Best Tour You Wish Came To Halifax
It didn’t matter that Stewart Copeland said they suck and called some of their shows “absolutely lame.” Or that in his blog he wrote, “The mighty Sting momentarily looks like a petulant pansy instead of the god of rock.” Ouch. No, the one show you can’t stand losing is The Police reunion tour. It’s not…
Best Karaoke Host
Jackie Smith is like the United Nations of karaoke, joining Halifax and Dartmouth bars together in blissful, off-key renditions of “Love Shack” and “Brown-Eyed Girl.” Really, karaoke hosts like Smith should be commended by Peter Kelly—no one ever gets pounded during “My Heart Will Go On.” Until every home is outfitted with a Wii karaoke,…
Best Recording Studio
Does Charles Austin sleep? We know he ate at least once in 2007 when “Graematter and Buck 65 and I did a soundtrack for documentary about truckers called Big Rig. We went to SXSW and got some burritos in Austin with Catano and Glencross. The soundtrack turned out almost as good as the burritos.” The…
Best Music Photographer
The man with the double exclamation marks must need a trophy case!! This year Sm!th also picked up Music Nova Scotia’s Visual Artist of the Year and was awarded best photographer at the ECMAs, where someone decided to take half of his exhibition home. “The Mona Lisa got stolen once too so I’m taking it…
Best Canadian Solo Male
Joel Plaskett Emergency spent much of last year living out of a suitcase, with tours to Australia, across Canada and down to the States opening for The Tragically Hip. According to your hometown hero, Plaskett says 2007 was the fullest touring year yet for himself, Dave Marsh and Chris Pennell. The anthemic Ashtray Rock, which…
Best Artist / Band To Dance To
Many of you ordered “beef chow mein!” making Windom Earle your favourite moving karaoke-disco-pop-dance-Bon Jovi bonanza. “The secret of a good party is for it to be spontaneous with lots of surprises thrown in,” says ringleader Stephan MacLeod, who once broke his arm during a festival and still continued the set. That’s dedication to the…
Best Male Solo Artist
Joel Plaskett Emergency spent much of last year living out of a suitcase, with tours to Australia, across Canada and down to the States opening for The Tragically Hip. According to your hometown hero, Plaskett says 2007 was the fullest touring year yet for himself, Dave Marsh and Chris Pennell. The anthemic Ashtray Rock, which…
Best Artist / Band Hijinks
“I’m not sure how we won this. I can only assume Gunt’s fans don’t have computers and Scribbler’s fans are too stoned to use theirs,” jokes Sorrys vocalist Trevor Millett. He describes his band’s award-winning hijinks as “too messed up to walk but we can still dance. Too messed up to talk but we can…
Best Artist / Band To Enjoy Quietly
Last year belonged to Jenn Grant. Fans love her, critics adore her—one Sun Media writer even pondered, “one can’t help but wonder where the 26-year-old art school grad has been all our lives.” In fact, there’s so much love under the moon, music critics awarded Grant the CBC Galaxie’s Rising Star, beating out The New…
Best Album Artwork
Much more than just The Coast’s True Story comic artist, Mike Holmes is a master at shrinking people down into sweet Peanuts-sized cartoons. “Everybody’s got physical ‘landmarks’ about them that you can distill into a cartoony version,” he says. “It’s just simplicity—using the fewest lines to make the character recognizable. Some people definitely lend themselves…
Best New Artist / Band
When Luke Fisher, Lisa Lipton, Darcy Fraser, Solomon Vromans and Will Robinson hit the stage as i see rowboats, their strings, percussion and vocals fuse together with such graceful, artistic synergy it’s no surprise that the band answers questions together and counts “becoming closer as friends and musicians” as one of the highlights of 2007.…
Best Live Show In The Past Year
On the steaming afternoon of July 13, Citadel Hill turned into an extended Benny Hill sketch as hundreds of White Stripes fans ran around the historic site, braving sunstroke and deafness from the cannon firing, in hopes of catching a glimpse of the kilted seven-nation army. But unless you happened to be bowling at the…
Best Album
“It’s funny, just recently in the last few shows we’ve done in Toronto, there are people that are seeing us for the first time and that’s the song they’re familiar with,” says Paul Murphy. “They *are* surprised by the rest of the songs—they don’t really expect our band to sound like our band. It’s neat…
Best Cover Artist / Band
Fifteen years on the scene. Five years in a row as Best Cover Band. Over 200 shows a year at almost every pub in town. More than 500 members in their Facebook fan group. No sir, there’s no stopping the Shameless machine; they’re the Godzilla of the Halifax cover band scene, stomping on their rivals…
Best All-ages Venue
Last year we lost the One World Cafe, but thankfully the ever-popular Pavilion is keeping the all-ages music scene alive and the Common thumping (the good kind) every weekend. Chris Smith, who runs the live venue, says that 2007 was a big year with sold-out shows from Cancer Bats last January and Protest the Hero,…
Best Artist / Band
“It’s funny, just recently in the last few shows we’ve done in Toronto, there are people that are seeing us for the first time and that’s the song they’re familiar with,” says Paul Murphy. “They *are* surprised by the rest of the songs—they don’t really expect our band to sound like our band. It’s neat…
Best Artist / Band To Get Trashed To
Fifteen years on the scene. Five years in a row as Best Cover Band. Over 200 shows a year at almost every pub in town. More than 500 members in their Facebook fan group. No sir, there’s no stopping the Shameless machine; they’re the Godzilla of the Halifax cover band scene, stomping on their rivals…
Best Live Music Venue
Last year the grim reaper came to town, slashing his closing scythe all willy-nilly through the city’s live music venues. North End Pub and Diner? So not cool, buddy. That put a lot of pressure on the remaining bars and venues, but they did a mighty fine job keeping the music alive, especially the Marquee.…
Best Song
“It’s funny, just recently in the last few shows we’ve done in Toronto, there are people that are seeing us for the first time and that’s the song they’re familiar with,” says Paul Murphy. “They *are* surprised by the rest of the songs—they don’t really expect our band to sound like our band. It’s neat…
Best Radio Station
Every year CKDU wins for Best Radio Station. And when CKDU wins, you’re a winner. “We are a lovely reflection of the Halifax community…since they are so awesome, it means we are awesome,” says Melissa Buote, CKDU’s program director. “I kind of think of it as people (rightfully) patting themselves on their own backs for…
Best Dressed Artist / Band
Ruby Jean fashionista Rebekah Higgs admits to a slight addiction to thrift-store shopping. “Whenever I am on tour I always try to find the time to pop into the local Salvation Army or local vintage stores to see if I can find anything. Most of the dresses I wear for Ruby Jean and for my…
Best Artist / Band To Be Blown Away By
“It’s funny, just recently in the last few shows we’ve done in Toronto, there are people that are seeing us for the first time and that’s the song they’re familiar with,” says Paul Murphy. “They *are* surprised by the rest of the songs—they don’t really expect our band to sound like our band. It’s neat…
Best Gig Poster Artist
Electric poles weren’t the only places to find Yo Rodeo! art last year: Paul Hammond and Seth Smith were asked to do a Polaris Prize poster for nominee Julie Doiron. Hammond says, “We also showed work in Ontario…London and Ottawa. The London show was great. It was at UWO and we were guest artists for…
Best DJ
It’s hard for IV, AKA Brian Pelrine, to sum up the highlights—2007 was mighty fine. “It was such a great year for me in all aspects of music…from winning last year’s readers’ poll to touring all summer with Classified and the HalfLife crew across Canada to winning the Stylus Awards Encore Team DJ Battle in…
Best Artist / Band Most Likely To Make It Big
“It’s funny, just recently in the last few shows we’ve done in Toronto, there are people that are seeing us for the first time and that’s the song they’re familiar with,” says Paul Murphy. “They *are* surprised by the rest of the songs—they don’t really expect our band to sound like our band. It’s neat…
Best Video
Last year’s Best New Artists, The Superfantastics, didn’t rest on their laurels or let all the praise go to their cute noggins. They released their debut EP, Pop-Up Book, played North by Northeast, Sappyfest and toured with Julie Doiron and Dick Morello (now known as Calm Down it’s Monday). Both Stephanie d’Entremont and Matt MacDonald…
Best Canadian Band
“It’s funny, just recently in the last few shows we’ve done in Toronto, there are people that are seeing us for the first time and that’s the song they’re familiar with,” says Paul Murphy. “They *are* surprised by the rest of the songs—they don’t really expect our band to sound like our band. It’s neat…
Best Online Presence
Last year’s Best New Artists, The Superfantastics, didn’t rest on their laurels or let all the praise go to their cute noggins. They released their debut EP, Pop-Up Book, played North by Northeast, Sappyfest and toured with Julie Doiron and Dick Morello (now known as Calm Down it’s Monday). Both Stephanie d’Entremont and Matt MacDonald…
Best Canadian Solo Female
When Leslie Feist walked the Halifax Junos red carpet in 2006, she accessorized her cute vintage dress with a handbag held together with crayon-coloured duct tape. It’s that combo of effortless elegance and gawky dorkiness that made the video for “1234” irresistible to iPod marketing execs and made her third solo album The Reminder a…
Best Merch
Last year’s Best New Artists, The Superfantastics, didn’t rest on their laurels or let all the praise go to their cute noggins. They released their debut EP, Pop-Up Book, played North by Northeast, Sappyfest and toured with Julie Doiron and Dick Morello (now known as Calm Down it’s Monday). Both Stephanie d’Entremont and Matt MacDonald…
Best Canadian Album
When Leslie Feist walked the Halifax Junos red carpet in 2006, she accessorized her cute vintage dress with a handbag held together with crayon-coloured duct tape. It’s that combo of effortless elegance and gawky dorkiness that made the video for “1234” irresistible to iPod marketing execs and made her third solo album The Reminder a…
Best Record Label
It’s a first Best of Music win for Noyes Records, who made a lot of, well, noise last year. While on tour with The Medium Mood, Chad Peck, who runs Noyes, lists some of the label’s highlights. “Five of our bands making it into the Pop Explosion; the Medium Mood CD release at the Marquee;…
Best Canadian Single
When Leslie Feist walked the Halifax Junos red carpet in 2006, she accessorized her cute vintage dress with a handbag held together with crayon-coloured duct tape. It’s that combo of effortless elegance and gawky dorkiness that made the video for “1234” irresistible to iPod marketing execs and made her third solo album The Reminder a…
Best Fan
Lately we haven’t seen Cieplinski and his trusty bunch of cameras out at every show, but the man deserves a break: His music photo archive is mind-boggling. And even when he’s not there shooting from the sidelines, the spirit of David Cieplinski—Halifax’s best music fan—is alive and well in voters’ hearts. First runner up: Andrew…
Best Music Festival
There’s no scientific reason why Halifax Pop Explosion always wins for best festival. Perhaps the answer’s found in the sweat spray from all the dancers loving up the Zoobombs at the Seahorse. Or maybe in the hoarse voices of Eric’s Trip fans singing along at their reunion show. Or you could count up the number…
Best MC
Maybe you voted for Ghettosocks, a first-time winner in the category, after watching him beat the snot out of a giant dinosaur in his video Step To A T-Rex, which was also nominated for ECMA hip-hop single of the year. Or maybe because you listened to one of last year’s winners for Best New Artist,…
Stupid bitchers
I am so tired of all the bitchers on here who bitch about people they obviously consider inferior – squeegee kids, people asking for change, fat people, poor people…. What these dumbass fucktards don’t realise is that our society makes victims of lots of people and instead of blaming the victims, they should be looking…
If I want old chedder, I’ll go to the supermarket.
Why can’t guys realize that the shit they eat makes their junk smell like cheese? Didn’t your fathers teach you to watch your diet, wipe your dick after you pee and PROPERLY clean your plumbing? If I see another fucking pee stain in my roomate’s tighty whiteys lying next to the washer, I’m going to…
Jobs in Halifax? I think not…
Anyone seeking employment in the HRM like myself? What I’ve come to find out is that Halifax is just a pool of call centres or crappy behind the counter jobs at your local fast food restaurant. Nothing really worth your while (if you know what I mean). And here’s the kicker: If you actually find…
Eat My Pyjama Pants
Published February 05, 2008. Eat My Pyjama Pants I wear Crocs. I wear Uggs. I wear baggy sweats. Sometimes I even wear pyjama pants. So to all you helpful people who’ve written in to the Coast and other media to inform me that this is an error in fashion judgement: Thanks for your input. Really.…
I wanted to read that ad you SOB
To the inconsiderate boob who, for whatever reason, tore the top off of one of the middle pages of The Coast and left the torn copy on the 59 from Portland Hills last Thursday, thanks. I spent the rest of my night, at work wondering what was on the top of the page. Something so…
SPCA
This is supposed to be a commendable organization? I have a friend who desperately needed to find homes for two adult cats, and the SPCA turned her away. Without explanation, she was denied shelter, or any assistance from them. Luckily, she ended up finding good homes for both cats before she had to leave the…
HURRY UP HANDICAP
This bitch is to the people who live in my appartment building who look after 3 or 4 handicapped people: Why do you bring the 3 slowest, oldest handicaped people on earth down 3 flights of stairs when we have elevators???? Are you people fucking retarded?(no punn) Honestly though, you have to be worse off…
coffee snots
coffee shops oughta have a special line (with its own cash register) for customers who just want to order a regular goddam cup of coffee. i’m sick of standing behind three people who collectively take fifteen minutes to order (and receive) their drinks, ’cause they want mocha-grande-extra-foamy-1/2 caf/half decaf-2% cream-extra tall-extra hot-crapuccinos. attention Starbucks and…
To the Back of the Bus, Bitch
the young woman getting off the 52 yesterday who said and I quote: “could you wait for me to get off the bus before you get on?” It’s called a rear door. Use it. By golly, if I recall correctly there are even big bright yellow signs posted stating “use rear door”. If you are…
HCAP AND Wayne thanks!
a huge thanks to HCAP and Wayne who helped us get out of our lease with the big rental company because of a leaky bathroom. You guys rocked!! Thanks a million keep up the good work! Ginger
Dear Halifax
I love you and miss you! I hope you’re well and I think of you every day. Frances In Munich
To the mother on bus ride #10 between the hours of 8am and 8:30 am
When you come on the bus @ the sports plex with that brat of a child, do you realize how many days your little brat ruins? Seriously… its so bad that I can recongnize this mom and son when they get on the bus and I want to slap that mother, to put some sense…
Smokers
Just a big old fuck you to the ppl who need to walk on busy streets smoking cigarettes. I love getting behind you and getting face fulls of smoke. I dont think there is any law against smoking while walking even if there was i dont think it would help those smoke 15 feet away…
unqualified reviewers
just read this week’s review of Mongolie Grill’d and is surprised how a restaurant reviewer does not know how certain sauce and foods don’t mix well. also the definition of certain things on the menu. do you just get anyone to become a reviewer? that’s like getting someone who uses an instamatic to review cameras,…
Clothing Optional
Who Hates Pants?!!! I know I do. Can’t stand them. They are the first things off once I am through that front door. When’s summer coming so I can finally teach these guys a lesson and turn ’em all into jean-shorts (and then throw them out ‘cus jean shorts are dumb too). Stupid Pants. Party’s…
Unable to bitch
How come SOME of my online responses to bitches get published while others do not? Precision is a plus
To the asshole who stole my wallet:
Dear asshole, I would like to personally say “FUCK YOU” for stealing my wallet from my work place. I honestly feel bad for you… you obviously have a lot of horrible stuff going on in your life, as was made apparent by your overwhelming stupidity. What made you think to yourself “Hey – I need…
The Coast is free because…
…nobody would pay for it if it was on sale. Your articles are all bleeding-heart extreme leftist diatribes on how bad corporations are, and how great the North end is. This isn’t journalism, its biased opinion-piece tripe. For instance, your Adam-suicide-bridge article presents the story in one way: the bridge needs a fence, and the…
One doodle that can’t be undid, Homespirit
Looking like a cross between her old and new selves in a suit and ballet flats, Page picked up Best Actress at the Independent Spirit Awards (aka the Cool Oscars) last night, besting a weird bunch of nominees including Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart), Parker Posey (Broken English), Sienna Miller (Interview) and Tang Wei (Lust,…
The Coasts “What will you do with Halifax’s new Metro daily?” Vote: Missing some options…?
I see you conveniently left out an option for the people that don’t give that piece of Upper Canadian advertising trash the time of day. Why? Christopher
“cold, poor and hungry”
I am sick and tired of being asked for change. Im usually a very good hearted person, however, i just cannot bring myself to hand over my hard earned money to some dirty skiv on the street whom i dont know. this hatred toward “homeless” people is mainly because the other day when i was…
Fuck i hate you.
Fuck i hate my supervisor at work. Picture an overweight, balding, self important asshole with a major complex and you’ve got him. Fucking throws a tantrum when something goes wrong, and tries to play boss man to feel importantand make up for whatever is lacking in his stupid life. What’s that, fatty? Oh i didn’t…
Food for Thought
My usual ‘onion bagel with herb &garlic cream cheese’ will no longer be heard. When I first arrived in Canada, your portions were fairly –not ideal, but fair– good. Now? They’re not even ‘okay.’ I end up with a burnt bagel and a nickel sized amount of cream cheese. You’ve lost a customer. Can’t Wait…
What do People do with Pennies?
Which banks provide some kind of plastic bags for counting the pennies? Will be Loaded with Pennies, in a year, :P!
Youth Live, suck my a@#
Let me begin with a little story. One cold Feb morning in good ol H dot, i dragged myself out of bed, slapped on my boots and jumpsuit and headed to work at Youth Live. For those of you who dont know, Youth Live is a work education program funded by HRM. Its purpose (supposedly)…
POTHOLES
…thats it.. something has to be done with these fucking roads!!! Twice in a month i had to replace a rim!! most are avoidable… some you have no choice, its the hole or the car beside you!! HRM should be passing out rebates… this is crazy poor
Don’t piss off the people who control your caffeine.
To 1% extra hot Latte Woman. We all hate you and your holier-than-thou attitude. The way you glare at those of us you deem unworthy of making your drink. Newsflash! We all make your ridiculously hot drink the same way, you pompus cow! Why do you even need your drink so hot? You can’t possibly…
The Bird Flipper
I’m waiting to cross the street where Sackville turns on to Bell Rd. (CBC building corner) There’s a family with mayba a 7 year old daugher waiting on the opposite side. Light turns green, we start to cross and the car we are crossing in front of decides to make her right turn on red…
to the decorator of the busstop on the corner of spring garden&barrington
When I was walking downtown tonight, I noticed something odd inside the bus stop shelter on the corner of spring garden&barrington. Could it be….a fireplace? And a chair? And a carpet? And reading materials, including a Tale Of Two Cities? Now, I know this is a place where people bitch about stuff, but I just…
One good door
To the owner of the blue house on North Park (overlooking the commons). Please, please, please paint your front door yellow again. The burgundy just doesn’t cut it and the yellow made me happy everyday when I passed by. I miss it. Burgandy Makes Me Blue
To the unoffical greeter
Mom and I were having our weekly mother/daughter lunch before we got groceries, you rudely interrupted us. I realize people need to socialize but I’m not Julie Mcoy entertainment director for the unsocials. I don’t mind saying high but I really don’t wish to have a conversation with you. There are activities for folks like…
The Got to Get Got
The Got to Get GotSunday, February 17, 1:38am, Gus’ PubRobin Hart Hiltz
Lets all be trendy!!!!!
PRIVATIZE!!!!!!!! Why does the price of all the good beer keep going up? Staropramen, Czechvar Sneiderweiss, etc etc. are through the fuckin roof!!! Is it because all the University students jumped on the bandwagon and think its cool to be holding big foreign cans/bottles of beer as it makes them look like alcoholics with a…
Children who call themselves Dal students.
I know the Killam Library is a hangout for a lot of people, I get it, but guess what…. some people go there to actually study! And you know the large room on the second floor? That’s a QUIET study area. It has big signs on the walls saying”QUIET” in underlined, BIG RED LETTERS…That means…
FUCKING INBREAD BITCH!!!!!
This bitch is to my girlfreinds roomate: I am tired of waking up to the smell of rotten pussy on my pillow. I fucking know it is you becasue my GF would never do that and smells like fucking roses. You are disgusting and dont think for a second that I dont now know what…
This is why I am not having children.
I am so tired of having to ride the bus with people who don’t know how to fucking behave on a moving vehicle. Here are some hints: 1- Don’t yell. I know that you think that being 16 makes you cool, but yelling just makes you look like a douchebag to everyone else. It makes…
Sir Stinks A Lot.
There must be a reason why you don’t shower each day. (or week..month?) Maybe it’s because you prefer to sleep in a little longer in the morning. It could even be because you can’t smell your own smell, or you take some sort of sick pleasure in causing those around you to suffer because of…
Cooper Tardivel, Just Us! Cafe, Soup Sergeant, Pyramid Cafe
Local bartender Cooper Tardivel, of Mosaic Social Dining Lounge, has advanced to the next round in the Bols Around the World global cocktail competition: Hell take his prize-winning True North martini to Amsterdam next month, to compete against the other top-ten finalists for the title of Bols Cocktail Master 2008. This is particularly exciting news,…
Strange Adventures in moving?
>Strange Adventures owner Calum Johnston doesnt want to move his comic shop. Its been in the same spot since 1995. People use us as a landmark. I mean, its taken a long time, its taken a lot of advertising, its taken a lot of word of mouth…but I really think thats valuable. Id hate to…
Give a Hooters
The permits are in place, constructions almost done and hirings started. Yes, even though the media hasnt been fussing about it as much lately, the east coasts first Hooters is still quietly preparing itself for a March 10 opening at 120 Main Street, Dartmouth, the former Plaza Nightclub space. Its vibrant, its going to be…
Are you mentally disabled or just fucking ignorant?
This is to the stupid bitch at the 7:30pm showing of “There Will Be Blood” at Park Lane on Tuesday night: do you have some sort of mental disability which caused you to literally talk non stop through a 2 1/2 hour movie? Because maybe if you had tourette’s, aspergers, or a mild form of…
sloppy aint girlicious!
Is it just me or are ugg boots(and those stupid crocs) the Ugg-liest things you’ve ever seen? No, it’s not just me. If I see another bleach blonde slapped around lookin’ twat with stretched out jogging pants, i think I’m going send a bitch slap to the makers of these hideous contraptions. “Oh, but they’re…
Musicians for Farmers
Musicians for Farmers (Feb 23, 6pm at North Street Church) fuses food, speakers and music with the admirable goal of trying to “raise the level of awareness about problems and successes,” says organizer Jeff Torbert. Part of the event’s proceeds will go to sustainable farming organization Heliotrust and the benefit features a locally sourced dinner,…
Mic Boyd
Mic Boyd wrapped up a 30-date tour last Saturday just in time to release his new album Lost in the Woods (Half Life Records) on February 26. Boyd is off to a good start supporting the album. “My new video for ‘Guess Who’s Back’ has just started playing on MuchMusic and we’re applying for another…
Journalist, Wolf
There aren’t many bands like Journalists, Wolf. They write “songs about celebrities, the devil and Timmy Connors, Rayden from Mortal Kombat, Ian Hanomansing, DJ Fresh Phil and Oprah” and rock a particularly stellar ode to Patrick Swayze (“Patrick Sleazy”). The band—made up of 10 or more shirtless people covered in fake blood—are marking the release…
Roger Ebert predicts the future
In September 2007, Juno was just another program blurb in the 200+ film slate at the Toronto International Film Festival. Then it screened to deafening acclaim, and Roger Ebert was there to help set the hype stirring. Though unable to speak due to a recent surgery, his words were no less powerful in a September…
Inspi(red)
This month’s Interview features Page on its cover in a suit flashing her red Y-fronts, looking slightly less uncomfortable than she does in Vanity Fair but clearly unnerved about the red lipstick. (Last month’s Interview cover subject? Amy Adams. Just saying.) She is interviewed by Drew Barrymore, who will direct her in Whip It, a…
Happy birthday El-P!
Page turned 21 today, meaning she can swig all the champagne she wants at both the Oscar and SNL after-parties. Except she doesn’t really drink (“I’m not a crazy boozehound” is how she put it to us a couple years back). Note: this time last year she was in Vancouver shooting Juno, which is the…
Eyeglass Frames Bitch
Why are the only fucking glass frames available these days those fugly little rectangle frames that look good on about 10% of the population? How ’bout some choice for those of us that don’t want to look like a fucking recentangled dorkzilla?? My father’s aviator frames from the 70s are starting to look purdy damn…
Chester Spur
Commonwealth Games? “No one wants to hear about that anymore,” a city councillor told me Tuesday. Okay, I’ll set it aside for a bit, and let’s talk about abandoned railroad lines instead. In June, CN announced that it was giving up the Chester Spur line, which stretches from Fairview through the Bayers Lake Industrial Park…
Stan Rogers tribute
Across the harbour at Alderney Landing Theatre (on the second level of the building), Eastern Front Theatre opens its tribute show to the great Nova Scotian folk singer Stan Rogers. According to Scott Burke, artistic producer and director of Stan Rogers—A Matter of Heart, the show is not biographical in any sense. We talk about…
Metamorphic Theatre
Metamorphic Theatre announces its 2008 season with the third annual Kick It! launch party, Saturday February 23, from 8pm to midnight at the Garrison Brewing Company (1149 Marginal). The evenings program will include music from Christina Martin, Amy Blanchard and Sarah Mian, a silent auction and DJ Johnston Farrow. Andrew Murphy, programming manager for The…
Blacking out words
It takes 15 minutes for Craig Smith to make it as many feet—from the circulation desk at Halifax North Memorial Public Library to a small office by its entrance. The problem—if you can call it that—is people keep stopping the RCMP corporal to chat. He worked at this Gottingen Street branch for 12 years as…
Universities aren’t sustainable. University students are.
Ask university students about sustainability, and it’s clear they are the ones doing the teaching. “It isn’t just about saving one tree. It’s about our community,” says Kaley Kennedy, External Vice President of the King’s Students’ Union (KSU). In 1987 the UN called sustainability “the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising…
Daily News death, Transcontinental Tragedy
You know, theres never a nice way of losing your job, said Marc-Noel Ouellette, a vice president at Transcontinental Media, but in the end, I think we did the best we could in the circumstances. Ouellette was talking over a crackling cellphone connection from Montreal about last weeks sudden and brutal closure of the Halifax…
Black Mountain climbs
“Bearded stoner-rock revivalists” and “heir to the throne of Led Zeppelin” are phrases often applied to Vancouver group Black Mountain. So it’s a bit of a surprise when keyboard player Jeremy Schmidt says he still holds down a day job at a department store. Picture a hairy rock god morphing into a well-groomed retail clerk…
Romance & Cigarettes
[image-4]Published February 21, 2008.Romance & CigarettesDirected by: John Turturro(Sony Pictures)In Romance & Cigarettes Bo (Christopher Walken) tells his story of life with his ex, Roe, by belting out and pantomiming Tom Jones’s “Delilah.” “I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more,” sings Bo, stabbing Roe. As a standalone number, it works:…
Diablo Cody vs. Judd Apatow at the Oscars
“I think because I have this weird mythology surrounding my career, I feel very pressured to dispel any myths that there might be about me. I have done so much press that I think it could be construed as obnoxious, really. I mean, obviously I have free will—but it wasn’t something I went out and…
Dan Savage says “get over it.”
I am 20 years old and my boyfriend is 30. Hes been married three times and has six children with various women. I know, I know, it sounds bad. But hes one of those guys who wanted a family. Anyway, long story short: I feel insecure because he has had a million experiences and I…
Ghostface Killah
[image-4]Published February 21, 2008.Ghostface KillahBig Doe Rehab(Universal)Snoop Dogg’s recent single “Sensual Seduction” has nothing on—and perhaps everything to owe to—Ghostface Killah, whose ability to infuse hip-hop with a heavy dose of ’70s funk is unequalled in the industry. His ability to fuse genres is one of the primary reasons Ghostface Killah is one of the…
Garrett Mason detours to the Delta
This is the Delta. Flat, cultivated land crawls by on both sides of the smoothly paved two-lane Highway 61, heading southbound from Memphis, Tennessee, to Clarksdale, Mississippi. Nova Scotian blues artist Garrett Mason points to the endless casino billboards and burger joints going by on the 70-mile drive. This is his first time in America,…
Wintering wrongly
Sigh… February. You know exactly how I’m feeling—call it the February blahs or the winter blues. It’s that feeling like you’re not going to make it to the other end of this minus-a-million degree tunnel; when cutesy ads featuring American Eagle models frolicking in synthetic snow are an affront. Three weeks back, Shubenacadie Sam had…
Mongolie Grill’d
Real Mongolians probably don’t overcook their food into a soggy, unpalatable mess
Jumper
Jumper works as a travelogue, but it doesn’t work as a movie. David Rice (Hayden Christensen) leaps from The Sphinx to Big Ben to the Coliseum, but his only goal is to escape arch rivals the Paladins (led by Samuel L. Jackson as Roland). It’s a concept without a story. Director Doug Liman sinks lower…
Charlie Bartlett
The poster image of Charlie Bartlett in repose, arms folded behind his head, invites comparison to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. But the teen movie Charlie Bartlett would rather be Pump Up the Volume. The idea of a high school kid finding out he can be adored by his peers by being nice to everyone is…
Definitely, Maybe
Abigail Breslin may have gotten an Oscar nom for Little Miss Sunshine (2006), but that didnt save her from being cast in the most cloying child role in ages in Definitely, Maybe. As the daughter of political consultant Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds), she just wants to know the truth of how Dad met Mom. Poor…
