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What’s On East Van: October 19th Edition

19 Oct

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Our weekly feature What’s On East Van sets out some cool events for the upcoming week.  Beyond the week, we invite you to check out our Event Listing which is updated daily and features events for the month and beyond.

Fright Nights – Playland – October 19-21

Fright Nights is now on at Playland nightly at 7:00 pm until October 31st (save for October 22nd and 23rd).  If you like things ghlouish, scary and to get your heart racing, this is your spot.  Advance tickets recommended, some evenings to sell out.

Election Day – City of Vancouver – October 20th

It’s voting day this Saturday at many locations throughout the City from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.  There are, in case you missed it, 158 candidates for 27 positions for Mayor, School Board, Council Members and Parks Board.  Even if you don’t know who to vote for in all positions, vote for the ones you want.  If you are unsure where to vote, the City has a Where To Vote. You only need to put in your postal code and it will give you the polling stations in that area. Remember to bring ID when you go to vote.

The Shakespeare Show – Havana Theatre – October 19th & 20th

Monster Theatre presents The Shakespeare Show filled with tragic heroes, a few witches Anne Hathaway and Queen Elizabeth at Havana Theatre Friday & Saturday night. Tickets are $15-20 and available online through Showpass.

East Van Opry – Rio Theatre – October 20th

This Saturday you are invited to the East Van Opry. Now in its sixth year, the event happens at the Rio Theatre this Saturday night. Expect an eclectic mix of this City’s stage performers. Advance tickets are $24, or at the door for $28.  Visit The Rio Theatre for tickets.

Pumpkin Carving & Beer – Parallel 49 Brewing – October 21st

Parallel 49 Street Kitchen invites you down for a day of pumpkin carving. They will supply the tools and the pumpkins. Of course the Street Kitchen has some great eats and beer as well. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.  Event happens 11:00 am – 6:00 pm

Retro Design & Antiques Fair – Croatian Cultural Centre – October 21st

If you love collectibles, vintage, funky kitschy items, maybe a little art deco, the Retro Design & Antiques Fair is the place to be this Sunday. There will be a 175 tables at the Croatian Cultural Centre to browse.  Event happens 10:00 to 3:00 pm. Admission is $5 at the door, children under 13 are free.

Comedy, Entertainment & Live Music

Looking for something new to check out? Reminder Caffe La Tana just opened next to Pepino’s Spaghetti House. Cafe is open 7:00 am – 7:00 pm. If it’s live music you are after, the Libra Room on The Drive has a regular line up of music. Tangent Café hosts live jazz Sunday nights  from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Saturday, Pat’s Pub has live jazz Saturday afternoons from 3-7 pm, no cover.

Two Farmer Markets happening this weekend – Saturday it’s Riley Park (10 am – 2 pm) and Trout Lake (9 am – 2 pm). To see more of what’s on in East Vancouver, check our Event Listing.

Image Credit: June Hunter

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Another Side Glance With Al Tee: Politics & Robo Kennedy

18 Oct

RoboKennedy (2)Kennedy Stewart wants to save us. He wants to save us from the NPA, Kinder Morgan, and big money influence at City Hall. I know this to be true because the four robo-calls I got from him said so. Kennedy Stewart also sent me a mailing, dropped off a handbill at my door, and opened a campaign office in my neighborhood. He really wants to save us.

Why?

Why does a guy who has represented Burnaby federally since 2011, now need to be our mayor? Has he solved all federal related issues in Burnaby South? Or will federal NDP leader Jagmit Singh – soon to be parachuted into Stewart’s Burnaby seat – provide a better level of understanding and representation for the issues facing Burnaby?  Kennedy Stewart has been around politically since he ran federally and lost to Hedy Fry back in 2004. But he’s never run for a civic position in Vancouver. Not School or Parks Board nor City Council.

For a guy who claims a long relationship with Vancouver, he’s been noticeably absent from city politics. Generally people who run and become mayor have some kind of political or civic involvement. I think the last guy that ran for mayor who didn’t have that connection was Bill VanderZalm. Come to think of it, didn’t Christie Clark try and run for Vancouver mayor in 2005?

To be clear, I am not comparing Kennedy Stewart to two often loathed former politicians. I’m just saying I find something about his whole candidacy improbable. I’m reminded of a guy angling for the nice corner office with a view.

But of course I’m wrong. I must be. A form letter included in my Kennedy package mail out, was from vaunted East Van political warrior Libby Davies. She says we need Kennedy’s leadership in Vancouver and that I should dig deeper to support him. How deep? How about $200?

Kennedy plans to build 60,000 units of various types of residences in the next 10 years. Anyone who’s ever been involved with any kind of home reno knows, it’s usually longer than you predicted and more expensive. Still, you got to applaud his problem solving confidence which he has according to one of his pamphlets because;

“ I know cities. “

You know who else knows cities? People who live in them. People who live in this city don’t like it when their garbage isn’t collected. They don’t like it when there’s problems with transit. They don’t like annoying neighbors who break by-laws or make by-law complaints. People especially don’t like it when the whole town shuts down because it never seems prepared to handle a dump of snow. People don’t like it when traffic speeds down their street cause the city refuses to put in a roundabout or a few speed bumps. People don’t like it that there’s less free parking on public streets.

It’s one thing to be in Ottawa putting up motions, it’s a whole other thing dealing with contentious building projects and people protesting outside your home. Not to mention the irate citizen with a tax beef who accosts you in the lobby of city hall.

Kennedy Stewart most likely will be the next mayor and maybe if I talked to him I’d see things differently. Unfortunately after 4 robo-calls I’ve heard enough. But in fairness to Kennedy, I did get 2 robo-calls from Ken Sim and one from one of those Vancouver parties. I won’t vote for them either.

By Contributing Writer Al Tee

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Side Glance With Al Tee: Civic Election Edition – The Top Twenty?

17 Oct

AlTeeSideGlanceTopTwentyLess than a week away and there are enough candidates running for mayor on the random ordered ballot to stage a basketball tournament. In fact, that’d be my suggestion for whittling down the number of candidates for mayor. Divide them up into four teams, play some round robin hoop, and the team with the most wins is the 5 people who get to be on the ballot. Simpler for the voters and more entertaining. Who wouldn’t want to see Wai Young dish to Fred Harding who then dunks on Ken Sim? Of course my suggestion is not treating city politics seriously and this election is serious business. It’s Vancouver’s most important in a generation, or at least that’s what it says in the mailing I got from the Kennedy Stewart campaign.

Twenty, yes twenty people want to be your mayor. Are they the twenty smartest, most imaginative, learned, insightful people in Van City? The top twenty? You decide. The candidates run the gamut from front runner Kennedy Stewart to Roller Girl and among the things all 20 have in common is a solution to our affordable housing issues.

The problem is, what exactly is affordable and what does it look like? The livable wage – that which covers your monthly expenses – is $20.91 an hour in Vancouver. Assuming you’re fortunate enough to have full time work, and are only spending 30% of your income a month on housing, you’re still looking at a minimum $1,000 per month.

What do these 20 good people, who feel you should pay them to sit in the big chair at 12th and Cambie, think a minimum $1,000 should get you? Six hundred square feet? Four hundred square feet? A half a shipping container? A studio in a forty story rabbit hutch beside a Skytrain station ?

My suspicion is that in the end affordable, presuming you’re making a livable wage, is the market rate.  Just once I’d like to hear a candidate say;

“ It’s too late. We need to focus on transit. Improve transit cause
people have to live farther out. “

Of course any candidate for mayor who would say that, would never make the top twenty.

By Contributing Writer Al Tee

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Nicole Alivojvodic Reviews A Brief History of Human Extinction On Now Until October 20th At The Cultch

16 Oct

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From Up in the Air Theatre comes this relevant and rousing tale of the two last surviving humans on planet earth. The year is 2178 and a fungal plague has rendered the surface of the planet uninhabitable, killing everyone and everything in its path. Created by award winning playwright Jordan Hall and Mind of a Snail Puppet Co., A Brief History of Human Extinction uniquely combines comedic theatre with the emerging cli-fi genre, exploring questions about human nature and our culpability in the destruction of our planet.

Trapped inside a scientific facility sealed off to the poisonous outside world, the last man, Adam, and woman, Ever, on earth prepare for the launch of “the Ark”, a ship that will carry human genetic legacy to a new home on a far away planet. Ever and Adam grapple with their impending doom and attempt to carry out the mission that they’ve been assigned while also struggling to suppress their selfish nature and instinct to hope for better things. In the play, the obvious biblical references are interestingly intertwined with the distinctly modern concept of the anthropocene. The play is seemingly suggesting that the destruction of civilization due to climate change is an act of divine retribution for the sins of humankind towards each other and our environment. The heavy, and frankly depressing, subject matter is mixed in with some comic relief and beautiful animation, making the play not only thought provoking, but entertaining!

For tickets to this unique and powerful production, on now until October 20th, visit The Cultch.

By Contributing Writer Nicole Alivojvodic

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All Souls Night At Mountain View Cemetery October 27, 2018

15 Oct

AllSoulsNight2018You are invited to the 13th Annual All Souls Night Saturday, October 27th  6:00 pm – 10:00 pm at Mountain View Cemetery, 5455 Fraser Street.  This event is curated by artist Paula Jardine and Marina Szijarto and was created to provide opportunities for the public to commemorate their dead with a family-oriented community art event. The Celebration Hall will be open from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm for tea and personal memorial making. Artists and community members will come together to create a sanctuary for remembrance and reflection. You are encouraged to bring a lantern and candles as well as photos if you wish to create a memorial for a loved one in a gentle atmosphere of contemplative beauty. The event takes place rain or shine.  To learn more about All Souls Night and events that continue to November 1st visit a Night For All Souls.  All schedule of all the events around this date are set out below, or you can visit Night For All Souls.

 The departed they visit us in dreams. They glide across
our memories like shadows over streams.
Inscription on a headstone at Mountain View Cemetery.

October 27th
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
All Souls Opening With Music, Tea, Flowers & Candles.

October 28th to November 1st
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Tea & Personal Memorials In The Celebration Hall

October 28th
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Mourners’ Tea A community conversation about suicide through personal experiences.

October 29th
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Quiet Night. Tea and personal memorials.

October 30th
7:30 – 8:30 pm
The First Stage by Joelysa Pankanea (music with 7 voices, marimba and bass)

October 31st
7:30 pm -9:00 pm
An Evening of Beautiful Music with Guzheng Harpist, Jessica Yee

November 1st
8:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Processional Music with Balkan Schmalkan and closing night procession to
the shrines throughout the Cemetery.

All events are free. Donations are welcome.

 

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What’s On East Van: October 12th Edition

12 Oct

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Our weekly feature What’s On East Van sets out some cool events for the upcoming week.  Beyond the week, we invite you to check out our Event Listing which is updated daily and features events for the month and beyond.

East Van Votes – Strathcona Community Centre – October 12th

School and Parks Board Candidates in the upcoming election will be at Strathcona Community Centre Friday night from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Take the opportunity to get to know the candidates and ask the questions about issues important to you.

The Dirty Betty Show – Café Deux Soleils – October 12th

Looking for some saucy entertainment this Friday night? The Dirty Betty Show is back for their monthly stop at Café Deux Soleils. You expect comedians, drag superstars and improvisers. Doors open at 8:00 pm, show gets under way at 8:30 pm. Tickets are available at the door $10, but note the show can sell out. So we recommend checking in earlier.

Drive In Movies – River District – October 13th

Free Drive-In Movies are back this Saturday night at River District in SE Vancouver.  It’s a double feature starting off with Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again at 7:15 and Dirty Dancing at 9:30 pm. Gates open at 6:30 pm. For more information, visit Picatic.

Whitish – Havana Theatre – October 13th

For one night only, Whitish comes to Havana Theatre. This is a storytelling show about the perils of being biracial. Six performers will ask the questions people ask, where are you from? What are you? The event is hosted by Jo Dworschak creator of Story Story Lie. The show is for one night only at Havana Theatre. Tickets are $12 and available online through Showpass.

AbraCadaver Cabaret: Urban Legends – Wise Hall – October 13th

A new event at the Wise Hall, the AbraCadaver Cabaret presents a series of horror inspired vignettes along with the world of magic, burlesque striptease and storytelling. The venue seems fitting since some seem to think the Wise is haunted. Due to the morbid subject matter, the show is not for the faint of heart. Advance tickets are available from $18 or at the door $20. Doors open at 8:00 pm, show gets under way at 9:00 pm.

The Transformers The Movie – Rio Theatre – October 13 & 14

Looking for some fun indoor entertainment with the kids this weekend, The Transformers – The Movie is showing at the Rio Theatre Saturday at 1:15 pm and Sunday at 9:30 pm for the big kids.

Free Movie ‘Hell Or High Water’ – Britannia Community Centre – October 14th

Britannia Community Centre is again showing a free moving this Sunday night. This week it’s Hell Or High Water.  Things get underway at 6:30 pm.  Everyone is welcome.

Comedy, Entertainment & Live Music

Looking for new spot to check out this weekend,  reminder the Elephant Creamery is now open on the Drive located next to Sushiville.

If it’s live music you are after, the Libra Room on The Drive has a regular line up of music. Tangent Café hosts live jazz Sunday nights  from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Saturday, Pat’s Pub has live jazz Saturday afternoons from 3-7 pm, no cover.

Two Farmer Markets happening this weekend – Saturday it’s Riley Park (10 am – 2 pm) and Trout Lake (9 am – 2 pm). Just a reminder, the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market is now closed for the season.  Watch for the Hastings Park Winter Market coming November 4th. To see more of what’s on in East Vancouver, check our Event Listing.

Image Credit: June Hunter

 

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Review Of A Vancouver Guldasta On Now At The Cultch Until October 21st

10 Oct

VancouverGuldasta-PardeepSingh.jpgThe production of A Vancouver Guldasta touches on a number of themes, but the one that stood out for us was relatable. If you live in Vancouver, there’s a good chance you are an immigrant or children of immigrants. If are not, this production will be an insight to life in the 80s on a number of levels.  You almost forget how archaic the video games were by today’s standards, but they were pretty cool back then and fun. Cordless phones were those big brick things, with long antennas you pushed up and down when you made a call.  Our family home in the 1980s was a sea of gold, orange and browns, the style of the times.  All these things were part of the intimate stage set for A Vancouver Guldasta in the Cultch Lab.  This is a smaller venue which is this perfect setting for this production. You feel like you are a fly on the wall in the living room of the Dhaliwal family in the 1980s. This is also to the credit of the amazing cast that never lost our attention throughout.

A Vancouver Guldasta features the political and religious unrest in India in 1984 during which time the Indian government invaded The Golden Temple, a holy shrine of the Sikhs.  The story has a much further reach though which is at every turn in this production.  That comes in the way of Andy, a Vietnamese student living in the basement. He plays an important part in this family and highlights what many immigrant families left behind to make a better life including war, violence, persecution and hunger.  They have come to a new country to make a new life, but still long for the life they left behind, their family and their friends. In the 1980s, if you wanted to reach to those friends or family, there was no internet. You couldn’t just reach out and touch someone with a text or Facebook message to check in. If phone lines were down, there was no way to check in.

This story speaks to the many immigrants that make up a good portion of Vancouver’s population. No matter what country they are from, they still long for what was left behind.  Many immigrants have ties to violence and war which often are lost in rush to get everywhere in the day to day life of 2018. We encourage you to take time to see A Vancouver Guldasta. It’s important to understand the past to help shape a better future.  Tickets for a Vancouver Guldasta are available online via The Cultch.

Photo Credit: Pardeep Singh

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Tiva Quinn Reviews Testosterone On Now At The York Theatre

8 Oct

TestosteroneTestosterone is just delightful. Now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write, but in a way, it sums up the feeling of this play, which is full of intriguing surprises.

I went in expecting something a bit more thinky – something about where gender identity fits into a person’s overall sense of identity and how physical transition doesn’t necessarily resolve these questions. The first minute or two offers us a large mirror and a monologue by trans man Kit Redstone that certainly makes it seem like we’re headed that way. Then came the locker room dance scene set to “It’s Raining Men” and I kind of lost track of time.

But if I had to guess, I’d say that by just 10 minutes in it was clear that nothing about this show was going to be predictable, that the laughs would just keep coming, and that somehow, through it all, we weren’t really losing sight of those heavier themes. It’s just that we were going to play with them instead of wallowing in them.

Toxic masculinity is certainly part of what gets explored here, but I think it’s important to note that on the whole, this is a show that likes men: cis, trans, straight or gay, they all get to strut their stuff and show off their good side a bit.

And you should definitely stick around for the brief Q & A afterwards. These are 4 incredibly talented and likeable guys, so it’s a safe bet getting to know the men behind the performances will only increase that warm, fuzzy feeing that comes with a big-hearted show. You can catch Testosterone at The York Theater until October 13th. Tickets available through The Cultch.

By Contributing Writer: Tiva Quinn

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What’s On East Van: October 5th Edition

5 Oct

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Our weekly feature What’s On East Van sets out some cool events for the upcoming week.  Beyond the week, we invite you to check out our Event Listing which is updated daily and features events for the month and beyond.

Vegan Pop Market – Little Mountain Shop – October 4-8

There seems to be a few of these lately and that’s certainly not a bad thing in our view.   The Little Mountain Shop, 4386 Main Street, is hosting a Vegan Pop Up Market this weekend. Are you shopping for some vegan friends or family? We expect a good selection here.  Shop is open 11:00 am to 6:00 pm daily.

Girls Like That – Havana Theatre – October 5th & 6th 

Sour Dog Theatre Presents: Girls Like That at Havana Theatre this Friday & Saturday night. “When a nude photograph of Scarlett goes viral in her high school, rumours spread across smartphones like wildfire and her reputation becomes toxic, threatening to shatter the fragile unity of the girls she has grown up with. Using shifts in time to interrogate when play turns into competition for young women, the play focuses on adolescent female friendship in the present day and how poisoned our perspectives can become in the face of societal and cultural pressures, and not to mention the fucking patriarchy.” If you have a daughter, niece, sister, you should show this production.  These events transform lives and shape perceptions for a very long time, sometimes forever.  Tickets are $25 and available online at Showpass.com.

Ola Volo Solo Exhibition – Settlement Building – October 5th & 6th 

Ola Volo is having her first solo exhibition this weekend at the Settlement Building. King.Queen.Lovers.Fool will feature  12 original paintings on canvas limited edition artworks as well as one Ola Volo signature-sized mural on wood panel.  We hear Doan’s Craft Beer will be on hand and  Vancouver Urban Winery will have the wine at the ready. Opening Reception is October 5 from 6:00 – 11:00 pm and an Artist Talk is set for Saturday, October 6th at 3:30 pm. For more info, visit, the event’s Facebook page.

A Vancouver Guldasta – The Cultch – Until October 21st

On now this weekend at The Cultch, A Vancouver Guldasta features a Punjabi family in the early 80s. We attended opening night and wow! For anyone that lived in the 80s, this is certainly a flashback in time. There’s history here about Vancouver, but also world politics, religion and most importantly family, which isn’t always biological.  Many people who grew in the multi cultural community that is Vancouver will resonate with the many themes in this production. We highly recommend. The show is on until October 21st. Tickets are available online at The Cultch.

Draw Draw Draw – Trout Lake Community Centre – October 6th

If you ever wanted to draw on the floors and walls, now’s your chance.  The Trout Lake Community Centre invites you to do just that. They will be experimenting with drawing to music and sounds as well. This is a free event that happens from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm in the Centre Lobby. All are welcome, but pre-registration is requested.

Eastside Flea – 550 Malkin Avenue – October 6th & 7th

In case you missed it, Eastside Flea has moved to a new location, 550 Malkin Avenue, Eastside Studios.  50 local vendors will be on hand this Saturday and Sunday as will food trucks, music and we hear pinball and pool. Kids and dogs are welcome as well.  Admission is $3.00. The Eastside Flea runs 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Free Family Fun – Trout Lake Community Centre – October 8th

This holiday Monday, October 8th, Trout Lake Community Centre will have the gymnasium set up with a bouncy castle, arts and crafts and games for the kids from 10:00 am to Noon.  It’s a free event, but you are asked to pre-register.

Brunch This Long Weekend?

Looking to do brunch this long weekend? Reminder that Havana Restaurant is now officially back and running after a small kitchen fire.  If you are looking for more brunch ideas and where to go, don’t forget to check out our 2 features on Brunch On The Drive and Brunch In Hastings Sunrise.  Lots of great places for eats and amazing coffee.

Live Music, Comedy & Entertainment

This weekend Kamloopa continues at The Cultch which is high energy Indigenous matriarchal story that follows two urban Indigenous sisters and a lawless trickster who face the world head-on as they come to terms with what it means to honour who they are and where they come from.

If it’s live music you are after, the Libra Room on The Drive has a regular line up of music. Tangent Café hosts live jazz Sunday nights  from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Saturday, Pat’s Pub has live jazz Saturday afternoons from 3-7 pm, no cover.

Three Farmer Markets happening this weekend – Saturday it’s Riley Park (10 am – 2 pm) and Trout Lake (9 am – 2 pm) and Sunday, Mount Pleasant Farmers Market in Dude Chilling Park from 10 am – 2 pm.  To see more of what’s on in East Vancouver, check our Event Listing.

Image Credit: June Hunter

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JFL NorthWest Presents Chris Griffin: I’m Not Your Family Guy At The Biltmore Cabaret October 18th

3 Oct

ChrisGriffinByRebeccaBlissettCalgary-born comedian, Chris Griffin, will be performing two shows at The Biltmore Cabaret on Thursday, October 18th at 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm.  Chris has established himself as one of comedy’s most dynamic storytellers. Coming from modest beginnings, Griffin’s work ethic and sheer determination created a self-made comfortable living by his mid-twenties. At 29, he followed through with his lifelong dream of performing stand-up comedy. One year later, he won his hometown’s Great Canadian Laugh Off, leading him to set his academic degrees aside (BAs in English and Political Science), quit his stable job, sold his house, and hit the road to do what he loves best – drinking, making people laugh, and reclaiming his name after enduring over a decade of awful “Family Guy” jokes.

It is a gamble that has paid off. In 2016, Chris Griffin became the only Canadian comic in over 40 years to reach the finals at the prestigious San Francisco International Comedy Competition. That same year, he won top prize at Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Competition here in Vancouver. He has been featured at JFL NorthWest, Vancouver’s Just For Laughs Festival, for three consecutive years and has shared the stage with such notable ChrisGriffinByRebeccaBlissett2comedians as Norm Macdonald, Doug Stanhope, and Bert Kreischer.   Griffin’s enthusiasm to dive into life’s wildest experiences without any consideration for the consequences has made him a uniquely entertaining storyteller.  We expect his show to be one wild ride. Tickets are $14.99 and are now available through TicketFly.com.

Photo Credit: Rebecca Blissett

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