Archive | June, 2014

Dancing On The Edge Festival Firehall Arts Centre July 3 – 12

26 Jun

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The Firehall Arts Centre presents the 2014 Dancing on the Edge Festival July 3rd – July 12th. The festival presents innovative art in unexpected places with six site-specific, by donation performances around Vancouver during the 10-day contemporary dance festival. Whether it’s following performers and musicians around the waterfront Portside Park at dusk, getting entangled in a giant interactive dance machine, Japanese Butoh at Wreck Beach, a moveable feast in the Firehall Arts Centre Courtyard or dance in the outdoor SFU Woodward’s Atrium, the festival is challenging audiences to think outside the black box.

“It’s about taking dance off the stage and showing it can happen anywhere. I believe it adds a level of excitement to experience live performance in a non-traditional setting where wouldn’t expect it and for the artists, it allows them to test how a piece works in a different environment,” says Festival Director Donna Spencer.

New to Dancing on the Edge this year is a ‘Dance Passport’, which allows you to participate in a live performance ‘scavenger hunt’ to the five site-specific shows downtown and collect stamps along the way. Once you have three stamps, you are eligible for a free ticket to a show at the festival.

SITE SPECIFIC PERFORMANCES BY DONATION

DUSK DANCES: July 4 – 6, 7pm | Portside Park
A magical evening with live music featuring a Japanese Butoh-inspired work by Denise Fujiwara, the hilarious synchronized mini pool swimming champs, an ode to the West Coast rain forest and a fusion of contemporary dance and traditional Cree dance from Compaigni V’ni Dansi.

DANCE MACHINE: July 8 – 12 | The Hopbopshop (Maclean & Powell)
Come out and play! Explore the giant interactive dance machine created by Lee Su-Feh, Justine Chambers & Jesse Garlick. FREE, drop-in.

CRUMBLING: July 11, 8:15pm | Firehall Arts Centre Courtyard
A Butoh piece choreographed by Vancouver’s Barbara Bourget (Kokoro Dance) for Mathew Romantini.

FEAST: July 12, 8:15pm | Firehall Arts Centre Courtyard
A visceral, dream-like moveable feast of performance by Katie Devries starring 10 of Vancouver’s finest dancers.

VERITAS. TRUTH: July 9 – 11, 12.15pm + 1pm | SFU Woodward’s Atrium
Developed with Modus Operandi dancers, this piece looks at the human desire to seek out unity & order.

WRECK BEACH BUTOH: July 12, 11:45am | Wreck Beach #4 Trailhead
What better place for Butoh then on the beach?! A clothing option performance for audiences.

For more information about the festival and the artists, visit Dancing On The Edge.

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Graze Restaurant – Date Night Thursdays – 2 for $50

25 Jun

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Graze Restaurant invites you to join them Thursdays for Date Night where you and your partner-in-crime can enjoy a steal of a deal. You and your guest will receive a 3 course Prix Fixe menu for $50.  If you don’t know the restaurant, Graze has a creative plant-based menu that incorporates locally and organically produced ingredients including those grown in their own garden.  The interior is lovely and cozy perfect for a ‘date’, but they also have an outdoor patio if you wish to hang on the deck and catch a few rays at the end of the day.   To make your reservation, give them a call at T: 604.620.8822. Graze Restaurant is located at 3980 Fraser Street just North of King Edward Avenue.

Photo Credit: Graze Restaurant

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Rescue Me: Penni Looking For Her Forever Home

24 Jun

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Welcome to our next installment of Rescue Me where we help spread the word of pets waiting to be adopted at the Vancouver SPCA. Today, we introduce you to darling Penni. She is a senior female Terrier Cross looking for her forever home. This lovely little girl has lots of love to give and is looking for human companions who are willing to shower this girl with some love. Penni loves going for walks and being outdoors and is friendly with other dogs.  Thus, her friends at the Vancouver SPCA think she would be happy in a home with another canine friend.  This girl is used to having someone at home, therefore would need a bit of time to adjust to being left alone.   Penni  does need someone with a schedule that will allow them to take her for frequent outings so she’ll learn to do her business outdoors, though she is pee-pad trained.  Although Penni is a bit shy at first, she warms up quickly and is full of joy and will welcome you with her endlessly wagging tail followed by snuggles on your lap. This lovely little girl is waiting ever so patiently for someone to love, and a home to call her own.   For more information or to meet Penni, please contact the Vancouver SPCA Shelter, 1205 East 7th Avenue, Telephone: 604.879.7721 or Emal: vancouver@spca.bc.ca.   Penni is currently in foster care, but Vancouver SPCA staff will be happy to introduce you. As always, feel free to share this post with your friends to help Penni find her forever home.

UPDATE: Penni has found her forever home.

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Trout Lake Summer Outdoor Concert Series Begins July 2nd

23 Jun

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The Trout Lake Community Center, 3360 Victoria Drive, begins their weekly free outdoor Summer Concert Series Wednesday, July 2nd at 6:30 p.m. with Deanna Knight & the Hot Club of Mars. This group will have you travelling back in time to the early jazz era of the 1920s and 1930s with some of Vancouver’s most eclectic gypsy-jazz ensembles. The following week, July 9th you will find the Sanctuary All Stars which is a 17 piece jazz band. July 16th Highrise Lonesome will entertain you with bluegrass music.  July 23rd brings the Late Thaw Band playing country music which will be sure to pull a few heart strings.  July 30th Robin Layne and Paul Bray team up for the first time for a duo collaboration of improvised music  August 6th brings String Fever which is an eclectic string band with various influences including jazz, folk, Celtic, newgrass, classical and world to name but a few.   August 13th the Jeff Stanfield Band is on deck with acoustic folk and blues.  August 20th the Rio Samaya Band brings you original songs and poetry that combine Latin, reggae and rhumba.  Lastly, on August 27th Kara-Kata Afrobeat Group brings you a mix of many sounds including reggae, Calypso, gospel, modern funk, jazz, blues, salsa and more.

All performances will be held on the East side of Trout Lake Community Centre. This year there will also be a BBQ and a kids art station.  You are invited to bring a blanket, bring the family, your friends and come enjoy the music! Dancing is encouraged.

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Retro Design & Antiques Fair At The Croatian Cultural Centre June 22nd

20 Jun

RetroDesign&AntiquesFairJune2221st Century Promotions is holding a Retro Design & Antiques Fair this Sunday, June 22nd at the Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive. There will be 175 vendors on hand with a variety of items including antiques, collectibles, memorabilia, jewellery, pottery, postcards, records, retro furnishings, dolls, toys and so much more.   Should you be in need of having an item appraised, they will be holding ‘drop-in appraisals’ from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm on a first come first served basis.  They do ask that the items be small enough to carry, with a maximum of three items per person.  The cost for a verbal appraisal is $10 per item or $25 for 3 items, cash only.   The drop-in appraisals will be conduct by Gale Pirie, an independent accredited member of the Canadian Personal Property Appraisers Group.   The fair runs from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. General admission is $5 at the door. There will also be a special early-bird admission for $20 from 7:00 am – 10:00 am for those wanting a jump on things. Children under 13 are free with adult admission.

Should you wish to have a coffee and/or lunch before or after your shop, consider Commercial Street Café for something close by. It’s a great little hidden gem tucked away a few blocks down the street from the Croatian Cultural Centre. Open Sunday from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm and located at 3599 Commercial Street, at East 20th Avenue. Of course, going North up the Drive after the market, you have a whole host of great coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants to choose from.

 

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Vancouver International Jazz Fest Kicks Off June 20th- Check Out Where It Stops in East Van

19 Jun

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The Vancouver  International Jazz Festival kicks off June 20th and goes to till July 1st in and around Vancouver.  East Van’s Tangent Café located at 2095 Commercial Drive will have a steady line up of talent to showcase. We’ve set out their schedule below as well as the cover charges for each event:

Friday, June 20th Ihor Kukurudza Trio  8:00 pm ($8)

Saturday, June 21st Jesse Cahill Trio 8:00 pm ($8)

Sunday, June 22nd Adam Thomas and Jillian Lebeck ($6)

Thursday, June 26th  Kevin Elaschuk Trio ($6)

Friday, June 27th  David Blake Quartet ($8)

Saturday, June 28th, Bill Coon Trio ($8)

Sunday, June 29th Mike Allen Trio ($6)

Another venue with a long line of musical talent is Pat’s Pub & Brewhouse in The Patricia Hotel located at 403 East Hastings Street.  If you didn’t know, The Patricia Hotel was home to music legend Jelly Roll Morton from 1919 – 1921 and is a regular spot for weekly jazz performances. For JazzFest they have a fairly distinguished line up which includes:

June 20, 2014, Hugh Fraser & VEJI present ‘Purple Haze’ at 6 pm ($20)

June 21, 2014 Electric Miles at 2 pm (free)

June 21, 2014 Hugh Fraser Quintet’s “Concerto” CD Release Concert at 6 pm ($10)

June 26, 2014 Steve Kozak & The WestCoast All-Stars 7:00 pm  (free)

June 27, 2014 Hugh Fraser & VEJI present ‘The Rhythm of Life’ 6:00 pm  ($20)

June 28, 2014 Brasileira at 2:00 pm (free)

June 28, 2014 Hugh Fraser Quintet w/ Guest ‘Summertime CD Release’ 6:00 pm ($10)

This is only a partial list of events scheduled at Pat’s Pub & Brewhouse. There are more free events at this venue and others around Vancouver during the Festival. For a full rundown of events, visit Vancouver International Jazz Festival.

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Made In Strathcona: AGRO Roasters, Propellor Design & The Settlement Building

18 Jun

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I had the pleasure of attending the recent Made In Strathcona Tours hosted by the Strathcona BIA and organized with the assistance of My Loud Speaker. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the businesses in East Vancouver like Blake Hanacek founder of AGRO Roasters located at 550 Clark Drive. Blake is truly passionate about all aspects of coffee everything from growing the beans, to farming, to roasting and is well versed in the science behind what makes a good cup of coffee.  Our second stop was Propellor Design tucked away at 1128 East Georgia Street just North of La Casa Gelato and situated directly across the street from Admiral Seymour Elementary School. Propellor Design is a multi-disciplinary design studio. The principals at Propellor Design create lighting, furniture, sculptures and more. Many of their custom lighting designs have landed in restaurants across North America. You can see a sample of their work next time you visit the lobby of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

After our tour of these East Vancouver businesses, we were invited for wine, appetizers and a mix and mingle at the newly branded Settlement Building (formerly Vancouver Urban Winery), 55 Dunlevy Street. The Settlement Building holds the Fresh Tap wine system which packages wines in 19.5L stainless steel kegs.  Add to that, they have some 36 wines on tap for tastings.  The Settlement Building is now home to newcomer the Belgard Kitchen a restaurant serving lunch/brunch and dinner which seats up to 65 people. The food is prepared by chef and part-owner, Reuben Major, who brings 18 years of restaurant experience with him. Mia Stainsby of the Vancouver Sun just did a delicious review of the food. To learn more about her rundown, visit the Vancouver Sun. Today this busy group of entrepreneurs officially launch Postmark Brewing, East Van’s newest craft brewery. Postmark Brewing will introduce you to 4 new beers specifically, Postmark Pilsner (a clean, refreshing hybrid Pils brewed with Czech yeast, German malt and traditional Noble hops), Postmark IPA (a well-structured American Red IPA brewed with Simcoe, a Postmark Stout (a semi-light bodied stout with a dry bitterness and the complex notes of chocolate and coffee and the one I have my eye on Postmark Hefe (a dry Bavarian style Weiss beer brewed with lemon zest and local raspberries. I would be remiss if I forgot to mention the drive by growler refills that are coming.

Kudos to all those involved in organizing the Made In Strathcona Tours. It was great to meet the faces behind the local businesses and get to learn more about what they do and the many ways in which they contribute to their surrounding communities.  Stay tuned for news on future tours, we hear they will be back for another round.

 

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The Last 5 Years Opening June 19th At The Havana Theatre

16 Jun

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Flickering Light Productions presents The Last Five Years at the Havana Theatre, 1212 Commercial Drive, from June 19th to June 28th.  This is a musical by Jason Robert Brown and was produced as an off-Broadway show in 2002.  The Last Five Years examines the five-year relationship between Jamie Wellerstein, a rising novelist, and Cathy Hiatt, a struggling actress. The show uses a unique storytelling approach where Jamie travels chronologically in time, from the beginning of the relationship to the end, while Cathy travels backwards in time, from the end of the relationship to the beginning. Because Jamie and Cathy travel in opposing time lines, the only direct contact between the two occurs during their engagement/wedding song in “The Next Ten Minutes.” The songs are said to be melodic, engaging and full of wit. As well they present an intensely personal examination of the struggles of building a career and balancing it with a love life.  The Last Five Years runs at the Havana Theatre June 19, 20, 21 and 26, 27 and 28th at 8:00 pm. Tickets are available in advance from Eventbrite for $20 or $22 at the door.

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Car Free Day Sunday June 15th

14 Jun

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Car Free Day began 10 years ago on Commercial Drive. The idea of organizers was to reclaim the streets and oppose highway expansion and more traffic. Today, organizers still believe that fewer cars equals more community. Car Free Day has now expanded to four neighbourhoods. The festival sites are 100% organized by local volunteers and each festival has a unique flavor and is a family friendly event. Lots to see and do for all ages. In East Vancouver, find Car Free Day on:

Commercial Drive (Venables to Grandview on Commercial Drive) Noon–7:00 pm

On the Drive, you can expect to find roller disco, parading drummers, healing gardens, DJs spinning tunes, the musical talents of Rhythm and Cello which will hold court at 7th Avenue starting at Noon.

Main Street (Broadway to 30th on Main Street) Noon–7:00 pm

On Main Street, you will find lots of mini-festivals, community-supported stages with dozens of bands, multiple kids zones, artisan markets, roller derby and skateboarding. While there, be sure to check out the new parklet at 21st Avenue and Main Street.  We hear Brown Paper Packages will be located between 23rd and 24th with their delicious ice cream sandwiches. If you are a fan of honey and/or bees, Main Street Honey Shoppe will be the place to be Sunday afternoon. They will be holding honey extraction demonstrations from 1 – 5 pm with a live bee beard demonstration at 2:00 pm. Now that will be something to see.

Come out and celebrate Vancouver’s diverse neighbourhoods and our community spaces!

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Where To Watch The FIFA World Cup 2014 In East Van

12 Jun

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Soccer fever kicks off in Vancouver on Thursday, June 12th and will run till Wednesday, July 13th.  There will be many opportunities to watch the games in East Vancouver.   If you wish to be surrounded by others and get caught up in the soccer fever, we have some suggestions on where to watch the game. Just remember for those that are passionate about soccer, it is on par with religion.  So whatever spot you choose, we recommend you get there early to claim your spot.  Here are some viewing spots that have crossed our radar:

World Cup in Victoria Park (Commercial Drive & Grant Street)

CBC is hosting an outdoor family friendly event to watch the FIFA World Cup Games in Victoria Park on Saturday, June 14th from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm. They will have large TV screens throughout the park, interactive soccer activities, face painting, video gaming, photo booths and prizes.  Local food trucks have been invited to round out the event.  This is an all ages event free for anyone to attend.

Federico’s Supper Club, 1728 Commercial Drive

Federico’s Supper Club will be showing two games this weekend and opening their doors at 2:00 pm on both Saturday & Sunday for the following games that have a 3:00 pm start:

Saturday, June 14th  England v. Italy 3:00 pm
Sunday, June 15th Argentina v. Bosnia 3:00 pm

Federico’s will also be showing future games. Watch their website for details.

Café Roma & Sports Bar, 1510 Commercial Drive

This long standing little Italian coffeehouse has recently undergone renovations and now has a lounge license. So whether you prefer coffee or a drink with your soccer game or both, you don’t have to pick one or the other.  They also have 6 TVs on hand for watching the games.

Portuguese Club, 1144 Commercial Drive

The red and green will be on full display at the Portuguese Club on Monday, June 16th when they kick off with Germany at 9:00 am.   Note though members will have priority entrance during all games. The club will be showing the games on 5 TVs to watch their countryman’s star soccer player, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Vancouver Alpen Club (Victoria Drive & 33rd Avenue)

Has made it abundantly clear they will be showing all Germany games on their 17 foot high definition TV.  So if you are a Germany fan, THIS will be the place to be Monday, June 16th to watch the match up between Portugal and Germany at 9:00 am.  Go Germany Go! Germany’s goalkeeper has only been referred to as possibly one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but as we all know, there are many variables in the game of soccer.  Doors open at 8:00 am on game day and there will be a $5 entry donation.

St.  Augustine’s, 2360 Commercial Drive

They will have 13 TVs to watch the games on and will be open from 9 am every day during the World Cup and will be serving brunch until 11 am.  This spot has some 60 plus beers on tap which include many from the local craft breweries.

The Libra Room, 1608 Commercial Drive

If you are supporting Spain or Brazil, this is a great spot to watch the game. We hear that the Libra Room will be opening early for all games and some prizes and drinks specials will be happening as well.

Boteco, 2545 Nanaimo Street

Another spot if you are a Brazil fan, is Boteco. Owner, Filipe Batista, will have the BBQ going and live music for the first game against Croatia on Thursday, June 12th at 1:00 pm. Caipirinhas will be served, a very delicious cocktail made with lime and sugar cane liquor.

ANZA Club:, 3 West 8th Avenue

The ANZA Club located in Mount Pleasant will be broadcasting the Australian games on their big screen in the downstairs lounge. First game for Australia is Friday, June 13th 3:00 pm against Chile.

If you have a favourite spot you wish to share to watch soccer, feel free to drop us a comment. Wherever you chose to watch soccer, get there early and have fun!

Photo Credit: Gabriella Fabbri

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