Author Archives: Sophie Tomei

Art studio tour 2023

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Attention artists! The Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Art Studio Tour is back again this Mother’s Day weekend! The tour is hosted by the MRPM Art Studio Tour Society, which is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization. Their goal is to connect local artists to their community by giving people the opportunity to explore the artists’ work through their studios and other demonstrations. The event looks really cool–they’re featuring over 100 artists this year, all working in a wide range of mediums. You also have the chance to purchase some of the artists’ work, so you can get beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces while also supporting the local art scene!

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In Maple Ridge, the event is being hosted at the Albion Community Centre, and in Pitt Meadows it’s taking place at Heritage Hall. The best part? There are no entrance fees…the event is free! If you’re looking for something to do for Mother’s Day, this could be a good choice, since the event is being held May 13-14th! Their website lists more details, including all of the artists who are displaying their work–check it out here.

I feel like people are often quick to dismiss artist-oriented events like this on the basis of not being artists themselves, but I don’t think it’s 100% necessary to be an artist to appreciate or enjoy art. You play video games, you watch movies and TV shows, you eat at restaurants…but you’re not a game dev, or a director, or a chef…Okay, I’m being a little bit ridiculous here, but you get my point. Even if you don’t think you’d get anything out of looking at physical art, you might be surprised if you just give it a chance. As humans, we are HARDWIRED to draw! Just look at those paintings archaeologists found in those caves in France–they are so old! Ancient Egyptians communicated solely through images…they were onto something with those hieroglyphics….basically, we’ve been at it for ages!

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Seriously though, art is a cultural pillar of society, whether you’re a fan or not. It’s always a cool thing to support, and organizations like MRPM Art Studio Tour Society are volunteer-run, so never a bad thing to show up. Especially because it’s FREE! I’m not much of an artist myself, but over the years I’ve developed a real appreciation for the amount of effort and creativity that goes into making a piece of art. Whether it’s painting, pottery, illustration, sculpture, or even paper maché or something weird like that, they’re all incredible vehicles of self-expression in their own respective ways. If you’re looking for a cute Mother’s Day activity, I highly recommend going to the Art Studio Tour this weekend. Check it out!!

Mother’s Day – Tell your mom you love her this weekend!

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So…did you remember? If not, don’t stress, because you still have a few days left until Mother’s Day this Sunday! Mother’s Day in North America is always on the second Sunday of May, which happens to be the 14th this year. This holiday is the perfect time to show your mom how much you love and appreciate all that she does for you. Different moms like different things–gifts, dinner, quality time, flowers, to just be left alone all day…there are plenty of options out there. I know my mom likes when the family spends the day together doing something fun, like a hike or picnic, weather permitting. A card is always a safe bet, too. A little note expressing gratitude and love will make her day, trust me. 

There aren’t any hard and fast rules when it comes to celebrating Mother’s Day–every family does it a little bit differently. It’s one of those holidays that doesn’t have any strict traditions, which can actually make it seem a bit more difficult to celebrate. That being said, where did the holiday originate? Outside of the fact that moms are awesome and deserve to be celebrated EVERY day, where did Mother’s Day originally come from?

The holiday is actually a lot older than you might guess…we need to travel all the way back to ancient Greece! The Greeks would hold festivals to honor a few mother goddesses: Gaia, Cybele, Rhea. These festivals were very early celebrations of motherhood. “Mothering Sunday”, a Christian ecclesiastical holiday, was also an early example of a motherhood celebration, with Medieval origins. Celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, the holiday made it through the Reformation, and has managed to stick around to this day in the UK, continuing on as simply Mother’s Day. If you’ve ever wondered why North America and the UK have different mother’s day dates, that’s why!

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The North American holiday really took off in the early 20th century. An American woman named Anna Jarvis organized the first Mother’s Day celebration as a way to express gratitude to mothers and to honor her late mother. She campaigned to have Mother’s Day be an official holiday on the calendar, and in 1914, former president Woodrow Wilson signed the holiday into official existence. 

Mother’s Day is also celebrated all over the world. Mothers EVERYWHERE deserve appreciation, after all. Spend some time with your mom this weekend if you’re able to, this kinda stuff is important and will make her day! Moms rock!!

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M83 @ The Commodore – Concert Review

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May 9th–Another day, another concert. This time around, I had the privilege of seeing French electro-pop group M83 at the Commodore Ballroom. 

They’ve got one big hit, “Midnight City”, that I’m sure you’ve probably heard at some point. Most likely 10 or so years ago, but, you know. The song was the lead single off of the band’s 2011 album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, and was met with international success. Lead vocalist and writer of the tune Anthony Gonzalez reportedly took inspiration from the nightlife of downtown Los Angeles for the lyrics. 

Back to the present, the group put out an album this year in March called Fantasy. It’s synthy, kinda ambient, and even has elements of space rock, which led M83 to drift away from the poppier stuff. I gave it a listen, and I can say that I’m a fan! Their second album, Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, will probably always be my favorite, but Fantasy was decent, if a little bland. The title track and “Amnesia” were good! Check it out if you’re looking for something a bit more chill to put on.

The Commodore and I are well-acquainted at this point. I’ve been to a lot of shows there, and I’d say it’s one of my favorite venues in Vancouver. The atmosphere is great–it’s a big enough space that more established artists can still play shows there, but small enough to still feel intimate. They’re also typically very good about staying true to advertised set times. Its only drawback is being located right on the always-lovely Granville street downtown. It was the perfect venue for M83, in my opinion, because they had some INCREDIBLE lighting and effects. 

The Fabulous Commodore Ballroom

Thomas Hawk / Flickr

Keeping with the Commodore’s streak of punctuality, the opener, Jeremiah Chiu, was on right at 8, and finished his set right at 8:30. He played some modular-sounding, beep-boop, electronic stuff–it was pretty neat but nothing really that notable. He was a cool guy, though, he took a selfie with the crowd at the end!

M83 got on at 9 (punctuality WIN), and MAN. They were incredible! They put on an amazing performance–their set felt very cohesive, and the order of songs made sense. Most of the songs were from either Hurry Up or Fantasy, but they did do a shorter version of my favorite song of theirs: “Run Into Flowers”.

I wasn’t expecting this from them, but it was actually a pretty hype show! The crowd was all riled up, and they had us clapping along to several tunes. One of the band members started crowd surfing mid-song, which was crazy but so cool. The French know how to put on a good show.

 

All in all, M83’s performance blew me away. They sounded amazing, the effects were mesmerizing, and their energy was magnetic. I had a great time and would definitely see them again!

Death Grips @ Harbour Convention Centre – Concert Review

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If you are someone who knows ANYTHING about Death Grips, then I’m sure you understand how major it was when they announced that they were going to be touring this year. I won’t get too into it, but they’re kind of an elusive group, to say the least. 

Death Grips

Montecruz Foto / Flickr

Death Grips is an industrial/experimental hip-hop group from California, and their live performances are somewhat infamous. Despite the fact that their sound is already harsh and loud, which makes their shows quite intense, sometimes…they don’t even show up to their own performances! DG was supposed to perform at the Chicago music festival Lollapalooza in 2013, but they decided not to show, and upon learning that they wouldn’t be performing, fans decided to destroy their equipment in outrage. Those are the types of people that listen to this group’s music.

These guys basically have a cult status in the music world, so when they announced they were touring in 2023, I was thrilled. I’ve been a big fan for a while, so I made sure to be at this show.

Death Grips were set to perform at the Harbour Convention Centre downtown, May 5th, doors at 8, show at 9. The times are IMPORTANT to the story, trust me. I had to finish up my newscast at school, so I rushed downtown and met up with my friends in line a little after 8. We were towards the front of the line, and they weren’t letting us in, but no big deal. Stuff runs late sometimes, it’s all good. 9 PM comes and goes, the sun has basically set, and the line hasn’t moved. We ended up getting let into the venue at TEN PM. Wow.

This was my first time at the Harbour Convention Centre, and it was definitely…interesting! It used to be Edgewater Casino, but got converted to the venue space that it is today back in 2018. The Edgewater Casino sign is still up, which is kind of funny. The interior also seems like it hasn’t been updated at all–it’s still very casino-esque. It’s a cool, but strange place. My favorite feature was the giant TV screen displaying a constant stream of ads for disposable vapes. Clearly, the Harbour Convention Centre hasn’t shaken its casino roots.

11 PM was approaching fast…and still no sign of the guys. Remember, they were supposed to be on at 9. NINE!! Given DG’s history, my friends and I were speculating that they weren’t going to show at all. Ghosted by Death Grips…

Thankfully, that DID NOT happen, because the guys got on stage and launched into their performance a little after 11! I gotta say, it was a WILD show. I’ve been to shows where I’ve gotten a pretty decent beating before, but this one probably takes the cake. At one point, someone tried to go up to crowd surf, and on their way up, they accidentally kicked me in the chin. I was fine, thankfully, but that was about the intensity threshold of the show. I came out of it COVERED in bruises, but it was so worth it. I had a great time, and Death Grips’ setlist was totally stacked. No new material, but they played all the hits, which rocked. I didn’t get much in the way of photos since I didn’t feel like losing my phone in the crowd ether, but my boyfriend did get this clip:

 

Despite the late start, it was still an incredible experience that’ll definitely take a spot as one of my favorite shows I’ve been to.

Avey Tare @ The Biltmore – Concert Review

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Avey Tare

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On Wednesday, May 3rd, I had the chance to see an artist who is very near and dear to my heart–Avey Tare. Avey, A.K.A. David Portner, is an American psychedelic/experimental folk & pop artist who is one of the founding members of the band Animal Collective. He put out a solo album earlier this year in February called 7s (pronounced “sevens”). It’s a great psych pop record! The album artwork is cute, and Avey’s electronic sound has a nice mix of poppy and ambient elements, especially on tracks “Hey Bog” and “The Musical”. His vocals are distinct and have great range, which is typical for his style. I recommend giving it a listen if it sounds like something you’d be into!

Anyway, back to the show.

Avey played at the Biltmore Cabaret in Mount Pleasant. It was my first time seeing a show at this venue, and as someone who is quite navigationally challenged…I did get lost trying to find the place. But I wouldn’t say that was the fault of the Biltmore itself, definitely my own Google Maps-induced directional incompetence. It’s got a blood-red exterior, not easy to miss if, like most, you know where you’re going. 

I arrived late (on account of getting LOST), so I caught the last couple songs from the opener, film director Danny Perez. He directed ODDSAC, which is a “visual album”film featuring music by Animal Collective. I can’t really comment on his set since I missed most of it, but from what I did hear, it sounded like pretty standard ambient, drone-y electronica. Nothing too crazy…he’s more of a visuals guy compared to audio. After he finished up and we were waiting for Avey to get on, I got a chance to explore the venue a bit. 

The Biltmore is super cool! It’s small–the ceiling is low to the ground, and it has a dark and gothic vibe. It also has a few pinball machines, one of them being Sopranos-themed. It’s an intimate space, perfect for smaller shows.

After my little romp, Avey started playing. It was just him on stage with his guitar and his beep-boop beats. His set was pretty good, mostly stuff from 7s but a few from his other albums, too. The best part of the performance was his closing song, “Chocolate Girl”, off of Spirit They’re Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished, an album he made with AnCo member Panda Bear (A.K.A. Noah Lennox). The version he played was really beautiful, and it was incredible to see this song live. Fun Sophie fact; “Chocolate Girl” was the first Animal Collective song I ever heard, and it introduced me to both the band and Avey’s work. Needless to say, it was a special experience for me…I may have even cried a bit. Maybe.

Avey’s show was chill and comfy, and I’m so glad I got a chance to see him perform. I also happened to catch him after he finished up and we got a picture together!

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Avey, me, and my boyfriend!

Overall, it was a great experience, and I would love to see him again in the future!