Welcome to a look into the brain and pop-culture expiriences of some random mook. Here you will find his views on movies, videogames, books, university, acting and anything else under the sun. Coherency varies, but he has, after all, pleaded insanity
(A quick aside: Dave Dawson suggested "It's a play about a bubble boy" to replace my formerly long winded spiel, which was then augmented to "It's a play about a bubble boy and the man who may have made him up." Thoughts? Does that tickle anyone's fancy?)
The Fringe is tons of fun, where performers gather from around the city, country and world to entertain people with their art, mixing and mingling to create beauty where there was none before. However, this is not without a cost. I mean, these are artists and even if they can void the bad reviews, the nightmare crowds or malfunctioning technical elements there is plenty of self destructive behavior going on. There are various forms of self-medication rampant, smoking, smoking and a personal favorite of the fringe (read: the one they make stupid amounts of cash off of) drinking. If there is one thing most performers love after doing a show, it is going out and grabbing a drink, relaxing and letting the trials and tribulations of their shows just fall away to be worried about another day.
However! It is also very expensive to drink. At the festival beer tent you're looking at $4.50 for a canned beer, $5 for a cup of the ale on tap. That adds up and on hot days like today it can get a little overwhelming. In Winnipeg there is usually the option of grabbing a night cap at someones house to somewhat reduce your drinking costs. And while this festival has been blessed with some killer after parties away from the grounds, most nights people just want to talk to the nearest watering hole and drink. Enter Steel Wheels, a charmingly dilapidated bar, whose booths, bathrooms and pretty much every other surface are covered with graffiti. The Korean owners are super nice people and are happy to serve you beer and food at almost criminally low prices. $3 for a beer is pretty decent, but $1 water? $3 pizza? (TWO slices!) Bear in mind, this is with festival stalls seconds away charging stupid prices on pretty much everything. Steel Wheels is an oasis in the desert, a fantastic get together spot for poor performers to gather together and finish off the night right.
I know, this is basically just a love letter to this bar, but it has honestly been one of the brightest spots in my day. There's more too- they have a fantastic Bulgoki (teriyaki beef) pizza and meals, which are something that I will miss greatly when I'm gone, along with some of the best pork dumplings I've ever tasted. And sure, it's not perfect: It is small, and fills up when the bars let out. The washrooms are absolutely disgusting, and the beer menu is pretty sparse. But the combination of good times, good people and great prices more than makes up for its faults. Oh, Steel Wheels, you will always have a place in my heart.
In other news- the festival is nearing its end now, and I have but a single show remaining. I've seen some awesome shows- The Pumpkin Pie Show, Boat Load, Totem Figures, Reflections on Giving Birth to a Squid- and have had my share of good and bad moments- the infamous trip to the River, losing my digital camera, playing soccer with other touring performers, having homeless people making a racket during my performance today. But all in all, it's good times.
NEXT TIME- Random Stories. I'm sure I'll come up with something...
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