10 years of Elsie’s
Maureen Elsie Court is celebrating 10 years in business this April 1. Her consignment shop Elsie’s (1530 Queen, 425-2559) has become a trend-definer, her sharp eye and creative spirit helping to make Halifax look hotter, shinier and better. She can identify your style with a single look, and keeps certain lines in mind for certain…
Hobo with a Shotgun finds a home
A hobo in the making? So judging from the calls for extras (and the fact that we were told directly), Jason Eisener’s Hobo with a Shotgun starts shooting on April 19. No word yet on casting, but Nick Nolte was rumoured at one point to be a consideration for Hobo. A girl can only hope.…
deux fm and Laura Chenoweth competing for eco-fashion supremacy
Laura Chenoweth Proving that environmentally conscious fashion design is more than just a season’s trend, Fashion Takes Action is launching the first FTA Design Forward awards. Close to 40 designers made the first round, and it’s now down to 14, including locals deux fm and Laura Chenoweth. But what makes these awards interesting (and credible)…
Rebekah Higgs gets laced in with Jewelry by Twiggs
Rebekah Higgs’ grandmother didn’t just inspire her fearless electro-dance alter ego, Ruby Jean, she’s also the spirit behind Higgs’ Jewelry by Twiggs. “I started making them at Christmas time for friends and family out of scraps of lace around the house and my grandmother’s broken jewellery left to me,” says Higgs, who always shows up…
More Khyber reporting and discussion
[image-1] Regional council has approved funding for the Halifax Central Library, but the fate of another cultural building still hangs in limbo. The “Final Report on Future Use of the Khyber Building” (halifax.ca/crca/FeasibilityReport.html) was released a couple of weeks ago, with updated observations from the public consultation sessions that happened late last year. The majority…
Art Garfunkel is bringing along a buddy
Aw, BFFs It’s not that I don’t like Art Garfunkel—-he was pretty good in Catch 22—-but we all need a little help from our friends sometimes, and in accordance with this, Garfunkel has nixed his solo dates and instead re-scheduled to play a cluster of shows with his old songwriting partner Paul Simon. According to…
Carlito’s changes hands
Last week Shoptalk reported that Carlitos Café (6220 Quinpool Road, 444-7555) is closing, but good news for fans of their excellent coffee: the business has been sold to a gentleman named Noel Gallagher who intends on reopening the café April 12. His intent is to keep the café pretty much as is, though perhaps add…
Heroine addiction
On April 8 Heroine (5775 Charles Street, 420-0328), owned and operated by Jody Manley, reopens for a season of trunk shows and showrooms featuring small, independent Canadian designers. The first show for 2010 will be the spring collection of Montreal’s Ca Va De Soi. And into the spring season, you can expect more shows running…
Local activists surprised by Clinton apology to Haiti
Local activists react after former US president, Bill Clinton apologizes for forcing Haiti to import cheap American rice.
Merritt award round-up
The best in the supporting dept, Bill Wood I’ve always been tickled by the moniker Merritt Awards, named for the late, great Nova Scotian playwright Robert Merritt, because of the lovely wordplay. However, after Tuesday night’s annual bash, a name change to “The Two Planks and a Passion Awards” may be in order. The valley…
Hell yes: 3 Inches of Blood return
Everyone’s favorite orc-slayers 3 Inches of Blood are coming to Halifax in…you guessed it. May. AWRITE! With special guests Barnburner and Goat Whore. Saturday May 8th, The Paragon Theatre, $13/$15/$20, 10pm.Buy your tickets at.ticketpro.ca, call 1-888-311-9090 or visit an outlet.
Tattoo my ass, Queenie
Oh Boo-Hoo! The Queen isn’t coming to Nova Scotia! So my taxes don’t get to be spent bringing “my ruler” to come see the Tattoo. Why do we still bow and fawn over these morons? What have they achieved, or produced other than being a tourist attraction in Rotten-Tooth Olde England towne? I think we…
“The Under-Class of Halifax: A Thematic Approach”
It recently occurred to me that the “Bitch” section of “The Coast” would be a research gold-mine for a paper or even a thesis for anyone out there – admittedly unlikely – in a sociology or social psychology course at the university level. What is required, of course, is structure. While by no means complete,…
Shut UP!
Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! I didn’t perm my hair to blend in with white people. How the fuck is straight hair supposed to make me “blend in” anyway, you think the straight hair somehow makes my skin lighter? I’m not a “self-hating black girl” because I like my hair straight. That is the…
Easter Weekend Openings
Did you know it was only two years ago that you couldn’t buy a drink in a bar on Good Friday? If you ordered food you could have a drink with a meal, but if you wanted to exercise your right to get loaded on a holy day in the Christian calendar, it was a…
2 is the new 4
Each weekday around noon, rolling down North Street, comes the ‘4 Downtown’ Transit Bus. And it’s usually driven by the same comtemptable and generally creepy bus driver. I’m typically oblivious to my transit surroundings (lost in thought, iPod, having a life), but today I couldn’t help but note that I was sat on bus 973.…
Next time you leave the line…you’re not coming back
OK, bitch who was shopping for groceries Mon night about 30 minutes before the store closed. There was one fucking register open and 4 people behind you and you left 4 TIMES to “just grab one more thing” If you’re not finished shopping then don’t get in the fucking line. I asked the cashier once…
Just move out already!
To the idiot who lives in the apartment next to me … Shut your 2 yapping dogs up already … I am sick and tired of them barking for seemingly no reason at all hours of the day. And when you take them out to have a shit … why don’t you pick up after…
God save the queen from the Tattoo
This afternoon we received an email from the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, who are “disappointed that the subject of Her Majesty’s potential visit to the show became public knowledge before all issues could be resolved.” Apparently there have been some royal-sized rumours about why the queen won’t be attending the Tattoo during her visit…
Jonny Stevens is Executive Director of the Halifax Pop Explosion
Jonny Stevens has been named the new executive director of the Halifax Pop Explosion (HPX), taking over from the previous director, Waye Mason. (You can see our goodbye interview with Mason here.) From the Pigeon Row press release: Stevens has spent the past three years as the education and events coordinator with Music Nova Scotia.…
Killer Queen
BULL POWER As a proud Taurean, I have to tell you that May is generally a good time for me even when nothing is really happening. I feel really powerful, my stars are all aligned and whatnot, and people are almost suspiciously nice to me.This year’s May-time holds particular promise, however. A couple weeks ago…
Helpful Harbour-walker
Thank you so much to the man who offered me help in setting up my art installation on Monday. It was cold and windy and slippery on the rocks in front of the Marriott, and you could have looked at me and thought “That girl’s foolish” and kept walking, but you didn’t. You cheerily walked…
Slow burn
I wrote you a note, expected a response, a resolution, closure. Instead I got no answer, awkwardness and a slow burn that I can’t seem to shake. I expected better. -Hurt but I’ll get over it
Seriously?
I stopped my car to ask a man lying in the middle of the street if he was OK and you have the nerve to honk your horn at me for being in the way? Did you see the guy who was about to be run over by on coming traffic? Were you really in…
Yay
I can’t wait. The next time I see you will be the last time I see you. I’m tired of you.I’m tired of your mystery. I hate you. I hate your guts bitch. —See You In Hell Bitch
To Refresh
Yes, I know it was bound to happen eventually. I just didn’t know it was going to hurt this much. Of course I can’t call you a “fucking bitch” or be mad at you about anything. That wouldn’t be fair. Of course, really, you didn’t even do anything wrong. You ended it because you felt…
Drip, drip, drip…
Every time I go into the kitchen at work I find that someone has failed to properly turn off the tap fully so that the faucet is dripping… every time! Weren’t we taught way back in elementary school that leaving a dripping faucet is a huge waste of water? I work in an office building…
Circulation Desk Girl
To the lovely girl at the circulation desk of a major university library on saturday morning: you were the most unpleasant person I have encountered all month. From your refusal to answer me and look up from your computer to your sneer and eye-roll when i asked you if you could please grab some more…
Just chill, dude
At the bar the other night you heard my brother say “I’m not a racist” and made a big fucking scene out of it. You instantly thought that our table was exchanging racist jokes around, but why the fuck would we be doing that? You heard one phrase of our conversation and assumed terrible things.…
First-class upgrade
To E, and her friends, that gave fellow stranded travellers J and myself a lift home from the airport late Sunday…you are the best! Coming back to Halifax after a weekend in Toronto and meeting such a great group of people willing to give two strangers a free ride (…and snacks! Unreal.) reminds me why…
One Loose Cannon
Your glances my way during trivia weren’t trivial. It was the boost I needed. And for the record – you look really good in plaid. Thanks for holding the door. —3rd Place
I have a treasure and “X” marks its spot
Smokey my love…. The gifts you gently guided to me during the week you stayed and prepared for my 50th will always be with me and remain as the most incredible memories of the blessings that exist in my life. That time with you will always resonate, I will always see you there, feel your…
The law is the law
So if the Canadian government determines that it is against the law for the words ‘under God’ to be on our money, then, so be it. And if that same government decides that the ‘Ten Commandments’ are not to be used in or on a government installation, then, so be it. I say, ‘So be…
Some women are amazing
I’m inspired by a previous bitch to have a little rant of my own: Girls, they are something else sometimes…and then other times, its truly amazing how easy to please they are…case in point, I know this girl, her “man” who doesn’t want a relationship it would seem, treats her like an appliance you can…
Patiently waiting
I was waiting forever for my bus and you were the boy working at the Delta across the street on Barrington. You kept looking at me and you were so cute, and I felt like such a little coward for not crossing the street. —Patchy Long Coat
Don’t you just fucking hate
…when someone tries to force their religion down your throats. Even on facebook, there are these people, some brain dead, tho they may be, are flaunting their shit over a supposedly neutral site. And blessing this, that and the big shit of dog shit they stepped in. ENOUGH PEOPLE, if you want to believe, fucking…
Useless server
You are seriously one dumb-ass bitch! I came in and stood before the “Please Wait to be Seated” sign. The place was packed. I waited for 10 minutes to even get fucking seated. One server told me it was gonna be a long wait. Finally I got seated. FINALLLLYY! The server who was serving me…
The biggest thanks!
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to the wonderful neighbours who called 911 and came to our door to let us know when they noticed that the back of our apartment was engulfed in flames. We would have had no idea until it was too late. We have no idea which neighbours you are so…
To the dumb bitch sitting behind me
I was sitting in 14A on WestJet’s 7:40am, March 26th Hfx-Cgy flight and you had a toddler on your lap. How much indication did I have to give to make you understand I wasn’t enjoying the thumping of my seatback while you let said toddler kick away for the five hours we were in the…
Perverts
Yeah, I like to get intimate with my boyfriend. Who doesn’t? It doesn’t mean his stupid friends have to make vulgar ‘tongue in cheek’ gestures at us every time we’re holding hands…or scream from across the street ”YEAHHH MAN! GET SOME!!’ It only confirms my belief that they don’t get any. Seriously, go troll on…
Part of the Weekend Never Dies
i love fuck montreal’s photos. LOVE THEM. How are you all doing? Laughed out/drunked out from last night’s various comedy/music shenanigans? If you’re like me, this weekend was the most magical thing ever and you don’t want it to stop just because of things like “dates” and “work”, so why not stretch out the good…
Tired of this
I’m so sick and tired of being rejected! I asked out about 11 different women in the past year or two and every one of them said no! These are all women I got to know a little, not strangers off the street. And only three of them were hot, the rest were average-looking or…
Please come back
TH I know it has been a few years but I am going to have to demand you bring back your old cherry cheese danish. The current product you are trying to peddle is horrible. If we can just turn back the clock and get your old style danish back. You know the ones that…
Hockey announcers are out of control
STFU already!!! What is this, Live with Penis and Smelly? YAP YAP YAP YAP let us listen to THE GAME instead of that constant nattering. It’s getting to the point where all the play-by-play is gone while these turds yap about the MONSTER play. —Sick of All the Colour Commentary
Kind contra dancers
Thanks to the lovely people who organized the contra dance at King’s. It was such a great time, and such a friendly and supportive environment. I am not a good dancer whatsoever, and often did the wrong thing or got confused, but the better dancers were never annoyed and always took the time to correct…
Cat napper
Stop feeding my cat. I tried to ask you politely and you hung up on me. This is not junior high. Go adopt your own cat. Stop feeding my cat. Stop feeding my cat. Stop feeding my cat. I am not asking you, I am telling you: STOP. FEEDING. MY. CAT. —Used to Like My…
To my Kay Nu
We moved all the way from MB together and I wouldn’t pick anyone else in the world. You will always be my anchor in life. I hope you know just how much I love you. I will love you forever. —The Swede
Tap tap tap tappity tap tap TAP TAP TAP TAYADHFKJ
Please stop using the courtesy phone right next to my desk for HOURS while you talk loudly about the issues you have with your son-in-law and the way he raises your grandchildren. And if you need a pen please just ask me for one, do not reach over the desk and take one from my…
Thanks for the sweets
Thanks to the nice lady on my bus today who placed an Easter egg on my book. I wanted to say thank you for your random act of kindness. You cheered me up on an otherwise crappy day. —MewShady
Mr. Boss Man
Stop calling your female employees “Sweetie” and “Hun”… especially in front of clients. You might think it’s friendly but it’s perceived by everyone as condescending. It’s unprofessional and extremely annoying. How is it that this hasn’t stopped after all of us filed a complaint to your superiors, and three have asked you to stop in…
Another POF hater
Oh POF….where would we be without you? Oh yeah! I wouldn’t have gone on that awful date with this guy (apparently a local musician, though I’ve never heard of him playing anywhere) who was so self-absorbed that I could barely get a word in edgewise. And come to find out the guy is actually engaged…
Politeness appreciated
Thank you to all you wonderful men (young and older) who still open a door for a lady 🙂 I have no problems pushing or pulling open a door for myself but it’s so refreshing to have it done for me. I promise you I will always smile and say Thank You! Chivalry is not…
My Head’s Gonna Explode Tonight
KABLUEY The big ticket tanite is the Windom Earle/Pastoralia/Cold Warps show at Gus’ at 10:30, right after Paul F. Tompkins’ last show. Not only are all three bands awesome (and Cold Warps are on fucking fire right now) but I bet a lot of people will be aiming for a Paul F. (or PFFFT!) spotting.…
You Gotta Burp the Tupperware to Make It Talk
Sarah DeVenne Ladies love cool aliens Ever seen that movie Earth Girls Are Easy? Talking to Doctor Sung, who plays keyboards in Coast Best of Music Winner Tupperware Remix Party (and who periodically inhabits the body of Jorin Caldwell) I feel a little like I’m getting mash notes from Jeff Goldblum’s sexy alien character, Mac.…
Sorry for the inconvenience
I AM NOT AN INFORMATION BOOTH! I don’t know where you need to go. There are directories all around, or take it upon yourself if you are lost to find an ACTUAL customer service representative. I have more important things to do than to tell you how to get to a place that I didn’t…
Library or romper room for teens?
I live in north end Halifax and the library I go to is a joke. I don’t know why teenagers are allowed to literally run around, swear and be extremely offensive amongst the public. Is the staff afraid of them? If I worked there all it would take is one loud profanity or rambunctious behaviour…
New ferry rules
So did anyone else hear about the random searches on the ferry and the bulletproof glass in the terminals starting April 1? What the fuck? At least on the bus I only have to worry about being videotaped and spied upon by several different cameras at any given time—haven’t had a cavity search yet. Is…
GOD DAMMIT
FUCKING SNOW! —Wants a Patio Beer
Guh
Dearest S, if you move away words could not express how I would feel. Please don’t just jump because of him. —D
Design advocate Jennifer Leonard speaks tonight
I’m really excited to hear what Jennifer Leonard has to say. She is an interdisciplinary project leader at IDEO, a global design agency. She co-wrote Massive Change with Bruce Mau, a book that really made me think differently about the potential of design. Before that, the Haligonian-born Leonard was a journalist, where she worked as…
I LOVE EVERYONE
I JUST WANNA SAY I LOVE TO ALL MY FAMILY: THE WHOLE WORLD!!!! —Kris Ann Photographic
The name game
You know what I really hate? Hyphenated last names. They’re long, they’re tedious, and they often sound really pretentious. I totally support a woman’s choice to keep her maiden name. But pick one or the other. Old or new. Not both. —Mrs. One Name
Rookie cop with a radar gun
I try to obey traffic rules. I’ve got two small children and expect the same courtesy from all motorists. I never intentionally speed; I wish my car would automatically adjust the speed for me based on what the posted limit was. I was on my way home, excited to see my wife and kids after…
Flew off my longboard on Friday the 19th, around 8:30am
You saw me crash on the corner of Barrington St & Inglis St, into the Peninsula Place’s main entrance. You asked if I was OK, I think I was on my knees and replied something like “Yes yes, I’m fine, thank you.” I’m missing some puzzle pieces and can’t remember what happened. I need to…
Dear Sandra
Dear Sandra, I just wanted to write you a note to let you know that I always change the channel when any account of the potential distastefulness of your life shows up. You’ll do better. Great job on the movie, it was really special. No, really. Good luck. —A Reluctant Yet Humbled Fan
What the hell
Nine years ago I started dating a guy who I told right from the beginning I DON’T WANT KIDS…we just broke up because he “thought I’d change my mind.” WTF? NINE YEARS. You’d think he would have said something during that time…I don’t get it, any of you fellows care to explain? Oh, and might…
Typhoid Mary at the QEII
So I’m in to see my friend at the hospital today—he’s had leg surgery and I stop by the ward desk where his room was—and while the nurse was quite nice, it was perfectly obvious she was sicker than shit, blowing her bulbous red nose and clutching a handful of snotty tissues between sneezes. Sitting…
Some days aren’t worth it
This is a super special bitch dedicated to two folks: the asshole who almost ran me over at the crosswalk, and the asshole landlord who judged me for how I look and assumed I was a pothead partier. To the asshole driver: those two blinky lights above the big ‘crosswalk’ sign? They mean stop. You…
Ann Coulter, we don’t need anymore bigots in Canada
Seriously, why is this right-winged racist, fascist good-for-nothing being paid PAID to spread messages of hate to students and faculty of higher learning institutions across the country? For shame if this is the type of ‘inspirational speaker’ (and I use the term very loosely) that the political academia in our great country, which is only…
Fuck you very much
After all you did to me, I’m glad you got brutally rejected by that other girl. I never did believe in karma but as of now, it’s more clear. I hope you realize soon that you aren’t the best guy in the world. —YOU’RE A GINGER ANYWAYS
Whither Tomavinos?
Though the fate of the south end location of pizza restaurant Tomavinos (5173 South Street) remains up in the air due to the fire that shut it down in January (along with Thai Chin and Taj Mahal, though we’ve learned Café Chianti is moving into 1241 Barrington Street), a Bedford area reader let us know…
Neptune Theatre launches 2010-11 season
Rick Miller and MacHomer Today Neptune Theatre announced their 2010-11 season—it’s a pretty trad line-up—no surprises—for those who love the classics. Will S. gets top billing, with Romeo and Juliet, plus adaptations West Side Story and MacHomer (50 Simpsons characters meet Shakespeare, funnelled through one man), performed by Rick Miller, who’s also starring in Bigger…
On Patrol
What’s wrong? Christmas tree lights still on Bishop’s Landing fountain. Who’s responsible? Scott Layton, manager of Bishop’s Landing, 423-7527. REMARKS A reader tweeted us this photo Saturday, as Hali temps topped 20 degrees, when a hot, fountain-worthy summer seemed imminent. Well, you’ll have to wait a bit longer, says Layton. The Christmas lights were kept…
Garrison Brewing wins at World Beer Championships
Garrison Brewing (1149 Marginal Road, 453-5343) landed four medals at the World Beer Championship in Chicago last week. Both Garrison’s IPA and Irish Red Ale were scored in the gold category (a 90+ score by the judges), while the Winter Warmer and Hopyard Pale Ale landed in the silver category (80-90 scores). Congratulations to president…
Comic nerd Christmas: Scott Pilgrim trailer out today
So that’s what that “squee” was: the sound of nerds everywhere inhaling with excitement. Here’s the new trailer for Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, based on former Haligonian Bryan Lee O’Malley’s popular graphic novel series. The film comes out August 13.
Drum man!
You’ve recently become a friend of mine, and I want you to know that you’re awesome. I don’t even think you read The Coast, and even though I have coffee with you often enough, I want Halifax to know that you’re pretty rad, and more than worthwhile company. I totally respect you as a performer,…
Cute hippie bus girl
You were on the 18 yesterday, at around 2pm. Long coat, pink sling bag. I was in the left back corner with a book. You looked back before you sat down, and looked back again with a smile, and you were so cute! I just want you to know that you’re adorable, and you gave…
Food court friendly
To the blonde girl in the food court at the Mic Mac Mall yesterday who was answering questions from a table of old people about her hot pink iphone: you were sweet and patient with their silly questions. You were obviously on your lunch break and spent most of it explaining the difference of phones…
Go U of O!
I am happy to support the students of the University of Ottawa in their protest against Ann Coulter’s “speech”. In response to her claims of hate crimes against her, I would just like to say: it’s not that we hate you, it’s just that you hate EVERYONE that’s not white and Christian. It’s not that…
The most uptight guy on POF
After spending two months on plenty of fish, filtering out losers who just wanted a piece of ass (and couldn’t get it in real life), I met this decent ‘normal’ guy who wasn’t so ‘sleazy’. We talked online for about three nights a week for three weeks and we hit it off well. And we…
Thank you!
To the lovely lady with the big umbrella and the heart to match, thank you for keeping a stranger dry while waiting for the bus! I assumed we were waiting for the same bus, but when it came and you carried on your way, I was kinda blown away. I didn’t think it was possible…
Fucking deadbeat
To my ex-stepfather: You are slime. How dare you take a low paying position just to avoid paying my mother child support? You worked as a courier driver for over 25 years and could easily get a trucking job that would pay you more than enough to send Mum the money to cover my three…
Review: Equus
I think it’s a wonderful thing that, in this day and age when maggot-riddled corpses are considered run-of-the-mill television images, audiences can still be shocked and disturbed by Peter Shaffer’s 37-year-old masterpiece Equus. The penultimate scene where the naked and frenzied teenager (played with remarkable magnetism by Jackson Byrne) blinds six horses is played out…
Karaoke city
Bearly’s House of Blues & Ribs, Wednesdays While Bearly’s always has its regulars, it’s all about fist pumps and dancing for everyone—including newbies. “It’s just one of the few places in town where even if you are in a crowd, you still feel like you’re surrounded by friends,” says owner Mimi Iatrou. Whether it’s the…
Best Artist / Band To Be Blown Away By
C’mon, who wouldn’t be blown away by a song called “Don’t Taze Me, Bro.” Last year the band recorded their first album, </sarcasm>, available free at inthisstyle.ca, and blew through a mini-tour of the Maritimes with their buddies Black Moor. “It was also the first time we felt like a real band with our own…
Free Will Astrology
Happy Birthday! ARIES (March 21-April 19) All but one of our planet’s mountain ranges have been mapped: the Gamburtsev Mountains, which are buried under 2.5 miles of ice in Antarctica. Recent efforts to get a read on this craggy landscape, aided by a network of seismic instruments, have revealed some initial details about it, including…
War on Earth
If money talks, what does it say that Canada spends 12 times more on the Department of National Defence than it does on Environment Canada, and 120 times more on defence than it does on climate change mitigation? Last year we spent $18.8 billion on defence, our largest single program expense, more than double what…
Best Artist / Band To Dance To
This ain’t your momma’s food-container party, unless you happen to live on a super intergalactic planet. According to Jorin Caldwell, AKA Doctor Sung, the electrodance party band started off dressed in janitor suits and windbreakers, but once they decided to “take it seriously” they found shiny spandex suits on eBay that would put Daft Punk…
Library suggestion box
Mr. Dewey Decimal no longer rules the stacks. The new central library promises more than just books–it will dramatically change the face of downtown Halifax. So what do you think the library should look like? What would you like to see, both inside and out? Enter your suggestions here.
Canadian-sponsored apartheid
“Write down!/I am an Arab/and my identity card number is 50,000…Record!/I am an Arab/You have stolen the orchards of my ancestors/And the land which I cultivated/Along with my children/And you left nothing for us/Except for these rocks../So will the State take them/As it has been said?!…Write down on the top of the first page:/I do…
Best Video
One of Halifax’s best bands turned into cosmic warriors for this year’s best video, performing in a kaleidoscopic dimension with ice-cream-cone microphones and scythes. “I just wanted to do something kaleidoscopic using some leftover drawings from the cover art,” says Dog Day’s Seth Smith. “I thought it would translate well to music video. Also I…
Fishing ban suggested for Dartmouth’s Oathill Lake
Oathill Lake is an idyllic, tree-lined oasis hidden amongst middle-class homes in Dartmouth’s Manor Park. The short walking trail along its edge is a popular destination for runners and dog-walkers, and the lake acts as a year-round community centre for people who like to swim, skate or fish. (Full disclosure: I’m a resident of Manor…
Best Record Label
“We’ve been steadily growing, but the bottom line is that we’re still young,” says Josh Hogan. Though Diminished Fifth is still a young label, its name has quickly become synonymous with the best in east coast metal, including our Loudest Band winner Black Moor. For now, it’s Hogan running D5R, with partners who deal in…
Best Vinyl
To say that response to Joel Plaskett’s ambitious 2009 triple album Three is positive is as big an understatement as Lady Gaga’s lightning- bolt headpiece. Shortlisted for the Polaris Prize, Plaskett now has a bunch of ECMAs and Best of Music awards to add to the mantle too. Recorded with “talented family and friends,” Three…
Oore scores silence
Sageev Oore has full grasp of experimentation and risk. On one hand, he’s father to a 15-month-old boy, who’s found his feet and legging it about the house. On the other, Oore is a pianist, an improviser who describes his frequent live scoring of silent films as a way of “seeing the connection between music…
Best Live Show In The Past Year
Even cynics begrudgingly have to admit that Paul McCartney leading Haligonians (on both sides of the fence) through “Back In The USSR” was bloody cool. Think about that this summer when Kevin Costner takes the stage during Country Rockfest. First runner-up: Amelia Curran CD release shows at The Company House Second runner-up: Alice Cooper at…
Best Online Presence
Dave Carroll’s “United Breaks Guitars” got the attention of the world, with over an astonishing three-million YouTube views in 10 days, with appearances on The View, CNN and more. Now that the airline-complaint trilogy just wrapped up in a glory of bluegrass and finger-wagging, we have a few ideas of our own. Can someone please…
Best DJ
In 2009, Antoine Larochete, or DJ Cosmo to you sweaty dancers, took Red Bull 3Style’s top prize as Canada’s most versatile DJ. Known for working hard in that tough opening slot—Larochete got the crowds ready for Nas, Mixmaster Mike and more—he also put out his first original album, Skinny Power, and launched Bleu Nuit electro…
Crafting The Bad Arts
Twenty-five percent danceable, 25 percent weird, 50 percent fast: this is the breakdown of The Bad Arts’ new self-titled EP. “We picked one [song] of each kind we write,” drummer Andrew Patterson says, “a dancey one, a fast one, a weirder one.” “A couple fast ones,” bassist Corbett Hancey chimes in. With a distinct post-punk…
Best Live Music Venue
Bring out the can of frosting, The Paragon Theatre celebrates its first anniversary next week with a Best of Music win and a bunch of shows, including Wolf Parade (already sold-out, slowpoke). Taking a walk back through musical memory lane, last year the Paragon hosted Thunderheist, Kid Koala, Mixmaster Mike, Hey Rosetta!, Elliot Brood, King…
Best New Artist / Band
For a scene newcomer, Ria Mae already has the achievements stacked up, but she’s “over the moon” about your votes. The singer-songwriter has just returned from Iqaluit, where she played two shows for International Womens’ Day. “That was certainly a highlight, not just in terms of music, but the trip itself. Margot Durling (percussionist/vocalist extraordinaire) and I got to…
Best Dressed Artist / Band
This ain’t your momma’s food-container party, unless you happen to live on a super intergalactic planet. According to Jorin Caldwell, AKA Doctor Sung, the electrodance party band started off dressed in janitor suits and windbreakers, but once they decided to “take it seriously” they found shiny spandex suits on eBay that would put Daft Punk…
Videogameramma night with Nerd Army
Remember when The Wizard’s Super Mario Bros. 3 finale had everyone reaching for a Nintendo controller and wishing they, too, could enter a speed round and star in a Fred Savage flick? For five bucks this Saturday, the Second Last Gamestore and Reflections are bringing you that childhood dream. Gamers in the city need to…
Best MC
Every time we hear Ghettosocks, we drool. Our Pavlovian response might be from his Treat of the Day blog posts, but most likely it’s from the Ghettosocks sandwich at Good Food Emporium: That heavenly lunch goodness came about thanks to Darren Pyper, who used to always order grilled cheese sammies and ask for avocado and…
Best Artist / Band To Turn Up Loud
Last year marked Halifax crossing over to Black Moor and their debut The Conquering, on Best Label winner, Diminished Fifth. The metal band and its loud, energetic live show quickly became a favourite around town—even for those who’ve never rocked a fist before—performing at Megafest, Cole Harbour Harvest Festival and Monte’s in Dartmouth, where it…
Best Artist / Band Hijinks
This ain’t your momma’s food-container party, unless you happen to live on a super intergalactic planet. According to Jorin Caldwell, AKA Doctor Sung, the electrodance party band started off dressed in janitor suits and windbreakers, but once they decided to “take it seriously” they found shiny spandex suits on eBay that would put Daft Punk…
Matthew Barber
Heartfelt Torontonian Matthew Barber just released his newest album, True Believer, and is ready to share it live. Barber started his cross-Canada tour last weekend in Ontario—the real kind, that spans Halifax to Victoria—and this is your last chance to catch him for a while. Note: Barber’s two previous Carleton shows sold out, so try…
Best Merch
Last year marked Halifax crossing over to Black Moor and their debut The Conquering, on Best Label winner, Diminished Fifth. The metal band and its loud, energetic live show quickly became a favourite around town—even for those who’ve never rocked a fist before—performing at Megafest, Cole Harbour Harvest Festival and Monte’s in Dartmouth, where it…
Best Artist / Band Most Likely To Make It Big
“That’s crazy,” laughs The Stanfields’ vocalist/guitarist Jon Landry, with a sigh of disbelief, when he’s informed about the stack of golden records the band won in this year’s readers’ poll. It’s a couple of days after ripping up hotel suites at the ECMAs in Sydney and the work’s not yet over. When we speak to…
Double toil and trouble
Q I’m a 23-year-old bi dude seeing a guy who is intelligent, sweet, attractive—the works. We’ve been together for six weeks. The problem is, after our first night together, I lost sexual interest in him. When I do get horny—which is rare at the moment due to work pressures—I prefer to beat off alone, because…
Carmel Mikol CD release
Folk songbird Carmel Mikol holds two homes in her heart. “I’m kind of a half-and-half, but to me Cape Breton is my absolute—I come here and it’s my home, and I can completely relax,” she says. “Halifax is where I have fun and do more of the business side of music…but Cape Breton’s kind of…
Best Music Festival
When Halifax Pop Explosion won the ECMA for best festival, director Waye Mason was sure that they were going to lose and didn’t have a speech ready. Because this is his last festival, we’ll indulge him. Here’s the speech he wishes he had given: “The Halifax Pop Explosion is the collective effort of several hundred…
Best Tour You Wish Came To Halifax
From Gelsenkirchen to Zagreb, U2’s 360° Tour sadly didn’t include any Halifax dates, but there’s still hope: The Irish lads are touring internationally until at least October. For those of you dreaming of U2 on the Common though, take another Flurazepam: That giant spidery stage would never fit on Field Six. First runner-up: AC/DC Second…
Those left behind
Scott Chisholm knows better than most how difficult it is to speak openly about suicide. “It’s such a difficult word to say, let alone a subject to talk about,” he says. Nearly 30 years after his own father’s suicide, Chisholm’s voice still drops to a hushed whisper whenever the word lands in one of his…
Best Album
To say that response to Joel Plaskett’s ambitious triple album Three is positive is as big an understatement as Lady Gaga’s lightning- bolt headpiece. Shortlisted for the Polaris Prize, Plaskett now has a bunch of ECMAs and Best of Music awards to add to the mantle too. Recorded with “talented family and friends,” Three is…
Best Music Photographer
Your favourite photographer kept busy last year working with festivals like Halifax Pop Explosion, Evolve, Ha!ifax ComedyFest and the Halifax International Busker Festival, plus his own event, the Battle SNAP competition. But Sm!th had a few favourites of his own: “For live eyecandy, it’s hard to top GWAR,” he says. “They bring out the kid…
Halifax council approves restoration work for historic City Hall building
City hall is getting a makeover. Halifax council Tuesday approved a plan to begin the restoration of the historic structure, which was erected over a two-year period in 1887-89. The temporary scaffolding that was placed on the Argyle Street side of the building to protect pedestrians from falling stone will come down next week, with…
The Pudding Room
Wednesday. Hump day. Ho hum day. Not generally the most sparkling day of the week. However, if you’re weary of reruns and term papers, I suggest that you get your butt down to the Joker’s Club next Wednesday and take in The Pudding Room improv. Despite the crappy name, these eight quick-witted clowns put on…
Best Album Artwork
Last year marked Halifax crossing over to Black Moor and their debut The Conquering, on Best Label winner, Diminished Fifth. The metal band and its loud, energetic live show quickly became a favourite around town—even for those who’ve never rocked a fist before—performing at Megafest, Cole Harbour Harvest Festival and Monte’s in Dartmouth, where it…
Best Gig Poster Artist
“We still feel very strongly connected to poster art, and gig-poster work, and it’s something that we have made a real effort to maintain as a part of our practice and will continue to do, but we’re definitely trying to shift our focus toward fine art, showing in galleries, et cetera,” says Paul Hammond, half…
Birch Cove plan draws big turnout
About 200 people crammed into the tiny St. Peter’s Church off Kearney Lake Road Monday night to give their opinions on the rollout of the Birch Cove Urban Design Study. City staff and planners from Ekistics, a Dartmouth design firm, presented a “consensus plan” for land that includes the Chinatown restaurant on the Bedford Basin,…
Speed dating for the arts
Wipe off those sweaty palms and steady yourself—this is the kind of speed dating that doesn’t require the freshest of breath (though it is appreciated). Head to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia tonight to speed date arts organizations in the city that are looking for volunteers. You get a match form, they get a…
Best All-ages Venue
Your favourite all-ages venue took a well-deserved break last summer when it closed for renovations. “Over the past few years, things slowed down considerably during the summer months…there don’t appear to be large touring bands coming through. I thought it would be best to close for the summer and start back up in September when…
Best Promoter
Josh Hogan runs Diminished Fifth Records and Hogan Media Relations. He sings in the band, Orchid’s Curse and still has a day job. Though Hogan is modest, the metalpreneur is a huge reason why the Atlantic Canadian metal scene is finally getting the attention it deserves. After petitioning the ECMAs to get more recognition for…
Halifax Regional Municipality debates projected $30 million budget shortfall
CITY Halifax council Tuesday began dealing with the projected city budget shortfall next year of $30 million. The shortfall comes mainly through three big ticket items: $10.2 million in scheduled increases in transit service, $14.2 million in wage and benefit increases (including $4.2 million for more bus drivers) and $12.5 million for a new cell…
The Centre for Art Tapes: Animation with Love!
The Centre for Art Tapes’ animation program brings you Animation with Love! this week—a screening of short animated media from across the country. Curator and filmmaker Siloen Daley says she chose the theme of heartfelt art—and the name—as a way to spread beauty and positivity through the filmmakers’ works. “We looked for heartfelt films, films…
Best Artist / Band
“That’s crazy,” laughs The Stanfields’ vocalist/guitarist Jon Landry, with a sigh of disbelief, when he’s informed about the stack of golden records the band won in this year’s readers’ poll. It’s a couple of days after ripping up hotel suites at the ECMAs in Sydney and the work’s not yet over. When we speak to…
Best Radio Station
Sometimes our only entertainment on Metro Transit is the cool CKDU bus ads that popped up last year. Station coordinator Erica Butler says they’re designed by the genius co & co design, who also designed all of CKDU’s funding drive swag and merch for the last five years, “in exchange for a wee bit of…
Egoyan in the city
We’re used to seeing Toronto disguised as another city. In Chloe, Atom Egoyan’s new film, Toronto is almost a character unto itself. It’s shot in a way to accentuate the city’s modern lines, not hide them. “I’m really aware of it as a filmmaker, how much Toronto will actually act like a prostitute,” says Egoyan…
Best Artist / Band To Enjoy Quietly
We catch up with Jenn Grant on a sunny day, walking her cute-as-sin puppy Charlie on the Common. It’s a perfect city scene from your favourite female solo artist, who was busy “planting roots in Halifax” last year. Homeownership certainly agrees with Grant, who spent a lot of time touring in 2009—including her first western…
Best Song
We don’t make it a habit to listen to Perez Hilton, but when he declared “Through & Through & Through” a great song with “no gimmicks, just goodness,” we have to agree. This song, with Rose Cousins and Ana Egge’s harmonies, is pure sunshine. First runner-up: The Stanfields, “Ship to Shore” Second runner-up: Dog Day,…
Chloe heats up the screen
A city and filmmaker haven’t been so perfectly paired since Woody and Manhattan: Atom Egoyan once again takes a look at the repressed lives of Torontonians. Egoyan revisits Exotica territory, this time in a moody thriller adapted from the 2003 French film Nathalie, where the juice is in the character moments. Gynecologist Catherine (Julianne Moore)…
Best Artist / Band To Get Trashed To
“That’s crazy,” laughs The Stanfields’ vocalist/guitarist Jon Landry, with a sigh of disbelief, when he’s informed about the stack of golden records the band won in this year’s readers’ poll. It’s a couple of days after ripping up hotel suites at the ECMAs in Sydney and the work’s not yet over. When we speak to…
Best Female Solo Artist
We catch up with Jenn Grant on a sunny day, walking her cute-as-sin puppy Charlie on the Common. It’s a perfect city scene from your favourite female solo artist, who was busy “planting roots in Halifax” last year. Homeownership certainly agrees with Grant, who spent a lot of time touring in 2009—including her first western…
Fowler Bauld & Mitchell: architectural team for the Halifax Central Library
Grab the popcorn: Tomorrow night, the funding strategy for the Halifax Central Library goes to council. According to a report from Friday, HRM staff are recommending Halifax firm Fowler Bauld & Mitchell, along with their Danish partners, Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, for the $4.3 million design contract. As usual, you can follow the action at…
Luis Clavel lands at Cafe 101
A stainless steel battleground, the kitchen stadium is a fixture of The Iron Chef, the television show where culinary masters face off, hoping to burnish their golden reputations as celebrity chefs. Outside of the glow of that limelight, there is another world of cooking competitions, a world the public isn’t really privy to, where food…
Best Cover Artist / Band
In probably the biggest upset in Best of Music history, The Persuaders knocked five-time winners Shameless off the podium. But really, these guys deserve a prize for 21 years of performing—almost 3,000 shows since 1989, including nearly 50 sold-out appearances at the Shore Club, and they have several albums of original material to their name.…
Best Male Solo Artist
Joel Plaskett’s rusting touring vehicle, a former Quebec Hydro truck, will be retired soon, with an impressive 495,000 touring kilometres on it. There’s a new one waiting in the wings, waiting to whisk the tall man away: He’s off again, first with his Thrush Hermit reunion tour, then 11 dates with The Barenaked Ladies and…
Satirical Cooking with Stella
How much you enjoy Cooking with Stella depends on how much you’re willing to set aside your hopes for a foodie movie and accept it as a cross-cultural satire with a side dish of Bollywood antics. Don McKellar plays it straight as Michael, a father, chef and husband to Maya (Lisa Ray), a Canadian diplomat…
community
Re: “Barefoot Marathon” by Lizzy Hill (Reality Bites, March 18), about Tanya Bloomfield running the Bluenose Marathon barefoot to raise $10,000 for Safe Harbour: It is an excellent summary of the work of the church. Tanya has certainly brought awareness to the community of Safe Harbour. —Jane Underwood, Halifax Related Stories
Burning concerns
Recent media reporting and subsequent blogging comments have cast unfortunate aspersions over the Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Services—its leadership and, as a result, all of its members (“Black firefighters enraged,” Reality Bites by Tim Bousquet, March 11). While Nova Scotia prides itself on its freedom of speech legacy and inroads made so early in…
Uni classroom etiquette
Hey obnoxious douchebags, you may think you have somewhere more important to be than in class, but at least when you are in class during the scheduled time, please refrain from any of these things that disrupt and show disrespect to your peers and professors: —If a class is scheduled to end at 1:30, don’t…
My cat is trying to kill me!
Stop walking right in front of my feet whenever I’m going down the stairs! You do it on purpose too! Whenever you hear me heading towards the staircase you walk down the stairs alongside me and every couple of steps you get right in front of my feet on the next step! I have to…
Heartbreak…
Thanks for breaking my heart. Get a job. —Better Off
A Paragon of a Year
The Paragon Theatre celebrates its one-year funniversary
weird
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