Arts & Culture - The Daily Tar Heel

Concert Series Enters 6th Year of Entertaining, Fund Raising

By Ashley Atkinson | Sep. 27, 2001

Carolina Union officials spent three years recruiting celebrity cellist Yo-Yo Ma to perform a Virtuoso Benefit Concert in Memorial Hall. They put equal effort into snagging this year's Virtuoso, Bill Cosby, as well as past performers like violinist Itzhak Perlman and soprano Kathleen Battle. "We were bringing world-class performers to a less-than-world-class venue and trying to show everyone that this university can support a higher level of entertainment than our facilities allow," Union Director Don Luse said.

Milo Returns to the Stage, Puts on High-Energy Show

By Sarah Kucharski | Sep. 27, 2001

Milo Go! Studios Friday, Sept. 21 3 Stars Replete with screaming vocals, sweat-stained shirts and a hard rock attitude, student band Milo hit the stage at Go! Rehearsal Studios for its first performance of the fall semester. Milo kicked off its set with "Nothing Given," playing to a full house of predominately Greek audience members with pregame fever festering deep inside.

Weaver Shows Promise Despite Flaws

By Graham Parker | Sep. 26, 2001

If comedians Jeff Foxworthy and Adam Sandler somehow managed to conceive, Chapel Hill comic Larry Weaver might very well be the result. Anyone who's ever been inside a trailer park can appreciate Weaver's skewed perspective on Southern living on Looking for Fun. His skits and songs cover all things redneck, from vacations in Myrtle Beach to the disturbing denizens who have stayed too long at the state fair.

Comedian's Work Reflects Southern Life Experiences

By Brooks Firth | Sep. 26, 2001

Comic. Pro wrestling writer. Self-titled "crazy ghost researcher man." Larry Weaver has worn many hats throughout his life and now makes a living sharing his experiences and his insights the best way he knows how -- through laughter. Speaking with excitement about his new comedy album, Looking for Fun, North Carolina native and UNC alumnus Weaver has hopes to "become more of a name in (his) home state." Strangely enough, Weaver already has become a name almost everywhere but his home state.

Superchunk Comes Home for Show

By Brian Millikin | Sep. 26, 2001

CD Alley was still mostly empty a half hour before local music group Superchunk was set to play Tuesday night. Superchunk is known around the world, but you couldn't tell from the early scene. You also couldn't tell that the group's in-store acoustic show was just the third of four stops that day, a blitz celebrating its new album, Here's to Shutting Up. Select independent music stores in Raleigh, Durham and Greensboro were on the in-store performance roster as well.

Festival Elicits Laughs, Insight

By Diana By Diana Cunningham | Sep. 25, 2001

"One Acts Festival" Company Carolina Saturday, Sept. 22 4 Stars The cool, intimate darkness of Swain Hall's theater provided the perfect backdrop for Company Carolina's "One Acts Festival." The four plays acted out on the small stage brought both laughter and insight, not hindered at all by simple sets and close quarters. "Sure Thing" by David Ives

`King of the Hill' Writer Returns to Visit UNC

By Michael Abernethy | Sep. 21, 2001

UNC alumnus and "King of the Hill" writer John Altschuler came to UNC on Thursday to teach other writers how to be the kings of their own hills. Altschuler spoke with roughly 40 students and faculty of UNC's creative writing program about his experiences as a working writer. A graduate of UNC, Altschuler is co-executive producer and a writer for Fox's hit animated comedy, "King of the Hill," now in its fifth season. While visiting family in North Carolina, Altschuler came to UNC to share his experiences as a struggling writer who has finally made it big.

Musicians Get Exposure Jazzing Up Afternoons

By Brooks Firth | Sep. 21, 2001

It's Monday. Disjunct sounds of another afternoon jazz combo rehearsal begin. Bass player David Kinton, leans into his strings as pianist Kevin Timmons forcefully hammers on the keys of an aging piano. Looking on with a smile, a playful beat is kept by drummer Charles Battle. Guitarist Gavin Maxwell and vibraphone player Amorn Wongsarnpigoon pass the lead. All five players using eye contact to hold together the ensemble they christened The Back Line.

Dive Recommends

By Tiffany Fish | Sep. 20, 2001

Adam Gopnik's "Paris to the Moon," (Random House, $24.95): Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker journalist, relates lively anecdotes and insights on the idiosyncrasies of the French and their culture. It's a guide on how to appreciate the French for their way of life and mannerisms, which are often lost on American tourists. It's an extremely easy, funny read, just what you need after that highly entertaining microbiology textbook.

`Male, Middle Class and White'

By Sarah Kucharski | Sep. 20, 2001

Ben Folds fans, rejoice and hold onto your hats. Six years after bursting on to the music scene with the melancholy ballad "Brick," Ben Folds is back in the rotation with a new album, new band and new hit, "Rockin' The Suburbs." The first recording since the breakup of Ben Folds Five, Rockin' The Suburbs was released Sept. 11 to an eagerly waiting audience. Folds said that like earlier works, the album does not follow any clear evolutionary pattern. It simply mirrors the personality of its creator.

Folds Returns Home, Opens Tour With 2-Day Show

By Staff Editor | Sep. 20, 2001

On the first of two shows, the wry lyricist showcased his new band mates during a brief but high-energy set. Ben Folds Cat's Cradle Friday, Sept. 7 4 Stars A sold-out crowd filtered into Cat's Cradle. Some wore Ben Folds Five T-shirts, others clutched posters. All have the same question in their heads: Will it be our Ben who makes his solo debut tonight? Has his music changed? Has he grown up?

Transparent Thriller Lacks Depth

By Diana Cunningham | Sep. 20, 2001

The Glass House2 Stars There's nothing like the adrenaline rush and lingering chill of an exciting and suspenseful movie. Unfortunately, the so-called thriller "The Glass House" inspires no screams of terror, no cold touch of fear -- not even a slight shiver. One might have high hopes for the first movie attempt by director Daniel Sackheim, one of the producers of the television series "The X-Files." But all expectations are disappointed. He should have stuck to science fiction.

`World' Adapts Pain, Humor of Comic Book

By Joanna Pearson | Sep. 20, 2001

Ghost World4 Stars I used to worry that some people never really recover from adolescence. After seeing "Ghost World," I realize I'm not alone in this opinion. A new film by Terry Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes, "Ghost World" explores the fierce friendship between two war-wounded high school graduates, Enid (Thora Birch) and Becky (Scarlett Johansson). Enid and Becky bond over their mutual awkwardness and disgust at almost everyone around them.

Pittsboro Native Delivers Solid Guitar Lines; Jump Little Children Returns to Indie Roots

By Staff Editor | Sep. 20, 2001

Randy WhittSo It Goes4 Stars N.C. country boy Randy Whitt began strumming his guitar at an early age to escape the boredom of his hometown of Pittsboro. With his first album, "So It Goes," his excellent guitar performance reinforces the old adage of "practice makes perfect." His guitar playing overshadows his vocals. They aren't bad, maybe just a little less polished and practiced than his guitar playing. When he sings the title track, he belts out the chorus as over-earnestly as a kid trying to impress the crowd at a talent show.

Eclectic Silos Bring Organic Sound To Chapel Hill

By Michelle Jarboe | Sep. 20, 2001

The Silos Go! Rehearsal Studios Today 9 p.m. The idea that there are completely unobserved yet nonetheless beautiful things surrounding us is the backing philosophy, as well as the title inspiration, for The Silos most recent LP, Laser Beam Next Door. "Most of us go through life looking through some kind of a haze -- we wear blinders," said Walter Salas-Humara, the band's lead vocalist, lyricist and guitarist.

Ozomatli Delivers Politics, Latin Fire on Chaos

By Ashley Atkinson | Sep. 20, 2001

OzomatliEmbrace the Chaos4 Stars Forget about Ricky Martin and J. Lo. If you're looking for the real Latin invasion, you'll find it in the L.A.-based Ozomatli -- a party band with a political agenda. While Ozomatli's sound is rooted in salsa, the group is as diverse as the city that spawned it: Ozomatli counts blacks, Chicanos, Cubans, Japanese, Jews and Filipinos among its nine members.

Syndicate Cooks Up Southern Jam

By Brian Millikin | Sep. 20, 2001

Acoustic Syndicate Cat's Cradle Friday, Sept. 14 3 Stars When they amble on stage, it's immediately obvious the members of the Acoustic Syndicate are regular guys, not rock stars. They're homegrown. And they're not all that acoustic either, filling Cat's Cradle with equal parts electric and acoustic. The N.C. band's specialty is progressive bluegrass with hints of roots, jazz, reggae and funk. A handful of jam bands cover similar territory, though sounding less truly Southern than the Syndicate.

UNC Expresses Grief, Hope Through Art

By Nick Parker | Sep. 20, 2001

Initially a featureless black barricade, a tribute surrounding the flagpole on Polk Place became cluttered Wednesday with painted handprints and messages such as "Let us not respond to hate with hate." The centerpiece of the tribute was an eight-foot black wall meant to serve as a memorial for the victims of last week's terrorist attacks.

UNC to Hold Arts Memorial

By Charles Dillard | Sep. 18, 2001

UNC's arts community has banded together to help students, faculty and other members of the University community express reactions to last week's terrorists attacks with a series of events scheduled for Wednesday. The arts community is holding a tribute at the flagpole on Polk Place throughout the day. Several speakers and performers from various arts-related campus groups will take place in front of a giant canvas that will display the public's feelings toward the attacks.

Show Goes On Despite Tragedy

By James Russ | Sep. 18, 2001

Before Tuesday's terrorist attacks, the Deep Dish Theater's production of William Mastrosimone's "Cat's Paw" was simply a work of fiction. Now it seems to hit eerily close to home. In an inadvertent parallel to the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., "Cat's Paw" focuses on two terrorists who defend their motivation for a recent bombing. The play also includes a character reading from Psalm 23, as the play's cast said they had heard passengers on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania allegedly did before they attempted to take control of the plane.