BeyondRobson | Posts by Anna

Radiohead: Rain is a State of Mind

Anna — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:14:04 PDT

When I passed Thunderbird on my way to work Tuesday morning, there was already a line-up outside its gates, which just goes to show that Radiohead has some pretty dedicated fans. I was considerably less eager, and ended up at the stadium just as Liars were wrapping up. Music bloggers were making a big deal about these guys opening, but I couldn't get into much of their music. And then, just as the stage was being set for the main act, the rain started. It quickly progressed from a drizzle to a shower, and didn't stop until much later in the night. The entirety of the sold-out concert was enjoyed by a really wet but excited crowd. It was the first time I was seeing Radiohead perform live and, on a whole, they put on a beautiful show and didn't disappoint.

They opened with "15 Steps," and during the concert played pretty much every song from In Rainbows. I was most impressed by hearing "House of Cards" live, for which this amazing video was recently made. They also interjected some to-be-expected older stuff ("Just", "Karma Police", "2+2=5") and a few tracks that were surprises ("Bangers n' Mash", "Exit Music [For a Film]", "Planet Telex"). It was great getting to dance along to "Bodysnatchers", and hearing a live version of "Talk Show Host", which is one of my Radiohead favorites.

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The Poetry Slam: Best $5 Spent in a Long Time

Anna — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:55:17 PDT

Somewhere between her graduation and her future, one of my favorite people is visiting Vancouver for a month. Tonight, she invited me to a poetry slam held at Cafe Deux Soleils on the Drive. I had never been to a poetry slam before, and although I had been meaning to check out some of the events Jon wrote about back in April, I never ended up doing so.

We got to the cafe early, and were able to get a table and dinner well before the 8:45 start. I don't want to make this a restaurant review, since the spoken word was far more spectacular than our burritos and chili. But I do want to mention that the food here is delicious and reasonably-priced, so I'll definitely be trying out more of it next time. During the course of dinner, more and more people began filing into the cafe, until finally the host announced that the house was full. He asked groups from the crowd to be judges for the competition, so the four of us agreed to take part. We weren't particularly qualified, and we called ourselves The Eastern Bloc. It was a good start.

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Make It A Habit to Share (If You Have the Cash)

Anna — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:17:59 PDT

Main Street has a million dining establishments that try to be original by way of design.
Habit Lounge is one of those. It's got a narrow space with great decor - simple tables, wood, lots of red, white textured walls, etc. I've always wanted to try their food, since I'd been to the neighboring Cascade (owned by the same people) before and had found it to be decent.

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Bikeosphere and Cycling in the City

Anna — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:51:29 PDT

Cycling is growing in Vancouver, and that is excellent. Well, it would be excellent if there was also support in terms of infrastructure and funding to accommodate the growing ridership. There is also a community around biking, and events such as Bike to Work Week and Critical Mass help it grow. While hanging out at Calhoun's the other day, I grabbed my first copy of Momentum, which is North America's self-described "urban cycling culture magazine."

The ladies who run Momentum are putting on an event called Bikeosphere on Friday night, so if you get a chance to drop by the Centre A Gallery, you'll enjoy a whole mishmash of stuff aimed at highlighting city cycling as a lifestyle choice. There will be music, art, a fashion show, refreshments, and valet bike parking! It's only $5, and proceeds will go to the artists and to the magazine. If you can't attend, make sure to look out for Momentum (it's free), or subscribe to it.

While I'm on the bike thing... check out this Vancouver cyclists' map. I just found out about it, and I'm pretty sure that it's going to be my Bible.

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Rock Out at the Whistler Music Festival

Anna — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:21:44 PDT

With two weeks to go until the much-hyped you-know-what, the Whistler Music Festival has managed to escape under the radar. It's happening next weekend, and with it's stellar line-up and great location, this festival deserves a lot more attention. The full list of artists is up on the website, but highlights include Thievery Corporation, Broken Social Scene, Bedouin Soundclash, Allen Toussaint Band and Mr. Elvis Costello and the Imposters.

One of the things that this festival seems to be doing right is providing you with a manageable number of artists to check out. With ambitious but scattered schedules at festivals such as New Music West, Music Waste, and Sled, great artists were playing to semi-empty venues. At Whistler, where all the action will be happening in two days on the side of Blackcomb Mountain, it will be easier to see everyone you want to. Perhaps the most obvious gap in the line-up is the lack of local talent, but I'm hoping that this will be fixed as soon as more artists are added, as the website promises.

You have until tomorrow to get the cheaper early bird tickets. The easiest way is to call 877-855-4TIX or order online here. Single day passes are at a very reasonable $57 right now, while the two days will run you $100. In terms of accommodations, a lot of hostels seem to be booked, but there are still some camping options. And with exorbitant gas prices affecting tourism, I hear that hotels have lowered their summer rates, so your best bet is to call around and find a deal. In any case, Ami and I will both be there, so we'll have some reviews and photos for you as soon as we can.

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Crowds Light Up FUSE at the VAG

Anna — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:17:56 PDT

With both Duran and I recovering from the weekend/Canada Day, the review for last Friday night's FUSE at the Vancouver Art Gallery is a few days late. Usually, these monthly parties last until midnight, but twice a year an all-nighter is held that lets you stay until 6 a.m. (there's breakfast at the Café in the morning!) I made it until close to 4. Duran left a little earlier, which might have had something to do with liquor service stopping so early.

We arrived at the party around 9, when the line-up was still tolerable. Later, it began to stretch all the way down ~~Homer~~ Hornby Street, and getting in took a while. Once inside, we were given schedules of what shows were on at what time. There was plenty to cover, and there was a ton that I ended up missing over the course of the night. Duran's photos (slide show after the break) alone were full of surprises - I didn't catch a lot of the performances because I spent the first part of my night trying to get all the people I was with in one location. Tip #1: go with one or two friends. If you go with a group, don't count on staying together. You'll end up wasting a lot of time and cell phone minutes.

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The 2nd Annual French Film Festival: My Picks

Anna — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:17:59 PDT

Right as the Festival d'été francophone came to an end with Tuesday night's celebration of Saint Jean-Baptiste Day, the 2nd Annual French Film Festival began. Although by the time you read this the first movie (Roman de Gare) will have already been showing for a week, hopefully some of these recommendations will come in handy if you have time to check out the festival. All of the movies come with English subtitles, bien sûr, so don't worry if your French is not up to par.

3) Priceless (Hors de prix) - This is a light comedy about a gold digger (Audrey Tautou) who sleeps with a hotel bartender (Gad Elmaleh) because she mistakes him for a rich man. The guy decides that she's just too good to let go, and here begins his quest to win her heart. Yeah, the plot has been done before. Yeah, the movie came out in 2006. But it's potentially an enjoyable film that contrasts with the more serious subject matter of some of the other ones. If you find Audrey Tautou as charming as I do, perhaps this film is worth seeing. You can catch it starting July 4th.

2) Love Songs (Les Chansons d'amour) - I don't usually like musicals, but something about the quirky trailer and the Parisian backdrop makes me want to see this one. It's all about the intricacies of a love triangle, and also what happens when a fourth actor comes into the picture (does that make it a love rectangle?). This film, which has become a bit of a cult favorite in France and Belgium, makes its debut on July 11th.

1) The Last Mistress (Une vieille maîtresse) - Something about steamy 19th-century romance makes for good film. Think The Atonement, but more French (that means that at least the sex scenes should be more exciting!). I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this one - it's been acclaimed at a bunch of movie festivals, and I've generally heard good reviews. It starts July 25th.

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Morning Brew: June 25, 2008

Anna — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:37:35 PDT

Anna here. This one's going to be short and sweet.

Baby high heels latest fashion accessory. Babies in high heels on the front page? Really, Province, really? "It looks like it's trying to make a six-month-old look like a 20-year-old." Next thing you know, R. Kelly will be using these to prove that he is innocent.

Monet painting fetches $80-million at London auction. See, aren't you glad that Vancouver has The Cheaper Show? $200 don't seem so bad in comparison.

If your watering hole of choice is anywhere outside the Granville Street brouhaha, you might want to speak up about Vancouver's archaic drinking laws. Do something without actually doing anything and join the Facebook group.

If you're not going to be away, on the beach, at a barbecue, or sleeping in this Saturday, you may want to check out some of the excellent papers being presented at UBC's Graduate Student Symposium.

The one with a new job around here is chef Rob Feenie. You've probably seen the new Cactus Club over at Burrard and Dunsmuir. It looks impressive, but we'll just have to wait for a taste test to see if it's as crappy and uninspired as all the other locations.

On the flipside, you may have heard that just about everyone has left Yahoo. Some dude created this fantastic DIY resignation letter.

Ooh la la. I didn't notice this in the Georgia Strait! Vancouver's own dating guide. Amidst a flurry of clichés ("the key is to be open to people"), dog walking and flea markets are also suggested.

Image courtesy of mordechai dangerfield in the BR Flickr Pool.

Morning Brew: June 11th

Anna — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:00:46 PDT

The Morning Brew switches hands once more. Bear with me this morning while things get back to the Sean and Jon kind of normal.

UNBC president quits over Victoria budget cuts. "Cozzetto could not be reached for comment, but Rix said he has sold his house and left Prince George." Yep, I'd use this as an excuse to leave Prince George too.

Vancouver is Canada's most fit city. Good news for when airline companies start doing this. As one of the comments reads: "I don't want to sit next to some guy in a speedo because he wants to save $4.50 from lessening his weight because he isn't wearing clothes to save money on his airfare."

Dion makes one misstep in bid to attract women's votes. Apparently, what I love about Dion is his awkwardness and vulnerability, and what I hate about Harper is his icy blue eyes. "Harper has made several women-friendly gestures, cutting the GST and doling out tax cuts for children in sports activities." Yeah, but we immediately withdrew our votes after we saw him wear this.

Peter Ladner beats Sam Sullivan in NPA race. To add insult to injury, instead of champagne being spouted by scantily clad tanorexics, Sullivan got this. Ahh, the Anti-Poverty Committee. What will they think of next?

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Beyond Pho at Le Petit Saigon

Anna — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:19:00 PDT

Whenever I go out for Vietnamese, I usually end up with either a bowl of pho or a sub. Both are great, but that's all Vietnamese food ends up being. When a friend suggested that an unsuspecting restaurant has some specialty dishes to try, I immediately agreed to going. That's how we ended up having dinner at Le Petit Saigon, located right on the corner of Renfrew and Hastings.

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Tomorrow is Access Awareness Day

Anna — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:46:49 PDT

On June 7th, pause and think about accessibility, and what it means for those of us with disabilities. Access Awareness Day is put on by the Social Planning and Research Council (SPARC BC), which is one of this province's key actors producing research around accessibility, income security, and development. The campaign is aimed primarily at encouraging businesses to make their workplace more inclusive for consumers and workers with visible and invisible disabilities. This encompasses accessibility through design and through the way we approach and talk about inclusion.

If you'd like to see how you can extend this to your own workplace, download SPARC's Access Is Everyone's Business Booklet from their website for information and ideas.

Image courtesy of sp_clarke in the BR Flickr Pool.

Meetups in Vancouver: Yes, No, Maybe So?

Anna — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:06:37 PDT

Vancouver looks great on paper. It will always be at the top of "most livable city" lists courtesy of magazines like the Economist and consulting companies like Mercer. But.... the city doesn't have those intangible qualities that make it an exciting and stimulating place to be. Not for me, anyways. But, say my friends, you're just not looking hard enough. So after I came back from China, I began searching. And although I still haven't found that je ne sais quoi, Meetups have definitely made me a little less bitter and a little more hopeful.

Meetups are organized in cities all over the world by people who share the same interests. They range from the banal to the random, and they cater to both broad and niche groups. Can't find what you want? Start your own. The concept of a website that brings together locals with common interests is simple and effective, and has arguably helped bring a little closeness to societies increasingly steeped in individualism.

My own experience with meetups after the jump...

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Italian Kitchen: Fine Dining Done Right

Anna — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:09:42 PDT

The original plan was to go to Boneta. Alas, we found out at the last minute that it's closed on Sundays, so we had to quickly come up with an alternate restaurant for dinner. Italian Kitchen was one of those places that opened when I was away from Vancouver, so I didn't catch much of the press surrounding it. My friend also hadn't heard of it before, so we were walking in there with clean slates. As we stepped in, I was immediately impressed by the simple and sleek design of the room, and the way it contrasted with the brightly-lit bar. We chose to sit at a more secluded corner booth inside (although there is a small but inviting patio!), and immediately began scoping out their menu. Choosing was difficult, since the restaurant offers a good deal of variety in terms of both appetizers and mains. After we finally made our selections, it wasn't long before the antipasto arrived at our table...

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It's Almost Here: H&M Opens its Doors at Pacific Centre this Thursday

Anna — Tue, 20 May 2008 00:10:32 PDT

When H&M first came to BC, it was kind of assumed that it would open in some sort of central location - Downtown, Metrotown, South Granville... So when it was announced that the first store would open in Coquitlam Centre, the overall reaction was one of surprise. Most urban Vancouverites can barely describe where Coquitlam is, much less travel there to go shopping. The fact that a two-story flagship store is about to open in Pacific Centre is either a dream or a nightmare, depending on how you look at it. Many girls and boys are excited to have the store be so close - H&M is great for affordable, trendy clothes and accessories. Others are already complaining that this is going to breed uniformity in a city where fashion is hardly bursting with excitement.

Personally, I'm happy to have H&M be so close and accessible. I'm a student with limited funds, so I'm always price-conscious when I shop. The wonderful thing about H&M is that you can buy seasonal pieces to dress up your wardrobe staples, and you can do so without too much guilt. I'm also super-curious to see how they've redone the space formerly occupied by Holt Renfrew, which has now become a behemoth of outrageous prices and luxury on the other side of the mall. H&M is good with keeping a constant buzz around its brand, especially because of its collaborations with international designers and celebrities. Currently, they are featuring a collection with Finnish design house Marimekko, and although it's not my personal favorite, it will definitely be recognizable. For the next collaboration, that they are working with Rei Kawakubo, founder and head designer for Comme des Garçons. Now that is something to be excited for.

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Two Days, Two Shows, Lots of Footwork

Anna — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:19:56 PDT

This week, Vancouver will be hit with two completely opposite acts of the electronica variety. First up are Treasure Fingers, Kill the Noise, and Datarock, who will grace us with their presence this Thursday. The following night is Superstar DJ Keoki, who hasn't been to Vancouver in years, and whose career has been spanning for a lot longer than that of your average DJ. The two shows are going to be totally different, but both will hopefully get people moving and talking...

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