staff

Adrien Sala • editor
Over the past decade or so, Adrien bounced from place to place trying his hand at an array of different vocations. He held titles such as Painter, Carpenter, Factory Worker, Sailor, The Guy Who Puts The Tiny Stickers On Avocados Guy, Butler, and Gopher. Of all these trades he wasn’t great at any of them. (He was good at the sticker thing, but not great.) Often, from wherever he found himself, Adrien would correspond with others through email, relating the intricacies of a vagabond vocationalist faking his way through the working world. The emails were received well, and it was discovered that he had a way with words. And so now, after discovering he’s better at writing than working a sticker gun, Adrien is trying the editor thing. He hopes it goes well, just don’t ask him the difference between a verb and a noun.

adrien@themetropolitan.ca

Chris Long • music editor

Chris was born in the UK. His family moved to Winnipeg when he was 10 years old, apparently so his parents could have "a nice front yard." He eventually left that frozen mosquito-infested hole for more promising adventures out west. He ended up in Victoria, where he's happily in love and eagerly anticipating getting fat. Chris has somehow duped many people into thinking that he's a "DJ" and is quietly waiting for someone to call his bluff. He loves his day job at Ditch Records and still spends much of his time ~~enjoying music, not complaining about it~~ listening to techno. He is too happy for you.

chris@themetropolitan.ca

Steve Webb • publisher
Steve grew up in rural Ontario where he won a beer cooler in a log rolling competition at the age of eight. In his teens, he moved to Ottawa, where he wore huge pants, operated a rickshaw and screamed obsceneties in a nine piece rap/punk/shitcore band. He lived for a time in Banff but doesn't remember it and made it to Victoria in '97 on the back of a truck. Steve graduated from the two year Applied Communication Program in six short years. He began Metropol Industries in 2003, now Victoria's premier events marketing company. When not publishing this magazine, Steve spends most of his time riding bikes, eating Mexican food, and missing bowling. He is the drummist in Growler and Capitan of the Metroball Dodgeball Team.

steve@themetropolitan.ca

Sylvia Law • fashion director
Sylvia enjoys reading, cooking, shoes, trivia, verbal sniping, travel, learning, Chinatown, basking in the sun, music, large portions of savoury foods, self-deprecation, and oh yeah, fashion. At the age of four she was photographed rocking a bowl-cut while clad in a pink poly-blend Hello Kitty jogging suit. Now, her approach to fashion has retained much of its original mix of nuanced flair, practicality, and risk-taking, incorporated with newer ideas like wearing anything except said jogging suit. Her future plans include eating, resisting Facebook and playing some piano.

sylvia@themetropolitan.ca

Vanessa Lee • fashion director
Vanessa has lived in Victoria all her live long days. Working in fashion retail for more than 5 years has given her a discerning eye. Heinous ensembles have been damningly deconstructed behind the manicured hand of this fashionista. The sidewalks of Johnson St and dance floor at Lucky are dangerous territory with this outfit sniper looking down her sights. However, before you say "sure, its easy to spot what you don’t like", Vanessa has proven time and time again that she really knows what she does like. She’ll probably know what you’ll like too. Lest ye be judged behind the all-knowing hand. So take her advice; polish those nails, dress confidently, and make every outfit count.

vanessa@themetropolitan.ca

Meghan Dean • music writer
Meghan's long-time love affair with words began when she was in pre-school: sitting down and reading stories was the only thing that kept her parents from putting her on Ritalin. A graduate of the Journalism program at Langara College, Meghan has been a long-time freelancer in Vancouver (The Nerve, SAVFAIRE, The Courier) and recently started her own online blog/magazine YAH! (You Are Here). Aside from that, she likes: boots, scotch and rad local shows. She dislikes: misplaced sarcasm, crowded buses, and lame house parties. People like her because her candid advice makes you want to cook her dinner and buy the wine.

Dan Godlovitch • music writer
Dan arrived in Victoria 2 1/2 years ago via Toronto via New Zealand
via Calgary. Coming to this city to study climate modelling at Uvic,
he's managed to find some time to make music as Ookpikk, do a radio
show with CFUV and write for The Metropolitan. His primary
musical obsession is with techno that squiggles, but that is hardly
exclusive, and leaves plenty of room for all sorts of other genres.
His goal in life is to be as awesome at age 50 as Mark E Smith is.

Liam Lux • film columnist

Liam was born and raised in a border town to non-naturalized American parents, and has remained a transgressive inside-outsider ever since. He’s survived cubscouts, public schools, endless econoline roadtrips, labour strikes, punk rock riots, topless French beaches, Motor City shake-downs, organized crime, disorganized politics, the 80’s, Generation X, Y2K, post-secondary education, Mardi Gras, marriage, no wave, shoegazing, the rav-era, and hipster scene-ism. He’s been a janitor, denture courier, auto-parts packager, sweatshop floor manager, blacktopper, barista, paid activist, DJ, freelance journalist, importer, vinyl merchant, editor, hoaxter, promoter, lobbyist, and bar manager. He’s also watched more films than anyone in recorded history. The voices in his head never stop, and if he doesn’t somehow let them out they’ll take over.

Matt Salik • illustrator
"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy."

Wayne Webb • photographer
waynewebb.com

Matty Conrad • photographer
Matty loves photography. He has never been to school or taken any classes or completed anything that might make him qualified to call himself a photographer, but he has a mounting list of commercial clients, a back log of bands chomping at the bit for some shoot time, and a growing portrait portfolio. It's hard to believe that it isn't his real job. During the day you can find him and his english bulldog Belle running The Fix Blue on Johnson.

Peter Gardner • photographer
Peter is from Victoria. In less than two years, he's been to
over 200 shows. At a lot of these shows, he's taken pictures which
most of the time end up on his website for the world so see. He also
really likes eating pie and writing cheesy songs.

Patrick Blennerhassett • writer
Patrick is a full-time reporter with the Victoria News, currently
covering the Arts & Entertainment beat. Aside from that, he spent a year
living and working illegally in Hawaii, two summers in Iqaluit working
on a diesel power plant, and graduated from Langara's journalism
program in 2005. He also spent a month and a half travelling the Fijian
Islands in a sailboat - and once grabbed a dog by its hind legs and
pushed it around like a vacuum cleaner. His debut fiction novel
Monument is out October 15th through Vancouver's Now Or Never
Publishing Co.

Jenn Chrumka • writer, editor (issues 5-5 to 6-6)
Jenn can’t sit still and she’s been moving west from Calgary (with many stops along the way) since she was given the keys to her first car, a ’78 Buick. Though she’s tried to leave Victoria several times already, cursing the ferries and the rain and those people who walk along already crowded streets with over-sized umbrellas, the city has taken a hold of her. It’s the ocean, the used book stores, the coffee shops and the unemployed “artists” she calls her friends. Her ultimate goal is to write mystery novels. Until that day, she’s happily employed at CBC radio and The Metropolitan Magazine.

Toban Ralston • fashion director (issues 6-2 to 6-6)
Toban probably knows someone you know. Having spent all of his life living in Victoria, he's met more people than he can remember. And though he can't always remember your name, for which he apologizes profusely, he can most certainly dress you up in an amazing outfit. So if you ever need to be really really ridiculously good-looking for something, Toban's your boy.

	Adrien Sala • editor Over the past decade or so, Adrien bounced from place to place trying his hand at an array of different vocations. He held titles such as Painter, Carpenter, Factory Worker, Sailor, The Guy Who Puts The Tiny Stickers On Avocados Guy, Butler, and Gopher. Of all these trades he wasn’t great at any of them. (He was good at the sticker thing, but not great.) Often, from wherever he found himself, Adrien would correspond with others through email, relating the intricacies of a vagabond vocationalist faking his way through the working world. The emails were received well, and it was discovered that he had a way with words. And so now, after discovering he’s better at writing than working a sticker gun, Adrien is trying the editor thing. He hopes it goes well, just don’t ask him the difference between a verb and a noun. adrien@themetropolitan.ca

	Chris Long • music editor Chris was born in the UK. His family moved to Winnipeg when he was 10 years old, apparently so his parents could have "a nice front yard." He eventually left that frozen mosquito-infested hole for more promising adventures out west. He ended up in Victoria, where he's happily in love and eagerly anticipating getting fat. Chris has somehow duped many people into thinking that he's a "DJ" and is quietly waiting for someone to call his bluff. He loves his day job at Ditch Records and still spends much of his time ~~enjoying music, not complaining about it~~ listening to techno. He is too happy for you. chris@themetropolitan.ca

	Steve Webb • publisher Steve grew up in rural Ontario where he won a beer cooler in a log rolling competition at the age of eight. In his teens, he moved to Ottawa, where he wore huge pants, operated a rickshaw and screamed obsceneties in a nine piece rap/punk/shitcore band. He lived for a time in Banff but doesn't remember it and made it to Victoria in '97 on the back of a truck. Steve graduated from the two year Applied Communication Program in six short years. He began Metropol Industries in 2003, now Victoria's premier events marketing company. When not publishing this magazine, Steve spends most of his time riding bikes, eating Mexican food, and missing bowling. He is the drummist in Growler and Capitan of the Metroball Dodgeball Team. steve@themetropolitan.ca

	Sylvia Law • fashion director Sylvia enjoys reading, cooking, shoes, trivia, verbal sniping, travel, learning, Chinatown, basking in the sun, music, large portions of savoury foods, self-deprecation, and oh yeah, fashion. At the age of four she was photographed rocking a bowl-cut while clad in a pink poly-blend Hello Kitty jogging suit. Now, her approach to fashion has retained much of its original mix of nuanced flair, practicality, and risk-taking, incorporated with newer ideas like wearing anything except said jogging suit. Her future plans include eating, resisting Facebook and playing some piano. sylvia@themetropolitan.ca

	Vanessa Lee • fashion director Vanessa has lived in Victoria all her live long days. Working in fashion retail for more than 5 years has given her a discerning eye. Heinous ensembles have been damningly deconstructed behind the manicured hand of this fashionista. The sidewalks of Johnson St and dance floor at Lucky are dangerous territory with this outfit sniper looking down her sights. However, before you say "sure, its easy to spot what you don’t like", Vanessa has proven time and time again that she really knows what she does like. She’ll probably know what you’ll like too. Lest ye be judged behind the all-knowing hand. So take her advice; polish those nails, dress confidently, and make every outfit count. vanessa@themetropolitan.ca

	Meghan Dean • music writer Meghan's long-time love affair with words began when she was in pre-school: sitting down and reading stories was the only thing that kept her parents from putting her on Ritalin. A graduate of the Journalism program at Langara College, Meghan has been a long-time freelancer in Vancouver (The Nerve, SAVFAIRE, The Courier) and recently started her own online blog/magazine YAH! (You Are Here). Aside from that, she likes: boots, scotch and rad local shows. She dislikes: misplaced sarcasm, crowded buses, and lame house parties. People like her because her candid advice makes you want to cook her dinner and buy the wine.

	Dan Godlovitch • music writer Dan arrived in Victoria 2 1/2 years ago via Toronto via New Zealand via Calgary. Coming to this city to study climate modelling at Uvic, he's managed to find some time to make music as Ookpikk, do a radio show with CFUV and write for The Metropolitan. His primary musical obsession is with techno that squiggles, but that is hardly exclusive, and leaves plenty of room for all sorts of other genres. His goal in life is to be as awesome at age 50 as Mark E Smith is.

	Liam Lux • film columnist Liam was born and raised in a border town to non-naturalized American parents, and has remained a transgressive inside-outsider ever since. He’s survived cubscouts, public schools, endless econoline roadtrips, labour strikes, punk rock riots, topless French beaches, Motor City shake-downs, organized crime, disorganized politics, the 80’s, Generation X, Y2K, post-secondary education, Mardi Gras, marriage, no wave, shoegazing, the rav-era, and hipster scene-ism. He’s been a janitor, denture courier, auto-parts packager, sweatshop floor manager, blacktopper, barista, paid activist, DJ, freelance journalist, importer, vinyl merchant, editor, hoaxter, promoter, lobbyist, and bar manager. He’s also watched more films than anyone in recorded history. The voices in his head never stop, and if he doesn’t somehow let them out they’ll take over.

	Matt Salik • illustrator "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy."

	Wayne Webb • photographer waynewebb.com

	Matty Conrad • photographer Matty loves photography. He has never been to school or taken any classes or completed anything that might make him qualified to call himself a photographer, but he has a mounting list of commercial clients, a back log of bands chomping at the bit for some shoot time, and a growing portrait portfolio. It's hard to believe that it isn't his real job. During the day you can find him and his english bulldog Belle running The Fix Blue on Johnson.

	Peter Gardner • photographer Peter is from Victoria. In less than two years, he's been to over 200 shows. At a lot of these shows, he's taken pictures which most of the time end up on his website for the world so see. He also really likes eating pie and writing cheesy songs.

	Patrick Blennerhassett • writer Patrick is a full-time reporter with the Victoria News, currently covering the Arts & Entertainment beat. Aside from that, he spent a year living and working illegally in Hawaii, two summers in Iqaluit working on a diesel power plant, and graduated from Langara's journalism program in 2005. He also spent a month and a half travelling the Fijian Islands in a sailboat - and once grabbed a dog by its hind legs and pushed it around like a vacuum cleaner. His debut fiction novel Monument is out October 15th through Vancouver's Now Or Never Publishing Co.

	Jenn Chrumka • writer, editor (issues 5-5 to 6-6) Jenn can’t sit still and she’s been moving west from Calgary (with many stops along the way) since she was given the keys to her first car, a ’78 Buick. Though she’s tried to leave Victoria several times already, cursing the ferries and the rain and those people who walk along already crowded streets with over-sized umbrellas, the city has taken a hold of her. It’s the ocean, the used book stores, the coffee shops and the unemployed “artists” she calls her friends. Her ultimate goal is to write mystery novels. Until that day, she’s happily employed at CBC radio and The Metropolitan Magazine.

	Toban Ralston • fashion director (issues 6-2 to 6-6) Toban probably knows someone you know. Having spent all of his life living in Victoria, he's met more people than he can remember. And though he can't always remember your name, for which he apologizes profusely, he can most certainly dress you up in an amazing outfit. So if you ever need to be really really ridiculously good-looking for something, Toban's your boy.