Diverse work comes out of a varied landscape Though always a popular spot with locals and tourists alike, the basalt columns of Miles Canyon received more than 450 visitors over the weekend of July 5 and 6 for the Created at the Canyon art exhibit. Hosted by the Yukon Conservation Society, Created at the Canyon …
The time has come to at least take a shot at disregarding the speaker market entirely and focus on headphone-specific technology.
This August, Whitehorse heavy metal music enthusiasts will be treated to a blast from the past, augmented with an infusion of new blood.
Have you ever been seized by the sudden urge to don a suit of plate armour and bludgeon other armoured people with a mace? Perhaps your answer is a hearty “Yes!” but it certainly wasn’t for Land Pearson, at least not before he strapped on the armour.
Many of us daydream about packing everything into a van and hitting the road at one time or another. For one Yukoner, 25-year-old Ben Barrett-Forrest, this is a dream come true, and it’s happening at this very moment. I caught up with Ben on the tail end of a brief Canadian detour, on his way from …
Cohousing is a concept that has been around for a long time, but in the Yukon it’s starting to gain interest as an alternative living arrangement for people of all walks of life. Many groups of people are tired of living paycheque-to-paycheque just to cover rent; cohousing can provide a solution. To clarify, cohousing is …
Multifaceted, multicultural and full of ingenuity – the arts and music community of the Yukon is widely appreciated, well-funded and extensively advertised. At least, some parts of it. At the colder, less hospitable edges of the creative community, less radio-friendly fringe groups vie for funding, airplay and stage-time. Among these groups is the raucously passionate …
There are many excellent training opportunities available to aspiring Yukon filmmakers of all levels, through several different organizations. The Screen Production Yukon Association (SPYA) is one such organization; this winter, it’s launching a new series of two to six hour workshops, called micro-workshops, offering specialization in select areas of the field. “A lot of filmmakers …
Space, science and sci-fi is one of the strongest current trends in popular media, from the rebooted version of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos and the new Star Trek movies to galaxy-print everything, and the I F***ing Love Science Facebook page. While it’s fantastic to see the general public become more interested in the world of science and …
Take a moment to think about your favourite film. What is the soundtrack like? Besides music, what other sorts of sounds are used to create a unique world? Subtle, yet essential, soundtracks can become afterthought in the visually-oriented world of film, particularly at an amateur level. The workshop will take place on Nov. 7 and …
“I want to hear something different.” These six simple words were an unexpected call to action that local promoter and musician Joel Gilchrist received from Karla Watts, a bartender at the Jarvis Street Saloon. “I want you to put on a metal show,” she told him. “You’ve gotta bring the metal scene back.” Live heavy …
Rising From The Ashes: Heavy Metal Returns to Whitehorse Read More »
The final week of Icelandic adventuring saw us completing the Ring Road, which encircles the whole country and has tourist spots dotted along the way. We followed it east and gradually north through glacier-domed mountains, bucolic sheep folds, thundering waterfalls and glistening black alluvial beaches that stretched along the coastline for miles at a time. …
The road that encircles Iceland, called Highway 1 or the Ring Road, offers access to many of the sights on the tourist track, called the Golden Circle. We explored the usual postcard sights; geysers, rift valleys, craggy ocean shores, and flat, glacier-formed black alluvial plains. However, there is one place in particular, our first overnight …
Spring in Iceland is a mostly cold, grey affair, strikingly suited to the harsh, rugged landscape. The road into the capital city, Reykjavik, from the airport in Keflavik, cuts through rocky, volcanic terrain, reminiscent of Martian landscape in its arid, reddish desolation. Tall, snowy mountains rise behind the city, which itself is an organic sprawl, emanating …
Next week sees the triumphant return of a woefully under-represented genre in the Whitehorse music scene – heavy metal – brought in the form of the progressive metal four-piece Bushwhacker. The group has been hard at work in Vancouver over the past five years; they will be returning to their home turf on July 16th …
The Return of Bushwhacker: Wiser, Stronger, And Ready to Party Read More »
I would like to revoke the claim I made in my introduction about being a seasoned traveller, because I have made an embarrassingly rookie mistake. Today I write you from a vibrant cultural hotbed, as per the plan. Unfortunately, it is not Reykjavik – my expired passport has necessitated that my three-day layover in Montreal …
Hvernig segir maður, “I’m completely lost” á íslensku? What’s that, you say? Icelandic is one of the most difficult languages to learn? On second thought, perhaps I’ll just fall back on the old standard; hand gestures and a confused, perpetually apologetic expression. Hi, I’m Willow, a fairly well-travelled Yukoner who will be guest-writing this column …
The summer of 2015 will see the Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival, which went on temporary hiatus last year, returning to Haines Junction.
What could be better than burning away the winter blues with a good, old-fashioned rock show? How about a rock show that features Pink Floyd covers and raises funds for the Whitehorse Food Bank? Introducing Floyd For Food, a one-night-only event that will take place on January 24 at Club 867, featuring Whitehorse’s very own …
Atlin Arts and Music Festival is an institution. Now in its 11th year, the event draws visitors and performers from across Canada and beyond.
Solstice is nearly upon us, which means the annual Sunstroke Music Festival is almost upon us, too. For those who are new to the festival, it’s a non-profit fundraiser for Kona’s Coalition. The coalition helps animals in the Yukon by educating people, advocating for animals, and providing financial support when needed. It is a two-day …
The Sunstroke Music Festival is a Sign of Summer Read More »
Dave Haddock is gearing up to celebrate the release of his third album. On Sept. 18 he’ll be having a release party for the full-length album Talk to Me at the Yukon Arts Centre. Co-recorded-and-produced with Jordy Walker, the album is a self-released work of nine original songs. Following 10 years after Haddock’s last release, …
Seeking Good Melodies, Good Grooves, Good People Read More »
This fall, Marcus Steiner and Rich Jaeger are excited to return home. Though they are steadfast Yukoners now (“You can’t get rid of us,” grins Steiner), Jaeger grew up in The Pas, Manitoba, and Steiner in Kimberley, British Columbia and they will visit both towns while they tour their brand-new album, The PPL II. Despite …
For Yukon musicians wanting a career there are things in the way: There are also very special opportunities not all musicians know about.
With the onset and advance of technology, we are constantly being faced with new challenges and choices that our predecessors had not encountered. In my house of 20-something student winos, we have recently been debating a particular issue with considerable passion: The E-Reader versus The Traditional Novel. In one corner, we have the e-reader. Slim, …
Technology vs. Tradition: An Ode to the Paperback Novel Read More »
Ever been asked if you live in an igloo? Or ride a polar bear? For us Northerners, it can happen. Just ask Andrew Morrison, guitarist/vocalist for Iqaluit-based, country-folk band The Jerry Cans. “I think [for] Northerners, there’s some kind of pan-northern experience of southerners really just getting it wrong sometimes,” he says. “We always have …
“You have to believe what you’re singing about,” says guitarist/vocalist Leigh Gibson. He’ll play the Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival.
From Newfoundland to Jamaica, Sarajevo to Whitehorse, traveling punk rockers Slates are spreading their message and their music. Hailing from Edmonton, Slates will be bringing their signature fiery, raw, yet melodic style of punk rock to the 2013 Sunstroke Music Festival. “In the studio, we joke about calling our sound stress-rock,” says drummer Dallas Thompson, …
Travelin’ Punk: Edmonton band Slates play Sunstroke Music Festival Read More »
Not all musicians want to play for thousands of people. For Clinton Fearon, a small audience means a better dialogue and connection between the listeners and the artist. And when playing his own acoustic brand of roots reggae, this musician is all about communication. Invited up by the newly-formed Yukon Reggae Council for their debut …
During the past decade Whitehorse musician Kim Beggs has toured throughout North America and even hopped the pond to Denmark. This March, however, she is organizing a very different kind of road show — one that takes place right here in the Yukon. The second installation of her Triple Songwriter Series features Beggs in the …
It’s a long (and totally believable) story about how Meat the Vegans formed, according to Whitehorse guitarist and vocalist Michael Anderson.
Fawn Fritzen, Rebekah Bell, Claire Ness and Katie Tait showcasing vocal talents in “Under the Blue Umbrella,” music inspired by things blue.
Storytelling has always been an integral part of Yukon history and tradition, in all its forms and mediums. That’s why this year, the non-profit Yukon Women in Music (YWIM) chose to make it the theme of their fourth and latest compilation album, “Song Rise”, which was just released in November. Under the common thread, Yukon …
No concerts in town, you say, and since when do shows happen on weeknights? Consider checking out an open mic night.
For most students, summer school may be a drag. For Odessa Beatty and Sadie Segriff, though, it’s a golden opportunity. Beatty and Segriff [shown on front cover with Montreal choreographer Julio Hong] have both been selected to attend summer classes at prestigious Canadian ballet schools. Beatty, 13, has been invited to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet …
Why did you decide to live in the Yukon? When asked this question, many Yukoners answer with variations of much the same story: “We fell in love with the mountains, the natural beauty, and the great people.” “Something about it just appealed to us.” Or, a personal favourite, “We came up here to visit and …
You don’t need to be an actor, a dancer, or an acrobat to take part in physical theatre workshops with nationally acclaimed theatre creator, Ker Wells. Just bring an open mind, a good imagination and a willingness to try absolutely anything. Wells has toured across Canada and Europe teaching stage performers how to develop their …
Madison Violet, an internationally acclaimed two-woman project featuring Canadian singer-songwriters Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIsaac.
Boyd Benjamin & Kevin Barr, ambassadors of Yukon music at the Vancouver Olympics will play at new Adäka Cultural Festival
Our sound is like high energy, danceable punk with horns, crossed with reggae,” says Richard Liukko of his ska band, Mad Bomber Society. The six-piece Albertan group will head to Whitehorse this weekend to headline both nights at the sixth annual Sunstroke Music Festival. Often described as the precursor to reggae, ska began to evolve …
A hidden gem is tucked away in the lot behind the Hougen’s centre, above Triple J’s Music Café. Accessible by a narrow, graffiti-covered staircase – and with a tattoo studio just off the display area – Gallery 22 is a small, one-room space with an artsy, underground vibe. It’s an eccentric showroom for both established …
The 100-day Walk About Love often follows old spice trade routes through the Israeli desert PHOTOS: Willow Gamberg It all began in the milling confusion of the Tel Aviv bus station. I was trying to find my way to Mitzpe Ramon, a small Israeli town on a plateau in the Arava desert, renowned for its …
They’re dusting off their blazers and strapping on their tap shoes. Next week, the Grade 11 and 12 students of the Music Arts and Drama (MAD) program at Wood Street School will be going all-out to entertain with their year-end production of the 1980 Broadway musical hit, 42nd Street. Essentially a play-within-a-play, 42nd Street tells …
Music, storytelling, comedy, television, radio – Art Napoleon has done it all. This media Renaissance man brings his blend of contemporary sounds and traditional rhythms – and his sense of humour – to Whitehorse for the Aboriginal Day celebration on June 21. Raised in rural northern British Columbia by his Cree grandparents, Napoleon uses the …
This is day one of Year 15,” announced Steve Slade, as he opened the Yukon Arts Society’s first Arts in the Park lunchtime show of the summer last Tuesday. Despite the patchy sunlight, the show was well-attended by everyone from prepared regulars with lunch bags, chairs and blankets to passers-by wandering through, attracted by the …
Watercolour, acrylic, pastels, collage, papier maché, polymer clay, dioramas, aluminum engravings and even multi-media with recycling, The students at École Emilie Tremblay (EET) have done it all and it’s currently on display in the Youth Gallery of the Yukon Arts Centre. With everything from original pieces to art done in the style of Vincent Van …
Les Walker had a particular goal in mind when he teamed up with guitarist Clancy McInnis in 2009 to form the band, Common Knowledge. He wanted to perform at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (CAMA) and have an album in nomination. When the alt-rock group’s debut album, Colour Blind, came out this May, it brought …
It’s not always easy for a 19-year-old to decide what to do next; especially a 19-year-old like Graham Rudge. Should an award-winning year at art school be followed by a mechanical engineering degree, or a stint at circus school? Of course, that would have to be after a semester learning how to be a butcher. …
Nicolas Basque finds that touring in places where not all bands go can be the most fun. “There’s something really real about it,” he says. “People are really there for the music and to have fun.” Because of this, he looks forward to his band’s upcoming visit to Whitehorse. Hailing from Montreal, the three-piece indie-rock …
The portrait of an Inuk woman in a British-style bonnet, looking solemnly from the book cover grabbed Reneltta Arluk’s attention. Her interest only grew after reading Sheila Nickerson’s 2004 book, Midnight to the North. She was captivated by the descriptions of Tookoolito, a woman who, along with her husband, helped guide U.S. explorer Charles Francis …
As a word, culture encompasses a wide variety of concepts. That’s why anything goes this fall, as Whitehorse hops on the Canada-wide Culture Days bandwagon. Facilitated by the Yukon Arts Centre (YAC) and the Yukon Historical Museums Association (YHMA), Whitehorse will join cities across the country as they explore and celebrate their cultures from September …
Rocket ships hanging from strings, tinfoil meteorites and cardboard cutouts… who doesn’t love a good ’60s sci-fi B-movie? They’re low-fi and cheesy, with terrible acting, and were an instant inspiration for Brian Fidler. After watching several in a row, the actor, director, puppeteer and Ramshackle Theatre founder thought about how to translate that quality to …
She shared her light with the world” This is just one of the phrases inscribed within Amber Church’s new art display at Baked Cafe. Appropriate? Certainly. Simply titled SHE, Church’s show is composed of 15 mixed-media pieces, done on canvas in a mixture of acrylic paint, collage, pen and ink. Filled with vibrant colours, hidden …
The cheerful sounds of a five-man indie band from Virginia, The Anatomy of Frank, are coming to Whitehorse next week … delivered through one person. How? The band’s founder and guitarist, Kyle Woolard, explains: “I was in college at the University of Virginia, and I had been looking for members for a band for a …
Kendall Sullivan knows exactly how she and her daughter contracted Lyme disease. “I was rock climbing in Banff 16 years ago.” says the one-time Yukoner. After the climb, her friend noticed a tick on her head, which they promptly removed and brought in for examination. They were told if they’d gotten the whole tick, she …
Between his successful rockabilly band, Sasquatch Prom Date, and his multiple other side projects, Ryan McNally is quickly becoming a key player in the Yukon music scene. The release of his newly-finished, full-length solo album, Down Home, can only serve to solidify his position. Recorded at BlueStar Studios and produced jointly by Chris Isaak and …
What does the phase “abstract original” bring to mind? Crazy, random art full of paint splashes? A priceless Jackson Pollock? How about an emerging 26-year-old hip-hop artist from Haines Junction, who will be making his first major public appearance a few weeks from now? Meet Warren Strand, aka Abstract Original, a self-taught beatmaster who will …
Deep in the boreal forests of northern Canada in the idyllic, peaceful city of Whitehorse, two upstanding young gentlemen have stepped up to champion a cause close to the hearts of many. These young activists – crusaders if you will – are taking a hand in what happens around them, tirelessly organizing and promoting, and …
Anew Whitehorse theatre group called Open Pit is offering a taste of something new, fresh and unorthodox: non-traditional, devised theatre. It’s all the rage down south, and under the enthusiastic leadership of Sam Bergmann-Good and Jessica Hickman, it’s making its way north under the headline The Devised Yukon Project. Open Pit’s first work as a …
With some of Canada’s best snowboarding opportunities, Whistler, BC draws in millions of visitors every year. It certainly attracted local snowboarder Max Melvin-McNutt, who had plans to move there this year after completing high school. When he mentioned his plans to the coach of one of his summer camps, the 17-year-old unknowingly walked right into …
Halloween Spooktacular-Saturday, Oct. 27 Location: The Legion Hall, 503 Steele Street Time: 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Tickets: $20, available both in advance and at the door The Halloween Spooktacular will be a dance and costume party for ages 19 and up, with a DJ spinning a mix of top 40 and Halloween specials, a full bar, …
The Frostbite Music Festival has always been an important part of Jona Barr’s life. He grew up in a musical environment that included annual attendance of one of Whitehorse’s best-loved music festivals. But his involvement with Frostbite didn’t stop there; later he began to take an active role in making it happen, from co-organizing the …
With plenty of gigs under their belts, Whitehorse band Off the Menu have high hopes for the 2012 FrostBYTE Battle of the Bands
Bright colours and eye-catching patterns predominate in the latest art show at Triple J’s Gallery 22. Called Finding C, it consists of 22 abstract pieces by local artist Lacey Ferguson, mostly done in acrylic on canvas. The pieces in the show are a compilation chosen from Ferguson’s work over the past eight years, which makes …
It could have taken place somewhere in London on another Friday the 13th in 1970, when Black Sabbath released its self-titled debut album.
at first glance, Erin Corbett’s art show, Flying With Paper Boats, appears rather simplistic. The latest installation of art at Baked Cafe, the show appears to have a fairly minimalist structure; anyone already late for work might only have time to register a few strings of colourful origami boats dangling daintily from a spindly mobile, …
Catchy and up-beat, with plenty of the brazen, in-your-face rock attitude that has become their signature, Speed Control‘s second and latest album, F.A.B., hit the streets on August 7 and has since been uploaded to iTunes and CDBaby. The album was produced by Saskatchewan-based producer David J. Taylor, who first saw Speed Control perform at …
Cars honked, lunchers looked up from their sandwiches in consternation, and tourists gaped openly as the horde of zombies slowly came shuffling toward them. Young and old, dripping blood and rag-clad, they shambled along, collectively growling for brains and reaching towards onlookers. Survivors in white hospital masks wielded various forms of weaponry as they wove …
Whitehorse musician Michael Millar is launching a British invasion, of sorts—in the form of his latest tribute band, Pigs on the Wing. Solely covering works by the legendary U.K. group, Pink Floyd, Pigs on the Wing is a four-man project that will cover what Millar describes as “phase two Floyd”, that is, everything from the …
Each piece on the wall is someone’s story. It could be that of the artist, the model, or someone else entirely, but each detailed image is inspired by a human story, and it clearly shines through in the intricate stylings of the ballpoint pen pieces by Dawson artist Amanda King. Twenty pictures hang, evenly spaced, …
Swirling suggestions of colour, jagged planes and vibrant backdrops warp around human forms and everyday sights in the latest art exhibit at Gallery 22. Titled Night Rain, the exhibit is the first solo collection from local artist Aurora Cherian-Kuni. A lavish opening night celebrated the official opening, complete with food, wine and beer, live music, …
Ginger Jam is a free-form jam night hosted by house sound tech, musician and token redhead, Marshall Charlebois
Activity flurries in the dressing room, as last-minute touch-ups are hurriedly applied, bows are re-tied and glitter is sprinkled liberally over waiting arms and faces. Outside, an expectant crowd lines the raised, T-shaped stage. But it won’t be the latest Coco Chanel or Dolce and Gabbana fashions paraded down the aisle at this fashion show. …
“I’m building my army of clowns,” she says with a sinister chuckle. Is she describing her dire plan to take over the world? Well, not quite. Not that we know of. When the statement comes from cheerful professional clown Claire Ness, we’re willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. She must be referring …
It isn’t easy to pull off the two-man band. How can two people possibly fill the stage with all the sound, life and rhythm of the conventional larger group? Yet two relatively new Whitehorse residents have somehow managed exactly that. Originally hailing from Calgary, Marcus Steiner and Rich Jaeger moved north last year, bringing with …
