Over the Edge + September 22, 2010 arts and entertainment 9 BCSPCA Paws for a Cause There Were No Cats, But It Certainly Rained Dogs DARCIE SMITH ARTS EDITOR There was a mighty army of dogs present on Sunday, September 12'" at Cottonwood Island Park for the BC SPCA‘s annual Paws For a Cause fundraiser event. A beautiful array of breeds ranging from Chihuahuas to Shelties and Dobermans to Bernese Mountain Dogs all could be seen throughout the afternoon, though there was no sign of any foxy felines. As far as the weather went, it was a miserable day, featuring constant rain and at times a rough breeze, but for many Prince George pet owners, the weather was not a deterrent. Even some of the little dogs themselves were decked out from snout to paw in rain gear, a sight that was a healthy mix between both adorable and concerning. Event coordinator Bryndis Ogmundson didn’t let the rain dampen her spirits either and was “extremely happy with the turn out considering the crappy weather.” Braving the weather was a true testament that like Ogmundson, Prince George citizens love their pets. “The day went smoothly thanks to some very helpful volunteers,” Ogmundson stated. She brought her own personal touch to the activities of the day by having dog walkers follow the “mewsic,” consisting of various local musicians serenading the participants as they walked along the path. Each musician was stationed at intervals throughout the path, accompanied by an umbrella-holder in an attempt to keep the various guitars and ukeleles dry. A tent was also set up to accommodate performances by Raghu Lokanathan of the Cottonweeds and Josh Sandu of the Arbitrarys. As far as the overall success goes, Ogmundson said “It looks like we came very close to reaching our goal, but we won't know for a few more days.” She strongly encourages everyone to “keep checking the website for a final total and the top fundraisers” at spca.bc.ca/walk. Ogmundson also extends a huge thank you to the following local sponsors for helping to make the event possible: Handsome Cabin Boy Tattoo, Team Powerhouse Realty, Meow Records, CKPG, The Drive, The River, The City of Prince George, Boston Pizza, Dog Gone Bakery, Two Rivers Art Gallery, Our Mind’s Eye Photography, and Books & Company. WS ‘The Arbitrarys, Josh Sandhu, plays along while man’s best friend listens along. Book Review: Blackbird A look back at the 1970 October Crisis GRACE WADDELL PHOTO EDITOR Black Bird is the debut novel of French Canadian Michel Basiliéres. The novel portrays the lives of three generations of the Desouche family living in Montreal during the October Crisis of 1970. While many of the specific political events in the novel are fictional, as is explained in the author’s note, the zeitgeist of the movement is captured through the struggles of the Desouche family who are attempting reconcile their mixed Anglo and Francophone heritage, a realistic microcosm of the political events of the time. More than being a window into events that many Western Canadians only understand on a textbook level, this novel is delightfully macabre and entertaining. The eldest members of the Desouche family consist of miserable Grandfather, who was delighted at his wife’s death as it took away the last shred of restraint imposed on his hostile nature, and his new wife, a woman he married to carry out the practical duties that his previous wife had left behind. Grandfather is the rather ridiculous patriarch of the family and takes pleasure in his wife’s discomfort and unhappiness whenever possible. He and his son, referred to throughout as Uncle, carry out several schemes to make money without having to work a real job, including selling corpses for medical research and tunneling into the neighboring funeral home in order to steal a gas connection. Father, the brother of Uncle, and his wife, Mother, are the ineffectual parents of Marie and Jean-Baptiste. Marie is a radical member of the FLQ and carries out the bombing of an Anglo establishment that accidentally kills Mother’s Anglo father, causing Mother to become so grief stricken that she falls into a coma-like sleep. Marie and Jean- Baptiste, an artist, differ on their political views to the point of estrangement. This novel is a real treat, and a great first work by a Canadian author who creates a family both endearing and absurd in a wonderfully gothic setting. As a work that includes such things as grave robbing, solicitation of prostitutes, revolutionary acts, mad scientists, Frankenstein monsters, suggested incest, and a pet crow, Black Bird certainly does not disappoint and makes the reader look forward to Basiliéres’ next book. ANWIN ROBERTS Album Review: Vision Drums by Wisconsin Dream Guitar ANDREW KURJATA CONTRIBUTOR “Suburban Girls/.../left me for the coast once again/| don’t see much on these roads anymore/no one’s around like they were years ago/I’m still If you’re new to Prince George music you may not have heard of Rob Dunlop or Leigh O’Neill, but for those acquainted with the scene the two musicians have been in a who’s-who of fan-favourites, including Be Old trees eae here living/I’m In tact Big , living/I'm still Old Eyes is here living/l’m the band that i living” introduced me to CFUR radio and got me into local music in the first place. The Arcade Fire may have written an album about growing up in suburbia, but they Wisconsin moved on to Montreal Dream Guitar as young adults and is potentially now experience life the best project as an international, yet— it’s at jet-setting band. least on par Wisconsin Dream with Big Old Guitar’s Vision Drums Eyes, in any forges inspiration out case. of suburbia not as Some of the a nostalgic memory signature ut as a reality of life — people still live in these places, and sometimes they want art about their lives too. This provides it. Highly recommended. sound of Dunlop’s earlier projects are there — it continues to be low-fi, slightly-off pop songs, but there’s a real dream-like texture now — it sounds pretty much exactly what the album’s subject matter is about, which is, generally speaking, transitioning into adult life in the same town you grew up. | might be misinterpreting the thesis, but the key song, for me, is “Suburban Girls”, a short, spoken word take on what it’s like to stick around while everyone else moves on: Wisconsin Dream Guitar can be found at wisconsindreamguitar.tumblr.com and soundcloud.com/wisconsindreamguitar. Andrew Kurjata is the station manager of CFUR Radio, UNBC’s campus radio station. He can be stalked at AndrewKurjata.ca.