For this issue we got the oddest and awesomest request from an artist ever. Prior to our photoshoot with Die Antwoord, we received an email asking, “Can you bring XL boxers of Canadian flag and maple leaves for Ninja to wear for this?” We were, of course, ecstatic and immediately dropped everything we were doing to go on a quest for him. Said Ninja of the boxers we gave him, “They’re nice. I love new boxers and underpants and socks. We never had money so for a few birthdays Yo-landi always bought me underpants and socks and I always liked them. I have nice affection with new underpants.” If you’d like to look like Ninja does on our cover, his maple leaf boxers can be purchased for $15 at almost any tourist store in Gastown, Vancouver.
If the rhythm sounds nice, you gotta do it twice. So we’re doing it again. On Saturday August 21th, you are cordially invited to spend an afternoon with us on one of the most seldom available rooftops in the city. Be prepared for a day filled with familiar faces, tempting libations, BBQ and general revelry. From 2-7pm the rooftop of Scotiabank Dance Centre will be home to an array of summer favorites from past and present.
ION contributor David Bertrand recently moved to Montreal to open up a movie theatre with Canada’s cult cinema queen, Kier-La Janisse. Blue Sunshine is billed as a “psychotronic screening room” and the plan is to have screenings three nights a week. Thursdays will feature rare music films, Fridays will feature bizarro trash and cult films and Saturdays will be dedicated to avant-garde and art cinema. The space will also be home to the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies. One of the first things they have lined up is master class in adapting H.P. Lovecraft for the screen taught by Stuart Gordon (The Re-Animator). Amazing! Oh, and we highly recommend you see the movie Blue Sunshine. It’s about people who do bad LSD, lose their hair and go on murderous rampages.
A O C is throwing you a summer party! Wednesday June 23rd you’ll be treated to Vancouver’s three best and diverse acts. ION staff writer Stefana Fratila performs her Coco Rosie-esque songs and at her best will stretch your heartstrings like Link Wray stretches the strings of his guitar. She’s also always good for a tickling laugh in between songs. Did you miss Thrush Hermit in the Nineties because you were too young or too into that song by Train? The (super adorable and young) Hot Moonbeams will revisit Joel Plaskett and his crew while peppering you with the lyrical panache of Steve Malkmus. Capping off the evening has ION favourites Humans who have been killing it at both high end venues and underground parties for the last year. Of course there are your A O C DJs Kellen Powell and Trevor Risk bringing you every hit song you loved from the previous outings. Join the Facebook event group and get free song downloads of new and old indie hits everyday for a week leading up to the party. Let’s all clink glasses and duck walk all night long!
When: Wednesday June 23rd
Where: The Biltmore, Vancouver
Cover: $8
On our last cover we featured Diplo, who aside from being a cool guy and a talented musician, is part of the whole M.I.A/New York Times shitstorm. The article featured M.I.A eating french fries cooked in truffle oil while the writer paints her as some sort of Chardonnay-sipping fake revolutionary. Well, the whole thing has caused quite an online kerfuffle and Diplo was quoted a few times in the piece and he said some nasty things. Well it’s time to take this guy down a notch or two. During our interview and photoshoot with him we can confirm that Diplo drank fine $12/bottle wine with a straw. He also feasted on an ornate spread of Lebanese food from Nuba that consisted of falafel, tabouleh, chicken tawook and some hummus on pita bread. After the interview, Diplo was driven by our publisher in her fancy Ford family van to another restaurant to meet friends for a second, undoubtedly extravagant, meal. Diplo’s response to the controversy which we are tentatively calling Nubagate, was “Errrr waking up on a flight witha (sic) giant boner is not as cool as it sounds.”
Editors’ Note: We made most of the interview up and stuff he did say wasn’t presented in order. We didn’t think readers or Diplo would care. Sorry for not explicitly stating that in the piece. Also, the airplane boner quote was just some random tweet we pulled from Diplo’s Twitter account.
[@diplo]
From the collaborative efforts of Grace-Gallery, On Main and photographer Angela Fama comes MIRRORFACE. At this exhibit, there lies 12 seemingly simple photographs. However, like most artwork, once the story is read, then the interest and appreciation will come. Fama captures two images of the subject—one a regular studio image and one a completely natural mirror image. From Angela’s artist statement, “MIRRORFACE is the facial expression that messages to us that we are ready to take on the world.” This show will commence on Saturday May 1 at 7pm.
—Jenkin Au
01 is a Vancouver based bi-monthly, online magazine and daily blog. Its contributions come from creative-minded Vancouverites, as well as a handful of individuals outside the city. 01 is launching its first art exhibition this month at the 107 Shaw Gallery in Toronto. The exhibition runs from March 11-April 3 and will showcase international artists from Germany and New York along with a great crop of Canadian talent. Some of the Vancouver roster includes photographers Jennilee Marigomen and Jeff Otto O’Brien, as well as LES Gallery artist Dan Siney. Holding down the home front for Toronto are local artists Maryanne Casasanta and Niall Mc Clelland. No matter who you bring to this exhibition, you’re guaranteed to be in good company. —Alysa Lechner
In the interests of full disclosure, the reader of this review should know that it was written by the author while drunk, in a bar, from his BlackBerry, while drowning his sorrows over Canada’s loss to the US in hockey on the 21st of February. The reader of this review should also know that BioShock 2 is AWESOME. This game straight up rules. I had never played a BioShock game before ION asked me to review this one. The intro hooked me and there’s a lot of mystery that helps to keep you invested in the gameplay during the difficult parts. I don’t want to ruin it for the casual gamer that might not know, but I will say it involves an underwater city, people modifying themselves with seaslug genes to gain telekinetic powers and little girls with glowing eyes that carry around syringes bigger than they are. The controls are easy and intuitive and the game has a great system for calibrating the brightness so you can actually see what you’re supposed to in darker maps. I’m definitely a casual gamer and the difficulty of the game was at times frustrating for me. However, the art direction, story and originality never failed to hold my interest and keep me invested.
ION loves Muk Muk. What/Who the hell is a Muk Muk? Muk Muk is a Vancouver Island marmot and according to the internet they are really good at hibernating. Muk Muk is also the most adorable of the four official Mascots. But wait, he’s not an official mascot. According to the Olympic website he’s a sidekick. Seriously? A sidekick mascot for the real mascots, this is getting confusing. Anyways, Muk Muk’s hobbies are listed as: eating, burrowing, eating, making friends and eating, which basically describes what our staff are into.
Words: Zia Hirji
Paul Wong, video pioneer, award-winning artist, curator, and event organizer since the mid-Seventies, has created five unique experiences that will take the public on extraordinary journeys through real, invented, and imagined places during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympics. With a live webcast, a video bus tour and explorations in a floral conservatory, cemetery and classical Chinese garden, this is not a project to miss. Five five-hour events take place at 5pm on every Saturday from February 13 to March 13.
Stepping into Mr. Lee’s General Store and Haberdashery is like stepping into a captured moment in history. The Thirties-inspired gentlemen’s store, which is attached to a barber shop, gives the feeling of going back in time, when the focus was on giving men what they needed to be slick, stylish and suave. Large weathered cupboards and drawers display an eclectic range of goods like straight razors, hair creams, bags, sunglasses, cinnamon toothpicks and big glass jars of candy. Mr. Lee’s was opened in December 2009 by a group of three friends and is loading its shelves back up after nearly clearing out everything during Christmas. Although the store specializes in men’s needs, women will also find a fair share of unisex items. Mr. Lee’s is also your only source in Canada for Portland’s Stumptown coffee.
Haven Select is a new high-end clothing store in the heart of Gastown, steps away from the famous Gassy Jack statue. If you’re finding our recent weather too harsh to tackle, it also has an online store displaying all its products, including sale items. It couldn’t be easier. The store space itself is minimal, allowing the quality clothing to take centre stage. Haven Select features the best in men’s streetwear and active attire, including Levi’s vintage collection, Nike apparel, and Acronym. In keeping with the upcoming Olympics, Haven is launching a special capsule of products in collaboration with Maiden Noir. The collection follows the theme of “The Great North” and includes heavy flannel shirts, cotton tees, beanies and tote bags. These are a unique capsule of products to commemorate the Olympics—for information on availability, styles, and pricing check out the website below. 7 Gaoler’s Mews, Vancouver
[www.havenshop.ca]
Words: Rochelle Keenaghan
[1] Twitter
We are going to keep hammering this home in the magazine until we have more friends than this bloody hot dog stand in Vancouver called Japadog. Okay, in defense of the hot dog stand, they make a mean dog, but c’mon, what they can possibly have to let you know about? Our Twitter account let’s you know about timely ION articles, upcoming ION events and hella great contests. At press time we have 503 followers, a freaking hotdog stand has 1235. We’re not looking for Ashton Kutcher-type numbers, just more than the hot dog stand. www.twitter.com/ionmagazine (more…)
[1] Twitter
How often do you Twitter? We’re on there all day, every day sucking in factoids, details about what you had for dinner and how Shaq is doing. Please add us when you get a moment. It’s an amazing way to keep abreast of ION-related activities and contests. www.twitter.com/ionmagazine (more…)
[1] We’ve Moved!
Hi, we’re very much aware that we mentioned we moved last issue, but some things are so important they are worth mentioning twice. So here goes, over the holidays, ION relocated to a lovely new office in a charmingly cruddy area of town. Our new address is Suite 303, 505 Hamilton Street. Vancouver, BC V6B 2R1. Update your mailing list and send us office-warming gifts. Nothing under $100 in value please. (more…)
