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(04/20/01 4:10am)
The Citizens' Alliance for the Legalization of Marijuana will offer an alternative to Little 500 events this weekend with its fifth annual Calmfest Saturday in Dunn Meadow. The goal of the festival is to unite music, community and social action.\nCalmfest showcases performances from seven bands including Alma Azul, the Indiana Trip Factory and Blue Moon Review, as well as speakers. \nCALMFEST is supported by 17 sponsors. The group said it hopes holding the festival during Little 500 weekend will increase attendance at the free event.\nSophomore Chris Welz said he believes the issues presented will draw an attentive crowd for his band, the Indiana Trip Factory.\n"I think a lot of people affiliated with the issues are into our kind of music," Welz said "Our music is pretty experimental, so we feel this is a great opportunity for us."\nBlue Moon Review said it is excited about the show for other reasons. \n"This is our last show for awhile because we're recording, so we're looking forward to having a good performance," sophomore Andy Salge said.\nWhen the bands aren't playing, speakers will take center stage, with attorney Robert Miller speaking on protecting one's civil rights. City Council Member Chris Gaal, D-VI, will speak on the state of the war against drugs.\nOne of the festival's organizers and founder of CALM, Mike Truelove, said the biggest obstacle in gaining community awareness for CALM's campaigns was trying to keep up with what he called "propaganda" from well-funded government organizations. \n"The amount of resources used by the federal and state governments to fight the issue is extremely one-sided," Truelove said.\nCALM memebers said they hope the festival will not only create a sense of community, but also educate the crowd on its controversial issues.\n"The drug war is breaking up families and taking kids away from parents," Truelove said. "It's time for people to stand up and say, 'this isn't right.'"\nTruelove said he was surprised at the amount of negative press marijuana use receives, and was also concerned that people who could benefit from medical marijuana use where being forced to suffer as a result of laws in many states.\n"No one has ever died from using the drug, unlike synthetic prescriptions, which can often have unpleasant side effects," he said.\nThe group will circulate petitions to support the legalization of industrial hemp for clothing as well as petitions for the legalization of marijuana.\n"A lot of people don't realize that you can get four times as much material for clothing from a field of hemp than you can from trees," Truelove said. "It's more durable and it's better for the environment."\nCALM said it plans to prepare for its festival by having a walk through town Friday, beginning at noon at Showalter Fountain, in which members will carry a banner championing the group's cause.\nTruelove said Calmfest will be a relaxing alternative during Little 500 weekend in which politics and music can be woven together for the betterment of the community.\n"It's for a good cause, and it's great to play Dunn Meadow, just being outside in the sun, and everyone can just relax and have a good time," Salge said.
(04/12/01 4:00am)
Even after being criticized for its violent onstage antics, German industrial-metal band Rammstein has managed to ignore the criticism and put together its third studio album, Mutter. \nMutter solidifies Rammstein's place as a legitimate force in the world of industrial metal. The opening track, "Mein Herz Brennt" (My Heart Burns), begins with orchestrated strings melded into singer Till Lindeman's whispers, but guitars and bass take over in a galloping beat worthy of the dance floor. \nLindeman's deep voice fills with emotion as he sings (but doesn't scream) the song's chorus, creating a dramatic feel. This is a clear departure from 1998's guitar-driven onslaught Sehnsucht.\nFamous for its fire-filled live show and spurred by the unlikely success of "Du Hasst," Rammstein managed success as Sehnsucht went gold in the United States alone. \nOn Mutter, the band's guitarists continue to play fluently, often creating pulsating rhythms at points and leaving the drums and bass to carry other tunes, creating balance on the album. Clearly an improvement from other albums where keyboards, sound effects and even vocals are deafened by the guitars.\nKeyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz proves to be a key player, adding a video-game style melody to "Ich Will" (I Want) and creating a dramatically gothic atmosphere in "Sonne" (Sun) by sampling an eerie vocal line. \nLindeman rarely screams or growls, instead choosing a mysterious whisper or emotion-filled vocals fit for a Broadway play. Lindeman shows his age, but the vocals are heartfelt and create a sense of longing or sadness rather then the angry rage heard in much of today's music.\nMutter contains pop-oriented song structures complete with sing-along choruses, in German of course. The one downfall will be the title track, which remains strong but contains a melody line in the chorus that is similar to Metallica's "Unforgiven." "Links 2 3 4" and "Feuer frei!" remain true to traditional Rammstein format and should go over well live despite their rather simple song structures. \nMutter is a solid album that is both heavy and melodic and one that modern rock radio could easily pick up. It might not sell well because of the German lyrics, but its versatility puts it up with Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral and is easily one of the better rock albums released this year.
(04/12/01 4:00am)
After a slow track of random noise and static, Endo bursts into song as singer Gil Bitton lets loose a tremendous scream over a thunderous drum beat. Unfortunately, that's about all the spark the band manages on Evolve.\nEndo begins the album with "Leave us Alone," often sounding like a garage-band version of Rage Against the Machine, complete with a vocal tone similar to Zach de la Rocha. Rap-metal might base its music on rhythmic guitars, but Endo has forgotten that playing the same riff again and again only works for Wesley Willis.\nEndo does have a few bright moments lyrically, focusing on the consumerism of American society in "Listen," but often falls short on many other tracks. Lyrics such as I can't breathe cause I don't want to breathe no more from "Malice" sound like they were written by a junior high student rather than a band with a major label deal.\n"Suffer" provides an oasis in the middle of this dead affair and holds its own against any Linkin Park song on the radio. Beginning with Bitton's whisperings, the track sounds close to the Deftones in style and builds slowly over a trance-like bass line up to the chorus, during which Bitton's voice is beautifully layered. Sadly, one track just can't make up for an album that sounds as if it was recorded through a cardboard box.\nBitton does have an additional bright spot, unlike his band mates, as he relays some tight rapping over a mosh-pit inducing guitar line in "The Program." In a few years, this band might be able to develop into a high-quality unit. But by then, the rap-metal market might have evolved and vanished.\nWith the same management as Pantera and Ministry, I expected a little more from this act, but Endo ends up sounding like a cheap knock-off band most of the time, not even in the league of the likes of Slipknot or even Limp Bizkit.\nPerhaps the album should be titled Extinction because Endo is helping to dilute the already over-saturated market of rap-metal.
(04/04/01 5:53am)
The music filling the air during Little 500 will be anything but ancient.\nCoinciding with the growing popularity of rap music, the IU Chapter of the Hip-Hop Congress and Zeta Beta Tau fraternity announced Tuesday that rap group Jurassic 5 will play April 19 at ZBT.\nMuch of the show's proceeds will go to benefit Bloomington United and Dance Marathon's fund to support Riley Children's Hospital, said sophomore Ross Edwards, ZBT's organizer for the show. He said he is confident the show will be a success.\n"People who are really into true hip-hop will really enjoy this show," Edwards said. "It's going to be entertaining and a great party."\nFormed in 1993 when Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee members decided to work on a track together, the six members -- four MCs and two DJs -- of the group released their first album in 1995 to critical acclaim and are touring in support of their latest album Quality Control, which was released in 2000.\nThe announcement of the show comes at the heels of the recently scheduled Nelly show April 18 as part of Little 500 week at the IU Auditorium. Opening for Jurassic 5 will be 4th Avenue Jones.\nJunior Ron Gubitz, an IDS staffer, said he had some personal connections in bringing Jurassic 5 to campus, as he became friends with the band when a fraternity he was involved with in Los Angeles hired the band to play a party. \n"Back then we were just looking for someone from the L.A. underground, and we found them and they were awesome," Gubitz said. "Now they're on MTV, but they're still the rawest, cutting-edge group out there." \nThe concert will be held from 6-9 p.m. in the parking lot of ZBT, 1500 N. Jordan Ave., and is expected to attract an enthusiastic crowd. \n"They're really energetic and carry a positive spirit," said junior Manny Cervantes, who has seen the group perform.\nThe IU Chapter of the Hip-Hop Congress, formed by Gubitz, co-sponsors the event. He said he hopes the concert will bring the Bloomington community together. \n"Interaction and communication are the key to bringing society together," Gubitz said. "We want to make society a better place."\nJunior Nate Ayers said he believes that Jurassic 5 illustrates this ideal, which he feels is growing in the rap community.\n"Jurassic 5, Black Eyed Peas -- all these bands believe in a movement," he said. "A band as big as this coming to a college shows that its more about the message then the money."\nThe group is also holding the first annual Hip-Hop Congress Awareness festival April 25 in Dunn Meadow. The event will feature a 32 MC battle-royal and a concert in the evening featuring local groups and possibly a national act to be named later, Gubitz said. The event is co-sponsored by TB Digital Productions and Holistic.\nTickets for the Jurassic 5 show are $10 and will be available Friday at ZBT or by calling 337-1592.\nMore information about the Hip-Hop Congress and these shows is available at www.hiphopcongress.com.
(04/04/01 5:44am)
The music filling the air during Little 500 will be anything but ancient.\nCoinciding with the growing popularity of rap music, the IU Chapter of the Hip-Hop Congress and Zeta Beta Tau fraternity announced Tuesday that rap group Jurassic 5 will play April 19 at ZBT.\nMuch of the show's proceeds will go to benefit Bloomington United and Dance Marathon's fund to support Riley Children's Hospital, said sophomore Ross Edwards, ZBT's organizer for the show. He said he is confident the show will be a success.\n"People who are really into true hip-hop will really enjoy this show," Edwards said. "It's going to be entertaining and a great party."\nFormed in 1993 when Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee members decided to work on a track together, the six members -- four MCs and two DJs -- of the group released their first album in 1995 to critical acclaim and are touring in support of their latest album Quality Control, which was released in 2000.\nThe announcement of the show comes at the heels of the recently scheduled Nelly show April 18 as part of Little 500 week at the IU Auditorium. Opening for Jurassic 5 will be 4th Avenue Jones.\nJunior Ron Gubitz, an IDS staffer, said he had some personal connections in bringing Jurassic 5 to campus, as he became friends with the band when a fraternity he was involved with in Los Angeles hired the band to play a party. \n"Back then we were just looking for someone from the L.A. underground, and we found them and they were awesome," Gubitz said. "Now they're on MTV, but they're still the rawest, cutting-edge group out there." \nThe concert will be held from 6-9 p.m. in the parking lot of ZBT, 1500 N. Jordan Ave., and is expected to attract an enthusiastic crowd. \n"They're really energetic and carry a positive spirit," said junior Manny Cervantes, who has seen the group perform.\nThe IU Chapter of the Hip-Hop Congress, formed by Gubitz, co-sponsors the event. He said he hopes the concert will bring the Bloomington community together. \n"Interaction and communication are the key to bringing society together," Gubitz said. "We want to make society a better place."\nJunior Nate Ayers said he believes that Jurassic 5 illustrates this ideal, which he feels is growing in the rap community.\n"Jurassic 5, Black Eyed Peas -- all these bands believe in a movement," he said. "A band as big as this coming to a college shows that its more about the message then the money."\nThe group is also holding the first annual Hip-Hop Congress Awareness festival April 25 in Dunn Meadow. The event will feature a 32 MC battle-royal and a concert in the evening featuring local groups and possibly a national act to be named later, Gubitz said. The event is co-sponsored by TB Digital Productions and Holistic.\nTickets for the Jurassic 5 show are $10 and will be available Friday at ZBT or by calling 337-1592.\nMore information about the Hip-Hop Congress and these shows is available at www.hiphopcongress.com.
(03/20/01 4:50am)
Four metal bands took the stage Sunday night at the Pepsi Coliseum; one bored the crowd, one confused the crowd, and the final two fans left eager to buy tickets for their next tours.\nOpening the show was New York's Nothingface, which did not stray from the usual formula for hard rock/metal, and attempted to get the crowd active during its five-song set, with little success. \nUnfortunately, much of the sound from the guitars was muffled under the roar of bass and drums because of the sound quality in the Pepsi Coliseum, a situation that didn't improve much throughout the night.\nFueled by double bass drumming at a speed that requires the legs of an Olympic athlete, Morbid Angel performed next and shook the audience with its sheer sound while leaving others confused yet interested in the spectacle. \nOften sounding like an angry Cookie Monster, singer/bassist Steve Tucker's vocal style seemed to leave many in the building unsure of whether to be afraid of Tucker or to break out laughing.\nPantera singer Philip Anselmo joined Morbid Angel on stage to sing a verse of one song, drawing cheers from the crowd as the rather unusual set ended.\nSoulfly took the stage mystically led in by a woven blend of red and green lights, immediately creating a surge for the first time through the near-capacity crowd. Opening with "Back to the Primitive," Soulfly kept the crowd jumping, playing songs from both its albums, often offering blends of two different songs, or extended jam versions. Some songs, such as the extended "Boom," seemed just a bit overdone, but that was forgiven by the eager crowd. \nHighlighting Soulfly's set was a tribal percussion jam in which the band members traded in their guitars for large drums and lined the stage, creating a campfire-like setting. \nBacked with a wall of steel lined amplifiers and a huge plated sign of the band's name, show headliner Pantera took the stage. Anselmo informed the crowd before launching into "Hellbound" that the band was the king of metal.\nNot an easy name to live up to, but Pantera relied on the strong support of the audience, which often chanted the band's name between songs with enthusiasm. If there was any question about fan loyalty, it was answered here.\nBlending older songs such as "Becoming" and "Slaughtered" with tracks off its newest album, Reinventing the Steel, such as "Revolution is my Name" and "I'll Cast a Shadow," Pantera managed to played a sonically brutal set that spanned most of its 10-year career. \n"Like I tell everyone everywhere, I want to see every single person out there headbanging like it's 1986 on this one," Anselmo said midway through the band's performance, which was enough motivation to get the crowd going.\nMosh pits were fairly scarce. To revive the packed crowd, the band took a comedic break of five minutes to stage a beer catching contest in which cups were launched into the grateful crowd. Seeing the difficulty the fans had at catching them, Anselmo joked that Indiana needed to draft some receivers next year.\nConcluding Pantera's hour and a half set were a series of songs of their first two records including "Hostile," the crowd favorite "Walk" and the faster-paced "Primal Concrete Sledge." \nClearly catering to the crowd, Pantera played with energy and enthusiasm, and while the band might have been more joking than heavy, it put on a show that left the crowd chanting its name until the lights went on.\n"Metal is always going to be around, and Pantera is always going to be on tour," Anselmo said. After the crowd's response, it seems that Pantera isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
(03/09/01 4:06am)
Ater receiving its fourth Grammy nomination, veteran metal band Pantera will bring its hard-hitting sound to the Pepsi Colosseum in Indianapolis March 18.\nThe "Real Steel" tour, titled after the band's 2000 release Reinventing the Steel, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200, is Pantera's first tour since last summer's Ozzfest, which they co-headlined. Other bands on the tour include Soulfly, Morbid Angel and Nothingface.\nThe tour was originally scheduled for fall but was rescheduled after lead singer Philip Anselmo broke two ribs while working at The House of Shock, a haunted house attraction run yearly in Anselmo's hometown of New Orleans. \nPantera said it takes pride in keeping the fans happy and were quick to point out during a recorded message at their Web site that the tour was postponed, not canceled. \n"We say 'postponed,' because we've never canceled a tour in 11 years," Anselmo said.\nFormed in 1982, the group blends a mixture of metal and hard rock with a southern flair and once existed as a glam-rock band in the '80s before the introduction of Anselmo as the new front man in 1989, who led the group to its heavier style.\nWithout much help from media or radio airplay, Pantera has managed to register numerous Gold and Platinum albums and saw its 1994 Far and Beyond go straight to No.1 on the Billboard Top 200, catching some by surprise.\nThis "invasion" into the mainstream market seems just the type of things the fans seem to enjoy. "They don't fit in anywhere at all, and that's beautiful," said sophomore Ryan Kabala.\nPantera's latest release, which the group produced itself, has already gone Gold and is on its way to being Platinum. Its lead single "Revolution is My Name" was nominated for a Grammy for Best Metal Performance. \nFamous for the ferocious energy present in songs such as "Walk" and "Hostile," Pantera's live show is anything but a quiet affair. \n"Your ears will ring for two straight days," Kabala said. \nRecent stints, including opening for Black Sabbath's Reunion tour as well two tours of the annual Ozzfest, have allowed this Texas-based band to increase its reputation. \n"Beware," Kabala said of the live show. "Proceed with caution."\nThree months of straight touring apparently isn't enough for Pantera, as they plan to tour in Alaska and Australia in May, followed by a recently announced summer tour to kick off in June with Slayer and Static-X. Halford, Corrosion of Conformity and Morbid Angel are also likely to join the bill.\nKababla said while crowd might be rough at points of the concert, a sense of community still exists.\n"Pantera fans are the best fans in the world," he said. "They're loyal and their support will never diminish."\nThis sense of community continues in the band as well. \n"I know the fans that come to our shows are completely real," Anselmo said during the band's message.\nAccompanying Pantera on the bill are Ozzfest veterans Soulfly, touring to support their 2000 release Primitive. Sophomore Adam Cassady said Soulfly's use of tribal-style drumming and the vocal abilities of Brazilian-born Max Cavelera (formerly of Sepultura) are the main reasons he became attracted to the group. \n"Max's voice is very distinctive," Cassady said. "He's really mastered the art of screaming. It's really amazing how creative they can be with hardcore (music)." \nAlso, Tampa-based death-metaler Morbid Angel brings its extreme form of metal to the tour to support its latest album, Gateways to Annihilation. \nSophomore Don Dresser described Morbid Angel as having more classical black metal sound, blending fast and furious guitars with keyboards. \n"I saw them once, and it really was pretty excellent," Dresser said.\nWashington-based thrash-metal band Nothingface rounds out the bill, touring in support of its third album, Violence.\nPantera promises to provide a quality show that will leave fans satisfied. \n"We're going to go out and give one hundred percent, that's what we're about," Anselmo said.\nThe show is begins at 6:30 p.m. March 18 at Pepsi Coliseum in Indianapolis. Tickets are $29.50 and available at the box office, Ticketmaster outlets or by phone (317) 239-5151. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
(03/09/01 4:05am)
"Isn't it Romantic," began as a simple stream of messages left on Janie Blumberg's answering machine and wove its way into a emotional discourse on friendship, gender roles and the small, intimate details of life Wednesday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. \nThe set remained simple yet effective as a backdrop with two doors served as two rooms that often allowed two simultaneous scenes to evolve, creating a voyeuristic atmosphere. Playing to a small but attentive audience, the cast delivered on all fronts, capturing the emotional states of their characters that served as driving factor in the play.\nJanie, a woman plagued by apathy and eccentricity, played beautifully by junior Carly Roetter, remained the center of attention through most of the night. At the beginning of the play, Janie returns to her new apartment in New York. She is unemployed and has yet to completely unpack physically or mentally.\nThe only thing keeping this scatter-brained woman from sleeping away her days is the companionship of her Harvard-graduated friend Harriet, played by senior Jennifer Biggio, who is quickly on her way up the food chain of the business world. \nJanie and Harriet appear onstage as a version of the Odd Couple, completely contrasting in dress and personality. Soon the two friends discuss the pros and cons of marriage. Harriet says no self-respecting woman should succumb to marriage before first creating a life for herself. The thematic question "What makes a woman?" is first addressed here and reoccurs throughout the play.\nSimon and Tasha, Janie's parents played remarkably well by senior Samantha Schisler and sophomore Eric Price, are the image of a chronically inseparable couple and strive to force Janie into marriage, which further complicates her life. Rather than addressing this conflict dramatically, it is presented through humor, which gives the play levity and charm. \nIn contrast with Janie's all-American family, the introduction of Harriet's single, career-driven mother introduces the debate of personal interest versus marriage. Her presence greatly influences Harriet's views at this point in the play.\nLuckily, we are saved from this rather empty view when we are introduced to the odd character Vladimir, played by sophomore Luke Pennington. A Russian filmmaker, Vladimir added some nice comic relief to the play.\nThe comedic drama continued as Janie enters and progresses in a relationship with Marty, a doctor played by freshman Gavin Blumenthal, and as the two begin to develop pet names for each other they become the kind of overly affectionate couple who make singles cringe. The pairing of Roetter and Blumenthal worked remarkably well and had the audience in constant smiles.\nMeanwhile, bringing a tone of seriousness to the performance, Harriet's affair with the married man Paul begins to travel over rough waters when Paul informs her brutishly that "life is a negotiation," females are meant to cook, and that love is simply a ridiculous idea. \nOnce again, the debate about the role of the female in society is brought into focus subtly, but strong enough to still pack a punch. \nThe stage crew and design were once again at top form as scenes were often tied together by breaks in which clips of comic dialogue were played as "phone messages," painting an even clearer picture of these odd, yet lovingly funny characters.\n"Isn't it Romantic" ended in a finale perfectly crafted to match author Wendy Wasserstein's chaotic style, in that both characters changed their early beliefs leaving Janie single and proud, while Harriet marries someone she's known for two weeks. If it weren't for the incredible portrayal of the scenes by the cast, this play could easily be viewed as a daytime soap opera. The only real sense that this story will find some sanity is in the conclusion of the play Janie says, "Everything eventually presses itself out."\nTo give Wasserstein credit, the play does include just enough content, if played well, to create debate over the controversial and important issue of gender roles and marriage versus careers in today's society. More importantly, she showed these topics could be discussed in a light-hearted manner.
(03/01/01 4:43am)
The exhibition of two new photographic galleries at the Mathers Museum created a scene of feast, culture and celebration Tuesday.\nAn energetic performance of Capoeria Angola by Grupo Acupe, a local South American dance troupe, complemented the display.\nThe exhibit, "Dancing the Ancestors: Carnival in South America," began with a sampling of food sponsored by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. The center featured a wide variety of dishes, including pukakapas (a type of filled pastry), a crowd favorite.\nOne hundred people attended the celebration to learn about Carnival, a week-long festival in many South American towns. Several lectures educated students and Bloomington residents about the festival.\n"(La Carnival) is a time when imagination and iconography come together in a grand display of beauty and creativity," the first presenter, assistant professor Pravina Shukla, said.\nShukla began her slideshow presentation, "Mahatma's Samba," by explaining she had roots in India and felt compelled to discuss the "Filhos de Gandhy" or "Sons of Gandhi."\nShe said "Filhos de Gandhy" is a group of 5,000 men who parade during the Carnival in Salvador, Brazil. Members dress in an outfit that "pays homage to Gandhi and his quest for liberation," Shukla said.\n"Carnival is also a time for the celebration of black pride and heritage," she said.\nShukla said that while this Carnival attracted more than 150 groups and is typically a joyous festival, violence can result from competition or the vanity of certain groups.\n"Carnival is an experience of Afro-Brazilian identity," Shukla said. She said strong emphasis is placed on blending Nigerian gods with the Catholic religion that was brought to Brazil by the Portuguese.\nShukla presented slides of the colorful bead-laden dresses and outfits worn by participants in Salvador's parade and celebration of Carnival in Brazil. She said the city of the celebration dictates the tone of the festival.\n"(In Salvador) you are out dancing in the streets, experiencing it with your body, not watching it," Shukla said. \nPlaying host to the "Carnival" exhibit allowed a venue for regional artists to exhibit their work. Judith Kirk, assistant director of the Mathers Museum, said events such as this help bridge the gap between the University and the community.\n"We've been doing program-specific development for the last couple of years with kids' activities on the weekend, and adult activities during the week," Kirk said. "We're very lucky to be able to display the scholarship of some of the faculty this time." \nJohn McDowell, professor of folklore and director of the folklore institute, followed Shukla's presentation with his lecture, "Kamsa Carnival in Sibundoy, Colombia." He flashed a slide portraying a nearly full bus in a rural area and asked the audience to take a ride with him. Glancing around the room jokingly before turning back to the slide, McDowell commented, "Should have enough room. Everyone usually fits."\nOnce embarked upon this virtual tour, McDowell showed images of a small village nestled in the Sibundoy Valley in Colombia, an environment as rural as Salvador was urban. \n"As you can see, this is a very indigenous area," McDowell said. "Many old traditions are still practiced in ceremony."\nPreparing those in attendance for a different version of Carnival, McDowell's landscape consisted of lush mountains crossed by meandering streams and wooden footbridges.\n"This is a place of storytelling," McDowell said as the audience viewed slides of thatched homes. Images of the Kamsa, who wore feather crowns to celebrate Carnival, were shown to assist McDowell in explaining that Carnival in Sibundoy Valley is about ancestors and the story of the founding of civilization in the valley. \n"This is a day that belongs to the Indians," McDowell said, while detailing the music and dancing practices of the festival in which families travel from house to house, singing. \n"Basically, dancing continues for three or four days or until the chicha (a native beverage) runs out," McDowell said.\nAfter the speech, the Capoeria Angola group took center stage. It began a dance of martial arts and music in a combination of swinging body movements, singing and cheers. \nJunior Rayna Marotti said she came to see the group perform.\n"Capoeria Angola is really one of the best things I've ever seen," she said. "It's art in motion." \nComposed of 18 members from Brazil, Bloomington and Indianapolis, the group features percussion instruments. Two members spar in a dance, mimicking a battle, and then shake hands at the conclusion, while music plays in the background. \nMember Jeffery "Tadpole" Hoffer said the group, which practices at Harmony Elementary School, hopes to increase involvement by its public performances.\n"We hope that the music is hypnotizing and contagious," he said. "It brings forth the spirits from the past"
(02/12/01 5:48pm)
Hoping to duplicate and surpass the success of local bands such as Danagas, Tintern Abbey will play at 10:30 p.m. today at Kilroy's Sports Bar, 319 N. Walnut St., bringing its mix of raw energy and creation into what it hopes will be a breakout show.\nThe band derives its name from a William Wordsworth poem of the same name. \nThe group includes members from as far away as Long Island. The four members have been playing together for the past year and said they feel they have developed their strongest material yet.\nThe band is composed of junior Alex Shaurette (lead vocals, guitar), junior Kevin Rose (keyboards), sophomore David Golden (drums) and freshman Benny Appleby (bass). \nWordsworth's poem, about an abbey that survives a vicious fire, symbolizes the band's views on music and life, Shaurette said. \n"All stuff goes downhill, but the music is always there," Shaurette said, adding that Tintern Abbey's music is routed in emotion. "(The songs) are always about hope," he said. \nShaurette said the band has experienced struggles related to line-up changes in the past, which he attributes to musical progression. But he said this lineup seems to have solidified the personal interests of all members. \n"We're going to definitely stick together," Shaurette said.\nBlending styles from rock to jazz and citing influences from James Brown and Joe Jackson to Dave Matthews Band and Igor Stravinsky, Tintern Abbey prides itself on "making original music," Golden said.\nTintern Abbey is "similar to Ben Folds Five with a classic rock kind of vibe" said fan David Siegel. \n"I saw their show at the Bluebird, and the crowd was pretty into it -- lots of people on the dance floor," Siegel said. \nIn addition to its rock and jazz roots, the band admits it occasionally indulges in a bit of the Red Hot Chili Peppers or even some Jimi Hendrix. \n"Hendrix as if played by the Doors," Shaurette said. \nMusically, members of Tintern Abbey have outside interests. Rose plays the French horn; Golden spent part of the summer of 1998 in Europe with the United States Collegiate Wind Band, in which he traveled in more then seven countries. \nGolden, who said he developed a taste for music when he was young, nearly missed the opportunity to play with the band. He was at a crossroads, considering his future in music, when a music teacher told him, "'You've got to get in a band,'" he said.\nTintern Abbey, while not a jam band, promises a different performance each night. \n"One of our songs, "Flood," used to be a slow ballad, but we sped it up and it sounds a lot better now," Shaurette said. \nHe said changes in the set list and individual songs are common.\n"We've really grown with our live show," Golden said. "We try to get some crowd interaction." \nBand members said they hope their original work will do the trick tonight at Kilroy's Sports Bar.\n"I'm really excited about the show at Kilroy's," Shaurette said. "We've got some new stuff and we've got a chance for a lot of people to hear it." \nThe band expects to play at least one new song, "Some Days."\nTintern Abbey members hope to move to New York after graduation to play in a larger market. \n"We try to support local music," Shaurette said. "All the local bands try to lean off each other."\nGolden and Shaurette said local music and local fans are crucial, which is why the band members keep in touch with their fans through an e-mail news list, and have increased their fan-base by playing house parties and some shows at the Indiana Memorial Union.\nTintern Abbey will play 10:30 p.m. today at Kilroy's Sports Bar, 319 N. Walnut St., and Feb. 28 at Bear's Place, 1316 E. Third St. For more information, visit www.Tintern-Abbey.com.
(02/12/01 3:38am)
Jenny Appleby, bassist for Tintern Abbey, growled into the microphone midway through the band's three-set performance Thursday at Kilroy's Sports, "You have lost all your clothes, but you can keep your hat on." His words summarized an evening of music that defied a classification into one genre. \nTintern Abbey played a balance of funk flavored with folk, throwing in covers along with its own original mix. \nThe tone of the night was in a constant change as the band rolled out songs worthy of the funk era, swinging with some Motown bounce, often followed by coffee shop-worthy acoustic ballads. \nTintern Abbey's "Shine," "Believe," "Flood" and "Rosa Lee" were interwoven with slower covers "All Along the Watchtower," "Aeroplane" and "Margaritaville."\n"The bass player's got some nice funk, and I like how they harmonize," said Mark Hendricks, an employee at Sports, 319 N. Walnut St.\nThe funk was definitely the crowd favorite as numerous dancers filled the floor upon hearing Tintern Abbey's opener "Shine."\n"I like when they get the really funky beats," said senior Sarah Boyle, one of the first out on the dance floor. \nThe band continued, playing mostly speed-driven funk while still playing classic songs like "Magic Carpet Ride" to the packed house, such as at Kilroy's Sports Bar.\n"The crowd looks pretty buzzing," said Appleby after finishing one of Tintern Abbey's funk-filled sets, which kept the crowd interested with drummer David Golden's solid rhythmic performance. Singer Alex Shaurette referred to Golden as "the Golden Child."\nPianist Kevin Rose, who provided an energetic performance, at one point stopped dancing in his place on stage and jumped in the crowd and danced with the fans.\n"I didn't have much to play at that part of the song, so I just went for it," Rose said. \nAs the night progressed, Tintern Abbey tried a bit of comedy as Shaurette announced it was "time to meet a random audience member," at which point they interviewed a member of the crowd. The band's version of funk seemed to keep the crowd interested through most of the night, though its slower, almost folk-style tunes would fit better in a coffee house. \nAt one point, a waitress slapped a sticker distributed by the band on her stomach, signifying the band left its mark with her and a new set of fans in the Bloomington community. \n"How can I believe that old philosophy," Shaurette sung in "Believe," solidifying Tintern Abbey as a band determined on creating a new style of music.
