The jazz pianist billed as "Cuba's finest export" is finally an export. Overcoming the visa troubles that forced him to cancel his entire fall tour, renowned musician Chucho Vald
Had Elvis Presley lived, he would've been 68 on Wednesday. Instead, he's missing one heck of a birthday bash. Twenty rock bands from across the country will converge on Franklin Street this weekend for Elvisfest, the sixth annual musical celebration in honor of the King's birthday. The acts will alternate between Local 506 and the neighboring North Carolina Sports Bar. The event will be held from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. today and Saturday. Admission is $10 a night.
Beards. Glue. Sand. That's how actor Heath Ledger summed up the experience of making "The Four Feathers." In his latest starring role, Ledger plays Harry Faversham, a British soldier who leaves his regiment -- the day before it goes to war in Sudan -- and is branded a coward. He later rejoins them, disguised as an Arab, to protect his friends and to regain his honor. Ledger discussed his character in the film, his castmates and his career in a Sept. 13 conference call with about 20 college students from across the country.
"The Four Feathers" 2 Stars Freedom. Country. Honor. Passion. Good luck finding any of those themes in the jumbled latest version of "The Four Feathers." Based on the novel by A. E. W. Mason and set in 1884, the film tells the epic story of Harry Faversham, a British officer who resigns from the military the day before his unit ships off to war.
John Mayer Amphitheatre at Regency Park Saturday, Sept. 7 3 Stars Its stage encircled by tall trees on a cool and cloudless night, the Amphitheatre at Regency Park in Cary reminded John Mayer of the "Star Wars" planet of Endor. A fitting place for the young singer/songwriter's concert Sept. 7. Sporting a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and riding high on the success of his breakthrough hit, "No Such Thing," Mayer was sometimes as sweet and silly as an Ewok. Other times, he made as much sense as a Wookie.
Student-run theater companies will be scaling down their productions and bracing for tighter budgets this year as campus construction projects shrink available stage space. Theatergoers can expect to see smaller casts, simpler scenery and possibly higher ticket prices as UNC acting groups vie for performance sites. Pauper Players and Company Carolina are both dealing with the temporary loss of the Cabaret, now off-limits as the Student Union prepares for further renovations, scheduled for completion in late 2003.
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Everyone has pipe dreams of becoming a rock star. But for those aspiring musicians who've yet to realize their dreams, we've learned firsthand that it takes more than sheer ability to stand in front of people and perform for two hours. It takes guts. Mettle. Desire for public humiliation. Fortunately, we have all of that and more. Equipped with an acoustic guitar and a borrowed set of bongos (thanks, Wallace), the two of us hit Franklin Street on April 11 with our musical revue to find out what the pros go through to put on a nightly show for the masses.
From breakneck banjo riffs to high-lonesome vocals, from Appalachian square dances to Carrboro contra dances, North Carolinians have nurtured the growth of bluegrass music since the late musical icon Bill Monroe fathered the style more than 50 years ago. But until just a few years ago, Chapel Hill bluegrass lovers were scrambling for their place in the music mix. That is, until a renewed national interest in acoustic music -- sparked partly by the success of the soundtrack to the film "O Brother, Where Art Thou" -- fueled the style's surge in popularity.
4 Stars If anything can go wrong, it will. Murphy's Law seems to be the premise behind director Ridley Scott's latest film, "Black Hawk Down." Based on the book by Mark Bowden, this war drama uses vivid images and emotionally charged portrayals to tell the true story of one of America's biggest modern military blunders.
