February 22 edition: Cheap and cheerful eats still exist

Hey there. What do you get up to when your boss is on vacation? It’d be nice if it was a chance to chill out a bit, but here at the Straight it means we’re all pulling even harder to try and keep everything sailing smoothly when we’re down a captain. 

So while our erstwhile leader takes a well-earned break on the other side of the world, we’re pounding those triple-shot espressos to keep things ticking over. Or, I would be, if I had a coffee machine.

— V.
Associate Editor

FEATURE

Pop Eye: Once again, we wonder what’s going on with Britney Spears

This week saw a whole range of weird Family Day—or, if you’re American, Presidents’ Day—happenings. The Canucks squandered an easy victory to lose to the Minnesota Wild; John Oliver offered Clarence Thomas a retirement he wouldn’t forget; and Britney Spears continues to revel in her conservatorship-free life by doing whatever she wants.

LIVING

Why are there so few off-leash parks in Vancouver?

Maria Stanborough crunched the numbers for us: Vancouver has more than 250 parks, but only about one in six has an off-leash space. By contrast, more than a third of Vancouver households have a dog. We can argue about who even has the room, money, and pet-friendly strata to be allowed a canine companion in the first place, but the fact remains there’s very little space to let your dog run free—especially downtown.

• Burb’s new UBC joint is the first cannabis dispensary at a major university campus

• Rugby. Party. Repeat! Grab your cowboy costume or beaver onesie and get ready for HSBC SVNS Vancouver, returning to BC Place all this weekend! Tickets are going fast, so get them while you can. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!*

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ARTS

How Masha Alyokhina turned Pussy Riot’s protests into a museum exhibit

It’s not often you find yourself interviewing an artist who broke out of confinement, fled to another country, and then shared the story for the whole world to hear. But Pussy Riot’s Masha Alyokhina is no ordinary artist. She tells us about how Velvet Terrorism, an exhibit charting the feminist collective’s anti-Putin protests, came to be, and what we can expect when it opens at the Polygon Gallery next month.

• The Vancouver International Burlesque Festival is set to stun

• Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel is in town—and has some spicy takes

• Renaissance sculptures inspire Voirelia Dance Hub’s De/Formed Revival, a spellbinding journey of transformation. Coming up February 29 as part of The Dance Centre’s Discover Dance! noon series.*

• Arts Umbrella Dance Company returns to the Vancouver Playhouse March 15-16 for Midseason, a program featuring world-class repertoire and new works by leading contemporary choreographers.*

*sponsored listing

MUSIC

Bass Coast announces first acts of 2024 lineup

BC’s grooviest weekend of bacchanalian revelry is marking its sweet 16 this year. Bass Coast has announced the first wave of acts performing at the music/arts/rave/psychedelics festival, with Brooklyn-based rapper Leikeli47 and Maine-grown producer Of The Trees headlining the show. We’ve got the details on who else is going to light up the Merritt night.

• Local punk legends D.O.A. are going to tear it up at the Commodore

• Desert Daze Nights North returns to The Pearl Feb 29th with Boogarins, Levitation Room & Moonlight Years. Grab your tickets for a night of psych-rock!*

*sponsored listing

SPONSORED BY FIRST IMPRESSIONS THEATRE

A fast-paced and acrobatic theatrical circus

Called the funniest farce ever written, Michael Frayn’s Noises Off, a play within a play comes to Deep Cove's First Impressions Theatre from February 22 to March 9.

FOOD & DRINK

A guide to Metro Vancouver’s best greasy spoons

How did we, collectively, agree that the image of an unwashed spoon dripping in fat was the indicator of a lovable cheap-as-chips breakfast spot? Etymological mystery aside, if you’re in the market for affordable fry-ups, cozy comfort food, or somewhere to nurse your hangover, then look no further: we’ve gathered some of the region’s best greasy spoons, including the ones so woven into the neighbourhood fabric that they don’t even exist online.

• Gringo marks both Margarita Day and Tortilla Chip Day with great deals

• Award-winning bartender Hisatsugu Saito returns to The Keefer Bar for one night only

• Blake Lively’s Betty Buzz mixers are launching in Canada

SPONSORED BY THE OUTDOOR ADVENTURE & TRAVEL SHOW

See It! Do It! Live It! At The Outdoor Adventure Show

Get amazing pre-season deals on the best outdoor gear and travel experiences at this exciting event featuring hundreds of exhibitors. Discover hiking, climbing, camping, kayaking, canoeing, and adventure travel, plus be inspired with presentations from seasoned travelers and experts. 

Use promo code Straight24 to get $2 off tickets to The Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show March 2 & 3 at the VCC.

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

THEATRE 🎭
The Fo Collective present an unaffordability farce in Low Pay? Don’t Pay! (Feb. 22 to March 3 @ 198 West Hastings Street)

VISUAL ART 🖼️
Seven local emerging artists offer up their Transforming Visions, opening tonight. (Feb. 22 to March 15 @ Lipont Gallery)

DANCE 💃
DanceHouse and Dancers of Damelahamid present Vástádus eana – The answer is land. (Feb. 23 to 24 @ Vancouver Playhouse)

FILM 📽️
Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival returns with 70 high-altitude movies. (Feb. 23 to March 3 @ various locations)

WORKSHOP 🎨
Artist Lucky Munyi leads a lantern-focused free tea and paint pop-up. (Feb. 24 @ Chinatown Plaza Mall)

MUSIC 🎤
Aussie prog-metalheads Caligula’s Horse ride into town. (Feb. 25 @ Rickshaw Theatre) 

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

That’s it!

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