Arts

Before the pandemic, a very common question was “Do people still read anymore?” Now, Victoria author Susan Sanford Blades aims to blow that question right out of the water with her debut novel, Fake It So Real. Fake It So Real is an engaging read from a debut author. It serves as an interesting discussion […]

Romasa Insufferable Cave of Rotting Aspiration (Hand of Death Records) 4/5 This month, get ready for a new record from Louisiana-based sludge metal band Romasa; it’s called Insufferable Cave Of Rotting Aspiration and it will satisfy hardcore metal fans. Each of the three tracks on this EP have their own unique sound. The title track […]

Indigenous activism served as the spark for Open Space’s newest exhibition, LAND BACK. Open Space Indigenous curator Eli Hirtle was particularly moved by the activism that led to occupations and blockades across the province—and, indeed, the country—in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en resistance to the Coast GasLink pipeline. Hirtle had the opportunity to visit the Unist’ot’en […]

Northcote Let Me Roar (Black Box Music) 4.5/5 Good music is more then the stuff you hear on the radio. It’s the stories that the artist tells with his music that really makes the difference, and sometimes you have to dig a bit deeper to find those artists. By putting the stories he’s trying to […]

With so many venues closed indefinitely across the country, it doesn’t seem like the music scene will return to normal any time soon. But while tours are pushed back on what seems like an almost daily basis, there are a handful of innovative artists who are finding new and creative ways to take their act […]

Truly great art is often created during times of change. This is because great art comes from artists who are inspired by change. For example, Leonardo de Vinci created his famous Mona Lisa during the Italian Renaissance, a time where the very fabric of art was evolving into what we know and love today. 2020 […]

It’s been a Victoria tradition for a long time, and despite the obstacles it’s facing due to COVID-19, Antimatter film festival will indeed be happening this year. Antimatter, now in its 23rd year, celebrates film and other expressions of audio/visual artistry with a non-competitive, community-oriented focus; this year features over 100 films from more than […]

Metz Atlas Vending (Royal Mountain Records/Sub Pop) 4.5/5 Really superb albums are created by musicians who manage to figure out how to get out of their own way. What that means is that the artist must believe not only in their music and its messages but also in the faith to let their final product […]

“Monsters aren’t born, they’re made.” So says Jason Stevens, the sole actor/director/producer of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, which will run through October at Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria’s only 130-year-old fourth-floor ballroom. “It’s mesmerizing,” says Stevens of a good monster story. Stevens studied acting in London and worked as an actor in New York, and he has […]

The Victoria Festival of Authors is Vancouver Island’s largest celebration of books and book lovers. This year, it’s celebrating its fifth anniversary, it’s all online, and it’s all free. “It was really important to us that it was free,” says festival producer Laura Trunkey. “We just want to reach as many people as we can, […]