Each and every day, thousands of men, women and children succumb to the ravages of HIV and AIDS. And while this medical crisis may seem to be a world away, a few local groups and musicians have teamed up to do their part and help raise awareness and money for treatment.
The 2009 Mountain FM Concert 4 A Cure will take place on Friday, July 31, with Whistler's very own Ali Milner, Kostaman and Rachel Thom joined by Vancouver's Goodbye Beatdown taking the stage at Squamish's Eagle Eye Theatre to entertain the masses, starting at 7 p.m.
One hundred per cent of the proceeds from this event will go towards the Global Fund to support the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa.
Tickets are $25, and are available in advance at the Squamish Adventure Centre and online at www.mountainfm.com.
Whistler's homegrown music fest grows
Organizers recently released a lineup chock-full of reggae and folk rock for the inaugural Mountain West Music Fest, which takes place on the Whistler Golf Course driving range on Saturday, Aug. 22 and Sunday, Aug. 23. And to top things off, they've added the acclaimed hip hopper, K'Naaan, to the Saturday line-up.
Saturday's roster now includes K'Naan, Xavier Rudd, Daniel Wesley, Garaj Mahal and Ash Grunwald. The following day, Greyboy Allstars, Five Alarm Funk and Los Rastrillos are set to take the stage. Organizers say there may be a few more acts added to each date in weeks to come.
Sue Eckersley, president of Watermark Communications, the company responsible for organizing Mountain West Music Fest, said that while it has taken longer than they had hoped to put together the lineup, she's very happy with the end result. She pointed out that three of Xavier Rudd's shows in Vancouver sold out this month.
They've also lowered the advance ticket prices to the festival. Adults can score a Saturday ticket for $60, a Sunday ticket for $40, or a weekend pass for just $85. Childrens' prices are $15 for Saturday, $10 for Sunday, or $20 for the entire weekend. To keep an eye on the lineup as it evolves, or to purchase advance tickets, visit www.mountainwestmusicfest.com .
MSP honours Shane McConkey
One of the leaders of the action sports filmmaking pack, MSP Films, is preparing to release their latest flick, IN DEEP: The Skiing Experience, which features a special tribute to Shane McConkey, who died in a base jumping accident last season.
The film features pro skiers like Mark Abma, Sean Petit, Eric Hjorleifson, TJ Schiller, and Hugo Harrisson alongside McConkey's special segment, which highlights his incredible career. Each stop along the tour will include a Saucer Boy contest, offering prizes for the best costume.
"Shane McConkey was the greatest ski film star of our time, in addition to being an incredible person and loyal friend," MSP cofounder Steve Winters said in a recent press release. "We all miss him greatly."
IN DEEP was shot in high-def at locations in Squaw Valley, Keystone, B.C., Italy, Haines, Sweden, Colorado and further throughout the world. The tour kicks off on Sept. 19 followed by 200 stops around the world. Check out a teaser online at www.skimovie.com .
Take a hike with the SLCC
The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre is inviting the entire community to join in on the celebrations as they unveil their outdoor exhibits and forest walk to the public on Thursday, July 9.
Work on the two outdoor structures - replicas of the traditional Istken and Longhouse dwellings - is finally complete, and the cultural forest walk trail is ready to be explored. To celebrate the completion of the final aspects of the SLCC, which opened just last year, the SLCC's ambassadors are eager to show off the completed centre to the public.
The open house runs from noon until 3 p.m., featuring traditional food samples from their on-site café, specials in the gift shop, drumming performances, guided tours of the museum, multi-media experiences, interactive exhibits and craft workshops. Admission to the centre will be free for the entire day.
Summer of Funny
Pique Newsmagazine is hosting the Summer of Funny, a humour-writing competition, with $400 in cash up for grabs for the top entries.
Send your stories, poems, scripts, long-format jokes or other humorous pieces to Pique Newsmagazine at andrew@piquenewsmagazine.com by Thursday, July 23. People can enter as many times as they like, with a maximum length of 2,000 words per entry. Editorial staff will judge the entries and award prizes, with a maximum of $250 going to a single outstanding submission. The winning stories will be printed in the July 30 issue of Pique.
