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(12/08/10 5:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Dream Mullick’s jewelry has brought style and sustainability to the Angle’s Cafe and Gift Shop in the IU Art Museum. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, fans will have a chance to meet the jewelry designer herself at the second annual “Meet the Designer” event inside Angle’s Cafe.“I am usually doing trade shows and meeting with sellers of the jewelry,” Mullick said. “I am looking forward to meeting and getting feedback from the customers.”Mullick began jewelry making after a trip to Indonesia 13 years ago.Since then, she said she has been inspired to make jewelry by nature, ancient cultures and her own dreams. “I spend a lot of time in Bali because our silversmiths are there,” Mullick said. “I get a lot of inspiration from my travels.”Mullick is also conscious of the environment when creating and selling her jewelry. Catalogues and postcards are printed on recycled paper with soy ink. Jewelry tags are made from recycled paper and contain wildflower seeds that grow when the tag is planted.Mullick has also partnered with the nonprofit organization Trees for the Future. The organization plants a tree for every piece of jewelry sold.So far more than 14,000 trees have been planted.Murat Candiler, the manager and buyer for Angle’s, said it is this commitment to the environment that makes Mullick the perfect designer to go along with the Themester theme of sustainability.“For every aspect of her business, her love of the earth is shown,” Candiler said.Art Museum employee Lyndsey Helling plans to attend the event.“It’s great that designers want to do this,” she said. “There are really great pieces from all designers in Angle’s Cafe, and it gives the artists a chance to talk about what they do and why.”Candiler said the event is for everyone, and because of a 20 percent discount off all items through Dec. 29 for IU faculty, students and staff, it is a great opportunity for gift shopping.“To meet the designer and learn about her inspiration makes the jewelry all the more special,” Candiler said. “It only happens here once a year.”
(12/07/10 3:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Local newcomers Fly Painted Feathers will take the Bishop stage for the first time today.“People who have played music ten times as long as we have have performed there,” percussionist and freshman Daniel Versweyveld said. “To sweat and play music where they did is incredible to me.”Fly Painted Feathers will be opening for So Many Dynamos and the local band Sleeping Bag.Freshman Harlan Kelly, Fly Painted Feather’s lead singer and guitarist, said he is honored to be opening for the bands.“Sleeping Bag is a local band I’ve known about for a while,” Kelly said. “It’s an honor, and the same goes for So Many Dynamos. I’m happy we were sought out.”Fly Painted Feathers, which also contains freshman and bassist Joe Romweber, was formed when Versweyveld and Kelly were still in high school in Madison, Ind. After the two decided they were both going to attend IU, Kelly said continuing Fly Painted Feathers wasn’t really a decision, but something that was expected.“My favorite thing to do is play music, especially with Daniel,” Kelly said. “We’ve been listening to the same music together for so long, and we have the same goals.”Romweber met the duo during freshman orientation and filled the vacancy left by Fly Painted Feather’s other bassist who still lives in Madison.Fly Painted Feathers has now been performing shows around Bloomington at places such as Rachael’s Cafe, Rhino’s Youth Media Center and Collins Living-Learning Center.Kelly said the band puts on a show to be one that he would want to go to.“One of our influences, which sounds cheesy, are pow-wows,” he said. “It’s cool for people to get involved with music together. I would feel awkward on stage if I didn’t try to get the crowd involved.”Fly Painted Feathers’ live performances contain dancing through the crowd, face paint for everyone that comes and group-style vocals.“I like ‘the floor is lava except for ten feet around the stage,’” Versweyveld said. “I don’t like to play ‘let’s sit around and listen to music’ music.”In addition to influence from pow-wows, Kelly said he takes influence from bands with a lot of energy.Romweber said he doesn’t know how he would describe Fly Painted Feathers’ sound.“I never know what to say — it’s different,” he said. “You can’t really describe it, but I like that.”Because of Bloomington’s supportive music scene, the band hopes to have recordings done soon. Romweber said he’s met a lot of cool people in Bloomington who are good at recording and interested in the band’s music. He added it’s encouraging for a young local band, such as Fly Painted Feathers.“A lot of venues enjoy smaller, local bands,” he said. “Even though we got paint on the walls at Rachael’s, they were still so nice to us.”
(12/02/10 4:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta have paired up to organize the first “Blue and White Comedy Jam” on Friday.“We paired up because we noticed in recent years there have been a lot of comedy events by the University, but they’re not very diverse,” senior and event organizer Anthony Finnell said. “We wanted to cater to the needs of everyone else.” Finnell said this was a good opportunity to raise money for the March of Dimes, which part of the proceeds from the event will go toward.The event features Chicago’s Mike Samp as the opener and Lil’ Rel as the host, with featured comedian Hot Sauce.The headliner for the evening is Los Angeles comedian Esau McGraw.Phi Beta Sigma president and senior Darren Broady said he is looking forward to all the comedians, but especially host Lil’ Rel because he’s from Broady’s hometown Chicago. “He’s really funny, and I’m sure he’s going to kill it,” Broady said.Finnell said pre-sale tickets are $10 and have been selling well despite students being strapped for cash this time of year.“It’s the end of the semester and people are running low on funds, but I would love for the house to be packed,” Finnell said.Tickets will also be available at the door for $15.Zeta Phi Beta secretary and junior Angelica Georges said she hopes people come to support the fraternity, her sorority and the charity.“This is something you won’t want to miss on a Friday night,” she said. “We’re all excited and hoping for a good turnout.”
(11/30/10 3:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Best Friends have performed in the Collins Living-Learning Center courtyard, Rachael’s Cafe and flash-shows at the Wright Quad, Read Center and Foster Quad food courts. But today will be the band’s first show at The Bishop.“The Bishop is going to be really cool,” said guitarist, vocalist and sophomore Taylor Campi. “We’ve only been together for a couple of months, so I feel like we got into the scene really fast. It’s really exciting and awesome.”The Best Friends were formed in the Collins courtyard early first semester when Campi joined in on freshmen Neal Anderson and Sven Carlsgaard performing.Since then, the band has grown to seven members through asking friends to join. All but two of the members are Collins residents.Freshman Kate Haldrup, percussionist for The Best Friends, joined on-stage during a Collins q-project performance, when the band was still called the Taylor Campi Band.“I sat in and played drums, and I was in,” Haldrup said. “It’s a different style than I’ve played before — a lot more relaxed.”Each band member is influenced by different musical backgrounds from Kimya Dawson to Sigur Ros.“Everyone individually has their own tastes that they bring,” Carlsgaard said. “Naama is jazzy, and Joseph is into acoustic punk. That’s kind of what’s cool about it.”The Best Friends will perform tonight along with another local band, Brother John. The show will also feature a solo performance from Anderson.This will not only be the group’s first performance at The Bishop, but Carlsgaard’s first time in the venue since he just turned 18.“The first time I’m at The Bishop is for playing there,” he said. “I missed a lot of good shows, but no more.”
(11/22/10 1:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>What was promised to be 12 stories in two hours turned into 11 stories in just under the allotted time, but the Collins Living-Learning Center coffeehouse crowd was no less enthusiastic about the first ever “Collins Storytelling Project” on Friday.The event brought members of the Collins community together to tell and listen to stories and was recorded for WFHB’s Saturday broadcast of “The Porch Swing.”“I’ve learned not to have expectations, but Friday night went beyond them,” event organizer and sophomore Will Mruzek said. “Even though it was story after story, it was still entertaining.”Mruzek said he estimated more than 50 people in attendance. There were no empty seats in the coffeehouse, and students without seats gathered on the edges of the room.Storyteller and graduate student Julie Rawe said she thought it was a successful event. “There were an amazing number of people in the coffeehouse for a Friday night before Thanksgiving,” Rawe said. “That goes to show that people really are interested in connecting with members of their community.”Story content varied from family and friends to politics, love, birth and death.Freshman Shannon Manley shared her experience of making a tattered pillow from scraps of her mother’s fabrics during the time her mother was in the hospital with lung cancer.“The pillow was ugly, but I didn’t worry because I had a time limit, even though I didn’t know what that time limit was,” Manley said. “When your life is in shambles, be spontaneous and stitch it together, even if it’s not pretty.”Sophomore Michelle Gottschlich attended the storytelling project.“It was like those ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ books but 10 times better, especially since you see these people around every day,” she said. “I couldn’t pick a favorite. Every story was so different.”Mruzek said he received an overwhelmingly positive response to the event and that he and fellow organizer and sophomore Barton Girdwood hope to continue with the storytelling project.“We hope to do another event by the end of the semester or early next semester,” he said. “The stories made the event. Without the storytellers, it wouldn’t have been what it was.”
(11/18/10 4:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Dark Carnival Film Festival will give all types of horror film fans their fix this weekend.The festival will present more than 30 independent horror films, which come from as close to home as Bloomington and as far as Israel and Germany.Festival director David Pruett said many filmmakers start their careers with horror films.“There is a very dedicated audience, and it’s not hard to get a cast and to get them to do it for free,” Pruett said. “We wanted to support and promote independent film in general, and the horror film fest sort of happened organically.”Now in its fourth annual year, the Dark Carnival Film Festival has received more submissions of better quality than previous years, allowing it to present what festival organizer Leya Taylor said is the best collection of films yet.Taylor said people are starting to recognize the film festival, even calling it the “Sundance of horror films.”“A lot of other film festivals will take what they can get,” Taylor said. “We’ve moved on toward being more selective.”The festival has also grown to attract celebrity guests, with this year being no exception. Guests include Mike Holman of MTV’s “Jackass” and Joe Bob Briggs, actor and critic from productions such as “Casino” and “The Daily Show.”The festival is run entirely by people involved in filmmaking and gives independent filmmakers a chance to spotlight their creations on big screens and in front of a large audience.“The reason we’re so successful is because we’re so accommodating and because we’re artists ourselves,” festival organizer and independent actor and director Marv Blauvelt said. “A lot of New Yorkers say they get treated better in Bloomington than they do anywhere else. We put on the festival the way we’d want to be treated as actors and filmmakers.”Blauvelt said the festival will be a great time for everyone, but he recommends it to students interested in filmmaking and acting.“Where else can you go where you have some of the stars and directors in the audience with you?” he said. “Even if horror is not your thing, it is a great chance to meet directors, actors and writers.”Though the festival caters to films, there will also be costume contests, tattoo contests and seminars.“There are documentaries, comedies and all subgenres of horror,” he said. “Even if you’re not a hardcore horror fan, chances are there will be something you will enjoy.”
(11/17/10 5:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Twelve stories will be told in two hours at the Collins Living-Learning Center coffee house Friday as a part of the first Collins Storytelling Project.What started out as Collins Living-Learning Center Q Project, sophomores Will Mruzek and Barton Girdwood said they hope to turn into a tradition by welcoming all members of the Collins Living-Learning Center community to listen to the life experiences of others.“The program is about speaking from memory and telling a story of your life,” said Girdwood, who is also the Vice Chair of Arts Council for Collins Living-Learning Center. “The idea is to be as if you’re with your best friend, sitting in a rocking chair, telling stories and reminiscing about how things are, how things were and how things could be.”The event will be recorded and broadcast on WFHB’s Saturday program “The Porch Swing.”“We all have memories,” Mruzak said. “People on the surface who may seem really uninteresting surely have stories to tell. Why not share them?”Several storytellers were selected after expressing interest to Mruzak and Girdwood. Others were asked by the duo to tell a story because Mruzak and Girdwood knew they had interesting stories to tell.There are no limits on the content of the stories.Freshman Kelci Schmidt will be one of the storytellers Friday. She said the inspiration for her story came from the first time she felt someone believed in her completely.“I was bad at math, and one teacher changed my life,” she said. “She just died recently, and I feel like this is a good way to honor her for everything she’s given me.”Freshman Harlan Kelly will also share experiences about his family at the storytelling project.“I am speaking about a lot of the contributing factors to who I am now, except condensed into ten minutes,” he said. “I am proud of my family. I like who they are and how they’ve influenced me.”Girdwood said the event is appropriate for Collins because by sharing personal experience, students can promote tolerance and diversity, some of the values stressed by the Collins community.“The project promotes how we’re different as a collective body of people living amongst one another,” he said.Schmidt said the event is a great community-builder and she loves the idea.“It is interesting to hear stories from someone that you don’t know at all,” she said. “It gives insight into where people come from.”Free cereal and milk will be available to those who attend, which Girdwood said is in an effort to create a relaxed event.“We’re going to eat cereal together and tell stories,” Girdwood said. “It’s meant to be a ‘let’s hang out as if we’re old friends’ type thing.”Collins Storytelling ProjectWHEN 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. FridayWHERE Collins Living-Learning Center coffee houseADMISSION Free
(11/12/10 3:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Singer-songwriter Ben Kweller last performed in Bloomington in February 2009. His last performance was also at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, a venue Kweller said he loved.“The biggest thing is playing a cool room with a bunch of fans just enjoying the environment,” he said. “Things like that really stick in your mind and make you want to come back.”The singer-songwriter will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Burkirk-Chumley Theater as part of his fall tour.Julia Nunes, who was introduced to Kweller through Twitter, is the night’s opening performer. Nunes gained notoriety as a YouTube acoustic musician who covers pop songs using instruments such as the piano, acoustic guitar and ukulele.“People are always excited and impressed with Julia’s talent as a musician as well as her charismatic personality,” Neeley Polka of Julia Nunes’ Management Team said. “I think she’s inspired a lot of people to take up the uke, actually.”Marketing Director for the Buskirk-Chumley Maarten Bout said he’s noticed musicians, like Kweller, return to Bloomington more and more.“If an artist requests to come back, then they must really like the city,” Bout said. “I’m excited Kweller chose the Buskirk as a venue to come back to.”Bout suggested the public buy tickets in advance rather than at the door.“It’s going to be a very intimate experience,” he said. “Given the size of our space, people often say they feel so close to the musician that they feel the musician is only playing for them.”Kweller said his tour is going well so far and that he is excited for Saturday’s performance.“Getting up there, making sure my sound is right before the show and then having a great time with everyone is all I could hope for,” Kweller said. “That is what I would like to see on the rest of the tour too, just make sure that every night I get up there and have a good time.”
(11/10/10 4:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>WIUX 99.1 FM, IU’s student-run radio station, is asking for donations. They began their sixth Fall Pledge Drive Monday that will run until Nov. 19. The drive is part of an effort to fund the staff’s undertaking of an entire station renovation and purchase of sound processing equipment.“WIUX has a long and rich history at IU,” said senior Kat Coplen, the public relations director and chief blog editor of WIUX. “We’re working on a renovation and updating for the next generation.”While previous pledge drives have taken place during a weekend or week, this fall’s drive is different because it is two weeks long. Donors must make pledges online instead of via phone.“Since the drive is going on for so long, we are only taking donations online to help make the amount of work we have to do, since we are all full-time students, more reasonable,” said senior Taylor Peters, business operations director of WIUX.The goal for the drive is $5,000, which will cover most of the sound processing equipment — freeing up funds that WIUX receives from IU to go towards the renovation.“We’ve got a pretty limited budget every year, and a lot of that has to go towards consistent operational costs,” Peters said. “The extra money we are able to raise helps us to continue to move forward in quality.”In an effort to attract listeners and pledges, WIUX has a number of events planned for the week, such as a VIP show in the station Friday. The in-studio performance will be from the Chicago-bred group Cains & Abels. To be there, fans must indicate interest to the show via the online form and be one of the 25 donors who donate at least $10 by 3 p.m. Friday. Ben Kweller, who will be performing at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Saturday, will also have an in-studio performance with Julia Nunes. Kweller and Nunes’ air time will contain two acoustic sets and interview-style questions with the musicians.“There is a game Saturday, so the time is not confirmed yet,” senior and WIUX general manager Ryan Patena said. “It’s a good problem to have two popular programs. We like to bring interesting and high-caliber performers into the studio for students and listeners.”Coplen said pledging is important because it allows WIUX to keep the content fresh.“Pledging allows us to update technology and give the listener the best quality of music, news and sports they could ask for,” she said. “WIUX is an amazing organization.”HOW TO DONATEDonations can be made online at www.wiux.org/pledge/.
(11/04/10 4:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Models struck poses for Pakistan Wednesday at “Fashion for Flood Relief." The fashion show was in the grand hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center to raise awareness and donations for the floods in Pakistan.“I don’t think there could be a better cause to support,” freshman Evan Kolb said.All proceeds from the fashion show went to the Edhi Foundation, which will provide homes and clothing to those affected by the floods.The floods, which began in July 2010, have affected 20 million people with a death toll close to 2,000 people.“The money is for a good cause,” sophomore Aparna Yadevalli said. “I’m an apparel merchandising major, so I’m also interested in the clothes.”The event was presented by Union Board, Hutton Honors College and the Pakistani Student Association.As guests arrived they were presented with food from several local restaurants.The event featured the IU HoosierRaas dance team, followed by a slideshow displaying photographs from the destruction of the flood.The fashion show portion of the evening featured 30 students modeling the traditional shalwar kameez style of dress. Clothing modeled during the fashion show was gathered through a collaborative effort from the models and their friends and families. The Paul Mitchell School of Indianapolis provided hair and makeup for the models.“I have two sisters, so a lot of the clothing came from that,” senior and fashion show coordinator Syma Raza said. “People would go home over the weekend and bring back cases of clothing.”Raza said more than 200 tickets were sold — a turnout she said she’s happy with.“The food, music, hair and clothing really made everything come together,” Raza said. “I was worried because the event was on a Wednesday night, but people really seemed to enjoy it.”
(11/04/10 3:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Dancing shoes are advised for the 17th year of “A Potpourri of the Arts in the African American Tradition.”The event at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater is sponsored by the IU African American Arts Institute.Ensembles from three IU courses will take the stage Saturday, including the African American Choral Ensemble, the African American Dance Company and the IU Soul Revue.While there is not a specified theme, many of the ensembles feature singing, dancing and live music that center around rhythm and the drum.“Rhythm is so important to African tradition,” said Dr. Charles Sykes, the executive director of the African American Arts Institute. “It has transcended all places African culture has gone.”Director of the African American Choral Ensemble Keith McCutchen’s ensemble will pay tribute to composer Undine Smith Moore and her impact on McCutchen’s predecessor, Professor Emeritus Dr. James Mumford.“I hope to honor Undine and the tradition of this University,” McCutchen said.The African American Dance Company’s performance will focus on the social and political concepts of Marcus Garvey’s idea of going back to Africa.“The piece is about being black and proud,” director of the African American Dance Company Iris Rosa said. “There is the idea of moving back to the motherland, and at the end of the piece there is a release.”Nathanael Mahluli, the director of the IU Soul Revue, said he wanted to keep his ensemble’s set firmly rooted in the 1960s rock and soul era.“So much music today is electronic, ‘drag and drop’ music,” he said. “There is no artistry — the blood, sweat and tears it takes to learn an instrument and perform with others.”At the conclusion of the ensemble’s individual performances, a finale titled “Rhythm — The Heart of our People” will unite the three ensembles.“The finale brings the whole shows together into a theme of the importance of the drum and rhythm in African American culture,” Sykes said.With different styles being presented throughout the performance, Sykes said each person will be able to take something with them that they enjoyed.“I hope people learn something new,” he said. “This is an opportunity to entertain, but it’s also an opportunity to learn, whether it be a different rhythm, a different move or a different song.”
(10/29/10 3:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Cardinal Stage Company and the Buskirk-Chumley Theater are allowing fans of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” to participate in the “Time Warp” for the sixth year.“I was about the start Cardinal Stage Company and had to think of a way to raise money for a first show,” Artistic Director for Cardinal Stage Company Randy White said. “We had the idea to show ‘Rocky,’ and it sold out. We turned hundreds of people away.”“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is the 1975 film adaptation of the British musical “The Rocky Horror Show.”In 1977, the film gained notoriety as a midnight movie once audiences started participating with it in the theaters. Since then, it has become a cult phenomenon.Guests can purchase bags containing rice, newspaper, toast and other goods that are used at various moments throughout the film. Traditionally, fans take cues for when to quote lines, throw props and sing along.“This is not the type of movie that you sit down and watch,” White said. “Everyone shouts back to the screen. At appropriate moments, everyone is dancing to the ‘Time Warp.’”Thirty minutes before the film there will be a “devirginizing” ceremony where participants who have never been to a “Rocky Horror” film screening will be involved in events such as a costume contest. White said the ceremony is in an effort to relax people and allow them to let their hair down.Proceeds from the event will benefit Cardinal Stage Company’s educational initiatives, such as the community access ticket initiative, which gives kids who otherwise wouldn’t be able to see the show a free ticket.Freshman Meara Thombre said she will be attending the Saturday night film screening.“I saw the movie, and I just loved how charismatic Tim Curry was,” Thombre said. “The raw sensuality of the whole thing is amazing to me.”Guests are urged to come in costume — tickets are $10 for attendees dressed up and $15 for attendees who are not.“I would say 90 to 95 percent of the audience dresses up,” White said. “You couldn’t believe the variety of costumes.”Allison Parman, marketing assistant for the Cardinal Stage Company, said the event is really popular amongst students and said she hopes people come out.“We call it the wildest fundraiser in town,” she said. “The whole atmosphere is a party.”
(10/27/10 4:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“The Wiz” is opening Thursday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The IDS spoke to sophomore Allie Hillmann, who plays the role of Addaperle, the good witch of the north.IDS How did you end up becoming involved in the production of “The Wiz?”HILLMANN I just transferred here from a small college, St. Joseph’s of Indiana. I am a theater major, and I wanted to audition for different shows and this seemed really cool. I was pretty hooked. I wanted to get into the cast after the first audition. I was pumped from the get-go.IDS Can you tell me about this version of “The Wiz?”HILLMANN It is very different. It has a darker tone from the film. I don’t want to say it’s adult-themed, but it’s not childish like we’re used to. The script we were handed had no stage direction. It was all up to us how to interpret the lines. Ways to read the lines like “hopefully” and “angrily” weren’t given to us, so it helped us to build the character to however we wanted it to be.IDS What do you think of the different take on directing?HILLMANN It makes it much more personal. I wanted to come to a big school like IU because theater is an evolving art. If you leave a play to one interpretation it kind of dies.IDS What did you bring to your interpretation of Addaperle?HILLMANN I wasn’t exactly sure how to read the lines. The lines a lot of the time seem odd or like you’d have to be the coolest person alive to say them. I adopted kind of a jazz cat attitude, but wasn’t feeling it, so I did the opposite. I became ditsy, spacey and not the most intelligent person.IDS Are you happy with your portrayal of Addaperle?HILLMANN I am very happy. I feel comfortable that I’m Addaperle, and that’s how she would be. It just seems right.IDS What all is involved in the production of “The Wiz?”HILLMANN There is lots of choreography, lots of big chorus numbers. Normally, when you see a musical character break into song, you’re supposed to accept it as reality. We use hand-held mics and different lighting when we break from reality. It breaks down the fourth wall of audience’s awareness and is kind of cool.IDS Is this your first performance at IU? Is it any different?HILLMANN Yes. We were given so much space to do what we wanted with the characters. Everyone is so professional, which is nice. Everyone goes in there wanting to work, which is refreshing after coming from a smaller school. IDS Are you looking forward to opening night?HILLMANN I’m so excited. The cast is awesome. They’re some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. It’s been nice having that welcome environment coming to such a big school in what can be a less-than-welcoming art.
(10/22/10 3:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Gabriel Sunday, the lead actor, co-writer and co-producer of “My Suicide” was at the Root Cellar in Bloomington on Thursday as part of the Midwest showing of the film. Sunday plays the character of Archie.IDS How old are you?SUNDAY I just turned 25 actually.IDS What did you do for your birthday?SUNDAY I had kind of a 3-day thing. I live in communal housing with 15 people in L.A., and we had a get together. I went to a friend’s house, Jordan.IDS The director’s son? SUNDAY Yeah, we made a fort in his sister’s room. We just hung out, listened to vinyl, had some drinks, passed out on the carpet.IDS What time did you get into Bloomington?SUNDAY Maybe seven hours ago. I’m kind of out of it. I’m really good at flying and taking naps and falling asleep wherever I can.IDS Where are you from?SUNDAY Northern California originally. I lived in the Midwest for five to six years.IDS Where at in the Midwest?SUNDAY Wayzata, Minnesota. We moved there when I was in kindergarten. I’ve been in nine different schools, which is one reason I probably connected with [Archie] by not having one central place I grew up and feeling kind of disconnected.IDS Do you think anyone in the room knows you?SUNDAY I don’t know. I got one look from a girl who smiled, but I think maybe she was just being nice.IDS Do you like when people know who you are?SUNDAY I hope I’ll walk in and I won’t be called a loser. You hope to walk in and be on the top of the room, but I don’t hope people come over and want me to write on a piece of paper, but it’s still nice. When people come up and want to talk about this movie, they always have a story. I have some beautiful and strange conversations. They take you to some weird places.IDS Have you ever been around Bloomington?SUNDAY No. I’ve never been to Indiana. I just bought this [Indiana] sweatshirt, so I look like a local. I’m eating the wings, I’m wearing the clothes.IDS What do you think of Bloomington?SUNDAY It’s wonderful. I never went to college. I worked on “My Suicide” right out of high school. I graduated early. I missed out on the college experience. My sister went to Chico. It’s the party school of the century. I spent one night there in junior high and crawled under her bed, crying. But after two and a half years editing “My Suicide,” I was kind of lonely and angst-ridden. I started a communal house in L.A. with 14 people. That’s kind of been my college experience. I’m actually missing the last party for this [screening]. The group’s breaking up.IDS How did you get into film?SUNDAY I’ve always been a performer. I was always on stage being a little attention whore. I went to circus camp, and I can do magic. When I was growing up I didn’t hang out with a lot of people. I watched a lot of movies. The first film I ever did was a documentary about my time on the road with Wavy Gravy, Patch Adams and Baba Ram Dass. Wavy runs the circus camp I’ve been going to for 15 years. That molded me into who I’ve become, kind of the hippie-dippie side. The narcissistic, depressed-artist stuff mixes in with that.IDS What do you do on your free time?SUNDAY I spend a lot of time helping around the communal house, which is ending. I spend a lot of time writing. I’m always looking to be a part of a mainstream, Hollywood movie. You fail many more times than you succeed.IDS What music have you been listening to lately?SUNDAY I have an iPhone, but I only play Pandora. I’ve been listening to a lot of classical. My most played station is ELO. I love ELO. Bob Dylan and Neil Young hold up. I saw Bob a year ago at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood.IDS How do you prepare for a role?SUNDAY My preparation for “My Suicide” was a lot different. Figuring out how to do it was challenging. A lot of post-prep was me wanting to dive in and make it better. We did a lot of reshooting to make it more honest. I’m a lot more method now. I’ll write diaries as the character. But filmmaking is more comfortable for me. The editing room is like a womb or something. It’s very safe. Acting doesn’t feel so safe. I feel very in my head, which is maybe why I don’t get a lot of roles or auditions.IDS Is it weird to watch a movie you’re in?SUNDAY Not anymore because I edited [“My Suicide”], so I’m used to every frame. But I think usually yeah.IDS What are some of your favorite movies?SUNDAY I like everything by P.T. Anderson. I love everything by Stanley Cooper. I love ... this is an important question. You don’t want to say something everybody likes. There are things not in the foremost of your mind that you love. I love “The Matrix.”IDS All of them or just the original?SUNDAY No. Just the original. I love “Lawrence of Arabia.” It’s amazing. “Natural Born Killers.” I like a movie that sends you on some out-of-this-world adventure. Anything by the Coen brothers.IDS What’s your favorite?SUNDAY “Fargo.” But I love “Raising Arizona,” “The Big Lebowski.” I love all of them.IDS What do you do when you lock your keys in the car?SUNDAY I usually spend 10 minutes trying to find the hide-a-key I think I have but don’t. Then I call AAA. I also have a sketchy roommate that knows how to break into cars.IDS Tell me about your next film. The one about Daniel Johnston.SUNDAY I used to be much more comfortable talking about it. I’m in the midst of figuring it out. It’s Daniel’s story from Daniel’s point-of-view.
(10/21/10 3:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>JMUSE Productionz is preparing to take the stage this weekend in “The Divining,” a showcase of dance styles such as stepping and ballet and musical styles from neo-soul to classical. JMUSE Productionz, which stands for Just Making Use of Soulful Expressions, will present “The Divining,” a production about the Middle Passage, at 8 p.m. Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.“The Divining” is based off the story by Maria Eliza Hamilton Abegunde called “The Ariran’s Last Life.” “The Ariran’s Last Life” tells the story of a young girl, Abiodun, who uses the Yoruban method of memory recall before she experiences the Middle Passage, the stage of the triangular trade that transported slaves from Africa to the New World.Four musicians will play an array of instruments including piano, kalimba, flutes and trumpets.“The production relays the sentiments of what we believe to be one of the greatest undocumented tragedies in human history,” Melody Barham, production manager for JMUSE Productionz, said. “We have artifacts from the Holocaust, but not from the Middle Passage.”Talks for creating the show began last summer during a dinner with JMUSE director Justin Merrick and his friends. Merrick said his friends knew he had wanted to put on a production about the Middle Passage and urged him to begin.There will be 40 people taking the stage Friday.“I wanted to create something outside of Black History Month that everyone could enjoy,” said Merrick, who is also the founder of JMUSE Productionz.“I teach for the African American Arts Association,” he said. “When I started JMUSE, it was about being able to have a platform for students to enhance what they do.”JMUSE Productionz has now grown to a group of about 50 people.Head of publicity for JMUSE Productionz Robyn Coleman said she hopes people enjoy the hard work that was put into the production and learn as well.“I want people to appreciate our retelling of the Middle Passage,” she said. “I really want them to feel what was happening and to feel the pain and the anguish. I want people to see our production as the beginning for exploring more and gaining knowledge.”
(10/18/10 3:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Don’t kill yourself, kill the part of yourself that’s all about you” was a message that stuck with junior Adam Johnson on Friday night at the Midwest premiere of “My Suicide.”“I didn’t know what the movie was about. I just kept hearing it was about a kid wanting to make a documentary about killing himself,” he said. “I liked it a lot. That quote was the best part.”“My Suicide,” a film compiling many different genres, including romance, drama and comedy, is about Archie Williams, who announces to his class that he will kill himself on camera for a class project.The chaos that ensues and the relationship he makes with a girl takes the audience on Archie’s journey through a technology-obsessed society, therapy, parties, drugs, narcissism, and of course, suicide.The film was screened for the first time in Bloomington on Friday at the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts Theater.A crowd of about 170 people, including the director David Lee Miller, was present for the showing of the fast-paced and media-fixated film.Ed Schwartzman is responsible for bringing the film to Bloomington. The film premiered on the three year anniversary of the day that Schwartzman’s son took his own life. Schwartzman’s daughter, sophomore Hailey Schwartzman, was present Friday.“For me it cleared up a lot of thoughts,” she said. “This isn’t a perfect world. There are a lot of stimuli, and a person can get very lost in the world. The movie sends a good message of how to find yourself.”Hailey Schwartzman’s grandmother, Shirley Schwartzman, was also present. She travelled from New York to see the film.“I was filled with angst and terrified to see this film,” she said. “Knowing that my granddaughter was going to be here gave me the strength to see it.”At the end of the film, Miller invited the audience to pose questions about “My Suicide.”“There were health professionals here with concern about the message the movie would send,” he said. “It hasn’t been our experience that the movie is like that. The film starts the conversation. It is about pain, narcissism, connecting and ultimately being born again.”The movie screened again Saturday to a smaller crowd. However, Ed Schwartzman said he is confident that next weekend’s screenings will pull in a bigger audience. He also said he is grateful to the Ryder for making the film a part of the Ryder Film Festival.Lead actor, producer and editor Gabriel Sunday will be present at next week’s Friday and Saturday film screenings.“I understand people are busy and have lives to lead,” Schwartzman said. “I hope that people that have seen the film will all become advocates so that when the film premieres in February, there will be people waiting in line to see it and not because of a $50 million ad campaign, but because a friend of a friend told them.”Miller said his goal is to let more people know what kind of film they’ll be experiencing when they view “My Suicide.”“There might be a lot of people who won’t come because they think it’s a public service announcement,” Miller said. “People dig the movie. There’s a suicide prevention component to it, but it’s a cool film.”
(10/14/10 4:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The New Pornographers and My Gold Mask brought energy to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Wednesday.Performing to a nearly sold-out crowd, My Gold Mask began just after 8 p.m. “We are so honored to be opening for The New Pornographers,” My Gold Mask guitarist and vocalist Jack Armando said.This was the first visit to Bloomington for both bands.“Everyone was really receptive,” Armando said. “They seem to appreciate new music here, and that’s always a good thing when you’re a new band.”The New Pornographers began after 9:15 p.m. and started with “Sing Me Spanish Techno,” which was received with cheers and applause. The group performed beneath suspended and lighted letters spelling out the band’s name, complementing the loud, energy-filled room.“This is a party,” vocalist AC Newman said.Newman joked with vocalist Neko Case to a response of cheers from the crowd.“A week night party,” responded Case.Case smiled to the crowd as the band prepared for the next song.“Is it a week night? We don’t know because we’re a rock ’n roll band,” Newman said.The band performed songs such as “Up in the Dark,” a song from their newest album “Together,” and “The Laws have Changed.”“I just got into indie music about two years ago,” Bloomington resident Jenn Harmless said. “The New Pornographers were one of the first bands that made me say ‘Oh my god, I love this song.’”The crowd contained fans that were seeing The New Pornographers for the second and third times. Mike Milvae, a West Lafayette resident, travelled two hours to see The New Pornographers for the third time.Case, a contributing vocalist to the New Pornographers as well as a solo artist, does not always tour with the band, but was present at Wednesday’s show.“I listen to Neko Case more than I listen to the New Pornographers,” senior Erin Looper said. “She is an artist I put on repeat until I get absolutely sick of a song.”The New Pornographers arrived around 1 p.m. and were set up for the show by 4 p.m. BCT stagehand Fritz Busch said while the setup was more involved because of the amount of members in the band, the crew was prepared.“With smaller bands sometimes we spend more time setting up because they’re more specific,” he said. “The New Pornographers are a large band that have been together for a while and are a little more comfortable. They seem like a fun group of guys and girls.”Maarten Bout, the marketing director for the BCT, said he knew the concert would be a success and hopes to have The New Pornographers return.“It would be wonderful to have them back,” he said.
(10/14/10 3:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Plans to bring the film “My Suicide” to Bloomington was an effort by part-owner of Buffa Louie’s Ed Schwartzman, who lost his son, Ben, to suicide three years to the day of the film premiere on Oct. 15.Since his son’s death, Schwartzman has spent time promoting the recording of his son’s music.Described as a romantic, coming-of-age comedy-drama, the film tells the story of Archibald Holden Buster Williams, his media obsession, the girl he loves and the chaos that ensues when he announces to his class he will film his own death.“We wanted to be completely, brutally honest about how people are these days and not sugarcoat it,” lead actor, writer and editor Gabriel Sunday said. “I think young people’s bullshit meter is really low these days — they can sense when they’re not being told the truth.”Plans to bring the movie to Bloomington began after part-owner of Buffa Louie’s Ed Schwartzman contacted Miller. Through a chance message from a stranger on Facebook, Schwartzman clicked on a link to the film’s website, mysuicide.net, and contacted Miller and Sunday.“I thought it was someone playing a horrible joke,” Schwartzman said. “You never know with the Internet these days what it could be. But curiosity got the best of me, and I was drawn in immediately.”Miller, who had been looking for an appropriate town in which to screen the film, began working with Schwartzman to bring the film to Bloomington. It is now being shown as part of the Ryder Film Festival.“Schwartzman guided us, it was very serendipitous,” Miller said. “Bloomington is perfect. It’s young, hip and there are 45,000 college students. We’re excited.”In addition to touching on a heavy subject matter, the film also brings a voice to a generation that director David Lee Miller calls connected, yet still disconnected.“It’s an exciting time to be young,” Miller said. “I think this is the first time a generation has ever been better and smarter than their parents at things like business, computers and communication skills. I think kids deserve respect for their achievements, but a lot of kids get the opposite. They are told they have it easy.”Miller, Sunday and Schwartzman each said they believe the film starts the conversation on a topic that is usually taboo.“There are some suicide experts that still refer to suicide as the ‘s-word,’” Miller said. “We hope the film will start controversy and shatter the silence.”Schwartzman said “My Suicide” is a film everyone needs to see. He also said if his son had seen “My Suicide,” he believes there might be a chance he would be alive today. “There’s nothing I can do to bring my son back,” Schwartzman said. “But if I were the last father to lose his son, that’s alright with me.”
(10/12/10 1:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Canadian indie rock band The New Pornographers will be performing their first Bloomington show at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Wednesday. The band, including contributing and solo artist Neko Case, will begin their performance at 8 p.m.“Their music is easy to listen to,” sophomore Will McHenry said. “It’s accessible and well done, and it’s easy to dance to.”This is the band’s first stop on an eight-city tour.“I am sure promoters have been trying to bring the New Pornographers to Bloomington for a long time,” said Marten Bout, marketing director for the BCT. “We’re thrilled that they’ve chosen to kick off their fall tour with a concert at the BCT. It is remarkable how many A-level bands and performing artists chose to play in Bloomington, and it really shows how Bloomington in many ways still is on the crossroads of America.”The band’s fifth album, “Together”, was released earlier this year in May, followed by a late summer tour.The New Pornographers were brought to Bloomington through a collaborative effort from local music label Secretly Canadian, The Billions Corporation booking agency and the BCT.“The owners of Secretly Canadian were looking to bring more shows to Bloomington,” said Billions’ booking agent Ali Hedrick. “They were interested in Neko Case, but I told them I could get them a New Pornographers date. It all kind of fell into place.”Case, who occasionally tours with The New Pornographers and contributes vocals, will be present at Wednesday’s show.“She’s a pretty big musician in her own right,” McHenry said. “She’s my favorite artist, and I don’t know if she travels with them all that often, so when I found out she was playing with them, I freaked out.”Hedrick said Billions, which often books The New Pornographers in large cities, makes an effort to book the band in smaller and college-oriented cities.“Any touring rock and roll band needs to play to college kids — that’s where their fans are,” Hedrick said. “There are lots of people and excitement, and that’s where new fans are.” McHenry said the tickets, which are $30 for the main balcony and floor and $27.50 for the upper balcony, were no concern when it came to buying a ticket for the show.“I don’t go to a lot of shows, so if it’s one of my favorite bands, I’m willing to pay a lot,” he said.Bout said ticket sales are doing well.“The tickets have been flying off the shelf, and that is not surprising since the band has a very dedicated fan base here in town,” Bout said. “For concerts like this, we typically draw quite a few people from within 2 1/2 hours driving distance, because Bloomington is accessible and is well-known as a great destination.“****Songwriter and vocalist for The New Pornographers, AC Newman, spoke to the IDS from his home in Woodstock, N.Y.IDS You’ve never played in Bloomington before. Do you make an effort to perform in college towns or smaller cities?NEWMAN We just don’t tour a massive amount. We’re not on the road eight months out of the year, so when we do go on a tour, we always hit massive towns. But it’s always cool to go to smaller places. It’s great to play in a new place because you don’t feel like you’ve oversaturated people.IDS What have you been listening to lately?NEWMAN I’ve been listening to a guitarist who died in the ’80s, Robbie Basho. I guess he was mainly known for playing guitar. I’ve also been listening to an old singer-songwriter, Judee Sill. She also died a while ago in the late ’70s. A lot of outsider folk embraces Judee Sill. I was shocked. I’d never listened to her.IDS You’re one of the principle songwriters for the New Pornographers. Do you draw influences from who you’re listening to at the time when it comes to writing songs for new albums?NEWMAN I’m always influenced by whatever I’m listening to. People call me a classicist. I know people say I have a certain style, but I absorb whatever is around. I’ll hear a cool band and be like “Yeah, we should sound more like them,” but it never really works out that way. I just try to listen to a lot of music.IDS Is there anything you do to keep yourself occupied on long trips?NEWMAN It’s hard to stay sane on long trips. I try to get myself reading a lot to keep myself sane. It’s so easy to live an unhealthy, unfocused life on tour. It’s hard not to drink too much, stay up late, sleep in. Neko is good about keeping herself together. She exercises a lot, and I don’t.IDS Is there anything you’d like to say to the people coming out to see you Wednesday?NEWMAN Sorry it took us so long.
(10/11/10 2:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore Emilce Sanchez spooned a gob of Nutella onto a slice of bread and tasted it for the first time.“Bread and Nutella is a surprisingly tasty combo,” she said. “It just tastes like chocolate.”All around the Collins courtyard, amongst construction and live music, students such as Sanchez celebrated the cocoa-hazelnut spread at the third annual Nutella Fest .All day, drippy spoonfuls of Nutella were smothered onto ice cream and slices of bread. Fifteen performers and musicians, from crumpers to bellydancers, performed from 1 p.m. until midnight. Students enjoyed bands from the Collins veranda in the midst of a clear, 80 degree day.Musicians including Chicago’s Lord of the Yum Yum and local band The Vallures gave students a chance to dance.“Lord of the Yum Yum was pretty awesome and a little crazy,” freshman Steve Ambrosini said. Nutella Fest was created to combine senior and IDS employee Ted Somerville’s love of Nutella with his love of diverse, talented musicians. Despite losing four bands the day of Nutella Fest, Somerville said he considered the festival a success.“This year has been a much greater challenge,” he said. “All of the groups really stepped it up, and I appreciate it.”This was the biggest Nutella Fest Somerville has helped organize, with 300 to 400 students coming and going throughout the day.“I went to the first Nutella Fest, and it’s so funny to see how much it has grown,” freshman and Bloomington resident Alice Knipstine said. “It used to be a bunch of people around a table eating Nutella.”Although this is Somerville’s last year on campus to help organize the event, Director of Arts and Culture for the Residence Hall Association Marianna Eble, who organized the event alongside Somerville, remains confident the event will continue as long as the ambition is there.“As long as you’re working with someone who appreciates music and wants to put it out there for people to enjoy, you’re going to have a good show,” she said. “It’s that ambition that makes Nutella Fest.”