Critical Hands: A Reviewer's Blog

Forget blockbuster movies, explore cinematic art at Pittsburgh film theaters

2012-02-01T19:57:00.000-08:00

Forget blockbuster movies, explore cinematic art at Pittsburgh film theaters

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/forget-blockbuster-movies-explore-cinematic-art-at-pittsburgh-film-theaters/

It’s easy to get caught in the Hollywood rut. Moviegoers in Pittsburgh often gravitate toward the two big-budget movie theaters: SouthSide Works Cinema or the AMC Loews Waterfront 22.

But for the blockbuster cinema cynics and the cash-strapped scholars, Pittsburgh has several affordable and more indie movie venues. Thanks to Pittsburgh Filmmakers and the Hollywood Theater, there’s no reason cinephiles need to find themselves hungering for something artsier.

Hollywood Theater

1449 Potomac Ave.

www.thehollywooddormont.org

Travel to Dormont, and students can find the single-screen, 80-year-old Hollywood Theater. It runs a variety of films, from anime to classics — such as “Gone with the Wind” — to documentaries to cult classics. (“The Room” is shown at least once every month.)

The Hollywood re-opened last June after extensive remodeling of the seating area and the sound systems.

“People love the balcony,” executive director John Maggio said. “We’re one of the few theaters with a tier balcony. People love our enormous screen, and it’s also curved. It just makes the experience even better when you’re watching the film.”

The Hollywood obtained nonprofit status one month ago, giving it more flexibility in its ability to screen films and maintain its operations. But the Hollywood is not just a theater — it’s a community resource, drawing extra business to local shops in the evening or during the day.

Screenings here are based on a mix of research and public suggestions, so students with a particular film in mind are always welcome to submit their ideas. Maggio noted that many films screened here end the same way: in applause.

“It doesn’t get any better than hearing people clapping at the end of a film,” he said.

Melwood Screening Room

477 Melwood Ave.

www.pittsburghfilmmakers.com

The Melwood Screening Room found a home in a converted warehouse that also houses the headquarters of its parent nonprofit, Pittsburgh Filmmakers. It is one of the group’s three theaters in the city.

Pittsburgh Filmmakers aims to raise public awareness and understanding about film and visual arts. To promote this, the nonprofit offers classrooms and art galleries at the Melwood location.

The films screened here should be viewed as works of art, said Gary Kaboly, Pittsburgh Filmmakers’ director of exhibition.

The theater itself is an intimate venue — a very simple room with enough seats for 130 people to watch films flicker on the big screen. Kaboly said it’s an ideal place to view films.

“Because [the films] are works of art, it is important that they be seen in the medium in which they were created, on a big screen in a darkened room with others sharing the experience,” Kaboly said, adding that what sets films at the Melwood apart from those at places like the Waterfront is the content of the films, not the theater itself.

The Melwood plays fewer movies than some of the bigger theaters in the city, but the scheduling is diverse. Some are classics, some didn’t get a national release and some are locally made.

Check out http://theaters.pittsburgharts.org for titles and times of the films running here and at other Pittsburgh Filmmakers theaters. Tickets for students with valid IDs at all Pittsburgh Filmmaker theaters are generally $4.

Harris Theater

809 Liberty Ave.

www.pittsburghfilmmakers.com

The Harris Theater, also owned by Pittsburgh Filmmakers, emanates a nostalgic feel. With little graduation in the rows of armless seats, the theater seats 200 people between the lower level and the balcony.

The theater is named after Pittsburgh businessman John P. Harris, recognized as the first man in the world to open a Motion Picture theater. Pittsburgh Filmmakers has only owned and operated the theater since 1995; the theater itself has been open since 1931.

Films screened here tend to include contemporary, foreign and indie films, as well as some documentaries. When selecting films to run, Pittsburgh Filmmakers organizers monitor both the commercial film markets and film festivals for potential candidates, Kaboly said.

“If it’s not set for a local commercial release and we feel that the film deserves a local premiere, we then contact the distributor,” Kaboly said. “As long as we feel the film is artistically or culturally significant, then it may play on one of our screens.”

Harris is the only movie theater located Downtown and is open seven days a week.

Regent Square Theater

1035 South Braddock Ave.

www.pittsburghfilmmakers.com

The Regent Square Theater, Pittsburgh Filmmakers’ third theater, is one of the last single-screen neighborhood theaters in the region. Built in 1938, the theater is now surrounded by small local shops and cafés in Regent Square and tends to run better-known classic and artistic films.

Older viewers often remember seeing films such as “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and “Vertigo” at this theater in the past. This tradition continues with the Sunday night classic film series.

“We often get compliments on our Sunday night classic series at Regent Square,” Kaboly said. “Patrons thank us for the opportunity to see an older film on the big screen the way it was meant to be seen.”

Planned renovations promise that this old theater will remain comfortable and stylish.

Rereleased Disney movies add to recent 3D hype

2012-01-18T10:13:00.000-08:00

Rereleased Disney movies add to recent 3D hype

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/rereleased-disney-movies-add-to-recent-3d-hype/

By: Larissa Gula and Adelia Mohan / The Pitt News Staff

Courtesy Walt Disney Pictures

“The Lion King” first reigned over the box office nearly 20 years ago, in the midst of a Disney heyday that defined a generation. A revisiting of “The Lion King” in theaters in September 2011 proved that Simba could still sway the masses — the film pulled away as September’s highest grossing movie. This past weekend, “Beauty and the Beast” graced the big screen for the first time in decades. And just like “The Lion King,” it was in a format unlike the original.

Disney’s recent commitment to Hollywood’s fascination with 3-D has spurred a movement to revisit its classics. “The Little Mermaid,” “Finding Nemo” and “Monsters, Inc.” will be retreated.

The 3-D craze has enjoyed great success, but a notable divide among movie fans became evident following the success of eye-candy blockbuster “Avatar.” Two camps were formed: those who absolutely love seeing movies in 3-D and those who desperately wish it would go away. Even the critics are spilt — Roger Ebert dedicated an entire blog post to explaining why he is against 3-D.

But the extra dimension in movies isn’t entirely a new fad. It saw fleeting popularity in the 1930s and then again in the 1950s. What separate’s today’s 3-D from that of yesteryear are the large leaps in technological innovation. According to Jeff Hinkelman, video collections manager and instructor at Carnegie Mellon University, most theaters have now upgraded their viewing technology to better support and showcase 3-D movies.

Put simply, the sweeping 3-D development owes much to the new advancements that allow local theaters to properly handle the format.

But Will Zavala, an instructor at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, voiced the questions of film fans and experts alike: Is 3-D here to stay as the next advancement in film, or will it fade once again from the screen? Considering that 3-D has actually worsened the movie going experience for some with its increased prices and side effects such as headaches, many feel the trend has room for improvement.

Three-D might previously have been used as a marketing gimmick, but if utilized correctly, the product can be astounding. DreamWorks 2010 film “How to Train Your Dragon” did not disappoint, and in fact had a stunning effect. Many directors and producers have properly wielded 3-D as a visual enhancement. Even Ebert couldn’t help but admit that he enjoyed the 3-D graphics in “Hugo” and “The Adventures of Tintin.”

Even considering the stigma against 3-D and the format’s uncertain future, the numbers pulled in by the rereleased Disney movies (“The Lion King” took in at least $61 million, and “Beauty and the Beast” earned $18.5 million its first weekend) display an opposition to the 3-D grievances.

Despite the success of the Disney rereleases, many were initially concerned for whether 3-D could be rendered to a hand drawn film and argued that the styles belonged to separate spheres and were simply incompatible.

Yet after seeing “The Lion King” in 3-D, many noted a distinct beneficial element that 3-D animation added to the movie experience. A few scenes looked better in their original 2-D depictions, but the feelings of inclusion that 3-D brought to the stampede and battle scenes were worth the price of admission.

Even if the 3-D had fallen completely flat, the movie would still have seen box-office success. The primary reason for the film’s successful monetary performance wasn’t its 3-D aspect, but the movie itself.

“The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast” are classic Disney films that already have a built-in following. The 3-D animation adds or detracts from the experience, but it does not desecrate the story.

Ultimately, the possibility of a bad 3-D movie can’t ruin the magic of Disney. And with directors employing 3-D to enhance a film’s visuals rather than as a marketing technique, the 3-D experience is set to see improvement in quality and viewer reception.

Gray skies bring SAD

2012-01-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

Gray skies bring SAD

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/gray-skies-bring-sad/

As Pittsburgh’s weather turns grim, Ann Stone finds it harder and harder to stay awake during the last push to get her art degree.

The Carnegie Mellon student drags herself out of bed in the morning and starts to feel sleepy by 6 or 7 p.m. Even though she said it “sounds ridiculous,” she finds that gray skies always seem to put her in a melancholic or lethargic mood, making it difficult to do the things she loves, like reading and writing.

While it’s not uncommon for students to feel a bit lethargic as they transition back into their classes, for some people, behavior like Stone’s is a sign of seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD.

SAD is a type of mood disorder and is recognized as recurring depression with seasonal onset and seasonal remission, said Marian Vanek, director of Student Health Service.

Symptoms of both SAD and depression include depressed mood, decreased interest in activities once found enjoyable, loss of focus and attention, increased or decreased appetite, hypersomnia (oversleeping), lack of energy and social withdrawal. The difference between the two is that SAD only occurs during a set time of the year.

Though she has never been diagnosed with SAD or depression, Stone admits that she sometimes displays all of these symptoms. But the symptoms do not always mean a student has depression or SAD, explained Tevya Zukor, the director of Pitt’s Counseling Center.

The disorder, commonly and incorrectly referred to as the “winter blues,” is a form of depression that occurs around the same time each year, typically beginning in October or November and subsiding around March or April.

Though it comes and goes with winter, experts still aren’t entirely sure what triggers SAD. It’s believed that the decreased amount of light in the winter could contribute, Vanek said.

Some treatments for the disorder, like those for depression, involve therapy and medication. Others, however, center on the use of light as a medication. Some people might use special light boxes during certain times of the day or begin waking to alarm clocks, with the intention of being exposed to more light, in which their environment might naturally be lacks.

This is reflected in the prevalence of SAD in different states. The occurrence rate in Maine might be as high as 10 percent, while in Florida it’s as low as 2 percent. Pittsburgh ranks in between at around a 6 or 7 percent occurrence rate, Zukor said.

Data and studies about SAD are fairly limited, but experts estimate that it affects as low as 0 percent and as high as 9.7 percent, depending on the region. Because it’s related to wintry conditions associated with changing seasons, populations up north tend to be more affected, Vanek said.

Some definitions of the disease add that SAD commonly develops in young adults, particularly those in their early twenties.

But Zukor questions whether the disease truly develops at this age or whether, instead, it’s simply identified at this age after a pattern of depression is observed.

To be diagnosed, a person with SAD must demonstrate a clear history of developing depression during a specific time of the year, Zukor said. If no pattern presents itself, some people might be treated for depression instead, because the symptoms are so similar.

“The expression I use is, there is a difference between depression and ‘sad things make me sad,’” Zukor said. “Everyone has a bad day and could show similar symptoms [to depression] just because of that.

“The real mark we use to try to figure out when something is depression, is ... when people experience a lot of those symptoms for a couple of weeks or so, and it begins to interfere with their life. Then it isn’t a temporary problem.”

Stress is also a major trigger, according to Zukor, who believes the stress levels of students explains why many people begin to notice SAD in college.

“When we think about the stress we experience as students, it makes sense,” he said. “We have the stress of a semester ending. We have the stress of graduation. And during the summer, while there’s stress, it’s a bit different than the academic pressure and responsibilities people have during the rest of the year.”

Treating the disorder can involve certain devices, like the therapeutic lightboxes, that most other disorders do not require.

The person with SAD will sit near a light therapy box, which gives off bright light that mimics natural outdoor light.

“Light therapy basically involves a full-spectrum light,” Zukor explained. “Students who spend time under this light for 30 to 45 minutes every morning tend to report a big increase in their moods.”

Pitt’s Counseling Center has light boxes for student use. Light therapy, however, requires a daily time commitment. For some students, sunrise clocks are a better option and treatment, Zukor said.

“It’s an alarm clock that mimics the sunrise,” he said. “You set an alarm, but instead of beeping, the alarm begins building light intensity and mimicking a sunrise. Most of them come along with audible alarms. And it’s very interesting because they really seem to work. Most of the work, though, happens in your brain before you wake up.”

Zukor expects that many students, Stone included, will feel considerably better later in the year as well.

“March tends to be the month we have spring break, and I always go somewhere warm and sunny,” Stone said. “I come back feeling much better, no matter how the weather is in Pittsburgh.”

But Zukor stresses that anyone who wants or needs help should always use any resources Pitt has to offer.

“Someone who has had depression understands that big difference between having a bad day and being depressed,” he said.

Students who think they have depression or SAD should make appointments either at the Student Health Service or the Counseling Center.

‘Tintin’ reminiscent of childhood adventure dreams

2012-01-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

‘Tintin’ reminiscent of childhood adventure dreams

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/tintin-reminiscent-of-childhood-adventure-dreams/

Courtesy Paramount Pictures

“The Adventures of Tintin”

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Starring Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig

Grade: B

With danger, secrets, chases and strange lands, Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of “The Adventures of Tintin” feels like a classic comic brought to life on the screen — and with good reason.

The film is based on three titles in a comic series created by artist Hergé (Georges Remi). Set during the 20th century, the series revolves around the adventures of Tintin, a Belgian reporter, who is often aided by a fox terrier named Snowy. Spielberg’s film is only one of many adaptations of the story, and it’s a pretty enjoyable one.

The film opens with Tintin (Jamie Bell) and Snowy wandering the market, where Tintin purchases a model of a ship called the Unicorn. Immediately after the purchase, two men approach the reporter. One warns him about the danger he’s in as long as he’s in posession of this model ship. The other tries to buy the ship from him.

Refusing to sell it, Tintin takes the model home, where Snowy damages it. This reveals a hidden scroll in its mast. While researching the history of the ship on which the model was based, Tintin discovers that it sank during its last voyage, supposedly carrying secret cargo.

Unfortunately, the model is stolen; the only piece left behind is the one Snowy knocked loose. As the film progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that this is the item the thieves wanted. The message is unmistakable when the man who warned Tintin earlier is found shot on his doorstep.

Tintin calls the police and is soon abducted and taken aboard a ship where Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) is also held. In a drunken stupor, Haddock reveals that he holds a secret about the Unicorn passed down by his family — which he’s forgotten.

This film simply screams of childhood adventure fantasies. The main characters race across the sea to strange lands and back by ship, airplane, camel and car, all while avoiding death or capture by dastardly villains. And at the heart lies a puzzle that could lead them to treasure once sought by pirates.

With the action of three comic books crammed into one film, the plot moves quickly. And because of the source material, almost every scene features an action and adventure film device — from chase scenes to sword fights.

The mystery — rather than the characters themselves — drives the film, the action and the adventure. Fortunately, despite the occasionally bumpy transitions between scenes and speedy pace in general, this is a fairly pleasant movie to watch.

Most of the animation is beautiful and the action scenes are very impressive and visually appealing. The only animation downside: Despite the impressive use of motion capture to translate movement into digital code, the technology clashes with the artistic style, where characters look more like plastic than flesh-and-blood human beings.

All in all, this little adventure film features some impressive animation, decent humor and plenty of swashbuckling and gunfire.

Daughtry keeps style, including tired theme of jilted romance

2011-12-02T10:02:00.001-08:00

Daughtry keeps style, including tired theme of jilted romance

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/daughtry-keeps-style-including-tired-theme-of-jilted-romance/

Courtesy RCA

Break The Spell

Daughtry

Recordings Ltd.

Rocks Like: Lifehouse, Hinder

It’s time for the latest installment of Daughtry’s relationship drama.

Five years after its first self-titled album, American rock band Daughtry has released Break The Spell. The group’s third album combines a harder rock sound with the classic Daughtry music that fans know and love.

As always, Daughtry focuses on the pains and pleasures of relationships. It’s a nice throwback for fans, but overall it’s boring. How many times can we listen to songs about failed relationships?

Fortunately, not every track does this. The album kicks off with a high-energy song titled “Renegade,” featuring lyrics like, “Can you hear the sound of the turnin’ wheels / Burnin’ the road like it’s never been done / I’m breakin’ out of this town like a renegade / So baby, get ready to run.”

A gritty guitar drives the song, keeping the pace up and adding a level of fun that will probably make it shine at live performances.

Immediately after this, the song “Crawling Back To You” highlights the band’s continued fascination with songs about relationships on the brink. On this track, Daughtry sings about a man begging a woman to take him back. It sounds less like “gritty” rock and more like a typical Daughtry song, with softer lyrics and a sing-a-long tempo and chorus.

But lead singer Chris Daughtry adds a layer of interest when he experiments with his vocals in this album. He hits higher notes during songs like “Losing My Mind” than he had in the past and begins to demonstrate a softer, more emotional side of himself.

This more emotional side to Daughtry can be seen on one track in particular. The deluxe edition of the album features an acoustic song called “Lullaby.” The chorus goes, “I can’t wait to see your faces / And I can’t wait to hold your hands / When you get here, it’s off to the races / And we’ll tackle all life’s demands / But until I do / Yeah, until I do / I’ll be right here singing for you.” It’s a soft, emotional track, with the singer addressing the children of the future. It stands out as unique and incredibly heartfelt on an album primarily about falling in and out of love.

Overall, this album expands upon the band’s music without alienating its fans. It’s a fantastic demonstration of how a band’s sound can grow and develop over time, even if the primary topic remains a bit too repetitive.

‘Happy Feet Two’ tries to fit too much in one movie

2011-11-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

‘Happy Feet Two’ tries to fit too much in one movie

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/happy-feet-two-tries-to-fit-too-much-in-one-movie/

Courtesy Warner Bros. Productions

“Happy Feet Two”

Directed by George Miller

Starring Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Pink

Grade: D

There are bad sequels, there are pointless sequels and there are agitating sequels. “Happy Feet Two” is all three.

Following up with Mumble the tap-dancing penguin, this animated film takes place not long after the first film ends as Mumble (Elijah Wood) and Gloria (Pink) live happily with their fellow Emperor penguins trying to raise their son. After Mumble’s journey outside of the penguins’ homeland in the first film, their society has reformed — children are taught not only how to sing, but how to dance.

But Mumble’s son, Erik (E.G. Daily), does not fit in with his fellow penguins and does not have the passion for dancing that his father brought to the group. During a brief journey with Mumble’s old friend Ramon (Robin Williams), Erik meets a revered bird named The Mighty Sven (Hank Azaria). Mistaking Sven for a penguin that can fly, Erik makes it his dream to learn how to do the same. But before he can return home to his mother and father, everyone’s world is literally shaken as melting icebergs cause disturbances throughout the Antarctic.

If this seems like a messy story, it is. One of this film’s biggest flaws is its fast pacing and attempts to squeeze too much into a two-hour running time. The first movie was accused of the opposite problem — being too slow — but it seems that this film has overcorrected.

This problem doesn’t just affect the plot — the music and visuals are overdone, as well. This is pretty much a long, never-ending music video with mash-up after mash-up of bad dance moves and songs with the lyrics edited to make penguin jokes. The few lines of dialogue that aren’t sung are forced, fast and painful to listen to.

Though it was slow, the original “Happy Feet” characters felt developed and relatable, thanks in part to some very convincing voice acting. The fact that the first film followed a limited set of characters over the course of several years led to a fairly decent, emotional story told convincingly, albeit slowly.

“Happy Feet Two” does no such thing. Instead, it’s too busy juggling a bizarre, overcomplicated plot to even pick a main character or two. Not once during the film is it made clear whether the main protagonist is Mumble, his son, Gloria or any other penguin in the film. And come the end of the film, it’s impossible to tell what the lesson was. The value of family? The importance of good deeds and of being true to yourself? That even the smallest beings can make an impact on their surroundings? It could have been any of these — or something else, for all viewers knew.

Adding to the film’s flaws, Mumble’s parents (played by Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman) have completely disappeared. And the character of Gloria feels substantially different since Brittany Murphy, the original voice actress, died. Plus, in what may have been the worst decision by the director, the film got an additional two characters named Bill (Matt Damon) and Will (Brad Pitt), two krill taking part in a separate, unrelated journey of their own.

Remember Scrat the saber-toothed squirrel in the “Ice Age” films? These two krill serve a similar purpose — they offer pointless, bad comedy and distract viewers from the story, effectively ruining any limited tension that ever existed.

As the final nail in the coffin, while some other recent animated films know how to use 3-D effectively, this one does not. Young children may be amazed by the bubbles floating toward their faces and may enjoy the return of these dancing penguins — but this time, few outside of that age group will feel the same.

Giving time to good causes offers students many unexpected rewards

2011-11-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

Giving time to good causes offers students many unexpected rewards

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/giving-time-to-good-causes-offers-students-many-unexpected-rewards/

By Anthony Gima | Staff Photographer

Sam Yeoman with George, the mastif.

Pittsburgh needs me. It needs you too.

Volunteering is one of my favorite activities and I do it pretty often. Working in the community not only gives a volunteer a sense of purpose and happiness, it can also help teach people about their city and give them networking opportunities.

I’m not alone when it comes to volunteering. Nationally, 62.7 million people volunteered a total of 8.1 billion hours of service in 2010, according to Volunteering in America’s website. The average volunteer spent about 34.1 hours working for no pay to help others and support various causes.

Often, the idea of “making a difference” comes up among volunteers at any site. There are other reasons to get involved, too, from learning about local issues to potentially getting academic credit, according to Terrence Milani, director of Pitt’s Student Volunteer Outreach office.

There are different levels of volunteering. Some people take part in one-time projects with multiple organizations, and others spend their time working at one site repeatedly. I do a little bit of both.

For example, through one of the organizations I’ve worked with — The Pittsburgh Project — I learned about food deserts, areas where people have absolutely no access to nutritious, healthy food.

The Pittsburgh Project is a local nonprofit that helps residents in the North Side by repairing houses, hosting summer camps and after-school programs, and even running a local farmers market. I learned about the issues that exist in areas like Pittsburgh’s Hill District while working on their urban farm.

Brett Probert, the volunteer resources assistant of The Pittsburgh Project, reported that so far in 2011, the group has had nearly 1,200 volunteers work for 6,000 hours.

“Obviously, the impact volunteers make for our ministry is huge,” he said. “We could not begin to accomplish much of what we do without them.”

A lot of organizations utilize one-time volunteers for various projects because “episodic volunteers” can fill “sporadic” needs, Probert said.

But one-time volunteering is relatively brief, and some opportunities are lost when a volunteer’s involvement is brief. This is why there’s another option volunteers have that I take part in: volunteering on a regular basis.

Currently I volunteer with a local museum and a local animal shelter, and I could go on and on about the benefits these two things have brought my way.

Volunteering not only helps with volunteer networking, but with career networking as well. At the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, a nonprofit museum that operates and preserves old streetcars, I have a network of people who are like family to me. People have written letters of recommendation as well as connected with me on the website LinkedIn.

I can also add real-world experience to my resume, like marketing. I also work as a volunteer for the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society’s College Canine program. The shelter sends volunteers to campus once a week to help students reduce stress. For three years now, I’ve helped the group manage their online media and I can add those advertising clips to my resume.

After three years, I’ve bonded with the coordinator of the program, Marsha Robbins. Last summer, she helped me land an internship I desperately needed to finish my major and helped me find a job at the same site.

But these are all side benefits of volunteering. The real benefit is helping others and at the shelter, that can make a huge difference, Robbins said. Animals are calmer and happier thanks to cat cuddlers and dog walkers, meaning it’s easier for vet techs and adoptions coordinators to handle the animals and do their jobs.

Depending on the site a student picks, volunteering potentially “enhances academic performance and pursuits,” Milani said. Often, people find volunteer programs that match their personal or academic interests, which means that their volunteer work gives them extra time to learn and even work ahead of their peers. And there are always the benefits of hands-on experience and networking.

Some students avoid volunteering because of time issues, so finding a great volunteer site is important. Some require extensive time on site, but others are very relaxed about hours students put in.

Fortunately, finding a place to volunteer that matches your personal interests is not difficult. Students can find a club at Pitt that aligns with their personal interests and ask about volunteering opportunities. They can get involved in religious activities and service projects, or even talk to professors about volunteering options in their fields of interest.

Google is always a good place to look, too. On the Student Volunteer Outreach website, www.svo.pitt.edu, students can sign up to receive a bulletin that currently reaches about 9,000 students a month and features about 150 volunteering sites.

This weekend, consider starting a few one-time volunteer projects and see where you want to keep going, what matches your personality and which one matches your time schedule the best. What do you have to lose by trying something new?

Nalada tells stories without lyrics

2011-11-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

Nalada tells stories without lyrics

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/nalada-tells-stories-without-lyrics/

Nalada

Lisa Miles

Ravello

Rocks Like: Cello Fury

Not every album needs lyrics to tell a story.

Such is the case with Lisa Miles’ Nalada, the most recent release in her 25-year history of performing. A Pittsburgh-based artist, Miles is a violinist and composer known for combining classical styles with punk rock rhythms and creating dark and meditative music. Her latest album manages to tug at the emotions of the listeners by using sound instead of words to tell tales.

Nalada, which means “mood” in Czech, features original compositions used in live, collaborative performances with other artists. The album is completely instrumental, primarily featuring violin, cello, bass, harp and guitar, among other instruments.

The lack of lyrics doesn’t make for boring music, though. Miles’ songs all set a different mood and manage to tell listeners a story. Often, the meanings behind the songs are in their titles, as well as in pitch and tempo.

Take, for example, the softly melodic track, “Now I See Myself” — an obviously self-reflective number with an entrancing sound. In the beginning, a single violin wavers longingly as a vocalist hums between bars. Halfway through, the tempo picks up and a guitar strums along in a moment of musical epiphany.

Some tracks in the album feature a single instrument moving freely in a smooth, relaxed manner. It is apparent that Miles’ sound and style is influenced by well-known classical composers, like Mozart.

Other tracks, like “Potent,” combine a number of sounds, swinging more into Asian-inspired styles. Brisk, staccato notes played intensely create a heavy sense of tension until the end of the song.

Not every song is particularly memorable, but overall, Miles has produced an impressive instrumental display of composition and put a contemporary spin on classical music.

No uniform required for Black Hat Society

2011-10-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/no-uniform-required-for-black-hat-society/

No uniform required for Black Hat Society

Je’Amour Matthews grew up in a Roman Catholic household, but all the while her aunts were teaching her Italian Stregheria — a form of witchcraft,

Matthews knew she preferred the nature-based religion where followers worship nature personified in gods and goddesses. She protested going to church on Sundays. Once during a service she even dipped her hand into holy water and began screaming about how the water supposedly burnt her hand.

Eventually Matthews stopped going to church altogether and became a full-time self-identified witch. As a witch, the 52-year-old does not wear black robes, opting instead for jeans and T-shirts. And she certainly doesn’t carry a wand, cast spells or make love potions.

In response to these stereotypes about practicing witches, Matthews organized the Pittsburgh Black Hat Society in 2009 to act as a social support network for witches and neo-pagans. The Society is a chapter in the larger Black Hat Society Network, which has several chapters across the country. The local group today has 200 members of different ages, genders and ethnicities. Members might identify as Wiccan, Shamanistic, Druid, Celtic, Norse or as practitioners of any of a number of other neo-pagan belief systems. Since the word “neo-pagan” can be used to describe any non-monotheistic religion, members can practice one or a combination of thousands of these beliefs, which are often referred to as “paths.”

Matthews and other Black Hat members are hardly alone in their faith. According to a 2008 American Religious Identification Survey, witchcraft, or Wicca, and other earth-based neo-pagan practices have grown in popularity in the United States in the last several years. Nearly 2.8 million people identified with dozens of new religious movements labeling themselves Wiccan, pagan and so forth.

The Black Hat Society does not worship or attend ceremonies together, but instead acts as a social network for people with similar interests. It gives members a place to feel at home even if many people are, as Matthews says, “in the broom closet” about their beliefs. The organization also invites and even encourages members of the general public to come and learn more about some of these nature-based faiths.

“The community in Pittsburgh needed this,” Matthews said. “There is not a lot of outreach for those in pagan faiths and practices. Many people more or less practiced in [solitude] for years.”

Neo-Pagan Practices

A pet peeve of Matthews’ is being asked whether she dresses like a witch from “Harry Potter” when practicing witchcraft. In reality, when preparing to use her altar while mixing herbs or reading spells, Matthews stays in her T-shirt and jeans.

An incense holder, jewelry from her parents, a chalice, crystals and some of her favorite photos sit around the altar, Matthews said. She also keeps a journal of spells and recipes used during her practice — a common habit of practicing witches wishing to keep a chronicle of their faiths.

Matthews explained that in her practices she simply forms “intentions,” which are similar to prayers. They’re a form of wishes for possible outcomes and events in the future.

At the same time, she tries to channel energy into the Earth, because a key part of her practice is thanking the planet she lives on for its blessings and gifts.

“I think most people don’t understand that this is a nature faith,” Matthews said. “We feel responsible for the world around us and for the ground we walk on.”

Black Hat Society members’ backgrounds are as eclectic as their practices. In addition to her Italian witchcraft beliefs, Matthews has adopted a few ideas into her practice from several Asian religions, including Buddhism.

And this is OK, because one of the joys of neo-paganism is that it’s flexible by definition, organization member Francine Brashier, 47, said. She explained that there are literally thousands of combinations of paths to combine into a personal belief system that evolves over time.

This flexibility probably holds a very strong appeal for most practicing neo-pagans, Daniel Burston, associate professor and chair of the psychology department at Duquesne University, said. Neo-pagan practices don’t specify a single god or goddess, allowing practitioners flexibility in which deities they choose to worship.

“Some people may go to an Asian religion, and others go to systems like Wicca,” he said.

And according to the Pew Research Center, this is a common trend for the one-third of Americans who dabble in multiple religions. The study said that despite the overwhelming Christian majority in the United States, it’s common to find mainstream faiths that integrate aspects of other religions, such as belief in reincarnation.

It isn’t surprising that Matthews continued to practice one of the faiths she was taught as a child, according to Kristen Tobey, a visiting professor at Pitt’s Department of Religious Studies. She said that Pew’s surveys have also found that though half of America’s adults change religious practices, many others remain within their childhood religion and some try new beliefs before returning to their original practices.

Matthews is only one neo-pagan who can relate to this statement. Of course, the backgrounds of Black Hat members are extremely diverse. Despite this, the group bonds over its members common hobbies and beliefs asneo-pagans and witches.

The Rules

Members of the Black Hat Society worked hard to create a strong and supportive community for practicing witches in Pittsburgh, Brashier said. She said she herself grew up in a neo-paganist household.

“To be in this group, you don’t have to believe in what I or anyone else believes in,” Brashier said. “But while we don’t all share the same philosophies or faiths or beliefs, we share a togetherness. We rely on the connections we form.”

Brashier joined the group after seeing an ad for one of the group’s informal coffee dates on Craigslist. Though members use social media to stay in touch, they also meet in person once or twice every month to gossip over coffee or attend an educational lecture. Meetings are informal and shift locations to try to include as many people in different neighborhoods as possible. Members simply attend when and where they can — no robes required.

Although the group discusses different practices and philosophies, every individual has a different faith and practice. Some use altars; others do not. Some might go through worshipping rituals daily, and others might not. Some worship different gods and goddesses than others.

Brashier loves that she “doesn’t need to fit in a mold” while with friends from the Black Hat Society. She also finds the group a relaxing escape from misconceptions about her practice.

“It gives us a place to go where we don’t need to explain to people, ‘No, we don’t worship the devil, and we don’t sacrifice children,’” she said. “Those don’t even agree with our practices.” Brashier remains extremely private about her practice and would not comment on how she practices her faith.

Matthews said that, though beliefs vary, true witches follow two ethical codes. There’s the Wiccan Rede, which says that practitioners can do what they will, but harm no one. Then there’s the Three-Fold Law, which says any evil one does will return to the doer three times over.

“Most [witches] believe in healing and giving of self to community,” she said.

But despite this, many group memebers still face stigmatism. Burston said witches face less adversity than they once did, but suspicion of their practices remains. Matthews has actually had people, who she declined to name, refuse to sell or rent to the Black Hat Society and its members when they found out they were practicing witches and Wiccans.

Though there might be misconceptions about witches so extreme (like the common misconception that they worshipt the devil) that some members haven’t even admitted to their families they practice a neo-pagan faith, Tobey believes that the local network provides most of the necessary support these people need.

“If people have a strong sense of in-group elsewhere, it becomes easier to justify hiding from or being in direct conflict in the outside world,” she said. “They have somewhere else they belong. The new group provides the support and legitimating they’re not getting elsewhere.”

Tobey said that there are many reasons people would continue to practice a “fringe religion,” from rebellion against restrictive religions to the social dynamics of other faiths. In fact, Tobey thinks social interactions are a primary reason some people look for alternative faiths.

“People may explicitly disagree with the teaching of one faith, or they may relate more to the worship style or social structure of other groups,” she said. “Sometimes people just find something else that appeals to one of many aspects in their individual personality.”

Going to the Ball

Currently, the Black Hat Society Network is preparing for the annual celebration of Samhain, the witchs’ holiest holiday, which celebrated in multiple faiths and originated as a Gaelic harvest festival. Members have spent six months planning the event, which is set to take place at the The Pittsburgh Irish Center in Squirrel Hill on Nov. 5 beginning at 6 p.m., Matthews said.

The ball will feature musicians, dancers and artisan booths. The public is welcome to call and purchase tickets, but there are rules.

“We actually begin to joke before the ball, don’t dress up as a vampire, don’t come with green skin or moles, or other stereotypical things,” Brashier said. “Things like that promote the stereotype that you want to get away from.”

And there will not be any stripping naked at midnight. Though there are no lectures, the group wants to educate people.

“If we could, we’d love to create more community with a wave of our hands,” Brashier said. “We want people to be patient, and accepting.”

Lady Antebellum keeps it pop-country on new album

2011-10-21T12:16:00.001-07:00

Lady Antebellum keeps it pop-country on new album

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/lady-antebellum-keeps-it-pop-country-on-new-abum/

Lady Antebellum

Own The Night

MCT Campus

Lady Antebellum's new album lets its vocalists shine.

Capitol Nashville

Grade: B

Rocks Like: Rascal Flatts, Sugarland

Have another heavy dose of musical love and heartbreak.

Lady Antebellum’s latest album is yet another edition to the ever-growing stack of music dedicated to those subjects. But there’s a reason people keep telling these stories — and this release highlights it.

Although the country group has been around since 2006, it’s best known for its sophomore release, “Need You Now.” The LP won five Grammy Awards and received the honor of Best Selling Country Album in 2010. Its title track beat out several front runners for both Song and Record of the Year.

Now, after hitting the studio early this year, the band has released a new album reflecting the lives of its members, examining the trials of falling — and staying — in love.

This latest album keeps with the band’s style of combining country and pop, and the members keep pushing and testing their vocal capabilities. The songs showcase Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley’s pipes and their abilities to convey feelings of loneliness, longing and excitement.

The melodies — more so than the lackluster lyrics — make the songs interesting.

For example, the single “Just A Kiss” is a lyrical cliche, with phrases like, “I know that if we give this a little time / it will only bring us closer to the love we wanna find / It’s never felt so real / no it’s never felt so right.” Yet a fast tempo on the piano along with guitars and drums coming in during the chorus makes the music almost irresistible.

In what could arguably be a response to a common criticism from country fans, not every song sounds poppy.

In “Cold As Stone,” the group eliminates the piano and electric guitars, instead taking an acoustic, simple, country-style approach to the song about heartbreak. What could also come across as yet another silly love song relies entirely on the vocal power of the band, which does an impressive job on evoking a response from the listener.

Interestingly, the last part of the song swings away from acoustic, entering into a sweeping orchestra and flute solo to close it out. The artistic risk works in the band’s favor — the song leaves a lasting impression.

Lady Antebellum took some chances with songs like “Just A Kiss” and “Cold As Stone,” and — although not every song is as memorable as these two — the risks paid off. Own the Night features a bigger and brighter sound than the group’s past releases and represents just another step in the band’s evolution.

Evanescence’s new album might alienate fans

2011-10-13T15:55:00.001-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/evanescences-new-album-might-alienate-fans/

Evanescence’s new album might alienate fans

Evanescence

Evanescence

Wind Up Records

Rocks Like: Flyleaf

The first song on Evanescence’s new self-titled album asks, “Remember me?” That might be the million-dollar question, as this is the first time that the band has released new music in about five years.

Since its first record Fallen, which was released in 2003, Evanescence has gone through major changes. For one, singer Amy Lee is the only remaining member of the original group. With its sophomore release The Open Door, the band switched up its sound to create a smoother, melody-driven line-up of heartbreaking lyrics, soaring vocals and satisfying chords.

Still, the first and second albums sounded similar enough; changes only made the songs more interesting. Now, Evanescence’s self-titled third album risks letting down the band’s original fans.

The first single and opening track, “What You Want,” kicks off the album with the lyrics, “Hello, hello / It’s only me infecting everything you love / Somewhere beyond the pain / There must be a way to believe.”

As always, Amy Lee’s soaring vocal work shines through. But if dedicated fans of the original Evanescence heard this new track, they likely wouldn’t recognize the band. The group’s once simple hard-rock sound has been softened into borderline pop-rock.

At first, it’s not necessarily a bad sound, as there’s still the familiarity of layered guitars and synthesized strings. It’s obvious the band enjoyed playing its usual instruments with a new sound, because the new music is fast and lively — quite different from their slower, more dramatic approach of the past.

And not all of the songs are poppy, either. Songs like “Made of Stone” have a touch of Evanescence’s original hard-rock style, which won’t totally alienate the fans who loved the band from the get-go.

But that good feeling falls away as many of the tracks begin to sound the same, with one or two exceptions. The monotonous sound definitely drags this album down. After four or five tracks of what sounds like the same song, it’s hard not to be bored with the minor keys and muted guitars.

Even the emotional lyrics can’t save the album. For example, “My Heart Is Broken” features some of the original “emo” lyrics of heartbreak that original fans loved: “My heart is broken / Sweet, sleep my dark angel / Deliver us from sorrow’s hold / Or from my hard heart.” But it lacks the haunting beauty of songs like “My Immortal” and “Lithium” and literally blends into the song preceding it.

It’s normal for a band to want to change its sound but with the new album, Evanescence is now a “love it or leave it” band. Maybe the group will gain some new fans with this third album, but the real question is: How many will they lose?

‘Machine Gun Preacher’ an emotion-filled tale

2011-10-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/machine-gun-preacher-an-emotion-filled-tale/

‘Machine Gun Preacher’ an emotion-filled tale

“Machine Gun Preacher”

Starring: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Shannon

Director: Marc Forster

Studio: Apparatus, Safady Entertainment, 1984 Private Defense Contractors, Mpower Pictures

Grade: B+

“Machine Gun Preacher” is exactly what it sounds like, but the story is more complex and poignant than the title would suggest.

The film begins in 2003 with graphic images of a child captured after an attack and given a choice: kill his mother, or die. After this scene, the main character Sam Childers (Gerard Butler) is seen leaving an American prison. He returns to his family and, after hitting rock bottom, decides to rebuild his life. He soon finds faith in God and begins a construction business.

When a visiting pastor speaks at his church, Childers decides to go to Sudan for several weeks to help rebuild parts of the country. What begins as a short-term philanthropy project evolves into a full-time job. When Childers sees masses of children living in fear of a rebel army — the Lord’s Resistance Army — that abducts them, he cannot turn his back knowing that the international community has failed to address the problem.

Childers begins working to save as many children from the army as he can by picking up a Bible, a hammer and a machine gun, earning two nicknames — the White Preacher in Uganda, and the Machine Gun Preacher in the United States. As the film progresses, Childers focuses more on his projects in Africa than his family at home as the war takes a toll on him.

The film tells a story of determination, faith and survival, and does so beautifully. Butler and the rest of the cast do their jobs with stunning conviction, especially later in the film as the horrific sights Childers sees begin to wear him down mentally and physically.

One flaw this film does have, though, is pacing. As the film moves forward, it’s hard to tell exactly how much time has gone by. Questions like “How old is this man now?” and “How long did this project take?” are left unanswered.

A second flaw in the film is the exclusion of other groups involved in eliminating child soldiers, which is a real shame considering there are people working hard in Africa even today. Instead, the film portrays Childers as one of only a few people who cares enough to help.

Despite these flaws and any liberties this “based on a true story” tale took in its making, this movie balances entertainment, shock and raw emotion surprisingly well. Somehow, the writers and director have balanced humor with blood, death and missing limbs — all in a way that does not disrespect the victims of this conflict.

The film’s credits feature statistics, commentary on the conflict and actual photos and film of the people and children involved in this bloody conflict. It also includes a video of Childers asking, “Who wouldn’t pick up a weapon to defend their children?”

Whether or not people agree with Childers’ methods or not, this film will not disappoint. Still, when they settle down to watch, viewers should probably have some tissues handy.

Blessed Feathers’ album eery and emotive

2011-09-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Blessed Feathers’ album eery and emotive

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/blessed-feathers-album-eery-and-emotive/

From the Mouths of the Middle Class

Blessed Feathers

Courtesy Sim Agency

Blessed Feathers

Listening Party / Cakes & Tapes

B-

Rocks Like: Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes

Blessed Feathers is the kind of band that exemplifies the low-budget sensibility and wandering curiosity necessary to record an album in the group’s apartment.

That’s the story behind Blessed Feathers’ newest album, From the Mouths of the Middle Class. The band spent the winter of late 2010 and early 2011 writing and recording an indie folk album that will haunt listeners.

The music itself isn’t eerie, but Blessed Feathers has a way of writing simple, yet stirring music using guitars, accordions and banjos. Both the band’s instrumentation and lyrics are minimal.

And it works. This album speaks of restlessness, and most of the songs describe treks through the country driven by a search to satisfy an ambiguous desire. The first track, “By Song Through The Americas,” illustrates this perfectly with the lyrics, “I took a trip across the Southern states / And I felt the heat, sweat bead along my face / But we’re lost in the woods / Trading thoughts for goods.”

Later in the same song the band sings, “I wish that I could hitch a ride / And pay my bills at the same time.” The band’s chosen string instruments — particularly given their association with wanderers — set the mood and complement these lyrics perfectly.

On another track, “Apple Blossoms,” the singer merrily declares that there are “apple blossoms in my hair.” Completing the picture, the music imitates hand clapping and picks up the pace to transport listeners to a lively festival. The only problem with this song is that it only lasts a minute and a half, leaving listeners feeling unsatisfied.

Still, the album isn’t flawless. During “Somebody Else’s,” the group sings, “Thinking about love / somebody else’s,” but the last syllables of the lyric slur together. If there’s a meaningful end to this lyric, it is lost. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only time the album suffers from a lack of good enunciation.

However, this is a satisfying album overall, featuring music that would fit right in with Pittsburgh’s own folk music scene.

Staying healthy important but difficult in college

2011-09-27T10:49:00.001-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/staying-healthy-important-but-difficult-in-college/

Staying healthy important but difficult in college

By: Larissa Gula / Staff Writer

Posted on 26. Sep, 2011 in Magazine

by Arthur Wessel | Staff Photographer

Despite being a multibillion dollar industry, vitamins are not a panacea for all ills.

A double major in the business school, 18-credits this semester, a job as an RA — Pitt student Leanne Ikeda is busy. But every week, she fits exercise into her routine.

“I plan exercise,” Ikeda said, explaining that she heads out to the gym every other day when possible. “It’s an important part of my routine for me, because it’s time just for myself. I try to work out at least every other day.”

Ikeda is only one of Pitt’s more than 17,000 undergraduate students trying to find time to live a healthy lifestyle while at college. Fortunately, Pitt provides numerous resources to help students ensure their regular routines are actually healthy and effective.

The two habits required for staying healthy, eating right and staying active, prove to be especially challenging for students. To stave off college weight gain, it’s crucial to maintain a balanced diet and avoid the temptations to over eat at buffet-style dining areas and 24-hour establishments. It’s tough to squeeze in time to work out — and the U.S. Center for Disease Control recommends two and a half hours per week.

Marian Vanek, director of Pitt’s Student Health Service, encourages all students to exercise, even if they can’t do so very often.

“Research has shown that as little as 15 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per day may reduce mortality risk,” Vanek said in an email. She added that any exercise encourages healthy hearts, stronger bones, more energy, and better immune systems, and that too few people exercise even a little bit on a weekly basis.

And exercising doesn’t need to be limited to Pitt’s multiple gyms and recreation centers, Vanek said.

“Brisk walking, jogging and swimming are ways to boost your heart rate,” she said.

Take student Jennie Snyder — a senior double majoring in Spanish and communication — who’s also taking 18 credits in addition to her other responsibilities in campus organizations.

Snyder exercises four or five days every week. She can be found either using the treadmill at one of Pitt’s gyms or jogging in the park or up to Shadyside or Squirrel Hill.

By exercising, these Pitt students are also doing more than taking care of themselves physically: They’re all getting a great mental-health boost as well, according to Vanek.

“Exercise ... affects the brain; it encourages a good mood and reduces stress hormones in our bodies,” Vanek said. “Research teams have found that exercise has been shown to improve memory, attention and decision-making abilities — especially important to the college student.”

Exercise also helps keep weight in check. Researchers at Oregon State University found that a quarter of students gain at least five pounds over the course of two months early in their first year of college.

But exercise isn’t the only component to healthy living — eating right factors in as well.

Snyder eats “as many fruits and vegetables as possible” during the day. She even eats a larger, well-balanced breakfast with protein, fruit and dairy products. And she avoids late-night snacking.

Ikeda has taken healthy eating further. She recently made the decision to see Meg Mayer-Costa, the nutritionist at the Student Health Service. She hopes to take her healthy living one step further by following a healthier eating regimen.

“It’s tough on a meal plan,” she said about healthy eating. “The options aren’t as widespread.”

When students visit Student Health to meet Mayer-Costa, appointments begin with certain questions about their living situations, weights, supplements, medications and daily diets. Because every student is different, each has to be approached differently when developing a healthy-living plan, Mayer-Costa explained.

What might work for Ikeda’s healthy lifestyle might not work for another student. And by going into the nutrition center, students can learn about what’s helpful for them.

For example, although Ikeda doesn’t use them, Snyder takes vitamin C tablets because they “[make] me feel better when I think I’m catching a cold.”

Snyder contributes to a $25 billion business in the U.S. by taking these vitamin supplements. Unfortunately, it’s a myth that vitamins can cure illnesses or make up for a poor diet. Recent studies released by the Archives of Internal Medicine have shown that multivitamin use does not give us the healthy boost we once thought.

Although Mayer-Costa said that multivitamins might provide a “safety net” by adding small amounts of necessary nutrition to a daily diet, the pills cannot make up for a poor diet. And she said doctors don’t prescribe them to treat a disease because taking Vitamin C during cold season isn’t going to cure those sniffles faster.

Plus, multivitamins and the medications individuals take don’t always mix well, so everyone should consult their doctors about taking multivitamins in relation to their health needs, Mayer-Costa said.

“Students ... can take too much, too often, and [the supplements] can also interfere with each other and other medications,” Mayer-Costa said. This is why vitamin pills come in low dosages that are supposed to be taken once or twice a day.

Ikeda and Snyder keep in touch with their respective doctors and visit every year or two to make sure nothing is wrong with their physical health. They agreed that Wikipedia and WebMD aren’t substitutes for taking care of yourself. And thanks to their efforts and doctor’s visits, both have found a formula that works for them.

The best way to determine a great personal exercise routine or diet is by consulting a doctor and seeing what works best for the individual, Mayer-Costa said. Personal trainers and doctors can recommend sound work-out routines in addition to nutritional advice.

MH the Verb album unlikely ‘Cult Classic’

2011-09-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/mh-the-verb-album-unlikely-cult-classic/

MH the Verb album unlikely ‘Cult Classic’

Cult Classic

MH the Verb

Classic Cult Music

Grade: C+

Rocks Like: Kid Cudi, Jay-Z

When artists release new CDs, they have a few choices: They can continue with their old style, change their tune, or find a way to combine the two and make a recognizable, fresh sound. Pitt graduate Marcus Harris, a.k.a. MH the Verb, faced this same decision when writing his first solo album to showcase his talents.

In the past, MH was known for his ability to combine live instrumentation with electronic music. Many of his songs also highlighted social justice issues, calling for activism and a better world.

Whether he’s made more music along those lines is debatable. His first track, “Winter In America,” does a good job integrating a historical speech — President Franklin Roosevelt after Pearl Harbor — with a typical hip-hop beat line. It’s soft at first, but grows in intensity as the song goes on, until it drowns out Roosevelt’s words and expands to include MH’s usual style of hip-hop meets electro-pop.

This opening transitions into a fast-paced, fast-spoken song that proclaims in the first few lines that the reason there’s “blood in the oceans” is because of humanity’s many flaws. The song, in general, is a critique of America. It obviously has a message to deliver, but it doesn’t inspire action so much as express MH’s anger.

The song “More Time” goes, “What would you do with a little more time / if you could stop the clock / and watch the world rewind?” It’s gentler in delivery, with a simple combination of drums and synthesizer notes. It’s a good, solid song for MH that says one day people will get themselves together.

But those two tracks are in stark contrast to other songs, many of which are flirtatious club rap songs, like “Lights Off.” And the song “So Good” is a tribute to a girl who things didn’t work out with — complete with descriptive language about their sex life. It’s hard to see how this fits in with MH’s usual routine and his history as a socially conscious rapper.

There are certainly some good ideas in an album that could have been much more powerful and captivating. It simply does not do MH justice.

2011-06-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

‘Cars’ sequel a lemon

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/cars-sequel-a-lemon/

Courtesy Disney/Pixar

“Cars 2”

Starring: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine

Director: John Lasseter and Brad Lewis

Studio: Disney/Pixar

Grade: C

It’s a sad day when a Pixar movie disappoints.

Disney/Pixar’s newest film, “Cars 2,” celebrates Pixar’s 25th year of animation. Unfortunately, it seems the studio forgot some things about what it takes to make a good sequel.

“Cars 2” begins in the middle of the Pacific Ocean as spy car Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) begins to gather information on a vague — but obviously dastardly — plot that appears to be organized by villainous Professor Zündapp (Thomas Kretschmann).

Cut to Radiator Springs, where Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) still lives with his friends, including Mater the tow truck (Larry the Cable Guy), during his offseason from racing. After another car, Francesco Bernoullii baits him to travel to and race in the World Grand Prix, McQueen begins to fight with Mater, whose redneck habits embarrass him. Then, following a series of coincidences, Mater is mistaken for a secret agent who’s supposed to meet with McMissile.

The entire film becomes an action-packed series of Mater-driven shenanigans filled with explosions and jokes, meant to convey a message about being yourself and cherishing your friends. Too bad it doesn’t work.

Remember the first film, where McQueen was forced to slow down in a small town? The film had a relaxed atmosphere, with developed and realistic characters who told a relatable story. It wasn’t perfect — some critics complained that the first film was too slow — but it was still enjoyable.

The sequel overcompensates— it’s too fast. Character development and tension got torn out because there’s no time for anything to develop, and the story drags audiences along without time to fully enjoy the jokes. And the action almost completely hides the message the movie tries to deliver.

Worse, the fast-paced drive of this film completely undermines the point of the original — slowing down. Pixar doesn’t take the time to combine the best of both worlds to create an interesting, fun sequel with some emotional depth. Instead, it makes “Cars 2” pure action.

As an added blow, most of the old characters (minus Mater) feel hollow during their 10 minutes of screen time. Mentor Doc Hudson, voiced in the first film by Paul Newman, disappears completely after the actor’s death, and with him goes one of the strongest characters. The others, including McQueen, receive the same kind of treatment, with lazy voice acting and poor characterization failing to add familiarity to what already feels like a brand new world.

Both best and worst of all, the film begins with a traditional short story clip about the characters from “Toy Story” following the conclusion of the third film. It coaxes a smile out of fans while also delivering a punch in the gut, as Pixar reminds audiences that it has made sequels that surpassed their predecessors.

Perhaps one of the only saving graces in this film is Michael Caine’s voice-acting and the new characters, which distract from the various disasters going on elsewhere. In addition, the animation impresses and creates a decent atmosphere by capturing the excitement of traveling the “Cars 2” world, the elation of flying through the air and, occasionally, the suspense from the nefarious plot that’s afoot as bullets and explosions threaten Mater and the spy cars..

Still, the animation cannot repair the damage done to this established franchise. Frankly, Pixar should have made this story into a film independent of “Cars.” As is, it completely ignores the themes of the first film and accordingly — aside from the familiar characters — barely feels like an actual sequel.

While it has its moments, “Cars 2” turns so far away from its predecessor that it’s almost unrecognizable. In the end, it’s just an immature film which deviates from Pixar’s style of appealing to both children and adults. Better luck next summer, Pixar.

Fifth film explains enmity between Professor X and Magneto

2011-06-08T09:53:00.001-07:00

Fifth film explains enmity between Professor X and Magneto

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/fifth-film-explains-enmity-between-professor-x-and-magneto/

“X-Men: First Class”

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Studio: Marvel Entertainment

Grade: B

The third “X-Men” film was iffy and the fourth flopped — so when the trailers for “X-Men: First Class,” a prequel to the former flicks, first appeared, fans of the original movie groaned.

But those fans might have lamented too quickly. “X-Men: First Class” breathes new life into the series with an energetic cast and an action-packed story. The plot shifts its focus from the franchise’s main characters, instead telling the tale of a newly varied group, including two of the big players from previous installments, Professor X and Magneto.

The “X-Men” series explores a world in which human mutations have created beings with special powers. Themes of prejudice and acceptance dominate throughout as mutants attempt to co-exist with normal humans, who often fear or loathe the powerful hybrids.

“First Class” focuses on the leaders of the future mutant movement as young adults living during the Cold War.

The movie departs a bit from the storyline of the “X-Men” comics, which is understandable — as so many variations exist in the comics that translating the complex stories to the screen creates headaches for directors. It’s refreshing to see filmakers take inspiration from original source material while putting their own spin on the story.

The film features the younger versions of telepath Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), later known as Professor X, and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), called “Magneto” because of his ability to generate and control magnetism.

“First Class” begins with the young Erik losing his mother in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. He spends the following years hunting down those responsible, seeking revenge. Meanwhile, Charles lives with Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), a shape shifter, as the pair of close friends study at Oxford.

When a CIA agent comes to Charles for help, fate brings him and Erik together during a brief fight against the film’s villain, Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) — a man from Erik’s past intent on causing nuclear war. The two then team up to track down mutants around the world as they search for potential help against the enemy.

Throughout the film, Charles believes that the good he and his fellow mutants can do for mankind will outweigh the bad. Erik, doubtful, plows ahead with plans of revenge on Shaw.

For fans of the franchise, it’s blatantly obvious during the film what the final outcome will be — Professor X and Magneto as enemies. Despite this, Matthew Vaughn spins a tale interesting enough to keep all viewers entertained during the journey.

The characters are rounded overall: Their personalities develop over time, and they deliver some humor along the way. They interact well as comrades and also gradually exhibit the fear and betrayal that is inevitable in the story.

One of the best — and worst — parts of this film are the attempts to connect it with the other parts of the franchise, such as showing the design for the ship used in previous movies. They don’t always work and will sometimes leave fans scratching their heads. But the film is generally tied together well andfeatures cameos from a few recognizable and much-loved characters — including one vulgar appearance from the universal favorite badass of the series.

This film never quite succeeds in making the setting feel like the 1960s: The characters feel, dress and act too modern to pull the time period off. But this is a minor pitfall. There are times when the performances, too, lack believability because of those too-modern touches, but that’s quickly forgotten during the riveting final battle.

Overall, this is a slightly flawed but fun addition to a popular series, and it certainly signals an upswing from the last two “X-Men” movies.

‘Kung Fu Panda 2′ leaves room for more movies

2011-06-01T10:21:00.001-07:00

‘Kung Fu Panda 2′ leaves room for more movies

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/kung-fu-panda-2-leaves-room-for-more-movies/

Courtesy DreamWorks Animation

Jack Black poses with his character Po.

“Kung Fu Panda 2”

Starring: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman

Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Grade: A

A villainous peacock is out to take over China and must be stopped by a band of epic kung fu warriors — one of whom has a personal connection with the terrifying enemy.

It sounds laughable, but DreamWorks managed to convert this incredible concept into a legitimately dramatic and tearfully emotional plot in the making of “Kung Fu Panda 2.” The animated action comedy might now become a six-part series as its success continues.

Fans of the first “Kung Fu Panda” should remember how the adventure began: A panda named Po (Jack Black) worked with his father in a noodle shop while dreaming of being a kung fu warrior fighting alongside the Furious Five, a group of famous martial artists, each of whom practiced a different style of fighting. Po turned out destined to be the sixth fighter — the Dragon Warrior. The first film left off with Po having earned the respect of his peers.

“Kung Fu Panda 2” picks up from there, and viewers follow the story of the previously dysfunctional band of warriors who have forgotten their differences and begin to work together as an intimidating team.

The group’s next task is to defeat Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), a white peacock who commands an army of wolves, uses machinery and cannons to defeat his enemies and plans to take down all kung fu warriors. The Furious Five and Dragon Warrior must defeat Lord Shen to save China as well as the art of kung fu.

Along the way, though, Po finds himself struggling with his past. He ultimately must find inner peace to master the next step in his training and defeat Lord Shen.

This film is surprisingly epic. Whereas the first film focused on a small group of characters facing a single enemy, its sequel pits the team of warriors against entire armies.

The voice cast strengthens the film throughout. Oldman makes for an impressive villain. Jack Black and the other cast members certainly portray their characters well and achieve an emotional energy that draws in the viewer.

The lifelike animation makes the kung fu scenes in the film phenomenal; — animators obviously paid attention to detail. The direction increased the scale of the project for film two and created larger scenes with more fighters, moves and effects.

Between the images, character development and acting, “Kung Fu Panda 2” is not only dramatic and action-packed but also intense and emotional. It runs the risk of bringing tears to viewers’ eyes as they learn about what happened to Po and why he ended up being raised by a goose rather than by his biological parents.

The only real downfall of the film is that occasionally the humor doesn’t work. Some jokes act as throwbacks to the first film and don’t quite function in the dramatic mood being set by such a large adventure. Still, this only serves as a minor and forgivable pitfall.

Don’t be surprised when a third “Panda” comes out — the ending of this movie was as clear a sign for a pending sequel as we’ll ever get.

Band finds member and is discovered online

2011-05-18T17:04:00.001-07:00

Band finds member and is discovered online

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/band-finds-member-and-is-discovered-online/

Ohad Cadji | For The Pitt News

August Ruins' drummer Kory Caldarelli found a place in the band through a Craigslist ad.

August Ruins

The Smiling Moose (1306 E. Carson St.)

Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; 21+

412-431-4668

Pitt senior Kory Caldarelli didn’t know that joining a band through a Craigslist ad would eventually land him a contract with a major record company.

This year the punk band August Ruins, composed of members Caldarelli, Eric Sebula, Reggie Little and Butchy Sebula, signed a contract with From The Depths Entertainment in summer 2010, an indie label located in Reading, Pa. Vocalist and guitarist Eric Sebula is a Pitt junior and drummer Caldarelli is a fifth-year Pitt senior, double majoring in anthropology and music. The band is now preparing to go on its first tour and will play at the Smiling Moose on Saturday.

Caldarelli joined when the group was in the midst of change. The band developed a sound different from their previously screamo metal vice, changed its name and line-up, then set out to find a new member — Caldarelli.

Caldarelli found the band’s ad on Craigslist and learned that all of its members were from Irwin, Pa., his original hometown. He joined the band in 2008. From the beginning, August Ruins was different from the other groups he performed with, he said.

“We did intend to go somewhere,” Caldarelli said. “We had the same goal in mind. We were all in bands before that weren’t too serious. So from the beginning, we wanted to be dedicated to this.”

One year later in 2009, the newly named August Ruins released an EP album titled The Ghost and the Gasoline. The band worked on songwriting and constantly looked for venues to play, hoping the hard work would pay off.

It did, when From The Depths Entertainment found recordings of August Ruins’ music, despite the group never having contacted the label. It’s typical for the company’s employees to search for sounds online and contact bands they like, according to band manager Mike Bohn of From The Depths Entertainment.

“We go out and find the artists rather than just letting them come to us,” Bohn said. “August Ruins had that sound that we couldn’t really ignore. They’re bringing back catchy punk-metal that can be played on the radio.”

Once he was convinced that the band’s sound was perfect for the company, Bohn got in contact with August Ruins. The company invited the band to meet in Philadelphia, but the two parties mostly conferenced by way of phone calls because the band was not able to travel across the state.

“We met with Mike and he liked us. Everything just kind of moved forward from there,” Caldarelli said.

And according to Eric Sebula, everything moved quickly.

“We recorded. We recorded again,” he said. “We had an indie record deal in three months. Now we have a major label consideration. I’m not sure how this all happened. I’m not going to complain.”

August Ruins currently has an independent promotional label with its record company giving the band extra help and money to work on the legwork for the band.

“Right now, they do everything I can’t stand doing,” Sebula said. “They do management. They promote us. They call venues. They literally speak for us. They do things that would take us weeks to do in days.”

Producers also helped the band tweak its sound even more, helping it create more and more of a punk vibe that moves away from its metal roots.

“It’s more like a mutual understanding,” Bohn said when describing the relationship between the company and the band. “We don’t interfere with their direction, and they understand they need to work hard ... And their hard work is paying off. They were a featured artist and were on a Billboard chart for a while.”

The band now has even more time to work on its music as it prepares to tour over the summer. When the group isn’t together, Sebula often composes at the small recording studio in his house.

The band tweaks it when the members come together, but Sebula writes a majority of the first draft and e-mails copies of it to his fellow band players. He feels their songs have some intelligence and an opinion without becoming too political.

“It’s underground punk rock,” Sebula explained. “It has a message, even if it’s hard to pin down.”

The band is intent on touring and writing a full-length album while the band members have the time in the midst of school and work, Sebula said.

“It just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Caldarelli said.

New CD more upbeat than last one

2011-05-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

New CD more upbeat than last one

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/new-cd-more-upbeat-than-last-one/

Pala—FrienldlyFires

Friendly Fires

Pala

XL Recordings

B+

Rocks Like: Phoenix, Passion Pit, Empire of the Sun

Four years after releasing its debut album, Friendly Fires is back in action with a new release — as well as a tweaked sound — that’s hard to resist.

Friendly Fires still sounds like dance punk, but the band’s mood isn’t as somber as it used to be. Though certain tracks on Pala, particularly those that reach back to the band’s old sound, aren’t extremely uplifting, just as many preach about enjoying life in its present state. That variety affords the album a satisfying balance between new and old.

The band’s music combines a punk sound with a dance-club beat while adding a dash of percussion and funk. The result is a pretty darn appealing sound. The track titled “True Love” especially benefits from this combination of influences — the band takes a common topic and an overused title and brings it something fresh.

But not every song is happy — “Chimes” dials up the funk with lyrics like, “Kissing the lights / Missing your love / All through the streets / You’re on my mind.”

Another song, “Helpless,” uses the image of a rising tide to describe feelings of drowning and despair, complete with seagull sound effects to enliven the impression of a nearby vast ocean. This is a strange track — while other songs include appropriate mood music, it’s hard to tell what this one is trying to do. It’s as if the band tried to combine its old somber sound with its newer, upbeat sound. It didn’t necessarily work.

As with most albums, the singer’s voice is not always distinct from the music. Although some songs are perfectly understandable, others are not.

Overall, though, this album is solid and perfectly paced. Hopefully this band won’t take another four years to release something good.

Share Jazz singer’s crooning charming

2011-04-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/jazz-singers-crooning-charming/

Jazz singer’s crooning charming

Courtesy Seth Cohen PR

Karrin Allyson

’Round Midnight

Karrin Allyson

Concord

Grade: B+

Sounds Like: Jane Monheit, Diana Krall

Cabaret at Theater Square

Tomorrow, 8 p.m,

Tickets $25.75 - $30.75

(412) 456-6666

www.culturaldistrict.org

21+

With three Grammy Awards under her belt, American jazz vocalist Karrin Allyson has some high expectations to meet with her upcoming album ’Round Midnight.

And she will meet those expectations. Allyson’s style is full of charm for jazz lovers. Her vocal work is impressive: She can switch between sounding soft and heartfelt to sounding low and even scratchy, bringing in a wide range of emotional depth through her voice alone.

The lyrics add to the depth and variation of her songs, with some offering insight into heartfelt moments and others invoking bittersweet or even angry memories of love gone wrong. The words themselves are beautiful, like in “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows,” where Allyson sings, “I’m always chasing rainbows / waiting to find a little bluebird in vain.”

Every track is strong but quiet in its musical delivery. Take “Goodbye,” a ballad about lovers parting ways, in which Allyson softly sings, “So you take the high road and I’ll take the low / it’s time that we parted, it’s much better so / so kiss me as you go / goodbye.” Here the music draws listeners in, ambling along with a slow piano, guitar and assortment of percussion instruments.

The percussion adds a layer to the mix and serves as a pleasant addition in the lulls between lyrics. In the end, however, the piano and vocals are this album’s strongest points musically.

Allyson’s songs are all well-thought-out, smoothly composed and haunting, resonating even after they end. Jazz lovers will be pleased, and the genre might even gain a few new fans with the release of this album.

Pittsburgh Opera honors executed nuns

2011-04-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/pittsburgh-opera-honors-executed-nuns/

Pittsburgh Opera honors executed nuns

“Dialogues of the Carmelites”

April 30 – May 8

Directed by Eric Einhorn

Benedum Center

$20-$150

www.pittsburghopera.org

412-456-6666

“Dialogues of the Carmelites” might have been written in 1957, but its story goes back to 1794.

Next weekend, the Pittsburgh Opera will present its final show of the season: a three-hour long French opera created by Francis Poulenc. The story takes place during the French Revolution and focuses on the Martyrs of Compiègne, the 16 nuns who were guillotined in 1794 during the final days of the Reign of Terror in France.

Taking part in the show is Amanda Majeski, who plays the character Blanche. Blanche leaves her wealthy family to go to a convent, dreaming of taking control of her life and making a difference in the world. Soon, however, a series of events destroys the relationships Blanche forms at the convent, leading to the dramatic conclusion when the remaining nuns decide how much of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for their faith.

Although Blanche experiences a seemingly unending series of traumatic events, Majeski enjoys playing the character.

“She goes from a child rebelling to an adult in three hours,” Majeski said. “It’s a dramatic story tied up in beautiful music.”

Nevertheless, the role is an exhausting one: The singing is a challenge even for someone trained in opera, Majeski said.

“It’s much more disciplined singing,” Majeski said. “It takes a lifetime of practice and you have to make a beautiful sound while being dramatically interesting.”

Though operas have translator scripts that flash above or beside the stage, Majeski’s job is to act in a way that will allow people to know how a character feels without necessarily needing to read anything.

“I’m sure if you didn’t look at the supertitles, what we do with our voices and action would speak through,” she said. “But you do want to know the details.”

All of the cast currently spends a minimum of six hours a day in rehearsal, under the eyes of multiple directors, including William Powers, director of administration and artistic operations. Powers has the job of overseeing rehearsals to watch for problems that others might miss, such as script mistakes. He also checks in with the cast to make sure everyone is comfortable and understands their role.

So far, Powers said his job has been relatively easy.

“Every time I go in though, they’re discovering another layer and bringing the story alive,” he said. “It’s also a fascinating story. The drama and the actual story this is based on is remarkable and hardly told.”

The history of the opera is something taken into constant consideration, by the French conductor Jean-Luc Tingaud as well as by Powers.

“I asked him how well these nuns are known [in France], but he said they aren’t very well-known,” Powers said. “They’re really buried in a mass grave. There is no dignity to that. But the dignity comes alive in this opera and its acting. This opera asks hard questions. What do you believe in? How firmly do you believe? What will you give up for your beliefs?”

In Powers’ experience, most people think of older operas from different musical periods when they imagine what these shows sound like. Although “Dialogues” was heavily influenced by artists of the past, this opera has its own distinct style.

“The musical medium is different from, say, Mozart,” Powers said. “We are able to explore the breadth of the repertoire. It’s a different musical medium. Here’s a medium that should be heard that draws upon the composers of the past and even revolted against them.”

Planning for the show began as early as January 2010 at the Pittsburgh Opera, said Debra Bell, director of marketing and communications. One issue the Pittsburgh Opera dealt with is the fact that “Dialogues” is not as well known as other operas.

“It sounds so different from Italian in the language and the style,” she said. “This opera is an opera but it’s small, intimate and thought-provoking.”

The Pittsburgh Opera has made a point to emphasize that this is a serious show with strong religious themes and what they consider a fantastic and inspirational ending, Bell said.

Even the cast received some help getting into character from the Pittsburgh Opera: They received study guides exploring the history of the events behind the show at one of their first meetings in the beginning of April.

“This is a show that just hits you,” Bell said. “We say this is a show that may change your life. Opera has definitely changed my life. I’ve wept like a baby at shows. They can bring issues of all kinds to a personal level.”

Gallery aids three craft makers in art journeys

2011-04-21T09:12:00.001-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/gallery-aids-three-craft-makers-in-art-journeys/

Gallery aids three craft makers in art journeys

Courtesy Society for Contemporary Crafts

Anne Drew Potter's ceramic work appears like a group of human-like pieces talking in a circle with one left out.

“Bridge 11”

Lia Cook, Mariko Kusumoto, Anne Drew Potter

Society for Contemporary Craft Main Gallery

2100 Smallman St.

412-261-7003

Free

One local gallery is trying to help artists who stand on the bridge between obscurity and fame.

The Society for Contemporary Craft on Smallman Street is one of the only museums dedicated entirely to crafts in the Steel City. They display what the center calls “craft media,” which encompasses almost all arts except paintings and photography and is made with materials such as clay, wood, fiber, glass and metals, said Kati Fishbein, exhibitions coordinator for the SCC.

“We really try to show craft artists from around the world who are technically skilled,” Fishbein said.

The Bridge Exhibition Series, now in its 11th installment, began in 1988 and takes place every two years at the gallery and features artists throughout the nation. The exhibitions display the works of people in the middle of their career.

“They may not be very well-known, but they’re past the emerging stage,” Fishbein said. “They have a solid background and body of work. So these shows celebrate artists in the middle of their career.”

This year’s Bridge exhibit features about 30 to 40 pieces created by three artists invited to the exhibition by the SCC.

One of the three craftmakers is 34-year-old Anne Drew Potter, an artist who began working with ceramics as a young child.

Potter has a figurative installation on display composed of 16 sculpted ceramic figures. Most of the figures seem to be talking at the same time in one circle, while another figure sits alone to the side.

The piece is meant to deal with the idea of individual versus group identity, Potter said.

“The art is representational,” she said. “There’s recognizable imagery and they look human. But they’re ambiguous, too. You can’t tell what gender or age or race they may be. So the people are both recognizable and not recognizable.”

This sort of distortion in image as well as the theme of isolation versus inclusion are attributes of most of Potter’s work, the artist said.

“It goes down to my interpretation of how we deal with the identity of self and how we rely on ourselves, but we also rely a lot on group dialogue and conversation of the outside world to try to structure our understanding,” she said. “We need to have a sense of belonging, but we need to have a self of selfness from our own bodies. So individual versus group identity is just an inherent tension.”

While Potter is looking for viewers to interpret her message, 68-year-old Lia Cook is looking to get feedback.

“I just want a response,” Cook said about her artwork. “I’m listening. I’m very interested in hearing from people.”

Cook mostly works with fibers and weaves artwork out of the material. Bridge 11 features a series of woven canvases of various sizes that resemble photographic faces. Some images are clearer than others, but they are all the result of a combination of modern looms run by computers and Cook’s ability to create and alter the images in Photoshop.

Cook has worked with various art techniques since the 1970s. She originally dabbled in painting, sculpting and photography before discovering an interest in weaving after a trip to Mexico. Over the years, she has found that the human touch is a subject appeals to her.

“I’m really interested in the hand,” Cook said. “There’s a lot of things about hand-made now [in our culture], but what about the hand itself? What does the evidence of the hand -made bring to our experience?”

With this in mind, Cook creates pieces that have “depth” and pieces that people want to touch, she said. There’s no agenda behind her works beyond curiosity for the responses people will have.

“Everything is more personal,” she said. “I’m not interested in telling anyone a story. I’m interested in people’s associations with their own personal stories.”

The final artist, Mariko Kusumoto, has a number of smaller pieces made from various metals and woods on display at the SCC gallery. Kusumoto’s style employs traditional Japanese forms and adds in Western influences, which leads to the creation of objects such as small teapots or Japanese doll displays with Western images or symbols. Many of her collapsible pieces are similar to a pop-up books — if examined closely, more and more components of the pieces become visible. One of the pieces, a box shaped like a house, opens to expose numerous carvings of imagess such as people and birds.

Cook feels that the way the gallery is set up — leaving a lot of room between the pieces — helps display the three different artists’ work well.

“You can walk around,” she said. “There’s space. You can see things from multiple angles and engage in them.”

All of the pieces contribute to the idea of promoting and respecting craftsmanship, Fishbein said.

“There’s a definite technique that needs to be mastered,” she said, speaking about the art mediums found in the SCC and the Bridge 11 exhibit specifically. “There’s a more homely background to it, such as the fibers and weaving. These are all mediums that, in the history of art, have not been welcomed into the world of fine art. They’re considered more part of the craft world.”

Handmade Arcade attempts local DIY revival

2011-04-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/handmade-arcade-attempts-local-diy-revival/

Handmade Arcade attempts local DIY revival

A previous Handmade Arcade event.

Courtesy Larry Rippel

Handmade Arcade

David L. Lawrence Convention Center

1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd.

Saturday, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Free Admission

In 2004, 32 vendors served about 1,000 attendees at a craft fair. Now, in 2011, 120 vendors will serve a crowd that, last year, numbered 10,000.

Currently in its seventh year, the annual Handmade Arcade has grown over time into a mixture of a craft showcase and a social event and has become a champion of locally made eco-friendly goods. The items sold can vary, but include jewelry, children’s toys, clothing, art prints and sometimes bath products.

The Handmade Arcade might not be one of the biggest craft fairs in existence, but it has the distinction of being “one of the first indie craft shows in the country,” said Rebecca Morris, an organizer and Pitt alumna.

The joy of the Handmade Arcade, Morris said, comes from the way it goes “back to a simpler way.”

“With so many mass-produced items, it’s nice to appreciate something handmade,” Morris said. “Here people can meet the maker, which isn’t something you get to do with a typical transaction.”

For Jennifer Baron, who is both an organizer and vendor, being involved with the Handmade Arcade has been a “natural process” from the start. Before the Handmade Arcade began, Baron started an online craft store with her friends in New York and began selling greeting cards on the website Etsy under the name Fresh Popcorn Products, a tribute to her favorite snack food.

Baron eventually moved back to Pittsburgh and expanded her interests. She began collecting vintage food packaging, made patches out of recycled fabric to sew onto shirts and fashioned shirts and tote bags.

“Before this even started, I’d traveled to national craft fairs,” Baron said. “Friends and I were carpooling across the country. We saw a need for this in the city. There was a void.”

When Baron saw a flyer advertising the Handmade Arcade, she signed up at once. She sold her handmade shirts and collages at the event in its first year and soon found herself assisting in organizing the entire fair.

Others have returned to Pittsburgh for business reasons. But vendor Jenn Gooch is a “Pittsburgher by choice,” moving to the Steel City from Texas after attending Carnegie Mellon for graduate school.

“The nice thing about Pittsburgh is it’s one of those places you can afford to live and pursue things you wouldn’t be able to pursue otherwise, like crafts, art and music,” Gooch said.

Although she sewed as a child, Gooch is relatively new to the craft scene. She began making scarves and hats to sell about a year ago, after wanting to redesign a hat she purchased but didn’t particularly like. What began as making items for herself turned into a small business, as friends expressed interest in the items as well.

“It’s one of those things that if you find what you really like, it may be expensive or not interesting enough,” Gooch said. “I like hats, but it’s a dying art as far as having a local hatmaker goes.”

Gooch’s hats are handsewn and usually made out of panels of separate pieces and various materials picked up at thrift stores, she said.

While Gooch’s interest and business are relatively new, Baron said her interest in crafts goes way back.

“It’s something that has been with me since childhood,” Baron said. “It’s ingrained in me since my mom was always sewing. She’d make clothing, curtains and pillows. I still have the curtains she made in the late ’60s, and they’re in wonderful shape. I collect those vintage things and interests from the family.”

This year, the fair also features hands-on demonstrations for interested guests, giving shoppers a chance to work with materials themselves to create prints or scrapbooks at the Handmade Arcade.

Vendors work at other places around the city during the year, including WildCard, a store in Lawrenceville owned by Morris that currently features several of Baron’s products.

“That store has become a brick-and-mortar version of Handmade Arcade,” Baron said. “We sell our products and do demos there. It’s a great hub for indie craft making in the city.”

The Handmade Arcade, though, remains a valuable resource for everyone involved, Baron said.

“We’ve evolved in terms of audience and space, but we’ve also created a community within the greater arts scene and we helped shape it and bring it to life,” she said.

Craft exhibit shows art with function

2011-04-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/craft-exhibit-shows-art-with-function/

Craft exhibit shows art with function

“Hand Made: Contemporary Craft in Ceramic, Glass and Wood”

Balcony Gallery at the Carnegie Museum of Art

4400 Forbes Ave.

412-622-3131

Two Pitt students couldn’t take any classes about crafts at Pitt, but they did learn about them working on a new exhibition in the Carnegie Museum of Art.

Jennifer Lue and Marie Williams, both senior art history majors, went to work as research interns, writing notes, biographies and a glossary for an exhibition of handmade crafts. The exhibition, titled “Hand Made: Contemporary Craft in Ceramic, Glass and Wood”, displays crafts such as a handmade tea pot and a rocking chair.

Pitt studio arts professor JoAnna Commandaros explained that crafts are artistic goods that also have a practical purpose in people’s lives.

“Most of the craft history comes from some kind of utilitarian or some kind of functional background,” she said, giving the examples of metalwork — referred to in the art world as small metals — and pots.

The “Hand Made” exhibit was a long time in the making and features about 100 pieces by artists of multiple nationalities collected over a period of years, said Rachel Delphia, the assistant curator of decorative arts and design.

“In the last decade and a half we began collecting more glass, and in the last five years we made the decision to collect wood as well,” she said. “With some old collections and traditions that have been going on for a long time, we had a real opportunity to showcase craft and to show people what we have across the board.”

The pieces in the art exhibit were created over a period stretching from the 1960s to 2009. While other handmade pieces are on display in permanent exhibits in the art museum year-round, “Hand Made” allows a narrow and in-depth focus on a span of 50 years, Delphia said.

Lue, who is also an English writing major, said in an e-mail that she’s learned not just about how to put together an exhibit, but also more about crafts.

“Decorative arts doesn’t regularly get taught at the undergraduate level here at Pitt ... and I think it often, unfortunately, gets stigmatized as lesser than “fine arts” like painting and sculpture,” Lue said. “Working on the “Hand Made” exhibition helped me understand the amount of sheer labor and technical skill that goes into creating these pieces.”

Commandaros agrees with Lue that Pitt does not have classes specifically targeted at learning crafts, partly because of resource constraints. But she said that many classes teach the basics of craft work — such as ceramics and fiber work — and that interested students can take a directed study course with a professor to gain skills in that art form.

As for the stigma against crafts, Commandaros feels that the arts have come a long way, explaining that when she went to school, she was not allowed to major in both sculpture and small metals.

“I think my generation and the generations before me had to really fight for there to be not a distinction [between “crafts” and “fine arts”] within the university settings within academia,” the professor said.

Delphia said the functionality and commonness of crafts that might have caused a stigma in the past can actually help people relate to the exhibit. Most of the material used is ceramic, wood or glass, with only “trace amounts” of other materials, explained Delphia. She said that the materials in the exhibit might be more “accessible” to viewers than those of other pieces.

“Most of these are mediums we remember as children in art classes,” Delphia said. “People have a sense of what clay feels like. We also have so many ceramic objects in our lives that we look at them and appreciate them as objects and as tools in our homes. This isn’t always the case. There are things in the museum you can only imagine in the museum. But these could come home with you.”

Lue and Williams were impressed by the talent on display in the gallery by the end of the project.

“You have to perfect the process, and that takes years and years of work and sometimes groups of people to complete,” Lue said, explaining that many artists in the past taught themselves how to work with these mediums because of an overall lack of education or mentors in the field.

“The sheer amount of work that goes into turning a wooden bowl or creating a ceramic vessel is just mind-blowing,” Williams said. “I definitely think that people don’t necessarily appreciate these mediums in the same manner that people appreciate painting or sculpture, because the result is not codified as being exclusively an art object.”

This art exhibit also features interactive technology. Touch screens similar to those currently found in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History display material put together by Lue and Williams.

Delphia has hopes that visitors will go home inspired to dabble in the crafts field themselves.

“The main idea for me is really that there’s something new possible, even with what we think as the most traditional techniques,” Delphia said. “They strike us somehow whether in form or color or the way it was created. It’s endless creativity.”

Natalie Bell contributed to this report.

Band attempts to incorporate world into its tribe

2011-04-09T11:00:00.001-07:00

Band attempts to incorporate world into its tribe

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/band-attempts-to-incorporate-world-into-its-tribe/

The members of One World Tribe draw from a wide array of genres.

Courtesy One World Tribe

One World Tribe

Thunderbird Cafe

4023 Butler Street

April 9 at 8 p.m.

$8 in advance, $10 at the door

412-682-0177

Kennedy Thompson’s band plays all his favorite styles of music — fulfilling a childhood dream of his.

Today, Thompson’s Erie-based collective One World Tribe boasts an eclectic lineup of 12 regular musicians and occasional guests, with a repertoire encompassing hip-hop, reggae, funk and Latin.

“The whole concept was that we would bring many different styles together that were related in some way,” Thompson said. “At the very least, I wanted very diverse [people] with a strong grasp on [the styles], or to find a master in one of those styles.”

Growing up in Detroit, Thompson was influenced by the music he listened to — especially Santana — and his cousin, who played the drums. His interest in performing only increased when he began studying music himself.

“I wanted to be able to play a lot of what I liked in different genres,” Thompson said. “Putting a lot of genres under one roof, so to speak. It took me a year and a half to get the right members.”

Band member Frank Singer, who plays guitar, keyboard and drums, had briefly spoken to Thompson in 1993 when the two met in Pittsburgh. Singer received a call from Thompson two years later. “We’re staring rehearsal,” Thompson said. From there, the band kicked off.

Part of OWT’s mission is to conflate different genres, tastes and musicians. Singer believes the band’s continued soldarity underscores its major theme: coexistence.

“Our backgrounds are very different,” Singer said. “So we have managed to coexist things that many people in this country argue can’t coexist, like our religious and spiritual backgrounds. But as for topics [in our music] we have things from love to peace and political freedom and diversity and everything else.”

At first, the group performed covers of the bands that inspired them, and it later moved into composing its own music. Thompson said the process is different for every song. Sometimes everyone contributes, and sometimes only one person writes a song. But OWT has never had to sit down and discuss what messages may come through in their music.

“It’s kind of always been understood,” Thompson said. “We want to play music that uplifts man. Music that brings people together, because music is a universal language.”

Member Ron Williams, aka Preach Freedom, stressed that even though there’s “no discrimination” about song topics in the band, they try to make their music family-friendly and uplifting. In other words, instead of just complaining about issues in their songs, they try to push for solutions, he said.

Williams has also taken a strong liking to teaching in classrooms as a guest musician. Raised on Motown and gospel music, Williams is talented with multiple instruments, playing “anything I put my hands on.”

“I’m always in communities working with children, since I know this is a gift that can help people,” he said. Referring to the redemptive power art held for him when he was surrounded by gang violence on the street, Williams said, “I came up in the ’80s and ’90s, so music saved my life. And to show people there’s other things they can do artistically, I talk to them.”

Music is a powerful tool that allows people to “forget,” he said.

“In this diverse country of ours, when it comes to music, people don’t mind a person’s background,” he said. “Music doesn’t care who you are or where you’re from. It has allowed me to fit with people. People listen to you and I recognize that. I try to use music for humanitarian reasons.”

Recently, Thompson has started working as a director and CEO for Billionaire Records. So far, he said, his new job has helped OWT with its own music.

“Working with a lot of different artists helps me in the band because I have resources to pull,” he said. “In the last album there were bands making guest appearances, which was cool. We had a whole new arsenal to the album.”

Going on 16 years of playing with the band, Singer said its chemistry endures.

“Kennedy made connections with people who may never have met,” he said. “The band is about something. We have fun this way.”

Studio arts exhibits students’ work

2011-04-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

Studio arts exhibits students’ work

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/studio-arts-exhibits-students-work/

Visitors at the 2011 Studio Arts Student Exhibition look at Grace Ginn's photography.

by Steve Garfinkel | Senior Staff Photographer

2011 Studio Arts Student Exhibition

Studio Arts Students at Pitt

Frick Fine Arts Gallery

Now through April 30

412-648-2430

Free

People don’t always immediately take well to Grace Ginn’s photography — the pieces feature images of the body so close that sometimes it’s difficult to discern what body part is being shown.

“I’ve accepted that in order to make a piece successful for yourself, not everyone will be happy with it,” said Ginn, a senior majoring in studio arts. “Some people may find my work disturbing or hate it, but even that negative feedback is needed.”

Ginn — along with 26 other students — has an opportunity to show her artwork at the 2011 Studio Arts Student Exhibition, an annual presentation of students’ work hosted in the Frick Fine Arts buidling.

Each year, studio faculty select artwork that is best suited for display from submissions made by senior students. The faculty may also select artwork from their classes regardless of the level or major of their students. This year’s exhibit features 94 total pieces and takes up four rooms in the gallery.

“The exhibition is an opportunity for the students to present their work publicly and to defend it through gallery talks, which is ultimately participating in the profession of what we do as artists. Work sitting in the studio has no resonance until it is shared,” Delanie Jenkins, chairwoman and associate professor of the studio arts department, said in an e-mail.

Ginn’s photography sits on a sidewall in the exhibit and catches the eye’s attention because of its nature and topic. Ginn loves photographing the human body and thinks of photos as “recordings of sculptures I’m creating with models,” in that she might manipulate the body by squeezing a particular part of skin or taking a close picture of two body parts together.

Ginn doesn’t necessarily view the negative responses of her photography as a bad thing.. .

“I think that’s what art, in a way, tries to do,” Ginn said. “It tries to get people thinking, get people to react, get them to think in a different way. It isn’t the same as the academic world.”

After this exhibit, Ginn will finish up her classes at Pitt before going to graduate school at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. for design.

Aside from explaining and defending their work, exhibiting pieces in this setting also gives students opportunity to show their art to collectors..

“Collectors have purchased works from exhibitions, and really seeing the work on the walls, in the elegance of the space, the work reaching a public — is quite a thrill,” department chairwoman Jenkins said. “The show reaches beyond campus and can help their career, and for some who won’t necessarily pursue art, it is still a significant accomplishment and marker. This exhibition is as significant as graduation for many students.”

Another senior considering a career in art is Benjy Blanco. The studio arts and English literature major has three pieces on display in the exhibit — a sculpture of a bushmaster snake in shattered wood, a video exploring Latino culture and a series of etchings mapping out iconic mythological events.

“Ultimately, the reason why I pursue art is surprisingly mechanical — here is where my talents lie,” Blanco said in an e-mail.

Blanco found his way into the field through a hobby. As a child, he created his own toys, and he never gave up on the skill through high school and college. As a result, he continues to enjoy hand-on creations.

“I don’t necessarily see my future in the high-art, gallery-crawl scene — but as long as I’m making physical things, be it a trade or some form of teaching, I know I’ll be fulfilled because it’s the best expression of my natural skills,” Blanco said.

He plans to take a year off after completing college before attending graduate school to obtain education certificates.

One of the things in this show that he finds to be a change from the usual class routine is the feedback from the judges. Jenkins said that a panel of three to four judges from the studio arts department offer critiques and advice during the exhibition process.

“This is a capstone experience,” Jenkins said, explaining that some students have been in exhibits before while others have not, and that the exhibition is a highlight of the hard work students do as artists.

The critique-and-discussion process takes students out of the comfort of the classroom, Blanco said.

“Your work has to be able to stand on its own — it’s a little frightening but exhilarating to start engaging in this next step,” he said.

Livan to bring dark rock to Pittsburgh

2011-04-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Livan to bring dark rock to Pittsburgh

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/livan-to-bring-dark-rock-to-pgh/

Off The Grid

Livan

Pumpkin Music

B-

Rocks Like: Depeche Mode

Performing with Peter Murphy

Tomorrow

Diesel

Doors open 7 p.m.

Tickets $25 advance/$30 at door

elkoconcerts.com or ticketfly.com

21+

United Kingdom musician Livan knows his rock music.

Livan’s third full album features 11 tracks of dark rock that pay homage to British bands from the 1970s through 1990s in a post-punk style. Each song has hints of electronica and was reportedly recorded in one take, making the songs as close to live performances as possible.

With titles like “Undead,” “Little White Lies” and “Where I Bleed,” it’s safe to say that the lyrics in these songs might be subject to personal taste. Livan delivers his lyrics with a voice that rises, going from a whisper to a hoarse scream at a moment’s notice. He isn’t perfect, though, as he fails to enunciate, and the words get lost in the music half the time.

Luckily, his music makes up for the flaws in his lyrics. Some of the music comes in a fast and furious pace, demanding that people rock out while listening and barely giving listeners time to keep up.

Other songs like “Meet Me On The Other Side” are heavily instrumental, with the repeated lyric “Meet me on the other side” humming along synthesized guitars and keyboards.

Songs like “The Silence,” which change the tune of the songs from hardcore to almost mellow compared to the opening tracks, become more like classic rock with some impressive guitar chords and harmonizing vocals.

If anything, this album is worth it for some pretty cool instrumentals. This is some dark rock with kick to it.

Pittsburgh pop singer’s EP swings from love to anger

2011-03-17T18:06:00.001-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/pittsburgh-pop-singers-ep-swings-from-love-to-anger/

Pittsburgh pop singer’s EP swings from love to anger

Courtesy MSO PR

Tino Coury

Page One

Tino Coury

Eleventh Records

Rocks like: The Black Eyed Peas, Far East Movement

B+

Pittsburgh has a reputation for encouraging musicians and providing strong musical backgrounds to locals. Tino Coury is no exception.

The 22-year-old’s six-track EP, titled Page One, provides some great dance beats and intriguing teasers for future work. With several singles already making their way up Billboard and Top 40 charts, his first release mixes pop with electronic music.Each track tries to take on a different emotional journey, from looking for casual fun, to love and eventually on to anger.

Coury’s first song, “Up Against The Wall,” is set to a fast beat that’s hard to ignore and easy to dance to. It’s the very definition of a party song: a rhythmic pace about dancing in a club and looking for lighthearted fun.

“Diary” sounds a little bit like Owl City. Coury mourns the fact that the woman he loves doesn’t feel the same way — although it’s a little bit off-putting to hear the lyrics, “I read your diary.”

“Circles” provides a decent interlude featuring a fantastic electronic orchestra moving the music along and an uplifting, albeit average, chorus with lyrics like “Sometimes you gotta live and you gotta let go / Cause I know your best is about to show / Life is just a circle, circle.”

The other songs are “I F***in’ Hate You,” “Memory” and “Leave Me My Pen,” which finish up this emotional musical journey with hurt feelings, sadness, strength and longing.

Still, there’s a bit of a teenage angst sort of tone that didn’t feel quite as present on the first half of the album.

With this EP playing out like a very emotional day in the life of a very young person, it will be interesting to see how Coury continues to grow musically with future releases and time to continue to test out his style and see what audiences want from him as a musician.

Films highlight complexities of immigration

2011-03-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/films-highlight-complexities-of-immigration/

Films highlight complexities of immigration

CMU 2011 International Film Festival: Faces of Migration

Thursday through April 10

$4 per screening or the festival pass of $20 for 15 events

Tickets and passes are available online

www.cmu.edu/faces

A mass of people taking to the streets to protest a bill affecting immigrants inspired director Esau Melendez to create a film about the movement. He believes that when he started the process four years ago in 2006, people didn’t realize how big this issue would become.

“Half a million people marched in the streets to stop a bill that would criminalize the people,” he said, referring to proposed and strengthened border security,. “...This has to be the biggest movement in the history of immigrants, but I don’t think anyone saw what happened in May 2006. This movement is for people who are here contributing to society and who want to be recognized but are forced into the shadows.”

From those experiences, he came up with the idea for “Immigrant Nation! The Battle for a Dream.” The director will appear at both of the screenings of his documentary at the upcoming Carnegie Mellon University 2011 International Film Festival.

In its fifth year, the film festival will feature a number of films exploring issues related to migration, explaining what drives people to immigrate and the impact the movements have on both the countries people leave and the countries they move to.

Though its theme changes annually, the film festival always brings in award-winning films and documentaries with “artistic merit” from around the world, festival director Jolanta Lion said in an e-mail.

Every year, Lion said she looks for “independent, foreign and documentary feature-length films that have not yet premiered here in Pittsburgh and on occasion that have not premiered in the United States” that connect with the festival theme. Even students can submit through a short-film competition.

Lion has a strong history in film, teaching in Poland and then at Pitt up until 2006. Now the director of the film festival, Lion is able to “take part in the world of film” in a new way by distributing different works to the audience in a “thematic way.”

Melendez’s film has been shown in the United States at more than a dozen festivals and has won several awards. The film, which was the director’s first work in the genre, has a potential national release planned for September of this year.

He described the story as “action-driven” rather than debate- or opinion-driven, using the stories and voices of people involved in the movements to tell a larger story. For Melendez, the film isn’t just about the people he followed. Instead, it’s about a massive rights movement among the immigrants.

“It’s about the story of these people, who may be activists or regular citizens, who are fighting for the rights of the immigrants,” he said. “So the entire documentary references that struggle. And there’s no voice-over — it’s told entirely by people involved.”

Melendez spent the film-making process networking and meeting people he could follow to tell the story about immigrants and their rights in the United States. After following his subjects for a year and a half, he took time to carefully put the film together.

“It was difficult to get it done,” Melendez, who spent four years on the 96-minute film, said. “In the beginning, I began in the recession, and it was so hard to get money for this.”

On the other hand, while Melendez spent years on his project, Mike Ott spent only a month creating his 84-minute film, and less than half a year editing it.

A man who “stumbled” into filmmaking with no clue about what he wanted to do with his life after college, Ott created “Littlerock,” a fictional film about two Japanese tourists stranded in Littlerock, Calif. One of the characters falls in love and moves in with a local, making herself at home in the area. The entire film revolves around the characters finding ways to communicate without speaking the same language and dealing with prejudice against foreigners.

“The initial idea came from traveling abroad and being in situations where everyone spoke a different language than me,” Ott said in an e-mail. “It started making me think about how daunting it must be when people come to America and don’t know the language, and how hard it must be to try and assimilate.”

Ott, however, says the film is about much more than assimilation.

“I think it’s about a lot of things,” he said. “It’s about how language connects us as well as divides us, it’s about the American dream versus the American reality, it’s about examining America through a foreigner’s eyes.”

Ott also said that the film could be about “young people finding their way,” making it accessible to students attending the film festival.

‘Shrek’ treks to ‘Burgh singing new tunes

2011-03-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/shrek-treks-to-burgh-singing-new-tunes/

‘Shrek’ treks to ‘Burgh singing new tunes

Courtesy DreamWorks Theatricals (Joan Marcus)

Left to right: Eric Petersen as Shrek, Alan Mingo, Jr. as Donkey, Haven Burton as Princess Fiona

“Shrek The Musical”

Tuesday - Sunday

Directed by Jason Moore

Benedum Center

$22-$68

412-456-6666 or pgharts.org

Alan Mingo Jr. spends several hours a day surrounded by ogres, a lord and a princess.

The actor plays Donkey in the upcoming show “Shrek the Musical.” And from the beginning of the role, that meant wearing hooves on his hands.

“From the first rehearsal they had me in hooves on my hands,” Mingo said.. “It changed things. I’m used to having use of my hands. Here in rehearsal they had me wearing these hooves. The actual costume is beautiful and comfortable, but having the hands covered was a struggle. But by now it’s natural, which is weird to say.”

Donkey accompanies Shrek, the now-famous ogre, as he attempts to rescue a princess from a tower in hopes of reclaiming his swampy home.

“Shrek The Musical,” currently touring after its Broadway run, reenacts the first movie in the “Shrek” series, though there are new plot twists and more original music added. Just like in the movie, there are moments for children mixed in with adult humor for older crowds.

The show’s creators, David Lindsay-Abaire for book and lyrics and Jeanine Tesori for music, expanded on the Duloc welcoming song and kept “I’m a Believer” at the end, but the rest of the score is original.

But one of the biggest challenges that actors like Mingo face is adapting a well-known movie character for the stage in a way that does justice to the original — without copying it.

The solution for Mingo is to be true to the character. He doesn’t try to impersonate Eddie Murphy, the voice of Donkey in the movie, but instead he “does what the character itself would do.”

“It’s not vastly different,” Mingo said. “You recognize the donkey when you see and hear him. But because the musical takes place through the first movie and we have other situations that didn’t happen in the movie, once the audience recognizes him they go along with the ride with me. The whole objective was you can’t go wrong if you stay true to the Donkey’s situation.”

Mingo’s no stranger to Broadway shows based on movies. He has acted in “The Lion King” and “The Little Mermaid,” but Donkey brought in a new experience for him because of the costume’s “practicality.”

“The costume pretty much looks like a donkey,” Mingo said. “I look like I’m in a suit giving the shape of a donkey. It’s like looking at a donkey staying on his hind legs.”

The Donkey costume is especially comfortable. There is fishnet underneath that allows for ventilation, making the costume more practical than costumes used in other shows.

Other costumes in the show aren’t necessarily as easy to wear as Donkey’s — the Shrek costume takes quite a bit of work. Jorie Mars Malan, the make-up assistant, specializes in the prosthetics that are part of the Shrek character make-up.

“Most shows only have one or two [make-up artists], and most shows only require hair and the actors do their own make-up,” Malan said. “This is just intense and they can’t do it on their own every day.”

The make-up for the Shrek costume alone takes 90 minutes to put together, Malan said. It includes a bald cap with a face opening, a latex foam piece that covers the actor’s head and includes ears, and three silicone pieces for his face that leave only his eyes and mouth exposed.

“Most of what goes on his face is glue. Then I paint everything to blend the pieces. It’s amazing because those pieces once on look very seamless. I feel like I’m talking to a cartoon character,” Malan said.

Malan is responsible for making the rest of the cast look cartoon-like as well.

Sean McKnight has a different job. He might play any male role on a given night. He works on the show as a swing, learning all of the male roles so he can “swing” into any part when necessary. He’s also a dance captain responsible for knowing and teaching choreography for the show.

“Shrek’s costume and make-up is genius. If you saw him up close you would think he’s an ogre,” McKnight said, recalling a time he sent a photo to a friend who didn’t recognize the person underneath the make-up.

But well-constructed costumes don’t mean the actors won’t have trouble with them.

“I have never been in a show with costumes this gigantic,” McKnight said. “‘Shrek’ backstage is a show in and of itself. The traffic backstage is massive. As a cast member, learning what I have to do on stage is one part of my job, and learning what to do backstage is another part and just as important. Backstage is so organized and timed to the last second.

The cast takes an hour to actually tests how long it takes to move on and off stage in each new theater to ensure nothing goes wrong on opening night. Once that’s in order, they can perform for audiences. And McKnight, like Mingo, stresses one point — “Shrek” isn’t just for kids.

“It’s impossible to leave the show unhappy. It’s full of energy,” he said.

Artist begins as mechanic before painting ‘idle’ cars

2011-03-02T21:18:00.000-08:00

Artist begins as mechanic before painting ‘idle’ cars

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/artist-begins-as-mechanic-before-painting-idle-cars/

Courtesy Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

“Idle”

709 Penn Gallery

709 Penn Ave. at Seventh St.

Friday through April 3

412-471-6070

For most people, a car is associated with travel and little else. Colin Noonan, however, had a different mentality when creating the 12 paintings in his “Idle” exhibit: The automobile became a private space, wherein the driver and the vehicle both sit still, doing nothing.

“Idle” features pieces that merge two classic genres of art — oil paintings and portraits — to depict people stalled in their cars. The exhibit, which represents a change in the artist’s work, will open Friday and remain open through April 3.

For Noonan, focusing on portraits was a switch from landscape paintings.

“Making stills become such a caged way of working that people lumped me into a category that wasn’t satisfactory,” Noonan said about prior pieces and exhibits. “People wanted to put me into a classical sort of mode. My new work is an attempt not to divorce myself from the classical model but to update it and keep the fashion of the day.”

Returning to Pittsburgh in 2003 after studying art in New York, Noonan felt burned out after dealing with “a stressful time in my life.” With school over, he felt the urge to work and found a job as a mechanic at the German Motor Werks Garage.

“I was interested in the art of mechanics because it’s similar to art,” Noonan said. “It’s something you can learn.”

Noonan’s interest in art never completely disappeared, and the artist now uses a corner of the garage as his studio. He occasionally helps with maintenance, but for the most part, he “tries to be a ghost and work in the space next to the workers.”

To help with his “Idle” portraits, Noonan asked people to model for him, including Eva Mueller, a junior at Chatham University studying interior architecture. She’d previously studied photography and knew Noonan through networking with Pittsburgh’s artistic community.

“He had talked to me about what his art was about and he was trying to emulate the still life portraits of people,” Mueller said. “He wanted them to be reflective of a mystery. If you are looking at an oil painting and you see a portrait of somebody, it tells a story. I think that’s what he was trying to do. And I’ve had some experience with photography and that was how he started his process.”

Noonan used photos he took to help build the art he created, but Mueller still came into the shop four or five times during the process to help Noonan capture just what he wanted.

“It’s hard just to paint from a photo, so he did have me come in for other sessions just to get that image in his head that the photo wasn’t telling him,” Mueller said.

Noonan’s studio setup also intrigued Sonja Sweterlitsch, the manager of community art with The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. After discovering some of Noonan’s landscapes on display at a cafe, she researched the artist and began to talk with him about doing a show.

Sweterlitsch said she was intrigued by Noonan’s current comparisons between the human body and the car as a machine.

In the exhibit there’s “a car being stalled as well [as the people], in a way,” Sweterlitsch said. “It’s a meditative moment and still moment, which is interesting because these are oil paintings. They’re layer upon layer and take time to work on and require you to slow down and look at the contemporary subjects in this quiet meditative way. You’ll wonder what they’re thinking or notice more about the shadows across their faces. It’s really filled with stillness. It really does match a car being idle as well.”

Noonan’s art brings something new to the gallery, Sweterlitsch said.

“They’re images based in the garage as well as people on cars and people as individuals,” she said. “It’s very figurative which is different from what we’ve shown recently. And traditional oil paintings are different, too.”

Mueller said she was impressed with the results of Noonan’s latest endeavor.

“I think they look almost scary for how real they are,” she said. “I didn’t expect them to turn out like that. I was just surprised and pleased. He’s very good at what he does.”

Noonan called his art something that can’t be described and has to be seen, explaining that the artwork “goes way beyond simple sad or longing. So [the title] refers back to the idea that I’m not trying to depict young people happily chopping wood in some propaganda. This isn’t a picture of people who are glorious. But it’s also not the worst thing in the world to be where they are and to be idle.”

‘Hair’ entangles audience in 60s conflicts

2011-02-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

‘Hair’ entangles audience in 60s conflicts

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/hair-entangles-audience-in-60s-conflicts/

Courtesy Joan Marcus

“Hair”

Now through Sunday

Diane Paulus

Heinz Hall

Pitt Arts Tickets $27.50-$62.43 (must be purchased by Thursday at noon)

Tickets $20-$69

412-392-4900 or www.pgharts.org

Director David Truskinoff hopes he can not just entertain, but also inspire his audiences to act like the characters in “Hair.”

The show follows the lives of a tribe of long-haired hippies in New York City. Claude, his friend Berger, their roommate Sheila and their companions struggle to balance their own beliefs and their relationships with their conservative families with rebellion against the war and the politics of the time.

Truskinoff hopes that the musical’s look at the ’60s counterculture movement will inspire young people to raise their voices.

“During the 1960s, younger people in their teens and twenties and college age were so much a part of the political goings and the protests,” Truskinoff said, remembering the Civil Rights, feminist and hippie movements of the time.

“They had such a strong voice. Sometimes, unfortunately, it isn’t the same today ... It can only be a good thing for younger people to see that now and to revisit what the movement was about. I can only hope to get it sparked up again,” he said.

The award-winning musical originally opened on Broadway in 1968, pushing boundaries the same way its subject matter did. The show’s use of “slang, profanity, nudity and overt sexuality,” as well as the presence of a racially integrated cast on stage created a major stir and was incredibly progressive for the time, said Richard Teaster, manager and director of Pitt’s Men’s Glee Club.

One act even ended with a nude scene, creating commotion in a culture where simply growing out one’s hair was a radical notion.

Though the show came from a different time period, the issues and ideas within it remain powerful and important today, said actor Josh Lamon, who plays several characters in the production, including Claude’s father, Margaret Mead and a member of the Tribe.

“It’s great because young people are introduced to this era that shows the hippie movement,” Lamon said. “It isn’t just hair and flowers, it was a protest and was about how important it is to stand up for one’s belief.”

Lamon’s hardest job is to act as Claude’s father, a conservative who wants his pacifist son to join the Vietnam War.

“We’re so different,” Lamon said. “I actually base the character off of my grandfather. [Claude’s father] is a conservative Republican who believes we have to fight the war no matter what, and he pressures his son to go to Vietnam. To play this character is challenging for me, but it is interesting, especially because I see older generations relate to the parents in the show.”

Considering recent events in Egypt and even the current political divide in the United States, the messages in “Hair” and the views of all the characters remain incredibly relevant as people struggle to make themselves heard today, Lamon said.

The music in “Hair” is just as important as the story. Teaster mentioned in an e-mail that the songs that presented their messages in ways that were less “in your face,” such as “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In,” can still be heard on oldies stations today.

But the ironic songs were not received well at the time it came out, Teaster said.

“From a purely musical perspective, the show was not well-received by such legendary Broadway composers as Leonard Bernstein and Richard Rogers,” Teaster said. “Bernstein remarked, ‘the songs are just laundry lists.’”

The music has also proved to be a major influence on more recent works, Teaster said.

“I think the work influenced other pieces which would incorporate more rock idioms such as ‘Tommy,’ ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and even shows as recent as ... ‘Spring Awakening,’” he said.

Working with the show now creates fond feelings of nostalgia for Truskinoff, who began working on “Hair” immediately after the end of the revival tour of “Rent” last year.

But portraying the turbulent time period these songs came from is an immense task which required time and research long before production began, Truskinoff said.

In addition to trying to make the show as authentic as possible, Lamon also sought to maintain the atypical interaction between the cast and audience actually pulls the audience into the show.

“At the end of the show, the entire audience is invited on stage to dance with us,” Lamon said. “It is remarkable to see people let go and hug each other, and to look out and see people dancing in the aisles and holding hands. You don’t get that with other shows.”

Even the 10-piece band gets into the show, standing on stage rather than sitting in an orchestra pit and allowing interaction between the instrumentalists and the characters, even though the band isn’t always a key part of the plot.

While all of the musical’s themes are delivered in an entertaining fashion, Truskinoff approaches “Hair” with respect, feeling that it allows serious commentary on issues such as the war today and where civil rights issues stand.

“The underlying themes remain real today and are very serious,” he said.

Hofstetter’s comedy album intermittently funny, consistently button-pushing

2011-02-14T19:12:00.001-08:00

Hofstetter’s comedy album intermittently funny, consistently button-pushing

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/hofstetters-comedy-album-intermittently-funny-consistently-button-pushing/

Courtesy Steve Hofstetter Multimedia

Steve Hofstetter

Pick Your Battles

Next Round Entertainment

Grade: B-

Can the tragic death of someone hit and killed by a car while texting be funny?

“You know the person on the other end of the text message was pissed off he wasn’t responding.”

Well, you decide.

This is one of many controversial lines from Steve Hofstetter’s comedy stand-up show Pick Your Battles, which features political and social humor that’s likely to entertain many who appreciate the comedian’s style of delivery, but is just as likely to make a couple of listeners frown.

Hofstetter’s album chooses to provide comedy by waging war on random topics, with each track titled, “The War On (Insert Topic Here).” Texting, bad tattoos, cities and many other subjects are lampooned.

Most of his humor follows a pattern that sounds logical and intelligent, although whether people will ever agree with anything he says is another matter. For example, “Every guy thinks he’s better than average in the bedroom. And half of you are wrong. Because that’s how math works.”

But more conventional jokes like this one come later, because Hofstetter launches straight into his routine with two tracks on abortion. This is the first sign that the entire show is a comedy act people will either love or hate. If anything, it feels as if this topic drags on too long, and the humor during this section is his weakest. Accordingly, the album starts slowly and sometimes painfully. But even the comedian acknowledges this, stating during the recording, “You’re not all with me. That’s okay. You’re not all going to be with me.”

The humor picks up once this subject is dropped, and Hofstetter finds keen observations to make about shopping centers, gender, dating and more. The final track is “The War On Steve Hofstetter,” in which the comedian interacts with and answers silly questions from an easygoing audience.

Nevertheless, the flow of the show is a bit bumpy. Hofstetter’s disorganized style makes it difficult to tell when one sketch ends and another begins, and sometimes even he seems to lose track of what he’s trying to say, losing the joke along the way.

Another flaw with any CD version of a comedy show is the loss of interaction — the mood of a room of laughing people cannot be adequately replicated with a recording.

Overall, though it sometimes feels like jokes are forced, it’s enlightening to hear someone’s opinion in a manner not intended to attack or demean. As Hofstetter himself says, “I’m trying to make you laugh. It’s a positive intent. You get offended by a joke, it’s an accident.”

Turpentiners take ‘Stage Center’

2011-02-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

Turpentiners take ‘Stage Center’

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/turpentiners-take-stage-center/

The Turpentiners

Calliope Center Stage

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts

6300 Fifth Ave.

Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

$12 ($10 for students)

412-361-1915

When one musician headed to college and couldn’t take his piano along, he picked up the harmonica instead — and became obsessed with playing it.

Today Stu Braun continues to play his harmonica with Pittsburgh band The Turpentiners. The band will perform a mix of original pieces and traditional American blues , country and swing music. It is the second band featured this year in the Calliope Center Stage Concert series.

This isn’t the first time The Turpentiners have performed for the Calliope Folk Music Society, according to the nonprofit’s executive director Patricia Tanner.

“Many musicians in The Turpentiners also perform in other projects and have performed for Calliope in those groups,” Tanner said in an e-mail. “The band leader, Ben Hartlage, has been involved in the Calliope community for many years and is a former board member of the organization.”

Formed in 2007, The Turpentiner’s features Hartlage (guitar/vocals), Adam Frew (upright bass/vocals), Megan Williams (violin/vocals), Ron Mesing (dobro) and Braun.

Co-founders Hartlage and Braun had known each other for 10 years prior to forming the band. Braun was born in Pittsburgh and studied in St. Louis, where he took up and mastered the harmonica in lieu of his piano.

He returned to Pittsburgh from a trip to Europe in 1997 and met Hartlage. Both were working with other bands at different times. In 2007, both men’s bands disbanded.

“Stu started talking casually to me about playing together as a guitar/harmonica duo,” Hartlage said in an e-mail. “I think it finally came together when he booked us for a neighborhood festival that he helped organize for the Propel Charter School, where he works. We both liked the sound as a duo and decided to give it a go.”

Soon the pair began receiving requests for weddings and private events. Feeling that a duo performing wouldn’t be a “full enough” sound for a wedding, Hartlage brought Mesing and Williams into the mix.

“Both of them fit right in with the sound and gave us the opportunity to expand the repertoire in new directions,” Hartlage said. “The sound continues to evolve as we work more together and play to each other’s strengths.”

Hartlage created the name for the band, taking inspiration from a New Lost City Ramblers recording of “On Our Turpentine Farm.” Three years later, the band continues to play.

“I don’t think we really thought much about getting our name known,” Hartlage said. “We’ve just sort of focused on playing music we enjoy and playing it as well as we can and having fun with it. Most of our gigs have come from word of mouth. People who see us somewhere and find a way to get in touch with us. We’ve been kind of on an extended streak of good fortune to this point.”

As for their music, the band covers half of its songs and plays original songs as well, Braun said.

“The band members ... perform a wide variety of vintage American music,” Tanner said. “The Turpentiners are a young local group, and an important part of Calliope’s mission is to provide performing opportunities for local artists.”

“The show on Thursday will be half-and-half as well,” Braun said. “[Ben] is good. He writes songs that you’d think were 80 years old. The original songs pay tribute to the old-style songs as well. It’s not all stuff from the 1930s.”

“Sometimes we cook up an original, but the focus is mostly on some real fine old chestnuts from the vaults,” Hartlage said.

Performing live has been the band’s strong point for years. Though the topic of recording a CD has come up, it hasn’t happened yet, Hartlage said.

“We have a couple of songs/videos on YouTube and God knows where else from cellphone videos and such,” he said. “When you’re not the kind of band that will move CDs by the bushel, it’s just hard to justify the expense of a 1000-plus CD print run and design and packaging and studio time.”

But CD or not, the band cares about and loves performing, Braun said.

“Good times and bad, music’s always been there,” he said. “It’s been a driving force in my life. I’ve never wanted to not play. I couldn’t imagine not playing in some capacity.”

‘Madagascar Live’ drops anchor in Pittsburgh

2011-02-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

‘Madagascar Live’ drops anchor in Pittsburgh

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/madagascar-live-drops-anchor-in-pittsburgh/

“Madagascar Live”

Feb. 3–6

John Tellem

Benedum Center

Tickets $18-$45

412-456-6666 or pgharts.org

"Madagascar Live"

When one actor walks onto Benedum Center’s stage performing as a lemur this weekend, it might be hard for the audience to resist singing along with the incredibly catchy lyrics: “I like to move it, move it.”

Drew Hirshfield plays King Julien in “Madagascar Live,” a family musical based on the 2005 DreamWorks animated film “Madagascar.” The 90-minute show is the first live production by DreamWorks Theatricals, which produces stage productions based on DreamWorks films.

The show follows a group of friendly animals raised in Central Park Zoo that are unexpectedly shipped from New York and shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar. Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo soon meet with the island locals and must adapt to their new surroundings.

Taking a story between two mediums is pretty common, but not always an easy task for directors. But since part of theater is creating a world for people to step into, taking a film to the stage is a little easier because the world has already been envisioned, according to Lisa Jackson-Schebetta, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre Arts.

“The challenge with a show such as this is meeting filmic expectations,” Jackson-Schebetta said in an e-mail.

However, Jackson-Schebetta stressed that the two different mediums just offer two ways of looking at the same project and “Madagascar Live” will probably do things that the film could not.

“[Theater] engages the imagination in different ways. It asks us to imagine along with the actors and story on stage,” she said.

Hirshfield was intrigued by the idea and imagination behind the show from the beginning, attending audition after audition before receiving the part of King Julien, a lemur who rules over his tribe on Madagascar.

Hirshfield plays one of the smallest animals in the show. Aurelia Williams, however, plays one of the largest: Gloria the hippo.

Originally a psychology and education major, Williams began to sing in high school for fun, but never took singing seriously until a friend in graduate school urged her to audition for shows. Williams took the advice and began receiving callbacks and job offers even before she finished her degrees.

Williams finished school and received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rutgers University and a subsequent master’s degree in elementary education, but she opted to go forward with her theater career.

“My parents thought it was too important to at least try,” Williams said.

The idea was that if she didn’t like it, she could go back to the education field, Williams said. Eleven years later, she has no interests in leaving, and her favorite roles on the stage let her laugh and make the audience laugh as well.

Williams thinks that the role of Gloria is perfect for her.

“Gloria is hilarious,” Williams said. “I cannot wait to get an audience in there because we’re laughing just as a cast and crew.”

Williams was already a fan of the movie when she heard about auditions. The live show has more songs than the movie and also expands on the characters and jokes that played on screen, Williams said.

The biggest challenge isn’t the singing or the dancing, Williams said. The biggest challenge is the fact that she plays a hippo and has to dress like one.

“I’ve never played an animal, number one, much less a hippopotamus,” Williams said. “My costume is just big with a big booty. Gloria is famous for that at this point. The spatial awareness with this costume is a little different. I have to watch out because I can knock things over.”

The costumes are a point of interest for Hirshfield as well, since they do pose a “particular challenge,” he said.

“The costumes are bulky,” Hirshfield said. “They are absolutely amazing to look at — beautiful, incredibly creative, elaborate — but because they are so unique they do create some challenges for the actors.”

“Each costumes is made from various materials specific to each animal,” Williams said. “Mine is made from a wrinkly velvet material like looks like a hippo, and my face has a headpiece where you can see my head. You see our faces and know we’re there. It’s a collaboration of the person and taking on the sense of the animal. It’s not a typical kids’ show where you see big fuzzy heads with bodies bumping around. I’d see it without kids.”

But aside from the difficulty of the costume, Williams raves about working on the show.

“The music is fabulous,” she said. “That’s what makes this different: It’s a musical with original scores. I don’t think you can compete or compare to a live dancing and live singing and costumes. It’s magical.”

Pitt student spends 7 years on novel

2011-02-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

Pitt student spends 7 years on novel

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/pitt-student-spends-7-years-on-novel/

For most girls, the end of a relationship means calling up the girlfriends to watch a movie or two — ice cream optional but recommended. But not for Kell. Instead, she develops fantastic powers and is recruited for a battle in space.

Kell is the creation of Pitt student Azia Squire, and the main character in her upcoming fantasy novel, “Liquid: The Unit.” The idea for Kell, her powers and her battle has been seven years in the making. But the upcoming publication of “Liquid: The Unit” isn’t the first for Squire.

By Ryan Samson | Staff Photogapher

Azia Squire

Another piece, titled “Affect-Effect” was published in 2008. Squire noted that her writing style has evolved and improved vastly since then.

“I plan to keep publishing, and this was just the first,” Squire said in reference to “Liquid: The Unit,” which she considers her first true novel because she’s taken more critical direction with the writing in this work than she did with “Affect-Effect.”

Squire is a junior studying English writing, philosophy and anthropology. The 20-year-old Atlanta native chose to study at Pitt because of the prestige of its philosophy department and the full scholarship she earned as a Gates Millennium Scholar.

Though Squire had developed and revised the story of Kell by the time she arrived at college, she only had “vague ideas, images and scenes” in her mind for the story when she began writing seven years ago. It took time to flesh out the story and specific details, including what Kell’s power would be: the ability to turn her body into a mercurial substance that burns through almost any material.

“I wrote the original idea when I was 13,” said Squire, who submitted the short story version of her latest work to a writing contest at Stockbridge Middle School. “I ... came back to it later after I won the contest. I looked at it and began writing a couple more drafts.”

Her reinvented version expanded on the idea Squire originally created with a new story and new characters. The story is based heavily in her imagination rather than in research. But despite Kell being a strange character in a fantasy story, Squire described her as a universal person.

“When you read the story, she’s whoever you want her to be,” Squire said. “She’s your eyes into the story, and I would hope that she would be a role model for anyone. It’s not for any specific demographic. It deals with themes and issues that any person can relate to.”

Such themes include the idea of creating and understanding identity as well as growing up and maturing — which Kell is forced to do pretty quickly.

“It’s about how the people and the experiences that you have lay a hand in shaping you as a person,” Squire said. “It’s also about being swept up in things that you can’t control. And yes, I’ve had experiences like this, but I think we all have. Identity and loss of control are things that everyone can relate to.”

The editing process sped up when co-workers at her 2010 internship with a publishing company in Ireland offered feedback on the manuscripts. Back at home, friends and family had also scanned manuscripts in the past and offered feedback.

Strangers helped out, too. Squire met and accidentally switched flash drives with Jessica Rohan, who has a doctorate in linguistic anthropology.The two began talking at a Starbucks in Pennsylvania when Rohan complimented Squire on her Vespa. They sat together and accidently swapped flashdrives upon parting. Rohan returned the files with notes, leading to a back-and-forth process between the new friends.

“On a scale of Stephenie Meyer to Stephen King, she’s an F. Scott Fitzgerald,” Rohan said in an e-mail. “I like the sense of raw urgency coupled with the sleek, modern sensibility. Her writing is well-dressed, which is a quality that few modern writers possess.”

Squire assisted in her book’s publishing process, learning about interior book design and creating the layout of the paperback edition that will be published and available on Amazon and at Borders in February, although no exact release date has been set.

Squire continues to prepare for the ongoing publishing and marketing process with manager and publicist Latonia Hodo in Atlanta, who is assisting with setting up book signings and school readings. The book is “original,” Hodo said, explaining that the novel fits some classifications for the fantasy and science fiction genres but also reaches beyond them.

“There’s a lot happening in it,” Hodo said in an e-mail. “It’s rapid, but it doesn’t rush through the more subtle emotional moments that connect you to the characters; neither does it rush through the descriptions. [Azia’s] writing really does its work to help you build this universe in your mind.”

With the book finally approaching release, Rohan looks forward to seeing its impact.

“I envision it taking the genre in a new direction and really challenging preconceived conceptions of the genre’s parameters, which until now have been rather limiting,” she said.

Squire intends to go into the publishing business as an editor, acknowledging the changes in the industry that created challenges when she was writing. The workload became intense as she tried to prove that she could not only write her book, but could also sell it.

“You have to be able to adapt a lot now” she said. “It’s kind of scary, but it’s kind of cool. It’s like the music industry. The medium is changing, and you adapt with it.

“People are not really going into bookstores and buying physical books anymore, things are on devices, things are on the internet,” Squire said, explaining the importance of “making your book available in the formats [and] promoting on the Internet.”

—Editor’s Note: Squire is a staff writer for The Pitt News.

Employment Guide: Sites like Facebook can double as professional networking tools

2011-01-31T19:31:00.000-08:00

Employment Guide: Sites like Facebook can double as professional networking tools

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/employment-guide-sites-like-facebook-can-double-as-professional-networking-tools/

There’s no denying that social-networking sites have their advantages: finding new friends, reconnecting with old friends and discovering employment opportunities is now easier than ever.

But as social networking becomes more prevalent in daily life, the need for people to treat their profiles on social-networking sites more like professional networking accounts is rising.

Students today must be willing to take the next step to turn “the play space” of the Internet into a component of their professional image, said Jamie Bianco, who teaches multimedia courses at Pitt.

Of course, there are already sites that help foster a professional image: LinkedIn, for instance, allows users to network with coworkers as well as create an online portfolio with their resumé, relevant skills and background.

The problem, however, is that the work ethic and image created on one’s LinkedIn might not align with the image created by one’s Facebook. According to Cheryl Finlay, director of Pitt’s Office of Student Employment and Placement Assistance, because many companies today search for job candidates who use social media, the way candidates present themselves on their social media profiles often becomes an issue.

“I do know of students who were overlooked for an interview or job based on information that was posted on social media, and [I] wish more people would be conscious about how to promote their individuality while also demonstrating good character,” Finlay said in an e-mail.

According to CareerBuilder.com, “a recent study ... found that 77 percent of recruiters run searches of candidates on the Web to screen applicants; 35 percent of these same recruiters say they’ve eliminated a candidate based on the information they uncovered.”

Employers often made decisions between two candidates based on the language they use on their profiles, according to the website. Raunchy or racist remarks sometimes led to a rejection.

The first step students can take to evaluate their online image is to Google their own name, Bianco said. It’s an easy trick that potential employers use on applicants, so it’s important that students know what will appear in a search.

Accounts like Twitter, Facebook and even Flickr all contribute to the image a student might project. Bianco often advises students in her own classes to understand the “presence” they project online.

“Think of it as: What would you be willing to scream right in front of your work office,” Bianco said. “That’s what you do with social media. There are behavioral codes. Even if on paper someone is qualified, the reality is that we have to live with each other. So online you create a personality, and not all of our personalities at home or out and about will be the same as our personalities at work. But what you have to be aware of is that social networking is a public space with public discourse and public rhetoric.”

Shawn Graham, a career consultant at Carnegie Mellon, suggests that students decide ahead of time what they intend to do with their social-networking profile and pick and choose what information will go online based on their career goals and values.

Graham also discussed the idea of “friending” co-workers on sites like Facebook, which is the equivalent of bringing the office into the user’s personal space and which can cause trouble if users post rude remarks about their job online.

“Personally, I don’t have a lot of co-workers [as friends] on Facebook,” Graham said. “LinkedIn is obviously the professional [site], so there’s not a concern there.”

The concern, he said, comes as more sites appear and their rules become hard to decipher. Overall, he said, what’s considered appropriate “depends on the person and the culture of the office.”

Graham also advised students to “brand and establish yourself and have a consistent message articulated throughout all of your networking sites.”

Another basic tip from Bianco and Graham is to do research on a potential employer’s standards — some fields might be more relaxed about what they do and don’t mind seeing online, so understanding a specific workforce culture is key.

As for what to post online and what to exclude, Graham advised students to use “common sense.” Maybe posting about that fantastic party last night isn’t the best thing to do.

Keep in mind, as well, that setting profiles to “private” offers no guaranteed security or privacy — understanding the terms and services of a social-networking site is important.

“We actually used to recommend [that you] delete your Facebook account,” Bianco said. “But now that seems absurd. But you do need to consider the image it projects. Ask yourself: Would I be okay bringing them into this social space? Because that’s what you’re doing.”

London love story roots of Steel City band

2011-01-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/london-love-story-roots-of-steel-city-band/

London love story roots of Steel City band

By: Larissa Gula and Natalie Bell / A&E Staff

Courtesy Joel Lindsey

Left to right: Tim College, Joel Lindsey, Jim Kurasch

Joel Lindsey

1810 Tavern

Sat., Jane 8 at 8 p.m.

Boulevard of the Allies

The Smiling Moose

Fri., Jan 14 at 7 p.m.

Acoustic Trio

The Park House

Fri., Jan. 21 at 9 p.m.

Joel Lindsey would never have moved to Pittsburgh or formed his local band Boulevard of the Allies were it not for one Beaver County woman.

Lindsey, who will perform solo and with his band in the Steel City area this month, met his wife, Amy in a bar in his hometown of London.

The first time they met, Lindsey faked an American accent. The next time the two met he used his actual British accent and Amy called him out on it. After he explained his upbringing with an American mother and British father, Amy said she was charmed.

“For whatever reason, that endeared him to me and I fell in love ... all based on a lie that he had an American accent,” she said.

But the cost of living in London was expensive so Lindsey, a Duquesne graduate, suggested they relocate to Pittsburgh.

Lindsey agreed to move, explaining that his band in London “wasn’t taking it seriously then” and he didn’t mind a change because there “wasn’t a way to make money and work full time.” However, he had some stipulations about the change.

“[London] is like New York, there’s just so many more musicians and so many more venues,” Amy Lindsey said.

“The funny thing was Joel didn’t know anything about Pittsburgh. He said ‘I’ll go for six months. I won’t stay any longer than six months.’... It’s been like three and a half years, and we just bought a house. So I don’t think we’re leaving,” Amy Lindsey said.

Once in America, Lindsey began a solo career, traveling the country from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco. Before his tour, he explored the Pittsburgh music scene and found he enjoyed playing in the city.

“There’s something cool about Pittsburgh,” he said. “[My wife and I] soon realized we wanted to stay in Pittsburgh for a while. I got really involved with the music scene. People want to collaborate, and it’s laid back. I recognized how good the talent is here.”

Boulevard of the Allies began with the when Lindsey met bassist Jim Kurasch in 2007. Lindsey began networking and got involved with the Acoustic Cafe, a weekly radio show. He met Kurasch when he opened for the band the bassist played in previously.

Kurasch had a life change of his own upon meeting Lindsey.

“I was into playing music but I was satisfied with it on the side,” he said. “I never expected to meet someone as talented as Joel or be in a band as good as Boulevard.”

Kurasch graduated from Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering in 2006. As a student, he tried to take all of his electives in music but he stuck with engineering as his main goal. He now works as a mechanical engineer at Curtiss-Wright Corporation, an global engineering company and balances the band with his day job.

“[Engineering] was the original plan since I figured I wouldn’t make it in music. Music has become more and more of a career path and is taking more and more of my time, but it’s a love, so how bad can that be?” he said.

At its full line-up. Boulevard of the Allies features singer-songwriter Lindsey, bassist Kurasch, percussionist Chris Massa, drummer Tim College and guitarist Jim Graff.

Boulevard of the Allies released a debut studio album this past May, after which Lindsey performed in London in June, sharing music about how his life changed and how he misses his old city. Still, it’s easier to make it in the music scene in Pittsburgh, he said.

“Pittsburgh isn’t known for its music scene, but there was an opportunity to do something here,” he said. “I quickly got myself a lot of gigs. I’m a busy musician and make a living doing it.”

“There’s a higher ratio of really good talent here,” Amy Lindsey said.

“I think it was a struggle at first but he quickly met, dare I say, even better musicians or at least different kinds of musicians ... that gave him a new direction ... I think it inspired some of his best songs,” Amy said.

Oddly though, the acoustic-rock band rarely performs as a whole.

“It varies,” Lindsey said on the band’s performances. “I work professionally as a musician in Pittsburgh. I get gigs all over the place from Beaver to New York City. I play a lot of solo shows. Originally the group was a trio, but we expanded to record an album. We made it a five-piece for that.”

Lindsey believes the group’s energetic performances and “unique soulful sound” are what attracts a large demographic to the band and allows it to exist even if they rarely perform.

But whereas he’s been fortunate enough to make his living performing, Lindsey will readily admit it wasn’t easy gaining his status.

“It’s difficult to know where people are in this city,” he said, citing culture differences as an issue. “In London a student union is a place where students go to listen to music. Here a student union doesn’t seem to be a place for a band. For someone who didn’t live here and study here, it’s hard to know how to appeal to younger people. I think our success comes from playing in so many different places.”

Kurasch plans to stay with engineering and will enjoy being in the band, but he can see a potentially bigger future.

“Joel and I promote Boulevard as much as we can,” he said. “We’re in love with the band and would love it to take off. That’s what one everyone hopes for. As much as I love engineering, it’s hard to compete with something like music. There’s no job better. If record deals fly our way, the choice is pretty obvious.”

Holiday Gifts - Last Pitt News Entry of the year!

2010-12-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

With a chaotic and expensive time of the year approaching, it’s hard to get together enough cash to buy amazing gifts for everyone you know. But, if you’re on a budget, one option is to give your friends homemade gift cards. Rather than put $25 on a card to Panera or Macy’s — this sort of expense adds up very quickly between your friends — offer your own services to your loved ones — preferably legal ones. Offer to give one of them a free ride or buy them lunch. Those of you with artistic talent might offer to draw a picture of anything your friend asks for. They don’t even have to be serious — you could make one for “one free hug” or “a fantastic night out.” Get creative and think of something that your friend would love. They’ll probably love the personal touch more than the normal gift card.

—Larissa Gula

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/31977/

Christmas favorite returns to CLO

2010-12-08T18:57:00.001-08:00

Christmas favorite returns to CLO

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/christmas-favorite-returns-to-clo/

“A Musical Christmas Carol”

Dec. 9-23

Directed by Tim Gregory

Byham Theater

Tickets: $26.75-$46.75

412-456-6666 or online at pittsburghCLO.org

For many actors and audiences, December means not only the holidays, but also an opportunity to revisit a favorite reformed miser — Ebenezer Scrooge.

Pittsburgh CLO presents its 19th installment of “A Musical Christmas Carol” this month, with most of its cast returning to take on new characters or reprise old ones. Actor Tom Atkins, for example, will reassume his role as Scrooge.

The show is one of countless adaptations of Charles Dickens’ novella about Scrooge, a curmudgeon who receives a series of visits from the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future on Christmas Eve. He begins learning about himself and what his future will hold for him if he does not change his tune — “Bah, humbug!” — and greedy ways.

The story overall captures the joy of the holidays and the musical remains loyal to the original plot, according to director Tim Gregory, who has a history with the show, both acting in it and directing another adaptation for five years in Washington.

“I think families would certainly appreciate this version,” Gregory said about the production. “It’s pretty loyal. Of course there are always additions, because the music does not exist in the novella that Dickens wrote.”

The theme, however, remains the power of transformation that Scrooge embodies, according to Gregory.

“You see someone go from one place to another, into the complete opposite of what they have been,” he said. “To be redeemed is a powerful thing to observe and experience.”

Pitt alumna Allison Scarlet Jaye plays Mrs. Cratchit, welcomed by the cast and crew for her debut with Pittsburgh CLO. Jaye graduated from Pitt in 2006 with a degree in humanities but also with plenty of acting experience, having aspired to be an actress from a young age.

“I felt very much a part of the theater community even though I wasn’t technically a theater major, and my post-college life is due in part because of the advice of the theater department,” she said.

The musical production has offered Jaye a wonderful experience behind the scenes as well as on stage, she said.

“Everyone is warm and welcoming and fun,” she said. “We’re all peers. Each member is an integral part of telling the story and this show wouldn’t be the same without the street vendor or the last little kid.”

“From behind the scenes, being at rehearsal and practicing the songs and joking around while being focused, the sense of togetherness we have is also part of the story and the moral. Without each other we are nothing, and Scrooge discovers this after isolating himself off and ruining quite a few relationships and opportunities because he wasn’t with anyone.”

And though Jaye’s biggest challenge is learning all the verses to English carols she otherwise wouldn’t know all the way through, the music is a crucial element in the production.

“It’s a story everyone knows, told in a vivid and visceral way,” Jaye said. “We connect to carols. We’ve been singing them since we were little. But it’s also new. There are things mysterious about the show or even magical. It’s the way of watching a private scene we all connect to and relate to. I say, bring tissues.”

Caitlin Elizabeth Reilly is returning to “A Musical Christmas Carol” for her seventh run with the production. She is taking on the roles of Miss Watkins and Martha Cratchit. With a family in Pittsburgh that has always been involved in theater, Reilly acted in the production as a child from 1995 to 1998 and took on other roles every few years.

“This show really is my absolute favorite show,” Reilly said. “The majority of the cast are people who have known me since I was a kid. I live in Philadelphia, so I come home to do the show and be with my parents. It’s part of the tradition. The family has seen the show a ton of times. It’s a major part of the holidays.”

For Reilly, the challenge is to stay in character — and not regress and say the lines she would have said in a different role.

“I’ve never played these characters, so it’s kind of interesting and it’s hard to not go back to what I was doing before,” Reilly said. “There are scenes I used to do as old characters where I have to hold back.”

Just like Jaye, Reilly has had minimal problems adapting to the new role and feels a sense of togetherness with the cast. She’s confident that audiences will feel genuine holiday joy and spirit from the cast as they perform “A Musical Christmas Carol.”

“The kids on stage are adorable and fun to work with, and the cast genuinely likes each other,” Reilly said. “This is clear to the audience that we’re a big family and we laugh more than most productions of a show would. I think that joy is a huge strength of the production.”

Pitt alum wins National Book Award

2010-12-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/pitt-alum-wins-national-book-award/

Pitt alum wins National Book Award

Despite being young — just turning 39 — Pitt alumnus Terrance Hayes received a National Book Award for poetry, succeeding over four other poets.

The National Book Awards are a series of prestigious literary prizes given to writers since 1950 in categories for fiction, nonfiction, poetry and young people’s fiction. Hayes won with “Lighthouse,” his fourth book of poetry.

His success has caused excitement in the Pitt community, particularly the English department, and the Carnegie Mellon community, where he works as a professor.

“People in the writing program have been talking about it a lot,” said Pitt professor Lynn Emanuel, who taught Hayes in Pitt’s Master of Fine Arts program. “We’re all thrilled. It’s an honor to win the Book Award. It’s an exceptional honor to win it so young.”

Emanuel served on the panel of judges for the same award four years previously, so she understands the challenges of judging as well as winning.

“During deliberations, we talked about the way it’s hard to give the award to a single volume of poetry when there are so many that contain a life’s work,” Emanuel said. “For a single volume by a young writer to win the award is extraordinary.

“I’m not sure what the impact will be for Terrance, aside from the fact that he will be very busy and get job offers and who knows what. But I think it’s exceptional that this happened to someone as young as he is.”

Hayes earned his master’s degree in writing from Pitt in 1987. He currently teaches English at CMU and keeps busy teaching workshops and classes to students examining poetry in the public sphere.

He makes time to write on a daily basis and always challenges himself in his writing, according to fellow professor James Daniels.

“In each book, he’s challenged himself and his readers with fresh, innovative work,” Daniels said in an e-mail. “Stylistically, he’s very inventive. Nobody out there is writing like Terrance, and I think the distinctiveness of his voice makes him stand out. His work reaches across many of the groups that make up contemporary poetry.”

Hayes said in an e-mail that he considered himself a reader long before he became a writer and remembers reading poetry along with fiction at a young age. Though he never strongly considered making a career out of poetry, now that he is a writer, he can’t imagine doing anything else.

He also believes Pitt professors had a large impact on his style.

“I remember my three poetry professors: Ed Ochester, Lynn Emanuel and Toi Derricotte,” he said. “They were three distinct poets and teachers. Each was encouraging and engaging. I try to be a poet that combines all they taught me about mind, body and spirit.”

Emanuel remembers Hayes in her classes as a young man who was “finding his voice.”

“He was sort of going back and forth between writing about African-American superheroes and his family,” she said. “If you think in terms of his current developed work, it was a kind of interesting sign of what would happen later.

“His poetry is in some ways rooted in the real, domestic world of the family. In other ways, it is also very socially conscious and very interested in both stereotypes and characters from African-American literature and music. I think he was already working in that direction even when he arrived.”

Although there are people who don’t appreciate poetry or read it regularly, Hayes considers the art small but thriving.

“No one gets rich and famous writing poetry, but there is no shortage of passionate audiences,” he said. “These audiences include students and teachers, of course, but you’ll also find regular people who somehow discovered a poem or poet. I think there’s something for everybody in the form. No one says, ‘I don’t like music,’ because there are so many kinds of music. The same is true of poetry.”

Emanuel also feels that poetry, one of the oldest forms of literature, carries a historical weight with it, making it a powerful class topic for all her students, past and present.

“It has an incredibly complex body of knowledge attached to it,” she said. “I think the other thing that an instructor does is invite a student to enter this long, complicated conversation by writing. I think every student in a MFA, certainly any at Pitt, is very aware of some kind of historical and cultural burden pressing down on everything they write.”

With the award came a reassurance for Hayes that people still care about the art form.

“Winning the National Book Award only confirmed my belief that people still care deeply about poems,” he said. “I’ve heard from people across the social spectrum who are curious or encouraging about what I do. I’ve been excited and a bit overwhelmed by all the attention.”

Pitt songbirds croon about winter seasons

2010-12-01T19:23:00.001-08:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/pitt-songbirds-croon-about-winter-seasons/

Pitt songbirds croon about winter seasons

Heinz Chapel Choir

Today 5:15 p.m.

Heinz Chapel

Admission: free

Though their other concerts are sold out, the Heinz Chapel Choir will perform one free concert on Pitt’s campus today.

The choir formed in 1938 as part of the religious services in Heinz Chapel. It became a University concert choir in the 1950s, which meant that rather than just singing religious songs, the choir began to perform pieces from almost every genre, said John Goldsmith, the choir director.

Songs this year include “Santa Claus Is Back In Town” and “When You Believe,” a song from the movie “The Prince of Egypt.”

Junior Sarah Ivins joined the choir as a freshman when she auditioned for one of 12 seats available at the time. A singer since a young age, it was important to her to remain active in a musical group. The upcoming Christmas concerts are Ivins’ favorite choir events.

“Performing in the Heinz Chapel provides fantastic acoustics and a beautiful setting in which to sing,” she said. “The Holiday Concert tradition is to begin the concert in the balcony, with more traditional choral pieces. Then we move down to the floor and surround the audience with lanterns, singing as the lights outside the Chapel are turned on, illuminating the brilliant stained glass windows.”

The choir also performs four other concerts in addition to the free performance, but don’t look for tickets to those events — they sold out early.

“We always have a full house, even off campus,” Goldsmith said. “The reputation has been spreading for a long time now. When people come once, they come back because they enjoy it so much. Tickets are on sale in October and they’re gone [in three weeks] because this is a family tradition and people won’t miss the Christmas concerts.”

-by Larissa Gula, Staff Writer

Groban gives goosebumps

2010-12-01T19:21:00.001-08:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/groban-gives-goosebumps/

Groban gives goosebumps

Illuminations

Josh Groban

143/Reprise Records

A-

Rocks Like: A classical Five For Fighting

Classical and pop music meet in Illuminations, the new release of American singer-songwriter Josh Groban.

The artist is now well-established, having released four previous albums and made two guest appearances on “Glee.”

Similar to previous releases, Groban’s music primarily features an orchestra with piano and string instrument solos. Some songs are in other languages, including Italian and Portuguese. In these cases, Groban relies on the instrumental music and power of his vocals to convey meaning to those who do not speak the languages.

On this latest album, Groban leans a little away from his previous works by diversifying his sound. Though Groban fans will surely recognize the artist’s work, some tracks feature stronger drums and guitars, as well as a pop-quality tempo.

The lyrics, however, remain pretty similar to those of his previous releases. Groban prefers songs that carry a hopeful quality to them. This is a trend his single “Hidden Away” continues with lyrics like, “And all these words you were meant to say / Held in silence day after day / Words of kindness that our poor hearts crave / Please don’t keep them / Hidden Away.”

It’s fair to say that Groban’s sound and his lyrics might not be for everyone, but this is one album worth looking into. Groban considers Illuminations a “live” album, only doing one take on most of his songs. Groban breathes life into the classical style, and his powerful voice leaves listeners with goosebumps.

Brad Yoder worth your ‘Trouble’

2010-11-29T19:06:00.001-08:00

Brad Yoder worth your ‘Trouble’

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/brad-yoder-worth-your-trouble/

Excellent Trouble

Brad Yoder

Reverie Records

Sounds Like: Elliott Smith, John Prine

Proving once again that songs can be both poetry and involved narratives, local songwriter Brad Yoder’s new album Excellent Trouble brings his myriad of lyrical talents to attention.

Yoder’s songs capture the simplicity, sadness and beauty that life experiences afford from reminiscing about friends of school days long past, to losing someone, to heartbreak and falling in love.

The song “Leave Me Like This,” for instance — written in memory of a close friend — is almost guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes with the chorus line, “You didn’t have to leave / didn’t have to leave us wondering / what we could’ve done, if anything?”

Other songs are just plain fun.

In the title track, Yoder reminisces about a night out with a friend, using lyrics like, “We’ll color fluorescently outside the lines / so when, dour-faced, they ask us why we can’t stop smiling / it’s just that it’s all so unbearably beautiful.”

Yoder’s instrumental focus remains on his guitar and his voice — although he’s able to incorporate keyboards and drums when recording in the studio — because with these two tools alone, his songs come through clear and poignant.

Yoder’s album also features other vocal talents backing him up, such as Ray DeFade and Heather Kropf.

Each artist was chosen carefully, and each complements their song’s emotional impact.

Overall, this album offers plenty of heartfelt moments and harmonious melodies.

The singer-songwriter has only improved since his previous release, and it will be exciting to see what else Yoder concocts in the coming months.

Red Wanting Blue offers ‘Magnificent’ LP

2010-11-29T19:04:00.001-08:00

Red Wanting Blue offers ‘Magnificent’ LP

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/red-wanting-blue-offers-magnificent-lp/

These Magnificent Miles

Red Wanting Blue

Fanatic Records

B+

Rocks like: Bruce Springsteen

Red Wanting Blue’s album These Magnificent Miles certainly doesn’t leave its listener wanting.

The album kicks off with “Gravity,” a song carried through by a baritone lead singer. Over a solid beat he sings, “I would be a spaceman for you/If it wasn’t for gravity, we’d be gone.”

And on the note of attempting to battle physics, the album continues.

The other songs follow a similar musical style, keeping the chords simple and mixing the guitar and drums reasonably. The result is some enjoyable, emotional rock music.

Though the band remains consistent, the album doesn’t become monotonous.

Tracks like “Where You Wanna Go” bring a bit of a country-sounding melody that adds something heartwarming to the mix. “The World Is Over” picks up the pace, taking the album a step above melodious and making it energetic, with chorus lines like, “So beat that drum/’Til we run out all of the air in our lungs.”

About halfway through, the band offers a rather touching tribute, “The Air I Breathe.” With lyrics like, “I’ve crossed through fire and the stormy seas/Living my life like a kamikaze/Losing you would bring me to my knees/You’re the air I need to breathe/I rescue you/’Cause you rescue me,” it had the potential of being overblown. But the players have complete control over their composition, and the result is music that matches these lyrics perfectly.

Overall, this album is very well done. With a reasonable score that never overpowers the vocal talents and lyrics that offer insight into touching experiences, Red Wanting Blue succeeds in making a cohesive, entertaining and well-balanced album.

What Am I Thankful For?

2010-11-25T11:37:00.001-08:00

Non-profits like Invisible Children. Talented artists who provide beauty and food for thought. Parents who can support me as well as they do. Second, third, and fourth chances. Friendships, new and old. Warm blankets to sleep beneath as the temperature drops. And the fact that I’m here to enjoy today.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love is never ‘Folly’ in PPC play

2010-11-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

Love is never ‘Folly’ in PPC play

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/love-is-never-folly-in-ppc-play/

“Talley’s Folly”

Now–Dec. 12

O’Reilly Theater

$15.75 through Pitt Arts

412-316-1600

www.ppt.org

Times might change, powers might shift, but as the play “Talley’s Folly” demonstrates, romance never falls out of fashion.

Set during World War II, “Talley’s Folly” is a romantic comedy that chronicles the story of two misfits, Sally Talley and Matt Friedman, who meet in a Victorian boathouse in Missouri in 1944. Although the river is far from any battlefields, both Matt and Sally must overcome their own differences before they can consider being together.

Director Pamela Berlin has worked with the Pittsburgh Public Theater four times in the past. As a fan of playwright Lanford Wilson, she was interested in directing “Talley’s Folly” from the beginning.

“This play is a wonderful character study,” Berlin said. “It’s a two-character play with two people who on the surface seem so different. It’s a clash of cultures, and yet they are drawn to each other. But there are huge obstacles keeping them apart, and that’s what the play is about. And it’s not plot-driven, it’s relationship-driven.”

Berlin believes the play offers a singularly compelling frame. “The setting is wonderful,” she said of the boathouse. “You feel as if you’re right there. And it takes place at once. It takes place in real time in one scene.”

Julie Fitzpatrick, the actress who plays Sally Talley, said the humor in the show is one of its strongest points. “The playwright is silly at times and incredibly intelligent,” she said. “The writing is just great. The banter between these two characters really draws me in. It is called a romantic comedy, and it has a tremendous amount of romance, but it’s also really a grounded play. These two people try to find their way to each other, and they go through a heck of a lot. It has a large-scale experience between the people.”

Fitzpatrick’s character is “complicated” and makes for a challenging role.

“Sally is — like we all are — a huge bag of contradictions,” Fitzpatrick said. “There is love there, but there is a huge obstacle. My challenge is to honor the love so I don’t constantly play an obstacle. That’s not engaging. I have to find the ‘yes’ in Sally, since there are no many ‘no’s throughout the show. I find her humor and rhythms. And I dare to take the time the playwright took to let the story unfold. You trust the unfolding process.”

Each person involved with the show has worked hard to produce it. Berlin began researching the play months in advance, hoping this foresight would help her adequately manage the entire production.

“I have to familiarize myself with the play, what it’s about, who the characters are, and I have to cast the characters well,” Berlin said. “The success of the play hinges on the actors. Then I work with a set designer and costume designer and lighting designer.”

Since rehearsals began, the technical crew, the director and actor Andrew Polk, who plays Matt Friedman, have done a “tremendous” job in Fitzpatrick’s eyes. “Pam is bringing out the story in a unique way,” Fitzpatrick added. “I feel so lucky with this team I have.”

Bringing the show to audiences is the exciting and rewarding part of the job for both Berlin and Fitzpatrick. And even if the setting isn’t contemporary, the story might as well be in their eyes.

“It’s specific to a time and place, and yet it resonates tremendously with the here and now,” Fitzpatrick said.

Artists scavenge, surf web for inspiration

2010-11-21T17:54:00.000-08:00

Artists scavenge, surf web for inspiration

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/artists-scavenge-surf-web-for-inspiration/

“SCALE: Aesthetic Turbulence and the Search for Lifestyle Panacea”

SPACE Gallery

812 Liberty Ave.

412-325-7723

Nov. 19 to Feb. 6, 2011

Free admission

Everything is changing these days, including the way artists approach their artwork.

The “SCALE” exhibit, presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, attempts to look at ways people can both live and create artwork during an economic downturn. Guest curator Ally Reeves had this exhibit in mind for two years and wanted to bring together artists that she liked from around the area — but first she had to find the “vein of continuity” between each artist.

“The basic idea is that all of these artists have a practice that is a type of creativity that is close to their lifestyle,” Reeves said. “So even in times of hardship they are able to create work, because materials come from salvage sources or because the art helps them make money or relax in some way.”

“SCALE” offers a variety of artistic mediums, including photography collections, woodcarving, silk printing and video.

One of the pieces is a working shower with a wooden frame and a canvas that drapes around the person who uses it. The piece was put together by sculptor Derk Wolmuth using more than 80 percent salvaged materials.

Wolmuth, a Canadian with a background in woodworking, considers himself a non-medium-specific artist.

“The idea behind the shower is that since this is a show about living on margins and somehow not in the standard way, this is a place people can come to use the shower,” Wolmuth said. “It’s a straightforward functioning shower.”

The shower plays around with the “thin line between being homeless with a shower and homeless without a shower,” according to Wolmuth, who wanted to explore the idea of living without an apartment and a place to go.

The entire “SCALE” exhibit considers this type of simplification and explores the essence of who and what people are, he said.

As for his shower, it’s open and available to the public.

“People could just come down and get a hot water shower here in the gallery,” he said. “It offers some closure and privacy with the canvas, and after it you can just relax and enjoy feeling clean in an art gallery. It’s something new.”

Freelance artist Teresa Foley, who is also featured in the exhibit, explored the world of online dating.

She put together a two-part exhibit featuring a clothesline with clothing she drew imitations of men onto, and a TV running slides explaining the significance of images men post online. Her exhibit, “m4w” (men for women), is part of her ongoing research into the kinds of images men post on Craigslist for dating purposes.

Foley noticed that on dating sites women will usually post a simple portrait of themselves, but men do several different things.

“Sometimes they’re sexually explicit and sometimes they’re something sweet, like a guy with his poodle,” Foley said. “Sometimes they’ll even post something they like, like a nature photograph or a beer. So the video is a slideshow categorizing those photographers.”

Foley is using this project as a gauge to look at men’s usage of pictures.

“Artists often look at references for new work, so this is my taking a look at and presenting back to our culture in Pittsburgh in terms of what men are doing with photographs,” Foley said.

Foley also teaches people around the city about media literacy and works with film festivals. For her, technology-based mediums allow her the most feedback, which is what she wants to see.

“I discovered I want to have a conversation of some sort,” Foley said. “That was how I got into doing art. As for picking this content, some of my best boyfriends have been from Internet dating ... So for me, this has a bit of laundry out to air and dry, and it plays with the idea of women’s work, and the images of masculinity are being turned into something feminine.”

As for “SCALE” overall, Foley said she felt excited to see how people would react to an exhibit that explores not just certain topics, but the artists themselves.

“That’s partly what this show is about,” Foley said. “How do artists live and survive? What are their contributions? Do things have to be the accepted way or do artists sometimes get to change that and open up new ways of thinking and doing for people?”

As for Reeves, the projects show a collection of creativity, and this is what she wants to see.

“I think it’s encouraging for people to see people without very much, but who are creative,” she said.

Bad Boy Troy starts charity for sick children

2010-11-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/bad-boy-troy-starts-charity-for-sick-children/

Bad Boy Troy starts charity for sick children

Troy Tipton might use the stage name Bad Boy Troy, but he’s not all bad.

Recently, the Pittsburgh-based guitarist who has opened for bands such as Cheap Trick, has been using his career as a way to support charities. He’s begun taking part in a long-term series of benefit concerts for the oncology patients at Children’s Hospital of Pittbsurgh, as well as donating song revenue to the same cause.

Rockin’ D’s Entertainment — an agency that arranges concerts for charities — had the initial idea to promote and coordinate several performances in Pittsburgh.

But Tipton felt he could go one step further and raise money for patients on a regular basis. With the aid of Rockin’ D’s, he very recently started his own charity, Troy’s Angels Foundation. He has also released a song completely dedicated to charity, his first time doing something like that.

Dorey Duncan, the president and promoter of Rockin’ D’s, “wanted me to do a couple concerts for [the children], and I said it just isn’t enough,” Tipton said. “I wanted to do something else. Overnight, I decided I would write a song [“You’re An Angel”]. I donated all the proceeds, which will benefit Children’s Hospital and fund things they do there for the kids.”

Tipton and Duncan aim to work with the idea for the Foundation, to which Tipton has donated the rights for his song. Each download requires a minimum $1 payment, and all proceeds go to the Foundation.

Work for the nonprofit beyond this, though, is very new. As a result, no ideas have really been finalized for the project — for example, whether the financial support it provides will restrict itself to only oncology patients or expand and encompass general patients, according to Duncan. The hope, though, is to make performances through the Foundation annual.

“Troy [Tipton] will probably always be involved somewhere,” Duncan said. “But we hope to get other artists to join us in these concerts and grow larger.”

Tipton, who says he “has a big heart for children,” hopes this example of giving all revenue to a charity rather than into his pocket will set a trend for other artists to follow.

“Hopefully, over the years this will bring them a lot of money,” he said. “I just wanted to do something that was ongoing for the kids, and I hope other musicians will see what I’m doing is good and do the same thing. It could turn out to be huge.”

Tipton began playing drums after seeing The Beatles’ first performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” He started playing guitar as a teenager and, by age 17, was playing in nightclubs. He’s been in and out of bands ever since, opening and touring during the 1970s and 1980s with big names like Cheap Trick and Black Sabbath.

Though he temporarily stopped playing during the early 1990s, Tipton returned to the music life with a new album in 1995. He now helps local artists begin their musical careers and produces albums. He also still performs himself, with his current focus on charities.

Duncan says that Tipton’s sound has continued to evolve over the decades, from his ’80s sensibility to one “molded to sound more like 3 Doors Down.”

Tipton hopes to work on projects besides performances, such as producing music videos and continuing to record.

“It’s my true talent, performing for people, writing and recording,” Tipton said. “I try to help upcoming artists as well. I just get a joy out of it. Nothing else makes me feel that same way.”

The overall focus, though, remains on one group of people.

“This is about the kids,” Tipton said. “This is what we’re doing. Anybody with a heart, I urge them to come out, because it’s a benefit for them. All proceeds go to the Foundation to help the children.”

A listing of upcoming performances can be found at rockindsentertainment.com.

Songwriter pens tunes about local issues

2010-11-14T21:52:00.001-08:00

Songwriter pens tunes about local issues

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/songwriter-pens-tunes-about-local-issues/

Courtesy Ariel Publicity

Mike Stout

Local songwriter Mike Stout works not only as a musician, but also as an activist and community leader.

In recent years, he’s worked on the board with Just Harvest, an organization that aims to end local hunger and poverty. He’s collaborated with the Coalition Against Offshore Drilling. And he’s gotten involved in the attempt to bring affordable health care to Pennsylvania.

“I only sleep four hours a night,” he said.

The people he works with on each project are as enthusiastic as he is, but Stout’s lack of sleep reveals just how much work he is doing and how much there is to be done with each project.

“There are dozens of people out there willing to help,” he said. “Unfortunately, we need hundreds.”

Stout’s work often chronicles the stories of people who, like him, have stood up to authority.

At a young age, in 1968, Stout played anti-war and civil rights songs in New York City, inspired by players like Bob Dylan. When he joined the steel industry and worked at Homestead Steel Works, he was elected a union head grievance man. The title would stay with him long after his steel industry days because of a journalist’s review in which he was called “the world’s grievance man.”

“In the old steel mills people would register complaints with him and he would take it up with management,” said Paul Carosi, a publicist with Radio Free Tunes who assists with Stout’s music distribution online.

Stout worked in the steel industry for 20 years and used music to rally his co-workers in the union, fighting for pensions and unemployment benefits within the workforce. He went on to organize a benefit concert that drew international press in an attempt to combat foreclosures and unemployment within the steel mill.

Stout said his experience in the industry “affected my outlook in the sense that, as a worker, you saw the need to see a manufacturing base. If it doesn’t provide decent jobs for people, everything else goes downhill. When you don’t have a manufacturing base it isn’t long before you lose a center. Then you have no jobs, and that’s what young people will experience if things aren’t reversed.”

Stout went on to compose upwards of 10 new albums since then, writing in a mixture of folk, rock and pop styles about his experiences and the experiences of people he finds interesting. He financed the recording of each album himself.

“I think 12 CDs by himself is more than almost anyone else, even people with labels,” Carosi said. “He just never quits. He finishes one CD and writes more. And he does it not because he’s become a big star making money. He does it because he believes in it all. He’s always going to meetings and is always involved with activities. He’s a busy guy. Even if you don’t agree with him you have to admire [that] he never quits.”

Stout said he writes about a mixture of topics, but primarily creates “songs about ordinary people we should remember.”

Carosi described those people as “heroes who stood up for people.” And after 40 years of songwriting, the challenge isn’t writing the music so much as telling the story.

“The stories are so deep and heavily laden with facts and biography,” Stout said. “Often it is difficult to tell as story in a three- or four-minute song. But it’s not difficult to write a song, so much as the life story.”

Stout’s most recent songs focus on contemporary issues, such as “29 Miners Buried and Gone,” which tells of miners who died following an explosion in the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia. He also wrote a piece about the Marcellus Shale environmental issue that has attracted attention recently.

Songs that Stout writes “change my view of Pittsburgh and American history,” Carosi said. “Just hearing his music changed how I look at things. If you read history, people were protesting and people were killed, for years. But I was taught growing up people were loyal to their government.”

Stout simply believes that people “have to do what’s right” and that ignoring contemporary issues will only make problems grow. He protested during the civil rights movement and against the Vietnam War, despite negative comments.

“Young people at Pitt have the energy and passion, and enough brain left to go out and change the world for the better,” Stout said. “If you don’t now, you pay the price later.”

Calliope caters folk concerts at lunchtime

2010-11-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

Calliope caters folk concerts at lunchtime

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/calliope-caters-folk-concerts-at-lunchtime/

Calliope Emerging Legends Series

Takes place weekly in the Cup & Chaucer Cafe from noon to 1 p.m.

Free admission

Ronni and Al, today at noon

With the opening of the newly renovated Cup & Chaucer comes a weekly musical series catering to folk fans.

The Cafe in Hillman Library will feature a one-hour performance each week, usually on Fridays. Performances are part of the Emerging Legends series presented by the University of Pittsburgh library system (ULS) and Calliope, a local nonprofit that promotes traditional and contemporary folk music and arts.

Rush Miller, director of the library system, has worked on the board with Calliope for four years. He soon got the idea to bring local musicians to Pitt’s campus through the nonprofit.

“I thought this would be a nice way to combine music with a cafe,” Miller said. “I wanted guitarists or somebody in there to set up atmosphere and make it more inviting and fun to be in.”

The old cafe featured a couple shows in the past, which Miller described as a “win-win.”

“It gave some publicity to acts, including some of our faculty,” he said. “We’ve had fairly well-known people in folk music come through and perform in the Cup & Chaucer.”

The upcoming program is the first in a series titled “Emerging Legends,” featuring artists affiliated with Calliope. Today’s performance is part of the grand re-opening celebration in the remodeled cafe. Future performances will also be one-hour long, unless the program is successful enough to expand to include other forms of art like poetry readings, Miller said.

“Calliope provides us with American roots and folk music,” he said. “We may have some classical ensembles and individual artists.”

Each artist who comes through will help to make the Cup & Chaucer “more than a coffee shop,” Miller said.

“We want to make it an inviting atmosphere to come to in the library,” he said. “The new shop will have a large screen TV in the wall, food, different seating, outlets for laptops. It will just a place to come eat and listen to music. Bring a little culture and something different into the library.”

The first performance is by Ronni and Al, a piano-guitar duo that has played together for about three years. Ronni Weiss plays the piano, but considers herself a stronger vocalist than pianist.

Weiss practiced the piano as a little girl and continued to play at different points in her life. She never played piano or sang to make a living. Instead, she used it as a creative outlet.

“Al, the guitar player, is the main player,” Weiss said. “As far as vocals go, throughout my life, I’ve sung. It’s my passion. It’s just not something I can do without.

“Over the years, I’ve played with different groups. When I was in college I sang with an all women’s group. About 15 years ago, I played with a group of men. We played a blues-rock style. Al and I [play] blues, jazz, [and] folk.”

Weiss met her partner, Al Bowers, after putting an ad on Craigslist.

“We have similar musical tastes. He’s a wonderful guitar player. I pretty much pick the music and do the vocals, and he is able to pick the stuff up really well. So I play a keyboard along,” Weiss said.

Weiss and Bowers play covers rather than compose songs to perform. The covers they do are distinct in that they prefer to cover songs people aren’t likely to recognize. This includes Taj Mahal, Sue Foley and Tracy Nelson.

Though they have done a couple Bob Dylan covers, “the stuff is pretty much older artists who are still recording,” Weiss said.

Bowers was also the one with affiliations with Calliope, Weiss said. He submitted the duo’s CD to the nonprofit after it announced the upcoming series at Pitt. Weiss is familiar with coffee shop environments; it’s where she plays the most. She’s “curious” and hopeful that students will enjoy what the duo brings to campus.

“I think people will recognize some of the music,” she said. “We’ve played to audiences of all ages, so I take that in mind when choosing a set list. We do a number of kinds of songs. Depending on who we’re playing for, I keep in mind who they are. We do have a lot of college students at other venues, too.”

Miller also believes students will enjoy music coming to the cafe.

“The purpose isn’t to bring in other people [to the cafe],” he said. “The idea is to bring interesting music for students who were already at the cafe.”

Film shows children counting tragedy in paper clips

2010-11-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Film shows children counting tragedy in paper clips

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/film-shows-children-counting-tragedy-in-paper-clips/

“Paper Clips”

Graduate School of Public Health Auditorium

Today at 8:30 p.m.

Free and open to the public

When a group of Tennessee students set out to learn about a tragedy 12 years ago, they managed to create a globally recognized movement.

The documentary “Paper Clips” examines a project that middle-school students in Whitwell, Tenn., took upon themselves one day while learning about the Holocaust. Unable to comprehend just how massive the 6 million person death toll was of Jewish people, the students decided to collect paper clips to help them understand the magnitude of lives lost. This project eventually grew to 11 million paper clips, 6 million to represent Jews and 5 million to represent gypsies, homosexuals, and other victims of the Holocaust, according to the documentary’s website.

The movement became so great that it attracted global attention, gained a name — the Paper Clips Project — and led to the building of a monument in their hometown.

The Hillel Jewish University Center will bring the film’s producer, writer and co-director Joe Fab for a question-and-answer session and screening of the “Paper Clips” documentary at 8:30 p.m. today. Fab has spoken at events before, so the board agreed his presence would add to the screening, said Hillel president Becca Tanen, a junior at Pitt.

“It is particularly appropriate to have Holocaust education programming during the month of November, during which the anniversary of Kristallnacht also falls,” Tanen said.

Kristallnacht took place Nov. 9, 1938. The night marks the Nazi’s destruction of 7,500 Jewish-owned businesses, the burning of hundreds synagogues, the murder of at least 91 Jewish people and the deportation of thousands of Jewish men to concentration camps.

Fab began the film after reading a Washington Post article about the original project. It took several weeks to contact the school’s principal and teacher, but Fab was patiently determined.

“We wanted to do this because everyone in our company [the Johnson Group] loves stories about children,” he said. “We had done films for the [United States] Holocaust [Memorial] Museum in Washington, [D.C.] That made me think about how great it would be to do something independent of the institution.”

The documentary screening is meant to teach people about their role in Holocaust education, said Mia Jacobs, the marketing chair for the Hillel Student Board.

“If you watch a movie it may impact you, and you may remember it, but this isn’t a period piece. It’s about how we are the generation now responsible for carrying this legacy, and we have to acknowledge this is a global issue,” she said.

Fab’s attendance at the screening will add to the documentary and allow him to answer questions like why students today should continue to care about issues from the past, Jacobs said.

“It’s my experience that it’s easy to be beaten down by Holocaust movies and education because it’s so depressing and tragic,” Jacobs said. “But we are in charge of this legacy. We need to make sure people don’t forget. [We’re a] generation that has to remember and teach the future generations who won’t be able to listen to survivors. I think ‘Paper Clips’ illustrates this well.”

Though the film is also about the Holocaust during World War II, the primary story in Fab’s documentary is about the children in Tennessee who wanted to go an extra step to learn.

“The children found they couldn’t say the number and move on,” Fab said. “It was too staggering. When people see the film, they’ll have known it had to do with the collecting [of the paper clips], but they’ll find it’s about a lot more. The project was the trigger. But what the children learn when they hear stories from Holocaust survivors, when they decide to react compassionately to what they learn, they decide to do something.”

Fab also believes that this documentary reveals the power these middle-school children held, and this is a key point people can take from the film today.

“Young people are treated as if they will be ready to participate in life someday,” Fab said. “They’re always in a state of getting ready. I learned while working on this film and being around the kids that they were curious, compassionate and very capable. They did something to say they understood this, and they wouldn’t tolerate this sort of thing in a world they’re creating. Imagine if you could bring scores of young people into the mix and if they could contribute at the age the kids do in this film. We could get a lot more done if we engaged them.”

Fab hopes that the film documentary he has created will leave a lasting impression on the audience.

Though a news article inspired him, the film medium allows viewers to become more deeply involved with the tragedy, he said.

“Reading is wonderful, but you add to this the idea about why I am pleased to be coming,” he said. “People experience it and go through the emotions of the film and feel the emotions of people in the room, and when it’s over we add the idea that we’re going to talk. I think people come away with different reactions.”

Fab also believes that this film will challenge college students, considering that middle-school students began the project with almost no funding.

Fab encourages college students to make time to come to see the documentary.

“It’s easy to have something else to do, but I’ve seen people get something from watching this film,” he said. “You never know what will happen, who will have an idea that will grow into something. I like to point out that when the children were learning about the Holocaust, a student said, ‘Wait.’ That student started something big.”

‘Slasher’ satirizes scary movies stereotypes

2010-10-28T08:07:00.001-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/slasher-satirizes-scary-movies-stereotypes/

‘Slasher’ satirizes scary movies stereotypes

“Slasher”

Oct. 29 – Nov. 7

Directed By Holly Thuma

Charity Randall Theatre (Stephen Foster Memorial)

$20-$25, $10 for students

www.play.pitt.edu or call 412-624-PLAY

30 tickets available for opening night through Pitt Arts, available first come, first serve

If you go to a movie theater, you’ll get one horror film. If you go to Pitt Repertory Theatre’s play “Slasher” you’ll see the guts of many of horror films splattered onto the stage.

“Slasher” takes a satirical twist on scary movie clichés. The stereotypical last girl standing has to face her fears after meeting with a cast of archetypes along the way, the villain is overplayed and melodramatic and there is enough fake blood to satisfy any horror flick’s gore quota.

The show by Allison Moore will take over the Charity Randall Theater in the Stephen Foster Memorial and literally bring the audience on stage, up close and personal with the bloody effects and the story, according to director Holly Thuma.

The play is not meant to parody specific movies so much as the genre as a whole, even though it specifically references a couple of films, including “Scream.”

“Basically, it’s about a young woman living in a single-mother home,” Thuma said about the show. “The mother is a raging feminist, furiously angry. The young woman is cast into a grade-B horror film by a director in town trying to make the film. He puts the ‘low’ in low budget, and is a recovering sexaholic and alcoholic. As she begins to work on the film her life becomes a horror film.”

When making the stage for “Slasher,” Thuma opted to make the theater represent a film set. The crew uses the set-up and lighting to give the entire theater a haunted house feeling in addition to making the audience feel as if they’re on a movie set with the main character.

The fake blood is rampant, but is supposed to play into the humor, Thuma said. This show is meant to be a satire, which means “Slasher” is a commentary as well as entertainment.

“Plays may just be entertaining, but some plays have meaning and are relevant to our lives,” Thuma said. “We usually try to pick a play with social, political or spiritual meaning and value. So this one has entertainment and is funny, but it bites.”

Deirdre O’Rourke, a Pitt graduate student and dramaturg for “Slasher,” assists in the look and feel of the show. She’s also examined the cultural implications the show has.

“There’s a lot of talk in this about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the slasher film stereotype and [the playwright] noticed an eroticization of females in culture,” O’Rourke said. “She wanted to explore these issues and how women are supposed to have autonomy in this culture. She wanted to tackle the issues in a fun, theatrical way.”

O’Rourke set up a discussion set to take place after the Nov. 7 show at 2 p.m. The audience will have a chance to join in a panel discussion put on by Pitt professors. The discussion brings people in from women’s studies and sociology, with the intention of discussing questions about feminism in history and today, especially within the context of the play.

“I think the play itself is in-depth, and we didn’t want that lost,” O’Rourke said. “It’s not to compliment the fun with something educational. The questions are there and it’s part of the fun. It’s purposely left the questions in the open because we all have a stake in the answer to them.”

The play itself is “high energy, fast paced, and theatrical” but doesn’t offer any definitive answers, O’Rourke said.

“I think it’s right after we have the experience we should think about what’s going on,” she said of the panel discussion. “It’s not as though we are placing these things on top of the play. They’re the heart of the play. Anyone who watches it will identify the connections.”

The aim overall is to speak to younger women specifically and urge them to examine themselves in another way.

“It’s our culture, right?” O’Rourke said.

Prime Stage Theatre puts twist on classic tale

2010-10-26T19:58:00.002-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/prime-stage-theater-puts-twist-on-classic-tale/

Prime Stage Theatre puts twist on classic tale

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

Oct. 30 through Nov. 7

Directed by Mark A. Calla

New Hazlett Theater, Allegheny Square E.

$20; $10 for college students with ID

Purchase at proartstickets.org or call 412-394-3353

Director Mark Calla wasn’t a fan of Washington Irving’s novel “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” but after some urging, he took on the job of directing an adaptation.

Under Calla’s direction, Prime Stage Theatre will put on its own version of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

In its show, the story starts out in the present with children telling ghost stories, using flashbacks to tell Ichabod Crane’s story. After overlooking the material for the play, Calla was pleasantly surprised.

“The script is fairly true to the original,” he said. “The way we made [the play] is expanding on it. To make it playable on the stage as a play, not a retelling, was to try to create some greater depth to the main character.”

Calla and the playwright, F.J. Hartland, worked together to make Crane a history not found in the original material, explaining why the “goofy, oddball and quirky teacher” is the way he is, giving him reasons for his behavior.

Brian Czarniecki, who plays Crane, joined the talks to learn more about the expanded character.

“There are scenes with his parents and flashbacks to his childhood,” Czarniecki said. “It’s interesting to see the flashbacks ... There’s his childhood and his adult life in Sleepy Hollow. It’s a coddling mother and dominating father and how they formed who he is. When he’s the schoolmaster, he’s confident and educated. In real life, he might not have common sense and can be bullied still, especially when vying for the attention of Katrina.”

Of course, the Headless Horseman plays a key role, as well.

“Even in the story, he might exist or might not, yet he is a legendary figure, even to the people of the time,” Calla said. “He is the archetype of boogeyman stories. He is the thing in the dark that will grab you if you’re not careful. More than Crane, the Horseman made this story last.”

Calla made some adjustments for this adaptation of the show but wouldn’t reveal his tricks for bringing the Headless Horseman to life on stage.

“There is no way to describe what we do without giving something away,” Calla said. “I think what the script did is unique. I want people to experience it by seeing it and hearing it.”

Calla also put effort into giving the play an atmosphere rather than just a script. This is the only thing he would reveal about his method of dealing with the spooky character.

“One of the things that has always bothered me about stage versions is they become very talky,” Calla said. “There is almost no story to use to drive it in the original story. The original is about atmosphere. Putting a literal actor on stage has always fallen short. So I think something that we did was to create a Horseman in people’s minds instead of seeing a literal figure who we know is a costume.”

Not all the challenges in the play are character-related — some are purely physical.

“I think the biggest challenge for all of us is performing on a multi-level set,” Czarniecki said. “The set has platforms, and the set is going to be a cemetery, in different levels. We rehearse on a flat space, though, trying to imagine the different levels. We try to keep this in mind. There will be different obstacles on the real set.”

The people involved are excited to bring what they consider a seasonal folktale to the stage with the twist of their own additions.

“It’s a classic,” Czarniecki said. “It’s an American classic folktale. So many people know a version of this story. My mother reminded me that I saw an animated Disney film based on this years ago. A lot of kids have heard this story, just like the kids in the play. Going back to these folktales is always fun.”

Quantum takes leap with dream time

2010-10-26T19:58:00.001-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/quantum-takes-leap-with-dream-time/

Quantum takes leap with dream time

“When The Rain Stops Falling”

Oct. 28 to Nov. 21

Directed by Martin Giles

Iron City Brewery, down Sassafras Street; map available on the brewery’s website

$30-$45

A limited number of $16 student tickets are available for select performances with valid ID.

http://www.quantumtheatre.com/season/rain/

In 90 minutes, Quantum Theater will take its audience through 90 years of two fictional families’ histories.

Known for taking theatrical shows out of a normal theater setting, Quantum Theater will present “When the Rain Stops Falling” by Andrew Bovell in a warehouse near the Iron City Brewery. It’s located in what director Martin Giles jokingly described as “some weird place down in the bowels of Bloomfield.”

Though he has acted with various groups in Pittsburgh, Giles came onto the project as a director because of the way he could visualize the show while reading the play’s script.

“I was reading it, and I was seeing it,” he said.

The show follows seven people and several generations from the 1950s through to the future of 2039. Two families pass down “the follies and pain of the previous generation to the next,” and they go through their lives, Giles said.

Even though the approach goes beyond ordinary theater, “When The Rain Stops Falling” itself is a very typical, beautiful play, he said.

“It’s not a bizarre, radical thing,” he said. “It’s beautiful and sad, and the ending is slightly uplifting because it says we can change if we become aware enough, and we’re kind enough.”

“The interesting thing is [the writer] makes everything happen at the same time,” Giles said. “He’s Australian and knows about dream time, the idea of how the past is always present. The generations of the family, you see their stories and how they overlap.”

This means that there are moments where the audience can see two moments in time at once and how one affects the other. The show also examines how the actions of the people affect the world overall.

“The other part of the idea is that what you do makes the world,” Giles said. “If we continue to behave badly and not treat each other well, we’re destroying the world. Every interpersonal reaction affects the world and its stability.”

The show is an interpersonal and global commentary rather than a political one, according to artistic director and Quantum Theater founder Karla Boos.

“The play is interesting for younger people,” Boos said. “There are amazing young characters who are at moments in their life where things could go one way or another. They can’t completely control their destiny since things with their ancestors come into play in their lives. It’s an interesting aspect: It’s community.

“You see how they are eventually able to move forward from a chain that seems present in their lives. Somebody in 2039 changes this course. The play ends on a wonderful note that’s about change.”

Giles has overseen construction of the set and taken part in the evolving vision of the show from the beginning. With Quantum Theater, the set of the play is as important as the show itself, Boos said.

“In general, we feel there’s something about how an audience experiences the play that is an active contributor to what they get from it,” Boos said. “So we choose the site that lets us use something specific for that experience. This play has two things. It has a personal story of a family over generations, and that’s huge the way any personal story is huge. And the play has ideas that have to do with the environment and how people relate to the planet. We wanted this play in a giant place so we could reference these issues.”

The facility offers the chance for large props and backgrounds as well as massive projections of night skies over the audience.

Running the show outside of a theater is not simple. The directors are in charge of simple things like heating, and as Pittsburgh gets chillier, it’s just one more thing to keep an eye on, Boos said.

“We wouldn’t do this if we didn’t believe in the art,” Boos said. “It is much more difficult and expensive than normal theater.”

On the other hand, after 20 years in this business, Boos describes the crew as veterans and experts in the craft.

“Now we know what the questions to ask are,” Boos said about setting up. “The first shows weren’t so ambitious. We once wouldn’t have dreamed of putting things like this on. But that’s the evolution of good artists.”

Anderson: a fortunate flutist

2010-10-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/anderson-a-fortunate-flutist/

Anderson: a fortunate flutist

Ian Anderson

Carnegie Library of Homestead

Tuesday, 7 p.m.

510 East 10th Ave., Munhall, Pa.

$45-$55

412-462-3444

One of the things that separated Jethro Tull from other bands was its flutist, Ian Anderson.

Anderson’s North American tour will bring him to the Carnegie Library of Homestead’s Music Hall Tuesday evening.

The British singer and songwriter has played music for more than 40 years and has lived and performed through evolutionary periods of rock history, such as progressive, folk, electronic, hard and world. He played the flute in his own rock band, the groundbreaking Jethro Tull.

Today, Anderson continues to share his music — both his work as a frontman for Jethro Tull as well as acoustic and electronic pieces of his own.

Anderson can recall the “rhythmic pulse of syncopated swing music” from his childhood that impacted him and stayed with him throughout his career. While he went through a period of life when he played an electric guitar because it was “the sexy thing to do,” he was raised primarily on acoustic music and soon went back to his roots.

“I was 18 or 19 when I realized I wasn’t good at playing [the electric guitar], and Eric Clapton was,” Anderson said. “I started on the flute, and it happened to be the lucky choice of something good to play, and it got me noticed.”

Jethro Tull gained popularity as Anderson taught himself to play the flute. It was a different instrument from the norm, and as a result the band’s rock music was “not genre rock music” and still isn’t today. Anderson became the man who introduced the flute to rock music, as well as a self-described “unplugged musician in the rock band.”

“A part of me still reacts to electronic rock, but not to the point I want to play it for two hours,” Anderson said. “You can’t escape the fact that you have to keep moving into the current realism of technology in music. But there are acoustic values I’d hate to leave behind me. It’s my musical culture.”

Florian Opahle, who is playing electric and acoustic guitar with Anderson on this tour, met Anderson when he played in Germany in 2003 as an opening act for Jethro Tull. The two then coordinated and played together at two shows.

“From then on everything happened very quickly and, on the next Ian Anderson tour, I found myself on the roads of Italy touring with Ian. A dream had come true,” Opahle wrote in an e-mail.

Opahle never wanted to do anything except play music, and playing with Anderson is an enjoyable way for him to pursue what he loves.

“There are so many fantastic songs which I really enjoy [playing],” Opahle said. “I really like the arrangement, composition and mood of the tunes. I love playing these massive songs like ‘Thick As A Brick’ or ‘Budapest’ that keep you busy regarding the individual parts, switching from a quiet section to a rock one, from a folksy to a classical one. I think that is one of the major things. It is this beautiful variety of different musical styles.”

Opahle occasionally plays solo or collaborates with blues bands in Germany. Even though Anderson has released four solo albums, he’s never gone for a completely solo career — he enjoys the group performances more.

“Being [by] myself would be limiting,” Anderson said. “I’m used to having more colors on my musical palette and working with and bouncing off other music and personalities of musicians. I think that’s part of what makes music more fun to do. It’s the human contact that gives it another dimension or two or three.”

Technology today also allows Anderson to incorporate more influences into his ever-evolving style. He takes what he likes from anything from jazz to Indian flute players to classical violinists.

“I’m all ears, really, to enjoy what’s out there,” Anderson said. “It’s a big world we live in, and we have more access to do it these days.”

Just as with workers in any other career, after 40 years on the job, there are days when he wants to quit music.

“Usually on Mondays,” Anderson said. “But of course you get those feelings. Some days you’d rather be doing something else, like fishing or training to be an astronaut. It’s doing something else for the sake of it or a new challenge. But 24 hours later I wake up with renewed vigor and determination to achieve the things that are immediately in front of me.”

Pomegranates chart growth

2010-10-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/pomegranates-chart-growth/

Pomegranates chart growth

Pomegranates, with supporting act Hot Garbage

Garfield Artworks

4931 Penn Ave.

Oct. 20, 8 p.m.

Tickets: $6

412-361-2262

Smashing Pumpkins, take note: At least one other band is bold enough to claim a fruit as its title.

Pomegranates, a Cincinnati-based act of college-aged men, adapted the name because it was “the idea that was least embarrassing” at the time, according to drummer Jacob Merritt.

“Pomegranates have a mythology and a cleansing process. The imagery fit our music,” Merritt said.

Pomegranates’ music, which Merritt described as dreamy pop, reflects the tastes of the individual band members, with heavy influence from groups like Pink Floyd and the Talking Heads.

Merritt and vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Isaac Karns formed Pomegranates in 2007. As their old band separated, Merritt and Karns continued playing together, recruiting another vocalist and guitar player, Joey Cook. The group’s first recorded work, the EP Two Eyes came out four months later. Soon, the band was signed to Lujo Records.

By the time their first album, Everything is Alive, debuted in 2008, the members had settled into a new lifestyle, and a lineup change had brought vocalist and guitar player Daniel Lyon to the band. Lyon said he’d been involved in several other groups at the time, but the Pomegranates were refreshingly dedicated.

“In January I decided to come down again and start writing with them after a falling out with the other players [in other bands],” Lyon said. “This is definitely a lot more serious than any other project.”

Merritt has been involved with the music scene since he began playing in high school, finding pleasure in music composition.

“I like the idea of creating something that other people appreciate and somehow makes their lives better one way or another,” Merritt said.

Currently on the road, the band are releasing a third album, One of Us, at the end of October. The album makes frequent references to relationships back home.

“I think with this last album, everyone felt like it was mostly personal experience,” Lyon said. “I think a lot of beliefs come into this. I think there’s quite a number of love songs as a result of us having serious girlfriends.”

Karns, a member of the Pomegranates since its inception, noted that the band’s albums have become less story-based.

“On our last album [Everybody Come Out], we had a few songs we released we could tie together with a narrative,” he said. “In some ways it was easier to write because it was plotted out. Lyrically, we’d fit songs to the narrative.”

The Pomegranates’ third album, however, was not conceived with a blueprint of any sort. Though Karns sees the album as painting a clear portrait, any narrative listeners might infer is unintentional.

“As far as writing, that was a big difference,” he said. “We didn’t have a destination point with the new one. We just wrote. Last time we had a start and a finish and we filled in the blanks.”

Ever industrious, the band is already thinking about producing another album.

“We’ve written a song that we have yet to record and release, but we play at shows, that we’re happy with,” Karns said. “I think we’re all excited to write again. I think we’re always trying to write songs and not take long of a break. We may not use all the songs, but it keeps us going.”

When their tour ends, the members of Pomegranates will all return to day jobs in cafés and restaurants. Most of the members live in Ohio, with the exception of guitarist Joey Cook, who lives in Northern Kentucky.

“When we’re home between extended touring we have to work really hard,” Karns said. “When on the road it’s fun and rewarding, but it’s still hard work.”

Band life for Karns is “halfway between a career and a hobby” — it doesn’t pay the bills by itself. Karns has envisioned working on a farm or in a bookstore but doesn’t see these as “lucrative choices” that could ever replace music.

“I’m happy to do something that I love and share it with people even if it is hard work and not the best money,” Karns said. “I think we all agree it’s worth it.”

Oakland ‘most haunted’ ‘hood

2010-10-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/oakland-most-haunted-hood/

Oakland ‘most haunted’ ‘hood

Haunted Pittsburgh: Haunted Tour Oakland

Sunday, Oct. 24

Tickets: $15 online at www.hauntedpittsburghtours.com or in person if not sold out.

Meet at: Hillman Library, 6 p.m.

Haunted Pittsburgh makes a bone-chilling claim: Oakland is the most haunted neighborhood in Pittsburgh.

“If you ask someone what is considered the most haunted [neighborhood], people think North Side,” said Michelle Smith, co-founder of Haunted Pittsburgh. “It has the big ghost stories. But we did research and Oakland seemed to have the most ghost stories in a small area. Almost every building or neighborhood seems to have a story attached to it, especially around Pitt.”

Haunted Pittsburgh is a local historical group with the aim of sharing local spirit lore by offering ghost walks, something the city previously lacked. The organization offers spooky tales through ghost walks, dinners and pub-crawls in various parts of the city. It usually offers tours primarily in areas such as Mt. Washington and South Side, but their discovery of Oakland and Pitt’s ghoul-filled buildings have brought them to this neighborhood.

Sean Collier of WDVE Morning Show and Pittsburgh Magazine will host the Oakland tours. The radio personality says he’s not surprised by the amount of ghost stories in Oakland.

“You’ll find a lot of stories associated with most colleges, especially those set in big buildings or dorms, just because there are so many people moving in and out frequently,” Collier said. “Stories are bound to shovel up.”

The Oakland tour will begin at Hillman Library and go to the Quad, the William Pitt Union, the Cathedral, the Carnegie Library, and the Frick Fine Arts building. Many Pitt students and staff use these buildings on a daily basis.

One of the more creepy stories involves the Carnegie Library. A city judge became fond of the building after it opened in 1895. But in the early 1900s, he went to the building to hang himself rather than to complete his work.

“No one knows why he did so,” Collier said. “Soon after he was found and removed, the staff reported seeing writing on the walls. But not at ground level. It was on the ceiling near the level of a hung man.”

The words were written in Latin, and when translated to English they read, “The judge is here.”

“Any library stack is creepy anyway,” Collier said. “It’s isolated. Now you worry you’ll run into a judge.”

Smith feels that people will want to know the creepy lore of buildings they go to everyday because they enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes from feeling scared. Ghost walks offer a safe environment to feel chills up the spine.

“It’s places people are at every day,” Collier said. “You’re in the Cathedral every day for class and it’s commonplace, but to look at it through these stories, it adds intrigue and mystery to what would be a normal place.”

Haunted Pittsburgh is not the same as a haunted house or other Halloween attraction because of its use of historical research and local testimony, according to Collier.

“On all of our tours, we have shorter stories and those from people in the area, as well as Pittsburgh history,” Collier said. “There’s also just a certain sense of reality. I love Halloween attractions, but this is a chance to hear a reportedly true ghost story and be at the place and in its presence. I think a tour like this is so much more real than Halloween attractions.”

Ghost stories might be set any time from the 1700s to as recently as the 1900s, depending on what the tour guides decide to use.

“A lot of our stories are very historic, but we have some new accounts as well,” Smith said. “We are careful using new stories because if there are recent deaths or hauntings, we don’t feel it’s appropriate to tell that story.”

At the end of the tour, though, Smith reminds everyone, believers and skeptics alike, that their job is to research and entertain, not investigate. Collier himself is skeptical of whether or not every element in a ghost story ever actually happened.

“We are not here to make you believe or disbelieve,” Smith said. “You’ll find the stories interesting and learn a bit of history.”

“These stories have survived and it’s an interesting folk tradition all on its own,” Collier said.

Cuban art speaks about taboo topics

2010-10-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

Cuban art speaks about taboo topics

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/cuban-art-speaks-about-taboo-topics/

“Queloides: Race and Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art”

Curators: Alejandro de la Fuente and Elio Rodríguez Valdés

A collaboration of artists

The Mattress Factory

500 Sampsonia Way

(412) 231-3169

Alejandro de la Fuente wasn’t able to see the exhibition he curated, “Queloides: Race and Racism is Cuban Contemporary Art,” when it appeared in Havana earlier this year because he was banned from the country for using the word “racism” in the title.

“This is the first time in post-revolutionary Cuba the word ‘racism’ has appeared in the title of an exhibition,” Fuente explained. “I was banned from Cuba and from going to this exhibit because this is an uncomfortable issue in Cuba. It has been treated like a taboo. People have claimed there are no racial problems, so when you do an exhibit like this, you go against decades of official silence. That made some people unhappy. But they didn’t dare censor the exhibit, so it was shown.”

Fuente stayed informed through reports and was pleased that the exhibit in Havana was well attended despite a lack of press. News got out by word-of-mouth instead. For now, though, his ban remains in place.

Fortunately, Fuente will now have the opportunity to see the exhibit featuring the work of 12 Cuban artists. Currently in the Mattress Factory, it addresses the issues of racism and prejudice that the Cuban government denies exist.

Fuente, a University Center for International Studies research professor of history and Latin American Studies, and his co-curator, Cuban artist Elio Rodríguez Valdés, organized the exhibit together.

The title alone brings perspective to this exhibit, according to Fuente, who is a Cuban-American with family in both countries. “Queloides” are wound-induced scars. The title is meant to raise discussion of racial stereotypes within the Cuban culture, as well as the process of healing from traumatic racism and discrimination.

“Most people don’t know this word because it’s a medical term,” Fuente said. “It’s pathological scars created by wounds. In a sense the exhibit refers to social, cultural and personal scars racism creates.”

Fuente and his co-curator met in 2007, when Valdés was showing his own artwork at Frick Fine Arts. Fuente offered to help bring the already existing “Queloides” to America, enlisting the help of the Latin American Studies department at Pitt and contacting the Mattress Factory.

“Queloides” features multiple instillations from paintings to photographs to sculptures, as well as media-based artworks. Each artist brings a different perspective to the exhibit. For example, Valdés created one piece presenting a series of monstrous-looking beings.. Another piece portrays people as faceless and lacking in identity.

The Pittsburgh exhibit is larger than the exhibition which took place in Havana earlier this year.

“What brings the exhibit together is a common theme — the persistence of racism in Cuban society and by extension racism in the rest of the world,” Fuente said. “It invites people to think about racial stereotypes and prejudice.”

The racial problems in Cuba cannot be pinned down any more easily than a lot of racial problems in America, said Lindsay O’Leary, public relations and marketing manager at the Mattress Factory. The most noticeable sign of trouble is a lack of high-placed job positions for minorities in the tourism business. The difference, however, is that Americans talk about the problem. In Cuba, the government suppresses discussion of racism while claiming the existence of equality.

Since the 1990s, Cuban artists in particular have made it a goal to speak up, using their talent to deliver their messages.

“Art can evoke visceral reactions without words,” O’Leary said. “Even the image of the ... samurai with the sword, that was chosen by the entire group of artists to represent themselves. It’s an image off of a sculpture from 1440. It’s the whole picture is worth 1,000 words saying, without using words.””

The Mattress Factory staff has also treated this exhibit differently due to its controversial nature.

“We treat the artists exactly the same as far as the process, but there is a big story here about a bigger issue,” O’Leary said. “In the little world of the Mattress Factory, nothing has changed. But the fact that the curator used ‘race’ [in the title] and it’s stopping him from going home, is pretty ridiculous.”

“Queloides” actually follows a previous exhibit at the Mattress Factory featuring Cuban artwork in 2004, O’Leary said.

“At that time none of the artists could come up because of U.S. and Cuban relations,” she said. “It was difficult because we had to do everything by phone and fax to get the exhibit set up.”

Fuente knew about this and proposed that “Queloides” come to the Mattress Factory next, since it fits within the Mattress Factory’s progressive and controversial themes.

This time, all of the Cuban artists have been allowed into the States.

Pittsburgh Public Market offers eclectic selection

2010-10-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

Pittsburgh Public Market offers eclectic selection

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/pittsburgh-public-market-offers-eclectic-selection/

Pittsburgh Public Market

Produce Terminal on 1212 Smallman St., between 16th and 17th streets

Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

pittsburghpublicmarket.org

Pittsburgh might have professional sports teams, great universities and vibrant neighborhoods, but until recently, it lacked one ingredient: a public market.

The new Pittsburgh Public Market attempts to fill this niche. Located within an old warehouse, it’s the first market of its kind in Pittsburgh since 1965, according to manager Cindy Cassell.

“This is Pittsburgh’s historic market district. We thought this was a nice complement to what the Strip offers,” Cassell said. “Most major cities have public markets. Other markets are found in old terminal-type buildings. The buildings lend themselves to the historic market concept.”

The team studied other public markets to see what amenities were often included. Cassell discovered that other markets were “often the hearts and souls of the community.”

“They were gathering places,” she said. “People enjoy that. There are great products. They’re supporting the local economy and agriculture. Markets are a wonderful way to showcase the best of what the region offers, because they do offer local products and local farms.”

The businesses featured in the market are locally owned and operated, although they sometimes include vendors from outside of Pittsburgh who have teamed up with local businesses, offering what Cassell deemed the “best [products] in the region.”

The Produce Terminal, where the market is located, is an old warehouse-like structure with plastered walls, an overhead roof and doors that are open or shut depending on the weather outside.

Visitors can stroll down aisle after aisle and from vendor to vendor. Cooking demonstrations or band performances take place in a corner near chairs and tables, keeping the energy and noise levels high.

The whole building is a collage of smells, from fresh fruits and baked bread to juicy ribs and greasy potatoes. People chit-chat between stands, and it isn’t uncommon to hear excited conversation about how a sample tastes.

The market features organic produce, a bakery, jewelry and a pet food and toy stand. There are also two Indian food vendors, which the Strip District formerly lacked, Cassell said.

“We approve things based on how the product adds diversity to the market as well as the entire Strip,” Cassell said.

Several featured vendors are new or had originally been based at home before coming to the market. Cassell said she hopes other businesses will follow suit.

One new business is Christopher’s Collages. Christopher Nix has set up a table and a backdrop displaying his artwork at the market.

He creates collages in which he turns a simple image outline, like the Steelers’ logo, into a collage of hundreds of small images that fill the main outline. He spends as long as a month coming up with a list of what he wants in the collage, based on what people think he should include.

“The goal of the drawing is to find something for everyone to kind of relate to,” he said. “People ask if something is in there, and no one has stumped me yet.”

For Nix, the work has therapeutic qualities.

“This is something I do at night as a creative outlet after being at work all day,” Nix, a civil engineer, said. “It started when I made a Steelers picture for my dad. People saw it and loved it.”

He opened the stand at the suggestion of some of his family members.

“I’m just seeing how this will work out, but I think this will be the incubator for a small business,” he said.

In addition to arts and crafts, there are produce stands, like the one hosted by Nathan Holmes from Clarion River Organics. His stall was filled with brightly colored fruits and vegetables, as well as meats, including goat and rabbit, and cheeses. Employees offered samples from a table covered with fruit seeds.

“We raise and make food in a way that’s better for the earth and healthier for people and makes them feel better after eating it,” Holmes said as he offered a cup of tomato and watermelon slices to a customer.

This is Clarion River Organics’ first stand in Pittsburgh. The company usually sells to places like Whole Foods but wants to have more direct interaction with customers, Holmes said. Moving to the market allows other benefits as well.

Cassell summed up the new market as an intriguing option for students and residents alike.

“There’s affordable fresh food,” Cassell said, mentioning that seasonal vendors will be available during the holidays. “We have music playing. We hope to have cultural dances and demos. We want to become part of this community. It’ll just be fun.”

‘Secretariat’ gallops to success

2010-10-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

‘Secretariat’ gallops to success

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/secretariat-gallops-to-success/

“Secretariat”

Starring: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Amanda Michalka

Director: Randall Wallace

Walt Disney Pictures/Mayhem Pictures

Grade: B

Horseracing fans, take heed: “Secretariat” is more than just a day at the races.

Disney’s newest film is a surprising tour-de-force, with an impressive combination of good acting and deft cinematography that brings a horse galloping down the track to life.

The film is based on the true story of Secretariat, a thoroughbred racehorse who in 1973 became the first Triple Crown champion in 25 years and set track records that still stand today.

The story begins before the racehorse’s birth, when its owner-to-be, Penny Chenery (Diane Lane), takes over her parents’ failing breeding farm upon the death of her mother. She tells her husband and children she’ll return home in a few days. Days, however, turn into weeks as she grows attached to the farm and feels obligated to solve its problems — despite her brother’s insistence to sell the entire property.

Soon, Chenery finds herself with a young colt the stable hands call Big Red, who has fostered a love for running early in life. A trainer named Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich), who has a fondness for odd clothing styles and just can’t retire, accompanies the horse.

At the same time her family is growing up and joining war protests without her, Chenery works hard to give Big Red, whose race name becomes Secretariat, a fighting chance to run his race.

The actors’ performances are quite strong throughout. For a film about a racehorse, the audience will be just as invested in the characters as the film’s myriad conflicts — conflicts which include keeping control of a breeding farm and letting go of past mistakes.

Lane presents Chenery as a powerful, free-willed housewife fighting for what she wants in both worlds — a compelling oddity given the male-dominated society she lives in. Malkovich brings most of the humor to the screen in his portrayal of an aging man with a curmudgeon attitude and an unusual sense of style.

The animals give their own laudable performances. Apparently a horse wrangler from “Seabiscuit” worked on this film, and he clearly has a talent for working with animals who seem to enjoy, in addition to racing down the track, prancing and posing for the camera.

The camerawork isn’t half bad, either. It’s impressive just how close the cameras get to these animals, especially considering horseracing has never been considered a safe sport. And if audiences don’t smile at a clumsy foal bumping into the camera — well, they just don’t know cute.

It’s actually hard to tell how many shots are of a real horse and how many required a prop for safety, so it’s safe to say the effects are decent, as well. Similarly, the clothing and sets create the sensation of fully inhabiting a different time and place.

The ending itself is perfect, as expected from a Disney film — but not just in terms of plot resolution. Watch the credits — the photos of real people and the surprise cameo ensure that this film sprints to the finish line.

Activism in Pittsburgh and the Movies

2010-10-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

Something I have come to realize recently is that if I’m complaining that I’m bored, it’s not from a lack of things to do in my city as much as it is a lack of motivation in finding things to do on my part.

I say this because thanks to the efforts of a friend who wanted to provide volunteer opportunities every weekend to students here at Pitt, I’ve managed to get the names of some very cool volunteer organizations.

Last weekend in particular was exciting for me – a group of students and I took several busses to head to the North Side of Pittsburgh. Our task for the day? Volunteer with the Pittsburgh Project. Now, this non-profit is a pretty cool one with multiple volunteer opportunities throughout the year. You can do anything from tutoring to fixing houses.

Our job for the day would be urban farming. If you’re like me, you’re going, What?

I literally spent a day with other volunteers working in a baseball field that had been converted into a miniature farm. In a Sparknotes style summary: there are crops and flowers that are sold to local businesses as well as at a local farmer’s market. During the year locals are actually encouraged to take part in activities as well, in the hopes of keeping kids in particular from joining gangs or turning to drugs.

That, actually, was one spooky part of the experience. Being told that you’re in one of the most crime-ridden areas of Pittsburgh as you’re peacefully farming and weeding, surrounded by quiet roads, chirping birds, and at least ten species of insects? Honestly, I’m not sure how to describe that sensation.

The nice thing about this project was that it gave me the chance to work in the open air and to talk to a leader who was committed to making a difference long term, and going wherever he saw a problem – not just where he saw money to get out of the problem.

(For more info, go here: http://www.pittsburghproject.org/)

On the way back to campus, I actually got to thinking about what I was told and about how media often presents problems and non-profits. In particular, movies seem to manage to butcher attempts to tell an activism type of story more often than not. So, for today, I have three movies to mention that contributed – or didn’t – to an image of activism.

Blood Diamond – This 2006 drama film was, admittedly, just that: a drama film with an actor people love to watch because he entertains them (and hey: I like DeCaprio, too!). The title alone refers to a massive issue – diamonds mined in Africa and sold to provide the money that fuels wars and conflicts throughout the continent, while providing a profit to the warlords and to global companies.

I’m not saying this is a terrible movie – its brutal depictions have to be given credit. However, two things that bother me.

One, when a father notices his son among the armies, he convinces him to come home. I can say from my own activism experience, it’s not that simple. These children are kidnapped, brutalized, threatened to be killed if they ever leave, and are brainwashed – some to the point that if they aren’t surrounded by violence and blood, they get headaches.

Two: honestly, when did this movie do anything to convince us as Americans we can do anything from where we are in our lives?

I see this movie as pure entertainment. Maybe it raised some awareness on the issue, but considering it was a violent movie, it probably only reached a certain audience – and not necessarily one that cared enough to learn from it and make a difference. In fact, to prove this point: http://www.diamondvues.com/2006/12/blood_diamond_film_has_little.html

This movie’s activism impact gets a D in my book. Kudos to anyone who went against the majority in this case.

Take The Lead – Released the same year as Blood Diamond, this movie scores a little higher in my books. This movie acknowledges another true situation – high school students in New York struggling to make a living. Some live alone; some live with single parents or with sick parents who can’t maintain a job. Antonio Banderas plays a ballroom dance instructor, Pierre Dulaine, who offers to teach the children in detention ballroom dancing.

Needless to say, one thing that stands out in this movie is the contrasts. You have a well-to-do suit wearing instructor alongside teenagers living in the cheapest housing possible. Scenes cutting from one character to another in their personal lives reminds viewers exactly what these people are dealing with. If anything, it becomes touching to see these kids bonding as they continue to dance, eventually going on to a competition.

Pierre Dulaine in real life began Dancing Classrooms to help 5^th graders, giving young children support early in life rather than later. Take The Lead did in fact raise a decent bit of awareness and accelerated the expansion process for this project, so it accomplished much more than Blood Diamond. Still, I just can’t give this a stamp of approval above a B. Somehow to me I feel that the issues these children faced were glazed over. They were acknowledged but not explored, and the ending made it feel like their lives were fixed and perfect when in fact these issues never go away. This movie was a worthy attempt, but not the best.

Freedom Writers – There is a reason this movie makes my top ten favorites. Released a year after the other two films I mentioned, Freedom Writers got much deeper into the lives of the characters and what they faced during the gang wars in the 1990s. Death for these kids became mundane. Gang life was their only life, and one that was almost impossible to escape and continuously affected their studies. It took one teacher months to begin to reach her students, and the issues they faced never ended. Yet it still created a hopeful feeling among the dread and depression.

This movie gets brownie points for bringing in original students for cameos and using testimony from the original people to construct the story as closely to real as possible. Based on a true story may mean that some things have been fictionalized, but this is one movie that did this respectfully. The main plot points in this movie really did happen, and every one of them is emotional, inspiring, and humbling.

This film’s ending explains that a book with journal entries from the students was published and a community created to help re-create this classroom scenario to help other students. That, to me, sets this movie above the others. It used real words from real people to re-create true events. It acknowledged the depth of the issues these kids faced in gang life and dealing with racism. And it credited a non-profit that continues its work today. Its original style when dealing with a topic movies often butcher gets this film an A and a link shout-out: http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/

Of course, as always, you’re not required to agree with me; only to give everything a fair chance. In this case, just remember: a movie, even the good ones, can only educate you so much. It’s always worth getting out there to do your own research and some volunteering of your own.

Popcorn Company heats up Oakland

2010-09-30T21:58:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/popcorn-company-heats-up-oakland/

Popcorn Company heats up Oakland

Pittsburgh Popcorn Co.

3710 Fifth Ave

Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Students can grab something both sweet and salty now as they wander down Fifth Avenue between Atwood and Oakland avenues.

The new branch of the Pittsburgh Popcorn Co., the third in the local franchise, opened last week. The two other stores operate in the Strip District and Downtown, and each store caters to a different market, according to owner Rob Day.

“We saw a pretty good market in terms of college kids,” Day said about the Oakland store. “People need a snack. If you look around Oakland, there aren’t a ton of snacks. Rita’s is seasonal, but this you can get all year round.”

The Oakland store is small — there’s a counter, carnival-themed posters and decorations, a popcorn maker and bins of fresh and flavored popcorn. There’s no sitting room — people get their popcorn and go. There are free samples so people can taste and pick their favorite from nine or 10 gourmet popcorn flavors, which rotate and change by the week. Flavors include cheddar, chocolate, kettle, peanut butter and s’mores, as well as a Flavor of the Week.

“We strive for the best popcorn experience possible and buy fresh products, including all-natural fresh cheese and caramel,” Day said. “I hate using the term ‘gourmet’ since it’s overused, but it’s gourmet popcorn.”

Day and his wife began the Pittsburgh Popcorn Co. after meeting in a popcorn shop in New York City. Genalle Day, a Pittsburgh local, wanted to bring the same experience to her hometown. Rob Day happily agreed, and they soon opened their first store in the Strip District in 2008.

“We thought, Pittsburgh never had [a popcorn store,] so we thought it would be a good idea,” Rob Day said. “I was sick of my corporate job and we decided to do it. I mean, everybody loves popcorn.”

Jarad Bailey, the Oakland store manager, loves popcorn as much as the owners and happily sells the treats while offering free samples to passers-by and anyone who steps inside the store.

“Popcorn is a super fun product,” Bailey said. “The idea is to be nostalgic and offer a new spin on something people already love.”

The Pittsburgh Popcorn Co. has different themes and different Flavors of the Week in each store, but the experience is meant to be the same at each location.

“All of our popcorn is made fresh every day,” Bailey said. “If you go to another store, it isn’t as fresh. It doesn’t taste as good. We probably make the best popcorn on the east coast, period. And it’s cool because it’s a Pittsburgh thing and a Pittsburgh product.”

Anyone is welcome to sample any flavor in the store and not feel obligated to buy popcorn, but for those who give into the temptation, there are three different bag and tin sizes.

Rather than sell multiple items and have them suffer in quality, the business sells only popcorn so that its sole product can be at its best, according to Rob Day, who has designed and implemented most of the flavors.

“I wake up one morning and have it in my head that this will be a great taste,” he said about the flavors. “I just come up with it out of thin air.”

Store hours may change in the future as the popcorn company settles into the Oakland area. The store expects to accept Panther Funds within two weeks.

‘Guardians’ simple and predictable

2010-09-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

‘Guardians’ simple and predictable

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/guardians-simple-and-predictable/
“Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole”

Starring: Jim Sturgess and Emily Barclay

Director: Zack Snyder

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures: Village Roadshow Pictures/Animal Logic

Grade: B-

3-D has become Hollywood’s newest flashy technology, drawing in crowds with the promise of something beautiful to look at. But the visuals in a film cannot promise a good story.

Fortunately, “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole” stands as a complete story on its own, and its 3-D visuals only add to the movie. The movie follows the typical underdog-becomes-a-hero story, except that all the main characters are owls. It’s loosely based on a novel series by Kathryn Lasky, and the film combines the plot of three out of her 15 novels.

“Guardians” tells the story of a young barn owl named Soren. He grew up listening to the tales about the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, a group of owl warriors who once saved the land from a power-hungry gang known as the Pure Ones.

Overnight, Soren, his brother Kludd and other owlets are captured and taken from their peaceful home by surviving Pure Ones. They are told they are orphans who will be raised into soldiers, and any who do not accept the new law and are ungrateful enough to turn away their new family are made into slaves.

Soren and new friend Gylfie manage to learn how to fly and escape with the help of one Pure One who was forced into working for the cause to save his family. However, Soren’s brother embraces the law of his captors and exceeds as a soldier in their ranks. Soren seeks out the Guardians’ home at the Great Tree, collecting followers as he travels and searches for something of which he has no proof but still believes exists.

Throughout the film, audiences should be prepared to enter a fantasy land. Here, owls can harness fire, wear masks, carry weapons and use magic found in metal to trap their enemies. The Guardians come off as knights, fighting the evil in the land and living by an honor code — not living for the glory but fighting because it is their duty. Loyalty is respected, sacrifice is necessary and doing the right thing rewards the just.

The soundtrack contributes to the image of evil taking over the land. With the exception of one song by Owl City, most of the score lacks in lyrics and captures the feeling of going into battle and fighting an enemy, even when weak and supposedly helpless.

There is a blatant idea that the power-hungry Pure Ones, who believe in survival of the fittest and enslaving the weak to do their bidding, are flat out wrong. And almost every character that comes into contact with the enemy is corrupted, except for the dreamer Soren. All things considered, this movie is darker than expected, launching straight from a peaceful land into a terrifying tyrannical culture.

And it can’t be avoided: The visuals are stunning. The team that worked on “Happy Feet” was brought in for this film, and it seems its past experience animating birds benefited this new film. There are elegant, detailed close-ups of feathers and rain, stark definitions in objects and fantastic backgrounds enhanced by 3-D. The colors are vibrant and the lighting and shading work perfectly to set the tone and mood.

Guardians is simple, enjoyable fun: It’s predictable, but beautiful, telling a story that has been told time and again because people love to hear it and love to retell it. There are sure to be sequels, and with work and luck they will be as enjoyable as — and perhaps even better than — this film.

Author Dorothy Barresi talks poetry, teaching

2010-09-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/author-dorothy-barresi-talks-poetry-teaching/

Author Dorothy Barresi talks poetry, teaching

For many students, the word poetry prompts bad memories of high school classes and anxiety at the idea of writing sappy love phrases.

But poetry remains alive and well, surviving as a literary form locally and on the Internet, according to author Dorothy Barresi.

Barresi is a professor of English at California State University, Northridge. She studied poetry in Pitt’s graduate program in 1980 and has published four books since 1991. The newest, “American Fanatics,” was released in August through the University of Pittsburgh Press. Her book has received praise for delving into the heart of American society.

Barresi looks back on her time at Pitt’s graduate school fondly, citing living away from home surrounded by writers as a phenomenal experience. Her style evolved through the graduate school program and her experiences afterward.

Today when she grades her students’ writing, the published poet tells them she knows that most of them have written poetry before, but that she wants to help their style reach a higher level.

“There are individual styles,” Barresi said of poetry. “There is an aesthetic bias you bring to a poem. I try to leave my bias out when I teach. I try to help the student write the best they can. Beginning poets need to know about economy, intensity, to create an image out of figurative language and to avoid a cliché. There are all kinds of things beginning poets need to know to take poetry to make a hobby an art.”

Barresi adored reading and language from a young age, collecting her writing — mostly fiction — in a journal. She fell in love with poetry after taking an undergraduate course.

“I was reading contemporary poetry for the first time,” she said. “It was a world of language and language play I didn’t even know existed.”

Today she continues to write and teach in a culture that is not always receptive to the art.

“I think poetry is mysterious,” Barresi said. “I think that’s one of the reasons the public backs away from something they perceive is challenging. It’s more of an instant culture that flashes and we get it. There are still thousands of people who love to lose themselves in language and get transported some place they didn’t expect to go. Poetry is lyrical and strange and takes us out of ourselves deep into ideas. So readers turn to get something they can’t get anywhere else.”

But Barresi stressed that poetry, in all its forms, remains an active component in society.

“I think thanks to spoken word performances and poetry slams that there is a[n] ... audience for poetry that isn’t always acknowledged in the academic word,” she said. “I have students who go to slam events and spoken-word events downtown where there may be music playing. I think it’s healthy for poetry that there are also these other forms. They’re a little looser on the page and aren’t so literary, but it’s all about language.”

The Internet provides outlets for self-publishing as well, allowing anyone with a hobby and love for poetry to write and post their works.

“It takes poetry out of a precious, special place,” Barresi said of the method. “It shouldn’t be like opera. It should be a community event. I think all those nonliterary vendors are fantastic. It increases an audience and makes poetry more of people’s everyday lives.”

Poetry still sells fairly well, according to Maria Sticco, a publicist with the University of Pittsburgh Press. And there are, of course, plans to adapt to the market.

“We are trying to keep up, getting our books ready for electronic readers,” Sticco said. “We’re in the process of making things electronic. We don’t have a choice. You keep up with the trends.”

Before getting her book published, Barresi’s manuscript was reviewed by members of the University Press. When reading any submission, Sticco said, editors gravitate toward stronger styles that use technique and verse well and that have varied content.

“People try hard to be clever and tie in poetry with something happening in the news,” Sticco said. “They try too hard. There are different forms and definitions in poetry. There is a pattern to a lot of poetry — even in free verse. Even if a lot of our poets don’t go to grad school at first, authors may go back to validate themselves.”

The poetry community is very collaborative, Sticco said. She said she admires that Barresi often supports and works with other writers.

“They’re all looking for a chance for people to hear their work,” she said. “We just want to get the poetry out there.”

With her new book released, Barresi can reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of her work as she begins a new collection of poetry.

“If I were asking myself how my work has changed, I’d say I am more interested now in writing about the culture and writing about where America is right now,” she said. “I still write about myself that way, but I am interested in looking outward now and having an overlay of cultural examination or asking questions about where we’re at in the country right now. In the beginning I wrote a lot about family. I think my gaze has turned outward. I like that, because one can only write about one’s angst for so long.”

Repo! The Genetic Opera

2010-09-23T16:57:00.001-07:00

I’m ready to blow off some steam at the end of two long weeks of work - so what should I review today? How about something gory, intentionally bad and yet incredibly enjoyable?

(As always: remember, my blog, my opinion!)

“Repo! The Genetic Opera” is a 2008 release that made a stage performance a cult film of a weird hybrid sci-fi gothic opera genre. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, “Repo!” explores a sci-fi year 2056 where a future epidemic of organ failures led to the creation of GeneCo; they’ll happily sell organs to patients, even offering assisted payment plans. Soon the company campaigned hard enough to make surgery fashionable. They even market an addictive painkiller to cope with the invasive procedures.

The catch? GeneCo owner Rotti Largo (played by Paul Sorvino) and his three children gain enough power to lobby for a law that makes repossessing organs legal. If payments are missed for any reason, the product is reposed by a Repo Man working for Rotti Largo, owner of GeneCo.

One of his Repo Men, played by Anthony Stewart Head, has a daughter named Shilo, played by Alexa Vega. Ill with a blood disease, he tells her he is a doctor and is working on a cure for her, keeping her locked in the house as he murders and repossess’ organs for Largo.

Like any teenager, Shilo finds ways out of her mansion – and once outside she not only meets Largo, plotting the future of his company, but her idol, singer Blind Mag (played by Sarah Brightman) and a drug distributor merely known as Graverobber (played by Terrance Zdunich); Graverobber is actually the narrator for this tale, while Blind Mag is a singer working for Rotti Largo against her will.

The rest of the film explores the past of the older characters and the journey Shiloh takes to find her freedom. Murder is revealed, contracts are broken, drug addiction is shoved in the audience’s face, and death is commonplace in this future drama.

Almost the entire movie is narrated by song – combining opera with metal and rock. Each actor brings a vocal talent to the screen – even the whiney-voiced Vega somehow reveals plenty about her character. Luckily, the rest of the cast is anything but annoying when they sing. Sarah Brightman shares a beautiful opera song about a caged bird (in Italian, but that’s what it’s about), for example. These songs manage to be fairly powerful and entertaining – and in the case of “Zydrate Anatomy,” catchy as Hell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG2u-wSvOZ8

By the way, if you didn’t guess from that clip (sadly it won’t embed into the post, so please click it), the character of Graverobber became very popular very quickly – his voice is downright sexy and his dark, charming persona gives him a bad boy edge among fans.

(And yes, that is Paris Hilton singing, too. I have no comment.)

The film combines live action with some comic strips that Terrence Zdunich drew himself; since the film didn’t have enough budget to do make-up and make the characters younger, the strategy became explaining the past with comics and using live action to tell the present time story. Every shot is filled with shadows and blue hue. I know it’s because of the budget, yet in some ways, it works; things are very dark in this future. And bloody. Yeah, this isn’t for your children.

So what remains to be said? Again, it’s important to remember: this is a cult film. It isn’t going to be considered a classic on any level, and cinematically, it’s not that good. It is, however, very enjoyable. It’s cliché and yet humorous, dark and yet laughable.

P.S. Do not confuse this with a recent rip-off called “Repo Men.” For more reading about these two films as a comparative topic, go to http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=14300

Great Big Sea has waves of fans

2010-09-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/great-big-sea-has-waves-of-fans/

Great Big Sea has waves of fans

Great Big Sea

Byham Theater, 101 Sixth St.

Sept. 23 at 8 p.m.

$32-$40

Folk tales and music don’t just make a great accompaniment for bedtime — they make a fantastic career for performers.

Taking modern rock styles and combining them with folk songs the members grew up with, Great Big Sea creates a sound that both attracts audiences and creates cultural diversity. The band has been performing since 1993, gaining popularity in Canada, Europe and the United States alike.

“The thing is we’ve had two careers — one in Canada and one in America and Europe,” band member Bob Hallett said. “They’re different. The career in Canada began with a craze for this kind of music. Our music videos got played and we went on shows. We acquired physical rock stardom where people recognized you. In America, we began as a pulp band and proceeded to gather a following under the radar of the national media. It’s two different worlds.”

Hallett sings and plays a variety of instruments for the band, from a fiddle to a tin whistle and an accordion. The instrument line-up immediately sets the band apart from others.

“We’re not really a rock ‘n’ roll band,” Hallett said. “We use traditional music as the basis for our music. It’s our starting point for languages and rhythms. The deal is, we create a seamless thing between what we wrote and what we grew up with.”

Hallett and his fellow bandmates have been performers for a long time, staying in a band that originally started as an experiment of sorts.

“It was a post-university employment project,” Hallett said. “It was our part-time job in college — playing traditional music. When we graduated we could proceed into whatever careers available. We’d been doing this a long time and had evolved, so we gave ourselves two years to see where we wound up.”

And the band just kept on going. Hallett and his fellow musicians, Sean McCann, Alan Doyle, Kris MacFarlane and Murray Foster never felt the desire to leave the field, and over the years they changed and evolved to keep up while holding onto their original ideas.

“You can’t ignore what’s on the radio and around you, and doing this we’ve gotten to know new people,” Hallett said. “Their approach seeps in. If you have an idea these days, there’s no box and no idea that can’t be improved upon. The idea is to create an ever-evolving thing. We began in a specific spot, but that can expand in any direction.”

Hallett enjoys traveling and performing in new places and can’t complain about the advent of new technologies.

“Recording has gotten easier because it’s not required to go to an expensive studio to make a record,” he said. “You can do it with a laptop. But performing is a chance to do something new every night. Our families were all sailors and travelers, so for me it’s happy to wake up somewhere new every day. I enjoy the constant motion.”

The Canadian celtic rock band will perform tonight as part of a Trust Series, hosted by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

The goal is to bring in an array of entertainment and complement a variety of traditional and experimental arts alike, said Veronica Corpuz, director of public relations.

“When we program events like Great Big Sea, we look for quality of music and how well they’ll attract an audience,” she said. “We think that the type of music they perform and their success internationally helps to make the cultural mix robust.”

Great Big Sea has performed in Pittsburgh before and was popular then as well, she remembered.

“I think the kind of music they play is so resounding and vibrant. It’s uplifting and fun,” Corpuz said. “It’s the kind of music that mixes genres in a seamless way. It’s dynamic. It’s really explicit.”

When writing band music for performances, three of the band members collaborate and compromise, but after a song is put together it has many more challenges to pass.

“Everyone is musically prolific but we aren’t the kind of band where, if we wrote it let’s do it,” Hallett said. “It has to survive the opinion of everyone who hears it. It’s an ongoing process. That’s where it gets difficult. It’s easy to write a song, not easy to convince everyone it’s good enough.”

Hallett considers the band fortunate to have a rock solid fan base and an idea of what it intends to do as the music industry changes and the Internet remains a new tool.

“In many ways when we started, we followed a conventional model with a record deal,” he said. “On one end, major labels fund and create rock stars. They’re marketing muscles. They aren’t doing that anymore. It’s difficult to see where new rock stars are coming from. On the other hand, the Internet offers a huge opportunity. If you’re diligent, you can create your own fan base. The whole world is now open to you. It’s good and bad, and for a lot of artists it depends on where they are in their career. We were well-established so we could expand on a healthy fan base.”

But that doesn’t eliminate certain risks that go with traveling. Bad flights, bus accidents and the occasional loss of money have left a bad taste in Hallett’s mouth; but he’s stuck with music this long for a reason.

“There’s always something going wrong, but when you get an hour and a half of people living your songs, it’s worth it,” he said.

Dark Star Orchestra revives the Grateful Dead

2010-09-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

Dark Star Orchestra revives the Grateful Dead

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/dark-star-orchestra-revives-the-grateful-dead/

Dark Star Orchestra

Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead

Sept. 22 at 8 p.m.

510 East 10th Ave, Munhall, Pa.

412-368-5225

Tickets: $25-30

Fans, rejoice: The Grateful Dead has been reborn.

At least, that’s the goal of bands like Dark Star Orchestra, which remake and re-enact the original eclectic rock band’s material every night.

Having performed more than 1,600 shows since 1997, DSO makes a point of recreating an entire Grateful Dead concert as faithfully as it can. Although the lineup changes, the band currently features seven members, including keyboardist and vocalist Rob Barraco, who was influenced by the Dead’s sound at an early age.

“For me as a teenager, [The Grateful Dead] was the pinnacle of music,” Barraco said. “No other rock band played with this level of sophistication and had this songwriting talent and lyrical ability to answer to every man. For me, that was important.”

Barraco, who said he was born with music in his “veins,” never wanted any other career but music. He performed with other tribute bands and even with Grateful Dead bass player Phil Lesh earlier in his career.

The manager for DSO asked if Barraco could step in when its then-keyboardist passed away.

“I did a tour, and I had so much fun and so much respect for these guys because they viewed the music the same as I,” Barraco said. “I asked if I could do it again. It was off and on for a few years, and I finally realized this is really what I want to do.”

Barraco became a full-time DSO member and soon mastered the Dead’s distinctive style.

“This music demands to be improvised,” he said. “We don’t copy. It would be impossible to do so. The Grateful Dead played so many live shows it would take years to recreate their work correctly.”

From the beginning, the cover band grew fast. It played once a week, and its crowd doubled every time. The Internet only fueled the growth, allowing the band to, in Barraco’s words, “share a journey with the audience.”

“We want to create the magic, too,” he said. “Younger kids who never got the chance to see the Dead, they want this experience, too. We provide that for the kids who would never have the opportunity.”

Other members of the original Grateful Dead have played with DSO, including Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Vince Welnick.

“[Bob Weir and Phil Lesh] had so much respect for us that they stole our guitar player for their band,” Barraco said. Jeff Mattson came in to replace the original guitarist.

On the road, DSO enjoys a family dynamic. Barraco loves spending time with his band buddies and seeing fans and friends he might have lost touch with if he didn’t travel so often.

“The Deadheads are a cool eclectic group of people,” he said, employing the popular phrase for Grateful Dead fans. “Most are generous and big-hearted. I love talking to them. They’re respectful.”

Even years later, DSO still retains its freshness for fans.

“One of the great things is the Dead had the ability to reinvent themselves every few years and be modern with the times,” Barraco said. “They never stagnated. Because of that, there is so much rich material to draw from. Because we change shows every night, we make sure we don’t repeat every night. We can go four or five shows without repeating a song.”

Appropriately, DSO CDs are all recorded live, although the group is now beginning to write original material with the help of veteran Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter.

Though not a performer, publicist Dave Weissman came in to assist the band in 2002 and has been hooked ever since.

“They’re a big tribute band, and as those words represent, it’s mostly a tribute,” he said. “But they’re a spirit band. They try to step into what the Grateful Dead delivered when they performed. They get to have a fresh take on it every night.”

The Grateful Dead’s music changed so much from era to era that if someone ever grew bored of one style, he could move on to another.

“There’s a breadth and supply of music so great I don’t think they’ll ever get sick of it,” Weissman said.

“Many students were not of age when the Grateful Dead were around and [frontman] Garcia passed,” Weissman said. “This is a great way to carry the torch and hear what the Grateful Dead sounded like in their heyday.”

Both Barraco and Weissman share an excitement for their upcoming Pittsburgh performance. Barraco cited the music hall as a “cool place to play.”

“We already know we are going to play a cool show,” Barraco said. “All I can say is, it’ll be a mind blower.”

New exhibits dazzle the senses

2010-09-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

New exhibits dazzle the senses

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/new-exhibits-dazzle-the-senses/

If you still think of paintings and drawings when you hear the words “art exhibit,” the new installations at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts might surprise you.

Amidst the PCA’s six new exhibits, there are two that make use of the senses in unusual ways. One allows the public to touch the pieces — “Touch Me, Please,” by local artistic guild Group A — and another features vocal recordings of Pittsburgh locals: “Five Men, Five Women, One Child” by Lenka Clayton.

The PCA is a nonprofit group that focuses on sharing local artwork and is “committed to the artist and the advancement of artistic excellence in visual arts,” Stefanie Moser, the PCA’s assistant to the director, wrote in an e-mail. The organization focuses specifically on film, video, photography and other digital and creative medias and crafts, she wrote.

“The Center is where the community can create, see, support and learn about visual arts,” Moser wrote. The center also offers educational programs.

Eric Shiner, the Milton Fine Curator of Art at the Andy Warhol Museum, juried the “Touch Me, Please” exhibit. According to Shiner, this particular exhibit defies the usual museum rules that prevent the public from interacting with the artwork.

“It’s an interactive environment first and foremost,” he said of the exhibit. “Guests will walk into a space and immediately feel compelled to interact and touch the artwork. It’s a mix of wall pieces, installation art and sculpture.”

Of course, Shiner was a juror, not an artist. This meant sifting through submissions to find works like Group A’s — pieces that stand out and are thematically appropriate.

“Normally art groups in the city ask me to be a juror for shows,” Shiner said. “What that entails is that artists submit about two art pieces each. I go through everything and pick the things I think are appropriate for the theme of the show. I just select the works that make sense for that exhibition. Ten to 15 percent [of the works] are accepted into exhibition.”

Group A members could not be reached for comment.

Clayton, creator of “Five Women, Five Men, One Child,” made an exhibit of a different breed — her piece is an audio documentary rather than a physical collection of items.

Clayton’s project is a composition of audio recorded by anonymous men, women and a child in Pittsburgh during a normal day in their life.

This exhibit features “11 assorted stereos sitting on white shelves in a semicircle around the gallery, from a quietly humming dusty stereo to a decorated karaoke machine,” Clayton said in an e-mail.

The voices often overlap and cut each other off or go silent altogether, creating an “ebb and flow” of various conversation and argument in the room, she said.

“The recordings are played in the gallery in real time,” Clayton said. “Words once uttered at exactly the same moment by people usually separated by geography and circumstance collide for the first time to form an accidental documentary of the city. It happened, but no one heard it.”

Clayton began this project after moving to Pittsburgh from abroad, and had no trouble finding the equipment and permits from local art groups and law offices. Clayton took inspiration for the show from a childhood dream.

“I wanted desperately to become a census taker,” she said. “I love the folly of attempting to count millions and millions of people individually. The census is a utopian idea, full of beautiful glaring holes. I passed the test to be a census taker but was never called on account of my not being an American citizen. This project was a response to the Census Bureau, my own incomplete census of every single word spoken by five men, five women and one child on the first of April, 2010 (census day).”

Some might think putting the project together would be an exercise in tedium, but Clayton remembers the development as a sensory adventure.

“The transcribing process was incredible,” she said. “It was like listening to a three-month-long radio soap opera that progressed a single word at a time.”

Renaissance Festival brings chivalry to Pittsburgh

2010-09-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

Renaissance Festival brings chivalry to Pittsburgh

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/renaissance-festival-brings-chivalry-to-pittsburgh/

Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival

When: Sept. 4-6, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26

Where: On Route 31 East,

between West Newton and Mt. Pleasant. Take exit 51A off of Interstate 70. Festival is 1/4 mile on the right.

Phone number: 724-872-1670

Regular Gate Adult

Admission: $15.95

http://www.pgh-renfest.com/

Hear ye, hear ye — Pittsburgh’s fantasy king and queen have opened their doors to the city once again.

Returning for its fourth year under new management, the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival is an annual medieval-themed fair that combines combat jousting, music, comedy, games, carnival rides, costumed performers and a marketplace for handcrafted materials.

“Once you walk through the front gate, it’s all entertainment,” said Jim Paradise Jr., director of marketing.

Every year the festival acts are carefully selected to provide the best entertainment for local residents. The performers are a mix of new talent and old favorites.

One memorable act is Cast in Bronze, a music group started by Frank DellaPenna of Valley Forge, Pa. He plays a carillon, a four-ton medieval instrument made of different sized bells, historically used for weddings and town events.

“I am the Spirit of the Bells,” said DellaPenna, explaining that carillon players in the past were not seen while playing their instrument. To capture the same historical feel, he wears all black with a mask, keeping his facial identity a secret from the general public.

DellaPenna has performed in medieval-type fairs for almost 15 years. He was recruited to Pittsburgh during the Colorado Renaissance Festival.

When performing, DellaPenna plays his bells “as a silent and masked spirit, which is kind of different than what other people do,” he said. “I don’t speak, I perform. I only appear in costume to play the instrument, and no one knows me outside of the costume. It’s a mystical, magical thing.”

Paradise affirmed the uniqueness of the performance.

“Cast In Bronze is something you won’t see anywhere else,” Paradise said. “People sit, not laughing, but enjoying the sounds that come from him.”

Other festival acts this year include a hypnotist, a juggler, a fire-eater, a master piper and jousters. Jousting, in particular, is a quintessential Renaissance Festival staple.

“People enjoy the jousts,” Paradise said. “It says what we are and the different entertainment that we have.”

Bryan Beard, the owner, producer and jouster of Noble Cause Productions, came to the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival after Paradise recruited him from the Colorado Renaissance Festival.

Beard rehearses with three other jousters and their horses three times a week, ensuring that the “good guy wins” after each match.

“We have so many kids coming to see the show,” Beard explained. “They come to be entertained. Sometimes the bad guy will cheat, but they always lose in the end. The good guy is in black and gold, obviously, as a Steeler tribute, and he wins every time.”

Beard enjoys traveling with the crew but also has another investment in the shows.

“I like being able to present an idea of chivalry,” he said. “I don’t say it’s lost, but I say sometimes it’s forgotten. People living up to their own code, doing what’s right and kind — I think that’s something that needs to be emphasized as much as the negative.”

A daily marketplace offers spectators relief from weighty morality plays. Items sold include pots, art pieces, jewelry, handmade soaps, welding, swords and various leather bags and ornaments.

“It’s not your everyday item that you’re going to see,” Paradise said of the marketplace. “We need to be different, and the quality of what we bring in will be appreciated.”

In addition to a diverse product list, each weekend features a specific theme that alters the festival a little, making each day a little different for workers and visitors alike.

“For us, it’s having additional elements to the festival other than what we do every day to make each weekend different,” Paradise said.

Paradise cited Wine Revelry weekend (Sept. 11-12), in which a variety of local wines are available for tasting, as one such theme. Other upcoming themes include Celtic Fling (Sept. 18-19) and Oktoberfest (Sept. 25-26).

The festival has been ongoing in the Pittsburgh area for about 14 years, according to Paradise, with one missed year when ownership changed hands to a private company. The Festival is now managed by Rocky Mountain Festivals, Inc., which owns and funds the Colorado Renaissance Festival as well. Paradise said the new management provides a reliable lineup of features.

“I don’t want to change a lot because of the quality of what we have,” Paradise said about the lineup. “We may bring in two or three new acts and add them to the cast.”

For his part, DellaPenna returns every year because he is asked back and has a fan base in Pittsburgh. He doesn’t mind sharing his music, considering he owns one of only two traveling carillons in the United States. According to Paradise, entertainment like what DellaPenna provides is key to the fair.

“Some of the struggle that we have is that people look at people in costume and think it’s reenactment, but it’s truly a fantasy park,” he said. “You don’t have to come in costume. It’s the Shakespearean entertainment — outdoor, interactive entertainment that people enjoy. You become part of it.”

The Reserves sound like The Fray

2010-09-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

The Reserves sound like The Fray

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/the-reserves-sound-like-the-fray/

Band: The Reserves

Album: Life

Grade: B-

Label: The Reserves Music

Rocks like: An upgraded version of The Fray

The old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” holds true for CDs as well. The cover of Life by The Reserves is a bland image of a road. It hardly stands out on the CD rack, but when the music is playing the tunes are catchy and fairly enjoyable.

The opening track, “Ghost Writer,” kicks off with some upbeat drums and guitar over what sounds like an organ in the background. A little bit odd, but it certainly gives this first track a sound that stands apart from other albums. The track features lyrics about “not wearing your heart on your sleeve,” and the “the world not being ready for your dreams.” The song begs the question of what someone wants to be, playing like a storybook.

Other tracks have similarly strong beats, like “Red Eye.” Not all of the songs feature organs like the first — the album shifts from organ to piano to guitar. The band showcases their mastery of all three throughout the CD.

Vocally, singers Dave Greksouk and Mike Durham don’t do a bad job. Though they don’t always enunciate, making vocals difficult to understand, they aren’t the worst offenders, by far. Their voices are low and whispery and do an interesting job of setting the mood as they harmonize with the music.

All in all, these guys know what they’re doing. So here’s the lesson: don’t judge by album covers or CD titles.

Pillars of the Earth

2010-09-03T12:20:00.001-07:00

Hello, all! It’s Friday, which means classes have wrapped up for the week and I have time to take a breath before the weekend begins. Review time!

This review is admittedly a bit late no matter how you look at it – this series premiered over the summer, and it ended about two weeks ago. However, I love this series too much to pass up a chance to comment on it in my free time.

Pillars of the Earth - Tv-series Intro (title-sequence) - Click here for funny video clips

Originally a novel by Ken Follet, ‘Pillars of the Earth’ recently hit TV as a miniseries released by Starz. The novel was published in 1989. The story? Building a cathedral in an English town during the 12th century. Believe me, this series is far more exciting than that sounds. It is incredible how much emotional invest went into this show (I found myself screaming at the TV at times). Of course, this could be because of the other stories – a deceased prince and king leads to a shift of power and war, corruption and politics get in the way of construction constantly, and drama between characters can take a very long time to be resolved, reminding us things were not always simpler in the “good old days”. Characters include Tom Builder (the man intent on building a cathedral), a corrupt Bishop and family, the town of Kingsbridge, and Prior Philip.

Romance? This novel has it. Drama? Oh, there’s plenty of that. Suspense? Good grief, yes. Part of the reason I yelled at the TV was each episode ending actually left me unsatisfied and angry. I know it was to keep me coming back, but I think they did their job a bit too well in this case.

This story became Ken Follet’s bestseller. Apparently Oprah recommended this book as well – I totally missed this memo, because I somehow didn’t hear about this book until the miniseries was released. Let it be known, I do intend to read it. Since I have not, this review is just me commenting on the miniseries. I have no bias towards the book. I’m sure things were added and removed, but from what I have seen, this may have been for the best.

The miniseries hit TV in an eight-part release after a year of production. The very first episode, I admit, was a confusing introduction. I watched it twice to make sure I knew which character was which. The very first episode explains that a prince has drowned and there are no heirs to Henry I – until years later when the pregnant Princess Maud is told her son will be the next heir. Oh, but then the king is murdered and Maud is tossed aside. The war to reclaim the throne for her son, Henry II, begins.

At the same time, Tom Builder is seen working with his family until they are fired by the angry, corrupt young William Hamleigh. He is angry because Lady Aliena, daughter of the Earl of Shiring, will not marry him. Tom and the family travel and meet Ellen and her son Jack, who introduced as people living off the land. There is also Aliena’s brother Richard and the oh-so-hated Waleran Bigod, a bankrupt bishop with quite a devilish hand in the entire series.

By the way, I didn’t even name half of the characters here.

The good news is that everything and everyone ties together perfectly, so it is far less confusing when you actually watch the show and get into it. Tom’s family travels with Jack and Ellen, trouble strikes Shiring (forcing Aliena and Richard to change their lives drastically), and the series quickly becomes exciting as people try to guess at what will happen next time.

Cast includes Ian McShane, Refus Sewell, Hayley Atwell, Eddie Redmayne, and oh so many more. I will say, I had no complaints with this cast. Every person carried himself or herself perfectly and created a strong, believable character that people could either adore or hate with a passion while watching this show.

Plot wise? Again, I can’t compare to the book, but I left this series with satisfaction – there’s definitely a feel of justice has been served. However, as I did say, the ending between episodes left me begging for more – every episode has a bit of good news but far more bad news, it seemed. Things got darker and more complicated right up until the end. There is a happy ending, but believe me, there is so much sacrifice made in the process.

On that note, this show really is character driven. The trailers showed a ton of war scenes, but in reality, I think the trailers showed every battle scene in the show – and out of eight hours, that’s not a lot. There’s a couple sex scenes, but none that are very long and none that don’t impact the characters somehow.

Overall, the people really are the focus. You want to see these characters grow and deal with their lives and see how they impact the dream of a wonderful cathedral in Kingsbridge.

So after watching the epic beginning that I will attach, find this series and give it a fair chance.

The Pillars of the Earth - Trailer - Funny bloopers are a click away

Kennywood: A Pittsburgh summer classic

2010-08-27T16:11:00.001-07:00

Kennywood: A Pittsburgh summer classic

http://pittnews.com/newsstory/kennywood-a-pittsburgh-summer-classic/

Kennywood

4800 Kennywood Boulevard

West Mifflin, PA 15122

412-461-0500 or kennywood.com

When Pitt student Mike Cherpak heads to work every day, he can look forward to a calming day of work, even if everyone around him is screaming.

After working at Kennywood for six years, Cherpak — a Pittsburgh local and Pitt junior — has a good idea about how Kennywood works, at least in terms of park maintenance. He supervises the amusement park-clean up. He said his department offers a laid-back work environment and that the daily similar clean-up routine is also “very calming.”

But wait: what is Kennywood? Put simply, it’s something all Pittsburgh locals know about. It’s actually a bit like the Steelers – if you live here, you better love it.

Entering its 113th season of operation, Kennywood has been around since 1898.

While the park doesn’t release specific attendance figures, 2.1 million people total visit Kennywood or one of its local sister parks, Idlewild and Sandcastle annually, according to public relations spokesperson Jeff Filicko.

According to their website, the Pittsburgh Kennywood amusement park was founded by a railway company, in essence giving the transportation system extra income — trolleys would take people to the amusement park and the company overall would make extra money.

But by 1902 the company was tired of operating Kennywood.

They sold Kennywood to new owners, and over the last century the park changed hands and expanded to include new rides for all ages.

Today it still stands as a “traditional amusement park” even as it adapts to the 21st century, according to the Kennywood website.

“We’re not your mega-plastic, metal-everywhere park,” Filicko said, explaining that Kennywood visitors can ride the “best blend of rides” from metal and wooden coasters to water rides, down to a very slow historical train ride.

Visitors can also bring picnic baskets and eat at picnic tables in parts of the park, or they can purchase typical amusement park foods.

Kennywood recently underwent another ownership change, but Filicko does not feel this has affected the park.

“The main difference is the new ownership structure tends to be on the business aspect,” Filicko said. “The main reason they bought us was they liked the park and the way we ran, so they’re more content to let us run as usual and make changes to the business aspect of things.”

Safety is also a priority at Kennywood.

Filicko said every ride goes through a saftey inspection and has to be signed off before it’s open to the public.

The safety inspection process seems to work; Kennywood’s last publicized accident was caused by bad weather in 2002, when the roof of a ride called The Whip collapsed. One woman was killed. No rides with found problems open, meaning the most harm that comes to guests is frustration when a favorite ride closes for a day.

Cherpak supervises the crew that runs trash pick-up, as well as maintaining the picnic grounds.

He begins his work shift around 11:30 a.m. and, depending on how late the crowds stay, does not go home until 10 or 11 p.m.

The shifts are very similar and not very exciting, he said.

When he’s not on the clock, he can ride whatever he wants in the park, and he definitely recommends certain things to all first-time visiting students.

“The obvious answer for what [Pitt students] should eat is the Potato Patch Fries,” Cherpak said.

He also recommended the Phantom’s Revenge coaster ride as a must; but he added that the new Kennywood coaster might be better. He hasn’t had the chance to ride it yet.

The Sky Rocket is “ little bit different” from a traditional coaster, Filicko said.

Instead of the coaster “clicking” its way up a hill on a chain, Sky Rocket is literally launched up a hill from its station and up a starting hill

The ride is “about 65 seconds long, which seems short, but is every bit as long as the Phantom,” Filicko said.

Cherpak will continue to work at Kennywood during the fall, when the park hosts its annual Phantom Fright Nights. Deals directed at college students are easiest to find during the fall, but Kennywood bargain tickets are available now, too.

“Typically at any given time there are multiple discounts for Kennywood,” Filicko said. “Our college discounts tend to appear toward Fright Nights, as it’s more conducive to when students are around.”

With a new ride in its fleet, Kennywood Park might not have anything new occurring right away — but if history says anything, there will be more changes soon enough at the park.

“There’s nothing definite yet for future plans, but consistently we tend to open new rides or bring back a classic ride,” Filicko said.

Top Ten Disney Films

2010-08-24T17:14:00.001-07:00

Top 10 Disney Movies

Disney is just one of those companies – you say the name, and it’s recognized instantly as a classic old company with animated classics as well as some decent live action films (and admittedly, many failures). My childhood memories are heavily dominated by Disney memories. But what films stand out the most over the years and through my childhood?

Well, it took some thought to come up with this list. I immediately had to rule out Disney Pixar, otherwise all ten spaces would have been filled immediately. As I’ve stated before, I consider that company superior and separate – Disney is a financial supporter only. There are some older films on this list, but mostly, these are newer films. This isn’t to say I don’t adore and respect older classics from Disney, just that they all didn’t make my personal top ten countdown.

On that note, let’s see which films are nostalgic and touching even to this day.

10. Treasure Planet: This 2002 release turned the ‘Treasure Island’ story into an animated sci-fi adventure. It was nominated for an Academy Award, but it did poorly at the box office. I’ve never understood this, because I love this movie – and according to most reviews, so did the majority of critics. While not the best film out there, it really was and remains to me a very good, fun adventure. Young boy and delinquent Jim Hawkins travels with a crew after discovering a map to the treasure of a pirate who terrorized the galaxy in the past. On his journey he learns about himself, makes friends, and, well, the usual shenanigans in an adventure. The designs of the galaxies and creatures (remember: it’s sci-fi) were pretty decent, the voice acting was memorable, the characters were interesting even if there were clichés. I wouldn’t consider the animation the best, but it certainly wasn’t bad. Now, I admittedly have not read the novel this was loosely based on – but believe me, this adventure has a wonderful energy whether you’re a fan of the novel or not.

9. Pocahontas: I really do like this movie by Disney. It’s historically inaccurate, but then again, so are most films – I can’t yell at Disney for that. As a little girl I remember loving the main character – free spirited, with simple beauty and strength abound, Pocahontas went through quite the adventure with her animal friends in this movie after meeting John Smith and interacting with the settlers coming to the New World. The animation is beautiful, the voice acting well done, and even if there are inaccuracies, I think I can appreciate this movie even now. It stirs my emotions every time.
But here’s my complaint: why in the world did the re-release change the words in parts to be more PC? Trust me, your children will not be affected by some harsh words in a G rated film (reality has a far stronger impact), and if anything, the fact that the settlers were so racist against the Native American people was one of the few accurate things I remember as a kid. Don’t cushion the truth to make people feel better, please; we learn more that way. (I really am bitter for the company ruining a very powerful song with their edits. Luckily I own the original soundtrack!)

8. Rescuers Down Under: I know a lot of people may not agree with me, but I actually think this is one of about two Disney sequels that improved when compared to its original. I love the first film, but this sequel…just, wow. The original was about two mice rescuing a little girl from the middle of nowhere. The sequel is about the two mice rescuing a boy who is protecting an endangered eagle in a land filled with dangerous animals and people, with a possible love triangle in the mix. The animation is incredible (I ran around as the fantastic looking eagle from this movie on Halloween several years in a row), the villain is a bit more intimidating than the original’s, and there’s just so much more action to appreciate. I think this film is pretty under appreciated, especially for a Disney film. Give it a viewing.

7. Brave Little Toaster: OK, I have to admit, it shouldn’t be surprising that I like this film – a lot of the people on this project went on to become a part of the Pixar team (and I’m not biased at all!). This film turned ordinary house appliances into lonely living beings determined to make it home to their original owner – who is no longer the little boy they remember, but a young man getting ready to go to college. The main characters travel to find him and meet a large variety of other characters, some nice, most of them not. With pretty good animation and a ton of imagination, I still appreciate this movie today.

6. Mulan: Surprise surprise. ‘Mulan’ is one of the newer Disney films, turning the Disney princess into a warrior princess who pretends to be a man to join the army in her father’s place. She and fellow soldiers must train hard to protect their people from the incoming Huns. While there are some things I can criticize in it, let’s be honest: there always are. But honestly, my personal pet peeves don’t change the fact that this movie truly is fun to watch – the animation is lovely, the voice acting very good, and the music and storyline exciting and fun.

5. Beauty and the Beast: This fairy tale about a girl and a beast falling in love quickly became a Disney classic. It was received with incredible positive response, and I don’t blame anyone for it. Honestly, I don’t feel like there’s much I can say about this one. With Belle and the Beast as opposing and yet very appealing main characters, fantastic animation and some of the best composed music I’ve ever heard, this movie is easily one of Disney’s best.

4. Miracle of the White Stallions: Now here’s an oldie that I bet almost no one has even heard of. This movie is from 1963, and tells the tale of how the Lipizzaner horses from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna were saved during World War II. It’s based on a true story, and has some fantastic camera work and old actors in it. The horses are the focus and yet are not – the people tell the story, and the horses are a constant presence even when not on camera. Seeing this film makes me want to see these horses on tour again – there are actually two real performances made by the stallions in this film, directed by the original hero from this very story. I was relieved that this film made it to DVD, because even though Disney didn’t give it any respect and didn’t attempt to clean it up at all, I was very happy to see it again.

3. The Lion King: This is another one of those ‘90s classics that I feel doesn’t need any explanation. This fantastic Disney original about a lion cub earning his throne contributed a lot, from more fantastic music to one of the most recognized deaths in cinema. I personally get a kick out of seeing footage of a lion from the zoo being brought to the studio so the artists have a reference for the drawings – and the effort really shows and paid off.

2. Hunchback of Notre Dame: I love this movie – I love the villain, I love the beautiful and caring Esmeralda, and I love Quasimodo and his growth and role in the film as he comes to terms with his looks, learns about his past, and helps the gypsy girl his master hunts. This film actually has a director and a producer from ‘The Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘The Lion King,’ so I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that I adore it as much as I adore those. I know some people may actually wonder how this beat ‘Lion King’ – and truthfully, even though this movie was based on a classic tragic tale, I do think in some ways ‘Lion King’ may have a slightly better story, and in some ways, the other films have better animation sequences. So it still beat ‘Lion King’? Well, honestly, I am a theater lover, and anything that hires a professional choir and Broadway singer to do the music gets instant brownie points – not to mention, there’s Latin in this movie, and that language just screams with power to me. This soundtrack is one of the most stunning, with only one song that I can’t stand – and every other song gives me chills every time I hear it. Nostalgia Critic even granted Frollo’s “Hellfire” the top villain song. Put simply: I cheer when these play on my iPod, and I will always enjoy watching this movie.

So what tops ‘Hunchback’?

1. Fox and the Hound: An oldie but goodie, this movie was actually the last Disney film to favor some old styles in the credits before the ‘Renaissance of Disney’ began. This film tells the simple, beautiful tale of friendship between a fox (my favorite animal – I’m so not biased!) and a hound. Critics said that the film approached an old Disney magic, and I have to agree. The film just feels older and slower paced as it examines how the fox cub and hound pup grow up and how they move through their lives, and sometimes it has the old style animation as well, even if it was released in ’81 – long after a lot of other animated Disney classics. But to this day, I adore this movie. It makes me cry, and that is why this beats ‘Hunchback’ – because while ‘Hunchback’ gives me chills, this Disney film actually manages to bring tears to my eyes as much as its ending warms my heart.

And there’s my top 10 Disney movies. Feel free to agree or disagree, but as always, give each movie a fair chance and at least one viewing.