Green Drinks is a monthly event held on the first Wednesday of every month presented by The Local Good and hosted at Yellowhead Brewery. Each month covers a different topical theme. Past topics have included: the municipal election, alternative energy and ‘What’s Missing in Edmonton’. ‘Local Food’ was the theme for March.
Who is Lars Callieou? The little fat headed kid with the annoying voice from the children’s cartoon? No, but you’re close. The fat headed adult comedian from Edmonton, with the slightly less than annoying voice.
When I received an email from Edmonton’s NextGen blog I was intrigued. They said, “We like to have guest bloggers from ‘authorities’ on Edmonton’s entertainment scene”. I’ll start by saying I’m proud of comedy in Edmonton. From The Comic Strip, an A room in North America, to Yuk Yuk’s to the Comedy Factory (over a decade in the business), we have more comedy clubs than Toronto and as many as Vancouver.
Jay Leno has been to Edmonton. Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby, Joan Rivers, Dane Cook, Russell Peters – they all put us on their tour schedule. If Edmonton were a city in the United States, we’d be the 9th biggest city in the country. With 1.2 million people, we’re a REAL city. We often think of ourselves as ‘small time’ but we have a lot to be proud of. The second largest Fringe Festival in the world, more theatre seats per capita than anywhere in Canada and a comedy festival that hit the ground running last year (ATB Edmonton Comedy Festival). Our comedy scene should be proud of itself (not too proud because everyone hates a braggart comedian).
What makes me an authority on comedy in Edmonton? I’ve stuck around longer than most of my generation. Guys who started 9 years ago, they’re in Toronto, LA, Vancouver or England. I like to think of myself as the Bull Durham of Edmonton. I’m close to the record for home runs in the minor leagues (that’s a reference to the Kevin Costner movie and not a review of my shows). It’s not really a record you want, but I too, have been to the show.
I’m going to assume you’ve been to a comedy show in Edmonton in the last decade. When you were at said comedy show, whether in a club or a theatre or at an amateur night, you were pleasantly surprised. The comedians were funny. You might have been surprised to learn most were homegrown. There are GREAT comics in our city. Sean Lecomber, Sterling Scott, Kathleen McGee (off to LA soon), Kenny Valgardson… great comics. Names you might not recognize but people who have had you in stitches if you stumbled upon a comedy night they were on.
I was going to use this opportunity on Edmonton’s Next Gen to talk about how
I’d put us ahead of mimes and clowns, unless you’re a mime clown, then you’re above a comic on the proverbial entertainment ladder. They gave us an opportunity at The Works Festival this year, between bands, while equipment was being set up. It’s a start.
Want to find out what the arts world thinks about stand up comedy, put a straight stand up show in a Fringe Festival. You’ll get panned in reviews worse than Michael Richards at the Apollo Theatre. They don’t think we ‘belong’. After 4 straight years in the Fringe, they gave us a little love, we found a little acceptance. For that, I’m grateful.
Sam Kinison said, “If you want to be a success in comedy, don’t go away.” Our city supports the arts. Folk, Blues, theatre, Jazz, comedy, they love it. I believe Edmonton to be an oasis, like Austin or Minneapolis. It’s surprising how great the crowds can be. So Instead of complaining, I want to say, give stand up a try.
There are comedy open mics every night:
Those are just the open mics. Amateur nights so to speak. Want to see a pro show, go to a club on the weekend. You’ll see your own comics opening for the likes of Nikki Payne, Brad Garrett, Damon Wayans or Rob Schneider. You’ll leave saying, “That was great! Why don’t we do that more often?”
Live comedy, when done correctly, is the BEST form of entertainment (in my VERY biased opinion). Laugh yourself silly for 90 minutes, then tell me that wasn’t the best experience you’ve had in a long time. You’ll laugh more than any movie, play or concert. To quote Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, “If you’ve made it this far, perhaps you’re willing to come a little farther.”
Check out a comedy night, give them your attention, don’t text or talk.
Why you ask? So you’ll leave and say, “The fourth comedian was my favorite.” We’re just trying to be a random number in your program, but number one in your hearts. Until then, we’re happy to be on the edge of the arts, looking in, wondering if they’ll ever ask us to be with the musicians, painters, sculptors, photographers, writers or poets.
An unknown Jazz musician quote was once told to me third person, Mike Wilmont told Dan Brodribb who told it to me, I wish I could attribute it to an author but I haven’t been able to. Here it is: “There are day people and there are night people. Day people work all day just so they can give their money to night people.”
Bio:
Lars Callieou
Lars has been a stand up comic in Edmonton for 9 years. He’s been to the Just for Laughs Festival and has a comedy special on the Comedy Network. He hosts The Druid Comedy Night every Sunday and DJs a comedy radio show Wednesdays at midnight on CJSR 88.5 FM. He loves his Mom and is on Twitter. @extralars
Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.
I’m very fortunate to work alongside artists; helping share their work with audiences. Art, specifically dance, is such an influential force in my life and the idea of bringing artists & audiences together is still a constant thrill.
These dance moments reflected the experiences of others, the possibilities of the moving body* and the courage to express opinions and feelings in a way nothing else has or likely will for me.
Ben Cameron, Program Director, Arts, at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, when he was in town as part of the Percolate Speaker Series spoke about the importance of arts participation. He shared an insight that Americans were, in part, so invested in sport because they saw many images of J.F.K. participating in sporting activities and mirrored that in their own lives. This notion really struck a chord with me: one of the reasons I was so drawn to dance was that it was easy for me to transport the dancers’ experience to my own.
It got me thinking that the opportunity to experience dance from a young age, both as a student and an audience member, also gave me the confidence to participate in other types of art, whether it was going to an opera or a gallery.
Just as we trust dentists to keep our teeth healthy, police officers to keep us safe and teachers to educate us – I trust artists to share their stories, to find the amazing connections that bring us all together and archive the human experience in all its permutations. It’s an incredible calling that takes sacrifice, bravery and dedication.
The third item on my list of memorable dance moments, La La La Human Steps, came full circle this year when Louise Lacavalier returned to Edmonton to perform new work as part of the BWDC season.
Image reprinted with the Author’s Permission by Brian Webb Dance Company on August 8, 2012
As a teenager I was amazed by her strength, precision and sexuality on stage. Frankly, I was shocked that my parents would send me off to see the show. As an adult, watching her perform was equally awe inspiring. Rather than being moved by the sheer physicality of her performance, it was the incredible ability to reign in her body that gave power to the emotional elements of the work. On the way home from the theatre and the days that followed, I thought often of how fortunate I was that someone was willing to share that kind of honesty and commitment with roomfuls of strangers.
As we move closer to the 2012-2013 arts season,
Dance might not be your cup of tea but in Edmonton’s thriving cultural communities there’s a bounty of options to choose from!
*The moving body is a favourite phrase of Brian Webb, Artistic Director of the Brian Webb Dance Company.
Bio:
Stephanie Enders
Stephanie is ecstatic about promoting the arts in Canada and is currently a Project Manager at Bottom Line Productions, a marketing and communications agency with a focus on arts and not-for-profit clients. Stephanie is passionate about the arts and thrilled to be working in an industry where the main focus is on supporting creativity. A long-time Next Gen volunteer, Stephanie values the opportunity to shape the city she chooses to live, learn and work in.
Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.
The Arts are in the air during the summer and most of us have caught the bug. Whether you are headed out to a festival or block party, are hitting up an improv show, going out to a see a band play, or watching a street performer on the street you are bound to come up against Edmonton’s arts scence.
This month we will be bringing you posts on and about Edmonton’s arts scene in Edmonton. Edmonton artists and supporters will be sharing their perspectives about Edmonton art scene in all shapes and forms. An artist thrives on expression and needs your help to support their art.
We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.
Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!
Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.
The problem, I find, with the food industry is that…
This pressure of continual hunger from your customers has put a great strain on the industry, encouraging businesses to fill that hunger need with whatever means possible. This pressure is true not only for the little local minded food businesses, but also for the large multinational food corporations.
You can go into a fast food chain and find the same hamburger across North America because of the demand for consistency for that hamburger. And you can also find chefs of small restaurants sacrificing sleep whilst they scour the city for a bag of locally grown onions for tomorrows special because there is a demand for the knowledge of where your food comes from. The pressure is the same for all sectors of the food industry.
Earlier this year, a Toronto couple released ‘The Localvore’s Dilemma’, critiquing the localvore movement and turning on its head many of the valorous claims it made. Lower carbon footprint? More ethically sourced? All quantifiably bunk, say authors Pierre Desrochers and Hiroko Shimizu.
But they miss the most important motivating factor of the local food movement.
Two years ago, at Pecha Kucha night 8, I delivered a talk about some of the tensions of local food – the need to overcome the geographic barriers of our cold, continental climate; the fickleness of the tastemakers that deem local food trendy and authentic; and the risk of cooption from bigger players in the agrifood business. But in my talk, I forgot one divisive, and perhaps unsolvable challenge: isolation.
– Woody Tasch, Founder of Slow Money Alliance.
This quote would resonate with most people who are thinking about the next generation. So then, what is the direction of restaurants in this next generation going to be? Are we happy eating at any establishment that is not a chain, a ‘large thing’? I think we can do better than that. I like this quote mainly because of the word ‘optimizing’ and I will explain myself.
Summer is in full swing. Do you know how I know, besides the weather? Well the signs are all there. I know that you will be able to identify with at least a few of this signs.
This month we will be bringing you tantalizing, and thought-provoking posts on and about the food scene in Edmonton. Ww’ll share what that means to a consumer, to a foodie, to a business owner, to an activist, and to someone who loves to cook, bake, and create.
We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.
Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!
Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.
Hello, My name is Paul. I believe that there are moments in our life and experiences we have that shape who we are and the type of parent we’d like to be/become. In order to to tell you my story, and why I feel juggling is an important life skill to pass on to my children it is necessary to take you on a journey into my past.
Way back in the land before time…
It is 1993 and I’m attending Red Deer College.
Instructor Larry Reese walks into Studio A and says to us,
At one point, I knew I was the smartest person in the world. I knew more than anyone else, especially my parents. I was about 14. It was at that time that I also decided I never wanted kids.
It’s funny to see how much I’ve learned since then. My kids – Abigail, 8, Amalie, 4 and Andon, 1 – have taught me much of it.
The chemical and spiritual change that occurred in my life the second I met my first child brought about a different perspective altogether.
For as long as I can recall the number 3 was my favourite number and any number with a 3 in it was always a close second. One day it clicked: three 3s are 9 and when written together they form 39. Perfection! From that point forward I chose the number “39″ as my so-called favourite number. It was the number I had on my back when playing competitive sports and has appeared in various combinations in my passwords and phone numbers over the years. 39 was, and is, “my number”! Sitting down to write this post is when I first recognized the personally significant fact I was 39 when our son was born. I’m shocked I didn’t notice it before now!
This little read isn’t about sports, it isn’t some off-the-wall numerology lesson, and it’s unlikely you’ll glean any keen insight on how to be a dad. It’s a few random thoughts on fears that have plagued me since becoming (what I would consider) an ‘older’ father three-years ago and my take on how, despite my irrational fears, I believe I am better equipped to be a dad in my forties than I could possibly have been in my 20s or 30s. It’s a brief reflection on what becoming a first-time father later in life has meant to me, to us, and to our son.
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What does it means to be a dad? I mean uniquely a dad, as opposed to being a parent. In today’s modern society, moms and dads generally share parenting tasks equitably; but what makes dad distinct?
For me it comes down to two words:
Last month we paid homage to our mom’s, but we didn’t want to leave out the other half of the equasion, so since June is here with Father’s day around the corner, this month we will be taking time to recognize and appreciate the father’s in our life. Our dad’s play a different role in our lives than our mothers, their influences nurturing our development in a often unexpected or unconventional ways. Don’t just celebrate them on Father’s Day (June 17th) but take the opportunity celebrate our father’s and thank them for all they do for us and our community all month long. This month we’ll be asking our bloggers (who are also all fathers themselves) to expand on the theme by sharing their stories and resources, and relating their experiences and opinons in a way that only a father can.
Whether you are a parent, an expecting parent, or still savoring the child-free way of life, we hope our bloggers will provide an interesting, humourous, and enlightening (or perhaps eye-opening) peek into their lives. They might expose you to new information that you hadn’t heard about before, provide comfort in the knowledge that you aren’t alone, inspire you to make a small change to your own routine or encourage you to suggest resources to others.
We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.
Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!
Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.
I was asked to write this post as I am perceived to be an expert at motherhood. Flattering, but it made me laugh out loud.
Kid 1: “My mom left me in the swing a lot when I was a baby. Apparently, she chose showering and eating over me.”
Kid 2: “Yeah? As a baby, my mom forgot to clean the rolls in my neck until I started to smell”
Kid 3: “I have you all beat. My mom let me eat dog food.”
After having my first baby, I went a little mental. Everything had to be perfect. I had to be perfect- The perfect mom.
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Welcome to motherhood. One day you’re slinging your purse over your shoulder to run and meet a friend at a moment’s notice. The next day you’re slogging 20 lbs of baby, carseat and stuff out the door – if you even get off the couch from cluster feedings.
This shift in lifestyle is the part that most people don’t talk about. And for those of us who love to be social and out-and-about it’s quite a shock.
Venturing out of the house the first few times as a new mom can be daunting. Trying to time naps, feedings and the inevitable poop-up-the-back. Be easy on yourself, but don’t let that stop you from getting out. Consider a one-hour outing a success. Heck, walking around the block is a win too.
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It doesn’t matter if you adopted or birthed your child…it doesn’t matter if you are a caregiver who sends the child home to mom every day. Those of us who are blessed and entrusted with the care and keeping of a child – well, we get to experience miracles every day. The miracles of those first steps, the discovery of snowflakes, of stories told, and memories made. There are the hugs filled with love, shrills of laughter as you push them on swings and the moments spent quietly watching them sleep. I wouldn’t give up this gig for the world.
But as we all know, there are two sides to every story.
As a mother of 3, stepmother to 1 and dayhome provider to many, many more – I have compiled quite the list of memories I’d rather not have.
So for all the would-be parents out there, or soon-to-be moms and dads…I’m going to tell you what no one else will. I don’t know why these things are unspoken of before someone has children…because it can’t be just me who has had these experiences.
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It’s May and Mother’s day has rolled around again. Mothers (of all varieties – Step-moms, Grand-moms, Bio-moms, Adopted Moms, etc included) have a large influence on us and our society. We want to take the opportunity to recognize and support the mothers in our lives and in our community by celebrating them not just on May 13th but all month long. This month we’ll be asking our bloggers (who are also all mothers themselves) to expand on the theme by sharing their stories and resources, and relating their experiences and opinons in a way that only a mother can.
Whether you are a parent, an expecting parent, or still savoring the child-free way of life, we hope our bloggers will provide an interesting, humourous, and enlightening (or perhaps eye-opening) peek into their lives. They might expose you to new information that you hadn’t heard about before, provide comfort in the knowledge that you aren’t alone, inspire you to make a small change to your own routine or encourage you to suggest resources to others.
We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.
Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!
Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.
In a science fair project on penguins, the Grade 7 Nellie McClung student looked outside of her immediate world to see how her decisions affect the environment, specifically penguin habitats. The population of these adorable waddling birds are declining at an alarming rate.
This blog is a small peak into Alixx’s world and how she views it.
Another Earth Day, another avalanche of press releases and sales flyers. Sometimes it feels like ‘green’ has become another hokey sales pitch for gadgets you don’t need, doesn’t it? However, Earth Day is more than just an opportunity to get a great deal on a rain barrel at the hardware store. It’s a chance to rethink how our everyday actions have an impact, not just on the planet, but closer to home.
Historically, the decision to purchase local was an easy one. You would never have to make a point to do so, and in fact would have to deliberately seek out an alternative. Unfortunately, in current market conditions it is often cheaper to buy goods produced afar despite the added cost of packaging, transportation, etc.. Despite this, support for locally owned businesses is growing as
When talking about the environment, it’s easy to get caught up on green initiatives. While these are certainly important, now more than ever, we wanted to focus on the urban environment, the city we live in, and ways in which we can develop and improve it.
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April is traditionally when we start seeing the grass start greening and life starting to poke out of the ground. April also touts national events such as Earth Hour (technically held March 31st but close enough) and Earth Day (April 22). Local events start gearing up and the city starts their Capital City Clean-up Programs.
There is a perception that you have to live in the cold and the dark to be green but in reality environmental issues and solutions aren’t just about being green and don’t have to require a hardcore committment. Caring about our environment can really mean simple and small changes to your day to day behaviour. This means a little something different to each of us and that is okay because the collaborative effort is what makes a difference. The simple changes you could consider could mean taking transit, recycling, installing a compost area or solar panels, shopping at a farmer’s market or a local establishment, planting a garden, participating in clean-up events and much much more.
This month we’ll be bringing your posts that expand on those options. They might expose you to new information that you hadn’t heard about before or inspire you to make a small change to your own routine or encourage you to suggest solutions to others.
We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.
Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!
Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.
When I was asked by NextGen’s Jacqui Fraser to contribute an guest post on the theme of “community”, I asked, “which one?” NextGen’s guest bloggers are selected on the basis of what each of them might bring to the topic at hand, whatever that might be. I started to wonder why I might have been selected. It’s strange, because I’m usually defined (by myself or others) by the ways I don’t fit in, rather than the ways that I am a part of the group. So here goes:
I am first and foremost a member of my family. Three, actually: mine, my partner’s, and my sister’s in-laws. My parents are quite active in the Japanese-Canadian community, so occasionally that comes into play. I am also a friend, moving within several different circles. Some of my friend groups intersect, some have no idea the others exist. I am a writer, so I have colleagues who are also writers, as well as clients from many different industries. I’m implicated in the arts community as a board member in two organizations as well as a nearly-emergent creative writer. I used to play in a couple of bands, so there’s that too. I hover in the margins of the foodie scene. I’m a member of my community league as well as a contributor to a number of projects in the Alberta Avenue area generally. I’m on a few online social networks. I volunteer. I have a great dog, and yes, there is a dog community as well.
It’s difficult for me to imagine a world without communities. Perhaps because it’s human nature to find like minded people to collaborate with, the process of forming a community is quite natural.
I’ve seen the amazing things communities can accomplish with my own eyes.
The diversity of Edmonton’s communities is as great as the diversity of its citizens
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Community is such a large part of our lives. We are all part of many smaller and intersecting communities. We gather together based on region (like our nieghbourhood or city), around a shared interest (like sports, religion, or comic books), or for other reasons (like work or cultural). Sometimes you will be active in your communities and other times you’ll just be a member of that community. What can you learn from others in your community circles? What can you contributeThis month we’ll be bringing you posts focused around this idea and hope you look forward to reading and sharing your thoughts on the ideas presented by our guest bloggers.
We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.
Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!
Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.
What if you just don’t like someone you work with and never will? Can’t you just avoid them instead?
Given the amount of time that most of us spend at work, having professional and respectful relationships will lead to a more positive work environment. Some of you may have (or do) work in a situation where you have to drag yourself into work every day because of the nature of the relationships at work. How did/does that make you feel? Were you able to do your best work in that environment? Most people are not able to.
Here’s a common situation:
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