Back In The Day: V-Rag Classic Track

We're feeling a little patriotic today here at V-Rag. It's the day of the big Olympic Men's Hockey game between Canada and the US, and we want to show our support in the gayest way possible! A classic club track from Ontario's house legend, Matteo DiMarr a.k.a. M1, "Electronic Funk". We've always been a fan of homegrown club music, and this shows exactly what Canada can do. Go Team Canada!!


"Electronic Funk (Kaje Mix)" - M1

Chromeo Exclusive

I don't know if you know this, but Chromeo is a pretty big deal. With only two albums under their belt, this Montreal duo has single-handedly conquered the dance music scene in a manner that can only be described as revolutionary. Their tongue-in-cheek electro boogie sound has devastated not only dancefloors around the world, but the charts as well. Now they're in Vancouver for the Cultural Olympiad and V-Rag got to sit down with the boys Dave One and Pee Thug for an exclusive interview!

IT'S CHROMEO
Interview by Cole Johnston

You're in the studio recording your third album now. How is this one going to be different from the last two?

Dave: It's a little more sophisticated. More arrangements, vocal harmonies, more piano-based tunes. Sort of a night time disco feel on a couple of songs, too. So I guess somewhat of a natural progression from our last record.

When can we expect its release?

Dave: August.

Why release Night By Night for free? Is it a teaser from the new album?

Dave: Yes, it's like a pre-single. We hadn't released a original song in so long...we just wanted to see how it would feel. It'll be on the album. I like the idea of free music in general.

You guys spent quite a while touring Fancy Footwork; what do you enjoy about touring? What could you do without?

Pee: Seeing the fans and spending quality time with them at shows will always be my favorite part of touring. I also enjoy doing road trips "on-a-mission", early in the morning driving to another city and have greasy breakfast on the side of the road. I could really do without the whole flying experience though... You schlep luggage, you sweat, you're always worried there's a problem with your flight, they tell you to take stuff out of your bag because it's too heavy, you end up with an extra jacket and a pair of shoes to carry on, which makes you sweat more. Then you get to security where you have to unpack all your bags. By that time you're only wearing socks, a sweaty t-shirt, holding your pants up and your face is all red from the effort so you look like you're 12 years old while going through the metal detector (for those who have hair, taking off your sweater or hoodie also reinforces the 12 year-old look). After that, you can put your clothes back on and pretend nothing happened. But you're getting hungry and you're about to spend $25 at Nathan's hot dog stand, or the "healthy" alternative, get a dry turkey wrap. I don't think I need to go on... We all know what's next: get in the plane, get a middle seat between to big guys like me, there's a baby crying behind you, your laptop battery is dead, you get to the other side, your luggage doesn't make it, nobody's going to pay for it, blah blah blah...

The Cultural Olympiad is a pretty big deal, how did your upcoming performances come about? Who will you be playing alongside?

Dave: No idea how this came about. We just said yes. I know Team Canada DJs are there...those are longtime pals from Montreal.

Are your Vancouver/Whistler shows a one-off or part of a larger tour?

Pee: This is just a one off show. We're really busy with the new album right now, but we had to do this gig. It's a great opportunity and maybe it will inspire me to get in shape in 2010 and start skiing...

Where do you see the Canadian music scene being at right now? Do you think it's improving since your rise to international fame?

Dave: We don't really know. Arcade Fire came out at the same time as our first album, so Canadian music was already on the forefront then. I mean, we don't really look at it like Canada's got this distinct musical identity. The next biggest rapper in the universe is Canadian though; Drake.

How long have the two of you been making music together?

Pee: We've been making music together since high school. We were about 15-16 years old and we met while forming a band. We were playing live funk, Parliament-style, back then... We became best friends and always stuck together through different bands since that first week we met. I didn't like Dave at first, but my opinion changed in one week. Throughout the years, even when we weren't in bands together, we were always helping each other on different projects. So when decided to get together to form Chromeo it was a great occasion to be back and work on a common project.

You guys come from pretty different musical backgrounds. Who do you both respect and admire musically?

Pee: The obvious, of course Hall & Oates, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Rick James, Phil Collins, and the list goes on with all the older generation of 70s and 80s music that inspires us. But also our peers today, that we're seeing evolve and achieve great things. Phoenix, with their great success in the US with the last album. Vampire Weekend another great success story.

Dave: Daft Punk too, let's not forget them. They laid the blueprint for what we're still doing now on 'Discovery'. I'm really into hip hop as well.

Anyone you're dying to do a collaboration with?

Dave: Not really. Daryl Hall was pretty much it for us. We make our music in a vacuum...so the only challenges we set are for ourselves.

In the past, you've produced beats for hip-hop bands like Shades of Culture and Dubmatique. Any plans to return to hip-hop in the future?

Dave: Haha, thanks for remembering that! That era means a lot to me. Don't know if I'll return to hip hop though. My brother's now has that angle covered. Chromeo's the main objective for us at the moment..

It's every music fan's dream to make a mixtape. How fun was it compiling last year's DJ Kicks CD?

Pee: It was really fun, especially because we were allowed to change up the concept a little bit and have a mix that changes tempos and musical styles. We were able to insert slower songs that we could never put on any other mixtape and represent Quebec and French funk/soul. The cover songs was also a good addition to the mix.

Chromeo plays February 20 at 10:00 pm at CODE Live 1 at Great Northern Way Campus, 577 Great Northern Way, Vancouver.


"Night By Night" - Chromeo


"Nice N Clean" - Chromeo on Yo Gabba Gabba

YACHT Exclusive

YACHT is a fantastically unique musical/multimedia group, originally established as a solo act by artist Jona Bechtolt in 2003. Two years ago, respected science writer and theorist Claire L. Evans joined “team YACHT” and the rest is history. V-Rag got to speak to the intellectual electro duo, for what just might be our most cerebral interview to date. Check them out this Friday at the Biltmore Cabaret!

GO TEAM YACHT!
Interview by Matt Roy

I'm always curious about where a band's name comes from. I've gone over your mission statement and understand why YACHT is to be capitalized in all instances. But how/why did you choose the name YACHT to begin with?

YACHT is an acronym, which is why we insist on it being capitalized -- it's a question of grammatical integrity. It's named after an after-school program which used to exist in Portland, Oregon, which was called YACHT: Young Americans Challenging High Technology. YACHT taught a kind of double-sided, holistic approach to technology, teaching kids the fundamentals of web design and video editing while advocating an almost Unabomber-esque political agenda.

How has YACHT changed or grown with the addition of Claire L. Evans?

It's true that YACHT was a solo project for many years before it became a duo, so it was difficult at the beginning to understand how to work together. And collaboration is always difficult, as it requires some level of ego sacrifice -- we're no exception. However, we were lucky to have shared many powerful experiences together -- most importantly the "Mystery Lights" for which our album is named -- and we were able to draw on shared motivations for our work. After two years now, our creative process has refined itself into something very crystalline, very collaborative. We each have our strengths, and we divvy up work accordingly. Everything, in the end, has to come together, and when it does, it becomes larger than each of our personal egos or identities. It becomes YACHT. In any case, it's not so much a distinction of pre-Claire and post-Claire. It has much more to do with a fundamental change in the spirit of the band, which was caused by the Marfa Lights experience. When we saw the Lights, YACHT immediately moved from a solo project to a duo. There was no conscious effort to do so, it was simply the result of a profound change within us as people. After all, we'd seen something truly rare, truly magic, truly unexplained, and yet evidently real. Coming face-to-face with something like that changes you. It humbles you. It puts our microscopic human relevance in the grand scheme of this cavernous Universe into perspective. We had to make music together which paid homage to that, and that is how YACHT changed.

What are your musical/artistic influences?

We draw more inspiration from art -- contemporary and otherwise -- than we do from the music world, although both disciplines are somewhat weighed down by the inherent commercialism of their enterprise. There are several contemporary artists in particular that we admire: Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese sculptor and creator of penetratingly insightful immersive installations known as "mirrored rooms," is a longtime favorite of ours. Her sense of total immersion and her rapt devotion to a single, repetitive theme appeals to our ritualistic interests. After all, we see pop music, with its repetitive choruses and ability to be played over and over again, as a kind of mainstream receptacle for mantras or single-serving thematic ideas. Kusama's dot-matrix paintings speak to this. We also love the Scandinavian Olafur Eliasson for his ability to lay bare fundamental secrets of the Universe, its inherent order and beauty, with very simple, often merely optical means. That said, we do consider ourselves to be a sieve through which thousands of ephemeral pieces of cultural detritus pass every day. Our influences range from visual art (Kusama, Eliasson, as well as Ed Ruscha Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Italian Futurism, David Hockney) to writing, contemporary video and new media art, poetry, esotericism, and the paranormal. We recently designed and produced a giant poster of all our nonmusical influences -- a kind of index -- ranging from religious iconography to films and poetry. Some of the films we decided to include in this index were Pier Paolo Pasolini's Uccellaci E Uccellinni, Donnie Darko, Star Trek, and various documentaries about modern religious movements like Scientology and the Branch Davidian Seventh Day Adventists. It also includes mathematical images, William Blake, magazine covers, photos of Charles Manson, punk bands, maps, and images of UFOs. Our influences are quite diverse: the world is open to us.

Although you work in a variety of media, why is music your main medium for expression, or is it?

We consider ourselves generalists. According to the great architect and thinker Buckminster Fuller, who is a huge influence on us, overspecialization is the greatest limitation there is. The more you focus on one aspect of your work, the more you become a niche intellectual, the less aware you are of the great systems of knowledge and life of which you are a part. Overspecialization is what leads to extinction in the animal kingdom, and it's the same for us. We consider ourselves an evolutionary entity, and as such avoid specializing ourselves. We work in many fields, have many projects, of which music is the most visible. We make books, texts, graphic design, videos, and performance. We see no point in limitation, as we need to stay vital and engaged with the world.

What do you find most appealing about electronic music and technology in general?

In a word, it liberates.

The videos from the newest album (Summer Song, Psychic City, Ring the Bell) have overt visuals regarding capitalism, religion, and sexuality, but at the same time they are quite funny and entertaining. Do you have strong feelings about these motifs, or is it parody for parody's sake?

We've always been fascinated with human belief systems. This is not limited, necessarily, to religion. Anything which causes a human being to have a transcendent experience is inherently spiritual, and as such something worth thinking about, and not worth being afraid of; we see both the pagan and "traditional" Western systems of belief as being only paths which come from the same place, and lead people through the woods to the same place. This doesn't mean we practice any religion ourselves, save perhaps the systems we have developed for ourselves after experiencing what we did in the Texas desert. YACHT videos aren't parody, or satire. They're intended to be allegories, full of symbols which act as shorthand for ideas, just as ancient mythology serves as a method for teaching and remembering spiritual concepts. Each ritual, every detail, in the video is deliberate, and will prove fruitful for anyone with the patience to research it. We have a great love for the arcane beauty of ritual, which is why the Psychic City video includes many of our most beloved ceremonies. Some are quite obvious,such as the Eucharist, and other much more esoteric (although equally as important in human history), such as the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries of Greece and some elements of Druidic paganism. The final messages of the Psychic City video, however, are simple: that light and dark are simply two sides of the same coin. That there is, in fact, no "light" and no "dark." That love, both carnal and spiritual, is the only force which can unite us all.

Very few musical groups have a mission statement. Yours is extensive. Why do you feel a mission statement is integral to you and for the fans/curious minded?

It sets the tone. As an organization we strive to provide an alternative culture with meaning and intent. We want to use the fundamentally synergistic nature of a band and its fans (who, when brought together, create something larger than their component parts), parlaying it into an experience of intellectual and spiritual value. That tendency is already latent within subculture, and we're simply trying to bring it out into the open and create a real singular community. We've found that codifyng out beliefs in the form of a mission statement is helpful to people, and helps draw out possibilities by providing a starting point for conversation and debate.

At the end of your mission statement, you explicitly note that you are not a cult. Is there a story behind that disclaimer?

Not exactly. Rather, we simply hope to pre-empt any accusations. We find that the mainstream culture is quick to use words like "cult" to marginalize offshoot religious groups, or similar words like "punk" to marginalize music subculture (of course, in the case of "punk," the word was reclaimed). There is something richly American and powerfully human about people who strike off to create their own religious or cultural identities -- everywhere from starting hippie communes and having religious visions to taking to the stage with four chords -- and we really respect that tradition. We find it distasteful how the conservative religious mainstream condemns this kind of behavior, as we see it as true spirituality. We always identify with the underdogs because we both grew up in a punk culture in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. I suppose that YACHT is attempting to forge connections between underground musical culture and underground spiritual culture. After all, both are motivated by the desire to create something more real, special, and rare than what is being presented by conventional organizations.

Your site contains a lot of free content, and a donation link. What are your views on "piracy"? Are people generous when given the choice to pay or not to pay for music?

Piracy is a difficult subject for us, as we've gotten into some trouble on the subject in the past. However, our views remain the same: that software and music piracy is out of our hands, is a cultural trend that is pushed forward by millions of invisible hands, and that it will never go away, never disappear. It's not in our interest to rebel against culture, to push back against those millions of hands, who don't pirate out of malice or disapproval, but to live outside of their means and experience culture through its media. We see our art in the Walter Benjamin sense -- once we finish producing something, it belongs to the world, through the wonder of both mechanical reproduction (albums, concerts) and the transparent forces of idea-sharing online. Everyone owns a tiny piece of YACHT. We want to encourage that. 

You're still touring as of 2010. What do you enjoy about being on the road?

The opportunity to meet the people who make YACHT possible as both a band and community.

Pros and cons of having a show in Vancouver in the height of the Olympic craziness?

To be honest, we have no idea what to expect. We've never been remotely close, geographically, to the aura of the Olympiad, and are excited that our journey to Canada will begin with the frenzy of the 2010 Olympics. Athletes of Olympic caliber refine and purify their bodies to the height of physical capacity, and we find that to be a useful allegory for how we aim to refine our minds. Perhaps it will motivate us all.

What can fans expect from YACHT in the future?

We've taken some baby steps onto a path which will never allow us, at this point, to move backwards. YACHT forges ahead through the darkness, inventing the way as it goes, until the path ends, the top of the mountain is reached, and we can finally look behind us to see which way we journeyed.

YACHT performs at the Biltmore Cabaret on Feb. 19th at 9:30pm.
www.teamyacht.com


"Summer Song" - YACHT


"Psychic City (Voodoo City)" - YACHT

Gonzales Exclusive

In case you haven't heard of him before, Canada's own Gonzales has been in cahoots with homegrown superstars like electro-rapper Peaches and family-friendlier indie star Feist. But it's his solo work that screams 'mad genius'. Who else could put rhymes like "Gonna rape that face/And erase the bad taste" over a muffled Korg and electro drum machine kit and still make it sound good? Now he's in our fair city playing with Feist for the Cultural Olympiad and V-Rag got to speak to the musical maniac...

SUPERVILLAINY
Interview by Jeff Lawrence

What kind of a kid were you? 

I spent most of my free time fantasizing about being a super villain whilst jumping up and down on a trampoline. Then I discovered the piano and that became my outlet for supervillainy.

Where are you living now and why? 

I've been living Paris now for some time. French professional culture is a bit indirect for my North American capitalist tastes. I feel more and more Canadian as the years drag on here. Although when I come home to Canada people say I "look European", go figure.

You're a classically trained pianist, but some of your first recordings were of you MCing over minimal electro beats. What drew you away from the piano to that? 

I had already been disillusioned with the piano when I left Canada, mostly to do with a lingering distaste for the masturbatory tendencies of young "virtuosos". So it was quite inspiring to discover the electro scene in Berlin in 1998. Not only did it feel more relevant to my philosophy and age (at that time), but it was easy and cheap to make that kind of music. Moving to Paris in 2003 in relative comfort opened me up to re-incorporating the piano into my music. 

You have worked with some huge names, including Peaches, Daft Punk and Jamie Lidell. I've read that you're very particular about who you choose to work with; what are some of the criteria you look for in a collaboration? 

First of all I have to find something to contribute. Collaboration is also a lot of psychology, so I need to have a decent rapport with them. Sometimes friendship and mutual respect are the best basis for work. But I also generally prefer playing my own shows, and producing is very time-consuming and takes place in dark rooms with no windows. So in the end I can afford to be choosy because I don't produce full-time.

How did you meet Peaches anyways? And for Teaches of Peaches, were you both predisposed to that same minimal electro sound, or did one of you introduce the other to it?

Well I would like to clarify that I did not produce that album. But we both were attracted to that sound for practical, even economic, reasons. I would say Peaches' sound is extremely minimal, whereas mine still allows for a lot of old-school musical elements. Doing "minimal" music isn't really a big deal, most good music is about a single good idea anyway.

In regards to your world record for longest solo-artist performance, do you think you were successful in proving music requires athleticism, or just that musicians are insane geniuses?

That's for the audience to decide, but I do know that no one complained that I was using the public as a "prop" to get a world record. It was a simultaneously ego-driven and generous act. I am not insane, I just pretend to be onstage.

What's your take on Canada's musical palette? You've previously said you were "disappointed" by your experiences in Canada, do you still see it that way?

For personal reasons I was disappointed. I love Canadian culture. We really do have the best sense of humour along with our former colonial masters. Musically things are a little outside of my wheelhouse, but I have enormous respect for Canadians who manage to make music that sounds Canadian. Working with Feist gives me a window into that community.

Where do you think the trend of Canadians moving to Berlin to pursue their art comes from?

Well it doesn't matter where you go as long as you leave, right? The trend is that exile is inspiring.

Feist and yourself are playing the Cultural Olympiad on February 17th. How did this performance come about?

Who could turn that down? A captive audience in a beautiful theatre is impossible to refuse. Plus I will be in New York City doing shows for the whole month of February, so the travel isn't quite as murderous as it would have been from Paris.

Who would you love to work with that you haven't yet? 

Lenny Kravitz or The Clipse.

What can we expect to see from you in the future? 

I am shooting a feature length movie about Canadian chess champions that I wrote and will star in, together with Canadian underground stars Peaches and Tiga. It's the companion piece to my new electro album "Ivory Tower". The album and movie will drop this September.

Fesit and Gonzales play the Orpheum Theatre tonight (Feb. 17) at 8pm.

Back In The Day: V-Rag Classic Track

Ah, the day we either love to hate or love to love, Valentine's is all about the L-Word. So, if you've got a boy or girl, or something in between, treat them right... And if you're single like the rest of us, get drunk and swear at anyone that looks vaguely happy. This week's classic track should get you inspired, one of my all-time favourites: "Dr. Love" by First Choice. Just one kiss from his lips is like taking Vitamin C, you can't imagine what my doctor does to me...


"Dr. Love" - First Choice

V-WEB: Our Weekly Obsession (Feb. 11/10)

The boys of OutTV's Don't Quit Your Gay Job have been with us since day one, when we first profiled them. In fact, V-Rag was the first to bring you an exclusive look at the premiere season! From drag queen to dominatrix to city bus driver to stripper, Rob Easton and Sean Horlor gave us a peak at the jobs we either covet or curse. A breakout hit here in Canada, they're back for a second season, set to be bigger and better than the last. In the spirit of the season, OutTV will be airing the first two episodes of the new series on Feb. 15th ("Curling") and Feb. 22nd ("Hockey"). This is a true local original, and be sure to keep your eyes out for a feature on Season 2 in the upcoming March issue of V-Rag. Also read all about Rob's Wasted Thoughts, a V-Rag regular column as well as Sean's Up Your Alley blog on the xtra.ca website. Go Team Rob & Sean!

BASH'd Exclusive

We've always known that musical theatre is a little bit... well... gay. And we've always been very aware of the homophobic undertones of mainstream rap and hip-hop. So mashing the two genres together is obvious, really. Right? At least that's how Nathan Cuckow and Chris Caddock, the creators and stars of BASH'd!: A Gay Rap Opera, see it. V-Rag got a chance to catch up with Cuckow (T-BAG) and Caddock (Feminem) to find out about the genesis of this one of-a-kind play, a welcome addition to this year's Cultural Olympiad lineup.

BEING BASH'D
Interview by Cole Johnston

How did BASH'd come about (or should I say come out)?

BASH’d! was created after a gay rap performance (featuring Feminem and T BAG) at Edmonton's Loud 'n Queer Cabaret. Chris and I had such a good time creating and performing a track called “Grab That Ass” with our gay rap alter-egos, we immediately knew we wanted to expand on the concept, and use Feminem and T BAG to narrate a full length show. BASH’d! was inspired by the “equal marriage debate” in Canada, and was created shortly after. The Premier of Alberta at the time, Ralph Klein, was threatening to use the not-withstanding clause, which would have effectively denied gay Albertans the right to marry their spouses. Ralph was using a lot of militaristic language, saying stuff like “we’ll use every weapon in our arsenal” to fight this attack on the definition of marriage, whipping his conservative fan base up into a frenzy. There was a rise in hate crimes in the province. We have straight friends who were gay bashed. It didn’t matter if the people being attacked were gay or not, just as long as someone was getting beat up for being queer. We were interested in exploring this political climate, and the effects gay bashings have on the gay community, gay relationships, and gay families.

BASH'd has been doing the theatre circuit for a few years now, is this your first time bringing it to Vancouver?

Yes. We played Victoria last March and we’re very excited to play Vancouver.

You both have an impressive history on Alberta's theatre scene, how did the two of you meet?

Chris and I became friends when I came to Edmonton to perform in a show at the Edmonton Fringe Festival. We have very similar attitudes when it comes to theatre, art, film, books, etc and quickly became friends. We originally collaborated as writer/performers on a play entitled 3…2…1 which we toured to Ottawa’s Magnetic North Theatre Festival and to the Yukon. And we created BASH’d! shortly after.

Gay rappers have been more and more recognized in mainstream music lately, do you guys feel like Canadian pioneers in this movement?

No, BASH’d! is a hip hop musical and Feminem and TBAG are just characters. We tell the story in rhyme with dope beats but we aren’t real rappers. If we in any way can help gain public awareness to gay rappers and the gay rap movement, that is great. But we are hardly pioneers. We recommend people check out the queer documentary Pick Up The Mic.

What are your favourite homo hip-hop tracks?

We’re fans of hip hop and enjoy socially conscious rappers like Sage Francis, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Aesop Rock, Missy Elliot, Public Enemy, The Gift of Gab, Knaan, MF DOOM, The Roots, etc.

It's clear you guys are serious about hip-hop, not just out for laughs. Do you have the street cred to go along with the critical acclaim now?

Hehe. Are you wondering if we’ve ever been shot or done time in the slammer? In both cases, the answer is no. Chris and I are trained actors, and fans of hip hop and we’ve done our best to execute our rhymes and play our characters to the best of our abilities.

This is pretty dark subject matter for a comedy, are there some people who just don't "get it"?

Sure. Not everyone is going to like everything. I will say that BASH’d! isn’t just a comedy. It’s also a drama and part tragedy. I would say it’s mostly a gay love story, and a celebration of love and of the gay community.

What message are you trying to convey with this project?

I want people to have the most engaging experience possible. I believe the key to doing that is first and foremost, by entertaining them. If people are entertained, they open themselves up to the characters journey. I believe that the best experiences in film and in theatre and in art come from emotionally connected storytelling. There are lots of themes that run through BASH’d! but I wouldn’t say the show has a singular “message”. Audiences may watch the show and be connected to the theme of “violence begetting violence”, or they may leave inspired to be more political in the interest of human rights, or maybe they’ll just enjoy the music, the jokes, and Chris’s pink John Deere ball-cap. We wanted to explore the effects gay bashings have on the gay community, gay relationships, and gay families, and what happens when a political climate encourages this discrimination. BASH’d! can be seen as political theatre, a plea for equal rights, or it can just be seen as an entertaining celebration of love with a tragic twist. Our aim is for people to have both experiences. What an audience wishes to take away from our show, is up to them.

Do you think the political atmosphere has changed much since BASH'd debuted?

Yes and no. It seems in the case of all civil rights movements, it’s 3 steps forward 2 steps back. But hopefully in time we’ll see a more substantial change. I have faith in the younger generations who don’t have as much baggage when it comes to sexuality as our repressed religious elders.

BASH'd: A Gay Rap Opera
at the Cultch, 1895 Venables Street

Tuesday, 2/16/2010 at 8:00 pm
Wednesday, 2/17/2010 at 8:00 pm
Thursday, 2/18/2010 at 8:00 pm
Friday, 2/19/2010 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, 2/20/2010 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm

Caesar Exclusive

Caesar is one of gay porn's all-time royalty. After a quick rise to fame in the late '90s and throughout the last decade, he retired from the industry to pursue fitness and body building. I'm sure most internet-addicted guys will recognize his... erm... face. We got a chance to talk dirty with the muscular sex symbol. How much do we love this job??

CAESAR: FIRST MAN OF PORN
Interview by Cole Johnston

When did you first become interested in the porn industry as a career?

I guess it was in the back of my mind during my teens. When I got out of the US Marine Corps in 1996, I was approached by Chi Chi LaRue and the rest is history.

Looking back on your career, any highlights or regrets?

Probably lots of regrets but I don't focus on those. I met a lot of cool people, made some life-long friends, had lots of kinky sex and I make a pretty decent living with the name I built up.

You're still one of the most recognizable faces in gay porn. Are you often recognized in public?

Sometimes. If I'm in a gay area I am recognized often. The airport seems to be a common place to be recognized too.

What's the craziest thing a fan's ever done or asked?

I'd have to go with cruising my house when I still lived in West Hollywood and the ones that ask to marry me or be my boyfriend when they've never actually met me in person... that's pretty crazy!

Do you watch your own videos? Or have any favourite adult films?

Not into watching myself in the professional vids but do enjoy making home videos just for personal use... those can be pretty hot.

Favourite porn?

I always enjoyed the Falcon classics...Manhandler being one that sticks out.

You have a history of competitive body building and your website now features workout and training tips. Is fitness your current career direction?

Yes, it's my true passion and I'm working on a total finess-based website now and I do personal training here in Las Vegas.

Winter Olympics are this month here in Vancouver! Any events you'll be watching?

I've never been a real big winter guy. I'm a big baby when it comes to the cold so I never got too involved with the Winter Olympics but I do like the Speed Skating quite a bit.

You're very disciplined as a body builder and trainer. Do you have any vices?

Reeses Peanut Butter Cups are my weakness and I am an avid supporter of legalized Marijuana!

You seem to have dabbled in every career; dance, fitness, and porn. Is there anything you're still passionate to try out?

I think I'm going to concentrate on fitness/bodybuilding for now. I want to increase my education and continue to grow as a trainer. Still doing the adult stuff but not as hardcore these days.

Does that mean you're coming out of porn retirement? What can we expect from you in the future?

Only time can tell... it just has to be the right project. Something new and creative without being silly. Stay tuned!

www.caesarworld.com

Back In The Day: V-Rag Classic Track

I stumbled upon this little gem of a video when I was looking up this week's V-Rag Classic Track, "I'm Alive" by Stretch 'n' Vern. Remember when pleather and faux fur were what all the club kids were wearing? Admit it, you still have something embarrassing in your closet from the mid '90s when Electric Circus was Queen of MuchMusic and we called the internet the worldwide web. Well, tonight is the night to don those outfits and party like it's 1996 again, with DRAGonFire, a classic House of Venus party at Honey Lounge in Gastown. Hope to see you all there... dancing EXACTLY like this!


"I'm Alive" - Stretch 'n' Vern (Electric Circus 1996)

V-WEB: Our Weekly Obsession (Feb. 4/10)

OK, as if this picture isn't enough to become obsessed over, amazingly the personality behind it is even more astounding! If you don't already know who Little Boots is, where have you been for the last year?? The ex-lead singer of Brit-pop group Dead Disco (a.k.a. Victoria Hesketh) dropped the electro-pop masterpiece Hands in 2009. Since then, she's been called the British Lady GaGa, the next Kate Bush and the biggest artist to watch in 2010. It's easy to see why, with pure pop brilliance like the single "Remedy" mixed with her undeniable talent and beauty. Can you tell we're obsessed yet? Check out the videos and pretend that you're not already on Team Boots. Especially with the way she rocks out on that Tenori-on and Stylophone! She'll be coming our way March 5th at Venue and V-Rag will be there squealing along.


little boots - remedy
Uploaded by project485. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.


Little Boots: "Meddle" for PlayGround
Uploaded by playgroundmag. - Explore more music videos.

February: The GOLD Edition

After much anticipation, discussion, controversy and excitement, the Winter Olympics are taking over our fair city this month. And love them or hate them, they are definitely bringing a high calibre of talent to Vancouver! Not only will we see the best athletes in the world, but also the best in art, music and theatre. So, in the spirit of the season, we got to catch up with some of the brightest stars headlining the Cultural Olympiad, as well as other cool events around the city. We're super excited to feature one of my favourite Canadian exports Chromeo and chat with them about their upcoming gigs in Vancouver and Whistler. Fellow Canadian musical genius Gonzales will be playing with Feist during the Cultural Olympiad and takes some time out for V-Rag. Speaking of geniuses, Vancouver art legend Paul Wong explains his Olympic installations, and Calgary-based theatre sensation BASH'd rap about their gay hip-hop musical. Rob Easton sits down with Olympic Gold Medalist Mark Tewksbury this month to discuss the lack of gay athletes in the Games, and porn legend-cum-fitness guru Caesar gets grilled by me. What a job! On a more indie tip, DFA recording artists YACHT and Canadian folk heroes Woodpigeon give us a taste of the huge amount of non-Olympic activities happening this month. All that plus the triumphant return of Joan-E's Rag in this month's issue of V-Rag, available today! Be sure to check back throughout February for exclusive content, extended interviews, music, videos and contests right here on the Official V-Blog.