Que Pasa

Friday, July13,2012

LaredoMorningTimes

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SUMMER TEENJAM INVADES THE LEA >>

EPASA? ¿QU A publication of Laredo Morning Times 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, Texas, 78041 Ph. 956-728-2500 PUBLISHER Bill Green GENERAL MANAGER Adriana Devally EDITOR Josh Gonzalez PHOTOGRAPHY Jose G. Morales Ulysses S. Romero CONTRIBUTORS Mike Herrera IV DESIGN Josh Gonzalez ADVERTISING Diana Medina 728-2516 dmedina@lmtonline.com Rosie Camacho 728-2515 rosiec@lmtonline.com Araceli Guerra 728-2513 araceli@lmtonline.com Marisol Rojas 728-2520 marisol@lmtonline.com Leticia Perez 728-2514 lperez@lmtonline.com ¿Qué Pasa? is the entertainment section of Laredo Morning Times. ¿Qué Pasa? circulates 12,600 copies every Friday.

Reproduction, in whole or in part, without expressed written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Next weekend >>

Laredo Int.SisterCitiesFestival

BY MIKE HERRERA IV ¿QUÉ PASA? ext weekend Laredo commences its 10th installment of the International Sister Cities Festival. But besides promising to transform the Laredo Energy Arena into a bazaar of exotic wares, the festival provides a venue for much needed unity between the United States and Mexico, beleaguered by negative press and political upheaval.

“We’ve seen what captures headlines and makes the T.V., but this festival puts a human face on our neighbors,” said Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Blasita

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Lopez. “It allows us to reacquaint ourselves with the positive things happening in Mexico.”

A City of Laredo press release notes the participation this year of delegations from 13 Mexican states including Aguascalientes, Coahuila, Estado de Mexico, and Nayarit.

Besides Mexico, countries such as China and Spain have cities entered in diplomatic “sister” agreements with Laredo.

Citing hotel occupancy as one example of the economic injection the festival brings to Laredo, Lopez said early figures indicate over 11,000 bookings with a week still remaining until the 9 a.m. opening ceremony on Friday, July 20th.

“These states often bring large delegations into our city, and obviously that translates into an economic plus,” she added.

Handcrafted furniture, jewelry, clothing and food representing the regional cultures of Mexico will be available for purchase, said a city press release. A ballet folklorico troupe from San Miguel de Alto, Jalisco, and a dance team from Texas A&M International University are slated to perform.

Making its second appearance at the festival is the Spurs Fan Experience and Caravan, which takes place Saturday, July 21, between 2 and 5 p.m. This allows fans to gaze at the team’s NBA

championship trophies and meet some of the Spurs Silver Dancers.

This convergence of rustic goods, Mexican dance and American sports fandom indicates the level of human exchange taking place at the festival, as Lopez explained: “You see a glimpse of a life and culture different from ours, and it’s something to be valued.”

With all events at the Laredo Energy Arena and free to the public, the Laredo International Sister Cities Festival begins with a bilingual opening ceremony Friday, July 20 at 9 a.m. and the expo from 10 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The expo continues Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Photos by Ulysses S. Romero

This weekend >>

Summer TeenJam TheMcClainSistersfeaturingChinaAnneMcClain>>

CarolineSunshine>> SPECIAL TO ¿QUÉ PASA? he Laredo EnergyArena is hosting Summer Teen Jam 2012 featuring cast members of Disney shows “A.N.T. Farm” and “Shake It Up” on Sunday at 2 p.m. The McClain sisters featuring China McClain as well as Caroline Sunshine, Stefanie Scott, Alexandria Deberry and Carlon Jeffery will be on hand.

Summer Teen Jam is a youth-oriented concert series intended to provide a safe atmosphere in which teens can enjoy their kind of music by artists

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StefanieScott >>

they recognize from Disney’s programming.

About the artists: The McClain Sisters (Sierra & Lauryn) featuring China Anne McClain The McClain Sisters (Sierra & Lauryn) featuring China Anne McClain as seen on the #1 hit Disney T.V. series “A.N.T. Farm” will be performing in Victoria and Laredo.China Anne is best known musically for her hit Disney songs “Dynamite” and “Calling All The Monsters.” The McClain Sisters recent-

AlexandriaDeBerry>>

ly released “Rise,” the inspiring theme song for Disneynature's “Chimpanzee” movie and Disney's Friends for Change.

Caroline Sunshine Caroline, 17, also began her career at a young age, starting first with commercials and recently landing a star role at Disney Channel’s original hit show, “Shake It Up!” Stefanie Scott This young actress/singer who has starred in feature films and currently plays the character named Lexi Reed on Disney Channel's “A.N.T. Farm.”

CarlonJeffery >>

Alexandria DeBerry DeBerry has landed notable guest roles in Nickolodeon’s “True Jackson VP” as Cammy and guest starred for two episodes of Disney Channel's “Shake It Up” as Flynn's crush, “Destiny.” She is mainly recognized for her major-recurring role on the Disney Channel original series, “A.N.T. Farm,” where she portrays the role of Paisley Houndstooth.

Carlon Jeffery Carlon, a native of Houston, has been performing since the age of 8.

Jeffery is an actor and rapper and has

performed in a number of hit television shows and currently co-stars as Cameron Parks in Disney Channel’s “A.N.T. Farm.” His rapper pseudonym is Lil’ C-Note and he is extremely popular with teen audiences Ticket prices are $65, $55, $45 and $25 (not including facility fee).There is also a special meet and greet ticket for separate purchase of $38 (all fees included) to meet the stars. Actual artists scheduled to attend, meet and greet to be determined at a later time.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

Courtesy Photos

Now playing >> TheAmazingSpider-Man

BY DAVID GERMAIN ASSOCIATED PRESS hile it took more than a weekend for “The Amazing Spider-Man” to put up numbers comparable to the earlier Spidey flicks, the film has good reviews and fan reaction for the new cast and crew to build on in subsequent installments.

“With a film that is a relaunch like this,with a new cast, a new director, there are a lot of pieces. You have to prove yourself, just like ‘Batman Begins’ had to prove itself and went on to have such incredible success with ‘Dark Knight,’”Sony’s Rory Bruer said.“This is a new trilogy and a new era of Spider-Man. We certainly have very much in our minds where it’s going to go with the story arc. It’s just going to be an incredible several years with this relaunch.We have a lot of great stories to tell.”

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Andrew Garfield stars as teen orphan Peter Parker, who becomes a vengeful vigilante and later an urban protector after the bite of a mutant spider gives him super strength, agility and senses. Marc Webb (“(500) Days of Summer”) directed the film, which co-stars Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Sally Field and Martin Sheen.

“Amazing Spider-Man” had a price advantage over its predecessors. This was the first 3-D Spidey movie, earning 44 percent of its domestic revenues from 3-D screenings, which cost a few dollars more than 2-D shows.

The film is the centerpiece of a huge superhero summer that started with “The Avengers” and continues with the July 20 debut of “The Dark Knight Rises,” the finale of Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale’s Batman trilogy.

AP Photo/Columbia - Sony Pictures, Jaimie Trueblood Andrew Garfield portrays Peter Parker and Spider-Man in a scene from “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

Hollywood: Nolan-free‘JusticeLeague’raisesquestionsforWarnerDCfilms >>

BY BEN FRITZ ASSOCIATED PRESS arner Bros. will need a new hero to invigorate its DC Comics brand on the big screen, now that director Christopher Nolan’s successful Batman trilogy is coming to an end with next week’s “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Home to such superheroes as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, DC has struggled to find the same success on the big screen as its Walt Disney Co.-owned rival Marvel Entertainment — despite having a better known collection of characters.

Nolan’s Batman movies have been the studio’s only hits of the last decade, surrounded by modest flops such as 2006’s “Superman Returns” and

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2009’s “Watchmen” and such major money-losers as 2010’s “Jonah Hex” and last year’s “Green Lantern.”

As a result, top Warner executives had hoped that Nolan, who is producing next summer’s Superman reboot “Man of Steel,” would agree to serve the same role on the studio’s “Justice League,” which may hit theaters in 2015.

“It was a conversation we had,” Warner Bros. film group President Jeff Robinov said. “Obviously anything you can get Chris involved in is great.”

However, Nolan has declined the studio’s overtures, the filmmaker confirmed last weekend in interviews promoting the release of his final Batman installment. He also doesn’t plan to produce Robinov’s hoped-for Batman reboot.

Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Christopher Nolan, center, director of the upcoming film “The Dark Knight Rises,” is surrounded by cast members from the film as he takes part in his hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre”

Zac Brown Band’s ‘Uncaged’ >>

BY MICHAEL MCCALL

ASSOCIATED PRESS he Zac Brown Band delivers a message with the title of its new album, “Uncaged” — and the songs back up that statement.Although still likely to be described as a country band, the Georgia group purposely, and admirably,avoids current Nashville conventions on its new collection.

Ten years in, the ZBB instead focuses on the tight interplay the ensemble has developed through heavy touring,

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dwelling on instrumental chops as much as on vocals and hooks.They also cast a broad view toward material: There’s country music, for sure, in the harmonydriven “Goodbye In Her Eyes” and hoedown picking in the exhilarating “The Wind.” But, keeping to its theme, “Uncaged”takes on fierce southern rock on the title cut, gospel-tinged mountain soul on “Natural Disaster,” 1970s singersongwriter musings on “Lance’s Song,” and Caribbean-influences on “Jump Right In,” which has more in common with Paul Simon than Kenny Chesney.

Altogether, “Uncaged” is a powerful artistic declaration rather than an album carefully plotted to achieve maximum radio exposure.It succeeds,too,suggesting Brown and his fellowinstrumentalists and songwriters plan on gaining a reputation for musical diversity rather than safely repeating an established formula.

CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: “Overnight,” the boldest cut on “Uncaged,” shifts into contemporary rhythm-and-blues, overtly describing a couple’s seductive evening, set to a quiet-storm track that crosses Usher

BY NATE CHINEN

ASSOCIATED PRESS

PrettyVisitors Pretty Visitors SPECIAL TO ¿QUÉ PASA? hether they’re playing in Laredo or across Texas, everyone asks the band where they got the name PrettyVisitors.

“It’s actually a song from the Arctic Monkeys album Humbug,” says frontman and bassist Tony Shepherd. “We

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infuses the infectious pop/rockdriven first single “Down The Line” with an honest assessment of himself as a man about to be married. In the song, he evolves from the mentality of the bachelor who doesn’t want to change his ways to a mature man who accepts that being in the relationship will make him a better person – and that’s worth adjusting to.“Better Man”continues that emergence into adulthood theme, acknowledging that as he leaves his carefree days of youth behind,he will probably disappoint people but “I’m trying to live my life as well as I can.” The singer’s first attempt to write a true story song, the quirky, hypnotic mid tempo rocker “Francis Bucket Lost Her Head”has a fascinating origin. He had just gotten a new smart phone and while it was in his pocket, he “butt surfed” the internet and it locked onto a page in the San Francisco Chronicle with a headline that read

he title of Maroon 5’s new album, “Overexposed,” feels almost scientifically pitched at the point of contact between an apology and a boast. On one level it’s hopeful insulation from the derision the record was certain to evoke as a confectionary dance-pop product from an entity previously seen as some species of rock band. On another level it’s a claim to dominion, one that the album’s early chart performance has partly ratified.

Mostly, of course, “Overexposed” alludes to the television stardom of its lead singer, Adam Levine, now in the process of taping his third season as a judge on NBC’s “The Voice.”

Levine — who, at least among arena-touring front men, cuts the figure of a humblebrag hero better than anyone save Coldplay’s Chris Martin — has embraced that implication in a

T Zac Brown Band Uncaged with Marvin Gaye.

Pretty Visitors releaseselftitleddebuttonight >> have such different tastes and bring a lot of different influences to the group, from Stone Temple Pilots to Kasabian, Muse, The Beatles, Radiohead, even Kanye West. But we bonded over the Arctic Monkeys.” Since launching in mid-2010, Albert Garza’s guitar, combined with Shepherd’s lyrics and drummer Felipe Gutierrez’s rhythms, have earned them comparisons to everyone from Smashing Pumpkins to Weezer.

PrettyVisitors got off to a start,selected in its infancyas winner of the RMXBattle of the Bands,which resulted in an invite to perform before 50,000 people at the 2010 RMX 212 Festival in Guadalajara, Mexico — as the onlyAmerican band on a bill of artists from all over the world. They soon started booking venues like Headhunters in Austin and The Raven Hookah Lounge in San Antonio and began writing songs together.

Ever the heartfelt lyricist, Shepherd

Live music >>

Maroon 5’s ‘Overexposed’ >>

“Francis Bucket Committed to Insane Asylum for Killing Children.” Shepherd explores the possible reasons for what she did and the waythings from childhood can haunt people as adults.

“We love a variety of music and are not contained to one thing,” Shepherd says. “Our album truly represents the varied influences we have. As a group, we change our sound often, to a certain extent. One day we’ll feel like playing a straight-up rock song, the next we feel like quieting down and doing an acoustic track. We wear our influences on our sleeve, but always make sure it has a unique PrettyVisitors stamp on it.”

Pretty Visitors will release its self titled debut album tonight at AJ's, 9652 McPherson. Other acts on the bill include Sounds of Arson, Somewhere In Between and Automatic Weekend.

Music starts at 10 p.m.

spate of promotional interviews, along with a narrative of heartbreak.

Hence a song like “The Man Who Never Lied,” in which he sings about spoiling his perfect record of honesty to spare a quarreling lover some hurtful feelings; and “Beautiful Goodbye,” in which he delivers the line “And I can’t take it, you’re even perfect when you cry.” Hence, too, “Love Somebody,” a plea for salvation on the dance floor or some other horizontal surface: “You can take me all the way,” he advises, gallantly.

Perhaps it’s best to consider this album an inevitable consequence of “Moves Like Jagger.” That was the unstoppable single from Maroon 5’s previous album, a cheeky neodisco thumper with guest work by Christina Aguilera, who on “The Voice” acts as the evil queen to Levine’s stammering prince.

The equivalent single here is “Payphone,” which either blithely ignores the reality of modern telecommunications or clumsily

attempts to use it as a symbol. Either way the tune, produced by Shellback and Benny Blanco, has a breezily profane verse by Wiz Khalifa and a hook engineered to feel irresistible.And whereas “Moves Like Jagger”was a titanium outlier on “Hands All Over,” Maroon 5’s 2011 album, “Payphone,” sounds no shallower or slicker than the rest of “Overexposed.”

But is that a bad thing? Maroon 5 has always been a band of glib competence, and this album, which enlists Swedish hit-maker Max Martin as executive producer, doubles down on its strengths. Chief among them is Levine’s limber voice, which even in its natural form has a chirpy, metallic tang, suggesting a waveform run through Auto-Tune.

It’s when he deviates from the plastic norm that he actually sounds most awkward.

A roadhouse-shuffle version of Prince’s “Kiss,” included on deluxe editions of the album, mainly feels like an instructive exercise for his

Tanki Pink tonight @ 10 p.m.

F Ultra Lounge - 5517 McPherson Road Quarter Past 12 tonight @ 10 p.m.

The Cold Brew 4520 San Bernardo Avenue

Maroon 5 Overexposed next clutch of TV proteges. And “Sad,” a piano ballad he had a hand in writing, suggests an opportunistic echo of Adele’s “Someone Like You.” In the chorus Levine sings “I’m so sad,” as if no one bothered to upgrade a placeholder lyric during the process of songwriting. No machine is perfect.

July 17 CD releases >>

Alberta Cross

Capital Lights

Citizen Cope

Hellyeah

Jeff the Brotherhood

Songs Of Patience

Rhythm N Moves

One Lovely Day

Band Of Brothers

Hypnotic Nights

Marcy Playground

Matisyahu

Nas

Soul Asylum

The Fixx

Lunch, Recess & Detention

Spark Seeker

Life Is Good

Delayed Reaction

Beautiful Friction

Internacional Sonora Dinamita Saturday, July 14 @ 10 p.m.

Pappagallos 5920 San Bernardo Avenue VJD Rock Sunday, July 15 @ 8 p.m.

TKO 4100 San Bernardo Avenue

Pretty Visitors, Automatic Weekend, Somewhere in Jolly Ranchers Between & Sounds of Arson Thursday, July 19 @ 10 p.m. tonight @ 10 p.m.

The Old No. 2 AJ’s 313 West Village Boulevard 9652 Mcpherson Road Dustin Perkins Ryan Turner Friday, July 20 @ 10 p.m. tonight @ 10 p.m.

Rumors Rumors 9802 McPherson Road 9802 McPherson Road Lights (Journey Tribute) Remember The Daze Friday, July 20 @ 10 p.m. tonight @ 10 p.m.

The Old No. 2 TKO 313 West Village Boulevard 4100 San Bernardo Avenue Chris Salinas Tanki Pink Saturday, July 21 @ 10 p.m.

Saturday, July 14 @ 10 p.m.

Rumors MIX 9802 McPherson Road 120 west Village Road The Option Saturday, July 14 @ 10 p.m.

AJ’s 9652 Mcpherson Road

Garcia Brothers Friday, July 27 @ 10 p.m.

Senor Toros 9802 McPherson Road

Scarlet Caliber Saturday, July 14 @ 10 p.m.

The Cold Brew 4520 San Bernardo Avenue

Dean Seltzer Friday, July 27 @ 10 p.m.

Rumors 9802 McPherson Road

Rebound Saturday, July 14 @ 10 p.m.

TKO 4100 San Bernardo Avenue

David Mares Friday, July 27 @ 10 p.m.

Senor Toros 9802 McPherson Road

George Dukas Saturday, July 14 @ 10 p.m.

Rumors 9802 McPherson Road

Mick Cruz Saturday, July 28 @ 10 p.m.

Rumors 9802 McPherson Road

Little Sister Saturday, July 14 @ 10 p.m.

The Old No. 2 313 West Village Boulevard

To be included, email josh@lmtonline.com Deadline is WEDNESDAY night.

EPASA? ¿QU

OUT&ABOUT

BY JOSE G. MORALES

Nancy Centeno, Maverick Gomez and Jessica Lopez at Cowboys Country Bar.

Cecy Gonzalez, Alicia Pena, Aracely Maldonado, Lyly Villanueva and Alexa Valentin at Suite 21.

Amanda Garner and Larissa Garner at Lavish.

Cristal Flores, Lyanne Flores, Clarissa Garcia and Rocio Flores at Lavish.

Sochitl Y. Trevino, Mitchel Flores and Laura Selina Montemayor at Lavish.

Jaqueline Jimenez, Abigail Villarreal and Marina Vela at Lavish.

Melissa Castro, Ilse Villarreal, Lesly Trejo and Karina Lopez at Lavish.

Jazmine Solis and Andy Solis at F-Bar.

Grecia Garcia and Jazmin Torres at Lavish.

Michelle Otero, Vanessa Villarreal, Delia Dominguez and Krystina Gonzalez at Cowboys Country Bar.

Santos Guerra and Kimberly Barrera at Cowboys Country Bar.

Ivette Aguirre, Melissa Zamudio and Fernanda Hernandez at Lavish.

Mario Max, Diana Flores and Tavo Salas at Cowboys Country Bar.

McCoy and Carolina Martinez at Cowboys Country Bar.

Maleny Garza, Jenny Jimenez and Anali Laurel at Lavish.

Roli Trevino and Samantha De La Cruz at Lavish.

OUT&ABOUT

BY JOSE G. MORALES

Audrey Rangel and Molly Moncivais at Lavish.

Veronica Gamez, Daisy Gamez and Crystal Gamez at Lavish.

Christian Coutino and Rolando Gonzalez at UrbanFest 2012.

Deborahlee Hernandez and Janeth Terrazas at Cowboys Country Bar.