Downtown Peggy

They definitely deserve it – I went to see Altar Boyz at the Prairie Theatre Exchange over the weekend, and I spent the full hour and a half laughing. If the show name sounds familiar, it’s probably because it was in Winnipeg as a huge hit of the 2009 Fringe festival. The show is a pop musical comedy that puts you in the audience of the final “Raise the Praise” tour stop of the Altar Boyz, a Christian boy band. It’s a playful look at the 90s boy band phenomenon starring the five Boyz – Matthew (the leader), Mark (the sensitive one), Luke (the bad boy), Juan (the heartthrob), and Abraham (the actually-talented-guy). They come with a Soul Sensor that counts down how many ‘burdened souls’ are in the audience – and Winnipeg apparently has a lot of mischievous sinners out there – and see how many they can free up before the end of the show.

The bubblegum pop songs are catchy, but make sure you listen to the lyrics closely – the Altar Boyz aren’t all that reverent and they’re full of innuendo and sly, but never mean, jokes. My personal favourite was the story of the founding of the Altar Boyz where they were graced with the commandments of successful boybandhood (eg. Thou shalt anoint thy hair with product and array thyself in pleather…)

The Boyz aren’t just paying lip service to this being a concert – these guys can sing AND dance. The whole show is choreographed with bouncy dance moves that had me exhausted just watching them. They definitely do their cardio! I was a little nervous when they started pulling people up on stage (I wasn’t picked, whew) but I started to regret it a little by the time it was done – they looked like they were having lots of fun.

Final word – it’s bubblegummy fun with just enough bite to keep you laughing, I’d definitely recommend it. The show runs until March 11^th, and ticket prices and showtimes can be found on the PTE website

Side note: If you haven’t been to the PTE in a while, you should take a walk up to check it out – the lobby was renovated last year and has been totally transformed.

It’s Art & Soul time again, Apres Ski style! This year’s event is in just two days on February 25th and is almost completely sold out – a little birdie (by which I mean twitter) told me there are less than 85 tix left for the party as of yesterday afternoon! I got mine and I’ll be live tweeting from the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and I wouldn’t wait to grab yours – last year was totally sold out.

A picture’s worth a thousand words, so I’m just going to show you 3,000 words worth of why you should be there:

#1: Last year’s party = awesome.

Last year's London Calling theme in action

#2: Bonding with friends!

#3: For once, it’s appropriate to wear a tuque and furry boots with your formalwear! Vive le apres ski theme!

If you still need your tickets, you can buy them and get all kinds of other info on their website: artandsoul.wag.ca

I’ve spent a little more than a week now soaking in the peaceful atmosphere of downtown’s epic new yoga studio, Yoga Public.

It launched with a major opening party on the 10^th where I got to explore it for the first time. It only took the lobby to win me over – the moment you step in, you realize that they’ve gone all-out creating a beautiful and calming space.

Once you shed your shoes and get inside, you realize how big the space actually is (the largest yoga studio in Canada, apparently!) with two studios on the main floor and two below. I’ve spent most of my time on the lower level, where I tried hot flow yoga and TRX for the first time! First, hot flow – I want to have a hot yoga studio installed in my house. The floor is padded so it’s soft on the feet, and the temperature makes it feel like you’re outside on a hot summer day. It really helped warm up my muscles, and I needed it! I had an awesome instructor named Lorna who took us through an hour of poses that made my muscles stretch like an elastic band. There were lots of experienced people that amazed me with how strong and flexible they were, but she made sure to show lots of easier options for newbies like me. You spend a lot of time concentrating on your breathing, and it took my mind away from all my worries – I felt so calm when we were done.

TRX is much more energy-packed. I walked into the room and saw sets of nylon straps and handles that hang from the ceiling, one for each person. I couldn’t figure out how this was going to work at first, it’s actually a way of doing strength training without any weights – you use the handles to make your own body the weight, it’s really cool! After warming up, she cranked up some sugary energy-laden pop music and we did squats, lunges, push ups, crunches, and lots more using the TRX bands for balance. You spend half your class hanging at a 45 degree angle, which I have to say is a much more fun way of doing a push up than putting your nose to a gym floor.

On the way up, I passed a restorative yoga class – when I walked by, everyone was lying on their mats covered in blankets, with beanbags over their eyes, and incense wafting around – the next time I need to destress, that one is DEFINITELY on my list.

Make sure you give yourself enough time to use the plush locker rooms after – I don’t think I’ve ever properly experienced a rainfall shower before I came here. The showerheads look like they’re 2 feet across – it really is like standing in the rain, if rain was heated and came with delicious-smelling body wash and shampoo dispensers. There’s also heaps of mirror space on the ladies’ side and all kinds of useful stuff like hairdryers and moisturizer so you can get ready to go back to work after. They even provide mats and towels so you don’t need to pack a big bag.

They’ve got a special on right now for their opening – you can get a two-week unlimited pass for $35. That’s what I’ve got, and I’m using it to try out everything I can before it expires! Next up, the yoga wall…and that restorative class with the incense.

Yoga Public
280 Fort Street
947.9642 (YOGA)
info@yogapublic.com

Happy Valentine’s Day, Winnipeg!

A so-sweet-it-hurts Botanical Paperworks card

I don’t have a date tonight, but I’m not afraid to admit that I love Valentine’s Day anyway. I know a lot of people think it’s cheesy or fake, but I think a day set aside just to say “I love you” – whether it’s to your honey, your friends, or even just that big box of chocolates you found, is a pretty sweet idea. Plus, there’s chocolate on sale everywhere tomorrow! We can all get on board with that, right?

So if you want to join me in the warm ‘n’ fuzzy Valentine’s Day spirit today but your favourite restaurant is all booked up, I have some emergency ideas you can pull off without leaving the downtown:

• Hands down, the cutest Valentine’s day cards in the city are at Botanical Paperworks.  Not only are the messages unique and heartwarming, but they’re plantable and have  seeds in the paper, so you can tell your sweetie that a lovely flower will grow from the card come spring. Awww.
• Sweet things are hard to resist, but heart-shaped box of chocolates can be a little overdone. Alternative solution? Bodegoes at cityplace (formerly known as the Line Up) has sweet treats from Cakeology – pick up some cupcakes or their gloriously gooey and oversized imperial cookies. Dessert Sinsations also has decadent slices of cake and dainties you can take away if you need a big finish to a romantic home-cooked meal – today they’ve got Red Velvet Lady Hearts!
• Casual night in? Run through the skywalks to HMV in Portage Place and get yourself a romantic movie to watch together for a night in – my pick? Princess Bride. Bonus points if you pick up one of Boston Pizza’s heart-shaped pizzas at cityplace along the way!
• It’s a beautiful night – rent skates and take a spin holding hands on the river trail at the Forks, cuddle up in one of the warming huts together, and get yourself a hot chocolate by a roaring fire under the stars.
  

  Cute love stories at Coles

• Go investigate the table with all the red and pink books on it outside Coles at cityplace – there’s a book called “It Was Love When” about how people knew it was right – wrap up the book with a note about how YOU knew your date tonight was the one for you. On the table beside it and just as cute ? A book of love coupons.
• And a final idea for everyone – do your good deed for the day and make someone else’s Valentine’s Day wish come true! Vote for the most romantic entry in my Who Hearts Hockey contest and send someone to see the Bruins this week!

Lots of love to you all,
Peggy

Packed house for the AnX opening!

It’s opening-fest downtown today! I just came from the official ribbon-cutting at the University of Winnipeg’s new AnX building in the former Greyhound station (side note, does anyone know where that whole tradition of cutting a ribbon to open a building started?) The place was packed with students, speakers, downtowners and press nibbling on goodies from the two new restaurants that just opened, Garbanzos and Starbucks. Pizza and coffee – isn’t that the perfect combination for students? It’s what I lived off of in university, at least. I’m not sure I should have tasted the opening-day samples all at once, though – bacon is delicious and so are lattes, but they just don’t mix that well. In future, one new restaurant/coffee shop at a time for me. The university’s brand-new bookstore opens today too, and it’s gorgeous – big and open with splashes of bright red everywhere. To celebrate their opening they’re doing a giveaway – a Shogun bike that has a fabulously retro look. I could totally see myself putting on a bell and a basket and riding to work every day in the summer on this.

Prize giveaway at the U of W bookstore

But that’s just one of the openings today – there’s another exciting one this afternoon, for Yoga Public on Fort St! They’re finally ready to open their doors to classes starting tomorrow, and I’m headed over later today to take a preview peek – I’ll make sure to update and share photos here!

So Valentine’s Day is less than a week away…do you have plans yet?

For all of those who are panicking that they don’t have anything booked, and places are filling up…well I’ve got something that may solve your Valentine’s Day problems. Even if you don’t have a date lined up, I’m pretty sure this will get you one.

The Jets are playing on February 14th, and I’ve got a pair of tickets! Not just that, but I’ve got some his & hers Jets gear – one fabulous jersey and one super-cute women’s tshirt – a gift certificate for dinner at Hu’s Asian Bistro, and possibly the most coveted item of all on game day, an  indoor parking pass for the night of the game so you & your date can stay toasty warm no matter how chilly it gets in the next few days.

So how do you get a chance at this lovely prize? To enter, vote in the comments: -What’s the sweetest Valentine’s Day gift this year?

• Flowers
• Chocolates
• Dinner
• Jets tickets
• Other (you’ve got to give me your own answer if you pick this one!)

Just one entry per person, and make sure to give me your email when you post! I’ll be drawing for one lucky winner to get this prize pack on Monday, February 13th

PS: If you don’t win, there are still lots of places to catch the game – I’ve called, visited, and hunted out all the places downtown to catch the game and all the cool specials and prizes they have going on for game night. Check out the list here!

I always hear people say that Winnipeg is such a creative city because it’s so cold here – in the winter, we have to stay inside a lot, so we write, sing, play, make art, whatever creative expression we choose.

So if this cold/creative dynamic really works for us, odds are, it would apply in other cold places right? I’m testing the theory at the WSO New Music Festival starting today – they’ve got a Nordic music theme this year, which means they’re featuring a lot of Icelandic composers (including Sigur Ros) They’re packing in more than 50 pieces into 7 days – superstar cellists, modern dance pieces…and of course, no festival would be complete without a big party, so Uptown Magazine is hosting an afterparty on February first to finish up Icelandia evening.

There’s also a new indie festival this year that’s picked up on the idea of cold & creativity as well – Big Fun. It showcases whole bunch of different genres of music with more than 20 local bands playing. And instead of using bars & clubs, they’re taking the shows to new spaces all over the Exchange District – galleries, lofts, and warehouses – all of them close enough to walk back and forth from. It started on the 26^th and is running until the 29^th. (FYI if you’re a Parlour Coffee fan, a Big Fun wristband will snag you 10% off your caffeine fix of choice) It’s the first year, but they’re planning to make it an annual festival – how cool would it be to have this weekend packed with music every year?

So yes, it’s cold – let’s celebrate! Want ticket info for the shows? Check the links above!

I admit, I was a little afraid it was never going to happen. But the Assiniboine Credit Union River Trail is finally open! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about the warmer weatherwe’ve had  – but it would have been disappointing if I’d missed out on gliding down the river this year. It’s so peaceful once you make it down to the farther end of the trail – just the swish-swish noises of other skaters drifting by, trees and ice all around you – it can be so quiet it’s hard to believe you’re just a little way from the centre of town. You can warm up with your sweetie in a Frank Gehry-design hut, and when the cold starts to get to you, there are roaring fires, laughter, pickup hockey games and plenty of places to get hot chocolate back at the Forks start of the trail. I think this is what everyone pictures when they think of winter in Canada – at least, I know I do (update – the Toronto Star agrees in their article today)

I’ll be bundling up and renting some skates this weekend to go explore – if you’re going too, stay warm & enjoy yourselves out there!

Update # 2 – someone’s posted a slideshow video of the huts going up!