May 16 edition: The city’s favourite cocktail bar

Hi there. It’s hard to believe it’s mid-May already; where did the time go? At least we’re one step closer to Victoria Day and a long weekend. 

Is it kind of weird to have a day celebrating a monarch who died 123 years ago? Well, I don’t have a Canadian passport. And one day I would like one. So if anyone asks, I love Queen Victoria.

— V.
Associate Editor

FEATURE

Squamish action figures poke fun at the PNW lifestyle

Every stereotype about someone from the Lower Mainland has some kernel of truth to it. That’s why Seabus Memes is so funny, after all. Find your PNW-sona in this collection of action figures from photographer Steve Andrews—with a pinch of salt, of course, as to whether any of it’s real.

CITY & CULTURE

As the Canucks and Oilers continue their on-ice war, Vancouver and Edmonton fans go at it on X

Partly because flying to Vancouver is too expensive for Oilers fans, and partly because no Canucks fan of sound mind ever goes, “Man, I really want to see Edmonton before I die,” duking it out with rival hockey fans hasn’t happened in-person. So, it’s YVR vs. YEG on the internet—and, somehow, the site formerly known as Twitter is still the premier sports fan battleground.

• Commentary: What I learned from climbing the Grouse Grind (twice) while chugging beer

• Legendary short story writer (and sometime-BC resident) Alice Munro has died

• Acumen Law provides an exceptional legal defence for DUI/IRP and driving prohibitions, ensuring your rights are protected and you stay on the road.*

*sponsored listing

SPONSORED BY THE DANCE CENTRE

The Dance Centre presents a world premiere by tap dancer Danny Nielsen, May 23-24

Tap phenom Danny Nielsen joins forces with pianist/percussionist Kristian Alexandrov for In Conversation, a deep dive into the symbiotic relationship between tap dance and jazz piano. Don’t miss this celebration of tap and musical artistry!

Two nights only, at Scotiabank Dance Centre: get your tickets here.

ARTS

Not Your Butter Chicken takes a personal look at Western Canada’s rich South Asian history

Shiva Reddy—sommelier at Burdock and Co and the food and drink columnist for CBC’s On the Coast—is the star of new docuseries, Not Your Butter Chicken. Travelling through mid-sized cities in BC and Alberta, the series charts how South Asians formed community in Canada. “In Kamloops, I had no idea about the sawmills that were there and how much hard work the Sikh community did there,” Reddy tells us. “How they created one of the first temples in BC, and how strong that community still is.”

• New arts and culture hub 825 Pacific opens downtown

• Mark Your Calendar: Westcoast Comic Con coming to Vancouver

• Celebrate the art of dance with Arts Umbrella Dance Company’s Season Finale. Taking place from May 23 to May 25 at the Vancouver Playhouse.*

*sponsored listing

MUSIC

Childish Gambino headlines Rogers Arena ahead of retirement

Donald Glover has done a lot with his life. His Grammy-winning musical project, Childish Gambino, is only one avenue he’s found huge success in—but it’s soon coming to an end. The polymath announced this week that he’ll be retiring the name once his next record, Bando Stone in the New World, drops this summer. So if you want to hear “This is America” live, this might be your last chance.

• Review: Ben Gibbard pulls double duty on the Death Cab For Cutie/Postal Service anniversary tour

• Concerts at the Pier brings free live music to White Rock

• Here are the DJs performing at Public Disco’s Granville Island Block Party

• Dead Ghosts celebrate their 'Hippie Flippin' record release at Rickshaw Theatre next Friday May 24th with Mother Sun & Dragon Enterprises. Get your tickets now!*

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SPONSORED BY DAVE NICHOLSON

Independent Investment Advice - The way to your future

Free weekly email newsletter full of investment suggestions along with estate and retirement planning ideas published by Dave Nicholson. Regulated by CIRO and a member of CIPF.

"Solid work Dave! For anyone who doesn't know Dave is a honest guy. If you're anything like me you care about that" - Ben Sarma

FOOD & DRINK

The Keefer Bar endures as one of Vancouver’s most innovative cocktail shrines

Keefer Bar, the self-styled Chinatown apothecary, is consistently rated one of the best cocktail spots in the world. So it’s no surprise that these beloved mixology pros won the Golden Plates Award for Best Cocktail Bar. “The pitch to me was that it was going to be a cocktail bar, Chinese medicinal-inspired,” general manager Keenan Hood recalls. “And I was sold on it—I wanted to be making cocktails here. Then I saw the pictures of the place and it seemed wild—I’d never seen anything like it.”

• Ways to celebrate BC’s spot prawn season

• Chef’s picks: Hector Laguna, executive chef at Botanist

• Long-time Italian favourite Cioppino’s is closing

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

THEATRE 
Two young fathers grapple with adulthood in A Case for the Existence of God. (To June 9 @ Pacific Theatre) 

VISUAL ART 
Three new exhibitions open in Port Moody today, including Métis woodcarver Pat Calihou’s Connecting With Our Culture Through the Places We Sit. (To July 18 @ Port Moody Arts Centre)  

DANCE 
Luminesque Company presents its annual showcase, The Ways We Bloom. (May 16 @ Scotiabank Dance Centre)

TALKS 
Learn about Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Part of a CapU lecture series on women artists. (May 16 @ Ferry Gallery Building, West Vancouver)  

MUSIC 
Charlotte Day Wilson proves why she’s one of the best Charlottes in the biz. (May 17 @ Vogue Theatre) 

FILM
Pedal power: HUB Cycling hosts the 24th annual Bicycle Film Festival. (May 18 @ Rio Theatre)

COMEDY
The funniest queer people in the city assemble for That’s gay! (May 18 @ Little Mountain Gallery)

DANCE 
Illustrative Society’s Icon blurs movement and movies. (May 18 to 19 @ Scotiabank Dance Centre)

VISUAL ARTS 
The Prop House explores the extraordinary collection of Mount Pleasant Furniture. (May 18 to August 18 @ Griffin Art Projects, North Vancouver)

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

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