My Heart is SPINNING!

My daughter and I just finished seeing Evalyn Parry’s SPIN at the Cultch.

Not only did she weave the songs on her CD even more elegantly and eloquently than I thought possible, her honesty and integrity shined through from beginning to end as she played many historical characters as well as a genuinely independent artist.

This is a very polished, professional show, worthy of praise from even those never to be found on a bicycle.  The visuals are lovely (think history of bicycles with ladies in full dress learning to ride) and the classic cruiser bike as musical instrument is played brilliantly by Brad Hart.

But if you have any fondness for two wheels, Evalyn will wield her words in ways that will inspire you, both on and off your bike.

My “blow your socks (or should I say, bloomers) off” moment came near the end.  Evalyn added a song that she wrote in response to the letter she received from Annie Londonderry’s granddaughter [Annie Londonderry rode around the world on a bicycle in 1894/5, the first woman and 2nd human to do so; she is a major focus of both CD and show].

I was impressed by Evalyn’s ability to weave the personal into the political previous to this, but her heart-opening poetic message touched me deeper than I expected and all because of her honest and gifted ability to hear and sing the reality of living in a civilized world, full of contradictions and personal pain.

Don’t get me wrong: the tears streaming down my face were a result of her connecting me to my own personal tragedy.  The message was all warmth and beauty when none, to Annie’s granddaughter, seemed possible.

A surprising and memorable gift to anyone living in the civilized world.

SPIN plays the Cultch every night (except Monday) at 8pm until Saturday, April 20th, which also has a 2pm matinee that day.

AND the Cultch has tripled their bike parking and are now accommodating all cyclist’s gear (helmets, panniers, rain gear, etc) for the show…they, too, are inspired by Evalyn’s show and are making it even easier to arrive by bike.

Whether by bike or another means, you’ll want to see this show before Evalyn SPINs off to Salt Spring, St John, and beyond….

SPIN on over to the Cultch…

I’m so excited.

Evalyn Parry‘s SPIN, which I’ve been loving listening to, is opening at the East Vancouver Cultural Centre (the Cultch) on Tuesday, April 9th and runs until the 20th.

This show not only stars a bicycle as musical instrument, it will take us back into time when the bike was king and a woman caused a sensation by riding around the world in record time, helping bring the vote to white women in North America.

And the show is even deeper than that, weaving numerous layers between and within the songs that you can listen to and download.  SPIN, chain, and numerous other words provide the mechanism for this weaving and frankly, I’m impressed.

I had the chance to speak with Evalyn this week, in anticipation of SPIN’s Vancouver debut…

Reellife: What came first: album or play?
Evalyn Parry: Both started at the same time…the show was a longer process of workshops using monologues to tie the story together, which isn’t on the album.  The show also has a visual component with archival images and historical layers.  I used the wheel as a guiding image, where the whole is bigger than the sum of the parts.

RL: When did the show debut?
EP: March 2011 in Toronto.  It has travelled to Halifax, Newfoundland, throughout Ontario and North Carolina.  A Fringier version appeared in Minneapolis.

RL: How long was the show in the making and what inspired it?
EP: I started writing in 2008.  A few different ideas converged.  My first impulse was cycling since I have a strong emotional attachment to the bicycle: it’s powerful and joyful.  Cyclists understand this.

Then I heard that there was a connection between cycling and the women’s emancipation movement.

And the force of advertising in our society is immense; it drives me crazy but is also intriguing.

Until I started the research, I didn’t realize how profoundly these themes came together.

RL: How was the Bicycle as instrument born?
EP: It was a process of experimenting.  I investigated with my band’s percussionist, Brad Hart; he was storing his old bike in my basement so we pulled it out.  The first time we used it, it was simply acoustic on all different songs.  Contact microphones on the bike, which was an old 1970’s cruiser, were added and suddenly we had a bass drum and reverb from springs.  Brad the bikist.  It’s impressive to see what he can do.

RL: How would you describe your work.

EP: It’s motivated by politics and social change…artfully, thoughtfully and humorously.  I mix the personal with the political to create an emotional engagement to find the way into somebody’s heart.

RL: What’s up after SPIN?

EP: My next project has more to do with the future.  I expect it to be ready next year and it’s called, “To live in the age of Melting.”  It’ll involve the NW Passage, Global Warming, ice, people, land.

RL: Would you like to add anything about your upcoming show at the Cultch?
EP: Yes.  After we released the record, I received a letter from Annie Londonderry’s granddaughter.  It was such a surprise and pleasure and I turned it into a song that is now part of the show.

Evalyn Parry’s SPIN: starring the Bicycle as Muse, Musical Instrument and Instrument of Social Change from April 9 – 20, 2013

Apr 9, 8PM: Opening night
Apr 10 – 14, 16 – 20: 8PM
Apr 20: 2PM matinee.

See you at the Show!

VIFF ‘07: Canadian Images: White Vans

This 13 minute short packs a hefty punch…right in the eye of the next bike thief!

Local filmmaker Aren Hansen helps us feel the pain and loss that is much more than a bike stolen: a wide range of people who have suffered the loss of their loved one share how it affected them as well as their vengeful fantasies.

Ending up as a advertisement to return an abandoned blue bike to its rightful owner (it was left behind by a thief who stole the filmmaker’s bike), we see lots of great shots of East Van as well as slam poetry and a wonderful stakeout that puts important perspective on the bigger issues.

Shown with 8 other Canadian shorts.

Screenings:
Wednesday, Oct 10, @ 9:15pm: Pacific Cinematheque
Thursday, Oct 11, @ 4:00pm: Pacific Cinematheque