by Michelle Sproule | The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…

CHILL | Vetiver plays The Electric Owl this Thursday night and it’ll be a kickass show (have a listen). Further inform yourself by reading this Pitchfork review that starts out by “saying a record makes great background music is usually taken as damningly faint praise at best. Sure, the music sets a mood– so what? But for something to fade gracefully into the scenery, it has to be finely crafted enough that nothing snags or jars. Unobtrusiveness isn’t always a fault, nor is attention-grabbing necessarily a virtue.” I’ve seen them before. Go.
March 15 | Doors 8 pm | Electric Owl (928 Main) | $15 | Details

WILDE | Nothing says Spring like a good shot of Oscar Wilde. Wit, satire, flirting? Wilde wakes up the mischievous side in all of us. Start the blood flowing around your sleepy winter noggin by sitting in on “arguably the wittiest play in the English canon”. Yup, The Importance of Being Earnest opens at The Stanley this week. Can’t hardly wait.
March 15 – April 15 | Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage | $29 to $65 | Details 

DO IT | Jump back on the maker train this Thursday at a party in the Museum of Vancouver. There will be drinks, creative musical performances, hand-made art and altered books, interactive demonstrations and pakoras (again with the pakoras). There will be felting, crafting, a silent auction, door prizes, swag tables and more (pakoras!). “The Maker Faire Mission is to unite, inspire, inform and entertain the general community. It’s an all-ages family festival promoting the ethos of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) on a large scale. Maker Faire is a fun interactive collection of demonstrations, exhibits, workshops and displays.” Check it out on Thursday.
March 15 | 5-9:30pm | Museum of Vancouver | $10-$15 suggested | Details

IN STORE | Zulu is having an “in store” with Fish & Bird on Friday night. “We first found out about this amazing young band at the Vancouver Folk Fest two years ago and we have been hoping to have an instore event with them ever since! With the release of their amazing new CD EVERY WHISPER IS A SHOUT ACROSS THE VOID we have finally made this happen. These guys are so talented and put on an amazing show – they have done the folk fest circuit already and their name is just starting to take off! This is a family friendly free event – bring the kids – you won’t regret it!” I know I won’t – ’cause I’m bloody well going.
Friday March 16 | 7pm | Zulu Records 1972 West 4 | Free | Details 

POP UP EATS |  Culinary enthusiasts Ludzu & Xie Xie will be transforming Main Street’s Gene Cafe into a hawker stand featuring steamed pancake wraps (Fei Bing) on Friday night. How great does that sound?  Imagine three Paradise Valley Pork Belly & House-Made Apple Jelly Fei Bing and/or three Sesame Shiitake & Smoked Tofu with Hoisin & Sriracha Fei Bing and then add five Spice Yam Chips and throw in an Ice Queen Sweet Heart (Almond Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich). Yeah you did. Sounds pretty dope.
Friday, March 16 | 5-11pm | Gene Cafe (2404 Main St.) | Details 

MORE EATS | Get in on this action: the soon-to-be graduating class at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts is plating a five-course dinner at their onsite restaurant, Bistro 101, this Saturday night.  The menu was planned by PICA student, Heloise Leclerc, is inspired by the ingredients and cooking of her home province of Quebec. We had a peek at the menu and it looks pretty awesome. All funds from ticket sales are going towards Heloise’s travel expenses as she travels to and from Quebec to audition for a French cooking competition show! Come on gang, help make this girl’s dream come true (and eat well while doing it).
Saturday, March 17 | $50 (Cash bar / option to purchase a flight of wine) Vegetarian menu available | Details 

MAKE |  There’s a Moccasin Making Workshop at Blim this weekend that’ll teach you to make your very own moccasins out of recycled leather. I don’t know about you, but I’d consider that to be a solid use of time and money. Once you know how to make your own Moccasins, man, you’re cooler than everyone in any room that you ever walk into.
Saturday, March 17 | 1 – 5 PM | Blim | $85  | Details 

DRESSED | Twelve of Vancouver’s top fashion bloggers will be flogging their clothes, shoes, and accessories on Saturday. Pre-owned duds from fashion-forward gals with eyes for current trends and flattering designs? Buying clothes. It’s a shallow fix, but it works. I’m totally in.
Saturday, March 17 | 12-4pm | The Hideaway @ The Waldorf  | $2 (and cheap clothes) | Details 

ART | The Fall Gallery is hanging another cool show on its walls. This one – Brand New Box – introduces the works of 12 new and emerging artists. From drawing, painting and scratchboard to digital illustration and photography, “Brand New Box will break the group show into sample solo spaces to display prints by: Mark Illing, Nicholas Goebel, Priscilla Yu, Elaine Martin, Isaac Mills, Eric Brunning, Miguel Shaw, Holton Brock, Jamie Armstrong, Catherine de Montreuil, Nicholas Frenette and Elisabetta Righi.” Opening night at The Fall is always a blast, but if you can’t make it, don’t worry, ’cause the show will be up until April 15.
Thursday, March 15 | 8pm | The Fall Gallery (644 Seymour) | Free | Details 

HEADS-UP | It’s Spring Break. If you’ve got kids or know anyone who has kids and you periodically take pity on them by relieving them of their children, you should know that the VAG is throwing down with some sweet Spring Break Programming. Inspired by current exhibitions (Lights Out!: Canadian Painting in the 1960 and Beat Nation: Art, Hip Hop and Aboriginal Culture) the VAG team have designed a series of hands-on art-making activities aimed at encouraging children to explore their creativity. Keep ’em busy!
March 12–25 | VAG | 12-4pm | During the school break, children aged 12-and-under visit the Gallery for free when accompanied by an adult ($17.50) Um…AWESOME!

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Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

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