wor 16 Insufficient (ftundds: -The Super Robertson Supper Show Weekly show at the Railway Club goes up, up, and away Jacey Gibb opinions editor here’s no avoiding the fact that Tian takes no prisoners when it comes to peoples’ bank accounts. It’s not all bad though, as this consistent economic shakedown causes people to shift their financial focuses and often forces them to try and find more affordable, creative ways of living. Take the Iocal music scene for example. The term struggling musician soars to a whole new note when said individual resides in such a pricey climate, yet Vancouver is oozing with talent who can’t exactly sell out shows at the Coliseum and are forced to find other ways to be heard. Enter The Super Robertson Supper Show. Taking over the musical performance section of the always charming Railway Club every Wednesday evening from seven thirty until eight thirty, the SRSS prides itself in being better than what would otherwise be an empty venue. The contents of the hour long slot changes every week but it consistently incorporates music, beer and good times. Each time I’ve attended the SRSS, the evenings have ranged somewhat. For my first experience, I was treated to a humorous comedy duo that combined silly song lyrics with pleasant melodies. The second time followed a much different formula, as the stage acted as a revolving door throughout the night, allowing for a mix and match of artists - ) to unite for a few tracks before another change to the line-up occurred. Though I could catch traces of funny throughout the set, it seemed the majority of the songs focused mostly on the music, which by itself was enjoyable. The closer for the night was a song titled “98 bottles of beer,” which had initial hints at humour but quickly turned into a sad yet celebratory anthem for alcohol consumption. Other times, the nights have followed a more chartered out structure, with different bands performing their respective sets before handing it over to the next in line. It’s hard to say which formula I prefer though, as each type of evening offers different experiences. I give the masterminds behind this operation, Canada Lynx Records, a gold star for taking what would otherwise be an unused performance space and transforming it into something for everyone to enjoy, even if it’s only for a brief period once a week. Plus, the name is overly fitting as every night I’ve attended the Supper Show, I found myself diving into the Railway’s delicious and surprisingly accommodating menu. The line up for the evening is usually posted the day before, so if your fancy for microwavable dinners for one isn’t what it used to be, I highly recommend dropping by the SRSS for some great tunes and great food. I’m sure your cat will understand. Damage: Free This article brought to you by The Other Press Do company sponsored buy-ins lead to events ‘selling out’? By Jacey Gibb he green vegetation thriving ‘ik town and the generously sunny weather are sure signs that summertime is finally embracing Vancouver in its wonderful seasonal arms. For some, this means losing a layer and living on the beach all day, but for me it represents something else: concert season. Like cherry blossoms bursting forth in their fleeting swarms around the city, concerts materialize in overwhelming quantities around this time of year when the amount of daylight hours reaches glorious lengths. More importantly, summertime also marks the beginning of music festival season. But there have already been enough articles in this issue praising these festivities and the joys that come with them, so I thought I’d take a closer look at one of the less desirable traits they usually carry: sponsorships. Last month I trekked it up to Whistler for the day to take the Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival up on their promise of free concerts. The ten day event boasted names like Black Mountain, Tokyo Police Club and, the gem that lured me to the peaks, Broken Social Scene. Did I mention all of these concerts were free!? Christmas came eight months early as I was treated to a day rich with UV Trays, gorgeous surroundings and live outdoor entertainment. But the gift- bearing entity behind this celebration wasn’t a jolly man in red, but rather the AXE Concert Series. The junior high dance staple body spray made its presence more than well known as their banners suffocated the stage from all sides and several tents populated the surrounding area giving away free samples like it was going out of cy style. We eventually made a game out of acquiring free samples and I now have over twenty packages lurking underneath my bathroom sink, destined to remain untouched until I haye an adolescent son of my own. A similar experience was had at Sasquatch recently where each of the various stages were sponsored by companies such as Verizon, Honda and, my personal favourite, the Need for Speed: The Run stage. When the big screens on both sides of the main stage weren’t showing live feeds from the performances, they were playing an eternal loop of the trailer for the new video game. As far as video game trailers go, it was well constructed, but after the thirtieth time seeing it, my eyeballs were left yearning for something else. Unfortunately, that was only on the first day and I was treated to the same visual propaganda for the next 72 hours. While in the crowd, I overheard someone complaining about how they remember back when the stages didn’t double as billboards for sponsors, and it made me think about the pros and cons to it. Inevitably, festivals have to remain profitable in order to continue to exist and if that means being bombarded with advertisements then I think it’s a small price to pay. One could have lived off of the free samples of Soy Joys and Beef Jerky bites being peddled daily on the festival grounds and though I don’t see myself ever paying for the same products in the future, if it means being given the opportunity to see great (and sometimes even free) music, then I say go for it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go soak in my tub of AXE shower gel while playing Need for Speed: The Run on my DS.