tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-174795222011-08-01T12:21:18.801-07:00Have laptop, will travel. Gorging on the still living flesh of cultural life in Vancouver.Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.comBlogger1341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-38025309488412540642010-10-09T13:31:00.004-07:002010-10-11T15:23:39.579-07:00

The Invention of Dr. NakamatsVancity TheatreSaturday, October 9 2010 11:00amJapanese inventor Yoshiro Nakamatsu has over 3000 patents to his name, invented the floppy disk, is an Ig Nobel prize winner, and now has a revolutionary new design for a bra. Or so he claims. This amusing film follows Nakamatsu in his busy everyday life around the occasion of his 80th birthday.Nakamatsu is a shameless

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-66527145460278494952010-10-08T22:08:00.003-07:002010-10-10T16:00:57.598-07:00

Kinshasa SymphonyGranville 7 Theatre 2Friday, October 8 2010 6:15pmWhat compels musicians to create music even under the most extreme of circumstances? From the Titanic to the Siege of Stalingrad, there are musicians who carry on regardless. After years of war, the city of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo barely functions with power outages, potholed dirt streets, ruined buildings, and

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-77217970448963002942010-10-08T13:42:00.008-07:002010-10-10T16:01:42.862-07:00

Zanzibar Musical ClubPacific CinémathèqueFriday, October 8 2010 10:45amZanzibar is an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the east African country of Tanzania. For centuries this has been a port of call on the spice trade route. Arabs, Africans, Indians, and the odd European have left their impact on the music and culture.This film records the performances of several musicians and groups.

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-36761420415699339162010-10-07T19:54:00.004-07:002010-10-08T16:34:42.919-07:00

Wagner and MeGranville 7 Theatre 5Thursday, October 7 2010 6:00pmI think for almost everyone of a certain age, including me, the first introduction to the music of Richard Wagner is when Elmer Fudd sings the immortal line, "Kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit!". For British actor Stephen Fry, the first hearing of Tannhäuser on his parents' record player was the first kiss of a life long love affair

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-13935244416033516732010-10-07T15:27:00.004-07:002010-10-07T16:26:07.364-07:00

Rio SonataGranville 7 Theatre 6Wednesday, October 6 2010 12:45pmThe soundtrack opens with this powerful rich high tenor voice singing in Portuguese. I wonder who this great male Brazilian singer is, until the aerial beauty shots of Rio de Janeiro dissolve to Nana Caymmi, the great female Brazilian singer. Now in her 60's she's still recording and performing to adulating crowds.From a musical

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-3244437833406725432010-10-04T20:59:00.002-07:002010-10-04T22:54:32.452-07:00

A Drummer's DreamGranville 7 Theatre 2Monday, October 4 2010 6:30pmI will be making a lot fewer drummer jokes after seeing A Drummer's Dream. This enthralling film documents the coming together of Montreal musician Nasyr Abdul Al-Khabyyr's dream of organizing a drumming camp with his fellow drummers and friends. Each drummer teaching at the camp is an extraordinary and individual talent in their

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-81580577096728912472010-10-03T17:43:00.003-07:002010-10-03T18:27:48.412-07:00

The Eye 3D—Life and Science at Cerro ParanalPark TheatreSunday, October 3 2010 4:00pmA starry sky, over a barren red-brown rock strewn landscape. Not Mars, but Cerro Paranal, the mountain in the high desert of northern Chile on which the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope is located. Shot in effectively used 3D, the facility looks eerily like a prototype for a Martian colony.This

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-63550077422939860252010-10-03T13:17:00.003-07:002010-10-03T14:22:01.840-07:00

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant ChildVancity TheatreSunday, October 3 2010 11:00amIn the universe it is the biggest stars that shine the brightest, but also the briefest. In the New York art world of the 1980's Jean-Michel Basquiat was that star. From runaway teenager graffiti artist on the streets of New York to collaborating with Andy Warhol, his career spanned less than a decade before his

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-66141964535059725882010-10-03T00:01:00.002-07:002010-10-03T01:36:42.505-07:00

An Ecology of MindGranville 7 Theatre 5Saturday, October 2, 2010 9:00pmFrom the film synopsis you think this would be a typical biography of a scientist and his work in a narrow field of study. But director Nora Bateson manages to convey the connectedness of thought that underpins the work of her father scientist Gregory Bateson. Gregory was a modern Renaissance man whose areas of study and ideas

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-85275292362535146902009-10-10T00:06:00.013-07:002009-10-10T14:44:45.142-07:00

Trimpin: The Sound of InventionVancity TheatreFriday, October 9 2009 9:30pmGerhard Trimpin is an inventor, musician, composer, tinker, and conceptual artist with a unique sensibility and ingenious mechanical aptitude. His musical instruments cum audio sculptures are playful, sonically interesting, and surprisingly musical. His workshop is a treasure trove of parts culled from junkyards and free

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-19658504842695904542009-10-06T16:33:00.003-07:002009-10-06T18:28:41.770-07:00

XOMO Digital is a Vancouver company which produces mobile applications for festivals. Their new iPhone application for the Vancouver International Film Festival Fan Guide is a useful tool to help navigate and plan viewing of the over 370 films over 16 days. It's an evolutionary improvement on their Vancouver International Jazz Festival app which was a good first effort but lacked certain useful

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-40406666046035884362009-10-05T23:30:00.014-07:002009-10-06T17:44:05.147-07:00

In Search of BeethovenGranville 7 Theatre 2Monday, October 5 2009 6:15pmIn 2006 director Phil Grabsky gave Mozart his thorough treatment, correcting the myths that arose out of the fictionalized Amadeus. Now Grabsky sets his camera on Beethoven with the same thoroughness and myth busting in a breathlessly paced and information packed 140 minutes.The film traces a chronological time line of his

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-11562252610070082712009-10-04T21:49:00.013-07:002009-10-05T12:26:01.123-07:00

Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn GouldGranville 7 Theatre 2Sunday, October 4 2009 7:00pmThis is an amazingly revealing documentary on the real man behind the myth that is the public image of Glenn Gould. Going beyond the eccentricities of his later years it reveals a complex and contradictory man who was both loving and smothering, perfectionist and clown, solitary and charming, father

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-61295002877203679092009-10-04T13:45:00.001-07:002009-10-04T18:08:44.754-07:00

The Man Who Bottled CloudsGranville 7 Theatre 4Sunday, October 4 2009 11:40amThis documentary about Brazilian musician Humberto Teixeira was produced and narrated by his daughter Denise Dummont. Even though he raised her she never felt she knew her father as a person and sets out to learn who he was by interviewing his friends, family, and colleagues in Brazil and New York Ciy.Most of the

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-87811634652246748452009-10-04T11:03:00.003-07:002009-10-05T00:00:19.852-07:00

The Great Contemporary Art BubbleGranville 7 Theatre 1Saturday, October 3 2009 3:30pmBritish art critic Ben Lewis exposes the corrupt business practices which lead to the recent astronomical price increases in contemporary art auctions, and how the players followed the classic market bubble to its inevitable catastrophic conclusion.Lewis conducts surprisingly candid interviews with gallery owners

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-32930806736486025192009-10-02T16:30:00.001-07:002009-10-02T18:37:52.568-07:00

The Jazz BaronessGranville 7 Theatre 5Thursday, October 1 2009 6:00pmThis film is Hannah Rothschild's personal journey to learn about her great aunt Pannonica of whom her family rarely spoke. Hannah had only a brief relationship with Pannonica having only met her a few years before her death.Pannonica was born into the English branch of the prominent Jewish Rothschild banking family. Named after

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-79009592750629309852009-09-15T21:26:00.004-07:002009-09-15T21:53:08.764-07:00

The Secret Love Life of OpheliaStudio 16Tuesday, September 15 2009 8:00pmSteven Berkoff attempts to fill in the backstory of Ophelia and Hamlet's doomed love and succeeds brilliantly. Written in the form of letters sent between the two lovers, the story unfolds from the first tender blush of affection, to wonderfully lustful and passionate imagery, and finally to heart wrenching declarations of

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-48336822253451561452009-09-15T21:17:00.003-07:002009-09-15T21:26:34.476-07:00

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Vancouver International Fringe Festival. Despite a rocky economy and an arts unfriendly provincial government, the show must go on. With perseverance and the generosity of patrons, sponsors, and arts loving individuals there will be more and greater Fringe in the future. Here's to another 12 days of hilarity, passion, anxiety, song, sexuality, and

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-53047971169194549152008-10-04T18:15:00.000-07:002008-10-04T18:17:09.442-07:00

Celia the QueenGranville 7 Theatre 1Friday, October 3 2008 7:15pmCelia Cruz was one of the greatest singers of Salsa music. As one of the many talented musicians who left Cuba after the Revolution, she faced an uncertain future in exile. She went on to have a great life in the United States, and helped spread Cuban music around the world.She was bigger than life on and off stage. Vivacious, with

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-76701127783295875102008-10-04T15:59:00.000-07:002008-10-04T16:00:24.678-07:00

Ice PeoplePacific CinemathequeThursday, October 3 2008 1:30pmThe first light of the austral spring sun lights the horizon in Antarctica, signalling the end of the dark winter. For the scientists living and working at McMurdo Station it is time again to venture back into the field. This documentary is a look into the life of geologists working in the coldest, driest, most remote place on

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-44603152896764575142008-10-04T13:57:00.001-07:002008-10-04T13:57:54.003-07:00

Bird's Nest: Herzog and De Meuron in ChinaGranville 7 Theatre 1Thursday, October 2 2008 7:15pmThe most iconic image of the 2008 Beijing Olympics was the remarkable National Stadium. The international competition to design the stadium was won by Swiss star architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. But winning the competition was only the beginning of a monumental task. This documentary is a

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-72957379748987700632008-10-03T12:22:00.000-07:002008-10-03T12:23:11.252-07:00

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New OrleansGranville 7 Theatre 5Thursday, October 2 2008 3:00pmThis is an inspiring and enlightening documentary about the little known history of this New Orleans neighbourhood. Told from the viewpoint of New Orleans journalist Lolis Eric Elie, this film uncovers the spirit and strength of its residents past and present.Now known as the Sixth Ward, Tremé

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-85510366963564524272008-10-01T17:48:00.001-07:002008-10-01T17:50:15.397-07:00

Café de los MaestrosGranville 7 Theatre 7Wednesday, October 1 2008 10:00amOutside of Argentina, tango is mostly associated with dance. But it is more than just dance music. There are vocals as well, and compositions and arrangements for groups ranging from duos to orchestras. This film explores the musical side of tango and the maestros who developed it.The maestros are gathered together in the

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-47527075032720156732008-10-01T16:08:00.001-07:002008-10-01T16:08:50.405-07:00

Youssou N'Dour: Return to GoréeGranville 7 Theatre 7Monday, September 29 2008 9:30pmSenegalese singer Youssou N'Dour has an idea to explore the descendants of African music. From playing with musicians around the world, he hears the similarities in his native Senegalese music with the blues, jazz, Cuban, and Brazilian music. He is interested in how his native Senegalese music would be interpreted

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-42913514798279418062008-09-29T00:03:00.000-07:002008-09-29T00:05:05.720-07:00

Trip to Asia—The Quest for HarmonyGranville 7 Theatre 7Sunday, September 28 2008 6:45pmThis is a surprisingly candid, and incisive documentary about the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra filmed on their historic 2005 tour of Asia. The story follows the itinerary of the trip as they visit Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Tokyo. Each city provides a unique experience with different

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-90101822045355824772008-09-28T23:48:00.001-07:002008-09-28T23:49:27.360-07:00

südenVancity TheatreSunday, September 28 2008 1:15pmThis documentary is an account of the Argentinean born conductor and composer Mauricio Kagel's first concert appearance in his birth land in over 40 years. Kagel has spent most of his professional career and life in Germany, but a recording of the Ensemble Süden (named after one of his pieces) performing his works impresses him so much that he

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-49930475789412910852008-09-27T18:31:00.002-07:002008-09-27T18:42:51.656-07:00

The Young Romantic: A Portrait of Yundi LiGranville 7 Theatre 1Saturday, September 27 2008 3:00pmThis film starts with an amazing statistic. There are 20 million budding concert pianists in China. And they all aspire to be like 25 year-old Chinese concert pianist Yundi Li. Because he is the first Chinese gold medal winner of the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition in 2000, and the

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-80703517991152413612008-09-27T01:20:00.003-07:002008-09-27T02:08:01.542-07:00

The Wrecking CrewGranville 7 Theatre 2Friday, September 26 2008 9:30pmThis documentary is director Denny Tedesco's loving homage to his father guitarist Tommy Tedesco and the musicians he worked with—collectively nicknamed the Wrecking Crew. The name was given to this loose group of 30-40 musicians by older session musicians from a more formal time who were not so appreciative of their casual

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-42541311470982910892008-09-25T22:46:00.003-07:002008-09-25T23:43:31.504-07:00

Old Man BeboGranville 7 Theatre 2Thursday, September 25 2008 6:45pmJust days away from his 90th birthday, Bebo Valdés has earned the moniker of old man with his storied life, and solid musicianship. That musical talent earned him the nickname of Big Stallion in his younger days in 1950s Havana.As a great pianist, arranger, and composer he fused together traditional Cuban music with jazz and

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-80652702830752744332008-09-16T00:43:00.000-07:002008-09-16T00:44:48.729-07:00

A Man, A Magic, A MusicGranville Island StageSunday, September 14 2008 9:15pmMovin' Melvin Brown brings the history of Black Music to life in his one man show. He's got the rich soulful voice, the athletic moves, and the red satin tuxedo to bring back to life Chubby Checker, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, The Temptations, James Brown, Gregory Hines, and many other legendary Black performers.The

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-61314817762576393992008-09-16T00:42:00.000-07:002008-09-16T00:43:36.012-07:00

The Movies (Abridged)Granville Island StageSaturday, September 13 2008 9:00pmA young man working for Bigbuster video rental store wants to pass the management exam. To prepare for the exam he watches the management training video. The corporate training video on the limited genres that Bigbuster carries is a send up of lesser Hollywood movies and actors.Popcorn fare.3/5

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-13479579002714462352008-09-15T00:55:00.000-07:002008-09-15T00:56:14.379-07:00

Old GrowthGranville Island StageSaturday, September 13 2008 7:15pmThis play is inspired by events documented in the John Vaillant book The Golden Spruce about the felling of the sacred Golden Spruce tree by Grant Hadwin. Xander and Aura are two young environmentalists who journey to Haida Gwaii to perform a ceremony which will make amends for Hadwin's deed and turn Xander into a

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-39393547711217271672008-09-11T23:13:00.001-07:002008-09-11T23:13:47.450-07:00

PutzThursday, September 11 2008 8:30pmWaterfront TheatrePutz is a very funny and painfully honest character study of a nerdy young man with obsessive compulsive disorder whose best friend is a lesbian. Awkward with women and haunted by dark thoughts he struggles to find love, acceptance, God, and lose his virginity.Andrew Bailey gives a wonderful performance balancing comedy and pathos. Bailey's

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-81424471040548927612008-09-09T21:32:00.002-07:002008-09-09T21:38:13.592-07:00

SevHavana RestaurantTuesday, September 9 2008 7:15pmCharles Ross has performed his One Man Star Wars show over 1200 times for six years around the world. He's also well known for his One Man Lord of the Rings. He is now ready for something different, but he doesn't stray too far away from boyhood fantasy in this one man production.Sev is the story of a sixteen year-old boy who imagines wild

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-39009845000851479012008-09-07T18:19:00.000-07:002008-09-07T18:20:14.398-07:00

Who's Afraid of Tippi SeagramPerformance WorksSunday, September 7 2008 3:15pmTippi Seagram is an aging Hollywood actress whose star has faded so much that she's reduced to performing cabaret stand-up comedy at the Fringe Festival. Her sharp tongue, haughty demeanour, and even meaner wit skewers errant Hollywood starlets, Republicans, men, women, relationships, sexuality, PETA, and the audience.

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-3674166412115717622008-09-06T18:58:00.002-07:002008-09-06T19:02:58.048-07:00

Mr. FoxPerformance WorksSaturday, September 6 2008 5:00pmGreg Landucci brings us behind the scenes of the legendary Vancouver CFOX rock radio station mascot. Landucci is an aspiring BCIT media communications student whose goal in life is to become an on-air personality at the premier rock station. But fate puts him in the costume, not behind the mike.The one man show is formatted as a

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-71107698067332649222008-09-05T21:11:00.001-07:002008-09-05T21:11:52.590-07:00

The Last Gig of Lenny BreauAgro CaféFriday, September 5 2008 6:30pmGreat Canadian guitarist Lenny Breau is commemorated in this re-creation of the last night of his life. Breau's life and music philosophy is revealed in a musical narrative that weaves together pieces from jazz, Indian raga, country, and folk by guitarist Colin Godbout's skilled fingers.This is not a conventional play. There is

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-60567339266889708512008-09-05T21:10:00.000-07:002008-09-05T21:11:13.191-07:00

Gutenberg! The Musical!Granville Island StageFriday, September 5 2008 4:45pmFollowing in the footsteps of The Producers and Spamalot this production pokes fun at the conventions of Broadway musical theatre.Bud and Doug are two friends with a dream of having their musical staged on Broadway. They perform a reading of their musical masterpiece about the inventor of the printing press Johannes

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-78682630633514346282008-09-04T23:20:00.001-07:002008-09-05T21:12:34.711-07:00

Totem FiguresHavana RestaurantThursday, September 4 2008 8:00pmT.J. Dawe is a fixture on the Fringe Festival circuit. This year's one man show is an autobiographical stream of consciousness about the everyday mythology of one's personal life, and the influential figures in his life. Dawe speaks fast and furiously jump cutting from his Catholic upbringing, his father, Jesus, Charles Bukowski,

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-57561484790114290752008-09-04T23:03:00.003-07:002008-09-04T23:14:04.158-07:00

Wow there are a lot of cobwebs and dust around here. Fortunately the 24th annual Vancouver International Fringe Festival arrives to inspire me to writing again.Do I have everything? Let's check my tools:☑ Fringe Membership☑ Frequent Fringer Pass☑ Mac PowerBook G4☑ BlogAre you comfortable? Then we'll begin.Ars gratia artis

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-76820430393907371992007-10-03T23:44:00.000-07:002007-10-03T23:45:40.698-07:00

In Search of MozartOctober 1, 2007 6:45pmGranville 7 Theatre 2Last year was the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. And quite fortuitously director Phil Grabsky had finished his previous film (The Boy Who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan) and was ready to embark on a new project just in time to hit this date.The documentary chronologically narrates the achievements of

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-65892395438861437602007-10-03T23:23:00.000-07:002007-10-03T23:49:01.075-07:00

El BennySeptember 30, 2007 6:40pmGranville 7 Theatre 3El Benny is a fictionalized account of Cuban singer Benny Moré. The film starts at a low point in Benny's life. He is a heavy drinker and a womanizer, which strains the relationship with his wife, and his orchestra leader to the breaking point.He is fired from the orchestra, but his troubles are soon forgotten with a chance encounter with an

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-76343276423804760372007-10-03T00:06:00.000-07:002007-10-03T00:07:06.657-07:00

ControlSeptember 29, 2007 2:30pmGranville 7 Theatre 3Out of the late 1970's punk movement in the UK came Joy Division which became famous for inspiring other bands, and out of whose ashes was born the seminal 1980's New Wave synthesizer-based band New Order. Singer Ian Curtis's suicide sealed his, and Joy Division's place in musical history. This film is Ian's story.This period piece is filmed in

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-44570117448861489632007-09-30T23:49:00.000-07:002007-09-30T23:50:53.332-07:00

BallerinaSeptember 28, 2007 8:00pmVancity TheatreThis showing is director Bertrand Normand's international premiere of his film about the rarefied world of ballet. He intimately captures the working life of the ballerina.He starts at the beginning for all prospective young ballerinas. The Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg has produced some of Russia's best ballet dancers. Its graduates include

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-27723781195800467132007-09-29T19:01:00.000-07:002007-09-29T19:02:16.352-07:00

In the Shadow of the MoonSeptember 28, 2007 1:00pmVISA Screening Room @ Empire Granville 7The Space Age was ushered in 50 years ago on October 4, 1957 with the launch of Sputnik. So it's an appropriate moment for producer Ron Howard to release this documentary film about the Apollo manned mission to the moon program. The story is told through personal interviews with some of the surviving Apollo

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-6486741902199608602007-09-28T00:14:00.001-07:002007-09-28T00:17:08.416-07:00

Echoes of HomeSeptember 27 2007, 7:30pmVancity TheatreLike most people, when I think of Switzerland I think of fine mechanical watches, trains that run on time, delicious chocolate, and great skiing. Swiss musical traditions do not normally enter the popular consciousness. The only yodelling is the stereotypically cheesy "yodellayeehoo" of Heidi movies and Swiss Miss commercials. This documentary

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-73186031344370274902007-09-12T19:34:00.000-07:002007-09-12T19:37:18.221-07:00

GrummelotBeaumont StudiosSeptember 11, 2007 8:00pmGrummelot is a classic tale of boy meets girl; boy loses girl; boy gets girl back; boy accidentally poisons girl. And in traditional Italian Commedia dell'Arte style all's well that ends well—almost.While the show has the elements of Commedia dell'Arte like the archetypal characters, traditional masks and costumes, it leaves out the most important

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-55407504654534192942007-09-10T23:56:00.000-07:002007-09-11T00:00:15.106-07:00

The Absurdyessy: An Epic…Comedy?The AmpitheatreSeptember 9, 2007 7:30pmThe Green Leaf Circus Company's outdoor show has the most picturesque setting at the ampitheatre in Ron Basford Park, and this week luckily the finest weather. On an unusually warm September evening, there's more than a little feel of Bard on the Beach in this venue.Part of the charm of the performance is the athletic grace of

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-32268689694542808712007-09-09T23:54:00.001-07:002007-09-09T23:55:26.611-07:00

The Fugue CodePlaywrights' TheatreSunday, September 9, 2007 4:30pmA kidnapping. Johann Sebastian Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier. A secret society. A "perfect" temperament pipe organ designed by Bach but not built until present day technology made it possible. A code hidden within Bach's music. These are the ingredients for this remarkable one man musicological comedy-thriller.Actor/writer Alex

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-81756802411925979222007-09-06T23:12:00.000-07:002007-09-06T23:14:02.871-07:00

Napoleon's Secret DiaryWaterfront TheatreSeptember 6, 2007 7:00pmAnd it's a great start to the Fringe Festival with the very funny Napoleon's Secret Diary. This one man play is a comedic biography of the little general as told in his own words to the audience—his secret diary.Young Napoleon Glen Bonaparte is an insecure, nebbishy, height challenged, schoolboy whose only ambition in life is to

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-19426726453920783922007-09-06T20:55:00.000-07:002007-09-06T21:14:56.920-07:00

Labour Day has passed, the nip of fall is in the air, and that can only mean one thing. The Vancouver International Fringe Festival returns for another ten days of wry, wacky, and wicked theatre. I'll be posting my reviews and making Granville Island my second home for the next week.

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-6050368753498850532007-08-10T17:59:00.000-07:002007-08-15T00:09:55.024-07:00

Monet to Dalí: Modern Masters from the Cleveland Museum of ArtsJune 11 to September 16, 2007Vancouver Art GalleryAs the Cleveland Museum of Art undergoes an extensive renovation and expansion it is sending out a touring exhibition of select works from its collection. The Vancouver Art Gallery is the fortunate first stop and only Canadian stop of the tour.The exhibition includes 80 paintings and

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-38042361762073357982007-08-06T23:39:00.000-07:002007-08-06T23:58:19.790-07:00

Caskival 4"Bung Love"Saturday, August 5, 2007Dix Barbecue & BreweryThe fourth annual cask tapping event is a showcase for local microbreweries to demonstrate their brewing flair and creativity. Contributing casks this year are Russell Brewing, Storm Brewing, Yaletown Brewing, Longwood Brewpub, Swans Buckerfields Brewery, Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub, Howe Sound Brewing, Dix BBQ & Brewery, Big Ridge

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1160357095082996712006-10-08T18:21:00.000-07:002006-10-08T22:51:48.890-07:00

This simply styled animated short is about a young girl and her family who run a junkyard. She repairs electronic equipment in her tree house workshop, while her father drives the magnetic crane, and her mother runs the household.One night at dinner time, a policewoman comes to the door and shows them mug shots of wanted criminals–cute fuzzy animals. Her father sends the nosy copper away with a

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1160290542274093612006-10-07T23:50:00.000-07:002006-10-15T20:10:02.753-07:00

This German documentary tries to link together 1960s counter-culture, the military industrial complex, the new world order, LSD, CIA mind control experiments, the Internet, metaphysics, and Gödel's incompleteness theorem all to the Unabomber–and all narrated in a female German monotone. If this sounds like the recipe for a mind-numbing mess, well that's pretty much what it is.The film suffers

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1160276749248515472006-10-07T19:59:00.000-07:002006-10-12T00:32:00.470-07:00

Famed film editor Walter Murch is the subject of this documentary interview. He has put his cut and splice skills to films such as Apocalypse Now, The English Patient, The Godfather, THX-1138, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Touch of Evil. Not surprisingly, he went to film school with directors Francis Ford Coppola, and George Lucas.This is mandatory viewing for any film students, or anyone who has

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1160262543249845272006-10-07T15:27:00.000-07:002006-10-11T23:20:12.096-07:00

This German produced documentary on famed stage director Robert Wilson is an insightful, and comprehensive portrait of the man and his unique style of stagecraft.It starts with an account of his difficult childhood in Waco, Texas. Born into a strict conservative Christian family, he never felt like he fit in. He was painfully shy and had a stuttering problem. His childhood best friend was a black

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1160195100274914982006-10-06T21:21:00.000-07:002006-10-07T16:23:44.853-07:00

This has to be the oddest promotional short film for Vienna tourism ever produced. A young Japanese family tours Vienna. Their tour guide is the fashion conscious chicken Erni who leads them all over Vienna, wearing a different outfit at each location.It's a charming and light-hearted film with high production values. Vienna looks beautiful, and the classical music soundtrack sounds incredible on

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1160194864182310422006-10-06T21:08:00.000-07:002006-10-09T22:53:49.470-07:00

"To play and to fight" is the motto of the Venezuelan National System of Children and Youth Orchestras. It was founded 30 years ago by Maestro José Antonio Abreu who believes in nothing less that the transformation of his nation through the power of music. He is the philosopher-king-conductor of Venezuela–a man of deep conviction, an eloquent speaker, and an inspiring teacher. For him, the

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1160033383920065242006-10-05T00:03:00.000-07:002006-10-06T00:23:10.366-07:00

This film is based on the true life story of Francisco Camargo and his family's rise from rags to riches. He is a poor farmer in the rural Brazilian state of Goiás struggling to make a living with his wife Helena and raising their seven children.Francisco dreams of a better life for his children and knows it will not be through farming on land he doesn't own. He loves music and the tabletop

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1159943167761495752006-10-03T23:19:00.000-07:002006-10-06T00:18:03.943-07:00

Heritage HallOctober 3, 2006 7:00pmA new music series called Music on Main debuts with a tribute concert to composer Steve Reich in celebration of his 70th birthday. This concert featured his most well known pieces as well as new material.The concert started off with Come Out, his seminal experiment with tape loops. Using modern music technology instead, the piece was performed by a 15-inch

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1159925167650878722006-10-03T18:20:00.000-07:002006-10-08T23:19:53.463-07:00

This is the North American premiere of anime director Mamoru Oshii's highly satirical and subversive mock documentary. It's a huge departure from the more mainstream science fiction anime films like Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, and Urusei Yatsura which have made Oshii famous. Most people outside of Japan will probably be a bit mystified by the subject matter. It's a scholarly exposé of the

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1159912088317664212006-10-03T14:25:00.000-07:002006-10-04T00:48:08.810-07:00

One of the things the film festival does is plunge you headlong into another culture. Opera Jawa offers up a beautiful, bewildering, and tragic story in operatic style with Indonesian sensibilities.The story is inspired by the Hindu epic poem Ramayana in which prince Rama loses his wife Sita to the demon king Ravana. The story is hard to follow at times, but is essentially about potter Setyo and

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1159748344511194102006-10-01T17:17:00.000-07:002006-10-02T00:14:10.396-07:00

What a delight it is to rediscover the artistic genius of Canadian animator Norman McLaren. His animations are pioneering classics of the genre which are still fresh and enjoyable today. This retrospective presents a judicious sample of his work.Trouble with Inanimate ObjectsIn Opening Speech, McLaren attempts to give a speech on the occasion of the first annual Montréal Film Festival where he

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1159676938165657232006-09-30T21:15:00.000-07:002006-10-01T22:55:32.476-07:00

The obvious comparison for this French produced biography of the life of Baroque composer Vivaldi is the movie Amadeus. Both are visually, and musically lavish accounts of great classical composers, but they differ significantly in their dramatic structure. While Mozart's story is told in a traditional movie fashion, Vivaldi's story is composed in a series of vignettes of events in his life. It

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1159657062394057962006-09-30T15:34:00.000-07:002006-09-30T17:13:23.796-07:00

Richard Dawkins' multi-part television documentary is a provocative, and caustic criticism on religion and the religious world view. The well known biologist, and popular science writer of books such as The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, and Climbing Mount Improbable argues that the consequences of unquestioning faith, violent emnity between religious groups, and attacks on science outweighs

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1159600656962548622006-09-29T23:55:00.000-07:002006-09-30T01:35:29.966-07:00

This film details the incredible life of Vinícius De Moraes, one of the founders of Brazil's signature musical style–bossa nova. A passionate and prolific man, he wrote hundreds of poems, several musical plays, countless song lyrics, and married nine times. His day job of diplomat took him around the world to places like Los Angeles, Paris, and New Orleans which were influential to his

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1159604312286641662006-09-28T01:11:00.000-07:002006-09-30T01:33:49.680-07:00

This year is the 25th anniversary of the Vancouver International Film Festival. There's over a dozen films I want to see, and I'll be posting the reviews here. Once again I'm concentrating on the music related films, but there are also films on technology, atheism, and Japanese fast food to see.These are the films I'm planning to see:ViniciusThe Root of All Evil?Antonio Vivaldi: A Prince in

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1158902801430978062006-09-21T22:11:00.000-07:002006-09-22T23:24:14.256-07:00

Scotiabank Dance CentreSeptember 21, 2006 8:00pmI first experienced the wonderment of the Aeriosa Dance Society at this year's Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Suspended four stories above Gastown on climbing ropes anchored to the roof, they performed their gravity defying dance using the side of the building as their stage.With STONE: Drift they bring their aerial dancing inside to the

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1158447679115243672006-09-16T15:53:00.000-07:002006-09-17T17:31:09.016-07:00

Arts Club TheatreSeptember 16, 2006 2:00pmThis is what I love about the Fringe--walking into a play with no expectations and finding something extraordinary. 16 year old Penny Lamb and her 13 year old brother Ezra are two precocious kids from Elysium Farm, a hippy commune outside of Uranium City, Saskatchewan. Sheltered from the outside world their entire lives, they must rely on their wits and

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1158391731139857842006-09-16T01:51:00.000-07:002006-09-16T17:48:27.813-07:00

Performance WorksSeptember 15, 2006 10:45pmThe Big Kiss Off is a film noir musical as hard-boiled as a greasy spoon egg. It's the story of a singer whose life is almost destroyed by mobsters and how she gets her revenge. All the story conventions of a Raymond Chandler novel are brought to life on stage with plot twists, shady characters, violence, steely dialog, and shifting time line. The

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1158391056901881482006-09-16T00:14:00.000-07:002006-09-16T01:37:41.200-07:00

Playwrights Theatre Centre at Festival HouseSeptember 15, 2006 9:15pmKristian Reimer plays a young comedian who is trying to make it in standup comedy in Toronto. Finding his comedy career not taking off, and his tedious part-time jobs failing to pay the bills, he answers an ad for pharmaceutical test volunteers--becoming a human guinea pig. One wonders if this plot line is autobiographical.This

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1157847279391150942006-09-10T17:13:00.000-07:002006-09-10T18:05:58.366-07:00

Playwrights Theatre CentreSeptember 9, 2006 3:30pmThe Excursionists is a hilarious send up of a Jules Verne style adventure movie. Equal parts 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, and Black Adder on a severely limited budget.Our protagonists are Professor Goggins, and his sponsor and friend Lord Necksycracksy—two absurdly foppish British gentlemen who unexpectedly find that England has sunk into the

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1157847236914213562006-09-09T17:08:00.000-07:002006-09-09T20:43:20.290-07:00

Playwrights Theatre CentreSeptember 9, 2006 1:15pmRandy Rutherford's One Frigid Shiny Knight was a highlight of the 2005 Fringe. With his gift for storytelling and acting, he wove a vivid and engaging tale of his character's formative experience of love and loss in Alaska. It was such a personal performance that I wondered if it was autobiographical.So it was with much anticipation that I went to

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1157692745501252352006-09-07T23:23:00.000-07:002006-09-08T18:40:38.576-07:00

Arts Club TheatreSeptember 7, 2006 8:45pmWith a rhyming script, tear-away costumes, and pasties, Burlesque prances onto stage at this year's Fringe. The nursery rhymes of your childhood take on a decidedly adult twist as Mother Goose, her sister Grimm, and the rest of the sexy cast of Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society re-enact them in Freudian ways.Our narrator and host is Mother Goose who is

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1157692888757899352006-09-07T22:11:00.000-07:002006-09-09T20:44:12.803-07:00

Got Fringe? The sexy blonde wrapped in tinsel on the cover of the festival guide beckons you to experience the most uninhibited theatre to be found in the city. I'll be posting reviews of the shows I've seen. Dim the lights and raise the curtain, it's time again for Fringe!

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152852304215024252006-07-09T20:44:00.000-07:002006-07-28T18:29:03.266-07:00

It's my final meal in Montréal so I have to have a final taste of smoked meat. Reuben's is located downtown at 1116 rue St. Catherine Ouest. Of all the delicatessens I've visited so far this one's the fanciest. It has a beautiful art deco interior with dark wood panels, and artwork on the wall. The shelves behind the bar are backlit to highlight the high-end bottles of vodka, scotches, and

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152852232797855342006-07-09T14:43:00.000-07:002006-07-25T23:45:15.396-07:00

It's World Cup Final Day! And the natural thing to do is hang out in Little Italy with all the flag waving, horn honking, "Italia!" shouting crowds. I emerge from the Jean-Talon métro station at lunch time so getting some sustenance is the first order of business. There's a Vietnamese restaurant nearby without a TV so I bypass the football mad crowd and fuel up on Vietnamese instead of Italian

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152850657025938962006-07-09T03:24:00.000-07:002006-07-23T16:23:48.900-07:00

Surprisingly I only made it out to two jam sessions at the jazz festival. I guess playing tourist in the heat and humidity of the day doesn't leave enough energy to attend every single one like in Vancouver. Tonight's jam is the last one at the festival. Sunday night is the last evening of the festival but there's no jam session that night. Presumably they don't want any visiting musicians (or

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152850613811500002006-07-08T23:45:00.000-07:002006-07-19T22:55:37.060-07:00

Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier8:00pmThis town loves 85 year-old Dave Brubeck. There was a standing ovation for him as soon as he stepped out on stage. While he's a bit slow to cross the stage to the piano, once he's seated at the high backed chair (the only visible concession to his age) his fingers fly across the keyboard.Altogether there must have been over 200 years of jazz playing experience on

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1153003518247351272006-07-08T19:44:00.000-07:002006-07-19T22:28:57.733-07:00

The tastefully decorated restaurant at 4350 rue St. Denis is famous for their huge selection of over 100 beers, and all you can eat mussels and fries from Monday to Wednesday. Unfortunately I couldn't time my visit for that Belgian binge. I had to satisfy myself with the Belgian-style white beer on tap, Cheval Blanc, which is brewed by local brewers Les Brasseurs RJ.Their menu had lots of goodies

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152850512033518392006-07-08T16:14:00.000-07:002006-07-19T21:37:00.463-07:00

It's the hottest day yet this week in Montréal with the temperature peaking at 30C. Time to stay indoors and go museum hopping.The Canadian Centre for Architecture is a short walk from the Guy-Concordia métro station in residential area. It's an understated building presenting a low rectangular profile within the walled grounds. It's row of pyramid skylights are barely visible as they are set

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152848624849436892006-07-07T23:59:00.000-07:002006-07-16T17:36:26.820-07:00

Spectrum de Montréal10:00pmThe legendary Spectrum theatre has hosted an incredible variety of acts with everyone from the Afro-Celt Sound System, U2, Miles Davis, Céline Dion, to Weird Al Yankovic gracing the stage. The caberet style seating on the main and mezzanine level means you have to come early for a good spot, and you'll probably be meeting some new people. The bar seating on the sides is

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152848543558970552006-07-07T19:42:00.000-07:002006-07-16T16:39:37.740-07:00

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."–Benjamin FranklinSample a few too many beers here at 29 avenue Laurier Ouest just off boulevard St. Laurent and you really will be seeing the "God of the sky". It's a hard thing to avoid because this has to be the best brewpub Montréal. The only downside is the limited selection of food so fortify yourself elsewhere for that long

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152802475425258492006-07-07T17:53:00.000-07:002006-07-15T16:30:39.663-07:00

Time to burn off the meal of over 1/2 pound of smoked meat. A day in a park with lots of area to explore is in order. The old Expo 67 site is now Parc Jean-Drapeau which is composed of two islands–Île Ste-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame–in the St. Lawrence river within view of Vieux Montréal. It's easily accessible by the yellow métro line which was built for Expo 67.Among the few buildings left from

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152802397780249332006-07-07T14:15:00.000-07:002006-07-15T13:41:56.363-07:00

I think I'm becoming addicted to Montréal smoked meat. This is the third lunch in a row featuring cured and smoked beef brisket. Instead of the sandwich, I try Dunn's smoked meat plate. If the regular sandwich doesn't fill you up then the plate with over 1/2 pound of smoked meat, rye bread, pickle, cole slaw, and fries will.Thanks to the kind staff at Dunn's for confirming what was starting to

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152758798922363742006-07-06T23:48:00.000-07:002006-07-13T21:50:26.706-07:00

The musician who came the farthest to the Montréal Jazz Festival is a young singer from Shanghai. With his delicate manner and higher than tenor voice, Coco reminds me a bit of Jimmy Scott. He performs songs in both Mandarin and English. When I listen to him singing songs from old Shanghai it transports me back to a swanky 1930s jazz club in the Bund.His own compositions like Mischief are much

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152758696322871492006-07-06T20:44:00.000-07:002006-07-13T20:29:21.216-07:00

There's more than just smoked meat on Montréal's ethnic menu. A friend recommended this authentic taste of the tropics. It's located a bit outside the city centre two blocks from the Plamondon métro station at 6892 avenue Victoria. It looks like a very culturally mixed neighbourhood with residents from every part of the world walking around enjoying the evening warmth.This is not a fancy

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152758542603592842006-07-06T18:41:00.000-07:002006-07-13T00:16:48.493-07:00

While fitter Montréalers jog and cycle up the winding road and trails I stick with the #11 bus which takes you to the top of the mountain. Mountain is a relative term as the peak is only 233m in elevation which is only 2/3 as high as Burnaby Mountain at 370m.What Mount Royal lacks in height it makes up for in beauty and facilities. Its formal design holds many ways of enjoying the park. Lac aux

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152718666232227952006-07-06T14:36:00.000-07:002006-07-12T23:36:32.250-07:00

There's a line-up at this Montréal institution at 3895 boulevard St. Laurent. Since it's after 1:00pm the wait isn't too bad–only about 15-20 minutes. It's a narrow hole in the wall place, with barely enough width for a long counter and several rows of tables. It's definitely not the decor of plain white walls and fake wood laminate countertop which attract crowds to this place. What everyone

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152677527276640852006-07-05T23:10:00.000-07:002006-07-12T23:05:24.916-07:00

The first ticketed concert of the festival is a double bill at Club Soda in the slightly seedy area of rue St. Catherine and boulevard St. Laurent with Katie Melua and Denzal Sinclaire. If jazz doesn't float your boat there's aways the strippers and lap dances down the block. I almost didn't make it into this concert. Not because of the other entertainment choices in the area, but because it was

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152677052117257832006-07-05T18:03:00.000-07:002006-07-12T00:21:48.580-07:00

The cars horns are honking all over downtown Montréal and the French flags are flying. This sets things up for a France versus Italy final. I think I will be spending Sunday in Montréal's Little Italy. Viva Italia!

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152631998315253902006-07-05T17:23:00.000-07:002006-07-12T00:25:43.163-07:00

Since the weather was looking questionable with intermittent showers predicted, I tried to see how far I could walk underground. It was also a good way to burn off all that Montréal smoked meat. Starting from the Eaton Place shopping mall, I descended down and headed south. The next area is the complex under Place Ville Marie with more shops and a food court. You can see daylight through the

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152631825545739662006-07-05T13:29:00.000-07:002006-07-12T19:21:12.100-07:00

I've been looking forward to this culinary treat. Real Montréal smoked meat in a real Montréal deli. While you can get the smoked meat in Vancouver (flown in direct from Montréal), you can't get the old fashioned deli ambience. Walking into Ben's at 990 boulevard de Maisonneuve Ouest is like stepping back in time. The interior decor hasn't changed since the 1950's. The staff looks like it hasn't

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152595172576678362006-07-04T23:59:00.000-07:002006-07-10T22:30:58.330-07:00

Ahead of his jazz festival appearance on the next day a tribute concert was held in honour of Paul Simon.It seemed like half of Montréal braved the inclement weather to see this free outdoor show. The early evening thundershowers magically ended and the skies cleared just in time. The organizers were so confident of the clear weather that they even took down the tent protecting the sound

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152593955234994032006-07-04T20:02:00.000-07:002006-07-10T21:59:15.246-07:00

There's an incredible selection of beers at this downtown brewpub restaurant. Conveniently located in the heart of the bar district on rue Crescent only a short walk from the Guy-Concordia métro station.I had a sample of all their beers on tap:Extra Blonde - The lightest of their beers.Honey Ale - All the honey flavor without the sweetness.Nut Brown Ale - Roasted malt.India Pale Ale - Crisp,

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152591257801629232006-07-04T17:13:00.000-07:002006-07-10T21:14:17.803-07:00

An upset for the host nation as Italy puts Germany away in extra time. There's a few Italian flagged cars driving around honking their horns.

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152591189067223022006-07-04T15:05:00.000-07:002006-07-10T21:13:09.076-07:00

After lunch I went for a stroll along rue Notre-Dame. There are many historic buildings along this street especially around the Place d'Armes square. On the south side of the square is the grand Basilique Notre-Dame cathedral. A cathedral of a different order is the original Bank of Montréal on the north side. On the east side is the Art Deco style Aldred Building. The 1960's stark black

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152550479224706042006-07-04T13:41:00.000-07:002006-07-10T09:54:39.240-07:00

On a friend's recommendation I went back to Vieux Montréal to seek the Titanic. Tucked away downstairs at 445 rue St Pierre, there are no Celine Dion songs here, just great artisanal sandwiches and light fare. In light of the Italy/Germany World Cup match I had the Italian sandwich with cheese, capicolli, and roasted vegetables drizzled in very good olive oil. To complete the Italian theme, I

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17479522.post-1152251085397324192006-07-03T21:55:00.000-07:002006-07-06T22:45:32.853-07:00

Had a bit too much sun, and humidity today. And it hasn't even begun to get warm here yet! Will make it an early night. Too bad I'll have to miss out on the Christine Jensen Quintet and Susi Hyldgaard.

Vincehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03365562353108623223noreply@blogger.com0