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contents
09.04-09.10
meet the team PUBLISHER Chris Shepperd BUSINESS MANAGER Leisha Shepperd EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chris Zebo ASSISTANT EDITOR Cheyenne Mueller PHOTOGRAPHER Asad Panjwanni STAFF WRITERS Drew Knight Katie Lea Joshua Russell
MARKETING INTERNS Cody Carlsen Valeria Cenoz Daniella Delgado Cecilia Garcia Rachel Pickering Connie Song
Essentials: Listen Play Discover Look
4 12 19 20
Interview:
4
After a three-year hiatus, Micky & The Motorcars have returned with a new album, new band members, and a whole new attitude.
WRITING INTERNS Eunice De Luna Laura Nauman Rebecca Ramirez Kate Williams DISTRIBUTION Cody Atkinson Lindsay Cox Randy Shepperd
Maroon Weekly is an independent, publication and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. Maroon Weekly receives no student fees or university funding.
First Bite: 12 - Chef Tai’s new Italian
restaurant, Paolo’s, opened a month earlier than expected.
Anniversary: 18 - The Grand Stafford Theater celebrates 2 years this week with a free concert.
What?!: 9 - A teenage
runaway lived in Walmart for 2 days, and a robot hitchhiked across Canada.
Opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the editor, publisher or the newspaper staff. Maroon Weekly is not liable for omissions, misprints or typographical errors. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express consent of the publisher. © Copyright 2014 Campus Press LP
Exclusive Interview: Micky & The Motorcars By Cheyenne Mueller After a three-year hiatus, Micky & The Motorcars have returned with a new album, new band members, and a whole new attitude. Their most recent record, Hearts From Above (released July 29), was a family affair, with Micky and Gary Braun bringing in help from their older brothers, Willy and Cody of Reckless Kelly. Maroon Weekly spoke with Micky about the band's latest album and the inspiration behind the new music. MW: Hearts From Above is the first album since 2011’s Raise Your Glass. There’s been a bit of a switch with the band members since the last album. What happened there? Micky: Well, one of our band members passed away, our bass player. Our other guitar player decided he wanted to get off the road for a little while and do some other things—do something different for a while. So we just needed to make some changes, and we were able to find some great guys—and we’re having a blast.
“There’s actually a lot of upbeat kind of love songs on this record that I’ve never really done before. I was kind of a....more of a sappy, heartbreak type of guy.” - MICKY BRAUN
pg 4 • MAROON WEEKLY •Sept. • Sept.3v, 3, 2014 2014 •• maroonweekly.com maroonweekly.com
MW: Hearts From Above, which is the song that’s been playing a lot recently, is the title of the album. How did you come up with that? Micky: It’s a song I wrote coming back from a show with Alejandro Escovedo. It just kind of inspired me, and I was walking home late at night and started thinking about all my good friends and stuff across town. So I just sat there and started writing it down after I got home. After that, all we needed was to cut and finish it up. MW: You guys go on tour quite a bit; you’re constantly on the road. What’s the craziest thing to happen on tour? Micky: I’ve had all sorts of crazy stuff happen. We broke down just outside of Kingman, Arizona last year and we were stuck in this little town for two days, and it was just the weirdest little town, and we were just stuck there. We couldn’t go anywhere, so we spent those two days just hanging out, jumping around, going from bar to bar, kind of having a buzz with these locals. And, we ran into some people who knew who we were. We had a great time, just hanging out. That was pretty wild; a little trip for a couple days; a lot of weird stuff. Every day is a new adventure out on the road. MW: Looking at some of the title tracks for your new album, a lot of them sound pretty sad. This wasn’t supposed to be as solemn of a record as the last one. What’s up with that? Micky: Well, actually, when you listen to the record, the songs… the titles are sadder than the actual song part, if that makes sense. There’s actually a lot of upbeat kind of love songs on this record that I’ve never really done before. I was kind of a....more of a sappy, heartbreak type of guy. This record actually does have some pretty good love songs on it, and some tunes, like “Sister Lost Soul”--that’s on there, and that’s actually Alejandro’s. It’s kind of a tribute to all of his lost friends from different bands and people that he knew that didn’t make it. So that song is actually also the saddest song. It’s a tribute to kind of the same thing, so we put it on there for the same reasons. It’s kind of a tribute to our buddies that we lost along the way, and so like you say, I do know where you’re coming from: It sounds sad, but it’s actually more happy, in an uplifting way. MW: We know you’re obligated to say that each and every song is your favorite, but which would one would you say is really your favorite? Micky: My favorite on this record is a song called Hurt Again, and I wrote it with a friend of mine in Montana about three years ago. We tried to put it on the last record, and we recorded it, but it wasn’t coming out the way that I wanted it to come out. So we kept it off the last record. I got some help from my brother Willy, and we sat down with it and figured out a good rendition for it, and it made the record. It came out exactly how I wanted it to. MW: You mentioned that you worked with your brother Willy on that track. Did you work with your brothers on any of the other tracks? Micky: Yeah. Actually, all of ‘em. Yeah, my brother Willy produced this whole record. He was involved kind of from the get-go, getting involved with all the songs and just getting everything down how we wanted them. We’d go to the studio and my brother Cody also came in and played fiddle on a couple of songs and sang the harmonies on a couple of songs,. So a lot of brotherly stuff was going on; it was a great time.
maroonweekly.com • Sept. 3, 2014 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 5
Brad Paisley Album: Moonshine In The Trunk
Release Date: Aug. 26, 2014
Recommended Tracks: Moonshine in the Trunk American Flag on the Moon
For his 10th studio album, Moonshine in the Trunk, Paisley takes fans to the river bank, to the moon, and even to YouTube. A month before the album's release, he took to Twitter and leaked a YouTube video containing two-second clips of each song on the album. When Paisley’s record label discovered the video, he once again tweeted his fans. “Hurry up and Listen,” he posted. “I’m going to detention. Breakfast club!!! Here I come.”
By Laura Nauman
The title track on the 15-track album, “Moonshine in the
Brad Ariana Paisley Grande
Trunk”, reflects Paisley's rebellion as well. “Let’s pretend like we’re running from the law, like we’re the Bonnie and Clyde of alcohol” channels the bootlegging days and Brantley Gilbert’s mid-tempo hit, “Bottoms Up”, released late last year. The fusion of repetitive rhythm (think house music), classic country instruments like fiddle and steel guitar, and Paisley’s hyperactive electric guitar solos make this track anything but ordinary. In “American Flag on the Moon”, Paisley uses the current Congressional grid-lock to unite political parties by portraying Americans as “the children of explorers” and encouraging us to come together like when we put man on the moon. The track is a less controversial extension of “Accidental Racist”, a track off of Paisley’s 2013 album, Wheelhouse, in that it focuses on, well, unifying people. Politics may be off-putting, since nowadays people look to music as an escape; but it is toned down and hardly provocative. In an industry known pejoratively for its hitmaking “formula”, Paisley’s risk taking is refreshing.
BradMaroon Paisley5
BradAnnie Paisley Eve
Album:
SIngles:
Album:
My Everything
Animals and Maps
Sunday ‘91
Release Date:
Release Date:
Release Date:
Aug. 22, 2014
Aug. 24, 2014
June 16, 2014
By Laura Nauman With two MTV Video Music Award performances and three top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100, Ariana Grande is now a full-blown pop star. While Grande can “sing the phonebook”, as Randy Jackson would say, she has yet to produce a hit that's all her own. In Grande’s 12-track sophomore album, My Everything, she balances her breathy, R&B voice with hip-hop beats and rap interludes that make the tracks engaging. “Problem” featuring rapper Iggy Azalea is a catchy, girl power anthem with lyrics like “I got 99 problems but you won’t be one”. One of the only tracks not a collaboration, “Just a Little Bit of Your Heart”, showcases Grande’s vocal range with piano being her only accompaniment. Still, lyrics like “I can tell you were just with her and I’ll still be a fool” force listeners to wonder how confident Grande is...or if she's reeling.
By Laura Nauman On August 24th, Maroon 5 released their second single, “Animals”, off of their highly anticipated, 5th studio album, V, scheduled for September 2nd. Subdued tracks, “One More Night” and “Payphone”, from Maroon 5’s last album Overexposed, are about wasted time and failed relationships. But “Animals” is layered in heavy base and more aggressive lyrics: “You can find other fish in the sea, but you can’t stay away from me”. “Maps”, the first single off the new album, is like “Animals”; also about chasing a love interest. But there’s a sense of hopelessness in the lyrics and periodic, simple guitar riffs slow the song down, infusing it with soul and cadence. Like Maroon 5’s previous album, listeners can expect V to have a serious tone but be more playful.
pg 6 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 3, 2014 • maroonweekly.com
By Kate Williams Young, British artist, Annie Eve has released Sunday ’91, an album full of melancholy songs that go hand-in-hand with a rainy day or somber summer night. Fans of Daughter or London Grammar will appreciate Eve’s dark and mysterious edge. Those who jam to Alt-J on occasion will find similarities in Eve’s vocals and unique sonic atmosphere. Eve describes her album as “ageless”, saying that “anything can happen on a Sunday in ’91.” First a solo performer, Eve searched high and low and carefully selected her band and mentioned in an interview that her newest album incorporates much more guitar. Although she is the author of her dreadfully depressing lyrics, she proves to be a breathe of fresh air on the indiefolk circuit.
FOLLOW YOUR
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Living off campus? Follow us for fire/police alerts, traffic updates, special events and other important city information.
@CityofCS blog.cstx.gov /cityofcollegestation
pg 8 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 3, 2014 • maroonweekly.com
1
2
Texas man donates meat of near-record shark to feed poor
Hitchhiking robot charms his way across Canada
PORT ARANSAS — After five hours of battle around five miles off the coast of Port Aransas, a San Antonio angler reeled in an 809-pound tiger shark, nearly beating the state record. But what he did later on with his haul is what really has people biting. Ryan Spring, a deck installer from Alamo City who said he drives to Port Aransas twice a year to fish, donated 75 pounds of meat from the shark to a Corpus Christi resource center and consequently fed more than 90 people, according to the San Antonio Express-News. “It was the biggest fish that has ever been donated to us,” said the executive director of the center, Kae Berry.
CANADA — When it comes to studying the relationship between people and the everchanging field of technology, it’s robots or bust for these Canadian researchers.
3
Teenage runaway hides out for 2-day Walmart staycation
CORSICANA — Save Money. Live better. Perhaps Walmart’s slogan shouldn’t be taken quite so literally. A 14-year-old boy who had been hiding away in the baby apparel aisle for two days was recently discovered at a 24-hour Corsicana Walmart. The boy, who reportedly had a history of running away and had been staying with his aunt, was eventually outed after stepping out from behind some boxes. When an employee peered behind those boxes, a cache of items were found indicating that he had been staying for a while, Walmart spokesman Brian Nick said. KTVT-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth reported that the boy pilfered drinks and food from the store and changed clothes periodically to avoid detection.
Powered by Hydrogen By Katie Lea
Clad in his rubber gloves, pool noodle arms and yellow rubber rain boots, HitchBOT — the talking, hitchhiking robot — has been charming his way across the nation and into the hearts of all those who stop and pick him up for a ride. “What we wanted to do is situate robotics and artificial technologies into unlikely scenarios and push the limits of what it’s capable of,” said David Smith, an instructor at Ontario’s McMaster University who co-created HitchBOT. “It’s challenging but it can also be highly engaging and entertaining as HitchBOT has proven.” Although he can’t walk and his conversation skills are rather limited, Smith said the bucket-bodied robot has still been able to travel from Canada’s east to west coast with a built-in GPS system, mobile technology similar to a smartphone, and speech recognition software.
The energy crisis is, and will continue to be, a hot-button issue and a popular topic of conversation and debate. With fuel prices ever-rising and up-and-coming alternative energy sources such as nuclear, solar, and wind power in competition, it’s no wonder so many scientists are lending their minds to finding cheaper, more efficient answers to humanity’s hunger for energy. One such scientist is Aggie chemist, Marcetta Darensbourg, who is working to improve a natural and affordable solution: hydrogen energy.
today. You could think of a fuel cell as a sort of never-ending battery; it will continue to produce energy for as long as fuel for the reaction is provided vs. a battery whose chemicals will stop reacting over time. The combination of hydrogen—the most basic, abundant element in the universe—and oxygen is what helps create lasting energy in hydrogen fuel cells. While these fuel cells create a large amount of energy, they result in almost no pollution. Even NASA has been using hydrogen fuel since the '70s in its shuttles.
Hydrogen fuel cells are already in use
So what does Darensbourg have to do
with all this, you might ask? Not only has she been studying this technology for years, she’s also searching for a way to make it more affordable. She is currently experimenting with bioinspired catalysts such as iron, nickel, and sulfur. If she succeeds, they could eventually take the place of pricier platinum, which is currently serving as the catalyst in hydrogen fuel cells, making energy conversion possible at a much lower price. She's been analyzing the stability of alternative materials, and if they prove to be effective, it could mean cheaper fuel alternatives for us all.
maroonweekly.com • Sept. 3, 2014 •MAROON WEEKLY • p 9
pg 10 • MAROON WEEKLY • March 19, 2014 • maroonweekly.com
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Our Consumerist Society By Rebecca Ramirez
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When you look at the piece of art accompanying this story, what do you see? At first sight, it may look like a swirl of bright colors. But as the viewer looks closer and studies each piece of material, they’ll notice fragments of a Target bag, an Express bag, and even a Buccee’s bag. Virginia Fleck, an Austin born artist, took the idea of the traditional mandala and made it her own. Typically, a mandala is a geometric figure in Hindu and Buddhist religions. The word itself means “circle.” It represents something very spiritual about the life we live and the aftelife as well. Mandalas appear to us in different forms: the Sun, the Moon, and even our circle of families, friends, and loved ones. Mandalas’ shapes and long lines represent a life that is never ending, even after death. Fleck takes materials such as plastic bags—known for “living” very briefly in their function and then being discarded to live even longer—and comments about a particular “brand” of life central to American progress: consumerism. Her colorful works are made of materials from the trash heap of American consumer life and arranged in intriguing ways that make viewers question the nature of buying and disposing in American life. “Our Consumerist Society” will be on display in the Wright Gallery on the second floor of Langford A from September 1 to October 15, 8am–5pm. A reception for the artist will be held at the gallery from 5-7 pm on Tuesday, September 23. For more information on Fleck and her work, visit virginiafleck.com.
the scoop WHAT: ART EXHIBIT WHERE: WRIGHT GALLERY WHEN: SEPT. 1 - OCT. 15 maroonweekly.com • Sept. 3, 2014 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 11
illiams
eW By Kat
Paolo’s
Paolo’s is the sister restaurant to town favorite, Veritas. While we were snapping pictures of Paolo’s romantic lighting and decor, we chatted with a few friendly waiters about the restaurant's extensive Italian wine selection and craft beers, as well as the history behind the restaurant. The mind behind the operation, Chef Tai, greeted us with a smile and took us on a tour of the newly remodeled venue once home to Sodolak's. We had a chance to try their fresh baked bread topped with a sundried tomato butter and some lasagna that is out of this world. Paolo’s is currently only open for dinner, but more hours are sure to come. Prices range from $8-12 for appetizers, and entrees average $14. The restaurant is located on University Dr. next to the Hilton.
pg 12 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 3, 2014 • maroonweekly.com
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
TUESDAY
Head out to the newly renovated Kyle Field for the first home game of the season.
Join Grand Stafford Theater for their second anniversary celebration week.
Connect with 10,000 of your closest friends in Reed Arena for Breakaway.
AGGIES VS. LAMAR
CHRIS CATALENA
BREAKAWAY
WEEKLY // PICKS WEEK
OF
SEPTEMBER 4 - SEPTEMBER 10,
2014
FIND MORE AT: WWW.MAROONWEEKLY.COM/EVENTS
first Friday of each month. The event is hosted and coordinated by the Downtown Bryan Association (DBA) and it proudly displays a variety of arts and culture related activities and demonstrations. First Friday is a free event open to the public. Parking is available around Downtown Bryan and at the Roy Kelly Parking Garage (entrance on E. 27th Street, cost $1 per hour and the first hour is free). DOWNTOWN BRYAN, Sept. 5, 2014 6:00 PM FREE
SATURDAY 9/6 AGGIES VS. LAMAR BALMORHEA
THURSDAY 9/4 BALMORHEA
Balmorhea (pronounced Bal-moreray) is a six-piece instrumental group from Austin, TX. Founded by Rob Lowe and Michael Muller in 2006, the band has produced five full-length albums, including Stranger, which was released late October 2012. Balmorhea, called “an exemplary experiment in restraint” by The New Yorker, has toured the US and Europe eight times each, including shows with Tortoise, Fleet Foxes, Mono, Bear in Heaven, Sharon Van Etten, Damien Jurado, Efterklang, and others. Additionally the band has performed at Austin City Limits Music Festival, SXSW, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and the Hopscotch Festival. Tickets can be purchased online. GRAND STAFFORD
THEATER 106 S Main St, Bryan Sept. 4, 2014 9:00 PM $10
FRIDAY
ANON RELEASE
9/5
ANON Magazine Presents: Looking Back to celebrate the release of their second issue. The Ex-Optimists, King and Nation, Eerily Similar Beings, and Mic Check Poetry will be performing; and the recently-opened Wandering Flamingo will be selling their vintage apparel. The release party correlates with Downtown Bryan’s First Friday.DOWNTOWN BRYAN URBAN GARDEN 216 W. 26th St, Bryan, Sept. 5, 2014 7:30 PM FREE
FIRST FRIDAY
First Friday is a monthly event held on the
The first home football game of the 2014 season against Lamar. The game will be broadcasted live on the SEC Network. KYLE FIELD TAMU Campus, College Station, Sept. 6, 2014 6:30 PM
SALSA SATURDAYS
Voted Best Night of Dancing for three years, Salsa Saturdays starts with a fun “30-Minute Crash Course Salsa Lesson” at 10pm followed by a hot night of dancing. Come prepared to sweat and to meet new people at this Aggie hot spot! Visit www.mambosentertainment. com/salsasaturdays.html for more details. VILLAGE CAFÉ 210 W. 26th St, Bryan Sept. 6, 2014 8:00 PM $5
SUNDAY
9/7
CHRIS CATALENA
Catalena’s record Here Comes The Time is a bit of an attempt to transcend contemporary genres and styles – a record that reaches across musical aisles. The songs were largely
conceived during Chris’s stay in the hills of Laurel Canyon and Hollywood, California, and chronicle a love story that unfolded shortly before the HCTT recording sessions. The album features the percussion of Nelson Bragg (Brian Wilson’s Band) as well as guest appearances from Alex Maas (The Black Angels) and Stephanie Hunt (Glee). Once the album was complete, Chris returned to Texas where he was able to summon various friends and musicians to join his band, affectionately known as The Native Americans. Tickets for the release party can be purchased online. GRAND STAFFORD THEATER 106 S Main St, Bryan Sept. 7, 2014 7:00 PM $10
MSC OPEN HOUSE
The MSC Open House allows for organizations to reach thousands of students at one time. Meanwhile, new students get the opportunity to see some of the student involvement opportunities that Texas A&M offers. MSC Open House consists of two separate events, one in Fall and one in Spring. Fall Open House is the larger of the two, with over 400 organizations participating last year and over 10,000 students in attendance. MSC TAMU CAMPUS, Sept. 7, 2014 1:00 PM FREE
MONDAY
TRIVIA NIGHT
9/8
Teams can have up to 6 members. There are five rounds of trivia and whoever has the most points at the end wins. The top three teams will win bar tabs. REVOLUTION CAFE AND BAR 211 S Main St, Bryan Sept. 8, 2014 9:00 PM FREE
maroonweekly.com • Sept. 3, 2014 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 13
there’s an
#APP4THAT DESTINATION AGGIELAND - BY CHRIS ZEBO This summer, we sat down with Tim Lomax, senior research engineer for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, to talk about …traffic. Most conversations about traffic are of the grousing kind, but our conversation–all 1.5 hours of it–was spirited and optimistic. Tim and his team–with support and funding from TAMU, the City of College Station, the City of Bryan, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau–devised an app for iPhones and Androids that will cut the time you spend bumper-to-bumper this football season. It will also COST: FREE help you find parking, a shuttle route, and it’ll even help you find a place to eat after the game. The new, free app will be released to the public August 11 via the university’s TAMUmobile app, your cell phone’s app store, and at gameday.aggieathletics.com. SEC APP - BY REBECCA RAMIREZ Tired of using multiple resources to get the latest updates about your favorite college football team? Then download the SEC app: an efficient way to obtain the lowdown about all things SEC. The app provides all the information college football fans will ever need about their favorite teams—right in the palm of their hands. There will be no more anxiety about whether your favorite team won a game, who the top three teams in SEC are, or even if the next game is either a home game or out of town. The app’s multiple features include schedules of COST: FREE each game, scores, rankings, news about your favorite teams, a roster from each team (along with each players position), and even photos of the games. FANCRED - BY KATE WILLIAMS Capture priceless Texas A&M sports moments using Fancred. Meet your personal sports hybrid of Twitter and Instagram. Upload photos, share videos, check-in at Kyle Field or Reed Arena and build your following empire. Connect with the aggie sports community to keep tabs on your favorite athletes. Fancred uses a 1-100 point system that measures your activity and involvement as an avid sports fan. It is a simple and easy process; the first step is just being a fan. The more active you are, the more points you gain as a Fancred member. COST: FREE Be instantly connected with your fellow Ags and be in the loop on the latest sports updates for teams all over the nation. Prepare to rev-up for Aggie game-day.
pg 14 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 3, 2014 • maroonweekly.com
maroonweekly.com • March 19, 2014 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 15
First Friday
By Eunice De Luna
The first Friday of every month has a special meaning to the BCS community. First Friday is a day where citizens of the community love to kick off their shoes and gather in historic downtown Bryan to appreciate the arts and culture the sister city has to offer. If it’s your first time participating, the opportunities are plentiful, which include restaurants to enjoy dinner, drink specials, live music on the streets and inside venues, shopping, and a free movie in Gloria Sale Park at dusk. To start the night off, there are a variety of restaurants to choose from. Stop by Casa Rodriguez for some authentic Mexican cuisine, or if you are craving pasta, there is always Caffe Capri, known for their delicious Italian food. There will also be food trucks for you to grab a quick bite as you enjoy a stroll downtown Bryan. Make sure to visit downtown’s boutiques. If you are looking for something inexpensive, try Alice’s Attic Thrift store; if you’re looking for something trendy, try Haute Couture Boutique. Live music is one of the main attractions at First Friday. Grand Stafford Theater is a must; they have established quite a name for themselves. Also check out Revolution Cafe and Murphy’s Law, both offering live music as well as an extensive beer selection. As you pass by Main Street, make sure to keep an eye out for Maroon Weekly. We’ll be rolling out the “Maroon Carpet” in front of the Stafford and taking photos of passersby and attendees as the enter for the venue’s 2-year Anniversary celebration. All photos will be available for download via our Facebook page.
the scoop WHAT: FIRST FRIDAY WHERE: DOWNTOWN BRYAN WHEN: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 pg 16 • MAROON WEEKLY •Sept. • Sept.3v, 3, 2014 2014 •• maroonweekly.com maroonweekly.com
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New York Times bestselling author, Lee Child, brings another action-packed thriller about ex-military frontman, Jack Reacher.
Find us on
In Child’s nineteenth installment, Reacher is called upon by the State Department and the CIA. His case is to investigate the attempted assassination of the French president in the City of Light.
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Two clues were found at the scene: one was that the bullet used was “American;” second, the distance between the target and the gunman could have only been pulled off by a few skilled snipers. Reacher soon discovers that an old foe named John Kott, an American marksman gone bad, has been released after fifteen years of being incarcerated. Kott is one of those few snipers and the prime suspect of the case. The only man who is capable of stopping him is the man who stopped him once before: Jack Reacher. Reacher must team up with rookie analyst Casey Nice to find Kott and solve the case. As a team, they face mobsters, Serbian thugs, doublecrossers, and close calls. But in the midst of all the action, Reacher still remembers the woman he once failed to save and vows to never let it happen again. He promises to protect Nice at all costs. This time around, it's personal.
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maroonweekly.com • Sept. 3, 2014 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 17
GRAND STAFFORD 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY By Kate Williams
From November 2011 through the Spring of 2012, we worked on getting investors behind our idea and finally in April we had a team behind us and we secured it. We spent the summer hiring interns and renovating the venue and we opened in September of 2012 to coincide with that month’s First Friday event. I came up with the new name, Cody came up with the new branding and visual direction, and we both worked on the atmosphere. MW: How would you describe the Grand Stafford to someone who has never been there before? Arredondo: A place where people could walk in with their eyes closed and know we wouldn’t let them down in the quality of music and entertainment that we are hosting. A new atmosphere every night and something for everyone. A place so intimate where you could meet the performers on stage after the show and have a drink with them or just chat for a while, yet a place big enough where we could bring in some nationally touring artists that people would get really excited about and feel like they’re a part of this intimate and up-close experience with the musicians. MW: How would you describe the atmosphere? A line forms outside a narrow brick building in the heart of downtown Bryan, TX as anxious fans get their hands stamped and take a step into a new world; the place where live music lives and artists feel at home—the Grand Stafford Theater. The Stafford is currently celebrating its 2 year anniversary this week, and we caught up with the venue's general manager and talent buyer, Jose Arredondo. Never been to the Grand Stafford Theater? Well this interview will give you a fairly complete picture of the venerable institution-of-music's ascendancy in the region. MW: How did Grand Stafford come to be, in a nutshell? Arredondo: Myself and my business partner, Cody Marx Bailey, got the idea to re-open the venue after it had closed down and after we had just finished what would be the last year of Rock The Republic, a music festival that took place in downtown Bryan in 2011. The two of us had the right chemistry and skills to take on a venture like this. He was more business oriented and had started other Internet companies and had been working in the music industry for some years, putting on concerts, festivals, booking, and touring.
pg 18 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 3, 2014 • maroonweekly.com
Arredondo and Bailey joined forces in 2011 to reopen Grand Stafford Theater in historic downtown Bryan.
Arredondo: It really varies from night to night depending on what we have going on. Some nights it feels like a New York speakeasy on our Craft Cocktail Tuesdays; other nights we have free concerts or small local shows; other nights we have big national touring artists and sold out concerts. We like to create a different atmosphere for each event since we consider each one special and unique, and we help create the experience for our patrons as well as for our musicians unlike any other. MW: How have you seen the Grand Stafford develop over the past two years? Arredondo: Like many startups born from the guts and ideas of two people, we’ve seen the growing pains of starting a new business. We’ve seen some great things at the venue, some amazing concerts, and others we didn’t know how we could do them, but we pulled them off. The best part has been that we’ve all been challenged in the undertaking of this
venture—from staff, to support staff, musicians, our families, friends, wives, husbands, significant others, and all of those that have put up with us through these trying times—and they’ve seen us overcome a lot of these things and make it through and grow together. It’s definitely not been an easy task opening a live music venue in a college town like ours; but it’s definitely had its payoffs; and I think this town has grown a lot with us too in many different ways. MW: What makes the Grand Stafford different than your average bar or music venue? Arredondo: We operate under the standard of putting the music first. If there’s not a concert, we’re not open. We’re only open for live music and the arts and entertainment that we bring to the theater. That’s why we chose “theater” in our name, so as not to be pinned as a bar/club/etc. but rather a muti-purpose room that can accommodate all sorts of performances, from music, poetry, film, theater and much more. We’ve done all these and more at the venue already. MW: What kinds of artists play at GS? Arredondo: We’re an all-genres live music venue. We consider everyone that emails us wanting to play here. We can’t always accommodate everybody because of the high volume of submissions we receive, but we do everything from small local bands to national touring artists, from jazz and string quartets to electronic, hip hop, Americana, folk, bluegrass, country, indie rock, hard rock, metal and everything in between, including spoken word. MW: How is GS celebrating its 2 year anniversary? Arredondo: We are doing a week-long celebration starting on Tuesday Sept. 2 with the re-launch of our Craft Cocktail Tuesdays but with a Craft Beer component now added--and also new this night: live jazz music by the Greg Tivis Trio. This continues with concerts Wednesday and Thursday of different genres and then two free concerts on First Friday and Saturday also of different genres. We'll close the celebration with a cd release show on Sunday by a Bryan-native musician, Chris Catalena, who also performed for us when we first opened two years ago. Our First Friday concert will also see us bringing back a lot of the artists that played for us when we first opened and were supporting us before we even opened our doors.
FREE FIRST FRIDAY CONCERT AT GRAND STAFFORD THEATER Quiet CompanyAustin's Quiet Company has been getting more
and more attention as their music starts to steal the spotlight. Critics have described the indie-rock band as a mix of The Beatles, Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire and Weezer. Thus far they have won 10 Austin Music Awards during SXSW, Indie Band of the Year, and Song of the Year, just to name a few. Red Bull also chose Quiet Company to be a Sound Select Artist. Their full-length album, Transgressor, should be released sometime in the near future.
Feather Face
Feather Face is a Houston band that has become known for their energetic live performances and their creative twist on pop music. They've performed at several live music festivals including Free Press Summer Fest and Index Fest. During SXSW 2013, the band was chosen from 1,000 applicants to participate in Converse’s recording and producing program. There they won “Track of the Week” and began producing record.
Gatlin Elms
Gatlin Elms is an up and coming indie band that hopes to capture the raw struggle of life and redefine worship. The band has been together since 2008 and released an album, “Carry Me Home”, in 2010. Gatlin Elms’ new album, “With The Monsters”, is available on their website to pre-order.
The Lonely Hunter
The Lonely Hunter is a Christian indie-rock band that is no stranger to Grand Stafford. The band from central-Texas, formally known as The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, came out with an EP in 2011 and is now coming out with a new EP called “When Winter Comes.” With the new EP, the band is hoping to gradually transition listeners to feel their new music and style
Stella. The North
MW: What are some other upcoming events you are excited to host in the near future? Arredondo: Aside from our great lineup on this 2-year anniversary week, we’re excited about working with Texas Reds Festival this year and becoming a more integrated part of the festival. We're also pretty excited to be hosting, for the first year, the Red Wasp Film Festival entirely in the venue in October. We always like working with Mic Check! and being a host venue to the Texas Grand Slam Poetry Festival, and we’re looking forward to bringing back our 2nd Annual Zombie Ball and Pub Crawl to downtown Bryan at the end of October, as it was a great hit last year! Our annual showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with the shadow cast of Cepheid Variable is also one of our highlights every year with a performance the night of Halloween this year. We also have many more great concerts planned for later in the semester including some surprises we can’t talk about just yet for late November and early December. MW: If someone were to want more info about GS, where should they go? Arredondo: Signing up for our newsletter through our website or Facebook is a great way and also keeping up with us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is how we do a lot of our ticket giveaways and run some of our promotions.
Stella. The North is an indie-rock band from Austin but has influences from all over the world. After traveling Europe, Stella. The North incorporated Spanish Flamenco while maintaining a rhythmic blues guitar base. They're currently recording their first EP in Austin, which will come out this December.
Lindsay Harris
Lindsay Harris is a mixture of a jazz, folk and pop artist. Critics describe her style as a mix between Norah Jones and Grace Potter. She’s a newer, aspiring artist that uses her music to connect with her listeners on a deep conversational level. She currently has a new EP out called Lemon Tree that can be found on her website.
The Feeble Contenders
The Feeble Contenders are a local indie-rock band from College Station with a Christian influence. They currently have an EP called Circles available for download on bandcamp.com. Known for harmony and unique rhythms (especially on the drumkit), the band is rising in popularity across the region.
maroonweekly.com • Sept. 3, 2014 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 19
By Cheyenne Mueller
Antiviral
Boyhood Drama (R)
Boyhood chronicles the journey of a boy named Mason from the ages of 5 to 18. The film itself, which took twelve years to complete, stars Ellar Coltrane as Mason. Texas director Richard Linklater cast Coltrane alongside Linklater’s real-life daughter, Lorelei Linklater, who plays Mason’s sister. Both actors are filmed over the course of twelve years: no doubles. Additionally, Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette, who play the siblings’ divorced parents, also committed to be filmed over the entire 12-year production. Though a fictional film, the experiences and lives of the characters are drawn with a human brush. Set in Texas, Linklater touches on the contours of the American dream and its dissolve as the family unit both adjusts to the times and also to each character’s unique flaws. Arquette’s character has bad taste in men, which leads to a couple failed marriages and which also produce’s the film’s arch. Hawke plays, at first, a deadbeat dad who redeems himself over the course of the film’s 165 minutes. However, assigning each character a static role in a traditional sense whitewashes a lot of the films gradation of hue. Linklater’s story isn’t contrived and presents people as they really are, warts and all. Linklater captures over a decade’s worth of fads that wax and wane over time in everything from video gaming and fashion trends to news reels captured on television sets actually playing in real time at the time of filming. It’s a trip down memory lane (although there are certainly trends that we’d like to forget). Boyhood’s cinéma vérité is extremely different than its box office counterparts, but it’s a nice change of pace. It’s also nice to see so much of Texas portrayed so beautifully. R for language including sexual references and teen drug and alcohol use.
pg 20 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 3, 2014 • maroonweekly.com
Netflix (Not Rated) Antiviral focuses on Syd March (Caleb Landry Jones, X-Men: First Class), an employee at a clinic that sells live viruses harvested from sick celebrities to obsessed fans. On the side, Syd supplies illegal samples of these viruses to piracy organizations, using his body as the carrier. As a result, he becomes infected with a disease that kills superstar Hannah Geist (Sarah Gadon, A Dangerous Method). Syd becomes a target for collectors and rabid fans, forcing him to fight for his life from multiple assailants. Directed by Brandon Cronenberg, son of David Cronenberg (The Fly, Videodrome), while categorized as a horror, it’s something more. The film’s pacing is slower than the run-of-the-mill, make-you-jump horror flick. Cronenberg intensifies celebrity obsession to an extreme, and yet the subtleties of Antiviral are what make it truly terrifying. Similar to Spike Jonze Her thematicall, Antiviral’s premise is also over-the-top and yet not unbelievable. Antiviral is Not Rated and 108 minutes long.
1. Guardians of the Galaxy
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser. PG-13 (121 min)
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
A group of mutated warriors face off against an evil kingpin who wants to take over New York. PG-13 (101 min)
3. If I Stay
Life changes in an instant for young Mia Hall after a car accident puts her in a coma. During an out-of-body experience, she must decide whether to wake up and live a life far different than she had imagined. PG-13 (106 min)
4. As Above, So Below
When a team of explorers ventures into the catacombs that lie beneath the streets of Paris, they uncover the dark secret that lies within this city of the dead. R (93 min)
5. Let’s Be Cops
Bob Ladouceur, who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport. PG (115 min)
8. The Giver
In a seemingly perfect community, without war, pain, suffering, differences or choice, a young boy is chosen to learn from an elderly man about the true pain and pleasure of the “real” world. PG-13 (97 min)
9. The Hundred-Foot Journey The Kadam family clashes with Madame Mallory, proprietress of a celebrated French restaurant, after they open their own nearby eatery, until undeniable chemistry causes the Madame to take gifted young chef Hassan under her wing. PG (122 min)
10. The Expendables 3
Barney augments his team with new blood for a personal battle: to take down Conrad Stonebanks, the Expendables cofounder and notorious arms trader who is hell bent on wiping out Barney and every single one of his associates. PG-13 (126 min)
PG-13 (89 min)
14. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Some of Sin City’s most hard-boiled citizens cross paths with a few of its more reviled inhabitants. R (102 min)
15. Ghostbusters II
The discovery of a massive river of ectoplasm and a resurgence of spectral activity allows the staff of Ghostbusters to revive the business. PG (108 min)
16. How to Train Your Dragon 2 When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. PG (102 min)
17. Magic in the Moonlight A romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue. PG-13 (97 min)
Two struggling pals dress as police officers for a costume party and become neighborhood sensations. But when these newly-minted “heroes” get tangled in a real life web of mobsters and dirty detectives, they must put their fake badges on the line. R (104 min)
11. Lucy
18. Begin Again
A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic. R (89 min)
A chance encounter between a disgraced music-business executive and a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan turns into a promising collaboration between the two talents. R (104 min)
12. Cantinflas
6. The November Man
The untold story of Mexico’s greatest and most beloved comedy film star of all time, from his humble origins on the small stage to the bright lights of Hollywood. PG (106 min)
19. Chef
An ex-CIA operative is brought back in on a very personal mission and finds himself pitted against his former pupil in a deadly game involving high level CIA officials and the Russian president-elect. R (108 min)
7. When the Game Stands Tall The journey of legendary football coach
13. Into the Storm
Storm trackers, thrill-seekers, and everyday townspeople document an unprecedented onslaught of tornadoes touching down in the town of Silverton.
A chef who loses his restaurant job starts up a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family. R (114 min)
20. Maleficient
A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child may be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land. PG (97 min)
maroonweekly.com • Sept. 3, 2014 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 21
“Any questions?”
- save them until the end
Across 1 Android download 4 “Letters from Iwo ___” 8 “Dancing Queen” group 12 December danger 13 Ivy League sch. 15 Scanned pic 17 2013 single from DJ Snake and Lil Jon 20 Nod in unison 21 European high points 22 Gardner of “The Night of the Iguana” 23 Garden gastropod 26 Cleans (up) 28 Home to Missoula and Bozeman 31 Rolled pair 32 Ending after Japan or Taiwan 33 Long, long ago 38 Baseball family surname 40 “Neither snow ___ rain...” 41 It’s a bit of a stretch 42 Norah Jones ballad 47 Jack-in-the-box sound 48 Brand that ran “short shorts” ads 49 “Let me clean up first...” 51 Speed’s mysterious nemesis, in cartoons 54 Taboo act 55 ___ king 56 Best-of-the-best 59 They’re all tied up 63 Dr. Seuss book made into a 2008 movie 67 Be stealthy 68 Alpaca relative 69 ___ Zeppelin 70 Literary Jane 71 “Good Will Hunting” director Gus Van ___ 72 Shark’s home
Answers
Down 1 Aqua Velva alternative 2 Electrical cord’s end 3 Sound from a happy cat 4 He plays Dr. John Watson 5 Stock market debut, briefly 6 Sound from a happy kitten 7 Oscar winner Paquin 8 Highly nauseous? 9 Company based in Munich 10 “One planet” religion 11 Plant used to make tequila 14 Lombardi Trophy awarder 16 HHH, in Athens 18 Fit one inside another 19 Vision-related 24 A as in Argentina 25 “I Will Survive” singer Gloria 27 Like lawns in the morning 28 Trapper Keeper maker 29 City bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics 30 “Animal” band ___ Trees 31 Galapagos Islands visitor 34 Greet the queen 35 Obama 2008 campaign word 36 Me-generation concerns 37 Grabs some shuteye 39 “___ Reader” (alternative digest) 43 Drunk singing, often 44 He claimed not to be a crook 45 Abbr. in an employee benefits handbook 46 Tugs on 50 ___ Lisa 51 Arena shouts 52 Lacking a partner 53 Barker’s successor 57 Maple Leafs, Bruins, et al. 58 Squiggly critters 60 Night fliers 61 “... I ___ wed” 62 Fizzy drink 64 Paving material 65 A step below the Majors 66 44-Down’s initials 2014 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com)
pg 22 • MAROON WEEKLY • Sept. 3, 2014 • maroonweekly.com
Dear National Media,
We are more than Johnny Manziel. Take Notice.
Regards, Texas A&M
Take a deep breath. That really did just happen. Our beloved Ags went to South Carolina and blew them out. There is, however, still a season to go.
2nd in the SEC behind Florida. 2013 SEC Coach of the Year, G Guerrieri, who is the only coach in the history of Texas A&M soccer, brings back a talented group including All-SEC selections Jordan Day, Leigh Edwards, Shea Groom, Kelley Monogue and Meghan Streight. The Aggies, overall, return 10 starters to a group that had a share in the SEC regular-season title last year. Streight has started all 74 games in her career for A&M and is on the Hermann Trophy watch-list along with teammate Groom, who led the team in scoring last year. The Hermann Trophy is awarded to the top college soccer player in the country and has never been won by an Aggie.
The offense was pretty much perfect in the first game against the SEC East; defense is still in a learning stage. Freshman Myles Garrett and Armani Watts showed flashes that should excite the Aggie faithful. Watts had two big hits and a key interception against the Gamecocks. There is still room to grow and learn. The defense got burned twice when A&M could have put the game away early. The Aggies need to see continued improvement in Howard Matthews and Watts. Those will be the two to watch this week. A&M seems more comfortable in man-to-man as opposed to zone coverage. Zone seems to bring a lot of finger pointing after a long score. Another problem the defense will encounter is replacing LB A.J. Hillard. The weakest point on the team is the linebacking corps due to youth and lack of depth. Hillard was a transfer from TCU who was expected to fill one of the three linebacking spots. His injury looked devastating. The Aggies have three weeks against inferior talent to groom and prepare freshman Otara Alaka or Josh Walker to start against Arkansas on September 27th in JerryWorld. The Aggies might move Donnie Baggs over to start at the vacant spot or let Tommy Sanders step up, but expect the freshmen to get plenty of looks to claim the weak side linebacking spot. Going forward against Lamar, you want to see the maturation process of Kenny Hill and the young talent on the offense.
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Also, if the offense continues its pace and continues to heavily outscore its opponent, look to see freshman Kyle Allen get some playing time in the second half of the game.
The Aggies travel to Pac-12 country when they meet up with Arizona and Arizona St. in the Sun Devil Classic Friday, September 5-7. Volleyball The Aggie volleyball team looks to build on its 2013 campaign and they are believed to have done so by adding a nationally recognized recruiting class. The Aggies return four starters, including 2014 All-SEC middle blocker Shelby Sullivan.
Dates, get ready to do a lot of kissing, this offense likes to score and quick.
The Ags finished 19-12 last year and went to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They are predicted to finish 6th in the SEC.
Soccer The Aggie soccer team has high expectations this year after finishing the 2013 season ranked #8 in the country and winning the 2013 SEC Tournament. They started the 2014 season with a #9 ranking and are projected to finish
Next up the Aggies head on the road to the Baymont Inn & Suites Invitational the weekend of September 5 to play Ohio, Virginia Tech and VCU. The Aggies have two big matchups in the USC Classic on September 11-12 when they are set to play #5 USC and #14 San Diego.
maroonweekly.com • Sept. 3, 2014 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 23