation, so if you end up with a roll or four don’t worry about the quality.

“It’s two-ply,” Gillespie tells the Huffington Post.

“Kind of standard toilet paper there, nothing funky going on.”


God Inspires Tallest TreehouseADAM hAWBolDT

CroSSVIlle, Tn — When God tells you to do something, you damn well do it.

horace Burgess spent 11 years constructing a 10,000-square foot, 10-storey tall tree-house after the lord gave him a message.

“I was praying one day,” says Burgess “and the lord said, ‘If you build me a treehouse, I’ll see you never run out of material.’”

So Burgess did what he was told. held together with more than a

quarter million nails, the treehouse

boasts a spiral staircase, balconies, a half-ton chime, walkways and pews. heck, it even has a third-floor basketball court.

“I built it for everybody,” says Burgess. “It’s God’s treehouse. he keeps watch over it.”

The structure, which cost less than $15,000 to make (thanks to Burgess’ use of recycled materi-

als), was photographed by Tom Whetton.

“You can’t really appreciate the scale until you are standing next to it,” explains Whetton.


“[T]he treehouse boasts a spiral staircase [and] a … basketball court.”

-Horace Burgess

MAn SHOOTS OWn LeG — A man is recovering from non-life threatening injuries after he accidentally shot him-self in the leg — as he was exiting a gun show. William Penfield, 25, is the second

person to accidentally discharge a fire-arm into his leg at the show; earlier this year Charles lake injured himself in the same way. Both men are doing okay. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Offbeat At A Glance

FoodPage 8Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

With a fresh, enticing scent that’s hard to miss, mint was one of the earliest herbs to be discovered. It’s been found in egyptian tombs dating back to 1000 BC and ;has been a part of Chinese medicine for even longer.

■ early romans believed eat-ing mint increased intelligence

■ research conducted at the University of Cincinnati has found that sniffing mint can help improve concentration

■ Mint (or mintha) was named after the Greek myth of Minthe, a nymph who was turned into a plant by Perse-phone

■ In ancient Greece, mint was used in funeral rites to offset the smell of decay

Photos: courtesy of Adam Hawboldt

Speedy Pizza: Pies With A Twist Diverse eatery offers Great Toppings, Indian Fare, halal optionsADAM hAWBolDT

Sometimes you find the best things when you least expect them.

Take the newly opened Speedy Pizza, for instance. When I walked in there last week to sample their grub, I was fully expecting to walk away with a belly full of ‘za, maybe even a bite or two of donair. But what I got was a surprise. Sure they have pizza, and sure it’s made from scratch and pretty darn tasty. But the thing is, this isn’t your average everyday pizza joint.

Instead of the side menu be-ing full of your normal fare, it was stocked with stellar Indian cuisine.

no jokes: the first dish I sampled at Speedy Pizza was the butter chicken, and it was easily some of the best I’ve had in the city. With the option to order it spicy or normal, I

went with spicy and was not disap-pointed. The chicken was succu-lent, and the sauce was velvety and sweet with a subtle zesty tang. As for the heat, it was understated and lingered just long enough to make it thoroughly en-joyable. Topped with fresh cori-ander, this dish was plate-licking good. Seriously: if I hadn’t been in the restaurant, I would’ve most certainly licked that plate completely clean.

The next thing I dug my spoon into was the channa masala, a de-lightful dish consisting of chickpeas cooked with ground spices in a

zesty gravy. like the butter chicken, it was topped with coriander and absolutely terrific.

The final Indian dish I tried was the samosa channe ki chaat — an interesting concoction I hadn’t seen

before. Made up of t wo samo -sas topped with channa, yogurt and tamarind, the dish came gar-

nished with mint and onions. The yogurt offered a cooling, grounding flavour to the zest of the samosas — this was a hearty, filling and deli-cious option.

After all that food I was fairly full, but what’s a trip to your friendly neighbourhood pizza joint without some pizza? So I unbuckled my belt and, since that butter chicken was so darn good, I went with the butter chicken option.

It was most definitely a good choice on my part, and the great thing is Speedy Pizza offers a num-ber of unique choices, like perogy pizza, coriander chilli chicken pizza and tandoori chicken pizza — 28 in total, and I won’t rest ‘til I’ve sampled them all.

oh, and for anyone out there who needs their food halal, don’t worry. everything here is made to accommodate you.

Just ask. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

“The chicken was succulent, and the sauce was velvety and sweet…”

-Adam Hawboldt

Address: 1501 Cumberland AveHours: Sun-Wed: 11am-midnight; Thurs: 11am-2am; Fri-Sat 11am-4amInformation: 974-0467

Speedy Pizza

OpinionPage 9Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

Curbside Recycling Will Be Good For UsMandating The Practice Will Increase efficiency Without Costing Us That MuchThe eDITorS oF VerB

SASkATOOn, Sk — We think mandatory curbside recycling in Saskatoon is a great idea.

It is about time Saskatchewan started being more progressive in terms of green initiatives. The current model of depots scattered throughout the city is wildly inef-ficient, and the long-term costs as-sociated with the curbside recycling are relatively low. And besides, it’s good for the environment.

According to the city’s website, we have one of two options in Sas-katoon: we can either pay a fee to have All-Green recycling come pick up our recyclables. or, we can get in our car and drive to a number of various depots to drop off our materials. This option is plainly ri-diculous.

Cardboard and paper bins are, mercifully, locat-ed in the same place. not so with drink containers. According to the city, if we want to recycle drink con-tainers we have to go to a separate location altogether. Glass? Take it to All-Green, pay to have them pick it up or drop it off at the landfill.

And as for tins, we can take them either to a handful of the city recy-cling bins, to All-Green, or a couple businesses in town that accept cans for scraps. Can’t get to SArCAn or make it to one of the depots — just toss it in trash. Sounds efficient, right?

This is why mandatory curbside recycling is a good idea.

let’s face it: we’ve all been guilty, one time or another, of being lazy when it comes to recycling. But according to Statistics Canada, that laziness is a serious threat to green practices.

Barriers to collection need to be low, otherwise people simply won’t make the effort. To work effectively, recycling must be as easy — or even easier — than throwing things in the trash.

So what’s this all going to cost? Well, Saskatoon’s curbside pro-

grams will run in at just over four dollars per month per household in the first year — roughly the cost of a jug of milk.

People will surely grumble that they shouldn’t be forced to recycle; that is inescapable. But consider

this: we are spending good tax dol-lars to expand our landfills to hold recyclables, stuff that doesn’t need to be there. It may well be cheaper to fork out four bucks a month for recycling and, in the process, ex-pand the life of our landfill.

The city esti-mates that, if we maintain our cur-rent recycling sys-tem, our landfill’s life extension is two years; if curb-

side recycling is introduced, that increases to nearly seven years. The more waste we can divert from the landfill — particularly as the costs of running a dump increases — the better.

Besides, recycling itself is a good investment. According to StatsCan, our country’s landfills are reaching capacity. We need to do whatever

we can to keep unwanted mate-rial out.

Furthermore, approximately a quarter of Canada’s methane gas (a greenhouse gas) emissions are produced by our dumps. We can cut emissions by making our landfills leaner and more efficient.

And we need to — according to the City of Saskatoon, the average household is currently diverting about 23 percent of its total resi-dential waste from the dump.

And while that sounds like a lot, that means that on average, about 780 kilograms of trash — per household — are still going into the landfill every year.

To us, it seems simple: manda-tory curbside recycling is the way to go.

It’s vastly more efficient than our current system, it will decrease the amount of waste going into

our landfills, and it benefits the environment.

really, there’s nothing to com-plain about — so let’s embrace it,

dig our tins, drink containers and paper out of the garbage, and get recycling.


Photo: courtesy of the Other Dan

“To work effectively, recycling must be … even easier … than throwing things in the trash”

-Verb’s Editors

FeaturePage 10Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

environmental Film Fest Informs, InspiresAnnual event explores number of Issues From Urban Chicken Coops To oilSeBASTIAn DAnGerFIelD

SASkATOOn, Sk — Change is possible and every individual can help create that change.

That’s the main thrust behind the upcoming Saskatchewan eco network environmental Film Fes-tival.

now in its seventh season, the annual film festival has, since its inception, aimed to inspire positive action pertaining to the environ-ment by engaging the community in global issues.

“We try to provide a place where people can talk to each other, ask questions,” says former Sen

executive director lynn hainsworth, who now volunteers with the orga-nization. “Sure people could stay at

home and watch films, but what we offer is something different. We offer a place where you can come out, watch some good mov-ies, meet people who are experts in their fields, say, in raising chickens or growing seeds or doing com-munity gardens.”

“A big part of this film festival is

the sharing of information,” con-tinues hainsworth. “It wakes you up in a variety of ways. It shows

that we do have solutions.”

A n d w i t h film being such a powerful me-dium, the videos

selected for this year offer a sturdy, entertaining vehicle for the Sen to raise awareness of, and offer

solutions to, some serious envi-ronmental issues facing the people in Saskatchewan and around the world. And at this year’s festival, a lot of those problems and solutions addressed will be about food.

“Many of our films are focus-ing on food sovereignty,” says hainsworth. “Films like Mad City Chickens.”

Created by filmmakers Tashai lovington and robert lughai, Mad City Chickens is a thought-provoking documentary that takes a some-times evocative, sometimes whimsi-cal, always engaging look at people who live in urban areas and keep chickens in their backyards. enter-taining as it is informative, Mad City Chickens turns a keen eye on the city of Madison, Wisconsin — a veri-table hotbed of the urban chicken phenomenon — and examines the change in city laws that allowed for coops while getting to the heart of what drives urbanites to keep these chickens.

And while there are a few other food films that will be featured at the festival (To Make a Farm, Grocery Store Wars, Climate Dish, etc.), other films being screened will deal with other serious environmental prob-lems. Take the documentary Land of Oil and Water.

Put together by neil McArthur and Warren Cariou, the film follows Cariou — a writer from northern Saskatchewan — who returns to his home in the Cree and Dene community of la loche after learn-ing that oil companies are expand-ing there from Alberta. he talks to locals about the expansion, then travels across the border to gain deeper perspective.

For more information on films and screening times, please see http://econet.ca/filmfest/filmss-toon2012.html


“We try to provide a place where people can talk to each other…”

-Lynn Hainsworth

Photo: courtesy T.J. Watt & Marshall Curry Productions

Arts OnePage 11Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

John k. Samson Sets Out On Solo TourWeakerthans’ Frontman Talks About his new Album, Video Games And GPSAlex J MACPherSon

SASkATOOn, Sk — “Circum-navigate this body of wonder and uncertainty, armed with every precious failure and amateur cartography.”

These are lyrics from “Aside,” a song John K. Samson wrote for his band, The Weakerthans, more than a decade ago.

Since then Samson has writ-ten two albums chronicling the human experi-e n c e : R e c o n -struction Site is a meditation on death, Reunion Tour is a collection of personal stories from the weak and the marginalized.

Samson’s latest venture, the solo album Provincial, is a return to cartographic principle. Unlike his work with The Weakerthans, almost all of which is focused on people, Provincial is about a place.

And not just any place: Mani-toba.

“I think that the spark for these songs are all rooted in place as opposed to some of my previous writing which has been inspired by character and kind of coloured in by place,” Samson explains.

“I really wanted to explore these four different stretches of road I chose in Manitoba, and I wanted to say something contemporary

and historical and also about the land itself, about all four places and of course I wanted to explore the people who lived there.”

Samson’s affinity for Manitoba is well-known. his songs are packed with references to the province, some more subtle than others. But Provincial charts a new course.

“I got this idea of how it would be nice where I could take someone to all the songs, that I could build a

map of these dif-ferent places,” he says.

“I wanted also a kind of literal sense of travel

through the record.”Provincial traces a route through

the province, down highway 1 through ninette and up the shore of lake Winnipeg to riverton. And, of course, through the capital city.

“It’s got all the great things about a small town and a big city, and all the terrible things about both as well,” says Samson of Winnipeg.

“I find it’s just a really useful metaphor for trying to explore the things I’m always trying to talk about, things like alienation and community and communication and empathy.”

Chosen to distort and alter our conceptions of place and of home, the lines of poetry, and for that matter, all of Provincial, are an ex-amination of home.

“It is the one thing we all have in common,” he says, “we’re all from somewhere [and] there’s something unique and universal about the places where we live.”

Ultimately, Samson’s writing forces us to reconsider who we are and, at least on Provincial, where it is that we’re from.

Which brings us back to cartog-raphy.

Samson’s musical map of Mani-toba will soon be replaced with a paper map of Canada.

The singer has planned a tour across the country, where he will perform songs from Provincial as well as songs he wrote for The Weakerthans.

“I guess the idea was to address the last 20 years of my songwriting. I’m not sure what it’s going to be like, but I am looking forward to it,” he says.

Touring without bandmates Ja-son Tait, Stephen Carroll and Greg Smith will be a challenge, but Sam-son is up for it.

“I have a real comfort and fel-lowship with those guys, with The Weakerthans,” he explains.

“I think it kind of allowed me to take some chances on this record.”


“I guess the idea was to address the last 20 years of my songwriting…”

-John K. Samson

John k. Samson & the Provincial BandWhere: Amigos CantinaWhen: April 14, 10pmCost: $15 (ticketedge.ca)

event Info

Photos: courtesy of Jason Halstead & Jeremy Jansen

Section Pages 10, 11VerbNews.com

Marriage And Music: Indie rock Duo Whitehorse Does It AllAlex J MACPherSon

SASKAToon, SK — For most couples, the phrase every waking minute is a metaphor or an exag-geration. For Melissa McClelland and luke Doucet, it’s a way of life.

M c C l e l l a n d and her husband D o u c e t h a v e spent the past de-cade or so build-ing parallel but ultimately separate music careers, though their latest venture brings them together in a different way.

“We used to spend big chunks of time apart and large chunks of time together,” laughs McClelland. “now it’s all Whitehorse all the time. We’re touring full-time, playing re-ally fantastic shows, playing the

music that we love to play — it’s an amazing opportunity to be able to share that and do that together.”

“We’ve worked together a lot, but it was never on those terms,” she continues. “It was always my tour or his tour. now it really is a

band [and] we put a lot of our own creative energy into it. It means the world to both of us.”

McClelland and Doucet released their first album under the name Whitehorse in August. Also called Whitehorse, the record sounds like marriage: occasionally gritty, some-times fractious, always deeply pas-sionate. Whitehorse casts themes from both singers’ careers in new light — and the songs are better for

it. Besides the new compositions, the record also includes a pair of reworked songs and a minimalist yet magnificent cover of Springs-teen’s “I’m on Fire.”

“We haven’t really sat down and written songs together as people imagine we do,” explains McClel-land. “We don’t sit down with two guitars and a bottle of wine and write music together. We’re really just throwing ideas back and forth until it becomes a fully formed song. We’re not going by anybody’s rules; we’re just trying to come up with the best songs, whatever that takes.”

Whitehorse shows how some-thing can be greater than the sum of its parts.

“I think that just happens when [you have] been singing with some-one for so long,” says McClelland.

Whitehorse will be at the Broad-way Theatre on April 17th, but if you can’t make the show don’t worry: the winsome duo will be playing ness Creek Music Festival in July.


“now it really is a band [and] we put a lot of our own … energy into it.”

-Melissa McClelland Photo: courtesy of Raina + Wilson

Game On!Where: AKA GalleryWhen: now ‘til April 21 Cost: Free!

WhitehorseWhere: The Broadway TheatreWhen: April 17Cost: $23/$28 (652-6556 extension 3)

Paper DollWhere: Mendel Art GalleryWhen: now ‘til June 10Cost: Free!

Want some coverage for your upcoming event? Email [email protected] ASAP!

event Info

Alex J MACPherSon

For as long as sports have been played, artists have explored the notion of sport as identity. Game On! is an exhibition by roch Smith and liz Pead in which the artists use reclaimed sporting equipment to establish how identities are con-structed through the activity. Pead uses hockey equip-ment to recreate pivotal moments in Canadian art; Smith builds weapons of war from hockey sticks and baseball bats, urging the viewer to reflect on sport as a cultural norm.

Alex J MacPherson: Sports as an avenue to identity has been a constant in your career. Why choose sports?

Roch Smith: I’m a longtime sports fan. Growing up we were always watching something on TV. early in my career it really started with remembering watching sports on Saturdays with my dad. This is going way back, but watching Wide World of Sports. There’s certainly that childhood resonance with that; when I was an artist a part of

Five Questions: Game On!Artist Smith explores Sports As A Cultural norm

“Sport can reflect society because it is such a huge generator of wealth…”

-Roch Smith

Photo: courtesy of AKA Gallery

Game On! Roch Smith & Liz Pead exhibit at AkA Gallery

Arts & Culture

SectionPages PH, PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comSection Pages 10, 11

VerbNews.com

where that started I was dealing with memory and identity back then, and then about masculinity. Sports seemed natural for that.

AJM: In sport there is a lot to be positive about, but also plenty of things to be wary of. Is this duality something you’re trying to address?

RS: That’s where the art comes into it, in the sense that it’s just

about asking ques-tions. It’s about say-ing, “hey look here’s an interesting thing. let ’s just take a pause here and look

at it from a different angle.”AJM: Is sport in danger of be-

coming the only way we identify ourselves?

RS: My grandfather was a long-term Montreal Canadiens fan. It was pervasive, but I think it was part of his identity — not his identity. Maybe there is something in the air right now where people really want to belong to a tribe. It’s almost like it’s on steroids. It seems that there’s a mania about it, almost as if it’s expected that you adhere to Canucks nation or leafs nation. I don’t know what has changed, re-

ally, but it does feel as if there’s the

expectation that people become the über fan.

AJM: Why the exploration of sport and militarism?

RS: This work started post 9/11. I think that this is a huge link right now. For example, the Toronto rap-tors just two nights ago had their troop appreciation day and were wearing camouflage uniforms. I don’t know, is it honouring the military? Who can really be against that? But it is an odd thing, and I think that things are not done without some intentionality these days. It’s a very conscious choice to play that card, and I think it’s good that people are discussing them.

AJM: Sport has moved itself into the van of the Support the Troops movement. Is this something you’re trying to address?

RS: Sport can reflect society be-cause it is such a huge generator of wealth and advertising too. If this wasn’t in our consciousness I don’t think the sports teams would nec-essarily be supporting the troops. In the past it’s been more like sick kids; now it’s the military. It’s good to have it out in the consciousness. Is that innocuous, or is it trying to have your brand associated so you sell more jerseys?


Five Questions: Game On!Artist Smith explores Sports As A Cultural norm

“Sport can reflect society because it is such a huge generator of wealth…”

-Roch Smith

Female Form, Identity examined In Paper DollsAlex J MACPherSon

SASKAToon, SK — The dirty little secret of reading is that foot-notes, irrelevant though they may seem, are almost always worth a look. Sometimes they hold trea-sures of unimaginable value.

Anne Koval knows this well. A professor of art history at Mount Al-lison, Koval discovered, buried in a footnote, a reference to a collection of Sylvia Plath’s possessions. These include a number of paper dolls the poet made as a teenager, which became the cat-alyst for Paper Doll, a wide-ranging examination of shape, form and identity.

“I love the idea that footnotes have a lot of power,” laughs Koval, who curated the exhibit. “I was able to get some funding and went to see the paper dolls in person. From there I began to think about art-ists I already knew who explored a similar theme, the paper doll.”

“[Plath] was obviously a well-known poet, but much less well-known as a visual artist. In fact, she didn’t really practice except in her younger years,” explains Koval. “She drew all her life, but it was never

really a public practice.”Koval selected a number of

works to accompany the obvious centrepiece, nota-bly a short film by Cindy Sherman. other artists rep-resented include Barb hunt, Anna

Torma, ed Pien, Jeannie Thib, lynne Yamamoto and Cybèle Young.

All of the pieces in Paper Doll

explore female identity, a theme as relevant now as it was when Plath was a teenager.

“I’m interested in that period of time,” says Koval.

“I wanted to see how it connects to contemporary art. A lot of the contemporary art that I show has a feminist element to it. They all kind of have that connectivity back to that feminist idea.”


“A lot of the … art that I show has a feminist element to it.”

-Anne Koval

Photo: courtesy of the Mendel Art Gallery

Barb Hunt, “Dresses;” plasma-cut cold-rolled steel

Photo: courtesy of AKA Gallery

Game On! Roch Smith & Liz Pead exhibit at AkA Gallery

Arts & CulturePages 12, 13Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.comArts & CulturePages 10, 11VerbNews.com

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comMoviesPage 14


Land Of Blood And Honey Powerful, StirringJolie’s Directorial Debut offers Powerful love Story Cast Against Bosnian WarIn the Land of Blood and Honey

ADAM hAWBolDT

When actors get involved in the directing business you never know what you’re going to get.

Some of them make the transi-tion brilliantly and are better direc-tors than they are actors (Clint east-wood, ron howard, Ben Affleck.)

Some are equally adept at both (George Clooney, Dennis hopper, robert redford). And some are so bad behind the camera it’s almost insulting (William Shatner, nicolas Cage, Madonna … if you even consider her an actor.)

So where does Angelina Jolie land in this rubric, with her directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey?

Well, I would argue that Jolie falls directly into the as-good-a-director-as-she-is-an-actor category.

on the one hand, her film is

visually stunning (in ways you might not expect), holds your attention like it’s nobody’s business, and is an earnest and touching love story cast against the conflicts of the

Bosnian War. on the other

hand, In the Land of Blood and Hon-ey is stilted and pedantic in parts.

Still, you have to give the girl credit: she really sticks her neck out for this one, making a gritty and unflinching film that is both clear-eyed and honest.

The movie opens just before the start of the Bosnian War. In this land of quiet cafes, cool clubs and clean streets we meet Ajla (Zana Marjanović), an artist who lives with her single-mom of a sister. Ajla goes on a date with a guy named Danijel (Goran Kostić). They dance, they drink, they sing along with an accordion-driven rock band.

And then bombs explode and the civil war begins.

next thing you know, Ajla (a Bos-nian Muslim) is rounded up along with her other female neighbours and brought to a Serbian prison camp — a place where women are forced to be servants for soldiers, and where they are tortured, raped and even used as human shields.

not long after her arrival, Ajla finds out that Danijel (a Serbian) runs the camp. naturally he be-comes her protector and eventually her star-cross’d lover.

For me, the best part about this movie was how there isn’t anything hollywood about it.

In the Land of Blood and Honey stars local actors speaking their lan-guage, and never once shies away from the horrors and realities of war. All of the rape and humiliation and

murders and ethnic cleansing are portrayed by Jolie with an unblink-ing, unwavering frankness.

What’s more, instead of taking a single angle and running with it, Jolie shoots the film from a wide perspective, affording compassion on both sides while keeping the larger picture in proper perspective.

no doubt about it, Jolie’s debut is brave and far from a commercial. heck, I’d even call it laudable.

But what holds it back from being a truly excellent film is the writing.

The script, while bold, is terribly schematic, the kind of narrative in which ideas create and mold the characters, not the other way around. The kind of script that’s allegorical and preachy.

But the fact that the movie can double as a lecture shouldn’t be shocking, considering Jolie’s in-volvement in all things humani-tarian.

So is In the Land of Blood and Honey worth a watch? You bet.

I just hope you’re not too squea-mish or faint of heart.

In the Land of Blood and Honey is being screened at roxy Theatre.


Photo: courtesy of FilmDistrict

Runtime: 127 MinutesRated: 18A “Jolie shoots the film

from a wide perspective, affording compassion on both sides…”

-Adam Hawboldt

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comMoviesPage 15


Photo: Universal Pictures

Raunchy Reunion Brings Back The Funnylatest Installment In American Pie Franchise reinvigorates This Comedy FamilyAmerican Reunion

ADAM hAWBolDT

I didn’t expect to like American Reunion.

In fact, I expected to hate it. Sure, there was no way in hell it could be the worst installment of the fran-chise — Band Camp, The Naked Mile, Beta House and The Book of Love all vie for that honour. But the Ameri-can Pie series was tired, old, dated and running on empty. There was no way a reunion movie could be anything but stale and destined for failure, right? Wrong.

American Reunion, while not quite as good as the first Ameri-can Pie, was infinitely better and funnier than all the rest of the series combined.

But how did they do it? how did they resurrect a flailing, dying franchise?

Well, for starters they brought back the original cast.

And then the powers-that-be went one step further and hired writing partners Jon hurwitz and hayden Schlossberg — the guys responsible for all the Harold & Ku-mar movies.

The result is a raunchy romp, filled with inappropriate zest, good writing and wall-to-wall laughs.

The premise of Reunion is fairly simple: the whole gang, all grown up, returns home for their high school reunion. And to be honest,

it’s nice how they all turned out.Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle

(Alyson hannigan) are stuck in a sexless marriage, oz (Chris Klein) is an eSPn-wannabe sportscaster/reality-TV dancing contestant, Kevin (Thomas Ian nicholas) lives a domestic exis-tence watching Real Housewives, F i n c h ( e d d i e Kaye Thomas) is a world-weary traveller who still longs for Stifler’s mom, and Stifler (Seann William Scott), well … Stifler is, as usual, just plain awesome.

Arguably funnier than ever, the Stifmeister is now working a crappy temp job and living at home with his cougar of a mom.

oh, and did I mention that Scott

steals every scene in which he ap-pears?

This time around, Scott takes his character to a whole new absurd and hilariously disturbing level. Case in point: the scene involv-

ing Stif ler and the beer cooler. I don’t want to give anything away, so let’s just say the scene is bust-a-gut funny.

As for the movie as a whole, American Reunion is kind of like a person who blindfolds themselves, picks up a dart, throws it and hits double 20’s — over and over again. Which is to say that, unlike a lot of comedies these days, Reunion builds a sense of momentum, never lets up and continuously hits the

mark despite all the odds.That being said, this movie cer-

tainly isn’t for everybody: if the idea of a guy’s trouser snake being crushed offends you, or adults get-ting into fist fights with kids seems

completely wrong, then you may want to skip this film.

But if you’re funny bone is tickled by all things disgusting, you might want to attend this Reunion.

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.Runtime: 113 MinutesRated: 18A “This time around, Scott

takes his character to a whole new … hilariously disturbing level.”

-Adam Hawboldt

This Week: SlGA’s harsh ruleslast week we asked what you

thought about the SlGA dictating what we can watch while we drink — here’s what you had to say!

Next week’s topic: see page 9 — what do you think about

mandatory curbside recycling in Saskatoon? Text FEEDBACK and your thoughts about the topic (or anything else) to 306–881-VERB (8372) and you could see your text printed in next week’s issue!

TextsPage 16Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

On TopicDue to our current and past governments (born again) cult beliefs we remain 150 years behind the societal liberties enjoyed by people who live elsewhere. We are in a Police State. Harper is Pope Wall is just one of his Cardinals who

plan to outlaw nudity nationwide. They want us living in a Maoist Canada. Their motto is (cover your tits or go to jail). Lawyer 4 Nudity

First of all, the slant of the Verb’s choice in wording on the question (plus the article) shows clearly

the paper’s position on the SLGA. I have to disagree. I have no desire to see strip clubs return to SK, and that’s what this change would mean. Nobody is throwing fundraisers for prostate cancer with female strippers, and for good reason. It’s tasteless. As a member of one of the largest targeted audiences for strip clubs (24 years old, male) I fully support any regulation which keeps stripping out of my city.

I agree completely. It’s insane that a government body has the capacity to dictate what consenting adults do. Wake up Saskatchewan! This isn’t sending your morals down the drain, letting people choose what to do (even if you yourself wouldn’t do it) is fairly progressive. Let’s get with it!

Truly I think we should

be able to watch strippers and drink. They go hand in hand. How ever it should be regulated and well supervised, hate to say it, but saskatchewans are a rowdy bunch ;) now…how to change the law and acquire good looking strippers......

The SLGA has no right to tell people that they can’t drink while watching strippers a beer goes down better while watching nude women dance! :-)

Off TopicRe: Canada Should Cut Its Ties To The Queen,” Opinion page, March 23rd issue

My opinion i think that we should continue to have a relationship with the Queen and the monarchy as a sign of respect and honor

Re: Canada Should Cut Its Ties To The Queen,” Opinion page, March 23rd issue

I dont think we should get rid of the queen if we do that where

do my rights as a first nations go?. If the queen is gone and the right of the first nations go. It just might become a problem. People are going to get angry and stand up for the rights of first nations. :) < <=MsForReal= >>

Re: “Ban On Brothels Struck Down By Canadian Court,” Global page, March 30th issue

I certainly appreciate the Verb Editors’ Interest in this issue but is freedom really the issue here? These sex industry workers have likely got nine out of ten serious STDs and a thousand sexual partners to their disgrace. Any person who runs after such a sexual image is giving up a normal family life with a good partner - avoid such titillation and don’t get yourself all worked up … pursue what is good and moral and your life will be much better :-)

TextsPage 17Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

Re: “Ban On Brothels Struck Down By Canadian Court,” Global page, March 30th issue

Kudos to Canada’s Ontario Court of Appeal on their decision which found Criminal Code provisions which targeted prostitutes for prosecution unconstitutional. When will we as a society address the causal roots of this issue? There is an endemic understanding in Canada which demonizes women for their role in the sex trade; while selectively ignoring the systematic acceptance of violence towards women and inescapable poverty. Invest in meaningful programming! Not punitive measures. -Madeline

Re: “Robo-Jellyfish,” Global page, March 23rd issue

Regarding the robot jellyfish I hope they realize that Spongebob and Patrick will stop at nothing to catch this amazing creature.

Re: “$3.7M For Legislative Renos Sparks Debate,” Local page, March 30th issue

Now I know why our water bills are increasing in the next three years… to finance this reno fiasco not to improve our water service….. my S**t still doesn’t go down in one flush.

regardless as to whether or not there

are parents present on 20th st there is a speed zone in place of 30 km an hour. abide by the law.

I was born & raised in Stoon & lived in AB for 10yrs prior to moving to QC in ‘08 this is home! Easy to get around opportunity abound! I hope this prosperity continues as construction on the refinery winds down. Housing will be an ongoing issue.

To the one who texted about doing away with school zones I see what you did there. Stop trolling.

The person who said the speed limit should be 60 even in school zones is an idiot and shouldn’t be allowed on the road! You’re ignorant and dangerous!

I’ve eaten plenty of luncheon meat. I’ve been to many luncheons. I’ve never been to a luncheon that had luncheon meat. That’s weird!

The old hippies used to say “Drugs are fun to have but you don’t have to have drugs to have fun!” Then they all started working for IBM.

You know you’re DOWNtown when your hood is slowly

but surely falling or burning down around you!

Fiiinally got my picture up in hurrr

The higher you build the walls around your heart the harder you fall when someone tears them down.

:-( :-( My friend Phillip had his lip removed today. We call him Phil now.

“Hands that help are far better than lips that pray”

April 20th is coming up yay!! Everybody that are 420 friendly smoke up that day let’s see if we can make S’toon smell like a Bob Marley concert! LOL

Kony 2012.

Real men never stop trying to show a girl how much she means to him even after he’s got her.

Daniel saraolu: if u like the queen so much why don’t u move to England. You are out to lunch

Don’t ding my string.

Texting with my new smartphone burns battery quick. Faster than voice. Like the red wire filament numbers calculators 30 yrs ago

the display sucks up battery!

It could be fair if you made a agreement with first nation to do the work and try to mend the fences that’s politicaly correct and neither side would cause a fuss

Greedy rookie landlords who don’t know the business are trying to cash in on the housing crunch. Its making a bad situation worse!

Opinions are like belly buttons... Fooooooooled ya

Mandatory minimum sentancing is good... Fooled ya

Life is a collection of mistakes. You will never learn if you don’t make them.

Out of all the things in life that I could fear the only thing that would hurt me is if you weren’t here.

Despite the accuracy and need for the term I’m never really comfortable using “white people”. But its something they’ve defined and maintained for themselves!

You know you’re DOWNtown when you carry toilet paper

around because none of the people you visit have any!

“Text me if you want.” means... “I want you to text me.”

Chase the rainbow

Don’t judge me for one mistake but also look at all the things I did right.

The opinions expressed on this page are not necessarily Verb’s.

nightlifePage 18Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

VenueLounge 306 on Saturday, March 31st

Location415 Circle Drive East

Playing on ArrivalBrazilian music

Music VibeInternational and ethnic music

Regular GigsBollywood and bhangra (popular music associated with Punjabi culture) on Wednesdays, belly dancers on Thursdays, and Ladies’ night on Sundays

Feature Deal$6.50 for doubles, and Bengal pizza

Popular DrinkTequila shots

Food of ChoiceDry ribs, which comes served with your choice of various sauces

Wing notes $5 for a dozen on Wednesdays; of the 12 available flavours, lemon pepper is the most popular

Something newThe back deck has been painted in advance of warmer weather; new evening feature on Sundays — “Smoking Sexy Sundays” — offers ladies everything for $3.75

Saturday @ Lounge 306

Photos courtesy of Patrick Carley ([email protected])

nightlifePage 19Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

VenueLydia’s Pub on Saturday, March 31st

Locations650 Broadway Avenue

Playing on ArrivalLive performance by the Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers

Music VibeRock, indie, alternative and lots of live shows

Regular GigsPoetry reading on Sundays, DJ Sugar Daddy on Mondays, open stage on Tuesdays and DJ Dr. J on Wednesdays

Feature DealsAlexander Keith’s Pale Ale or Red for $4.75 a pint, and wraps for $5

Popular DrinkPints of domestic beer

Food of ChoiceWraps — tasty and tons of fillings — and nachos, which were loaded with toppings and cheese

Wing notes $6.50 for a pound of wings and a pint of beer on Wednesdays — of the six available flavours, Buffalo is the most popular

Saturday @ Lydia’s

Photos courtesy of Barrett Russell ([email protected])

MusicPage 20Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

Photo: courtesy of the artist

(neXT Week) FLATLIneRS @ LOUIS’ PUB — After seven years of playing together, this punk rock quartet from southern ontario has recently released their third full-length album, Cavalcade, a record the band calls “a call to arms to all who travel throughout the world.” Which is fitting, because in the years

immediately preceding this release, Chris Cresswell, Scott Brigham, Jon Darbey and Paul ramirez spent nearly 30 months in vans, dive bars and arenas honing their sound. They’ll be playing louis’ on April 13th. Tickets $15, available at Jupiter. -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Thursday 5THeReSA SOkYRkA — Since finishing runner-up on the second season of Canadian Idol, this local singer/song-writer has been busy. not only has she released a handful of albums (the most recent being a self-titled lP), but Sokyrka has also spent much of her time criss-crossing Canada, creating music and performing all along the way. The result has been a smoothly sharpened sound that is at once moody, folky and jazzy. 10pm, Amigos Cantina. Tickets $13, available at ticketedge.ca.

ROOTS SeRIeS: AnDeRSOn BURkO — This duo, comprised of roy Ander-son and Darrell Burko, have slowly and surely built quite a reputation for themselves around town — a reputa-tion for being engaging, entertaining and pretty damn awesome. 9pm, The Bassment. Cover $12/15.

BIG DAVe MCLeAn — one of Canada’s definitive bluesmen, this musician from Yorkton combines his gravelly vocals with masterful guitar playing to put on a show you won’t soon forget. 10pm, Buds on Broadway. Cover $6.

THROWBACk THURSDAYS — Come experience the best in retro funk, soul, reggae and rock provided by Dr. J. 8pm, Earls. no cover.

HIP HOP nIGHT — hosted by ease, this is a night of live performances, rap battles and DJs, with $150 in prizes to be won. Don’t miss it. 9pm, The Fez on Broadway. no cover.

DJ kADe — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm, The Hose &Hydrant. no cover.

DJ SUGAR DADDY & DJ J-MATS — lo-cal DJs J-Mats and Sugar Daddy will be rocking the turntables to get you danc-ing on the dance floor! every Thursday night will be filled with passion parties, pole dancing, shadow dancers and much more! 8pm, Jax Niteclub. $5 cover, free cover with student ID before 11pm.

THe CAT eMPIRe — This jazz/ska/funk/

rock band from Australia are is noth-ing short of sensational. Their sound will blow your hair back, their show — honed on at festivals, clubs, and ven-ues from oz to Canada — is more than entertaining. 8pm, Louis’ Pub. Tickets $29.25, available at ticketmaster.ca

DJ BIG AYYY — This Saskatoon DJ is the resident county rock turntablist at outlaws. outlaws: your party place to be! 9pm, Outlaws Country Rock Bar. $5 cover.

TRIPLe UP THURSDAY — Come start your weekend early at Triple Up Thurs-day! With these top 40 dance and elec-tro resident DJs, you’ll be shaking it on the dance floor in no time. 8pm, Tequila Nightclub. $3 at the door.

Friday 6HOUSe DJS — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven up the atmosphere at 6Twelve. 9pm, 6Twelve Lounge. no cover.

AnIMAL nATIOn — This West coast hip-hop act is putting the fun back in funky. With smooth flow and in-teresting melodies, Animal nation is breathing new life into the hip hop world. 10pm, Amigos Cantina. Tickets available at the door.

AUSTen ROADz — With over 25 years of DJ experience, Calgary’s Austen roadz throws down a high-energy top 40 dance party every Friday, Sat-urday and Sunday night. DJ CTrl opens. 11pm, béily’s ultralounge. $5 cover.

BIG DAVe MCLeAn — one of Canada’s definitive bluesmen, this musician from Yorkton combines his gravelly vocals with masterful guitar playing to put on a show you won’t soon forget. 10pm, Buds onBroadway. Cover $6.

BAnD WARz 8 — With a rock line-up featuring Wild Uprising, Three Simple Words, Phoenix Christ, False haven, er-inyes and The room, along with a metal line-up that includes the likes of Thresh, A Ghost In Drag and echoserenity, this is a battle you won’t want to skip. 9pm,

The Fez on Broadway. Tickets TBD.

DJ eCLeCTIC — local turntable whiz DJ eclectic pumps snappy electronic beats. 8pm, The Hose &Hydrant. no cover.

DJ SUGAR DADDY & DJ J-MATS — Able to rock any party, these local crowd favourites have always been known to break the latest and great-est tracks in multiple genres. They are sure to have you on the dance floor in no time! 9pm, Jax Niteclub. $5 cover.

DeSPITe THe ReVeRenCe — Since coming together in 2011, this local four-piece has worked hard to hone its infectious hard rock/metal-influenced sound. With a stage show that includes lights, smoke and all the other bells and whistles, these guys put on one heckuva performance. 8pm, Louis’ Pub. Cover $5.

SOULFLY W/ PeRSIST — Incorporat-ing many styles of metal with Brazilian tribal and world music, this Arizona heavy metal outfit is led by former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera. 9pm, The Odeon Events Centre. Tickets $17.50, available at www.theodeon.ca

DJ BIG AYYY — This Saskatoon DJ is the resident country rock turntablist at outlaws. outlaws: your party place to be! 9pm, Outlaws Country Rock Bar. $5 cover.

On ROTATIOn DJ SeRIeS: kID kRISS — Come out and enjoy this hip local DJ as he hops and spins late into the night. 10pm, Spadina Freehouse. no cover.

TeRRI-Anne STROnGARM — With a headful of country covers and loads of talent, this local songstress plays the songs you want, the way you want them. 9pm, Stan’s Place. no cover.

DUeLInG PIAnOS — Terry hoknes, neil Currie and Brad King belt out clas-sic tunes and audience requests,from Sinatra to lady Gaga. 10pm, Staqatto Piano Lounge. no cover until 8pm, $5 thereafter.

We’Re THORRY — Come check out this talented local band. 8pm, Vangelis Tavern. Cover $5.

Saturday 7HOUSe DJS — resident DJs spin deep and soulful tunes all night. 9pm, 6Twelve Lounge. no cover.

BReAkeR BReAkeR W/ POWDeR BLUe — Breaker Breaker is a hard rock-ing local four-piece and Powder Blue is a local, all-female quintet that plays an infectious blend of grunge-garage-psychedelic music. Together they’ll be headlining the CFCr Membership Drive Show. 10pm, Amigos Cantina. Tickets $5.

THRee TROMBOneS — Featuring Sarah Anderson, Colin neufeld and ross Ulmer, this trio will bring the ancient and venerable slide trombone back to glorious life. 9pm, The Bassment. Tickets$12/15.

AUSTen ROADz — With over 25 years of DJ experience, Calgary’s Austen roadz throws down a high-energy top 40 dance party every Friday, Sat-urday and Sunday night. DJ CTrl opens.



(neXT Week) eLIzABeTH SHePHeRD TRIO @ THe BASSMenT — This Juno award-nominated trio from Toronto is nothing short of spectacular. Fronted by elizabeth Shepherd, along with Scott Kemper and Colin Kingsmore, the elizabeth Shepherd Trio plays a smart, sexy blend of jazz with pop

sensibilities. A constantly innovative act, the trio has toured extensively, and with Shepherd at the helm offers an electric live performance. They’ll be performing at The Bassment on April 14th; tickets are $18 or $22 (tickets.saska-toonjazzsociety.com). -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

11pm, béily’s ultralounge. $5 cover.

BIG DAVe MCLeAn — one of Canada’s definitive bluesmen, this musician from Yorkton combines his gravelly vocals with masterful guitar playing to put on a show you won’t soon forget. 10pm, Buds on Broadway. Cover $6.

PReVIOUS TenAnTS — Consisting of Jesse Gander (vocals/bass), Joel Tong (vocals/guitar) and Barry higginson (drums), this indie-punk rock trio from Vancouver has a sound you won’t for-get. 9pm, The Fez on Broadway. Tickets $5 at the door.

DJ kADe — Saskatoon’s own DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm, The Hose & Hydrant. no cover.

DJ J-MATS & DJ SUGAR DADDY — Able to rock any party, these local crowd favourites have always been known to break the latest and great-est tracks in multiple genres. They are sure to have you on the dance floor in no time! 9pm, Jax Niteclub. $5 cover.

DJ BIG AYYY — This Saskatoon DJ is the resident country rock turntablist at outlaws. outlaws: your party place to be! 9pm, Outlaws Country Rock Bar. $5 cover.

JOn BAILeY — Check out this talented local musician as he treats you to some smooth jazz stylings. 8pm, Prairie Ink. no cover.

JOSH PALMeR — A former Canadian Idol competitor, this local indie rocker puts on one heckuva show. Come check him out. 9pm, Somewhere Else Pub. no cover.

On ROTATIOn DJ SeRIeS: SOUnD SOCIeTY — Come check out this en-ergetic mix of funk, soul and hip hop that is sure to keep you grooving all night long. Coming at you straight out of regina, Sound Society puts on a show you won’t want to miss. 10pm, The Spadina Freehouse. no cover.

TeRRI-Anne STROnGARM — With a headful of country covers and loads of talent, this local songstress plays the songs you want, the way you want them. 9pm, Stan’s Place. no cover.

DUeLInG PIAnOS — Terry hoknes, neil Currie and Brad King belt out clas-sic tunes and audience requests, from Sinatra to lady Gaga. 10pm, Staqatto Piano Lounge. no cover until 8pm, $5 thereafter.

TIM MASOn — This rising star is from Brighton, UK, and plans to tear the house down with his sick spinning. Accompanied by special guest Kidalgo, these two could very well rip the dance floor apart as well. 8pm, Tequila Night-club. Tickets $10 (ticketmaster.ca).

We’Re THORRY — Come check out this talented local band. 8pm, Vangelis Tavern. Cover $5.

Sunday 8DJ SUGAR DADDY — Able to rock any party, this crowd favourite has al-ways been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. 11pm, béily’s ultralounge. no cover for

industry staff, $4 otherwise.

SUnDAY FUnDAY — local talent Man-ny Thomson, Jason hattie and Chad reynolds will be spinning some qual-ity dance hits every Sunday. 9pm, The Fez on Broadway. $5 cover at the door.

DJ kADe — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm, The Hose & Hy-drant. no cover.

DJ HeYWOOD, SCOTT TURneR — Don your sexiest black attire and come on out for the All Black everything event. hosted by local DJs, there will also be a special guest performance by Black Diamonds. 8pm, Scratch. Cover TBD.

TIM VAUGHn — With a rich and soulful voice and original, captivating songs, Vaughn and his bandmates — Bryce lemky on drums and Dave Anderson on bass — have established a solid follow-ing here in Saskatoon. 9pm, Somewhere Else Pub. no cover.

SUnDAY JAM — The Vangelis Sunday Jam is an institution, offering great tunes from blues to rock and beyond. 7:30pm, Vangelis Tavern. no cover.

Monday 9YeLAWOLF — With a down-home grit-ty flow and songs that shed some light on the dark parts of the dirty South, this rapper from Alabama (who recently signed with eminem’s Shady records)

is well on his way to stardom. 7pm, Louis’ Pub. Tickets $31.75, available at ticketmaster.ca

DJ SUGAR DADDY — Able to rock any party, this crowd favourite has al-ways been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. Doors 9pm, Lydia’s Pub. no cover.

Tuesday 10nORTHCOTe — The project of Sas-katchewan singer/songwriter Matt Goud, northcote offers a fresh and unique commentary on life. With poi-gnant, minimalist lyrics and definite depth of sound, the music is haunt-ing and thoughtful and fun. Come see for yourself. 10pm, Amigos Cantina. Tickets TBD.

eDDY ROBeRTSOn AnD THe eLeC-TRIC BLUeS BAnD — This true-to-form local blues band plays Chicago and Delta Blues the way they were meant to be played. 10pm, Buds on Broadway. Cover $6.

DJ SUGAR DADDY — Able to rock any party, this crowd favourite has al-ways been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. 9:30pm, The Double Deuce. $4 cover.

VerB PreSenTS oPen STAGe -The open stage at lydia’s has hosted many of Saskatoon’s finest performers, and is a chance for bands, solo artists and



(COMInG UP) THe MAIne @ LOUIS’ PUB — It seems as though this pop-rock band, made up of John o’Callaghan Garrett nickelsen, Pat Kirch, Kennedy Brock and Jared Monaco have finally found their voice. Their latest album, Pioneer, is receiving critical acclaim, and their sound — kind of a throwback to

earlier days of rock n’ roll mixed with the raw guitar licks and o’Callaghan’s rough vocals — seems to have finally matured. This five-piece will be play-ing louis on May 27th, along with the Arkells. Tickets are $26 (ticketmaster.ca) -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

even comedians to showcase original material. 9pm, Lydia’s Pub. no cover.

OPen MIC — Come out to show your talent. 7pm, The Somewhere Else Pub. no cover.

Wednesday 11HUMP WeDneSDAYS — resident DJ Chris Knorr will be spinning all of your favourite songs and requests, every Wednesday night! Doors at 7pm, DJ takes requests at 9pm, 302 Lounge & Discotheque. no cover until 10pm, $3 thereafter.

eDDY ROBeRTSOn AnD THe eLeC-TRIC BLUeS BAnD — This true-to-form local blues band plays Chicago and Delta Blues the way they were meant to be played. 10pm, Buds on Broadway. Cover $6.

THe AVenUe ReCORDInG COMPA-nY PReSenTS OPen MIC — hosted by Chad reynolds. Sign up and play at this weekly event. 10pm, The Fez on Broadway. no cover

DJ kADe — Saskatoon DJlights it up with hot tunes. 8pm, The Hose & Hy-drant. no cover.

DR. J ‘SOULeD OUT’ — Dr. J spins hot funk and soul every Wednesday night. Doors 9pm, Lydia’s Pub. no cover.

WHIne UP WeDneSDAYS — A night dedicated to promoting the best in reggae, roots, dancehall, African beats,

Kwaito & hip hop. hosted by Scott Turner & DJ heywood. 10pm, Scratch. $5 cover.

DUeLInG PIAnOS — Terry hoknes, neil Currie and Brad King belt out clas-sic tunes and audience requests, from Sinatra to lady Gaga. 10pm, Staqatto Piano Lounge. no cover.

Thursday 12ReVeRenD kILL — If you’re looking for some blow-your-hair-back death metal, then look no farther: this quintet from Calgary is the real deal. 10pm, Amigos Cantina. Tickets TBD.

ROOTS SeRIeS: OUTSIDe THe WALL — Calling all Pink Floyd fans! This local band will be putting on a tribute show in honour of the legendary english prog-rock group. Don’t miss it. 8pm, The Bassment. Cover $14/18.

keLLY ReAD AnD BRenT TAYLOR — In the mood for some seriously in-fectious music played by a couple of local musicians? look no further. 7pm, Crackers. no cover.

THROWBACk THURSDAYS — Come experience the best in retro funk, soul, reggae and rock provided by Dr. J. 8pm, Earls. no cover

HIP HOP nIGHT — hosted by ease, this is a night of live performances, rap battles and DJs, with $150 in prizes to be won. Don’t miss it. 9pm, The Fez on Broadway. no cover.

DJ kADe — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm, The Hose &Hydrant. no cover.

DJ SUGAR DADDY & DJ J-MATS — lo-cal DJs J-Mats and Sugar Daddy will be rocking the turntables to get you danc-ing on the dance floor! every Thursday night will be filled with passion parties, pole dancing, shadow dancers and much more! 8pm, Jax Niteclub. $5 cover, free cover with student ID before 11pm.

Ten SeCOnD ePIC — This five-piece alt-rock band from edmonton have been nominated for Much Music Video Awards, Juno Awards, Canadian Inde-pendent Music Awards, you name it. Be sure to check them out. opening acts will be The Dangerous Summer and the red Threat. 8pm, Louis’ Pub. Tickets $14.75, available at ticketmaster.ca

DJ BIG AYYY — This Saskatoon DJ is the resident county rock turntabilist at outlaws. outlaws: your party place to be! 9pm, Outlaws Country Rock Bar. $5 cover.

eDDIe HALLIWeLL — Known around the world for his explosive sets and never-ending creativity, this top-ranked DJ from the UK is a showman of the highest order. 8pm, Tequila Nightclub. Tickets $10, available at ticketmaster.ca, unionevents.com, Tequila nightclub, Swank Shoe lounge and Stellar Gear.

Want your show listed?Email [email protected]!

Time OutPage 23Apr 5–12, ‘12VerbNews.com

SudokuDirections: Fill each box with a digit from 1-9, following these conditions:

- each row must contain every digit from 1-9 once and only once.- each column must contain every digit from 1-9 once and only once.- each of the nine 3x3 boxes must contain every digit from 1-9 once and only once.

657298134412356879839147652175423986296871345384569217548612793723984561961735428

716428935584193627329756184657839412942671358831245769165984273473562891298317546

5 7 22 5 6 8 7 9

3 1 59

2 6 8 7 43 8 5 9 2 1

4 1 37 8 4 6 19 6 3 4

2 35 8 4 9 2 73 7 6 16 99 6 3 8

3 1 2 4 7 61 5 9 4 7

5 82 8 1 5 4

HoroscopesAries (Mar 21–Apr 19)

everything could come together to make an impromptu trip possible, so keep your eyes peeled for a break and jump at it. Getting away might help recharge the battery and fill you full of pep.

Taurus (Apr 20–May 20)Pay attention to the fantasies and

visions you have while asleep: they could steer you towards valuable sources of information. And if these visions seem unorthodox, don’t write them off.

Gemini (May 21–Jun 20)luck. Do you believe in it, dear Gem-

ini? If not, maybe this week will change your mind, because the universe has some exciting and timely things in store for you.

Cancer (Jun 21–Jul 22)This is a good week to get things

done, dear Cancer. Motivation should be burning bright this week, so put it to good use. And if it’s not, plug on anyway. You’ll be rewarded for every iota of effort.

Leo (Jul 23–Aug 22)In the rigveda, an ancient Indian col-

lection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns, it notes, “A person can achieve everything by being simple and humble.” Wise words indeed. Why not heed them this week?

Virgo (Aug 23–Sept 22)Due to the planetary setup, your de-

sire to acquire knowledge and impart it to others will be operating at crazy high levels this week. Put this to good use: you could find what you’ve been looking for.

Libra (Sept 23–Oct 23)Judge not lest ye want to lose friends

and allies, dear libra. Sure it’s easy to cri-tique, but until you’ve walked 10 miles in their stilettos, stilts or whatever, you can’t know what it’s like to be another person.

Scorpio (Oct 24–Nov 22)Feeling under the weather, dear Scor-

pio? You may have been doing double duty, burning the candle at both ends. If so, the obvious move is to slow your roll, take a break and relax.

Sagittarius (Nov 23–Dec 21)listen to your instincts this week, dear

Sagittarius. Trust your own compulsions. If you feel like doing something (legal and not cruel), do it. now is the time to go for the gusto.

Capricorn (Dec 22–Jan 19)We all love reveling in our own bril-

liant ideas, dear Capricorn. But this week, how about making the main focus other people? If you can do this, you may also find some inspiration.

Aquarius (Jan 20–Feb 19)having problems getting through

to people? If so, dear Aquarius, try tak-ing action and showing people exactly what you mean. This could help you get things done.

Pisces (Feb 20–Mar 20)Your mind may take a hard mystical

turn this week, dear Pisces. If so, it will be a fantastic time to look into new spiritual and metaphysical concepts. This could open you up to something unique.

Documents

Verb Issue S184 (April 5-12, 2012)