Vol. 12 No. 27

04.13.16 - VOL. 12, NO. 27

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meet the team PUBLISHER Chris Shepperd BUSINESS MANAGER Leisha Shepperd MANAGING EDITOR Luke Murray ASSISTANT EDITOR Linley McCord LAYOUT EDITOR Amy Winn STAFF WRITERS

Annabeth Reeb Jordyn Smith Adrianna Zampieri INTERNS Evan Flores Hannah Hardwick DISTRIBUTION Kristen Cottrell Lindsay Cox Daryl Dorman

Maroon Weekly is an independent, publication and is not affiliated with Texas A&M University. Maroon Weekly receives no student fees or university funding.

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. Š Copyright 2016 Campus Press LP

Music Reviews The Lumineers Album:

By Jordyn Smith

The Lumineers are back with “Cleopatra.” The 15-track album includes a collection of stories about love, loneliness, and redemption. This is the second full-length album for the group.

The album kicks off with “Sleep on the Floor,” the hooks and folky sounds that this track brings out is a great way to start the album. The vocals add another layer to the song, and it feels like a modern-folk song.

The harmonies of the group shine through as the album rolls on with “Ophelia.” This track starts with a more ominous vibe to it before picking up with a catchy piano riff. The title Release Date: track “Cleopatra” is an upbeat track that has a classic vibe to it. The drive force of the music April 8 2016 and phrasing of the lyrics make the song and the characters of this album give it new life.

This is a great pickup for anyone looking for something new to listen to.

Cleopatra

Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals

M83

Hayes Carll

Album: Call It What It Is

Album: Junk

Album: Lovers and Leavers

Release Date: April 8, 2016

Release Date: April 8, 2016

Release Date: April 8 2016

Ben Harper has reunited with The Innocent Criminals for “Call It What It Is.” The 11-track album brings funky melodies back to rock. The uniqueness of the album helps it stand out with rootsy feel to it. With plenty of funk and blues infused with rock, the album brings rock back to center stage.

Looking for some new electronic music? Maybe for a pregame or party? M83 is back with his new album “Junk.” The 15-track techno album is your above average classic record. It features some great collaborations, including a few with Mai Lan on “Go!,” “Bibi the Dog,” “Laser Gun,” and “Atlantiqe Sud.”

The album is riddled with heavier tracks like “Call It What It Is” and “Dance Like Fire” but is balanced out with lighter tracks like “Shine,” which definitely brings some funk. The guitar riffs in the back ground with the thumpin bass make this track. This is a great pick up for anyone looking for a more classic-sounding release.

The biggest collaboration is with Grammy winner Beck on “Time Wind,” which hands down it has to be the best track on the album. The relaxed vibe to it, the beats, and the lyrics set the song apart from the rest of the album. Overall, if you are a techno or electronic music fan, you will probably enjoy it.

pg 4 • MAROON WEEKLY • Apr. 13, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

Texas boy Hayes Carll is back with “Lovers and Leavers.” Though this album is classified as country, it definitely has a singer-songwriter vibe to it. The grittiness of Hayes is shown in “Drive,” and throughout the album, there is an undeniable honesty in the songwriting.

Hayes Carll has really done well with this release.

His infusion of musical styles and genres with the country flair are executed well. In “Sake of the Song,” it has a bluesy vibe to it that makes it sound like it could have fit in during the 40s. The rest of the album follows suit with a refreshing eclectic feel to it.

By Adrianna Zampieri

SPRING IS IN BLOOM

T

he sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the flowers are blooming.

Snow white daises. Lipstick red roses. Royal purple verbena. Whether they’re growing around campus or in your own backyard, these colorful plants can brighten even the gloomiest of days. Bring the joyful power of flowers into your home with a few simple tutorials.

PAPER ROSES Have a brown thumb? For roses that will never wilt, look no further than this tutorial from “iCreativeIdeas.” These paper flowers are a breeze to make, and in no time, you’ll have bouquets of everlasting blossoms sprouting around your home. Experiment with different papers, color combinations, and sizes.

For an extra, romantic touch, glue rhinestones to the very center of your roses or tie a ribbon around the stems. Either way, you’ll never have to remember to water these flowers.

WHAT YOU NEED: • Colored card stock • Scissors • Pencil

• Hot glue gun • Floral stem wire

HOW TO DO IT: • Cut your card stock or scrapbooking paper into a circle. The larger the circle, the larger the flower, and vice versa.

• Starting at the outside edge, cut a spiral towards the center. Slightly scalloping the edges will create a more natural and imperfect looking blossom.

• Roll your spiral tightly starting from the inner point.

• Allow the paper coil to loosen slightly, creating a rose. Adjust if needed to create the look you want.

• Use a hot glue gun to secure the flower in place, dabbing a dot of glue on the bottom.

• Lastly, attach the paper blossom to a floral wire stem with a dot of glue as well.

pg 6 • MAROON WEEKLY • Apr. 13, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

FLORAL LETTER Add some Spring to your home décor with a charming floral letter. This project from “the sassy life” is the perfect way brighten up any child’s room, display your Greek pride, or replace the faded wreath on your front door.

Easily personalized, choose a selection of your favorite flowers in your favorite colors, so your delightful floral letter can be a reflection of your unique personality.

WHAT YOU NEED: • Silk Flowers, medium-sized and small • Scissors • Paper mache letter • Hot glue gun HOW TO DO IT: 1. Cut the silk flowers off the stems as close to the flower as possible. The closer you cut, the flatter the flower will lay down on the letter.

2. Arrange the silk flowers according to your preference. Start by arranging the large flowers. Spread out similar looking flowers if possible so that there is more texture to the letter.

3. Once you’re happy with the placement of the large flowers, start adding the small flowers. Use these flowers to add more variety to the arrangement and to fill in most of the gaps on the surface.

4. Now glue the flowers in place. Take a photo of the arrangement before starting, so that if any flowers are knocked out of place, you can match them up to the photo.

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elebrating its 25th of giving back to the community, Chilifest 2016 promises to be bigger and better than ever.

The event, which became a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in 1999, has given back more than $2.5 million to local Brazos Valley charities - surmounting a total of more than $140,000 in 2015 alone.

It seems like all fun and games to the event’s patrons, but the organization holds true to their mission statement: “To offer assistance to thousands of ill, neglected, and less fortunate individuals; as well as to provide funding for the many organizations who put forth the effort to resolve the life threatening problems that endanger the lives of so many.”

After the last chord is struck and the last beer can crushed, Chilifest stands strong in their ability to not only entertain the masses, but give back to those who are less fortunate in the community.

With the event’s namesake, the chili cook-off, taking place on Friday, and the all-day celebration and festivities on Saturday, Chilifest 2016 is set to make another larger-than-life impact in their 25th year.

Switching focus to the good times that Chilifest has to offer, over time, the event quickly became known for the concerts.

Consistently bringing in top-notch entertainment, this year’s lineup could possibly be the best yet. The legendary ZZ Top will headline the event on Saturday April 16, with Turnpike Troubadours, Pat Green, Whiskey Myers and William Clark Green kicking things off.

Friday night, historically known for being open to only Chilifest team members, is open to the general public as of last year’s event. The entertainment lineup for Friday April 15 boasts the biggest names of any Chilifest Friday in their 25-year history. Roger Creager is set to headline the Friday night bash, with Cody Canada & the Departed, Mike Ryan, Shane Smith & the Saints, The Statesboro Revue and Parker Heights preceding his show.

We sat down with Turnpike’s bassist, R.C. Edwards, Cody Canada, and William Clark Green to discuss their current musical endeavors, their range of influences, and what they expect from this year’s Aggie-party out in Snook, Texas.

pg 8 • MAROON WEEKLY • Apr. 13, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

T

he Turnpike Troubadours, an Oklahoma Red-Dirt band, have slowly risen to the top of the Texas Country Music Scene. The band has become a fan favorite not only in the state of Texas, but all over the United States. Their twang mixed with rock and all thrown in with a fiddle on top has set their sound apart from many of their peers. The approach they have, the fire in their performance, and the honesty in their lyrics have kept fans coming back for more. With their most recent release in September, the Turnpike Troubadours have kept a busy schedule. They will be on stage at 2:00 p.m on Saturday at Chilifest. Below is Maroon Weekly’s exclusive interview with their Bass player RC.

By Jordyn Smith

MW: Y’all just released a new record back in September. We read where y’all recorded it at a converted chicken farm in Northern California. Being in that environment, what was the creative process like?

RC: Yeah, about an hour north of San Francisco. We really got a chance to settle in and live out there for a month and work on this record. That’s something we had never really had done before; we’ve always kind of made records between shows, a day or two here when we could get to the studio.

So it was pretty neat to relax and settle in and really focus. That was all we did for four weeks, hang out and work on these songs. We lived in a little house together. It’s been a while since we have sat down and done that for that length of time. That was a big deal at first, setting the vibe. It was also the most focused we’ve ever been.

MW: As a group, y’all have played all over the country. What are some of your favorite venues? Are there any you would want to cross off your bucket list?

RC: We’ve been to Red Rocks before, but I would like to headline a show there.

Headlining Red Rocks is a big one for me. It’s amazing to just go see the place.

We were there setting up and all day long people were there exercising or just coming to see it. That’s kind of a bucket list. Our home Tulsa spots are my favorite venues, Cain’s Ballroom and the Mercury Lounge.

TURNPIKE’S R.C. EDWARDS

MW: Chilifest is a huge event in the College Station area. What is it like to come and play a show like this?

RC: We played Chilifest a year or two ago when Hank Jr. and Randy Rogers played, so those are our Chilifest memories. It was nuts, the only thing that might even be kind of close to it is Larry Joe Taylor but they’re different. It was crazy, we didn’t know what we were getting into. You just see cop cars and people lined up for miles. We had a blast last time we were there and I don’t expect anything less this time.

MW: A few of your songs will be featured on the new Netflix series “The Ranch.” How did that come about? Do you see it as an opportunity to continue to grow your fanbase?

RC: Definitely an opportunity to grow our fanbase. That’s the good thing about getting any of those type things on TV or movies. I think someone from the show approached our people, I think that’s how it came about. I wish I was buddies with Sam Elliott to pitch him a song!

MW: Who were some of your musical inspirations growing up and, as y’all are making new music, do you draw from those inspirations?

RC: Definitely, I think that’s how you come up with your sound. It’s a sum of all of our parts. For me, Hank Jr. and punk rock bands. Kyle has bluegrass influences. Ryan is old school honky-tonk, pickin, Gary Reed type stuff. For songwriting we like Townes [Van Zant] and Almighty 7’s. I always thought we sounded, especially in the early days, like the Old 97s with a fiddle player. I don’t know if that’s what we were going for but it’s something I liked. But it’s the sum of all the parts. None of us grew up together, so there’s a lot of different music we were into growing up. Everyone brings something different to the sound. We just play the way we play.

maroonweekly.com • Apr. 13, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 9

WILLIAM CLARK GREEN

T

exas Country up-and-comer William Clark Green is steadily on the rise. After two successful albums, a slew of shows, and with musical inspirations in mind, William Clark Green is ready to rock out Chilifest. Green, went to high school right here in College Station, so playing in College Station has taken on some special meaning to Green and his boys - and they expect that Chilifest will be no different.

MW: Talk about Your most recent album Ringling Road, what was it like to make an album like this?

WCG: It was nerve wracking… our first album was well received, so our backs were against the wall because we didn’t know if we could make a better record than Rose Queen. Not to say Rose Queen was so ridiculously awesome, but it was definitely well received so the pressure was on with Ringling Road for sure. We feel like Ringling Road is our best record to date, we feel like we did a good job on that record.

MW: We really like the title track, it’s got a different vibe to it, and the music video was awesome to watch. How was doing a video like that different for you?

WCG: Well, it was really the only big production music video we’ve ever done, and it was a blast. Josh Abbott produced it. He came up with story line and was on set. The director was Evan Kaufman; he was pretty badass too. They took care of me–I didn’t really have to do anything except what they told me to do and drank Coors Light all day. We did it in California outside of LA and it was an interesting experience for sure.

MW: You have headlined shows and opened for a bunch of Texas Country greats, who are some of your favorites to open for? What are some of your favorite venues to play?

WCG: Venues are tough because my favorite places to play really depend on

pg 10 • MAROON WEEKLY • Apr. 13, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

By Jordyn Smith the crowd and what the crowd is doing. We can play a terrible place with an amazing crowd and have a blast. Lubbock is home for us, every time we go back there it’s fun. We have fun playing everywhere, there are definitely towns that we wish we wouldn’t play in but College Station playing at Harry’s is always a blast–they take such good care of us. Every place has their own quirks. Harry’s is a place you definitely get hammered at. Corpus is fun because it’s on the beach and we get to go have margaritas before the show on the beach. Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth is fun because it’s just Billy Bob’s.

That’s an exhausting show because there are so many people backstage.

Everyone has got their kind of quirks.

MW: You’ve worked incredibly hard throughout the course of your career to continue to bring new music to your fans. Your music has really evolved over the years. As a creative person, how do you keep grinding for new inspiration?

WCG: Um, I don’t know. I’m kind of going through that right now, after every release of a record there’s always a grace period of writer’s block. I just try not to force it, and just try to write the best songs I can. Songs come when they wanna come and I’ll work at it when I feel like working at it. There are some songwriters that write every day, and I’m definitely not one of those guys. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It’s just kind of what I do. Songwriting is one thing that I have blessed to myself. It’s a very personal thing for me, the business is very shared and you’re constantly around people.

So it just kinda happens when it happens and I write when I want to write and that’s the way it’s going to be or else I wouldn’t even be doing this.

MW: Over the past couple of years, you’ve played all over College Station, so how much fun is it playing Chilifest?

WCG: It’s a blast. I went to high school in College Station, and going to Chilifest as a high school kid was a big no-no because you knew you were just gonna get in trouble. So I never got to go when I was living there. Now being of age, it’s a lot of fun to go to.

F

or the past few years, Cody Canada, the former front man of Cross Canadian Ragweed, has been on a new project with The Departed. After a couple of albums and some incredible shows across the state of Texas, Cody is going back to the sound that made him and Cross Canadian Ragweed Texas Country Stars. The biggest takeaway from Cody is his authenticity and honesty, clearly reflected in his music and is felt when he speaks. From remembering the past Chilifest shows, to Merle Haggard, to working on a new record, we covered a lot of ground in this exclusive interview.

By Jordyn Smith

MW: You are well-known from your days in Cross Canadian Ragweed, we can remember seeing your videos on CMT back in the day. With The Departed, you have really gone back to your roots, how has it been touring and recording with this new band?

CC: It’s been great, we’ve been through several members just because I had a couple who didn’t want to do the old Ragweed tunes and I was like, “Well, you can call them Ragweed tunes all you want, but they’re mine.” So finally I landed two dudes in the band that are more than willing. It’s been easier, they want to play these old tunes, they want to write new ones, it’s whatever we want to do. Like today we said, “Let’s learn 10 Merle Haggard songs and play Merle Haggard all night tonight.” And they’re like “yeah cool.” A lot of people wouldn’t dig on that. It’s been great, it’s been easy. It feels wonderful.

MW: When you listen to music, who are some of your go-to artists?

CC: It’s kind of the same loop, I was always concerned about that and then one day I realized the reason I’m listening to these same tunes over and over because it’s good. Merle Haggard, the Eagles, Steve Miller, Steve Earle. I listen to a lot of Reckless Kelly, they’re our buddies and they’re so damn good. Lynard Skynyrd, Pearl Jam, and Merle Haggard are pretty much the ones that I listen to every day. My guilty pleasure is Sheryl Crow, I think she is such a good songwriter. Every time I say that I feel like someone is laughing at me somewhere but she’s great. She always reminded me of a female Dylan. That’s really about it. Some music is seasonal. When it gets around Halloween and the holiday season I switch off the rock n roll and usually it’s straight forward country and a lot of Frank Sinatra. In January and February it’s kind of a dead zone for me, I try to write as much as I can and not listen. I think if you listen too much you start rippin people off. There’s people who do it on purpose but there’s a lot who do it by accident. You’re so heavily influenced by somebody that this song accidentally sounds like their song.

MW: We definitely understand the loop. For us it’s a lot of The Eagles, George Strait, Eric Church.

CC: You know, George Strait was my first concert, I always go back to him. I listen to a lot more of the older stuff than the later stuff but I realized it wasn’t on purpose, it was just I got busy. I didn’t listen to anything new for years. I do now, but I was just so busy that I didn’t have time. We were writing so much and playing so many shows, 280 shows a year, I didn’t have time to learn something new or even hear something new. All the George Strait from ’80 to ’01 was good stuff.

MW: Rolling Stone said that you’re back with a “bigger, bolder, boomier version” of the sound you’ve been creating for two decades, do you agree with that observation?

CC: I’ve heard that and the back to the roots this and that. When Ragweed split, I had a lot of people saying I wouldn’t be able to do anything without them and I didn’t want to be cocky but I was like, “Man I wrote all these tunes.” It’s not like we were the best band in the world ya know, we weren’t just phenomenal guitar players. We were just playing honest music. When I got The Departed together for the first act of it, I did want to try something different and once I got to stand back and look at it, mind you, I realized it wasn’t me. I was trying to be somebody that I wasn’t and that’s when I went back to “Hey I’m going to start doing all these old tunes

CODY CANADA

maroonweekly.com • Apr. 13, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 11

again.” I really got back to being myself, I don’t know if it’s a “roots” thing or a boomier sound. Eric and Ross it definitely made those old tunes thicker and heavier and better in my opinion.

MW: We think that authenticity really resonates with fans and has kept them coming back.

CC: I think you have to be honest. I learned that a long long time ago. You have to be honest, that’s where you relate to people through music and you’re going to have those people forever, supporting you. It’s about singing what people are going through. If you’re hurting, then lay it on the line and just open up the window to your soul, place your bets on the table and say, “This is it.” Then other people step forward and think, “That was really bold and brave and this is how I feel so I’m going to support you as long as you’re who you are.” When I started doing a different thing first with The Departed, I lost some fans because they thought I wasn’t being as honest as I used to be and they were right.

MW: Y’all will be on Friday night at Chilifest. Over the years, you’ve become a favorite in College Station, how good does it feel to be back?

CC: Oh yeah, you know it always feels good to go back to like the scene of the crime. We’ve played Chilifest so many times. I remember 2 nights. One night me and Pat Green almost went to jail. It wasn’t really that big of a deal but we grabbed some beer bongs from the confiscated pile and the cops busted

us. Then one night we kidnapped George Strait’s kid and drove him all the way back to Gonzalez to see a concert. It wasn’t a kidnapping; he was very willing.

It’s just good to be back, I’ve been doing this for 23 years now, which is kind of crazy for me. There was people back then when we started doing it that were kids and now they have kids. Now there’s going to be people way younger than me listening maybe for the first time, then there will be the people that who are listening to it for the 20th time so it feels good. We have a set list already drawn out for that night. I told the guys to make it pretty Ragweed heavy, to let everybody know we’re still doing these tunes.

MW: Hippie Love Punk – we love that name for a country album – was your latest release; we really liked the record, especially “Easy.” Any plans for new music?

CC: I’ve always been in a hurry. I want to do a record a year just because the music business is so fickle, and if you’re gone for two years, there’s so much, especially in this region of music. There are so many acts, if you slow down for a second, you kind of get lost in the mix. So an album a year is what I’ve always planned on. I did two last year, an acoustic record and Hippie Love Punk, so that bought me a little time. We’re getting ready to do a Jeremy Plato, he’s our bass player, and he’s been with me since the beginning of Ragweed. It’s going to be Jeremy Plato and the Departed. We’re doing this for his grandma. I’m about 10 songs deep on an actual record of my own, so I’m probably going to write about 5 more and hopefully, before the year is up, we’ll be in the studio recording. Before the year is up, you’ll have a Jeremy record anyway. I’m trying to take it easy, I don’t want to rush things.

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By Annabeth Reeb

I

t’s that time of year again: the Starlight Music Series will be running from April 16 to July 2 at Wolf Pen Amphitheater. Every year, the city of College Stations invites performers and guests to Wolf Pen Creek for music, fun, and more. This year in particular, the event is letting YOU choose the music. Guests will vote on their favorite performer for the final show on July 2, finally letting the audience be the critics.

The event is free for all ages, and guests are allowed and encouraged to bring a cooler full of food and drinks. No glass containers or kegs are allowed, and your pets will have to stay at home.

Here’s the music to look forward to:

STARLIGHT MUSIC SERIES 2016

APRIL 15 — PROPHETS AND OUTLAWS W/ AUSTIN JONES BAND Prophets and outlaws is a country blues band with hometown roots. Their jazz beats with country lyrics make them the perfect mix between the two.

MAY 1 — SATISFACTION W/ DEF LEGEND Satisfaction is known as the most authentic Rolling Stones tribute. Their music will take you right back to the 60’s and make you wish you never left.

MAY 20— TWO TONS OF STEEL W/ COLTON ONEILL AND CHUBBY KNUCKLE CHOIR This classic up-beat country band will keep you on your feet for the whole show. Their music makes it impossible not to dance. Texas country meets punk in this highenergy band.

JUNE 11 — MEMPHIS TRAIN REVUE W/ GAB. RYERS G.R.A.C.E AND DYSFUNKSHUN JUNKSHUN Memphis Train Revenue is a funky R&B group that features vocals, horns, and plenty of rhythm. This classic soul music will amp up any night.

JUNE 25 — SHANE SMITH & THE SAINTS W/ JOHN BRUMANN AND KAYTE HAMLIN Shane Smith and the Saints takes you back down any dirt road you’ve traveled in country music. With deep, low vocals and slow steady beat, this country band willn be right at home in College Station.

JULY 2 — VOTER’S CHOICE!

maroonweekly.com • Apr. 13, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 15

R

aise the curtain because it’s show time! The Theatre Company of Bryan-College Station is proud to present on its stage the Broadway hit “Bye Bye Birdie.”

Debuting its first performance in 1987, The Theatre Company has a successful decades-old history of entertaining its audience with talented actors, catchy music, and energetic choreography.

This community theater performance group is “dedicated to the presentation of high quality productions suitable for family audiences at an affordable price.”

At the helm of this company is its artistic director Randy Wilson. With more than thirty years of theatre experience under his belt, Wilson has helped TTC thrive, bringing to the Bryan and College Station area a wide variety of musicals and plays that appeal to a wide variety of individuals. Past productions include “The Wizard of Oz,” “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” and “Young Frankenstein,” and when summer begins

in June, locals can look forward to a dazzling production of the Broadway blockbuster “Into the Woods.”

But first take a trip back in time to 1958 in “Bye Bye Birdie.” Rock ’n’ roll heartthrob sensation Conrad Birdie has been drafted into the US army (just like the real rock ’n’ roll heartthrob sensation Elvis Presley was drafted in 1957). For a last-ditch publicity stunt, Birdie’s manager Albert Peterson plans for his client to release a new song, “One Last Kiss,” and give one lucky fan, Kim Macafee, from Sweet Apple, Ohio a real “last kiss” before he is sent overseas, thus turning the world of Sweet Apple upside down because a publicity stunt like that isn’t complete without outraged parents and a jealous boyfriend.

The first performance for “Bye Bye Birdie” takes the stage on April 15 and the last show takes its final bow on May 1. Visit The Theatre Company’s website for information concerning specific dates, show times, and ticket information.

pg 16 • MAROON WEEKLY • Apr. 13, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

By Adrianna Zampieri

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THERE’S AN #APPFORTHAT

By Hannah Hardwick

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OOTPBASEBALL 17 OOTP offers unparalleled flexibility in creating your own baseball world. Play solo with a baseball world of your own creation: make a simple, 8-team league, play a typical Major League Baseball game with real 2015 rosters including full minor leagues, create a historical MLB game with real players from any year between 1871 and 2014, or build an enormous world with baseball leagues in multiple countries. For the ultimate challenge, join an online league and test your mettle against other human players. OOTP 16 is the closest most people can get to being the general manager of a real baseball team. Handle GM tasks like drafts, trades, scouting, waivers, team finances, personnel, and player contracts. Try to build a team through the draft, or try to sign big free agents to put you over the top!

DEADDO DeadDo or Deadlines Do is quick, simple, and perfect to match your deadlines in work, study, and life. DeadDo is a new concept of productivity apps because it shows you the importance of time left to do you tasks. With DeadDo, you can add unlimited lists of your tasks. Each task can include notes, reminders, deadline, and pictures. It also features iCloud sync built-in so you can be productive everywhere.

You can see the time you have to finish your tasks and set reminders so you’ll never forget important tasks.

STACK This game is extremely addictive. While it’s easy to set goals within the game, it’s difficult to muster up the motivation to keep playing because the game is fairly redundant. The new unlockable blocks have renewed that motivation, though it is surprising how much everything costs and how long it takes to unlock even one block type. For those who are trying to purchase the new blocks, you have to play the game and click on the ex-change button on the game-over screen. You can’t choose which one you get; one is selected randomly. Personally, I like this feature because you don’t end up choosing your favorite one right away and therefore prolongs the motivation to play the game.

Otherwise, the game is stellar. Keep the updates coming!

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Movie Reviews

Eye in the Sky (R)

By Linley McCord There’s a good chance movie-goers haven’t heard of this movie, mostly because it didn’t get a lot of publicity stateside. “Eye in the Sky” is a British military drama that released in the UK in late 2015 but hit the US this April. For no one really knowing about it, the film is actually pretty eye-opening and incredibly tense, and certainly worth a watch.

“Eye in the Sky” delves into the politics of acts of war as viewers see a terrorist situation that could be stopped by collaboration of higher-ups in the British and American militaries.

But the legal and political ramifications stack up and cause schisms and moral debate when the target is in a friendly country—Kenya—and innocent lives could be affected upon a drone missile strike.

The plot follows one storyline that involves a huge cast of characters—everyone from US Air Force drone operators to a British war general to the US Head of State and topping off at the British Prime Minister. Rather than an intense ground battle, this was much more political and opens viewers’ eyes to the pressure of those pulling the trigger. Following chains of command and protocol both give structure to and inhibit military action, and that is the primary focus of the film, which gets a little frustrating after awhile.

The movie is star-studded, and made better because of it. Most notably, the late Alan Rickman stars as the veteran British general in charge of convincing the powers above him that a strike against the terrorists is imminent while collaborating with his colonel, played by Helen Mirren.

Both are stellar in their roles and highly compelling, allowing the audience to empathize with their cause. Lower on the chain of command is Steve Watts (Aaron Paul—you know him as Jesse from “Breaking Bad”) who navigates the drone placing attacks on the terrorists.

“Eye in the Sky” is a timely movie and comments tactfully on the side of war civilians don’t often see. It is superbly done and worth a visit to the theater if you’re into military thrillers.

Rated R for infrequent violence and language.

Grease: Live!

NETFLIX

By Adrianna Zampieri The Pink Ladies and T-Birds of Rydell High have returned.

An iconic love story between a good girl and a greaser, the musical “Grease” first hit the stage in 1971 before evolving into a cinematic masterpiece of 1978 in which Olivia NewtonJohn and John Travolta left a permanent mark on Hollywood history. Earlier in January, it returned to our screens as a live, televised event now available on Netflix.

Julianne Hough easily sings and dances her way through the role of innocent and modest Sandy. Aaron Tveit tries his hand at portraying the suave Danny Zuko; however, no one can possibly top Travolta’s innate charisma. The Pink Ladies include Vanessa Hudgens as cynical Rizzo, Keke Palmer as Marty Maraschino (like the cherry), Kether Donohue as Twinkie-loving Jan, and (believe it or not) Carly Rae Jepson as beauty school dropout Frenchy. Jordan Fisher and Carlos PenaVega star as misbehaving T-Birds Doody and Kenickie.

With a star-studded cast, how could “Grease: Live!” be anything less than peachy keen? Unfortunately, it fails to reach the bar set by its popular film predecessor. Overall it’s a generally enjoyable and entertaining musical revival; however it’s riddled with awkward moments of overacting. “Grease: Live!” is like Kenickie’s car before the upgrade: functional but nothing special.

maroonweekly.com • Apr. 13, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 21

Game On - Get that money ready Across 1 Dizzy Gillespie’s genre 6 Many August babies, astrologically 10 At a great distance 14 “Captain Blood” star Flynn 15 Prefix for pus 16 Solitary 17 1912 Nobel Peace Prize winner Root 18 What the three circled areas represent 20 ___ Aviv, Israel 21 Submits, as a sweepstakes entry 23 Illuminated 24 Auto mechanic’s service 26 “___ Wiedersehen!”

28 Tiny drink [Miss class] 30 “A Boy Named ___” [Confident] 34 Taverns [Loses one’s lunch] 38 Spigot [Links hazard] 39 Slip-___ [Burden] 40 Baseball card info [Set in motion] 41 Hosp. workers [Howard and Jeremy, for two] 42 History [“Blue Ribbon” name] 44 Deep-___ [Slugfest] 45 “Yes ___!” [Andes native] 47 Casserole bit [“Guilty,” e.g.]

48 Riddle-me-___ [Belgian painter Magritte] 49 Brazilian soccer legend [Key’s comedy partner] 50 Blasting stuff [Campsite shelter] 51 Curvy letter [PC bailout keys] 52 “Mustache Hat” artist Jean 54 Lend a larcenous hand 56 Go back, like the tide 59 Bill killers 63 “As I suspected!”

66 Person who’s ready when an insertion is made 68 Blend completely 70 Not contaminated 71 “CHiPs” star Estrada 72 Hip-hop artist Jermaine 73 Transmitted 74 Bumps on the back, maybe 75 Short-lived Ford

pg 22 • MAROON WEEKLY • Apr. 13, 2016 • maroonweekly.com

2016 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

Answers

pg 16 • MAROON WEEKLY • Jan. 28, 2015 • maroonweekly.com

Down 1 Salad bar veggie 2 Detective novelist ___ Stanley Gardner 3 Vividness 4 Outburst with a wince 5 Eve of “The Brady Bunch” 6 Centers of focus 7 “Green” sci.

8 Soul singer Redding 9 Braga of “Kiss of the Spider Woman” 10 Every bit 11 Ignoramus 12 “Freeze” tag?

13 Time off 19 Cold-shoulders 22 “The Fox and the Crow” author 25 Swedish home of Scandinavia’s oldest university 27 Label for the diet-conscious 28 Remove, as paint 29 31 Ill-suited 32 33 Dusseldorf neighbor 35 Philatelists’ prized possessions, perhaps 36 37 Eye afflictions 43 Mongolian invader 46 Derring-do 53 Actress Rosie 55 Flip of a hit single 56 Mike of “Fifty Shades of Black” 57 In a glum mood 58 Hoedown site 60 “To Venus and Back” singer Amos 61 “I’m ___, boss!”

62 Alarmed squeals 64 Put on the payroll 65 Angle of a branch 67 As of now 69 Water + dirt

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maroonweekly.com • Apr. 13, 2016 • MAROON WEEKLY • pg 23