Week of February 23, 2006, Issue #540
COVER
Growing up From Below
At first glance, the members of Our Mercury don’t seem to be the worn-out, jaded rockers you’d imagine them to be. Clean-cut and well-dressed as they sit here drinking tea and lattés, there’s little evidence that the three founding members of the band—guitarist Ben Stevenson, drummer John Watson, and bassist Dan Laxer—have been dealing with the rigours of rock ’n’ roll together since before they even entered high school.| read more...
FRONT
VuePoint
On Monday, the CBC released a report stating that two-thirds of Canada’s First Nations reserves are still under boil-water advisories, despite the nearly $2 billion spent by the federal government in addressing the problem since 2001. According to the report, some of these advisories have been in place for as long as 11 years, and 62 per cent of on-reserve water operators aren’t properly certified. read more...
ROSS MOROZ / ross@vueweekly.com
David Young and TB Player / inthebox@vueweekly.com<
Richard Burnett / threedollarbill@vueweekly.com
Londoners to get the 'net everywhere
ROSS MOROZ / ross@vueweekly.com
Christopher Wiebe / printculture@vueweekly.com
CAROLYN NIKODYM / carolyn@vueweekly.com
Kozub's in The Brown Family way
CAROLYN NIKODYM / carolyn@vueweekly.com
STYLE
Designers strut to support Theatre Network
The Roxy Theatre has been a part of Edmonton’s 124 Street landscape since it opened as an independent movie house in 1938. After being purchased by the Theatre Network in 1989 it has undergone numerous upgrades and facelifts in order to provide a worthy venue for local plays by Canadian playwrights, produced for Canadians. read more...
DISH
With the sandwich, in the canteen, it was Col Mustard
Apparently, spring-like weather in February makes everyone want to go out for lunch. Who knew? My partner and I had to wait a few minutes at busy Col Mustard’s for a table, but it gave us a chance to look around. read more...
SNOW ZONE
Dropping (snow) science
Ever looked up from the top of a chairlift and gazed longingly at a bowl covered in sweet champagne powder, only to find it roped off and picketed with avalanche danger signs? read more...
Colin Cathrea / skitips@vueweekly.com
(The other) Winter Games at the starting blocks
Jeremy Derksen / jeremy@vueweekly.com
Hart Golbeck / falllines@vueweekly.com
Colin Cathrea / colin@vueweekly.com
EDUCATION
You can teach art, but can art teach you?
Ask any post-secondary student in Alberta if she thinks tuition is expensive and she will laugh in your face, then ask for a bit of spare change. read more...
Cook up a career in the culinary arts
CHRISTOPHER THRALL/ christopher@vueweekly.com
ARTS
Poster show helps aging scenesters remember the glory days of punk
Gig posters are a key part of a city’s feel, the cornerstone of the look of a scene. read more...
FILM
She' a coal-miner's documentarian
Given the current popularity and proliferation of documentaries, the time is ripe to look back to Harlan County, USA. read more...
Russian dancing, yes; squat-kicking, no
BRIAN GIBSON / brian@vueweekly.com
Not even a talented cast redeems lame Doogal
TRENT WILKIE / trent@vueweekly.com
BrIAN GIBSON / brian@vueweekly.com
Eight hot dogs wither in Antarctic winter
JOSEF BRAUN / josef@vueweekly.com
MUSIC
controller.controller takes control of image
The music industry, not to mention the whole world, is obsessed with image. In reaction, the kids of Toronto’s controller.controller do their best to present merely their music and not a contrived version of themselves to their audiences. read more...
By Whitey and TB Player
Make Lisa Lashes this one promise: no surprise gifts of illicit drugs
SHEENA ROSSITER / sheena@vueweekly.com
Open the garage door and let out The Horses
BRYAN CARROLL / bryan@vueweekly.com
EDEN MUNRO / eden@vueweekly.com
If five band members is good, 29 must be better—so goes the logic of McDades/Pro Coro team-up
SARAH CHAN / sarah@vueweekly.com
Betty Machete cuts like a knife
EDEN MUNRO / eden@vueweekly.com
STEVEN SANDOR / steven@vueweekly.com
By Vue staff