How the rise and fall of Canada’s neon capital affects our discussion of city heritage Vancouver’s tumultuous relationship with neon signs is a subject of much discussion in both academic and popular platforms. Once the neon capital of Canada, the only remnants of the city’s once vibrant sign culture are a few restored signs and…
Ongoing until February 14 3rd Annual Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival Various locations Hot chocolate is great because it can be enjoyed in many circumstances: a cup with your loved ones at a family gathering or some cocoa goodness on a romantic date. The third installment of the Hot Chocolate Festival runs for nearly a month…
Watch out, Spielberg. Michael Haneke’s Amour and its six Oscar nominations are coming for you Sometimes it’s easy to predict which way Oscar-voters will lean. In the Best Picture category, they tend to play it safe, opting to vote for films that promote a message that isn’t too “out there”. Basically, they avoid controversy. In…
While a technical masterpiece, Zero Dark Thirty fails to build any meaningful relationship between cast Zero Dark Thirty, the latest offering from The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow, is a monumental film. Chronicling the decade-long search for Osama Bin Laden, Bigelow puts together a thorough profile of the woman behind the initiative, Maya (Jessica Chastain), whose…
Local hardcore punk legends D.O.A. play their final show in Vancouver There was a lot of skepticism swirling around Saturday’s show at the Rickshaw Theatre. What had been billed as seminal hardcore punk band D.O.A.’s final show turned into a kick-off for a two week long farewell tour, angering some and raising questions about the…
Only laziness can get in the way of attending the following PuSh Performance Art Festival events: aside from being put on by renowned international and local artists, they’re also free! January 23 & 28 Free Film Series The Cinematheque; Goldcorp Centre for the Arts The Free Film Series explores iconic works of experimental cinema from…
Condominium development threatens one of Vancouver’s cultural mainstays Vancouver’s arts, music and culture scene is embroiled in a fight to retain one of the city’s staples of live entertainment. With the Waldorf Hotel set to close on January 20 after being sold to condo developers, there’s still a glimmer of hope in the arts community…
Canadian artist shares his sources of inspiration with the audience at the Vancouver Art Gallery Canadian contemporary artist Ian Wallace has a degree in art history and loves Jean Luc Goddard’s avant-garde films and concrete poems. Informed description of his work features terms like “neoplasticism” and “deconstruction of a painting”. In other words, Wallace represents…
Deadmau5 headlines the biggest electronic dance music festival ever held in western Canada Anyone who thinks that electronic dance music is dead was obviously nowhere near BC Place on Boxing Day. Those who were enjoyed some of the world’s best electronic DJs belting out six hours of the most recognised electronic dance music (EDM) tracks…
January 5 – February 3 PuSh International Performing Arts Festival Various locations The ninth installment of Vancouver’s most innovative festival promises to find new ways to challenge attendees. Over three mid-winter weeks, members of the audience are invited to become readers in a unique Human Library; watch Shakespeare’s King Lear as interpreted by a Taiwanese…
Two local writers explore the gritty lives of Vancouverites from the 1930s to 1960s The Vancouver Police Museum is the perfect venue for learning about the city’s criminal past, but that’s not the only reason Diane Purvey and John Belshaw chose it to host the reading of their newest book, Vancouver Noir. The museum, which…
Landmark Apollo Ghosts Apollo Ghosts have been kicking around Vancouver’s independent music scene for ages, with standout record after standout record, but never quite managing to break through to the next level. Landmark continues both these trends, serving up 15 criminally underappreciated tracks of catchy, jangly, indie guitar rock. Jumping from straight-ahead rock numbers “I’m…