NOVEMBER 2015
9 PULSE HIT LIST
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CORRIDOR ON TAP
16 BIG SCREEN RUNDOWN 18
GAME ON
in good CEDAR FALLS
Beck’s Sports Grill | American, Sports Bar 2210 College St., Cedar Falls 319-277-2646 Hours: Open daily at 11:00 am www.barmuda.com Featuring Beck’s best burgers, craft beers and a great place to play pool and enjoy watching a good game with your friends. Panthers favorite hang-out on the hill.
www.barmuda.com Bourbon Street offers all natural beef steaks, seafood and fresh oysters. Complimented by an extensive menu and many fine wines. Nightly specials and Happy Hour from 4-6pm. Ferrari’s Ristorante | Italian and American 1521 Technology Pkwy., Cedar Falls 319-277-1385 Hours: Monday – Friday 11:00 am - 10:00 pm, Saturday 04 - 10 pm www.barmuda.com Ferrari’s features only the finest steaks, freshest seafood and authentic Italian fare. The extensive dinner menu and fine wine selection make it a great place to celebrate any occasion.Voted best place for a business lunch with several light and quick options. Soho Sushi Bar & Deli The Stuffed Olive | Deli, Sushi, Tapas and Breakfast 119 Main St., Cedar Falls 319-266-9995 Hours: Monday – Friday at 06:30 am; Saturday – Sunday at 07:00 am
PRICING GUIDE (per entrée) | $10
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Bourbon Street | Steaks, Seafood and Fresh Oysters 314 Main St., Cedar Falls 319-266-5285 Hours: Monday – Saturday 04:00 - 10:00 pm
www.barmuda.com Fresh made sushi and deli sandwiches, salads and paninis combined with globally inspired tapas dishes and over 100 different martinis. Also serving homemade breakfast selections and cookies made from scratch. Beck’s Taproom Grill | American Bar and Grill 3295 University Ave., Waterloo 319-234-4333 Hours: Open daily at 11:00 am www.barmuda.com Beer lovers rejoice! New iPour technology on Beck’s Taproom Wall will allow patrons to serve themselves to sample 35 local and regional craft beers. New menu features several new dishes that pair well with our craft beer selections as well as old favorites. #IdTapThat Guerilla Brewing/Lava Lounge/Beer Hall | Microbrewery and Bar 2401 Falls Ave., Waterloo 319-234-5686 Hours: Monday – Thursday 05:00 pm - Midnight; Friday & Saturday 04:00 pm - Midnight Artisanal Nano Brewery is releasing limited run beer, producing 10 gallons of each new recipe.We produced 50 different beers in 2013. Brand new brew.
Hilton Garden Inn Garden Grille & Bar | 7213 Nordic Drive Cedar Falls 319-266-6611 HiltonGardenInnCedarFalls.com Breakfast Monday-Friday 06:00 am - 10:00 am Saturday-Sunday and Holidays 7:00 am - 11:00 am Lunch Closed
$20
$30
$40+
Dinner Monday-Sunday and Holidays 05:00 pm - 10:00 pm Bar Monday-Sunday and Holidays 05:00 pm - 10:00 pm Full service dining with intimate atmosphere, exterior patios and fire pits. Open to the public for breakfast and dinner.A freshly prepared breakfast buffet is offered daily. Dinner menu with entrees from a great steak to yummy burgers and delicious desserts. Bar menu available featuring smaller bites, great beers on tap and selective wines. Our experienced staff and delicious menu selections are sure to make your dining with us a success. The Lone Wolf | Bar, Restaurant 777 Isle of Capri Blvd., Waterloo 319-833-2157 Hours: Monday – Friday Breakfast 07:00 am - 10:30 pm Sunday – Thursday Lunch 11:30 am - 01:00 am Friday & Saturday Lunch 11:30 am - 02:00 am Howl Hour 03:00 pm - 06:00 pm Monday – Thursday Glass of Wine $1.50 Retro Beers $1.50 $2.00 off appetizers www.theislewaterloo.com Whether you feel like getting food to go or plan to stay a while,The Lone Wolf is sure to please. Otis & Henry’s Bar and Grill. | Bar and Grill 777 Isle of Capri Blvd., Waterloo 319-833-2241 Hours: Tuesday – Saturday open at 05:00 pm Closed Sunday and Monday www.theislewaterloo.com Whether you’re in the mood for decadent prime rib or a classic burger the menu is a diner’s delight.
Rudy’s Tacos | Mexican 2401 Falls Ave., Waterloo 319-234-5686 Hours: Monday – Saturday 11:00 am - 09:00 pm www.rudystacos.com Rudy’s uses local ingredients through the Northern Iowa Food and Farm Partnership’s Buy Fresh/Buy Local program. Hurricane Grill and Wings American Restaurant 2027 Crossroads, Blvd., Waterloo 319-833-9464 Hours: Open daily at 11:00 am www.hurricanewingsia.com Hurricane Grill and Wings is a fun family restaurant with a tropical feel, specializing in wings that are “LIVE WITH FLAVOR” with over 30 sauces to choose from. Offering an outdoor patio with a super menu and specialty drinks.
Hy-Vee Market Café | 1422 Flammang Drive, Waterloo 319-274-0407 Hours: Sunday – Thursday 06:00 am to 09:00 pm Friday – Saturday 06:00 am to 10:00 pm www.hy-veemarketcafe.com Hy-Vee Market Café is a full-service restaurant where the goal is to serve great food at a great value in a great atmosphere. Offers breakfast, lunch and dinner and features delicious appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and a full bar. Every menu item is made-to-order with fresh ingredients and served by friendly wait staff. On Sundays join us for brunch, which includes an exceptional buffet with a Create-YourOwn Eggs Benedict and Omelet Station.
CONTENTS
cedar falls . cedar rapids . iowa city . waterloo
issue 134
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11.15 An award-winning product of Courier Communications 100 E. Fourth St. | Waterloo, IA 50703
HIP-HOP PHENOM Rapper Chris Webby broke the Internet — twice — with the release of his mixtapes on Datpiff.com. Spend some time with his rhymes at Gabe’s in Iowa City on Nov. 14.
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10 CAN’T BEAT IT
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Michael Jackson’s Thriller was released 33 years ago and still holds the record for top-selling album of all time. Find out why it will never be beat.
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NUTCRACKER 14 THE Sugar plum fairies, gingerbread
And find out what’s going on and catch up on entertainment news 24/7 at
cookies and Russian saber dancers. Need we say more? The Minnesota Ballet presents The Nutcracker at the GallagherBluedorn in Cedar Falls.
CVPULSE.COM.
EDITORIAL STAFF
18 SHOOT’EM UP
Meta Hemenway-Forbes Editor 319.291.1483 meta.hemenwayforbes@wcfcourier. com
It’s Call of Duty time, if you’re into that. Or maybe Star Wars: Battlefront is more your style? If not, we’ve got cuter options in Yo-Kai Watch and Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival.
Alan Simmer Associate Editor 319.291.1487 alan.simmer@ wcfcourier.com
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John Molseed Staff Writer 319.291.1418 john.molseed@ wcfcourier.com
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David Hemenway Lead Designer 319.291.1475 david.hemenway@ wcfcourier.com
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Sheila Kerns 319.291.1448 sheila.kerns@wcfcourier.com SPONSORED BY
PULSE 3
Jeff Dunham to come undone at Cedar Rapids tour stop Jeff Dunham, the wildly popular and internationally acclaimed comic/ventriloquist, is loading up the bus with his cast of characters and heading to the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, Dec. 3. The stop is part of the Midwest leg of Dunham’s Perfectly Unbalanced international tour. Look for the comedian’s hand-crafted troupe
of sidekicks, including Walter the Grumpy Retiree, Achmed the Dead Terrorist, beer-fueled redneck Bubba J, the manic purple creature Peanut, Jose Jalapeno (on a stick!) and Little Jeff, a mini-version of the ringmaster himself. Dunham has carved a unique corner in the comedy world that’s as funny as it is popular. He has been named Pollstar’s No. 1 Comedy Tour in North America for three years run-
ning as well as their Top Worldwide Tour for two years in a row, and set the record for viewership on Comedy Central. Jeff Dunham 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3 U.S. Cellular Center, Cedar Rapids $49.50 | uscellularcenter.com
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Hip-hop artist Chris Webby’s 2012 debut EP, There Goes the Neighborhood, not only topped the iTunes Hip-Hop charts within 24 hours of its release, but also boasted the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Heatseeker chart. His most recent release, the mixtape. The Check Up, reached platinum download status within the first week of release on one site alone. In the past five years, Webby has released 10 full-length projects, eight of which were given away completely for free. He was the first artist to ever crash the server at the largest online mixtape site, Datpiff.com. He was also the second to do it. The numbers speak for themselves. Webby’s body of work has built him
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a large and notoriously loyal fan base, selling out venues like the famous Webster Hall in New York and the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Get your tickets to his Nov. 14 performance at Gabe’s in Iowa City before they’re as gone as the neighborhood. Chris Webby
with Good Vibe Tribe, Jensen & Kemyst, Tyler Yates Saturday, Nov. 14 @ 7 PM Gabe’s, Iowa City $18-$20 | icgabes.com
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Multiplatinum artist Fall Out Boy is set to bring another can’t-miss lineup across the U.S. in 2016, announcing their Wintour Is Coming tour with Awolnation. The two chart-topping rock groups, along with special guests PVRIS, will make a March 14 stop in Des Moines. Fall Out Boy’s set will feature tracks from their sixth studio album, American Beauty /American Psycho, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200. Their current platinum single, Uma Thurman, is a cross-genre hit. Fall Out Boy with Awolnation Monday, March 14 @ 7 PM Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines | iowaeventscenter.com
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PULSE 7
HEARD THAT
DANA T TINY MIND MASSIVE SOUL
D
ana Telsrow’s first full-length album, tiny mind MASSIVE soul, is a massive undertaking. It features contributions from approximately 20 additional regional artists. The songs have complex arrangements and often feature shifts in tone and style with an array of instrumentations. However, in addition to the size of the production itself, Telsrow’s themes and lyrics get grandiose too. Most of the lyrics are like Telsrow’s musical arrangements: free flowing with shifting timbre and pace. Musically, the album has heavy jazz influences along with some funky bass, bold brass and several instrumentations not normally found on a rock album. (It’s easy to imagine parts
JOHN MOLSEED | PULSE WRITER
of the instrumentation in Applecore being part of a children’s movie soundtrack.) Most songs have moments of blaring sax or horns — often with slightly discordant tones.
about losing his ego to learn about himself. “I can’t believe it took so long to figure it out,” he sings of his creative and spiritual revelation. It seems to echo a theme of the album, established in the opening song, Crosswalk, about birth — creative, spiritual or otherwise — where he sings, “One day, I was born; I felt it ever since.”
Other songs have moments of familiar rock arrangements such as Who You, which features a screaming guitar solo. Neon Blood and Equality have flashes of pop-sounding acoustic guitar and “oh, oh, oh” vocalizations while the title track has a layered guitar leadin. Some punk sounds surface in Lation.
Like the songs’ musical arrangements, which has instruments shift, change and sometimes stop entirely, the clear, meaningful passages among stream-ofconsciousness lyrics grab listeners’ attention. Or maybe the lyrics all have equally deep meaning that escapes me now. Either way, the result is a fun, versatile listen that features sounds and words so richly layered
The fun, complex compositions along with freestyle-sounding lyrics can mask some deeper themes that occasionally surface in much of the album. In the first single off the project, Erase Myself, Telsrow sings
that its novelty and allure doesn’t fade after repeated plays.
DEMI LOVATO CONFIDENT
NIKKI HILL HEAVY HEARTS, HARD FISTS
T
he title of Nikki Hill’s new album gives a hint of what’s in store.
Simply put, Heavy Hearts, Hard Fists is a total knockout, one of the best and most exciting records of the year. Just in her 20s, Hill is a big-voiced belter who’s already a towering presence — part soul diva, part rock queen. Fronting a taut guitar-bass-drums combo (with occasional piano) led by her husband, guitarist Matt Hill, she delivers one scorcher after another.
Her ferocious songs echo rockabilly and punk (Oh My), riffing Stones (Struttin’, Hotshot), rave-up Faces (Let Me Tell You ‘Bout Love), and rabid Little Richard (Scratch Back). The change-of-pace Nothin’ With You shows Hill can drop the fists and the attitude and deliver a tender soul ballad. And the album closes with a revved-up version of Sam Cooke’s Twistin’ the Night Away that points up Hill’s connection to the past while underscoring just how thrillingly of the moment she is. — Nick Cristiano, Tribune News Service
JEAN-MICHEL JARRE ELECTRONICA 1: THE TIME MACHINE
A
t 65, Jean-Michel Jarre is a peculiar legend.
He’s a godfather of the populist melodicelectronic movement (1977’s dreamy album Oxygène established his place), but one whose hypnotic rhythms and funky grooves weren’t quite dancey enough to give him Kraftwerk/Giorgio Moroder-level fame.
As with his film-composer father, Maurice Jarre (Lawrence of Arabia), there is cinematic sweep to every moment here, be it intimately and ominously crepuscular (as you find on tracks with Laurie Anderson and Depeche Mode’s Vince Clarke) or openly bright and jamming (Stardust with Armin van Buuren, or the title track with Boys Noize).
Francophile synth pop, breathy sampled vocals — he did all this practically before Daft Punk was born, but without so much gloss or fanfare.
Jarre and Air perform a sexy, slinky, whispering Close Your Eyes, and he lets the arpeggios rise and fall like dark river waters on Suns Have Gone with an assist from Moby.
Now, eight years after his last album, Jarre and some famed followers and friends (Pete Townshend, Little Boots) join forces with him for high-wire atmospheres and mumbling pulses.
For all these collaborative efforts — often powerful and often different from their originals, as with Townshend’s Travelator (Part 2) — Jarre’s spooky genius stands out. — A.D. Amorosi, Tribune News Service
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D
emi Lovato is blunt when it comes to presenting the true self. In a world of body-shaming and perfection at any cost, Lovato is to be applauded. The only thing you’d wish for the X Factor judge, with a voice stronger and more nuanced than every Glee cast member combined, is that she’d use that same display of nakedness on her new album. The gospel-lite ballad Stone Cold offers Lovato delicious opportunities to crackle and pop passionately in a voice similar in tone and rigor to fellow baritone soul-shouter Maggie Bell. The hard swing of the title track, the grand gesture and punch of the empowering For You and even the high-pitched breathiness of Cool for the Summer, her girl-on-girl romp, hits a sweet spot in Lovato’s pop mythology. That last song, however, lays bare the sole problem with Confident: It clicks and swooshes pretty much like every other glossy-girl album on the market. Blame producers/co-writers Max Martin and Stargate. The melodies and vocals are dynamic. The production is just a shame. — A.D. Amorosi, Tribune News Service
OUR PICKS, YOUR CLICKS Go Back by Darlingside It reminds me that everything comes full circle.
— Amie S.
Goodbye by Who Is Fancy SO much fuss over Adele’s Hello ... I just wanted to be opposite with this funky head-bobber. I’m also wearing my shirt inside out. — Meta H. Hello by Adele Yes, Meta, so much fuss, because it’s been four years and because the song is good! Bring on the album! (Also watch the Lionel Richie mashup.) — Alan S. Civilizations by William Elliott Whitmore Will Whitmore uses a simple arrangement paired with his powerful prose to remind us civilizations come and go, and we’re here in the middle of it. — John M. Getting Ready to Get Down by Josh Ritter Only the guy who made a breakup album sound joyful could follow it up with a toe-tapping single about being sent off to Bible college. — Christinia C.
2401 Falls Avenue Waterloo, IA 40701
Monday-Saturday 11AM to 9PM I’m Alive by Kasey Chambers This folksy, alt-country hoedown is equal parts defiant and triumphant. — Wes T.
Camping Next to Water by Badly Drawn Boy A lonely tune from an album full of beautiful songs, 2000’s Hour of the Bewilderbeast. — Doug H.
S.O.B. by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats It makes me want to get drunk and punch things.
— Amie S.
I Need All the Friends I Can Get by Camera Obscura Sometimes loneliness makes us befriend jerks we don’t like all that much. But at least the maudlin Scottish pop band makes that reality bearable. — Christinia C. Shine by Gone in the Sun This is one of those songs I just like, but I can’t quite put my finger on why. Not quite upbeat, not quite chill, but it appeals. — Alan S. Silver Spring by Fleetwood Mac Leave it to Stevie Nicks to perfectly distill melancholy on this Rumours outtake. — Wes T. Stillborn and Stuttering by We Are the Willows The airy music opposes the lyrics based on letters by frontman Peter Michael Miller’s grandfather from his overseas service during World War II. — John M.
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NOVEMBER 14 & 15 F R E E A D M I S S I O N 1 0 : 0 0 A M – 4: 0 0 P M
Supported in part by a City of Waterloo Hotel-Motel Tax Grant PULSE 9
BEN TAYLOR | PULSE WIRE SERVICES On Nov. 30, 1982, Michael Jackson’s Thriller hit music stores across America. Along with the famous title track, the record featured a parade of hit singles, from Billie Jean to Beat It. The album went on to win a record eight Grammys, top the Billboard 200 for two straight years and sell over 50 million copies worldwide — a Guinness-verified world record.
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Thriller has since ceded its Grammy crown (Santana’s Supernatural and U2’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb each won nine awards), while Adele’s 21 matched Jackson’s two-year run at the top of the charts in 2011 and 2012. But more than 30 years later, Thriller remains unbeaten in the biggest category of all; it’s the undisputed top-selling album of all time.
The numbers say Thriller will never be beat. How is the King of Pop’s lead so safe? New albums face a slew of economic and distribution problems — challenges Thriller didn’t have to overcome. The most obvious issue, however, is the skyrocketing growth of the single, which has been the format of choice since the early 2000s.
If you want to point fingers, you might start by blaming filesharing sites like Napster. As the Internet went mainstream, consumers figured out how to get their favorite hits for free, rather than buying a steady stream of $16 CDs. But if file-swapping opened the coffin, iTunes nailed it shut. Ever since Apple offered tunes for 99 cents a pop, album sales have fallen precipitously. Single sales may still be at historic heights, but it’s cold comfort for record labels, which earn almost all profit from pricey albums. And then there’s the streaming revolution. With Spotify, Tidal, Pandora and Apple Music all offering monthly subscriptions for a near-unlimited catalog, the album has gone from marginal to practically irrelevant. Even the mighty single seems headed for trouble. With the industry’s economics looking worse every year, big record labels are less likely to bet millions on a single album. Consider Thriller’s production budget was roughly $750,000 — nearly $2 million in 2015 dollars. That’s not to say the Thriller legacy was guaranteed from the moment the album came out. The ’80s and ’90s were golden decades for the multi-track format, as the CD made albums cheaper to make and more accessible to the masses. In the decade leading up to Thriller, there were an average of two albums that went platinum 10 times over — meaning 10 million sales or more — per year. By the ’90s, there were 4.5 each year, culminating in a record seven smash hit albums in 1994. Whitney Houston (The Bodyguard), Shania Twain (Come On Over) and the Spice Girls (Spice) each flirted with Jackson’s record, settling in just a few spots below on the all-time list. Jackson himself rode the CD revolution to two more hits, with Bad (1987) and Dangerous (1991) — each selling well enough to crack the top 30 all time.
Thriller tracks
Peak position on Billboard’s Hot 100
1. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
No. 5
2. Baby Be Mine — 3. The Girl Is Mine
No. 2
4. Thriller
No. 4
5. Beat It
No. 1
6. Billie Jean
No. 1
7. Human Nature
No. 7
8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 9. The Lady in My Life
No. 10 —
But the window would close for good at the turn of the millennium, and the album-friendly CD would go on to die a quiet death, just like every popular music format before it. If there’s a silver lining hiding between the industry’s flailing album and nose-diving revenues, it’s the resurgence of musical diversity. Even if Thriller kicked off a golden age of hit albums and CD sales, the ’80s and ’90s were the least diverse decades on record, with fewer than 300 unique songs on the Billboard 100 per year, on average. But since 2000? Music diversity is accelerating, with more hits from more independently minded artists. The days of the 29x platinum record might be gone, but when there’s this much to listen to, who needs another hit as big as Thriller?
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Uptown sound
downtown JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound is a Chicago-based neo-soul outfit that blends sly R&B and post-punk minimalism with pure art and guts. Pompadour-decked JC Brooks is the son of a of Jersey funk diva. His take-no-prisoners stage presence has drawn comparisons to James Brown and Otis Redding, but Brooks says his biggest performance influences are Patti Labelle and Tina Turner. The lineup is rounded out by guitarist Billy
Bungeroth, drummer Kevin Marks, keyboardThe band’s new release, Howl, ups the ante ist Andy Rosenstein and bassist Ben Taylor. with even more style and a video featuring Find your groove alongside Brooks and crew Parks and Rec’s Aubrey Plaza in a bathtub and in downtown Cedar Rapids Nov. 13 when they JC whirling nunchucks. play at CSPS Hall. Rolling Stone called out the band’s “hairraising guitar chords and piano flourishes over JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound a bubbling bass groove, while frontman Brooks Friday, Nov. 13 @ 8 PM CSPS Hall, Cedar Rapids sings of dissolved love in a voice that’s as seduc- $16 advance | $19 door tive as it is foreboding.” legionarts.org
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Corridor on Tap If you like beer — and we know you do — you’re in for a tap of a treat. You can sample more than 100 beers from over 50 breweries, notable locals included, at the Corridor on Tap event Nov. 21 in Cedar Rapids. Corridor On Tap is dedicated to showcasing specialty beers and craft breweries from around the globe, while also delivering authentic, craft beer-focused experiences filled with live music, great vendors and delicious local food. The event will take place at the Double Tree Convention Complex from 5 to 9 p.m., but you better get your tickets now. They start at $35 and will be capped
at 3,000. “We are so excited about the event in Cedar Rapids as the area has a thriving craft beer culture with breweries, brew pubs and specialty stores opening throughout the area,” said A.J. Bodden, executive producer of the event. “Our aim is that the Cedar Rapids event combine the best of the local and national craft and premium beer scene to deliver an unforgettable and authentic beer experience to our patrons.” corridorontap.com
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En pointe The Minnesota Ballet presents
The Nutcracker Maybe it’s the snowflakes whirling in a sparkling Russian winter. Or Clara decking the Mouse King with a ballet slipper. Perhaps it’s the Sugar Plum Fairy delicately balancing en pointe. Or gingerbread cookies bursting from Mother Ginger’s enormous skirt. Or maybe the Russian saber dancers leaping like acrobats. Maybe it’s the entire magical show. It’s why thousands have made this show a family tradition in the Cedar Valley. Supplemented by children from all over Eastern Iowa, The Minnesota Ballet presents The Nutcracker in all its Christmas glory at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center in Cedar Falls. Make it your tradition too. The Nutcracker
Nov. 21 & 22 @ 3 PM Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center Cedar Falls $19 and up | gbpac.com
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C HRISTMAS WITH W ARTBURG 2015
Saturday, Dec. 5, 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, 3 p.m. Neumann Auditorium, Wartburg College
Concert Tickets: $16.50; Dinner Tickets: $26.50
ORDER TICKETS: www.wartburg.edu/christmas or 319-352-8691
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NOVEMBER FILMS NOVEMBER 6 Spectre Otherwise known as “the Bond film,” featuring your standard Bond fare -expensive cars, beautiful women, Daniel Craig wearing sharp suits, saying clever things and escaping from bad guys while looking pouty and brooding. Nobody needs to know the plot. It’s a Bond film. Take your dad. Spotlight One of those films us journalists watch to reassure ourselves that we are still doing Good™ in the world, the Oscar-bait Spotlight tells the story of reporters from the Boston Globe breaking the story of widespread child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. Featuring several scenes of the inner workings of a newspaper! Sources refusing to talk to reporters! Lawyers being evil! Editors sighing! Seriously, we love this kind of stuff, but a larger, media-hating audience? Probably not so much. The Outskirts Geeks are picked on! Mean girls are mean! Geeks unite to stop the bullying! Is this Revenge of the Nerds? No, but it might as well be! The teenager in your life will probably be begging you to drop them off at the theater for this.
NOVEMBER 13 Trumbo At the height of the McCarthy-driven Red Scare in the 1950s, Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo is blacklisted but continues to write scripts in secret. Just like Spotlight, this film’s written for writers who love movies about sticking it to the man. (And it’s also likely to end up Oscar-nominated.) “Have you now, or have you ever been, a Communist?” Just answer “no” and go on with your life, Trumbo! It’ll probably all blow over! Brooklyn An Irish immigrant moves to New York without apparently knowing anyone, falls for an Italian-American, then sails back to Ireland where she falls for an Irish man. Does she pick the guy from her adopted country, the guy from her homeland, or does she keep sailing to different countries to try out all the flavors? Go buy a ticket and find out! Miss You Already Toni Collette’s character has cancer. Drew Barrymore’s is having a baby. And I think we’re supposed to feel sorry for Barrymore’s character, somehow?
By the Sea Brangelina is at its worst here, with Brad’s character the writer’s-blocked husband and Angelina’s the long-suffering, suicidal wife. Also, domestic violence seems to play a starring role. Want to be depressed about marriage for the afternoon? The 33 Remember when 33 miners were trapped underground for 69 days in Chile in 2010? Of course you don’t. Relive it anyway, complete with dramatic one-liners, crying wives and soaring orchestral music. And be glad you work a desk job. My All American FOOTBALL MOVIE! A player is too small for most coaches to take notice, but he finally gets a scholarship to Texas. While there, he does something horrible to his knee, but plays through it anyway. I’m not a physical therapist, but this seems ill-advised! No matter, every American knows football players are gods and can get hurt without any repercussions ever, yay!
Love the Coopers If you’re really struggling for a movie to take everyone to that won’t bum anyone out, you could do worse than this Diane Keaton/John Goodman comedy. Everyone comes home for the holidays, with baggage! There’s a cute kid who curses! Olivia Wilde unbelievably needs a fake boyfriend! Probably you should wait until it comes out on Netflix and then pop it on in the background of your Christmas party for bored party guests.
NOVEMBER 6
STARRING: Kristin Chenoweth, Francesca Capaldi, Madisyn Shipman, Noah Schnapp Those cuddly, inoffensive cartoon characters got their own animated movie, from the same people who did “Ice Age,” so it’ll probably be pretty good. While children will probably find it hysterical because Charlie Brown presumably falls down a lot, there are some classic “Peanuts” tropes in there that adults will appreciate as well.
LIONSGATE, DISNEY, CBS, 20TH CENTURY FOX PHOTOS
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AMIE STEFFENEICHER | PULSE
NOVEMBER 20 NOVEMBER 20 The Night Before Bro it out, bro, with this bromance about dudes getting older and growing apart. Of COURSE there’s one last Christmas party, and Seth Rogen pukes in a Catholic church afterwards. HIGH FIVE, BRO. Secret in Their Eyes Julia Roberts is a police detective whose daughter is murdered — but the killer walks free and disappears. Her co-workers go to ridiculous lengths to track him down again, and then for some reason they tell her about it, and then are surprised — and try to stop her — when she wants to straight-up kill him.
STARRING: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson Couldn’t they have made just the one Mockingjay movie, since it was only the one book? Hahaha, you must be new. Go see the long, drawn-out battle scene that ends this youngadult dystopian franchise because you’ve already seen the other three and are thus invested.
Legend Two British mobster brothers run London. One of them is probably legitimately insane. There’s lots of violence and money getting tossed around. And British accents. Kind of reminds me of a comic version of Reservoir Dogs. Carol Rooney Mara’s department store clerk falls for Cate Blanchett’s older-woman character. Cate’s husband gets slightly upset about that and tells her she can’t see her daughter anymore. An affair in the 1950s — gossipy enough — but between women? What WILL the neighbors think? #Horror Why yes, that IS a hashtag in the title, lest you wonder about the demographic for this horror pic. (But how will they promote it to the tweens on Instagram? ##Horror?) A bunch of 12-year-olds who don’t like each other get drunk at the rich girl’s mansion in the woods. Then somebody comes to kill them all. I hope. ‘Cause they sound like the WORST. #amirite ##horror
NOVEMBER 27 Creed BOXING MOVIE! Adonis Creed doesn’t want to follow in his boxing champion dad’s footsteps, but Rocky makes him! His mom is like “no, don’t do it,” and his girlfriend is like “you’re not your dad,” and he’s the underdog in his fight, and all the other boxing-movie tropes you’ve come to know and love!
The Danish Girl Hello, Academy, we had heard 2015 was the year of Caitlyn Jenner, so we have a turn-ofthe-century (check) based-on-a-true-story romance (check) about a husband-and-wife who navigate a male-to-female transition (check). Please give us all the awards now. Love, The Cast and Crew of The Danish Girl.
Victor Frankenstein A steampunk, action/adventure version of Frankenstein, starring two hot, young actors — your wish finally came true, cashier at Hot Topic!
NOVEMBER 27 STARRING: Raymond Ochoa, Jeffrey Wright, Steve Zahn, A.J. Buckley You know that uncle you only see at holidays who swears dinosaurs and humans were around at the same time? Take him and his kids to this animated film about a friendship between a dinosaur and human boy — he’ll love it. Actually, you and your kiddos might love it, too. And then you can have a big ol’ argument about Creationism on the ride home from the theater. Thanks, Disney!
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NOV 17
ALAN SIMMER | PULSE WRITER
FOR: PC, PS4, XB1
Call of Duty: Black Ops III
It looks amazing, but will it play amazing? No space battles is kind of a bummer… I’m taking a wait-and-see on this one.
Bang, bang, you shot me down. Bang, bang, I hit the ground. Bang, bang, that awful sound. Bang, bang, my baby shot me down. That’s right, you’ve been Cher’d. Lastgen platforms only get multiplayer and zombies.
NOV 6 FOR: 3DS
PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XB1; Nov. 6.
Need for Speed I guess this is a reboot, hence the lack of a subtitle. And the original was The Need for Speed, so you can even tell them apart! Internet is required. PC, PS4, XB1; Nov. 3.
Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void The last of three parts in the Starcraft II trilogy. This is standalone, so you don’t need parts one or two to play it, but I think you might be a little lost if you haven’t given them a spin.
This is Ash, and he wanders around with a team of six pocket monsters trying to catch ’em all! Oh, wait, sorry, this is Nate, and he wanders around with a team of six watch ghosts trying to befriend ’em all! Totally different. This has been a phenomenal success in Japan, and it’s finally coming West.
Alpha build promises future fun in Epsilon JAMES FRAZIER | PULSE WRITER
G
Rodea the Sky Soldier
ames might be the only medium where an incomplete product can be successfully marketed to the public. It’s with that in mind that a game like Epsilon can offer an interesting type of fun in teasing the promise of a completed product.
The first run of the Wii U version will have the Wii version of the game bundled in for free, which was never released. Swoop through the air, using the touch screen to control flight.
Developed by Seattle-based indie gaming outfit Serellan, Epsilon is a first-person shooter with a tactical bent. Those active in late-’90s PC gaming will instantly be reminded of the first few Rainbow Six installments, which emphasized careful planning as much as they did gunfights.
PC; Nov. 10.
3DS, Wii U; Nov. 10.
Fallout 4 This is the first game from Bethesda since Skyrim, so no pressure, bro. It promises to be “the next generation of open-world gaming.” We’ll see if that means actual innovation or just more things to do.
Before an assault, the player surveys a map of the location, selecting waypoints in which a four-person squad will travel. Security cameras grant the player a look inside as well as the ability to note enemy locations and routes. After years of games largely dedicated to running and gunning, Epsilon offers a return to the thinking man’s shooter.
Those inclined to simply storm the gates and blast away will find themselves in a place of failure, as the brass frowns upon dead hostages. Not only that, the damage inflicted by an enemy’s rifle is comparable to real life — which is to say death can come easily.
Epsilon For: PC | Price: $7.99 Pros: Fun combat, interesting planning, low price with more content coming. Cons: Only one level and limited features at this point, shaky AI.
A few minutes of careful planning pays dividends once the action starts. Squad commands are limited but likely to be expanded as development continues. Of course, a lack of polish is to be expected for a game at this stage. As of now, the player only has access to one level and a handful of weapons, with more to be added as development progresses. Enemy AI is still wobbly, with opposition forces occasionally making glaringly idiotic decisions. Graphics have a slick, glossy sheen, the result of a near-future setting and comic book cutscenes that tell the story, which involves battling human traffickers and terrorist groups.
Since early adopters will receive additional content for free, $8 seems like a wise investment for the interested gamer as the retail price inevitably climbs. Epsilon has a long way to go, but it’s an indie title with some big potential.
PC, PS4, XB1; Nov. 10.
18 PULSE
NINTENDO, SQUARE ENIX, EA, SERELLAN IMAGES
Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is thrice as nice ALAN SIMMER | PULSE WRITER
I
breathed a sigh of relief when I found out The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes was going to have a singleplayer mode.
I haven’t played it yet. Nintendo tricked me into jumping into online play by dangling a demo in front of me, so I teamed up with two strangers, struck off into the Drablands and haven’t looked back. The plot of the new handheld entry is more of a premise.
Princess Styla has been cursed with a drab onesie by a witch, so the fashion-conscious inhabitants of Hytopia are living a life of couture terror. In a Four Swords vein, three Links team up to save the day; with local or online play, that’s you and two other people, but single-player lets you transfer control between Link and two dummies. The key mechanic of the game is the ability of the Links to pick each other up, stacking into a two- or three-tall totem. The bottom player does the movement while the top player does the action. (Sorry, middle guy, you’re just added height. Grab a quick nap.) The stacking allows enemies and switches of varying heights. With each hero equipped with one item — sometimes the same, sometimes different, depending on the spread offered at the beginning of each outing — creating the correct stack becomes part of the puzzle. Got a switch that needs hitting? You’ll probably want your bowuser up top. Torch that needs lighting? Fire gloves time!
For: 3DS | Price: $39.99 | Rated: Everyone Pros: Great Level 5/Layton-esque feel, with the art and accordion. Cons: Jerkbots who quit when they don’t get the stage they want. The height creates a thought challenge in the same way the wall-merging mechanic did in A Link Between Worlds (whose engine Tri Force Heroes is based on). The Zelda tropes are so well-established that it can take a few seconds to remember that oh, yeah, I can pick up that other Link and throw him up to that ledge or across a gap. I’m glad Tri Force Heroes doesn’t have voice chat. Given that the game encourages frequent replay of each course — eight worlds broken into four levels each — the experienced player in a group would boss around the n00bs, and it wouldn’t be fun.
Instead, the game provides eight emoji to signal your comrades, so communicating the answer to a puzzle can become a complex game in and of itself. Depending on how you feel about charades, your mileage may vary, but it’s right up my alley. And the feeling of solving a puzzle through those antics is boss. The best part of the game, though, is playing dress up. Totally serious. Treasures received at the end of each level can be turned into new outfits that grant bonuses when worn. Your trio may sport a Zelda dress, a cheerleading skirt and samurai armor. And that is awesome. There are some struggles. Picking a stage and an optional extra challenge is done by majority vote. While this is surely done so you don’t sit waiting for others looking to do the exact configuration you’re after, it feels like the match-making could drill down to the stage level, at least. But that’s online play for you. As long as you don’t get paired with overbearing micromanagers, I recommend it. Strength in numbers, after all!
Remember that Tomb Raider reboot? Here’s the sequel! But only for Xbox right now. Sorry, PS4 peeps! See you in a year!
NOV 10 FOR: X360, XB1
The point of this party game is the Animal Crossing amiibo, some of which are bundled and all of which are TOTES ADORBS.
NOV 13 FOR: Wii U
Mario + tennis = funsies!
NOV 20 FOR: Wii U
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