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daily.titan
BUZZ 09.06.07
BEAUTIFUL MUTANTS
An artist who sees beauty his own way
NERO ZERO IF YOU LIVED HERE ... LOCKED & LOADED FOR MISFIRE AND
WE ASKED A MEXICAN
The Buzz Editor: Jennifer Caddick Executive Editor: Ian Hamilton Director of Advertising: Stephanie Birditt Assistant Director of Advertising: Sarah Oak Production: Jennifer Caddick Account Executives: Nancy Sanchez Juliet Roberts
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The Daily Titan 714.278.3373 The Buzz Editorial 714.278.5426 thebuzz@dailytitan.com Editorial Fax 714.278.4473 The Buzz Advertising 714.278.3373 ads@dailytitan.com Advertising Fax 714.278.2702 The Buzz , a student publication, is a supplemental insert for the Cal State Fullerton Daily Titan. It is printed every Thursday. The Daily Titan operates independently of Associated Students, College of Communications, CSUF administration and the CSU system. The Daily Titan has functioned as a public forum since inception. Unless implied by the advertising party or otherwise stated, advertising in the Daily Titan is inserted by commercial activities or ventures identified in the advertisements themselves and not by the university. Such printing is not to be construed as written or implied sponsorship, endorsement or investigation of such commercial enterprises. Copyright Š2006 Daily Titan
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BUZZ 09.06.07
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Fairfax District
Inside Reserve vintage art and book gallery.
By celia castanon
Daily Titan Staff Writer
The once Jewish mecca of Los Angeles known as the Fairfax District between Melrose and Beverly, has begun focusing more on clothing, trends, art and good food, but without forgetting its history. “It has become so international,” said Alexander Laurence, manager of the Kosher News on the corner of Fairfax and Beverly. “Over the years, it has changed from Kosher to now, a skater, hip-hop, fashion vibe.” The most notable Fairfax landmark would be Canter’s Deli, a family-run business that started in 1948. Canter’s is a restaurant, bakery and bar all in one. A hit with a lot of locals and well known to celebrities, Canter’s is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, serving over 4,900 pounds of pastrami a month. The deli is 14,000 square feet, making it the largest delicatessen in the country. With reasonable prices, each plate ranges from $5 to $17 so you won’t go broke. The “Canter’s Fairfax,” a menu favorite, is a sandwich piled high with hot corned beef and pastrami served with cole slaw, while the “Harold’s Special” is a three-decker sandwich containing corned beef, swiss cheese, tongue and salami. Their full bar service is open daily from 10:30 a.m to 1:40 a.m., while the Kibitz Room provides music and entertainment. “The night time is when it livens up,” said Julie Coveny, a waitress
Photo by celia castanon at Canter’s. “And most celebrities come in around three or four in the morning so they can eat in peace.” In the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Benny and Elizabeth Taylor were regulars there. Now, the clientele has changed to a more political atmosphere with the presence of Mayor Tom Bradley, Governor George Deukmejian, Rudy Giuliani and Bill Simon. However, celebrities like Mel Brooks, John Travolta, Brooke Shields, Prince and Muhammad Ali have all eaten at Canter’s. Other restaurants worth checking out are Mr. Pizza and Fortune West: Chinese and Sushi, both located on the west side of Fairfax. If you know Los Angeles, you cannot go down a street without a vintage clothing store. Fairfax Avenue has one of the largest vintage clothing stores called the Community Thrift Store. They have been located on Fairfax Avenue for more than 10 years, selling secondhand vintage and new items. They sell men’s, women’s and children’s vintage clothing and shoes along with vintage furniture such as lamps, chandeliers and coffee tables. They receive the apparel from donations, purchases and drop-offs. “Everyone shops here,” said Ilana Eshagnian, the manager of Community Thrift Store. “Gay, straight, homeless, rich and even celebrities all shop here. We will bargain with you, but we don’t give out anything for free.” With shoppers like Rob Schneider, Carmen Electra and Susan Sarandon, this thrift shop is
Photo by celia castanon
A view of Canter’s Deli
definitely a place to find and recreate a vintage look. The Catwalk, what some might call a “high-end” thrift store, is located on the east side of Fairfax. It carries the likes of Gucci, Chanel and Courreges. They sell vintage designers’ clothing and accessories at affordable prices. If you are a skateboarder, you may have already heard of Supreme Clothing. Supreme is a 2,800square-foot skate shop and skate park located on the east side of Fairfax. The half-pipe is where many professional skaters have spent their time practicing. The men’s clothing and shoe line were limited in the store so you may have better luck finding what you want on their Web site. The store, in general, is used for the ramp and then the shopping. If you’re a skater, try to become friends with one of the employees because that is the only way you can skate in there. If you don’t feel like skating, check out the west side of the street. There is a vintage art and book gallery called Reserve. Not only do they carry art and books, but they also the clothing line Freshjive for men. “Most people that come in are here for a specific reason,” Rick Rodney, the creative director manager of Reserve, said. “They are kids looking for Freshjive Clothing or they are interior decorators looking for some vintage art and industry people looking for ideas.” They have art galleries at the store for its graphics and photography monthly. Because the price range is
from $40 to $300, the art is actually affordable. The store carries a lot of high-valued first edition art books that may or may not be for sale. If you are into the nightlife, check out The Dime, a local dive bar open daily from 7:00 p.m to 1:30 a.m. The music ranges from Elvis Costello to the Pixies. But if you
are claustrophobic, this is not for you. The bar is about the size of an average living room. No celebrities here, just college students looking for some strong drinks. Go to Fairfax Avenue to enjoy a low-key afternoon, grungy nightlife, great food and a lot of vintage items. You won’t be disappointed.
Clothes line the walls at the Community Thrift Store.
Photo by celia castanon
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daily.titan
BUZZ 09.06.07
mark mothersbaugh showed his uniquely beautiful art at csuf’s gcac
People observe Mark Mothersbaugh’s art at Grand Central Art Center.
WHERE’S THE SCENE
IN FULLERTON???
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Photo by reza allah-bakhshi Evan Corcoran
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Come and enter the bizarre world of Mark Mothersbaugh. The lead singer of Devo is leading a life of more than just a new wave, postpunk extraordinaire. His “Beautiful Mutants” exhibit, which opened Sept. 1 at Cal State Fullerton’s Grand Central Art Center, gave a little peek through the spectacles of this 30-year plus artistic veteran. The exhibit displayed photographic works from Mothersbaugh’s 288-page hardcover book, “Beautiful Mutants,” published by Grand Central Press and designed by Ryan DiDonato. The collaborative efforts of DiDonato and Mothersbaugh on
Photo by jennifer caddick
Artist Mark Mothersbaugh at the grand opening of “Beautiful Mutants.”
this project produced a book with some out-of-the-ordinary works of photographic art. The concept for Mothersbaugh’s art stemmed from looking at funhouse mirrors, he said. Mothersbaugh created the pieces by hand and used computer technology to give life to the wacky images in his book. “I used to take all my own pictures, now I use family album photos or pictures from wherever possible,” Mothersbaugh said. Mothersbaugh creates, or “corrects” (as he says), these images to show a sense of symmetry. “These corrected photographic images allow the true tenant of these human faces and figures to be ‘flushed-out’ and viewed without the disguise that we all so expertly
hide behind,” Mothersbaugh said in a written description of his art at www.mutatovisual.com. A three-headed pug floating in a pool, or a body made up of the two lower torsos joined together display an eerie yet funhouse feel to Mothersbaugh’s work. “These are strange pictures but I like them, they are kind of creepy,” said Kristen Stroud, an admirer of the pictures on display at the gallery. This is not the first book of photographic art Mothersbaugh has released. His first book, “What I Know, Volume 1,” was released in 1975. Mothersbaugh also had three other volumes of this book that were never released because of the publisher, he said. “This book (“Beautiful Mutants”) is the best book,” Mothersbaugh said. Mothersbaugh’s art consists of more than just photographs. Over the years he collected drawings he drew on postcards to send to family and friends while on tour with Devo. He has used his daily habit of creating unique drawings to compile the thousand of drawings he showcases in his art shows. With over 30 years in between books, Mothersbaugh has been keeping busy in his music and art career. Mothersbaugh attended Kent State in Ohio as an art student. While there, he met Jerry Casale and Bob Lewis and formed the band Devo. The band formed from the idea of the “devolution” of the human race. The music and stage shows provide a showcase for Mothersbaugh’s
BUZZ 09.06.07
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Photo by reza allah-bakhshi artistic talents. Devo is best known for the song “Whip It,” which reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1980. With their signature uniforms of energy dome hats and radiation protection suits, Devo is still playing live shows. On Sept. 15, Devo will be making their only Southern California appearance at the 19th Annual Taste of Newport Festival. Mothersbaugh keeps himself busy even when Devo is not on tour. He is the founder of a music production company, Mutato Muzika. He works with original Devo members, Bob Mothersbaugh, his brother, Bob Casale and Albert Fox, Van Coppock, John Entroth, Chris Kennedy and Silas Hite. The production company composes music for movies, commercials, television and video games. Mothersbaugh has composed musical scores for films such as The Royal Tennenbaums, Rushmore and Lords of Dogtown. He has earned four Emmy’s for his musical works on the television programs Rugrats, Pee Wee’s Playhouse, Beakman’s World and Adventures in Wonderland. He was also nominated for an Emmy for Quicksilver Highway. A lot of Mothersbaugh’s work has been involved in children’s programming. Recently, Mothersbaugh guest starred on a new kids TV show, Yo Gabba Gabba!, to show the kids how to draw a potato bug. An artistically busy man, Mothersbaugh constantly offers up works of art that are beautifully odd. The exhibit is on display in the Project Room until Oct. 21.
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Photo by reza allah-bakhshi
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BUZZ 09.06.07
this weeks concerts 9.6 The Echo- Ben Kweller
9.7 Spaceland- Joan as Police Women Troubadour- Three Bad Jacks
9.8 The Hotel Cafe- Gabriel Mann Glass House- Kid Finish HOB Anaheim- Common
9.9 El Rey Theater- Lucinda Williams
9.10 The Gig- Inverse
9.11 Chain Reaction- Cursive Memory
9.12 The Hotel Cafe- Patterson Hood
Photos courtesy of messiah.edu
An album review of Rilo Kiley’s new Under the blacklight
by Alyssa Bonavita
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Rilo Kiley is shining just as brightly under a black light as they have their entire career. They continue to deliver audible
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sensations with their newest album, Under The Blacklight, proving their music can take detours without making a wrong turn. It kicks off with “Silver Lining,” a track beaming with the rapturous sounds of bongos, pulsating guitar riffs, a tambourine, and a tinkering triangle – all adding to Jenny Lewis’ captivating, pristine voice. It projects the perfect collaboration, mixing subtle, soulful sounds with innovative indie-alternative ones. “Breakin’ Up,” co-written by Lewis and Blake Sennett, is an indie-funk dance party in itself, making you want to run to a thrift store to buy peasant blouses and skinny neckties. It brilliantly allows you to give in to the impulses you have to stomp and flail about to the perky drum beats and vibrant synth sounds, even with the heartwrenching lyrics, “Betrayal is a thorny crown, you wear it well, just like a king,” and “Revenge is the saddest thing – honey, I’m afraid to say, you deserve everything.” It warrants you to throw your hands up and shout out the liberating lyrics “Ooh, it feels good to be free” right along with Lewis and
the empowering back-up vocalists. The song protrudes with genuine perspective. “Under The Blacklight” and “The Angels Hung Around” bring a folkrock essence to the indie tunes. Lewis’ line in “Under The Blacklight” – “Like a black widow, I’ll be crawling” – is not only hauntingly beautiful, but coincidental in that it, along with “The Angels Hung Around,” unravels webs of encapsulating words and melodies, giving you just enough slack to personalize the feelings dripping from the songs and soak up the ear-fulfilling masterpieces, without letting go of their grip. The two songs provide Rilo Kiley fans with a link connecting them to some of the band’s older material, which contain clever, well-constructed lyrics – the perfect mixture of mystery and abstraction and acoustic guitar. The tracks are the perfect balance of old and new Rilo Kiley flare, showing their musical diversity and consistency. Rilo Kiley has created a album that branches out, but not far enough to forget where home is.
Twist acting as a lion tamer or not. Nero Zero doesn’t believe they’re different than any other LA band. “You can’t reinvent the wheel,” Diz said. “ When you get down to it you can only put a new rim or a new tire on it.” That dressed up tire is what sets Nero Zero apart. “We go out there and give the people a show. We’re all about bringing the theatrics back to rock and roll,” Diz says. “Alice Cooper, KISS - they were into the theatrics,” Twist said. “I mean there is nothing like seeing KISS live.” Nero Zero was full of relentless energy; each member played their instrument with their entire body. No one was ever in one place for more than three measures. The show was a cacophonous frenzy. The biting lyrics and pop hooks were rounded out by a supremely tight Day V. whose crisp guitar
Photos courtesy of messiah.edu solos were true to Los Angeles form, reminiscent of Gun N’ Roses. The bands’ label, F-bomb Records, recognized their potential. “We started writing some songs for a CD and threw them up on the MySpace,” Twist says. The rough demos were the only thing on the page, no pictures. Pictures or not, Skid, a listener for F-bomb, was still impressed. Four days later, the band was making a deal. “They either really liked us or they really felt sorry for us,” Diz said. The audience was small, but genuinely excited. “They’re good,” said Mike Pickar of Fontana. “I’m very impressed.” Every band that plays The Gig is filmed by an in-house crew. The entire show is posted on www. liveatthegig.com, guaranteeing Nero Zero will get their message out. “We’re here to annoy,” Diz said, “and we’re not going away!”
a look into the bands’ album release party Sarah Mosqueda
Daily Titan Staff Writer
The Gig, a rock nightclub on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, celebrated the release of Nero Zero’s debut album, Who the F*%k are you? While the album’s title suggests juvenile aggression, Nero Zero is more complex than that. Canadabred Diz (lead vocals), his brother Day V. (lead guitar) and Ricky Twist (bass) headed to LA shortly after graduating from high school. They formed Nero Zero after teaming up with drummer, Dan O. “We’re just real, rebellious rock,” Diz said. “It’s a way to piss off your parents. It’s rude, it’s loud and it’s in your face.” Adolescent revolt aside, Nero Zero is masterfully crafted pop punk. Like a candied, poison apple, they’re stylistically sticky sweet, but potentially dangerous. The goth/punk crowd that gathered for the show wore friendly, inviting smiles just as readily as it wore 18-hole Doc Martens and corsets. The band emerged from behind a black curtain at 9:30. Twist requested the crowd to direct their attention to the center ring, a circus/freak show theme that Diz is happy to play into. It’s evident he would command attention with
BUZZ 09.06.07 7
daily.titan Leeda Duong Theater Design Major
Photos by Nicole Donahue
“I get my ideas from old films and old music. I’m really into ‘60s music and fashion style. My inspiration comes a lot from theater since that’s what i’m studying and most passionate about.”
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Erinn Wilkes Kinesiology Major “I love skinny jeans and T-shirts. Just anything that’s cute, like Gwen Stefani’s style.”
Nick Halopoff English Literature Major “I dress like this because no one else does. I make my own pants and buy my shirts at Radiation Records. Today I literally had to sew my hair together because it was splitting in the middle ...”
An exhibit featuring 12 contemporary artists Laura Burrows
Daily Titan Staff Writer
Imagine an afternoon on campus where havoc in the parking lot and toil in the classroom is replaced with food, music and free-flowing wine. This occurred on Aug. 25 at Cal State Fullerton’s Art Department West Gallery reception. The West Gallery currently features the works of 12 artists who reside at the Grand Central Art Center. The eclectic mix of photography, sculpture, paintings and installation entitled “If You Lived Here” explores the effects of artists living together in a communal urban environment. Jason Ramos constructed the first visible pieces in the gallery in 2007. His collection of mixed media on paper combines handdrawn animation with computer graphics. His “Myths of Solitude” and “Commit to Making a Mater Piece Every Time” depict various themes highlighted with vibrant colors and textures. Hiromi Takizawa’s piece “Fly Away to Wonderland” lies between the two largest metal pieces in the gallery. The fragile glass balloon, composed in 2007, is accented by thread, miniature plastic pine trees and forest fauna. It is among the more abstract pieces in the gallery but its delicate white composition stands out amongst the kelly green scene scape. Savio Alphonso’s works consist
Released 9.11
Daniel Trant Electrical Engineer Major “Most of my style is kind of hiphop and rock i guess. Mainly I wear what’s comfortable. I shop at Beach Bums and Active and places like that mostly.”
Artist: Kanye West Album: Graduation
Artist: Shout Out Louds Album: Our Ill Wills
Artist: The Go Team Album: Proof of Youth
Artist: 50 Cent Album: Curtis
Artist: Hot Hot Heat Album: Happiness Ltd
Artist: Animal Collective Album: Strawberry Jam
Photos courtesy of amazon.com
of four sticker-mounted plexiglass pieces. The pieces all have titles of obvious intent. The pieces are titled “Conserve Electricity,” “Walk Instead of Driving Short Distances,” “Embrace Solar Power,” and “Grow More Wind Power.” These earthfriendly themes are common among the artists who live at Grand Central. West Gallery curator Rachel E. Chaney took on this project in late May and used her summer to acquire and organize the pieces used in the exhibit. Chaney has not lived at Grand Central herself, but said she understands the unique opportunity it presents to young artists trying to earn a master’s of fine arts terminal degree. “This project is all about how environment affects art and how students can impact each other,” Chaney said. “This is the first on-
campus show where all of these artists are on display together, it is a type of ‘who’s who,’ and ‘who else is coming to the party?’ situation.” Chaney also said Grand Central is the “brain child” of CSUF art Professor Mike Mcgee. McGee’s specific role in Grand Central’s creation was to conceptualize the housing arrangements and find a suitable space for artists to work. “Grand Central is open to all MFA students, not just visual arts students, we have a few musicians and dancers thrown in the mix,” McGee said. Alumna Aimee Sones graduated in 2006 and lived at Grand Central for two years. She said the environment at GC is unlike any other she has experienced as an artist. “It was great because you got immediate feedback from your peers,” Sones said.
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daily.titan
BUZZ 09.06.07
By Rae Nguyen
Daily Titan Staff Writer
By Thomas madden For the Daily Titan
cartoon by reza allah-bakhshi appearance, I won’t. I think trivial opinions and personal theories should take the backseat at certain times, unless if used to challenge what’s obviously wrong. It’s hard in an “individual first” society like ours, but if we don’t want to witness a Grecian failure, we better start being less self-centered and more alert to those we hand power. At our age, we have the ability to spark the engine left running by generations before us to question when authority goes awry. While you may think “flower power” didn’t succeed, it certainly accomplished much more than we have in a war with such a high number of
disapprover’s. It’s our obligation to not only keep our government in check, but to restrict their capacity to swindle us in the future. By “swindling,” I mean getting us into wars-of-false-pretences, hanging laughable “Mission Accomplished” banners and occupying our public toilets with hypocrisy. I’m not questioning your intelligence or integrity, but if the Bush administration’s actions are any indication of how smart they believe us to be, then we have plenty to get upset about. Although we have been rather lethargic in our demeanor, we can start to make amends by being sure we wont get fooled again.
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I have an addiction and it’s Burroughs-esque. Like a dirty needle to an arm, this addiction leaves me feeling anxious, sweaty, and when I stray away from it for too long, guilt sets in like some wicked disease. Now that you all have repeated “Hi Tom” back to me in AA fashion, I feel relaxed enough to talk about my addiction to why I’m constantly scrutinizing our government and their knack for miscalculation and blunder. My addiction was brought to my attention by a fellow columnist (known for his honesty and dependence on Irish Whiskey) who made me realize that the majority of my writing, dating back to last semester’s Daily Titan, centered around vilifying our president and his pigpen of liars and thieves. While I should be worried that my addiction might leave future employers skeptical at hiring a low culture-obsessed writer whose portfolio, when put on its edge, would ironically, fall left, it doesn’t seem to disturb me as much as our generation’s detachment to anything government related. Responsibility scares us. This divorce from holding authority responsible is mindbending to me, because at such odd and scary times, it should be the youth’s burden to stop the bleeding, literally. To witness this disconnect, look no further than this very publication. Whether it was last semester’s insanely feeble-minded column by Jeff Klima, which centered around his perverted penchant for preying and salivating over unobtainable girls and his other “To Catch a Predator” qualities, or this semester’s column devoted to helping others reach socialite perfection, our current mindset reeks of self-obsession. As much as I would love to devote my 550 words of weekly semi-fame to my love for The Velvet Underground’s White Light/ White Heat album, blab on about how Sienna Miller tends to glow like an angel, or even vent about my personal frustrations over how vain I can sometimes be about my
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The columnist Gustavo Arellano spends his days ironically answering asinine questions about Latinos in his “Ask A Mexican” column at the OC Weekly. Arellano has been on The Today Show, won the 2006 Association of Alternative Weeklies for Best Column and received the Impact Award from the National Hispanics Media Coalition. Arellano will be on campus Sept. 6 to speak to journalism students about his start and humble beginnings. Rae Nguyen: So, how did you get into this? Gustavo Arellano: On April Fool’s 2000, the OC Weekly comes out with an April’s Fools issue. They did an article called, “Five Latinos We Really Like.” The problem with this article was maybe only two of them were Latinos, and the other people were white people. I could appreciate it for the satire — I knew it was hilarious. So I wrote an angry letter to the OC Weekly. He wrote me back, ‘Hey, have you ever thought of writing for us?’ And I said, ‘No’ because I’m not a journalist. RN: And so ‘Ask A Mexican’…? GA: Well, that was before. [The] ‘Ask A Mexican’ idea came up in Nov. 2004 and former editor Will
Swaim was driving right here on Main Street. My boss comes back and says, ‘Why don’t you start a column called ‘Ask A Mexican’ where people send you questions about [a] Mexican and you answer them?’ The following week, we got all these angry phone calls and letters and people saying that it was the most funniest thing ever. RN: And this memoir, even though you’re 28 — is there a lot to write about? GA: Oh, I’m a wise old soul. [It’s] not just my memoir, it’s more of my family’s. My family has been in Orange County for four generations. So yeah, I knew I haven’t lived much but I think my life story is worth telling only because it’s a classic assimilation tale that, unfortunately, is not being told as these days of angry rhetoric. RN: So there’s no hate letters taking offense to what you say? GA: Humor is such a difficult thing because one person’s joke is another person’s FCC fine. Satire is not for everyone and it’s either you get it or you don’t. RN: So you can see yourself doing this column for many years? GA: I’m gonna do the column as long as I’m entertained by it. If the questions don’t come in, I have enough material to last me for another six years and I only answer two questions a week. It’s scary. What’s gonna last longer than the column is my being a food critic. If the ‘Ask A Mexican’ column died, but I still get to write about food — I’d be happy.