Entertain Yourself
Diverse alternative bands travel to Portland
u C hris G arfield _____________
Page Editor
March and April are big
concert months in Portland
with hip-hop, rock and pop
bands stopping by. Here are a
variety of bands that should
please everyone:
but this time it's going to be
an all ages show.
Pepper, April 1, $15,
Crystal Ballroom - The
reggae-ska-punk band from
Kailua-Kona, HA are regular
Rata tat, March 26, $13,
Wonder Ballroom - Ratatat,
an "indietronica" duo from
New York, is a band like no
visitors to the Rose City. They
are known to play a good
show and this one should
be no exception. The Crystal
Ballroom, where these guys
will be playing, is a cool
venue so if you have never
been there this concert is a
good first. If you miss this
show, don't worry, you can
catch them on all the dates of
the 2007 Warped Tour.
other. They play songs that
have synthesizers, guitar
solos and growling cats that
should result in a live show
that can't be missed. Ratatat
has visited Portland before,
Astronaut Farmer rockets
into theaters but fails liftoff
,
M c G innis _______________
Staff Reporter
Billy Bob Thorton (Bad
Santa, Friday Night Lights)
takes on a different role in
the film "Astronaut Farmer"
which opened on Feb. 23. It
is a good family film (even
though I was the only one
in the theater who couldn't
pass for the senior citizen
discount) about following
your dreams.
Thornton plays Charles
Farmer, an aeronautical
engineer graduate and
ex-Air Force
pilot, who put
his dream of
being in space
on hold for
his family. He
works on a
farm and builds
a rocket in his
bam. Despite
financial,
family,
governmental
and alleged
psychological problems,
Farmer pushes to go into
space by continuing to work
on the rocket. He is the
hero who rises above every
obstacle, which actually,
aside from every other
movie made, is one of the
most "original" storylines
I've ever thought about.
There were some little
surprises in the film like
Bruce Willis playing an ex
astronaut who doubts him.
storyline also shakes
up in the middle when a
huge unexpected problem
occurs.
I enjoyed many of the
scenes and it was a fun
storyline, if you do not take
the story so seriously, but
I found the kids in the film
were really annoying. The
girls' names were Stanley
and Sunshine which made
me think Thornton and
his wife (Virginia Madsen)
were astro-NUTS, ha, ha.
But seriously, the kids, it
reminded me of
why I hate kids
and why I don't
spend much time
with my own.
The children
end up being
a driving force
in Thornton's
dream though he
had trouble with
his childhood
when he saw his
father give up
on his dream.
Oh yeah, and for the
ladies, Thornton looked
absolutely bod-tastic in
. this film.
Basically, I'm really
excited to see "Black Snake
Moan" which stars Samuel
L. Jackson ("Snakes on
a Plane!" and that's all
that matters) because it's
a Samuel L. Jackson film
with snake in the title.
I will never see "The
Astronaut Farmer" again.
Gym Class Heroes, March
24, $15, Hawthorne Theatre
- Another band from New
York, Gym Class Heroes are
on tour again after a four-
month break. They play
hip-hop with good beats and
transitions which should
make an interesting show.
Maybe you will hear their
most unusual song, which
includes a million references
to bands like Death Cab for
Cutie, Kiss, Bright Eyes,
Brand New and The Postal
Service to name a few. They
will be playing at a smaller
venue, the Hawthorne
Theatre, so be sure to get
there early to snag a spot up
front.
Lily Allen, March 28, $22,
Aladdin Theatre - An import
from London, England, Lily
Allen is a singer whose lyrics
reflect real life experiences.
She sings about her family,
her problems and her life.
Allen’s rise to fame is strange
in that she became known
through MySpace music.
She regularly updates her
site, despite her label telling
her not to, with new songs
that she has written and
blogs on her life. More and
more people are starting
to visit her site and her
popularity is growing. Her
new album, "Alright, still,"
reached number one on the
UK Billboard album charts
and will for sure become a hit
here. She will be playing at
the Aladdin Theatre. Expect a
big show with little room.
Tickets seem to be selling
faster and faster. Great
bands and singers such as
The Arcade Fire, The Shins,
Modest Mouse and Regina
Spektor are already sold out,
some in a matter of hours.
Scalpers like buying multiple
tickets at a time and then
selling them for unbelievable
prices. This growing
(sometimes illegal) trend is
a downer for concert goers,
especially those with a tight
budget, who just want to see
their favorite bands.
"On the Verge" takes audience on wild ride
m H llll CiAVARELLQ________
Staff Reporter
"On the Verge" takes the
audience on a whimsical
journey in the company of
realistic, imaginative,
language intensive and has
a pervasive sense of whimsy.
I chose it for the three
strong female characters
Fanny Cranberry (Georgina Cohen) speaks to Mr. Coffee (Dylan
Stark) in the Feb. 28 rehearsal of "On The Verge." Mr. Coffee is a
prognosticating time traveler, not unlike the three ladies whom the
show is about. The play ran from March 1-10 and starred Brooke Aus,
senior, Georgina»Cohen and Rosie Dickson, juniors.
Photo by Jon Ares
three wonderfully different
women. Traveling through
time and space, the show
was like no other. With a
small and talented cast of
six, it was highlighted by
its unique stage use, thanks
to the crew of 20, and
the script's unique use of
language, thanks to writer
Eric Overmyer. Chosen for its
eclectic aspects, it helped the
Theatre Department show a
more creative side.
"It [the play] is non-
and because I wanted to
do something more artistic
and intimate after the big
musical," Jessica Murray,
director, said about choosing
"On the Verge" for the spring
play.
As the play begins, the
three main characters,
Mary, Fanny and Alexandra
embark on an expedition
through Terra Incognita, but
soon they come to realize
that they have journeyed into
"a strange new world where
life as we know it is not
as we know it." The actors
portray these well-worded
women as if they were them.
The uncommon language is
believable when spoken by
Brooke Aus (Mary), senior,
Georgina Cohen (Fanny),
junior, and Rosie Dickson
(Alexandra), junior, and you
come to understand exactly
what they are saying, even
when you haven't yourself
studied the words.
Tech theatre students
created magic with lighting,
props and costuming. It was
especially important for the
unusually small cast.
"We have six cast
members, but 20 crew—a
great opportunity for
tech theatre students. The
creative, hard working
people behind the scenes
are just as important as the
actors on stage. This is a
tech intensive show and
highlights the skills of the
techies, although if they are
doing their jobs, you will
never notice them. It will be
magic," Murray said.
"(I chose this play) For the
conversation that follows the
show—how the audience will
respond and react," Murray
said. "The show is really a
metaphor for the journey of
our lives— how we progress
through time, the people you
meet along the way, and all
the discoveries we make."