OVER THE EDGE Senos 194% 2008 “Arts and Culture 15 ‘You're All Such Good Lookine People Coldsnap Music Festival Delivers Hot Acts, Cool Weather Anprew KURJATA ActinG Epiror in Cuier First, a note: To the lady at the door of the Big Indie who told me she would let me in, but only if she saw a good article about in Over the Edge: here you are. Now let’s find out if you really read this thing. Even the weather, dipping to the negative twenties on a regular basis, was on board for the success of the inaugur- al edition of Coldsnap, a winter music festival aimed at re- placing summer’s Folkfest. Though Folkfest was able to at- tract high-profile artists and received good reviews, somehow the outdoor event was never that successful financially. The solution? Switch it to winter (thereby getting more of the uni- versity/college crowd), make it four big shows with a bunch of smaller events, spread it out over eight days, and according to coldsnapfestival.com, provide “a musical respite from the mid-winter blahs that seem to set in toward the end of Janu- ary.... Coldsnap is something to look forward to, something to get a gang together for a night out, and something to warm up the cold winter nights with.” I was only able make it to four of the over twenty shows that took place from January 26 to February 2, but if they are any indication of what the rest of the festival was like then Coldsnap has definitely served its purpose. MODAY: ARBITRARYS MAKE LINE-UP CHANGE Pizza Rico’s was host to some local talent on the Monday and Tuesday that I managed to get downtown. Providing an aura of shelter at the edge of the earth in the midst of the cold winter nights, it was an ideal setting for some intimate con- certs. Monday it played host to two debuts (the Lawn Gnomes and the Coral Reefers) and the reinvention of local favourites the Arbitrarys. It was a packed house for The Lawn Gnomes, made up of Geoff Dickieson, Devon Meyer, and Daniel Nokes played their brand of fast-paced punk rock. They were followed by a new line-up for the Arbitrarys, winners of the 2007 Folkquest showdown. In the past, the Arbitrarys have been an acoustic duo consisting of Josh Sandu on guitar and vocals and Naomi Kavka on vocals, guitar, and cello. They have now been joined by drummer Justin Arding and bassist Robyn Miller and moved into electric territory, giving their melodic excur- sions a more rhythmic and dissonant underpinning. The show was topped off by the Coral Reefers, a reggae-dub-punk group made up of far too many members to list, although it can be noted that the organ is being handled by Ryan G of Prince George’s previous premiere ska group, Hello China. TUESDAY: STEWART AND ARDING SHARE SPOT- LIGHT Tuesday saw a somewhat smaller turn-out, but an equally impressive show, essentially consisting of rotating lineups of the bands for musical sweethearts Jeremy Stewart and Erin Arding. Stewart took the stage solo to start off, charming the crowd with banter and songs focused around local geography such as “Connaught Hill.” He then stepped into a support- ing role on electric guitar for the band Erin Arding & the 60 Hz Hum, which also contained Justin Arding on drums and Naomi Kavka on bass. Arding’s music is well-written folk, with lyrical content ranging from star-crossed lovers to sa- tirical jibes at colleagues from her hair-dressing school days seeking fame and fortune. The group plans on recording an album later this year, and should definitely be watched as ris- ing stars, The night was closed out by a bit more reshuffling as Stewart once again took the lead, now joined by his band The Rest, which includes Erin Arding on the accordion and Jim Sayle on violin. They presented a tight, roots rock sound whose talent was best presented in their own unique version of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” which, while faithful to the original, was transformed into something the Band might have played. It should also be noted that Stewart may well be the most talented guitar player in town at the moment, with his solos evoking classics from the 60s and 70s. FRIDAY: WEST COAST ROCK DELIVERS Friday night at the Civic Centre had somewhat bigger names. Opening act the Cruzeros would be at home on country radio, but are much more tied into the sounds of Steve Earle than Big & Rich. They got the mostly older crowd up and two-step- ping with their songs which ranged from banal to topical, as in one song about poor Newfoundlanders forced to move west to Alberta. The main event was Lower Mainland veterans Spirit of the West. During their set they mentioned that the last time they had been to Prince George was for the UNBC backyard barbecue, when they played “one and a half songs and then got shut down.” They filled the floor in front of the stage with a mixture of dancers and moshers with their high-energy set that fused the energy of punk rock and the vocalizations and instruments of Celtic music. The highlight, by far, was show closer “Home for a Rest,” a classic for any drunken get-to- gether (the irony being that this was a non-alcoholic event, not that that dampened the crowd's enthusiasm). SATURDAY: INDIE EDGE Perhaps the most-anticipated show of entire festival was its closer, a night entitled “The Big Indie.” More than one person was disappointed when the event sold out earlier in the week, and the crowd at the Art Space caused very warm conditions despite the chilliness of the night. Unfortunately, there was some confusion at the door and I missed the show opener. I did, however, come in part way through the set of rising star Nongli Xinnian (Chinese New Year) Dan Managan. A singer-songwriter hailing from Vancouver, Managan played a solo set in which his playful lyrics and ban- ter enticed the crowd into entering his world. “You’re all such lovely, amazing, good-looking people,” he said on more than one occasion, though he later added, “Flattery will get you everywhere.” It seems this philosophy was right because he had the crowd singing along by the end of his set. He was fol- lowed by Cara Luft, a roots performer who had earlier taken part in the festival’s music workshop, in which various artists gave tips on songwriting and performing. She alluded to this fact throughout the night, letting anyone who was interested know when she switched guitar tunings. Hugh MacMillan of Spirt for the West was supposed to accompany her but had fallen ill, so she gamely went solo, at times using her voice to teplicate the absent guitar solos. After a brief interlude in which merchandise was placed on display, solo performances made way to bands, with up-and- comers Maurice taking the stage. A Victoria group recently signed to David Foster’s label and just returning from record- ing their debut album in Los Angeles, the Coldsnap stop was part of their debut tour. They specialize in the subtle, atmos- pheric cacophony that Canadian indie rock bands specialize in—think a more thrashy version of Broken Social Scene. But they had rhythm, and a dance floor formed in the corner, much to the band’s pleasure. They also bragged about beating tour- mates and final act Said the Whale in a bowling tournament. “Maurice are really nice guys but I wish they’d shut up about the bowling. It’s not that we’re bad, it’s just that they’re really good,” was STW’s defence when they took the stage. A veteran Vancouver group, STW perform an interesting com- bination of pop, loud rock, and jazz influences, which would merit comparisons to everyone from the Shins to At the Drive- In. With an adventurous rhythm section they moved the dance floor from the corner to the front of the stage. Partway through their set, they commended the audience for listening to the music so intently: “You're so quiet. Usually people are drunk and loud. If you’re drunk, you’re quiet about it.” Like the rest of the artists, they also congratulated and thanked the organ- izers and volunteers of Coldsnap for a job well done, a senti- ment that was echoed by everyone who attended the shows. In a recent news release, it was said that Coldsnap had been - a financial success, though the final numbers were not out. With any luck, it should be back again next year—it certainly would be a welcome addition to Prince George’s winter trad- ition. For more information about the festival, the artists in- volved, or to view more photos from the event, visit www. coldsnapfestival.com. ANDREW KURJATA Actine Eprror in CHier February 7 marked the beginning of the Chinese Year of the Rat. Chinese New Year is, by far, the largest and most im- portant celebration in China and among its diaspora population (think of it as Christmas, New Year’s, and Thanksgiv- ing combined). Also known as Spring Festival, celebrations actually last just over two weeks, a time during which schools and offices are closed and mil- lions of people travel to visit friends and family members. Here’s a quick break- down of the numbers: 4705 - According to the Chinese calen- dar, Chinese New Year 2008 marks the first day of the year 4705. 12 - The number of animals invited to a feast held by Buddha in ancient times. According to legend, in order to get to the feast a river had to be crossed. Ox reached the river first, but Rat - being clever - asked the Ox to carry him across the river. Ox complied and just as he reached the opposite shore, Rat jumped off of Ox and landed at the feet of the Buddha, claiming the position of first to arrive at the feast. Thus, the Year of the Rat is first in the Chinese Zodiac. 8 - The number of renminbi (Chinese dollars) usually given to children in red envelopes (also known as “lucky envel- opes”) by adults during Spring Festival. The Chinese word for “eight” sounds like the Chinese word for “wealth.” 20 - The number of Chinese cities to ban personal fireworks during celebra- tions in 1994. In 2007, the ban was lifted for many of these cities. 450 - The average number of people to die from personal fireworks during Spring Festival every year. Thousands more lose limbs, eyes, and hearing. 156 000 000 - The number of peeple to travel by train in 2007 in order to visit friends and family during the New Year’s celebrations. Modern-day Spring Festi- vals mark the largest annual mass exodus in history. Most of the travelling is from cities to the countryside and villages, and some estimates say Beijing loses 40% of its population during the celebrations. 93.6 - the percentage of families esti- mated to watch the CCTV New Year’s Gala, a variety show broadcast by China’s state-controlled media. This amounts to some 700 million people. 750 000 - the number of US dollars spent on a five-second commercial dur- ing the 2007 broadcast of the New Year’s Gala. That equals $150,000 USD for one second of ad time. PHOTO COUTESY OF PHOTOSHOP ESSENTIALS.ORG