Hey there.

Anyone else feeling the election blues? We’re almost there. We just have to make it through a second election, one that exactly one person wanted (and may now regret). As one of my friends said this morning (joking, I think), “I’ve lost the plot. Are we voting for B.C. to stay in Canada this time?” 

No, not that. It is about the future of our province, though. You almost definitely don’t need me to tell you to get out there and vote this weekend, if you haven’t already. But I guess I’m doing it anyway. As for predictions… I’m not ready to make a call yet. But I have been bumping this Spoon song a lot. 

— Nathan
Editor in Chief

Vancouver author Sam Wiebe recently took a break from writing murder mystery books to… write a nonfiction book about the history of film in Vancouver. Shot in Vancouver (a pun if you know Wiebe) is a detailed and humorous look at our city’s experience playing itself and many, many other places. “I wanted to be able to talk about the independent films, like the Bruce Sweeney and Mina Shum films, but also Timecop and the X-Files and the slightly goofier things,” Wiebe tells the Straight.

Our journalism is only possible because of Straight Insiders. 

In a time when technology is taking jobs, the Straight remains what it has always been: a small team of scrappy journalists, doing our best to cover the stories that matter to the city we all love.

For just $8.25 per month—the cost of one fancy latte—you can help support the 60-year legacy of the Georgia Straight. In exchange for your hard-earned money, we've got a huge range of deals, discounts, and free tickets up for grabs—but only for Insiders. 

Sign up today to help keep Vancouver weird.

In this razor-sharp thriller by Succession writer Lucy Prebble, Connie and Tristan sign up for a clinical trial testing a new dopamine-regulating antidepressant under close observation. As doses increase, so does their attraction. But as desire intensifies and side effects ripple through the study, one unsettling question emerges: is this love… or just chemistry?

Rumble Theatre (Vancouver) and ITSAZOO Productions (Vancouver)'s hit play is playing at The Cultch's Historic Theatre until October 25. See the play that The Guardian called an "intense and intoxicating encounter."

If you’ve been to a Canadian folk music festival over the last couple of years, the odds are pretty good that you’ve heard the frenetic, psychedelic, jazzy, and salsa-influenced sounds of Empanadas Ilegales. The Vancouver band recently put out an album and is throwing a release party at Hollywood Theatre. “Music is within all of us—it’s a commonality that we can connect with,” says drummer Daniel Ruiz. “Music can even connect us language-wise, right? I’ve experienced that in many ways, and I feel like it’s my privilege and duty as a musician to share as much as I can with people.”

*sponsored listing

Youth visited the 24/7/365 Directions Drop-In Centre close to 23,000 times last year—for fresh meals, safe shelter, job and housing supports, enriching activities, and more. Their doors are open day and night, ensuring unhoused and at-risk youth always have somewhere to turn. Learn more.

This season, Mitch and Murray Productions will mount three shows for the first time in its 14-year history, including Amy Herzog’s deeply personal drama Mary Jane, and Jonathan Spector’s Tony Award-winning satire Eureka Day. The latter dives into the issue of vaccinations, which, as hot-buttons go, is one of the biggest and most divisive of our times. “Our brand is shows which make you chew,” Craven says in an interview with the Straight. “You have to, as an audience, lean forward and participate.”

Every day, PHS prepares and delivers more than 3,900 meals for thousands of supportive housing and shelter residents across Vancouver. PHS is raising $2.1 million to expand its Food Program. Please donate today to help increase meal capacity and strengthen food security for those who need it most. 

Vancouver was hit by what councillor-elect Annette Reilly called a “Green wave” on Saturday night. Reilly and all her counterparts, including mayor-elect Pete Fry, were voted in to City Hall on election night, winning a hard-fought campaign that pledged for change against ABC Vancouver’s majority government. Asked what the city can expect from her personally, Reilly didn’t hesitate. “They can expect me to work hard. I love this city, and I’m really looking forward to digging in and figuring out where the gaps are.”

THEATRE: Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors puts some spins on the classic tale. (October 22 to November 15 @ Lindsay Family Stage)

MUSIC: L.A. shoegazers Dummy are giving off Free Energy. (October 22 @ WISE Hall)

MUSIC: Hoboken singer-songwriter Grace Enger is a Satisfied Girl. (October 23 @ Fortune Sound Club)

FILM: What’s this? A singalong screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas. (October 24, Presentation House Theatre, North Vancouver)

LIVING: WWF’s Climb for Nature takes the big stage. (October 24 @ BC Place)

COMEDY: Myles Anderson, Peter Carlone, and Ivan Decker tell some funny ghost stories. (October 24 @ Museum of Vancouver)

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

You made it all the way to the bottom, and we love you for it! Readers like you are what keep us going. If you want to support free arts and culture journalism, send this newsletter to a friend.

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 cool story to share? Drop us an email.