Dangerously In Love with The Danger Bees

 Contributing writer for Rolling Stone Magazine, Karen Bliss, shared this article on an up and coming Canadian band, The Danger Bees.

By Stacey Walker

The guys of the pop rock band The Danger Bees are self-proclaimed dorks, nerds and awkward guys. Although, after talking with front man David Macmicheal, the words that come to my mind are intelligent, adorable and, well, totally crush-worthy. The story behind their logo (a drawing of a cat created by an 11-year-old boy) is enough to make this cat, nerd and music fanatic forgive the band for naming themselves after a terrifying insect.

            “We are all super into cats,” Macmicheal tells me, “about 3 or 4 years ago, everyone in the band was in a great mood. Back in the day, it was really, really exciting to be on the road. We were driving around Fredericton looking to kill time, and then we saw a big banner that said today, cat show. It was two dollars to get in, which was also awesome.”

            As if heartfelt, angst filled lyrics combined with up beat pop melodies aren’t enough to make a girl swoon, these guys decided to spend an afternoon attending a cat show. Ladies, I give you this opportunity to stop reading now, because I guarantee once you finish this article (and hear their music), you will be hopeless and dangerously in love with The Danger Bees.

            Macmicheal tells me they spent a few hours checking out the cats before he noticed their bass player staring intently at a wall of drawings done by young children.

            “He pointed this one picture out in particular and instantly I got it. You know it was funny and weird. It had sharp claws and a pig nose. It was just a really anguished-looking beast.  We all ended up standing around and laughing. We joked about what the cat might be saying, so I snapped a picture of it with my phone,” Macmicheal explains.

            Later that year, as the band attempted to brand themselves, they held a logo competition amongst fans and hired a company to design for them. But they just simply couldn’t get their minds off the comically-anguished cat drawing.

            “It’s cool, its weird, it’s funny. It’s sort of something that you look at and think, why that?” Macmicheal describes. The drawing actually suits the album quite well. Macmicheal wrote a number of songs after a tough breakup, and although the lyrics can be strong, there is still a light-hearted feel to the music. The character on the front of their album  (Wyatt the Cat) appears to be in distress; yet, he still manages to bring a smile to those who lay eyes on him.

            After the band decided to use Wyatt the Cat as their album art, they began the difficult process of tracking down the artist. Their wild goose hunt lead them to an 11-year-old boy named Wyatt Pike. The family gave the band permission to use the art on their album. The guys of the Danger Bees are now in frequent touch with the Pike Family and have even made several trips east to perform for Wyatt the Boy at his school.

            Essentially, The Danger Bees are comprised of fun loving, sensitive, vulnerable, cat loving, nerdy musicians who have a way with children. Ladies, there is a god.

Making Waves

By Stacey Walker

            “Masturbation is fine, but can you do it in the corner please,” said Daiv Mowbray when asked how he feels about fine art students and how education has changed and developed his work.

As a young artist, Mowbray admits his creations were a form of self-love, meant only to express how he was feeling. Through years of education and work experience, his creative inspirations have evolved. He now paints with the intention of affecting the viewer. This is clearly seen in works on display at his most recent exhibit titled “Summer 2012.” Judging by the reaction of the crowd, his art can trigger pleasant childhood memories, and impact a person so robustly, they instantly become a philosopher and an artist themselves.
            The painting that stood out to me was a photo-realism piece of a canoe sitting in water. The detail was so fine, at first glance the piece appears completely realistic, however, a second look and there is something unnatural to it. The canoe no makes the ripples in the water, the ripples are coming fro the viewer, Mowbray explained. This is meant to imply that each person brings his or her own perspective when viewing art. Their impact is just as important as the artist’s point of view. I asked friends to glance at the painting and see if they could spot what made it abstract. They were not able to pin point what was making the painting look so wrong, yet so right. I was completely hypnotized by the elegant work, and privileged enough to try and understand the meaning through the words of the artist himself.  

“The set of canoe paintings is called ‘The Story Teller’ in reference to the viewer. Since the viewer always brings their own perspective, these canoes offer the viewer the chance to tell their story,” explains Mowbray, “The canoes, represent potential, the empty vessel, containers of our ideas. They represent our bodies, our vessels here on earth, our means of travel, that which carries us through this physical world. They are waiting to be filled, with your hopes and dreams, your desires.”

Creative personality types are often stereo typed as erratic and unconstitutional. Having met a slew of incredible artists myself, I can’t deny that this is often the case. Many possess some if not all of the stereotypes that go hand in hand with creative genius, however, this is what catches the world’s attention. A conformist is rarely noticed. It’s those who dare go against the grain and convey a message that is contrary to societal beliefs who contribute the most influential ideas. This is true in every aspect of life, not just art.

Sometimes the creative personality comes with difficulty adapting to establishments like school. (I am not implying that it was difficult for Mowbray as he never alluded to this) Having the opportunity to speak with Mowbray, a man who has spent years in University, as a professor and a student. I was dying to pick his brain on some advice for young artists on their education.

“Most of the things I know are self taught. A lot of what I learned, I learned when I was supposed to be the one teaching,” said Mowbray.  

Although Mowbray took his time with his education, his experience with university started earlier than most. At age 15, his school counselor approached him about his grades. For the average teen, an invite to the office to have a discussion on grades can be terrifying, however, in Mowbray’s case, this would be one of the most exciting opportunities in his young life.

            “He said to me, Daiv, you aren’t attending class, but your grades are phenomenal. I can tell you’re bored with high school, would you like to apply for university?” Mowbray explained, “at first everyone, including myself was thinking, this is crazy, university at age 15. Then I figured, why not. I filled out the application and got accepted.”
            The opportunity was there for a young man to begin his serious educational career, however, Mowbray knew he didn’t want to start school yet. He wanted do travel and learn the world on his own before deciding on an education. He wrote a series of tests and graduated high school when he was only 15 before beginning his journeys around the world.  

            “Albert Einstein continuously defends creativity and imagination above knowledge, however, a young art student may misconceive this as knowledge isn’t necessary. That’s not the case. Acquire as much knowledge about everything and exercise your creativity in the face of that knowledge,” were Mowbray’s final words of advice for young students artists.

Mowbray’s work is on display in the Law Library at the Kitchener Court House. The exhibit is entitlted “Angels of Vos” and is an exploration of more abstract concepts where as “Summer 2012,” the exhibit I attended was intended to represent this realm of consciousness.

            

A Wicked Review

An overview of one of the most critically acclaimed Broadway productions. 

Having spent most of my childhood pretending to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, it’s only fitting that as I embark upon adult hood, I satisfy my curiosity for the romance, politics and truths about the land of Oz. My fantasy life as child continues into adult hood, as I feel I have gotten to know my oldest friends, the Tin Man, the Scare Crow and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz on a deep and personal level after seeing this play.

Wicked is a theater performance that will leave you feeling as if you’re defying gravity as the performers lift you out of your seat and drop you into the life of the witch of the west. It’s surreal how virtually every character from the simple story of The Wizard of Oz is tied into the intricate plot that is amazingly Wicked. From the ruby slippers, to the twister that brought Dorothy to Oz, no yellow brick is left unturned.

The plot is partially political. The issues the plague Oz mirror the world issues of today. From racism, to repression in the work place, to war and love triangles, there is something for everyone in this magical performance. Men, women, children, optimists, pessimists and realists, everyone will enjoy this deep inspirational play.

"A man's called a traitor - or liberator. A rich man's a thief - or philanthropist. Is one a crusader - or ruthless invader? It's all in which label is able to persist," are words from the mouth of the Wonder Wizard of Oz himself. This is one of my favourite quotes from the play. There is more to this play than a fairy tale. The show will leave you inspired and questioning your views on this wonderful world of ours.

Although, I was impacted strongly by the political theme of the play, don’t think I wasn’t swept away on a broomstick by the deeply human aspects of the Wicked Witch of the West. The story, which explains Eplhelba’s (the witch of the west),   decent to wickedness, is that of heartbreak, betrayal, friendship and love. Each character is neither good, nor wicked. There are so many layers to virtually every character; it’s impossible to pinpoint a specific “evil” villain. Just as in life, everyone makes mistakes, and every choice has a consequence. It’s magical to watch the choices of the characters come to life to form Oz as we know it. The play allows us to understand the motives behind Wizard of Oz and the Witch of the West.

As one would expect of a Broadway performance, the acting was breathtaking. I couldn’t take my eyes off Glinda, the good witch, (played by Jeanna De Wall).  Although the point of her character was to play the beautiful popular girl who has it all, I can’t decide if it was her character, or her acting ability that ruptured my attention so immensely. All eyes were on her whenever she took the stage. Elphelba, (Played by Christine Dwyer) reminds me of many people I know- Incredibly intelligent and utterly misunderstood. To Boq, (played by Micheal Wartella) a sweet little munchkin who is incredibly smitten by Glinda. The actors portray such realistic personalities there is someone for everyone to relate to.

Frederick street in Kitchener has temporarily been transformed to the yellow brick road. I highly recommend you follow it to the Center of the Square to see Wicked.

Sleepless: An Alblum Review

It’s been said that bands produce their best music before they become famous. The theory is that this is when a band will put the most time and energy into their art, as they struggle to gain the attention of fans and producers. The Internet offers networking opportunity to up-and-coming musicians and is an excellent platform for new artists to have their music heard. However, the Net is saturated with pirated music. This has created a new kind of music industry, allowing listeners to access free music legally. There is no better time to experiment with different types of music than the present. Why not explore your local music scene through the Web, especially when hard-working musicians are offering their art for free? (Don’t forget to show your support at their live shows!)

Sleepless is an alternative rock group from the Simcoe County area. Their music is soothing but heavy, and provides a comfortable medium between soft rock and melodic metal.  Musicians Ben Scriver, Cameron Zwicker and Nathan Dale offer their deep and poetic album download, UnsteadyHands, free on their website.The group is an excellent introduction to heavier music for those who may shy away from deeper lyrics. The contrast of calm vocals and soul-felt screams have the potential to bring one to tears, as the delicate melodies hypnotize the mind.

Immediately after hitting play on my iPod and listening to the song “So Low” for the first time, I had the urge to close my eyes and let the music take me away on an auditory journey. My taste in music can be considered somewhat juvenile, as I often lean towards upbeat pop tunes and shy away from heavy music. However, Sleepless has made an unsuspecting fan of me. The crescendos tell a story and keep me interested. I can only describe the emotions I felt as the music filled my room as consuming. It was as if I was standing in an oasis under a heavy waterfall, basking in the sun’s glory. I am not exaggerating. The sound is that moving.

The group recently toured from Toronto to Canada’s east coast with a couple of bands where they paid tribute to our nation’s roots. Staying in the suburbs of Montreal and enjoying home-cooked meals and more than a couple brews, the band felt creative and decided to do some recording in the family’s bathroom. After admittedly having a few too many wobbly pops, the rest room acoustics were in full swing. Unfortunately we won’t have the pleasure of hearing the down-to-earth beats as the recording proved sub-par to the live experience, but I imagine the sound in that bathroom was marvelous.

I would recommend the band’s debut EP, Unsteady Hands, to anybody of any age group. This may be the heavier alternative rock band you can convince even your parents to listen to.

Velvet Rope

I am writing for Velvet Rope Magazine.

Check out my reviews for the latest edition.


Review of the band, Sleepless: http://velvetropemagazine.com/issues/volume-1-issue-32/volume-1-issue-32-sleepless/

Review and interview on Final Thought Band: http://velvetropemagazine.com/issues/volume-1-issue-32/volume-1-issue-32-final-thought/


Thanks for reading everyone!

Cheers,

Stacey L. Walker 

Idle Hands are the Recycler's Playground

Let's get together and make a change!

Jess Nelson and I plan to start a social campaign to promote recycling in Waterloo Region. We have a fantastic system! Let's use it people!!!

We hope to organize a large group of people to film a flash mob video in Victoria Park. All we will need is you and your rubber gloves!

Stay tuned for more updates, details dates and times. Contact me directly for more information or to help out: Walkerbroadcast@gmail.com

Thanks for listening!

Cheers,

-Stace

Life's Lessons

My car steadily raced along the 401 as I spoke out loud, preparing myself for my first interview since graduation. Visions of a possible hip and trendy urban life danced in my head as I imagined taking the subway to work, making friends and kicking my heels off in my tiny apartment after a long day at the office. I was nervous and so excited. I felt all those dreams come to a complete halt as my car sputtered and did the same.  

Not only was my car broken down, so were my spirits. After applying to dozens of ‘big girl’ jobs with only one interview booked, I did the only thing there was to do at that moment. I cried.

I was only on the side of the highway for about a minute before a silver minivan pulled up behind me. How relieving, someone was going to take a few minutes out of their busy day to help. In today’s fast paced and self-centered society, even this small gesture seemed too good to be true.

Two young women approached me. I explained the story through my tears, a little embarrassed about my emotional state. I expected nothing but a safe ride off the highway or maybe a little mechanical advice. To my surprise, this busy single mother and her friend actually offered to give me a ride to my interview! I was hesitant to accept, as this was more than a small favour. My interview was on the west side of Toronto and my car had stalled in Guelph. Despite the fact they had no intention of heading to Toronto that day, they insisted on getting me to the interview.

After spending some time with Kelly Gosse, Lori Gallipeau and her young son, through rush hour traffic, it was apparent that this random act of kindness was not unusual for these two. They were bright exuberant young women who dedicate their lives to helping others. How unusual to meet two individuals who put each other and even me, a complete stranger, before themselves.

 I made it to my interview with five minutes to spare. Lori and Kelly drove away, wishing me luck , as I bid them fare well and hoped that against all odds, the 3PM traffic wouldn’t be too bad. It was.

            Lori, a single mother of three, and Kelly, a spiritual healer and all time best friend, asked nothing more from me but to pay it forward. I didn’t get the job that day, but what I did gain was a restored faith in humanity and a couple of new friends, just as I had dreamed of that morning.