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(07/22/09 11:01pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>More than a decade ago, Twista made his rap debut with Do or Die, a gangsta rap group from his home city of Chicago, on the underground Midwest classic “Po Pimp.” His solo debut, 1997’s “Adrenaline Rush,” introduced Twista to the rap industry in what can still be considered a good-if-not-great record. Despite commercial success with the Kanye West-infused “Kamikaze” in 2004, the man dubbed “the world’s fastest rapper” has seen his career suffer as hip-hop heads across the nation wonder if Twista is still “Legit Ballin’” or if they have simply “Overdosed” on the rapper’s novelty speed-rapping appeal.Is “Category F5,” released on Twista’s new label, Get Money Gang, the record that will revive his stagnating career?No. With guest appearances from the likes of R. Kelly, Gucci Mane and old pals Do or Die, “F5” has the ingredients to be a commercial (if not street) success. And Twista’s rapid-fire lyrical delivery harks back to the rapper’s heyday of the late 1990s. It’s just unfortunate that a tongue so talented has nothing of importance to say.Though gangsta rap as a genre has become a parody of itself and is packaged as entertainment much like the WWE, clever artists (UGK, The Clipse) still find new ways to redefine what exactly it is to be “gangsta.” On “F5,” Twista trots out worn themes (weed smokin’, gun totin’, ho gettin’) that sound staler than you might expect in 2009.In “Yellow Light,” Twista delivers these uninspired, albeit deftly rapped, lyrics: “I try to call it / Like green too fast / Red too slow / She want it in the middle so I gotta / Yellow light.”Even for Twista completists, “F5” only offers two or three songs that are worthy of a Twista mixtape. Perhaps Twista should concentrate on lending his novelty voice to guest spots and cameos on other artists’ work.
(07/09/09 12:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Right before the climax of the “Public Enemies,” the film’s protagonist (depending on how you look at him) John Dillinger takes in the latest gangster flick, “Manhattan Melodrama,” while he smirks to himself in the audience, watching the very stylized, artificial representation of his lifestyle unfold on the silver screen.It’s overt, homage-paying moments like this that make “Public Enemies” one of the better excursions into the gangster film genre in recent memory.Johnny Depp and Christian Bale star as two men on opposite sides of the law. Depp plays an affable bank robber (Dillinger would give some of the loot back to the bank customers) and Bale plays the lawman on Dillinger’s tail, always two steps behind. After (not one, but two) prison escapes by Dillinger and his willingness to be completely candid about his scores with the media, both organized crime bosses and the Bureau of Investigation want Dillinger dead. The movie essentially centers around this desperation coupled with a better-than-average love story. Dillinger’s love interest is played well by Marion Cotillard in an atypical English-speaking role for the actress.The best parts of this film are the spot-on costume designing and acting by veteran character-actor Depp. Also, Michael Mann can shoot one hell of a heist flick. Depp’s Dillinger is a multi-faceted study of the times (1930s Depression era) and circumstance in which a seemingly good, charming man manifests himself into a successful, flamboyant outlaw. Dillinger is stone cold as a stickup man. Layered upon instances of desperation, braggadocio and genuine sweetness (to his love interest) Depp succeeds at breathing true humanity into a gun-wielding folk legend.Mann’s intricate eye for detail and context shine through in what could have easily been just another shoot-’em-up flick. Whether it’s the look of personal hell on Bale’s character Melvin Purvis’ face after taking the life of yet another gangster or the seamless editing during chase scenes and shoot-outs, Mann’s expertise shines throughout the film.Unfortunately, that expertise is also the reason the movie feels somewhat bloated, clocking in at over 2 1/2 hours long. Though the movie drags in parts and some peripheral characters are underdeveloped, Depp’s on-screen charisma and Mann’s patient filmmaking ultimately will win over the audience.Whether you love or hate the gangster genre, you will be moved by the end of this picture.
(07/09/09 12:34am)
Q & A with Moon County's Aaron Watke.
(07/09/09 12:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In fall 2007, IU alumnus Phil McLaughlin packed his worldly possessions and his newly minted telecommunications degree and headed west. He moved into a “microscopic” one-bedroom apartment with his girlfriend and started work as an intern at nationallampoon.com producing and editing Internet content and a college TV show.This job, landed courtesy of college buddy Aaron Waltke by a process that Waltke admittingly refers to as cronyism, enabled McLaughlin to work on a series of the biggest Internet videos of that year, “Fat Britney Spears.” One of the videos has 16 million hits on Youtube to date.Waltke and McLaughlin hit it off at IU performing improv comedy with the campus-based comedy troupe All Sorts of Trouble for the Boy in the Bubble. When these two IU alumni are not hooking each other up with once-in-a-life time jobs, they are making Internet comedy short films under the name Moon County along with eight other IU “cronies” that migrated to Los Angeles to break into the entertainment industry.The Moon County brandMoon County has been making films for its Web site, mooncounty.com, for more than two years. There are both live-action and animated sketches and virtually none of the videos pass the five-minute mark.“I personally try to keep things as short as possible, since viral popularity relies on either a time frame an ADD-suffering, cracked-out chimp would be willing to sit through, or two girls eating poop,” Moon County member John Druska said.While Moon County has been writing and performing comedy since their earliest college days, troupe members have recently become quasi-Internet experts as well. With tracking tools made available via Youtube, Moon County can see a breakdown of who is watching its videos and from where, how long viewers watch and geographical “hot spots.” Moon County also learned that labeling a video correctly can yield many more hits.This online mastery happened almost by accident.About a year ago, Moon County posted the sketch “Rape Tunnel” to Youtube, which got a staggering number of hits (more than 65,000 to date). McLaughlin was able to deduce, with the online tracking tools, that an inordinate amount of people in India were searching the word “rape” on Youtube and the “Rape Tunnel” sketch must have been one of the first videos in the search results, he said.It’s not always easy to scientifically prove why a Moon County video becomes successful though. The cause of the success of the video, “Bloody Mary” is hard to pinpoint.“I guess people really like seeing Aaron pull down his pants, shit celery and drink out of a toilet, McLaughlin said.While the members of Moon County are garnering awards (one of their videos won an atom.com contest and was shown late-night on Comedy Central) and Internet fame, Moon County is not paying the bills. Yet. Everyone in Moon County has day jobs, most in the entertainment industry, to make ends meet. Druska landed a spot on a Schick razor commercial earlier this year, Paul Straw did some freelance work on the set of “Speed Racer” and “1010,; and McLaughlin landed a production gig on the set of the new NBC dramedy “Parenthood.”Not too bad for some state-schooled funny men in a city where people spend 10 or 15 years trying to break into the industry. They are all quick to say Moon County, as a support system of talented friends, is key in their success.Perhaps Waltke sums up the best when talking about “the LA dream” and the hopefully sustained success of Moon County.“We knew it wouldn’t happen overnight,” he said.For more information, bios on the members, videos and the official Moon County blog, click over to mooncounty.com.
(06/18/09 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Mos Def burst into the rap game in 1998, creating two instant classic hip-hop albums (“Black on Both Sides,” “Blackstar”) right out of the gate. By 2002 he was hosting spoken word poetry slams on HBO’s “Def Poetry,” and in 2003 he experienced his first commercial box office success with the car-caper comedy “The Italian Job.” Hip-hop purists will say Mos Def left the music game stranded after he attained commercial success as a movie star (he’s a leading man nowadays). And they are not exactly incorrect. His 2004 album “The New Danger” had its fair share of rock and blues laced with bright spots, but 2007’s “True Magic” was disappointedly ho-hum.So can “The Ecstatic” do anything to change the rap game a decade-plus after “Blackstar”?Nope, not at all. But after multiple listens, it’s actually very good – primarily because it doesn’t try to be anything except an (exceptional) Mos Def record.Everything that is great about Mos Def is on this record. His seemingly effortless, stream of consciousness flow, introspection and solid production by the likes of mega-producer Chad Hugo of The Neptunes round out the album.Perhaps the best lyrical example of Mos Def’s prowess on the mic can be found on “Life in Marvelous Times:” The windows on the ave look like sad eyes / They fix their sharp gaze on you when you pass by / And if you dare to stand, you can see ’em cry / You can watch ’em scowl / Feel them prowl wall / And study every inch about you / Fast math measuring what you amount to.”Another highlight at the end of the album is “History,” which features his “Blackstar” counterpart, Talib Kweli. The song seemingly pays homage to “Blackstar’s” rise in the rap game when Kweli raps “Ten years ago we made history so they missin’ us!” In a genre that is more or less 30 years old, the year 1998 seems like a couple epochs ago. It’s fun to hear “Blackstar” again in top form, and hopefully both artists have more collaborations for us to consume in the near future.As far as mainstream hip-hop goes nowadays, “The Ecstatic” should not be missed.
(06/04/09 12:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The ever-expanding Wayans clan – no fewer than 10 were involved in the making of this movie – have been cranking out spoof flicks since 1988’s “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” a mockumentary about blaxploitation films.Since then, every genre from horror (“Scary Movie”) to urban street life (“Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood”) has been spoofed. So it’s no surprise then that the Wayans have moved on to sub-genres (I don’t think there is a “Dance Movie” section at Plan Nine Film Emporium) to keep their comedy brand chugging along and the money rolling in.It’s just too bad “Dance Flick” is a spirited exercise in mediocrity.You have (quite literally) heard this story before. Megan White (Bush) moves to an inner-city school where she is picked on for being different. Through a mutual love of dance, she falls for Thomas Uncles (Wayans Jr.), whose dance crew is trying to be the best in the city. Among the films parodied in “Dance Flick” are “Stomp the Yard,” “Roll Bounce” “Save the Last Dance,” “High School Musical” and “Hairspray,” and I think there might be a little “ATL” in the mix as well. The plot is never important in a spoof movie; it’s just something to keep all the gags and topical one-liners on track. You can’t really fault the movie for its weak plot, but you can take issue with lack of belly laughs and stale pop culture jokes and references. The only reason to see this movie is to catch Amy Sedaris’ cameo as the school dance teacher, Mrs. Cameltoe, and her beatboxing genitalia.
(05/28/09 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Four years after his critically panned album “Encore” and a myriad of
personal problems including the murder of his friend and D12 bandmate,
Proof, and a stint in rehab for an addiction to sleeping meds, Em is
back to work and poised to create the comeback album of his career.
Pulling out all the stops, he enlists his friend and mentor Dr. Dre to
executive produce all 20 tracks on the album.
And the album, for the most part, succeeds.
Eminem’s patented singsong, schoolyard taunting flow on songs such as
“3 a.m.” and the first single “We Made You” are spot-on flawless,
albeit the lyrical content is at times bizarre and off-putting. This
juxtaposition is perhaps most evident and disturbing in the incestuous
rape fantasy “Insane,” with lyrics like, “Marshall, I love you boy I
care about your well-being / No dad, I said no I don’t need no help
peeing.”
With a song repertoire that runs the thematic gamut of violently
murdering his wife (then rationalizing said murder to his daughter in,
ahem, baby talk) to date-raping a 15-year-old girl at a rave party,
it’s virtually impossible for Slim Shady to top himself in shock value.
Thus, songs like “Insane” and “My Mom” seem like played-out album
fillers on “Relapse.”
But Dr. Dre’s crisp, base-heavy production (even on aforementioned
filler tracks) will hold listeners in awe all summer long and only fuel
the hype for his much-delayed follow-up album to 1999’s “2001.” If
“2001” is the soundtrack to a ’64 low rider on a voyage to some planet
in the future, complete with gangstas, blunts and 40-ouncers, then
“Relapse” is a traveling dark carnival, complete with serial killers,
horror-movie villains and pill-popping sociopaths. Both concepts work
wonderfully for the purpose of their respective albums.
“Crack a Bottle” is a fun, dance-inducing track near the end of the
album in which Dr. Dre and 50 Cent lend their vocals to what could be
the party song of the summer, with significant air-time on Top 40 radio.
“Beautiful” is a pleasant departure from the nightmare carnival theme
of “Relapse” and features an introspective Marshall Mathers
contemplating his celebrity, depression, subsequent pill addiction and
his place in an industry in which a 35-year-old man feels like a
dinosaur in lyrics like, “I know some shit’s so hard to swallow / But I
just can’t sit back and wallow in my own sorrow / But I know one fact /
I’ll be one tough act to follow.”
At the end of “Relapse,” Eminem hints at the possibility of another
completed album that could be released as a “Relapse” follow-up. It
would have one tough act to follow.
(11/05/08 8:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s that time of year again when movie studios dump their obligatory teen horror flicks on the masses for Halloween consumption. This is the genre where slasher flicks like “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and the goth-tastic “The Craft” are considered ’90s classics. But even if you go into the film with subterranean expectations, what can you reasonably expect from “The Haunting of Molly Hartley?”Not much.“Molly Hartley” revolves around its title character’s (played by Haley Bennett) struggle to fit in at a new prep school while systematically morphing into an evil agent of Satan (due to a deal with the devil her parents made when she was born). The school is filled with all your favorite rich kid cliches: the Big Man on Campus who’s cool and somewhat of a bad boy (played by Chace Crawford from “Gossip Girl”) his jealous and vindictive girlfriend, the too-cool-for-school rebel who spends more time getting high in the ladies’ room than she does in class and the hyper-friendly Christian girl that is perpetually mocked for her beliefs.With its predicable plot – save the somewhat surprise ending – and the young actors walking through their roles, the burden of the movie’s success is placed on the shoulders of first-time feature director Mickey Liddell. Channeling his inner amateur M. Night Shyamalan, he attempts to inject tension in every scene with a menacing score and objects (sometimes ghosts, but most of the time something mundane) popping into frame. Liddell gets an A for effort but an F for execution. “Molly Hartley” is nothing more than a vehicle for it’s hot up-and-coming stars Bennett and Crawford. Crawford has the physical aesthetics to be a future leading man. But his frosted-tip highlights can’t save this film from being a typical horror-light film for ’tweens.
(07/16/08 9:22pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Regulars of Delilah’s Pet Shop mourned the loss of the store’s pet icon July 2 after Delilah, the beloved Saint Bernard, passed away at the age of 13. “A lot of people will miss her,” Karene Kidwell, owner of Delilah’s Pet Shop, said in an emotional interview.Kidwell has operated her Bloomington business for 22 years. Originally called Custom Grooming, she and her husband Harry elected to change the name to Delilah’s Pet Shop eight years ago in honor of the store’s popular pooch. “I’m not vain enough to name the store after myself,” she said. Delilah first came to the pet store 13 years ago as an 8-week old puppy to be sold. Kidwell was immediately “smitten” with the dog’s intelligence and opted to keep and raise her in the pet store environment. Customers would come in to play with Delilah and to give her treats. Delilah loved the attention, manager Lesli Miller said. Even in her later years, Delilah would stretch her big body on the floor and sleep while customers shopped. She would paw at a customer’s leg to get their attention as if to say, ‘I am down here, you should pet me!’ Miller said. Kidwell said Delilah also came to be a maternal figure to the other animals in the shop. One of Kidwell’s fondest memories of Delilah is when she nurtured a depressed papillon that came through the store. Delilah would let the smaller dog sleep on her head and made sure it ate, Kidwell said. Miller said the store, located at 1320 N. College Ave., has many college graduates come back years after they graduate to see Delilah. Delilah’s Pet Shop customer and recent IU graduate Jeremy Lee will remember Delilah as “the largest dog he’s ever seen.” Lee’s fiance, senior Amber Gray, admired how the dog seemed to like having so many people and animals around all her life. Miller said having a dog in the shop made people feel much more welcome and connected to the store. “Animals give you so much back,” she said. “They love you unconditionally.” Today, Delilah’s ashes sit on the shelf above her bed in the shop. A sign reading “Delilah, we will miss you” hangs under the shelf. While there was no official ceremony or wake, Miller said friends and customers have expressed sympathy and condolences to her and her coworkers. Delilah touched the customers as much as she did the store employees, Miller said. “We are so thankful for everyone for being so kind,” Miller said. “For coming in and sharing everything with her and with us. (Delilah) was a really, really sweet girl.”
(06/25/08 10:38pm)
Six local bands will rock the Bluebird on Thursday evening to raise money for Indiana flood victims.\nLocal concert promoter Dan Coleman organized the “Rock for Relief” benefit show. Other than a food drive Coleman organized last Halloween, this is his first benefit show. The “Rock for Relief” show allows local bands to come together and do what they can to help get flood victims the help they need, Coleman said.\nThe American Red Cross estimates $3 million is needed for Indiana flood relief. So far, the organization has raised $1.2 million, said Conner Burns, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer doing resource development for the Monroe County chapter of the American Red Cross.\n“Every bit helps,” he said. “We appreciate everything that anyone is willing to give.”\nAll the bands on the bill – Built for Comfort, Gravitas, Good Luck, The Fatted Calf String Band, Racebannon and Shaggy Wonda – are donating their time and entertainment to the show free of charge. The money raised from the $5 cover charge will be donated to the Monroe County chapter of the American Red Cross, Coleman said. Canned goods, toiletries, clothing and other items will also be collected at the door and delivered to the St. Mark Mission in Spencer, Ind.\nSome players involved in Thurday’s show have been affected firsthand by the flooding. Coleman’s basement was flooded and Shaggy Wonda was marooned on State Road 37 for eight hours because the rain washed out the road. Coleman said his losses were insignificant compared to those that lost \neverything. Shaggy Wonda guitarist Colby Miller said seeing the flood damage up close spurned the band to get involved in the relief effort any way they could by putting on a rocking concert.\n“In the wake of tragedy, you can have a good time and support the cause,” he said\nThe doors open at 8 p.m. for Thursday night’s “Rock for Relief” concert. Cover charge is $5 and you must be at least 21 to attend.
(06/19/08 12:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On "Time for Some Action," the opening track of Seeing Sounds, N.E.R.D. frontman Pharrell Williams reminisces about growing up on the hot Virginia Beach streets of the 1980s. Williams said he “first began seeing sounds” while coping with those record heat waves. Twenty-odd years later, he named his band’s third album after this phenomenon. N.E.R.D. (No one Ever Really Dies) is comprised of the music-producing juggernaut duo The Neptunes (Williams and Chad Hugo) and their childhood friend Shay. The band makes a hybrid of rap and rock that features Williams’ trademark falsetto over thrashing guitars weaved with smooth, funky drum beats. The band’s 2002 album In Search Of… was mostly hip-hop and its 2004 record was mostly rock. Seeing Sounds attempts to have a balance of both styles. The result is a schizophrenic dance/pop/funk/metal record that is simultaneously the best and, at times, the worst record of N.E.R.D.’s catalogue. The album’s first single is the regrettably catchy “Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom).” The song, with its infectious chorus of “A hundred dollar bills look – Achoo! Achoo!” is assuredly the most hilarious song about cocaine abuse this summer thus far (and also the albums standout dance track). Yet, the song feels like “Lapdance” redux; party girls, not politicians are the target this time. Nonetheless, asses will be shaking to this song in clubs and basement parties all summer long. “Love Bomb” is my favorite track and has Pharrell singing “from a room with white padded walls.” The track is toned down compared to other tracks on the album, giving the listener a break from the electric drums, showcasing Williams’ voice on top of a breezy guitar. The intricate production is still present here, but the band wisely went with a less-is-more mentality. “Sooner or Later” is another great minimally produced pop track on the album. And perhaps that mentality could have been employed more here. “Kill Joy” is overproduced and sounds like a song cut from In Search Of…. With the exception of a few tracks (“Everyone Nose,” most notably) Seeing Sounds is a success. Fans expecting club-bangers will be left wanting more. However, listeners needing a soundtrack for an afternoon summer barbecue in the park will rejoice.
(06/19/08 12:10am)
Finch’s Brasserie welcomed California winemaker Mac McDonald to its grand opening celebration Monday night.\nMcDonald, who owns and operates Vision Cellars in California, told stories to patrons about his life and wine business between four different food courses. While some wine enthusiasts will claim certain wine should be paired with certain foods, McDonald stressed a casual approach to wine and food pairing.\n“Just drink whatever tastes good to you,” he said.\nMcDonald also shared funny anecdotes about subsisting on grilled squirrel as a boy in Texas and how to look at wine as a metaphor for marriage. One of his wines featured Monday was crafted as a collaborative effort between him and his wife, each choosing their favorite grape to put into the wine. The finished product boasted 79 percent sovereign blanc grapes, his wife’s favorite.\nMarried men know that’s about as equal as you can hope for, McDonald joked.\nFormally Trulli Flatbread, Candace and Jeff Finch bought the restaurant earlier this year and renamed it Finch’s Brasserie. Jeff is the chef and Candace manages the front of the house. While flatbreads are still featured menu items, Assistant Manager Macy Dale said the new menu is much more diverse. \nAt the grand opening, patrons dined on duck breast, wood-fired halibut served with funnel coleslaw and wild mushroom crepes. The food was received well by patrons and McDonald, who ate every course at a different table \nof patrons.\nMcDonald joked to one table that the chef omitted squirrel from the menu.\nAt the end of dinner service, Chef Finch emerged from the kitchen to acknowledge the crowd and was met with applause.\nDale said the grand opening went well and Finch’s Brasserie hopes to have McDonald back again in the future.\nMcDonald, who met the Finches in Vermont in 2000, said he “has the best job in the world” because he gets to travel the country, eat great food and wine and talk to fun and interesting people. Monday was the first time McDonald visited Indiana in 20 years.
(06/05/08 7:27pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After moving into the dorms and mapping out the routes to take to class last August, sophomore Rachel Dian and her new college friends walked down to Kirkwood Avenue to see what the city of Bloomington had to offer besides IU’s campus. Kirkwood’s main attractions can be found on a six-block strip, spanning from Indiana Avenue to College Avenue. That first day, the new freshmen visited apparel stores like Urban Outfitters and Steve & Barry’s. Dian still frequents Kirkwood and looks forward to turning 21 so she can party with her friends at the bars.Kirkwood Avenue has been a part of the college culture in Bloomington for over 80 years, offering a wide range of shopping, dining and nightlife.“There is a lot to do,” Dian said. “It’s a quaint little area that’s nice to frequent.”DiningIn the last few years, students experienced a rejuvenation of Kirkwood, with new dining options such as Uncle D’s New York Pizza, Trulli Flatbread and Noodles & Company setting up shop. With a Dunkin’ Donuts and a Panda Express scheduled to open this year, Kirkwood will be home to over a dozen different eateries, all of which strive to offer a unique experience.Café Pizzeria has been on the strip since 1953, said Manager Kyle Barker. The locally owned business, which offered the first stromboli in Bloomington, strives to offer patrons a familiar dining experience and quality pizza, he said. Local artist Lee Nading said he has dined at the pizzeria every day since 1976. He enjoys eating his half-saugage-half-pepperoni pizza and looking out the window from his booth. “People tend to like places with low chances of changing radically,” he said about the restaurant. “(Café Pizzeria) just doesn’t change.”Contrasting with the 55-year old pizzeria, FARMbloomington opened for business in January 2008 two blocks west of the pizzaria. Events Manager Tracey Walker said FARM, which buys as much locally produced food as it can, brings a “more urban vibe” to Kirkwood. One unique feature FARM offers patrons is seating in the “roots cellar,” which features a “sophisticated basement party vibe,” Walker said. Bands play in the cellar on weekends, he added, and the restaurant is also open for breakfast.The Village Deli specializes in breakfast and lunch service. In the summer months, patrons can enjoy their breakfast outside on the patio. Village Deli Manager Imi Vitols said his restaurant offers “very good breakfast” and speedy service, along with a casual atmosphere. Vitols said he thinks students make up 80 percent of his clientele. Interacting with all the students is his favorite part of the job, he said. Soma Coffee House is also located right off Kirkwood and Grant Street and offers lots of vegan alternatives for patrons. The coffeehouse opens early and offers free wireless to students that want to study as they sip on their coffee, Soma Assistant Manager Collin Moses said.After getting a good meal in their stomachs, IU students may like to hit one or all the bars on the Kirkwood strip. Whether it’s just a gathering of buds, a group celebrating a good grade on a project or a full-fledged bar crawl, students seek Kirkwood first, Kilroy’s Bar & Grill server Brandon Coffman said.NightlifeNick’s English Hut has been open on Kirkwood for 81 years, Manager Niles Hall said. Nick’s is the perfect place to drink a beer and talk IU sports because of its rich history, Bloomington resident Eric Havall said. Another bar patron called it “the quintessential Bloomington bar.” Hall said patrons can never know what to expect at Nick’s. Harrison Ford, John Walsh and countless athletes have made appearances at the bar in the past, Hall said. On Little 500 weekend in April, patrons were surprised by an unannounced visit by Illinois senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.“That was pretty neat, you know,” Nick’s bartender Bob Hebenstreit said. “That guy could be the future leader of the free world.”Upstairs Pub, also a Kirkwood staple, is home of the infamous blue seven-shot cocktail, the AMF. Patrons can shoot pool, play darts and eat complimentary popcorn with friends in a diverse atmosphere that mixes locals and students.Kilroy’s patio is “the spot” for happy-hour drinking during the warm weather months, Coffman said. He describes the clientele as “mostly greek” and said Two Dollar Tuesdays is one of the best drink specials in Bloomington, where most beer, shots and even some food is two dollars.“The patio is carefree, and at night it’s nice to relax and have a couple drinks,” he said. Students wishing to dance or see a live concert can go to Jungle Room, which is part of Uncle Fester’s House of Blooze.
(05/15/08 12:44am)
In celebration of Mother’s Day, the American Red Cross is offering free installation of the personal medical alarm Lifeline to new subscribers throughout the month of May. \n“Lifeline (keeps) individuals living independently in touch with help when needed, gives family members peace of mind and assures prompt assistance is close at hand,” Donald Moore, director of Lifeline services for the American Red Cross in Monroe County, said in a press release.\nThe medical alarm consists of two pieces: a communicator which plugs into a phone jack and a small, waterproof button subscribers can wear around their necks or wrists, according to the device’s Web site. Subscribers, mostly elderly or disabled men and women, push the button if they have an accident in the home they cannot recover from themselves, such as a fall.\nA Lifeline employee at a call center will call the home, and if there is no response, begin the help procedure that starts with a call to the nearest neighbor to check on the subscriber and then possibly a 911 call, Moore said. The alarm button has a range of 700 feet.\n“The whole idea is when a person needs (help) and they cannot get to a telephone, they can push this button and we can call someone for them,” Moore said. \nFree installation saves subscribers $70, Moore said, and the promotion came about because 75 to 80 percent of Lifeline subscribers are female mothers. Moore oversees 500 subscribers in 10 counties in southern Indiana. Lifeline is one of only two national contracts the American Red Cross, a not-for-profit agency, honors.\nMoore, whose mother subscribed to Lifeline for four years, said the personal medical alarm service aids an overlooked population of society. The American Red Cross does more than donate blood and assist disaster victims, Moore said.\n“American Red Cross exists to serve citizens with which we live,” he said. “Lifeline allows us to reach out to the disabled in the community.”\nIU senior Ken Tussey has been a volunteer at the American Red Cross for two years. As a volunteer home service representative, Tussey installs and inspects Lifeline hardware in subscribers’ homes 12 to 20 hours a week.\nThe best part of his job is interacting with the subscribers on a weekly basis, he said.
(05/08/08 12:14am)
On Tuesday night, 13 worn-out patrons sharing two pizzas at Greek’s Pizzeria watched the television above their table in uncomfortable silence as the Indiana primary election results were tabulated.\nThe pizzeria patrons, all volunteers for the Hillary Clinton campaign, experienced a wide range of emotion as their “fighter” candidate lost the North Carolina primary early in the evening before just squeaking by opponent Sen. Barack Obama by two points in Indiana.\nThe evening started on a sour note, as major news outlets projected Obama as the winner in North Carolina just seconds after polls closed there. Clinton supporters like Olivia Morales said such a quick projection is unfair because, while Obama won the state, the margin may be narrower than the projection after all votes are tabulated.\n“People think he’s winning by a landslide, but he’s not,” she said. “There are different numbers being thrown around all over the place.”\nIndiana state Sen. Vi Simpson, who endorsed Clinton early in the primary race and is a delegate candidate, joined the Clinton supporters just after 9 p.m. Simpson’s appearance heightened the spirits of the dejected volunteers, who watched a double-digit Clinton lead in Indiana dwindle to less than five percent. She said a Clinton victory would help combat lingering cultural issues such as gender-based discrimination, and the small gathering was indicative of the kind of support Clinton has all around the state.\n“There are these small groups all over the state of Indiana,” she said, motioning to the crowd of about 15.\nSimpson left Greek’s just after 10 p.m., and most of the volunteers followed shortly after. Andrew Franczyk, 16, left discouraged after news outlets reported Lake County would not be releasing their votes until all the absentee ballots were counted. Francyk, though ineligible to vote, campaigned hard for his candidate all day and needed to get some sleep.\n“She could still pull it out,” he said.\nBy 10:35 p.m., announcements that Clinton would address her supporters in Indianapolis had been ticking across the television for an hour and a half. Greek’s Pizzeria was virtually empty, save four Clinton volunteers. Five minutes later, the four supporters, “who stayed out of respect for Clinton,” as one patron said, finally watched her deliver a victory speech.\nMost news outlets would not declare Clinton the winner of the Indiana primary for another three hours, but that did not deter volunteers like retired IU employee Shirley Fitzgibbons from applauding Clinton for deeming the victory “your victory.”\n“I’ll never stop fighting for you” got a standing ovation from Gibbons and fellow Clinton supporter Evelyn Lafollette. Both women said they identify with Hillary’s fighter spirit.\n“I’m a fighter for myself and for Hillary,” Fitzgibbons said.\nAfter Clinton’s acceptance speech, both women were buzzing about what to do next for her campaign. They may go down to Kentucky to help Clinton supporters there.\nThe future of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign got a sorely needed boost Tuesday night that may propel it well into June, Fitzgibbons said. \n“There’s a big fight ahead, no getting around it, lots of hard work,” she said.
(05/05/08 3:13am)
Two days before the pivotal Indiana Democratic Primary, four Bloomington artists will stump for presidential hopeful Barack Obama by doing what they do best: playing a live show at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The show is free and open to the public.\nThe show, dubbed “A Concert for Change,” will feature writer Scott Russell Sanders and singer/songwriters Carrie Newcomer, Malcolm Dalglish and special guest Krista Detor. Each of the four artists will perform 15 minutes of solo material and then do collaborations “in the round,” show producer Robert Meitus said.\nCarrie Newcomer played to a sold-out crowd at the Buskirk-Chumley in February for the release of her latest CD “The Geography of Light.” She said she is excited about her return to the Buskirk-Chumley and said it’s time for our country to address the pressing issues of economic justice, health care, the environment and military conflict.\n“In my mind, Sen. Barack Obama has the wisdom, eloquence and resolve needed in this important moment in history to inspire a generation,” Newcomer said.\nSanders, a distinguished professor of English at IU and author of more than 20 books, prepared a new piece titled “A Citizen’s View on the State of the Union” that he will read at the show. An IU professor since 1971, Sanders feels a strong connection with both current IU students and alumni.\n“I am greatly encouraged by the increased interest on the part of the IU student body,” he said. \nMeitus said the free show is not just the artists’ way of supporting Obama, but also a way for individuals who have given their time and energy to the Obama campaign to show their support.\n“It’s our way of giving back to those in the community who have been out their busting their butts,” he said.\nMeitus and Newcomer waited an hour and a half to see Obama speak on Wednesday. Obama’s moving speech reinforced Newcomer’s eagerness for the performance.\n“He’s amazing, he’s articulate, he’s inspiring,” Newcomer said.\n“A Concert for Change” will take place at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Tickets are free and still available at the Sunrise Box Office. Doors open at 7 p.m.
(05/02/08 2:23am)
IU alumna and novelist Tara Yellen came back to IU on Wednesday for a book signing and reading at the Indiana Memorial Union Bookstore. Her book “After Hours at the Almost Home” draws on some of her experiences in Bloomington as a bar server.\nThe book, which took Yellen “a weekend to write and eight years to revise,” centers on a bar named the Almost Home and is told from the perspectives of six different characters. While she was an undergraduate at IU more than 10 years ago, Yellen experienced the bar culture firsthand as a server at Yogi’s Bar and Grill and later at Nick’s English Hut. Old bosses and co-workers from both restaurants were at the book signing.\nYogi’s manager Chris Karl remembers and is fond of the short stories Yellen used to write as an undergraduate. The two have remained close, and Yellen sent Karl a copy of her book before it was available for purchase. “It’s all your fault” is written on the title page of the book above her signature.\n“Everything I see and experience comes out in my writing,” Yellen said.\nYellen received her master’s degree in creative writing from Colorado University-Boulder, and later her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Virginia.\nCreative writing professor Tony Ardizzone said Yellen was a “dazzling young writer” as an undergraduate. He pulled Yellen aside after class one day and told her she had the talent to be a professional writer if she wanted to be, wisdom that Yellen credits for jump-starting her writing initiative.\nNow their relationship is different, Ardizzone said.\n“There’s nothing more I can teach her,” he said. “(It’s now) a writer-writer relationship.”\nBloomington resident and Bluebird bartender Leo Cook had never been to a book signing until Wednesday. After Yellen read a few passages from “After Hours at the Almost Home,” he quickly bought her book and had her sign it. Her focus on the bar culture was what he found most outstanding.\n“She captured the world of the bar industry vividly,” he said.\nAfter the book signing at the Union, Yellen took a pile of her books to Yogi’s where patrons could meet and greet the author in a more familiar environment. Yellen, a part-time nanny, teacher and freelance editor, relaxed a bit and sipped a margarita between signing copies of her book. Even though she’s a published author, she said she still lives the starving-artist lifestyle. She has a passion for writing and is not worried about the sophomore jinx. She’s already hard at work on her second book.\n“(Writing) fuels me,” Yellen said. “I’m excited as hell to get it out now.”
(04/28/08 5:40pm)
The Bloomington arts community showed up in droves to musician Krista Detor’s benefit show at the John Waldron Arts Center for Indiana Friends of Nyaka, an organization supporting the Nyaka School for AIDS orphans in Nyakagyezi, Uganda. The show also marked the U.S. release of her critically-acclaimed third album “Cover Their Eyes.”\nDetor played two back-to-back shows Saturday night. Maryland-based musician and long-time Detor collaborator Bob Sima opened the shows. He said he was grateful Detor asked him to be a part of the benefit.\n“Just being able to contribute my art to (the benefit) makes my art more worthwhile,” Sima said after the show. \nA brief intermission followed Sima’s show. Audience members used this time to purchase beer and wine before Detor’s set. Some audience members didn’t make it back to their seat before Detor came out.\n“All right, I guess I’ll wait a minute before I start since I know everyone that’s in the beer line,” Detor joked to her straggling audience from behind her piano. \nDetor opened her set with “Pretty Horses Run,” the opening song on “Cover Their Eyes.” Band members Anne Hurley, David Weber, Steve Mascari and IU professor Jim Krause performed with the songstress. Bobbie Lancaster also lent her vocals to a few songs throughout the night.\nBetween songs, Detor’s wry humor and jokes about her band mates as well as friends in the audience revealed her playful side, which is not easy to discern from a listen to any of her albums.\nBloomington artist and Detor fan Ransom Haile saw the second show. He said her cynical humor is the part of the show he most looks forward to.\nDetor played songs off her new record, which was available for purchase in the lobby. “Go Ahead and Wait,” which Detor described as “a happy suicide song from the perspective of a teenager,” was a crowd favorite, as was “Waterline.” \nBefore Detor’s song “Icarus,” storyteller Arbutus Cunningham read her poem inspired by the song.\n“It’s a very rich experience working with Krista,” Cunningham said. “She’s a great writer and exquisite storyteller.”\nClosing up the show, Carrie Newcomer, a native Bloomington singer/songwriter, came onstage for the duet “Lay Him Down.” The song was written in the same vein as a white spiritual and was based on a story by Scott Russell Sanders.\nAfter the encore, which featured a Detor dance number, the audience milled around the first floor of the John Waldron Arts Center purchasing the artists’ CDs and baked goods courtesy of Vernon Presbyterian Church pastor Sarah Cochran. Cochran raised an additional $100 for Nyaka House with her bake sale. Indiana Friends of Nyaka board member Allen Pease said the organization met its goal of $4,000 with the benefit show.\nDetor’s mother, Judie Iverson, manned her daughter’s merchandise table and chatted with the crowd. \nIverson said she first noticed her daughter’s musical ability when she was in junior high school in California. Iverson said she is proud of her daughter for following her dreams and becoming a successful artist, but is quick to point out Detor is more than just a singer/songwriter.\n“She’s a great mom, a great daughter and a great sister,” she said.\nNext up for Detor is a free concert at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The concert, “A Concert for Change,” is in support of Sen. Barack Obama. Newcomer, Sanders and Malcolm Dalglish are also scheduled to play at the event.
(04/28/08 2:26am)
A chart-topping recording artist across the Atlantic, Krista Detor lives an unassuming life here in Bloomington. But after Saturday’s release of her third album “Cover Their Eyes,” an upcoming tour that spans the United States and Europe and a Summer PBS special, Detor may be the next big thing in Americana music.\nDetor’s mother, Judie Iverson, is proud her daughter is living her dream as a successful singer/songwriter and said her Krista is so much more than just the artist you see onstage.\nIndeed.\nA loving mother, daughter and wife, Krista enjoys quoting Kurt Vonnegut and watching old episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 with her family. Detor can hit the bulls eye of a dartboard with a blow dart gun from a distance of 15 feet and has a 37-foot long boat named “The Gumption” sitting on her front lawn. Her husband, high-flying-acrobat-turn-music producer David Weber, said Detor is the best talent he’s ever worked with. She’s one hell of a cook, too.\nBeing on the cusp of stardom is a special time for an artist. A year ago Detor could go grocery shopping and, most likely, she would not be recognized. A year from now, that may change.\n“I have no idea where this is going,” she said. “I know more people will know who I am but you never really know. Maybe I’ll get lucky.” \nWith two back-to-back critically-acclaimed albums released less than two years apart already under her belt, it’s hard to say luck factors into the equation of Detor’s success. Gumption figures into the equation, the woman does have gumption.
(04/25/08 4:10am)
Bloomington singer-songwriter Krista Detor will play two back-to-back shows at the Waldron Arts Center Saturday night. The shows are the U.S. CD release party for Detor’s latest album “Cover Their Eyes.” All proceeds from the show will be donated to Indiana Friends of Nyaka, a charity that benefits a Uganda school for orphans. \nDetor, whose latest album was hailed as “one of the best albums of the year” by music magazine Revolver, has made philanthropy a never-yielding career goal. The artist regularly donates to a charity that supports African elephants that fall victim to ivory poachers, and she quickly jumped at the opportunity to raise money for Nyaka AIDS Orphans School in Nyakagyezi, Uganda.\n“I’ve been watching the situation in Africa,” she said. “(The benefit show) was an opportunity to do something at a high-profile level in Bloomington.”\nThe Rev. David Bremer, copresident of Indiana Friends of Nyaka, described the Nyaka AIDS Orphan School as “a movement” and hopes Detor’s benefit show will expose the movement to a different niche of people.\n“We would like to get more people involved (in the movement),” Bremer said. “They will receive joy in return.”\nTwesigye Jackson Kaguri, a Ugandan-born man who witnessed the AIDS devastation of his country firsthand, created the school in 2003. Most of the children the school serves are double orphans, meaning both parents were killed by AIDS.\nBremer formed Indiana Friends of Nyaka in 2004 after meeting with Kaguri at his church. Since 2004, Indiana Friends of Nyaka has raised more than $50,000. The number of students served has increased from 86 to 180. Health care used to be nonexistent at the school, but now a full-time nurse makes home visits and administers free AIDS tests. The staff has increased from three to 11. Bremer said Indiana Friends of Nyaka has raised more money every subsequent year of operation. His goal for the Detor benefit concert is $4,000.\nBremer said the Nyaka school benefits not just the students but the community as a whole. The students are learning valuable trades such as sewing and gardening that will lead to self-sustained employment. With funding from the school, the village has running water now, too.\n“It’s a complete transformation of a village that was teetering on the brink of extinction,” Bremer said.\nShow tickets can be purchased at The Wandering Turtle Art Gallery, 224 N. College Ave., and gallery owner Jaime Sweany has been a supporter of Detor’s for years. She said “Cover Their Eyes” is Detor’s best work to date.\n“To have a benefit concert for her CD release party is really generous of her,” she said. “She’s committed to good things and social justice and all those things we should care about.”\nTickets for the benefit show are $18 in advance and $20 at the door for each show. They can be purchased at www.bloomingtonarts.info, in person at The Wandering Turtle Art Gallery or at United Presbyterian Church, 1701 E. Second St. The first show starts at 6 p.m. followed by the second show at 8 p.m. Saturday.