Pulse Editor
Jacquelyn Lewis
jacquelynlewis@dailyemerald.com
Thursday, May 15,2003
Oregon Daily Emerald
On Tuesday
Can Pulse survive
MTV's Real World?
‘Matrix’ sequel
deserves its own
national holiday
Unless you are devoid of your God-given senses and men
tal faculties, you will have noticed a film called “The Matrix
Reloaded” opened today. Oh ... my ... GOD! Do you even
understand? It’s just so ... I mean ... (pant, pant, drool).
Yippidy ding dang doodle! It’s National Matrix Day!
Yes, I’ve officially declared today National Matrix Day. Be
cause I haven’t really cleared this with the authorities, I
don’t have any sort of novelty key to give the Wachowski
brothers like Tony Hawk got from Springfield, but I think
popular sentiment has my back.
On March 31, 1999, my friends and I went to find out just
what “The Matrix” was. Thanks to bril
liant marketing, we didn’t know, but we
felt in our bones that it would be some
thing magical — perhaps even religious.
And lo, we did sit there, my beloved
flock, with jaws a’hangin’ slack and
eyes a’gapin’ — shoutin’ hiiiiiigh
praise for this a’gift from the lawd.
Aeeey-matrix!
We hastily agreed we would go to
school the following day, clad in black
with sunglasses and trench coats in
homage to the film. No, this had noth
ing to do with a desire to shoot people
— stupid Columbine. It was just our way of celebrating and
getting the word out that this was the best... movie ... ever.
Thanks to our efforts, we returned that Friday with untold
hordes to be baptized.
Mason
West
Selling out
Unlike other movies that inspire playing dress-up, such as
“Lord of the Rings,” Matrix outfits are sexier than Victoria’s
Secret models. So you should have no problem with suiting
up today to show your pride. If you didn’t have the presence
of mind to see it coming, you have my permission to skip
class and change. Sure, god willing, it’s a nice day and wear
ing black vinyl outfits and/or trench coats will not be com
fortable, but suck it up! It’s National Matrix Day, dammit!
And what else does one do on National Matrix Day? Aside
from seeing the sequel, you can review the original in all its
glory. Every man, woman, child and most seeing-eye dogs
with a DVD player should own a copy. I hear they even
bothered to release it on VHS so the Cro-Magnons can
watch it. It’s out there. You know where to find it. What are
you waiting for?
Local group
Avery Bell
has been
playing gigs
at various
locals
including
peace rallies
for the past
two years,
and will
perform at
WOW Hall
on Saturday.
Courtesy
Ringing in musical bliss
Members of local band Avery Bell
work together as a ‘cohesive
whole,’ combining violin, drums
and an array of meaningful vocals
Jacquelyn Lewis
Pulse Editor
The first track of Avery Bell’s self-ti
tled debut album begins with a lone vi
olin. Drums, two guitars and vocals
slowly join in, building to a dark, in
tense piece of music, which is undeni
ably greater than the sum of its parts.
This is a fitting beginning to the local
band’s musical career, given the group’s
success — both as a band and in friend
ship — is built on its ability to gel as a co
hesive whole. The band members, who
describe their music as “indie rock,” have
been playing as Avery Bell for two years.
The band has performed in three states
and several recent peace rallies and will
appear at WOW Hall on Saturday.
Avery Bell consists of 23-year-old
Portland resident and University alum
na Melody Wilbrecht and University
senior and music technology major
Jake Houck and brother Lucas Houck,
along with senior fine arts major Reese
Lawhon. The Houck brothers said they
have been friends and played music
with Lawhon for years, and the three
have also been roommates. They were
all in different bands but played togeth
er often and eventually decided to cre
ate Avery Bell. Later, they added vio
linist and vocalist Wilbrecht after
seeing a flyer she posted in a University
computer lab.
The band’s six-track CD is filled with
angst. Drummer and former University
student Lucas Houck said the songs’
mood reflects the topics they write about.
“I think paranoia is the defining
theme of my lyrics,” he said with a
laugh. “They’re twisted and wicked;
they’re about crime, paranoia and a
deep, deep fear of sex.”
Guitarist and vocalist Jake Houck said
all his songs have deep personal meaning.
“I really feel strongly that the lyrics
mean something,” he said. “I wouldn’t
sing lyrics that were written casually or
didn’t mean anything — I’m not
singing just for the hell of it.”
Wilbrecht, who has been playing violin
for 13 years, added that Avery Bell’s mu
sic also mirrors her personality.
Turn to Avery Bell, page 8
Unlike other movies that inspire playing
dress-up, such as'Lord of the Rings/
Matrix outfits are sexier than Victoria's
Secret models.
Of course, you should have watched it before today in
preparation. You also should have watched all four Anima
trix shorts available at www.intothematrix.com. As there
are constraints of bandwidth and ignorance, you can get
around to them later. But, seriously, they are brilliant in
sights into the world of “The Matrix” completely outside the
plots of the films. I am enamored by the fact they can give
me almost half of these shorts absolutely free and still be ut
terly confident that I will buy the DVD when it comes out in
June. Do you see? Do you see how good they are to us?!?
We must all repay their kindness with loyalty on National
Matrix Day!
There’s one kind of loyalty I don’t want to see and that’s
tp Powerade. I hate, hate, hate that cursed sports drink for
clinging to the coattails of my wonderful franchise. But the
film cannot be blamed for this insult. Sure, they made Ma
trix action figures, but in the scheme of things, “The Matrix”
has not bastardized itself with an abundance of unnecessary
consumer goods or endorsements. You’d better believe Pow
erade paid out the nose to tap the Matrix magic and that
money only went to make “Reloaded” more kick-ass. To
anyone who says otherwise, I say this:
I know kung fu.
Contact the Pulse columnist at masonwest@dailyemerald.com. His
views do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald. _
Irish pub meets theater in ‘Lime Tree’
Mark McCambridge Emerald
This Lime Tree Bower' creates an intimate environment with an Irish
pub setting, complete with pretzels, brew and dart boards.
•■*--***.t t -•.*-11 tvt
I he insh drama set in a pub involves actors moving
about the theater and talking with audience members
over pints of root beer and bowls of pretzels
Mark Baylis
Pulse Reporter
I don’t typically go the theater to play a round of darts, nor do I
often get offered a pint of the local brew with my playbill. How
ever, those who can’t decide whether to go to the local pub or the
local theater can now have their cake and eat it too.
The University Theatre is bringing the pub to its audience
with the current production of “This Lime Tree Bower,” the final
offering from the 2002-03 Second Season. The offbeat comedy of
Irish playwright Conor McPherson, which opened yesterday,
shares the tale of two colorful brothers, Joe and Frank, and their
sister’s boyfriend Ray — a womanizing philosophy professor
who sleeps with his students.
The play is scripted as a series of individual vignettes by the
trio, who reside in a small, seaside town near Dublin. Each mono
logue dives head-first into classic Irish storytelling. The content is
full of bar room bravado and braggadocio, revealing a defining
moment for each character. The audience listens as Joe recounts
his coming of age, as he separated himself from the shady deeds of
the local school yard rebel. Frank depicts his own excursions into
the crime world; Ray spews stories of booze and sex with stu
dents, along with his attempts to humiliate a visiting philosophy
professor. The separate monologues eventually merge into one,
offering a complete picture of a night two years earlier.
The play runs tonight through May 17 and May 22 to May 24.
Turn to Lime Tree, page 8