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(07/19/07 4:00am)
MUSICREVIEW
Spoon
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
4 stars
Fans of the Austin band Spoon could make an argument for dividing the career of Britt Daniel and his indie rock outfit into two distinct periods.
First comes the time prior to their signing with Durham-based Merge Records, which gave way to two respectable albums and a triumvirate of good EPs.
Then there are the four years that followed, which saw the band release three acclaimed and (relatively) popular LPs: 2001's Girls Can Tell, 2002's Kill the Moonlight and 2005's Gimme Fiction.
With that consistent acclaim and a growing fan base came a great amount of buzz surrounding the release of their fourth Merge record, the oddly titled Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.
It's actually named for the fragmented and circular wind melody heard on the album's second track, "The Ghost of You Lingers" - it'll make sense when you hear it.
And as far as the band's Merge years are concerned, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is Spoon's best album since Girls Can Tell.
In some ways, it's even better.
Its opening track ("Don't Make Me a Target") is a more mature, alluring introduction to the album than Girls Can Tell's "Everything Hits at Once," and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga boasts a cheery consistency while Girls Can Tell felt more disjointed than cohesive in sound.
That being said, what Spoon album hasn't been compared to Girls Can Tell? It set the framework for their future albums, and Spoon has stuck to that same musical formula ever since. And that's left Daniel with little to improve upon since Girls Can Tell was a phenomenal album that showcased a mastery of indie rock craftsmanship and pop sensibilities.
So, by that account, it seems that Daniel and company are merely competing with themselves on Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, essentially asking each other, "Can we do better this time around? Is there even room for a new take on what we already know works well?"
The answer to both of those questions is a resounding "yes."
Daniel, with his unmistakable voice, succeeds rather brilliantly in his efforts to make an album that is both outstanding on a technical scale and catchy as all get-out.
It's a rare thing to find an album that's able to meet both the hipster's definition of what indie rock should be and the mainstream's expectations of what pop/rock is supposed to sound like.
Immediate examples that come to mind are Saturday Looks Good To Me's Every Night, The Shins' Chutes Too Narrow or anything by The New Pornographers.
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga most certainly is one of those types of albums, and, if you had to pick just one, it's probably the only Spoon release that fits the bill. It's focused, spirited and, perhaps most importantly, imbued with a sense of history.
It somehow manages to experiment with new sounds while also sounding like every other Spoon LP that's preceded it, particularly Kill the Moonlight, which, up until now, was Daniel's poppiest affair to date.
If "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" and its lulling tambourine is Daniel's nod to Motown-inspired soul, then it's also an homage to the kinetic pop energy heard on Kill the Moonlight's "The Way We Get By."
And if middle track "Rhythm & Soul," in all its piano-and-drum-goodness, is at all reminiscent of "All the Pretty Girls Go to the City," it's fair to say that Daniel saw something worth holding on to in his previous effort.
"You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" easily is the album's strongest offering, with the ska-influenced "The Underdog" coming in a close second. "Black Like Me," the only song on Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga that comes close to being called a ballad, proves to be a solid effort, as well, as does the downbeat "Don't You Evah."
Daniel knows what makes a great record - he's proved that four times over - and he also knows what his fans want to hear.
That's what makes Spoon one of the most reliable indie rock acts currently recording, and it's what makes Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, without question, one of the best records of the year.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(04/26/07 4:00am)
Movie Review
Disturbia
3.5 Stars
The most you can ask of a film, regardless of genre or star power, is that it entertain you.
"Disturbia," in all its teeny-bopper glory, entertains with the best of them. It's one of those unique films that you almost feel bad for liking.
But if you're part of the film's target demographic -in this case, not old enough to buy a pack of Camel Lights - then you'll surely enjoy everything director D.J. Caruso offers in "Disturbia."
The beauty of this film, though, is that moviegoers outside of that intended sect can find plenty of things to like.
For one, there's the premise. Everyone seems to agree that "Disturbia" takes its cinematic cues from Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window," and that's partly true. Yes, the protagonist is confined to his house. And yes, he thinks he sees a murder through his window.
But that's pretty much where the similarities end, and that's probably a good thing because had "Disturbia" tried to play like a modern-day Hitchcock regurgitation, it probably would've been awful.
The film - thanks in large part to an engaging lead performance by Shia LaBeouf - succeeds not only as kid-friendly fodder but also as a slick, intelligent thriller that, quite simply, entertains for the duration of its 104 minutes.
And that's not even mentioning the great on-screen chemistry between LaBeouf, who's fast-becoming one of Hollywood's most promising young actors, and his counterpart, Sarah Roemer, who essentially is a younger, hotter version of Piper Perabo.
And then there's David Morse, who imbues the psycho killer archetype with a sense of subtlety that feels more authentic than a lot of what we've come to expect from the genre.
But "Disturbia" raises an interesting question for the teen-slasher genre. How can you keep the YouTube and MySpace generation entertained and (more importantly) scared for more than 90 minutes?
How do you reel them in and keep them hooked?
"Cry_Wolf" stumbled toward a semi-correct answer in 2005, but few would argue that Jeff Wadlow's instant-messenger-inspired thriller was anywhere as good as "Disturbia."
Caruso, whose previous efforts combined ("Taking Lives" and "Two for the Money") don't amount to one-half of "Disturbia," finds new and clever ways to keep his audience entertained.
LaBeouf and Roemer make for a good team, and when you throw in the token Asian sidekick (Aaron Yoo), you've got the makings of a formula that, genre notwithstanding, feels fresh.
Caruso's devices - traveling camcorders, house-arrest anklets, iPods and cell-phone cameras - give "Disturbia" another dimension, one that keeps the film from feeling like yet another stale offering from studio heads designed to generate dollars from the 18-and-younger crowd.
At its core, "Disturbia" is made better through its pull-no-punches storytelling, which moves the film along at a kinetic pace. And though the film starts to feel uneven when its climax approaches, you still find yourself immersed in it all.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(04/26/07 4:00am)
Music Review
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis
4 stars
There's really no way to get around it: Jarvis Cocker has crafted one of the best, most enjoyable albums of the year.
Never mind that it's been out in the UK since November and that its quality should come as no surprise to anyone who knows what Cocker has been and is capable of.
His eponymous solo debut feels like an uncovered gem in modern Britpop, and that's a shame because the album is about as classic-sounding as anything that's been released this year.
All of the tracks, save for the two interludes, are exemplary pieces of songwriting that possess the kind of ebb and flow that makes albums last.
Jarvis, written and produced entirely by Cocker, is so rare in its production - this is what those record-store purists like to call a "complete album" - and each of its songs has a kind of immediacy that runs in tandem with how much Cocker's lyrics make you think.
The former Pulp frontman exhibits a confidence rarely seen in a debut, and maybe that's because Jarvis feels like it's been in the works for the 25 years Cocker's been on the scene.
His craft feels honed within an inch of perfection.
Take, for instance, the lulling "Baby's Coming Back to Me," which is as much a serenade as it is a sad reflection on love lost. Or, even better, the Springsteen-y "Heavy Weather," which rather appropriately, likens a fictitious attraction to a rainstorm.
"Stormy weather," Cocker sings, "always makes me think of you/And watch out 'cause the storm is coming through." His lyrics are simple, sure, but they feel more poetic than most of the singer/songwriters the aforementioned record-store purists are repping this week.
And if the album feels like a prolonged love letter to a fictional woman, then Cocker is a master poet. Songs such as "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time" and the hard-rocking "Black Magic" carry a consistent theme: Some woman continues to break Cocker's heart.
Seriously, how dare she?
Or maybe we should thank her for inspiring Jarvis. Because if tracks such as "Big Julie" - far and away the album's best - are the result of his spurned heart, then let's hope Cocker stays single forever.
At least he'll give us good music to listen to while we grieve.
Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
(04/24/07 4:00am)
"An Evening with Spike Lee," Monday night's Carolina Union Activities Board-sponsored lecture from the award-winning director of "Do the Right Thing," gave students a rare look at America through the frames of one of its most vocal critics.
But it was in the nearby Graham Memorial lounge where select faculty and student leaders got the chance to tackle those issues head-on.
In a sold-out lecture that carried a reduced $12,500 price tag, Lee touched on an array of social, cultural and political issues. And he even found time to discuss aspects of his 20-year film career.
"Filmmaking chose me," Lee said while discussing his start at New York University.
"I didn't choose filmmaking."
Other addressed topics included the recent Don Imus-Rutgers University controversy, the Duke University lacrosse scandal, the war in Iraq, how to be happy in post-college life and the politics of consumerism, particularly with hip hop and gangsta rap.
"It's exploitation of the highest order, and we have to be responsible as consumers," Lee said of a gangsta rap culture that he views as an example of society buying into "the okie-dok."
"Don't go for the okie-dok," he said. "That's where the trap is."
He pointed to the Imus controversy as an example of the power of consumer choice.
Lee also fielded about 15 questions from audience members, ranging from the symbolism in his films to ways the UNC community can successfully bridge the racial divide on campus.
After the lecture ran long, select audience members attended a CUAB-sponsored reception at Graham Memorial.
This setting allowed Lee to let his guard down in the company of Student Body President Eve Carson, Student Body Vice President Mike Tarrant, UNC men's basketball small forward Marcus Ginyard and Graduate and Professional Student Federation President Lauren Anderson, among others.
The reception, CUAB President Erika Stallings said, was held so that various people on campus would get a chance to interact personally with Lee and ask him questions that pertained to their various shared interests with the director, whether it was in the realm of filmmaking, politics, racial inequality or the post-Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
Stallings, though, said she felt the reception devolved into students viewing Lee as the arbiter of the black community.
"It was ironic because I feel like in Spike Lee's movies, he gives you food for commentary, but I feel like the forum devolved into people asking Spike Lee to solve their problems, and that kind of disappointed me," Stallings said.
Those problems ran the gamut of the campus' social issues. Carson used her conversation with Lee as a chance to publicly raise the issue of the divide between the Campus Y-sponsored Freshman Camp and the free-of-charge Pre-Orientation Expo, a camp targeted at UNC's incoming minority students.
Lee's advice to Carson and to many others was simple.
"Talk to people, everyone."
Though the impromptu forum left few, if any, issues resolved, Lee's presence gave the assembly a sense of organization. Though far from being the event's moderator, the director sat back, listened to people air their grievances and chimed in when he felt his opinion was apropos.
Though Stallings, exhausted by evening's end, didn't wholly agree with the direction the reception took, she said the post-lecture atmosphere proved to be a good addition to Lee's visit to UNC.
"It's not about whether I'm happy. It's about the student body being happy," Stallings said after the reception. "In that sense, this was a successful lecture."
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(04/23/07 4:00am)
If the subtitle to his lecture is any indication, attendees to tonight's "An Evening with Spike Lee" can expect a pointed exposition on more than just Lee's career as a writer and filmmaker.
Dubbed "America Through My Lens," the lecture, sponsored by the Carolina Union Activities Board, will give students the opportunity to hear the Oscar-nominated director of "Do the Right Thing" and "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts" discuss a variety of issues not limited to Lee's storied career.
In a November 2006 lecture given at the University of Maryland, Lee spoke about the life choices he made that got him where he is now. Noreen Tahir, president of Maryland's Student Entertainment Events programming board, said Lee's lecture was both engaging and informative for its 550 attendees.
"I think the students really enjoyed the show," Tahir said, adding that the university doesn't land many filmmakers to give speeches.
"I think that aspect made the event interesting," she said. "It's always great to listen to a filmmaker who can provide perspective."
In a lecture about the road to success, Lee embodies the rare instance of someone who has veered away from the conventional and still was met with professional prosperity. This aspect of his personality, Tahir said, made him the ideal speaker to bring to a university.
"He's somebody who is known for having a very distinctive viewpoint, and he's succeeded in spite of that," she said. "That's the kind of message we wanted to send."
The sold-out event at Maryland is just one example of Lee's unofficial lecture circuit. In the past five months, Lee also has visited Macalester College, Florida International University, the University of Southern California and, most recently, Florida State University.
And his lectures aren't limited to the collegiate level. Lee, who is the artistic director of the Graduate Film Program at New York University's Kanbar Institute of Film & Television, gave a lecture to 600 Chicago inner-city youths in March as part of the University of Chicago's Collegiate Scholars Program.
The program, composed of 150 students from more than 40 underprivileged area schools, co-sponsored Lee's visit.
Kim Ransom, the program's director, said Lee's visit was a once-in-a-life opportunity for its participants, who were chosen because of their academic successes in the face of certain socioeconomic hurdles.
"We thought that it was a wonderful opportunity because he embodies what we try and instill in our kids," Ransom said. "He's one of many personifications of what happens when hard work and persistence meets opportunity."
Lee's sold-out UNC lecture, scheduled for 7 p.m. today in Memorial Hall, looks to exhibit many of the same qualities as his previous engagements.
"I think it's going to be a really interesting night that will discuss images of African Americans in the media and the impact of that on the community," CUAB President Erika Stallings said. "People respect him, and he can speak on those issues with some authority."
Stallings added that this lecture comes at a good time for graduating seniors hoping to hear a positive message before they step into the post-collegiate world.
"It's the end of the year, it's graduation time, and he talks a lot about pursuing your dreams," she said.
"I think that's a really great message for people to hear."
Some would say Lee's opinions have led him to be regarded widely as an incendiary figure, but Stallings said that reputation only adds to his appeal as a lecturer.
"People say he's controversial, but I think it's really just him taking risks," she said. "He doesn't follow the traditional rules, and nowadays the pressure is on for people to follow a traditional path.
"That differing perspective is really important for college students to hear."
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(04/17/07 4:00am)
You're the rookie executive producer of an upstart campus theater company.
After nearly three months of auditions, rehearsals and promotion, your premiere production is about to be performed in front of an audience for the first time.
Oh yeah, and you're in it, too.
So how do you feel?
"I was ready to go on stage," said sophomore Andrew Coonin, founder of UNC's Jewish Theatre Company. Coonin also is acting in and is executive producer for the company's first play, Alfred Uhry's "The Last Night of Ballyhoo."
"At that point, so much time and effort had gone into it that I was ready to just do it."
That anticipation apparently was contagious. Senior Josh Evans, who plays Joe Farkas, the play's male lead, said he just wanted the play to take the next step in its life, which meant having one thing.
"There comes a point in a show's life where the only thing the show needs is an audience," Evans said.
"You need to have people to play to and off of, and hearing the laughter of the audience and the pulse gave the play that life."
Uhry's play, set in 1939 Atlanta, explores the religious tensions between two Jewish families - the Levys and the Freitags, - and comments on the differences between Northern and Southern Jewry, a common theme in Uhry's plays.
"The Last Night of Ballyhoo" is a play of note for JTC for more reasons than it being its first show. Uhry's 1996 play is indicative of the company's larger goal of promoting the educational value of Jewish theater.
Post-show discussions, such as one that took place after Sunday night's premiere that featured UNC professor Marcie Cohen Ferris and former Durham Mayor Eli Evans, have helped JTC meet that goal, but the road to Sunday night was paved with missteps.
Everything from technical malfunctions to makeup allergies have had to be encountered, but freshman Dayna Adelman said the company's handling of problems along the way has helped to define its character.
"The more hurdles that get thrown to you, you jump over them and keep going," said Adelman, who plays Beulah Levy. "That adapting makes you a better actor and a more professional actor."
The comparison of Northern and Southern Jewry, Coonin said, is a topic that has particular resonance for the UNC community, which houses about 1,300 Jewish undergraduate and graduate students.
"There's a definite resonance; it resonates today in how you practice Judaism," he said. "People who aren't Jewish think of one image, but Jews see it in different ways depending on how they practice."
Senior Rachel Wender, who plays Sunny Freitag, said the play has enjoyed the support of those outside the UNC community, which she said has helped the play become more than just another student production.
"The people in the audience weren't so much students as they were community members," Wender said. "A lot of the theater groups on campus are student-supported and student-run, but this production had a sense of outreach."
Coonin said the experience of producing a play for the first time, though difficult, has been a rewarding one. During the rough patches, he said he kept reminding himself of the ultimate goal of the production and its young company.
"There have been difficulties all over the place, but it's one of those things that you have to keep moving forward," he said before Monday night's show.
"There's a movement to just keep the end goal in sight, and worse comes to worst, we have actors, a play and a performance space - that's all you need."
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(03/22/07 4:00am)
There are so many things wrong with television nowadays that pointing out just how far from respectability the medium has fallen is akin to beating a dead horse.
Look no further than the entirety of CBS' nonathletic lineup for some real lackluster programming.
And don't even get me started . again . on that whole "Grey's Anatomy" thing.
But just when you thought it couldn't get any worse - just when TV couldn't debase itself more than "When Animals Attack Cops in the World's Best High Speed Chases 9" - Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie bring a whole new meaning to the words, "What the hell were they thinking?"
On March 16, Us Magazine reported that the far-from-dynamic duo behind E! Entertainment Television's "The Simple Life" will spend the show's upcoming fifth season as camp counselors at a camp for overweight children.
I'll repeat that to really let it simmer in your minds.
Paris Hilton - the perennially undersized former pitchwoman for fast-food chain Carl's Jr. - and Nicole Richie - the admitted sufferer of an eating disorder who gets hospitalized for dehydration - are going to counsel overweight children at a weight-loss camp.
If this reeked of any more hypocrisy and contradiction, I would swear the fifth season of "The Simple Life" is executive produced by the Bush administration.
That was an admittedly cheap shot, but just think about the advice that these two pseudo-celebrities will give to young adults trying to legitimately lose weight.
An example intuited from what I know of Paris Hilton:
Overweight teen No. 1: It's just so hard to lose weight when there are so many fast-food restaurants in my neighborhood.
Paris Hilton (in between bites of a gigantic Carl's Jr. Spicy BBQ Six Dollar Burger, needlessly injected into airtime for promotional sake): I'm sorry, fatty, what were you saying? I couldn't hear you because my pink, bedazzled Blackberry is completely blowing up today. Ummm, yeah, fast food is totally not good for your body. You should eat a salad.
Call me a cynic, but I just see something so inherently wrong and disheartening with these two women, who really only earn that label because they have two X chromosomes, representing the face of proper eating and healthy weight loss.
So they say the camp isn't only a weight-loss camp - it just has one week devoted to weight loss and fitness. So it's not a "fat camp," but it's still a camp that (presumably) promotes living a clean, wholesome lifestyle.
So who better to mold the minds of campers than Hilton and Richie, notorious for late-night debauchery?
It really warms my heart.
No one said television programming is simple - I know I'd have a tough time filling network time slots. But this just seems like they're not even trying anymore.
Contact Harry Kaplowitz at hrk@unc.edu.
(03/21/07 4:00am)
Two weeks after its official announcement, student groups behind the upcoming SpringFest have selected a band to headline the long-anticipated event.
Carbon Leaf, a Celtic-infused pop/rock outfit from Richmond, Va., has been selected to perform at the student government-backed concert, set to take place at 4 p.m. April 20 on the Ehringhaus Recreation Field.
The event will cost about $14,000, said Hilary Marshall, chairwoman of the executive branch's student life committee.
The Carolina Union Activities Board will contribute $3,000 toward production, CUAB President Erika Stallings said.
Carbon Leaf will receive $5,000 for its performance at SpringFest, which was attained through a grant provided by mtvU, Marshall said.
"It was written into mtvU's contract that, in order to come on campus, they were going to give us $5,000, and in exchange we would promote mtvU's arrival to UNC," she said.
Carbon Leaf was chosen from a short list of five performers, all of which Marshall said were "available and affordable." Local alt-country band Roman Candle, acoustic singer/songwriter Ari Hest, rock collective Ingram Hill and solo artist Jay Clifford (of Jump, Little Children) rounded out the list of musical candidates.
Marshall said the choice to bring Carbon Leaf was three-fold.
"We wanted an artist that had a fan base at UNC. The second criteria was whether or not someone who's never heard the artist before would stop and listen. The third criteria was that it fit into the atmosphere that we wanted to create, which was spring, very upbeat, nothing hard or heavy metal," she said.
"It just came down to (Carbon Leaf) fitting our criteria the best."
Though not an official plank, bringing SpringFest back to UNC students was an important part of Student Body President James Allred's goals for the year, and the wrapping-up of the event is being met with both enthusiasm and a sense of looking ahead within the executive branch.
"It's very satisfying that the event is going through as planned," Allred said. "That said, we know this is the first step in a multiyear building to get us where we were 30 years ago - this is the beginning of a movement and a trend."
Allred also said this year's planning process leaves a lot of room for improvement. "I think there are always things to learn with an event of this magnitude," he said.
"I think we learned a lot of good lessons about venues and partnerships to the point where we'll be stronger next year."
The original event, a complement to the still-existing Fall Fest, was canceled in the early '90s because of excessive alcohol usage in addition to other problems, and Marshall's main goal for this year's installment is its successful continuation.
"We want to set a strong precedent that students can organize a large spring event that will have great attendance and no alcohol and drug violations and that will feel like a very safe environment," she said.
"We want to establish credibility so that SpringFest can grow in the future."
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(03/20/07 4:00am)
Though it seems about as far away from Chapel Hill as its premise is from reality, "Blades of Glory," the upcoming film starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder, has a Carolina pedigree.
John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky, who graduated from UNC in 1985 and moved to Hollywood together seeking work, were two of the comedy's five writers.
The duo, who serve as executive producers and "show runners" for Fox's "King of the Hill," said "Blades of Glory" - the first film they've worked on that's gotten the green light - helped flesh out their careers in Hollywood.
"'Blades of Glory' was clearly a hot project," said Krinsky, who earned a degree in interdisciplinary studies. "There are moments in your career where you know you're getting a break and you're making a leap, and this was definitely one of them."
"Blades of Glory" will hit theaters nationwide March 30.
The pair was on board with the male figure-skating comedy well before Ferrell was attached. The day after the film's original lead, Ben Stiller, exited, Ferrell stepped in.
But Altschuler, who majored in economics, said the comedic transition that the cast change created didn't have too much of an effect on the film's overall tone.
"(The studio) came to us with a funny idea, and we basically were working on it with Ben Stiller, and then he had some conflicts and dropped out when the script was done," Altschuler said.
All it took was a table read with Ferrell to prove that the "Anchorman" star could fill Stiller's skates. "You had two great actors taking the same character and approaching them differently," Altschuler continued.
But challenges surfaced in the duo's attempts to develop the film's "buddy picture" tone, a theme that is vastly different from the ensemble laughs "King of the Hill" provides millions of viewers each week.
"It's a challenge whenever you're writing two guys - a buddy picture - because you've got to clearly define them as two different things, and writing for their strengths was an evolving problem that every draft had to address," Krinsky said.
"The initial biggest challenge was grounding this comedy and making it feel real, treating the characters real and grounding it without losing the goofy zany quality - it's kind of a plateau you hope to reach."
Another challenge the film posed to the duo was the jump from network television bureaucracy to the lengthy pecking order of a major studio production.
"We ultimately had the final word with 'King of the Hill,' and when you do a big Hollywood movie, we're like the fourth or fifth decision. The studio, director, producers and actors all decide what they want, and then the writers get their say," Altschuler said.
"They listened to us, and everyone was appreciative that we took an idea from the floor to the screen, but it's a completely different world."
And while Altschuler and Krinsky recognize that "Blades of Glory," in all its studio sheen, is the very definition of a disposable comedy, they also know the project is an important one for them, the studio - in this case, DreamWorks SKG - and moviegoers alike.
"There's a place in the world for projects like 'Blades of Glory,' quality stupid comedies going back to 'The Jerk' - these are important, and you need them," Altschuler said.
"They thought 'Blazing Saddles' was a disposable comedy, but now it's a classic."
Because movies such as "Blades of Glory" retain a cultural transcendence despite their disposable nature, it fascinates the writing team when they hear one-liners they've written being repeated.
"It's a weird thing to see your jokes on the screen and in trailers and hear people talking about them," Krinsky said. "As a writer, you rarely get your recognition from the popular audience, and you forget there's people out there - it's great to get that sort of feedback."
With 10 years working at "King of the Hill" behind them and four promising projects lying on the road ahead, Altschuler and Krinsky seem to have developed a partnership that many in the entertainment industry long for - a lasting collaboration that is as much infused with creativity as it is with compromise.
"The reason (we work together) is because we're friends and . we both like comedy, so it's helpful to have someone to bounce stuff off of. It works because we have different strengths, which complement each other," Krinsky said.
"It's like a marriage in how we learn how to work with each other and fight with each other, and in the end everything makes sense."
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(02/22/07 5:00am)
Walking by Memorial Hall late Tuesday evening, passersby could have thought they'd wandered into Krzyzewskiville the night before a big game.
Tents enveloped the lawn in front of New West and the sidewalk outside Memorial Hall were barely visible between handfuls of mobile dorm rooms supported by flexible rods.
But this scene was in anticipation of a different kind of March Madness.
They were waiting for tickets to Ben Folds' March 28 concert at Memorial, co-sponsored by Cat's Cradle and the Live Nation music promotion company. And for some, the overnight stay was less a grueling display of fan devotion and more an impromptu party.
"One big party - that's it in a nutshell," said freshman Andrew Smith, who, along with four other friends, camped out for about 20 hours to get seats to the sold-out show. Arriving at 2:30 Tuesday afternoon, the five friends had all dispersed by about 10 a.m. Wednesday, 10 side by side, row S tickets in hand.
Even Chancellor James Moeser noted the tent city's impressiveness.
"Students were camping on Cameron in front of Memorial Hall last night for a rock artist, albeit a rock artist I've never heard of," Moeser said at Wednesday's celebration for reaching the $2 billion goal for the Carolina First campaign.
"We have a new K-ville, and it stands for (Executive Director for the Arts) Emil Kang."
By 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, the hundreds of tent city dwellers began to deconstruct their shelters and huddle into a line outside the Memorial Hall box office. By 11:30 a.m., all 900 student tickets to the concert - priced at $22 each - had been sold, Memorial Hall officials said. Concert tickets for the general public will go on sale March 1 for $35.
Tuesday night's events marked the third time this year that students have camped out for tickets to a Memorial Hall concert. Last semester's Carolina Union Activities Board-sponsored Sufjan Stevens and The Roots concerts both garnered tent city status, and CUAB President Erika Stallings said that is indicative of the caliber of the performances.
"I think students like the opportunity to camp out," Stallings said. "I think as long as there's exciting acts coming to Memorial Hall people will do it."
Stallings also said the event's security presence showed that camping out for concerts has become an activi?ty the administration is closely watching.
"This is the first time we had a camp out where there was security - Memorial Hall told us they wanted security there," she said. "I think this is something that's getting on the administration's radar."
The camping out for concerts also raises the question of whether UNC's administration has been hypocritical in saying students cannot camp out for basketball tickets while allowing them to do the same for big-name concerts.
"Basketball games are pretty exciting, but the thing to remember is that there are a bunch of games, but there's only one Ben Folds concert," Smith said. "I wouldn't call it hypocrisy - they're just looking for a suitable method."
And Stallings agreed, citing that there are many differences between the two activities that make one more suitable than the other.
"I don't think it's in any way hypocritical for the administration to allow camping out for concerts and not for games," she said. "There are space issues and time issues - plus there are more games than concerts - that make camping out for games more unfeasible."
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Margaret Jablonski said Tuesday night's turnout brings a new question for administrators to answer.
"This is a new situation for the arts, and we're excited for the student interest," she said.
"It's something we'll have to look into managing."
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(02/19/07 5:00am)
As this year's Carolina Comedy Festival inched its way toward completion Saturday afternoon, author Bob Powers, comedian Todd Levin and "Saturday Night Live" writer and UNC alumnus Bryan Tucker got a chance to reflect on the weekend. Having just finished a comedy writing workshop that gave about 40 attendees an inside look at breaking into comedy page by page, the three agreed that this year's festival was made more successful than previous ones because of who was able to attend. And that success stems from one name: Lewis Black, who has been involved in all four festivals. "I think it's important for the survival of the festival - you need name recognition and you need a good curator to make the festival worth attending," Levin said. Carolina Union Activities Board festival chairwoman Mallory Cash, who worked on last year's festival with then-CUAB President Jonathon Benson, said the name recognition of the guests contributed to this year's success. "I think we hit the nail on the head with the people we invited this year, and the people Lewis invited really helped the festival grow," Cash said. "You need that recognition to develop the festival's credibility." Part of the success has come from intuiting student wants and factoring in the general direction she wanted this year's festival to take, which meant an increased focus on comedy's educational element. "I think CUAB has done a good job of booking talent people want to see," Tucker said. "They also seem to have decided it's about comedy as a whole." And because the festival has developed into more of an all-encompassing look into both the nature of comedy and the business aspects behind the scenes, it has been able to present a more lucid direction for both the attendees and the incoming talent. "I wish I had this when I was in college because then I thought comedy seemed like a unicorn to me," Tucker said. "I always thought you went from being a regular comedian to being on 'The Tonight Show,' and to have it spelled out would've been great." And while big names have helped the Carolina Comedy Festival succeed throughout the past three years, Paul Feig, creator of "Freaks and Geeks," said the annual event's continuation also is dependent on comedy's presence in popular culture and that culture's place in the collegiate world. "I think a festival among colleges is possible if only because comedy within popular culture is so much more informing how people think," Feig said. "To turn a blind eye to that would be silly." Powers said having Black behind the festival each year has helped it grow, both in terms of structure and attendance numbers. "It's important that Lewis Black's name is behind it because he drives people to this in general," he said of Black's involvement in the festival's handful of shows and seminars. "His name legitimizes the festival and helps everything come to fruition." Cash said next year's festival presents even more opportunities because Black's stock is on the rise. "Lewis' star power is increasing, and that will afford us so many future opportunities," she said. Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(02/16/07 5:00am)
There's a line in "Empire Records" that always makes me think of you. It's that scene on the roof where A.J. is telling Corey how he feels about her, and he says he loves her even though she owns a hideous blue dress that he can't stand.
"If I can love you in that dress, then this must be for real," he says.
Those words are ingrained in the mind of every single 20-something because, in that scene, A.J. was more than just A.J. - he was every guy who ever loved a girl and knew it was love because he could pick out something about her he hated.
I've picked out a few for you. For lawsuit's sake, there are more than 10 things I hate about you.
I hate that you enjoy wearing gaucho pants. You're a jeans-and-a-T-shirt kind of girl, and I think it's about time you embraced that part of yourself.
I hate how when you steal my music online, you don't tell me you're doing it. It's not that you need permission - you know you don't - but you not asking means I get to talk to you one fewer time in the day. And when talking to you makes everything more bearable, every syllable matters.
I hate how you're a cheap drunk. We've really got to go to Linda's and work on that.
And I hate that you like "Grey's Anatomy." That show is awful.
Oh, and I hate how you want to be Audrey Hepburn. Don't get me wrong; she's gorgeous. But by wanting to be her, you're selling yourself short.
I hate how you scrunch your nose when you read. It kind of makes you look like a guinea pig.
I hate how you insist that I watch "Gone with the Wind" but you've never seen "The Godfather." Watch a real classic, and then we'll talk.
Speaking of movies, I hate how you took my copy of "Children of Men" and never gave it back. Will you bring it back if I tell you it's one of my favorite movies?
It is, and I miss it. A lot.
I hate how you forget our plans on a daily basis. I have a laptop full of Post-it note reminders, none of which pertain to you, but I can still remember something a week in advance.
What's your excuse?
I just want to say one more time that I really hate it that you watch "Grey's Anatomy." It really is the worst show on television.
Maybe ever.
I hate how you don't fold your pizza slice when you eat it. That's the way it's done. I can teach you if you want.
I hate it when you think my opinion on anything is unequivocally right. I'm wrong more often than not, and I want you to argue with me. You're adorable when you argue.
On that note, I hate how you're smarter than me. For some reason, that really irks me.
I hate how you tell me to stop smoking, but when I come in from smoking, you say I smell good. You really should make up your mind on that one.
I hate that you like the beach more than the mountains. For that matter, I pretty much hate the beach in general.
Also, I hate that Wes Miller is your favorite Tar Heel. Wayne Ellington is much deadlier from beyond the arc, and you know that.
And I hate that Valentine's Day fell on a Wednesday this year and not a Friday because all of this seems irrelevant now.
And I hate that I'm writing this column in The Daily Tar Heel.
My editors won't be pleased.
But more than all of those things, I hate how we'll never get our rooftop moment.
I guess it's like they say:
"Only in the movies . "
Contact Harry Kaplowitz, a senior journalism major, at hrk@unc.edu.
(02/14/07 5:00am)
Many students don't know who Robert Gurdian is, but that hasn't stopped them from reaping the benefits of his hard work.
As music chairman of the Carolina Union Activities Board, Gurdian, a rising senior, has been responsible for getting such musical acts as Wilco, Sufjan Stevens and, most recently, Lupe Fiasco onto the Memorial Hall stage.
Now, Gurdian has been tapped as the next leader of the organization, something the business administration major is looking forward to.
(01/30/07 5:00am)
Emil Kang, UNC's executive director of the arts, had never seen the Broadway musical "Rent" before Monday's night premiere at Memorial Hall.
But despite that, Kang said he was very impressed by the performances given by the traveling troupe.
The company, which has been on tour since February 2006, will play another show today at 7:30 p.m.
"I think the show is wonderful," Kang said during the musical's intermission. "I think it's this generation's version of 'Hair' in the way everyone just knows the words and is singing right along."
The sell-out crowd was brought into the show by key performers, including Tracy McDowell (Maureen) and Melvin Bell III (Angel). Mooing along with McDowell in her rendition of "Over the Moon," the crowd showed that "Rent," though not the first-choice musical for the Carolina Performing Arts Series, was, indeed, the right one.
"I could've told you the audience loved the performance before the show even started," Kang said.
"It's an amazing, personal experience."
As a diverse crowd of UNC students and Chapel Hill residents filed out of Memorial Hall minutes after the performance received a standing ovation, chatter could be heard with words such as "fabulous" and "incredible" echoing throughout the Memorial Hall lobby.
"I thought the performance was amazing," said Mark Hamblet, 51. "I can't understand why they only keep these shows for two days.
"It just seems so quick - they build it all up, put on the shows and then just tear it all down," the Chapel Hill resident said.
Hamblet also said he was impressed that the play's message of struggling through love and disease, remained relevant after more than 10 years on the Broadway stage.
Senior Kelly Harding, who'd never seen "Rent" before Monday night, said many things about the show impressed her even though she was caught off guard by its subject matter.
"It was amazing, but it was kind of unexpected," said Harding, who camped out for tickets before they went on sale last semester. "I mean, I knew what it was about, but it still caught me off guard."
Freshman Alden Mueller said he was surprised the Carolina Performing Arts Series landed a show as well-known as "Rent."
"I was really surprised that such a big show was at Memorial Hall," Mueller said. "I'd expect to have to go to Raleigh or some other city to see a show this good."
Kang, who noted that other shows such as "Wicked" and a British dance rendition of "Edward Scissorhands" were considered before settling on "Rent," said the trouble with the show might surface a year from now.
"I think it'll be a problem next year when we have to find a show to top this," he said. "What play will mean this much to people - what will be the future 'Rent?'"
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(01/29/07 5:00am)
CORRECTION: Due to a reporting error, this story incorrectly states that tickets for the performance were sold out. Student tickets were sold out, but general public tickets remain. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.
In a season packed with richness, the 2006-07 Carolina Performing Arts Series will get a chance to bask in the bohemian as the Broadway musical "Rent" begins its two-night run at 7:30 p.m. today in Memorial Hall.
"Rent" follows eight friends as they struggle with life, love and AIDS in early-'90s New York City.
(01/26/07 5:00am)
In New York City, it costs about $10 to catch a movie at a good theater on a Friday night.
A steep price, sure, but it's not too hard to drop a Hamilton when you consider you're able to see the film in the best environment imaginable - digital surround sound, stadium seating and theater-spanning screens.
Good theaters, location aside, should have those three things. The rest are bells and whistles.
Luckily, the corporate-created $10 ticket is nonexistent in our neck of the woods. The cinema at The Streets at Southpoint - owned by Consolidated Theatres - charges students $6.75 for a non-matinee ticket all week.
The cinema at Southpoint, for all intents and purposes, seems to be the best bargain in the area. It has the best facilities, and its prices are the most competitive.
But for college students who long to see the latest Almod
(01/24/07 5:00am)
For many, the idea of a 51st state comes with political, economic and social implications. For Harlem-born poet Sekou Sundiata, it's all about poetry and philosophy.
Tonight, as part of the Carolina Performing Arts Series' Urban Voices series, Sundiata will present "the 51st (dream) state," an interdisciplinary look at what it means to be American in a post-Sept. 11 world.
For Sundiata, "the 51st (dream) state" is a meditation on where America, as a democracy and a destination, stands for its citizens and the global community.
"Ever since there's been 50 states, there's been a lot of speculation about the possibility of a 51st state - it's a question that never goes away," Sundiata explained.
"I was thinking of the 51st state in an ideal that was both philosophical and poetic, as a space of critique and contemplation about where we are as a nation."
Sundiata said his performance also presents the idea that America is not simply a landscape, but rather a conduit to what he calls the "American Dreamstate," a state that has undergone a fundamental shift in values since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Emil Kang, UNC's executive director for the arts, said he saw Sundiata perform at the University of Michigan two years ago and was blown away by the poet's ability to articulate relevant topics.
"He's got a long history in talking about these very dynamic social issues," Kang said. "I think he's a wonderful performer with tremendous magnetism.
"Any person that comes in contact with Sekou leaves more enriched because of it."
And though "the 51st (dream) state" has particular relevance to the America we know today, Sundiata said his work is merely a translation of a long history of poetic expression.
"As a poet, I'm practicing a very ancient ritual of poetry, one that's very literate," he said. "In the past, they looked at language as magic words spoken in music and dance.
"I do the same thing, but they call it 'theater.'"
Sundiata's brand of poetic theater is an element Kang said he hopes will continue to be seen in the Performing Arts Series.
Kang, though, is particularly proud of the development of the Urban Voices series, which included Mikel Rouse's "The End of Cinematics" in September 2006 and will feature "King Britt Presents Sister Gertrude Morgan" on Feb. 16.
"It's become a home for that kind of work - we can send a message to all spectrums of society," Kang said of the Urban Voices series.
"It's about trying to stimulate thoughts and present new ways of viewing ideas while helping artists express themselves."
And though tonight's performance speaks on America's current political climate, Sundiata said it's not topical.
"This is not a work of persuasion or propaganda - it's really a philosophical and poetic work," he said.
"My goal was to create a rewarding night at a concert, so hopefully it'll be enjoyable."
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(01/18/07 5:00am)
Predicting Academy Award winners is simple business. "For Your Consideration" campaigns, insider buzz and other award wins all make sure "the final five" are pared down to at most two before Oscar night.
Guessing the nominees is a different beast altogether.
This year studios have a little more than a month to push their candidates after they are announced Jan. 23. Before the show's Feb. 25 broadcast, trade publications and heavy-circulation newspapers will be blitzed with ads praising everything from the glitz of "Dreamgirls" to the grit of "The Departed," and the many industry guilds will begin handing out honors in time to affect final Oscar balloting.
While there's a lot of nuance and agenda-setting inherent in award campaigning, the selections Academy members have to choose from don't have a whole lot of parity.
For instance, this year's Best Actress category presents voters with five veritable locks with little wiggle room for anyone not already assured a nomination.
Thus far, Helen Mirren ("The Queen") and Judi Dench ("Notes on a Scandal") have all but guaranteed their names will be read at the Kodak Theatre. After her Golden Globe win Monday night, Meryl Streep ("The Devil Wears Prada") likely will receive her 14th nomination while Pen
(01/12/07 5:00am)
Continuing its success with bringing high-profile musical acts to UNC, the Carolina Union Activities Board has booked breakout rapper Lupe Fiasco for a Feb. 5 performance.
Student tickets are priced at $10 and will go on sale Jan. 22. Tickets for the general public will go on sale Jan. 31 and will cost $25.
The concert will take place at 8 p.m. in Memorial Hall and likely will include an opening act in addition to Fiasco's 60-minute performance.
Fiasco, best known as one of Kanye West's proteges, is a rapper coming into his own. His first album, Food & Liquor, has garnered critical acclaim since its September release and has earned Fiasco three Grammy nominations.
CUAB President Erika Stallings said this up-and-coming status is one of the main reasons Fiasco was considered for the performance.
"Last March after I got the (CUAB president) job, I was talking to people about possible musical acts for February, and they told me that Lupe was going to be the next big thing," she said.
"With Lupe, there's just so much buzz after his three Grammy nominations, and we looked at it more as a great opportunity for students than the chance to bring another hip-hop concert."
Stallings said she views her post as a chance to raise UNC above Duke University in terms of the caliber of its student concerts.
"I want UNC to always be getting the up-and-coming artists - like Lupe - and I want them to always be better than Duke in that regard," Stallings said.
The past two Homecoming concerts, from Common and The Roots, respectively, played a large part in being able to book the Chicago-based rapper, who will be paid $20,000 for the concert.
"We have had a really good relationship with William Morris Agency that reps Lupe, The Roots and Common, so after those successful concerts, they were happy to deal with us," Stallings said.
After rap performances in Memorial Hall for the past two Homecoming concerts, many students claimed the venue isn't appropriate, given both the genre and the demand.
Stallings, though, stands by the 1,434-seat venue and its potential to draw a sellout crowd.
"Memorial has such great acoustics. Also, you want as many people as can go to be able to go," she said.
"I don't expect a first-day sellout like with The Roots, but if we put the word out, I feel like we can sell 1,000-plus tickets."
The decision to book Fiasco came after CUAB was unable to snag a high-profile rock 'n' roll group. Among the short list of possibilities were pop-rock solo act Ben Kweller and indie rock favorite The Decemberists - both acts backed out because of scheduling conflicts.
Stallings said Fiasco's lack of name recognition on campus wouldn't be a hindrance to selling out the performance, adding that his recent successes will do a lot to draw in a diverse crowd.
"With the Grammy nominations and him being named GQ's Breakout Man of the Year, there are so many things that his performance offers students," she said.
"We're just going to market all the good things that are being said about him."
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(01/11/07 5:00am)
If you ask sophomore Andrew Coonin what he thinks of the University's theater community, he'll tell you he thinks it's great.
But that didn't stop him from seeing an avenue for improvement and thematic change.
Coonin's new production company, Jewish Theater Company, is introducing itself to UNC through Alfred Uhry's "Last Night of Ballyhoo," auditions for which will begin Jan. 16.
"When I was looking at colleges, Northwestern caught my eye because they had a Jewish theater program, and now I think, 'Why can't I bring that here,'" Coonin said.
The company is the product of the Campus Entrepreneurs Initiative, a national program sponsored by Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life and maintained locally by N.C. Hillel.
Valerie Kolko, N.C. Hillel's director of statewide programs, said CEI's purpose is to empower individual students to develop their own initiatives on campus through peer-to-peer engagement.
Coonin used the initiative to create a theater program with the goal of educating through drama.
Coonin said Jewish Theater Company will achieve this by promoting the educational value of Jewish theater, particularly where it applies to culture and history.
"This is my chance to change what I don't agree with in other groups, to promote things I really like and to add more theater on this campus," he said.
"I also want to tie in education to the whole thing by bringing nontheatrical departments into the programming."
But the company's value won't be limited to the on-campus Jewish community, Kolko said, emphasizing that, like theater itself, the company has something for everyone.
"Andrew's vision for the program is to do plays and musicals with Jewish content to really help unengaged Jewish students as well as students on campus who aren't Jewish, connect to their Jewish identity," Kolko said.
"He's really passionate about enhancing the theater on this campus, especially as an educational tool, and using the arts as a medium for portraying Jewish values, history and culture."
One issue facing the Jewish Theater Company is entering an already saturated community, but Coonin isn't worried about having to compete with other companies.
"I think we're all trying to hit different niches on campus, and I look at it as an opportunity to promote the arts, which is valuable in even the most saturated areas because there's always something new to be explored," he said.
Marcie Cohen Ferris, an American Studies professor who Coonin asked to aid in the production of "Ballyhoo," said the idea of the company is a valuable one for the University community.
"I think it's really positive for the campus and for Jewish life in general," she said. "There's no better way than a play to see a culture up close and personal and to engage in significant discussion."
Kolko said she has high hopes for the company and Coonin's vision.
"As a fledgling company, my expectations are that it gets the idea out there that Jewish life doesn't have to be about praying, text study and learning Hebrew," she said.
"We can explore Jewish identity through many means, and people who aren't Jewish can realize there's a lot to learn outside of all that."
Coonin said he just wants his vision to have a lasting impact.
"I'd love for JTC to become a full-fledged group on campus with an educational value that will last long after I leave."
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.