Vue Weekly

Alberto’s premier weekly publication. Focusing on arts and entertainment this magazine is been around for years and has served well for the community

Vue weekly is one of my favorite local newspapers. There is always fun and relevant content and they also tell me everything weird and wonderful happening around the city. Their articles are great and their writing is witty.

Back in the day, I never got caught up in that whole SEE vs. VUE debate… oh, there was one! The way I saw it, both were free so why choose? They were always available, literally next to each other, so if you were grabbing one, all you had to do was slightly swivel while in the crouched-​to-​grab-​free-​mag position about 17 degrees and scoop the other one. Between the two of them, I couldn’t tell the difference. I either agreed or disagreed with their record reviews at about the same frequency, and shook my head or nodded in agreement to both. Honestly, if you had interrupted me while reading, I couldn’t tell you which one I was deep into without checking the cover. Now they have combined the two into one and not a single thing has been lost. The curent version still has all the interesting local-​to-​international items, but more important it still has the great coverage of the local arts and music scene. Want to know what is happening in Edmonton for the upcoming week and foreseeable future? Just grab an issue and flip to about the middle and start reading. After so many years, VUE (and SEE) has become my thursday night habit — a trip to Blackbyrd to see what’s new in music and grab the latest VUE, then hit a coffee shop (or the Act) to plan my weekend.

I think Vue Weekly is one of the better newspapers around town that caters to young Edmontonians. Oh, and it’s completely free. This newspaper is more focused on arts and entertainment rather than news. I usually read it for its movie and music reviews, which I enjoy a lot.
The size of the newspaper annoys me a little bit. The pages are wider than normal and it makes it a awkward to hold when you fold it while you’re walking. But I’m just being nit picky. I guess the pages have to be bigger anyways so they can get more ad revenue. Since the paper is free and all I’m sure that’s how they make their money.

I always see their newspapers around campus and by the lrt stations. If I’m ever bored while waiting for the lrt I just grab a copy, sit down and read. They’re an independent newspaper, and they cover a lot of local events. Their opinions section is sometimes written by ‘interesting’ characters, and I sometimes get the feeling I’m reading the campus newspaper, The Gateway.
Not being mainstream also adds to their appeal. They have different views on issues and it’s also interested to get another perspective. Their target demographic is for a younger audience, which makes it appealing to university students as well. It’s free too, so there’s no harm in picking a copy up.

Vue Weekly is another good news paper that focuses majorly on the local art scene or new movies and music.
What I really like about the paper is the authors. They aren’t afraid to have opinions when they right their articles and it doesn’t feel as if they are censoring themselves. Some other papers just display the facts without giving any real opinion on what is going on, but Vue has a backbone. It gets risky when it needs too.
I still think See is a bit better when it comes to talking about local events but Vue is a great read and not bad to browse through.

I love Vue Weekly!
If I’m ever looking for something to do or want to know what is going on in the city — I look to Vue.
Vue is an independent, local news, arts, and entertainment magazine.
They cover everything from Theatre Sports at the Varscona, to Greenpeace, to Flu shots, album reviews, and anything else Edmontonians want to read. Everything I just mentioned is actually in the current issue of Vue.
I like view because it is different and it’s made for young locals. I appreciate the effort that goes into a publication like Vue, especially in the kind of economy we have today.
Vue is not a mainstream magazine, which is also part of its charm.
If you’ve never read Vue Weekly, I encourage you to pick one up and have a look for yourself. It’s a pretty great thing!

I hardly ever pick up Vue, but it reminds me of other arts oriented free weeklies across Canada, like Now and See from Toronto to The Mirror in Montréal. I find many of the writers to be highly intelligent, offering non-​mainstream perspectives that challenge the status quo, but I do find the language to be verbose and at times pompous, and the length of stories often too meandering.
There’s a reason major dailies like the Sun or Star write using a pyramid style, where you’ve got a punchy lead and all the vital facts up front, and less and less important stuff as you go down, in case you lose the reader by the 4^th paragraph. Vue and other such freebies assume we’ll hang on their every word, reading their often first-​person perspectives like a novel, to its conclusion.
It’s good for a browse, but not much has struck me as riveting within Vue’s pages. Although I used to read Dan Savage’s Alt. Sex column which is the edgiest around. This publication fills a local left-​wing niche, which is needed, but I think it ends up being used more of a find-​out-​what-​to-​do-​on-​a-​Saturday-​night type rag than anything else.

I prefer Vue Weekly over See Magazine – it seems like it has more content, and I think some of the writing is edgier. The news and opinion pieces are usually very good, and they aren’t afraid to touch even the most controversial topics like abortion, for example. The pieces are honest and truthful, usually with a left-​wing point-​of-​view, which is fine by me. I really enjoy the restaurant reviews. I have gone to a few of the restaurants they have given a positive review to, and I have never been disappointed. The movie reviews are usually fairly good – much better than the Edmonton Journal’s reviews. The ALT.SEX.COLUMN in the back of the magazine is an interesting read, but it doesn’t beat Dan Savage’s column published in See Magazine. Also, if you are interested in writing, this is an excellent place to get published articles, and Vue does pay a bit of money.

An independent news and entertainment magazine, Vue Weekly is one of Edmonton’s few alternative news sources. You’ll find issues ranging from politics and local events, to subjects like food and dining, education, and the local arts culture. The magazine takes more of a liberal stance, as its audience consists mainly of a 20 – 35 age demographic.
The best part about Vue is their focus on the arts scene in Edmonton. Whatever is news in film, music, or performing arts, they have it covered. Find towards the back of the magazine their weekly lists of art galas, live music performances and concerts, movie and play listings, as well as plenty of reviews on new films and shows as well.
There may be no funny comics section or half-​naked Sunshine Girl/​Boy to wake you up in the morning, but it’s still a great alternative to the mainstream print media out there. Plus, it’s free and you can usually find one of their magazine dispensers around town, especially around campus.