PULSE - 4-15-2011 by CVPulse

Buck wild When you mess With the bull, you get the horns

PULSE

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contents

this ISSUE: Professional Bull Riding

AT LEFT, COVER, PAGES 4-5: SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGES AND DAVID HEMENWAY / PULSE ARTIST

Issue No. 6 6 April 15-28, 2011

ON THE COVER BULL(Y) FOR YOU Not the sort of face you’d want to meet in a dark alley. Yet there’s a fearless crew that willingly saddles up for the rides of their lives.

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6 Detailed work See Iowa’s prairie lands up close and personal in an exhibit at the Lowe Park Arts and Environmental Center.

9 Gotta go A city’s citizens are p.o.’d and not gonna take it anymore in the UNI production of “Urinetown: The Musical.”

12 Redstone blues Raven-haired blues maven Janiva Magness has performed her way to a spot with the blues elite. See her in Davenport this month.

www.cvpulse.com PULSE MAGAZINE

is dedicated to covering the arts, music, theater, movies and all other entertainment in Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Pulse is published every other week and is a product of Courier Communications, P.O. Box 540, 501 Commercial St., Waterloo, IA 50704.

14 You heard it here Ha Ha Tonka is coming to the Mill in Iowa City. Preview the Southern rock sound of “Usual Suspects” on your mobile device.

EDITOR Meta Hemenway-Forbes 319.291.1483 meta.hemenway-forbes@ wcfcourier.com ADVERTISING Sheila Kerns 319.291.1448 sheila.kerns@wcfcourier.com submit your event pulse@wcfcourier.com 319.291.1483 DESIGN TEAM Emily Chace Angela Dark Beth Keeney Alan Simmer David Hemenway

Break Got five minutes to kill? Try one of these hilarious clips.

17 Almost famous Iowa’s most well-known folk-rock group, the Nadas, saw their rise to fame cut short by a national tragedy.

24 Two-timing There’s a big blast of sequels coming as a beloved puzzler and a promising shooter get second installments.

Heart attack! You don’t have to speak Portuguese to know this is funny. In this video from Brazil, a boy who has cut his hair throws himself on the mercy of his sister, who threatens to tell their mother. Then he threatens a heart attack. Search “um infarto do coracao.” Meet the master Edbassmaster is the king of pranks, hoodwinking unsuspecting passersby in dozens of YouTube videos. Pulse’s favorite? “Look at This Car.” Check youtube.com/edbassmaster. PULSE

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It all comes down to KRISTIN GUESS | Pulse writer

8 seconds.

alance. Timing. Physical and mental strength — all vital against a creature 10 times your size and focused on slamming you into the dirt. Four judges watch closely as you try to control your flailing body, holding on with just one hand, forbidden to touch the writhing behemoth beneath — or yourself — with the other hand.

But you’re not scared. You’re gonna win $1 million. Those will be the thoughts of Dustin Elliott as he arrives in Iowa for the Professional Bull Rider’s Built Ford Tough Series Des Moines Invita-

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tional on May 6-7 at Wells Fargo Arena. More than 40 of the top bull riders in the world will compete at the arena, one of the tour’s 28 stops in 23 states. Competitors will try to rack up enough points to qualify for the PBR world finals in Las Vegas if they want a shot at the $1 million prize. The past three winners in Des Moines are scheduled to compete, including Mike Lee of Decatur, Texas; Travis Briscoe of Edgewood, N.M.; and Guilherme Marchi of Leme, Brazil. Elliott, originally from John Day, Ore., rode bulls with his father and brother as a child but mounted his first big bull when he was just 14. He went on to win his first college national

title before bull riding became a career for him. “Every step I made I started preparing for life, but bull riding kept taking over,” he said. “Able to make money, do what I like to do and not have to punch a time clock.” When Elliott is not with his family in North Platte, Neb., or raising bucks and bulls, he’s competing. Coast to coast, border to border, Elliott has traveled all over the U.S. competing in one of the world’s most extreme sports. Fortunately, Elliott has never suffered a major injury while riding, and he still gets excited every time he enters the ring. “I’ve always lived by the motto, ‘If it’s not fun, then don’t do it.’”

PBR World Champion Bulls

Dustin Elliott

each year the candidates for world Champion Bull are determined before the PBr Built Ford tough world Finals. the top 0 bull riders in the Built Ford tough series select five bulls, and fans are allowed to select two bulls. PBr livestock Director Cody lambert also has the option of selecting a bull. the world Champion Bull is the bull who accumulates the highest total bull score during the world Finals. 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 200 2003

Bones Code Blue Bones Chicken on a Chain Mossy Oak Mudslinger Big Bucks little Yellow Jacket little Yellow Jacket

2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995

WoRld ld F FINalS qUalIFIcaTIoNS: HEIGHT: 5’ 10” WEIGHT: WEIGHT EIGHT 1 5 BoRN: BoRN RN April 5, 1981, in Burns, Ore. SEaSoN STaNdING: Fifth SEa a EaRNINGS: $ 5 ,070 Ea BEST RIdE: 92 points on B Chicken on a Chain in March 2010. HIGHlIGHTS: rode 2010 H four of six bulls at world Finals to finish fourth and earn $92,333. won round 1 and $25,000 on Hee Bee Gee Bee.

little Yellow Jacket Dillinger Dillinger Promise Moody Blues Panhandle slim Baby Face Bodacious

Settling the score

One of the biggest differences between the PBR and other sports is that bull riders don’t get paid if they don’t ride. Each rider is randomly paired in advance with his bull and assigned to one of six sections. At select events, riders participate in a draft to select their bull for certain rounds. Each ride is worth up to 100 points: 50 points for the bull and 50 points for the rider if he successfully rides the bull for eight seconds. Four judges award up to 25 points each to the rider and the bull. All four of the judges’ scores are combined and then divided by two for the official score. Half of the 100 points possible is based on the performance of the bull and how difficult he is to ride. The other half of the 100 points is based on how adept the rider is.

The ride

The PBR uses only the best bucking bulls. PBR bulls possess tremendous physical strength and bring intensity and desire to each ride. They are born and bred to buck. A rope, which is positioned around the bull’s flank in front of their hips, is the device used to make the bulls buck. The flank rope is more of an annoyance than anything else. The bulls will kick their hind legs out at the height of their bucking action in an effort to dislodge it, resulting in a more uniform and less erratic performance. Because they are bred to buck, bulls are aware that when the chute gate opens, it’s time to perform, much like a racehorse anxiously anticipates the sound of the starting bell.

Saddle up

Friday, May 6, and Saturday, May 7 wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines Tickets: $10 and up; wells Fargo Arena box office, Dahl’s Foods, www.Dahlstickets.com, 866.553.2 57 @TeamPBR

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A woman’s touch Female artists grace walls of Myrtle Gallery MELODY PARKER | Pulse Writer “THE DOWNTOWN RETREAT,” ALICE DOLGENER

“SUN-KISSED,” PENELOPE MOORE

“COLLECTIVE FORTUNES: WHAT’S OUR FUTURE?,” JOAN WEBSTER VORE

oan Webster Vore’s kinetic hanging sculpture, with its many dangling fortune cookies made from paper, has an ethereal quality. Its title, “Collective Fortunes: What’s Our Future?” perhaps unintentionally or prophetically, also seems to speak to the experiences, feelings and concerns of women being treated for breast cancer. Appropriately enough, Vore’s work is one of many pieces featured in “The Art of Women II,” an exhibition at the Henry W. Myrtle Gallery and Gifts in Cedar Falls. The display celebrates local and regional women’s contributions and accomplishments in the arts in support of Beyond Pink, an organization that offers advocacy, resources and a support group for women living with breast cancer. Vore appreciates the dual messages in the display, which continues through May 7. “Women’s roles in the arts need to be recognized,” she noted. “And I have friends who have had breast cancer. Tying the show to breast cancer awareness is very personal.” Tatiana Ivaschenko has several portraits and floral paintings in the show and views it as a “great opportunity to be part of a group with other artists. Women have been proven equal to men in their artistic abilities, but still, it’s a nice opportunity to show work.” Other featured artists include Penelope Moore, Pam Echeverria, Shirley Shirley and Rita Orr. Watercolor painter Alice Dolgener praises the gallery for showcasing women’s artwork. “I feel honored to be invited to participate. It’s fun to work with such good people and be in the company of other artists,” she said, adding that she recently has been inspired to create abstract acrylic pieces. “The last painting I did, ‘Unending Possibilities,’ is quirky and I wanted to portray a message more than anything else. Working in new styles keeps me fresh.”

HENRY W. MYRTLE GALLERY AND GIFTS 915 West 23rd St., Cedar Falls www.henrymyrtle.com HOURS Monday–Friday • 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday • 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

LEFT: “IOWA LANDSCAPE,” PAM ECHEVERRIA

ABOVE: COPPER AND BEAD PENDANT, SHIRLEY SHIRLEY

WOOD WORKS

“SPRING MIX,” TATIANA IVASCHENKO

“LADY LILY,” RITA ORR

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dmission to the Grant Wood Studio, which recently reopened for the season, is now free thanks to a grant from the Esther and Robert Armstrong Charitable Trust. Wood lived and worked in the studio from 192435. Visitors can stand in the very spot where Wood painted some of his most famous works, including “American Gothic.” The nearby Cedar Rapids Museum of Art houses the world’s largest collection of works by Wood. The CRMA is displaying a mosaic of Wood’s “Woman with Plants,” “Grant Wood, Piece by Piece.” The tile mosaic was created by a group of students through the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy. A Party at Grant Wood’s: Free Family Fun Day is also set from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 25.

CEDAR RAPIDS MUSEUM OF ART 410 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids www.crma.org HOURS Saturday and Sunday • Noon – 4 p.m.

MAY 2 – jUNE 18

DEEP NATURE: PHOTOGRAPHS OF IOWA & BEYOND Lowe Park Arts and Environmental Center 4500 N. 10th St., Marion 319.3 .484

THE ART IS IN THE DETAILS

may

HERE COME THE MUMMIES FUNK/R&B BAND A Bob and Tom favorite, Here Come The Mummies is a big party night of music and comedy.

may

obert and Linda Scarth’s stunning photographs of nature’s tiny gems form half of their upcoming exhibit at the Lowe Park Arts and Environmental Center, a pastoral setting amid prairie grasses and gardens on the outskirts of Marion. “Iowa’s prairies of 200 hundred years ago, her woodlands and wetlands, cannot be reproduced,” said Linda Scarth, “but the tiny life forms — flowers, lichens, birds and insects — are here to be celebrated.” Using digital photography and a 180-millimeter macro lens, they capture such details as flower petals refracted through a single dew drop. Robert said their work in this way is both abstract and representational. In their book, for instance, a stack of fungi on a tree forms an abstract pattern, yet on the next page a clearly recognizable bee hovers on a milkweed. By focusing on the arrangement of the image — shapes, lines, form, colors and especially light — the photographers create beautiful and unusual glimpses into nature’s intricacy. The Scarths have traveled the United States and the world photographing nature. The other half of their Lowe show includes photographs of animals and plants in East Africa, Costa Rica and the Falkland Islands. They will soon travel to New Mexico. After moving to Iowa in 1992 from Australia, they soon noticed details of the original beauty of Iowa. While the great plains no longer exist, remnants remain, and the Scarths’ work aims to bring attention to those species necessary to create a life-sustaining and emotionally satisfying natural world. At the show’s opening at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 12, the Scarths will give a tour, followed by time for questions.

BOWLING FOR SOUP POP/PUNK GROUP Best known for the hit singles “Girl All The Bad Guys Want,” “Almost,” “High School Never Ends,” and “1985.”

UPCOMING SHOWS! D AV Y J O N E S A P R 3 0 S AT I S FA C T I O N - A Rolling Stones Experience J U N E 3 D AV I D A L L A N C O E J U N E 4 THE SWEET JUNE 17

800.582.5956 | WWW.DIAMONDJO.COM Tickets available at www.diamondjo.com & at the Diamond Club. Acts subject to change without notice. Must be 21 or older. If you or someone you know needs gambling treatment, call 1-800-BETS OFF.

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Big and beautiful

es Moines Art Center’s fifth Big Hair Ball will showcase the art of hair, makeup and fashion. This biannual event will feature local boutiques offering hair, nail and make-up artistry; music and visual effects by DJ John Solarz; appetizers from Occasions Made Right; and beverages from Pearl Vodka and Doll Distributing. This year’s runway theme is Glitter and Grease, and the evening will culminate in a spectacular runway show, featuring modeled hair and

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8PM-10PM

S GR SO OUNDS &

&S UN OUNDS & GRO

& GR

R &G

LIVE JAZZ EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT

& SOUNDS

OPEN MIC NIGHT BEN COOK-FELTZ JARED PLACE RICK VANDERWAHL

NDS

04.15 04.16 04.23 04.30

CUP OF JOE

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1 0 2 M A I N S T . C E D A R F A L L S | 3 19 . 2 7 7.15 9 6

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Saturday, April 23 • p.m. Des Moines Art Center 700 Grand Ave., Des Moines www.desmoinesartcenter.org

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short programs designed by local salons as well as special performances by Keescamp and the Des Moines Metro Opera. Tickets: $50 and available at www.redtrucktickets.com, 515.657.6128 or the museum shop.

PULSE

Texas Tenors add extra show

he Texas Tenors have scheduled an additional concert with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra for 2 p.m. Sunday, May 1, at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. The Texas Tenors and their cowboy charm combine country, gospel and classical styles. The trio, John Hagen, JC Fisher and Marcus Collins, were finalists on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” in 2009. In the past year, the Texas Tenors have performed more than 150 concerts across the world. The show with the WCFSO will include an ar-

ray of musical numbers, including “Unchained Melody,” “My Way,” music from “West Side Story” and their signature “God Bless the U.S.A.” Tickets: $24; wcfsymphony.org, 319.273.4849 or 877.549.SHOW. Sunday, May 1 • 2 p.m. Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center UNI, Cedar Falls www.wcfsymphony.org

Baseball Season is Here! No matter where your fanhood lies, we have your game. Proudly offering MLB Extra Innings and all Regional Fox Sports Net Channels.

Get the lead out

205 East 18th Street • Cedar Falls • 319-277-3671 Hours: 11 a.m. – 2 a.m. • 7 days a week!

he Dubuque Museum of Art is exhibiting a retrospective of the sculpture of John Cavanaugh through July 3. This is the exhibition’s first time in Iowa. Born and raised in Ohio, Cavanaugh was a master of hammered lead whose innovative methods revolutionized the medium. In 1946, he graduated from Ohio State University and completed two years of graduate work at the University of Iowa from 1948-50. Before he died at 63, Cavanaugh had created more than 500 sculptures in lead. He also experimented with clay, bronze and wax, making major contributions in each medium.

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Dubuque Museum of Art • 701 Locust St., Dubuque • www.dbqart.com

w w w . m u ll i g an sb ri ck o v e n. c o m

Hold it...UNI musical centers on pay toilets

trayer-Wood Theatre and the University of Northern Iowa Department of Theatre will present “Urinetown: The Musical” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 15-16, and Thursday through Saturday, April 21-23. A matinee will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 17. “Urinetown” is a tale of greed, corruption, love and revolution in a time when water is scarce. In a Gotham-like city, a 20-year drought led to a governmentenforced ban on private toilets, forcing citizens to pay to use public amenities. Amid the people, a hero decides he’s had enough and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom. The musical is inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. Tickets: $20 or free for UNI students, uni.edu/ theatre, 319.273.6381. April 15–16 • April 21–23 Strayer-Wood Theatre UNI, Cedar Falls www.uni.edu/theatre WO-041511018

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pulse pick

ApRIL 30

roster mccabe

WHO: Mike Daum, lead guitar; Scott Muellenberg, bass, backing vocals; Jeff Peterson, drums, backing vocals; Drew Preiner, guitar, backing vocals; Alex Steele, lead vocals, keyboards. WHEN: 9 p.m. Friday, April 15 at Yacht Club in Iowa City and Wednesday, May 4 at The Hub in Cedar Falls. Q. If you could tour with any band, what would you choose? A. I think it’s safe to say we would like to tour with the big bands in the jam/rock genre: Phish, String Cheese, Umphrey’s, Michael Franti, Lotus, etc. Q. How would you describe Roster McCabe’s sound? A. We call it “funky reggae dance rock.” Everything we play can fit into one of those four genres. Q. If you could have any super power, what would it be? A. The uncanny ability to get a performance slot at all music festivals in the world.

We’re all ears!

WHAT: Hop Thru the ‘Loo pub crawl. WHEN: 6:45 p.m. Saturday, April 30. WHERE: Downtown Waterloo with stops at AMVETS Post 19, Butt Ugly’s Saloon, Elks Lodge, Rumors, The Penalty Box, The Saloon Social Club, Times Sports Bar and the Volks Haus. WHY: Because it’s Easter, silly rabbit, hence the bunny theme. BLING: Bunny ears and a T-shirt. Not to mention the bus ride and specials. COIN: $22. Get tickets at any of the stops or the Main Street Waterloo office.

MAY 7

staind solo A

aron Lewis, the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for rock band Staind, released his first solo album March 1. “Town Line” debuted at No. 1 on the country charts and No. 7 on the Billboard Top 200. At a Mystique Casino performance, Lewis will cover new solo material, like lead single “Country Boy,” in addition to Staind favorites such as “Believe,” “It’s Been Awhile,” “Right Here,” “Outside,” “Epiphany” and “Please.” Staind has sold more than 13 million albums. The group has four No. 1 hits and numerous top ten hits. Staind is recording its seventh major label release. Mystique Casino 1855 Greyhound Park Road, Dubuque mystiquedbq.com Tickets: $25 in advance and $30 the day of the show. 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday, May 7

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MAY 31

Kane

Drew McIntyre

bringin’ the smackdoWn T

he WWE Smackdown will make a return trip to Des Moines’ Wells Fargo Arena at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 31. The main event is Edge and Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto del Rio and Cody Rhodes. Other WWE superstars scheduled to appear include Kofi Kingston, Kane, The Big Show and Kelly Kelly. The lineup is subject to change. Tickets: $17- 67; Wells Fargo Arena box office; Dahl’s Foods; www.dahlstickets.com, 866.553.2457.

Ray Mysterio

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UNI Museums Spring Exhibit

Feb. 14 - May 14

FROM THE BOTANIC GARDEN OF SMITH COLLEGE

www.uni.edu/museum

Funded in part by Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust

This exhibit was produced by the Botanic Garden of Smith College.

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SEARCH PARTY Find what you’re looking for easily online at cvpulse.com EVERY T H I N G E N T E RTA I NING EVERY DAY

MAY 5

DAVID CHURCH MAY 8

TODD SNIDER MAY 20

ROGER McGUINN OF THE BYRDS JUNE 11

JOHN McCUTCHEON TODD SNIDER

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ROGER McGUINN

Mag-n

nificent Chanteuse Magness sets Davenport show

ward-winning vocalist Janiva Magness’ voice possesses an earthy, raw honesty and beauty born from her life experience. A charismatic performer known for her electrifying live shows, she became the second woman to be named the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year at the Blues Music Awards in 2009. She is nominated for another four awards this year. Magness has been performing for almost three decades, logging thousands of miles on the road and appearing 150 nights a year at clubs, theaters and festivals all over the world. Her deeply emotional music, sung with passion, conviction and soul, and her telepathic ability to connect with an audience, assures her place among the blues elite. 8 p.m. Thursday, April 28 The Redstone Room 129 Main St., Davenport $20-$16; redstoneroom.com, RME box office

Michael Buble

Crazy Love Tour 8 p.m. Thursday, June 23 Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines $51.50-$87; dahlstickets.com, 866.553.2457, Dahl’s Foods, Wells Fargo Arena ticket office

‘Chicago’

With John O’Hurley as Billy Flynn 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 2; 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 3; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4; 1 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, June 5 Civic Center of Greater Des Moines $20-$63.50; Civic Center ticket office, Ticketmaster locations, 800.745.8000, CivicCenter.org

Sesame Street Live

“1-2-3 Imagine! With Elmo & Friends” 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 17; 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 18 U.S. Cellular Center, Cedar Rapids $11-$20; ticketmaster.com, 800.745.3000. 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, May 20; 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 21; 1 and 4 :30 p.m. Sunday, May 22 Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines $22-$14; dahlstickets.com, 866.553.2457, Dahl’s Foods, Wells Fargo Arena ticket office

JEFF DUNAS PHOTO

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Listen to “Usual Suspects” on your mobile device

Tonka TougH

a Ha Tonka’s brand of Southern rock is authentic and effortless. The group sits at the crossroads of Americana and indie, where Alabama meets Arcade Fire, shake hands and heads out for a drink. The group’s new album, “Death of a Decade,” dropped earlier this month. It’s the Ozark quartet’s third full-length album, following “Buckle in the Bible Belt” and “Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South.” The album was recorded in a 200-year-old barn

APRIL 21

in New Paltz, N.Y., and includes the barn’s aural imperfections in creaking floorboards. The band marries authentic Southern songs with modern edges. Named after Ha Ha Tonka State Park in its native Missouri, the group’s relentless touring has included performances at Lollapalooza, Sundance Film Festival, SXSW and CMJ. 9 p.m. Thursday, April 21 The Mill | icmill.com 120 E. Burlington St., Iowa City

Watch a Mountain Standard Time music video at CVPulse.com.

IT’s TIMe

M WO-030411019

ountain Standard Time, a bluegrass band, follows in the footsteps of such Colorado greats as The String Cheese Incident and Leftover Salmon. While leading acoustically with guitar, mandolin and banjo, MST brands its own style, boasting a big, full-band sound with saxophone, electric bass, drums and electric effects. MST has performed all over Colorado and across the country, with appearances at Wakarusa Music Festival, 10,000 Lakes Festival, Summer Camp Music Festival and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival contest finals. Mountain Standard Time’s roots stem from

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APRIL 25

late night “picks” among the bluegrass faithful, making music lovers dance from mountain towns to backwoods campfires. Rich lyrics, original melodies, vocal harmonies and driving backbeats have been moving fans across the country, while the band’s unique charisma has been winning hearts. The Comfort Kings bluegrass band will open the show. 7 p.m., Monday, April 25 The Hub | thehublivemusic.com 406 Main St., Cedar Falls

SongS written by Jimmy webb 1

By the Time I get to Phoenix gLen CaMPBeLL

Macarthur Park RICHaRD HaRRIs

up, up and away THe FIFTH DIMensIon

Worst That Could Happen THe BRookLyn BRIDge

all I know aRT gaRFunkeL

The Moonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Harsh Mistress Joe CoCkeR

FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHTS

TangLeD WeBB

8:30 P.M. SHOWTIME

APRIL 29 & 30

FOR TICKET

S GO TO www.baarm r ud udaa.c .coom m//jo jokers

JOHN

with Chris Hegedus

with Shannon Thompson

FRI., APRIL 22

BUSH

SAT., APRIL 23

MON., APRIL 25

FRI., MAY

MON., MAY 23

SQUIRE

. " * / 4 5 $ & % " 3 '" - - 4 t

JusTIn ToWnes eaRLe

Listen to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Harlem River Bluesâ&#x20AC;? on your mobile device

MAY 6-7

BILL

with John Burton

8 p.m. Friday, April 29 & Saturday, April 30 Campbell steele gallery 1064 Seventh Ave., Marion 319.373.9211 | campbellsteele.com

8 p.m. Monday, April 18 university of Iowa Main Lounge 125 N. Madison St., Iowa City

APRIL 22-23

CLAUDE STUART

immy Webb was recently elected chairman of the board of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He continues to write new songs that are as carefully crafted and magical as his legendary hits. Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson hit No. 1 in the late â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s with a new Webb standard, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Highwayman,â&#x20AC;? a ballad that won him another Grammy for Best Country Song of the Year and a CMA Award for Single of the Year. Webbâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s songs continue to grace a galaxy of major recording artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; albums, from Tony Bennett and Rosemary Clooney to Urge Overkill and R.E.M. In addition to writing for other artists, Webb has been releasing albums of his own for many years, including the acclaimed 2010 release â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just Across the River,â&#x20AC;? which features such artists as Billy Joel, Vince Gill, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson and Glen Campbell. In 1999, Webb wrote â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tunesmith,â&#x20AC;? which was acclaimed as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;finest book about songwriting of our timeâ&#x20AC;? by Musician magazine.

ustin Townes Earle is an anomaly. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tall as the day is long, all angles and elbows and a hard stare, both welcoming and deadly serious. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nashville North, all set up in lower Manhattan now, just like hero Woody Guthrie, with twang and charm intact. Earle recently completed a run of sold-out shows in the United Kingdom and Australia. He made his network television debut on â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Late Show With David Lettermanâ&#x20AC;? in January. Earleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third full-length album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Harlem River Blues,â&#x20AC;? debuted at No. 47 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and has received critical praise. Indie rock quintet The Decemberists will open the show.

APRIL 15-16

WED., MAY 25

FOR TICKETS & MORE INFORMATION GO TO

www.wheelhousecf.com

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BLACKHAWK VILLAGE

6027 UNIVERSITY AVE., CEDAR FALLS t www.wheelhousecf.com LINEUP SUBJECT TO CHANGE L

Every Friday & Saturday Night at 9 p.m.! APRIL 18

Apr. 15 - 16 Becca Dougherty & Adam Browne Apr. 22 - 23 Chris Virzi & Jeff Badori Apr. 29 - 30 Ted Oliver & Matthew Tobin

501 SYCAMORE ST., WATERLOO r www.501steakhouse.com PULSE

â&#x20AC;˘

REVIEW Dan DeLUCa | PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

THE STROKES Angles /

“People want a rock band of their generation they can trust,” Julian Casablancas told Spin recently. The Strokes’ leader got that right. And people of the Strokes’ generation want the Strokes to be the band they were back in the early aughts, when the tightly wired “Is This It” (2001) and “Room On Fire” (2003) arrived as a most welcome corrective to the rap-rock knuckleheads ruling the charts at the time. “Angles” approximates that world-weary, insouciant spirit better than the last Strokes album, the too-worked-over “First Impressions of Earth.” But it’s hardly the full-

fledged return to form the New York quintet’s fans so desperately seek. Considering it was begun with one producer and finished with another, with Casablancas recording his vocals in L.A. after the rest of the band had recorded the tracks in New York, it doesn’t sound as disjointed as it might have. But after a brisk start with the snappy reggae rip “Machu Picchu” and the terrifically snarling “Under the Cover of Darkness,” ‘‘Angles” settles into a labored hit-and-miss affair, bottoming out with the unfortunate bossa nova mishap “Call Me Back.”

a.D. amoRosI | PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

BRITNEY SPEARS Femme Fatale /

With her last two albums, pop princess Britney Spears showed a deep inclination — even a need — to engulf her voice in the eccentricities of electronica. But on “Femme Fatale,” Spears sounds more willing than ever to become both a tool of technology (a cog in the machinery, from the rigid dubstep of “Hold It Against Me”) and its remote yet passionate commander. Listen to “Trip to Your Heart,” the achy-breakiest electropop ever, and tell me you can’t feel Britney’s yearning through the Auto-Tune-n-tweaks.

Surely Spears picked the FX-heavy producers who’d twist her vocal pleas and was in on their moody cold waves and molten hot mixes. Max Martin and Dr. Luke turned a majority of “Femme Fatale” into a gilded Eurodisco palace that Giorgio Moroder would have envied, with the thrilling “Gasoline” being the weirdly best of the bunch. Will.i.am makes “Big Fat Bass” into a flexed-out showcase for Brit’s deepest desires. Forget Gaga, Fergie and Christina’s leaps into electro. Britney’s the ice queen.

sCoTT BaUER | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RAY DAVIES See My Friends

Unfortunately for former Kinks frontman Ray Davies, his friends can’t save “See My Friends.” Perhaps hoping to catch the wave of others who found success late in their careers with similar type projects, Davies enlists some A-list talent, from Bruce Springsteen to Metallica, to reinvent some of the Kinks’ most obscure and popular songs including “Lola” and “You Really Got Me.” The results range from above average — like Mumford & Sons on

“Days/This Time Tomorrow” — to nearly unlistenable — Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora on “Celluloid Heroes.” But mostly they’re just somewhere in the uninspired middle. For any such collaboration to succeed, either those who guest star have to reinvent the well-known classic songs to make them their own or they have to succumb to the power of the original and stay true to it within their own voice. Too often on “See My Friends” neither happens.

/ nICk CRIsTIano | PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

DENNIS TAYLOR Steppin’ Up /

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PULSE

There’s a bittersweet story behind this album. “Steppin’ Up” fulfilled a longtime dream for Dennis Taylor — it was the first solo set by the veteran saxophonist, who had backed Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Buckwheat Zydeco, Duke Robillard and, most recently, Delbert McClinton. But he never got to see its release — he died in October at 56. It’s nice to note that Taylor made the most of his one opportunity to be up front. Working in an organ-trio format with McClinton keyboardist Kevin McKendree and a rotating cast of three drummers, Taylor presents

a collection of instrumentals (save for one McClinton vocal turn) that shows him blending the urbane sophistication of a jazzman with the earthy exuberance of a roots-music maven. He ranges easily from the infectious funkiness of his own “Lee’s Lick” to the Crescent City hoodoo of Dr. John’s “I Walk on Gilded Splinters”; from the gospel-infused abandon of Ray Charles’ “Hallelujah I Love Her So” to the after-hours ambience of his own “Back at the Teddy Bear Lounge.” In probably the most unusual move, he tackles Lennon-McCartney’s “And I Love Her.” And like everything else here, it exudes deep and unaffected soul.

Upcoming shows at

ThE naDas

apRIL 21

The NAdAs

DaphnE WILLIs

small town, big deal

mEgan mcCoRmICk

14 APR 15 APR 16 APR

8:00PM LOGAN MIZE W/ DICK PRALL

18 APR 19 APR 20 APR 21 APR

7:00PM: UNIFIED JAZZ ENSEMBLE

22 APR

6:00PM: SNOZZBERRIES 10:00PM: PORK TORNADOES

23 APR 25 APR

7:00PM: JOHNNY CASH TRIBUTE BY BOSS GRANT

27 APR 28 APR

9:00PM: DEAD LARRY

9:00PM: JOURNEY/REO/STYX BY ARCH ALLIES 8:00PM: THE DAMNWELLS W/ HARPER BLYNN AND HOWARD JENNINGS 9:00PM: FREE KEG & KARAOKE 7:00PM: OPEN JAM, LICK IT TICKET, MARY MO 8:00PM: THE NADAS W/ DAPHNE WILLIS, MEGAN McCORMICK, AND HOST COUNTRY

8:00PM: MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME W/ COMFORT KINGS 9:00PM CORNMEAL W/ MIKE HIMBAUGH OF HELLO DAVE

Check out tunes by Daphne Willis at CVPulse.com.

How mucH touring tHey do: “I think, our biggest year, we did 270 dates. I’m sure we made a record in that time too, so we didn’t have a moment. Now it’s 100 (dates). ... I love being

on tour, but I love being home with my family. It’s what works for us at this point in our lives; it’s too hard to be gone and leave your wife with a bunch of screaming kids. I really have to be around now like never before. (So) it’s really a lot of long weekends, mostly, through the greater Midwest. For us, that’s Colorado to Chicago and Minneapolis to Kansas City. We’re still getting out and about, but it’s not three-week grinding like we used to.” tHeir latest album, “almanac,” on wHicH tHe band wrote one song per montH in 2010: “It was my partner (vocalist and guitarist) Jason (Walsmith’s) idea. For us, it’s this snapshot of a year. It’s kind of funny, there’s a delay to it; if something happens in March, we don’t write about it in March, we write about it in April. It’s a really cool way to make a record, but it’s grueling. We’ll never do it again. I would recommend it to a band that might be in a rut — it’s a good way to discipline yourself into putting out some material. Other than that, no. There’s times when I would have liked to take more time in the writing.” tHeir fans, and tHemselves, growing older: “We’ve kind of talked about it a little — maybe those 80 shows turn into 40 — but I don’t see us ever stopping playing. We are (getting new fans), and it’s crazy that college kids are still coming to see us. I don’t guess that our style is for a certain age group. It’s kind of a weird phenomenon: 50-year-olds come and watch our show. It’s such a wide range. We love Cedar Falls, and we play in Cedar Falls as much as we play in Des Moines or anywhere else. It’s really great that people come out every time.” 8 p.m. Thursday, April 21 The Hub, Cedar Falls Tix: $12 in advance; $15 on show day; $8 in advance with a college I.D. Openers: Daphne Willis, Megan McCormick

WO-041511008

t’s been 19 years. Why are The Nadas not famous? By all accounts, they should have been. In early September 2001, Playboy Magazine named them “The Best College Band You’ve Never Heard Of.” Days later, the Ames-based band was setting up meetings with record execs, who were planning to fly out to hear them play. And then, says singer and guitarist Mike Butterworth, 9/11 happened. No one would be flying anywhere for a while, and discovering new music seemed to be put on the back burner. “I can’t be upset about that,” Butterworth said in a phone interview. “Not possibly getting a record deal that may or may not have worked out anyway is nothing compared to losing a loved one.” The other part of that, however, is that none of that stopped the folk-rock group from making music, touring relentlessly and putting out albums. The Nadas started, as Playboy termed them, in college. They were friends wanting to make music for their friends. But after college, after jobs, after marriage and kids and settling down, the group never stopped making music. To date, they’ve toured around the world, put out seven studio albums and two live albums (with another three albums due out by 2012) and kept gaining fans. Two new studio albums — one of them acoustic — and a children’s album, which Butterworth said fans have been asking for, are coming out in the next year or so. Famous? The Nadas don’t need a record deal; they’re already a big deal. “We just decided, with the way the business is, we want to do our own thing,” Butterworth said. “That put us ahead of the curve when the whole major-label-industry business collapsed.”

WO-041511012

amIE sTEffEn | PULSE wRITER

PULSE

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APRIL 15 friday WATERLOO Becca Dougherty and Adam Browne 9 p.m., Black’s Piano Bar Black Diamond Band 8:30 p.m., Masonic Event Center Bob and the Beachcombers 8 p.m., The Isle Fling Lounge Dennis Wayne Gang 8 p.m., Spicoli’s George Jones, 7:30 p.m., McElroy Mick Staebell 7 p.m., Black’s Piano Bar Wicked Andersons 9 p.m., Jameson’s Cedar Falls Arch Allies, 9 p.m., The Hub Dakota, 9 p.m., Blue Room The Ready Set 7 p.m., Wheelhouse

your favorite bands in your favorite venues waterloo cedar falls iowa city cedar rapids dubuque

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PULSE

STAY UP TO DATE WITH PULSE MAGAZINE

Dubuque Chuck Bregman 6 p.m., Mystique Kevin Beck and Johnnie Walker 8 p.m., Mystique Larry Michael 8 p.m., Dubuque Driving Range Laura McDonald and Jeff Weydert, 8 p.m., Spirits Mississippi Band 9 p.m., Northside Cedar Rapids Between Monsters 9 p.m., Chrome Horse Saloon Shawn Ster, 7 p.m., Java Creek Iowa City Andy Carlson and Casey Cook with Big Wooden Radio 9 p.m., The Mill The Diplomats of Solid Sound with The Right Now and The Revelations featuring Tre Williams, 8 p.m., Blue Moose Jazz After Five feat. Eric Thompson and the Talented Tenth 5:30 p.m., The Mill Johnson County Landmark 7:30 p.m., Englert Theatre Midwest Explosion with Stevie Stone, DJ P. Caso, G.E. Family, Diamond G and E Nutt 7 p.m., Gabe’s Roster McCabe with Messy Blend and UV Hippo 9 p.m., Iowa City Yacht Club

16 SaturDAY

22 friday

Waterloo Becca Dougherty and Adam Browne 9 p.m., Black’s Piano Bar Bob and the Beachcombers 8 p.m., The Isle Fling Lounge Langer’s Ball 9 p.m., Jameson’s Mick Staebell 7 p.m., Black’s Piano Bar Skeeter Lewis 9 p.m., Screaming Eagle

Waterloo Chris Virzi and Jeff Badori 9 p.m., Black’s Piano Bar Mick Staebell 7 p.m., Black’s Piano Bar Never the Less 8 p.m., Spicoli’s The Scott Keeton Band 8 p.m., The Isle Fling Lounge Strait Up 9 p.m., Jameson’s

Cedar Falls Dakota, 9 p.m., Blue Room The Damnwells with Harper Blynn and Howard Jennings 8 p.m., The Hub Dubuque The Boy’s Night Out 9 p.m., Pit Stop Chuck Bregman 6 p.m., Mystique Enemies of Confusion 1 p.m., Moondog Music Jabberbox 9 p.m., Denny’s Lux Club Just Cuz, 8 p.m., Eagles Club Kevin Beck and Johnnie Walker 8 p.m., Mystique Liberty Valance 9 p.m., The Yardarm Reddoor, 9 p.m., Jumpers Rosalie Morgan, 7 p.m., Taiko Sun Green, 9 p.m., The Bank Taste Like Chicken 9 p.m., Northside Zero to Sixty 9 p.m., Bulldogs Cedar Rapids Bad Girl No Biscuit 7 p.m., Java Creek Flock of Funk 9 p.m., Chrome Horse Saloon Iowa City Amarillo Band 9 p.m., Wildwood The Civil Wars with Nat Baldwin and White Dress 9 p.m., The Mill Jay Wetmore and Elise Fillpot 7 p.m., Uptown Bill’s Rooney with Skybombers and Voxhaul Broadcast 6 p.m., Blue Moose This Must Be the Band with Illphonics 9 p.m., Iowa City Yacht Club

www.cvpulse.com

Cedar Falls Former Thieves with Native, Cloudmouth, Agress and Argos 7 p.m., Wheelhouse UNI Jazz Band One featuring Kenny Wheeler 7:30 p.m., Russell Hall, UNI Dubuque Big Blue Sky 9 p.m., The Bank Chuck Bregman 6 p.m., Mystique Crude But Effective 9 p.m., Northside Tami & The Bachelor 9 p.m., Mystique Cedar Rapids Gibbs Brothers 9 p.m., Chrome Horse Saloon Josh Kelly 7 p.m., Java Creek Sidney James Wingfield 9:30 p.m., Piano Lounge Iowa City Jazz After Five featuring John Schultz Organization 5:30 p.m., The Mill Kevin Gordon 9 p.m., The Mill The New Duncan Imperials with The Hexbreakers 9 p.m., Blue Moose Public Property with Dave Zollo 9 p.m., Iowa City Yacht Club Wookiefoot 8 p.m., Gabe’s CRANK IT UP Turn on the old Google machine and head to CVPulse.com for songs, videos and a complete live music schedule.

WO-041511011

23 SaturDAY

29 friday

30 SaturDAY

Waterloo Chris Virzi and Jeff Badori 9 p.m., Black’s Piano Bar Fatcat, 9 p.m., Jameson’s Hip Hop XXXtravaganza featuring Ill Convoy, Skylar Johnson, Pro Smoke and Haze, J Trey and Ace 10 p.m., Spicoli’s Mick Staebell 7 p.m., Black’s Piano Bar The Scott Keeton Band 8 p.m., The Isle Fling Lounge Urban Legend 9 p.m., Screaming Eagle

Waterloo Cliffhanger, 8 p.m., Spicoli’s Mick Staebell 7 p.m., Black’s Piano Bar Scott Larsen Band 8 p.m., The Isle Fling Lounge Ted Oliver and Matthew Tobin 9 p.m., Black’s Piano Bar Urban Legend 9 p.m., Jameson’s

Waterloo Dakota 8:30 p.m., The Smoke Shack The Gglitch’d with Bad Boys 9 p.m., Spicoli’s Mick Staebell 7 p.m., Black’s Piano Bar Scott Larsen Band 8 p.m., The Isle Fling Lounge Soul Fusion 9 p.m., Jameson’s Ted Oliver and Matthew Tobin 9 p.m., Black’s Piano Bar WAGG 9 p.m., Screaming Eagle

Cedar Falls Boss Grant and the Johnny Cash Revue 7 p.m., The Hub UV Blues, 9 p.m., Wheelhouse Dubuque Chuck Bregman 6 p.m., Mystique Country Tradition 8 p.m., Eagles Club The Impulse Band, Kevin Beck and Johnnie Walker 8 p.m., The Yardarm Lonely Goats 9 p.m., The Bank Renegade Band 9 p.m., Northside Rosalie Morgan, 7 p.m., Taiko Rukus, 9 p.m., Jumpers Tami & The Bachelor 9 p.m., Mystique Zero to Sixty 9 p.m., Dubuque Driving Range Cedar Rapids Beaucoup Shakti 7 p.m., Java Creek Sidney James Wingfield 9:30 p.m., Piano Lounge Skin Kandy 9 p.m., Chrome Horse Saloon Iowa City Boothil Ridge, 9 p.m., Wildwood Chasing Shade, 8 p.m., Gabe’s Mountain Standard Time with Pre-Apocalyptic Junkyard Orchestra 9 p.m., Iowa City Yacht Club Orquesta Alto Maiz 7 p.m., Blue Moose Reunion, 7 p.m., Uptown Bill’s Uh Huh Her with Diamonds Under Fire 8 p.m., Blue Moose

Cedar Falls Toast, 10 p.m., The Hub Dubuque Betty and the Headlights 9 p.m., The Bank Chuck Bregman 6 p.m., Mystique Horsin’ Around Band with Retro Country and Country Tradition 6:30 p.m., Courtside Laura McDonald and Jeff Weydert 7 p.m., Diamond Jo Misbehaven 9 p.m., Northside Mississippi Band 9 p.m., Mystique Rosalie Morgan 7 p.m., Taiko Taste Like Chicken 8 p.m., The Yardarm Zero to Sixty 7 p.m., Dubuque Sports Complex Cedar Rapids Maddie’s Farm 7 p.m., Java Creek O’Connell Brothers Band 9 p.m., Chrome Horse Saloon Iowa City Company of Thieves with The Envy Corps 8 p.m., Blue Moose Dream Thieves with Roman Numerals 9 p.m., The Mill The Fez 8 p.m., Blue Moose Generationals, 9 p.m., Gabe’s Jazz After Five featuring Equilateral 5:30 p.m., The Mill Rumley Brothers 9 p.m., Wildwood Salsa Vibe 9:30 p.m., Old Brick Uniphonics with More Than Lights 9 p.m., Iowa City Yacht Club

Expires 04/29/11

Cedar Falls Chris Duarte Group 7 p.m., The Hub Dubuque Blue Willow 7 p.m., Stone Cliff Chuck Bregman 6 p.m., Mystique Corey Jenny and Mojo Busted 9 p.m., Mystique Half-Fast 9 p.m., Denny’s Lux Club Kevin Beck and Johnnie Walker 9 p.m., Spirits Lipstick Slick 9 p.m., Jumpers Massey Road 9 p.m., Dog House Stumble Brothers 9 p.m., Northside Taste Like Chicken 9 p.m., The Bank Cedar Rapids Gimikk 9 p.m., Chrome Horse Saloon Steve Kristopher 7 p.m., Java Creek Iowa City Central Standard Time 7 p.m., Uptown Bill’s Cornmeal 8 p.m., Blue Moose Dubstep Summit featuring Somasphere, Inflect, Basstoven and Control Freq 8 p.m., Gabe’s OSG with Jet Edison 9 p.m., Iowa City Yacht Club Shane Wyatt 9 p.m., Wildwood William Fitzsimmons 9 p.m., The Mill

READ.WATCH.SURF

TWENTY-FOUR

SEVEN

365 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ART GALLERIES, EVENTS MUSEUMS AND EXHIBITS

MOVIES NEWS & REVIEWS, RELEASES & TRAILERS LIVE MUSIC SOUNDBITES, NEWS INTERVIEWS, CD RELEASES AND LIVE MUSIC VENUES

PULSE

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filM & DvD

2011

get your flick on

The Grateful Dead Movie Event 20 April

he critically acclaimed cinematic concert rockumentary will take audiences back to the ’70s for a one-night event. Under the direction of the band’s lead guitarist Jerry Garcia and co-directed by Leon Gast, these legendary 1974 concerts capture the Grateful Dead at the pinnacle of their psychedelic worldwide fame while documenting the Dead Head experience. Theater audiences will be the first to see exclusive, never-before-seen interviews with both Garcia and Bob Weir that were captured during the filming of this historic production.

... these legendary 1974 concerts capture the Grateful Dead at the pinnacle of their psychedelic worldwide fame ... 20

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PULSE

COURTESY PHOTOS

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 20 College Square 12 Theatre, Cedar Falls Sycamore 12 Theatre, Iowa City Tickets: $10

Rio 15 April STArring: Voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez The ploT: When Blu, a domesticated macaw from small-town Minnesota, meets the fiercely independent Jewel, he takes off on an adventure to Rio de Janeiro with the bird of his dreams.

MaDEa’s BiG Happy faMily 22 April STArring: Tyler Perry, Loretta Devine, Bow Wow The ploT: Family matriarch Madea jumps into action when her niece, Shirley, receives distressing news about her health. All Shirley wants is to gather her three adult children around her and share the news as a family. It’s up to Madea, with the help of the equally rambunctious Aunt Bam, to gather the clan together and make things right the only way she knows how: with a lot of tough love, laughter and the revelation of a long-buried family secret.

WaTER foR ElEpHanTs 22 April

20TH CEnTURY FOx AnD LIOnSGATE PHOTOS

STArring: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz The ploT: A veterinary student falls for a married circus performer in this drama adapted from author Sara Gruen’s best-selling novel. When Jacob (Pattinson) meets Marlena (Witherspoon), it’s love at first sight — their shared affections for an extraordinary elephant stir profound feelings of compassion in both of them. Theirs is a love that could span lifetimes, though the wrath of Marlena’s dangerously domineering husband, August (Waltz), threatens to spell tragedy for all involved.

PULSE

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Coming July 27!

THe ASSOCiATed preSS

television

eter Griffin and his long put-upon but funny family are heading to the pages of their own comic book series. Titan Comics and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products says that Peter; his wife, Lois; kids Meg, Chris and Stewie; along with family dog and martini aficionado Brian will headline their own series on July 27. Titan says the series also will feature other characters from its television counterpart, including Glen Quagmire, Cleveland Brown and Joe Swanson. The series will be drawn by S.L. Gallant, whose previous work includes runs on “G.I. Joe” and “Torchwood,” and Anthony Williams, who has drawn for “Judge Dredd” and “Batman.”

2011

Fox imagE

‘Family Guy’ clan heads to comics

Chaos

a CiA series with a sense of humor

McClATCHy newS ServiCe

lenty of TV shows have dealt with law enforcement agencies. Tom Spezialy has tried to separate his new series, “Chaos,” from the pack with an offbeat approach to the concept, characters and casting. “Chaos” looks at four CIA operatives who don’t have high-tech gadgets or cool cars. They work in a more realistic world. “These are the guys that are out traveling the world and sort of functioning on their wits and their ability to improvise,” Spezialy says. “Our guys are constantly thrown into challenging and compromising positions. And we enjoy watching them figure out how to get out.” The challenges are unusual. In the series opener, new CIA hire Rick Martinez (Freddy Rodriguez) must eat a live scorpion to prove he’s tough. “When I got there and saw it was a real scorpion, I had a slight anxiety attack. After a while I got over it and it was fun,” Rodriguez says. It helped that he was told the stinger had been covered in glue. It’s those kind of moments that made Rodriguez, best known for his roles in “Six Feet Under” and “Ugly Betty,” want to be on the show. Spezialy hopes his take on spies vs. spies is different — but not too silly or too violent. “Is it funny? I hope it’s funny. You want to root for them and spend time with them,” Spezialy says. “It’s not intended to be a dark view of the CIA or of the world. In fact, I think there’s 22

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CBS Photo

a way to tell these stories and not necessarily have gunplay at the center of our stories. These certainly are guys that take life and human existence seriously.” Spezialy based much of the show on information from the CIA website, including a description of what it takes to be a field operative for job applicants. Qualifications include a “need to be flexible” and “a sense of humor.” The humor element alone flies in the face of traditional spy shows. “I think what they’re really good at is they’re gifted charmers, gifted dancers, gifted at improv. I think that’s sort of the center of what they do really well,” Spezialy says. “Then, we create situations where most of us would sort of scratch our heads figuring how to get out of it, and they’ll get out of it.” Along with Rodriguez, Spezialy’s merry band of spies will be played by: • Eric Close, who previously starred on “Without a Trace” and “Now and Again.” • James Murray, best known for the BBC series “Primeval.” • Tim Blake Nelson, who’s worked in films like “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “The Incredible Hulk.” CHAOS 7 p.m. Fridays CBS

Beer for Lent

iowan halfway through his 40-day fast CHiCAgO Tribune

ShUttErStoCk Photo

fter consuming only beer and water since Lent began March 9, J. Wilson of Prescott says there are two things he’s sick of — morning radio shows and the Illuminator Doppelbock he’s vowed to subsist on through Lent. The beer blogger is more than halfway through his quest to live on the “liquid bread” diet, a 300-year-old idea brewed up by German monks who did not eat during Lent. So far, Wilson says his fast has proven easier than he expected. “I was hungry the first couple of days, but after that, the hunger is gone,” said Wilson, editor of the weekly Adams County Free Press. “I’m not hungry.” Wilson said after 23 days he was down to 145 pounds, 15 off his starting weight of 160 on Ash Wednesday. His kidney function drew some attention during a visit to the doctor four weeks in, but that’s easily controlled by more water consumption, Wilson said. “At this point I’ve chewed up all the old hamburgers and doughnuts, and I’ve used up all my body fat,” the married father of two said. “Now my body has turned on itself and is eating its own protein, and that’s clogging the kidneys.” Wilson, who describes himself as a nondenominational Christian, says he’s drinking four 12-ounce, 288-calorie Doppelbocks a day on weekdays and five a day on the weekends. So far, that comes to about 11 gallons of beer. “I just killed my first two kegs,” said Wilson, 38. “I have one keg set up at home and one set up at work and they both ran out at the same time.” At the outset, Wilson also said he aimed to not be drunk at any point during the fast, a pledge he amended slightly on Thursday.

“If you walk in the rain, you’re going to get wet,” Wilson said. “It’s not a 46-day hammerfest. That’s what I meant when I said that originally. “From time to time, if I have an appointment, I have to move my beers around. If I have to have two beers in quicker succession than I would like, sure you might get a little tipsy. But I haven’t been sloshed the last three weeks. “It’s taken some effort to pay attention to the clock and to what my obligations are, and I just have to sort that all out. But it’s worked out well.” It’s brought him some notoriety, too. “It’s been all over the world,” Wilson said. “I’ve seen blog posts from Russia and South America and Europe. I heard Jimmy Fallon was making fun of me the other day, so that’s pretty cool.” Not to mention the endless parade of morning radio requests, which Wilson says he’s stopped doing for now. But he blogs about the fast daily, at diaryofaparttimemonk.wordpress.com. With Easter Sunday (April 24) and the end of his fast approaching, Wilson already has a few foods in mind for his return to normal eating. “I’ve got three days planned out,” he said. “Easter Sunday will be mostly smoothies. If I feel like I can hack it probably some guacamole and chips or something like that. I’m really missing Mexican food. Maybe a bacon sandwich on Monday and some more smoothies, and firing up a serious Mexican spread on Tuesday.” And he’s ready to be done with the Doppelbock. “Absolutely,” he said. “I’m completely sick of it. I was sick of it probably four or five days in.”

PULSE

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NEW RELEASES vIDeO games

2011

CONDUIT 2 An alien conspiracy has co-opted the highest levels of the U.S. government and now threatens the very safety of the Earth. After being betrayed by those he trusted most in “The Conduit,” Michael Ford must use his mastery of the alien technology to exact his revenge — oh, and save the human race. Ford will equip himself with a larger arsenal of weapons and equipment than ever before, including the All-Seeing-Eye, a levitating handheld device. Features of this Wii-exclusive firstperson shooter include: • Four-player split screen battles. • 12-player online games with voice chat support using the Headbanger headset. • Wii MotionPlus support. • Alterable environments. • Nonlinear game levels. The advance buzz is that this sequel could finally give the Wii an FPS franchise worth bragging about.

For: Wii April 19

POrTal 2 Chell, a former test subject trying to escape the Aperture Science facility, is back in this mind-bending puzzler. The heroine must use a portal gun to create wormholes in solid surfaces, allowing temporary passage as she tries to outwit GLaDOS, the sinister artificial intelligence in control of the facility playing bent on a deadly game of cat and mouse. A new two-player cooperative mode lets gamers step into the lug nuts of Atlas of P-body, two robots who have broken away from GLaDOS’ control. 24

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PULSE

April 19

For: MAC, PC, PS3, x360

‘magicka’ delights while ‘Dungeons,’ ‘Two Worlds’ disappoint By AlAN SiMMEr | PULSE WRiTER

Dungeons

magicka

Two Worlds II

For: PC | price: $39.99 | rated: Mature

For: PC, PS3, x360 | price: $9.99 | rated: Teen

For: Mac, PC, PS3, x360 | price: $59.99-$49.99 rated: Mature |

“Dungeons” is a quirky inversion of the heroconquers-all tale. After being deposed by an exgirlfriend, a dungeon master has to reclaim the top spot — er, bottom spot — as lord of the deepest, foulest lair. To do so, players dig out caverns and stock them with creatures and treasure to fulfill the egos of visiting heroes. One will wander in, pilfer a little gold, slay a few skeletons and prepare to leave, satisfied — and then you pounce, reclaiming your treasure and sucking the soul right out of them. But between the “Warcraft”-style monster production, “The Sims”-esque dungeon decorating and the circular relationship between the three resources, it can get overwhelming pretty fast. Even early on, it takes a long time for heroes to get satisfied — which means a lot of hurry up and wait.

Magic is one of those standard game mechanics that gets taken for granted — it always works like it should. The world of “Magicka,” however, doesn’t gloss over all the details. The strangely Scandinavian sounding wizards in the game use eight basic elements in their spells. Up to five elements can be combined in one spell, which makes for interesting combinations like a ring of boulder ice grenades. Competing elements, though, cancel each other out or turn into something new — fire and water make steam, for instance. And that has deeper implications: Cast a lightning spell after getting wet, and the spell fails and injures you. The story and the references in the game are very tongue-in-cheek; nerds will have much to laugh about as they play though with or without their friends.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve never played “Two Worlds,” the installment that precedes “Two Worlds II.” (Too many numbers in that name.) But the plot is easily discernible from the brief recaps and ongoing action. What isn’t as easy to grasp are the game mechanics, specifically a combat system that never really pays off. There’s also just too much going on in general. The first hour alone introduces swordplay, archery, magic and weapon forging. Perhaps I should know all that from the first game, but the original came out in 2007. Even veterans might need a little more of a refresher course. Little blemishes, like captions that don’t match the voice acting and voice clips that cut off early, also hurt the overall quality of the game, which generally looks nice in a dreamy sort of way.

exerBeat

sOCOm 4: U.s. Navy seals

mortal Kombat

Dream Trigger 3D

Final Fantasy Iv: The Complete Collection Prince of Persia Trilogy HD

Collect 100 trophies through 50 stages as you turn nightmares into dreamscapes. Trigger sonar bombs to locate enemies, then blast them into oblivion over an original soundtrack of electronically remixed classical music. 3DS; April 26.

Take control of a fiveman NATO squad at the Operations Commander — and avert the outbreak of global war. Also comes in a Full Deployment bundle that includes a PlayStation Move controller and PlayStation Eye camera. pS3; April 19.

A Super Nintendo classic gets a graphical and audio makeover in this definitive edition of “Final Fantasy iV.” This disc also includes “The After Years,” the story of Cecil and Rosa’s son Ceodore, originally available on WiiWare; a monster encyclopedia; and cinematic cutscenes from earlier editions of the game. pSp; April 19.

The fighting game that defined gore is going back to its roots, with Fatalities presented in a series-high level of detail. Players must try to alter the past by defeating Emperor Shao Kahn with four-player tag-team action in a classic 2-D fighting plane pS3, X360; April 19.

EA, SEGA, PARADOx, KALYPSO, SOUTHPEAK PHOTOS

if “Wii Fit” and “Just Dance” had a baby, it would look something like this exercise program featuring categories like hip-hop, Latin dance, karate and aerobics. Pick a workout — or a problem area — and feel the burn as trainers provide tips for better health. Wii; April 26.

A three-in-one bundle of “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” “Prince of Persia: Warrior Within” and “Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones” on one disc. All the games are configured for stereoscopic viewing in conjunction with a 3-D TV. pS3; April 19.

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ACROSS 1. Some Wall Streeters, for short 5. Most contemptible 11. Have a bawl 14. Plunderer's take 15. Richly decorated 16. Spectrum part 17. Pointer Sisters hit 19. Hellenic H 20. Impervious to break-ins 21. Capita or diem preceder 22. Furtive "hey, you!" 23. Taco Bell offering 25. Aqua __ (gold dissolver) 27. Serpentine shapes 29. Deadeye Annie 32. Cowardly Lion portrayer 35. Before, to bards 36. Defense gp. of 1954-77 37. Ending with ethyl or methyl 38. Home permanents, in old ads 41. Pug or boxer 42. Detail map 45. Play-__ (kids' clay) 46. Talkative bird 47. Gave birth, in the stable 49. Sage in a turban 51. TV role for Bendix or Gleason 53. 1997 movie slave ship 57. Honeycomb makers 59. Feathery wrap 61. Omar Bradley's org. 62. Sun or moon 63. Carly Simon hit 65. Tell a good one 66. Founder of the Shakers 67. Upper hand 68. Costa __ Sol 69. Wyoming range 70.Vintage cars DOWN 1. Most desired invitees 2. Shakespearean lover boy

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Characters, readers find themselves in limbo in ‘Silent Land’ Mike Fischer | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

books

2011

WHAT’S THE word?

The Silent Land Graham Joyce Doubleday (2011) 272 pages /

ife is good for avid skiers Jake and Zoe Bennett. Vacationing at a fourstar resort in Saint-Bernard-enHaut, a sleepy Pyrenean village, they’re up early and have the slopes to themselves. This, a selfsatisfied Zoe reflects, “was what it was all about.” But the good times don’t last in “The Silent Land,” British writer Graham Joyce’s latest novel. “With no respect for the notion of special holidays,” an avalanche buries the Bennetts. Amazingly, they both survive, only to find that both the resort and the village are deserted, presumably in anticipation of a seemingly inevitable second avalanche. And then things get weird. Candles and logs don’t burn down. Meat and vegetables left out on the counter don’t spoil. Cuts and scrapes don’t bleed. And no matter what path they take in an effort to ski free of the village, the Bennetts inevitably wind up back in Saint Bernard. It doesn’t take them long to conclude that they have died and taken up residence in limbo, an antechamber from which they await delivery to a final destination on the other side. In the interim, they try to have a good time. They ski. They drink expensive wine and cook themselves gourmet feasts. They spend a lot of time in the sauna. And they’re bored out of their minds.

But Joyce has a tendency to package what his characters feel in bite-sized bromides about taking time to smell the flowers. He can wear a reader down by matching such neon sentiments with equally purple prose, whether it’s the “sob of the wind in the taut wires,” skis that “whispered to the powder in thrilling intimacy” or a morning sun that “burst on his bulbous black sunglasses in an iridescent flare.” Joyce also flogs particular words and similes. “Iridescent” gets a workout. Ditto the color oyster-gray, almost invariably in relation to mist. Twice in fewer than 40 pages, snow is compared to marzipan on a wedding cake. The frequently overwrought similes are matched by overly fraught symbols; crows and a large black stallion, for example, announce the approach of death. These faults are all the more glaring because of how fully Joyce re-creates the eerie border country that Jake refers to as “the seams between life and death.” The final, quickening chapters matter because Zoe’s journey of self-discovery doubles our own, raising the stakes and adding to the suspense. “The Silent Land” suggests that the ultimate question is whether we can wake up from our comfortably numb state before it’s too late.

‘Moonwalking’ remarkable tome on remembering Steven Rea | Philadelphia Inquirer

hy did I open the refrigerator door? Where’d I put my keys? What was the title of the book that whosit told me about? The name of that book is “Moonwalking With Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything,” and for anyone with even a passing interest in memory — how it works, and when and why it doesn’t — Joshua Foer’s illuminating investigation into the historical, cultural, physiological and psychological aspects of human memory is essential reading. At once a witty, engaging first-person account of a freelance writer with average recall skills who goes on a year long training regimen to compete in the U.S. Memory Championship and an illuminating overview of how memory has been used from the time of Simonides to now — when Google has essentially become our default hippocampus — Foer’s book is remarkable, and also remarkably practical. Memory, Foer writes, was “once a cornerstone of Western culture.” In pre-Gutenberg days, the educated and erudite would recite poems and philosophical treatises, but the printed page began to change all that. The value placed on memory deflated as the centuries progressed

and information became disseminated in books, newspapers and television. And now, with search engines and smartphones, there really is no need to keep things locked in your noggin. But memory is more than just a recollection system. In a rather sad and chilling chapter called “The Most Forgetful Man in the World,” Foer visits a San Diego octogenarian who was struck with Herpes simplex in 1992. “By the time the virus had run its course, two walnut-size chunks of brain matter in EP’s medial temporal lobes had disappeared, and with Joshua Foer them most of his memory.” EP’s disposition is The Penguin Press cheerful, his IQ above normal, but on his daily 307 pages walks around the block he’ll greet his neighbors / as if they are strangers — he’s forgotten that he spoke with them yesterday and the day before. The mental athletes Foer meets in “Moonwalking With Einstein” are, indeed, characters. And, yes, having the neuron power to memorize 4,140 binary digits in 30 minutes is perhaps a little freakish. But remembering key events from our childhood, our epic jaunt to India, the restaurant where we proposed to our loved one, the chunk of text from Borges, the lines from Dylan’s “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” — there’s substance there, not trickery.

Moonwalking With Einstein

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rème de la Crème 11 C Friends off the Gallagher-Bluedorn g ppresents

A Showcase of Outstanding Cedar Valley Performers

Friday | May 6 | 7:30 p.m. Adults $20 | Youth $5

LaPorte City Union High School Show Choir LaPo Chris Merz, tenor saxophone, and Bob Washut, piano Fred Halgedahl, violin Karen Holvik, soprano, and Bob Washut, piano Kaji-Daiko Japanese Drumming Ensemble Kaji Fo Four Spouses and Five Grands, piano