74 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(11/15/04 5:28am)
The Bloomington Chamber of Commerce unveiled its 2004 "Bloomington Sketchbook" Friday night at Gallery North on the Square. "Bloomington Sketchbook" is an art book dedicated to the works of local artists. Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Programs Sara McGoun said the book took two years to organize. \nFriday marked the first public display of the "Bloomington Sketchbook" and its contents. \n"About every month, (artists) bring in another piece for display, and this is the first time that all of these artworks have been up (together)," said artist David Shipley, who displayed several sculptures.\nSandwiches and desserts where provided by Sam's Club with Oliver Winery selling drinks. \nThough most patrons came to see works of friends, others came purely to be entertained by the artwork. \n"It is a great experience for me to apply what I am learning in class," said sophomore Kim Valenta, who works for the Chamber of Commerce and helped organize which artists would be included in the book and display.\nSome patrons came with specific intentions of buying the "Sketchbook." Elizabeth Sturgeon is a local painter whose artwork is displayed in the "Sketchbook." Her mother drove all the way up from Florida to see the display, and her two sisters drove from Chicago and Columbus, Ohio.\n"I'm very excited to come here and see her artwork," said Sturgeon's mother Kathleen Thompson. "I plan on buying the book."\n"Bloomington Sketchbook" includes a wide variety of media and subject matter from sculptures and jewelry to paintings and photographs, from images of everyday life to the realm of abstract imagery.\n"It was nice to pay homage to Bloomington," said Suzanna Hendrix, who had her artwork on display.\nHendrix displayed a painting of a band dressed as Santa Clauses to play Christmas carols and a painting of the corner of Sixth Street and College Avenue, right outside of Gallery North on the Square.\nThe artwork will be displayed until the next exhibition opens Dec. 3. The 2004 "Bloomington Sketchbook" is on sale for $37.95 at Gallery North on the Square until Friday. T.I.S. Bookstore, Borders and the Chamber of Commerce will continue selling copies.\n"I am very happy with tonight's opening," said Kathy Weigle, vice president of membership and advocacy. "It was very fun."\n-- Contact staff writer Benjames Derrick at bderrick@indiana.edu.
(11/10/04 5:38am)
The African American Arts Institute Potpourri of Arts performance would make any person, regardless of color or musical taste, clap their hands and do a little boogie. \nThe event, which took place Saturday at the IU Auditorium, featured performances by all three groups in the AAAI. The IU Soul Revue brought down the house; the African American Choral Ensemble sang melodic spirituals; and the African American Dance Company performed Afro-Latin dances with grace and rhythm.\nThe AAAI directors founded the annual affair of the arts in 1993. It was established to showcase the wide range of talent within the AAAI. This year the event was part of the Association for Black Culture Centers Conference and simultaneously honored the AAAI's 30th anniversary. \nIU Soul Revue kicked off the concert with an energetic performance. Tyron Cooper, IU Soul Revue director and guitarist, faced his fellow band members and got the crowd going. Shortly after Cooper's introduction, mist filled the stage as the vocalists were lifted up on the movable front of the stage. As they reached the level of the band members, the entire Soul Revue commenced singing with high voltage rhythm and blues melodies. \nBy this point, nearly everybody was standing in their seats and most were dancing with the music. The band continued to play, slowing down the tempo and lowering the volume as the music eased into romantic ballads. Even though the crowd sat back down, the stories of mischief and love within the music thoroughly entertained them.\nThe songs included funk by the 1970s band "Con Funk Shun," along with tunes from Rhythm and Blues greats Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, The Spinners and Friends of Distinction. As the vocalists changed outfits between songs and showed a wide range of singing and dancing, the horns and rhythm section kept a constant flow, led by trumpet and saxophone solos and Terrance Dennie's powerful back-beat on the drum set.\nAfter intermission, the African American Dance Company followed with a calmer, but thought-provoking, performance. Ivory Coast native and guest performer Modeste Douoning choreographed the first dance. The performance took the audience into an African setting. A handful of musicians played on stage, providing the background for a tribal ritual which invaders disrupted. \nThe outfits and stage background gave an authentic effect to the story being told. The dancers did not sing but provided vocals to help tell the story of the terrorizing loss and heroic fight for one of the villagers. Most importantly, the dancing provided a realistic account of an African tale. It was very loose with body movements, yet had a ritualistic flow. \nI was impressed at such togetherness amongst the dancers and their imprecise movements. The second piece, choreographed by AADC director Iris Rosa, reflected Western dance traditions with more ballet movements, which fed directly off the accents and syncopation of the moody music. The serpentine line of dancers repeated the movement of the dancer before them, which slowly but constantly changed, successfully creating an notion of metamorphosis. The concepts of the music also progressed in time, moving from moody sounds to happy pop music by the end.\nThe African American Choral Ensemble opened up with director James Mumford and several of his students narrating his story "Life of a Martyr." Each gave a powerful speech of various biblical and historic heros, including Moses, Jesus, Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. They followed the calm and artsy mood of the dance with their first two pieces: "This is the One" and "Ain'ta That Good News," which Mumford described as being written by black university-trained composers. \nThey both were nice, contemplative pieces, but especially during the second piece, it was hard to concentrate based upon an embarrassing costume failure that left Mumford with his pants down. With a lack of self-deprecating humor or apology, Dr. Mumford ignored the issue as he introduced Soul-ACE, the first of three smaller ensembles. The all-male vocal group was followed by God's Progress, and finally the all-female group Sojourner. All three groups played contemporary popular music. \nThe vocals were excellent, but the instruments were lackluster. The only thing that I could discern was a constant off-beat and out-of-tune tom-tom strike on the drum set. I assume the problems came from poor acoustic management. The choral ensemble concluded with an up-beat, soulful piece that left the crowd energized for the conclusion.\nUnfortunately, the winner of Friday night's "Step Show" was not able to perform. Without an intermission break, all three ensembles got together for a celebration of the AAAI working together. The cover of R. Kelly's "You Saved Me" was not incredibly artistic but was bombastic entertainment to conclude the evening.
(11/05/04 4:51am)
R. Kelley songs, spirituals and dances will be performed at the African American Arts Institute's A Potpourri of Arts in the African American Tradition at 8 p.m. Saturday evening at the IU Auditorium. All three branches of the AAAI -- IU Soul Revue, African American Choral Ensemble and African American Dance Company -- will perform separately before a finale with all three groups performing to contemporary music by R. Kelley. \nThe 11th annual Potpourri will also kick-off the 30th anniversary of the AAAI said Director Charles Sykes. It also coincides with the Association for Black Culture Centers conference which is starting Thursday and continuing through Sunday mourning.\n"The Potpourri and the ABCC were scheduled on the same weekend by coincidence," Sykes said. "As it turns out, the Potpourri will be the featured event of the Conference."\nThe ABCC is holding a "step show" tonight at 8:30 at Alumni Hall, and the winner will also perform in the Potpourri. The contest will primarily feature black fraternities and sororities showcasing their talents said AAAI Assistant Director Angela Sharfenberger.\nThe IU Soul Revue will commence the program, as it predated the AAAI, the choral ensemble and dance company by three years as it was founded in 1971. IU Soul Revue will be performing five songs of rhythm & blues, soul and funk performed by Patti LaBelle and others. It consists of eight vocalist, four horns and a seven-member rhythm section. According to Sykes, these three styles of music evolved in chronological order starting after World War II. As all three forms of music have seen their heydays as pop music in the 1940s through 1970s, it is appropriate for them to be featured by the AAAI.\n"Soul music is an expression of African American culture," Sykes said.\nAfter the soul revue concert, the African American Dance Company will perform next with two pieces. The first will be choreographed by guest performer Modeste "Athobob" Douonign, who is from the Ivory Coast. According to the program, the dance will tell a story of an African village fighting to protect itself from an evil force. Iris Rosa said working with someone from a foreign land is a good experience for the students.\n"Working with Modeste has given the students a chance to study traditional culture, music and history," Rosa said.\nShe is choreographing the second piece title "Roots, Grounded, Manifested" which will be a general study of metamorphosis. All of the dancers in the company will be dancing in both pieces.\nThe African American Choral Ensemble will follow with five songs of various genres. They will start out with music by Undine Smith-Moore, a black composer. The choral will also perform spirituals which is the music that slaves and post-abolition black citizens used to deal with their hardships. James Mumford the director ensemble is excited to share music that the audience is not accustomed to hearing.\n"There is so much beautiful black music besides Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, and that sort of thing," Mumford said.\nBefore the finale, the winner of the AABC Step Show will perform.\nAs the finale of the show will feature all three parts of the AAAI, it will be showcasing much entertainment for the audience. It will also be a great opportunity for the performers involved.\n"The performers in the three branches do their own thing," Sykes said. "But hardly get to interact throughout the year. Playing together will one of the highlights of the year for them."\nTickets for the show are available at the IU Auditorium box office or through Ticketmaster. For more information contact Angela Scharfenberger at 855-5427. \n-- Contact staff writer Benjames Derrick at bderrick@indiana.edu.
(10/15/04 5:20am)
Max Weinberg of Meat Loaf, Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" will be speaking at 7.pm. Monday in the Indiana Memorial Union's Alumni Hall.\nJunior Cody Bell, director of Union Board's Comedy Committee, said Weinberg will talk about his life and career.\n"He should give a very interesting perspective about his experience with (E Street Band and Max Weinberg 7)," Bell said.\nWeinberg provided the backbeat for Springsteen from 1974 to 1989 and has been a studio drummer for many other artists including Barbara Streisand. He currently fronts the side band of his own name on Late Night.\nWeinberg has been making music since he was in grade school. He started his career playing in the pit band for the Broadway production of "Godsend." While playing for Springsteen, Weinberg recorded six albums over 15 years. In 1989 he went on the Human Rights Now world tour to raise funds for Amnesty International. He played drums while Bill Clinton showed off his saxophone talent during the 1992 presidential inauguration.\nSince joining "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" in 1993, Weinberg and his band have produced a full-length jazz album. When Andy Richter left the show, Weinberg became O'Brien's main sidekick for comic relief.\nUnion Board's Celebrate the Arts co-director junior Eleni Peters said footage of Weinberg's work on Late Night will be shown during his speech. She said he is expected to give a lively talk and encourage audience participation.\n"He is really excited to come," Peters said.\nJunior Mary Hansel, co-director of Celebrate the Arts Committee, said she expects Weinberg will talk about his experiences in the music and entertainment industries. She said she hopes a lot of people attend the talk.\n"In addition to people dropping by to hear the celebrity speak, most of the fans will be fans of Bruce Springsteen and Conan O'Brien," Hansel said.\nWeinberg may even demonstrate his skills on the drums.\n"It depends on if he can borrow anything in town from local drummer of the School of Music," Hansel said.\n-- Contact staff writer Benjames Derrick at bderrick@indiana.edu.
(10/05/04 4:52am)
The Bloomington Early Music Festival held a concert with Ensemble Lipzodes, a five-member group that specializes in 16th century Guatemalan church music, in the Trinity Episcopal Church Saturday night.\nThe concert was a precursor to the Early Music America Medieval and Renaissance music competition in New York. The group was invited to the festival, and if this weekend's performance is any indication of how they will perform in New York, many among the audience said they should do very well. Comprised entirely of members of the Early Music Institute, the group has formed within the past year, said member Keith Collins. The music performed came from the Guatemalan Lipzodes manuscripts found in the Lilly Library and revitalized by Paul Borg for his master's thesis, said member Wolodymyr Smishkewych.\nThe Early Music Institute works closely with the Department of Early Music within the School of Music.\n"We aid the department and link it with the outside world," said Early Music Institute Director Michael McCraw.\nThis, of course, includes collaborating with the Bloomington Early Music Festival.\nEarly is defined as anything before the current century, said Early Music Institute Department Chair Wendy Gillespie.\n"What we played tonight was from before 1750," Gillespie said. "It included late Renaissance and Medieval music tonight."\nThe purpose of Ensemble Lipzodes is to recreate the music of the 16th century Guatemalan churches as much as possible.\n"We try to figure (out) what the music sounded like historically," said Gillespie. \nThe concert featured several pieces played on the ancient wind instruments, such as recorders, shawms and dulcians.\n"We reflect the original sounds and aesthetics," McCraw said. "If this music was played by an orchestra with current instruments, it would not be the same thing."\nAn example of recreating the sound with the original instrument was the tenor dulcian played by Collins.\n"It's like a baby Renaissance bassoon," he said of his instrument.\nAccompanying the wind instruments was a thumping drum played by Smishkewych as well as Smishkewych's tenor voice along with three guest singers: a soprano, an alto and a baritone.\nThe music was well received by the crowd, many of whom were versed in classical music. Audience member Robert Freu is very fond of early music in particular.\n"I liked it a lot," Freu said. "It is obvious that they rehearsed a lot and worked very hard on the translations (from Spanish)."\nEnsemble Lipzodes was formed for a national competition, explained Smishkewych. The music will include music from six ensembles playing music from before 1620, said Collins. Ensemble Lipzodes will travel to the Early Music America Medieval and Renaissance music competition in New York later this month.\n"Our concert went really well tonight," Collins said. "We are all very pleased, and I am really looking forward to New York."\nSupporters of early music are also excited about the competition.\n"I think they should win, or at least come in second place," Freu said.\n-- Contact staff writer Benjames Derrick at bderrick@indiana.edu.
(09/27/04 4:19am)
A full crowd packed into the studio of the John Waldron Arts Center Saturday for an evening of dancing, food and dessert, with not a drop of alcohol served. The Amethyst House, a non-profit organization for recovering addicts, held its fifth annual benefit titled Hope Café; Dance Performance & Celebrity Art Auction. In honor of September being National Recovery Month, Amethyst House decided to make the focus of the benefit hope for recovery from addictions. \n"This was our best one yet," said Amethyst House Assistant Director Janna Hocker. "It is the first one we had here in the John Waldron Arts Center. This gave a more intimate and more powerful dance performance."\nThe Indiana Dance Theatre is made up of three dancers, including choreographer Dianne Buzzell, who performed a piece in three parts titled "Hope." After the first group danced to Five for Fighting's "100 Years," three graduates of Amethyst House gave speeches on their current and former addictions to alcohol and drugs. Reconciliation of the past and hope for the future were major themes in all of the speeches. All three recovering addicts held hands and recited the biblical Serenity Prayer three times, once for each dancer to show a physical expression of hope. The dance concluded with a number to Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope you Dance."\nDavid Griego is a recovering addict who spoke and also contributed artwork to the live auction. \n"Back where I'm from (New Mexico) we do not have anything like the Amethyst House. It is an amazing place." Greigo said. "I decided to speak so that I can others in the crowd who are also recovering addicts."\nAmethyst House, a Bloomington-based not-for-profit United Way agency, provides high quality, structured living environments, treatment and recovery services for individuals with addictions, according to the organization's Web site. Hocker said this year the fundraiser stood out from all their other benefits. \n"It looks like we raised close to $10,000 this year, more than double what we've raised in past events," she said. \nThe proceeds made from the $25 tickets, live auction and silent auction will support programs and services provided by Ameythyst House. \nThe silent auction opened the evening along with food and music. The Indiana Memorial Union and chef Sherry Houze provided a catered buffet and deserts, served water, apple juice, sprite punch and coffee. Meanwhile, the band Mitten played an eclectic mix of French Café tunes. In addition to decorated ceramics provided by the local make-your-own-pottery shop Latest Glaze, the artwork included paintings, photographs, jewelry, a scarf and a quilt. The auctioned items ranged from realistic to abstract and playful to serious.\nMost of the participants of the event were Bloomington residents, but a few made a trip from some distance. Hocker lives in Louisville and commutes to Bloomington for her job. She invited her friend Mary Schulz, also from Louisville, to come last year. And Schulz brought her husband, Lee, this year.\n"We came here to support the cause," said Mary Schulz.\nAfter the dance and live auction portions of the evening, the event wrapped up with the conclusion of the silent auction while Bluegrass played in the background. Tom Cox, executive director of the Amethyst House, said the evening was good for the Amethyst House, and those who attended. \n"We got good prices for some of the (auctioned) pieces," he said."However, some people got some good deals."\n-- Contact staff writer Benjames Derrick at bderrick@indiana.edu.
(09/24/04 5:16am)
The local Amethyst House, 645 N. Walnut St., will host a benefit for substance abuse programs at 8 p.m. Saturday in the John Waldron Arts Center, with doors opening at 7 p.m. The evening will provide a beam of hope for those struggling with substance abuse through dance, public speaking and fund-raising. \nThe fifth annual benefit -- "Hope Café; Dance Performance & Celebrity Art Auction" -- will include a silent and live auction with bidding starting at 7 p.m. and lasting until 9:30 p.m. Meanwhile, the Indiana Memorial Union and Chef Sherry Houze will provide appetizers and desserts, while Mitten, a local folk music group, will perform. At 8 p.m., the Indiana Dance Theatre will perform three dances choreographed by Diane Buzzell, artistic director. A live auction will occur from 8:30 to 9 p.m., before the event wraps up with the conclusion of the silent auction.\nRecovering from alcoholism is the major theme of one of the interpretive dances to be performed titled "Hope."\n"(The dance) has three sections, and before each of them, a graduate from the Amethyst House will speak about their former addictions," Buzzell said. "They will each give a story of hope."\nThe three sections will be danced to contemporary songs by Five for Fighting, Lee Anne Womack and the biblical Serenity Prayer, and each will tell stories about alcohol addiction. \n"With my piece to Five for Fighting, my concept is about 100 years of life. What if you were 85 and could be 15 again and start over, making different choices about drinking?" Buzzell said.\nBoth the silent and live auctions will include of pottery provided by local store The Latest Glaze. Local 'celebrities' and visual artists come in to paint the ceramic before they are fired in the kiln and auctioned off. All of the money raised will go directly to the nonprofit Amethyst House.\n"We will be auctioning anything from small plates to big bowls," said Bill Benedict, owner of The Latest Glaze. The artists will include current IU Dean of Students Richard McKaig and President of the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce Steve Howard. Performers will include singer/songwriter Carrie Newcomber and retired elementary school teacher Francie Agostino.\n"It can be hard to tell the difference between pottery made by the local celebrities and visual artists," Benedict said. "Many of the local celebrities have done this benefit all five years and are experienced. Some of the visual artists do not have much background in painting ceramics themselves."\nThe Amethyst House Inc. is a United Way nonprofit organization providing aid to people with drug addictions. All proceeds from this event will support programs and services provided by the Amethyst House. The fifth annual fund-raiser coincides with the 15th annual National Recovery Month, sponsored by the Center for Substance Abuse within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.\n"This is our major fund-raiser of the year," said Janna Hocker, associate director of development. "All of our money will go to support our services and programs, and we help some of the neediest people in the community." \nTickets will be sold at the door for $25. For more information call the Amethyst House at 336-3570.\n-- Contact staff writer Benjames Derrick at bderrick@indiana.edu .
(09/16/04 4:00am)
Nowadays, guttural vocals, double bass drumming and mosh pits are not only common but expected elements in the world of heavy metal and punk rock.\nMoshing is a form of dance interpreting angry, loud, rebellious and masculine music. Because of the violent nature of bodies slamming into one another, it is also known as slam dancing. It is essentially an elaborate form of roughhousing for a mostly-male crowd. Though it has become a mainstream activity associated mostly with heavy metal, it has roots in the 1970s with punk rock. \nDave Mustaine, former guitarist for Metallica and Megadeth, once had this to say about moshing: "It started off with pogo-ing and doing the worm in the punk scene, and then when the metal scene came along, the people wanted to dance like that (with body contact), but they didn't know what pogo-ing and doing the worm was, so they invented slam dancing."\nMODERN MOSHING\nAs moshing started to become mainstream, two kinds of moshpits emerged simultaneously in both large and small venues: the grindpit and the true slam dance. The grind pit is where dozens of people will sway back and forth squeezed together, sweating and grinding into each other. The mosh pit is a large open space where guys run into each other, almost mimicking a football game or wrestling match.\n"I almost lost my tooth, but it's all in good fun. It's worth it," said Dayton, Ohio, resident Jim Boyd while watching the band Disturbed at Bogart's in Cincinnati.\nMany moshers say slam dancing is the most masculine form of social dancing. It is also a therapeutic way to alleviate the stress in life. \n"We're all here to get away from something. I say do what feels right to you," said Ryan Cincy, a resident of Middletown, Ohio, during a show featuring Flaw and Drowning Pool at Bogart's.\nSince slam dancing comes with the rock 'n' roll territory, young white males dominate the mosh pit, but it's not unheard of to see minorities, adolescent boys, middle-aged men and young women in the pit.\nAmber Dugan, a Cincinnati native, moshed to the music of Flaw with her friend Amber East July 22. \n"I hate it when men watch out too much for (women). I have moshed in every show that I have gone to except for Slayer," Amber Dugan said. "The men wouldn't allow us." \nLike any form of social dancing, the musicians enjoy the dancing as much as the dancers enjoy the music.\n"We feed off the energy of the dancers and we give them energy back," said Jose Perez, drummer for Bad Acid Trip who played to a full crowd at local venue Rhino's Sept. 10. \nLOCAL SCENE\nWith hip-hop and rock 'n' roll dominating this college town, it's hard for counterculture to thrive.\n"People just want to go to the bars and sing along to popular music," said junior Christian Fillippo, singer for the Harlots and guitarist in Eve's Revenge, both Bloomington bands.\nRhino's Youth Center on South Walnut gives people young and old an opportunity to slam dance. Rhino's, an all-ages music venue, is a side project of the Harmony Education Center, a local youth advocacy program.\nOn Sept. 11, ska rockers the Nicotones, the Malcontents and UM300 played to a full crowd at Rhino's.\n"Rhino's is an underground punk rocker's dream," said 14-year-old Jeremy Gotwals of Bloomington High School North. "The moshing here is great. You don't even know what you're doing; it's like a battle." \nTHE ROOTS AND CONFLICT OF MOSHING\nThe 1970s Los Angeles punk scene started to crank things up with bands like Black Flag as fans started to rambunctiously run into each other to the rebellious music. More violent moshing emerged on the East Coast as hardcore bands like New York City's Cro-mags prompted fans to lower shoulders and slam into one another. In the early 1990s, the violent slam-dancing, along with stagediving and crowdsurfing, became a mainstream activity coinciding with the rise of grunge music seen in music videos from the Offspring and Pearl Jam. \nAs slam-dancing became a popular activity for heavy metal fans, an underground movement known as hardcore emerged in the late 1980s. Hardcore is a hybrid of punk and heavy metal, more abrasive and less radio-friendly than grunge. Hardcore bands like the Harlots take pride in selling their own albums and merchandise and holding concerts in obscure venues such as abandoned warehouses. The hardcore mosh pit evolved differently than the heavy metal pit. \nDuring a breakdown of a hardcore song, it's not uncommon to see 60 to 70 people violently swinging their arms while a few do some roundhouse kicks -- pushing and slamming is replaced by an imitation of kung-fu.\nAt the end-of-summer Strhess tour, featuring both hardcore and heavy metal bands, Chicago resident Jason Modla talked about the differences between metal and hardcore pits.\n"In metal, they jump and push," he said. "In hardcore, they swing." \nMetalcore is a hybrid of heavy metal and hardcore, which can lead to moshing madness.\n"When you have metal and hardcore, that's when you get the fights break out," said Jeff Lohrber, drummer for hardcore band Harlots.\nFor many fans, there is a rivalry between the hardcore and heavy metal scenes because they don't understand the other's point of view. Metal moshers don't want to have to worry about being punched in the face while pushing each other around. Meanwhile, hardcore kids don't want a cheap shot knocking them to the ground while dancing.\nThough danger lurks in the collisions of slam dancing, it is often a very rewarding experience for those who enjoy releasing the frustrations in life by playing rough. \nWhen listening to loud, aggressive music, Harlots guitarist Eric Dunn said moshing is the thing to do.\n"If you go to a metal or hardcore show and don't mosh - unless you see a really good band - it is really boring"
(09/16/04 4:00am)
With the help of comic legend executive producer Stan Lee, Marvel Comics produces a fine production better than "Daredevil." Though this movie is about as good as "Spiderman," "The Punisher" veers from the blockbuster route as it portrays a gritty tale of this disturbed character. \nDirector Jonathon Hensleigh mentions in the special features how he would use no computer enhancements for action scenes, and it is apparent as the stunts are incredibly realistic. The lack of computer dependence, along with Tom Jane choosing to do most of his own stunts as Frank Castle/Punisher, gives a very believable feel to the movie.\nThe intricate romance with neighbor Joan, played by Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, also makes this a believable and realistic story. As they both grapple with demons, they do not ride off into the sunset, but it is her advice that saves The Punisher from the ultimate self-inflicted punishment. \nWe see the character portrayed as we have in Marvel Comics in the past few years -- as an action hero, not a superhero fighting alongside Spiderman and Captain America. This is well-revealed in the special features by the "Army of One: Punisher Origins" and Tim Bradsteet's amazing photographic cover art and movie posters from the past three years of "The Punisher."\nThough formulaic, it is the quintessential vigilante action movie with some elements of horror, as portrayed in the villain's (Howard Saint played by John Travolta) mansion. It resembles "Batman" and "The Crow," but is very much its own movie. The best part of the story is how The Punisher does not dodge bullets in a hokey manner, but avoids them by his wit. Instead of superhuman strength, he has nearly superhuman intelligence along with meticulous planning abilities which allow him to punish the Saint family for taking away his own. In his own words: "This is not vengeance ... It's punishment"
(09/15/04 4:59pm)
With the help of comic legend executive producer Stan Lee, Marvel Comics produces a fine production better than "Daredevil." Though this movie is about as good as "Spiderman," "The Punisher" veers from the blockbuster route as it portrays a gritty tale of this disturbed character. \nDirector Jonathon Hensleigh mentions in the special features how he would use no computer enhancements for action scenes, and it is apparent as the stunts are incredibly realistic. The lack of computer dependence, along with Tom Jane choosing to do most of his own stunts as Frank Castle/Punisher, gives a very believable feel to the movie.\nThe intricate romance with neighbor Joan, played by Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, also makes this a believable and realistic story. As they both grapple with demons, they do not ride off into the sunset, but it is her advice that saves The Punisher from the ultimate self-inflicted punishment. \nWe see the character portrayed as we have in Marvel Comics in the past few years -- as an action hero, not a superhero fighting alongside Spiderman and Captain America. This is well-revealed in the special features by the "Army of One: Punisher Origins" and Tim Bradsteet's amazing photographic cover art and movie posters from the past three years of "The Punisher."\nThough formulaic, it is the quintessential vigilante action movie with some elements of horror, as portrayed in the villain's (Howard Saint played by John Travolta) mansion. It resembles "Batman" and "The Crow," but is very much its own movie. The best part of the story is how The Punisher does not dodge bullets in a hokey manner, but avoids them by his wit. Instead of superhuman strength, he has nearly superhuman intelligence along with meticulous planning abilities which allow him to punish the Saint family for taking away his own. In his own words: "This is not vengeance ... It's punishment"
(09/15/04 4:46pm)
Nowadays, guttural vocals, double bass drumming and mosh pits are not only common but expected elements in the world of heavy metal and punk rock.\nMoshing is a form of dance interpreting angry, loud, rebellious and masculine music. Because of the violent nature of bodies slamming into one another, it is also known as slam dancing. It is essentially an elaborate form of roughhousing for a mostly-male crowd. Though it has become a mainstream activity associated mostly with heavy metal, it has roots in the 1970s with punk rock. \nDave Mustaine, former guitarist for Metallica and Megadeth, once had this to say about moshing: "It started off with pogo-ing and doing the worm in the punk scene, and then when the metal scene came along, the people wanted to dance like that (with body contact), but they didn't know what pogo-ing and doing the worm was, so they invented slam dancing."\nMODERN MOSHING\nAs moshing started to become mainstream, two kinds of moshpits emerged simultaneously in both large and small venues: the grindpit and the true slam dance. The grind pit is where dozens of people will sway back and forth squeezed together, sweating and grinding into each other. The mosh pit is a large open space where guys run into each other, almost mimicking a football game or wrestling match.\n"I almost lost my tooth, but it's all in good fun. It's worth it," said Dayton, Ohio, resident Jim Boyd while watching the band Disturbed at Bogart's in Cincinnati.\nMany moshers say slam dancing is the most masculine form of social dancing. It is also a therapeutic way to alleviate the stress in life. \n"We're all here to get away from something. I say do what feels right to you," said Ryan Cincy, a resident of Middletown, Ohio, during a show featuring Flaw and Drowning Pool at Bogart's.\nSince slam dancing comes with the rock 'n' roll territory, young white males dominate the mosh pit, but it's not unheard of to see minorities, adolescent boys, middle-aged men and young women in the pit.\nAmber Dugan, a Cincinnati native, moshed to the music of Flaw with her friend Amber East July 22. \n"I hate it when men watch out too much for (women). I have moshed in every show that I have gone to except for Slayer," Amber Dugan said. "The men wouldn't allow us." \nLike any form of social dancing, the musicians enjoy the dancing as much as the dancers enjoy the music.\n"We feed off the energy of the dancers and we give them energy back," said Jose Perez, drummer for Bad Acid Trip who played to a full crowd at local venue Rhino's Sept. 10. \nLOCAL SCENE\nWith hip-hop and rock 'n' roll dominating this college town, it's hard for counterculture to thrive.\n"People just want to go to the bars and sing along to popular music," said junior Christian Fillippo, singer for the Harlots and guitarist in Eve's Revenge, both Bloomington bands.\nRhino's Youth Center on South Walnut gives people young and old an opportunity to slam dance. Rhino's, an all-ages music venue, is a side project of the Harmony Education Center, a local youth advocacy program.\nOn Sept. 11, ska rockers the Nicotones, the Malcontents and UM300 played to a full crowd at Rhino's.\n"Rhino's is an underground punk rocker's dream," said 14-year-old Jeremy Gotwals of Bloomington High School North. "The moshing here is great. You don't even know what you're doing; it's like a battle." \nTHE ROOTS AND CONFLICT OF MOSHING\nThe 1970s Los Angeles punk scene started to crank things up with bands like Black Flag as fans started to rambunctiously run into each other to the rebellious music. More violent moshing emerged on the East Coast as hardcore bands like New York City's Cro-mags prompted fans to lower shoulders and slam into one another. In the early 1990s, the violent slam-dancing, along with stagediving and crowdsurfing, became a mainstream activity coinciding with the rise of grunge music seen in music videos from the Offspring and Pearl Jam. \nAs slam-dancing became a popular activity for heavy metal fans, an underground movement known as hardcore emerged in the late 1980s. Hardcore is a hybrid of punk and heavy metal, more abrasive and less radio-friendly than grunge. Hardcore bands like the Harlots take pride in selling their own albums and merchandise and holding concerts in obscure venues such as abandoned warehouses. The hardcore mosh pit evolved differently than the heavy metal pit. \nDuring a breakdown of a hardcore song, it's not uncommon to see 60 to 70 people violently swinging their arms while a few do some roundhouse kicks -- pushing and slamming is replaced by an imitation of kung-fu.\nAt the end-of-summer Strhess tour, featuring both hardcore and heavy metal bands, Chicago resident Jason Modla talked about the differences between metal and hardcore pits.\n"In metal, they jump and push," he said. "In hardcore, they swing." \nMetalcore is a hybrid of heavy metal and hardcore, which can lead to moshing madness.\n"When you have metal and hardcore, that's when you get the fights break out," said Jeff Lohrber, drummer for hardcore band Harlots.\nFor many fans, there is a rivalry between the hardcore and heavy metal scenes because they don't understand the other's point of view. Metal moshers don't want to have to worry about being punched in the face while pushing each other around. Meanwhile, hardcore kids don't want a cheap shot knocking them to the ground while dancing.\nThough danger lurks in the collisions of slam dancing, it is often a very rewarding experience for those who enjoy releasing the frustrations in life by playing rough. \nWhen listening to loud, aggressive music, Harlots guitarist Eric Dunn said moshing is the thing to do.\n"If you go to a metal or hardcore show and don't mosh - unless you see a really good band - it is really boring"
(09/08/04 5:31am)
The IU Art Museum recently put up a three-painting installation titled "Late Twentieth Century Still Life." The international exhibit consists of paintings created during the 1970s and '80s. \nOne of the displayed pieces is by the Iceland-born American Louisa Matthiasdottir. The splotchy oil on canvas created in 1972 is titled "Still Life with Sausage and Bean Pot." The realistic painting uses contrasting colors to draw in the eye. The painting depicts red and green vegetables whose colors are complimented by the lively neutrals of beige and gray used in the table and background.\nIn 1975 American Janet Fish painted "Wine and Cheese Glass," a whimsical arrangement of life-size goblets reflecting light. \n"I can see a mirror image from the street scene behind these glasses," said Museum security guard Paul Bertermann. "It makes me wonder what this is all a reflection of."\nMoroccan artist Claudio Bravo created "Squash" with pastel on paper in 1985. With elongated green vegetables in front of a bright red background, "Squash" has a surrealistic feel. The intricately patterned tablecloth complements the vegetables resting on top.\n"These are three very beautiful paintings by important contemporary artists, and none of them have been on view for several years. So for me, they were logical paintings to put on display," said Jenny McComas, a museum curator. "Still lifes help us see our everyday objects and surroundings in a different way. "\nThe Art Museum holds many paintings in storage and rotates them through the gallery for display, which is why these particular paintings have not hung on gallery walls for several years. Bertermann said he was happy to see the paintings again.\nThe still lifes represent a well-established tradition of art. Every generation has interpreted object in different ways through their still-life paintings. The IU Art Museum has still lifes dating back to the 17th century.\n"It's interesting to see how artists have interpreted the same objects through time," said Diane Pelrine, associate director of curatorial services. \nThe installation will remain on display at the IU Art Museum until the end of the semester. \n— Contact staff writer Benjames Derrick at bderrick@indiana.edu.
(09/06/04 5:10am)
I was watching MTV2 a few weeks ago and was struck by the hypocrisy I witnessed on "Music With a Message." After a weak and up-beat critical video about the war in Iraq came another video by a pathetic rap-rock band called Chronic Future. Before the video, the band explained why America should not be overseas fighting for oil. It's members were careful to point out their support of our troops, but are "against the policy that puts them over there." Like much of America's youth, these bands are just plain missing the point. American troops are fighting for oil so we can be wealthy in America.\nBecause petroleum runs our society, our troops are fighting for our right to drive gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles. They're fighting for our freedom to impulsively rack up purchases on our credit cards - which, by the way are made of plastic, a petroleum product. American troops are fighting for our freedom to shop and be grotesquely wealthy. This is, after all, the land where prisoners watch cable TV, and much of the poor have plenty of fat reserves.\nThis is also the land where edible bread and half-eaten pasta is thrown away like banana peels. People spend more money for a gallon of bottled water than a gallon of gasoline no matter how "desperate" things get. Yet we all like to toot our horns when gasoline prices are anything higher than $1.50 per gallon. What is more American than baseball, hotdogs, and complaining how much that gasoline costs on the way to the ballgame?\nMost of the young complainers among our MTV generation- whether they be established musicians or just crybaby fans - are just plain hedonistic brats. Most of the youth in this country just want to have fun, and forget about the consequences. Heaven forbid that we get a ticket for DWI (while using gasoline) and thinking that police should be enforcing "real crime." Not to say the older and more conservative generation would not also be loath to start living more simply without the luxuries to which they feel entitled after decades of hard work and saving. Despite a long and strong Christian tradition, most Americans seek worldly pleasure in life and most find it in money despite the virtuous myth that "money can't buy happiness."\nAs a Christian myself, I know it was neither the Jews, nor the Romans, nor Judas who were responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus, but rather the sins of mankind. Likewise, it is neither President Bush nor the American military nor conservatives in general who are causing this war in Iraq but rather our entire nation demanding the large amounts of petroleum in Iraq. We need more petroleum so we can drive around Friday nights with our friends or make plastic Coke bottles. We need more petroleum for more comfort, more fun and more economic well being. So, let's just take all of the petroleum in the world!\nNo one is innocent, including me. The sad thing is that I am conscientious to conserve energy, but still use a lot of it. For instance, I hate air conditioning and never use it at my own apartment. The only way to be innocent is to crawl into the woods and become some kind of hermit, and I am not willing to do that. Besides, there is no way of convincing my fellow citizens to conserve energy as a hermit.
(09/02/04 4:00am)
After breaking up with good friend and musical collaborator Scott Stapp, the former singer of Creed, guitarist Mark Tremonti was depressed, but his jam sessions with Creed drummer Scott Phillips seem to have perked him up and given him hope, which has turned into Alter Bridge. Its new album, One Day Remains, marks the return of the majority of Creed -- minus Stapp. After reuniting with bassist Brian Marshall, who left after Human Clayw and uniting with former 1998 tourmate Myles Kennedy after his band Mayfield Four also broke up, Tremonti became the frontman that Jerry Cantrell was for Alice in Chains. \nAlter Bridge is almost Tremonti's solo career, as he is credited with writing the vast majority of the music and lyrics. He continues his high-quality backup singing and guitar playing, but lacks a bit with his songwriting skills, as he continues his slide that started with songs like "Stand Here With Me" from Creed's third album Weathered.\nThough most of the material is good, Alter Bridge pretty much has two speeds -- straight-forward hard rock 'n' roll and power ballads. The hard rock sounds better, having more crunch than clunk, though the power ballads have about equal amounts of sweetness and sappyness. \nLike former bandmate Scott Stapp and Black Sabbath's bassist Geezer Butler, through his lyrics, Tremonti expresses the view of moderate Christianity. While this is not praise-and-worship music, it is heavy metal that steers far from Satanism. Overall, this album is basically for Creed fans.
(09/02/04 2:53am)
After breaking up with good friend and musical collaborator Scott Stapp, the former singer of Creed, guitarist Mark Tremonti was depressed, but his jam sessions with Creed drummer Scott Phillips seem to have perked him up and given him hope, which has turned into Alter Bridge. Its new album, One Day Remains, marks the return of the majority of Creed -- minus Stapp. After reuniting with bassist Brian Marshall, who left after Human Clayw and uniting with former 1998 tourmate Myles Kennedy after his band Mayfield Four also broke up, Tremonti became the frontman that Jerry Cantrell was for Alice in Chains. \nAlter Bridge is almost Tremonti's solo career, as he is credited with writing the vast majority of the music and lyrics. He continues his high-quality backup singing and guitar playing, but lacks a bit with his songwriting skills, as he continues his slide that started with songs like "Stand Here With Me" from Creed's third album Weathered.\nThough most of the material is good, Alter Bridge pretty much has two speeds -- straight-forward hard rock 'n' roll and power ballads. The hard rock sounds better, having more crunch than clunk, though the power ballads have about equal amounts of sweetness and sappyness. \nLike former bandmate Scott Stapp and Black Sabbath's bassist Geezer Butler, through his lyrics, Tremonti expresses the view of moderate Christianity. While this is not praise-and-worship music, it is heavy metal that steers far from Satanism. Overall, this album is basically for Creed fans.
(08/26/04 4:00am)
It does not take long for director Renny Harlin to create suspense in this Exorcist prequel. Sure there is an excitingly morbid introduction, but even after the story begins in earnest, we soon are taken into a world of rare objects, mythical demons and mysterious churches in the Saharan sands of Africa circa 1949. \nIf you have seen the original Exorcist movies, especially the first one based on William Peter Blatty's novel, you will not be surprised by this movie. It is, afterall, the Devil channeled through the doctor (Izzabella Scorupco) that he begins to fall in love with. Father Merrin from "The Exorcist" (Stellan Skarsgard) confronts her at the climax, but the structure has some differences from the original. Along with writers Caleb Carr, Alexi Hawley, and William Wisher, Harlin builds this tale slowly from a mysterious beginning through some gory details in the middle to a final freakish finale. That is not to say that there are not any scary horror movie motifs along the way such as the frightened and loud bats that get stirred up by the investigators of this church that appears more Satanic than Godly.\nOverall, this movie is well put together. With freaky camera angles, scary set designs, good acting and a decent soundtrack with a heavy emphasis on sound effects and not enough scary music, it offers something to think about as it compares the evil of World War II to the devil who is displayed at its most deceiving.
(08/26/04 3:33am)
It does not take long for director Renny Harlin to create suspense in this Exorcist prequel. Sure there is an excitingly morbid introduction, but even after the story begins in earnest, we soon are taken into a world of rare objects, mythical demons and mysterious churches in the Saharan sands of Africa circa 1949. \nIf you have seen the original Exorcist movies, especially the first one based on William Peter Blatty's novel, you will not be surprised by this movie. It is, afterall, the Devil channeled through the doctor (Izzabella Scorupco) that he begins to fall in love with. Father Merrin from "The Exorcist" (Stellan Skarsgard) confronts her at the climax, but the structure has some differences from the original. Along with writers Caleb Carr, Alexi Hawley, and William Wisher, Harlin builds this tale slowly from a mysterious beginning through some gory details in the middle to a final freakish finale. That is not to say that there are not any scary horror movie motifs along the way such as the frightened and loud bats that get stirred up by the investigators of this church that appears more Satanic than Godly.\nOverall, this movie is well put together. With freaky camera angles, scary set designs, good acting and a decent soundtrack with a heavy emphasis on sound effects and not enough scary music, it offers something to think about as it compares the evil of World War II to the devil who is displayed at its most deceiving.
(08/05/04 1:42am)
The IU Division of Recreational Sports presented the USA Swimming sanctioned 2004 Speedo Champions Series Zone Sectional 3 last week, which consisted of swim teams from four states: Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. The meet was held at the Student Recreational Sports Center's Councilman/Billingsley Aquatic Center Wednesday through Sunday and consisted of 17 men's and women's events.\n"We all want to do well at this kind of meet because the next level is nationals," said Cincinnati Marlin swimmer freshman Scott Tanner, who also swims on IU's varsity team.\nThe regional meet brought 464 swimmers from 35 clubs and comprised of swimmers from high school and college ranging in age from 14-22. The swimmers are very talented and all have potential to make names of themselves by means of swimming, Meet Director Anne Eakin said.\n"This (regional meet) is the first step to being an Olympic athlete," Eakin said.\nThe young swimmers at the meet proved to the audience that their names should not soon be forgotten, director of aquatics Emily Ward said.\n"These are younger kids who are very fast, and you will see them in four years (at the Olympic Trials)," Ward said.\nOne swimmer, Eliot Rushton, was at the Canadian Olympic Trials recently. He placed fourth in both the 400-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle, missing Athens by two places both times. He now has his sights set on the 2008 Olympics in China. \n"I think my chances will improve if I decide to keep swimming then," Rushton said.\nBy virtue of attending Kenyon College in Ohio, Rushton was eligible for the meet. Having to avoid missing too many days of work, he did not swim Wednesday's 1500-meter freestyle, but did win Saturday's 400-meter freestyle with a time of 4 minutes, 6.41 seconds.\nRushton also swam the 200-meter butterfly, coming in fifth, and the 400-individual medley, coming in sixth place behind IU's Richard Bryant, a junior, who won the race with a time 4:31.27 and also won the 200-meter freestyle at 1:57.09. With success at such prestigious swim meets, Bryant said he was more focused on representing the IU swim program at this home meet.\n"My victory does well for IU swimming," Bryant said. "It is good for recruiting."\nHe is one of several IU swimmers who keeps in physical and competitive shape swimming for clubs in the summer. Bryant swims for the Indiana Swim Team, which specializes in IU swimmers.\nBryant was not eligible to swim for the varsity team this past winter, but he plans to do so this upcoming season. He said the club is partly for IU swimmers who are currently not eligible for the varsity team but need to keep training hard and swimming competitively. The Indiana Swim Team is one of many club teams competing in the team competitions. \nThe Cincinnati Marlins, another club team, brought 31 high school and college swimmers, said assistant coach Jim Brower. This includes Tanner, an IU varsity swimmer and a Loveland, Ohio, resident. Tanner won the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 55.85 seconds.\n"We love coming," Brower said. "All of the kids have gotten into the spirit of the meet and are doing great."\n-- Contact staff writer Benjames Derrick at bderrick@indiana.edu .
(07/26/04 2:10am)
An estimated 130,000 Israelis joined hands Sunday to form a human chain stretching from the edges of the Gaza Strip to Jerusalem to protest the Israeli government's plan to withdraw from the area.\nThe Israeli government's unilateral withdrawal plan comes after years of fruitless negotiations between Israel and their Palestinian counterparts, years which have been frequently punctuated with violence and much blaming. \nIsraeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convinced his Likud party last month to relocate Israeli settlers and withdraw the army from the Gaza Strip as well as to dismantle some West Bank settlements. The disengagement may pave the way for the Palestinian Authority to assume greater autonomy and possibly declare Palestinian statehood. \nHowever, Ronen ben-Baruch, an Israeli citizen contacted in Tel-Aviv, Israel, said the disengagement may not usher in the creation of a Palestinian state.\n"A one-sided disengagement plan during an armed conflict will definitely not bring any benefit for the Palestinians, and for sure will not grant them any political independence," he said.\nFollowing the outbreak of escalated violence in 2000, Israel has refused to negotiate with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, accusing him of supporting attacks by militant Palestinian groups on Israeli civilians.\nPolitical Science professor Dina Spechler said Israeli officials have little faith in the current Palestinian leadership.\n"They have accumulated substantial evidence that (Arafat) has endorsed, encouraged, and helped to fund terrorist attacks," she said. "Even before the recent intifada, he told his own people in Arabic to fight for the destruction of the state of Israel."\nThe Israeli government has been working on the current disengagement plan for over two years. The first phase of the plan includes building a security barrier around the West Bank, similar to the barrier that currently encircles the Gaza Strip. The second phase includes evacuating all of the Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the West Bank. \nA recent nonbinding ruling by the United Nation's International Court of Justice in The Hague said the security barrier being built in the West Bank is illegal under international law. Prior to the ruling, the Israeli Supreme Court had ordered the Israeli army to reroute sections of the fence being built near Jerusalem. The Israeli Supreme Court said these parts of the security barrier induced too much Palestinian hardship to be justified as security measures.\nStephen Katz, professor of Jewish studies, said the fence would increase Palestinian hardships.\n"This wall, at points cuts through a (Palestinian) farmer's land -- it's a travesty. Israel is making the borders on for its own convenience. It's called expediency," Katz said.\nIsraeli officials say the security barrier is being built to prevent Palestinian militants from crossing into Israel to carry out suicide bombings and armed attacks. With the security barrier running mostly within the 1967 war armistice boundary of the West Bank and encircling many nearby Israeli settlements, several Palestinians have called the barrier a land grab.\nBen-Baruch said not all Iraelis support the concept of disengagement.\n"Part of the population is against it, due to the fact that this plan means also that a number of settlements will disappear and families will have to leave their homes," ben-Baruch said.\nAbout 120 miles of the fence project's planned 437 miles have been constructed. \nThe Bush administration is not opposed to the barrier, but in official statements has encouraged the Israeli government to build the security barrier closer to the 1967 boundaries. Katz said the United States did not want Israel to appropriate U.S. aid to finance the barrier. \nKatz added that several Israeli citizens are concerned that the barrier may be too expensive to build.\n"The project of this barrier on the West Bank is very expensive and a burden for the Israel budget," ben-Baruch said. "Nevertheless, the government is convinced that this is a solution which might prevent terrorist attacks and save many lives."\nKatz said the barrier has shown initial success in preventing militant attacks, but added Palestinian frustration at the barrier may provoke more Palestinian anger.\n"A barrier between (Israelis and Palestinians) would increase animosity and thus lessen safety," Katz said.\nBen-Baruch said Israelis disagree on the ability of the security barrier to provide security for Israel's citizens.\n"It brings hope for a more secure future," ben-Baruch said. "But some Israelis think that this plan will leave too much land in the hands of the terrorists, and they will not have to hide anymore, but rather would be more free to plan their attacks."\n-- The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact staff writer Benjames Derrick at bderrick@indiana.edu.
(07/26/04 1:28am)
People from all over the country traveled to experience the Silk Road Bayram festival Saturday held by the Azerbaijani American Cultural Education Foundation and other international campus organizations. The festival explored cultures from the countries along the route to the East made famous by Marco Polo. The festival featured film, music, artifacts, food and dance from Silk Road nations.\nThe Silk Road, which stretched from Venice, Italy to Xian, China, was the major trade route between the East and West and created a unique and influential arts scene that still flourishes today.\nEarly in the afternoon, the crowd had the opportunity to get involved with the festival in a question/answer session with musical performers at the Monroe County Library, which housed a film series about the Silk Road. The first film was about how culture in Kyrgyzstan has changed since its release from the Soviet Union. A film about Turkish culture had been scheduled, but the DVD went missing.\nAfter the shortened film showing, the festival moved across the street to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater where activities recommenced.\nChow Bar provided native food and drink including Central Eurasian dishes of chicken, lamb, rice, noodles and vegetables as well as milk tea and mango juice. While dining, participants had the opportunity to study artifacts of the various cultures. The display featured a few trinkets, pottery and musical instruments from cultures along the Silk Road. The majority of the artifacts were handmade textiles and clothing featuring the ancient fine silk that gave the path its name.\nThe Tajikistan table displayed suzanis, which are ornate clothes similar to tablecloths. But for the sole purpose of decoration. Nasrullo Khodjayorov, a Tajikistan citizen on a three-year contract with the Center for Languages of Central Asian Region, also displayed ornate cultural marriage garments. Despite the economic condition of the country, the beautiful clothing is typical of most marriages.\n"The bride is to look beautiful, this is what they all wear," Khodjayorov said.\nLater that evening, the headlining concert began with various acts of song and dance. After a display of northern China's erhu and kun wu sword dance by James and Jenny Yang, Nasrin Hekmat-Farrokh and Roza Unaybayeva sang with accompanists followed by a folk dance by Mershad Abdurehim and Rehima Abuduroufu.\nThe Salaam Ensemble played many upbeat popular and folk songs from the western half of the Silk Road -- Iraq, Egypt and Lebanon. Even before violinist Dena al Saffar encouraged dancing for the last two pieces, a handful of young girls sprang to life in the dance pit. The brightest and most exuberant of the bunch was Melisa Ozturk, wearing dress from her native Turkey.\n"She doesn't know what she is doing," her mother Ezra Ozturk said. "She is just having fun."\nOf course after some coaxing, many people started dancing to the exotic rhythms.\n"I dance from the heart," 8 year-old Erol Ozturk said.\nAfter an intermission, Hakan Toker played the improvisational "Voyage through the Silk Road" on the piano. He said the piano was typically not conducive to this type of music because it was not capable of playing all the intonations needed in the piece.\n"It usually sounds bad because it cannot make quarter tones, but not always," Toker said.\nQuarter tones are a signature of Middle Eastern music and were featured in a set later in the program.\nThe artifacts and music on display at the festival only showed a portion of the unique culture along the route traveled by Polo and other adventurers. According to the program, after Polo wrote about his 17 years exploring the East, he gasped on his deathbed "I have told only half of what I saw!"\n-- Contact staff writer Benjames Derrick at .