verb issue s191 (may 25-31, 2012)

Free weekly May 25–31, 2012 • Pass it on

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Zeus This Canadian Four-Piece Talks Hot Tunes, Busting Visions P11

Randy TravisCountry Music Legend Reflects On 25 Years In The Business P12

The Seven ‘Weirdos’The Personalities Who Ruin Everything P7

Wall, Mulcair FeudBreakdown: Issue Reveals Canada’s East-West Divide P2

MIB 3Smith Falters In Third Installment P15

Photo: courtesy of Derek Branscombe

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comLocal

May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Mulcair, Wall’s Feud Is Hurting The NDPPolitical Scrap Over Resource Revenue Reflects Canada’s East-West DivideAlEx J MACPhERSOn

SaSkaTOON, Sk — The ongo-ing sparring match between the premier and the leader of the federal New Democratic party, conducted on Twitter and in media scrums, has pushed the provincial NDP “between a rock and hard place,” says one expert on S ask atc h -ewan politics.

“The nDP, pro-vincially, has absolutely nothing to win in this situation,” says David McGrane, a professor of political studies at the University of Sas-katchewan.

Earlier this month Premier Brad Wall attacked Thomas Mulcair’s claim that the nation’s reliance on resource revenue — particularly the energy sector — has caused the dollar to spike, making exports less profitable and gouging the manufacturing industry. Wall told

reporters: “here’s someone who wants to be the national leader who, for the sake of politics, I think, would risk the economic advantage of the country.”

McGrane thinks Mulcair’s di-agnosis of “Dutch Disease” — an economic phenomenon where in-

creased resource revenue causes a currency to spike, devaluing exports and hurting non-resource sectors — is an “extremely

theoretical” problem masking a serious issue.

“There appears to possibly be an imbalance within our economy between the manufacturing sector and resource sector,” he explains. “The resource sector seems to be taking over as our main economic driver, and that, I think, has set up a bit of an east-west dynamic [and] tapped into some of the latent re-gionalism that’s in Canada.”

McGrane says the provincial

wing of the nDP, which is currently without a leader, would do well to avoid the fray.

“[T]hey have really nothing to gain by coming out to the defence of Mulcair,” he states. “On the other hand, they don’t want to be seen as disagreeing with Mulcair either. I think they just want to make this whole issue go away.”

Both sides of the argument carry risks, McGrane explains: if the nDP supports Mulcair, it could be branded as anti-Saskatchewan. Conversely, any attempt to discredit the federal leader could alienate voters turned off by the perception of squabbling and internal strife.

Since Dwain lingenfelter lost his Regina seat in the last provin-cial election, Saskatchewan’s nDP has been headed by interim leader John nilson, who, McGrane says, will probably avoid making a stand.

“nilson’s a pretty smart guy, and he’s not going to want to tie the hands of any future leader by making some sort of declaration

radically in favour of Brad Wall or radically in favour of Mulcair,” he states.

In an e-mail, nilson stressed his party’s commitment to “critical discussion on our ever-evolving economy” and explained that “Sas-katchewan’s new Democrats are not interested in giving credence to the premier’s political attack [on Mulcair] via social media.” nilson fo-cused on the state of the provincial and national economies without taking a position on Mulcair.

McGrane says Mulcair’s focus

on economic policy is an attempt to remedy the federal nDP’s “ex-tremely weak economic creden-tials.” Wall, he says, is employing “one of the best ways to get popular in Saskatchewan politics”: picking a fight with Ottawa.

“If [Wall] wants to get anything out of this, he wants the people of Saskatchewan to be saying … ‘look at Brad Wall on the national stage defending our interests,’” says McGrane. “It definitely worked in the last provincial election.”

Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Photo: courtesy of Matt Jiggins and Brad Wall Facebook

Thomas Mulcair (l) and Brad Wall’s feud reflects east-west divide

“Saskatchewan’s [NDP] are not interested in giving credence to the premier’s … attack…”

-John Nilson

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.com

LocalMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Surgery Wait Times Drop across ProvinceSK Initiative On Track To Conduct Operations Within Three-Month WindowAlEx J MACPhERSOn

SaSkaTOON, Sk — Broken hip? Shattered knee? Don’t worry about it: a new report from the provincial government suggests that long waiting times are a thing of the past.

According to the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative Year Two Report, the comprehen-sive program is on track to ensure most patients receive surgery with-in three months by 2014.

The most recent data shows that 97 percent of all surgeries in the

province were performed within the current one year target window, and 88 percent inside six months.

“When you look at the 97 per-cent completion rate and the de-crease in number of patients and

the percentage of patients who have been wait-ing over the 12 month mark, I think we were

very successful in the past year,” says Mark Wyatt, executive direc-tor of the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative.

Since its inception in March 2010, the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative

has cut the number of patients wait-ing more than a year by 77 percent, from 3,997 to 914.

The number of patients waiting more than six months has fallen 58 percent, from 9,875 to 4,517.

“Our goal moves now to a six month target,” Wyatt explains, “and while we’ve had good success dur-ing the first two years, the targets continue to be challenging.”

Wyatt says cutting the target will be difficult because it involves streamlining almost every aspect of the healthcare system, not just the traditional bottlenecks — ortho-paedics in Regina and otolaryngol-ogy (ear, nose, throat) in Saskatoon.

Increasing operating theatre ef-ficiency is an important component of the program, but surgeries can-not be performed unless adequate recovery beds are available.

“When we look at the dimen-sions of the initiative, we talk about sooner, safer, and smarter,” Wyatt says.

“A lot of the issues the public is most focused on are around the sooner part of it, reducing wait times, and that’s absolutely criti-cal … but the challenge when we look forward is how do we sustain those shorter wait times.”

The “safer” element is simple. Mistakes mean time, money and se-rious risks; eliminating them makes the system more efficient.

The “smarter” component is dealt with by an online special-ist directory, faster access to day

surgeries and third-party CT scans, training for extra operating room

nurses, a new system to manage operating room schedules and sup-plies, and patient “pathways” that streamline care for patients with hip, knee or spine problems, as well as those with prostate cancer or urogynecological problems.

A pathway, Wyatt explains, is about “looking at a patient’s jour-ney from the time they are referred by a family physician as a potential surgical candidate right through to the end of their care … and looking at all the different steps along that pathway as to how you can improve the patient experience and look for more effective and efficient ways of providing care.”

The Surgical Initiative received $60.5 million in the latest provincial budget, which is expected to pro-vide an additional 4,000 surgeries and reduce the maximum wait time to six months.

By 2014 the target wait time is three months.


“I think we were very successful in the past year.”

-Mark Wyatt

Photo: courtesy of Damien Gabrielson

GlobalMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Stress Ups SocialAntsy Men, Women React SameADAM hAWBOlDT

FREIBURG, GERMaNY — Men who are stressed out become more social and are likelier to trust others and share resources, new research has revealed.

This finding flies in the face of previous studies that suggested men under stress take a “fight-or-flight” approach a n d t e n d t o become more aggressive, while women were likelier to display a “tend-and-befriend” behaviour, and reach out to others.

“Apparently men also show so-cial approach behaviour as a direct consequence of stress,” says study researcher Bernadette von Dawans, of the University of Freiburg in Ger-many.

Von Dawans and her team exam-ined 67 males from the University of Zurich. half of them were put

under the stress of public speak-ing and by having to complete a difficult mental math test, while the other half were given a stress-free group read along and some simple counting exercises.

After they were finished, all of the test subjects played a series of

trust and sharing games, as well as a roll-of-the-dice gambling game to gauge how aggressively risky

they were. The participants’ heart rate and cortisol (a stress hormone) levels were also monitored.

Despite stereotypes, researchers found that stress made the men kinder, gentler and more friendly.

The study didn’t compare male and female stress-coping mecha-nisms, but researchers say their findings reveal that the “tend-and-befriend” strategy of stress man-agement isn’t exclusively female.


WORLD’S SECOND TaLLEST — The tall-est broadcast tower in the world has officially opened. Standing at 634 me-tres high, the Tokyo Sky Tree is officially the second tallest man-made structure,

behind Dubai’s Burj Khalifa (829m). The Sky Tree is expected to draw nearly 32 million visitors a year — that’s more than Tokyo Disneyland. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Global At A Glance

“[M]en also show social approach behavior as a … consequence of stress.”

-Bernadette von Dawans

Spicy Food Can Protect Against heart DiseaseADAM hAWBOlDT

hOnG KOnG, ChInA — Along with lowering your blood pressure and aiding in weight loss, scientists have discovered that spicy food might also protect against heart disease.

new research out of the Chinese University of hong Kong has exam-ined the effect of capsaicinoids — a compound that gives jalapeños and cayenne peppers their heat — on hamsters, feeding both a high-cholesterol diet, but only half via spicy food.

The spicy food eaters had lower levels of low-density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol, and the capsa-icinoids blocked the gene respon-sible for making your arteries con-tract, allowing more blood to flow to the heart.


GlobalMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Parents Happierhaving Kids Ups ContentmentADAM hAWBOlDT

RIVERSIDE, Ca — To have or not to have children, that is the question.

And the answer, well, that de-pends on how happy and fulfilling a life you want to live.

According to researchers from the University of California, River-side, the University of British Colum-bia and Stanford University, parents have greater levels of happiness than those without children.

“We are not saying that par-enting makes people happy, but that parenthood is associated with happiness and meaning,” explains Sonja lyubomirsky, professor of psychology at UC Riverside. “Con-trary to repeated scholarly and me-dia pronouncements, people may find solace that parenthood and child care may actually be linked to feelings of happiness and mean-ing in life.”

Researchers conducted stud-ies on 186 participants, testing whether parents were happier overall than their childless peers, whether parents felt better mo-ment to moment than non-parents and whether parents experienced

more positive feelings when taking care of their kids.

The answers to all these tests were yes. Researchers believe the consistency of these findings “pro-vides strong evidence challenging the widely held perception that children are associated with re-duced well-being.


Skinny Jeans Can Cause PainADAM hAWBOlDT

BAlTIMORE, MD — Zac Efron wears them, Mila Kunis wears them and, chances are every hipster you know has at least one pair of them in their closet.

Yessiree, any way you slice it, skinny jeans are back in fashion. And according to recent studies, that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Dr. Karen Boyle, a surgeon at the Greater Baltimore Medical Centre, claims the trendy clothing choice can cause “meralgia paresthetica” — a disorder that causes tingling, numbness and pain in the upper legs.

“It’s a disorder that occurs when one of the nerves that runs in the outer part of a thigh gets com-pressed,” Boyle tells ABC News.

These symptoms are often worse in people who wear high

heels with skinny jeans because of the way the pel-vis tilts, which can increase the pres-sure.

Boyle warns that if you are ex-periencing pain but choosing to ignore it, you face permanent nerve damage. Options for alleviating any health issues associated with skinny jeans include purchasing jeans that have added lycra, which gives them more stretch.


EaT, DRINk, WORk — Professional women drink more than those with manual jobs, claims new studies. Fig-ures from the Office of national Statis-tics show that women with high-profile careers drink a bottle of wine a week, or

roughly 11.2 units of alcohol, compared to female cleaners, who drink around 6.2 units. While a bottle of wine is not extravagant, some researchers caution against using booze to reduce stress. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Global At A Glance

“[Wearing skinny jeans can cause] tingling, numbness and pain…”

-Adam Hawboldt

OffbeatMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Two Flies Per BathroomBeijing Unveils new Public Washroom RulesADAM hAWBOlDT

BEIjING, CHINa — New regu-lations in Beijing stipulate that public bathrooms can have no more than two flies per stall.

And we’re not talking about pants zippers here. no, we’re talking actual buzzing, pesky house flies.

The Beijing Municipal Commis-sion of City Administration and En-vironment issued the rule as part of a “new standard for public toilet management.”

xie Guomin, the official respon-sible for the initiative, says the two-fly rule was not compulsory, but was a new benchmark to improve

Beijing’s notoriously dirty public bathrooms.

Along with the two-fly rule, pub-lic bathrooms in Beijing will also be held up to new odor standards as well as restrictions on the number of pieces of rubbish you can discard (no more than two).


Boy, 14, Conducts OrchestraADAM hAWBOlDT

CARACAS, VEnEZUElA— José Ángel Salazar, a 14-year-old from Ve n e z u e l a , i s quite possibly the youngest orches-tra conductor in the world.

Salazar was recently appointed to direct the Venezuelan Youth Or-chestra, which consists of 70 to 80 musicians — half of whom are older than him.

“It’s hard because I have to find the way to communicate, or some-times tell off kids who are much older than me,” he admits to the

Guardian. “I guess they are forcing me to be better.”

“I am not sure I am the youngest,”

he says of his “youngest” designa-tion. “Maybe there is a younger conductor in some small town somewhere else.”


“[The musicians] are forcing me to be better.”

-José Ángel Salazar

$4.4M jERSEY — Babe Ruth is no strang-er to records. The former new York Yankee held the major league home-run record from ‘21-’74 and is the only man to have hit 40 home runs in more

than 10 seasons. And the Bambino has broken another record: a jersey he wore sold for more than $4.4 million, a record for any item of sports memorabilia. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.

Offbeat At A Glance

Seven ‘Weirdos’ Who Ruin It AllADAM hAWBOlDT

PUllMAn, WA — Research-ers have identified seven specific types of people who can spoil anything from a shopping trip to a restaurant meal for others.

A recent study co n du c te d at Washington State University on so-called “customer service sabotage” has listed the types of problematic customers, and they read like a bizarre Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs cast list: dopey, grumpy, smelly, pushy, stubborn, inconsiderate and rude.

The most common offenders

were those who swear loudly, fol-lowed closely by ones who easily become angered at the slightest grievance, and those who have poor personal hygiene.

The research was conducted by Joel Anaya, a senior major-ing in hospitality business man-agement at the

university. he examined over 200 instances of frustrated customers at various online commenting sites.

“Customers don’t just go to a restaurant to enjoy a burger,” ex-plains Anaya. “They go to have a good time.”


“Researchers have identified seven specific types of people who can spoil anything…”

-Adam Hawboldt

FoodMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Griffin: Great Takeaway For allTasty Vegan, Gluten-Free Items Will Keep You Coming BackADAM hAWBOlDT

as I write this, alex j. MacPher-son is alternating between writ-ing about a rock and roll band and complaining that he can’t eat cake.

See, my Verb colleague has coeliac disease, which means the poor bugger has a rather diffi-cult time eating gluten. lucky for Alex, though, there is an excellent place here in town that caters to his needs.

located on 8th Street (next to Jysk), the Griffin Takeaway special-izes in gluten-free food, so if you’re allergic to this strange and specific protein yet have an overwhelm-ing urge to scarf down a brownie cheesecake, you should probably stop by this little niche-in-the-wall.

Same goes if you have a han-kering for toffee chocolate cheese puffs or crème brûlée or a scone, whatever — at Griffin Takeaway it’s all gluten-free. Me, I’m not allergic to anything of the sort, but I’d heard the food at Griffin is excellent so the other day I stopped by to pick up some lunch.

now, the soup and salad options change daily, but when I went there the soup was loaded with olives and white beans, and was savoury, hearty and delicious — everything good comfort food should be.

After that was I gave the black

bean and corn salad with cumin lime dressing a try. Yep: good choice! Beefed up with red on-ions, carrots and peppers, this

salad was fresh and the dressing was simply per-fect. The tangy lime offset the warm nutty taste

of cumin and really gave this dish some well-balanced zip.

After the salad came the sand-wiches. Unable to settle on just one, I thought I’d give two a try: the Barbecue Pulled Pork and the Cheese-a-tarian.

let’s start with the pulled pork. Served on gluten-free bread, this sandwich was sweat and meaty and filling. The bread was spectacu-lar, and the red onion and grated cheddar cheese that was mixed in with the meat really added a new and delicious dimension to an old favourite.

For the Cheese-a-tarian, I went

with focaccia bread (which was not gluten free.)

Made from a mixture of orange cheddar, aged smoked cheddar, cream cheese and feta, the filling for this sandwich was absolutely mouthwatering: sharp, smoky, creamy and salty. Toss some garlic mayo and tomato in the mix and you have one heckuva delectable meal.

I finished with a haystack cookie — which, by all accounts (I shared with my co-workers — and by shared, I mean they stole pieces) was incredibly chocolatey.

So whether you can eat gluten or you can’t, do yourself a favour and check out Griffin Takeway. Cozy, comfort food for all: you can’t go wrong.


Address: #10 3311 8th Street EastHours: Monday to Friday: 10am-7pmReservations: 933-3385

Griffin Takeaway

Photos: courtesy of Adam Hawboldt

“The tangy lime offset the warm nutty taste of cumin…”

-Adam Hawboldt

On and off the cob it’s deli-cious — corn is tasty, and has some tasty facts, too.

■ About 800 million tons of corn are produced every year around the world

■ One bushel of corn will sweeten more than 400 cans of Coca-Cola

■ Corn, also known as maize, was first grown as a crop around 7,000 years ago in present-day Mexico

■ The average ear of corn has 16 rows and approximately 800 kernels

■ Using corn to produce etha-nol is gaining popularity as a renewable fuel resource

OpinionMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

We Think all Drugs Should Be LegalizedOur Ultimate Goal In Revamping Policy Includes Regulation, Removing StigmaThE EDITORS OF VERB

This is the final installment of a three-part series pertaining to Canada’s ineffec-tive war on drugs, in which we examine what our revamped drug policy should look like.

SaSkaTOON, Sk — as we’ve previously discussed, we think that Canada needs to reimagine its drug policy in order to make it as effective as possible — our current hard-line not only stuffs our jails with people who don’t deserve to be there, but also doesn’t work to wean users off their addictions. and that’s why we think that le-galizing drugs is the way to go.

We’ve already argued for the complete decriminalization of personal possession based on the successful policy Portugal imple-mented in 2003.

We have also stated that once drugs are decriminalized, super-vised injection sites should open in every major city across the county, while jail terms for personal pos-session of narcotics should be eradicated in favour of therapy and treatment.

Ultimately, however, these are simply foundational steps neces-sary to achieve our end vision. You see, if we rush things too quickly and try to change everything all at once, we run the very high and very real risk of straining our rela-tions with America to the point of rupture.

Sure, in an ideal world no exter-nal force should dictate what we do, but the U.S. is one of our biggest trading partners and we need to ap-proach the situation pragmatically.

So let’s revamp our drug poli-cy piecemeal, show our southern neighbours that the liberalization of drugs makes both dollars and sense, and then move to what we think is a logical drug policy, one that includes the legalization and regulation of all drugs. Such a policy would allow us to reap myriad ben-efits — both fiscal and social.

let’s start with the fiscal. Ac-cording to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, the illegal drug trade sets the government back an estimated $8.2 billion annually. Of that, $2.3 billion is spent on enforce-ment (this includes policing, courts

and corrections). That’s a heaping sum for such

an ineffective policy, so why not try something different? Why not legalize drugs and tax them like we do for alcohol or cigarettes?

not only would we seriously reduce our enforcement budget, but if we levied a “sin tax” on the tens of billions of dollars in illicit drug sales every year, well, let’s just say we’d have a lot more money floating around in our federal and provincial budgets.

how much? One source, the magazine BC Busi-ness, estimates that the BC mari-juana trade alone brings in nearly $7.5 billion a year. By legalizing and

taxing marijuana, federal and pro-vincial governments would stand to make hundreds of millions, de-pending on how heavy-handed the taxes were.

And please remember, that’s just by legalizing weed in BC. Imag-ine the untold economic benefits of taxing all drugs all across the country.

Consider how much good regu-lation of the drug industry would bring. First, we believe that the number of deaths would decrease. If the government was responsible for the drug trade, the standards of quality and safety would increase greatly (they aren’t going to want anyone to get sick or worse on a bad trip).

What’s more, legalizing and regulating the drug trade would decrease the presence of organized crime in Canada.

It’s no great secret that a crimi-nalized drug market creates a vac-uum in which organized crimes exists and thrives. But if you get rid of that vacuum, you also get rid of the money that is the lifeblood of these organizations and starve them into submission.

It worked when America re-pealed prohibition, and it could work for us.

The demand for drugs, illegal or legal, will always exist, but the sup-ply of illegal drugs does not have

to. Through legalization, regulation and taxation, we can tear drugs out of the violent underworld, remove the stigma, and bring the industry

(along with its billions of dollars in revenue) out into to open — where it belongs.


“The demand for drugs … will always exist, but the supply of illegal drugs does not have to.”

-Verb’s editors

FeatureMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Saskatoon Blitz! Bigger, Better Than EverBilly West, Tom Grummett And More Will Be On hand At Third Annual ComiconSEBASTIEn DAnGERFIElD

SaSkaTOON, Sk — after Laura Petrishen-Ha graduated from university she didn’t know what to do.

With no jobs on the horizon, it seemed like the former University of Saskatchewan student was just sitting around, waiting, so she de-cided to do something about that.

“I started up a little anime club,” she laughs. “I used Kijiji. I let strang-ers come to my house. That was just crazy.”

Perhaps, but nearly three years later Petrishen-ha’s little club has blossomed into a full-blown

business, the Saskatoon love love Anime Group Inc., and is currently preparing to put on its third an-nual Saskatoon Blitz! — the only comicon in the province.

“The first year we just did a small anime event, but there was a lot of interest from the comic book com-munity,” explains Petrishen-ha.

“So I decided to put the two to-gether and make a comicon. like, a real comicon. That was held at Prairieland Park. The venue was for 700 and 683 people showed up.”

This year the Blitz! has grown yet

again. So much so that SllAG Inc. has moved to a multi-room format at the Saskatoon Inn.

“We’re trying to have a nice va-riety of things to make sure people get a little bit of everything,” says Petrishen-ha.

“ h o p e f u l l y we’re giving fans what they want here in Saskatoon.”

And if the lineup for this year’s event is any indication, there’ll be a little something there for everyone.

If you’re a fan of mainstream car-toons, voice actor Billy West (Stimpy on The Ren & Stimpy Show, Philip J. Fry, Dr. Zoidberg and Zapp Bran-nigan, among others, on Futurama, and both Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd in the movie Space Jam) will be on hand.

If it’s comic books you like, Tom Grummett will be in attendance. Grummett is well known for his work on titles such as The Adven-tures of Superman, X-Men Forever and Superboy. For the video game junkies there’ll be an appearance by voice actor Spike Spencer (Saints Row: The Third), lovers of anime can chat with Terri Doty (Fairy Tail, Romeo X Juliet), and fantasy fans can see painter Mike Sass (World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons) do his thing.

And the list goes on. But the convention is more than a host of special guests showing up and wandering around. The Saskatoon Blitz! will also feature more than 14 hours of activities and events, including an anime screening room, a costume contest, a dance, an art jam, games, performances and in-teractive panels.

“We’re going to be running two panel rooms simultaneously,” ex-plains Petrishen-ha. “Our special guests will be giving presentations … and you’ll have the chance to ask them open questions.”

Along with this, there will also be a large vendor room.

“There will be a lot of cool stuff to buy that you can’t get in Saska-toon right now,” says Pertrishen-ha. “So if you’re a big geek and like to collect stuff, it’s probably a really good place to be.”

The Saskatoon Blitz! will run from approximately 9 AM-11 PM on June 9th at the Saskatoon Inn. Tickets are on sale now at next level Game Exchange, 8th Street Books and Comics, Amazing Stories, Unreal City and online at www.sllag.info.


Photo: courtesy of Saskatoon Blitz.

“There will be a lot of cool stuff … that you can’t get in Saskatoon right now.”

-Laura Petrishen-Ha

arts OneMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Rockers Zeus just keep Getting BetterCanadian Foursome Talks hot Tunes, Recording Tracks And Busting VisionsAlEx J MACPhERSOn

SaSkaTOON, Sk — Making a good sophomore record is, noto-riously, difficult. Countless bands have faded into obscurity after following a promising debut with a dud. But not Zeus: they’re only getting bet-ter.

“I think the ob-jective was to do something that did more, for sure,” says Carlin nicholson, one of the band’s three multi-instrumentalists. “That’s probably always the objec-tive of a band making a second record — it’s better in as many ways as possible — but as to the dif-ferences between the two, it was interesting because the first album, we didn’t know we were making an album for a band called Zeus.”

The band’s lineup crystallized during the Say Us sessions. What began as a loose conglomeration of friends and family members produced a dedicated four-piece rock band. Their debut, Say Us, was subsequently nominated for the Polaris Prize.

“At the time we didn’t really know what was going down,” nicholson laughs. “We were really truly just having fun, but when it was time to make this one we had been a band for two years already. There’s a definite difference there, it was a more calculated move for us to go into the studio as Zeus and

record the album.”The calculated approach ap-

pears to work. Busting Visions is more polished than its predeces-sor without sacrificing any of the raw energy that made Say Us great. Crackling with electricity, Busting

Visions marries spik y guitar s , piano flourishes and cagey ar-rangements with the songwriting

trio of nicholson, Mike O’Brien and neil Quin.

“It’s great,” nicholson says of the band’s songwriting approach. “You have the other guy to work off of, and you’re stoked about his songs and he’s stoked about your songs. Before you know it, you’ve got a few songs and the album starts to take shape. I feel like we’ve got another five or six albums just as good as the first and second, partly because we have a lot of backlogged songs.”

And while Busting Visions is at its core a songwriting experiment, it doesn’t sound like one. nichol-son, O’Brien, and Quin tend to work alone, but their songs are rinsed through a common filter before the tape starts to roll. If Say Us was a statement, Busting Visions is a ques-tion: how can the rudiments of rock & roll be updated, modernized and energized?

“If somebody has an idea, no matter how silly or crazy it is, it always gets entertained,” nichol-son explains. “There’s this idea that

we’re trying to keep loyal to some certain sound we stumbled across on the first record; the combina-tion of guys that it took to create that sound and put those songs together, that’s the more impor-tant thing.”

Coherence is the unmistakable sign of a growing rock & roll band, and while Busting Visions is obvi-ously the product of four individu-als working together, nicholson thinks the production process is as important as anything else.

“We record our own records, complete control over what they

sound like,” he says. “We could take a Britney Spears song and record it as our band and it would sound right at home on the record.”

We will probably never know whether this is true, but nicholson has a point. Only complete control over the process can give a rock band complete control over their sound. And that process isn’t going to slow down any time soon. Be-cause the band has three songwrit-ers, finished tracks tend to pile up.

“Even we speak right now,” nicholson says, “we have six or seven songs we’re all talking about

recording.”“We play for keeps,” laughs

nicholson, before turning serious. “We’re one of those bands that can’t fake it. If we can’t communicate the emotion in the right way when we’re playing the song it won’t hap-pen.”


ZeusWhere: Amigos CantinaWhen: June 1Cost: $13 @ Ticketedge.ca

Event Info

Photo: courtesy of Derek Branscombe and Chris Marshall

“We play for keeps. We’re one of those bands that can’t fake it.”

-Carlin Nicholson

Section Pages 10, 11VerbNews.comarts & Culture

Fashion, Design Festival Celebrates local StyleAlEx J MACPhERSOn

SASKATOOn, SK — The inau-gural Saskatoon Fashion and De-sign Festival is the public face of a growing movement to promote the local fashion industry — one of the city’s best kept secrets.

“It is really just to legitimize the industry here,” says Candace Fox, the festival’s press representative. “Fashion is everywhere but it’s kind of been downplayed in Saskatchewan. We don’t really have an organization that promotes it.”

The opening event is a fashion show by Rebecca King, a pillar of the western Canadian independent

fashion industry and one of the most prominent designers to emerge from Saskatoon. King has been living in Calgary for several years, but is planning a move back to Saskatoon, and thinks the lo-

cal industry has grown dramati-cally since her departure.

“Before I left things were pick-ing up,” King ex-

plains. “A lot of people are actually moving back to Saskatchewan, so there are a few new designers in town. People are working in the industry and finding work. I’ve been at it for over seven years. Starting out, I didn’t have anybody to talk to, I didn’t know any other designer in the city.”

King’s work adds a modern twist to traditional ideas. Informed by 18th century menswear, particularly military uniforms, she creates coats and dresses for women that are as beautiful as they are functional. her fall line, which will be unveiled at the show, includes twenty different looks centred on a colour palette of burnt orange and tobacco brown.

“In the past I’ve kind of jumped around, but there’s definitely a co-lour influence in this line,” she says.

The Saskatoon Fashion and De-sign Festival also includes a Mix & Match Marketplace for local design-ers to show their products and an outdoor fashion show featuring six designers and live entertainment.


AlEx J MACPhERSOn

A quarter century is a long time to be in the music business, but Randy Travis knows all about its ups and downs. his debut album, Storms of Life, was released in 1986; this year Travis is releasing two records and giv-ing more than 80 concerts. Verb caught up with Travis in Texas to chat about why he keeps working, and the Grand Ole Opry.

Alex J MacPherson: In a quar-ter century, how has the business

changed?Randy Travis: I like that term,

a quarter century. I hadn’t heard that one before. That really makes me feel like I’ve been here a long time. It used to be this simple: we

record an album, put the singles out, promotions staff calls radio, they play it, and then we go out

there and tour. It’s so different now, through the computer world we live in now. The amount of younger people within the business making records, it’s amazing how many people are closer to 20 than they are 40.

AJM: But despite the changes, you seem fairly comfortable these days.

RT: I’m fortunate, I’m sitting in a real comfortable place. Yeah, I’m not getting that kind of air-play anymore, but I was fortunate enough to find songs that were what people would call signature songs … if I can’t ever get airplay again I’m sitting in a good place.

AJM: You’ve got a heap of new projects on the go — what’s the ap-peal of working so hard?

RT: I like to work. I like to do con-tinual things, new things as years go by … I can’t sit around and do noth-ing … somebody asked me about retiring and I said, “what would I do?” You’ve got to do something, and for me I’m real fortunate: what I do as a

Five Qs With Randy TravisCountry Music legend Reflects On Past 25 Years

Photo: courtesy of Harvey Miedreich

Photo: courtesy of the artist

“[I]f I can’t ever get airplay again I’m sitting in a good place.”

-Randy Travis

“Fashion is everywhere but it’s kind of been downplayed in Saskatchewan.”

-Candace Fox

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

VerbNews.comarts & CulturePages 12, 13May 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.comarts & CulturePages 10, 11VerbNews.com

living I love it. That time onstage for me is so special.

AJM: You’ve received plenty of accolades, but I understand you’re most proud of your induction into the Grand Ole Opry.

RT: The Opry is special to many, many people in this business. You walk on that stage and it feels dif-ferent than any other I have been on in my whole life. It’s probably because of the history there, the people who have stood there and sang on that stage, people I grew up listening to and grew up sing-ing their music. It’s a big honour to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry … I always told people I just wanted to make a living writing and singing. As this all started it went way, way beyond anything I had ever thought about.

AJM: What do you hope the audi-ence takes away from your shows?

RT: A lot of things! If you look at the songs, certain songs mean more to some people. For me, “he Walked on Water” takes me back to my grandfather and my grandmother, and it seems to do the same thing to a lot of people I have met through these years. At the end of a performance I want to feel like that audience has left there, heard those songs they wanted to hear, and I want to feel like I’ve done the best possible job that I can do as a singer.


Five Qs With Randy TravisCountry Music legend Reflects On Past 25 Years

Young Artist Explores life’s Trials In Thoughtful Exhibit OvercomeAlEx J MACPhERSOn

SASKATOOn, SK — Jane Reväe McWhirter didn’t plan to become an artist; it just happened.

A n d s h e wouldn’t have it any other way.

M c W h i r t e r , who is 22, discov-ered art through Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming (SCYAP), a local or-ganization dedicated to promoting art among young people deemed “at risk.”

At first, McWhirter was skeptical; she saw art as something to kill time with, not a valuable end in itself.

A little less than two years of hard work transformed her “silly sketches” into fully realized works of art.

now, the up-and-coming young artist is preparing her first solo ex-hibition, the aptly-titled Overcome.

“It was also for people who had a troubled past,” she says of SCYAP.

“I used to have problems with drinking and stuff like that, and had been in a bunch of stupid relation-ships,” she continues.

“I went through a bunch of stu-pid things in my teenage years. It touched up on art, and it touched up on making [my] life better and

… overcoming things.”McWhirter needed an outlet,

and she found it on the canvas. “I feel like art helped me express

myself,” she explains. “It gave me

something to do with my time.”

She has dab-bled in many forms, from paint-

ing and sculpture to multimedia confessionals, but McWhirter’s best work is a series of female portraits.

Informed by her own experi-ences, the women McWhirter paints are not so much individuals as they are vehicles for emotion.

“A lot of it is in the expression,” she says.

“A lot of their expressions are [drawn from] how I felt or how I feel,” she adds.

“I put them in different moods, so if people see them maybe they’ll know exactly how she feels.”

Overcome will be on display at the SCYAP Gallery from now until June 2nd.


OvercomeWhere: SCYAP GalleryWhen: now ‘til June 2Cost: Free!

Saskatoon Fashion & Design FestivalWhere: Various locationsWhen: May 31 – June 3More info: www.saskfashion.com

Randy TravisWhere: Dakota Dunes CasinoWhen: June 5Cost: $75 @ Dakota Dunes Box OfficeWant some coverage for your upcoming event? Email [email protected] ASAP!

Event Info

Photo: courtesy of Jane McWhirter


“I feel like art helped me express myself. It gave me something to do…”

-Jane Reväe McWhirter

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comMovies


Dafoe Captivating In The HunterMelodramatic Plot Prevents Character Study From Taking OffThe Hunter

ADAM hAWBOlDT

If Willem Dafoe can do one thing better than most, it’s play a character full of creepy, wiry menace.

Think about his Sergeant Elias in Platoon or his Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ. There’s some-thing about those characters that pulls you in yet keeps you slightly unsettled. Something edgy and personal and profound.

It’s what Dafoe does best, and he’s at it again in The Hunter, which is currently being screened at Roxy Theatre.

Directed by Daniel nettheim, the movie is about a mercenary named Martin David (Dafoe) who is sent by Red leaf, a military biotech corpora-tion, to backwoods Tasmania.

his mission? Track down, kill and harvest the organs of a Tasmanian tiger — which isn’t so much a tiger as it is a dog-like carnivorous mar-supial with a striped tail and back. Oh, and apparently it’s the last of its kind on Earth.

Red leaf doesn’t care, though. Extinction and eco-system be d a m n e d , t h e company wants the toxin the tiger uses to paralyze its prey, and they want it now. So off Martin flies to hobart, Tasma-nia’s capital, posing as a scientist while a secret light-weight sniper rifle lays nestled in his backpack. he sets up base camp at a dilapidated farmhouse, where he stays with a

family whose patriarch has gone missing. normally a cool-as-ice mercenary, the more time Martin spends with the family the more

his stony heart begins to thaw.

As his attach-ment to the family mounts, unfore-s e e n dan g e r s

and obstacles begin to sprout up. There’s the good-ol’ local boys, the ruggedness of the terrain, the viciousness of the animal and, fi-nally, rival hunters.

Yes, rival hunters. What happens

is, Red leaf grows impatient and decides to pit hunter against hunter in a race for the prize. It’s a nasty situation that, on the surface, seems like it would hold promise for a lot of explosive action.

The thing is, there isn’t much big action in this film. Instead, it’s more of a human study, a slow-burning, intimate character piece that really allows Dafoe to showcase his immense and diverse talents — especially when it comes to non-verbal acting.

As Martin’s feeling are largely internalized in the film, the weight

of Dafoe’s performance rests more on his body language and facial expressions than dialogue, and he pulls it off effortlessly.

Whenever we’re watching just Dafoe move around the rocky wilderness, The Hunter is terrific — mesmerizing, even.

But once we get back into civi-lization, that’s when the film starts to go off the rails.

Down in the real world, the film has too little focus, too many cli-chés: there are the burly locals who think Martin in an environmentalist there to undermine the logging industry; there’s Martin’s attraction to the mother of the family he’s staying with; then there are her precocious kids that you’ve seen in dozens of other movies.

Basically, down there among the people, there’s more melodrama than a movie like this should con-tain.

That’s not to say The Hunter is a bad movie. As a character study, while Martin is on the hunt, it’s actu-ally quite good.

Too bad he keeps getting pulled back into civilization.


Runtime: 100 MinutesRated: 14a

“Whenever we’re watching just Dafoe … The Hunter is terrific…”

-Adam Hawboldt

Photo: courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

SectionPage PHPH PH–PH, ‘PHVerbNews.comMovies


Photo: courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Men In Black Is Back, and Not That GoodBrolin Shines While Smith And Jones Falter In Franchise’s Third Installment Men in Black 3

ADAM hAWBOlDT

You have to admit, there are some damn fine movie trilogies out there.

There’s Park Chan-wook’s Ven-geance Trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance/Oldboy/Sympathy for Lady Vengeance), Sergio leone’s Dollars Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars/For a Few Dollars More/The Good, the Bad and the Ugly), the original Star Wars trilogy, the Godfather trilogy.

The list goes on.But nowhere on that list of

damn-fine trilogies will you find the Men in Black franchise.

Sure the first one, which de-buted 15 years ago, was zippy and fresh and funny and cool. But Men in Black II was so bad that most view-ers wished they’d had their minds wiped with one of those “neural-izing” flash stick thingamajigs the agents use.

As for Men in Black 3, well, it’s not nearly has horrawful (yes, I just combined horrible and awful) as the second installment, but it’s leagues away from being as good as the 1997 original.

In fact, even when zinging along

at its highest point, MIB 3 still feels like a futile attempt to repackage whatever lightning and magic they’d found in the first flick.

That doesn’t mean the movie is bad — just that it’s not overly good. But more on the vices and virtues of this film in a minute. For now, let’s take a quick look at plot.

Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, MIB 3 reunites Will Smith and Tommy lee Jones as agents J and K. Again they’re charged with sav-ing the Earth. This time, though, there’s a bit of a time travel twist. Interstellar assassin Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement) escapes from a correctional facility on the moon and steals a time-travel doohickey.

his plan is simple: travel back to 1969, kill the young agent K (Josh Brolin) and set off a temporal reac-tion that will echo into a present day destruction of Earth by Boris’ alien race.

naturally, agent J is sent back in time to stop this from happening.

Ultimately though, is MIB 3 worth watching?

To answer that, let’s pay homage to leone’s trilogy and break this film down into the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

The good — as a young agent K, Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, True Grit) is spot on. he simply

nails it. his bemused twang in his voice, his reticent demeanour, even his facial expressions are so much

like Tommy lee Jones it’s border-line creepy.

The bad — both Will Smith ( I n d e p e n d e n ce

Day, I, Robot) and Tommy lee Jones (The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men) were basically sleep walking through their roles. Sure Smith was

his usual charming self and Jones still plays cantankerous well, but neither one of them seemed to be enjoying themselves. Oh, and on top of that, the 3D format Son-nenfeld used didn’t do much to enhance the film.

The ugly — it’s no secret this script went through a lot of writers before it was finalized, but some-where along the way they must’ve

took the comedy writer’s draft and burned it.

There were plenty of opportu-nity for laughs here, but the prob-lem is, unlike the original MIB, the laughs never seem to come.

So with all that said, my advice is this: sure, watch Men in Black 3, but only if you have nothing bet-ter to do.


“as a young agent k, josh Brolin … is spot on. He simply nails it.”

-Adam Hawboldt

Runtime: 106 MinutesRated: PG

TextsMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

This Week: War On Drugs Part 2last week we asked what you

thought about our proposed first steps in changing Canada’s drug policy, and here’s what you had to say.

Next week’s topic: see page 9

— what do you think about le-galizing all drugs? 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!

On TopicWar on Drugs - As a survivor of both a drunk driver and the Saskatoon drug scene. I prescribe to the AsIan solution - summary exicution - their numbers are impressive, China drug use down 95% in four years, Malaysia drunk driving down 95% 8n two years. There has been little burden to the tax payers. Their econimies are booming. Tey have almost no crime or social problems. An example worth following, I think.

Shifting our focus from hardline policies to something that promotes rehabilitation just makes sense. Good luck getting the government to ok putting safe injection sites everywhere

aren’t they shutting down the one in van?

Right giving addicts more access to drugs is not the solution to curbing the widespread use of drugs in our country. This will only make things worse. The threat of punishment is the only thing that’ll work.

Insite has been a fantastic program and we should definitely have it here. Halting the spread of diseases from injection drugs and giving addicts a safe, healthy place to get high with medical staff on hand is a key first step to getting someone off drugs. Guess what: when things are crappy and you don’t have access to information on therapies, rehab, etc., it takes a lot to seek it out. Having something like Insite offers a key place to go.

I dont understand how giving someone with a drug problem even better access to drugs cuts down on the issues. It doesn’t make sence.

That’s what I want my tax money to go to gettin a junkie high! I will never suport a gov’t or newspaper who supports this! Help with rehab!

Sure bring an insite centre but where are you going to put it here? I don’t want to have anything like that near my house or my kids school. Outskirts maybe? An interesting proposition and worth looking at but needs more thought.

Yes! Insite has worked wonders in the DTES in Vancouver and is definitely something we should be embracing across the country. If only Harper wasn’t so bullheaded we could make progress on helping others in this country.

LOL like Wall and conservatives are going to let us build an insite here getreal.

Off TopicRe: “We Think Civic Events Should Be Secular,” Opinion page, May 4th issue

Does being a multicultural country mean that we have to embrace everyone else’s culture but our own? Canada needs to get a backbone and stop being the spineless jellyfish that it is and stand up for things that make us Canadian and/or Christian.

Re: “We Think Civic Events Should Be Secular,” Opinion page, May 4th issue

(Off topic - civic events should be secular) Why is this even a topic for debate? Leave the magic pixie dust, rain dances and rituals at home. There is no place for it at a civic event. You wanna pray at a public event. Go ahead, it’s your right. But it’s my right to point out how ridiculous whatever space zombie cult it is you belong to and openly mock you. No, I won’t respect your belief in fairy tales and I don’t care if you’re offended. ALL RELIGIONS HURT SOCIETY!!!


Look, no one is saying Christians are terrible people we’re just saying we dont’ want to be subjected to a Christian prayer at a public, non-Christian event. And denigrating Christians for being religious isn’t the way to go, either - people aren’t stupid for finding comfort in a god. They’re stupid if you use a power outside of yourself to justify or promote hate/violence, and that can certainly be done without invoking any kind of deity.


For information Obama had soldiers burn Christian bibles in 2010 in fear of Muslims. Anyway, it’s interesting to see how many of you get so worked up about Christians. I’ll pray for you.

Re: “Pill Helps You Stay Sober,” Global page, May 18th issue

A pill that keeps you

sober longer? They should sell them at bars they could make alot more money if people can drink more.

Re: “Pill Helps You Stay Sober,” Global page, May 18th issue

They should make a pill that makes heavy drinkers extremly sick if they consume alcohol that would help wean heavy drinkers off the bottle.

Re: “Needle Pain,” Global page, May 18th issue

needle pain - I would believe it. The first time I had blood taken I was watching and ended up getting woozy and passing out in the reception area. Since then I have never looked and don’t get woozy and pass out.

Re: “Fist Pump First,” Offbeat page, May 18th issue

Fist pump first: he probably holds the record for biggest douchebag.

Re: “What You Read Influences Your Be-haviour,” Global page, May 18th issue

Adam I totally agree you do become what you read! My question have you read 50 Shades of Grey? Kari.

How long do you think it will take for the Establishment to realize that the “Occupy Movement” and “The Vancouver Riots” and “The Montreal Students’ Uproar” and “Non-participation by Youths during elections” are all signs of Youth activism based on their loss of trust and confidence in the system? I suggest that our Youth are legitimately questioning why they should sacrifice to get us out of the economic

TextsMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

hole we’re in; the very hole that the spoiled brat boomers ahead of them created. Dennis Hall

Doctors! They spend their whole lives studying and working on human physiology and they never see some simple basic governing systems principles. I suspect they’re just way too focussed on their pharmacy as treatments and cures.

To whoever texted about bus drivers not being able to drive worth spit obviously does not realize what it is like to drive 8 hours a day with losers cutting in front of the bus all day long. Before you criticize, try to realize what stress another driver is under on a daily basis.

I think people should stop freaking out on bus drivers. Nobodys perfect in their job all the time, and they get u to ur destination safely.

So Maurice Vellacott thinks that the bullying laws should apply to the fetus? Really? How do you bully a fetus? All you’re trying to do is reopen the abortion debate Muarice. Why don’t you do something for your constituents besides push your extremist

crap on everyone. Right to choose!

Velacot is a reprehensible human being. Don’t have a uterus? GTFO of mine. He’s trolling the people of SK by trying to restart a debate that even Harper (doing something great for once) has clearly stated he’s not interested in revisiting. Hey Maurice: STFU!

Just saw the Theo Fleury movie so sad what that pervert Graham James did to him. Child molesters should be locked up for life in cell with no windows!

No matter what kind of names you call us Christians ( crazy twisted sick etc. ) we love you no matter what.

I’d just like to thank the Nightlife section for getting me dumped turns out your NEVER safe to cheat

FB stock tanking suck it Zuckerberg you’re overrated, a thief and deserve to loose ur billions.

WHY not have clothing optional outdoor Pools that is where the Nakeds At?

Montreal protests are inspiring. A disenfranchised

generation is making their voice heard. We should be celebrating them, not openly rebuking. Don’t let a few bad apples (i.e. the ones who vandalise/harm others, throw stones) be your picture of the protestors. There are many, many others who are working hard to make their beliefs known, subscribe to the outrageous laws imposed by the government, and incite change.

I think the downtown bus terminal should be smoke free I’m sick of breathing in 2nd hand smoke while I wait for the bus. Anybody agree or disagree?

When push comes to shove EVERYBODY can get a little DOWNtown! “The lights are so much brighter. You can forget all your troubles forget all your cares!”

Just as small people apparently live big lives; big people apparently live small lives. Don’t get foolee by the posers!

New E.I. regs are gonna fail in Sask. Employers here never ever hire smarter, better educated or more experienced than themselves! Its a greedy control thing.

Slinkies are the new lemurs, who were the

new kittens? Internet video fads are crazy and addictive

New Great Gatsby trailer looks atrotcious i’m so disapointed it’s gonna suck.

Everytime DOWNtown person txts I hear Petula Clark lyrics in my head. Somehow, me thinks they arent talking about the same place :)

Did we win millions yet you guys? I didn’t hear if we’re rich.

Miss me?

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

NightlifeMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

Photos courtesy of Patrick Carley ([email protected])

Venue6Twelve Lounge on Friday, May 18th

Location612 Spadina Crescent East

Playing on arrivalLamb’s “Butterfly Effect”

Music VibeLounge, electric, world beat

Regular GigsDJ Quadrant Khan on Fridays and Saturdays, and DJ Eclectic on Sundays

Popular DrinkManhattan: Knob Creek bourbon, Italian vermouth and Angostura bitters

Food of ChoiceFilet mignon — 6-, 8- or 10-ounce cut, with your choice of baked potato, herb whipped potato or risotto

Something NewNew homegrown drinks: Yellow Grass Caesars, Candle Lake Ice Tea, Maple Creek Old Fashioned, Regina’s Royal Cocktail and Rosetown Martini. Also: head on down to check out Eclectic Sundays, featuring music from this summer’s top festivals, including Shambhala, Sasquatch and Coachella

Friday @ 6Twelve

NightlifeMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

VenueJoe’s Sports Bar & Grill on Thursday, May 17th

Location345 2nd Ave N

Playing on arrivalNHL playoffs

Regular GigsAll sporting events, and stand-up comedy hosted by Dez Reed on Thursday and Friday nights, kicking off at 8pm

Feature Deal35¢ wings

Popular DrinkGreat Western products

Food of ChoiceWings

Wing Notes 35¢ on Thursdays; of the 26 available flavours, lemon pepper is the favourite

Something NewThe deck is being renovated, so come down and check it out

Photos courtesy of Patrick Carley ([email protected])

Thursday @ joe’s

MusicMay 25–31, ‘12VerbNews.com

(NEXT WEEk) THE DaRCYS @ aMIGOS CaNTINa — Intense: that’s probably the best word to describe this Toron-to band, whose songs are brooding and atmospheric with serious indie rock sensibilities. Consisting of Jason Couse, Wes Marskell, Mike le Riche and Dave hurlow, the band has a sound

reminiscent of Radiohead (in their Kid A days). Their latest album, AJA, is a modern, track-for-track reinterpreta-tion of Steely Dan’s 1977 record, Aja. These guys will be opening for Zeus at Amigos on June 1st; tickets are $13 (www.ticketedge.ca) -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.


Friday 25HOUSE DjS — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven up the atmosphere at 6Twelve. 9pm, 6Twelve Lounge. no cover.

RaH RaH — This indie six-piece from Regina is hitting the road again. Don’t miss them when they roll though Saskatoon. Also appearing will be local act the Young Benjamins. 10pm, Amigos Cantina. Tickets $13, available at www.ticketedge.ca

PIaNO FRIDaYS: DENNIS BORYCkI — Feel like taking in some smooth jazz stylings? Come check out this talented musician tickle the ivories of the Kinsman Yamaha S6 grand piano. 4:30pm, The Bassment. no cover.

THE STONE FRIGaTE BIG BaND SWING DaNCE — Playing the music of the ‘30s and ‘40s, Stone Frigate Big Band pump out the hits of Glenn Mill-er, Duke Ellington and Count Basie. 9pm, The Bassment. Cover $12/15.

aUSTEN ROaDZ — With over 25 years of DJ experience, Austen Roadz throws down a high-energy top 40 dance party along with DJ Ash Money every Friday night. happy hour 4pm, Beily’s UltraLounge. $5 cover after 9pm.

CHIMO CHORDSMEN — Don’t miss Saskatoon’s premier Barber Shop Chorus when they return to Broad-way Theatre. 7:30 pm, Broadway The-atre. Tickets $22 adults, $17 students.

GONG SHOW — Come and enjoy one of Saskatoon’s premier party bands. These guys play hits from the past

three decades while filling the dead air with a wicked sense of humour. 10pm, Buds on Broadway. $6 cover.

Dj ECLECTIC — local turntable whiz DJ Eclectic pumps snappy electronic beats. 8pm, The Hose & Hydrant. no cover.

Dj SUGaR DaDDY & Djj-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.

BLUESTaCk — If you dig well-writ-ten, well-played rock and roll, you might want to come check out this local band. 9pm, Louis’ Pub. Tickets $15, available in advance at Jupiter, on Broadway Ave.

YOUNG jaMES — This Saskatch-ewan folk alt-rock band is all kinds of good. They’ll be performing along with Alice Kos. 10pm, Lydia’s Pub. Cover $5.

Dj BIG aYYY & Dj HENCHMaN — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around! 8pm, Outlaws Country Rock Bar. $5 cover; ladies in free before 11pm.

DR. j — Combining the best of old school funk, boogie and hip hop, this local DJ is always a pleasure to listen to. 8pm, Prairie Ink. no cover.

TR aNSCONTINE NTaL BLUES BaND — Formed in the spring of 2009, this local band plays a variety of eclectic blues and covers artist from Etta James to B.B. King. 9pm, Somewhere Else Pub. no cover.

ON ROTaTION Dj SERIES: CON-RaD DEVINE — Come out and enjoy this hip local DJ as he hops and spins late into the night. 10pm, Spadina Freehouse. no cover.

jETT RUN — Come get your classic rock/country fill with this local band. 9pm, Stan’s Place. no cover.

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

Enjoy Your Pumas– Come check out this fresh indie pop rock four-piece from Winnipeg. Also performing are local bands Fistcuffs and Gunner & Smith. 9pm, Vangelis Tavern. Cover $5.

Saturday 26HOUSE DjS — Resident DJs spin deep and soulful tunes all night. 9pm, 6Twelve Lounge. no cover.

aDaLINE — A wildly talented elec-tric alt-pop singer/musician from Toronto, Adaline creates elegant, catchy songs. She’s also been known to collaborate closely with hawksley Workman. Also appearing will be Jom Comyn and Sarah Farthing. 10pm, Amigos Cantina. Tickets available at the door.

PIaNO SERIES: CHRIS aNDREW, MICHaEL CaIN PIaNO DUO — Two great jazz pianists — one from Cal-gary, the other from Brandon — come together for a night of pure magic . 9pm, The Bassment. Tickets$16/20.


aUSTEN ROaDZ — With over 25 years of DJ experience, Austen Roadz throws down a high-energy top 40 dance party along with DJ CTRl ev-ery Saturday night. Drinks & appies 4pm, Beily’s UltraLounge. $5 cover after 9pm.

CHIMO CHORDSMEN — Don’t miss Saskatoon’s premier Barber Shop Chorus when they return to Broad-way. 2pm, Broadway Theatre. Tickets $22 adults, $17 students.

GONG SHOW — Come and enjoy one of Saskatoon’s premier party bands. These guys play hits from the past three decades while filling the dead air with a wicked sense of humour. 10pm, Buds on Broadway. $6 cover.

EXIT STRaTEGY, PUTRID SOUL, aGONY SPaWN, THRakkEN, GRI-MaCE — In the mood for some damn heavy music? You won’t want to miss this show. 9pm, The Fez on Broadway. Tickets $10.

aLL MIGHTY VOICE — Playing up-right bass, guitars, piano and organ with glorious four part harmonies, this band is all the talk of Prince Al-bert. 8pm, Gillian’s House. For more information visit www.gilliansnider.com

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.

MAlIKA SEllAMI — WIth an eclectic folk sound that combines infectious melodies and creative instrumenta-tion, this local musician is back in town and putting on a show that’s bound to please. 10pm, Lydia’s Pub. $5 cover.

aLaN DOYLE — After nearly 20 years with Great Big Sea, newfoundland’s Alan Doyle is striking out on his own. he’ll be playing songs from his de-but solo album, Boy on Bridge, along with all your Great Big Sea favou-rites. Dustin Bentall is the special guest. 8pm, The Odeon Events Centre. Tickets $33.50, available at www.ticketmaster.ca

Dj BIG aYYY & Dj HENCHMaN — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around! 8pm, Outlaws Country Rock Bar. Sas-katoon’s Most Wanted. $5 cover.

LESLIE STaNWYCk aND jOHNNY SINCLaIR — Stop by and give this talented acoustic pop duo a listen. You won’t be disappointed. 8pm, Prairie Ink. no cover.

a NIGHT aT THE MOVIES — The Sas-katoon Brass Band will be presenting a program of music inspired by films

like the Pink Panther, Star Wars and The Magnificent Seven. The maestro is Terry heckman. 7pm, Roxy Theatre. $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors. Tickets available at the Roxy.

TR aNSCONTINE NTaL BLUES BaND — Formed in the spring of 2009, this local band plays a variety of eclectic blues and cover artist from

Etta James to B.B. King. 9pm, Some-where Else Pub. no cover.

Dj ON ROTaTION: DR. j — Come check out this local DJ as he spins the kind of beats that’ll get you up and moving. 10pm, The Spadina Free-house. no cover.

DUELING PIaNOS — Terry hoknes, neil Currie and Brad King belt out

(NEXT WEEk) FEEDING FICTION @ THE FEZ ON BROaDWaY — If high-energy, heavy prog rock appeals to your musi-cal sensibilities, then you might want to check out this local band, whose aggressive sound echoes Tool, Co-heed and Audioslave. With deep lyr-ics, powerful melodies and songs that

are as heavy as they are catchy, this up-and-coming act is looking to make some noise and gain some new fans, something they’ve been doing since debuting in 2008. Feeding Fiction will be rocking the Fez on June 1st. Tickets TBD. -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.



classic tunes an- audience requests, from Sinatra to lady Gaga. 10pm, Staqatto Piano Lounge. no cover until 8pm, $5 thereafter.

IaN CaREY — Want to hear some of the freshest, most unique electro house out there? Come check out Ian Carey. he’s sold over a million records and ripped up clubs in more than 50 countries, working with the likes of Snoop Dogg and Timbaland, to name a few, along the way. 8pm, Tequila Nightclub. Tickets TBD.

jENNY WITH RORY BOREaLIS — Come on out for a night of kickass music. 8pm, Vangelis Tavern. Cover $5.

Sunday 27SaSkaTOON’S ORIGINaL INDUS-TRY NIGHT — hosted by DJ Sugar Daddy; this crowd favourite has al-ways been known to break the lat-est and greatest tracks in multiple genres. Drinks & appies 4pm, Beily’s UltraLounge. $4 cover after 9pm; no cover for industry staff.

ONE HUMaN FaMILY GOSPEL CHOIR OF SaSkaTOON — Eric Dozier, the former director of the prestigious harlem Gospel Choir, returns to Broadway for this matinee show. 2:30pm, Broadway Theatre. Tickets $17.

SaSkaTOON SYMPHONY: SUITE BEETHOVEN — The final concert of the season features Beethoven’s String Quartet in C minor. 2:30pm, Delta Bessborough Hotel. Tickets $15, available at www.tcutickets.ca

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

aRkELLS — hot off their Juno award for Group of the Year, this kickass rock band from hamilton is coming to town to knock your socks off. Also performing will be The Maine and lydia. 6pm, Louis’ Pub. Tickets $26, available at www.ticketmaster.ca

aPOCaLYPTICa — Since forming in the early ‘90s, this Finnish orches-tral rock band has released seven albums, each marked with their own distinct, ethereal sound. 7pm, The Odeon Events Centre. Tickets $34.75, available at www.ticketmaster.ca

Dj HEYWOOD aND SCOTT TURN-ER — Come down and check out two wildly talented locals as they spin the night away. 10pm, Scratch.

SUNDaY jaM — The Vangelis Sun-day Jam is an institution, offering great tunes from blues to rock and beyond. 7:30pm, Vangelis Tavern. no cover.

Monday 28Dj SUGaR DaDDY — Able to rock

any party, this crowd favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. Doors 9pm, Lydia’s Pub. no cover.

Tuesday 29Dj SUGaR DaDDY — Able to rock any party, this crowd favourite has always 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 perform-ers, and is a chance for bands, solo artists and even comedians to show-case original material. 9pm, Lydia’s Pub. no cover.

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

Wednesday 30HUMP 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.

LaTIN DaNCE NIGHT — Danza Morena latin Dance Academy hosts dance lessons and then a free for all latin Dance Party to show your stuff! lessons 8:30pm, Beily’s UltraLounge. $8 couples; $5 singles.

THE aVENUE RECORDING COM-PaNY PRESENTS OPEN MIC — hosted by Chad Reynolds. Sign up and play at this weekly event. 10pm, The Fez on Broadway. no cover


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

WILD WEST WEDNESDaY — This is Saskatoon’s top Industry night, hosted by DJ Big Ayyy & DJ hench-man. 9pm, Outlaws Country Rock Bar. Saskatoon’s Most Wanted. $4 cover; no cover for industry staff.

STEPHEN MCGUIRE — A guy, his guitar and some darn good music. That’s what this talented Irish-born musician has to offer. 8pm, Rock Creek Tap and Grill. 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.

WHY NOT WEDNESDaYS — This

week featuring local artist natalie Struck. 9pm, Spadina Freehouse. no cover.

DUELING PIaNOS — Terry hoknes, neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests, from Sinatra to lady Gaga. 10pm, Staqatto Piano Lounge. no cover.

Thursday 31jaZZ jaM: RICHaRD HaUBRICH TRIO — In the mood to make some music with a professional band? If so, take a stop by The Bassement. Bring an instrument or simply come to sing at this jazz jam. 9pm, The Bassment. Cover $5.

THE DUO — Stop by Saskatchewan’s largest musical competition. There’s loads of awesome music to go around. 7:30pm, Broadway Theatre. Tickets $12.

THE FUNDaMENTaLS — Touring with ska legend Chris Murray, this seven-piece echoes 1960s Jamaica, with roots firmly planted in the tra-ditions of early ska, rocksteady and reggae 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 SUGaR DaDDY & Dj j-MaTS — local DJs J-Mats and Sugar Daddy will be rocking the turntables to get you dancing on the dance floor! Every Thursday night will be filled with pas-sion parties, pole dancing, shadow dancers and much more! 8pm, Jax Niteclub. $5 cover, free cover with student ID before 11pm.

BOMB BEaTS — What do you get when you put two breakbeat pio-neers (Klen and Mr. Fudge) together with four turntables and 500 pounds of wax? A stellar night of music, that’s what. 8pm, Tequila Nightclub. Tickets TBD.

jOHNNY BROaDWaY RECORD CLUB — here’s your chance to be a DJ. Show up with your own records, or select from those at Vangelis and play three consecutive songs. 10pm, Vangelis Tavern. Cover $5.

Want your show listed?Email [email protected]!

(COMING UP) LEONaRD COHEN @ CRED-IT UNION CENTRE — Singer, songwriter, poet, novelist, companion of the Order of Canada, member of the American Rock and Roll hall of Fame, ordained Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk — and that’s just the tip of the leonard Cohen ice-berg. The man who lou Reed once

said belongs to the “highest and most influential echelon of songwriters” is coming to Saskatoon; he’s playing the Credit Union Centre on november 20th. Tickets are $93.75–$276.50 for floor seats, $34.50–$154 for stands seating. -Adam Hawboldt. Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.


Time OutMay 25–31, ‘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.

624531987735698241189472635397214856251869374846357129473926518568143792912785463

127685349359214786684379512215746893463891257798523461942138675876952134531467928

6 2 5 87 3 6 9 2

2 3 59 5

2 8 48 4 3 5 7 1 94 7 6 1 8

1 49 1 7 6 3

1 2 7 8 5 3 45 2 7

9 15 4 3

6 8 9 29 8 3 6 1

3 77 6 9 4

5 1 4 6 2 8

HoroscopesAries (Mar 21–Apr 19)

Oh, Aries! What a week you have in store. not only should your mood be brighter than usual, but your energy lev-els may evoke envy in quite a few people. Put yourself in the position to enjoy life.

Taurus (Apr 20–May 20)Forrest Gump was wrong, dear Tau-

rus: life isn’t like a box of chocolates. life is like a roller coaster ride, full of ups and downs. This week the choice of how to deal is up to you, Taurus, so choose wisely.

Gemini (May 21–Jun 20)Buckle your seatbelt and get a firm

grasp on the holy-crap handles, dear Gemini: this week threatens to be quite a ride. This could result in surprising ad-ventures, both good and bad.

Cancer (Jun 21–Jul 22)Challenges are everywhere, dear Can-

cer. They confront us all the time in myriad ways, so expect something to challenge you this week. how you deal with it will depend entirely on your outlook.

Leo (Jul 23–Aug 22)We all know you take pride in your

appearance, dear leo, but it’s the stuff below the surface that’s more important. Work on who you are as a person. In the long run, you’ll be glad you did.

Virgo (Aug 23–Sept 22)This may or may not come as shock-

ing news, but society isn’t right about everything. So this week, dear Virgo, take some time to ponder all the social values you take at face value.

Libra (Sept 23–Oct 23)have you been thinking about switch-

ing things up lately? If so, go ahead and do it — there’s no time like the present. not only will a shake-up reinvigorate you, it will also open your eyes to new things.

Scorpio (Oct 24–Nov 22)Try not to be all “me, me, me” this

week, dear Scorpio. lose yourself in the hot, wet steam of life. You might find there’s much more to things than meets the unobserving eye.

Sagittarius (Nov 23–Dec 21)Alright, dear Sagittarius, here’s what it

all boils down to this week: have the cour-age to stand by your convictions. But also be willing to dialogue with those around you. Who knows what you might learn.

Capricorn (Dec 22–Jan 19)Your mental powers are peaking this

week, dear Capricorn. no matter what you do, you’ll be able to get your point across. Times like these are few and far between, so put them to good use.

Aquarius (Jan 20–Feb 19)looks like this could be a whacky

week for you, dear Aquarius. If something wildly out of the ordinary occurs, don’t turn your back on it . now is the time to be spontaneous.

Pisces (Feb 20–Mar 20)Your patience might be in short sup-

ply this week, dear Pisces. If you find yourself ready to snap at someone or something, take a step back, count to 10, and remember that patience is a virtue.

verb issue s191 (may 25-31, 2012)

Documents

federal leader

provincial ndp

future leader

national leader

favour of mulcair

creased resource revenue

saskatchewans ndp

david mcgrane