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(04/22/11 2:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If the weather holds out, Dunn Meadow will be filled with music lovers Saturday. Underneath the WIUX tents, students and Bloomington residents will enjoy the songs of local and national indie bands.The 2011 WIUX Culture Shock festival starts at 2 p.m.In previous years, the festival’s lineup has boasted national names like Best Coast and Four Tet, as well as local groups like Prayer Breakfast and Osteoferocious. This year’s list of performers follows the precedent of previous years, highlighting musical groups with reputations big and small.Ty Segall, Beach Fossils, The War on Drugs, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt and Weakness are the non-local groups set to perform this weekend. WIUX’s Special Events Director Katie McKenna said there seems to be particular excitement surrounding this year’s headliner.“Ty Segall has a large following in this town, and since he is an energetic performer, people seem particularly psyched to see him,” McKenna said. “In addition to Ty, Beach Fossils played a great show at The Bishop a while back and have since gained a lot of fans here.”Apart from larger national acts, the festival will also highlight local groups, including Gardendale & Berkley and Sleeping Bag. Kat Coplen, public relations director for WIUX, said a goal of the festival is to highlight the best in local music and that this year’s lineup shouldn’t disappoint.The free day of music has been a Bloomington tradition and tends to give listeners a heads-up on what the next big music act will be, McKenna said.“Culture Shock promotes up-and-coming bands,” McKenna said. “Last year’s headliner was Best Coast, who was on the cusp of garnering national attention. After performing at Culture Shock, she opened for Weezer and played at the Pitchfork music festival.”Coplen said the day will be rewarding for music fans and is a great way for WIUX to give back to the Bloomington community. She said she remained optimistic that the sun would shine for the day of music.“Sunny and 75,” Coplen said. “This year’s event should be one of the best Culture Shocks ever. I look forward to seeing old and new friends enjoy the best free music festival in Bloomington.”
(04/22/11 2:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Pop rock band Rodeo Ruby Love has had a continuing revolution of members — at least far too many for front man Zach Melton to count. However, no matter who is involved with the band, the same set of catchy songs remains. Melton and his band mates plan to give an infectious performance at 8 p.m. today at Rachael’s Cafe. Melton said he started the musical project with the hope of writing his own songs, something lighter than other projects he’d participated in. The result was Rodeo, currently composed of Melton, Kyle Kammeyer, Ben Claghorn, Dillon Enright and Melton’s sister, Annie Cheek.The group has existed since 2006 and possesses a sound Melton described as a good-time sing-along. Despite the lighthearted sentiments of most of the songs, he added that they can sometimes take a different turn.“Rodeo Ruby Love tries to capture the beautiful simplicity of songwriting from the ’60s pop music. But we can’t escape our roots in the hard-core punk scenes of central Indiana,” Melton said.Apart from Rodeo, Melton also played in the group Away With Vega, a band with a harder musical inspiration. Though Away With Vega fizzled out a few years ago, this summer marks the fifth-year anniversary of the release of its album “Recovery,” and it’s marking the occasion with music.“I thought it would be fun to get back together and play a show,” Melton said. “Then our good friends, mentors, favorite band In the Face of War announced that they were calling it quits, and they asked if Away with Vega would reunite and play their last show. It sounded fitting.”Melton said he appreciates the diversity and breadth of musical presence in Bloomington, and from the diversity of his projects, he fits right in.IDS Where do you think your music sounds best and why?MELTON Any place with a crowd. Our songs were meant to be played with and in front of people, you know, having a good time. If no one is there to enjoy it, the songs don’t really reach their full potential. And we go home and cry.IDS What album are you listening to right now?MELTON I’ll do the top five right now.1. Ponytail - “Do Whatever You Want All the Time”2. Alexander the Great - “Laminer Excursion”3. Colossal - “Colossal EP”4. Hop Along - “Wretches 10”5. “Manhunt” by James L. Swanson (audiobook)IDS What’s your favorite piece of equipment and why?MELTON I’m a big fan of the crowbar because of “Home Alone.”IDS What was the first record you bought and where?MELTON The first CD I bought was the Fiona Apple “Criminal” single from this place that used to be in Fairmount, Indiana, called Most Music. The first actual record I bought may have been Songs: Ohia’s “Ghost Tropic” from Village Green Records.IDS What’s your favorite band right now in Bloomington?MELTON Memory Map.IDS If you could play a show with another group or musician, dead or alive, who would it be?MELTON Twothirtyeight, Boilermaker or Clark (a band from northern Indiana).
(04/18/11 1:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The weather was unseasonably cold. Winds were gusting; it was raining sideways. But unfavorable conditions did not deter lovers of vinyl from celebrating Saturday.People across Bloomington celebrated Record Store Day, a holiday dedicated to celebrating indie music and records. Local stores TD’s CDs and LPs, Tracks and Landlocked Music marked the date with special in-store deals and performances.Justin Vollmar, the manager of TD’s, said before the store even opened there were people braving the elements, lined up outside, ready to show their record store love. The store had ordered special releases of some albums, similar to other stores in town.Landlocked Music, another store specializing in indie sound, had an entire day of festivities planned. The store started the day off early, with constant DJ sets and in-store deals. Sophomores Logan Norrell and Perry Mcaninch attended both TD’s and Landlocked in the spirit of the day.“The screen printing station they had was cool,” Mcaninch said, in reference to the on-site screen printing station set up at Landlocked.Norrell said the addition of the DJs added to the festive mood.“They were mainly playing ’60s rock, but by the time we left they were playing electronic stuff,” Norrell said.The attractions were what drew these two music buffs to the stores Saturday, they said. They said it wasn’t necessarily about supporting the day but about the deals and seeing performances.“We were going to get an Elvin Jones album, but we got a $14 breakfast instead,” Norrell said.Norrell’s comment was echoed by Michael Anderson of TD’s. Anderson said he was frustrated by the pressure from the top of the business to make the day a huge ordeal and was therefore let down by the occasional lack of buyer traffic in TD’s.“The day has the potential to be a good thing,” Anderson said. “But it hasn’t been what it could be. It’s been great locally, but it’s not as organized nationally as it should be.”Anderson said the hype from those in high positions in the industry led the shop to make purchases and place orders in preparation of the day. Some of the merchandise didn’t even arrive in time for the day, and others didn’t sell.Apart from the unsold records, Anderson said he wondered where buyers were the rest of the year."We see people today that we don’t see for the rest of the year,” he said. “It makes you wonder whether they really want it. They should be buying music here all year.”Back at Landlocked, live sets of music were still going strong while it rained outside. Dylan Ettinger performed before local group Sleeping Bag. Ettinger finished his set with a new single and capped it off by thanking Landlocked for a great Record Store Day.“How lucky are we that we get to live in a town with a bunch of great stores, not just one?” Ettinger said to the crowd.
(04/15/11 3:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Marvin Lowe went through various changes in medium throughout his course as an artist. He started exploring the art of intaglio prints, then transitioned to mixed media pieces much larger in scale before finally working in more abstract ways.The Venue Fine Art & Gifts will display some of Lowe’s large-scale collages starting today. A reception will take place at 6 p.m. to mark the opening of the exhibit titled “The Art of Marvin Lowe, A Master Artist.”Dave Coleman, show organizer and assistant curator for The Venue, said the pieces set to be on display are from the period of Lowe’s career during the 1980s and are good examples of some of the artist’s finest work.“These pieces are heavily layered, dynamic, committed to composition,” Coleman said.He added that all of Lowe’s work was not only visually intriguing, but interesting in terms of content as well. Lowe worked in the School of Fine Arts Printmaking Department, but his interests reached far beyond his visual craft.Professor Emeritus Rudy Pozzatti was the head of the Printmaking Department while Lowe was there. He said Lowe’s passion for art, literature, music and science combined to yield an extremely unique teacher.“Marvin was a man with many talents. His first great talent was a musician,” Pozzatti said.Lowe perfected his skills as a jazz saxophonist while studying at The Juilliard School.“He asked the students about the books they were reading, the music they were listening to. It’s important to have someone of the faculty that can go beyond the expectations,” Pozzatti said. “He was a very important element to our program.”The collages that will be displayed at The Venue are also available for sale. Coleman said there will be a mixed crowd at the show Friday, guessing that for some it will be seeing the art of an old friend, but for others it will be the discovery of a new artist. Regardless of their familiarity with Lowe, Coleman said all patrons will get the same unique opportunity.“All will get the rare chance to own a work from an original master artist,” Coleman said. “Lowe is both a known and an unknown gem in Bloomington, a maker of museum-quality works.”
(04/14/11 2:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Mike Adams said he thinks highly of the Bloomington music scene. He reveres it to such an extent that he says the best music in the world is being made here. It was the vibrant population of bands and musicians that first drew Adams to move here 10 years ago.After arriving in town in 2001, Adams and some fellow local musicians started the group husband&wife, the project that Adams said gets most of his attention today. But apart from the group, he is also involved in a recent solo project, Mike Adams at His Honest Weight, and plays in Prayer Breakfast and has also joined local musician Frank Schweikhardt’s band. Though Adams is musically involved, he said he’s constantly drawn to catchy pop hooks and also has an affinity for sonic exploration and limitations.“I think my ‘sound’ is defined by my constantly trying to combine those elements into something memorable,” Adams said.Currently, Adams is in the process of working on new solo material, and listeners can look forward to an upcoming split 7 inch on Flannelgraph Records with the group Candy Claws. The group husband&wife leaves for a two-week tour of the east Friday and will return to Bloomington on May 1 with a show at The Bishop. IDS Where do you think your music sounds best? And why?ADAMS Ha, it always sounds best in my mind before I try to squeeze it out through my fingers. IDS What album are you listening to right now?ADAMS Right now, as in this second, I’m listening to “Dawn” by Mount Eerie, but that’s because I just listened to Low’s new record “C’mon” three times and thought I should take a break.IDS What’s your favorite piece of equipment and why?ADAMS I’m not much of a gear-head, but I do have a 1963 Kay Model 704 amplifier that I’ve used on every record I’ve ever made. It was also my first guitar amp, given to me by my granddad. I’ve sort of grown sentimentally attached to it, but it also sounds great and has a tremolo that I love and depend on.IDS What was the first record you bought and where?ADAMS If memory serves (and it probably doesn’t...) I think it was the self-titled Jars of Clay record at On Cue in Warsaw, Indiana. IDS What’s your favorite band right now in Bloomington?ADAMS That’s a very hard question to answer because there are a lot of great bands in Bloomington who fill different-shaped holes in my heart. I think I get the most excited when I hear that Justin Vollmar is working on something new. He’s got a great way of making relatable music, but most of the time I have no idea where he’s come from, and I love that. What I mean is, he’s got a cool perspective. I also love singing along to Sleeping Bag, or getting completely lost in a Tammar song. This list could go on, though ... the best music in the world right now is being made in Bloomington. IDS If you could play a show with another group or musician, dead or alive, who would it be?ADAMS It would be with Starflyer 59 on the tour for “Leave Here A Stranger.”
(04/07/11 2:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The northeast corner of Third Street and Jordan Avenue sits as an empty lot of land, but for Jacobs staff and students, it will be much more. “In my mind, the studio building means two things. First, it is a symbol of the rich traditions and future vision, which together make this music school so remarkable,” senior Mary McCauley said. “It is going to be an invaluable tool for all that walk its halls. It is a fitting mark of pride and excellence that this program has one of the world’s most cutting-edge studio buildings to call home.”The building that McCauley raves about is the new Jacobs School of Music Faculty Studio Building. There will be a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction at 3 p.m. Friday.The new facility will house seminar rooms, administrative offices, graduate student spaces and lounges. The majority of the new building, however, will be studios for faculty and assistant instructors — 84 of them to be exact.A new presence of studios is one that Jacobs School Dean Gwyn Richards said was in much need. Performance faculty primarily teach in their studios and virtually spend all day in the same space.The current faculty studios are windowless and cramped according to Richards. The new studios are expected to amend both of these issues. “The current rooms constructed in the 1960s can’t meet student or faculty needs. The new construction will provide a technology that otherwise wasn’t possible,” Richards said.Richards explained the new building would be equipped with cutting-edge recording equipment for audio and visual performances. He added that this new technology will change and strengthen the relationships between students and teachers.McCauley echoed Richards’ sentiment, saying the new rooms would shape the way students and professors work together to advance their musical careers. While students were looking forward to the construction of the new building, McCauley said her fellow students finally realized the promise of the space once the apartments that formerly occupied the building’s space were knocked down.Along with the new technology, Richards said it will lead to other changes within the Jacobs School, which he called “wiggle room.” Other facilities that are also out-of-date have been in need of repair, he said. Now the space is available for the additional construction that needs to be completed. Students and faculty at the Jacobs School eagerly anticipate the completion of this state-of-the-art facility.“The fact that so many have done so much to create it is the true symbol of the commitment to excellence that this school and its faculty share,” McCauley said. “This fabulous facility will stand as an enduring symbol to that process of support, vision and commitment.”
(04/07/11 2:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There is always some musical project in the works for Dylan Ettinger. graduated from IU last spring and has kept the music coming ever since.Ettinger’s current project is a solo act that has existed for five years. He called his mix of electric synthesizer sound very melodic with chaotic and warped tendencies. The musician’s most recent endeavors include the release of a seven-inch single on the Not Not Fun label, called “Lion of Judah.” South By Southwest also got a taste of Ettinger this year, as he performed in a showcase for Not Not Fun while in Austin, Texas.His next appearance will be Sunday at House Bar.While he works on his next solo album, “Lifetime of Romance,” Ettinger also has plans in the works for a band called Dry Socket.The IDS interviewed Ettinger and found out where his music sounds best, what he’s currently listening to and his equipment.IDS Where do you think your music sounds best and why?ETTINGER I think my music sounds best in a dark, dank basement. That’s the setting where I have written and recorded the majority of my music. It just feels like the natural habitat for my sounds to inhabit.IDS What album are you listening to right now?ETTINGER I’m currently listening to the album “Sentinelle” by my current obsession, Xeno & Oaklander.IDS What’s your favorite piece of equipment and why?ETTINGER Definitely my Moog Rogue synthesizer. I had to save up for a while before I could afford it, and it has been the perfect companion for touring and recording.IDS What’s your favorite band right now in Bloomington?ETTINGER My favorite local band is either Open Sex or Kam Kama. I can’t decide.IDS If you could play a show with another group or musician, dead or alive, who would it be? ETTINGER I would like to play as part of Depeche Mode. I think I would have been a good replacement for Alan Wilder. Maybe I could have discouraged them from using so much guitar in the ’90s.
(03/30/11 2:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior Dave Segedy is a soft-spoken fine arts student whose musical tendencies are the backbone of local group Sleeping Bag. Segedy, along with Lewis Rogers and David Woodruff, make up the trio that has been together since summer 2010.Sleeping Bag’s sound, Segedy said, could be qualified as pop. His steady temporal rhythms paired with catchy guitar melodies create the backdrop for Segedy’s more subtle voice. The group has released a split seven inch with Vollmar, another local brother duo, and has recently finished a full-length album to be released soon. Around town, the band has performing in venues such as The Bishop, Bluebird Nightclub, the Video Saloon and Rachael’s Café. Sleeping Bag also performed on multiple stages at this year’s South by Southwest Music Festival. Its next local performance will be April 16, Record Store Day, at Landlocked Music.The Indiana Daily Student sat down with Segedy for this week’s installment of ‘Are you listening?’ to find out about Segedy’s first record purchase and where you can check out the band.IDS Where do you think your music sounds best?Segedy In our practice space.IDS What album are you listening to right now?Segedy Starflyer 59’s “Americana.”IDS What’s your favorite piece of equipment and why?Segedy The snare drum. I’ve always thought the snare sound is the keystone to a band.IDS What was the first record you bought and where?Segedy It was “NOW! That’s What I Call Music” volume 1 at the Discount Den in Muncie, Indiana. Harvey Danger!IDS What’s your favorite band or musician right now in Bloomington?Segedy Mike AdamsIDS If you could play a show with another group or musician, dead or alive, who would it be?Segedy As cliché as it sounds, I would have liked to drum for Nirvana. Them or Deerhunter.
(03/30/11 2:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Three students will share one bill as The Comedy Attic presents the Best of Bloomington show at 8 p.m. today. The free show will feature student comedians junior Josh Murphy, senior Josh Cocks and graduate student Jamison Raymond alongside local comedians Tom Brady, Jack Skolnick, Mat Alano Martin and Jon Hancuff.Murphy, who said he has been performing at least once a week at the Attic throughout the past two years, declared an interest in stand-up at a young age.“I loved it as a kid, but it was never something you could do. Comedians were just these people you see on TV, titans who live on Olympus,” he said.After revering comedy greats from a distance, Murphy said he grew the chops to give open mic nights a try himself. Though the initial performances are pretty rough, he said growth as a comedian is really a process of getting “less worse.”Cocks echoed this sentiment of grappling with the idea of personal talent. He said before a show his mind often turns to worry.“You sit by yourself and wonder if you’ve ever been funny before and reassure yourself that this won’t be the worst thing you’ve done before,” Cocks said.Rather than an open mic, it was a contest that drew Cocks into the comedic circuit. On a whim, he entered the Rooftop Comedy College Contest in 2008 and went on to be a two-time member of the IU Comedy Team. Cocks said his reasons for enjoying stand-up are purely selfish.“I’m a huge attention whore,” he said. “I want people to look at me and listen to me. Even if people talk at me, I can talk louder.”Raymond rounds out the Hoosier comedic trio. He also got his beginnings early on, participating in improv and comedy in high school. Raymond said once he had a taste of being onstage, he was instantly addicted and hasn’t stopped since.Despite their different beginnings, all three students said they have maintained their interest in performing for a common reason: talent.“It’s the only thing I’ve ever done where I see my potential to excel and have the drive to do so,” Raymond said. “I keep doing it because I have to. There is a drive that I can’t really explain that makes me get up there.”
(03/29/11 2:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After three years of continuous creative work, candidates in the School of Fine Arts master of fine arts program will display their final works. “It’s really weird that three years went by so fast,” IU master of fine arts student Danielle Head said. “I often feel like I’m in a time warp.”Starting Tuesday, works from MFA students will be on display in the SoFA gallery and the IU Art Museum’s Special Exhibitions Gallery. Each venue will have an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday where artists will also give gallery talks about their works.The shows will be offered in a series, the first of which will be on display until April 9. Artists exhibiting with this group embody a variety of mediums, with several showing paintings and others exhibiting sculpture, metals and even digital art.Head, a photographer, will be displaying a series of color photographs titled “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Lester Kannon.” The group of self-portraits is a progression from a previous series called “Mantasies,” but it focuses on a single character. Head said before creating works, she researches content, shops for clothes and props and finally starts constructing the scene. Each of these plays a role in maintaining her passion for the medium.“What keeps me coming back to photography is the pleasure I get from constructing scenes and objects to be photographed, creating characters and performing for the camera,” Head said. “I think that seeing something that once only existed inside your head and now to see it in front of you as a thing that other people can see is the most exciting aspect for me.”Another displaying artist, Stephanie Flores, will be showing her graphic design works in the IU Art Museum. Her posters deal with a dialogue between what she calls the ultimate form of communication, rock ’n’ roll music and religion. Flores first started exploring the medium of graphic design in high school and said she initially made the choice to pursue it in college for practical reasons.“I knew I could make a living doing it, and I wasn’t much for the competitiveness required of a painter or professional illustrator,” Flores said.After working continually with the screen printing and design processes, this practicality transitioned into something more.“Why do I keep coming back? I am a designer and I am a screen printer. It is who I am,” she said.Apart from offering students the chance to display their hard work, the show also serves as the beginning of the artists’ professional careers. Flores said that besides the emotions of excitement and relief, the show also offers her feelings of accomplishment.“I feel like this is my true introduction, the real beginning, to the design world, and that is an absolutely amazing feeling,” Flores said.
(03/24/11 2:00am)
Dunn Meadow serves as a meeting place for many events during the year, and an upcoming celebration may be the messiest one yet.
(03/23/11 3:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Doug Enas is a freshman studying philosophy and is half of the musical duo, Stagnant Pools. The other half of the group is his older brother, junior Bryan Enas. They started the band almost three years ago, and with Doug on the drums and Bryan on vocals and guitar, the duo delivers what Doug called “a mix of shoegaze and alternative rock.” Stagnant Pools has played shows at venues like Russian Recording, The Bishop and basements across Bloomington. Doug said he considers the recent “Real Lies” cassette release a step toward the group’s future ambitions. He also said they are currently writing and working on releasing something official within the next year. Get to know one half of the Stagnant Pools equation.IDS Where do you think your music sounds best?DOUG A crowded basement because it’s more fun to have other people’s energy to feed off of.IDS What album are you listening to right now?DOUG Joni Mitchell, “For The Roses.”IDS What’s your favorite piece of equipment?DOUG A Fender Jaguar, even though I don’t play it, because it sounds silky smooth.IDS What was the first record you bought?DOUG “Blue Album” by Weezer at Karma Records. I asked the dude at the record store for something unique, and that’s what he gave me.IDS What is your favorite local band or musician right now in Bloomington?DOUG Tammar, I just think they’re the real deal. I like their organ player, and no one else makes music like that here.IDS If you could play a show with another group or musician, dead or alive, who would it be?DOUG Velvet Underground because I never got to see them live and I always wanted to see them. And it would be cool to hang out with them. Either them or Stevie Wonder or Rick James — someone crazy.
(03/23/11 3:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In a powerful fury in 1968, Valerie Solanas shot Andy Warhol three times, hitting him once in the chest.But what was her relationship with the artist like before this shooting spree?The IU Art Museum’s Warhol Happenings will take a suspense-filled turn Thursday with the screening of “I Shot Andy Warhol.” The film will be shown at 8 p.m. in the museum’s Special Exhibitions Gallery.The dynamic between the two artists was filled with turbulence, and this independent film follows the course of their relationship. The screening is the second event in the series of three Warhol Happenings at the museum. The first happening was a show by local indie band Tammar and had close to 290 in attendance, said Jessica Reed, publicist for the IU Art Museum. Reed said she expects a similar reception for the movie, but since it is being shown in the gallery, the museum may be restricted to a smaller number of attendees.The Happenings are being sponsored by the museum in conjunction with the current exhibit of some of Warhol’s photographs, “Shot By Warhol.” Within this film, the tables are turned.Nan Brewer, curator of Works on Paper for the museum and organizing curator for the Warhol show, said the film’s content parallels with the exhibit’s photographs.“The story of Valerie Solanas does relate to Warhol’s photographs,” she said. “At that time, he was moving away from the counterculture life of the factory to a more uptown life.”Brewer added that during the point of his life that the film explores, his social circle was transitioning to the socialite scene in New York. This sense of important change is part of what she said drew interest toward showing this particular film.“We wanted to show a feature film rather than a documentary because we thought it would be interesting to show a more fictionalized adaptation of the story,” Brewer said.For the showing of the film, the Art Museum is partnering with the Ryder Film Series. The screening offers a doubly unique experience for those who attend — apart from the chance to see the exhibit of Warhol’s photographs, the screening of the film is said to be one of the last, Brewer said.MGM will be retiring “I Shot Andy Warhol” in the near future, and Brewer encouraged students and the public alike to take advantage of this rare opportunity.
(03/09/11 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The combination of barbecue, bands and an art auction makes for a lively spring afternoon. But what about when hot molten iron is thrown into the mix?The Sculpture Guild at IU will be sponsoring “Iron It Out,” an iron pour, from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of the McCalla Sculpture School.The Guild’s interest in having the pour stemmed from a similar event in Columbus, Ind., said Payson McNett, Guild president and MFA student in sculpture. After a successful pour in the neighboring eastern town, Payton decided to create a similar event for Bloomington.IU Student Association partnered with the Guild to put on the event. This partnership is one that McNett said he values.“IUSA encourages civic engagement in order to involve the greater Bloomington community,” he said. “This pour will be open to the whole community, not just the isolated artists.”The parking lot of the McCalla School will hold the homemade furnace and cupula that the group created for this event. Allison Baker, secretary for the Sculpture Guild and BFA student in sculpture, said she hopes the nature of the iron pour will bring out a large crowd.“There are so many people and hands involved that you want to make it into a big event,” Baker said. “There will be a lot of fire, four thousand pounds of iron molten to three thousand degrees.”She said the physical work of the task is demanding but worth it in the end. McNett said he thinks the greatest benefit of the event is its educational value. Kids from the Boys and Girls Club, with whom McNett has worked and said are talented artists, will have work included in the auction. Additionally, the event will highlight the process of sculpture.“People don’t realize how cast objects are made,” McNett said. “We’re using a mix of old and new techniques — the furnace is something you might see at the turn of the century. If we don’t keep people educated about it, it might disappear.”For those who yearn for even more insight into the art of the pour, there will be a lecture by guest artist Jim Brenner at 6:45 p.m. today in Fine Arts 102. Baker said Brenner will speak about the history and fundamentals of pouring iron. Regardless of your previous knowledge, Baker said the pour is still an event worth attending.“You could come to the pour not knowing a lot and still have fun,” she said. “I mean music, fire, hot iron — it should be a great time.”
(03/08/11 3:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU senior Henok Netabai walked into Café D’Jango one morning hoping to eat breakfast. What began as an impromptu plinking of piano keys turned into the end of a hiatus for local band The Constants.The group will be performing at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Café D’Jango. This gig is the band’s first show since ending its temporary break. After making music for six years, The Constants decided to put music-making on hold , Netabai said.“We’ve done everything we could possibly do to get better. We’re always trying to change, going into new genres,” he said.Netabai said the group focused on composing rather than performing during its break. Nic Clark plays guitar with the group and worked with Netabai on exploring different musical avenues for the group to adopt.From 1950s- and ’60s-style music to rock ’n’ roll and now a ’30s sound, members of The Constants remained dedicated to the music even in their time off.“Throughout the break we played various cafes and basement shows building a following. This show at Café D’Jango is less of a comeback and more a show to end the hiatus,” Clark said.To keep with their new beginning, Clark said The Constants’ show at D’Jango will be different from their usual setup. “We will be playing a somewhat different set, mostly covers of old soul and rhythm and blues music,” he said.Netabai said he was going to Café D’Jango to eat, walked in, saw the piano and started to play. Chana Eversoll, owner of the cafe, heard him playing.“It was a very different style, a mix of jazz and rock. He only played one or two songs, and I was in the other room, but I could hear it, and it cheered me up,” Eversoll said.Netabai said Wednesday night the group will take a jazz approach to work with the environment. Netabi hopes this willl show the band’s talent for showmanship. “We want to play cafes where people will listen. We are going to play for the people, create an atmosphere that people will enjoy,” Netabai said.And if its name is any indicator, the group may become a more constant presence in the Bloomington music scene.
(02/28/11 4:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre and the entrance of the Whittenberger Auditorium had some striking similarities Sunday night. Students walked down a red carpet as balloons lead to banquet tables and finally the big screen at Union Board’s second annual Oscar Party.Union Board Director of Films Graham Davis said he was worried that the rain that had started outside might thin out the crowd. However, students still lined up early before the doors opened at 7 p.m. There was talk of who would win, which films trumped others and debate about the greatest films of the year.Though the award ceremony wasn’t scheduled to begin until 8 p.m., Davis said the choice to start early was strategic.“We opened it up early so people could watch the red carpet. I mean that’s half of the draw,” he said.Tables filled with sandwiches and crudités platters evoked the essence of a gala event for the students in attendance. As they entered, each student received four raffle tickets to enter in the chance to win prizes throughout the night.Caity Wright, Union Board’s assistant director of films, said there would be seven winners throughout the night. Prizes included DVDs of the best picture nominated films and the board game Scene-It in addition to a DVD for the larger categories.Wright participated in another facet of the evening — the costume contest. Clad in black tights, leg warmers and a pink tutu, she attended the evening dressed as Natalie Portman, a nominee for her role in “Black Swan.”“I didn’t actually see the movie. I really want Helena Bonham Carter to win,” Wright said. “She was the best in ‘The King’s Speech.’ It was my favorite movie.” Groups of friends waited for awards to be announced as they predicted the winners. Junior Sheema Qurashi, freshman Kaynaat Syed and senior Meesha Awan had differing views on who the winners would be.While Qurashi thought Portman would take home the Oscar for best actress, Syed and Awan debated over best picture.“‘The Social Network’ is a real story, so it’s not as creative as ‘Inception,’” Awan said.Qurashi added that “Inception” was the more popular of the two films.“‘Inception’ will at least win for effects,” Syed said.Despite differing opinions and tastes, all those in attendance were there to appreciate the artistic medium of film and to take part in the Union Board’s new tradition. Graduate student HuiGuo Liu said he stumbled upon the gala last year and made a point of attending again this year.“It’s always better to have something institutionalized as a tradition,” Liu said.
(02/25/11 1:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There might not be a red carpet lining the halls of the Indiana Memorial Union, but Sunday, students will gather to celebrate and watch what senior Eric Van Gucht calls the Super Bowl of the film industry.Union Board will be sponsoring its second Oscar Party to celebrate the 83rd annual Academy Awards at 7 p.m. in the Whittenberger Auditorium.Union Board Director of Films Graham Davis said last year’s party was well-attended, and this year they are hoping to build on that success. In addition to the screening of the award show, DVDs of movies up for awards will be given away. This year also marks the addition of a costume contest for attendees.Senior Shelly Kiefer said she found this aspect of the event particularly appealing.“I think any reason to dress up is a good time,” Keifer said. “Themed parties and get-togethers are pure awesomeness, and everybody loves the Grammys, Oscars and all the awards shows.”Students are encouraged to come dressed as a character from a nominated film for the chance to win a prize. Davis said this aspect of awarding attendees was a strategic choice.“We’re hoping that the initial draw will be to watch the Oscars, but the raffle and prize giveaways will be appealing, fun and make it more interactive,” David said.He also said the event was originally created in order to unite students with their love of films.Van Gucht, a self-proclaimed aspiring actor, said he has hopes Colin Firth will win for “The King’s Speech.” Sophomore Sean Kaellner said he agreed.“I predict that ‘The King’s Speech’ will take home many awards, the writing, Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush being the main reasons for this,” Kaellner said.Keifer said she differed in her opinion of potential winners and said she was banking on “The Social Network” to take home some awards. Despite differences in opinions, the collective passion for film will unite Sunday’s audience in the Whittenberger.“I think this event is great in that it lets IU students communally enjoy the ceremony aspect of the Oscars as well as provide a fun way to spend a Sunday night during the stress of midterms,” Kaellner said.
(02/23/11 4:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Game, Generationals, Girl Talk, Glue, The Globes, The Gore Gore Girls, Grizzly Bear, Grand Buffet and The Growlers are the artists listed in the brief “G” section of the alphabetical list of musical performers that the Spirit of ’68 has brought to Bloomington. During the past four years, the promotions company has gifted Bloomington music lovers with shows.Throughout February, fans have been able look back on those music memories displayed in “Making Bloomington A Better Place To Live One Show At A Time: A Spirit of ’68 Gallery Retrospective.” Now that the end of the month is near, the Blueline Gallery & Studio, is ending the exhibit in style with a closing reception at 9 p.m. Thursday.Bloomington resident Dan Coleman started Spirit of ‘68 with what he described as a very specific purpose.“There was a time when Bloomington was once considered great,” Coleman said. “I wanted to reassert Bloomington on the music map.”With each act he brought to Bloomington came promotional materials, posters and pictures. Coleman said when he realized that he had accumulated four years of posters and that they were just lying around, he came up with the idea for the gallery show.Molly Poganski, an IU alumna who graduated in 2009 and an artist exhibiting in the show, said the chance to see a compilation of work like this is something of a dying art.“In an age where most marketing for music events is digital, I think it’s nice to look at the physical artwork that artists and designers have done for events,” Poganski said.Bloomington resident and artist Julia Rickles also has work on display. Her photos from the Yeasayer show of last fall and The Blow’s performance last December at The Bishop capture some SO68 musical memories. Rickles, who came to Bloomington in 2008, said the retrospective shows how Coleman has shaped the local music scene.Chelsea Sanders, owner of the Blueline Gallery, said the gallery has sponsored retrospectives like this before but this one is unique in that it is solely dedicated to shows in Bloomington.“We wanted to have the show because it’s supporting the artists who make the posters and supporting Dan because he does a great job showcasing local artists,” Sanders said. “He’s really changed the music scene and helped local musicians.”Rickles, Sanders and Poganski agree that Coleman’s goal of remaking Bloomington as a musical mainstay has worked.“Spirit of ’68 gives the music lovers of Bloomington what they want,” Rickles said. “I think he knows the Bloomington demographic better than anyone and doesn’t just cater to the students or just the locals. He makes everyone happy.” Coleman said after seeing the successful reception that performances have received in the past, there is no reason to stop now, he might as well keep booking shows and bringing people music. His hard work will continue to be appreciated by the music fans he delivers to, Poganiski said.“I’ve seen firsthand the tremendous amount of work that goes into contacting the artists, arranging for a venue, finding other bands to play, promoting the show with flyers and online marketing, arranging payments to the artists and actually getting the show to run smoothly the day of,” Poganski said. “Most of this goes unnoticed by the people attending, but I think we all owe SO68 a big thank you.”
(02/22/11 3:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Kids like to do.”Kathy Heise, art teacher at Fairview Elementary said young students like to learn hands-on.Pair this method with the music of Indiana’s jazz greats, and the result is The Jazz Legacy of Indiana project, a collaborative project in which elementary students put knowledge of Indiana’s Jazz legacy to practice.Fifth and sixth graders of Fairview and University Elementary will be performing Thursday to mark the completion of this musical endeavor. The performance will be at 6 p.m. in the Fairview Elementary Auditorium.The project was initiated by Monika Herzig, a touring jazz artist and faculty member for the Arts Management program at SPEA. She said she wanted to have the project as part of ArtsWeek 2011 to inform the students of the rich jazz legacy that Indiana possesses. “The artists I chose kind of portray a walk through history of jazz in Indiana,” Herzig said.Hoagy Carmichael represented the first wave of jazz at the turn of the century for the students, Herzig said, while May Aufderheide was a female presence and the Deacon Hampton Family Band showed the aspect of social ties within the genre. Through studying these and many more musicians, the students gained the knowledge about jazz to create their own pieces.Maggie Olivo, art teacher at University Elementary, said when it came to the creation of music, there was a diverse reaction among the students. She said some were more excited because they already played an instrument, while others were intimidated by the prospect of playing for the first time. However, as the project progressed, the faint of heart grew more confident.“When they know their place, when they realize they’re going to perform and they’ve completed the lyrics, they all had a sense of pride,” Olivo said.Heise’s students also became connected with their musical compositions, something she said she thinks lent to the success of the project.“Inside of jazz music you can be creative, put some of yourself into it. This allows the students to put things together in a new way and connect more with what they’re learning,” Heise said.Heise, Olivo and Herzig said they agreed that there was one standout part of the project to which the students really reacted well.The classroom was visited by a musician whom Herzing called the only living link from that great era in Indiana Jazz: David Baker, chairman of the Department of Jazz Studies at the Jacob’s School of Music.On Thursday, students will perform pieces they created in the project. Students will also share reflections on the project, which will be both sung and read. Herzig said she thought the project was a success and that it fostered important values surrounding both music and education.“It inspired a willingness to create and ability to work together and gave them the freedom to step out and create something and perform for each other,” Herzig said.
(02/18/11 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Auer Hall will boom with gusto when organ music is combined with brass, saxophone and voice Sunday.The “Extensions of Tradition” concert will take place 8 p.m. Sunday in Auer Hall.Every year since 1993, the African American Arts Institute and Jacobs School of Music have worked together to put on the evening highlighting compositions from African-American composers. This year’s concert will offer something a bit different from previous performances.Dr. Leo H. Davis Jr. will be the guest artist Sunday, showcasing his organ-playing prowess. Davis is an IU and Jacobs School alumnus, who studied organ.Executive Director of the African American Arts Institute Charles E. Sykes recalled the coincidental convenience of Davis’ interest in performing at IU. He said the organist was visiting for the inauguration of the new organ in Auer Hall, and after talking with Sykes and Dean Gwyn Richards of the Jacobs School, Davis’ participation in “Extensions of Tradition” was confirmed.The pieces performed at the event will not be reserved to typical organ music, Sykes said, and because of Davis’s musical breadth and his affinity for pieces ranging from Handel to gospel, the audience will experience a variety of musical genres.Professor of music and voice Marietta Simpson is one of the artists who will perform with Davis. She said the concert shows the diversity of people who participate in the genre. Otis Murphy, associate professor of music as well as another performer for the evening, also agreed that the night warrants a unique mix.“The concert shows what musicians have to offer that might not otherwise fit the mold of classical music,” Murphy said.Murphy, who will perform a saxophone piece with Davis on the organ, also emphasized the fact that the concert is an evening for everyone to appreciate music, an idea that was echoed by Sykes. Every performance is designed to show students and the community music they haven’t heard before, Sykes said.But above all, Sykes said he values the collaborative aspect of the concert.“It allows people from different departments to work together and create something wonderful,” Sykes said.This multidimensional musical and organizational characteristic is one that Simpson also sees as beneficial for those who attend Sunday night.“There are a variety of colors that will be presented with the instrumentation that is performed, whether sax or brass or choral. But they will all maintain the high standard that this concert historically has,” Simpson said.