The Global Mix Tape

Nemoy Does Bilbo

2008-04-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

I don't really know what to say about this, except it needs to be seen by everyone and anyone.

Like seeing a dog walk on two legs, it's always refreshing to see an actor out of his element. And there is nothing further from the element of a Star Trek actor than singing about Bilbo Baggins with a bunch of go-go girls dancing around.

This holds no journalistic integrity outside of my own personal enjoyment.

Election 2008 with host Ryan Seacrest

2008-04-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

I'm all about having a crush on a politician. I'm fine with singing. But put them together, and there's trouble.

Perhaps the campaign strategies of the politicians themselves have left the public wanting something more, and to fill the void of open-ended exit strategies and health insurance plans that may or may not improve, people are singing.

I find it a little saddening that politics has become such a joke, let alone one big American Idol. To think, a candidate could exist that had a plan that wasn't worth laughing about?

At least all of the parties are covered. But I do admit, the Democrats are a little more sexy than the McCain girls... Maybe I'll vote on who can gyrate the most.

Scare Tactics

2008-04-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

I am not one to get my news information strictly from one news source, and after reading DemocracyNow! for this week, I know why.

The amazing string of headlines was as follows:
-Warning Issued about Chemical Used in Plastic Baby Bottles
-Pope Benedict Vows to Kick Pedophiles Out of Church
-Report: Sea Levels Could Rise Five Feet by 2100

These doomsday negative articles are sprinkled throughout ones about President Bush's dropping approval ratings and poorly planned global warming prevention programs. Call it subliminal, but President Bush is not affiliated with the Catholic church and rising sea levels.

Personally, I am a Democrat, but it seems strangely unfair and uncreative to try and pose all of the world's problems on a single politician. It is easy to pose so much hate on one person, to point blame at a scapegoat, but it only seems to hurt the cause. When no one plays fair, it seems irrelevant to claim that the opposing party is losing credibility.

It's too bad that George Bush caused all of that baby bottle poisoning... Oh, wait, is that right?

Emancipate Me from Mimi

2008-04-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

Today marks the release of Mariah Carey's newest album, "E = MC2," and I am already sick and tired of the single "Touch My Body."

It is true that I might be a bit premature in hating this album, but the wonders of common media advertising have made it so hard to enjoy a song that is played over and over. Commercials. Movie soundtracks. Radio. In the Abercrombie and Fitch as I gag at overly priced logo tees.

I don't hate Mariah's voice. Her range could shatter a wineglass. But her appeal seems to be shimmery microscopic "dresses" more than anything else. At least, it seems to be the goal of her managers to push that sex appeal.

MTV has little commercial montages each week where a specific band plays songs over all of the commercials for any MTV show. Suddenly, Mariah isn't just a voice or an image. She is tonight's episode off The Hills. She's the thrilling conclusion to Tila Tequila. And all artistry in the music is lost to trying to sell something or someone else.

Mariah tries to be quirky and creative. Her music video for the new single targets nerd fantasies and challenges what people find sexy. And yet, she does it all in the same thigh oozing garb as before, and the point is lost.

I want the old Mariah back, when her music alone got her fame. Or, at the very least, I want the radios and television to dig deep and play something new.

Tiny instrument, big hit: Ukulele Loki brings old-fashioned fun back to Fox Theatre

2008-04-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

Ukulele Loki's Gadabout Orchestra is a cure for the common concert, updating the thrill of vaudeville for the indie crowd of the 21st century.

The six-piece band performed at Fox Theatre on Sunday to a venue of swing dancing, hopping and whooping crowd. Though the theater wasn't sold out, the enthusiasm of the crowd filled the room.

Local band Paper Bird opened the show with their New Orleans brass style. The group made the atmosphere feel like a backyard barbeque as they joked around on stage in bare feet.

The band could be called a "do-it-yourself" act. Not only were they playing percussion on objects available in anyone's kitchen, three of their songs were accompanied by a makeshift shadow puppet show.

Trombonist Tyler Archuletta said that after buying a new overhead projector, the band decided to make shadow puppets and had spent the afternoon of the show preparing. Dinosaurs and bears floated by castles and oceans during songs like "Livin' Lucky" and "Jesus and Arizona."

Aaron Johnson (aka Ukulele Loki) introduced his band of clarinet, tuba, trombone, glockenspiel and ukulele like a circus announcer.

"I've got a small instrument and I'm not afraid to admit it," Johnson said.

His harmless humor and curly mustache resembled the days of vaudeville in the 1920s, but percussion beats and quirky lyrics helped blend the style with more current music.

To add to the entertainment, the show had two sideshow acts. Brandy Dew contorted her way through the air and performed aerial acrobatics with a suspended hoop and with long pieces of fabric. Another performer walked up a ladder made of swords. Johnson himself made a balloon animal lion for an audience member.

For many audience members, this variety show aspect set the Gadabout Orchestra apart from most concert acts.

"I love how intense the performers were," said Stacy Smith, a junior environmental studies major. "I also like Loki's mustache."

After a show of lighthearted strumming, death defying feats and offbeat fun, the band marched off stage to greet the fans in the lobby. For a Sunday night concert, some concertgoers said it was the perfect start for their week.

"I thought it was tons of fun," said Katherine Peterson, an applied mathematics major. "I liked the last sideshow act the best."

Kings, queens and in between: GSA formal bends gender to bring together a diverse campus

2008-04-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Gay Straight Alliance's first Queer Formal on April 12 may be the perfect catalyst for acceptance of all sexual orientations at CU Boulder.

Held at the Club Level of Folsom Stadium, the event held homage to classic high school proms. Carefully decorated tables and buffet trays of cakes, hors d'oeuvres and chocolate covered strawberries were surrounded by couples in sleek gowns and dapper suits.

The twist was what outfit each person chose to wear. As written on the Facebook invitation, formal wear was required but did not have to be gendered. Girls donned fedora hats and neckties, while a handful of men wore skirts and dresses.

Allowing people to dress and act without the pressures of social norms gave the atmosphere a relaxed and accepting vibe.

"We're especially excited because we have same sex and opposite sex couples here on the same dance floor," said Jake Golding, 20, a communication major.

Chair of the CU Gay Straight Alliance Lacee Jauregui, 21, said the hard work of organizing the event was worth seeing all of the guests have a good time.

"Students have been wanting this to happen for a long time, but it just hasn't been organized," Jauregui said. "No one has put in the time or effort it really needed."

The event was not only a social event, but also a charitable one. Proceeds from the ticket sales went to the Boulder County AIDS Project. Jauregui said that this is one step the GSA is taking to get the members more involved in the Boulder community.

"We want our members to be getting out into the community and giving back to the community," Jauregui said. "We don't want the GSA to be stuck in its own safe place. We want to be responsible as young adults, too."

Most people attending the dance heard about it through the GSA, Womens Resource Center, or from flyers around campus. How the roughly 200 people got to the formal didn't seem to matter, just as long as they were having a fun time.

"It has all of the delicious awkwardness of high school prom without the principal," said Kelly Colwell, 22, an environmental engineering major.

YouTube's One Word of Fame

2008-04-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

The fame that can come from being in a successful YouTube video can do many things. It can launch music careers, get you on Leno, or prove to the world that, yes, soda and mints can create amazing fountains of sticky proportions.

Making it to one of these elite circles of viral video fame is usually saved for a person with their camera, alone in a bedroom, taking to their laptop in a weird voice or for those few willing souls who do bike tricks on handrails. In any case, mass fame hasn't been possible until I stumbled across an epic video:

I can't say that these people should be famous. They all seem to have the spare time to take videos of themselves saying a word, and I can't imagine how many times they pondered over if they used the right inflection, the right side of their face, for this one-word spot of fame.

And yet I watched the entire thing, and I was able to pinpoint certain words I liked, certain people I found funny saying one single word. With the digital word we live in, I can't help but picture a future where is would be credible, even acclaimed, to put something YouTube related on a resume.

"I said 'Rosa' in the YouTube video. And I co-directed the one with the sneezing panda."

I hope these one-word wonders actually earn credibility doing what they do, in some near future. Otherwise, I would hate to think that they would keep sitting at that lonely computer, talking to no one, becoming just another hit in an endless sea of nonsense.

The Office Is Back, and My Life Is Fulfilled

2008-04-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight, The Office returned with a new episode. Fireworks went off. The world was born anew. The sky opened up, and a bright heavenly light shown down on my television to say, "Thine wish is granted."

I'm a little over dramatic, I know. To live so vicariously through a television show is sad, at best, but reruns of everything were sure getting tiring with political news being the only new television.

Dwight Schrute should run for president. I would be behind him full force. He would be diligent, hard working, and wouldn't get caught up with duties outside of keeping the country safe.

But he might get caught up with Star Wars.

Cutesy albums bring out spring: Noir and SSLYBY carry cheer with their tunes

2008-04-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

As spring struggles to seize the slush of Colorado, record labels are releasing poppy albums to put winter to rest.

With the release of Jim Noir's self-titled album, as well as the newest release by Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin, it seems that simple melodies and electronic vibes may be the warm and gooey remedy to melt away the cold season.

Jim Noir has maintained his psychedelic influences on his follow-up to "Tower of Love" from 2006, but "Jim Noir" does not quite reach the caliber of his earlier work.

His new album features electronic tracks that would seem at home in a science fiction B-movie. Beeping and whirring mesh with Noir's falsetto tone, delivering an image of an astronaut floating through space and sending his messages back to earth. This is no Ziggy Stardust by any means, but Noir gives the album a consistent energy with his outer space theme.

Most of Noir's appeal lies in the rhythm of his pieces. They are peppy, pleasant tunes that are perfect for an impromptu underwear dance party or a backyard boom box jam.

However, when the lyrics of the pieces are dissected, Noir gives nothing in the way of complexity. Each song has a repetitive lyrical quality that gets tedious for the careful listener.

"Look around you, look around me, look around you, look around me," are the lyrics to the aptly named track "Look Around You." Other tracks follow suit, repeating "What U Gonna Do" and "Don't You Worry" in line with the song titles.

Noir is a fantastic album for those willing to listen with their bodies and who are not in search of existential words of insight.

Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin falls under the same vein of happy, cute and relatively shallow music with its newest album, "Perishing."

With such a ridiculous band name, it seems fitting that the band does not take itself too seriously. Sunny riffs on a twangy guitar are paired with the occasional trumpet, and Philip Dickey makes sweet harmony with John Robert Cardwell in each song.

Unlike Noir, SSLYBY isn't afraid to play with tempo and style. "Glue Girls," the first track on the album, pounds forward with catchy intensity, while tracks like "Modern Mystery" are slower and contain a tentative crescendo before a toe-tapping climax.

The joy of these albums is in their simplicity. They do not live up to some bigger artists in lyrical or stylistic complexity, but that is because they do not intend to. They both seem content with creating catchy songs to sing with friends, and nothing more.

Both "Jim Noir" and "Perishing" are available now in most stores.

NPC Northern Colorado Bodybuilding Championship shows strength

2008-04-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

The AXIS LABS 2008 NPC Northern Colorado Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championship is an event where people with biceps smaller than their own head may feel like outsiders.

Walking into the Boulder Theater on the evening of April 5, it was an oddity to have pale skin, to have calf muscles that didn't cleave down the center and to be a stranger to the local gym.

As brochures and samples of protein powder were offered from various sponsors, it was bewildering to discover the powders and elixirs necessary for a body to achieve maximum muscle mass. It was depressing to think that Vitamin Water failed to fulfill the daily requirement of medium chain triglycerides.

The audience mainly consisted of the competitors' family and friends, who vigorously cheered for their star. Screams of encouragement echoed for every flex, every popping vein and every grimace of strain.

Sponsors said they are glad to support the athletes in this field and recognize the effort it takes to sculpt the perfect body.

"I am proud of all of our athletes, as it takes an extraordinary amount of discipline and dedication to get on stage," said National Physique Committee Chairman Jeff Taylor.

The first events focused on women's fitness, which showcased workout routines that looked like cheerleading routines in martial arts form. The athletes paired pushups, flips and flexing with gleeful pop tunes.

The women's figure competition took the stage next. Bronzed women in carefully designed bikinis stood in line, one after the other, each posing and flexing to show their best muscle definition. The women were classified by age and then by height so they could compete in each specific body class.

Wardrobe seemed to be just as important as the muscle definition for the women. According to the contest rules on the championship's Web site, contestants must wear high heels in the swimsuit rounds and tennis or athletic shoes in the fitness round. Jewelry may also be worn in the swimsuit rounds, but thong swimsuits are not allowed.

After an intense competition, The Figures Masters Award went to Kelli Dominguez, and the Figure Overall Award was earned by Lee Ann Ellison.

For Charlotte Talent, trophies came in two forms. After placing in the E Class competition, her boyfriend and fellow bodybuilder Tyler Collins proposed to her on stage. She accepted to a cheering crowd.

After an intermission, the Men's Teen and Masters competitions hit the stage. Unlike the women, the men were classed by age and weight.

To add to the excitement of each performance, the men chose a song to pose to. Most picked heavy metal and pumping rap that complemented their ferocious moves. A competitor favorite was "Ladies and Gentlemen" by Saliva, which was used at least three times.

One standout was Kurt Pichon, who at 72 years old flexed with a smile to "Rock Around the Clock."

Brad Helm took home the Men's Masters Overall trophy.

As a treat for the audience, pro bodybuilder Darrem Charles posed for the audience by strolling up the aisles to give everyone a close view of his massive muscles.

The Men's Novice Overall trophy was given to Jonathan Proctor, who also won the Men's Open Light Heavyweight class and Novice Men's Middleweight class. Since this was his first competition, the crowd and his family were excited to see him receive so many awards.

"I'm overwhelmed," said Proctor's mother Martha Proctor. "I'm just so proud. This is his first competition, too."

The Men's Open Overall award was taken by Brad Helm, which ended a competition that is all about the power of the human body and spirit.

Banding together: Hotel Café creates a collective concert at Fox Theatre

2008-04-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

The Hotel Cafe Tour may redefine concert structure and etiquette for the better. Without an intermission, and with a constant rotation of five artists using the same backup band, the show maintained a fantastic flow and sense of collectivity.

The small Fox Theatre was made more intimate on April 3 as Cary Brothers, Ingrid Michaelson, Dan Wilson and other artists were as relaxed with the audience as they would with long-time friends.

Michaelson stored her chewed gum underneath the keyboard. Brothers talked about sagging testicles. Jason Kanakis even rehashed unnecessarily detailed accounts of his food poisoning the day before.

The artists constantly rotated to keep the concert fresh. Each artist performed in two sets of three songs each.

Meiko began the first set, playing her songs "Under My Bed" and "Reasons To Love You" with her smoky voice. Eager to talk with audience members, she joked about her stay in Boulder and her dinner at Hapa Sushi on Pearl.

"I did not have an Orgasm Roll," Meiko said, "but I did have an orgasm."

Jim Bianco was the comic relief of the concert. With a grumbling voice and southern blues style sound, Bianco crept around the stage, waved his hands, crumpled his face and occasionally showered the backup band with handfuls of glitter.

His songs focused on love in the most uncomfortable forms, singing "I Got A Thing for You," which is about stalking people.

"We're going to sing a stalker song now. Any stalkers here tonight?" Bianco said, getting bellows from a few men. "My people!"

Cary Brothers, the figurehead of the tour, boosted the more acoustic sounds of the former bands with driving melodies, heavy bass and an overall louder sound. His songs "Jealousy" and "Honesty" were performed alongside "Ride" and "Blue Eyes," which are his two songs made popular by the soundtracks for "Garden State" and "The Last Kiss."

When one audience member asked where his brother was, Brothers laughed and explained the complication of having his last name.

"My whole life it didn't matter that my last name was Brothers until I started doing this," Brothers said.

Pianist Ingrid Michaelson was next on stage, but was almost delayed due to a common distraction.

"We almost missed coming up here," Michaelson said. "Have you gotten caught up in making weird faces on your Mac's Photo Booth application? We did!"

Amidst the unfaltering vocals and tentative piano playing, Michaelson invented fake songs about attacking audience members and about proper eyeliner technique. She played her songs "Overboard" and "The Hat," and later followed with her hits "Die Alone" and "The Way I Am" in her second set.

Former Semisonic member Dan Wilson ended the first round of sets. With a more relaxed folk sound, Wilson helped the crowd relax. He filled his set with small anecdotes about life, freedom and altitude.

"I used to have asthma," Wilson said. "I'm brought back to the good old days when I couldn't breathe when I'm here in Boulder."

Wilson played an acoustic version of the song "Closing Time" from Semisonic fame, and revealed that the song is a metaphor for birth and a discreetly written song for his child.

The second round of sets included more group performances. The vocalists crowded around microphones to sing backup for the lead vocalist. Harmonies swelled with a choral feel of the collective voices.

Michaelson ended the show on a playful note reminiscent of the entire performance. After playing the theme song to "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," she took requests from a shouting audience to play various television theme songs.

For information on other bands past and present involved in the Hotel Café tour, visit their Web site.

Emo riots

2008-03-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

I was shocked when a manager at the radio station I volunteer at called me over to his computer to show me footage of violent rioting in Mexico. I expected it was over something involving the economy, the president or some politically-charged movement.

Instead, my eyes encountered flocks of "emo" kids, hair dyed pink and black, tight pants hugging every curve, each fighting for the right to listen to their own music.

Punks and metalheads began to beat up emo kids at the end of this month, some fueled by the sexually ambiguous style that emo kids adhere to.

I started to some some research, and the anti-emo networks are telling and disturbing. Most Web site I could find were in Spanish, making the translation more difficult. But some elements crossed the language barrier. One blog had cartoons of bloody emo kids, and was programmed so the mouse appeared like a rifle sight.

I can only imagine what would happen if everyone attacked people that listened to different music than themselves, or had a different style of clothing. The world would erupt into mass chaos, with violent bling-whippings and hearing loss from yodelers. There must be acceptance within a society, within a culture, and at the very least a freedom of musical taste should be the last cause to riot against.

I don't listen to country music. But simply because I don't like it doesn't mean others can't listen to it. And anyway, I'd really rather not be lassoed.

Reeling in the thrills: Ska-punk giants Reel Big Fish take over the Fox Theatre

2008-03-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

To make it through a Reel Big Fish concert, a fan cannot be too weak to carry a person above their head or dislike having their face slammed into the sweaty heads of the surrounding audience members.

As the Fox Theatre packed tight with green-clad fans of the ska-punk group on March 15, a wild tension filled the venue.

Even before the opening band entered the stage, the venue was full. No sense of personal space could be acquired as people smashed, sweated and leaned into one another. There was a forced sense of intimacy as people groped their neighbor just to keep balance in a sea of hopping bodies.

Eight-piece group Chase Long Beach was welcomed by mighty bellows and cheers. Lead vocalist Karen Roberts joked with the crowd about her fellow band members.

"[Trombonist] Scott doesn't know how to speak, he only knows how to do this," said Roberts as she made the rock 'n' roll sign with her hand.

The band's high-energy ska-punk sound riled up the crowd, filling the room with the sticky hot sweat and breath of hundreds of jumping bodies. The band felt the almost unbearable warmth on stage.

"It's hot in Colorado! How did that happen?" Roberts said.

After Chase Long Beach played their final song, audience members took the opportunity to find lost friends swept away by the mosh pit and to chat with the strangers they had so willingly slammed up against throughout the performance.

While the opening band attracted a sea of bodies, Reel Big Fish's appearance caused a wave of excitement. Bodyguards shoved unwelcome guests off the stage and tried to maintain some sort of order as the excitement built and people crowd surfed.

Reel Big Fish sang songs from their new album, "Monkeys for Nothin' and Chimps for Free," and held true to their original style of angry breakup songs and lyrics about selling out to major record labels.

The band members were not afraid to talk about drug use and the perks of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle.

"We were huffing shoe polish backstage, because it lasts longer than glue," said vocalist and trumpet player Scott Klopfenstein.

The crowd didn't have to concentrate too hard to sing along with the repetitive lyrics and similar song tempo.

The set ended with a song medley of AC/DC, Metallica and other rock favorites for the crowd to sing along with.

The cool night air was a comfortable relief after pounding into sticky strangers. While some audience members panted and dragged their feet in exhaustion, many said it was a fantastic show.

"I have been a fan for 11 or 12 years, and this is the best show I have seen of theirs yet," said Joey Murphy, 29. "Anyone who had an opportunity to go and missed it is so milquetoast."

For more information on Reel Big Fish, visit their Web site.

Listen to This!

2008-03-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

Bow chicka wow wow... Interview.

Dancing the night away: Bao Bao Festival keeps traditions alive

2008-03-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

The BaoBao Festival continues to preserve West African traditions in dance, song and storytelling in its fifth year.

The Boulder Theater was filled with resonating stomps and singing as audience members entered the theater on March 8.

The dance group from 1000 Voices performed before the show as well as during its intermission. Dressed in street wear, the members blended with the audience as they danced in the center of the venue.

The first performance of the night demonstrated the influence of traditional African dances on recent dance styles. The Street Side Dancers showcased their break dancing skills and hip-hop dance style by spinning on their heads and holding difficult contorted positions for the audience's enjoyment.

"Fire and Water," an interpretive dance by DeAndre Carroll and Mimi Jorling, used fluid movements to imitate the elements. The heavy shoulder rolling and spinning moves used were reminiscent of the capoeira style of dancing.

Dressed in a red tulle dress and covered in black greasepaint, Onye Ozuzu slowly entered the stage for the piece "Sambo's Sister," which incorporated poetry, dance and drumming to portray the struggles of a woman of mixed race.

Ozuzu's movements were fierce and powerful. She jolted herself around the stage in mimed agony, fear and confusion. Children standing in the front row leapt back as she neared their part of the stage.

The narrative during the dance spoke of relationships, family and moving.

"To be free is to be able to leave everything behind and to not look back to say, 'Yes,'" said Ozuzu's narrator, who read Ozuzu's poetry as she danced.

A colorful procession followed which starkly contrasted the previous performance. The Pan African Group danced and drummed in West African traditions. Xylophone and drums accompanied dancers in brightly patterned costumes as they leaped and twisted around stage.

The second half of the show focused on the storytelling tradition. "Ayelevi and the Thief of Dreams," the tale of a girl whose dreams are the last hope for the survival of her village, was told by Santemu Aakhu, Reina Luisa Ross, and David Cofie.

"Oh, it is a beautiful thing to be able to dream," Aakhu said at the beginning of the piece.

Throughout the story, the Pan African Group danced and played their instruments in a more narrative style. Playful fighting scenes and romantic endeavors were acted through energetic dancing and exaggerated gestures.

The story was a cautionary tale to children that taught them not only to keep their dreams alive, but also to respect their elders, help those in need and even to eat their vegetables. Children were brought on stage to participate, and older members joined later on to dance.

Charlie Sounds finished off the night with a dynamic singing performance. Backed by a band of drums, saxophone, trumpet and bass, Sounds urged the audience to celebrate, jubilate and to shake their bodies.

Audience members said they enjoyed the high energy of the show and the cultural spectrum it covered.

"You get to see authentic dancing, and you get to see the modern evolution of dance with the traditional preservation intact," said Robert Hensley, 54, a West African drum enthusiast in the audience.

JibJab: A Love Note

2008-03-10T19:41:00.000-07:00

What We Call the News | Funny Jokes at JibJab

Dear JibJab,

Thank You.

All I could ever ask for is media giants to be animated in sing-song. Breaking news, graphics, reporter image, all deliciously ripped to shreds.

In a time of big name media sources taking themselves too seriously, it is strange how a simple animation can put them in their place. Satire is necessary for a safe balance between the truth we are told, and the truth we should seek.

I remember when "This Land" came out during the Bush/Kerry election and it was played over and over on television. It seems ironic that now the tables have turned, and television has become the target.

Frankly, I am still waiting for a movie for this next election, as already the drama has begun to run high between the democratic candidates. And while the media has covered the election, it is always nice to have a little satire thrown in, just to keep the same old news a little more interesting, a little less stale.

Sincerely,

Carolyn

Rapping up the gift of gab

2008-03-08T19:59:00.000-08:00

Brother Ali brings lush lyrics to the stage

Brother Ali is out to bring back the unity of society one show at a time.

"We don't have togetherness anymore," Ali Newman, better known as rapper Brother Ali said. "Sometimes a show is the one and only time we get together about anything."

A sense of oneness was palpable at the Fox Theatre on March 6, where the packed venue served as one united body. A sea of arms swayed back and forth to the catchy rap beats as one booming voice screamed words that the performers coached the audience to say.

Energy was high as Toki Wright hopped on stage with DJ BK-One, who mixed vinyl records for all of the night's performances. Wright said that no matter what bands usually say at shows, Boulder is truly his favorite place to perform.

Wright made political statements in his songs and even asked which audience members had registered to vote. He also addressed his thoughts about the current president.

"Maybe you're a Bush supporter, and that's just stupid," Wright said.

Energy stayed high between each performer as BK-One maintained a steady dance beat while Wright remained on stage to keep up the audience's hype with the phrases "Make money, money," and "Hip hop, don't stop."

Abstract Rude also gave an amazing show, spilling out lyrics with such speed and creativity that his words blended into its own beat. His songs were less political, and focused more on relaxing all day and living life.

"Dust yourself off and realize life goes on," Abstract Rude said before putting on a pair of sunglasses and singing the song "All Day."

By the time Brother Ali strode onto the stage, the venue was filled with clouds of smoke and a mass of bobbing bodies.

Brother Ali performed his first two songs with an antique microphone that added a fuzzy quality to his sound. He also relied on the audience to sing key parts to his songs.

He recognized the talent of bands on conventional record labels, but said that he preferred being on an independent label that receives support from fans who have to make an effort to find his music.

"If you listen to the radio and don't like the things you're hearing, you have to get out there and find the things you want," he said.

The performance lapsed into slam poetry twice, eliminating a beat so the lyrics could make a deeper impact. Brother Ali rapped about politics, growing up in poverty and about being albino.

Most songs were from Brother Ali's most recent album, "The Undisputed Truth,"including "Uncle Sam Goddamn" and "Take Me Home."

The audience screamed for an encore, so Toki Wright and Abstract Rude came out for an extended freestyle session with the other artists.

Most audience members said they were impressed with the constant energy flow of the show and with the lyrical skills of all three rappers.

"I've been to a lot of the rap shows from the Rhymesayers crew," Matt Moskal, 20, a Spanish and psychology majorsaid. "They did a great job of keeping the hype."

YourHub and My Voice On It

2008-03-08T19:06:00.000-08:00

Civilian journalism seems like a noble enterprise, especially on Web sites like YourHub.com. People willingly seek out sources without the incentive of a money. They tell stories that they think people around them should hear because it has become a civic duty.

I felt guilty, then, as I posted an opinion piece on the site. I didn't take the incentive and look for a story around me. Already working for the campus paper, I had to do enough scavenging already that finding another story was not in my interest. So I posted what was on my mind, because it was easily accessible.

On YourHub, people can write comments and rate the story posted. To might delight, three people rated the piece and one wrote a comment. I got three 5 Star ratings and a comment saying she agreed with my sentiment of hating "LOL" and abbreviations. There is the remote possibility that the three raters were the only people to read my post, but it felt nice to get some level of feedback.

Sometimes it's nice to get an opinion placed in a public setting, and as the ever-expanding world of blogs makes readership seem impossible to find, I am happy to find a more specific forum that people seek out to read news.

LOL: Losing Our Language

2008-03-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

When I get text messages with abbreviations in them, it really makes me want to TMP IAS VOLM: Throw My Phone Into A Steaming Vat Of Liquid Magma.

I have a bleak view of the future, one with all capital letters. Emoticons shine on people’s faces and The Church of OMG is held every Sunday. College graduates will earn degrees in acronyms. Babies will be praised for speaking their first letter combination.

Scholars will translate the texts of old into the new language.

“MO B DIK” will start with its famous line:
“A/S/L? Ishmael/M/Some boat.”

In the name of all that is good and holy, I hope that the world will not come to this. But there are some aspects that have already begun. I have started to hear people saying “LOL” to each other during conversation. I don’t understand the difficulty of actually laughing in front of other people when your vocal cords are capable.

Try it: Make a hard “h” sound. It will sound like an old man making a strained exhale: “huh.” Now, try a long “a” sound. It sounds like the noise of relaxation expressed while easing into a warm bath: “ahh.” Put them together quickly. Huh… ahh. H-a. Ha!

I get annoyed with people who invent scenarios that don’t go on in real life, and then abbreviate them and expect people to understand. ROFL doesn’t happen. I think I’ve only Rolled On the Floor Laughing a few selective moments in my life, most of which involved me being on the floor in the first place.

TTYL makes not sense, assuming that it’s written to someone else. Writing is not akin to talking, so I would think that Write To You Later would be more appropriate. Then again, I shouldn’t contemplate semantics in a world of, “LOLZ!!! LYLAS ;-*”.

I suppose I would be less likely to pull an all around vendetta on abbreviations if they stood for something useful. But there is nothing that would make me want to permanently retire my cell phone more than the dreaded, hateful LOL.

Lack Of Liveliness.
Ludicrously Oblivious Linguistics.
Lame Old Loser.

I would pay the $10,000 to kill those three letters if it was in the power of the Mafia to do so. Just off them. I’m willing to spell my name Car--yn if it means giving up those two letters for good.

The most unsatisfying feeling is sending a text that is funny, either an anecdote or a joke or something flirty, and getting jack squat in return. My phone buzzes and I get that little jolt of anticipation of what the person replied. Maybe what I said offended them, tickled them, excited them, or intrigued them, and all I want is a hint of emotion.

Look Out, Lamebrain!

I like the thrill of the intellectual chase. I like conversations that work both ways. When I flip open my phone and see those glinting three letters staring back, the chase is over. It never began.

Receiving an LOL is like getting kneed in the gut for no reason. It is an insult, it takes no finesse or ingenuity, and it leaves me in pain.

I would prefer a slap in the face with a half-gutted rainbow trout. That is a challenge. That takes creativity. That will at least get my mind working. It might hurt, but I will be curious as to how you got the fish and what I did to deserve getting struck with it.

Call me sentimental, but I want to go back to the days when grammar still meant something. I want to hear words again, to have friends instead of BFFs, and to see warmhearted smiles that have teeth, not parenthesis.

In a perfect world, abbreviations will be a fad that won’t BRB.

Lyrics need not apply: Acoustic artists bring power with plucking

2008-03-04T20:02:00.000-08:00

Andy McKee is one of many new artists that can owe their success to people watching their music, not just listening to it.

"You may have seen this song on YouTube," said McKee, an acoustic guitarist. "It kind of launched my career into the stratosphere."

Both McKee and his opening act, singer Nicholas Barron, gained many of their listeners through people watching their videos online. In an intimate seated event at the Fox Theatre on March 4, the audience was able to see the meticulous acoustic plucking off of a computer screen.

Barron entered the stage first with a wild energy. Though the performance was just a man and his guitar, his enthusiasm brought enough energy to give the allusion of a five-piece band. His throaty voice reminiscent of Colin Hay and Dave Matthews soulfully complemented his complicated acoustic style.

Animal noises and "faux-French" was incorporated into quirky songs. As he hopped and jittered around stage with a contortioned face, Barron said the actions were his way of showing enthusiasm in performing.

"I'm a little hyperactive," he said. "I've got to catch up with my energy sometimes."

Covers of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" were played, along with Barron's most watched song on YouTube, "Antidote."

McKee said he started to play guitar at 13-years-old, and as he strummed his first song it became apparent that his 15 years of practice were put to good use.

Using the finger-style technique to play his guitar, McKee was able to play different notes with each hand and effectively sound like two different instruments playing simultaneously. He also added percussion noises by slapping the base of the guitar.

The magic of McKee's technique was the emotion and imagination conveyed from purely instrumental songs. The vivid climaxes and tempo changes acted like a soundtrack, telling stories of McKee's father, places he had visited, and even fantasies he laughed about creating.

"I'm into dorky stuff like 'Lord of the Rings,' and I played Dungeons and Dragons once or twice," he said. "I wanted to write about an underground gnome city, and so I wrote 'Gates of Gnomeria.'"

Taking advantage of a variety of unusual string instruments, McKee played the baritone guitar and the behemoth harp guitar, which had a large harp element swooping up from the top of a regular guitar. Each added a new narrative element to the soundscapes of McKee's music, including his songs "Into the Ocean," "Drifting," and a cover of Toto's "Africa."

After a round of applause and a standing ovation from an otherwise silent audience, McKee returned to the stage with Barron to play "Come Together" by The Beatles.

For information on both artists, visit their label's Web site.

Queen of Mean reigns supreme

2008-03-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

Lampanelli gets laughs and gasps

Deemed Comedy Central's "Queen of Mean," comedian Lisa Lampanelli performed her controversial act to a sold-out Boulder Theater, interacting with an audience of varying age and race by pinpointing members and addressing them directly.

Lampanelli has no qualms about calling people derogatory names and stereotyping race, sex and religious affiliation with confidence.

Though the content of her Feb. 29 show was openly offensive and insulting, audience members cheered, gasped and embraced her blatant insensitivity.

"She makes me proud to be a minority," said Ingrid Pfennig, 41, who works for Fusion Entertainment. "It's her aggressiveness and her vibrancy. She brings us minorities down to earth."

Tracy Locke opened the show with a comedy set focusing on her Jewish religion, being on a football team and dating military men.

"[Football] girls are so tough they roll their own tampons," Locke said.

She was followed by Laura Levites, who addressed the war in Iraq by comparing the coping strategies of today's youth with those during the Vietnam War. She also said she hated George Bush and was applauded for saying so.

"It's not for political reasons," Levites said. "His eyes are just too close together."

As Grammy-nominated Lampanelli walked on stage in a floral blue dress, she quickly clarified her comedy style by pinpointing every black, Latin, gay and Jewish member of the audience and addressing them with the stereotypes associated with their background.

"Look how she's laughing!" Lampanelli said to one member of the audience. "And she doesn't even speak any English."

Though she brashly called people offensive names and focused on racially sensitive jokes, Lampanelli maintained objectivity by targeting every race with the same uninhibited style. From entitled white children, to Oprah, to sleeping with an NFL player, the topics of the night ranged widely and all received positive audience response.

After her stage act, Lampanelli walked around the venue and joked about more audience members. One man was distinguished because he was "super white."

The show ended with Lampanelli thanking all audience members for their cooperation and clarifying the point of her comedy style.

"I make fun of everything to show it's all ridiculous," she said. "We all just need to lighten up."

Map-tastic!

2008-02-29T09:06:00.001-08:00

Sia Sublime: Australian singer embraces innocent fun

2008-02-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

With a stage covered in stuffed animals and glowing flowers, Sia's concert on Feb. 24 at Fox Theatre had a tangible innocence that few artists embrace.

The female-dominated crowd packed the theater tight before the opening band proceeded onto the stage. An entire row even wore glow stick necklaces that meshed well with the already colorful ambiance.

Then, among the crowd of hip girls, a man weaved his way through. His bald spot was a blaring attention-getter that reflected his age and his seemingly wrong position among so many young female fans.

Then, as irony would have it, he helped himself on stage and began to sing the opening song.

"I am about to blow your mind," said Sean Tillmann, the lead singer of Har Mar Superstar.

If Danny DeVito and Michael Jackson had the ability to conceive a love child, it would be this man. With his stomach hanging out from a cut off T-shirt, Tillmann flung himself into handstands while singing disco-tinged electric pop.

While yelling lewd commentary to the audience as he asserted his sexual prowess, Tillmann added comedy to his catchy tunes.

"I'm ready to make out. Have your I.D. ready. I'm not going to jail for this," Tillmann said.

By the time he finished singing "I Got Next," "Cut Me Up," and "Girls Only," Tillman had stripped down to a tight red Speedo. As sweat trickled down his exposed midriff, the crowd cheered and screamed as he vigorously shook everything in view.

After such an uproarious opening band, Sia Furler entered the stage with her own choice of eccentric performing. Glowing under a black light, Furler and her back up band appeared in neon suits with stick figures and happy faces painted on each player.

After shedding the suits, Furler thanked the audience over and over throughout the performance, giggling after every song while throwing herself into a fit of uninhibited dancing.

"Sometimes, being on stage can be a little tense," Furler said. "I believe it is good to shake it out. I believe in the power of dance."

The innocence and immaturity Furler showed in her actions was a stark contrast to the quality of her singing. With power and soul, her aching voice carried emotional depth in her down tempo style. In her song "Breathe Me," each verse ended in a wrenching sigh that could only be uplifted by the lively flashing flowers on stage.

Furler was not afraid to give the audience exactly what they wanted. She allowed the audience to yell what song she should play next and she played a variety of old and new songs alike.

The band sang songs from their newest album, "Some People Have Real Problems," which has a more upbeat feel when compared to Sia's previous work. "Little Black Sandals" and "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" added spunk to a lineup that was beautiful but hard to dance to outside of swaying.

As Furler sang "Playground" surrounded by Tickle Me Elmo and Care Bears, her lyrics spoke of the obvious draw of this performer.

"I don't want to grow up," Furler said.

Through the sugar-coated set of the evening, Sia proved the point that a quality performance does not need to include self-righteous bragging or serious rock ideals to be spectacular. Sometimes all it needs are rainbows, doodles and childlike sincerity.

Music, dancing and mountaineering: An evening at the Boulder International Film Festival

2008-02-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

As I arrived at the Boulder Theater on the night of Feb. 15, I expected to see some influential films. I expected to be entertained, to watch some cinematography from upcoming filmmakers, and to eat some organic popcorn.

I was not expecting to cry for the entirety of the feature "War/Dance," nor be so afraid of mountains after watching "The Beckoning Silence."

Friday marked the second day of the Boulder International Film Festival, which showcases independent films for the entirety of the Presidents Day weekend. Films range in topics and style, and I happened to be present at the evening of stirring documentaries.

I arrived at the beginning of Program 6, which began with a short documentary about Otis Taylor called "American Black Banjo Player" that chronicled a recording session for the album "Recapturing the Banjo."

Taylor appeared on stage after the 8-minute film, backed up by his daughter Cassie on bass and two drummers. He played a two-song set to a clapping crowd and tried to reiterate the point of his film.

"Remember one thing- the banjo came out of Africa," he said.

Continuing the theme of the power of music, the festival played "War/Dance," an Academy Award-nominated documentary about a school in northern Uganda that is about to compete in the country's National Music Competition.

I held on for five minutes before I started crying. I tried to hold tears back, but my lids could only hold so much and soon riddled my shirt with wet spots. I felt lucky I had come by myself.

It is admittedly hard to maintain composure when children under 15 years old tell the stories of how their parents were killed by rebels and of what it feels like to be a child soldier.

The stories of Patongo Primary School students Dominic, Nancy and Rose are intermittently placed throughout the wonderfully crafted film, blending the hopes and dreams of a school in a war-torn area with the struggles of individual members of the class.

The lives of these children weigh heavy from the beginning, all dealing with death and destruction at a young age. The film uses the children as examples of the hundreds of thousands of Ugandans facing the same struggles and peppers the screen with tragic statistics.

The light of this film comes from the triumph of the festival itself, and the joy the children find from their music.

"It is our tradition. Even war cannot take it from us," said 13-year-old Rose, whose parents were murdered by rebel forces.

As the children competed on stage, the Boulder audience reacted as if it was live. People clapped and cheered as the group competed in the Western choral performance, instrumental section, and triumphant traditional dance. As the members accepted the awards for Best Musician and Best Traditional Dance, audience members screamed as if the children could hear them.

After the film, Ugandan activist Marcellina Otii and members from the organization Team Africa accepted questions from the audience about the film and about the current state of Uganda.

"A part of me that was aching so badly was sorted out tonight," Otii said.

The theater cleared, and I stayed seated to take a little time to compose myself. I could only hope that the next film, "The Beckoning Silence", would touch me just as deeply. I stretched my legs after sitting in the stiff makeshift auditorium seating, and made my way back inside for Round Two.

"The Beckoning Silence" is more of a reenactment than a documentary. Joe Simpson, known for his film "Touching The Void," documents the fatal summit attempt of Eiger by a young Toni Kurtz. His attempt to be the first to scale Eiger's North Face in 1927 was met with the death of three teammates and himself.

Simpson added commentary while actors were realistically met with the trials of the mountain. The film utilized maps and statistics to describe exactly how hard, how high and how treacherous the climb would have been for Kurtz.

"If you fell, you would zip out into space and you probably wouldn't touch anything for 5,000 feet," said Simpson in the film.

As a member of the crew gets pelted on the head by a rock and the men must turn the climb into a rescue mission, the film begins to pick up momentum. Tragedy after tragedy strikes, culminating in an avalanche leaving three dead, and Kurtz dangling from a drop-off in the frigid cold.

When he is 50 feet from rescue, the dangling Kurtz must give up, ultimately trapped by a knot caught in his carabiner.

The film focuses on the tragedy of the deaths of all four men, but also pays homage to what they died for.

"It's not justifiable by any logical terms," Simpson said. "That's probably why you do it."

Though the film was dramatic and tragic, some audience members and I felt detached from the situation shown.

"The other film ["Touching the Void"] was more intense, but this had more commentary," said Shannon Ohmart, a 28-year-old paramedic. "It just seemed so long ago that it happened."

I left the theater emotionally drained after crying and gawking at bodies hanging from icy cliffs. But I will be pleased to return for the rest of the weekend to explore the wide variety of films the Boulder Theater is willing to showcase.

The Black Lips Gets Good Publicity... For Once

2008-02-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

When I went to the Black Lips show at The Bluebird in Denver, I was expecting some carnage. From what I had read on Wikipedia and countless other sites, the shows often involve vomit. Bodily functions. Chickens.

This bad publicity should have made me want to avoid the show. I should have been anxious about getting something splattered on me, or about a riot forming. And yet, this bad publicity made me want to see them more.

There is something about the grotesque that gives it so much power. We are drawn to the disgusting so we can say we witnessed it. The stories we can tell to friends and see them wince are the ones we cherish to tell.

I went to the venue expecting the worst, relishing the worst. I wanted to see madness and hear people scream in disgust and savor the craze of the moment.

The Black Lips came on stage drunken. Loud. A little boisterous. But nothing happened like the Web sites said, and I slowly rocked to the rhythm while keeping the thought alive that something was bound to happen. The media wouldn't buils something up like that.

But I walked out of the venue disappointed, partly in the band and partly in the fact that I had put so much hope in the members making fools of themselves.

Love notes: Making a mix that will get hearts pounding

2008-02-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

Every year on Valentine's Day, it seems that love is counted in dollars and cents. It is counted by how big the box of chocolates is, how many roses in a bouquet and where people eat dinner. Taco Bell and a single red rose tend to stand for waning interest and a lack of commitment.

College budgets do not always allow for the highest expression of monetary love. Luckily, there is a failsafe way to show passion, love, friendship, commitment and a sense of humor in one tiny, less than $1 package: a CD.

The mixed CD is a glorious thing. It lets twelve people sing lyrics that say exactly what needs to be said, regardless of the gift giver's poetic capability. It can be sentimental and timeless. It will not be eaten like chocolate. It will not wilt.

For those who want to say "I love you," here are a few of the most timeless love songs. They cannot be considered classy, but they can at least get some simple points across.

"At Last"- Etta James
"Best of My Love"- The Emotions
"You Sexy Thing"- Hot Chocolate
"All Out Of Love"- Air Supply
"Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe"- Barry White
"Time After Time"- Cindy Lauper
"Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car"- Billy Ocean
"Sexual Healing"- Marvin Gaye
"I Touch Myself"- The DiVinyls
"You Shook Me All Night Long"- AC/DC
"Let My Love Open The Door"- Pete Townshend

Impressing someone with a knowledge of independent bands isn't as hard as one may think. For a girl, it will astonish her with how many sentimental lyrics were scavenged through to get to the perfect mix. For a guy, any girl who knows not to put Justin Timberlake on a CD that he is expected to listen is a treasure.

"First Day of My Life"- Bright Eyes
"A Minor Incident"- Badly Drawn Boy
"I Will"- The Beatles
"The Luckiest"- Ben Folds
"Kingdom Come"- Coldplay
"You Love Me"- DeVotchKa
"Now At Last"- Feist
"Naked As We Came"- Iron and Wine
"I Love You"- Under the Influence of Giants
"Breathe Me"- Sia
"Separate Ways"- Tahiti 80

Statistically and realistically, not everyone can have a date on Valentine's Day. Those who coined the term "Single-Awareness Day" know the struggle to maintain their composure when they get to spend a day surrounded by conversation candy and teddy bears with bad puns stitched on their stomachs. For those singles, an angst-filled mix is a must.

"True Love Will Find You In The End"- Beck
"Suckers"- Reel Big Fish
"99 Problems"- Jay-Z
"Better Luck"- Scissor Sisters
"Nobody's Baby"- Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
"The Comeback"- Shout Out Louds
"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now"- The Smiths
"Look Up"- Stars
"Bored To Hear Your Heart Still Breaks"- Tulleycraft

At the very least, it can be assumed that everyone has friends. Since friendship is a kind of love, telling your friend that you care is perfectly acceptable on a day that demands love be force-fed. Here are some picks that reminisce about growing up, and talk about always being there for each other.

"Never Let You Fall"- Ben Kweller
"One Love/ People Get Ready"- Bob Marley
"Colours"- Calvin Harris
"Let's Get Out of This Country"- Camera Obscura
"I Believe In You"- Cat Power
"Golden Years"- David Bowie
"Dear Friend"- Eleni Mandell
"Eanie Meany"- Jim Noir
"Thirteen"- Elliot Smith
"Oh La La"- Faces
"Honor and Harmony"- G. Love and Special Sauce
"Friends and Family"- Trik Turner
"See The World"- Gomez

These mixes are good alone, or as a mix-and-match scenario. Cliché's and angst make for a perfectly ironic mix, while a mix of romance and friendship may be the way to show how deep feelings go.

If there seem to be some missing sentiments in the songs listed, it is relatively easy to find more. Most artists write about love and heartbreak exclusively, making the selection optimal.

All of the music listed above can be found on iTunes, which is ideal for buying single songs. If a certain album gains your interest from a mix, most eclectic CDs can be found at Bart's CD Cellar on Pearl Street or at Albums On The Hill on 13th Street.

Boulder Theater Showcases Local Talent

2008-02-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

Four Colorado bands please audience with diverse style

For many audience members, getting catchy and talented tunes out of their heads may be a challenge after watching local Colorado bands The World Romantic, Paper Bird, Ian Cooke, and The Autumn Film perform at the Boulder Theater Feb. 8.

Unlike most concerts, none of the bands could rightly be deemed an opening band or a headliner. The talent of each band was so diverse and gained so much audience enthusiasm that no band received the usual shunning associated with opening a show.

The World Romantic played the first set of the night. Audience members scattered themselves about the venue, most sitting at tables or on the floor, saving their legs and energy for the band they loved the most. A few fans loudly hooted when the band finished their set, though the venue was roughly empty.

As Paper Bird entered the stage in single file formation, the girls wearing matching crushed velvet dresses and the boys barefoot, it was clear that they were meant to entertain. Trombone player Tyler Archuletta played OutKast's "So Fresh, So Clean" to much laughter from the audience.

Stunned at how big of a stage the small-venue players got to perform on, singers Sarah Anderson, Genevieve Patterson, and Esme Patterson waddled bowlegged around stage to try and compensate for the extra space. To the embarrassment of one singer, her dress split open in the process. Seemingly unaltered and giggling, the band played "Pennies", "Blue Sparks" and "Livin' Lucky" in their trademark harmonized style. Much of the audience danced throughout the set.

"I am awe-struck with Paper Bird and Ian Cooke," said Alinka Zellner, 21, sophomore psychology major. "They have such different instruments than other bands, and the three singers that play off of each other are great."

Ian Cooke took to the stage next, accompanied by some uncustomary guests. Cooke, a classically trained cellist, usually performs alone on stage. Instead, he was joined by a full backup band that included a violin, bass guitar, synthesizer, and pounding electronic drum kit.

"You guys rule," said Cooke as the audience cheered at his song choice, including covers of ABBA's "Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)" and Dolly Parton's "9 To 5".

With the harsh thrust of his bow, Cooke created a dramatic flourish that complemented his thoughtful lyrics. Paired with the pounding beats of the accompaniment, his music rose to a higher level.

"Something about him stirs me up," said junior journalism major James Collector, 21. "It's like he's been to the bottom, and where he is now is where he's pulled himself up to."

Sitting alone on stage with her piano, Tifah Al-Attas of The Autumn Film played the final set of the show. Her raspy, dark voice echoed that of Evanescence's Amy Lee, but with one defining factor- talent.

Her fellow band mates joined her with violin, guitar, drums, and bass in hand to play "Because We Are" and "Sleep", which Al-Attas declared to be one of her favorites. Aubrea Alford stood out as one of the group's most talented members, playing a violin solo with aching passion and gorgeous tone.

The audience left the venue early in morning of Feb. 9. Most were tired from the length of the show but satisfied with the talent they witnessed.

For more information on all four bands, visit their Myspace Web sites.

Fox Theatre gets drunk on Hot Buttered Rum

2008-02-03T19:44:00.000-08:00

Bluegrass band keeps audience on their feet

There were plenty of people willing to brave the cold to catch the band Hot Buttered Rum play at Fox Theatre Friday and Saturday night.

While most fans are older men as well as CU students, some of the bluegrass music fans at Fox Theatre were a bit younger.

Three-year-old Seda, even at such a young age, was not a stranger to the bluegrass scene.

"This will be our seventh time seeing them," said Lane Convell, Seda's 26-year-old mother. "This is Seda's third time. She likes to dance. She loves bluegrass."

In this bluegrass setting, a concert isn't simply a concert; it's a family affair. The audience members yelled to one another like old friends, even to those who said they had only met that night.

Ben Tzinberg, a 20-year-old sophomore with an undecided major at CU who attended Saturday's Hot Buttered Rum performance, said he expected nothing less of the camaraderie that was in the air.

"There are no handshakes here," Tzinberg said. "I kept hearing the saying, 'Hugs not handshakes.'"

By the time the opening band Head for the Hills got on stage, the venue was swimming with dreadlocks and long skirts.

Hot Buttered Rum, the five-man bluegrass ensemble, went on stage after Head For The Hills was given an enthusiastic welcome by screaming fans. As soon as Bryan Horne, Nat Keefe, Zachary Matthews, Aaron Redner and Erik Yates made their presence known, the crowd began the rhythmically bobbing and flailing their limbs, a sight that continued through the entire show.

No single band member crowded the spotlight, due to every member's unique talent on each instrument. Each member sang lead vocals on at least one song and each instrument was given gratuitous time for improvisation.

The set started with the upbeat "Honey Be" along with what appeared to be the well-received "Amanda Lynn," in which the audience screamed after every verse.

The band was not limited to playing classic bluegrass style. Songs like "Waiting for a Squall" and "The Crest" incorporated techno and jazz elements that added variety to an established style.

The first set ended with "Possum," a song with the power to make a large crowd unanimously scream, "Possum, your end is in the road."

The energy at the show grew as the band played "Beneath the Blossoms" and "Golden Days" before leaving double bass player Bryan Horne alone on stage to perform the final song.

However, the final song did not mean the show was over just yet. The band returned to the stage and said their goodbyes to a wailing audience well after 1 a.m. on Sunday while the crowd screamed for one more song.

"We're feeling right at home in Boulder," said fiddle player Aaron Redner.

To learn more about the band, visit their Web site.

Because Real News Is Boring

2008-01-31T13:25:00.000-08:00

Today's song is dedicated to Britney Spears, the media darling that helps people nationwide forget that our country is at war, that people are starving everywhere at every time, and that news used to consist of actual news.

She also maintains a solid point that growing up in Hollywood causes the unnecessary compulsion to forget to wear panties.

Regardless, today's pertinent song is...

Skip To The End by The Futureheads.

"If I could cheat/ I'd skip to the end/ And decide if it's worth going through with/ Skip to the last paragraph/ Before it starts" the lyrics read. I really wish news was that simple. Just get to the point of the story, because it almost seems to be a hassle to tag along when it isn't going anywhere.

Britney Spears has no point. She has celebrity status, and that makes everything she does notable and important. At least, say media guidelines today. But all of the little celebrity stories that are supposed to invoke readership, watchers, or listeners always seem to be the ones that make me stop watching, listening, or reading.

I can't say I'm immune to celebrity gossip either. I just prefer to know what the weather is as I watch the morning news, rather than having to watch a continuous loop of video showing a motorcade taking away Ms. Spears yet again.

Let's call it old news, assuming it can be called news in the first place. Skip to the end.

2008-01-30T20:52:00.000-08:00

I have come to the decision that this blog will be a grand mix tape of the daily happenings of the world. For me, most ideas that media convey never hit home. Significant world issues always seem to bluster by after one new topic comes up after another. We have so much news every day that there is no time to absorb it.

Enter: Music.

When you listen to a song, it implants its message into your brain. Lyrics are catchy. They allow you to absorb ideas without realizing it. Subliminal messages at there best.

In that frame of mind, I'm going to link music to big news stories. To little ones. To media scandals and to blips on the radar. At least then there will be a tangible beat and tune to the overwhelming amount of information bumbling around.

So, in honor of this idea, there is only one song I can think of:

Music by Ian Cooke

"Music can make meaningless things seem so significant,/ and I don't use other ways to say the things I mean because/ I know it may not matter that I think you're magnificent,/ but I hope this music makes it seem to you as though it does."

Music shall link us all. At the very least, I can help pad some people's music libraries with some choice material.