Sept. 13, 2012 Recess

Recess

volume 14 issue 3 september 13, 2012

(RE)IMBURSE ME

CO-

EXISTENCE Dylan, xx, Byrne and St. Vincent release new albums

CENTER

SOPHIA DURAND/THE CHRONICLE

celeste and jesse forever Andy Samberg stars in rom-com

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david byrne and st. vincent

collaboration doesn’t quite live up to hype

CENTER

pub crawl

Little Green Pig reimagines Shakespeare’s Richard II

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September 13, 2012

editor’sNOTE beat continued on, a locomotive from hell made sonic, and I wept.

Exaggerations aside, I am being sincere when I say that their set refused to die and that my emotions hung on every closing phrase and inter-song comment. We had to catch a bus back to Durham at 2:00 a.m., and every minute we waited for Deacon was a minute of his set I wouldn’t hear. Finally, at approximately 12:34 a.m., the lead singer/bassist released me from my bonds of anticpation: “Thanks, guys, this’ll be our last song!” I was finally able to enjoy C.O.C.’s bizarre brand of music, not because I found it appealing in its own right, but because it was almost over. As the final glorious chord progression ended in a kick drum flurry, a sense of calm descended on me.

What happened next is a hard moment for me to relive—one “last song” bled into another “last song,” and I could only stand there, aghast at what I was witnessing. I sought solace in my companions, trying to laugh off this odd attempt at creative showmanship despite its Deacondelaying ramifications.

More angry lyrics, more ‘face-melting’ riffs and more nauseating gyrations from an inebriated thirty-something with magenta hair. Her grotesque attempt to access the pants of the lead guitarist captivated us as time entered a never-ending loop of indistinguishable noise. And in a crowd of hundreds, only a handful were dancing; the aforementioned aging fangirl stood out from the otherwise hipster-only crowd, and few others were drunk enough to join her in dancing. It was at neck tattoos we want Michaela Dwyer.......................................................................................a semicolon approximately 12:41 that I took to Twitter to air my frustrations Holly Hilliard........................................................................Louis Tomlinson’s face in the form of a stale joke: “@ Katie Zaborsky..............................................................................“this is not a neck” mdwy1 this show has more endDan Fishman............................................................................................an em dash ings than the return of the king.”

It was obvious the whole room Ted Phillips............................................................................................adam’s apple wanted Deacon—I knew it and Andrew Karim...................................................................................Brian Contratto the band knew it. The invisible Sophia Durand.............................................................................something French bond between performer and audience held only the redEmma Loewe..........................................................................something...German? haired groupie. Without sub-

This past Friday, I had the opportunity to see one of my favorite artists perform at Hopscotch. His name is Dan Deacon, and seeing him play was the best thirty-five minutes of live music I have ever experienced.

Some of you are probably wondering why Deacon’s set only lasted thirty-five minutes. It didn’t. I don’t doubt that he played a full set, but I didn’t see it. A confluence of non-propitious circumstances forced me to leave early in his set, capping off one of the most bizarre roller-coaster nights of my life.

Deacon was slated to begin at 12:30 a.m. My friends and I arrived at the appropriate venue a bit after midnight and were greeted by the fast, loud, screams of Corrosion of Conformity (C.O.C.), a three-piece speed metal band.

Uninterested in the potential concussions of joining in the head-banging mosh near the stage (cranial trauma wouldn’t come until later), we elected to hang back by the bar and bide our time. After a few shots and a shouting conversation, we made our way to a calm area beside the stage to prime ourselves to secure the best spots.

It was about 12:25 by this point, and we were anticipating C.O.C.’s finale at any moment. A song ended and another began with nary a moment in between, creeping closer to 12:30, that magic hour for which I had been giddy with excitement all day. And then the magic hour passed.

The aggressive bass line, shrill guitar solo and loud drum

[recesseditors]

stantial involvement from the audience, the room felt empty despite being filled by C.O.C.’s cacophony.

When Dan Deacon finally took the stage, his wardrobe choice—shorts and a t-shirt, both an identical shade of red— defined him as an anti-rock star compared to C.O.C.’s metal-god image. While he was setting up, Deacon turned on a skull-shaped strobe light, connecting with the audience better than C.O.C. at their climax. Flanked by two drum sets and a keyboardist/bassist, Deacon soon launched into his first song. His intimacy with the audience was palpable and in stark contrast to the distance (and irrelevance) of C.O.C. We were right at the stage, a few feet away from the man himself, and the crowd’s dancing was energetic and encompassing.

My first blow to the head came from a particularly animated audience member when my head dip coincided with his jump and the crown of his head collided with my cheekbone, but I didn’t care. I was as in the moment as I have ever been, not worrying about school or graduating or any of the other things that constantly occupy my mind. And it felt like Deacon had the same success with everyone else in the crowd, amplifying and legitimizing my excitement until all of us— audience and performer alike—were all wrapped up in one happy, dancing, singing amalgamation of spirit.

Deacon is known for involving audiences in the shows— in the short time I had with him, he staged a dance contest, pitted the two sides of the crowd against each other in a synchronized dance-off and created a crowd-sourced visual atmosphere with the help of hundreds of smartphones.

The audience members who had previously downloaded Deacon’s app were asked to boot up their phones and click “I’m at a show.” Then, after shutting off the lights and using a bit of showbiz magic, all of the phones created a glow that phased from one shade to the next and, during the chorus, became an explosion of random colors. The song was “Ohio,” one of my favorites, and I was overcome.

That night illustrates why live art is so powerful. It can take a lot of trust to allow your emotions to be swept up in a performance, but, when done right, live shows can turn thirty-five minutes into a lifetime highlight.

—Ted Phillips

DUKE PERFORMANCES In Durham, at Duke, a City Revealed.

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September 13, 2012

sleepwalk with me

You can look at Matt Pandamiglio (Mike Birbiglia) life in two ways. He’s a fledgling comedian who’s doing well; he’s got a great girlfriend with whom he’s in love, and his sleeping disorder is nothing to worry about. Or, he’s a terrible comedian who struggles to find gigs, he can’t come up with more than 15 minutes of material, his relationship is going stale and he has a rare and extremely dangerous sleeping disorder induced by recent stress and bad sleeping habits. In this wickedly hilarious yet terribly dismal semi-autobiographical film, Matt is afraid to acknowledge the harsh truths of his life.

As Sleepwalk with Me progresses, Matt’s problems snowball: his girlfriend Abby (Lauren Ambrose) hints at marriage, his parents (James Rebhorn and Carol Kane) are breathing down his neck, and his dead-end comic career forces him into long drives and low pay. And to make matters worse, his sleepwalking episodes are becoming more severe.

Despite Matt’s bleak existence, Sleepwalk with Me had me howling with laughter at every turn. Matt’s quirky stand-up and narration are at first unfunny to the point of hilarity, with a focus on softball topics like Cookie Monster. As the movie progresses, Matt’s focus shifts to the dreary reality his life has become, and his comedy takes on a self-deprecating voice that successfully connects with the audience. We gain an inside perspec-

DIR. MIKE BIRBIGLIA SLEEPWALKERS ANONYMOUS

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tive on his dreams, experiencing them with Matt, until we are unceremoniously jerked into the reality of his sleepwalking. These transitions are wildly successful at garnering laughs, even causing audience-wide anticipation at the first hint of a dream sequence. Screenwriters Matt and Joe Birbiglia, Ira Glass and Seth Barrish work in the perfect amount of comic relief to keep the audience pleased and attached to the underlying gloom of the story.

Rebhorn portrays the forthright father brilliantly, and the audience comes to hate how brutally true his sometimes-public advice could be. His performance evokes painful memories of parental correctness we all know and hate. Kane was equally effective portraying a very different role—that of the ditsy, disconnected mother full of clueless ‘wisdom.’

Sleepwalk with Me explores the inevitable disappointments in life. Often people hold on to what they think they have in denial of their true situation because they are afraid of losing or hurting someone, ultimately settling for mediocrity. Sleepwalk with Me captures this beautifully with its hysterical interludes and bittersweet ending, ultimately forcing us to ask, “Is this really the life I want?”

—Cord Peters

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

celeste and jesse forever DIR. LEE TOLAND KRIEGER PALMSTAR ENTERTAINMENT

C+ Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?

Few movies spell out their themes as explicitly as Celeste and Jesse Forever, but even fewer are able to capture as much genuine emotion or realistic friendship.

As the titular couple, Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg are an updated version of the nagging wife and slacker husband pair that is standard fare in TV sitcoms. Celeste works a painfully modern job (“trend forecaster”) and Jesse is a starving artist rather than a pencil pusher, but that’s not the only revamped aspect of the Bundy trope. They aren’t even married—at least not anymore. The film explores the complex relationship between two people who still love each other, live together (he lives in a “studio apartment” in her garage) and want to stay best friends after a divorce.

A strong cast of supporting characters allows the film to reach further than the protagonists could have on their own.

Beth (Ari Graynor), Celeste and Jesse’s go-to double date buddy, is a character with surprising insight for an actress known for portraying ditzy blondes. Will McCormack, who wrote the film with Jones, plays Skillz, a gold-hearted drug dealer who provides a go-between and guru for Celeste and Jesse in addition to their illicit substances. Emma Roberts steals scenes as

Ke$ha-esque teen sensation Riley B (ripped stockings included) who becomes Celeste’s unlikely friend and guide. These characters provide a down-to-earth channel through which we can connect to Celeste and Jesse; without these other figures the pair would become grating and unlovable.

By far, the most believable character in the film is Scott, Celeste’s not-so-sassy gay best friend and assistant, portrayed by a wide-eyed Elijah Wood. As a gay man who works in marketing, he’s expected to be flamboyantly homosexual, so he tries, and fails, to adhere to the stereotype. Wood succeeds at portraying Scott’s utter ineptitude, awkwardly interjecting ghetto-fabulous lingo and “Oh no you didn’t” snaps into his otherwise professional demeanor. Because Scott only existed in Celeste’s work world, he suffered from a shortage of screen time. His character was a tactful reinvention of a familiar trope, and I wanted to see more of him.

In the end, that’s what Celeste and Jesse Forever does best. It exposes our pre-conceived notions about how society, friendships and people are “supposed” to be and throws them out the window. In a way, it almost feels like the movie is poking fun at us. From the opening montage, the film is a constant bait-and-switch, training us to expect the unexpected.

While you can’t necessarily predict what will happen next, the twists are, by the end of the film, flat and unexciting.

Celeste and Jesse Forever seemed as though it was trying to tear apart our definition of a rom-com. It offers a few good surprises and is chock full of loveable characters, but it failed in its grandiose, genre-busting aspirations.

—Megan Rise

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DELTA RAE @ CAROLINA THEATRE, DURHAM SATURDAY, NOV. 17 (tix on sale Friday 9/14!)

Advance sales at CD Alley (Chapel Hill) Charge by phone at 919-967-9053 Or on the web at WWW.ETIX.COM www.catscradle.com

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

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k e e w s i c h i T s u M n i

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September 13, 2012

bob dylan TEMPEST COLUMBIA RECORDS

B+ You’re on a train riding west. The whistle blo reiteration roars, then puffs out like smoke. Yo vorite part of a favorite record that’s been set on only to make way for a gravelly growl: “Can’t yo want to spit back. Of course I can. But there’s no the train, and who’s this importuning old man “Duquesne Whistle,” the first track off of Bo as a heterogeneous blend of Hank Williams’ of gunfighter ballads my dad and I waltzed aroun new, is steeped in cultural history. It reference edge (“twist and shout”; “get up, stand up”), f other shout-outs that I’d probably only get if I w der my belt). Like a book of Shakespeare or Wh with or without footnotes. On the other hand, t of itself, a way to canonize the contemporary defined categories—blues, rockabilly, country various personae. He’s become a larger than l feature film I’m Not There (otherwise known as It’s the tracks where Dylan plays mixmas though clear-cut, instrumentation—that creat tracks pounce and others grovel. While pieces ruminative bawdiness that alludes to his earlie hausted and spent of romance—a foil to the b works itself into the album almost imperceptib slowly up, circa 1938. The year may seem arbitr Guthrie, one of Dylan’s foremost influences. E been such a long, long time/ Since we loved e one brief day, I was the man for you.”), and it’s transmitter, reminding you of lost loves. It seem lan’s pseudo-placating sneer in Blonde on Blond Me drinkin’ from my broken cup/ And ask me The song that e but I prefer his co The album’s conc companion to Ne [our] light” and “m and he brings eve time with him. As leads a posse of ma geles, Dylan will alw Panama hat, smilin

Duke Coffeehouse releases fall lineup

By Ezgi Ustundag THE CHRONICLE

The newly released Coffeehouse lineup for fall 2012, which includes prominent indie acts Mount Eerie and Paleface, has both Triangle musicians and Duke students jittery with enthusiasm.

“Turbo Fruits, King Tuff and the Intelligence are must-see bands,” said Ben Carr, frontman of Chapel Hill band Last Year’s Men who played last night at the Coffeehouse. “I know people who travel hours to see shows like these.”

Though on Duke’s campus, the quality of the Coffeehouse performers has long attracted music lovers from all over the Triangle.

“It seems like most of our audience tends to be non-Duke folks,” Yunyi Li, junior and Coffeehouse booking manager, wrote in an email. “In that sense a lot of the time the Coffeehouse feels like it’s more part of Durham than Duke.”

Durham musician and Duke alum Patrick Phelan, who graduated in 2007 and has since fronted local rock outfit Luego and played at the Coffeehouse several times, said he’s “stoked” to play with anti-folk staple Paleface on September 29.

“The Coffeehouse rules,” Phelan said. “It’s always a creative, free-thinking, free-love place. As an undergrad it was insane. As an adult, it is still just as awesome.”

Since 1981, the Coffeehouse, located in the Crowell building on East Campus, has scheduled an eclectic mix of local, regional and national bands. Staffed and run by twenty students, the venue serves as both coffee shop and gathering place for Duke and Durham.

For Li, the Coffeehouse’s biggest draw is that Duke students can go to all the concerts for free.

“I saw Woods [the folk rock band from Brooklyn, playing on October 31 with Widow Speak] in San Francisco for twenty dollars,” Li said. “Our shows are free or five dollars for non-Duke people.”

The Coffeehouse begins planning for each season several months before their first lineup is announced. Li, who assumed her duties as booking manager in the spring after working as a barista for a year, said the booking timeline varies each season and that the booking for fall 2012 began in April. Despite her limited experience as a booking agent, Li has tried to include bands on this semester’s lineup that appeal to students as well as Durhamites.

“I didn’t really have any experience beforehand,” Li said. “[But] I’m really excited to see Mount Eerie [on September 19], Woods and King Tuff [on October 24]. I’ve seen the first two before and they’re definitely some of my favorite live acts ever.”

The Coffeehouse staff has a long history of booking bands who tour nationally before they hit it big, Beloved Binge singer Eleni Binge said. Binge’s group—who describe themselves as “rubble pop rooted in a punk pot with a hint of old Greek mountain-village uprising”—played a show with Yeasayer.

Binge said the Triangle is “the place to be as a musician and music lover.” She urged students to visit the Coffeehouse as frequently as possible throughout the fall 2012 season to “enjoy music [they] won’t find anywhere else.”

“Take a chance,” Binge said. “You can’t always tell if you like a band by listening online. The live show is the key place where you can experience music in a way impossible to experience via computer screen.”

—Michaela Dwyer

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

the xx COEXIST YOUNG TURKS

AOliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft have always exuded a strange friend chemistry. It’s twisted, almost incestuous. Most modern duets feel so forced, so disingenuous (case in point: Faith Hill and Tim McGraw). In their inter videos the two singers of the xx behave like siblings, without tension or self-aw they somehow make us believe that they’re in love.

Whereas the xx wasn’t self-conscious to begin with, their sophomore effo pletely free of any trace of ego. There are few songs that stand alone as sing as though the group doesn’t care about their public reception. That’s all to “alternative” music scene. Though many newly famous groups become more their audience and critics, the xx feel even more comfortable.

These songs double-down on the minimalist and dreamlike approach of th of the eleven songs is out of place, none greatly outshines the others, yet eac ferent angle. My personal favorite song of the album, “Sunset,” explores the lovers to strangers: “We make believe I’ve never seen your face, you neither m my eye, don’t register a smile.”

“Chained” is another gem of the album, and it takes a different approach ics such as “Winged or chained, I ask you, would you have stayed?/ Did I hold the track explores the uncertainty in fading relationships. “Chained” is more than their older songs, and it highlights how the lyrics have taken a back seat t tals. This is also evident in “Tides,” where the emphasis is on the rhythm and m lyrics are repetitive and simple: “Devote to me/ alone with me/ say with me, ever want to leave?’” While the group has sacrificed the catchiness of hit son and “Infinity,” the focus on bass and drums allows for a more cohesive, matur Listening, there is the sense that one has woken up for the first time afte relationship. This is not a feeling that most pop groups can evoke. Ultimate debut, Coexist stands out because of the nuanced relationship between the tw more complex songwriting and less narrative lyrics, their chemistry hasn’t suf —Maddy Roberts

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

September 13, 2012

ows and a musical track unfurls in breezy loops. Each ou’re leaving. Something feels familiar, safe, like a fan repeat. Then the drums kick in, insistent and clean, ou hear that Duquesne whistle blowin’?” Really?, you o perceptible whistle, after all, and are you actually on n whose wizened leer you can’t quite visualize? ob Dylan’s newest album Tempest, is what I’d describe ft-covered “Cold, Cold Heart” and the Marty Robbins nd to when I was eight. Tempest is an album that, while es phrases pulled from our collective musical knowlfrom William Blake and John Greenleaf Whittier and was so much older now (and already had a Ph.D. unhitman, Tempest can be read, listened to, experienced the music is strangely clean, like a remastered edition Dylan. Though the songs on Tempest fall into easily y-folk—any attempt to pigeonhole Dylan ignores his life cultural icon as illustrated in Todd Haynes’ 2007 The Film Where Cate Blanchett Plays Bob Dylan). ster—spinning simple poetry alongside exuberant, te the most adventurous aural environments. Some s like “Early Roman Kings” retain a freewheeling but er work, tracks like “Long and Wasted Years” feel exbouncy verses of “Duquesne Whistle.” This later track bly, mimicking the output of a radio, volume turned rary, but it’s not really—this was the heyday of Woody Emotional baggage piles up from the first lines (“It’s each other and our hearts were true/ One time, for like Dylan is there, dangling his feet out of the radio ms no accident that this song’s “for you” mirrors Dyde’s “I Want You”: “And I wait for them to interrupt/ e to/ Open up the gate for you.” everyone seems to be talking about is the title track, onspicuous paean to John Lennon, “Roll On John.” cluding track is more universal—I see it as a secular w Morning’s “Pressing On”—as it asks us to “shine move it on.” Tempest is Dylan unequivocally going on, eryone and everything he’s accumulated over a lifein the music video for “Duquesne Whistle” where he angy, Mulholland Drive-esque figures through Los Anways be here, donning a bemused expression and his ng away his achievements as he slyly adds to them.

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SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

david byrne and st. vincent LOVE THIS GIANT 4AD

C+

dship and sexual so fakely sexual, rviews and music wareness, and yet rt Coexist is comgles, but it seems o rare in today’s e wrapped up in heir debut. None h feels like a dife transition from mine/ and catch to love. With lyrd you too tight?” mellow and slow o the instrumenmelody while the ‘Why would you ngs “Crystalised” re album. er ending a long ely, as with their wo vocalists. With ffered.

Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent, describes herself as “the place where poetry goes to die.” This is a fitting assessment. Her soft and quietly composed lyrics are, metaphorically, slain by her hard-edged guitar. Her unique combination has led to success with three major albums and gigs opening for Arcade Fire and Death Cab for Cutie. The latest addition to her discography is a collaborative effort with Talking Heads frontman David Byrne.

The idea that St. Vincent would collaborate with such an esteemed, canonical figure had many indie music lovers salivating. Though their music is very different, people who like Byrne tend to like Clark. But Clark’s never done anything close to funk and Byrne is known for his loud, dominating voice and fans anticipated that the combination would bring out new approaches from both artists.

Their single “Who” takes the best from each. It is a fusion of the 80s dream pop and brassiness of Talking Heads plus the smooth, soft vocals of Clark. Unfortunately, it’s one of only a few tracks that shine. All of the tracks engage in cross-generational funkiness with the traditional funk A-B-A structure. And, as one would hope, the songs are brief and light-hearted. But it never sounds like either of the artists stepped out of their comfort zones in order to work with the other. At times it feels as though Clark is providing guest vocals on a David Byrne album. However, Clark’s melodic voice adds a delicate and sometimes ethereal element that cannot be replaced, especially on “Optimist.” The two contrasting figures balance each other well; it’s their best collaboration on the album.

Some of the tracks on this album seem a bit under-produced—imagine taking your copy of GarageBand, loading one of the pre-programmed keyboard beats and adding a few brass lines and a vocal melody. That’s what most of the album sounds like. “The One Who Broke Your Heart” features a salsa backbeat that’s very predictable, which is made all the worse given that this is David Byrne we’re talking about. Regardless of quality of the production, each track is undeniably catchy. “I Should Watch TV” performed by Byrne includes saxophone lines characteristic of Talking Heads with hip hop beats drawing on the dualism of St. Vincent’s music.

The album’s finale is a charming (and a bit cheesy) ballad. The dreamy “Outside of Space and Time” opens with a lyrical brass chorus that drives the track forward beneath Byrne’s vocals. The track also layers keyboard blips that reminiscent of satellites with space lyrics like “intergalactic matter” and “cosmic struggle” that are adorable but cliché.

Love This Giant is not the best work of either artist, but it is guaranteed to keep its audience charmed by the personalities of Byrne and Clark.

—Adrienne Harreveld & Lauren Feilich

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September 13, 2012

Little Green Pig reimagines Richard II as all-female pub crawl

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

by LaCresha Styles THE CHRONICLE

Rather than using a play’s intermission for checking text messages or waiting in long bathroom lines, Richie’s audience members are instead invited to dance with the cast and crew under electric strobe lights at The Bar Durham, a local LGBTQ hotspot. Produced by Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern, Richie reimagines Shakespeare’s Richard II as a present-day wealthy clan of hard-partying girls, with the fierce Richie as ringleader. But Richie’s high title of ‘Host’ is threatened by her ambitious cousin, Haley Bolingbroke, who wants to overthrow Richie as queen bee.

Jay O’Berski, the play’s director and assistant professor of Theater Studies, takes the adaptation further with an all-female cast, a choice equally inspired by his friendship with local actresses and pop culture.

“We have so many great actresses…I chose Richard II

because I wanted a play that would adapt well to a female cast,” O’Berski said. “When I think of a spoiled king with money today, I think of celebrities like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.”

The majority of Richie’s cast are former colleagues of O’Berski’s, including his wife Dana Marks in the title role.

A few characters are even played by Duke students whom O’Berski has taught.

To augment the craziness of Richie’s lifestyle, the play is staged as a pub crawl– the action of the play progresses through fifteen different locations in downtown Durham, five of which are outside.

Originally, the play didn’t have a venue, which could have posed a problem for the cast and crew, but they soon conceptualized a bevy of fitting downtown Durham locations to depict the night life of Richie and her party girls; the sets were already built, and they didn’t need to buy or build props for the production.

300 E. Main St. Carrboro (919) 967 9053 www.catscradle.com

SEPTEMBER ‘12:

Give them extra f lavor.

bountiful breakfast buffet monday–saturday 7-10:30 am sunday 7-10:00 am

lively atmosphere delicious menu all your favorite beverages

Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern presents Richie September 13-15 and September 20-22. The pub crawl starts at Fullsteam Brewery at 7:30 p.m.

CAT’S CRADLE

Duke They’re your dining points.

4-diamond dining, golf-view terrace, saturday & sunday brunch

During the play all of the venues are still open for business, allowing the audience an interactive experience unattainable in staged theater plays.

When Richie and her besties – Funbags, Finchy and Bushy – are ordering drinks from the bar, so can the audience.

O’Berski describes the production as promenade theatre, a type of staging popular in medieval times when there were no formal theater houses.

“Whenever you do promenade theatre it makes it that much more interesting because the terrain is always changing,” O’Berski explained. “It’s so cool to kind of confuse, surprise, and scare people.”

During the climax of the play the audience is positioned in the middle of a Western showdown between Richie and Bolingbroke. Richie and her clique are silhouetted by the moon and scattered streetlights, situated at the top of a hill overlooking Bolingbroke and the audience; the anticipation is palpable.

“I was holding my breath during their entire descent down the hill; I’m sure I had goose bumps,” said Michelle Anumba, a senior at Duke who attended the play on Saturday. “If this were a movie, I would be screaming, ‘master cinematography!’”

“It’s incredible that you don’t have to spend any money to get that effect,” O’Berski said.

The costume design is as memorable as the performance itself. O’Berski originally saw the play’s costumes at a fashion show in July that showcased the work of many Durham designers. None of the costumes used in the play were off-the-rack; many were found in local boutiques while other were commissioned by O’Berski. As a result, eight of the actors’ costumes were designed specifically for each of their characters.

“There were some collaborative ideas between what the costume designers saw and the actors wanted,” said Richie project manager Jessica Fuller. Kala Wolfe, the play’s costume designer, had the final decision in establishing a retro-meets-modern aesthetic.

Although there were scattered showers during Saturday’s performance, the rain hardly detracted from enjoyment of the show. In fact, the weather added authenticity to many of the scenes where emotions were running high.

“It’s kind of fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants…and there’s a lack of control with the weather and everything,” Fuller admitted. “You have to have a lot of faith in your actors.”

light fare & beverages overlooking the course golfers & non-golfers welcome

13 TH: BIG KRIT w/ SLIM THUG, & more** 14 FR: AMANDA PALMER / GRAND THEFT ORCHESTRA**($22/$25) 15 SA: THE FEELIES**($18/$20) 18 TU: THE ADICTS**($17/$20) w/ The Bastages 19 WE: TYCHO w/The Album Leaf**($16) 20 TH: JO GORE CD Release, w/ Lizzy Ross Band**($10/$12) 21 FR: THE OLD CEREMONY Record Release Party w/ MEGAFAUN (acoustic set)** 22 SA: BETH ORTON**($25) w/ Sam Amidon 23 SU: TWIN SHADOW**($15/$18) w/Niki and the Dove 25 TU: BROTHER ALI w/ Blank Tape Beloved ** 26 WE: STARS w/ Diamond Rings and California Wives** 27 TH: ANTIBALAS**($15/$17) w/ The Brand New Life 28 FR: BEN SOLLEE**($15/$17) w/ Luke Reynods 29 SA: CYNAMATIK: FREAK CIRCUS Dance Party!

30 SU: CARRBORO MUSIC FESTIVAL/ 8 bands, free show!

OCTOBER ‘12: 1 MO: POLICA, Gardens and Villa 3 WE: THE GREEN w/ Stick Figure

SHOWS @ THE CASBAH (DURHAM): SEPT. 14 MILK CARTON KIDS SEPT 22: MICHELLE SHOCKED

SHOW @ The Longbranch, Raleigh: SEPT. 20: GIRL TALK w/ G-Side**($20)

Cat’s Cradle is at: 300 E. Main St Carrboro 27510 919 967 9053 NOW SERVING CAROLINA BREWERY BEERS ON TAP!

SHOWS @ MOTORCO (Durham):

3TUDENTS ALWAYS WELCOME s $INING 0LAN 0OINTS ACCEPTED s 2ESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED FOR &AIRVIEW s &OLLOW US ON &ACEBOOK AND 4WITTER

SEPT. 15: WHY? w/ Doseone, Serengeti, DJ Thanksgiving Brown SEPT. 26: TORO Y MOI, the Choir Quit, Can’t Kids, Organos **BUY TICKETS ONLINE! at WWW.ETIX.COM For phone orders call 919 967 9053 Visit www.catscradle.com for more listings!