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Events honor leader's legacy

Venue explores the sensitive side of alt-rock

In a small living room at a dead end on E. Fifth St., The Tribute rocked out for a small crowd. The members of the Bloomington band danced and hopped in the confined space as singer Dan Patton belted out and screamed lyrics over the hard rocking music.

Spoon doesn't make me gag

Spoon, an independent pop-rock trio from Austin, Texas, makes music that is bouncy on the surface. Close listening reveals that Britt Daniel, the band's lead vocalist and main songwriter, has written some downtrodden lyrics.

Phish's Round Room a square peg

Does anyone remember what it was like to eagerly anticipate that special Christmas gift, only to receive a cheap, dissatisfying imitation on Christmas morning?

Same Weekend love, new dead fish

Another semester rolls into town and another semester of the IDS Weekend has officially begun. But this won't be just another semester. This semester we have dead fish.

J Money's formula runs dry

The fourth edition in Johnny Cash's collaborations with famed producer Rick Rubin belittles the whole Cash experience by making the dying singer a caricature of himself.

'Far From Heaven' close to perfection

I can only imagine the film pitch that director Todd Haynes must have given for his most recent film, "Far From Heaven."

Musical environmentalists play for variety and a green earth

Dave Hahn, a senior, realized he wanted to help save the world while studying marine biology in Fiji.

Fisher's story is inspirational

Antwone Fisher" is the true story of a young man's self-discovery and self-awareness through the help of a ranking Naval officer and a loving girlfriend. From that general description it doesn't sound like much more than "Good Will Hunting" with an African-American cast, but Denzel Washington (in his directorial debut) has taken this fairly standard tale of redemption and turned it into a culturally significant film as well as a good, old fashioned Hollywood story.

You choose who you love, including yourself

I was curious over winter break as to exactly how many rock concerts I have attended. Fortunately, I have saved every ticket stub, and the number I came up with was scary. I have attended 101 concerts.

New Tedeschi album shows singer's growth

Today's female flame of the blues, Susan Tedeschi, has laid down 11 solid tracks with her newest album, Wait For Me.

Pot, PlayStation fuel Brit rapper's debut

Mike Skinner is the sole member of the critically lauded hip-hop act, the Streets. The lanky Birmingham, England native melds U.K. garage, reggae and beatific faux orchestral strings with his own conversationally sing-song rhyming to a winning effect on his debut, Original Pirate Material.

Originality blooms with 'Adaptation'

I'm pathetic. I'm a loser. I have failed. I am panicked. I've sold out. I am worthless."

Dude, where's my wife?

If I could describe this movie in one word, it would probably be "cute." The ad campaign for 20th Century Fox's latest get-the-teenagers-to-spend-their-allowance movie implies that the movie will be somewhat quirky and immature, full of slapstick humor, but it's not.

Legendary Orchestra Baobab returns

Thirty years since it formed and 15 years after its departure, the legendary Senegalese group Orchestra Baobab reunited in 2002 to concoct another timeless album.

More blood featured in new Mortal Kombat

Fighting fans have longed to hear the booming cry of "Finish Him" emanate from their next-gen consoles. The spine-ripping and blood-spilling legacy set by the controversial "Mortal Kombat" had waned with countless sequels and retreads.

Silent Bob speaks ... a lot

Flicks such as "Clerks," "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy," "Dogma" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" established writer/director Kevin Smith as one of the most important and entertaining independent filmmakers of the '90s.

'Schmidt' a one-man wonder

Warren Schmidt, played by Jack Nicholson, is a good American. At 62, he's just retired as vice president of a major life-insurance company. He's a conservative Republican, listening to Limbaugh on his way to the Dairy Queen for a Reeses Pieces Blizzard. His daughter is soon to be married. Schmidt is the simple man of American legacy and life is good. Or so he'd have the audience believe.

Circus not Common's best

There is little doubt that Common is one of the most respected artists in hip hop today. He's so highly regarded that a slew of high-profile stars lined up to appear on his latest CD, Electric Circus. The list of guests is indeed impressive: Bilal, Prince, Jill Scott, ?uestlove, Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige, Cee-Lo and Pharrell Williams, along with one or more members of P.O.D., Stereolab and Zap Mama.

Top salary could attract next leader

IU's next president would be the highest paid in the Big Ten, making twice that of former president Myles Brand, if the University's board of trustees follows a consultant's advice. But IU will consider more than that in setting the new president's salary, said Stephen Ferguson, chairman of the presidential search committee and vice president of the IU board of trustees.