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(02/11/08 6:05am)
The Buskirk-Chumley Theater was filled to its capacity Saturday for Carrie Newcomer’s album release concert. Newcomer, a singer/songwriter who lives in Bloomington, started her night by telling the audience “it’s good to be home.” The atmosphere was warm, as smiles never left the performers’ faces throughout the night.\n“All of the musicians were excellent,” said Bloomington resident Mark Webb. “It was easy to get lost in her stories and songs. It goes beyond simply saying it was a good show.”\nThe café jazz group the Stellanovas started the night off with its toe-tapping jazz. Band members that performed included Chris Wagoner (violin and other stringed instruments) and Mary Gaines (cello).\nNewcomer, whose album will be released Tuesday, began her set with “Leaves Don’t Drop (They Just Let Go),” a song from her recently released album, “The Geography of Light.” Before Newcomer sang her song “Geodes,” also off her new album, Newcomer prefaced it by explaining the importance of the rock to this area of Indiana.\nThroughout her set, Newcomer’s high spirit never faded. She kept a smile on her face, and whenever she looked at the other performers, they reciprocated the gesture. She would often look as though she was swept up in her own music. With her eyes closed and her head dropped back, a look of peace and spiritual enlightenment seemed to radiate from her throughout the performance.\nFrom song to song, her powerful voice could be deep and dynamic or soft and gentle. In the song “A Woman and a Shovel,” she displayed a deep, powerful voice, as opposed to the gentler “Two Toasts.”\n“I loved playing ‘Don’t Push Send,’” said Wagoner of the Stellanovas. “That’s a stand-out song.”\n“Don’t Push Send” was a crowd favorite as well. With the lights on during this song, nearly everyone was laughing. This song is Newcomer’s lighthearted tale about e-mail blunders.\nNewcomer’s lyrical genius also comes through in different ways. For the song “A Mean Kind of Justice,” not only are her words foreboding, but the way she sings the lyrics helps give the song its liveliness. Newcomer brought out special guest Keith Skoogland to play guitar on this song.\n“It’s very subtle music,” said Stellanova’s member Wagoner of Newcomer’s music. “It has a lot of dynamics.” He added that making music is “always a creative process with Carrie.”\nAnother example of her different styles shows through in the song “You’d Think by Now,” where she gently reminisces. Her nostalgic lyrics and soft voice in this song show the range of styles Newcomer has polished throughout her years as an artist.\nToward the end of the set, Krista Detor also joined Newcomer for the songs “The Clean Edge of Change” and “Biscuits and Butter.” Wagoner switched over to the slide guitar for these songs. “Biscuits and Butter” had a driving rhythm.\nAfter the show, the audience gave Newcomer a standing ovation. Moments later, her husband came out and told the audience it was truly one of Newcomer’s favorite shows ever. She came back out to perform more songs and after the nearly two-hour set, she still had energy to mingle with her fans and sign autographs. She talked to everyone as a friend and as though she knew them. There didn’t seem to be a disconnect that can sometimes exist between artists and fans.\n“There were several moments of the night where my heart was so full,” Newcomer said after the show. “What a wonderful way to start a three-month tour – here in this town. I love Bloomington.
(11/02/07 12:22am)
On Halloween night, debauchery, sexuality and campiness found their way into the Buskirk-Chumley Theater for the 7:30 p.m. showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, hosted by the Cardinal \nStage Company.\n“It’s a bunch of weird people acting out vocally and making rude comments that are actually appropriate,” said freshman Megan Morris.\nThe night began with the “de-virginization” of all first time moviegoers. The night’s host Lindsey Charles, an IU theater alumna, brought up all the “virgins” onstage and pressured them into simulating orgasms. Charles said the movie “breaks down a lot of barriers of the body.” \nThe “de-virginization” was followed by a costume contest. The winner was dressed as an oompa-loompa, beating out a wizard for the grand prize of an iPod Shuffle.\nFrom the opening song of the movie until the last scene, the audience interaction never halted. The Rocky “veterans” added to the opening song with their own interjections, yelling out anything obscene, sexual or cheesy. In the opening wedding scene, audience members threw rice to engage in the movie’s campiness. Along with rice, there were other props being sold in the lobby that are intended to enhance the “Rocky Horror” experience.\n“It’s an interactive culture shock,” said Rich Arndt, one of the show’s attendees. “Everyone’s involved.”\nWith a pleased audience walking out, eager fans were lined up early for the 11 \np.m. show.\nAs he waited, freshman Tristan Alumbaugh was excited to see how the movie would be portrayed in the Midwest as opposed to California, where he has seen it many times.\nThe showing relied heavily on audience interaction. One of the favorite traditions of “Rocky Horror” fans is the choreographed dance that goes with the song, “Time Warp” \n“It’s the mix of people that makes it great,” said Callan Fromm, a Bloomington South High School senior. “So many different people come but you don’t even need to know\neach other.”
(10/22/07 4:38am)
With silver buckets of incense burning behind the stage and an elaborate introduction, Bob Dylan took the stage at Assembly Hall on Friday night with his band members – all of whom were dressed in black, with Dylan looking like he was straight from an old Western movie. Elvis Costello, who also helped kick off Homecoming weekend, performed solo prior to Dylan and his band. Amos Lee opened the show with blues rock.\nThe introduction of Dylan consisted of majestic music with a humorous, but formal sounding, prerecorded introductory speech about his life of substance abuse and hardships until finding Jesus. Presumably satirical, the introduction was perfect for the legend.\n “I think it’s kind of his way of poking fun at himself,” said junior Kathy Cook, a member of the Union Board concerts committee.\nWith mostly undecipherable lyrics and a southern blues twang, the band jammed out a vastly different version of “It Ain’t Me Babe,” which was hard to recognize until he got to the chorus. Cook said that Dylan’s voice is an acquired taste.\n“He’s got that gravely voice,” she said. “I think it’s an effective, put-on thing. I’ve seen him play songs with a clear, clean voice.”\nThe songs varied from the original versions in almost every manner. Not only were his vocals a different cadence and sound, but they had less folk and more of a southern blues sound. \n“It was definitely jazzed up,” said sophomore Mick Buschbacher. “He can do whatever he wants and it’s OK. He’s Bob Dylan.”\nThe band grooved through the songs with long interludes and twangy guitar solos throughout. After a couple songs, Dylan abandoned the guitar for the keyboard, alternating the effect between piano and electric organ, and occasionally playing parts of his songs on the harmonica.\nFinally, Dylan played “Blowin’ in the Wind,” a slower, more joyous version of the folk classic. At the end, Dylan walked to the front of the stage, put his hands out to the side and pointed his fingers like a pistol-wielding cowboy. \nCostello was “much more cordial and pretty subdued,” said Chicago resident Dan Hunt in a comparison of his usual performances. The singer came out in all-black attire, wearing his hallmark, thick-framed glasses. His shiny silver shoes stood out as he shuffled his feet on stage.\n“I’ve heard a lot about Elvis Costello before, but now I see that he’s really talented,” said Rudy Cesaretti, a high school senior visiting from St. Louis.\nCostello ripped through his solo set, with his rendition of “Alison” before going straight into Van Morrison’s “Jackie Wilson Said.” That wasn’t the end though. Before stopping this piece, he went into his famous “Radio Radio.” Not only did his classics captivate the audience, but his new songs were well-received, with Costello telling the audience he was happy they enjoyed them.\nThough he was more jovial than usual, he still occasionally turned to the audience with his famous, mad glare. In a rare performance without his band, Costello entertained the audience with his music as well as his personal anecdotes.\nUnion Board Concerts Director Adam Soiref said he was pleased with the concert, which sold about 7,900 tickets. \n“I think the audience was in to it from beginning to end,” he said. “Everyone seemed to have a good time.”
(10/21/07 11:53pm)
With silver buckets of incense burning behind the stage and an elaborate introduction, Bob Dylan took the stage at Assembly Hall on Friday night with his band members – all of whom were dressed in black, with Dylan looking like he was straight from an old Western movie. Elvis Costello, who also helped kick off the homecoming weekend, performed solo prior to Dylan and his band. Amos Lee opened the show with blues rock.\nThe introduction of Dylan consisted of majestic music with a humorous, but formal sounding, prerecorded introductory speech about his life of substance abuse and hardships until finding Jesus. Presumably satirical, the introduction was perfect for the legend.\n “I think it’s kind of his way of poking fun at himself,” said junior Kathy Cook, a member of the Union Board concerts committee.\nWith mostly undecipherable lyrics and a southern blues twang, the band jammed out a vastly different version of “It Ain’t Me Babe,” which was hard to recognize until he got to the chorus. Cook said that Dylan’s voice is an acquired taste.\n“He’s got that gravely voice,” she said. “I think it’s an effective, put-on thing. I’ve seen him play songs with a clear, clean voice.”\nThe songs varied from the original versions in almost every manner. Not only were his vocals a different cadence and sound, but they had less folk and more of a southern blues sound. \n“It was definitely jazzed up,” said sophomore Mick Buschbacher. “He can do whatever he wants and it’s OK. He’s Bob Dylan.”\nThe band grooved through the songs with long interludes and twangy guitar solos throughout. After a couple songs, Dylan abandoned the guitar for the keyboard, alternating the effect between piano and electric organ, and occasionally playing parts of his songs on the harmonica.\nFinally, Dylan played “Blowin’ in the Wind,” a slower, more joyous version of the folk classic. At the end, Dylan walked to the front of the stage, put his hands out to the side and pointed his fingers like a pistol-wielding cowboy. \nCostello was “much more cordial and pretty subdued,” said Chicago resident Dan Hunt in a comparison of his usual performances. The singer came out in all-black attire, wearing his hallmark, thick-framed glasses. His shiny silver shoes stood out as he shuffled his feet on stage.\n“I’ve heard a lot about Elvis Costello before, but now I see that he’s really talented,” said Rudy Cesaretti, a high school senior visiting from St. Louis.\nCostello ripped through his solo set, with his rendition of “Alison” going straight into Van Morrison's classic “Jackie Wilson Said.” That wasn’t the end though. Before stopping this piece, he went into his famous “Radio Radio.” Not only did his classics captivate the audience, but his new songs were well-received, with Costello telling the audience he was happy they enjoyed them.\nThough he was more jovial than usual, he still occasionally turned to the audience with his famous, mad glare. In a rare performance without his band, Costello entertained the audience with his music as well as his personal anecdotes.\nUnion Board Concerts Director Adam Soiref said he was pleased with the concert, which sold about 7,900 tickets. \n“I think the audience was in to it from beginning to end,” he said. “Everyone seemed to have a good time.”
(10/12/07 2:06am)
Yo La Tengo performed at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Wednesday to a near-capacity audience comprised predominantly of students who were encouraged to interact with band members while they were on stage.\n“We have nothing planned,” said guitarist Ira Kaplan jokingly after the band took the stage.\nSet up at the very front of the stage, the trio played only an acoustic guitar, a stripped-down drum set and an electric bass. For the almost entirely acoustic show, the band began the set with “Stockholm Syndrome,” one of the more energetic songs of the night. The band is known for improvising and never playing the same show twice. During the opening song, this was evident in Kaplan’s guitar, which alternated between a screeching solo and a mellowed acoustic guitar.\n“I’ve seen them 12 times, and every time it’s been different,” said Ben Mikesell, a fan who came from Lexington, Ky. to see the performance.\nWhen the band finished with the first few songs, the audience took that as a cue that the band was at a loss for songs to play and began to get more insistent with requests.\n“You don’t have to yell,” Kaplan exclaimed in jest. “We heard you.”\nAudience members yelled out their requests throughout the performance. At one point, Kaplan responded to a particular request by saying the band played the song too often. By not playing it, Kaplan explained, “that’s more of a tribute to that song than playing it would be.”\nThe band mixed in a few rare songs, from unfinished works to the intimate “Black Flowers.”\n“I feel like there’s a lot of emotion in that song (Black Flowers),” said freshman Robby Racette. “He said it was written for someone going through some hard times.”\nThe band stayed mostly on the relaxed side, but occasionally changed the pace with upbeat songs. \nEnding with “I Feel Like Going Home” off their new album “I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass,” drummer Georgia Hubley whispered the vocals over a soft guitar and bass while she kept a steady pulse on the drums.\n“I guess it’s good to (interact with) them and see how they communicate,” said sophomore Jenna Beasley. “I wish they would have rocked out more though,” she added.\nAfter a night of Yo La Tengo’s vast musical styles and stories about everything from naked men to their performance on “The Simpsons,” the audience left in good spirits.\n“For me, it was the first time I heard the band, and I really loved it,” said Maria Kennedy, a graduate student. \nAs a first-time listener, Kennedy gave advice to someone who has never heard the band: “Get ready to be nostalgic, sad, happy and excited about being passionate ... and ready to rock out.”
(10/04/07 4:00am)
Yo La Tengo has a reputation as a critics' band -- a band beloved by only a small, intense cult of music geeks. Let's change that.\nOn Oct. 10, they will perform a special, mostly acoustic "storytelling" show at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. And you should be there. Not because it will better your musical taste or earn you indie cred, but because Yo La Tengo's music is too good to stay the province of an elite few.\nBut what if you're not one of the aforementioned music geeks? What if you're not familiar with Yo La Tengo? Doesn't matter. Let this brief primer serve as your gateway.
(09/21/07 1:49am)
The violin, guitar and glockenspiel do not seem like very many instruments, but when all played by the same person, along with whistling, singing and frequent use of a looping machine, they can be hard to manage. Chicagoan and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird uses these instruments to create sounds comparable to that of a symphony, but with an indie, folk-rock twist. He performed this “symphony” Wednesday to a sold-out show at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.\nPresented by the BCT Concert Series and the IU Union Board, the concert drew in more college students than most of their events. Usually attracting audiences that range from children to the elderly, the Buskirk was filled with college students almost exclusively for the Andrew Bird performance. He came out after a high-energy performance by Le Loup, a seven-member band with loud layers of sound, which often builds up to an indescribable medley of intricately woven noise. Although Bird’s symphony consisted of only one person, properly used loops made it seem like nothing was missing compared to the songs on his album, which are performed by a band.\nOld-style phonograph horns decorated the stage. Other than that, it was just the dapper Bird with his instruments. Even by himself, Bird was able to recreate his songs to be as full as those on his albums, with the exception of not having drums. This, however, gave his music a much more soothing, melodic feel. His baroque-style violin plucking, looped over and over, with bowing on top of that, created the feeling that there was at least a quartet on stage. His whistling acts as another instrument, sometimes eerie, sometimes peaceful. Never off key, his whistling and vocals were as perfectly executed and timed as his looped violin.\nHe began his set with “Sovay” and after ending, he said, “The last time I was here it was one of my favorite shows.”\nThe next song was the crowd favorite “A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left.” This song has a catchy hook of call-and-response between his violin bowing and his whistling, and the upbeat tempo urged the audience to stand. The Buskirk, however, is more conducive to sitting. So with the crowd attentively sitting, Bird performed his set to a seated audience – suitable, however, for his symphonic style.\nHis use of perfect timing was evident during “Why?” when he stopped playing and began a dialogue. The dialogue went along with the rest of the lyrics, but when he spoke them, he seemed to evoke the kind of timing a comedian would use. The crowd laughed at what were essentially just spoken song lyrics. Nothing was particularly funny except the perfect timing; the same perfect timing found in his music.\n“Imitosis” was another crowd favorite. This song is off his new album “Armchair Apocrypha” and is actually a revised version of his song “I” from his 2003 album “Weather Systems.” During this, his swagger while playing guitar and violin made him look as though he was consistently off balance and on the verge of falling. Instead of falling on the ground, Bird would fall into his next note, using short pauses to “fall” and immediately beginning again when catching himself.\nHe ended his set with the song “Scythian Empires” from his new album. After layering a few different loops, he stopped the song.\n“I just want it to be perfect,” he said, before starting it over.\nThe second time around it was much better. At the end of the song, May Tabol and Nicole Keenan came out to accompany him. Tabol sang with him and Keenan played the French horn. After performing a beautiful version of this song, Bird left the stage to an audience standing for the first time since he came out. He came back out for a two-song encore and then retired from the stage. He made his way to the front of the theater, where he signed autographs and talked to fans.\nBird is definitely welcome in Bloomington and hopefully will come back soon. It is always nice to hear something that strays from typical pop music. His songs are as catchy as anything mainstream. Something as intricately layered as Bird’s music is not particularly out of the ordinary, but to be able to do it by himself with the precise use of a looping machine is astonishing. Electronics can often add to or even take away from music, but Bird’s use of loops is nearly unnoticeable, aside from using his feet to control the pedals. He creates it as though he was standing there playing with someone. But he is only accompanied by himself, and perhaps that is the best accompanist he could ask for.
(08/30/07 4:00am)
Misty hilltops, pigs mucking about, a hand and pen seen in soft focus -- these images promise sensual fare. However, "Becoming Jane," a fictionalized take on the love affair between Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) and Thomas Lefroy (James McAvoy), quickly devolves into a mundane love story that fatigues rather than inspires. \nAusten's novels detail the great wait for love and happy ending. And if abeyance is not done with delight, it is fulfilled with resignation and pose. But in "Becoming Jane," we see a young Austen, thrown into consistent tailspin by the antics of Lefroy and the general incursion of masculine society. The film almost leads us to believe that the young Ms. Austen was little more than a thirtysomething Carrie Bradshaw with, of course, a better vocabulary and longer hemline. \nA curious tension usually arises when adapting the life of a real person, not from the imagined dichotomy between fiction and documentary (factual truth and underlying truth can look one and the same on-screen), but from the varying agendas of filmmakers and screenwriters. In "Becoming Jane," Austen's literary genius is pinned on her thwarted affair with Lefroy. Rarely is the audience given the option to believe that Austen chose the pen out of principle, either social or artistic. We may never know the full truth, but relying on hackneyed tropes will do little to elucidate. \nFor his part, McAvoy again employs the sprightly gait that first charmed audiences in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." And if his Lefroy seems like a far cry from Mr. Darcy, his is an appropriate counterbalance to Hathaway's bright-eyed Austen. Nevertheless, the most interesting performance is that of Mr. Wisley, played with unexpected pitch by Laurence Fox, even as his character is dismissed as a "boobie." This, if anything, speaks to the Austenian sensibility.
(08/27/07 1:15am)
Although the sun was shining, Bloomington got a little darker this weekend with the arrival of the Dark Carnival Film Festival. More than just a film festival, the horror fest was full of terrifying spectacles. From celebrity guests to costumed creepsters, the dark underworld of independent horror films shined its light at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.\nThe events included sideshows and a celebrity meet-and-greet session with special guests Ari Lehman (the original Jason from “Friday the 13th”) and Raine Brown (from the film “100 Tears”). Before stepping inside the Buskirk, theatergoers congregated by the front door to watch a local man dressed as Michael Myers from the “Halloween” movies wander through the crowd. The entertaining duo of Baron Mardi and Dr. Calamari, two of Bloomington’s own local make-up artists, donned costumes to host the festival. \nTo get the festivities off to a proper start, the Starlite Drive-In hosted a screening of the film “Dead and Breakfast” on Thursday night. Special guest Brenna Lee Roth was out and about, conversing with attendees – although most of the attention fell on her father, David Lee Roth, of Van Halen fame, who was slated to show up but never made an appearance. \n“If he comes, he’ll steal my thunder,” Brenna said in good nature after someone interjected and asked if “DLR” was coming. “Even if he doesn’t, he’ll steal my thunder.”\nFilm screenings for the festival began Friday. Various horror flicks were on display, and in between shows the filmmakers held discussions. Films were sent in from all over the nation and included everything from stop-motion to animation, as well as short and feature-length films. After reviewing the films over several days, workers and volunteers at Cinephile chose the best to be shown. \nThe audience enjoyed the film selection, commenting on the variety and giving other compliments as varied as the films themselves.\n“I just like the violence,” Bloomington resident Katrina Perry said. “I like to satisfy my violent urges through film.”\nFestival performers included the Blue Monkey Sideshow, with their presentation of gut-wrenching stunts, humor and entertainment. More extreme acts included walking on glass and lying on a bed of nails, the latter of which induced cringing from the audience.\nWhile few members, like Perry, enjoyed the Dark Carnival for the violence, others merely were pleased that a supportive art community can come together in Bloomington to express themselves through horror.\n“This [festival] is just a celebration of the fun of the horror genre,” said Denis St. John, a student at the Center of Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vt.\nDavid Pruett, the organizer of the event, claims it was originally going to be a “festival of the weird” or a “display of curiosity,” but as the plans unfolded, it turned into a festival based around film. The event took only five months to plan – quite a feat for something of this size, according to Pruett. \n“I really like that it’s the first year that they did (the festival) from the ground up, and it went really well,” said Brown, whose film “100 Tears” was the last film shown on Saturday. “It will only get bigger.”\nOthers echoed Brown’s optimism for a repeat film festival. Pruett said the filmmakers enjoyed the event and the people involved in planning it are pushing to have one next year.\n“I was happy the filmmakers enjoyed it. They were really happy with the audience turnout and their energy,” Pruett said. “It’s pretty likely (it’s) going to happen again.”
(03/29/07 4:00am)
With his soft-spoken voice, pianist Christopher O’Riley asked the audience members at the IU Auditorium Tuesday night about their interest in his performance. He asked whether they came for his renditions of the modern popular music of Radiohead, or his arrangements of pieces from the 20th century classical composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Most of the younger audience was there for Radiohead, with the exception of music students who were there for both. The older audience was there for his renditions of Shostakovich pieces or knew him from his show on National Public Radio, “From the Top.”\nO’Riley alternated between playing Radiohead songs and Shostakovich pieces, throwing a couple of Elliot Smith songs in for good measure. The Shostakovich pieces were more tranquil, as he is a classical composer. In between Shostakovich pieces, he played Radiohead songs, changing the mood with different dynamics and tempo. With only one piano, O’Riley somehow brought about the sound of at least two pianos (or maybe just one piano, but with four hands). He was able to clearly articulate the different instruments and the vocals in his piano-only version of the Radiohead songs, which are already intricate and wide-ranging in their dynamics.\n“Radiohead’s a band that’s pretty dense to begin with, so it makes it that much harder,” said sophomore Alex Tebeleff.\nWith schizophrenic changes in tempo, volume, and highs and lows, “Paranoid Android” built up in speed and volume. The notes were precise.\n“For Radiohead, ‘Paranoid Android’ was my favorite because I know how difficult it is and he made it look like it wasn’t,” said junior Ed Cohen, a piano performance major.\nThe Shostakovich pieces seemed to be a peaceful break from the hectic, emotionally driven Radiohead and Elliot Smith songs. \n“I liked the last Shostakovich piece (Prelude and Fugue, Op. 87 #24 in D Minor) because of the way he kept bringing it higher,” said Cohen. “Just when you thought he couldn’t go up any more, he would”\nFollowing the finale, the audience gave O’Riley a standing ovation. O’Riley came back out, and thanked the crowd.\nAfter the show, O’Riley signed autographs and talked to fans. In conversation with one fan, O’Riley humbly said, “I totally admit I don’t have an original thought in my head,” in regards to doing others’ music and not creating his own. “I’m just trying to play what I love.”
(03/05/07 5:00am)
Buzzed off of Red Bull and Jack Daniel’s, Girl Talk, aka Gregg Gillis, came onstage to a hyped audience Saturday night at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.\nThrough his music and words, Gillis encouraged the crowd to do whatever they wanted, and the audience obeyed. The chaos during his show ranged from technical difficulties to broken equipment.\nGillis headlined the night, following performances by Batalyst, DJ Flufftronix and the premier presentation of “d-star fashion.” The night was organized around Dorothy Shestak’s clothing line, which was presented for her senior Individualized Major Program project and organized with the help of her former roommate Hillary Demmon.\nAll the profits went to the World Health Organization.\nBatalyst, from Indianapolis, is composed of drums, two keyboards and a vocalist. The singer, Ashley Nelson, mixes rapping with singing over the music. By the end of their performance, the audience was up on its feet for the fashion show. DJ Flufftronix played for the “d-star fashion” modeling presentation until Girl Talk began. \nFifteen seconds into Girl Talk’s performance, the audience rushed the stage.Two speakers surfed the crowd as well as a few people.\nAfter several technical difficulties and chaos erupted on the overcrowded stage, Girl Talk’s performance was paused until the stage cleared. \nThe crowd was very unwilling to listen to anyone other than Gillis, the spokesman of the night.\n“It’s like the participants against the Chumley. It’s a clash,” said junior David Upton during the hiatus.\nGillis came back on stage to cheers from the audience. He hushed the audience so he could talk to them without a microphone.\nHe spoke to the audience for a few minutes and, after getting the crowd pumped up, began performing again. His style is branded as “mash-up” music, a mixture of several different songs blended to create one using only his Apple MacBook.\n“What he does is for the ADD generation,” said Muncie resident Travis Harvey.\nGillis maintained control of the audience throughout the night. After ripping his shirt off, random audience members gave him a scarf, glasses, a jacket and several bras to sport on stage. He put on a couple of the bras, but one ended up in his mouth. \nAfter his performance, Gillis claimed they did not pay him after the show because of the damages to equipment.\n“I might be paying for some weird shit,” Gillis said.
(03/01/07 5:00am)
The Buskirk-Chumley Theater will host a benefit concert Saturday for the World Health Organization headlined by the electronic mash-up music of Girl Talk.\nThe show will also include a presentation of Dorothy Shestak’s senior project for the IU Individualized Major Program in Fashion Design, “d-star Fashion Show.”\nGirl Talk is the stage name for producer Gregg Gillis, an artist who samples music of the Jackson Five, Kanye West and even Tag Team’s “Whoomp! There it is,” among a wide array of other music.\n“Mash-up” refers to a highly electronic, heavily sampled style of music that is intended to sound as though one is walking down a hallway with hundreds of rooms, that have different songs playing in them. \nGillis’ music recently exploded onto the indie scene with his latest album, “Night Ripper.” If this show is anything like his others, it is expected to get toes tapping as well as rumps shaking with his mad-crazy dance-party beats. \nSome artists that have influenced Gillis are Todd Rundgren, DeBarge, Guy and Ice Cube.\nShestak’s fashion show will be presented between the opening band, Batalyst, and Girl Talk’s performances and will display the premiere collection of her line “d-star Fashion Show.” \n“My inspiration for my line is a juxtaposition of historical undergarments and rock ‘n’ roll,” said Shestak. “I tried to translate (older styles) into modern clothing.”\nHer line is a culmination of years of studying fashion as part of her individualized major, which requires students to produce a senior project. She chose to do an actual fashion show, and with help from her former roommate and photographer, Hillary Demmon, she organized the concert. Demmon, a Chinese language student, did most of the work arranging the show, said Shestak.\nUnable to receive a profit for her project, Shestak chose to donate proceeds to the WHO because, as an organization under the United Nations, “they stand for total health for everyone worldwide.” Total health, Shestak added, is not just physical health, but also mental and psychological health.\nThe concert will begin at 8 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. The show is general admission and tickets are on sale now for $13. To purchase tickets online, go to www.bloomingtonarts.info.
(02/22/07 5:00am)
There are many sides to Sting. There's the proto-punk Sting of The Police. There's the tough guy Sting who played in "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels." There's the solo pop Sting of recent. And now we have Renaissance Sting. Sting jumps in the time machine and takes the works of 17th-century composer John Dowland and puts a new spin on them. Songs from the Labyrinth is Elizabethan music for the 21st century.\nThe 23 tracks here see Sting accompanied by only the lute (an ancient acoustic guitar for those of you who aren't so cosmopolitan), played by Edin Karamazov. This is quite a bold move for one of the most popular pop artists of the last few decades. Sting was so enthralled by Dowland's work that he decided to record them for the contemporary masses. What you get is a raspy reiteration accompanied by subtle, yet tranquil music from an instrument that has been long forgotten. \nMuch of this disc is filler-- seven spoken-word pieces accounting an autobiographical letter by Dowland. A number of the songs are slow and sleep-inducing with the beauty of the lute butchered by Sting's annoying voice. Songs of serenading and holy worship trade back and forth. There is little variance from track to track, but the mood is consistent. The instrumental tracks such as "Walsingham" and "Fantasy" showcase the rich intricacy of the lute (Sting even joins in on lute), but Sting's voice seems out of place on the remaining tracks. These songs are meant for four-part harmonies, but Sting's voice has been massively overdubbed to compensate for this. \nI can't criticize John Dowland for his work; musicians and composers were considered very skillful in this era. There's not much to say then about this recording except the fact that Sting ruins the experience altogether. Without being biased, I'd say that these songs, in the context of, say, a Renaissance festival, would be very fitting and quite possibly enjoyable. Classically trained musicians could pull this off, but come on, this is Sting.\nI'm not opposed to new cultural experiences like this one, but I think popular artists should leave classical work like this untainted. Sting attempts to revive these artsy songs, but they are better left in the 1600s. Better luck with the Police reunion tour, Sting.
(02/19/07 5:00am)
After three years, senior Codey Girten finally saw his musical take the stage of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater last week.\n“February Stars: The Foosical” is a college love story based on the music of alternative rock band the Foo Fighters. Girten, the director, created the rock musical for his senior project as part of the Individualized Major Program.\n“There hasn’t been a single part of the process that’s been a downer,” Girten said.\nThe Brewskies, a cover band from Louisville, Ky., performed the songs. The band attracted quite a few hard-core Brewskies fans that came up from Louisville just to watch them perform.\n“Those guys really wailed,” said Lauren Davis, one of the many Brewskies fans from Louisville.\nThe band’s energy on stage was an added bonus to the show. With the harder rocking songs, the band pumped out pure energy, while at other times they were strictly background for the singers.\n“They know they’re part of the show,” said Girten, adding that he felt that having the band on stage increased the overall impact on the cast’s energy as well as the audience’s.\nGirten uses each Foo Fighters’ song as part of the story, though each song is a story itself as well. The dialogue segued neatly into each song, which at times caused some of the lyrics or dialogue to be drowned out by music until the levels were adjusted. \n“I thought it went really smooth for as little as we rehearsed,” said guitarist Matthew Clinard, who mentioned the small amount of time the band spent rehearsing with the cast.\nThe story involves the strengthening and weakening of relationships among college students. Johnny, played by Tyler Wolfcale, is in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Kat, played by sophomore Aly Bloom. After they have a minor argument, Johnny’s older brother Donnie, junior Owen Stevenson, encourages him to take a minivacation. This leads into Johnny singing “Learn to Fly” as he heads out of town. While out of town, Johnny never calls Kat and she worries about him. This leads into the song “Everlong,” which itself is about waiting for a loved one.\nDonnie is a regular at the local bar, The Red Door, and lacks motivation. Throughout the musical Donnie discourages Johnny from staying in a relationship with Kat, saying that a man needs to be free. Donnie “accidentally” forgets to tell Kat where Johnny is and they break up.\nBeneath this story of lost love and a brother’s betrayal, a separate relationship develops. Kat’s friend Caroline meets Ramond and they fall in love. Ramond, played by junior Jacob Dahm, is awkward with girls and has trouble talking to her. With advice from Johnny, he eventually lands the girl.\nWhen Johnny finally convinces Kat to give him another chance, they get back together. But Donnie ruins it yet again by mentioning one of Johnny’s trysts with a shady lady. In the end, Johnny loses the woman he loves and realizes his brother is a jerk.\nStevenson claimed he received hateful stares from people after the show because of his performance as an inconsiderate and self-centered older brother.\n“Nobody likes me because I’m a dick,” he said.
(02/15/07 3:59am)
Some individualized major students write a paper for their senior project. Others write a small play. Some go even further, writing a rock musical large enough to be performed at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. This is exactly what senior Codey Girten did.\nToday and Friday the University Players are presenting a free showing of a new rock musical set to the music of a popular 90s rock band. The event is no secret, yet the event title and the band name could not be given out or advertised by Girten due to copyright reasons. When a band's songs are used in a different context than the original intent, creative control is harder to obtain than being able to use a band's name when referring to a cover band's performance. They were not able to use the band's name because they turned the songs into an entire musical that tells a different story through the band's songs.\nAccording to posted fliers, however, the event is called "February Stars: The Foosical." The music, inspired by the Foo Fighters, will be played by a cover band from Louisville called the Brewskies. The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, however, turned down the idea of letting them use the band's name regarding the dramatic role of the music .\n"We have a 600-seat house to fill, we've been trying to spread it by word of mouth," said Girten.\nThe lack of publicity and advertising almost prevented the show from being able to be held at the BCT.\n"We were hesitant to book the Buskirk, because if we couldn't advertise it, it would be hard to get the word out," Girten said. "We think the show deserves to be seen by a lot of people. "\nThe Buskirk is a much larger space (and more expensive) than most people's senior projects could fill or even afford. The project, which he worked on for three years, is one of the largest senior projects to come out of the Individualized Major Program. The IMP requires all seniors to create a senior project, which is open to anything from a research papers to something like Girten's rock musical.\n"We've been writing the script for three years, and the whole time they're coming out with new albums so we had to find a way to add them," said Girten, who said there is at least one song off of each of the band's albums.\nWhile most sophomores were only worried about their next test, Girten was starting the long process of finding resources and funding for his musical. In his three years working on the project, involvement continued to increase. Along with help setting it up, Girten had more than 70 people audition for it, so he said he had plenty of talent to choose from to create his 14-person cast.\n"We've got such a wide range, from people from the music department to the theater department," said Girten. \nGirten was able to receive help from the University Players, who took the control of some of the fundraising. One of the major sources was the IU Student Foundation, which gave nearly half of the funds for this project. Girten found help in many other places as well, including the theater department for choreography and the Musical Arts Center for stage design. Before the Foosical, Girten had no experience talking to businesses about setting up shows, but he had to learn to help raise funding. He also added that learning this has helped him "bring together (his) four years here."\nAlong with local businesses, he received funds in the form of grants from the IMP program itself and the Hutton Honors College.\nThe show will be held at 8 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The show will be free.
(02/09/07 2:25am)
A clown killing a mime is quite possibly the saddest thing in the world. It happened in the first "circus opera" adaptation of "Acic and Galatea" at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.\nThe scene began with greetings from a mime, clown, bear, ringmaster and trapeze artist. It was, by all accounts, G.F. Handel's opera "Acis and Galatea" disguised as a traveling, big-top circus. Though not set up in an early 1900s tent, it might as well have been.\n"It's the hardest role I've ever played," said Aaron Sheehan, the actor playing Acis, who, in this rendition, was a mime.\nFor more than a half-hour before the show, Galatea (the trapeze artist) frolicked throughout the theater in a sort of ballet style while mingling with the audience, as Acis invited audience members through the entrance. \nThe bear, Coridon, and the sad clown, Polyphemus, meandered about, while the ringmaster, Damon, who was also in full character, brought everyone into the realm of the circus.\nThis is not how it was performed in 1718, when the opera was written, or at any time since.\nTim Nelson, the stage director, has taken a modern approach. A rather bland pastoral opera, it is known as one of Handel's finest pieces musically, though it rarely is played. Nelson decided to give credit where credit is due and create an opera for all to enjoy, including children.\n"I thought it was really cool to see two 3-year-old kids dancing in the aisle," Bloomington resident Hugh Boger said.\nAcis prefaced the show with the message to turn off cell phones and be courteous. In the first five minutes they were dancing through the aisles and singing in seats next to audience members. \n"I'm very impressed with their dedication to the idea," IU theater student Dan Bubeck said about the character-audience involvement.\nGalatea's character as a trapeze artist fascinated audience members, mainly because she could sing while suspended midair. With a beautiful and graceful performance, Galatea showed off her extensive dancing background.\n"I'm impressed by (Galatea) singing upside down," graduate student Bridget McFarland said.\nThe story of the opera is quite simple and traditional. Acis and Galatea fall in love, but Polyphemus is jealous of their love. Eventually, Acis and Polyphemus battle, resulting in the death of Galatea's love. Nelson's version has the same story but with a different theme and characters -- and ultimately ends with the sad clown killing the mime.
(02/08/07 2:01am)
"Hairspray" is not your typical musical. In this lighthearted musical comedy, the protagonist's mother is played by a man, and popularity status is determined by the size of a girl's hair.\n"Hairspray," which boasts eight Tony Awards, opened Tuesday at the IU Auditorium and will close tonight.\n"The show has great energy," said Christy Steele, president and CEO of the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. "We're fortunate to have this in Bloomington."\nSteele added it was nice to have the local flare of three former Hoosiers in the show.\nTuesday's performance began with the in-your-face, cheerful attitude of Tracy Turnblad, played by Brooklynn Pulver, as she invited the audience to delve into her world. She faces the continuing struggle for acceptance as a "large" young woman, and she soon finds out she is just one of many who struggle with acceptance.\nThe show takes place in 1962 Baltimore, where popularity is based on whose hair is largest and who is ahead of the trends. The trends are set by "The Corny Collins Show," a teen dance show idolized by everyone as the hippest TV show.\nBut with only three channels in a growing commercial era, there is little room for a hipper substitute. The show portrays American teens as clean-cut, beautiful and talented dancers.\nTracy is determined to receive a spot on the show and, against her mother's wishes, she auditions for an opening. Her mother, Edna, played by Jerry O'Boyle, is also a large woman and realizes society's view of women like them.\nO'Boyle's comedic timing received laughs throughout the performance and, on a few occasions, even caused fellow actors to nearly break out in laughter on stage.\n"The actor playing Edna is obviously a very gifted comedian," said Tom Robson, a graduate student studying theater history.\nAfter being turned down for being overweight and not meeting the popularity standards, Tracy meets a group of black people also turned down by the show due to society's reluctance to accept anyone who does not meet their standards.\nSeaweed, played by Christian White, is one of the black students who helps give Tracy dance lessons and the confidence to give the audition one more try.\nTracy becomes an overnight hit after a live performance. Tracy and her best friend, Penny, played by Alyssa Malgeri, become good friends with the black students. Penny's awkward but well-timed comments caused laughter nearly every time she spoke.\n"Penny's hysterical," sophomore Hannah Todd said. "She really steals the scenes."\nThe issues of acceptance culminate into Tracy helping her black friends be integrated into the exclusive "Corny Collins Show." Failed attempts almost cause Tracy to lose hope, but the happy ending will leave all with smiles on their faces.\n"If I liked it, anyone would like it," junior Kevin Noschang said. "I'm hard to please." \nToday's final performance begins at 8 p.m. at the IU Auditorium. Tickets cost $19 to $59 and can be purchased at the IU Auditorium box office or through Ticketmaster. For more information, visit www.iuauditorium.com or www.iuauditorium.com/new0607/hairspray.html.
(02/07/07 1:14am)
On Feb. 1, the smell of Starbucks coffee flowed through the air while the sound of Bloomington indie band Red Leather Yellow Leather awakened the empty ghost town known as the Indiana Memorial Union. The performance was part of a concert series called NOISE, which is held every Thursday in the IMU Gallery.\n"It's a different audience here," said the band's singer and guitarist, Josh Kreuzman. At (Uncle) Fester's we get a lot of people we know." \nThe newly-formed band is not in it for the money, just the music. The band's style sounds like folk music set to a band of indie punk rockers. Having been told they sound like '80s music, Belle and Sebastian and many others, the band jokingly claims to have a slapdash way of writing music that doesn't give them enough time to think about other artists' styles. Their sound is not as derived from other styles as most and is barely explicable through simple comparisons with other bands, members say.\n"We don't talk about music we want to emulate," Kreuzman said.\nThis might be their key to having a unique style and sound. While many bands emulate musical idols, RLYL makes music without the suggestion of "Oh, let's try to make this song sound more like (fill in the blank with a favorite artist)."\nThe show began with the song "Skeleton," which attracted a few more passers-by to the approximately 20 people in attendance. The band -- consisting of guitar, vocals, bass, keyboard and drums -- has a distinct sound, especially the relationship between the keyboard and drums. \n"I don't play keyboard as my first instrument," said keyboardist Alex Kornya. "This band gives me the chance to try new things." Most of his inspiration, he says, comes from dragons. With the inspiration and skill of a dragon, Kornya's use of the keyboard is rhythmic and pulsating, interlacing with the drums as part of the rhythm section. The driving bass line also gives the music an energetic rhythm.\nThe song "Mask" has Kornya on lead vocals. The tempo changes in "Mask" from intense, both lyrically and musically, to calm. Going along with theme of changing musical styles and vocalists, an "honorary member" of the band, Lambert Marks, sang the next song. This song started off with clapping, then suddenly turned into a faster punk-type song, with Marks screaming the words to the chorus "Shut up and dance," which was also the name of the song. \nThe instrumental song "Linear A" has a fast, pulsating drum beat that displays the experimental style of drumming. \n"I'm not a very good drummer. I like things that are very simple," said drummer Hannah Walsh. Though she speaks modestly her drumming has an in-your-face style that is far from contrived. \n"Dreams" is also upbeat, with a shift in energy between the verse and chorus. The song "Light" shows off a driving bass line and quick drums. The keyboard is essential to the instrumental sound of, "King Tut Rides Away." Kornya claims he incidentally stumbled upon a way to create microtones on his old keyboard, which gave the song an Eastern influence.\nThe audience size had doubled by the end of the show. The vibe of the concert was unlike being at a bar. It was free, laid-back and inviting for all ages. RLYL will be performing again at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, at Rhino's.\n"We're a band for the ages. We're timeless," Walsh said.
(02/06/07 4:53am)
The world's first circus opera will liven up the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Wednesday with a cast that includes a a mime, an acrobat, a ringmaster and a portrayal of a dancing bear.\nThe American Opera Theater, formerly the Ignoti Dei Opera, is currently on tour performing G.F. Handel's 1718 opera "Acis and Galatea." This, however, is no run-of-the-mill production. Galatea, generally portrayed as a nymph, will be a trapeze artist, incorporating singing with Cirque Du Soleil-type acts. In this production, Acis has been changed from a shepherd into a mime. \nCombining traditional baroque opera with circus is quite an unusual undertaking that gives it the potential to reach out to a nontraditional opera audience, including children, according to a press release from the American Opera Theater. \n"It's gone better than ever been expected," Timothy Nelson, the opera's stage director, said of the first performances of the opera. "It's pretty amazing. She sings while upside down."\nNelson founded the company in 2004. His rendition of "Acis and Galatea" casts soprano Rebecca Duren as the acrobatic Galatea.\nDuren worked on the act for a few months prior to the show. With her captivating visual performance, the style of Cirque du Soleil makes its way into opera.\nAaron Sheehan is an IU graduate who plays the part of Acis and has a very visual role as a mime, which is not a typical role for an opera singer. Another character, Damon, played by Tony Bouté, is transformed into a ringmaster rather than an inconsequential shepherd as in the original. The nature of these characters' roles is more sensational than that of most opera roles. \n"The idea to turn it into a circus, I don't remember how it started, but everything clicked together," Nelson said.\nThe concept, Nelson said, was a modernization of opera intended to reach children and entire families, not just adults.\n"We try to make everything we do relevant to a modern audience," Nelson said.\nNelson claims that along with modernizing the opera, they would like to see it as more like theater. The choice to perform here in Bloomington at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater is appropriate, not only because it is less like an opera's traditional venue, but also because IU schooled two of the performers. Sumner Thompson, along with Sheehan, is an IU graduate who is performing as Polypheme.\nSo far the opera has only been performed to sold-out shows in Baltimore and has received positive reviews. The turnout, Nelson said, has included many children and young people who would normally not go to see operas. Because of its originality, "Acis and Galatea" has been called a "gateway opera" by some critics. \n"It's a fairly famous piece, but it doesn't get performed on stage a lot," Nelson said.
(01/31/07 1:10am)
Saturday marked the final night of this year's PRIDE film festival, which displayed films taking on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. \nThe event was held at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater in support of the GLBT community. The films shown tackled GLBT issues in ways that typical Hollywood movies tend to leave out.\n"It's great to get it out there. Indiana's such a conservative place, it's good to let them know we're here," said freshman Sara Whitmer.\nThe fifth and final set of film screenings began at 7 p.m. to a nearly full house. The screening started with some short films, which received mostly positive reactions with a few exceptions.\n"I came here last year and I'm not too happy with it this year," said James Turner, a sophomore at Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington. "(The films) were too artsy and some didn't make much sense."\nTurner did, however, agree that the final, full-length film "The Gymnast" was superb.\n"The Gymnast" is a feature length film about a woman trying to figure her life out -- from aging to infertility to her own sexuality. Amidst all her confusion, she develops a love for performing Cirque Du Soleil-like acts.\nThe cheering and clapping created an atmosphere of audience involvement that would not be seen at a normal movie theater. \n"It was more like a play," said sophomore Ben Zamojski. "It was so much more than just a movie; it was a way of life portrayed on screen." \nAfterward the crowd made its way into the auditorium to be surprised by Dreya Weber, the actress from "The Gymnast," who performed her aerial act.\nAs soon as she dismounted, the dance party began.\n"This party's amazing," said Emily Cohen, vice president for the OUT GLBT Student Union. "We didn't have this big of a party last year. In terms of guests, there are a lot more people."\nThe positive energy of people dancing throughout the auditorium and on stage brought the GLBT community together. Straight people were not excluded from the events, however,\n"There are a lot of straight people that come and have a great time," said Barniak.\nThe dance party was still in full force with no signs of stopping as it neared 1 a.m. \nAs PRIDE continues to grow, organizers of the event hope so does the acceptance of GLBT lifestyles. The support that was exhibited among members of the GLBT community is the purpose of PRIDE and has proven to be stronger than ever.\n"It was wonderful, especially that it resonates throughout the gay community," said graduate student Thomas Reichherzer.