HEADS UP: “Vancouver Around The World” Special Pecha Kucha Night Tickets On Sale

The next Pecha Kucha Night (Vol. 28) is a special one. It’s called Vancouver Around The World and it will focus on the ideas and people of our city that have gone on to change the world. Tickets are now on sale at the Vogue Theatre. Check out the awesome list of speakers after the jump… Read more

HONOUR BOUND: New “Chinatown Night Market” Gets Ready To Debut On May 17th

The Vancouver Chinatown Night Market has been making some game-changing additions to its roster of vendors for this summer. Vancouverites and visitors alike can now expect more live music, more food, more storytelling, new vendors, outdoor classic movie screenings, Mahjong, epic ping pong tournaments, and much more. Regulars can rest assured that imported wares (both fanciful and functional) will still be standard fare, as will such legendary snacks as the Potato Tornado, but by the magic of the moon (and overhead flood lights) – lo and behold! – something new will strike their fancy every weekend from June 1st to September 8th, from 6pm to 11pm.

Some of the new vendors for the revamped summertime market that sprawls down Keefer Street include Community Thrift and Vintage, Woo2cu, Draw Me a Lion, Project Space, Derek Gaw (Laser cutter), Mellifera Bees, The Window, Cocolico, Olla Flowers, Project Limelight, Poppytalk, Sharks + Hammers, Lissu/Ystava, Duchesse Vintage, Espiritu Design Studio, AKA Designs, China Cloud, Kaffe Coffee, We Are Local, The Soap Dispensary, and Sugo Sauce. New offerings will run the gamut from kitsch and classic to sweet and savoury.

So come spend some long, warm summer nights with your friends and family celebrating the Chinatown of yore and today while shopping, eating, playing, and creating new memories in what will always be a very special place!

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Honour Bound details the many cool things that we feel honour bound to check out because they either represent Vancouver exceptionally well or are inherently super awesome in one way or another

HEADS UP: A “Most Curious” Oyster Bar & Auction House Popping Up On Friday Night

We’re big fans of the awesome Gastown pop-up shop, The Found & The Freed (207 Abbott), so it’s hard for us to imagine it being better, but then our fun-loving friends at Curious Oyster told us about this event going down there this Friday night (April 26th at 7pm).

Branded as “A Most Curious Event”, it’s a combination antique auction (with a pro auctioneer, paddles and everything) and freshly-shucked oyster bar complete with 4 different types of Outlandish Shellfish oysters plucked fresh from the pristine waters of Desolation Sound and 2 types of granite made by Genevieve Mateyko of Sunday Morning Ice Cream. Organisers have also selected two cocktails, wines and a single malt scotch to pair with the oysters. Tickets are $45. Tickets grant access, 1 drink ticket for the cash bar, granites, canapes, and a customized auction paddle. The ladies of The Found & the Freed will be auctioning off 10 of their unique finds during the course of the evening, and Megan from Olla The Urban Flower Project will be adding some green inspiration. So a fine and tasty way to spend a Friday night!

There are only a handful of tickets, so pounce today. If you don’t recall a thing about the pop-up, click here for a photo refresher.

HEADS UP: “Brewery And The Beast” Meat & Beer Fest Coming To Vancouver In June

Here’s some tasty news that will get Vancouver carnivores sharpening their claws for summer: Scott and Amy Gurney, the creators of Victoria’s annual Culinaire food festival, are crossing the Strait in June to put on Vancouver’s first ever Brewery and the Beast. Citizens of Victoria enjoyed their first Brewery and the Beast last summer, and it – by all reports – a lip-smacking success. It’s being billed an “event focusing on education and promotion of local farms and ethically raised meat, while highlighting preparations by local chefs.” There are dozens of restaurants involved, among them Bestie, Wildebeest, Maenam, Cibo, Cin Cin, Lolita’s, Black & Blue, West, Meat & Bread, Peckinpah, Pourhouse, and Hawksworth. It’s sponsored by Phillips Brewing and Two Rivers Meats.

The original concept was simple: a large-scale meat-themed event held in the backyard at The Phillips Brewery, featuring well-known chefs skewering, grilling, and carving their creations for enthusiastic guests. “Overall it was a huge success and it inspired us to bring a fun, unique, and educational event to other markets,” says Scott Gurney, Event Coordinator and Creator of Brewery & The Beast. “We are excited to introduce Vancouver to the concept and showcase local and regional farms through the talent of Vancouver’s top chefs.”

Over 30 restaurants and chefs will be participating in the Vancouver event including Forage, Hawksworth, Maenam, West, and Wildebeest. The award- winning Phillips Brewing Company will be on-location to dispense a premium selection of their signature brews from a one-of-a-kind “Gypsy” wagon. Other libations will include wine on tap from the Vancouver Urban Winery, Left Field Cider, Phillips homemade sodas, and traditional Iced Tea. All will be fit to pair with the themed offerings for the day including; whole pig roasts, classic BBQ, charcuterie, culturally inspired creations, and experimental meat concoctions for the more adventurous carnivores.

It goes down on Sunday, June 16th (Father’s Day, woot!) from 1pm to 4pm at Concord Pacific Place (88 Pacific Boulevard). Tickets are $79 plus tax, and can be had here.

HEADS UP | Klee Larsen Of Le Marché St. George Showing New Work At “The Shack”

The Larsen family are a talented bunch. Sisters Janaki and Klee do plenty more that just make Le Marché St. George this city’s most one-of-a-kind corner market. Janaki makes stunning ceramics and Klee take beautiful photographs. Lately Klee has been playing around with printing photos on vellum and adding layers of gold foil and resin (the results literally glow). Clear some space on your schedule to attend the opening reception for her first solo show – Oro (Spanish and Italian for gold) – at The Shack Art Collective in East Van this Saturday night. The majority of pieces are small and – in keeping with the mandate of The Shack – priced well within reach (in the $80-$110 range). Bring a little cash in your pocket for art (and a drink) and enter through the alley to check out this cool little gallery and the amazing artist exhibiting within!

Sat, April 20 | 7pm | The Shack Art Collective | 4364 Prince Albert (enter through alley) | DETAILS

HEADS UP: The Found & The Freed Set To Launch New Gastown Pop-Up This Friday

We just got word from the found/vintage/antique-curating girls at The Found and The Freed that they will be opening a pop-up this Friday night in the former Chrome Yellow digs at 207 Abbott St. in Gastown. Opening night starts at 7pm, but regular hours will be Monday to Friday 11am to 7pm and from 11am to 5pm on the weekends. The pop-up wraps on May 10th. The shots below (from a previous F&F pop-up) will give you some ballpark idea as the aesthetic in the offing…

HEADS UP: Kitsilano’s 05 Tea Bar Set To Pair Rare Teas With Whiskies On April 21st

If you’ve never been before, the O5 Tea Bar is a sleek looking shop on West 4th dedicated to the art of tea. A few weeks ago it held a Raw Elements Tea + Spirits event that focused on Mezcal with Hawksorth bartender Jon Smolensky. The evening saw a mezcal tasting followed by a tea tasting and finished with a tea-infused mezcal punch (see shots above). The liquids were paired with canapes and chocolate, and it was awesomeness all round. The good news is that O5 is hosting a similar event in the near future and we thought you might want to know about it. The bad news? There is none.

The next Raw Elements Tea + Spirits is all about whisky. In addition to the in-house tea experts, O5 has invited whisky sommelier and amiable Bao Bei barman Guy Stowell to serve two whiskies paired with rare teas. He’ll also offer a creative bourbon cocktail for the finish. As with past events, sweet and savoury bites will be circulated throughout. Stoked.

Sunday, April 21 | 6:30pm | O5 Tea bar (2208 West 4th) | $30 | DETAILS

HEADS UP: “Lost In The City” Show Opens At Positive Negative Gallery In Chinatown

Lost In The City opens at Positive Negative Gallery this Thursday night. This show depicts life in an urban setting through the eyes of twelve contributing photographers who explore “the chaos of a metropolis”. All of the photos have been hand-printed, capturing the grit and layers of city life with a technique that carries with it all the beautiful imperfections that the human touch imparts. Seems appropriate and most probably compelling. Lost In The City continues until April 6.

Thursday, March 21 | 7pm | Positive Negative Gallery (436 Columbia St) | Free | DETAILS

HEADS UP: “The Life And Times Of WIlliam Callahan” Book To Launch At Old Faithful

by Daniel Colussi | It’s a long way from Victoria, BC to Austin, Texas, especially if you’re going there to photograph/hang out with Bill Callahan. Callahan, who previously called himself Smog and has released over a dozen albums of brilliant (if oftentimes bleak) albums. He is a sort of towering figure in modern American music and he’s got a rep for being, um, somewhat elusive; press shy; not totally forthcoming to the world at large. So it was a complete shot in the dark when local photographer Chris Taylor wrote to Callahan and proposed the idea of taking photos of and around him at his Lone Star home, and definitely something of a shock when Callahan assented. It was agreed that in the Fall of 2008, Taylor would fly down and spend a month with Callahan as he finished work on his 2009 release, Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle.

The resultant book – The Life And Times Of William Callahan – performs a tricky balancing act: it gives intimate access to Callahan, but avoids being an exposé. It’s a study of Callahan as a musician and artist and a look at his Austin milieu. We see Callahan playing guitar or lounging in his backyard, but just as intriguing are the photos that don’t feature him – shots of his semi-empty house, and of the trees and alleys of his neighbourhood. This book was long in the making and a labour of love for Taylor, and it’s turned out to be well worth the effort. It’s been beautifully printed in an edition of 500 by Hassla Projects.

On March 15th, Gastown’s Old Faithful (320 W. Cordova) and Chris Taylor will host an exhibition of the photos and the book’s official launch party, which will run from 7pm until 11pm.

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Daniel Colussi is the Music Editor of Scout Magazine and a contributing writer to Ion Magazine. A veteran employee of Zulu Records and tuneage aficionado, he DJs on an infrequent basis (about four times a year) and is a musician around town who plays in several ensembles.

HEADS UP: Call For Submissions For E.T. Inspired Art Show “Pull My Glowing Finger”

Well, this is different. Local fans of the 1982 film E.T. – The Extra Terrestrial are throwing down with a spring art show and silent auction on Saturday, April 20th at Toast Collective (648 Kingsway). It’s called Pull My Glowing Finger (because of course it is), and all of the art will be E.T.-centric. Right now they are looking for likeminded E.T. wonks to contribute their creative efforts. The guidelines are as follows: use any medium and get as creative as you want. Email a jpeg of your submission (works in progress are fine) to pullmyglowingfinger@gmail.com. If your work is accepted (and why wouldn’t it be?) you – the artist – get to set the reserve auction price and keep 80% of what is paid for your masterpiece (don’t worry, you can also choose not to sell). Inspired? Good. Now scoot on over to their Facebook page for submisison details. And just in case you’re one of our younger readers and your New Age folks hated on TV, this is E.T.

HEADS UP: Clean Your House For The Year Of The Snake & Get Ready For The Parade

The Year of The Snake is upon us! Chinese tradition holds that thoroughly cleaning your home prior to New Year’s Day sweeps away any bad luck from the past year, so spend a little time cleaning up your digs. Once the elbow grease has been applied and everything is in tip-top shape (dust bunnies banished and fridges sparkling), there will be lots of room for good luck to settle in.  IMPORTANT: cleaning on new year’s day is considered a bad idea because you could be sweeping away all the good fortune that will see you through the year ahead.

So…Saturday: Clean. Sunday: Don’t clean.

Once everything is sorted on the home front, consider taking yourself out for a nice dinner somewhere where you can relax and plan for next Sunday’s Chinese New Year Parade (Feb. 17th), which starts in Chinatown at 11am. We like Landmark Hotpot House, Bao Bei, Kirin, Fortune House, but choose your own adventure. This year is the 40th anniversary of the parade and attendance is something of a Vancouver tradition that you’ll want to participate in. Top tips: leave the car at home, dress for the weather, and anticipate pipes, drums, and dragons.

HEADS UP: Creative Community To Reveal Vancouver Intersection Posters This Week

Each intersection has a personality that is characterized by its architecture, its environment, and the velocity of its traffic. They are markers, meeting places and transfer points; places where stories begin, end, or pass right on by. With that in mind, The Platform Gallery - in collaboration with Working Format, Lizzy Karp, Anthony Casey, and Luis Sanchez – came up with the idea to ask seven of Vancouver’s top graphic designers to create large 36″ x 54″ posters to represent a specified local intersection. These were Fraser & Kingsway, Main & Hastings, SE Marine & Knight St., Davie & Denman, Water & Carrall, 4th & Vine, and Broadway & Granville), with the design shops being 10four, Glasfurd & Walker, Post Projects, Seterah Shamdani, State Creative, Zach Bulick, and Working Format. The two posters above are just a taste. All of them will be revealed at Waterfront Station and other highly visible locations along the Canada Line route in February, with the series debuting at The Chinatown Experiment this Thursday night. See you there!

January 31 |  |  6pm – 9pm | The Chinatown Experiment (434 Columbia) | Free | DETAILS

HEADS UP: Cool Vancouver School Trading Wisdom For Goods & Services, Not Big Fees

Have you heard of Trade School Vancouver? It’s a soon-to-open, barter-for-knowledge learning community. Vancouverites will be able to sign up to take classes and pay their teachers in goods or services rather than cash. So if you’re a photographer who wants to learn how to cook, you can teach your skill in exchange for lessons on the skill that you desire. How awesome is that? VTS plans to launch this coming January and are currently looking for class proposals for their Winter Session (January-March, 2013). If you still don’t get it, watch the video above, which details the Trade School’s ops in New York.

It’s a pretty straight forward process: you pitch a class idea and the Trade School works with you to set up a time and place for the class to take place. They also help to spread the word. Students sign up by agreeing to fulfill one of the teachers’ barters, whether that’s a batch of cookies, advice on lawn care, or guidance on making really good schnitzel. Check it…

We are looking for a variety of classes, so whether you want to teach your grandmother’s chicken noodle soup recipe, instruct a yoga class, show off your balloon animal skills or teach accounting for a small business, we want to hear from you! We’re asking anyone who is interested in teaching a class to fill out a form that provides us with a bit of information about the class they would like to teach. Once we have your submission, we’ll get in touch within 1-2 weeks to organize a date and venue for the class.

If you have any questions about Trade School Vancouver or teaching a class contact Jenn at classes@tradeschoolvan.com. See you in class.

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