New Earth Bandits 2 whimsical experience despite design flawsNew Earth Bandits 2 is the newest production from SNAFU, an alternative theatre group that focuses on unconventional expressions of theatre instead of the expected sit-down format. This approach creates a more immersive experience, often with interactive elements, and seems to be mostly based around an improv format. The immediate vibe I got from the […] Continue Reading |
New Earth Bandits 2 offers choose-your-own-adventure theatreFor centuries, theatre has been a fairly static affair where the audience gathers in an auditorium and quietly watches an ensemble of performers. However, a local theatre group is on a mission to defy all of that. SNAFU Society of Unexpected Spectacles prides itself in creating non-linear unconventional productions that appeal to a wider demographic. […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: David Franklin Courtright off to amazing start with Brutal TendernessDavid Franklin Courtright Brutal Tenderness (TODO) 4.5/5 While David Franklin Courtright now resides in Los Angeles, the singer/songwriter, originally from Atlanta, draws inspiration from his roots—music such as Appalachian folk, classic rock, and southern hip-hop. His debut album Brutal Tenderness is an emotional journey about a queer boy forced to hide his true self who […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Bloodletter’s fourth album thrilling invitation into the darknessBloodletter Leave the Light Behind (Wise Blood Records) 4.5/5 The fourth album from Chicago thrash-metal band Bloodletter has been unleashed, and it’s one not to be missed for any fans of the harder genres. The group has been around for over a decade, but prove with Leave the Light Behind that they are still brimming […] Continue Reading |
Dual performances highlight Indigenous storytellingOn the night of Friday, July 25, I went to Langham Court Theatre to see Gold and The Boy in the Treehouse. I’ve been writing for Nexus for about eight years; during this time, I’ve reviewed dozens of plays. Every time I see a production, whether it’s widely recognized or brand new and just hatched […] Continue Reading |
Great Works Theatre Festival presents timely mix of comedy and tragedyChallenging audiences with relevant issues, the Great Works Theatre Festival features two plays presented in collaboration through Puente Theatre and Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre that will be performed at the Belfry Theatre. The plays on offer are a modern retelling of Blood Wedding, originally by Federico Garcia Lorca, and a classic rendition of David Hirson’s […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Völur and Cares deliver breathtaking collaborative effortVölur/Cares Breathless Spirit (Batke Records) 4.5/5 Close your eyes and let Toronto-based experimental doom metal band Völur and solo sound artist Cares take you on a fantastic adventure with collaborative effort Breathless Spirit. The album is musical storytelling at its best—most of the narrative beats are told with carefully crafted classical and metal. Listening to […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Allo Darlin’ stuck in 2010s naivetyAllo Darlin’ Bright Nights (Slumberland Records) 2/5 On a warm, windy afternoon in 2012 I lay on unattended grass listening to acoustic Jens Lekman and Cat Power, determining my 10-year plan. It was this young woman who believed sporting a carefully teased bob as a career-barista would be most fulfilling. By now, then, I’d be […] Continue Reading |
Museum exhibit looks at artists behind protest musicThe Royal BC Museum’s Beyond the Beat: Music of Resistance and Change exhibit centres on protest music throughout the decades, boasting a wide range of paraphernalia—from Neil Young’s harmonica to the jacket of Public Enemy’s Chuck D. The goal of the exhibit is to illustrate how music functions as a catalyst for social change and […] Continue Reading |
Art exhibit asks viewers to contemplate protection and refugeArchitectures of Protection—an exhibit currently running at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV)—examines themes of refuge and safety. Specifically, AGGV curator Toby Lawrence says that it asks viewers to reflect on what the idea of protection means to them. “The exhibition is essentially looking at and trying to consider the idea of protection within […] Continue Reading |
