Beyond Robson: People Feed

The East Van Podcast: Episode 2

Warren — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 07:00:00 -0800

The East Van Podcast is back! In this episode, Jonny Vancouver checks out the East Van Culture Crawl, a yearly exhibition of East Vancouver artists that recently took place here in Vancouver, and interviews Phillip Stephen and Grant Mercs, two of the artists involved in the Crawl. Special thanks to Beyond Robson for featuring the East Van Podcast, and to everyone who went above and beyond to help us put this podcast together.

Cityphile: Sean Devlin - Comedian/Filmmaker

Jark — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:00:25 -0800

For the past 5 years Sean Devlin has been busy in Vancouver as both a comedian & filmmaker. This September he performed at the prestigious Bumbershoot Arts Festival. His first feature film, 2004's "Zach & Avery" is screening at The Vancity Theatre on Saturday November 3rd @ 2pm. You really have to click on the video, before we go on.

I enjoyed my very own copy of this cd so much, we decided to give you an interview with this smashing young lat before the screening takes place. Before that, I have a one or two tiny remarks on this film. First off it's filmed entirely in Vancouver, in some very familiar East Vancouver settings that will arouse nostalgia. But, most of all, what was absolutely overwhelming in the film was the brilliant humor and wit among characters that seemed to know each other so well, the button-pushing could only exist this extreme in theatre. But enough about me, and my take on this film. I want us to have a chat with this guy, so here it is. My questions for Sean were pretty straight forward, and he was a delight to talk to.

> (1) So Sean, what is Zach and Avery all about?

I wrote the film during my first year living in Vancouver. I think it is inspired by personal relationships as well as the city itself. I could continue, but you really have to see it for yourself...

Cityphile: Michael Mew, Director, Filmmaker

Jark — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 09:23:52 -0800

I struck up a conversation with Filmmaker Michael Mew and, well, after a few short exchanges we knew we had an interviewer on our hands. And, without further ado, here goes.

Every grey cloud has a sequin lining. While he waits for his membership card into the Hollywood's gay mafia, Michael strives to write comedies that are not totally devoid of meaning. Actually, if you think of it, even shallow has some depth to it -- so he says.

> (1) What is your next feature all about? Where did you snag the Title?

"Going West" is based on short film I did 6 years ago. It's a typical story of a small town boy who moves to the big city who gets caught up in a militant gay organization, the Gay Liberation Army, that is determined to set the standard for a new generation of queers. I call the genre "Queer Orwellian: a gay distopian story."

The title was inspired by the historical notion that you can find a better life if you went west. This of course was the belief during the depression and Village People eras.

Click for more...

The Most Photogenic of Criminals

degan — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 15:53:14 -0800

I love hearing about laughable crimes gone awry - the guy that robbed a bank at gunpoint then returned later that day to deposit the money into his account, for instance. So imagine my delight when I read this morning about a theft at local office space WorkSpace. Some computers were stolen with Flickrbooth installed on them and some time after the theft the photo above appeared in the WorkSpace flickr stream!

Of course I'm sorry to hear that Workspace was broken into, but the hilarity of the thief taking photos of himself with their computers and not realizing they were being uploaded to the internet more than makes up for it.

Cityphile: Medina Hahn

Simon — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 22:49:38 -0800

Sherman, set the WABAC machine for the University of Alberta in the year 2000. Here we find one Medina Hahn, young, ambitious, and industrious. Looking for a way to showcase her studied talents post-ed, she and fellow student/pal Daniel Arnold figure hey, maybe we should sit down and write something for ourselves. Novel idea, that. The result of their efforts was Tuesdays and Sundays (based on a true story), a lovely play about two souls lost in the ether who reunite and piece together their relationship and the eventual tragedy that befalls them. Meant for a one-off Edmonton run after they finished school, Medina and Daniel ended up touring the production for the last seven years, in festivals as far away as New York and Edinburgh, and it had its most recent run at the Waterfront in August. The pair have a busy production company together, and have both recently made Vancouver their home. Medina was good enough to sound off on her new city, which is richer for having her.

1.) Describe your present condition.

Up, down and all around.

2.) What are your thoughts on the current state of Vancouver theatre, as compared to Edmonton?

I've heard that theatre in Vancouver doesn't really exist. I've heard that theatre in Edmonton is on a slippery slope. I hear that theatre is making a comeback in Vancouver. I hear people are bored in Edmonton.

Interview With the Bartender: Jason Andrew

Simon — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:18:36 -0800

Bartending is the lowest rung of celebrity. It doesn't matter which bar you work at, be it a night club or a restaurant lounge, there's a bunch of people who want other people to know that you know them, and everyone, on some level, wishes that they had your job. It has a weird rock star sheen to it, maybe because we're the last legal pushers. As such, and because of the "good help is hard to find" maxim, it seems anyone with a minor celebrity jones and a little personality can get a job behind a bar in Vancouver, as long as they know about seven cocktail recipes and someone who already works there.

Cityphile: Rob Fillo - From Record Producer, Entertainer, To Spectacular Young Lad

Jark — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 11:20:24 -0800

In this climate of cynical performances and scientifically produced pop-music, Rob Fillo is a rare musical creature. The heartfelt music of this folk-rock underdog cuts through the fog of the typical boy-meets-girl song to the true complexities of love and living in the real world. While possessing all the experience one would expect in a brash, balls-out rocker, Fillo prefers to infuse his music with equal parts mystery, passion, and wit. The raw acoustic arrangement of his songs highlights both the depth of the songs (and the lived experience behind them) but also the fervor with which he sings them. From the break-out "Not Ready to Leave Yet" to his Stimulants & Depressants song-cycle (including "Rainy Day Coffee", "Cocaine took her, Blues", and "Cigarette Woman"), Fillo's songs slip past the listener's defenses, touching the heart before becoming the mind's soundtrack. In this interview we're going to try to touch your heart...

We fired off notes to each other back and forth and, in the mids of these notes, we gathered some great material for what you might call a delightful issue of "Cityphile" -- Beyond Robson's showcase of spectacular folk in this gorgeous city. Mostly through cyberspace, here are our ramblings. But first, a disclaimer, the views in this interview (as well as the swearing) don't represent those of Beyond Robson:

So, Rob, tell the others what you do, exactly?
I'm a musician and music producer in Vancouver Canada. I record, print, and publish music of my own, as well as many other musicians around town. You could make work like this sound fluffy and colorful but at the heart and soul of it that's basically what we do.

Cityphile: Sean Heather

degan — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:46:13 -0800

A little while ago, I asked Sean Heather if he would do a CityPhile profile for us, because as the proprietor of Gastown gastropub The Irish Heather and secret Scotch house, The Shebeen, he has indirectly been the source of much inspiration, fun, education and comfort for me and my friends and I wanted to get a feeling for the force behind it all. Not to mention his thoughts on my new favorite neighbourhood - Gastown.

I hope you will enjoy the interview that follows. Just this morning, however, I learned from Urban Diner that the whole operation is picking up and moving across the street. So now of course, I have many more questions for him, but he is a master of his environment and mostly I just can't wait to see what he comes up with.

What inspired you to open your first restaurant - a gastropub - The Irish Heather?

I am a work-a-holic, and there came a time in my life when I asked myself the question..." is it better to work like a dog for myself or for somebody else?" That is why I opened my first restaurant, as to why it was an Irish gastropub? I felt that at the time there wasn't a true Irish establishment in the city and having traveled the world and experienced fantastic, authentic Irish Pubs in places like Prague & Budapest, I felt that this was a niche that I could fill.

Better Than Chocolate?

degan — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:45:56 -0800

We all know women are all about the chocolate and men are all about the sex, but now we have the science to prove it. Apparently the masterminds at Aero have commissioned a poll that will prove, once and for all, just how great the divide between the sexes really is.

The "Guys Just Don't Get It Survey" asked Canadians about a range of preferences and traits - shoes, multi-tasking, shopping, packing and more - but the the point that sticks (and the point that the PR people at the chocolate company are clearly trying to get across) is that "women love chocolate, men prefer sex". According to the survey, 46% - almost half the women polled - said that there were times they could just not live without chocolate.

When Life is Harsh Watch AL 'D' TV

Sara — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:00:33 -0800

I first met Al Di through Myspace, as was the cool thing to do a year ago. I'd left a comment on a friend's photo that he was in - something about karaoke- and Al began messaging me, obsessively. He pleaded with me to come to karaoke. I eventually did. That's when I began to understand the magic that is Al Di.

Born in China, 25 year old, Al Di moved to Vancouver a few years ago and began a career as a music journalist with China's Rolling Stone. Since then he has charmed musicians like Sam Roberts, Papa Roach, and Rob Zombie with his passionate, hysterical and enthusiastic interviewing in broken English. See, Al Di, LOVES music more than you can imagine. Al Di cares deeply about musicians and wants to understand how it is that they create such beauty. The result is the cutest and most random interviewing you've ever seen.

Al Di began filming his interviews for a program he calls "Al 'D' TV." Recently Al 'D' TV interviewedFall Out Boy and it made quite the buzz on YouTube.

The following is a Q and A with Al Di. He wanted me to clean up his English but I've kept most of it as it poured from his heart, because that's what makes Al Di, Al Di.

"Queeruption" Vancouver: 7 Days of Events, Action, Film and Gender F***ing

Jark — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 01:11:22 -0800

Announcing "Queeruption 10: Vancouver, Canada!", August 1-7 2007. Let's talk about controversy! People getting down and dirty about controversy is my idea of a fun couple days. Almost like a philosopher's Cafe only better! Cuz, come on, what's hotter than a good convo anyways? A bunch of workshops are held around varying venues in Vancouver, which are usually announced just a few days in advance, but the bulk of the gigz taking place at Sunshine Coast (get directions). Why should Vancouverites know about this then? Well, I tell ya, perhaps because most people going to this thing are from urban centres like Vancouver, and prolly because most people there are Vancouverites, or at least are expected to be!

So, you ask: What is Queer? Well, in short, it means different, not only sexually, but also socially. The word queer, according to wikipedia, has traditionally meant "strange" or "unusual," but now is also often used in reference to gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and asexual people. Its usage is controversial and underwent substantial changes over the course of the 20th century. In my opinion, what better reason to get together than controversial things like this. This is a wonderful place and time for hyphenated individuals to get together and network.

CityPhile: Kris Krug

degan — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:46:16 -0800

I first met Kris Krug when we both worked at a little web design start up where I was the sys admin and he was the marketing guy. Or something like that. These days it's still as hard to pin a label on Kris, but instead of my bad memory, it's because he's got his so many things going on. You could start with blogger, photographer, entrepreneur, author, networker, community agitator, man-about-town and you'd still only be halfway done. In a Vancouver game of 6 degrees of separation, it wouldn't take you long to run into Kris or something he's been involved in. So I sat down with him under the watchful eye of Gassy Jack and got caught up on online communities, fashion photography and what he thinks of our favorite city.

Can't talk to Vancouverites? OK!

Agasel — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:40:52 -0800

Here's one of those Harlequin romances that happened in Vancouver: there was a girl who was pretty shy, but one day she came upon a stranger sweeping broken glass in front of his house. They talked, and each discovered the other already had a partner. But their conversation was so fantastic, they thought about each other afterwards. While talking they had exchanged business cards. After a few friendly emails, they stopped communicating due to busy schedules and relationships. After a year of not speaking, the girl, now single, contacted him. Turns out, he had become single as well. They have now been dating for almost two years.

That girl is me. If this doesn't inspire you to start talking to strangers, how about this: Vancouver now has a simple tool to instigate speaking with your neighbour. The OK Button, created by Steve, is an easy way to show people that you are friendly, and they are welcome to talk to you. Simple, hey? Apparently, Vancouver needs this sort of tool.

Interview With the Bartender: Chris Brown

Simon — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:10:00 -0800

Remember that inept, marble-mouthed puppeteer that used to hang out on the corner of Robson and Thurlow? He once asked me what I did for a living and to my reply he mumbled "hrmbl...bartenders...are the philosophers of the world", which I thought was both awesome and slightly comical. So I figured I'd test his theory with a new interview series, and shine the 15 minute Spotlight of Fame on some of Vancouver's glasswipe illuminati.

We begin with Chris Brown, a veteran barman who runs the wood at Beyond in the Century Plaza Hotel. He gets to lead off this series because he has just claimed victory for Canada at the venerated Giffard International Cocktail Challenge at the Hotel des Penitentes in Angers, France, the first Canadian ever to do so. An intense and improvisational Iron Chef-style competition, Giffard scopes regional competitions all over the world and invites the best of the best to compete. The ten elite contestants from Belgium, Germany, England, France, and Canada were judged on presentation, flavour, and overall efficiency. Chris took top honours with his "Kiwi on the Green" cocktail, which he told me how to make, but under the strict bartender code of omerta, which I just invented, I am unable to reveal the recipe. You'll have to go down and get the man himself to make you one.

Read the interview after the jump...

What's Unusual and Exciting this Week you Ask?

Jark — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 12:15:09 -0800

Some things don't fit into any other category, or the categories aren't small enough to fit them. So here ya go, some random things from around town that should draw some interest, from an "independent" crowd more likely than not!

Thu., July 05 & Fri,. July 06, 2007 TRANSFORMERS THE MOVIE, NEW OPENING NIGHT @ Silvercity & Metrotown (Vancouver, & Burnaby BC). Tix. $12+.
Don't worry, this will happen again! Hoards of Vancouverites have "riled" up to see Transformers, the old classic, on the Big screens tonight. Yes, I get it, it's a classic, it's a cult-header but, I tell ya, is it worth rearranging your vacations over? Yes indeed, it's a movie to end all nerd movies! Haha, I like that headline: "Who wants to see shrapnel hit the fan?" This is also taking place on Sunday @ Scotiabank Theatre (900 Burrard St.) in Vancouver.

Thu., July 05 to Fri., Jul 06, 2007. VPL BOOK SALE @ Vancouver Public Library (350 W. Georgia), JULY 05 10:00AM - JULY 06, 6:00PM. Tix., FREE.
Thousands of books on sale each day. Come and browse through the tables of bargains and treasures! In addition to fiction books, the sale also features limited amounts of children's books, audio visual materials, and multilingual materials.