Shane Koyczan - Back in Vancouver

On April 21, Shane Koyczan will be returning to Vancouver for the final performance of his latest tour which brought him from Ontario to Vancouver Island.  As one of his fans (Shelley Cooper-Stephenson) on Facebook posted:

"Vancouver! If you haven't seen Shane live, GO to this! He was here in Saskatoon this past week & we all laughed & cried & every emothion in between. Believe me, you will be SO glad you went!" 

See you there.

Don't know Shane Koyczan?

Shane Koyczan is one of the world’s premier spoken word performers.  The Guardian (UK) and the Globe and Mail (Canada) hailed his book, Visiting Hours, as a Book of the Year Selection.  Now the multi award-winning spoken word performer breathes life into the new genre of talk rock with his band The Short Story Long: a group whose musical range stretches from folk to funk, from ambient to rock.  Their sound showcases a blend of original music and Shane Koyczan’s remarkable performance poetry.

Along with Koyczan, the group has created a whole new style of song/verse.  This is Talk-Rock.  This is something new. 


3 Ways to Discover Shane Koyczan:

1.  Live at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver

Shane Koyczan & The Short Story Long

Vogue Theatre

918 Granville Street

Vancouver, British Columbia

Buy Tickets

2.  Read:  Stickboy

His second book, Stickboy, is a novel in verse. Written for anyone who has ever been a child, Stickboy continues to be hailed by teachers, academics, and mental health experts alike for its deft handling of the subject of bullying.

3.  Read:  Our Deathbeds Will Be Thirsty

Shane’s third book, Our Deathbeds Will Be Thirsty, to be released in April 2012, has fans anticipating its arrival.

Record Store Day in Vancouver - HighLife, Zulu or Red Cat Records?

April 21, 2012 is Record Store Day - the one day independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. 

Three of Vancouver's best indie neighbourhood record stores to visit during Record Store Day are HighLife Records, Zulu Records and Red Cat Records.

HighLife Records
Location:  1317 Commercial Drive
Website:   http://highlifeworld.com
HighLife Records on Facebook



Red Cat Records - @redcatrecords
Location:  4332 Main Street
Website:   http://www.redcat.ca 
Red Cat Records on Facebook 

Zulu Records - @zulurecords
Location:  1972 West 4th Avenue
Website:   http://www.zulurecords.com
Zulu Records on Facebook 

In each of these stores I have made many 'leap of faith' purchases based on the "Staff Picks" section.  Use this special day as your excuse to discover (or rediscover) a community record store.

I would be interested in hearing your recommendations of any others. Just drop me a comment below.

Buddy Wakefield - Back in Vancouver

Buddy Wakefield

On April 13, Buddy Wakefield will be coming to Vancouver for a performance at the historic RIO Theatre during the 2nd annual Hullabaloo Poetry Festival - a youth poetry festival.

Buddy Wakefield is the two-time Individual World Poetry Slam Champion featured on NPR, the BBC, and HBO’s Def Poetry Jam.  In 2004 he won the Individual World Poetry Slam and then successfully defended that title at the International Poetry Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands against the national champions of seven European countries.  In 2005 he won the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship again.  He is also signed to Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records.

Treat yourself to this opportunity.

Ways to Discover Buddy Wakefield: 

               See:

Hullabaloo! Canadian Individual Youth Poetry Slam Championships

RIO Theatre

1660 East Broadway Street

Vancouver, British Columbia

Buy Tickets

               Read:

Gentleman Practice (2011)

Live For A Living (2007)

               Hear:

Live At The Typer Cannon Grand (2009)

               Tube:

 

CANstruction Vancouver 2012 Photos (Part 2)



Camera at 888 West Georgia Street

Dragon at 791 West Georgia Street

Dog at 888 West Georgia Street

BC Lions Helmut at 1111 West Georgia Street

Dragon at 791 West Georgia Street

Snail at 888 West Georgia Street

Grouse Cart at 888 West Georgia Street

Eagle at 888 West Georgia Street

Whale at 888 West Georgia Street

Gastown Steamclock at 1075 West Georgia Street

Stop Motion Video of a CANstruction 2012 sculpture:

April Fools Day at CANstruction Vancouver 2012



CANstruction Vancouver 2012

On April 1, I decided to check out Canstruction Vancouver, an annual design competition to "CANstruct" giant sculptures made entirely out of canned food.  This is a competition which takes place in over 180 cities worldwide.  100% of the food and donations gathered from the displays will go to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank for distribution.
 
The displays are spread between four office buildings within a 5 blocks of eachother. The displays run until Wednesday, April 4. 

If you are visiting downtown Vancouver or looking for something to do on your lunch break, visit:

1. Lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel (791 West Georgia Street)
2. Lobby of the HSBC Pendulum (888 West Georgia Street)
3. Lobby of the Fortis Building (1075 West Georgia Street) 
4. Lobby of the Fluor Building (1111 West Georgia Street)

Here are some of what you will see:

 

Lion's Gate Bridge (CANstruction Vancouver 2012)