Photo credit: Stefan Lins on Flickr

This blog still exists, in case you are wondering. Maybe you are a regular who is surprised to hear from me again after so long. Or you’re here for the first time because I gave you a business card or you clicked my link on Facebook, or you Googled me for some reason.

Whoever you may be – here you are at mainwriter.com – so welcome. Perhaps you’ve already noticed this blog has gone without new content for several months before this post. It’s because I’ve been pouring most of my blogging vim into Speaking of Safety – where I write about safety and danger in the workplace. It makes me mad to think of people exposed to danger so others can make a profit from them, and I spend a lot of time soliciting personal stories.

Lately I’ve been thinking about this blog again because I want to share some of the many smart, creative ideas from different people, “crowds,” and communities I mingle with. New videos are on the way, including comedy sketches, skate vids, commentaries, and other madness. Collaborators are always welcome, especially if you aren’t shy, don’t take yourself too seriously, like attention, and have an outrageous streak! Until then, thanks for visiting, and let me know if you have event info to share. xo

Electro busker on Commercial Drive

Commercial Drive is wonderfully freaky to begin with. That’s one thing I love about living in this neighbourhood where there’s seldom a dull moment. But Electro busker brings a whole new mood to the place – a slightly hard-to-describe mood – using synthesizer gear from Flower Electronics.

Drones, squeals, gurgles, and pulses fill the air as Electro busker clips cables and twiddles knobs. Frequencies ascend and descend. People walk by with a variety of expressions on their faces. Some are smiling. Others scowl.

“I guess you get a lot of different reactions to this!” I say.

“Oh yeah!” says Electro busker, with a laugh. “Some people say ‘It’s not music.’ They tell me to get a job. I already have a job. I work in construction. I do this to unwind.”

Here’s a YouTube vid of Electro Busker outside the Commercial Drive post office. Sensitive folks be warned: his YouTube handle includes a bad word!

Thanks Electro busker for livening things up even more!

Art and photo by Toby Main

Alex Usow aka Rhek holds up the shirt designed by Rob Geary based on a t-shirt meme that started with the names of the Beatles

Alex Usow (Rob Geary’s sales partner) told me the design was based on a series of t-shirts that started with an original “John & Paul & Ringo & George” and had a long history. This made me very curious – so I went home and googled “Beatles names t-shirt” and found a 2005 article T-Shirt-ism by Experimental Jetset, an Amsterdam design company.

The company produced a “John & Paul & Ringo & George” in 2001. Two years later, Experimental Jetset was receiving people’s own versions of the shirt (which you can see via the link above).

Other versions include: “Paul & Ace & Peter & Gene” and “Brocoli & Potatoes & Beef & Gravy” – with dozens, maybe even hundreds of variations.

This t-shirt is the East Van pride version and it’s available at Sharks & Hammers at 56 Powell St. and at Boulevard Skate at 1340 Commercial Drive.

Today we saw a guy wearing one in the line-up of Continental Coffee on Commercial Drive – looking very stylish.

Bill Gotts, owner of Doctor Vigari Gallery on Commercial Drive in Vancouver.

Who is Doctor Vigari?

Doctor Vigari is not an actual person. Bill explained that his first studio was in an old store on Victoria Drive. One night, his friend rearranged the letters on the old grocery store sign outside and spelled Doctor Vigari.

The name of the gallery was born. Since then, it has been in a few locations on Commercial Drive – selling jewelry, painting, furniture, sculpture, and other pieces made by artists from B.C. and Canada.

The name issue came up when my son and I went to visit Doctor Vigari at the new location at 1816 Commercial Drive, between 2nd and 3rd Ave. My son told Bill: “I always think this place is called ‘Doctor Viagra.’” As you can imagine, 10-year-old boys are likely to giggle mightily at the mention of Viagra or any word that sounds at all like it. Bill said many people tell him the same thing.

Squiddy table by Straight Line Designs

Available at Doctor Vigari on Commercial Drive in East Vancouver

Toby spent his $40 birthday money from Granny Dawson on a silver pendant and necklace. It’s a silver birds nest with two eggs in it.

We also saw painted matchboxes that make an affordable gift at $14.

Once again the gallery is neighbours with the toy store It’s All Fun & Games. They were neighbours at their old locations at Commercial and Charles. I wrote about Fun & Games on March 5 in my post Following our favourite toy store.

Best wishes to Doctor Vigari for a great summer in the new location. I hope lots of people go there and see all the cool stuff and take some home with them.

Elder Brenda Wesley demonstrates the dance of the whale at CRAB park at today's Canada Day Celebration

Only a few people accepted her invitation to dance, but as they rose and moved to the drum – which became “the heartbeat of the Earth” – the sun made a brief, magnificent appearance.

It was the only time I saw the sun all day.

In this photo are two of the blankets created in celebration of the four lifespans of the ages: newborns, grandmothers, adults, and tiny tots. Each blanket, which contains a story within it, was presented to someone from each age group.

Volunteers served hundreds of hotdogs and people lay on the grass enjoying the music of Circus In Flames, Micheal VanEyes and his Lot, and Blackberry Wood.

“2010 marks the 23rd year of Crab Park as an official park for the people of the downtown eastside,” reads the Facebook invite that gave me the idea to check out the festivities. “This is your park, not a private corporate entity’s park. Crab Park is a much-needed, waterfront greenspace in the immediate area of the downtown eastside. Come out and experience the beauty of this park and take in some fabulous music as well!”

So I accepted the invitation and went down there with my son. We had lots of great conversations with local folks – including a man named Paul who volunteers with youth at the Carnegie Centre gym. Paul had been watching Toby wrestling gleefully with a new friend and said he sees a future in wrestling for my boy. Toby beamed with happiness, completely flattered, and showed Paul his flexed arm muscles.

Paul nodded at the flexed muscle and said: “Oh I know. I can see it! Just make sure you eat a lot – and be good to your mom!”

Suzy Birstein and my son Toby at the last class of Clay Days for Homelearners

But luckily for him, Suzy is offering Summer in the City Art Camps for children at her Kitsilano garden studio in July and August. Kids from 6 to 16 can “experience the wonders of ceramics, mosaics, paper mache, and painting” in these week-long classes.

In case you are wondering, I’m not getting paid to say this! I just want other families to know about the opportunity to work with Suzy because of the great energy and atmosphere of her classes. They play music and talk and laugh while they create – while also attending to technique and making some beautiful pieces of art.

I wrote about the homelearners class in more detail in my March 29 post: Ceramic artist Suzy Birstein offers home learners class

Suzy is also one of the founding members of Artists in Our Midst – an annual art show and two-day Art Walk in which members of the public are invited into artists’ homes and studios. The most recent one was in the beginning of May – and I’ll try to remember to remind you next year.

Thanks so much to Suzy for sharing her passion with my son. We will definitely be back – and maybe one day I’ll take one of her classes for adults.

Photo credit: Olivia Donaher-Dodd

Dance performance at IGNITE! Youth Arts Festival at Vancouver East Cultural Centre on May 19, 2010

My son heard about the performance yesterday from one of his friends at Windsor House and begged me to take him. The theatre performance was at 6 and the dance showcase was at 8, with the whole she-bang ending at 10. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to both because four hours seemed a bit too long.

But I agreed, somewhat begrudgingly, because I wanted my homeschooled son to spend time with his peers and see their work. In the end, I was so happy we went because it was a fantastic set of performances – far beyond my expectations.

And the entire thing was created by youth (13 to 24) including writing, performing, lighting, sound, stage managing, media relations, and promotion.

An annual event

“Every year, for one week in May, The Cultch is taken over and transformed by young people… in what has grown to be Vancouver’s largest youth-driven arts festival,” reads the IGNITE! website. “The festival includes showcases in music, dance, and spoken word, the world premiere of three one-act plays, a visual arts exhibit, variety shows featuring improv, drag, circus arts, and much more.”

We saw two plays – first: OUR TIME, written by Christine Quintana and directed by Brendan Albano

. This play had a creative well-developed storyline about a young girl facing the future after high school graduation – with a few unexpected twists and turns. The second: TOP SECRET was written by Deborah Voght and directed by Rachel Aberle

 and dealt with the issue of a couple of young gay guys “coming out.”

The dance show – Swish – featured more than 80 dancers from around the city. Dance styles ranged from breakdance to bhangra, tap dance to interpretive drama dance – and it was held together with a wacky drama about a school on another plant studying dance as an example of human weirdness.

The IGNITE! Youth Arts Festival runs til May 22.