Under cover of the ’Peg
Local artist looking to break into Winnipeg scene after gaining renown outside the city
Anthony Augustine

Daniel Barrow—www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd — Considering the success Winnipeg artist Daniel Barrow has had outside of Manitoba, he could be dubbed the ‘Venetian Snares of the art world.’ Like electronic maverick Aaron Funk, Barrow has built himself a high profile in the outside world while remaining relatively unknown in this province. Although his successful run at this year’s Fringe Festival may indicate that things are changing, Barrow doesn’t have any local shows scheduled right now. Explore his digital portfolio along with an online exhibit he curated called Game Show. The group exhibition features contributions from 17 emerging and established artists from across Canada, including Winnipeggers Caelum Vatnsdal and L’Atelier national du Manitoba.

Smash My PS3 & Wii— smashmyps3.com; smashmywii.com — Along with the Nintendo Wii, the Sony Playstation 3 will likely be the most sought-after gaming-related gift this holiday season. The platform is already fetching well over the retail price on eBay, and many who waited in line or pre-ordered the systems are now looking to flip them for a tidy profit. In a performance-art exhibit/social experiment, the folks behind Smash My PS3 and Smash My Wii not only destroyed two next generation consoles in front of horrified groups of gamers (many of whom had stood in line for hours to purchase their system) but also uploaded all the footage to YouTube.

Modest Mouse live— netzoo.net/mm20061106 — With former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr now a full member and Modest Mouse poised to release the follow-up to 2004’s Good News for People Who Love Bad News, the band is looking to have a big year in 2007. Featuring six songs from their forthcoming album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, this performance from Nov. 6 in L.A. should hold you off until the new disc is released or gets leaked. The group is expected to launch an ambitious tour to promote the album and will be hitting the late-night-show circuit in early 2007 before its ninth disc is in stores.

Do You Want Lies With That?— tinyurl.com/vwa7o — Never one to miss out on a golden opportunity, the veggie-friendly folks at Peta have put together a massive media campaign to coincide with the release of Richard Linklater’s film adaptation of Fast Food Nation, a book by award-winning journalist Eric Schlosser. Aside from the fast and fun Donkey Kong-style online game, Peta has launched a site with exclusive interviews with the cast and also set up the ‘Veg Pledge’ in the hopes of reeling in converts who are disgusted with the meat industry after watching the movie.

Cool gift ideas?
Uptown is putting together its annual gift guide and I need some ideas. Feel free to send any links to cool gifts or gadgets you’ve stumbled upon over the last year on the web to anthony.alloneword@gmail, or post them on www.myspace.com/myalloneword.

Anthony Augustine is a freelance music and pop culture writer who spends way too much time in front of the computer. He also hosts a weekly two-hour electronic music program on CKUW 95.9 FM Got a site you think he should see? E-mail him at anthony.alloneword@gmail.com.