Swarm 2010: Day One

Day One of Swarm took place yesterday in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. Tonight, Swarm takes over the Downtown Eastside.

I wish I had more of an eye for art or at least could appreciate it more. I mean, I like art, but I don't think I could ever look at something like say, a group of television monitors displaying drops of blood, and get some sort of meaning from it.

One exhibit at the VIVO studios was pretty cool though - created by Paul Wong, it was an installation of black rubber gloves formed into the shape of the Gulf of Mexico. It was a commentary on the BP oil spill, and all the rubber gloves he had found.

Otherwise, there were a few exhibits I didn't quite get last night, including a projector screen that had a film reel of the beach playing on it. To each their own of course, and I'm not judging - I just didn't understand or get anything out of it for myself.

What I did enjoy however was our last stop, which seemed to be inside an old condemned house off of Main Street. Calling themselves the Gropp's Gallery, the house has been renovated and is now home to 7 artists (and counting), and we were allowed to wander from room to room to take in all the eclectic stylings of each of the individuals. (More Gropp's Gallery photos.) It was like being in a real life fun house! It was Wonderland gone mad. It was amazing.

I liked this unicorn painting that was on display in one room:

I discovered this setup inside a tiny beta fish aquarium tank:

Killer shoes:

My favourite of the night, this bunny skin rug:

Swarm 2010!

It's that lovely time of year again! My favourite season, Autumn, is just ready to begin and what better way to kick it off than with the annual SWARM, a two-night art gallery hop around town!



It begins tonight, in the Mount Pleasant area, and tomorrow night moves into the Downtown Eastside. Ready to go see some art!?

Cyndi Lauper had a Change of Heart

Last Friday I went to the PNE fair to see the free Cyndi Lauper concert in the park. It was jam packed with people because it was the beginning of Labour Day weekend and also because it was a FREE CYNDI LAUPER CONCERT!



She focussed mainly on her new material from her latest album, Memphis Blues, which drove people away to get a corn dog or cotton candy, which was fine by me because I started out in the back of the crowd but was up mid-way to the stage by the time the non-fans left the area.

So there we were, enjoying the show, and she comes back for her encore to do her oldies. She begins with Change of Heart, but halfway through the song, she calls a stop to everything! She goes on a semi-tirade about "all you people with your cameras and your frickin' YouTube" and tells them that she's RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, and to look at her, and not through a camera and do you want to live your life looking through a camera or do you want to actually LIVE IT? Go CYNDI!! The crowd completely cheered her on!!

I know, it's a new time that we are living in. I remember the days when you went to a concert and cameras were taken away from you if you dared bring one in. These days, we've got our iPhones and digital cameras and Blackberries and all sorts of gadgets to capture the moment. But in capturing the moment, aren't we also missing out on the moment?

Here's a clip of Cyndi going off about this! (Thank God someone got this on film! lol)

A Life In the Theatre

Last week, I went to see the David Mamet play A Life in the Theatre currently showing at the Vancouver Playhouse's Recital Hall.



David Mamet has been hit and miss for me. The first play I ever saw of his was Oleanna and it was downright brilliant. If you ever get a chance to see Oleanna, DO SO.

Then I went to New York and saw the revival of Speed The Plow, and it was pretty painful to sit through. Recently, I saw Glengarry Glen Ross and it was pretty good. So when I heard another Mamet play was being produced in town, I thought, Should I?

And I'm glad I did. A Life in the Theatre captures snapshots of two actors as they go on and off the stage throughout their careers. The Vancouver Playhouse's decision to show this in their rarely used Recital Hall space was the best choice ever. For one, this space used to be used for plays and recitals back in the 70s. Check out the "lounge" area, it's like stepping back into the past, I loved it so much!



The thought that we were in the basement of the Playhouse gave me goosebumps. It was exciting to think that we have this new/old unused space in the city and finally it gets to see the light of day! Putting a play like this on is fitting, because it's all about being backstage and within the guts of the theatre, both physically and mentally. The Recital Hall is the perfect setting for this.

A Life in the Theatre is only $12, as well. The acting is professional and probably worth more than $12. Therefore, this show is a valuable steal. It runs till Sept 12. Go see it immediately!