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(01/16/14 4:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Originally from San Francisco, alternative band Weekend has a machine-like drumming ability, a reverb-drenched guitar noise and murky vocals. Weekend, a musical trio, will perform a type of music known as shoegaze at 9:30 p.m. today at the Bishop. A form of alternative rock, shoegaze uses reverb guitar effects and indistinguishable vocal melodies that blend into the noise of the guitars.Weekend is coming to Bloomington to promote their second album, “Jinx,” which was released in 2013.Lead vocalist Shaun Durkan met lead guitarist Kevin Johnson at the age of 12 as bassists in their middle school band. They met the third member and drummer, Abe Pedroza, when they became roommates with him while attending the San Francisco Art Institute. Their love for obscure music brought them together, according to the press release.Weekend officially formed in 2009 and signed with Slumberland Records, releasing their full-length debut “Sports” in 2010. Since then, they have released two EPs and one full-length album.Durkan said the band draws from a variety of musical influences.“Ever since my father exposed me to them when I was younger, I have always been musically influenced by Killing Joke and the Cure,” Durkan said. “We are also highly inspired by music from My Bloody Valentine.“Our new album is a departure from that, though,” Durkan said. “‘Jinx’ was produced by Monte Vallier and features a sound with a gloomy post-punk to the mix.”The band spent most of 2012 writing, recording and mixing the 10 songs featured on “Jinx.” “Despite the familiar time lapse of the recording and mixing process, I will say that recording this album had to be one of the most trying — though rewarding — experience so far,” Durkan said.The Bishop is a bar and a venue with a stage to allow artists to book their own private events or concerts.“I was approached by their agent, and when I first listened to their album, I became a big fan,” said Dan Coleman, promoter and talent buyer at the Bishop. “Slumberland has a great track record with the wide variety of rock and alternative acts that they record, so we were definitely interested.“The Bishop has long been a place to catch locals and national acts on the rise, so it was a no-brainer to welcome them to Bloomington.” Follow reporter Anthony Broderick on Twitter @aebrodakirck.
(01/14/14 4:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU will celebrate the life of author, essayist and painter William S. Burroughs this February during a special five-day festival entitled “The Burroughs Century.” Burroughs, who died from complications of a heart attack in 1997, would have turned 100-years-old on Feb. 5, the first day of the festival.“His ideas, the concerns he expressed in his work are still completely valid today,” event co-organizer Charles Cannon said of Burroughs in a press release. “His work has not aged.”An important member of the Beat Generation, Burroughs is well-known for his 1959 novel “Naked Lunch,” which was named one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005 by Time magazine.As part of the festival, several of Burroughs’ paintings will be on display at the Grunwald Gallery of Art from Jan. 24 through Feb. 5. Another exhibit, featuring first editions of “Naked Lunch” and Burroughs’ 1953 novel “Junkie,” opens Jan. 27 at the Lilly Library. “Burroughs was one of the greatest writers of the 20th century,” event co-organizer Joan Hawkins said in a press release. “He speaks with an authentic American voice like no other writer I can think of.”A full list of “The Burroughs Century” events can be found at burroughscentury.org.— Rachel Osman
(01/14/14 4:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bounce Music Festival and MES Presents will stage a two-day music and arts festival on a farm near Bloomington this April, the company announced Monday.Bounce has brought several music acts to IU in the past, including Avicii in 2011 and DJ Tiësto for 2012’s Little 500. The festival will feature three stages for music, carnival rides, camping and food. While musical acts at past festivals have all been of the same genre, April’s festival will present acts across multiple genres including hip-hop, electronic, rock and country.Bounce Co-founder Brandon Silverstein was inspired to create the two-day event after meeting Michael Lang, co-creator of the Woodstock Festival.“My vision is similar to his, and I want to bring back the real festival atmosphere and portray the Americana feel to our fans with all genres,” Silverstein said in a press release.“Woodstock changed everything in 1969 — music, culture, and the way the world looks at festival events,” Bounce Co-founder Jared Lyons said. “We felt the need to bring this concept to the Midwest where we can bring fans in from surrounding cities like Bloomington, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus and so on.”Tickets for the festival, which takes place April 11 and 12, will go on sale to the public on Jan. 20. A limited amount of pre-sale tickets will be available for those who pre-register at BounceMusicFestival.com.— Rachel Osman
(01/09/14 9:53pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>by Alyssa SchorKnown for layering her cello music through live-recorded samples, composer and cellist Zoe Keating said her career has followed the rise of computing. The San Francisco-based artist creates her sound using foot controls on her laptop. Born in Ontario,she began playing the cello when 8-years-old and earned a liberal arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College in New York. “I kept playing music all the time,” Keating said. “Using the computer was natural for me to do because I used it on an everyday basis.”After college, Keating worked for a software startup company. In 2003, she quit her job to dedicate herself to music. She said being around computers made her think about how to incorporate her music with technology. “I sort of realized that time was passing,” Keating said. Keating has performed with Imogen Heap, Tears for Fears and Amanda Palmer, among other artists. She is also known for selling her music without the backing of a record label and has sold more than 60,000 copies of her albums on the Internet.“It just seemed like the easiest way to accomplish what I wanted to do,” she said. “I don’t know if I’d have it any other way.” Keating’s do-it-yourself approach to her music has given her national attention and press. She has released two albums and one EP, and her music has been featured in films, television commercials, dance pieces and a play, according to her website. In 2011, she was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and was featured on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.”Keating said though she wouldn’t mind more staff to help her with the business aspects, overall, she is happy performing as a solo artist. “I love performing and that feeling with the stage,” she said. “You’re creating a moment that’ll never happen again.”Keating will perform at the Bishop Bar Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are available for $20.Keating said this is her first solo appearance in Bloomington, although she performed in town in 2004 with cello-rock group Rasputina. The show is the result of a Facebook poll, Keating said. She had asked fans where they wanted to see her perform in any city within 500 miles of Cincinnati. Bloomington finished among the top choices.“I’m really curious to meet the people who wanted me to come there,” Keating said. Saturday’s performance is Keating’s last stop on her winter tour before she travels to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting. Dan Coleman, a talent buyer at the Bishop, said Keating’s style of combined genres makes for a great show.“She’s a very talented cellist and a great improviser,” he said. “It’s going to be a very unique experience.” --aischor@indiana.eduFollow reporter Alyssa Schor on Twitter @SchorAlyssa.
(12/16/13 12:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The L.A.-based folk-rock band Dawes will brave the cold temperatures of Bloomington to perform at 8 p.m. today at the Bluebird Nightclub as part of the Bluebird’s annual WTTS Christmas concert, which benefits Toys for Tots. Dawes is composed of brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, along with Wylie Gelber and Tay Strathairn. The group released their third album, “Stories Don’t End,” this past April. The group recorded “Stories Don’t End” at Asheville’s Echo Mountain Studio in North Carolina with Jaquire King, who has worked with several artists, including Kings of Leon, Norah Jones and Modest Mouse. Taylor Goldsmith, the group’s lead vocalist, said the band wanted to develop their sound even further on their new album, citing the expansion of their musical limits as a reason for choosing to work with Kings. Dave Kubiak, owner of the Bluebird, is expecting a good show despite the fact that many IU students are in the midst of finals week. He said he looks forward to the annual Christmas show every year. “The turnout is usually very good,” Kubiak said. Kubiak, who is also in charge of booking at the Bluebird, said bands that align with the musical style of WTTS, a local indie music station, are typically chosen for the concert.This will be Dawes’s first time performing in Bloomington. “We’re expecting a very good response,” Kubiak said. “It’s gonna be a great show. Everybody’s really excited for it.” Singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson is slated to open for Dawes. “I would just encourage people, along with their ticket, to bring an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots,” Kubiak said.
(12/16/13 12:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Quarryland Men’s Chorus performed its winter concert Sunday afternoon at the First United Church of Bloomington. Founded in 2002 and currently under the direction of Barry Magee, the 22-man ensemble’s goal is to create a supportive environment for the LGBT community. The group began their concert with a rendition of “Hodie Christus Natus Est,” an antiphonal piece in which the choir created an echoing effect with their voices. “It was probably my favorite piece to sing,” IU master’s student and chorus member Chris Prestia said. The chorus also sang the traditional holiday song “Let There be Peace on Earth.” Magee told the audience to consider their participation as a “pre-audition” for anyone wanting to audition for the chorus in February.After this, the ensemble sang a lesser-known song called “Boogie Woogie Hanukkah.”“The ‘Boogie Woogie Hanukkah’ song was so fun to watch,” IU alumnus Benny Holt said. “But the song ‘Thankful’ is one of my all-time favorites.” During the intermission, a brass quintet played a few short pieces for the audience. The quintet was also featured in the traditional Jewish song “Oseh Shalom.”To finish the performance, the choir sang an arrangement of “Joy to the World” as previously performed by Mariah Carey. Assistant Director Mitch Serslev had a solo during this song and brought the audience to its feet at the end of the number.“I loved the whole performance,” said Amy Dyken, who was in the audience. “This group always has a good message to share.” The Quarryland Men’s Chorus performs two full concerts annually and will be singing at the Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival in January. Because of their involvement in the LGBT community, the chorus received the 2009-10 community member award from the Indiana University Commission on Multicultural Understanding. A lot of work went into preparing for this concert, Prestia said. “This is a very supportive group,” Prestia said. “Although I’m new, I’ve already made a lot of friends.” A reception of cookies and chocolate by BluBoy Café and Cakery followed the concert, and attendees were encouraged to talk to performers. “The entire concert was just wonderful,” Holt said. “The choir did some very good work.”
(12/13/13 4:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Country music singer Clayton Anderson will perform at the Bluebird Nightclub tonight with guest Sheila Stephen.Tickets to the 21-and-older show can be purchased on the Bluebird’s website for $15. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the show begins at 9 p.m.Anderson, a Bedford, Ind. native and IU graduate, was discovered in 2008 after winning Kenny Chesney’s Next Big Star Competition. His debut album, “Torn Jeans & Tailgates,” earned top-10 status on the iTunes Country Chart upon its release in 2011. His Hoosier upbringing influenced his music, he said on his website. He said spending summers on Lake Monroe and idolizing John Mellencamp inspired his work.Anderson has performed at the Bluebird “countless” times, owner Dave Kubiak said.“We like Clayton, and he has a big fan base in Bloomington and in the area,” Kubaik said.In addition to the show, the Bluebird will be collecting toys for radio station WHCC’s Toys for Tots campaign. Toys will also be collected at folk-rock band Dawes’ concert on Monday for radio station WWTS’s campaign. Kubiak said audiences can look forward to Anderson’s energy on stage.“Clayton puts on a really high-energy and fun show, so they can certainly expect that,” he said.— Rachel Osman
(12/13/13 4:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington native Mark Robinson is returning to play in his hometown Dec. 28 at Max’s Place.Now a blues musician, Robinson started playing rock ‘n’ roll in the 1970s while he was a student at IU. He then completed graduate school on the Bloomington campus and later became a professor.It wasn’t until 2003 that his musical career picked up again.Robinson moved to Nashville, Tenn., a city known for its musical talent, when his wife got a job there.“I thought, ‘Hmm, Nashville, it’s about time I give it a shot and see what I can do,’” Robinson said. “It’s been a great move for me. It’s astonishing the number of great musicians, producers and singers that are in Nashville. It’s a rare concentration of really great talent.”Robinson said he had a chance to work with many of these types of musicians both in Bloomington and in Nashville to influence his music before releasing his album, “Have Axe-Will Groove” in March of this year. “Have Axe-Will Groove” was named one blog Broken Jukebox’s top 25 albums of the year. Robinson was voted best roots guitar player in the Alternate Root Readers’ Choice Awards this year as well. After Robinson released his album, he played a “handful of CD release gigs” in the Midwest and mid-south, he said.His show at Max’s Place will include songs from his recent album in the first set. In the second set, he plans to invite friends in the area to play along with him. Robinson wrote most of the album himself, though he also collaborated with friends he’s made during his 40-plus years of playing. One friend and fellow Bloomington musician, Slats Klug, co-wrote the song “Angel of Mercy” on the album. The pair recorded the song in 1999 and nobody heard it until this album was dropped 14 years later. Robinson said he is excited for his return to Bloomington and that the crowd is always great where he is from. “Sometimes if I travel to various towns to play, it isn’t guaranteed I’ll have a great crowd, but in Bloomington I almost always have a good crowd,” Robinson said. “People dance in Bloomington. They don’t dance in Nashville.”
(12/12/13 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Los Angeles based comedian Sean O’Connor will perform live at the Comedy Attic this week. He was listed in the New York Post’s “New York’s Top 20 Comic to Watch”. The Attic will record his stand-up performance, which will later debut as an album for Comedy Central. He will perform at 8 p.m. today through Saturday, as well as a second show at 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $12.Before the show, the IDS had the chance to speak with O’Connor about his experience as a comedian.IDS: What has been your favorite part about your career thus far?O’Connor: My favorite part of my career so far has been seeing things I’ve created end up on television, which hasn’t gotten old for me yet. I also loved working for my hero, Norm MacDonald.I’m very connected to writing. I enjoy having control at the beginning because if you write it tight enough, it won’t get one hundred percent screwed up at the end.I also recently directed a music band for my friend’s band Upset, and that was a fun experience because I grew up watching music videos and always wanted to do that. Plus, I got to film skateboarding.IDS: What inspired you to work in comedy?O’Connor: The movie Scream, Saturday Night Live, Jackass and Comedy Central Presents being in constant rotation when I was younger.IDS: Share one memorable comedic moment from the past few years.O’Connor: Getting to meet Ke$ha because I told a joke about her on Comedy Central. It was a dream come true. IDS: You’ve appeared on Conan several times. What was that like?O’Connor: Incredible. Conan is a great idol of mine and I sat in silence when he talked to me because I didn’t want him to find me unfunny in conversation. Also, you get popcorn. And also, kids from your high school like you more.IDS: Do you have any additional projects coming up besides the Comedy Central Special?O’Connor: Season 2 of Axe Cop on Fox ADHD. And season 1 of Stone Quackers also on Fox ADHD.
(12/10/13 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Students from the Ghanaian Music, Drumming and Dance course had their semester concert last night at the Folklore and Ethnomusicology Recital Hall. Professor Bernard Woma has taught the course for the past five years and he said he is open to any IU student wanting to learn more about the African culture.Woma has performed for such dignitaries as Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and Queen Elizabeth II. The concert opened with an upbeat number that had the performers chanting and dancing. Many students played drums behind a group of dancers, and Woma enthusiastically directed the entire ensemble. A lot of work went into the performance, said two of the dancers.“We met once a week for two and a half hours,” IU senior Taylor Twiggs said. “And we danced the entire time.”After the first number, Woma talked to the audience about an instrument he would be playing for the rest of the evening. He said it was called the Gyil — an African xylophone. For the songs that involved the Gyil, two graduate students from IU also played alongside Woma.Because this class is open to any IU student, the majority of the performers had never had any experience with African music or dance.“It was definitely a lot of hard work,” IU senior Katherine Finn said. “But it was really cool for me because I’m in the Kelley School of Business. This let me get out of my comfort zone.” Students who are thinking about taking this course should not be afraid to sign up for it, Woma said. “The concept of this class is to break cultural barriers and to change students’ perception of other cultures,” Woma said. For the final number of the concert, the audience was given instructions on how to dance along with the performers. In the midst of all the dancers was Evelyn Yaa Bekyore, guest instructor to Woma. In the final number, she encouraged audience members to get up and dance with the student performers. When teaching the students how to perform in the African style, Woma said he tries to make it fun for the students. “The students really put a lot of time, effort and energy into this performance,” he said. “When I teach them, I don’t want them to feel pressured when they learn.”
(12/10/13 3:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Communion, a live music promotions team and independent label, is taking the stage at the Bluebird Nightclub tonight as part of its Christmas Special performances. The bands scheduled to perform include Rosco Bandana, the Stills, Pretty Boy Freud and Charlie Pattons War. Doors open at 8 p.m., tickets are $5 and the drink special is $2 Dirty Birds.There will be a grand prize for “ugliest and most hip” Christmas sweaters, as well as a “bad present” for those who “rage the hardest during each set,” according to the show’s Facebook page and Bluebird Club Owner Dave Kubiak.“The prize for the ugly sweater contest will be tickets to next month’s Communion show,” said Kaylie Starkey, Event Planner and Promoter for Communion. “We’ll also be giving away ‘horrible presents’ you’d get from your grandma to those who rage the hardest or spread the most holiday cheer during each band’s set.”Originally founded by Ben Lovett from Mumford and Sons in London, Communion helped launch the careers of Ben Howard, Gotye, Daughter and Deap Vally among others. Bloomington is just one city in the North American tour, and other stops include Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Louisville, Minneapolis, Madison, Wis., and Rock Island, Ill.The music kicks off at 9 p.m. with three-member band Pretty Boy Freud. Then at 10 p.m., indie band the Stills, a band of IU graduates living in Chicago, will perform. At 11 p.m. headliner Rosco Bandana, “a seven piece Americana-rock band” as they call themselves on their website, will begin its set. Rosco Bandana released its debut LP “Time to Begin” in 2012 and has since been touring the country before linking up with Communion. Finishing off the show, Charlie Pattons War, a Bloomington-based blues and rock band, will play from 12 to 1 a.m.“Rosco Bandana is the only non-local band,” Bluebird Strategist Jen Samson said.Though Communion is an international event, three bands from this current leg of Communion are from the area and are set to tour around the United States, Samson said. This is the final show of 2013.— Janica Kaneshiro
(12/09/13 2:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Sunday, the senior class of the IU Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance showed off their Senior Choreography Showcase, “Spectrum.”There were two performances — one at 2 p.m. and one at 6 p.m. — at the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center in downtown Bloomington.Both were filled with parents, friends and significant others who came to see what the senior class has been working on since early October.The seniors decided everything, from music to movements. For senior Shannon Kazan, deciding what to include in her piece, “Solitary Disarray,” was based on mixing her personality with the dancers’ abilities.“I picked a song that was dubstep violin to give it a classic sound with a beat,” Kazan said, referring to “Crystalize” by Lindsey Stirling. “I wanted to showcase my personality and theirs to showcase their talents, and I think it turned out really great.”One of Kazan’s fellow seniors, Samia Mooney, choreographed the dance “In This Time.” She said she picked a particularly small cast with just three freshman and a junior, which made rehearsing a little easier.“I organized the process logically to include three duets, which means less to clean and less rehearsal time all together, but it means more individual responsibility,” Mooney said.“In This Time” was set to the song “Meditation (In Memory of John Legend)” by the Emberli Ensemble, with edits by Jon Vanderkolff, and the small cast included a member Mooney considers special.“I picked one dancer, Liz (Elizabeth Burr), because she is my ‘little sister’ in the program, and as a freshman, I really wanted to give her an opportunity to dance,” Mooney said.Mooney said the seniors have been busy because they have been working on this performance and simultaneously preparing for their winter performance in January. Nevertheless, Mooney said they were prepared for the show.“We love having an audience,” Mooney said. “That’s why we do it — because we love performing for people.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(12/06/13 3:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A story spanning the journey of a family from British colonial Africa to 1970s London will be told this weekend as the IU Theatre presents Caryl Churchill’s “Cloud 9.”Performances will take place Friday, Saturday and Dec. 10-14 at 7:30 p.m., with an additional show at 2 p.m. Dec. 14. All performances are at the Wells-Metz Theatre.“Cloud 9” premiered in England in 1979. Churchill won a 1982 Obie Award for the work.Nearly 100 years pass between the show’s first and second acts, yet only 25 years pass in the story.“Originally, it was supposed to be set in 1979 and 1954, but they found that the way that people acted in 1954 was better accentuated by putting it back into the Victorian era,” Rob Heller, the show’s director, said.“Cloud 9” employs unique characterizations as it explores themes of gender and sexuality. Females frequently portray males and vice versa, and all of the actors take on completely new roles at the beginning of the second act.Joshua Krause, a second-year master’s student in acting, plays family patriarch Clive in the first act and Clive’s son Edward in the second. He said he didn’t find it difficult to differentiate between his roles considering the vast differences between the two men.“It’s been a wonderful journey finding what Edward has taken away from his childhood and what it was like to be parented by Clive,” Krause said. “I’m the father creating the son, and I get to play both of them when they’re about the same age.”David Gordon-Johnson, a junior theatre and vocal performance major, said the cast spent a lot of time learning the details of their roles.“During our first week of rehearsal, we did a lot of very specific movement and vocal work with the professors in the department to find what each of the characters was in terms of voice and body,” he said.Cast member Nichole Eberle, a senior theatre and drama major, said she was originally nervous about creating two different characters, but her fears have since disappeared.“It was all about finding the similarities between them,” she said. “Now at this point, it’s natural for me.”Along with character switches, the moods of the two acts have tones that couldn’t be more different, said Heller.“In act one, they lie a lot and they’re masked and they’re hiding behind manners and duties and what you’re supposed to do, whereas in act two, they say everything they feel and think,” he said of the characters.Despite the difference in societal attitudes toward sexuality in the Victorian era and the 1970s, some of the story’s same problems persist after the time jump.“This play gives us hope but no answers,” Krause said.The content of “Cloud 9” forced the actors to explore and speak about their personal feelings regarding topics that are not widely discussed in society, something Gordon-Johnson said he found very challenging.“We had to figure out where we as people and as actors stood in terms of our comfort with ourselves and these different topics before we could really delve into the truth-telling of the play,” he said.He said he hopes audiences take away a message of acceptance of personal situations.“I want them to take away the idea that you have to live and be in the circumstances that surround you because try as we might, the world doesn’t really change to fit us, we change to fit it,” he said.“You have to journey forward with what you’re given,” Heller added.Follow reporter Rachel Osman on Twitter @rachosman.
(12/06/13 2:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington Playwrights Project kicks off its premiere of “The Banana Tree,” a play written by Dan Castellaneta and Deb Lacusta, tonight in its in-building theater.Lacusta, a writer for “The Simpsons,” and Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson, bring a comedy about a convenience store clerk named Angela, who dreams of becoming Las Vegas’ first African-American female magician. Her dreams are complicated when she is held up and a kidnapping arises due to a telepathic banana tree. “The Banana Tree” is being shown for the very first time in the theater, which is the only theater in Indiana dedicated to featuring new plays. “You can’t see these things anywhere else in the world,” Producing Artistic Director Chad Rabinovitz said. The Bloomington Playwrights Project was founded in 1979 by IU students Jim Leonard and Tim Moseman and has since featured completely original plays.“We develop them here and get them to move to other theaters,” Rabinovitz said. Rabinovitz and other actors helped to develop the play in Telluride, Colo., this summer. “It’s a type of show that a lot of students will enjoy,” Rabinovitz said. “A lot of people say plays are boring, but not this one.” “The Banana Tree” was chosen to premiere at the Bloomington Playwrights Project because of its comedic nature, Rabinovitz said. “I always look for diversity,” he said. “You don’t want five dramas in a season, and we haven’t had a zany comedy in awhile.” Later this season, the Bloomington Playwrights Project is set to premiere three more plays. The next one to be shown is a drama called “Island Song,” about five young people living in New York, documenting how their lives intertwine and unfold. “Island Song” is set to premiere Jan. 31. “The Banana Tree” marks the second show in their Major Playwright Series. This Friday, Bianca Black plays the lead role, Angela.“I’m definitely looking forward to the show,” Black said. “We live for the actual performance, to give people something to enjoy.” The curtains will rise at 7:30 p.m. tonight, and showings will continue at that time every Friday and Saturday for the next three weeks. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $17 for students. “It’s hilarious,” Black said. “What other thing would anyone else want to do besides laugh for two hours?” Follow reporter Alison Graham on Twitter @AlisonGraham218.
(12/05/13 2:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Hannibal Buress, an accomplished stand-up comedian, will perform this Thursday to Saturday at the Comedy Attic.Tickets cost between $12 and $17, with each night having two shows at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. This will be the third time Hannibal Buress performs at the Comedy Attic. His previous stand-up shows took place in May and July 2012.Buress has been featured in multiple comedy specials on television such as “the Eric Andre Show,” “the Awkward Comedy Show,” “Live at Gotham” and “John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show.”He also performed on several late-night talk shows, such as “The Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” “Lopez Tonight,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “Conan.”Buress has had some involvement in the acting field, starring in minor roles in shows such as “30 Rock” and “Louie.”His most recent hour-long special, “Animal Furnace,” dealt with topics such as life absurdities, airport shootouts and late nights with women. It was aired as a special on Comedy Central in 2012.Besides being an accomplished comic, Buress is also a writer who wrote for “Saturday Night Live” from 2009-2010.He also wrote for the fifth season of “30 Rock.”Buress’ work has been lauded by many publications, such as Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and Esquire.In July 2010, Buress made Variety magazine’s “Ten Comics to Watch in 2010” list. A New York Times article called Buress a “widely known writer and performer for having an ‘irresistible’ comedic presence that lands squarely between cerebral and swagger.”Buress is host to a weekly stand-up comedy show on Sunday evenings in Brooklyn, N.Y., at his current residence at the Knitting Factory. — Anthony Broderick
(11/22/13 2:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Michael Nesmith, a former band member of the Monkees, will perform at 8 p.m. Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.The event, “An Evening with Michael Nesmith,” is sponsored by Indianapolis-based concert promoter MOKB Presents.Though Nesmith originally found fame in the 1960s as one of the four founding members of the Monkees, he has remained popular through his extensive solo work.Over the years, he has released more than 15 solo albums, his most recent being “Rays,” which he released in 2006.Along with performing, Nesmith has also dabbled in writing, producing and acting.In 1980, he even helped launch the television channel MTV.Tickets for the event can be purchased online, by phone or in person at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Box Office.Prices for tickets range from $40 for upper balcony to $65 for pit.— Amanda Arnold
(11/22/13 2:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Belly dancers will shimmy and swivel their hips to live music at 8 p.m. Nov. 23 at the Player’s Pub for Hatije Hafla, an annual benefit event that raises money for Middle Way House.The event is free, but attendees are encouraged to donate money at the door, as all funds will go toward Middle Way House, Bloomington’s domestic violence and rape crisis shelter.Eight years ago, when Bloomington resident Peggy Squires was planning her birthday celebration, she decided she wanted the event to support the shelter.As a psychotherapist, Squires was aware of the damage domestic violence causes victims.She wanted to dance with friends on her birthday, but she also wanted to support a good cause.After almost 70 people came out the first year, Squires knew it was an event she wanted to become annual.“It was such fun, we’ve been doing it ever since,” she said.This year’s “hafla,” which is the Arabic word referring to belly dance parties, will feature dance performances from local dancers Angela AuBuchon, Donna Barbrick Carlton, Dark Side Tribal, Katie Derloshon, Ashley Donaldson, Eiko, Eszter Edl, Indy Tribal, Stacie Michele Jones, Margaret Radke, Laura McCain Reed and Carmela Senior.But dance wouldn’t be anything without music.Five members of Salaam, a band that specializes in Middle Eastern and North African music, play for the performers and audience members who join in on the dance floor.Squires first heard Salaam during one of its performances at Borders bookstore in the 1990s. “Having lived in both India and Turkey, I was interested in world music,” Squires said. “I’ve been a fan of Salaam’s ever since.”Today, Dena El Saffar, the founder of Salaam, helps Squires organize Hatije Hafla.“I feel really proud of what we’ve done over the years,” Saffar said.Though Squires said attendance was down last year, she said she thinks the event is one worth people’s time.“People can see some exquisite dancing to fascinating music while supporting a good cause,” Squires said.Follow reporter Amanda Arnold on Twitter@aMandolinz.
(11/21/13 3:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Travel back centuries into a more classic Cuba tonight.“De la contradanza al son: The Predecessors of Latin Dance Music,” a concert celebrating Cuba’s musical history, was collaborated on by the Jacobs School of Music Latin American Popular Music Ensemble and the La Casa Latino Cultural Center.It will be held at 7 p.m. tonight at the Ivy Tech John Waldron Performing Arts Center.Tickets are available for free at the Waldron Performing Arts Center two hours before the event.“Since it’s a historical take on music, it’s different from concerts we usually put on every semester,” LAPME resident arranger Guido Sanchez said. “It’s what we call a lecture concert.”Between musical performances, there will be three intermissions where a musicologist will discuss the styles of the music and their historical context.Chronicling back to the mid-19th century and through the 1950s, Sanchez said the concert honors musicians that graced the ears of our ancestors. Some of the most recognized styles born from contradanza include the Rumba, ChaCha and Son, the predecessor of salsa.“This is the stuff our grandparents danced to,” Sanchez said. “It’s all very nostalgic.”Growing up in Costa Rica, Sanchez said he remembers hearing contradanza on the radio. Even then, he said some of the songs were old.But they’ve become a standard of popular Cuban music, and though people won’t be found dancing to them today, they’re widely known and still loved. Everyone is invited to dance.“It’s not just a show,” Sanchez said. “The last two sets will be especially dance-able, and we hope everyone will try it out.”It’s too good to keep on campus, he said. That’s why they chose to perform downtown.“We don’t want to keep it within the walls of the school,” Sanchez said. “We look forward to sharing all the work that we’ve done with the students, and we want the whole town to see it.” The concert is part of a celebration of the 40th anniversary of La Casa. “Our 40th anniversary isn’t just about celebrating La Casa but all the Latino contributions and involvement on campus,” the center’s director, Lillian Casillas-Origel, said. “We include everybody in our celebration to make it an educational opportunity.”Getting introduced to new things is the ultimate goal, said Latin American Music Center Director Erick Carballo.“This is particularly important to us because it teaches the students in the ensemble how to play this classic kind of music, and it makes the community more aware of it,” Carballo said.Follow reporter Ashley Jenkins on Twitter @ashley_morga.
(11/15/13 5:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rob Delaney, Comedy Central’s “Funniest Man on Twitter,” will perform this Friday and Saturday at the Comedy Attic. Tickets are $20, and there is an 8:30 p.m. show and a 10:30 p.m. show on both days. Delaney’s fame stems from his tweets and ability to catch the attention of his Twitter followers. The Twitter legend has more than 965,000 followers, such as Cosmopolitan Magazine, the Atlantic and BuzzFeed.Paste Magazine also dubbed Delaney as one of the “Top 10 Funniest People on Twitter.”Though he is best known for speaking his mind in fewer than 140 characters, he has also written for Comedy Central and Vice Magazine. On top of being a comedian and a Twitter aficionado, Delaney is now a published author. His book is titled “Rob Delaney: Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage.”From maintaining his Tumblr to tweeting, he stays busy both online and onstage. Delaney made an appearance on Netflix with his hour-long special, “Rob Delaney: Live at the Bowery Ballroom,” where he keeps the crowd laughing with jokes about fatherhood, hepatitis and guys who don’t wear pants.His tour began Nov. 6 in New York City with a book-signing event and will conclude on Jan. 17, 2014, with a stand-up comedy performance in Irvine, Calif.— Alexis Benveniste
(11/14/13 3:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Kris Bentley and Nick Jamerson of Sundy Best will take the stage Tonight at The Bluebird Nightclub.The two-man band has been together since their elementary school days, and their music video recently premiered on Country Music Television.The IDS had a chance to talk to Bentley about the band’s roots and what he and Jamerson like most about performing together.IDS So you guys (Bentley and Jamerson) are originally from Kentucky. How has growing up there influenced your music today?Bentley Really the only outlet for anyone music-wise was in church. I played drums in church, and my older brother played drums, too. When he left for college, I took over and played drums. My dad led the worship team. I would say seven out of 10 people in that area can probably play an instrument or sing. Coming from a small town in a really close-knit community has influenced our song writing. IDS Your new album is coming out this March. What can fans expect from you guys on the new album?Bentley I think from the first, just a lot of growth and maturity. Lyrically, it’s a little more grown up and relatable on the big scheme of things. Some of these songs we’ve had sitting around for a while, so we’re really excited to get them recorded and have everyone hear them. We’ve been jumping at the bit to get this new album released.IDS Is there anything specific that served as huge inspiration for the upcoming album?Bentley I think just everyday life and relationships. Some big inspirations behind the new record are timeless artists like Bob Segar, Tom Petty and the Eagles. A lot of music that’s out there today won’t be relevant the year after. The music I’m talking about has been around for 30 years. We want to create music that means something to people now and will still mean something down the road.IDS Where has been your favorite venue so far? Do you have one or two shows that are more memorable than other shows you’ve had?Bentley The first time we got to play in a big arena in Pikeville. We were just starting out, and we just got our first record done. Almost 2,000 people showed up, and we were expecting 500. This summer, we got to play at an Atlanta Braves game at Turner Field. There were about 35,000 people there. When we finished playing, they had a huge fireworks show, and we were down on the field for it. IDS Do you have any crazy fan stories?Bentley We’re really involved in interacting with the people who are on social media. Yesterday, we got a message on Facebook from a girl who asked us if we would ever Facetime her. She gave us her number and promised to do something really good on the other end of the line. I’m all for people speaking their mind, but it’s just funny. IDS What do you love the most about performing with each other? Bentley It’s the most therapeutic fun we can have. We’re getting to do what we love to do for a living. Doing it with someone who has been your friend for the most part of your life is really special. No matter what is going on in our lives, when we get on stage and start to play a show, everything is forgotten about.Follow reporter Alexis Benveniste on Twitter @apbenven.