Awesome art, magical music, prominent plays

Image by: Tiffany Lam

BEST INTERVIEW

Within the first moments of speaking with Spencer Burton of Grey Kingdom, it became clear he was a musician that truly adopted his alias.

As Grey Kingdom, Burton became a dark, yet friendly interviewee. He was both entertaining and awkward, with his spontaneous statements about the darkest of subject matter, including “sacrificing a baby goat,” “fearing the ghosts of Salem,” or “having no heart or soul.” His unpredictable personality made the interview extremely enjoyable and made me admire how deep Burton was in character.

— Alex Downham

BEST ART EXHIBIT

It doesn’t get better than a Dorito helicopter.

Chris Millar’s acrylic sculpture entitled “Dave and Becca’s Sunday” is made entirely out of acrylic paint. The detailed piece displays a miniature bag of Doritos being poured upwards to form the shape of a helicopter, propellers and all.

If that wasn’t cool enough, I discovered that the bag of chips lying on the opposite side of the table was built into a pyramid made of plain potato chips and the table was made of wafer crackers.

Millar brings a new meaning to playing with your food here, and art isn’t often as relatable as miniaturized acrylic junk food.

— Savoula Stylianou

BEST ALBUM

Stars has done it again with their latest album, proving that their uindie rock status doesn’t give them nearly enough credit.

The North is filled with tracks reminiscent of the unique 80s electronic dance pop the band grew up listening to. The band manages to perfectly balance catchy beats with meaningful lyrics from their past.

Listening to the album is perfect for a party soundtrack, a Monday morning refresher or even a study playlist. Songs like “Backlines” and “Theory of Relativity” are two songs definitely worth repeating.

Stars has mastered their sound into perfect synthetic indie rock bliss.

— Savoula Stylianou

BEST PLAY

The Pillowman was as deeply unsettling as it was provocative.

The Queen’s Vagabond production was superbly acted with performances by Reece Presley and Adrian Young.

What made the show so unique was its thematic darkness and unapologetic portrayal of a sinister plotline. Reminiscent of an episode of Criminal Minds, this play had all the makings for a stellar performance.

The end of the show left me questioning my morality and society’s vices, thoughts which lingered beyond the play’s ending.

— Katherine Fernandez-Blance

BEST INTERVIEW

I interviewed Wilderling while I was having a bad day.

But I ended up having a chat with the band which turned that around. From nervous bathroom habits to bleeding on the audience with their furious guitar strumming, the guys made me feel at ease.

They said playing Kingston, their hometown, gives Wilderling a tickle in their heart, and that’s exactly what they gave me.

— Savoula Stylianou

Tags

best of the year, Grey Kingdom, Stars, Strange Reverie, The North, The Pillowman, Wilderling

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