Reviews

Even tattoo aficionados should come away from “Body of Work” having learned something new. It’s an exhibit that takes more than a surface look at its subject, and, in the words of the curators, is designed to introduce tattooing to the kind of wider audience that comes through MoPOP

What would Christmas be without music? And live music in particular? It can enhance the experience, or be reworked into a startlingly new creation. Recently, I got to experience both sides of the coin.

Anyone with even a cursory interest in grunge rock acts of the ‘90s has seen Karen Mason Blair’s photographs. Did you pick up a 7-inch of Soundgarden’s “Room a Thousand Years Wide”? That’s Blair’s picture of the group on the sleeve, grinning/grimacing at the camera.

Sankai Juku’s extraordinary performances take you into another realm. The dancers, stripped to their bare essence, explore the agonies and the ecstasies of being human, and their striving to find a balance between the dark and the light is captivating. It’s an experience you emerge from feeling more fully alive.

As another year comes to an end it’s time to reflect on all the incredible performances I was lucky to be a part of in 2018. I caught 262 sets this year and picking just 20 acts feels like the most impossible task but as I revisit my list I try to focus on more than just the tunes.

You don’t have to know Lanegan’s songs to appreciate his lyrics (though if you do know them, you’ll undoubtedly want to dig out his records to listen to while reading this). You don’t even have to read them in order, necessarily; simply flip open to any page, and let the raw emotion sweep over you.