It’s a Marvel
Halifax’s comic scene is all abuzz this week with the May 3 release of Civil War, “an event in seven parts” from Marvel. Why should you give a honk? Because the series was illustrated by Halifax resident Steve McNiven, that’s why. “There are a lot of folks looking forward to this series,” says Calum Johnston,…
Rockin’ with Mr. Cooper?
The Sorrys will play at Gus’ Pub on May 3 and they are hoping for a visit from a very special guest. Members of the group have been lobbying rock legend Alice Cooper—performing at the Metro Centre the same night—to attend their show afterwards and meet drummer Steve Baur. A Dalhousie University musicologist, Baur is…
Sticks to your ribs
Sticks restaurant opened last Monday at 5543 Young St in the Hydrostone Market. The name is inspired by the restaurant’s primary implement of service: the skewer stick. Sticks currently offers six varieties of skewers, including honey, peanut and lemon-oregano chicken, as well as salmon, shrimp and lamb skewers. “I do a lot of travelling to…
Down with Downhome
If you’re going to be in southern Ontario this weekend, be sure to take a bemused glance at Toronto’s Downhome Show, “a celebration of East Coast food, drink, comedy, and music,” according to the show’s website. The show, designed to give ex-pat Maritimers a little taste of home, does a fine job at capturing the…
Open sesame
To the editor, Most years, the Public Gardens opens on the long weekend in May and closes on Remembrance Day, limiting public access to the city’s most beautiful park. Instead, I suggest the city close the Public Gardens with the first snowfall after November 11 and open as soon as conditions permit in April. We…
Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve
Dear Mike Fleury, I like the Carnival idea for the Spring Garden and Queen lot, but here’s what I think could work well for everyone and for immediate use. Level off the big rubble piles and fill the lot with tonnes of sand. Erect a few dividers for a kid’s area, a lounging-on-lawn-chairs area, beach…
Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve
To the editor, Thank you for focusing your April 13 issue on the Spring Garden and Queen empty land (“Field of dreams,” Mike Fleury). Together with the empty Community College space on the other side of Spring Garden, these large tracts of land once represented the livelihoods of the small businesses around them. Families visiting…
Here kitty kitty
I was just wondering about something in your recent “Midnight Massive” article: the cat in the background of the picture, is it real? It’s hard to tell from the shot, I’m just curious. If so, it’s definitely an extremely cute little critter, wouldn’t mind knowing more about it at all. By Nick
Here kitty kitty
So I was just looking over The Coast and was reading the article about Massive Productions, which I really enjoyed, but in the background of the photo I noticed the cutest cat ever. Can you maybe write or tell us more about that pussycat? By Toni
Massive memories
To the editor, Reading last week’s piece on Tony Hage’s Massive Productions anniversary was like tripping down memory lane (“Midnight Massive,” Johnston Farrow). I was at Tony’s first party at present-day UpCountry, and I was also at the Church party (as we coined it)—everyone danced so hard that we wore holes in the industrial-grade carpet.…
Sow what?
Q: Which veggies would be good for novice growers to try? A: Lettuce or swiss chard, for sure. They germinate quickly and get to an edible size quickly—and because the growing action is above ground, they offer almost instant gratification. Peas are also easy and don’t take up a lot of room, and in small…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
What is your dangerous idea, Cancer, asks Rob Brezsny.
SAVAGE LOVE
Dan Savage writes the gamut from bi love to baby talk.
Pawn Shop Blues
For sure, the fear has got me now. I’m lying on my back in the absolute dark of my room, blinking wildly, trying to keep my eyes open, trying to wake up, really wake up. I’m not sure exactly what has scared the hell out of me, but something has, and I struggle to pin…
No kidding
If Ellen Page’s new movie Hard Candy was transformed into a sugary confection, it would be one of those giant sour balls that you must commit to before putting in your mouth. When Hard Candy premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah last January, Ugg boots stormed out of the theatre, spreading anger across…
King of the Hill
Brian Howald is a busy guy. He’s in Toronto, in transit from a meeting to a screening and he only has a few minutes to speak. To make matters worse, he’s having to dodge nosy questions down the line from Halifax about this new IMAX project he’s working on. “I don’t know,” he says, hesitating.…
Remembering Norma Verge
Along with posters announcing various cultural events, a Help Wanted sign and a notice reminding patrons of the cash-only policy, one announcement stands out in the curtained windows of the Ardmore Tea Room. Written in marker on a whiteboard – usually reserved for announcing specials or highlighting new and classic menu items (and there are…
The Kyoto we know
Rachel Carson changed the world with a magazine article. Her “Silent Spring,” published over three consecutive issues of The New Yorker in 1962—and, later, as a book—opened eyes to the dangers of chemical pesticide use. People got worried and angry, governments took steps to control the problem, industry complied or faced consequences. By showing the…
Honour roll
When conversation leans towards outlandish thoughts like skateboarding across Canada, the ideas don’t usually materialize. But East Coast Longboarding founders Rob Lewis, Carlos Koppen, Jason Pelley and Aaron Jackson aren’t your typical skater boys; this summer, they will be carving their way across Canada to raise money for breast cancer. “When we were sitting around…
Bad Apple
I’m here. I’m not queer. But I am a PC user. Get used to it. I’m outing myself as a non-Mac addict. You got a problem with that? If you own an Apple computer, you probably do. I’m not Macophobic. If you want to love Apple computers, fine. Just quit being so pushy about it,…
Hardcore grip
Although local hardcore band The Hold makes its home on a label whose name symbolizes breaking up, there’s been a lot of marriage going on lately. The Hold’s KC Spidle—who happens to be a co-founder of the local independent label—and bassist Crystal Thili tied the knot on April 5. Ten days later they had a…
Neil Young: Heart of Gold
It takes strong vision to find new ways of shooting a concert movie, but Jonathan Demme does it in his outstanding documentary Neil Young: Heart of Gold. Filmed in a Nashville auditorium over two nights, Demme doesn’t give us any crowd shots. The usual scope and spectacle of filmed concerts is done away with for…
Strange fruit
Ah, spring—the time when a young cook’s fancy turns to exotic fruit. Ever on the prowl for fresh seasonal ingredients, looking for the extraordinary, cooks (both amateurs and pros) are finding an expanding selection of exotic produce on our local grocery shelves. Pete’s Frootique led the charge, but other supermarkets, especially the larger Superstores, are…
