14 Feb 2010
Also i will be the photographer too_ look out for my new glasses_ apparently i look totes different (totes is not a word i normally use_ but since I’ve even heard the news say it i thought I’d use it)
Posted by Tron at 1:15am on Sunday, February 14, 2010
14 Dec 2009
Alright kids, it’s that time of year again. You guessed it, Christmas is back, and y’all know what that means. Snow is already starting to dust the ground and the faint tinkle of caroling voices can almost be heard in the distance. Last year, during the holidays, I was feeling the heat something fierce. Having quit my job a few months previous, I was dead broke and feeling completely disconnected from all the holiday cheer. After the yule-tide rush had passed me by, I made a firm decision to never be caught in the same situation again. Miserly or not, I’ve no intention of forming myself into some kind of modern day scrooge, humbugging his way through December and bringing down the spirits of all those in his orbit. So this year, I hatched a salacious scheme to ensure a certain level of cash-flow for the holiday season. Little did I know, how important, or lucrative this scheme would turn out to be.
Posted by gunslingrrr at 11:32pm on Monday, December 14, 2009
29 Nov 2009
Alright, so this week, with the second installment of The Vinyl Review, we’re going to cut straight to the point. This is how it works. On a semi-regular basis we’ll be reviewing two albums from theFUTURISTS.ca vinyl collection. And showing y’all some half-naked Vancouverites wearing nothing but a couple of vinyl covers and their smiles. Working within this framework we hope to inform you on an eclectic cross-section of new music that you may or may not have heard, as well as hyping some of the artists that are mainstays on our futurists playlist. This week we’ll be looking at the sophomore efforts of two relatively fresh bands: Fuck Buttons & Health.
Posted by gunslingrrr at 6:15pm on Sunday, November 29, 2009
26 Nov 2009
How do you spell Rock n’ Roll? After this concert on Monday night I think we gotta start spelling it K-I-N-G-K-H-A-N-&-B-B-Q-S-H-O-W. The dynamic duo from Montreal stormed the stage at Red Room with a minimalistic fervor unmatched since the early days of punk rock. Watching them prance around the stage in ridiculous drag and an acid trippin’ genie outfit, one couldn’t help but feel as if they were witnessing something special. A band like this doesn’t come around very often. If you missed it, don’t worry, we got your ass covered. Above, you’ll find their amazing finale “Baby, Why Don’t You Lie” and after the jump we got another video for you “Tastebuds” plus some crazy-ass photos from the show. (more…)
Posted by swashbuckle at 9:08pm on Thursday, November 26, 2009
16 Nov 2009
Up at the futurists HQ, we recently had a debate about nostalgia and how it pertains to the resurgence of vinyl audio recordings in our modern society. Just so happens that we have quite the formidable record collection up here, which we add to whenever we have some spare bucks. But why are we amassing this army of vinyl? A friend of the futurists was contesting that vinyl recordings are a harbinger of “cool” that elevates the status of the owner through some warped idea of nostalgic preference. He defined nostalgia as a false aspiration that is blind to the truth of whatever time-frame it harkens back to. His argument hinged on the simple fact that nostalgia seems to evoke only the best and most memorable parts of a certain era, rather than the experienced reality. I can’t disagree with this statement but I must contest that although nostalgia represents an amalgamation of “the fondest memories”, it never claims to be anything but; simply put, the very definition of the word invites wistful remembrance and sentimentality. (more…)
Posted by gunslingrrr at 10:30pm on Monday, November 16, 2009
15 Nov 2009
A veritable futurists favorite, you can find Helen’s Grill on the south-east corner of Main st. and King Edward ave. If you’ve never been there, you’re missing out on one of Vancouver’s greasiest spoons. A retro diner time-warp experience complete with table-side jukeboxes and framed newsprint cut-outs, Helen’s offers up the usual fare when it comes to food, but an intangible quality sets it apart from other notable east-side eateries.
Posted by gunslingrrr at 4:26pm on Sunday, November 15, 2009
10 Nov 2009
If you have lived in Vancouver for any substantial amount of time you know that this fine city of ours has but two seasons: Summer and Rainy. It’s also saddled with the altogether terrible moniker of being “The most beautiful place on earth”. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the license plates of the cars parked on your street and you’ll see this gaudy epithet smirking at you from underneath a picturesque horizon. Vancouver has always struggled to define itself between the dreamlike quality of its’ beautiful landscape and the wet reality that makes all that lush foliage possible. So this one isn’t for all you true Vancouverites who stoically accept the formidable deluge of rain that welcomes us at this time of year, but rather, for those who are new to our city, and wondering what happened to the sun; here you’ll find some tips to surviving the rainy season.
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Posted by gunslingrrr at 9:00pm on Tuesday, November 10, 2009
8 Nov 2009
Alright, so I haven’t posted anything in a month and a half because I’ve been busy working on my first novel. Most of my energy (and patience) has flowed into this relatively new endeavor, and I’m beginning to realize that I’ve shirked my responsibilities as a founding father of this fabulous website. So, in the spirit of remorse and making amends (if half-heartedly) I’m throwing up an excerpt of the work I’ve been slaving over tirelessly these last two months. Bear in mind that it’s quite rough (having been revised zero times). Enjoy.. please.
Posted by gunslingrrr at 5:30pm on Sunday, November 8, 2009
9 Oct 2009
Maybe everyone knows, but just to let the ones who don’t know, Google recently has put up a street view for Vancouver_ Its a 3D experience_ no special glasses needed!_ here’s how:
-click on link: LINK
-type in any Vancouver street name in the search bar
-see that little orange man above the zoom? click him and drag him to any intersection
-double click on the street to move forward (circle will show up)
-double click to zoom in (square will show up)
Viola! street view!
do you think you can find yourself!? peoples faces and license plates have been blocked off_ but maybe you’ll be able to recognize yourself_ try it out!
Just one more thing to point out_ i think it might be still under the works_ i was taking a look at it and was going through one of my daily bike routes and found that 14th didn’t have a school on it anymore but instead was looking at an alley with dumpsters_
Enjoy!
Posted by Tron at 12:40pm on Friday, October 9, 2009
12 Sep 2009
Someone asked me last night, if I thought humans (as a whole) were fundamentally good or evil. I thought to myself, “what do I know about human nature?” How can I begin to answer a question like this.. it is simply too complicated for a mind such as mine to contemplate.
(more…)
Posted by gunslingrrr at 6:47pm on Saturday, September 12, 2009
3 Sep 2009
Remember this nonchalant little comment: “Maybe the art leaves the city for a reason in August, but if it makes more space for music I won’t complain.”
Apparently someone in the BC government took it a little too seriously, and decided that art could leave the city year-round.
The cuts were reversed yesterday for some of the groups with multi-year funding commitments, but the Helen Pitt gallery has had their budget cut in half, forcing them to move or possibly dissolve, and the Or gallery has already canceled their November/December exhibition.
And with Richard’s demolished, and the Cobalt next, it doesn’t look like the void will be filled by music.
Bring your opinion out to the Or tonight for the aptly named Ruins in process: Art in the sixties party and participate in an insurrection by fax. Next week, come out to SWARM for what is hopefully only a hurrah, and not the last one.
Posted by bernstein at 11:11am on Thursday, September 3, 2009
2 Sep 2009
I’m currently working on a longish update to one of my more self-reflective posts: 2009 — Year of the Girlfriend, which (knowing the pace at which I work) won’t be done till sometime next week. Until then, I thought it would be fun to throw something up which I wrote a couple years ago for a school newspaper. Recycling is good, right? Cigarette use is a bit of a touchy subject in our society these days; this little article presents a distinctly FUTURISTS perspective on the entire issue. Enjoy kids.
Posted by gunslingrrr at 5:33pm on Wednesday, September 2, 2009
23 Aug 2009
No matter what city you’re in in August, it feels like the art is in any other city, just not your own. I’ve been visiting galleries out of town, and waiting for September, when SWARM makes Vancouver feel busy again.
Last night however, I visited Goonies, gallery, a relative newcomer on the art scene, for a music show featuring locals Make Love and Sounds Fun Club, and Montreal-based Elfin Saddle. Sitting under the giant woven tapestry pictured below, and lit with a single light evoking a campfire, attendees were treated to music played on xylophones, drums, guitars, guitars used as percussion, synthesizers, cymbals played with bows, mallets and hands, and, most incredibly, a saw, all accompanied by some of the sweetest voices Vancouver has to offer, all in the space of a few hours.
I missed the last hour, trying to catch another night of music around the corner at the Helen Pitt Gallery. I was too late, but as the title 4 Nights of Improvised Music suggests, there are three more chances to hear talented people playing with unconventional instruments. The whole thing is organized by Robert Pedersen, whom I know from Glaciers but who does plenty of other things, joining in on Monday with Burrow Owl. Tonight, the second installment of experimental music features Sam Shalabi and Josh Stevenson, Delicate Sen from New York city, and Tim Olive and Jeffrey Allport.
Last night ended after a party at soon-to-be demolished (?) art house 536, and walking back up Main street, I noticed this:
Maybe the art leaves the city for a reason in August, but if it makes more space for music I won’t complain.
Goonies is a multi-purpose studio and exhibition space. Located at 108 east Hastings, it was opened by artist and designer Merida Anderson in April, 2009. It is currently hosting the Vancouver installment of Room-a-Loom. Originated by LA-based artist Julia Sherman, the Room-a-Loom is a collaborative woven tapestry occupying, you guessed it, the entire front room of Goonies, and other participating galleries. The last few open weaving days are Monday, August 23rd, Wednesday the 26th, and Sunday the 30th, from 6-9 pm. Admission is free, and you can bring your own weaving materials or pick and choose from the many boxes of stuff at the gallery.
The Helen Pitt Gallery is a non profit artist run centre just a few blocks away from Goonies, at 102-148 Alexander. The front room is dedicated to experimental contemporary art from both local and international contexts, and the back room is curated separately from September to April, by Emily Carr student interns. Until Tuesday, August 25, 4 Nights of Improvised Music opens the doors from 7:30 pm until finished, and your admission is donation.
We’ve already discussed Instant Coffee.
Posted by bernstein at 6:44pm on Sunday, August 23, 2009
12 Aug 2009
It’s hard for me to organize the memory of that day in any meaningful way. It was so long ago. I’m an old man now. With an old mans thoughts and nothing to show for all his years except for a few clear memories. And even those I’m beginning to doubt. How could I not? I’ve never told anyone this story. To be completely honest I’ve never had anyone to tell it to. But that’s a part of it I guess. One of the reasons why he came to me. The man with the bushy eyebrows. The man in the crisp blue suit. The man who saved my life and condemned it, all in one breath. The Laughing Man.
Posted by gunslingrrr at 8:26pm on Wednesday, August 12, 2009
12 Aug 2009
Lately I’ve been following local blog Vancouver Is Awesome, whose aim is to reflect the city in permanently positive light. They may just be permafried from snorting too much pixie dust, but whatever it is that’s making them so optimistic, it’s contagious. I often find myself thinking about what makes Vancouver awesome, and one thing deserves a mention: the alleys.
Here are three reasons why alleys are awesome (but I they only apply in suburban neighborhoods, because downtown alleys are usually the opposite of these):
1) They’re unpopulated.
2) They’re full of interesting shit that you want to take home.
3) Free off-the-vine blackberries.
I’ve had an alley addiction lately (sidewalks suck). Here’s photographic proof:
You know you have an alley problem when you come home with weird, unsexy stuff. Like an old TV or a pylon. Alcohol made it appear to be the perfect thing for your dog/ house/ project, but in the harsh light of day you realize it’s just a dirty piece of shit.
Posted by gingerkidd at 6:56pm on Wednesday, August 12, 2009
6 Aug 2009
Anvil Press; $45 List Price, $36 at Book Warehouse
I discovered this wonderful new book today, which maps Vancouver through nearly 100 poems centered in various locations across our grand and gritty city. Each poem is accompanied by a full-page colour photograph by Derek von Essen, and it’s surprisingly fun to read verse about places you know and love, like Gastown in “4:00 am” by Wayne Stedingh, the VAG steps in “What Jack Shadbolt said” by Trevor Carolan, Wicked Cafe at 7th and Hemlock in “Purgatory” by Christine Schrum, or taking the good old B-line in “99 Express– 8 a.m.” by Bibiana Tomasic. And this is just naming a very, very few.
Yet my favorite, hands down, is a speculative poem about what it would be like to be on Wreck Beach when the dreaded “Big One” earthquake hits, excerpted after the jump:
Posted by gingerkidd at 7:00pm on Thursday, August 6, 2009
22 Jul 2009
A-trak is coming in to town_ he is probably here right now!_ Just to let everyone know_ if you haven’t heard that the show has been moved to the town’s freshly renovated dance spot Venue_ Tickets will be made available at the door_
Presented by Fastlife, Sealed with a Kiss, Livestock, RVCA, Fool’s Gold, Dubsided_
With party photo’s provided by Cherchez La Femme!!_
For more information then Click here for the Facebook event page_
It all started as the Symphony of Fire in 1990_ But since then the name has been upgraded to Celebration of Lights_ If you guys don’t feel like going out tonight, then tonight is the night to go support Canada in the first showing of Vancouver’s famous summertime firework festival (You can still go out when the fireworks are over!!_Its a short walk up to Granville_ and that’s where venue is!)_
Location: English Bay, Vancouver_
Start time: 10:00 p.m. rain or shine!!!_
Best viewing points: English Bay, Kitsilano, Vanier Park, Jericho Beach_
The event is free to watch from public parks and beaches_ Music simulcast begins at 10:00 p.m. on radio station SHORE 104fm_ Estimated annual attendance: 1.4 million people_
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 – Canada Night
Saturday, July 25, 2009 – S. Africa Night
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 – UK Night
Saturday, August 1, 2009 – China Night
more information available here
Posted by Tron at 11:46am on Wednesday, July 22, 2009
16 Jul 2009
Photo via Vanity Fair (Derek Berwin/Fox Photos/Getty Images)
Don’t you hate falling in love with something, and then discovering that you’re just a little late in some way? Like finding out about a new band who makes your toes tingle, looking up their tour dates to see if they’ll grace our fair city, and realizing that they did play here two weeks ago but you had no idea who the fuck they were at the time? I hate that, and it’s happened again.
Today I read that Toronto’s Julie Wilson is ending her three-year literary voyeurism project Seen Reading. This was the first time I had ever heard about the blog, so I checked it out and promptly fell head over heels. In a nutshell, Wilson spies on people reading in public places, notes the page that they are on, finds the same book in a store so that she can copy down a paragraph from that page, turns the anonymous reader into a character, and creates a fictional vignette about them using what they were reading as inspiration.
Here’s a neat video of Wilson at work.
Creeping and creativity combined! Golden.
Posted by gingerkidd at 12:28am on Thursday, July 16, 2009
9 Jul 2009
‘Patrick Cruz is a Filipino immigrant artist, born in Mandaluyong, Philippines (1987) and grew up in Quezon City. Patrick works with various media: drawing, painting, photography, film, sound, sculpture, installation and performance art. Growing up with ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), his works are borne out of impulsiveness. His works also investigate Filipino superstitions and his cultural displacement. He currently resides in Vancouver, Canada and works full time at a fudge shop at the Granville Island Public Market.
THE TIT OF A RAINBOW is an installation consisting of Patrick Cruz’s paintings and sculptures made from 2005 (his first year of residence in Canada) up to the present. These works explore the problematics of information overload, a process where meaning, intent and praxis merge. His presentation will unravel the theory of his works where discovery is realized by the audience as they view his works. THE TIT OF A RAINBOW is an installation that heavily relies on the presence and active involvement of the viewers.’
So before going out with your friends you guys should check this out_ and if you’re wondering_ yes there will be fudge made available_ but artwork should be the main focus!
Thanks to HOTEL and Monique Levesque
Posted by Tron at 10:50pm on Thursday, July 9, 2009
2 Jul 2009
You may have heard about WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, Spike Jonze’s upcoming filmic adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book. Since Sendak’s story is relatively sparse (48 pages, lots of grand illustrations but very few words), it makes sense that when Jonze and Dave Eggers were adapting the book into a screenplay, they had to beef it up a bit with new characters and scenarios. Well, it seems that Eggers (famous contemporary novelist that he is) had so much fun that he is adapting the film adaptation of the children’s book into a 300 page novel called THE WILD THINGS, complete with a weirdly awesome “Fur Edition” dust jacket. Strange eh?
Posted by gingerkidd at 3:41pm on Thursday, July 2, 2009
