April 2 edition: Decolonizing fashion

Hey there. Another long weekend has come and gone, and now we are back in the horrors of a long (regular) week. 

Cherry blossoms are really starting to come into their own now, and Lonely Planet even noted the city as one of the seven best places in the world to see sakura. And, let’s be real, none of us have got the time to jet off to Yoshino or Paris or Macon, Georgia to go see how their blooms compare. Maybe we haven’t got it so bad here after all.

— V.
Associate Editor

FEATURE

Indigenous fashion designers in BC you need to know

These British Columbia-based Indigenous fashion designers use their clothing as art, sharing their culture, values, and history through fashion—from taking back traditional materials to quite literally saying “Land Back”. That’s what we call a fashion statement.

CITY & CULTURE

Sex//Work: 10 things sex workers wish you knew about sex work

Guess what: there are a lot of harmful stereotypes out there about sex work. Stripper Madelyn Monroe lays bare some of the biggest misconceptions people have about sex work, and why those views are misinformed. Ultimately, she writes, “the most harmful part of sex work is the stigma. The stigma is what keeps us apart from society; the stigma that we are unworthy of basic respect is what harms us.”

• Remembering Laura-Kay Prophet, the Vancouver Duck Lady

• Why pedestrians are brandishing bricks on Granville Island

• Check out the events taking place for Sikh Heritage Month

• Botanica Tulip Festival opens April 12th in Chilliwack with weekend Ferris Wheel fun and local food trucks daily! Secure your tickets online now!*

*sponsored listing

SPONSORED BY COLIN COWAN: LIVE TO TAPE | A HALF HOUR COMEDY SPECIAL

Colin Cowan's Comedy Special is now on YouTube

'LIVE TO TAPE' is Colin Cowan's debut standup comedy special. In this twisted and intimate half hour performance, he talks about his love-hate relationship with analog tape, being an east coaster living in the west coast, memories of his grandmother, being in a long term relationship, and becoming a parent. 

Colin Cowan is a comedian, actor, writer, producer & musician professionally active since 2001. His high energy and slightly maudlin sets can include anything from family, parenthood, age, dumb jokes, obscure observations, adolescent memories, crowd work, to sex, drugs, identity, Trump, American politics, and 20th century deep cut Hollywood impressions.

Some past credits include Just For Laughs Vancouver/Northwest, NBC's Trial & Error, The Second City (Toronto), CBC's This Is That, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Hubcap Comedy Festival, & Yuk Yuk’s On Tour. An avid shape-shifter, he can be found performing standup comedy and obscure-character comedy regularly onstage at clubs & revues around Vancouver when he is not on the road.

ARTS

Inside Mark Prosser’s colour-swirled Vancouver

Artist Mark Prosser has made a name for himself painting colourful visions of Vancouver landmarks. His work offers an alternate-history take on a city that loves to bulldoze its past. “If you have a passion for something,” he says, “it’s easy to be inspired by everything.”

• Review: Willow Pill is sweetly sacrilegious

• Uranium Film Festival explores nuclear ideas

• April 26 | "The People's Pervert" is back for a command performance. Yes, legendary, iconic & absurd, John Waters returns to the Rio Theatre with Devil's Advocate.*

• Graham Clark performs a 24-hour stand-up comedy marathon with the city's finest comedians to kick off the opening of Little Mountain Gallery, in Gastown!*

*sponsored listing

MUSIC

Country queen Vanessa Dee remains hardcore at heart

She might be making waves as a vocalist harkening back to the days of mid-century Nashville chanteuses, but Vanessa Dee grew up as a punk-rock theatre kid in the Fraser Valley. And country music is full of that rebellious spirit. “There is no other fucking genre that I can be in, as a female, where the attitude is, ‘I’m going to knock your fucking teeth out, and I’m taking off the ballgown to do it,’” she tells us ahead of her April 4 show at The Pearl.

• Mission Hill Winery is bringing heavyweights to its summer concert series

• Review: Tim McGraw gives the people what they want

SPONSORED BY ARTS CLUB THEATRE COMPANY

Coming Soon: Arts Club's Sexy Laundry

The romantic comedy Sexy Laundry is coming to the Arts Club's Granville Island Stage April 11–May 12. Don't miss your chance to see Vancouver playwright Michele Riml's international hit play—now translated into 15 languages!

FOOD & DRINK

BC Ale Trail names 31 breweries in its 2024 Vancouver Tasting Passport

Great news for local beer lovers: you’ve now got an excuse to hit up 31 of the finest breweries in the city. The BC Ale Trail has released its annual Vancouver Tasting Passport, taking in Yeast Van and Brewers Creek. Get stamps for buying drinks at participating breweries, and maybe win great prizes—or just the satisfaction of supporting local craft businesses.

• Novella coffee bar is closing down

SPONSORED BY ACUMEN LAW CORPORATION

Keep your licence

Whether you’ve received a DUI/IRP or a Driving While Prohibited charge, Acumen Law has a highly experienced team of driving lawyers, offering unparalleled legal support. Don’t let a driving prohibition ruin your life. Protect your rights, start your defence and trust Acumen Law’s expertise to keep you on the road.

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK

VISUAL ART 🖼️
Lens artists get chrono-philosophical in On Time. (To May 3 @ Pendulum Gallery)

COMEDY 🤣
Chicago comic Mark Thomson hosts a feel-good night of Happy Joyful Comedy. (April 2 @ The Lido)

FOOD AND DRINK 🍽️
Chambar is celebrating 20 years with a three-course menu at 2004 prices. A delicious bargain! (April 2 to 17 @ Chambar Restaurant)

THEATRE 🎭
A re-imagined version of Brecht’s Saint Joan of the Stockyards critiques corporatism. (April 3 to 13 @ Frederic Wood Theatre)

VISUAL ART 🖼️
Over 30 artists reinterpret sakura into fabrics in Cherry Blossoms: A Textile Translation. (April 3 to 28 @ Silk Purse Arts Centre, West Vancouver)

FILM 📽️
Trail Running Film Festival celebrates the insanity of throwing yourself up and down hills. (April 4 @ Rio Theatre)

MUSIC 🎤
Riot grrrl rockers Sleater-Kinney tour in support of new full-length, Little Rope. (April 4 @ Vogue Theatre)

TALKS 🗣️
Former Atlantic journalist Ed Yong on what covering long Covid taught him. (April 4 @ Mottled J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and online)

Want to know what else is happening in Vancouver? Check out our events listings.

That’s it!

Thanks for reading us today. If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to another Vancouverite.

And before you go, let us know:

• Did a friend share this with you? Sign up for free.

• Want to advertise to locals? Contact our team.

• Have a crazy or cool story to share? Drop us an email