Best Art Exhibit
franken forest

Nestled amongst the Rembrandts and El Greco at the Agnes Etherington was a three piece exhibit by local artist Don Maynard that explored the complex relationship between humans and nature. The exhibit showcased the ever-changing perspective of the viewer; at first glance “Flock” appears to be paper airplanes, but moving a couple steps forward turns the planes into aluminum pieces piercing the wall. In “Franken Forest” Maynard encased trees in different materials, creating some of the exhibit’s most dynamic and stimulating pieces like what I affectionately called the “Christmas tree on steroids.”

Best Play
the mikado

QMT has had a sensational year, with their ambitious spring production of City of Angels and their fall masterpiece, The Mikado. The operatic Mikado was the real star of the year, due in large part to the talented cast who brought the love story to life, but added a much needed dose of humour. It’s always tough to get students out to theatre productions, but QMT was able to make their fall show relevant to students by mocking the Biebs and showcasing the projectile pleasures of homecoming. An extra-large shout-out goes to the costume and set designers who helped realize the romantic Japanese aesthetic.

Best Film
another year

If you’re familiar with staff writer Parker Mott, you’ll know he can be tough critic to please. So, you can imagine our surprise when into the Arts email inbox pops a review of Another Year with a rating of five out of five stars. This moving film touches audience members with its focus on portraying real people, not archetypal characters. Real people in real life don’t have the dramatic and predictable plot of a movie; instead their lives often revolve around nothing. Brilliant performances by the cast, most notably Lesley Manville, made watching nothing absolutely
heart-wrenching.

Best Quotes
white cowbell oklahoma

The joy of working for the arts section is the daily dose of inspirational quotes from artists. But sometimes the truly remarkable quotes are the ones that make your draw drop in both horror and amusement, case-in-point White Cowbell Oklahoma. With their pre-show rituals consisting of “self-flagellation and flatulation,” explaining their dynamic shows as a result of “getting off pissed that so many douche bands were failing the test” and blaming a headlining show on the LSD the organizers were on. The ultimate treat of this interview came in the form of lead singer and guitarist Clem C. Clemson, “After Friday you shall be our Stepford Wife forever, Kingston.” After that, I certainly am.

— Alyssa Ashton

Best Concert
braids with cherry chapstick

Montréal’s Braids brought sonic bubbles to The Grad Club in February. Leaving crowds delirious with live version of the tunes from their hauntingly hypnotic debut Native Speaker, the quartet’s set was one for the books. The audience was enveloped in their strung-out living soundscape—peaceful, serene, provocative and textural. Fellow Montréal post-rockers and Kingston natives Cherry Chapstick opened the night, setting the stage perfectly for the tones to come. The show was evidence Braids have managed to push beyond the confines of the post-rock genre, emerging with an exploratory style in which nothing is held back.

“Another night of heavy bass.” Whenever I seen those words splashed onto photocopied posters around campus, my heart skips a beat. A knee-jerk reaction, as Palace Sound System’s Sloppy Footwork events have become highly anticipated and guaranteed live nights out this year. Future bass, house, techno and dub are a few of the smorgasbord genres attendees throb along to in the candlelit Wine Cellar of The Mansion each month. DJs Blake Macfarlane and Emre Amasyali told the Journal their intention is to create a “safe, open-minded space where people can come and really let go … dancing to heavy bass music can be
very cathartic.”

Best Dance Party
sloppy footwork

The release of Kurt Vile’s sophomore record put the proverbial nail in the coffin of any arguments challenging the lo-fi darling’s potential for musical longevity. The Philadelphian has an innate ability to make his grandoise, psychedelic folk-rock anthems seem intimate. Songs peppered with Americana and monastic imagery, Vile is a man with lots to say. Ranging from fingerpicked twinkling to harder strummed riffs, Smoke Ring For My Halo layers into an evocative, dark and atmospheric composition. At their gig at The Mansion last month, The Violators complimented the heavy side of the singer’s stream of consciousness style.

Best Album
kurt vile & the violators, smoke ring for my halo

At first, the arts team was bummed to read the opening of an email from Gobble Gobble’s Cecil Frena informing us the band wasn’t in fact doing interviews as we’d hoped. Luckily for us, he’d provided something far, far more intriguing. Concluding his email with an understated, “hopefully this will suffice,” he read our fortune. “You, birthed in bike month, are a June baby. Your element is air, Gemini, and thus you examine yourself lightly, prostrate before the spectacular astral phallus.” The only thing better than the brilliant full text of the fortune is the accompanying photo—a cassette tape covered topless male torso, attached to an elaborately coloured mask-covered face.

Best Interview
gobble gobble

The Wolfe Island Music Festival might be the worst kept secret in the Limestone City. Weeks without mention or reminiscing on the festival are rare, yet the event maintains a down to earth vibe and lack of pretension that keeps attendees spreading the word each year. Last year’s installment was no different, featuring favourites like The Weakerthans and The Acorn and newcomers Shad and Diamond Rings. With the option to camp overnight and the added bonus of rubbing elbows with local talent (Ron Sexsmith is often in attendance), the festival had something for everyone. The proximity to the Island Grill’s floating patio doesn’t hurt either.

— Ally Hall