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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

 

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

Beer & Cheese Pairing October 23rd at Luppolo Brewing Co.

9 Oct


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Luppolo Brewing Co. and les amis du fromage have teamed up to bring you an evening of Beer & Cheese Pairing Tuesday, October 23, 2018.  Head Brewer, Ryan Parfitt, of Luppolo and Allison Spurrell of les amis du fromage will guide you through a selection of Italian themed cheeses which they’ve selected to pair with a variety of beers including some limited and special releases.  Dessert is included in the evening. The event happens at Luppolo Brewing Co., 1123 Venables Street. Tickets are LuppoloBeer$60 and available online through Picatic, or to avoid service charges, you can stop by the brewery to pick up your tickets.

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

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

Plogging – Running For A Reason

2 Oct

WhatIsPloggingThis term has crossed our path a few times recently. Curious about the term, it just happened that an article entitled “Run For A Reason” landed in our lap. What is it?  Plogging started in Sweden and is a mash of ‘plocka’ meaning to pick up and ‘jogga’ meaning of course to jog.  It’s a concept taking hold across Canada and the world.  It is  deemed as a ‘new environmentally friendly fitness craze’.  It’s simple, you run and pick up litter while you jog, or at the end of your end for 10 minutes. You can do it in a group, alone, with your kids.  All you need outside of your running shoes, are gloves and a bag to pick any garbage.

As a resident that lives on a public walk and bike path in SE Vancouver, many residents regularly pick up garbage while walking our ourselves and/or our dogs along the Fraser River. It not only protects those of us in the community, it’s greatest benefit is in protecting the wildlife whether on land, air or water.  So if you are not a runner, no worries, If you think you’d like to do this regularly and need supplies, we encourage you to contact the City of Vancouver’s Keep Vancouver Spectacular Program.  They are able to provide bags, gloves and tongs to those undertaking any clean ups in the City of Vancouver.

If you want to learn more about Plogging in Canada, there’s a Facebook page. We encourage you to check out and get plogging!

Story Story Lie At The Rio Theatre October 23rd For Halloween Themed Fun!

1 Oct

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Back again for its third season is the hit storytelling game show “Story Story Lie”. In its season premiere on Wednesday, September 5th the show took on a back to school theme and showcased hilarious and cringe-worthy stories from the comedians school days. This show is a riot and different than any other kind of show you’ll see in Vancouver. Basically, it’s stand up comedy but where the audience gets fully involved. If you’re looking for something new and fun to do you have to check out the next Story Story Like at the Rio Theatre.

How it works is that each comedian gets five minutes to tell their story. Afterwards, the audience gets to interrogate them to try to figure out if the story is real or a lie. In the end, you text in your best guess as to which story was a lie and bust the liar! There are also prizes for those who guess right. The show is created, produced and hosted by Jo Dworschak and promises to entertain.

There are two shows coming up at the Rio Theatre, including a Halloween themed one on October 23rd. Tickets to the shows can be purchased online or at the door. If you think you have what it takes and have a good story to share, you can apply to actually be on the show! For more information, visit Story Story Lie.

By Contributing Writer: Nicole Alivojvodic

What’s On East Van: September 28th Edition

28 Sep

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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.

Open House – Terminal City Glass Co-Op – September 29th

As part of Culture Days, Terminal City Glass at 1191 Parker Street will be opening their doors and featuring glassblowing demonstrations throughout the day this Saturday.  This is a free event. Everyone is welcome. Doors open from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Clark Walk  – September 29th 

A self-guided photo walk along Clark Drive corridor from 6th Avenue to Powell Street where you will find an exhibit, reception and live music performance and a long-running DIY arts space. Everyone is invited to join in.  Recommended time is between 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Gallery space is opening at 6:30 pm.

Ice Cream Social – Beta 5 Chocolates – September 29th & 30th

Beta 5 Chocolates is hosting another delish Ice Cream Social this weekend and there aren’t many more left. They will be winding down this event.  This weekend though you can find Pomegranate Saffron Brioche with Saffron Pistachio Swirl & Pomegranate Sherbet in a Rosewater Brioche Bun. Happens 1:00 – 5:00 pm at 413 Industrial Avenue.

Big Dog Meet Up – Trout lake – September 30th

Have a dog, or maybe you just love dogs. Dogs of VanCity is hosting its now 4th Biggest Dog MeetUp at Trout Lake this Sunday from Noon – 3:00 pm.  Free event all our welcome.

Vegan Market – The Waldorf Hotel – September 30th

We hear there will be a Vegan Market Place happening at the Waldorf Hotel, 1489 East this Sunday.  This laid back event happens from 12:00 pm  to 5:00 pm and features animal and environmentally conscious vendors and there’s a long list of vendors at that.  You can find vegan food and other ethical wares for yourself and home. Add to that there’s a bike swap, live music and some non-profits on hand.  Admission is canned goods, clothing or pet food with proceeds going to The Happy Herd Farm Sanctuary!

Free Movie ‘Monsoon Wedding’ – Britannia Community Centre – September 30th

Britannia Community Centre is again hosting a free movie night this Sunday. This week they are showing Monsoon Wedding. Everyone is welcome.  Things kick off at 6:00 pm. Free popcorn will also be on hand.

Mural Kick Off Party – The Cultch – September 30th

This summer as a result of generous donors, the South side of The Cultch has a stunning new mural which was designed and painted by the Cultch Youth Program, Ariel Martz-Oberlander, Richard Tetrault, Sharifah Marsen and Jerry Whitehead. This Sunday between 5:00pm  and 7:00 pm you are invited to a free community event and the unveiling of the mural.

Live Music, Comedy & Entertainment

Theatre has ramped up for the fall season. This weekend you can find Kamloopa 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. Firehall Arts Centre is featuring Never Still tonight and tomorrow.

If it’s live music you are after, we hear the Libra Room has a regular line up of music. Tangent Café hosts live jazz Sunday nights  from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. If you prefer to get out the rain 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

The Parade Of Lost Souls Is Looking For Talent & Volunteers!

26 Sep

ParadeofLostSouls2018ADo you know about this iconic East Van event celebrating The Day Of The Dead? The Parade of Lost Souls is undoubtedly one of our favourite events? Why you might ask. This is an event BY the people FOR the people. It is a grass-roots festival planned, organized and performed by, and for, the community which draws large crowds. With some creative direction from the folks at the Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret, The Parade of Lost Souls encompasses dance, art, music, installations, acting and much more.  This year the event happens Saturday, October 27th  with the theme of Magic & Realism.  This is where YOU come in.  The Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret is looking for volunteers to make this another spectacular event.   Below we have set out some what they hope to see for this year’s event. But if you have a talent not listed you wish to share, drop them a note, they’d love to hear from you. Contact is Kat Single-Dain by email at katsingledain@gmail.com.

Keeping the theme of MAGIC, here’s what they are looking for:

1. Performers who have anything that they can do repeatedly as the parades go by them. Can you do a 2 minute performance piece? Or maybe an interactive character?

2. Performers/Clowns/Community Members who would like to be Parade Ambassadors, taking donations from the public. You will be expected to dress up In a costume and take a workshop on best practices when interacting with public.  Seriously, bring in the clowns!  They are looking for 20 this year.

3. DJs for a Hidden Dance Party along the parade route.

4. Roving characters – This is limited only by our imagination.

5. Volunteers to help load in, and set up set decorations.

6. A videographer to produce a short teaser video from this year’s parade (must have equipment and editing skills).

7. Can you tell fortunes? Do you read tarot cards? Do you do magic tricks? Are you a maker? Can you create a cool installation? Have an idea? Drop them a note.

NOW on the other hand if LOVE to dance, TAKE NOTE. There are 2 Flash Mobs planned this year.  The Thriller Flashmob and The Time Warp Flash Mob.  Each has their own Facebook Page and we’ve included links for each one. Should you dare, remember you will need to dress the part for whichever flash mob you wish to participate in.  Want to know more, check out Parade Of Lost Souls.

A Vancouver Guldasta Comes To The Cultch With Diwali BC – October 2-21, 2018

25 Sep

VancouverGuldasta_landscapeDiwali BC brings A Vancouver Guldasta to The Cultch. The play is written and directed by Paneet Singh and focuses on the Dhaliwals, a Punjabi family in the early 1980s. In this production, you will witness the family navigate its way through the experience of trauma and violence occurring in Punjab. At the same time their daughter has a complicated friendship with Andy, a Vietnamese refugee teen who is living in their basement. The story takes during the Indian government’s invasion of the “Golden Temple” which is the holiest shrine of the Sikhs. A Vancouver Guldasta allows you to eavesdrop on conversations otherwise reserved only for the privileged ears of living room walls. The show runs from October 2nd to 21st at 8:00 pm most evenings, but there are some 7:00 pm shows on Sunday and 2:00 pm matinees. Tickets are available online from The Cultch.