Aaaand, That's A Wrap. Thank You, Vancouver!Sep 26th, 2011 | |
 | *SPLAT* Wow. So. Um. How was your Olio weekend? Indeed, we are still trying to find the words ourselves. Jam-packed? Yes. Delights on your ears? And eyes? And funny bone? Yup. Buckets and butt-loads of creativity and fun? Sure thing. Little bit of withdrawal this Monday because now you have to wait a year again for that to happen? Most certainly. Between four busy days of concerts, live comedy, film screenings, art shows, and the skate comp, attended by over 8000 people, it's pretty natural to feel a gaping, Olio-sized hole in your life right now. Fret not. That feeling will go away at this time next year when we do it all over again. In the meantime, we'd like to thank everyone who came out to Olio Festival this year; the artists, the sponsors, the Olio-goers, the volunteers, and Vancouver. You folks are all terrific to the maximum, and we love you so much. Also, check out some weekend re-caps making the news: The Province reviews the roast of Mayor Gregor Robertson: http://bit.ly/rcHMYW Exclaim recounts the weekend in music: http://bit.ly/qgaDn6 The Georgia Straight reviews Besnard Lakes: http://bit.ly/oBNJze, Young Liars: http://bit.ly/mUbj6k, and Tommy Wiseau's "The Room": http://bit.ly/rhHlzW. Finally, to bask in some visual excellence of the events, check out The Futurists, who provided the best photographic support we could have asked for, right here: http://thefuturists.ca/ We love you. Good night. |
JamcouverisHERE!Sep 23rd, 2011 | |
 | Holy crap! Have you looked out your window yet? Admittedly, we may just be rolling out of bed after a wicked night of rampaging the city and seeing The Albertans, Bend Sinister, and Shepard Fairey's work along with a ton of other artists at Here Is Now, Painted Palms and Braids at The Electric Owl, Pins x Needles and Ladyhawk at the Biltmore, and a whole pile of other shows across the city. But this is no time to lollygag! It's Olio Saturday, it's sunny, and were excited because it's time for Jamcouver at the Waldorf Hotel! Yes! The Olio Festival Color Magazine Skate Competition is about to begin, and we have a few last minute announcements for you! First, for you poor souls that can't make it down today, stream the show online! For real. Push.ca is doing a live webcast, and you can watch it right here: http://bit.ly/qN2Cca Second, Color has deemed Jamcouver the event to launch Color 9.4 "The Lifestyle Issue"! Be the first to get you hot little paws on a copy at the event, and get a sneak preview here: Holy crap! Now, enough of this interweb business! We have a busy day ahead, and it's go time. Remember, follow us on Twitter (@oliofestival) for all the most current Olio news, and check out the schedule for the day at http://bit.ly/rkJ7ME. |
Olio Muthaflippin' FRIDAY! The 'Boo Show at Third GallerySep 23rd, 2011 | |
 | Your head might be spinning a bit try to figure out exactly what to do this evening. We know, you are sitting there with your festival guide in your lap, weighing your options. "Here Is Now or Patrick O'Dell? Suuns or Braids? Fun or fun?" Sigh. Isn't life hard. On top of it all we'd like to throw The 'Boo Show at Third Gallery into the mix! It's a big ol' art party thrown by our stellar sponsor Cariboo Brewing, and features a whole bunch of awesome Cariboo-centric artwork by a whole bunch of awesome artists. Here's a preview of the show on Flickr: http://bit.ly/qYXEh8 Plus, it's the pre-party for the Camobear Records 10 Year Anniversary bash at The Cobalt. So warm up for a big evening with a few 'Boos while feasting your eyeballs on some wicked art at 434 Homer Street, and when that's done you can roll on over to the Cobalt to see DJ Rhek, DJ Chong Wizard, Tachichi, Evil Ebenezer, and The Chicharones. See ya there. |
Olio Classic Comedy Roast: "...And I Gotta Say, The Abs Match The Face."Sep 23rd, 2011 | |
 | Well, that certainly didn't suck. Olio Festival kicked off last night with a bang. Although we couldn't be everywhere at the same time, we most certainly caught some rad Thursday night action. Here's a brief highlight reel, in text format. #1: The roast of Mayor Gregor Robertson. With leaked recordings of Gregor's voicemails from such folks as Jimmy Pattison, the Sedin twins, and the Vancouver Public Library, bike jokes galore, running commentary about just how freaking handsome he is, and a slew of roasters, the jam-packed room at 560 was on the brink of peeing their pants many, many times. #2: Cave Singers at Venue. Man, these guys can get a room dancing. It was just plain old fashioned good times rock'n'roll'n'folk'n'country-type stuff, and a boot-stompin' great time, indeed. #3: Glass Candy at Republic. Holy bass-face. That was loud. And groovy. And sweaty and dancey and everything an electro-clash show should be. It was hard to believe that only two people on stage could rock out like that, but they did. Next up, we're getting stoked for day two! Follow us on Twitter (@oliofestival) and on Facebook for the most current updates on all the events and fun to be had. Wristbands and tickets are still available too, so don't miss out. See you tonight! |
It's happening! Like, Right NOW!Sep 22nd, 2011 | |
 | Here we go, people! We're just about to head off for the evening and start soaking in the sweet sights and sounds of night one at Olio Festival 2011! We just wanted to give you a little extra kick with one of our favourite songs by Cave Singers, who will play with Two Towns and Junebugs tonight at Venue. Check out this foot-stomper, "Dancing On Our Graves" from 2007's Invitation Songs, here: http://bit.ly/c1Bop And then scroll down just a weeeeee bit for full schedule details for this evening, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter for all the latest happenings (@oliofestival). And then get the eff off of your computer already! It's show time. |
Like Christmas, Only Better. Because It's Right Now!Sep 22nd, 2011 | |
 | The wait is finally over, and we are just as happy as Mr Van Halen right there. Maybe happier! Welcome to Olio Thursday, fair people! It's like Christmas, except with fewer belligerently drunk family members and way more music that you actually want to listen to. In just a few short hours, the first events will be kicking off, including the Classic Comedy Roast of Mayor Gregor Robertson at 560, Chromatics and Glass Candy at Republik, Cave Singers at Venue, Graham Clark's highly anticipated Beard Painting at Little Mountain Gallery, The Coppertone at Railway, AraabMUZIK at Fortune, and a whole sac load more. Check out the full schedule for tonight here: http://bit.ly/r0xZJC In the coming days, stay in touch with us on Twitter (@oliofestival) for updates and general statements of jubilee, as well as checking in here on our website. And heeere we go... |
Biltmore Saturday! Now 30% Bigger!Sep 21st, 2011 | |
 | Great news, folks. We've had huge support for the festival this year by the City of Vancouver, and your Saturday night is about to get at LEAST 60 minutes better because of it. For Olio Saturday at the Biltmore Cabaret, Toronto turntablists Jokers of the Scene will be heading the Glory Days bill with local DJs Rico Uno, Sincerely Hana, and My! Gay! Husband! Usually we get the boot at 2 AM, which isn't so bad. But this is Olio weekend and for that, the City has extended the curfew until 3 AM! Party late! Exclamation point! As usual, admission is included with your Olio wristband, but tickets are available at the door for $15, too. Check out more event info here: http://bit.ly/nOHVLm, and we'll see you there. |
We're Going to Make You Feel Like a Kid AgainSep 21st, 2011 | |
 | Did you know that the average child laughs about 200 times per day? "Wow. That's a LOT!" We know! We said the same thing. Did you know that the average adult only laughs about 15 times a day? "Wow. That is horses*t!!" WE KNOW! But we did something about it. It's the Comedy Lineup at Olio Festival this year, and it kicks so much ass that you'll be out-laughing every kid across the city. You can check out the list of hilarious shows in there entirety right here: http://bit.ly/num0c6, and we'd like to highlight a few we are particularly excited about. First, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson will be getting roasted this Thursday (tomorrow, indeed). Written and performed by The Party, we're pretty sure it's going to be a memorable one. Get a sample of what The Party has done previously right here: http://bit.ly/lvR4Hc. Next, we've got Steel Viper Force, a film screening before "The Room" on Sunday. If the name doesn't say enough, this little preview will: http://bit.ly/oePNWY. Satirical action movie? Yes please. Last, Dave Shumka, Alicia Tobin, and others will be performing at the Laugh Gallery at the Biltmore on Saturday at 8 PM. Not only is this high-density laugh factor, it's good bang for your buck. Did we mention these folks are funny as heck, too? Check out some more info here: http://bit.ly/exk3nL and here: http://bit.ly/fixLN9. Take all of these things into account, and technically speaking your laugh count will be off the charts. |
Jamcouveriscoming Jamcouveriscoming Jamcouveriscoming!Sep 20th, 2011 | |
 | Vancouver has been itching for a skate competition for long enough. Itch no more, sweet city, because Olio Festival and Color Magazine have just the pokey-scratchy remedy for you. That remedy is JAMCOUVER! This Saturday, The Waldorf Hotel will be overtaken by BBQ's, beers, people both young and old, and riders that will compete for some nice cash prizes from Girl, DC, Vans, Baker, and Quicksilver for best tricks and best teams. So come hang out with 40 of your closest kickflip-attempting friends, from 12 PM to 6 PM. Admission is a measly $10, but if you want to save that and parlay it into something else (like perhaps the Idiot Glee and Blood Diamonds show in the hotel that night?), contact local skate shop BLVD (http://blvdskateshop.com), Antisocial (http://antisocialshop.com), or Underworld (http://bit.ly/qyG6Il) to get FREE admission. Jam on. More event info here: http://on.fb.me/p0SkwR (Please note that this event is separate for Olio day and weekend wristband holders.) |
Summer Sun Slam Series, Episode 4: "I think creativity just LOOKS like you're high."Sep 19th, 2011 | |
 | Oh, good! The wait is over. It's Episode 4 of the Olio Festival Color Magazine Summer Sun Slam Series. In this special Crab Park edition, your host Cam hangs out with artists Ben Jaques, Justin Gradin, and Doug Wideen, the collaborative behind Oops Fantasy, a fine art book project feature illustration, collage, and painting. The four dudes kick it on the dock in the bay, teeter on the totters, bust out badass raps, and discuss the ideas behind their work. There are masks. There is jumping around. There may or may not be acid talk. They wear masks. They're fun folks. Watch the video here: http://bit.ly/pPPx4M Oops Fantasy will kick off Olio Festival on Thursday, September 22nd (YES! This Thursday) at The Waldorf Hotel. The boys will have books for sale, and will be taking over the whole darn place with their multi-media prowess. More details here: http://bit.ly/neoLhx |
10 Reasons to Celebrate 10 Years of Camobear Records: #1, Get GreenSep 19th, 2011 | |
 | Yessss. Olio Festival is only three sleeps away. We're getting so excited that we have to show you in every way possible, and on this fine Monday morning, we're going to let you in on one of Olio Friday's biggest events. That would be the Camobear Records 10 Anniversary Party at the Cobalt. Check out details right here: http://bit.ly/pqa834. Tickets are only $13, but if you've got a wristband, it's already covered. On the bill, we've got DJ Rhek, DJ Chong Wizard, Tachichi, Evil Ebenezer, and The Chicharones; all artists representing Camobear for this big fat fun bash. Here's a little taste of what you are in for. Just yesterday, this brand new single from brand new Camobear recording artists Zzbra dropped, and we're sharing it with you. Here. First. It's good shit, people. Zzbra are Vancouver hip-hoppers Moka Only and Evil Ebenezer. Check out "Green" (with a special appearance by some special Canucks superfans), right here: http://bit.ly/rjKs7f Not enough? Stay tuned. We've got nine more reasons for you to be there this Friday, September 23rd. |
Baby You Look Broke, But That's No Excuse to Miss Glass CandySep 18th, 2011 | |
 | A piddly four days is all that remains between you and Olio Festival. More importantly, you and and Olio's Glass Candy show at Republic. Oh right, and Chromatics will play too. Oh right, and RadioZero DJ's will play too. So, you want to go to this night of indie electro disco glam rocking good times? Of course you do. But wait, the weekend has come to a close, and you may have spent a few too many of your pretty pennies on your Saturday night shenanigans. Are we right, or are we right? Well, that's okay. We have the remedy. We love you like kin, like friends, like BEST FRIENDS! So until tomorrow (that's Monday) at midnight, you can purchase a ticket to this Olio triple threat bill for only $15, a special BFF rate. That's $8 less than the regular ticket price. Like we said, we love you. So check out the sweet sounds in store for you right here, with "Geto Boys" by Glass Candy: http://bit.ly/5W2Yn Then head over to the ticket page stat and get yours: http://bit.ly/obLKlb See you there. |
Summer Sun Slam Series, Episode 4: Guns, Guns, Bleeding Fans, and More GunsSep 15th, 2011 | |
 | Welcome to Episode 4 of the Summer Sun Slam Series, brought to you by Color Magazine and Olio Festival. Starring in this installment are new wave punk rockers from Vancouver, White Lung! Join us as host Cam Mcleod literally shoots the shit, and chats with the band about committed bleeding fans, touring with Nu Sensae, and an experiment in good old fashioned politeness, as they take up target practice at the gun range. Check out the video right here: http://bit.ly/nerZ71, and then stop, drop, and roll your way over for event details on White Lung's Saturday night show at Pat's Pub right here: http://bit.ly/phckBu |
Olio Arts Preview: An Interview With Shepard Fairey, Part 3Sep 14th, 2011 | |
 | In the final chapter of our three-part interview with artist Shepard Fairey, Chad and Shep elaborate further on their earlier topics of discussion (just scroll down the page for parts one and two). The two go deeper into dealing with making money as a well-known artist, anonymity in street art in the age of social media, the world-famous Obama "Hope" poster, and how bass-ass and surprising it still is to get called up by, oh, say, Iggy Pop. A collection of limited edition Shepardy Fairey prints will be part of the Here is Now exhibition at No Limits on Friday, September 23rd. More deets right here: http://on.fb.me/pzUrMh CB – So what do you do? How do you situate yourself? SF – The way I explain it, I try and use an ‘inside-out’ strategy. If I were trying to be propagandizing about myself a little more I might call it a ‘Robin Hood’ strategy. I make money from doing what I do, I give a lot of money to charities, I found my street art. If I hadn’t ‘sold out’ a little no one would even know who I was. Because I’ve founded the entire proliferation of my work by either doing graphic design commercially or selling art. There’s no conversation without the capitalist side of it. Which is really ironic and hilarious to me. People seem to think that just because Banksy doesn’t talk about the commercial side of what he does that the shit just spontaneously appears out of thin air. He just knows that people want these martyr-type figures to project onto and have this fantasy about. Me, I’m de-mystifying with what I’m doing. I’m trying to be very, very upfront about the realities of how you have to do things as an artist and not be ashamed of it. Banksy’s strategy is to keep it all really secret and let people continue to fantasize. CB – Which is kind of one of the most brilliant marketing strategies to have these days, keeping that veil of mystery up. SF – Oh yeah, absolutely. Because everybody has camera or videos on their phones and everybody is oversharing on Facebook. It’s pretty tough to do what he’s done. He’s a friend, you know? But for me it was always about being forthright about my template for how I do things to hopefully help other people figure it out and maybe accelerate their learning curve. CB – I’m sure you’ve talked it to death, but I wanted to ask you about the Obama “Hope” poster and how you feel now, a couple years on, about having produced what is perhaps the defining image of what seemed like a zeitgeist like moment in American history? SF – I’m very proud of that poster, but I don’t think it’s the best thing I’ve ever done or anything. I think it resonated and was important because it was able to capture how passionate people were about what Obama could potentially bring. And Obama himself deserves a lot of credit for how pervasive the poster became and how big a part of his campaign it became. But the thing that makes me really happy about that poster is that it utilized some techniques that I think were a little bit different from what you’d expect from political posters and then it had some techniques that you would expect from political posters enough that it immediately came across as political and patriotic and mainstream enough to be palatable to a wide group of people. But aesthetically it was a little bit different than most of the stuff that was out there. And the fact that it wasn’t created by his campaign or a powerful organization that was supporting him…it was just created by me. It was a tool of grassroots activism that was spread in a grassroots way. It was never officially associated with the campaign, and yet it made that much of an impact. So when people try and say, ‘There’s no point in trying to do anything, all the powerful people have it locked down,’ I say, ‘No. Check out the Obama poster. Bam.’ CB – Do you consider yourself a political artist? SF – Well, my art embodies all the things that are important to me; wanting to make powerful pictures, wanting to promote the concept of questioning things, to promote concept of self-empowerment. And to promote myself. I mean, there’s an Ego in every artist’s work. I started off feeling powerless and it (my art) being very selfish, like, ‘Hey! I exist. Acknowledge me.’ And there was a humor to that too. But I think it all comes back to the idea that I’d like to use my art to shape things into the way I’d like to see them shaped. That’s always going to have a political component to it, whether it’s an of-the-moment topic or a more timeless issue. But once you say you’re a political artist people will be like, ‘Oh, but you haven’t commented on the Anthony Weiner scandal. I thought you were up on it. I thought you were political.’ Some of the stuff I make is very decorative and promoting peace and harmony in a way that’s much more sublime than some of my other stuff, which is very obvious. It’s all just a way to satisfy different aspects of my personality. CB – For myself, growing up skateboarding and drawing, pretty much the greatest thing I could imagine was for something I drew to be used on a t-shirt or a board graphic. Do you ever step back and look at something like the Obama “Hope” poster and have some staggering realization of the extent of the reach of your art in regards to where you started from? SF – (Laughing) It’s totally surreal, man. I’m still such a fan of a lot of the people that I guess I can now call peers. I’m trying to act cool but I’m totally giddy inside. I’m in New York and I’m walking down the street and someone calls my name and I turn around and it’s Lance Mountain. The Bones Brigade, you know? Or I’m at home and Iggy Pop calls me on the phone. Shit is mindblowing. It’s so cool. And I’m still doing stuff in skateboarding. I’m about to do some stuff for the 30th anniversary of Transworld Skateboarding coming up here. I really like the idea of feeding into that cycle of inspiration that shaped me. The board graphics by Jim Phillips for Santa Cruz, or Vernon Courtlandt Johnson for Powell – any of that kind of stuff – that I can now be part of that cycle of inspiration is just cool. And it’s not only something that’s validating, it’s almost like I have an obligation to do it, because that culture did so much for me. I’ve got kids now, too; a three year old and a six year old. So the idea of passing stuff is really important to me right now. |
Olio Film Preview: "What if Random Doesn't Exist?"Sep 13th, 2011 | |
 | Prinzip Zufall (Random Principle) is a German film (with English subtitles) made in 2011, and we are proud to be screening it at Olio Festival alongside several other stellar shorts. Directed by Romeo Grünfelder, Prinzip Zufall is a 25 minute film about psycho-physicist Dr. Johannes Hagel, who relates to synchronicity phenomenons that can hardly be validated. According to Hagel's hypothesis, a toy train set shows the predicted anomalies after thousands of passes. Finally a broken bulb shows even to the son, who seems to live in a parallel soccer universe, that his father's experiments have far more impact than assumed. Watch the trailer here: http://imdb.to/rsFEBX Prinzip Zufall will play at Cineworks on Thursday, September 22nd on a bill that includes Everything Louder Than Everything Else, and several other international flicks as a part of Olio Festival's Little Films. For ticket info on this evening of eye-opening film-making (which is also cheap as heck at $7 for the whole night), check out the event page here: http://bit.ly/oTKMDL |
Olio Saturday: Decisions, Decisions, DecisionsSep 13th, 2011 | |
 | The big fun Saturday night slot at Olio is going to be one for the books. You may feel like your head will explode from having so many places, events, and bands to chose from on the Olio roster; that's a perfectly natural way to feel, because that's basically what it will be like. Fret not (or fret a lot), because we're here to make that decision harder! We're just going to talk all awesome-like about one of the events for Saturday, taking place at The Cobalt. Just like that nice poster to the left there says, Sitka Surfboards and Toms Shoes are super duper excited to be presenting a Saturday night show to compete with all other Saturday night shows. There's a little something for all parts of your music palette. We've got Vancouver punk rockers Peace. AND we've got Vancouver fuzz rockers (with their first full-length studio album, Postively 4th Avenue, hot off the press), Sun Wizard. Aaand, we've got the sweetest, dreamiest, most sun-soaked commodity to come out of the Fraser Valley since raspberry season, Pitchfork-headline-maker and dance-floor-orchestrator, Teen Daze. Think something along these lines: http://bit.ly/fZfltS It's going to be decent to say the least, so keep your head on straight, get the facts over here: http://on.fb.me/r8Ddz7, and make some educated decisions about your plans for Saturday, September 24th, at Olio Festival. There's no wrong answer, and this one is just oh-so-right. |
... Makes You Feel Like Lurking, Contemplating, and Hiding at the Same TimeSep 10th, 2011 | |
 | Babe Rainbow, aka Cam Reed, is most often classified as an experimental electronic artist; unfortunately, that doesn't even come close to describing his music, mostly because of its complexity and depth. Experimental and electronic, yes, but you will likely get a better idea of what Babe Rainbow sounds like simply by stringing a bunch of adjectives and verbs together. So let's try that. Babe Rainbow sounds like: Dark, moody, spinny, nauseous, slow, droned, deep, meticulous, thoughtful, honed, skilled, GHB-laden, lost-in-the-dark, blinded-by-the-light, downward-spiralling, launched-from-a-canon, and trance-tastic. Or something like that. Plus, he's mastered the art of making music videos that also project all these words that may or may not describe his sounds. With two EP's (February 2010's Shaved, and Endless Path, from June this year), and four volumes of the Let Me Buy You, Anne Drank mix tape under his belt, he's gone from playing the back alley dives of East Van's Goody (which we hope he never ceases), to playing shows in New York and LA. And lucky us, we get him back here for Olio Festival for the Saturday night slot at Electric Owl. Check out show details here: http://bit.ly/oDWcOl Then, get warmed up (or freaked out) for Cam's set, and check out the EP's, mixtapes, videos, and more at his website over here: wwww.baberainbow.com. |
Olio Arts Preview: An Interview With Shepard Fairey, Part 2Sep 10th, 2011 | |
 | There are only 13 days left until Here Is Now opens at Olio 2011. We gave you part one of Chad Buchholz's interview with Shepard Fairey a few short days ago. We've left you hanging long enough; on this fine Saturday morning, we are happy to present you with part two. In this segment, Chad and Shepard get a bit philosophical about street art, touch on Banksy's influence in it, and discuss the negative backlash that can accompany fame and success in the art world. For more info on the one-night-only Here is Now exhibition, and getting your hands on limited edition prints by Fairey, head over here: http://bit.ly/q8YPIm Read on, and check back with us soon for part three. CB –Part of your philosophy with your work is that you want to make people question their relationship with the space around them. Do you differentiate between different forms of street art and the ability of each form to perform subversively? SF – I look at all art in the streets as a personal catharsis for the artist and an act of defiance, and it’s valuable and political just in that way. But I think having a dialog with an audience is valuable. I don’t really want to say I see a hierarchy in street art or graffiti. There’s room for it all. Even the bad stuff, it can be part of an artist’s evolution to making really great stuff. Banksy’s early work wasn’t so great. A lot of people’s early work wasn’t so great. But now they’re seen as important artists. And if they hadn’t had the street as an outlet it might not have been in their nature to go through the usual channels and we wouldn’t have them now to contribute what they contribute. I look at street art in the same way I look at free speech. It’s necessary to have all of it. You might not like everything you hear, but knowing that people can say things that are challenging and often really important in evolving ideas, that’s fundamental to a rich culture. I don’t think certain venues need to be curated, because the next thing you know, whatever I’m saying or whatever I’m putting up in public space someone’s saying, ‘That’s not the way you’re supposed to do it,’ or, ‘That’s not what’s in fashion right now,’ or, ‘That’s not politically correct.’ Everyone loves to be a gatekeeper, you know? It’s fucking annoying. So it’s not necessary the quality of the work; it’s more the sensitivity to how it’s integrated that I wish I’d see more. There are people that I respect because they figure out a way to get up, be visible, and not be a dick. (Laughter). And then there’s other people who are just like, ‘I feel slighted by the world, and fuck everyone, fuck you, I’m gonna be the biggest dick possible.” And that’s really selfish and immature, but that’s going to be part of it. CB – From what I’ve read, it seems like you’ve had to deal with a lot of negativity. It seems like there’s a lot of people out there who want to have a go at Shepard Fairey. How do you deal with that? SF – Yeah, just the fact I’m saying these things, there’s going to be someone out there saying, ‘Oh yeah? Fuck you. I don’t think that. You’re established. You sold out. You’re the man now.’ Whatever. I mean, do I sound like the man to you? CB – No. You sound like a good dude. (Laughter) SF – But seriously, as much as it hurts me when my stuff gets attacked – and it really does, because I feel like I’m coming from the same place as people out there who are very frustrated, and I just find ways to channel it as constructively as possible – I’ll advocate for a kid with a can of flat black over the city of New York or a person that owns a bank and wants to stop graffiti from happening on their bank any day. Because it’s essential to retain the idea that you can still have an impact on the world even if you don’t have the money to have a million bodyguards or the ability to take out billboard advertising or whatever. Democracy doesn’t really exist, you know? The ‘One person, one vote’ idea doesn’t really work, because there’s too much going on behind the scenes for it to do so. Street art gives people a way in which they feel like they can have an impact, even if it’s purely symbolic. CB – And doesn’t it seem like the term ‘Selling out’ is so archaic? I feel like, if you can make money making art, you should make money making art. Like with bands: no one’s buying music anymore, so if someone comes along and wants to use your music for a car commercial or whatever, if it means you can continue making music, then do it. You know? SF – Yeah, I’ve never had a problem with that. But if a street artist were a band, it wouldn’t just be, ‘Don’t license your music for a car commercial,’ it would also be, ‘Don’t have concerts where people have to pay.’ Like, the only way as a band you could keep it real the way street artists are expected to keep it real is if you took all your shit and played on the street corner. And the minute you sold one T-shirt you would be a piece of shit, you know? I don’t understand why the criteria is so strict in street art, except that perhaps it’s because people are so frustrated by the way advertising insinuates itself everywhere and infiltrates every aspect of their life that they want something that has no commercial aspiration. I understand that emotion, but it’s also really unrealistic for the survival of the people who are creating this stuff. The audience sort of throws all their hopes for authenticity into this medium, but meanwhile they’re being complicit in all the variables of making capitalism work how it works. I know that sounds long-winded, but I mean it like, you’re going to the Gap and you’ve got your Nikes and your gas-guzzling cars, but then you love the idea that street art is ‘pure.’ But you’re never going to live up to the same standards themselves. It’s unfortunate, but I just keep saying to myself, ‘This is the world I chose. No one made me do it.’ |
Olio Film Preview: "I know there's not a lot of pointing involved, but... it's poignANT."Sep 9th, 2011 | |
 | Directed by Vancouver's Rob Leickner, Everything Louder Than Everything Else is a semi-docu-narrative dramedy (seriously) about a recording studio run by Sylvie, a woman who is struggling for balance between having a successful business while maintaining integrity in the Canadian music industry. It's a look at the turmoil that goes down inside the walls of the recording studio, set to the tune of a Vancouver-centric cast and crew. The filming takes place at Vancouver's Hive Creative Labs (actually run by Leickner himself), which has housed Vancouver's Black Mountain (you bet your ass that's Steve McBean in that pic), Pink Mountaintops, Ladyhawk, and Seattle's Cave Singers for their 2007 debut Invitation Songs. It follows the ups and downs of Sylvie, the studio crew, and ficticious musicians (all played by real musicians), in a deadpan, cynical, and quite honest light to paint a picture of what the Canadian music recording scene is like. There may not be a lot of pointing, but it is poingnANT (please watch movie clip below). Okay, enough synopsis. You get it, so click on over here http://vimeo.com/15759132 to watch the trailer. And then, click on over here http://vimeo.com/24825534 for one of ELTEE's scenes. Olio is proud to be screening the film as a part of the festival this year. For more info, check out screening and ticket details on our site's Film Lineup area, right here: http://bit.ly/pFElJ2 |
Olio Arts Preview: An Interview With Shepard Fairey, Part 1Sep 6th, 2011 | |
 | Shepard Fairey is an illustrator and graphic designer from South Carolina. Famous for his illustration shown in the photo here, Fairey has never limited his work to one type of canvas; from t-shirts to skateboards, to the streets, he uses whatever he can to get his messages out to the world. Olio Festival's Chad Buchholz had the opportunity to chat with Fairey at length about his work and views, in anticipation of Fairey's show in conjunction with Here Is Now at Olio Festival 2011. In part one of the interview, the two discuss street art and it's place (or lack thereof) in society. Check back with us in a few days for part two, and head here http://bit.ly/oszZpG for details of the exhibit. CB - On the radio yesterday I was listening to a young man who was a recent college grad and former graffiti writer talk about Vancouver’s revamped graffiti reduction program. He was talking about how graffiti writing was an ‘addiction’ for him, and how it wasn’t until he met his ‘victims’ that he changed his ways. I wanted to know how you felt about street art/graffiti being spoken of in these terms. SF – Well, it’s complicated. There are a lot of people who are ‘victims’ of a lot of things. It’s a real slippery slope once you decide one person’s a victim it’s pretty easy to just go and find something that makes every person a victim. Life’s imperfect. But the real thing about street art or graffiti that I believe is that it’s a natural human need to express oneself and empower oneself. Most people feel the need to do this in a way with the least amount of rules or sanctions. But I think the best way graffiti or street art can work is if people keep in mind their needs as well as other people’s needs. With my own work I’m always trying to find spaces that are paid for by the taxpayer – which, you know, I’m a taxpayer, I own part of that public space, it’s fair game – or private spaces that are derelict, abandoned, in disrepair. Somewhere where the art isn’t going to mar a pristine surface. But that’s just my personal approach. I don’t want to create unnecessary grief for people or make people so turned off to my approach that they completely overlook any potential merits in what I do or in what anybody does in their work on the street. It’s counterproductive, in my opinion. But that’s just me. I think survival is a thing that most people want, and anything that they associate with feelings of asserting their existence or their will to survive, that can be something they need and that they can become addicted to. When you don’t bring in a lot of money, when you don’t receive accolades from something you do in a sanctioned way, the validation of going out and saying, ‘That doesn’t matter, I see the evidence of my existence (in my graffiti) and I’m unstoppable,’ I think that can be very addicting to people. CB – How do you feel about designated art walls, commissioned pieces, and other attempts at civic control of street art? SF – Well, I applaud cities for giving sanctioned walls. I don’t necessarily think that because they give a sanctioned wall it’s going to eliminate graffiti because graffiti and street art are ways to avoid bureaucracy. The whole idea that in life you’ve gotta stand in line for everything and beg for an opportunity is really counter to the impulses that drive graffiti. I do think that it’s great for those opportunities to exist, but I don’t think that the city who has the walls has the excuse to penalize graffiti more harshly because they’ve created an alternative that’s still barely more accessible than getting a show at an art gallery or any other sort of sanctioned opportunity. I saw it when I was growing up skateboarding in Charleston, SC. It’s pretty conservative, and people were being arrested for skateboarding. One of the ideas that came up was, ‘Well, we’ll just build a skate park, and anybody who doesn’t skate at the skate park then we’re justified in sending them to jail.’ (Laughter). You know? There isn’t room in the skate park for every skateboarder. People are still going to have to go out on the streets. It’s the same idea. You know, I own my own office building and people tag on it and we clean it off and sure it’s a pain in the ass, but I’m not going to prosecute the people that do it. Looking at things as a reasonable human being, it’s like, I’m so fortunate that I can afford my own building. Like, I don’t know the person that’s painting on it – maybe they’re a wise-ass or whatever and maybe they don’t appreciate what it takes to pay taxes and maintain this building and there are aspects of the graffiti-ing that are sucky – but I mean, shit, I have my own building. There’s a lack of understanding and empathy from the people who are trying to control public space. And there’s a lot of people who are just scared. They’re scared of chaos. Chaos is the only thing guaranteed in life. Guaranteed. And people think ‘Oh my god we’re letting weeds grow’ or ‘Oh my god there’s graffiti; we’re slipping into chaos.’ It’s just this artificial idea that chaos can be controlled and order can be maintained, but I think these people are really working against their own position by trying to control these little acts of defiance. But that’s just the way some people are. It’s just their nature. |
Olio Festival Comedy Preview: Meet Charlie DemersSep 5th, 2011 | |
 | As a staple of Vancouver's creative scene, comedy in particular, Charlie Demers is a fellow who has his fingers in many of this city's funny-pies. Pie #1: CBC Radio 1's The Debaters, a comedic head-to-head where guests argue a case for such age-old disputes as cake vs. pie, coffee vs. tea, and cats vs. dogs. He is a regular performer. For example: http://bit.ly/nQgRFv Pie #2: Author of Vancouver Special, a in-depth look at the past, present, and future of the city's dichotomous nature and what made and makes Vancouver so Vancouvery. Like so: http://bit.ly/d1iI21 Pie #3: Humourous contributor to Vancouver Is Awesome, a online magazine centered around how awesome Vancouver is. As in: http://bit.ly/9GTGrn Pie #4 (and our pick as tastiest): Olio Festival 2011 performer of hilarity. Ta Da: http://bit.ly/rssksm So now you know who this man of many talents, Charlie Demers is. And we know you certainly enjoy funny-pie (or is funny-cake better?), so come out on Thursday, September 22nd to catch Charlie Demers as part of Olio Festival 2011, and laugh until pie comes out of your nose. |
Summer Sun Slam Series, Episode 3: Your Whole Life is a BuffetSep 3rd, 2011 | |
 | *Air punch* Oh snap! It's Episode 3 of the Olio Festival Color Mag Summer Sun Slam Series. In this edition, Cam has a chit chat with Bronx Cheer member and aspiring medieval knight, Craig Anderson, who will be performing as part of Olio Festival's comedy line up this year. Watch Cam and Craig spend a relaxing afternoon at Maplewood Farms in North Vancouver, and discuss the finer things in life over icy cold Cariboo's, such as strolling on hamburgers, rattan birds, and Craig's dream baseball team. And if that isn't enough for you, we assure you that there is goat-milking, Craig-massaging, and bucket-kicking galore. Check it out here http://www.colormagazine.ca/videos/post/3299, and get stoked! |
Olio Festival Headlners Preview: Get To Know AraabMUZIKSep 3rd, 2011 | |
 | Who's got two thumbs, hails from Rhode Island, is the MVP of the MPC, and whose first album was Best-New-Music'd by Pitchfork? Abraham Muthaf*(kin' Orellana, aka AraabMUZIK, that's who. A producer on the Dipset label, Araabmuzik isn't just your run-of-the-mill sampler of sounds; he distinguishes himself by plucking from trance and electronic music instead of jazz and soul music. And what the hell is an MPC, anyways? We're glad you asked. It's short for music production centre, a machine used to create drum beats with velocity-sensitive pads, record voice tracks using synthesizers, and create samples. Basically, it's an all-in-one music making machine. Because these neat little toys have the capacity to do so much, they aren't exactly easy to master. So if you want to see some serious spastic fingers, some musical multi-taskery, some production prowess at work, we highly recommend getting yourself down to Fortune Sound Club on September 22nd to check out AraabMUZIK's show. Until then, see him at work on "Streetz Tonight" off his 2011 debut studio album Electronic Dream, right here: http://bit.ly/pzvJWC |
Cave Singers: Not Your Typical Seattle BandSep 2nd, 2011 | |
 | Okay, we’ll admit it. Seattle has spawned a lot of music that some people may or may not automatically pigeonhole into a certain genre. Any mention of the rainy Pacific Northwest city, and one’s mind is directed to Nirvana. Pearl Jam. Fleet Foxes. Soundgarden. We could go on. Maybe the first band that comes to mind at the mention of Seattle isn’t Cave Singers, but with Olio Festival 2011, we’re aiming to change that. Now touring for their third album, No Witch, Cave Singers’ music is sometimes evocative of contemplative, dark days; but to get a real idea of what they’re all about, you’ll have to throw in washboard percussion. You’ll have to throw in hints of country twang. You’ll have to add upbeat guitar rythms that make you want to get up and clap and stomp around a campfire, rather than sulk over another drizzly day. Seattle and its environment are Cave Singers foundation, but they break the mould of what some may consider “typically” Seattle to make a specific type of indie-folk music that’s infectious, thoughtful, and sincere. If you need a bit more convincing that these fellows will do nothing short of impress the pants off you on Thursday, September 22rd at Venue, check out their video for "Dancing On Our Graves" off of 2007's Invitation Songs, right here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssN2_B7351U And then stomp on over to our ticket page and get yours, because these headliners are going to sell the place out. See you there. |
Olio Festival’s First 48 Hour Film Challenge: What’s It All About?Sep 1st, 2011 | |
 | This year, Olio will be hosting its first 48 Hour Film Challenge. “Okay,” you say. “That’s all great, but what does that even mean?” It means that 30 teams will register in a competition. It means each team will begin with an inspiration package (including objects or ideas that will guide or motivate their film), and a secret theme. It means that in the 48 hours between September 23rd at 4:00 PM and September 25th at 4:00 PM, each team will make a three-minute film. It means each of these teams will shoot an entire film, from writing the script and screenplay, to filming, to editing, to polishing sound and music, to formatting it for the SFU Theatre in a mere 48 hours. It means that the best film, as decided by Olio’s panel of industry judges, will take home $1000 cash. It means that if you have want to register, hop on over here to sign up now: http://bit.ly/q1LtYT It means that if you want to watch some badass renegade Vancouver filmmakers at work, you should be at Woodward’s SFU Theatre on Sunday, September 25th at 7:00 PM. And that’s what it all means. |
Olio Arts Preview: Meet Patrick O'DellAug 30th, 2011 | |
 | Who's got two thumbs, is Photo Editor of Vice Magazine, photographs everyone from back-alley punks to beautiful supermodels, from grungy city scenes to wide open plains, and has a solo photography show coming up for Olio Festival 2011? Patrick Muthaf*(kin' O'Dell, that's who. O'Dell, from Columbus, Ohio, is based out of New York now, but got his start as a skate-ographer back in 2001 working for Thrasher Magazine in California. His artistic reach now extends into VBS.TV, where he is the host of skateboarding show Epicly Later'd, his own photoblog at http://www.epiclylaterd.com, along with showing in solo and group shows around the continent. And that brings us right back to our corner of the globe, good ol' Vancouver, where O'Dell will be exhibiting a new body of work at Antisocial Shop in a show titled "Skateboard Showcase". You should come see it. Check out our interview with O'Dell, and more info for the September 23rd show here: http://bit.ly/oLclXj |
Jokers By Name, Remix Masters By TradeAug 29th, 2011 | |
 | If you haven't heard of Toronto's own DJ-duo remix-messiahs, Jokers of the Scene, now is the perfect time to change that. Ready to descend on Olio Festival 2011 in only 26 days time, they're cranking our anticipation into high-gear with this juicy Auburn remix, just released. Have a listen right here: http://www.sluttyfringe.com/site/2011/08/wrapped-up-in-the-complexities-of-a-new-science/ It's 7 minutes and 26 seconds of punchy, pulsing, electrogasmic, 808-fueled music that will leave you pining for their September 24th show at The Biltmore just as much as we are. In the meantime, head over to their Soundcloud page here: http://soundcloud.com/jokers-of-the-scene, and satiate that hunger for a little while longer. You'll be glad you did. |
Like Pork Rinds, Only Way, Way BetterAug 27th, 2011 | |
 | Allow us to introduce to you The Chicharones, the hip-hop duo of Vancouver-based Josh Martinez and Seattle-based Sleep. Known for their killer high-energy live performance, it's no wonder that Spin mag called them the "best bar band in America." Here's a small dose of what could be in store if you check out their Friday night slot at The Cobalt: "Breaking Point" off their 2005 debut full-length album, When Pigs Fly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quLF_bQdaz8 The Chicharones: All the goodness of those tasty, crunchy, salty snacks, with 100% less fat, and 300% more funky beats. What's not to love about that? |
Free Sampler: Fresh Track, Care of Sun WizardAug 24th, 2011 | |
 | You heard us correctly! Vancouver's own Sun Wizard dropped a brand new single today, called "Middle of My Heart". It is the first off the band's first full-length album, set to be released mere days before their Saturday night slot at Olio Festival 2011. The album, "Positively 4th Avenue", isn't out until September 20th, but thanks to Magnet Magazine you can download the MP3 of the single for free right here: http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2011/08/24/mp3-at-3pm-sun-wizard/, right now! Now that you're hooked on Sun Wizard, lay down the piddly $10 for your ticket, already! They're available exclusively at the Sitka retail shop at 1864 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6J 1M3. Or, give them a call at 604-568-9935. They'll play with Teen Daze and Peace at the Cobalt on September 24th, for only ten bucks. But if you're getting a ticket anyway, why not just one-up-it, and get a wristband for the whole weekend, right here: http://olio.kodintickets.com/purch.php. Just think of all the shows you can see. You have been warned! |
Summer Sun Slam Series, Epidsode 2: Get to know Teen DazeAug 19th, 2011 | |
 | Happy Friday, folks! You've made it through another week! Good for you. What better way to start your day than with the second installment of the Color Magazine: Olio Festival Summer Sun Slam Series? Last episode, we kicked it with local rider Wade Desarmo (Seriously! Just scroll down a bit). In this episode, we switch gears to feature homegrown Olio headliner and dream-pop hero, Teen Daze, as he and your host Cam MacLeod take to the track at the Richmod Go-Karts. Check it out at Color Mag: http://www.colormagazine.ca/videos/post/3272/teen-daze Cam and Teen Daze discuss important and pressing topics such as his recent success opening for TV on the Radio, the perfect summer weekend, the hilarity/danger of water slides. And don't forget; you can check out Teen Daze, along with over 70 other music acts and more by picking up your Olio Festival wristband now for cheap right here: http://olio.kodintickets.com/purch.php. Now, let the weekend begin. |
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