The 29th annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, celebrating the very best in Vancouver theatre, are taking place tonight at the Commodore Ballroom. As I did last year, I am sponsoring a live blog of the awards ceremony in order to show support and promote our city’s lively community.
The ceremony will begin around 6:45pm and I will be updating each category as the winners are announced. Each update will be time-stamped and I will try to get in a few quotes from award recipients.
Update 6:15pm The tag for tonight appears to be #Jessies on Twitter. You can follow along to see what guests are talking about online. The Commodore is filling up quickly as guests arrive and take their seats at the banquet tables on the ballroom floor. I have taken to my seat and have just arranged all award categories in the order that they will be handed out. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
June 21st is National Aboriginal Day in Canada and with it comes a host of activities, celebrations, and experiences from coast to coast, to coast. Tomorrow kicks off an 11-day campaign that will span Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (June 24), Canadian Multiculturalism Day (June 27) and concludes with Canada Day (July 1). Here are just a few ways to join in on the festivities.
Master Carver Richard Krentz poses with his piece that now has a permanent home in Stanley Park
Klahowya Village
Stanley Park’s farmyard and miniature railway area have once again been transformed into Klahowya Village this summer. The area, where admission is $5, hosts artisans, storytellers, artists, carvers, dancers, drummers, and food vendors. The village will open at 10:00am tomorrow and the Spirit Catcher Train will be running as well (tickets are available from the train station).
Trout Lake
East Vancouver is hosting a full day of activities from a pancake breakfast at 1607 Hastings to a buffalo burger lunch in the park. The breakfast runs 9:00am to 11:00am, then there’s a march up to Trout Lake from 11:00am to 12:00pm. That will be followed by a festival at Trout Lake until 5:00pm with entertainment, vendors, arts & crafts, sports demonstrations, and more.
Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts Festival – Kickstarter
W2 Media Cafe hosts the Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts Festival Kickstarter event from 7:00pm until 10:00pm where four films will be screened. There will be refreshments and tickets will be available at the door for a donation of $5 or $10 to the VIMAF.
Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
One of my favourite places to listen, discover, and learn in Whistler is the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. Tomorrow they’ll be hosting a traditional pole blessing (at Whistler Olympic Plaza) at 10:00am followed by an art show back at the cultural centre along with performances and a summer BBQ. Admission will be by donation.
At any time of year, check out the following to learn about and appreciate our country’s history, heritage, First Nations culture, and explore amazing artifacts and artwork.
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
Website, Twitter, Facebook, my post
Museum of Anthropology
Website, Twitter, Facebook, my post
If I’m missing an event taking place in your community, please feel free to leave a note about it in the comments.
Throughout the year, Liberty Wine Merchants hosts a handful of gala events that involve delicious wines, perfect pairings, and a charitable element. This season’s Champagne & Caviar evening will support amateur sports in BC.
What The 16th annual Champagne & Caviar tasting event
When Thursday, July 7, 2011 from 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Where Vancouver Rowing Club, 450 Stanley Park Drive, Vancouver
The evening will feature find champagne, the best bubbly, caviar, and a beautiful setting in Stanley Park. Tickets are $29.99 available at all Liberty Wine Merchants locations and the event does sell out. If you would like to jump the line, I have a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at 10:00am Thursday June 23rd. You must be 19 years of age or older to enter, win, and attend. Please enjoy responsibly and plan a safe ride home.
Update The winner is Kody!
I decided to create a “Blogger Profile” category in 2006 and five years later, albeit infrequently, I still love to profile some of my favourite bloggers who make the local online scene just that much more interesting. I recently sent off the staple questions to Mikala, who I met for the first time in person last summer at a backyard birthday party in Lynn Valley. By following @backstagerider on Twitter you can tag along as she goes on one musical adventure after the next and seems to have a whole lot of fun in the process.
What is your website?
www.backstagerider.com
How long has it been around?
Since January 2010, so it’s still a baby. A baby that prefers to drink filthy gin martinis.
What is your role or involvement?
I pretty much AM the BackstageRider. With the exception of the collaborations I do with photographers and my amazing designer, I do everything else myself: write, edit, photograph, upload, set up interviews and features. It kinda helps that I’m a degree-carrying journalist/editor.
What does your site do, what is it about?
BackstageRider is a music website about a life in love with music. Your life, my life, our lives. It’s a website for music nerds and people who love going to gigs, or living vicariously through those of us who do. There’s plenty of “trendy” and “cool” music news and MP3 sites out there churning out daily info, so I’ll leave them to it.
BSR is about late nights, live gigs, amazing albums, going backstage, hanging out with bands and musicians, plus diaries and memories from my 20+ years in and around musicians and the industry. BSR has cheeky, really personal features and reviews that explore the whole experience of music. It’s mostly about indie rock, alternative, post-punk, new wave and electronica – but I’ll write about whatever excites me or piques my curiosity.
What can people see, read, and do when visiting your blog?
Features and gig reviews, amazing photos and galleries by some of Vancouver’s best photographers…and a few of my own shots. We’ve also done some exclusive photo shoots (including Scissor Sisters, Diamond Rings and Yeasayer) and really cool interviews. The articles are quirky and unique and I swear too much.
Oh and you’ll also get a lot of “rockhands”. Otherwise known as “throwing the goats” or the “devil’s horns”, rockhands represent to me that feeling you get at an amazing gig, when you can’t help but throw your arms into the air or scream loud. I’ve got a gallery with nearly 200 of ‘em. Including you, Miss604!
What is the ultimate goal for your site, how would you like to see it grow?
I do backstagerider.com for the pure love and passion for music and the people who make it.
But I’d love to get better behind-the-scenes access to bigger events and gigs, so I can continue telling my stories. I’d love to see BSR syndicated regularly or as columns. My BSR stuff has so far been published in The Georgia Straight, on MoviesMusicMayhem.com and will soon be on ConsequenceofSound.com, and my photos have been in the Vancouver Sun and in various US newspapers, but I’d like to have a regular paying gig doing what I do best – blathering about music. Or a radio show. I’m good at talking. I also enjoy teaching musicians how to use social media – they kind of need the help. (Oh, and I also handle the promo/media for US indie rockers Sebadoh, which is also very cool, and am on the production team for the LA-based music documentary of Just Gimme Indie Rock. So I’d consider doing more of that.
Why do you blog?
A writer needs to be read. And my words are finally connecting with people. BackstageRider.com has allowed me to do what I’ve done since I was 12 – write about music, hang out with bands and connect with folks who are passionate about music. And between my Twitter account and Facebook page and the site itself, it’s helped me make friends and meet some pretty remarkable people. I’m kinda in love with BackstageRider. She’s cooler than I am. \m/
It’s been minutes since the new broke of the passing of one of Canada’s favourite moms, Betty Fox. Just two week ago, the Terrry Fox Foundation reported that she was seriously ill.
Statement from the Fox family: “It is with considerable sadness that we share that our wife, mother and grandmother died at 8:25am (PT) this morning. Betty/Mom passed away peacefully surrounded by love. Betty was comfortable the last few weeks and months of her life, was always full of wit and rarely alone. Our wife and mom is now with Terry and joins other dear family members that predeceased her. We have greatly appreciated the privacy granted to our family since Betty’s illness was shared and are hoping it continues at this difficult time.” [Source: Tri-City News]
As Vancouverites, our hearts have been through a lot in the past week. They broke when our dear Canucks lost the Stanley Cup, and they sunk into our stomachs when criminals began rioting in our streets. They were filled up by the kindness of strangers during the citizen-led ‘Vancouver Cleanup’ and now they’ve sunk back into our throats.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Fox family at this time. Please continue to support the Terry Fox Foundation.
