April 9: Heirloom's chaotic closure

Hey there. They say a change is as good as a rest, so I’m writing this newsletter from somewhere different: my parents’ house in the UK. 

That means literally anything could be happening at home in the 604. Record winds. Celebrity sightings. Hot new parties. Whales. Let me know the coolest, unlikeliest things I’m missing while I’m back in the land of mushy peas and Marks and Spencer.

— V.
Associate Editor

FEATURE

Once-vegetarian eatery Heirloom officially shutters, blames closure on “Deborah”

Who is Deborah? Why is Heirloom blaming them for its closure? Will Vancouver have any vegetarian and vegan restaurants left by 2025? Find the answers to all these questions and more—okay, maybe not the last one—as we unravel how the once-beloved South Granville mainstay has gone down in a blaze of spectacular pettiness.

CITY & CULTURE

Commentary: The latest CRAB Park “clean up” serves no one

Encampments, like the one in CRAB Park, “have allowed residents to build community, be in proximity to the services offered on the Downtown Eastside, work towards having their basic needs met, and have a level of autonomy and consistency not provided in scarce and inaccessible shelter spaces,” writes Chloe Wells. Read her commentary on why the displacement will do more harm than good.

• Is BC ready for wildfire season?

• Julie Dumbrell visits the fabled South Granville Psychic

SPONSORED BY VANCOUVER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Riopelle Symphonique: An Immersive Art & Concert Event

Riopelle Symphonique marks the VSO’s first truly immersive concert experience, elevating the masterpieces of Jean Paul Riopelle with orchestral music inspired directly by his visionary work.

The JUNO Award winning Riopelle Symphonique has had successful engagements in Montreal and Québec City, and is heralded as “an extraordinary event” (CBC Radio Canada) and “a beautiful spectacle that unfolds before our eyes” (Le Devoir). Audience members journey through Riopelle's works via videography on three custom built screens hanging from the Orpheum's rafters.

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and members of the Vancouver Bach Choir perform original music co-created by legendary singer songwriter Serge Fiori and composer Blair Thomson, conducted by Adam Johnson.

Don't miss this once-in-a-generation concert event. Saturday April 20 at 8pm at the Orpheum.

ARTS

A decade after her Drag Race win, Bianca Del Rio is still soaring

The devil works hard, but not as hard as Bianca Del Rio. The Joan Rivers of drag says “yes today, Satan” when she barrels into town tonight as part of her mammoth Dead Inside tour. And somehow, she still found time to sit down for a chat with us. “If you see me in a kaftan and a turban I’ve given up,” she jokes during a video call, ”but it is sequinned.”

• Can’t-miss arts events for April: the master list

• Here’s what’s on at Theatre Under the Stars this summer

• Urban Ink’s Homecoming explores diaspora and displacement

• Come watch the heartbreaking and heartwarming family drama 'This is How We Got Here' live on stage at Firehall Arts Centre from April 13-28.*

• Little Mountain Gallery is back! With a new location in Gastown that offers more space than ever to the comedy community and comedy fans alike.*

• 'LIVE TO TAPE' is Colin Cowan's debut half hour comedy special. Independently produced, it was filmed at Vancouver's legendary China Cloud Studios. Like! Subscribe! Share!*

*sponsored listing

MUSIC

Michaela Slinger gets hyper-local on latest tour

“I did a big tour last year—19 cities across North America,” Port Moody-born musician Michaela Slinger explains on a video call. “It was super intense, it was expensive. I most certainly did not make any money.” So instead, she’s setting off this spring on a new type of tour: bringing her beloved Nashville-style writers’ rounds to cities across southwestern BC. If you love intimate indie pop, it might be your dream night.

• Here’s the mega-mix of all the coolest concerts happening this month

• First-ever Country Club Country Music & Whiskey Festival has lassoed Tanner Adell to headline

• Canadian hardcore group Comeback Kid return to Vancouver this Thursday April 11th at The Pearl with special guests SPY, Juice and Fear Birds.*

*sponsored listing

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FOOD & DRINK

The Greek marks 40 years of garlicky goodness

Souvlaki, spanakopita, and gyros: the classics are a classic for a reason. These comforting dishes formed the cornerstone of Anatoli Souvlaki’s menu back when it opened in 1984. Two generations of the Makris family tell the story of how a little restaurant making Greek recipes in North Vancouver became a local institution.

• Social YVR has opened a revamped rooftop patio on the Drive

• One Great Thing I Ate: Chips and dip at Elio Volpe

• Three under-the-radar Metro Vancouver wines to try

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK

FILM 📽️
The International Uranium Film Festival goes nuclear. (To April 12 @ Cineworks Independent Filmmakers Society) 

THEATRE 🎭
Puccini’s La Bohème stands the test of time. (To April 13 @ Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Burnaby)

BOOKS 📖
Celebrate the launch of Tiná7 Cht Ti Temíxw: We Come From This Land: A Walk Through the History of the Squamish People. (April 9 @ Performance Works)

THEATRE 🎭
Experience a one-man masterclass in Tomatoes Tried To Kill Me, But Banjos Saved My Life. (April 10 to 13 @ Pacific Theatre)

MUSIC 🎤
Catch four upcoming artists for $4, featuring Kat Bryan and Elise Boulanger. (April 11 @ Fox Cabaret)

FOOD AND DRINK 🍽️
Savour the exclusive tasting menu from Lysée New York pastry chef Eunji Lee. (April 11 @ Botanist)

VISUAL ART 🖼️
Drop by the opening reception of Transformation and Adaptation, showing until May 5. (Aprill 11 @ Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver)

MUSIC 🎤
Hyperspace Metal Festival V is ready to burst your eardrums. (April 11 to 13 @ Rickshaw Theatre and WISE Hall)

COMEDY 🤣
Local roast battle champ Rachel Schaefer headlines the Comedy Here Often? Taping. (April 12 @ 604 Studios)

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

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