Local singer on the verge The Other Press A burst of melancholy sunshine from the coffers of Vancouver talent by Jason Kurylo t was a dark and rainy night. Somber beads of astral perspiration fell from cloudy brows, soak- ing the dank, grey streets of Vancouver. I had just witnessed a show as dull and uninspired as the weather, some _ thoroughly mediocre display of stand-up comedy disguised as a Fringe FestiVal play. I tromped through the leaden wet, at once cursing my lack of appropriate footwear and contemplating the sorry state the entertainment business must be in to allow such shows to ex- ist. I was convinced, as critics sometimes can be after such debacles, that the Vancouver arts scene was either dead or in the midst of choking on some rather coarse bread-like sub- stance. ' My soaking trek down an empty Broadway led me past _many closed shops, most of which seemed to mirror the col- ourless night, their dust mimicking the dark grey of the sky, their ‘closed’ signs describing the mood of any who braved these horrid elements. One shop stood out from the rest, offering a place of ref- -uge from the cold, the drench. As I neared this haven, this ~ neon deli, I swore I could hear the soft strains of an acoustic guitar lifted upon the winds as though impervious to the liq- uid assault. And then - there - the sound of a voice - a wom- an’s voice - offered respite from the rain. I entered the small café, and was welcomed by several _ amazing things. Of course, the warmth and relief from the storm were all too welcome. A bagel and cream cheese helped ' to ease my surging belly, which had been complaining of many ' things since the beginning of the night. Foremost, however, was a young woman who happened to be serenading the res- taurant. The rest of the night, thanks to the songs of Kristia Jeanne Sheffield, was pure sunshine. Okay, the intro may sound a little melodramatic, but it is indeed an accu- rate account of how I met this phenom- enally talented young vocalist. Just over a year later, Sheffield is poised to re- lease her first disc, entitled The Burn- ing. This is also the name of her band, as well as one of the tracks on the al- bum. I spoke with Sheffield and Mark Haney, The Burning’s double bassist. The rapport between the two is hilari- ous, with Haney often cracking jokes at his own expense (even more often at the expense of his own hair...). This dynamic duo cuts a fine sil- houette of what the band repartee must be on stage. They answer questions ranging from The Muppet Show (Shef- field prefers Miss Piggy - “I love those gloves, I’ve always wanted a pair of those gloves” - while Haney prefers Beeker.) to piercings and tattoos. (Haney jumps at the chance to show off his Winnie The Pooh tattoo on his shoulder, complete with honey bees. Sheffield almost complains that she “feels it necessary to show something now,” spreading her shirt to reveal a recently acquired belly button ring.) Kristia Jeanne Sheffield (above) and the Burning are about to release The Burning, a Celtic-laced album of ‘alternative folk.’ “She doesn’t know it, but Kristia and I have been having a torrid love affair for months.” Haney delivers joke after joke, sound bite after sound bite. Suddenly I observe: I’m speaking with two rare birds, these Musicianus Withus Personalityus. Haney responds quickly to the idea, “She’s managed to do something quite impressive, in attracting quite a few musicians with very little ego and attitude... Of course, | do have to say that; I do have to eat...” The music, like the band, is hard to describe, a sort of alternative folk in- volving cellos, violins, and the afore- mentioned double bass. Interestingly, all current members of the band are clas- sically trained musicians. Sheffield knows it sounds kind of strange, but “the thing is, this is the best ‘rock’ band I’ve ever been in.” Despite a distinct Celtic feel, com- parisons to Sprit of the West are not appropriate. Haney has an interesting take on the whole thing: “If you took all the badness in the world and threw it away, that’s how good it is. [pause for effect] It almost sounds live, so you can hear the real- ness of it.” “T suppose 1\’, easiest compared to something inbetween Tori Amos and Kate Bush. \t doesn’t sound like those artists, but it reminds people of them. It’s not derivative, but it’s definitely in the ‘weird chick’ category.” Sheffield has a unique air of mys- tery about her. In person, she’s cheery and almost playful (““There’s that male rock god thing... Sometimes I think I’m a gay man trapped in a woman’s body”), while much of her music is dark and moody. She wrote in a cover letter, “I think I’m fairly good at being melan- choly.... Happy songs aren’t all that comforting. They always leave me with the feeling I’m missing something.” Somehow, within an industry stressing self-importance and ego, this chanteuse maintains an even keel. You may notice she refers to the band as rather than “I,” And, contrary to many vocalists, Shef- “we,” or “my band.” field is remarkably approachable and friendly. She’s currently in the midst of ar- ranging a cross-country tour, along with several dates in town. Due to frustra- tions with many industry cliques, Shef- field hopes to set up a number of self- promoted concerts in non-traditional venues. “Unfortunately, the scene here isn’t really suited to what we do,” Shef- field says witha strange sigh in her eyes. Intense, yet somewhat detached. “You’re only as good as how much beer you sell.” Sheffield seems to thrive on the challenges she sets up for herself,-and eschews typical stereotypes. “It’s hard in the genre of whatever it is we’re do- ing here... We definitely want to find our own niche in this city." Sheffield sings and plays guitar on the album. She also wrote all tracks on the album. Her album is being released on Crimson Records, her own record label. When she couldn’t find a pro- ducer she liked, Sheffield took that upon herself as well. “T-couldn’t find someone who would work with me. I originally wanted to co-produce it... I couldn’t find someone who was willing to give me freedom in my project.” All I know is this: If the album contains half the emotion and versatil- ity I witnessed that rainy night last fall, I'll be the first in line at the record store. I recommend you be there as well. The Burning, the first album by Kristia Jeanne Sheffield and the Burn- ing, should be available locally within a few months. Shelby Pete McCormack Douglas & Macintyre Masturbation. Self-loathing. A feminist New Age psychic stripper. A band called SMEGMA BOMB! All this and more in Pete McCormack’s first novel, Shelby. Set in Vancouver, the story fol- lows the (mis)adventures of Shelby Lewis, a nerdy 20-year-old UBC stu- dent trying to find meaning in his angst-ridden existence. Early in the story, Shelby quits school, turning his back on his par- ent’s ‘our son the doctor’ dream, and sets out on a soul-searching journey. He begins this ride by realizing that “destiny cannot be achieved, it can only be experienced.” Destiny proves to be a bumpier ride than expected, one full of ab- surdly humorous situations and enter- taining characters. McCormack has a knack for natu- ral dialogue that is at turns both funny and illuminating. Some of the best con- versations are between Shelby and his 93-year-old Gran, a no-bullshit woman that gives no-bullshit advice. “Life, Shel. It’s like wrestlin’. You gotta get out there and slam it.’ "What’s wrong with thinking? I’m a thinker!’ ‘True. But if it takes away your courage, what’s the point? You got no life." While in search of a life, Shelby finds lessons that are sometimes pro- found and often painful. His newfound friend and roommate, Eric, puts it sim- ply, “It’s weird out there, man. No one knows anybody.” Shelby’s relationship with a New Age stripper, Lucy Moon, proves to be confusing and frustrating. but she pushes IF JESUS KNEW ABOUT CODEPENDENCY«... Hey, 1m FED UP I'VE ‘SHOWN You THE WAY COUNTLESS TTMeS. IF You WANT To fuss AROUND LIKE A BUNCH OF LAWLESS BARBARIANS FoR THE REST OF HISTORY, FINE Ld $0 To HELL! 1M Going BACK SS — To MY CARPENTRY him along the road to self-awareness more than anybody else. Eric and Lucy take turns deflating Shelby’s overblown, melodramatic speeches, rantings that are sincerely emotional but still funny for the seri- ous end-of-the-world tone that he de- livers them in. With Shelby, McCormack has avoided the trap that coming-of-age type stories so often fall into, that of taking themselves too seriously. This novel manages to cover some interest- ing philosophical ground while still re- maining a light, entertaining read. Af- ter all, its all just life, isn’t it? review by Kevin Sallows One of the few non-feminist cartoons from Jenny Berman's Adult Children of Normal Parents' Annual Convention (left) Adult children of normal parents annual convention by Jennifer Berman Pocket Books You know, this stuff is moderately humourous when viewed individually. Unfortunately, an entire collection of high-school-senior-level-feminist-hu- mour gets very tired after, oh, three pages. So, if you find forty million ref- erences to man’s insatiable sex-only appetite followed by forty million ref- erences to woman’s inability to admit they fall for all that male bullshit, please buy this book. If, however, you like a little, oh, I don’t know, variety and/or depth in your humour, take a huge pass on this one. review by J. Pauley