The Big Lebowski screens at the Rio
By Steve Newton
FRIDAY: Mad Riddim is a drum- and bass-led groove machine mixing classic dub sensibilities with the attitude of funk and the improvisation of jazz at Guilt and Co.
FRIDAY: parody ’80s hair-metal band Steel Panther (“It Won’t Suck Itself”) plays the second of two nights at the Commodore Ballroom, with guests the Wild! from Kelowna.
Harvest Time screens at the Rio
FRIDAY: screening at the Rio Theatre of Neil Young: Harvest Time, Bernard Shakey’s docu-film that takes an intimate journey inside the Harvest album, with never-before-seen performance and rehearsal footage. Neil is Shakey, by the way.
FRIDAY: two teams of improv comedians vie for the laughs and support of audience judges in TheatreSports at the Improv Centre.
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY: Canyon Lights at North Vancouver’s Capilano Suspension Bridge features dazzling coloured lights strung throughout the grounds of the world-famous attraction, with partial proceeds to the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.
Festival of Lights is at VanDusen Garden
FRIDAY TO SUNDAY: the City of Vancouver’s annual Festival of Lights is a winter wonderland featuring more than one million lights decorating 15 acres of VanDusen Botanical Garden. Goes good with hot chocolate.
SATURDAY: Petunia and the Vipers play a Hank Williams New Year’s Eve bash at Powell Street Studio (next door to LanaLou’s Restaurant).
SUNDAY: the Strauss Symphony of Canada, featuring members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, is featured in the afternoon concert A Salute to Vienna at the Orpheum Theatre.
SUNDAY: Circus3’s New Year’s Eve Variety Show at the Vancouver Playhouse is a family-friendly event hosted by funnyman Daniel Zindler and featuring circus acrobats, jugglers, aerialists, and magician Gabriella Lester.
“The Dude” in action
SUNDAY: screening at the Rio Theatre of my all-time favourite movie, directors Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1998 comedy The Big Lebowski, starring Jeff Bridges as “The Dude”.