Have you ever wanted to create a loving home for urban bees? Us neither. Sad Mag does love the local honeys, though, especially in sweet tea, and we’re not averse to getting a little sticky now and again in pursuit of authentic consumables. So when Sad Mag learned about Homesteader’s Emporium, in East east Van, we had to get the dirt on what Rick Havlak’s urban homesteading supply shop is all about. From  classes that will teach you how to make your own Kombucha, to that pivotal item (rennet) you’ll need to create your own cheese, Homesteader’s is a friendly, practical and adventurous store, run by a guy who is more of the same.

 

Sad Mag: Who are you?
Rick Havlak: My name is Rick Havlak, I’m the owner of Homesteader’s Emporium. And also the founder of Homesteader’s Emporium!

SM: Splendid. And when did you start your business?
RH: I started working on this full time almost exactly two years ago, which is kind of crazy to think about, but the store’s actually been open for about fifteen months now.

SM: Can you explain to someone off the street what Homesteader’s Emporium is all about?
RH: Homesteader’s Emporium is a resource for people who are learning to become more self-sufficient. We use the catch-all phrase “urban homesteading” to refer to a suite of activities like beekeeping, chicken keeping, canning vegetables, making your own soap, baking bread, making sausage, curing meats, and growing vegetables. It’s a broad spectrum of activities that all kind of appeal to the same group of people.

We’re a resource: we sell hard-to-find supplies for all of those things and more. We’ve also gotten more and more into providing educational programs because in many cases you’re trying to learn something, but maybe you don’t know anybody in your circle of friends that does it, so we found a real need for classes.

SM: Right, I guess it only goes so far to sell the tool for something if someone doesn’t know how to use it.
RH: We initially thought that we would get by providing all of these base raw materials and we would cater to people who had done the legwork and knew that—[like] for cheesemaking, if you know you need rennet and you know exactly what supplies you need, you just walk down to the store and you pick them all up—but we’re finding more and more that there’s a demand for something that’s packaged together.

SM: In the year that you’ve been open, do you have an “average” Homesteader’s Emporium customer?
RH: That’s an excellent question. And it is extremely diverse. There are a lot of different people that come into the store for a lot of different reasons. We get people who are just in the neighbourhood who treat us as their neighbourhood store for things like gardening tools, but what we imagined when we opened the store was that we would be more of a destination, so that’s still a broad group of people. People who are interested in specifically the stuff that we have that are coming from all over Vancouver to find it.

But to get back to your question: we have a lot of young parents who are interested in teaching their kids some more back-to-basics information; a lot of people who maybe had chickens when they were young or they used to can with their grandparents or with their mother and they’ve forgotten how to do it because they hadn’t valued it enough to learn it until recently. We get a smattering of people who do live out in the country and are what you might consider more traditional homesteaders, where they live on a piece of land and they actually produce a significant amount of their own food. They are much more self-sufficient than most so-called urban homesteaders would even aspire to be. And then we get “preppers”: people who are motivated primarily by the concern that the next big earthquake is going to catch us all with our pants down—which it probably is. And then a lot of weekend warriors, people who are maybe professionals who are just interested in learning something different, and foodies who are really passionate about food and are accustomed to going out to nice restaurants and coming at it from that point of view.

SM: Going back to a bit more about yourself: what brought you to the concept of Homesteader’s Emporium?
RH: Basically it’s the store that I wanted to shop at. Immediately what got me into doing this kind of thing was a really serious homebrewing habit. My buddy and I got super into homebrewing and we would spend a huge amount of time watching the brew kettle and talking about improving it in different ways. It’s sort of a slippery slope where you hold this beer in your hand and you realize that it’s better than most of the stuff that you buy and you made that yourself, and maybe two years ago you never would have imagined that you could do that. As you’re holding this beer in your hand and you’re watching this kettle boil for 90 minutes you get to thinking—what else can I make?

We just started trying a lot of different things. We tried coffee roasting, we started making cheese and we built a beehive—all just by skulking around the internet trying to find somebody’s blog or obscure website that had some information about what we should do—what kind of things did we need to use. With cheese, there’s this mysterious compound called rennet and we knew we needed to buy it and we searched all over time and finally found it in the back aisle of Famous Foods.

What we continually found was that we would bring it up in social situations and so many people were interested in hearing about it. It’s such a compelling thing to discuss. I felt that there was a lot of interest and there needed to be just one place where you could walk in say “tell me all I need to know and set me up with what I need.” There has never been a place like that in Vancouver to my knowledge.

SM: Do you have any ideas about why there’s such a renewed interest in homesteading?
RH: In the 1950’s—and I wasn’t alive then—it became sort of a status symbol to not have to do all this drudgery in your kitchen. I was looking through this book on coffee roasting and it had some funny ads from around that era advertising pre-roasted coffee with a picture of a woman burning coffee in her kitchen. And mocking her for having the poor judgement to do it herself instead of just going out and buying it in a can. It was part of the cookie cutter American dream—your food came from a grocery store and you had a middle-class job and you didn’t have to break your back toiling in the garden. But now we’ve come to a point where we’ve lost the idea that being involved with your food is something you have to do because you can’t afford not to—and now we’re far enough away from it that it’s become a curiosity and also a point of nostalgia.

It’s a mix of familiar and unfamiliar—cheese and coffee—but if you ask someone on the street, “how is it made and where does it come from?” it can be a total mystery. For me and for a lot of people it’s very exciting to peel that back and look into something that we’re not exposed to often.

SM: In terms of customers’ interests, what do you think is the next “big thing”?
RH: There seems to be a huge awakening of interest in fermented foods and cultured foods and the idea that it’s okay to eat things that aren’t sterile because there’s microbes all around us and we might as well be putting ones into our bodies that are beneficial to us. So we’ve really noticed that there are a lot of people who are interested in making fermented vegetables, and in particular, sauerkraut. I grew up thinking it was this sort of soggy, skunky-smelling pale shreddy stuff, but it’s true that once you start making it, you just start finding ways to eat it and put it in your diet. It’s very healthy.

SM: What have you got going at your house right now?
RH: I started out trying this heritage Swedish yogurt cultured called filmjölk, which I make from raw milk that I obtain on the grey market. And that’s really nice. I’ve got a bunch of sauerkraut on the go, and I’ve got a bunch of meat on the go because we got a bunch of honey out of our beehives this year.

SM: And you’ve been curing your own meats too?
RH: I’ve been making bacon now fairly regularly. That’s sort of the entry point for many people. Because it’s incredibly delicious – with a minimum amount of time and equipment you can produce something that’s noticeably better than what you would purchase in the store, which is quite seductive.

Seductive. And perfect place to end. Thanks, Rick! 

What’s one thing can make basically any event better? Food. Slideluck Vancouver, which held its first even in February of this year has combined photography and mingling with sharing a meal to create an experience that is both beautiful and filling. Coming up this Sunday, November 3, Slideluck will be hosting an event at Performance Works on Granville Island.

Featuring work  from amateurs to pros, Slideluck is open to all and is definitely worth a visit. Make sure to say “hello” to Sad Mag-gers Katie, one of the esteemed judges, and Jackie, a featured photographer. Curtis Michael Davey, the director of Slideluck Vancouver tells us a little bit more about what makes up this unique evening of entertainment.

Sad Mag: Who are you?
Curtis Davey: Curtis Michael Davey (@curtismdavey), director of Playground.Is (@playgroundis), Slideluck Vancouver (@slideluckvan), member of the Engaged City Task Force (@engagedcity). Cultural producer, global citizen, wide-eyed wanderer and light-footed flâneur.

SM: What is Slideluck?
CD: Slideluck is a global community and series of events for appreciators of food, photography and gatherings. It was founded in the backyard of Casey Kelbaugh in Seattle over a decade ago and has spread to over sixty five cities worldwide. Slideshow+Potluck=Slideluck.

SM: When did Slideluck come to Vancouver?
CD: Unofficially, we’ve been planning Slideluck Vancouver since 2010. Officially, February 2013 was the inaugural Slideluck Vancouver event.

SM: What’s the goal of the Slideluck format?
CD: To showcase the work of photographers of all levels—from amateurs to the most notable pros—in an inclusive and communal atmosphere around a good meal. It’s all about coming together to celebrate the art of photography and of food.

SM: What does a Slideluck add to the community?
CD: It adds a non-judgmental platform for photographers to share their work. It provides the opportunity for the community to come together and eat together. It introduces people to new foods, new recipes, new perspectives on the world and to like-minded people in their community.

SM: Breaking bread together is said to bring people together. Do you see this at your events?
CD: Absolutely. Social dining seems to break down people’s barriers and inhibitions. If the art doesn’t get people talking to each other, the food surely will.

SM: What are your other favourite Vancouver cultural events?
CD:I’m a big fan of the Vancouver Opera but tickets are prohibitively expensive. I also enjoy KitsFest, Sam Sullivan Public Salons, Pecha Kucha, and also Playground.Is. Events that combine opportunities to learn something while enjoying a beverage and some good tunes as a part of the events overall platform. Looking forward to the day when Vancouver has its own Nuit Blanche.

SM: What is your hope for Slideluck in the future?
CD: That it becomes a popular annual event in Vancouver for people inside and outside of the foodie and photography communities. That it becomes a meeting place for people of both the high and low end of the social spectrum. That it attracts people from outside Vancouver to come and join us.

SM: Where are you as you answer these questions?
CD: At my home office, chained to my computer, writing emails and documents until my hands cramp up and my eyesight goes blurry.

SM: Describe Slideluck in 3 words.
CD: Labour of love.

Come celebrate the hard work of all of those involved with Slideluck Vancouver this Sunday, November 3. Get your tickets and enjoy an evening of food, photography, and fine company.

Day two at Eco-Fashion Week with Farah and Jess! On today’s agenda, we have Thrift Chic Challenge participant Claire Bouvier. For those who don’t know, the Thrift Chic Challenge asks three designers every season to showcase a collection of thrifted finds from Value Village.

What do you get when you mix four girls in retro chic glasses, a giant plate of nachos and boots filled with Gin Mountain cocktails at The Pint Public House? You get an entertaining and silly night out with eco-designer Claire Bouvier.

Rolling down the streets of Vancouver with three massive suitcases full of chic vintage clothing, we were quite the sight to see! To anyone that asked, Claire casually said that we were a rock band filming a music video; this was just another day in the life.

We hit the town with her dressed in 50s style glasses, a fluffy white toque, your grandmother’s gloves, and vibrant yellow leg warmers to keep warm while staying chic—the ultimate mix of form and function. Claire is fearless when styling both her own outfits and her Thrift Chic Challenge Collection. She brings fun and flare onto the runway, pushing the boundaries of fashion while paying attention to every detail. She used the hanger from her logo as a hairpiece for the models and styled them in 1920s vintage style. Can you say throwback to your granny’s sexy not stuffy style?

Sitting down with Claire, we were eager to learn where such a confident and outgoing personality came from.

Growing up in a big family Claire always received hand-me-down clothing from her sisters. She soon discovered that she could restyle these used pieces and make them into something original. It was clothing that made her feel unique and allowed her to harness her individuality.

Every thrifter has one piece that stands out from the rest.  For Claire this favorite find is a plaid jacket. She told us about a time when she was out with friends and had her photo taken by a random blogger. Little did she know that two years later the photograph would resurface on a ‘What Not To Wear” forum. Looking back at that photo, Claire laughs and says, “I still love that jacket!”

Always being asked, “what are you wearing Claire?” she learnt to not give a shit and wore what made her feel empowered. What started as another one of her mother’s crafty Saturday projects, unexpectedly turned into an eco-friendly lifestyle and the birth of “The Claire Closet” (CC).

As the founder of “The Claire Closet,” Claire keeps busy in Kingston, Ontario. This project creates a safe space for young women to express themselves through fashion and teaches them about eco-art and sustainability. It all began with a business competition during Claire’s undergraduate degree in art at Acadia University. Claire thought it was a long shot for her to win going up against business students but, surprisingly enough, she won!

With a big smile on her face, she was able to fund her project and help girls gain confidence in a fun-filled, creative environment. After graduation, she was unsure of how to make her project a reality. She decided to pursue teaching while never losing her passion for “The Claire Closet.” Combing two passions, she began creating runway shows at the high school she was teaching at. The students showcased their own thrifted creations and discovered their inner fashionista. These CC girls that emerged out of this project were fierce, fearless and fabulous!

Today, “The Claire Closet” has become something greater than Claire could have ever dreamt. She was extremely humbled to receive an invitation to be showcased at Vancouver’s Eco-Fashion Week Season Seven and we couldn’t be more excited to have met her! She is making a huge impact on her community and hopes to inspire CC girls on the West Coast. We had a blast getting to know the real woman behind the Claire Closet. Next round’s on us Claire!

Find out more about “The Claire Closet” on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

I encounted Jillian Christmas at the Play Chthonics poetry reading series, at UBC’s Green College, a bit of a while ago. She was performing, along with fellow slam poet Chris Gilpin, the kind of poetry that creates audience– pulls you in, makes you close your eyes, makes you part of her sound. &, though her audience was small, we were captivated. I needed to hear more. It would be best for you, probably, to listen to the audio of the performance, we’d be on the same wavelength, that way.

 

Sad Mag: Who are you?
Jillian Christmas: My name is Jillian Frances Yanika Christmas. I am a poet. I am a workshop facilitator for Wordplay Poetry in Schools. I am the Artistic Director of Verses Festival of Words. I am Aunty to several small adults. I like to think that I am an adventurer. As far as I know, I am the undisputed double thumb-war champion of the world, but that is a long story.

SM: When/how did you decide that poetizing was your vocation?
JC: I knew that I was a poet at about 12. I was lucky to have allot of wonderful people who encouraged me to write throughout my life. But it wasn’t until I was about 24 that I ever considered that I would be a performer. The stage was not a natural choice for me, but it was so exciting that I had to be a part of the action. Once I fell in love with it, I wanted to share that feeling with younger poets.

SM: Why Vancouver? How would you describe the literary scene here (so far)?
JC: I love the scene here, it is one of the major reasons I chose to move to Vancouver. From my house in Ontario, I would watch poets like RC Weslowski, and C.R. Avery, Lucia Misch, and The Fugitives on youtube. I couldn’t help but have an immense amount of respect for the work they were and continue to be doing. It is out of the box, thoughtful, quirky real and inspiring. It made me want to write, it makes me want to keep writing. Also, mountains. I think every poet should have their own set of mountains.

SM: What is your proudest moment as a poet?
JC: Having my mother tell me that she trusts me enough to let me tell her story on stage. That was big.

SM: We hear you’ve got a penchant for dirty haikus. Care to explain?

JC:

The filth in my-Ku
Lies not in the words, But the
mind of the reader

SM: Best thing you’ve heard/read lately?
JC: Leah Noble Davidson’s Poetic Scientifica.  It aptly fleshes out the remarkable and necessary intersection between the logical and emotional mind of the artist. It’s like holding a prism up to the light and watching all the notes of Clair de lune tumble out. Illuminating.

SM: Wordsworth, in the 1802 Preface, says that he chose for his poems “incidents and situations from common life, and..[would] describe them, throughout, as far as was possible, in a selection of language really used by men; and, at the same time, to throw over them a certain colouring of imagination, whereby ordinary things should be presented to the mind in an unusual way.” I feel like there’s a similarity here to slam poetry, in spirit if not in form. Do you see yourself mixing these elements in your poetry?
JC: I do try to mix these elements in my poetry, as well as I can.  It is important to me that the language that I use in my performance be accessible to people of many walks of life. I want to reach a wide audience, so I often try to explore universal topics, while inviting the reader into the hopefully interesting workings of my own mind and placing the poetry in the context of my own experience. I think there are stunning connections all around us, in the abstract, as well as in the tangible things we sense every day.  I believe it is my job to find those connections, and hold them up to the light.

SM: Where are you as you answer these questions?
JC: Sitting in my apartment looking out at the fog that is swallowing the city. Nestled pretty cozily beside three of my favourite men, two of whom are cats.

SM: Favourite Vancouver person place or thing?
JC: This is the part of the interview where I should probably come clean about my Commercial Drive waffle addiction. But since I am in recovery, I will offer something else instead. Lately, I’ve been loving the song of the fog horns, they make for a delightful lullaby. It is even better than counting sheep… or waffles. Do not count the waffles.

SM: What are you excited about right now?
JC: The thing I am most excited about is the upcoming Verses Festival of Words. Managing Director, Chris Gilpin, and I are in the thick of programming for this year’s Verses festival and I cannot give away too many details yet, but we are very excited about the caliber of show that will be happening in Vancouver this coming April 5th-12th. One thing I will say is that we will be having the incredibly talented Ivan Coyote back for a second year, and this time Ivan will be performing with the incomparable Rae Spoon. It takes a lot of restraint for me to not turn into a fan girl while I type that. It is going to be spectacular! Look for more show updates as they turn up on the Verses website.

Sad Mag no.14, the Fantasy issue, goes beyond the bedroom to explore the deepest fantasies of Vancouver’s writers, comedians, artists and photographers, plus the winner of our first-ever fiction contest! Oh, and there’s plenty of bedroom too.

What will subscribers find in the newest issue?

 

PROFILE: David Sedaris

An exclusive Sad Mag interview with New York Times #1 best-selling author and humourist David Sedaris by Sean Cranbury, curator of the Real Vancouver Writers Series and Books on the Radio.

FEATURE: Jessica Kruger, Winner of the Lise Watier “Something Sweet” Contest

SFU student and murderball athlete Jessica Kruger made headlines and history in July after beating out 400 competitors in a national competition to be the face of Lise Watier’s new fragrance Something Sweet. Kruger, who lost the use of her legs after an accident at age of 15, talks to Sad Mag about realizing her fantasy of being a quadriplegic model and stars in a fashion spread shot by local photography team Martina+Reem.

FICTION: The Winner of the Inaugural Fantasy Fiction Contest

For this issue Sad Mag launched its first ever fiction contest, inviting new writers to submit their weirdest and wildest stories for the chance to win a $250 cash prize and to get their story in print. The winning entry is sure to be so good, you’ll have to read it under the covers with a flashlight…

***

Have you been thinking about subscribing? Now is the time! This issue was lovingly assembled here in Vancouver by a team of crazy people who would rather make magazines than sleep and eat regularly, and I know you will find it beautiful and entertaining.

If you would like to support our dreamy little project, please impulse-purchase an $18 annual subscription for yourself or someone who likes pretty things.

Dave Deveau is an associate producer and playwright in residence at Zee Zee Theatre.  Currently, he and his husband, Cameron Mackenzie, are co-curating Nyet: A Cabaret of Concerned Canadians, a showcase of 10 plays written in response to Russia’s new anti-gay legislation. Dave’s drag queen alter ego, Peach Cobblah, hosts Hustla: Homo Hip Hop at the Cobalt.

Sad Mag: Who are you?

Dave Deveau: My name is Dave Deveau, though people probably know me as Peach Cobblah. As a boy, I’m a playwright and teacher and I run Zee Zee Theatre with my husband, Cameron Mackenzie. As Peach, I’m a foul-mouthed hip-hop drag queen who runs events at the Cobalt.

SM: How did you start writing plays?

DD: What a good question. I actually grew up in film and TV, I was a child actor, which was great, and oddly enough, film introduced me to theatre, which is usually the opposite in terms of people’s trajectory. I went to a fine arts high school in a literary arts program where I sort of was trying out any form of writing – they were really great at introducing us to all sorts of genres and play writing, for whatever reason, [it] was a good fit.

Then I went and did two degrees in play writing, which is really hilarious because you don’t need a degree to write a play! You just need something to say and some basic ideas of structure. It’s wild to think that now I’m actually making a living doing what I wanted to do and it is sort of bizarre that it’s actually happened. It’s a lot of fun—it’s a lot of work but it’s a lot of fun. In order to make it financially worthwhile, you have to have, you know, five shows going on at the same tie.

SM: Yes, I noticed you seem to be involved in a bunch of stuff right now—there were many shows listed at the bottom of your email.

DD: That’s just the stuff that the theatre company (Zee Zee Theatre) is producing. I work with a bunch of other companies in town and I have four new plays in production this year and then two other shows that are happening again. Which is good, it keeps me out of trouble.

SM: And you’re still performing as Peach at the Cobalt?

DD: Oh yeah—all of the work that we do at the Cobalt raises money for the company. We just never say fundraiser because this is not the kind of city where you say the word fundraiser. People run for the hills. If you just say, “We’re having a really fun, gay dance party,” it’ll happen.

SM: What was the inspiration behind Nyet: A Political Cabaret?

DD: Nyet is based in large part on an event called Wrecking Ball, which started out in Toronto 10 years ago.  A group of theatre-makers started it as a means to artistically discuss things that were happening politically, in the country and around the world at that time. Oddly enough in May when Putin’s new legislation came about, one of our board members said my next play should be about Russia and I said, “yeah, it should.” However, I was in the middle of writing 5 plays—it takes a couple of years to fully realize a play—and I thought, “2 years from now is too late to talk about this!” But then I thought maybe we could do something within the Wrecking Ball model and so we asked playwrights across the country, playwrights that we know and playwrights that we don’t know whose work we admire, to come on board and write 5-10 minute plays about Russia, about Putin’s new anti-gay legislation. They could really head in any direction with that, with a maximum of 4 characters. So now we have the 10 pieces that we’re presenting.

SM: How many people did you approach about the project?

DD: Well, nobody said no. We thought, “we’ll ask this list and then if they say no, we’ll ask this list,” and nobody said no, which was kind of amazing. It made us realize that people really do want to have their voices heard, there just hadn’t been a platform for people to talk about it artistically.

So we partnered with Qmunity, which is a local queer resource organization that we’ve worked with quite a bit in the past. So they’re co-presenting the event because we thought that we could have the artistic conversation but Qmunity is more equipped to actually have a conversation. They’re organizing a panel discussion that will happen directly after the show – it will have community leaders and politicians and others to actually talk about the nitty gritty of what’s going on and what we can do about it. If we can do anything about it.

SM: That actually sounds like a really great idea. Especially after people have just seen the various productions.

DD: Yes and that’s part of the joy of asking 10 writers to write from the same source material. Everyone has a very different angle and some people are tapping into material or arguments that I haven’t even considered so I think it’ll be a nice way to cap off the evening—to actually put all of those thoughts and arguments that we’ve taken in and wrap our heads around them and talk about them honestly.

SM: In terms of the formats of the various plays, what do they offer in terms of the conversation that there is to be had about what’s going on in Russia?

DD: What it will do is it will give more depth and more texture to the conversation that we’re having surrounding the legislation and also, in some capacity, a bit more context of where Putin’s legislation comes from—culturally what that legislation means but also trying to dissect the idea behind the legislation and where it comes from. I should say that everyone who is working on this project is working for free, which is something we don’t normally do, we don’t ask people to work for our company for free. It’s great for us to have this conversation and to raise awareness but we wanted to actually have direct impact so everyone’s working for free so that all the proceeds can be sent to the Russian LGBT Network, a community organization that is, nowadays anyways, mostly funding people’s legal battles as a result of the new legislation. I also called my theatre contacts in Toronto so Nyet is happening simultaneously there. Some of the same pieces as are being performed here and then they’ve asked some local playwrights to write some additional pieces.

SM: Are any of the playwrights going to be in attendance for next weekend’s show?

DD: A bunch of them will. Not all of them because some of them live in Toronto and elsewhere. It’s funny because October is always a really big theatre month in Canada. It’s when most theatre companies kick off their season, usually with a really big production. So, I would say 3/4 of the playwrights who wrote for our production, have plays opening somewhere in the country either this week or next week so they’re all busy. But they still found time to write the pieces, which is wonderful for us.

SM: How do you find it, trying to focus on so many different projects at once?

DD: Tricky. I think I need to plan my time more efficiently than I do. Even when you carve out a particular amount of time, say, “I have these four hours, I’m going to work on this play,” it takes at least the first hour to put my brain back into what that play looks like and what the structure and tone of the play is.

SM: Do you find there’s much of a difference writing for an adult audience, as opposed to the plays you’re writing for high school and even elementary school audiences?

DD: This is the first show for elementary schools that I’ve ever written the, third for high schools and it’s a very different form. It has a very rigid structure—I know that the show that I write has to fall within the period of a school day. It has to clock in at 42 minutes maximum which, when you’re conceiving of the structure of the play, is limiting in a sense. But limits are sometimes good things within the creative realm because it at least steers you in some direction. Writing for an adult audience, the world’s your oyster in a sense, it can be one act or two acts, it can be hour or two and a half hours, it can have five cast members. Wrapping my brain around theatre for young audiences, these are shows that are going to be on tour so you can’t really write in too many cast members because you’ll be sending them all on the road. When you’re considering that these shows could be playing in a gymnasium with 900 kids, it can’t be a show that’s too small and quiet. It has to have energy, it has to have movement. It’s been a lovely learning curve.

SM:  I’m very interested in the 10 different takes on Russia’s legislation that Nyet is going to offer. I, and I think a lot of other people, felt really blindsided by the legislation—Russia’s never been a pinnacle of rights and freedoms but still. Do any of the performances in Nyet address this?

DD: That’s just it—when everything hit, it became a question of why now? Like, what’s going on, what are you prepping for, I don’t follow. Some of the pieces are set in contemporary Russia, some of the pieces are set in contemporary North America. Some of the pieces have a much more historical approach. There’s one piece that ‘s a card game between 3 dead Russians, Tchaikovsky being one of them. So it’s nice to see how people have interpreted the best way to have this conversation with the audience. A lot of them are really funny. Nobody wants to sit through an evening of really dark, bleak performances. We already know that this is a problem so let’s at least find ways to find the light. And I think the playwrights have been really successful in that way.

SM: What else is going on that’s exciting?

DD: This is a big season for Zee Zee Theatre. This is our 6th season and by far our biggest. We started out doing 1 show per year and we have 5 this season, which is a lot, especially for a company that has limited resources, like we do. But certainly, everything we do at the Cobalt helps keep us afloat.

Our main stage show is in March. It’s a play that I’ve written called Lowest Common Denominator and it looks at inter-generational relationships, something I’ve always been curious about and fascinated by. This particular relationship is between an 18-year old boy and a 47 year old man. We did a workshop of it last July and it was really exciting to watch the audience watch the show. They were there—they were there in a way that I did not even think possible for an audience in a reading. So we’re gearing up for that. But mostly our brains are just all Nyet, all the time right now. My husband is a drag queen as well, Isolde N. Barron—and Isolde and Peach will be hosting Nyet together, just to give it that extra sparkle. Why not? I wonder how President Putin would feel about Peach Cobblah. I don’t think they’d have much in common but you never know. He seems to like taking his shirt off in photos; Peach seems to like wearing very little.

SM: How did you get into drag?

DD: Well, my husband and I have been together for just over eight years and neither of us were drag queens when we got together. I’ve always considered myself a drag hag—if I’m traveling to a city I’ve never been to, I have to go to a drag show. It grounds me.

So when my husband was living with me in Toronto, we used to go to this weekly drag show that no one went to. There’d be 10 people in the audience every week. But we loved it. We were able to see the artistry behind drag. When we moved here, we were watching a drag show one night and it was just sort of a bad, tired drag show. I turned to my husband and I said, “you can do better than this.”

And so Isolde was born.

At that time, my business partner, Brandon, and I ran a monthly event called Queer Bash and Isolde was our star. It was such a successful event! It was the first event that we brought to the Cobalt. Then we decided to step it up and also run a weekly drag show at the Cobalt called Apocalipstick, which Isolde was also the star of. During this time, Cameron (Isolde) was up at Studio58, directing a show in which the entire cast played drag queens and kings and he was teaching all of these theatre students about drag. We wanted to put them to the test because you can learn all you want about performance but until you’re actually in front of an audience, especially an audience in a bar setting, very different from a theatre – until you’ve done that, you know nothing. So we made them all perform in front of an audience at a public show, in a section called Mean Teen Queen, which was about introducing new, baby queens to the audience. What we soon realized was these mean teen queens were making amazing tips—they were cleaning up! And Brandon and I, at that time, had been running Apocalipstick for about 2 or 3 months and it wasn’t making any money and we knew that it would take time. But we thought, “why don’t we do a Mean Teen Queen once a month, just for fun, just to make some money for being at the bar?” So we did and the response was huge. Then I started getting gigs elsewhere and then we put Queer Bash to bed and started doing Hustla. Because Peach Cobblah does hip hop drag, it felt like a very appropriate outlet for her so I host the show with Brandon’s drag alter-ego, Bambi Bot, every other month and it’s become a very regular part of our lives. Which is weird.

What’s exciting is that, through stuff like Nyet and another show we did for Zee Zee Theatre, we’ve been able to find some crossover between our drag world and our theatre world. We do a show called Tucked and Plucked: Vancouver’s Live Herstory, Live on Stage. We’ve done it twice and we’re doing it again in the new year. It’s sort of like a drag talk show, where we have some of the city’s most recognized queens and some of the oldest queens in town and we find out how the drag scene emerged in the city and why. A lot of people are like, “Ok great – men in dresses!” and its fun but when you look at its roots and why it started and what was happening within the city’s structures at the time, it lets you appreciate what the drag community is and what it can be a lot more. I never in my life thought I would be a drag queen, never, and I love watching drag shows. But never from the point of view that I would want to do that. But here we are, life’s full of surprises.

Nyet will be performed on the Granville Island Stage on Sunday, October 27 at 8pm. Tickets ON SALE NOW: $17 (including service charges. All proceeds to benefit the Russian Queer community. Available at www.vancouvertix.com or 604-629-VTIX. More information about Zee Zee Theatre can be found here.

When Sad Mag hears about an event that combines art, fashion and utilitarianism, we get interested. When it turns out the show will also give back to the community, we’re totally on board. dutil. denim in Gastown is throwing the DENIM + ART Fundraiser Show & Art Raffle this Thursday at their location at 303 W Cordova. Sad Mag had a chance to chat with dutil.’s PR team, Jenn and Thalia, and one of the artists, Anna Tidlund, about the what and why of DENIM + ART.

 

 

Sad Mag: Who are dutil. denim?

Anna Tidlund: dutil. is a denim store that opened in 2006. They curate and sell a selection of quality denim products, both from big name brands to micro brands.

SM: Jenn and Thalia, could you tell us a little about the DENIM + ART Fundraiser Show & Art Raffle. What is happening now, and what will happen the night of?

Jenn and Thalia: In September 2013, dutil. sent out a call for submissions. We invited local creative minds to create literal ‘denim art’. We chose nine artists from the Greater Vancouver Area to explore the connection between denim and art by turning old blue jeans into non-wearable art.  On Thursday, October 24^th between 7pm and 9pm PST the artists will exhibit their multi-media works.

dutil. believes that artist should be able to make a living off of their works of art, but also recognizes the various obstacles that prevent most artists from succeeding in doing so. The DENIM + ART show aims to reward artists for their efforts by giving them 75% of the proceeds raised from the event. The remaining 25% of proceeds raised to The Vancouver Coastal Health’s Art Studios – a not-for-profit organization that utilizes art in their rehabilitation and recovery programs for youth and adults who live with serious and persistent mental illness.

SM: What sparked the idea for DENIM + ART?

Anna Tidlund: DENIM + ART is a show that, in part, seeks to raise awareness about the relationship between the two, denim plus art! Denim is a signifier for many things: identity, for artists such as Diego Riviera and Jackson Pollock, and for its accessibility in everyday use and utility, for pop culture, and even history. The show is also meant to be a way to raise funds for The Art Studios which is a facility that offers mental health and psychosocial rehabilitation with art as therapy and to build a community where their art practice is accessible, safe, and accepting.

SM: Anna, as an artist participating in the show, what will be your contribution? 

Anna Tidlund: I work mostly with digital media dealing with the absurd and the act of art production. Lately I’ve been working on a series of cinematic animated gifs, and the contribution to the show will be a gif.

dutil. had given each artist some denim to work with, with the sole guideline being that the denim could not be wearable as the finished product. I wanted to make something concerning the physical and personal relationship of material commodity, and the possibility of its alternative history. Its acquisition and destruction that is kind of held in limbo by the law of its own coding, the piece is called Ctrl-Alter-Del.

You can see it below!

SM: Do you know the other artists who are participating? If so, what are other’s contributions going to be like?

Anna Tidlund: Surprisingly, I have a few friends who are also participating in the show (just because we applied without the knowledge of the other). There is a great range of stylistic and conceptual differences that I’ve seen so far. Every person took the project in different ways so it will be fantastic to see them all together. There will be sculpture, painting, and digital media.

What do you get when you combine soft fluffy pillows, a ring, and women with a cause? Tough-ass ladies, that’s what. Meet Melanie Watts, a new mother and founder of the East Vancouver Pillow Fight Club.

Hosting pillow fight events at the Astoria Hotel in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Watts and her team of fighters admittedly “kick each other’s asses for your enjoyment” and for a cause.  Their last event, held this past weekend, raised over $700 for The Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter. What’s more kick-ass than that?

Sad Mag: Who are you?

Melanie Watts: Melanie Watts, founder of the East Van Pillow Fight Club. Emily Carr grad originally from Alberta. Self-employed designer/photographer/entrepreneur who also makes mustard and cross stitches profanities.

SM: Who is the East Van Pillow Fight Club?

MW: A group of tough and compassionate women who are bringing a new form of combat sport and entertainment to Vancouver; thereby turning the common conception of pillow fighting as a thing that ‘cheerleader-type’ girls do in their pyjamas at slumber parties on its head, while raising money for rape relief.

SM: What inspired the creation of the East Van Pillow Fight Club?

MW: Boredom. Frustration. Desperation. And the PFL (pillow fight league) that once existed in Toronto.

SM: What can one expect from an East Van Pillow Fight Club event?

MW: What one can expect from an East Van Pillow Fight Club event is hard-hitting entertainment and the chance to be a part of something which truly empowers women.

SM: What’s the charity you support and why is it important to you?

MW: The Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter. We also host bike wash fundraisers in the summer time and give 100% of all the proceeds to VRR. This charity is so important because they are not government funded and their funders do not have any say in how the shelter functions. This is a very positive thing because it allows the VRR to do what is best for their programs, and the women and children who need them, instead of making decisions based on the ideologies of their funders.

SM: What do you love most about what you do?

MW: I get the privilege of being with a very inspiring group of women every week while we train and advocate this new sport. Also, I love walking through the crowds at our events and have people tell me how honestly entertained they are.

SM: How has motherhood changed you?

MW: It has made me a worse fighter in the ring (because my body is still getting back into shape), and it has made me a better fighter for equal rights because I want my daughter to never for a moment doubt herself because of her gender.

SM: What do you love most about East Van?

MW: The diversity.

SM: What is your vision for the East Van Pillow Fight Club?

MW: We would love to perform at the fair at the PNE one day or have another club to have tournaments with. West Van Pillow Fight Club anyone?

Consider yourself a fighter? Get involved in the next East Van Pillow Fight Club event—sign up today. Not ready to enter the ring? Make sure to come and watch one of Vancouver’s most beloved underground events and feel good doing it.

More information about the club can be found online.

On October 7, Sad Mag writ­ers Jes­sica Rus­sell and Farah Tozy went on assign­ment for Van­cou­ver’s Eco-Fashion Week for their second season. With the excitement of one season under their belt, they approached the five day melange of events with the a passion to find out more, network, and deepen their understanding of the ever-growing eco-fashion lifestyle—something they’ve realized is not a passing trend.

Eco-Fashion Week // P.1

And we’re back! Jess and Farah here reporting from Eco-Fashion Week (EFW) Season Seven at Robson Square! We are so excited to be invited back this year to rub shoulders with Vancouver’s eco-friendly fashion family.  Sustainability and going green continue to be buzzwords in Vancouver, showcased by events such as EFW. Last season we learnt about repurposed clothing and sustainable materials, leaving us inspired to be more eco-aware in our daily lives. This season we were greeted by some familiar faces, and had the opportunity to network with many new ones!

After seeing the list of designers for this season’s runaway shows, we were thrilled that superstar Evan Ducharme was not only tackling the 68 Pound Challenge but was also being profiled prominently at the event. We noticed that his stunning skirt from last season was on display in the showroom and it was also the main image on EFW’s promotional material.

When we arrived to this seasons EFW, we were excited to get our hands on some amazing organic Cono Sur Vineyards wine and tasty Noodlebox. But the fun really started when we were taken backstage to interview Evan Ducharme.

As we entered the hectic world of hairspray, makeup, and beautiful models, we gained a new appreciation for all the hard work that goes into a fashion show.

Ducharme himself was enjoying one last moment of peace getting pampered by La Biosthetique before the show began. We interrupted his moment of serenity, but he didn’t mind when he recognized us as the two crazy girls from last year. With a big smile on his face, we began the interview.

Sad Mag: Last season you featured form-fitting pieces that flattered the female figure. Can we expect to see the same thing this season?

Evan Ducharme: There are definitely some form-fitting pieces in the show. Just recently, my customers wanted something a bit looser, so there will be looser silhouettes as well. I kind of did a reinterpretation of the drop waist from the 1920s. I’ve taken silhouettes from my favourite decades of fashion, the 1920s to the 1950s and given them a 1960s hippie aesthetic. They’re still loose and elegant but have more of an easy sensibility to them.

SM: Did you have any restrictions when creating this line?

ED: I didn’t think of them as restrictions as much as ways to challenge myself design-wise. I set out a strict colour palette of black, white and grey because I knew choosing a particular colour would be impossible to find. Plus, I’ve been feeling a monochromatic look for summer. It’s easy to go bright colours; they scream summer, but something a bit cleaner and streamlined like monochrome are easier to wear in the summertime.

SM: What were your inspirations for this collection?

ED:I started with my favourite decades of fashion and reinterpreted them for the modern woman or man. I took those ideas of clothing and made them more modern and easy for people to wear. I also looked at old images of Coco Chanel and her friends—the way they styled themselves and the main silhouettes or fabrics—I took that idea and wanted to bring it to the catwalk.

SM:Last time we talked to you were unsure about a mens line, what changed your mind?

ED: I’ve been inspired by menswear. I want to create things that are really unisex so many people can wear them. Then you can share them with your boyfriend or girlfriend and that’ll maximize your wardrobe. Right now people don’t have money to be spending on clothes, and I think designers need to think of the sociology of their customers; what customers need to get out of their clothes, or making things you can share or do many things with.

SM: Will you always work in eco-friendly sustainable fashion?

ED: Definitely. It’s the place for me. I’ve been doing it for quite a long time. I just realized I’ve been working towards becoming a designer for 10 years now. I started sewing when I was 11, now I’m 21.

SM: What is the soundtrack to this collection?

ED: The runway music this year is Blondie and Fleetwood Mac. I was looking for really fun, dance music, with a moody aesthetic. I’m taking the golden age of fashion, and the golden age of music, and morphing them together to make a big story.

***

 

View Ducharme’s collections via Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

 

Jason Michael Paul, the producer of the upcoming “The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess Second Quest” at the VSO, loves music, good coffee, and video games. A man after Sad Mag’s own heart, to be sure. Lawrence Mathes, Sad Mag’s web correspondent for all things gaming-related, had a chance to ask JMP about the important stuff: which Zelda game is his favourite, and what pivotal position Koji Kondo occupies in the musical canon. 

Sad Mag: Who are you?  Tell our readers a bit about yourself.
JMP: My name is Jason Michael Paul. I was born in San Francisco Bay Area. I am a producer of video game music concerts and a lover of coffee.

SM: How did you originally get into the music industry?
JMP: I began working in the music industry at 21. I used work on music videos and then eventually began working in live music environments producing concerts at parties. This eventually led me to work and stage concerts world wide for Luciano Pavarotti and The Three Tenors.

SM: Most people are familiar with names like Beethoven, Bach and Brahms but Koji Kondo? Not so much.  What spurred the decision to do game music?
JMP: In my world, Koji Kondo is a household name. When the opportunity began to start producing video game music concerts and Nintendo’s music (Mario, Zelda, and Metroid) would be a part of my concert that is where my working relationship began back in 2006 as part of PLAY!.

SM: Have you played any of the Legend of Zelda games?  If so which one is your favorite?
JMP: Yes, I have played Zelda dating back to the original gold cartridge Zelda game. I would say that my favorite game is Skyward Sword. My company was commissioned to produce the orchestra cd that was released as part of the bundle with that game so it resonates with me. Skyward Sword that is!

SM: How would you describe the music from The Legend of Zelda series to someone who’s never heard it before?  What should they expect?
JMP: Legendary! Chad Seiter, my music director, has done a masterful job weaving in and out the themes, battle songs, and does an amazing job of telling the story of the Legend of Zelda. Fans can expect to be blown away by the music and visuals. This is the ultimate Zelda experience!

SM: I attended the last game related performance, a mixture of music from the different Final Fantasy games including the brilliant Dancing Mad.  Are there any other game series that you could see the VSO performing pieces from?
JMP: Hopefully, the VSO will perform my other show rePLAY: Symphony of Heroes, which will be touring beginning this month in Omaha with the Omaha Symphony October 12.

SM: Where are you as you write this?
JMP: I am in Pittsburgh with a view of PNC park home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. We just finished up a concert with the amazingly talented Pittsburgh Symphony!

SM: What is the very next music related activity you are going to partake in?
JMP: A rap battle with an emcee who thinks he can out-do me.

SM: Which of the pieces that are going to be played on the 16th is your favorite if you don’t mind me asking?
JMP: The overture!

SM: If I were some kind of foolish individual who hadn’t yet decided if they were going to the performance, what would you say to convince me?
JMP: Don’t be one of those! This opportunity may never come again. Don’t be a fool! Ha ha ha!

***

You heard the man, don’t be fool! “The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess Second Quest” will be performed by the Vancouver Symphonic Orchestra on Wednesday, Oct 16th at the Orpheum Theatre. 

(I know I’m going and I’ll be leaving with a stack of CDs!)