Buzz Magazine: Feb. 8, 2007

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w e e k l y

champaign . urbana

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FLOWERS AND ROMANCE AT ENGLISH HEDGEROW

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THE INS AND OUTS OF MUSIC DOWNLOADING PROGRAMS

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PG. 4

SERENADE YOUR SWEETHEART THIS V-DAY

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buzz weekly

CLIPPER SHIP CAPTAIN BUZZ.

BUZZ STAFF volume

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no.6

Cover Design • Renee Okumura Editor in Chief • Tatyana Safronova Art Director • Nikita Sorokin Copy Chief • Meghan Whalen Listen, Hear • Anna Statham Stage, Screen & in Between • Keri Carpenter Around Town • Evangeline Politis CU Calendar • Annette Gonzalez Photography Editor • Amelia Moore Designers • Maria Surawska, Agatha Budys, Renee Okumura Calendar Coordinators • Katie Heika, Bonnie Steirnberg, Caitlin Cremer Photography • Amelia Moore Copy Editors • Lisa Fisherkeller, Emily Ciaglia, Ilana Katz, Whitney Harris Staff Writers • Brian McGovern, Carlye Wisel, Amy Meyer Contributing Writers • Michael Coulter, Seth Fein, Mike Ingram, Kim Rice, Kate Ruin Sales Manager • Mark Nattier Marketing/Distribution • Brandi Wills Publisher • Mary Cory

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e-mail: buzz@readbuzz.com write: 512 E. Green St. Champaign, IL 61820 call: 217.337.3801 We reserve the right to edit submissions. Buzz will not publish a letter without the verbal consent of the writer prior to publication date.

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First copy of Buzz is FREE, each additional copy is $.50 © Illini Media Company 2006

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UNDER THE COVER |1-3| 3 3 3 |4-7| 4 6 7 | 8 - 12 | 8 10 11 12

INTRO This Modern World • Tom Tomorrow Life in Hell • Matt Groening First Things First • Michael Coulter

AROUND TOWN All Eyes on the Bouncing Ball • Tyler Freer Community Snapshot with English Hedgerow • Suzanne Stern The Local Sniff • Seth Fein

LISTEN, HEAR Me, Myself and iTunes • Carlye Wisel Album reviews Spin it/Flip it/Reverse it • Carlye & Brian CU Sound Revue • Mike Ingram

| 13 - 15 |

CU CALENDAR

| 16 - 23 |

STAGE, SCREEN & IN BETWEEN

16 18 18 19 20 21 22

Singing Valentines • Elyse Russo Top 10 at the Box Office Editor’s Note • Keri Carpenter Movie reviews Theater reviews Top 10 Valentine’s Day Movies • Jeff Gross & Jenny McCarthy Drive-Thru Reviews

| 24 |

CLASSIFIEDS

| 25 - 28 |

THE STINGER

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Doin’ it Well • Kim Rice & Kate Ruin Jonesin’ Crosswords • Matt Gaffney Free Will Astrology Likes and Gripes

tatyana safronova EDITOR’S NOTE According to the Greeting Card Association, Valentine’s Day is the second most popular card-giving holiday after Christmas. In fact, the Association writes, “Greeting cards traditionally rank as the number one Valentine’s Day gift among American adults, ahead of flowers, a night out, or candy.” I think that’s pretty sad, considering that you’re giving someone a piece of paper with a lot of words you didn’t even write on it.

Gone are the days when hand-written letters were delivered on stagecoaches or, better yet, by hawk. “Dear Genevieve,” a love note would say, “I’ve been sitting here, by a candle in my cold room for hours, staring out at the moon.

I imagine your face in the corners and shadows of its surface.” What do we have now? The ubiquitous cartoon animals and glistening flowers decorating the same words, year in and year out.

I really like Valentine’s Day, for its current attention-showering traditions and for all of the legends associated with the holiday, which go back centuries, whether it was St. Valentine INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &

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in prison writing to his lover, or whether St. Valentine was arranging secret marriages for Roman soldiers who weren’t allowed to marry.

Even Ophelia speaks about “Saint Valentine’s Day” i n Wi l l ia m Sh a ke spea re’s Ha m let.

So wh i le Ha l l mark m ight make a k i l l ing leading up to Feb. 14 every year, Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be marginalized. If nothing else, who wouldn’t want more chocolate in their lives?

So with the release of buzz less than a week before the holiday, we’ve got you locked and loaded for all the action of Feb. 14. Forget t rad it iona l f avor ites a nd don’t buy those greeting cards. Send your sweetheart a group of singers who’ll serenade him or her in class, at work, on the Quad or wherever (Stage, Screen and In Between feature). That ought to take the unoriginality out of your usual greetings. Then go out on the town to the English Hedgerow for the food and f lowers (Around Town Communit y Snapshot). Go dancing. Go play in the snow. Simply spend some time together.

Then when the day is done, go back to your usual quiet appreciation for being loved. sounds from the scene

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buzz weekly •

BOOKIES BETTIN COOKIES.

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michael coulter FIRST THINGS FIRST

Thank you for not smoking Thank you, city council, for showing me the error of my ways

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ast Tuesday evening, I enjoyed what may be my l a st i ndoor public cigarette. And let me just say, thank God for the Champaign City Council, at least the ones who voted for the smoking ban. They have to be the smartest freaking people in the world. They are here to protect us from ourselves and we’re quite lucky to have them. Sure, the public could decide for themselves, but c’mon, we aren’t even close to being smart enough to make our own decisions and I’m just happy as a pig in shit that we have such quality individuals to do our thinking for us.

The bar owners should be thankful for them also. Seriously, those bar owners — what a bunch of morons those people are. OK, they might have almost single-handedly made the downtown area a happening place again, but that had to be luck and not intelligence. I’m just thrilled a group of people with no vested interest in the success or failure of the bar owners’ businesses tell the owners how they should run their bars. Just because they’ve had a lot of accidental prosperity in the past doesn’t mean they know what the hell they’re talking about.

I’m sure you read in the newspaper or saw those bar “owners” on television bitching and moaning about how it was going to hurt their business, but really, what the hell do they know?

Just because they’ve run a successful business for a couple of years, all of a sudden they know what their clientele prefers? C’mon. I mean, it’s still their business, even if someone else calls the shots for them. I wish they’d just accept the fact that the city council is way, way smarter than they are and move on.

Though I never really see any of the council members or any of the Smoke-free Alliance people in the bars, I still think it’s grand that they have our best interests at heart. I mean, seriously, who doesn’t love someone who doesn’t mind their own business? Nothing makes me prouder as a citizen of Champaign than to turn on the television on a Tuesday evening and see the fine folks who represent us. Granted, I probably wouldn’t want to spend any time with the majority of them, but I’m still happy they are there to protect me from myself. It’s just nice to have someone to look up to.

W hat’s a lso super g reat is that the law really isn’t all that equal for everyone. In the

summer, people can still enjoy a cigarette or a cigar on the patio, at least for now, and that should make everyone quite happy. So what if there are some bars that don’t have a patio and will probably lose quite a few customers, it’s not as if it’s supposed to be fair or anything.

Besides, I’m sure since the council is so smart and caring that they will f inancially help out any bar that loses business because of the smoking ban, right?

I’m not sure if some of the council members really have jobs or anything, but they are intelligent enough to know that when people work hard all day the last thing they want to do is go somewhere and relax. Nope, after putting in a solid eight hours on the job, I know I like nothing better than to get up every 30 minutes to go outside and have a cigarette. It’s like a little relaxation sorbet. Seriously, I’ve never much liked being an adult anyway, so I’m ecstatic the council is there to treat me like a child.

I mean, geez Louise, the way some people are complaining you’d think drinking establishments are some sort of sanctuary for folks. Well, we’ll be having none of that. Thank God the city council knows differently. They know that every night out on the town should be like a happy-ass little trip to Disneyland where no one has over two beers in a row, there is no smoke and everyone has a cheerful little smile on their face. I mean, it is a bar and it should be a place you want to bring your children.

Besides, other cities are instituting smoking bans, and it’s important we stay hip and current.

Oh, don’t give me that crap about how if another city jumped off the Empire State Building then we’d have to jump off the Empire State Building, we’re still a city that thinks for itself, just not especially well. Hopefully we’ll be a little smarter when the next election rolls around.

All I’m saying is, in these uncertain times, we are lucky to have a bunch of pain-in-the-ass busybodies looking out for us. Sure, we could all make our own decisions and trust others to do the same. We could say, hey, people smoke in here. If you don’t like it, go somewhere else or open a place that doesn’t allow smoking, but such a thing would give us freedom, and I’m not really sure we’re capable of handling such a thing. Apparently we don’t care that much about freedom anymore anyway, because we’re more than happy to let people take it away from us.

OOPS! WE MADE A MISTAKE •

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We left out the final sentence of the movie review of Letters From Iwo Jima in the February 1st issue. the sentence should have read: Letters from Iwo Jima is a rare history lesson you won’t find in most history books.

Although buzz strives for accuracy, we sometimes make mistakes. If you catch something we didn’t, please let use know at buzz@readbuzz.com. When a correction is needed, it will be listed here.

sounds from the scene

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around town

ALL EYES ON THE BO TYLER FREER • STAFF WRITER

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMELIA MOORE

magine a place where singles abound, where drinks are available at the bar just yards away, where cigarette smoke is so encompassing that one could get sick from thirdhand smoke and where gambling is not only acceptable but encouraged.

“What is this magical place?” you might ask. A swanky nightclub in Vegas? Casino night at a local bar? Your last family reunion?

Nope, no way and I really hope not.

The answer: Bingo Night at the Fraternal Order of Eagles lodge.

That’s right, every Sunday, Monday and Friday, the Eagles of Champaign host everybody’s favorite read-off-the-bouncing-ballgame, with Sunday’s proceedings beginning at 2:00 p.m. (the “early

UNCING BALL

A college perspective on bingo culture

Ed believed that this evening’s games might attract lighter attendance.

“The Social Security checks are not paid at the end of the month, so many of the elderly people might not show up,” Ed said. Using government checks to gamble? I can’t wait to turn 65.

Actually, let me back up for a second. In case you don’t recall being eight or have never been 80 years old and you’re not familiar with the concepts of bingo, allow me to give a brief explanation.

A bingo card has 25 spaces on a 5x5 grid. A caller will randomly pick out balls that have a number and letter on them from a machine (in this case, the Powerplay 500 PL). If the ball matches one of the numbers on your card, then you mark it. The middle space is a “free space,” so you can mark it before the game starts. The official name for “marking” a card with ink is called “daubing,” named

16 different sheets for 16 separate games. Each sheet contained nine bingo grids. Four other “regular” games were available for purchase but were separate from the larger pack. They were $1 per sheet, but the deal was six for $5. Obviously, one can spend as much or as little per night as they want.

Upon peering into my all-too-thin wallet, it appeared that all I could afford for the night was the 16 game, $8 pack. I playfully joked to Don about acquiring a free pack or two. However, Don said he couldn’t give me anything for free, so I forked over the $8 and hoped that the bingo gods would have a special place in their hearts for, undoubtedly, the youngest person in the building.

Lucky for me, Ed was kind enough to let me borrow one of his daubers. Not only that, but the color of the marker was green. Green!

Floyd Fischer, president of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles #3075, calls out bingo numbers Monday night at the Eagle’s lodge in champaign. Fischer has been calling at the lodge for the past four years.

after the marking device itself, the dauber. If you’ve never seen a dauber, imagine a Sharpie that has been injected with steroids in its hind parts.

Obviously, the goal of the game is to get a “bingo,” which is an arrangement on the card that matches the pre-stated game’s pattern (i.e. any line, a letter “T,” a large picture frame, a check mark or a pack of Winstons ... OK, I made the last one up, but you get the point). Get the bingo first and win the cash that is up for grabs, which ranges from $50 to $500 per game at the Eagles. Hear someone else shout out that wonderful five-letter “b” word and you will probably be saying a less-than-wonderful four-letter word to yourself.

However, before you play, you’ve gotta pay (for the bingo sheets).

The resident Eagles bingo packet salesman for the night was Don. He explained to me that each bingo night 20 “regular” games are played, along with two or three “specials.” The bingo packets were available for purchase in various increments. The $8 pack supplied

bird” game is at 1:40) while Monday and Friday night’s bingo-rama starts at 7:00 pm (with a 6:40 “early bird” time).

Don’t get me wrong, I know what you are thinking ... bingo? Isn’t that the game that you play when you are in either third grade or when you’ve just had your third grandchild? Isn’t there a good span of 50 years between the typical person’s excited screams of “Bingo!”?

What would college kids want with a game like that? Well, there might be some truth to the old-person stereotype, but it shouldn’t deter a college student like me from giving it a shot.

When asked how old the average bingo player is, Ed, a 35-year member of the Eagles (as well as secretary and trustee) joked, “95, ha!

No, I would say that 60 is probably about average.” As to why bingo is such a popular activity amongst the elderly, Ed stated, “You’ve gotta have something to do. Also, it is not hard to do and it is quite social. They can come in early and talk to each other.”

The Eagles generally have about 130-140 bingo-ers each session, but INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &

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Green is the color of four-leaf clovers and leprechauns, so it had to be a good sign, right? Wait ... are leprechauns even lucky? Anyway, I now had my packet and my dauber and it was time to find a seat.

As I glanced around the bingo room, it appeared that I was not the only one with a “lucky charm.” Troll dolls, tiny statues, lucky pennies and pictures of kids and grandkids were flooding the tables of hopeful bingo players. As if these people didn’t have a crowded enough space with their lucky charms present, many of them had countless daubers in seemingly every color in the Crayola crayon box (except for Burnt Sienna). Not only were copious amounts of daubers present, but also dauberbags to hold them. In case you have never seen a dauberbag, envision a bingo-related-patterned cloth purse with about ten sewn pouches on the outside (solely to hold daubers).

I took a seat in the second row closest to the bingo-calling stage.

While I was settling into my spot, a sassy and funny 84-year-old lady named Jenny approached me, as I had briefly met her as I spoke sounds from the scene

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with Don. Jenny said she is a bingo fan because “I have gotta do something at this age and almost all the people like me here.” Almost all?

“Well,” Jenny said, “some people get smart and if they get smart then I do too.” Note to self: don’t piss off Jenny.

As Jenny left for her seat, I started chatting with the player on my left, a 64-year-old grandmother named Wanda, a bingo player for 10 years. As it seemed to be the theme, Wanda picked up bingo to have something to do. Although she had the ubiquitous dauberbag and more than a few daubers (including one with Elvis’ likeness and one entitled “Oh Shit!” for what is typically said immediately after someone else wins, according to Wanda), I couldn’t spot any lucky charms. She said, “I have one but I never bring it out.” After a tinge of reluctance, Wanda pulled a tiny statue out of her bag made from what appeared to be colored plastic golf ball markers and miniscule plastic eyes. Kind of like a prize one could get out of a quarter machine.

Her daughter had given it to her years ago and she kept it for sentimental reasons. Maybe tonight the little statue could win her some big bucks.

Finally, the balls began to bounce and it was time for some bingo. Once the first number was called out, it was all business. The only sounds to be heard were that of the balls rumbling around in its machine and the players slamming their daubers onto their bingo sheets. For about three minutes, the whole room had an air of quiet competitiveness until someone interrupted with a “Bingo!” Wanda’s explanation was surprisingly accurate, as the next words heard were variations of “Damn!”, “Damnit!” or “Oh, shit!” from dejected losers.

And on it went like such for the next seven games.

buzz weekly •

I RAN INTO A FIRE HYDRANT THE OTHER DAY ON THE QUAD. MY ASS HAS A BRUISE ON IT. IT HURTS TO POOP.

I was not even close to a bingo, despite the winner only needing a “single bingo” to win (which I learned is the easiest bingo to get). It appeared that beginners had, in fact, no luck. I decided it was time to yank my green dauber and get a replacement from the bullpen.

“Wanda,” I said. “I need your lucky dauber.”

She told me to pick whatever one I wanted, despite the fact that none of them were particularly lucky. I sided with the Hot Spot yellow marker that had a dragon logo, partly hoping that it might have a lemon scent that would help me escape from a room so smoky that even my socks reeked of cigarettes.

Alas, it did not.

Game number nine was up but my hopes were still down. A single bingo was all that was needed to collect $50. As number after number was called, I realized that one of my cards was getting a decent amount of yellow dots on it. Holy crap! I was only a 0-62 away from a President Grant in my pocket!

One number was called ... and then two ... and then 0-62! I won! BINGO! Unfortunately, I was not the only player to bingo on that number. Three others had the same fortune.

Thus, my $50 turned into a paltry $13. But really, I couldn’t complain; I was now up $5 for the day and represented the young folk, or those of us who never had to rely on the Pony Express.

The “halftime” break came up and in the spirit of good community, the Eagles donated quite a chunk of cash taken in by bingo nights (as they are a non-profit group). The group gave $13,000 total to five local causes, including the Champaign Fire and Police Departments, as well as the National Coalition of African-American Men. After the break, the bingo picked up again.

Unfortunately, it seemed as if my run was over. Wanda wasn’t having any luck either. We would often check out each other’s sheets, hoping that one of us would take the pot. Surprisingly, she said that some bingo players hate to let their neighbors know how they are doing, covering up their paper like an A student during a fifth grade spelling test.

As the night was coming to a close, it was time for the ticket raffle to begin.

The emcee of the raffle, Eagles President Floyd Fisher, g rabbed ever yone’s attention and said, “Will the young man sitting next to Wanda please come up.”

Obviously, he was talking about me.

Floyd stated, “Tyler here is a reporter for The Daily Illini and … ” “Actually, it is the buzz,” I said. After the initial confusion (that lasted a tad longer than it should have), Floyd asked if I would select the winning ticket.

I obliged and the lucky lady won a chance to spin a giant wheel for money, coming away with $50.

Finally, the last bingo game arrived, the $500 cover-all-the-numbers-onyour-grid spectacular. After a tense 15 minutes in which you could practically hear players praying for their special number to be called, a lady named Ann happily stated, “Bingo.”

Game over. All in all, it was a fun night. Based upon my experience, I think that bingo is a game that college kids would appreciate, stereotypes be

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damned. Before I left, I asked Wanda if she had any advice for my future bingo-playing days.

“Good luck,” she said. “Good luck for a new generation of playing bingo.”

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buzz weekly

WE HAVE A MAME GAME CONSOLE, YOU DON’T. PWNED.

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community snapshot

A SWEETHEARTS’ PARADISE SUZANNE STERN

• CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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motions towards the round Va lentine’s ceiling at the 20-plus Day, many creative baskets of all shapes couples decide that and sizes. it would be a good time to A nother pa r t of try something new, maybe the customer ba se even something that will get is the University of their partner in the mood — Illinois community. aphrodisiacs. Not to doubt “We do a lot of work the culinar y skills of the with Krannert,” says general Champaign-Urbana Oliver. The English population, but the chances Hedgerow provides that they will compare to a t he I nt er lude B a r f ive-course meal are slim. with a wide variety That is where the English of plates to go along Hedgerow comes into the w ith the cockta i ls picture. This f lower shopser ved . T here a re bistro combination makes usua l ly f ive or si x it simple. You can enjoy a plates to choose from, Valentine’s Day dinner and generally including buy f lowers without even sushi, shrimp cocktail leaving the building. and smoked salmon.

T he f a m i l y bu s i ne s s , run by the mother-son duo H e d g e r ow a l s o Helen and Oliver Philpott, has dinners for does much more than just special performances Valentine’s Day. Helen was at the K ranner t Red roses courtesy of English Hedgerow florist shop t ra i ned i n the school of decorate a dining table at the bistro in Urbana. English C ent er. “We a l so Constance Spry, author of Hedgerow, located on the corner of Lincoln and University have a lot of people multiple books and described Ave., is owned locally by Helen and Oliver Philpott. com i n g i n be fore as the Martha Stewart of Photographed by Amelia Moore. [the performance],” mid-century Britain, more than 30 years ago, and explains Oliver. “We have the Chick Correa dinner; she is the floral director of the establishment. Oliver the show’s already sold out. We are going to have is a University of Illinois alumnus who majored in a special dinner here, playing his music, getting physics, but went down a different path than most people excited and in the mood for the show.” of his classmates. After college he attended culinary Both Helen and Oliver stressed the bounty of school in Portland, Ore. and received a Le Cordon local ingredients. The farming community in the Bleu degree. Now he is the executive chef of the Champaign-Urbana area plays a huge role in the bistro and catering director. recipes at the bistro. They use meats, cheese and fruits Not only is “hedgerow” in the name of the from local farmers and even grow right on site. business, but it is also a crucial part of the idea behind “The window boxes outside are full of edible the store. Helen said, “a hedgerow is a living fence f lower s and herbs for the bist ro,” descr ibes with multiple types of shrubs, flowers and vines. Helen. “They pick them before dinner is served; Since many of them have not been touched since they’re ver y fresh and organic. No pesticides, medieval times, it is typical for farmers working just compost.” there to find a sort of buried treasure, such as Viking The flower shop brings a fresh feel to the building coins or jewelry.”

— it’s very airy, open and a good contrast with the With this in mind, the store’s name draws many two-room dining area. You must walk through allusions to the idea of a hedgerow. Not only does the flower shop to arrive at the restaurant seating the f lower shop evoke the idea of the English and it does feel as though you’re walking through countryside, but the bistro is somewhat of a hidden a magical place, with the extensive greenery and gem among the many different businesses in the sparkling jewelry in the corner.

Champaign-Urbana area. The English Hedgerow “The ideal customer calls and makes a reservation, was a successful florist in Urbana for 10 years before orders flowers [and] the flowers are on the table expanding into the bistro and catering company. when they arrive,” Oliver describes. “Before and Mostly due to a loyal customer base, extending after their meal, they have a chance to shop. Being as far as Bloomington, Decatur, Danville and even here is more of an experience; it is a very good Chicago, the company has found great success in place for a date.” event planning.

In today’s rapid world, convenience is key, so “It’s a one stop shop for it,” Oliver explains. what’s better than a restaurant and flower shop in “There are so many benefits of working together, one, whether you’re planning a wedding or wining one of them being combined knowledge and and dining your sweetheart? Don’t experiment with experience. We give discounts when you work with oysters, basil and fondue, and don’t try and grow us both, plus I have access to all the interesting home orchids, because the English Hedgerow has that all decor available at the flower shop. If I ever wanted taken care of for you. And they’re not experimenting a basket, I have all these to choose from,” as he — they’re experts.

English Hedgerow

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sounds from the scene

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buzz weekly •

EATING CHAPSTICK BRAND CHAPSTICK IN CHERRY ISN’T AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS.

seth fein THE LOCAL SNIFF

Sniffer sheds years of Cake Batter ice cream...

Rex Grossman caught at Cold Stone Creamery applying for a job...

FIRST SNIFF Oh, my life. I wanted to write to you today and state in plain English all the wonderful things there are to say about the Super Bowl.

I wanted to communicate to you, to the best of my ability, the sheer joy that only comes from watching a team defeat their foe on the final battleground of a hard-fought season. I wanted to talk about the naysayers, me being one of them, dismantling Rex Grossman mid-way through the season, only for him to come back and lead the Chicago Bears to glory in Miami.

I wanted to write all of those things.

Instead, I am forced to write four simple words: Fuck that bull ass shit.

Was that five? Oh well. I mean, after all, who is counting? Certainly one person. Rex Grossman. Counting the number of days that he’ll still don a Bears uniform. What a loser.

COLD STONE APOLOGY? I have been attacked in my day as The Sniffer.

From pastors and preachers to politicians and penny arcade salesmen, there has always been

someone, week in and week out who had more than a few choice words for me following the publication of buzz.

While the latest incident with the owner of Cold Stone Creamery yielded none of the typical choice words, we nevertheless argued over a difference of opinions. And while I will offer no formal apology to Cold Stone Creamery, I will definitely let you in on a secret.

The owner of our particular franchise cares about his business.

How much does he care?

He spoke with my editor to explain his side of the story. Then after a phone conversation with me, he introduced himself at a bar one night and told me I was wrong for writing what I did about his business. He found me again later to hash it out so that he could truly explain his side of the story.

The story is this: He made a business decision.

He did nothing unethical or illegal, and certainly part of being in business is making tough decisions.

And in light of his persistence to set the record straight, I hereby endorse Cold Stone Creamery as a place to get ice cream once again in this town from the last week in November until the first week of March.

I love Cake Batter ice cream. It’s delicious.

And as long as those idiots don’t sing to me when I give them a tip, I will gladly hand over some hard-earned cash in order to fill my belly with their ice cream.

From the second week of March to the last week of November — there is no contest.

Jarlings Custard Cup. And this case is closed.

GO PURDUE Let’s stick with sports here. Purdue could actually go to the Big Dance this year. Ask me if I am excited …

SMOKING BAN WILL COME BACK TO HAUNT US… Listen. I f lip-f lopped more than Cheney on this issue. I was against it, then I was for it. I was for it, and then, I was against it. And while I love being at the bar in a non-smoking environment, I have to say, after speaking to a couple of bar owners and hearing the word on the street, this thing is going to end up closing some businesses in town. Mark my words. And then, while the anti-smoking coalitions sit in their homes, enjoying the thought of victory over the law while not spending their money in the bars, some small business owners are going to pack it up and have to f ile for bankruptcy on their place that they poured their blood, sweat and f inally, tears into.

And guess what?

People will still smoke. People will still die of lung cancer.

I hope that you anti-smoking proponents have tough skin. I’d love to see the look on your faces

7

if someone came into your place of business and told you what was acceptable and what wasn’t.

I’d love the look even more if you were filing for Chapter 11 at the same time. Sniff it.

NO. 2 IN THE TOP 5 BANDS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW! Lucky Mulholland.

This is the brainchild of Brian Phelps and his band of lovers and friends Jolee Marron, Jackson Keating, Theo Long and Scott Callan. What started as a home studio project of good solid songs and then, opening slots for some of the better local bands has turned into an all-out full-on ensemble that brings together the best parts of rock, alt-country and indie into one amazing and incendiary live set. Make note of this now. These guys are going make sure you pay attention before the year is through.

FINAL WHIFF Yes. By the end of the column, I feel the need to rescind a little and say something else about my fallen Bears. They were a tough team this year and gave us fans a lot to cheer for. Yes. Rex Grossman is going to get run out on a rail and will probably have a hard time taking the field next year as a Chicago Bear. Yes. It sucks not to be champion. But will the Bears be back next year and hungrier than ever?

Answer.

Yes. Seth Fein is from Urbana. He didn’t shed a tear over the Bears loss because he thinks Tony Dungy is the classiest act the NFL has ever seen.

He can be reached at sethfein1@gmail.com.

presents

THINK SPRING Housing Fair February 13 • 11:00-3:00 Illini Media Lobby, 512 E. Green

Think all the great apartments are taken? Think Again!

Stop by and see what’s out there for Fall 2007.

Companies attending: The Village at Colbert Park• Bankier Apartments • The University Group • College Park Towers • College Park Fields • College Park Lincoln View • College Park Connection • The Pointe at U of I • 88 West Apartments • Illini Manor

sounds from the scene

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listen, hear

ME, MYSELF AND

ITUNES:

CARLYE WISEL • STAFF WRITER

Alternative ways to rock out to your favorite tunes!

L

et’s face it — Apple frontman Steve Jobs pretty much rules Champaign-Urbana, if not the world. You can’t go anywhere on campus without seeing tiny white headphones stuck inside ears, gleaming apples on the back of shiny laptops or the glow from a small, rectangular music player after its click wheel is lightly grazed to turn music off before a lecture begins.

It’s damn near impossible to break the Apple addiction and for the most part there would be no reason for it — they make great, extremely intelligent products and I’m personally counting both my pennies and the days until the extravagant iPhone comes out. However, when it comes to downloading music, 99 cents per song isn’t the only option available. Purchasing music from iTunes and directly transferring it straight into your iPod may be the most convenient choice, but it’s not your only choice. Here’s a few legal (Ruckus, eMusic, Rhapsody) and not-so-legal (MyTunes, SoulSeek, LimeWire) options, that will give you a glimpse into the world of music downloading and file sharing.

The Good: Highly efficient for downloading single songs and popular mainstream music.

The Bad: Everything is track-by-track, so it’s hard to get complete albums. And if we’re getting nit-picky, files sometimes get corrupted and song titles and artist names load-in sloppily, which is quite irritating if you like your music to be organized.

Difficulty: Easy to use, yet more difficult to transfer files into iTunes.

Cost: Free for LimeWire Basic, $18.88 (one-time fee) for LimeWire PRO, which offers better search results, faster download speeds and up to six months of free updates and customer support through e-mail. In both cases, though, it’s illegal.

Bot tom L i ne: Don’t pay for PRO, because it’s practically the same as Basic. For quick, popular song downloads, this program is your best bet.

Ruckus [http://www.ruckus.com] The Lowdown: Ruckus, run by the previous chief operating officer of Napster, offers free and legal downloads to anyone with an .edu e-mail address and is shaping up to look like a possible iTunes competitor.

PC/Mac: It’s Windows-based with WMA files, so it’s fine for PCs, but only works with Macs that have an Intel processor (newer Macs) or Windows emulator software (older Macs).

The Good: It has over 2 million legal tracks from both big-time and independent record labels, it’s easy and has quick album downloads.

The Bad: It’s a no-go for non-students. Also, it’s not compatible with iTunes and iPods at all, and only works with select mp3 players, for a fee of $20 a semester ($4 a month).

Difficulty: Easy Cost: Free to download and listen, $4 a month to put files on a compatible mp3 player.

Bottom Line: It’s the easiest downloading site I’ve used, and if you can conquer your iTunes obsession, it’s great for listening to music on your computer.

LimeWire [http://www.limewire.com] The Lowdown: A good ol’ generic file sharing program using the Gnutella network whose Web site boasts of being “The official site for the fastest file sharing program on the planet.”

PC/Mac: LimeWire is written in Java, so it can be used on both PCs and Macs.

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Rhapsody [http://www.rhapsody.com] The Lowdown: Rhapsody is an online music service with a few different options. Its free service offers 25 one-time streams per month with access to 25 Rhapsody Channels. Rhapsody Unlimited offers unlimited access to millions of tracks and all Rhapsody Channels, and Rhapsody To Go allows you to put music onto (compatible) mp3 players. Music can be streamed off of their Web site, but the plans require downloadable Rhapsody Software.

PC/Mac: Rhapsody software is only PC compatible, but Rhapsody Online is both PC and Mac compatible.

The Good: Members with an Unlimited or To Go membership get 10 percent off of paid music downloads and access to all of the genre-specific Rhapsody Channels. Also, they sell their own portable player that is fully compatible.

The Bad: Not compatible with iTunes or iPods. Also, their free plan will only last you an hour (literally).

Difficulty: Easy, but I got confused differentiating between the plans, the software and the channels.

Cost: Free for 25 song listens and access to 25 Rhapsody Channels per month, $9.99 per month for Rhapsody Unlimited and $14.99 per month for Rhapsody To Go. Bottom Line: If you have a student e-mail address, Ruckus is a similar yet cheaper option, for both listening and using on a non-iPod mp3 player. If you’re not a student though, fully committing to the Rhapsody subscription and their mp3 player seems like it might be a decent iPod alternative. sounds from the scene

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Difficulty: Rather hard to install, and slightly difficult to use.

Cost: Free, but illegal.

Bottom Line: It’s only good if you regularly use a largely shared network (sorority house, wireless at a library or dorms if they allow it) and are looking for something specific, or if you’re trying to get music from a friend sharing your Internet.

MyTunes Redux [http://www.minimalverbosity.com] The Lowdown: MyTunes is a f ile sharing program requiring Mozilla Firefox that lets you search through various iTunes libraries on your network at once.

PC/Mac: Compatible with Windows XP and Windows 2000, but not with Macs. It’s also incompatible with version 7 of iTunes.

The Good: Comes in handy if there are a lot of users on your network, or if you’re trying to get music from a roommate/friend sharing your Internet. It can also load directly into your iTunes.

The Bad: If no one is online, it’s absolutely pointless. Finding what you want can be a pain, and iTunes libraries only allow five users per day, so they can max out quickly in a largely shared network.

bacaro

buzz weekly •

EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THEIR OWN OPINION. IT’S JUST THAT YOURS IS STUPID.

For pre-Intel Macs, use Nicotine, an alternative program found at this horrendously long link: http://nicotine-app.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/ wiki.pl?Home#about.

The Good: The program has user-created ch at room s t h at a re u su a l ly t it led w it h different music styles, making it easier to f ind people with the same musical interests. It’s also spyware-free and allows you to download entire folders at once.

The Bad: If you’re looking for mainstream music, this may not be your best choice.

Difficulty: Medium. I’ve heard good things, but I had trouble both downloading and using the program.

Cost: Free, but illegal.

Bottom Line: If you want to download independent music and are computer savvy, then go for it. If not, forget it.

Soulseek [http://www.slsknet.org/] The Lowdown: Soulseek is a communityor iented f i le sha r i ng appl icat ion that encourages com mun icat ion th roug h chat rooms and focuses its intentions on giving unsigned/independent artists a place where they can share their music.

PC/Mac: Soulseek runs through Windows, so it’s good for PCs and Macs with Intel.

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www.silverbulletbar.net

[http://www.emusic.com] The Lowdown: eMusic, the second-largest digital music retailer, focuses on independent music. They offer an extremely large variety, have a staff of music experts and journalists, and run a well-organized, easy-to-browse Web site.

PC/Mac: Compatible with both, since all music is in mp3 format.

The Good: Downloaded files are yours for keeps and transfer into iTunes and onto iPods easily. Also, when you refer a friend, you get 50 free downloads.

The Bad: 30-day subscriptions charge per song download, so you may have to budget them (they don’t rol lover), and an a lbum with many short songs will cost you precious downloads.

Difficulty: Easy Cost: $9.99 for 30 song downloads per month (Basic), $14.99 for 50 song downloads per month (Plus), and $19.99 for 75 song downloads per month (Premium). They also offer a free trial, and Booster Packs if you’re running out of downloads during the month.

Bottom Line: I’ve been a member before and enjoyed it, but it can be hit or miss, depending on how into independent music you are.

Regardless, sign up for the free trial — you get to keep all the tracks you download, it costs nothing, and you’ll get a true feel for what the Web site is all about.

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• Big dance floor and stage • DJ Booth & club lighting • Pool Tables & Arcade Games • V.I.P. Room & Banquet Room • Private Bar • Full Kitchen • Parking • Friendly Staff • Bus Service available Food From Foudini’s

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buzz weekly

album REVIEWS

Overa l l, this a lbum is rea l ly enjoyable.

Spektor’s lyrics are captivating, at times funny and at times sad but always interesting. Her singing style shows signs of influence by Bjork quite prominently on a few songs, especially “20 Years of Snow,� a really cool mellow track with a great bell synth lead that morphs into a piano arpeggiation. This album is much more mainstream in sound than Spektor’s last release, which is probably a good thing. Where her last album failed in providing cohesive backing music for her bouncy vocals, this album succeeds. For any fan of female vocalists like Fiona Apple, Bjork or even Janis Joplin, this may be a good artist to explore.

REGINA SPEKTOR Begin to Hope [Sire]

ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES Love Their Country [Fat Wreck Chords]

STEVE MAROVITCH

• STAFF WRITER

I f i r st st u mbled upon Reg i n a Spektor a couple of years ago when my younger sister got her album Soviet Kitsch. At the time I was turned off by Spektor’s disoriented singing style and drear y piano accompaniment but her newest album, Begin to Hope, is actually pretty enjoyable. This album, released by Sire Records, provides much more complex and nuanced anti-folk fare than her previous effort. Her bizarre and sometimes spastic singing style is actually supported decently on this album, thanks to catchy piano lines.

Still, this album isn’t without fault. It seems Spektor’s attempt to branch out on this album, by incorporating new sounds into her songs, may have been too ambitious. Unlike The Postal Service, Spektor’s vocal style and instrumental accompaniments fail to meld with the electronic drums. Tracks like “Hotel Song� are simply ruined by comically bad synth drum grooves.

Some songs sound fantastic under the influence of unusual instruments, such as “Field Below,� which incorporates a very subdued Asian Er Hu into the mix.

Slawson, Foo Fighters’ Chris Shif lett and Lagwagon’s Joey Cape and Dave Raum. Every few years the band releases a new album with a different theme, and this one, Love Their Country, is all about having a honky-tonk time.

The album starts out slow with Johnny Cash’s “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old).�

The song starts out like the original Cash hit but a minute into the song the tempo speeds up and the Gimme Gimmes give the tune a new punk spin.

The second track on the record, “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky,� another song by Cash, is among the best tracks on the album. The song is fast, upbeat and almost sounds like it was made to be a punk rock tune.

The album features cover tracks of artists including John Denver, the Dixie Chicks and Kenny Rogers.

The best tracks on the record besides the Cash covers are “Desperado,� “On the Road Again,� “Jolene� and “East Bound and Down.� The twelve songs only play out to about 25 minutes of music, but the assortment of music is good and the tracks are likeable even to the least likely of country fans. The album closes out with “Sunday Morning Coming Down on Me,� another Cash cover.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a fun and enjoyable cover band. Other a lbums worth checking out include Take a Break and Blow in the Wind.

ULTRAMAGNETIC MCS The Best Kept Secret [Dmaft]

AMY MEYER • STAFF WRITER

Popular bands often cover tracks that sometimes make it as a single on the radio or a hidden track on a record, but rarely do popular bands make covering music into side projects. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes may have started as a joke or nothing more than a fun hobby, but the band continues to release cover albums every few years and occasionally go on tour.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes consists of various members of different bands, including NOFX’s Fat Mike, Swingin’ Utters’ Spike

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STEVE MAROVITCH • STAFF WRITER

The back of Ultramagnetic MCs’ new album reads, “This album was made by Ultramagnetic, for Ultramagnetic ...� I completely agree with that statement, because the truth of the matter is they’re probably the only people who could enjoy this a lbum. These dudes may present an ultra-slick image, but they’re about as smooth as a shot of Skol. Not only is this album extravagantly boring, it’s just plain bad.

Half the tracks on The Best Kept Secret sound like those tacky demo songs you f ind on cheap keyboards. The lyrics sound like they were taken off the walls of a bathroom stall. For more information on this check out the song “Porno Star (Part 2).� With a title like that you would expect something a little racy, but you have no idea.

[

]

These dudes may present an ultraslick image but they’re about as smooth as a shot of Skol.

Ultramagnetic MCs have been around since the mid-’80s and actually achieved a lot of recognition and fame early in their career. Popular electronic artists like The Prodigy have sampled many of their early singles. Sadly, the group must have lost their recipe for success sometime during the 1990s, not to mention all their money and production skills, and their comeback album illustrates this. I know this isn’t a comedy record, but it really is funny.

When people take themselves too seriously and try so intensely to fit into an image they don’t necessarily embody, it shows. Check out the YouTube video to Ultramagnetic’s “Party Started,� the f irst single of this album, for a horrifying illustration.

To enjoy this CD you have to be one of two things: not listening to it at all or truly lacking in musical taste. The tracks on this album drone on and on, using the same two measure loops over their entire durations. If you like boring songs without energy or character, without a hint of climax or instrumental evolution, by all means go out and buy this CD immediately.

To put it simply, the Best Kept Secret is one of the worst new a lbums I have heard in a long time. But don’t take my word for it, watch that hilarious YouTube music video and decide for yourself.

ROOM TO LIVE

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IT TAKES 46 MUSCLES TO FROWN BUT ONLY 4 TO FLIP ‘EM THE BIRD.

! " " # $ % & '

IN

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sounds from the scene

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SPIN IT ROUND FLIP IT AND REVERSE IT CARLYE WISEL AND BRIAN MCGOVERN

:

buzz weekly •

EVERYONE NEEDS BELIEVE IN SOMETHING. I BELIEVE I’LL HAVE ANOTHER BEER.

Is 2007 the year of indie-pop?

• STAFF WRITERS

Music is a constantly changing and evolving art, and for the most part, mainstream radio and television does not care to reflect its dynamic nature. Throughout the last century, though, there have been huge shifts in what fills our ears. The Beatles brought on the rock, The Sugarhill Gang brought hip-hop from the Bronx and Nirvana let everyone know it was OK to not like metal.

Now the indie-pop movement is increasingly becoming less and less ... indie.With The White Stripes, Deathcab and Modest Mouse already in the mainstream, can artists like The Shins,The Arcade Fire and Bloc Party (all with anticipated sophomore albums either out or soon to be released) break out into the mainstream and bring their confusing and all-encompassing genre along with them?

Is 2007 the year of indie-pop?

Brian: Yes! People ask this question ever y year and ever y year it seem s l i ke the a nswer is yes. A couple of bands

get brief airplay (i.e. The Dandy Warhols), but are soon forgotten and reduced to car commercial soundtracks. The only way for an indie/underground act to get “big” has been by building a reputable career and fan base to prove to marketers and The Man that they deserve it.

The long process has landed some major label contracts and Kidz Bop compilations (be it for better or worse). But, with the Industry still recovering from the invention of the Internet, small labels and artists are now able to get the exposure they deserve without sacrificing their souls to the major label gods.

Virgin and Capitol Records recently merged to consolidate losses, a sign that majors are near extinction. Now the tiny, furry independent bands and businesses can crawl out from under rocks to take the Industry away from the dying dinosaurs. They can take mainstream music and let it evolve into something unseen since the rock renaissance of the late ’60s.

Obviously, not everyone will be receptive

to these artists (country music is the highest grossing genre in the U.S.) but rock-pop is in a dire state and rap music doesn’t make money (it’s the most pirated genre on the Internet), therefore indie bands are the obvious cure to ailing sales. While still on an independent label, The Shins are currently number two on the charts. They may not be “life changing,” but they’re an indication that the times definitely are.

Carlye: No Way! Call me cynical (it’s fine, I’ll admit that I am), but I just don’t see it happening.

In the past, it has taken a few specif ic qua l ities to “make it big” in American mainstream music and the last time I checked, The Shins weren’t a hot girl with a huge rack, didn’t rap about “grinding all up on girls at da club” and weren’t a group comprised of

11

a hot, sunglass-wearing, douche bag guitarist with a backup band of nobodies who like to “rock the fuck out!!!”

When it comes down to it, to be on the top of the charts these days, you have to be one of four things: 1.) Previously featured on American Idol (reject or winner, it doesn’t matter, as long as you were in the top 12); 2.) A guy who sing-raps about getting some ass; 3.) A skinny, female solo artist; or 4.) A compilation/soundtrack album.

Every single album in the top 10, except for one, fell into one of the aforementioned categories. Every one proved me right, except for Nickelback. And I hate them anyway, so they don’t count.

This is why I believe that indie bands like Clap Your Hands and Bloc Party won’t be able to find their niche in the mainstream. They just don’t fit in there. If anyone can make it to the top and stay there, it’s The Shins, but I’d have to credit that success with Garden State’s pop-culturalization of their music, instead of a random mass appeal that grew over time.

Sure, I’d thoroughly enjoy seeing of Montreal on the cover of Rolling Stone but I just can’t imagine a single off their new album on the charts between Akon’s “Smack That” and the Hannah Montana soundtrack. Hopefully, I’ll be proven wrong.

Apply for Your 2007-2008 Parking Permit Attending college in 2007-2008 and thinking of bringing your vehicle with you? Don’t get caught without a place to park your car. Plan early and plan smart. The City of Champaign will open its Wait List for the 2007-2008 academic year starting:

Tuesday, February 6, 2007 at 8am.

To register, visit our website at

www.ci.champaign.il.us/parking Remember, early registrations will not be accepted.

REMINDER Renewing your 2006-2007 Permits?

Deadline for renewals April 14, 2007 sounds from the scene

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buzz weekly

MEN SHOULD BE LIKE KLEENEX, SOFT, STRONG AND DISPOSABLE.

mike ingram CU SOUND REVUE

Jazz, jazz, jazz T

he loca l music scene felt a huge blow la st week with the passing of Paul M a r t i n . P a u l w a s n’t a musician who played in any band, but he was one of the biggest fans and supporters of local music. His warmth and kindness were felt by all. Those who don’t recall the name would surely recall the smiling face they’d seen out and about at several shows.

His presence will be surely missed. A show in his honor will be held at Cowboy Monkey on Tuesday the 13th, with proceeds going to an education fund for his children. At press time, a lineup wasn’t confirmed, but some rumored appearances include Brandon T. Washington, elsinore, Adam Wolfe, Darling Disarm, Larry Gates and others. The amount of bands and musicians who showed up to his visitation to pay their respects indicates that it should be a night of great performances.

Check openingbands.com for more info on the show.

I love jazz. Just ask Paul Wirth over at the

Iron Post in Urbana. Tonight at his joint you can catch the University of Illinois Jazz Combo under the direction of Ron Bridgewater for only $2. This is a chance to see some great young players in a cozy setting, but now without smoke (though Paul runs outside heaters in the beer garden so smokers don’t have to freeze their asses off while smoking). The show even has an early start time, at 7 p.m. Listen to some good jazz, eat some fries with Cajun spice and some of Paul’s Hot Sauce, and reminisce fondly on when that giant moon-thing hung at the back of the stage. Wirth will be offering a lot more jazz over the course of this week (and every week, for that matter), with Miami Heat Latin Jazz on Friday, the Leigh Meador Trio on Sunday, MRS Trio on Monday and Andy Schumm and the Flatland Gang (playing traditional big band jazz from the ’20s and ’30s) on Tuesday. Check out theironpost.com for more info.

Also on the jazz circuit, there’s the Thursday night jazz night at Zorba’s on campus. This week features the Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project from 9:30-12:30. Now only if Zorba’s could be convinced to serve food that late ...

Southern boy Will Hoge returns to the Canopy Club on Friday night, featuring semi-local opener Backyard Tire Fire. Will’s previous shows at the Canopy Club have been excellent, especial ly the show I opened, which had three people in the audience. He is still working on building a strong following in the midwest, as his big touring spot is the south.

But so long as he keeps putting on great rock shows, I don’t see it being too long before he’s packing the house at the Canopy. Backyard Tire Fire is a band that has built up quite a loc a l fol low i n g, a nd t he ba nd shou ld compliment Will’s style nicely. Also on the bill are Marah and the Drams and Matt Mays & El Torpedo. Tickets are $10.

Over at Cowboy Monkey, former CU live-in and current Chicago resident Todd Kessler will make a tour stop to open for the Eclectic Theory CD Release show. At the Highdive, the area’s premier hard rock cover band, X-Krush, will rock all night, while at Boltini DJ Mertz will be spinning (and hopefully dancing). Out in Mahomet, the little venue that could, the Shed, will apparently host a show with Karate High School, Cautious Last Words and Krashtype 17. I imagine that the 7 a.m. start time listed on openingbands is a mistake but, you never know. The cover charge is TBA, but whoever submitted the show to OB says, “it’ll be cheep” (sic). All right.

On Saturday, Green Street Records will host a show at the Courtyard Café featuring mad mardigan, The Greytones, Jack Pine Savage and Boba Fett and the Stormtroopers (are all of the obscure Star Wars references taken?). Green Street Records is a pretty cool

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organization that students can get involved with if they have aspirations to work in the music business. They pick student bands to put on a free compilation, along with promoting shows. If you’re interested, I’m sure there will be someone at the show whom you can talk to about it (if that person is able to find a parking space within a mile of the Union).

Monday night wil l br ing Quietdr ive (Epic Records) to the Canopy Club, along with opener Ronnie Day. Ronnie, a Bay Area prodigy, apparently didn’t like his last name much, so he asked fans on his MySpace page (which looks a lot like my little sister’s, actually) to give him a new one. They settled on Day, and that’s what he’s going with. The CD is full of melancholy pop odes, so Ronnie should fit nicely with the rest of the artists on the bill (Quietdrive, as well as Melee).

Wendy’s update: So, there are actually two Wendy’s still open in Danville. I can’t believe they’ve been there this whole time, just waiting for me and my need for a spicy chicken fix. And the best part? They still serve Pepsi products. That’s right, folks — while our local Wendy’s were all giving up the good fight and switching to Coke, Danville stood strong and kept the possible Mountain Dew/ Chicken Nugget combination alive. I’ll be in California when this issue hits stands (likely eating at In and Out), but when I get back, I’m heading for Vermilion County.

Mike Ingram lives in Champaign, where he books shows and heads up the local music section at 90.1 WEFT. Contact him at forgottenwords@gmail.com.

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YOU KNOW, YOU DON’T ACT LIKE A SCIENTIST.

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FEATURED EVENTS Hungarian State Folk Ensemble Fast spins, high kicks, and rousing music are par for the course when the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble takes to the stage.

Centuries-old authentic dances collected from isolated villages unfold as the ensemble’s renowned Gypsy orchestra draws on a rich repertoire of folk music that has inspired great composers from Liszt and Kodály to Brahms and Bartók. Together, these talented musicians and dancers raise Hungarian folk traditions into a heart-pounding crescendo of color, culture, and sound.

Recommended for ages 10 and up.

THIS WEEK AT

K R A N N E RT C E N T E R F O R T H E P E R F O R M I N G A RT S

Thursday, February 22 at 7pm Foellinger Great Hall Flex: $30 / SC & Stu 25 / UI & Yth 14 Single: $32 / SC & Stu 27 / UI & Yth 16 Patron Sponsor Ruth Smith Miller

Th Feb 8

Sa Feb 10

Th Feb 15

Krannert Uncorked 5pm, free

UI Wind Symphony and UI Symphonic Band I 7:30pm, $2-$8

Krannert Uncorked 5pm, free

Prelude with the Artemis Quartet 6:30pm, free

Patron Co-Sponsors Jane Bishop Hobgood Anonymous

Bee-luther-hatchee 7:30pm, $6-$13

Creative Intersections Sponsor

Corporate Silver Sponsor

Madama Butterfly

By Giacomo Puccini Eduardo Diazmuñoz, conductor Jerold Siena, director Set in Nagasaki at the turn of the 20th century, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly is one of the glories of Italian opera. Abandoned by her American lover, Naval Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, Butterfly raises their child in the hope that one day Pinkerton will return to her. He does return, but under altered circumstances, and she has no choice but to die with honor. Jerold Siena stages and Opera Program Artistic Director Eduardo Diazmuñoz conducts this searing masterpiece, which haunts the audience long after the curtain falls. Rich with soaring melodies, stunning duets, and colorful orchestration, Madama Butterfly is the ideal experience for seasoned opera lovers and newcomers alike. Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

Bee-luther-hatchee 7:30pm, $6-$13

Intermezzo Breakfast, lunch, supper, dessert

Other School of Music Events

7:30am-3:30pm on non-performance weekdays

UI Symphonic Band II and UI Concert Band I 7:30pm, $2-$8

Su Feb 11

Chamber Music Series Sponsors Jean and Howard Osborn

Tu Feb 13

Smith Memorial Hall, Recital Hall 805 S. Mathews, Urbana

Bee-luther-hatchee 7:30pm, $6-$13

We Feb 14

Artemis Quartet 7:30pm, $10-$34

Supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

Su Feb 11

Enjoy Krannert Center to the fullest!

Fr Feb 9 Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra 7:30pm, $12-$31 Bee-luther-hatchee 7:30pm, $6-$13

Thursday-Saturday, February 22-24 at 7:30pm; Sunday, February 25 at 3pm

UI New Music Ensemble 7:30pm, $2-$8

7:30am through performances on weekdays

Chamber Singers 7:30pm, free

90 minutes before and through performances on weekends Interlude Cocktails and conversation

UI Latin Jazz Band 12pm, free

90 minutes before and through performances

Patron Underwriter Anonymous

Now open at 4pm Thursday and Friday!

Corporate Platinum Sponsor

The Promenade Gifts, cards, candy, and more

Dana Hall, jazz drums 7:30pm, $2-$8

10am-6pm Monday-Saturday

Bee-luther-hatchee 7:30pm, $6-$13

One hour before to 30 minutes after performances

Tryon Festival Theatre Flex: $20 / SC & Stu 18 / UI & Yth 8 Single: $22 / SC & Stu 20 / UI & Yth 10

333.6280 8 0 0 . K C PAT I X

Patron Season Sponsors Dolores and Roger Yarbrough

Marquee performances are supported in part by the Illinois Arts Council— a state agency which recognizes Krannert Center in its Partners in Excellence Program.

sounds from the scene

Corporate Power Train Team Engine Members

40˚ North and Krannert Center, working together to put Champaign County’s culture on the map.

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cu calendar

THU. FEB 08 Live Bands U of I Jazz Combo Iron Post 7pm, $2 Billy Galt Chief’s Bar and Grill, 8:30pm, no cover Caleb Rose Bowl Tavern 9pm, no cover Family Groove Company, The Orchestrated Loons Canopy Club, 9pm, $5 Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project Zorba’s Restaurant 9:30pm, $3 Heartless Bastards, Beaten Awake [Midwestern rock ‘n’ roll.] Cowboy Monkey 10pm, $8 Concerts Artemis Quartet Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30pm, $18-$34 DJ Limbs [Hip-hop, breaks and party music.] Boltini Lounge, 10:30pm Dancing Free Swing Dance McKinley Church and Foundation 9:30pm Karaoke Karaoke with Randy from RM Entertainment Fat City Saloon, 9pm, no cover Lectures/Discussions Free English Speaking, Listening Class [These classes work well for those whose native language is not English and emphasize beginning and intermediate listening and speaking skills.] Parkland College 9am Judge Mathis Lecture [Judge Greg Mathis, well-known for his no-nonsense approach on his nationally syndicated, reality-based court show, addresses the issue of giving ex-offenders a second chance and providing them with the skills necessary to be successful in society.] Parkland College, 2pm “From Science to Time to Vanity Fair: Global Warming Becomes a Hot Topic” [This talk will explore the notion that the May 2006 Vanity Fair “Green Issue” featuring movie stars and politicians discussing environmental issues was a crucial tipping point in journalism’s coverage of global warming, and considering the power of celebrity in the environmental movement.] Levis Faculty Center, 3:30pm “Demographic Policy as an Instrument of Genocide-the Armenian Case” International Studies Building, 4pm, free Workshops Forklift Train the Trainer [Develop your own in-house forklift trainer! Participants will learn the best class-

room training techniques, exciting teaching tools and a step-by-step training program that will help you comply with OSHA training requirements.] Business Development Center, 8am The Baha’i Faith: A Progress Report [Since its founding in 1844, the Baha’i Faith has grown to be the second most widespread religion on the planet. This course will review this history and review its achievements and aspirations. It will also argue that the primary fruit of the faith to date is its

CHECK OUT THE BUZZ PICKS MARKED

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from around the world.

Each week of the spring series will cover a different part of the world.] Spurlock Museum, 9:30am, $2 donation requested Group Funfare [Preschool groups are invited to come for stories, songs, puppets and films.] Urbana Free Library, 9:45am Mind/Body/Spirit Krannert Uncorked [Weekly wine tasting with music in the lobby by William Kubaitis. Free tasting.

Wine for sale by the glass.]

Black Coffee

Parkland Theatre Feb. 8, 9, 10, 8 p.m.; Feb. 11, 3 p.m.

Looking for a great Agatha Christie mystery, but too lazy to head down to the library? Have no fear! Head on over to the Parkland Theatre to catch a world-class tale of murder and intrigue, and you won’t have to worry about turning a single page.

The show, directed by J.W. Morrissette, follows detective Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings as they are summoned to the English countryside to investigate the murder of Sir Claud Amory, a scientist who has discovered a secret formula that could lead to the end of the British Empire.

Columbo was all right, and Scooby and the gang did a decent job, but no one can solve a case like the two heroes of this play. So if you want to see a mystery done right, don’t miss “Black Coffee.”

— Bonnie Stiernberg global community. Carlton Mills will facilitate the course.] University YMCA 6pm, $5 Recreation Robert Allerton Park [Open until dusk, the “Allerton Legacy” exhibit at the Visitors Center is open daily.]

Allerton Park, 9am Miscellaneous Altgeld Chime-Tower Tours [To arrange a concert or Bell Tower visit, e-mail chimes@ uiuc.edu or call 333-6068.

Enter through 323 Altgeld Hall.] Altgeld Hall, 12:30pm Meetings French Department: Pause Cafe Espresso Royale (Oregon St.), 5pm Normal Person’s Book Discussion Group [“The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gent.” by Laurence Sterne will be discussed.]

Illini Union, 7pm International Coffee Hour [Coffee, tea and homemade ethnic desserts are served.] Cosmopolitan Club, 7:30pm Family Fun Around the World Wednesdays [Parents and kids create, play and learn together through crafts and activities

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 5pm Meditation and Yoga Classes [Free meditation and yoga classes that include meditation exercises, yoga postures, deep relaxation and yoga philosophy.] Ananda Liina Yoga & Meditation Center, 6pm

FRI. FEB 09 Live Bands Billy Galt Sings the Blues Blues restaurant, 11:30am Desafinado [Samba and Bossa Nova music.] Iron Post, 5pm, no cover Boneyard Jazz Quintet Cowboy Monkey, 5:30pm, $3 The Lugnutz [Blues and rock covers.] Memphis on Main 8:30pm, $3 Country Connection Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, $1 Eclectic Theory, The Lady Upstairs, Frank Must Go, Todd Kessler [Eclectic Theory CD release show.] Cowboy Monkey, 9pm, $5 Dave Dreyer and The Spin Cycle Fat City Saloon, 9pm, cover Miami Heat Latin Jazz with Carlos Vega Iron Post, 9pm, $3 Will Hoge, The Drams, Matt Mays and El Torpedo, Backyard Tire Fire [Midwestern rock.]

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Canopy Club, 9:30pm, $10 in advance X-Krush [Covers bands like AC/DC, Green Day, Johnny Cash, Nine Inch Nails, Rancid, Weezer and more.]

Highdive, 10pm, $5 Concerts A Cappella Concert Unity High School, 7pm, $8 adults/$6 students Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra [Folklore of Old Russia through pianist David Gross and the orchestra.] Krannert Center for the Performing Arts 7:30pm, $12-$31 DJ Mertz [House with soul and funk.] Boltini Lounge 10pm, no cover Deeplicio.us [With DJ Mambo Italiano. House music.]

Ko.Fusion, 11pm, no cover Dancing Tango Crash Course [Two-hour workshop for beginners then dance until 1am as part of Tango Weekend.]

Phillips Recreation Center 7:30pm, $15/$10 students Lectures/Discussions The Yiddish Atlantic: TransNational Jewish American Literature Lincoln Hall, 10am “What the Mask Reveals: Ritual Calendar in West Africa” [The Spurlock Museum presents UI Professor Mahir Saul. The talk and reception are held in the conjunction with the exhibit “Where Animals Dance.”]

Spurlock Museum, 4pm free The Diversity We Don’t Talk About: Religion on Campus [Illinois alum and Rhodes scholar Eboo Patel, Founder and Executive Director of the Interfaith Youth Core, will discuss how American campuses can engage religious diversity in a way that enriches the educational experience of students and helps the broader society increase its understanding of religion.] University YMCA, 12pm

Miscellaneous Altgeld Chime-Tower Tours Altgeld Hall, 12:30pm Family Fun Write On! Creative Writing Workshop [Bring your pencils and imagination for an adventure in creative writing with librarian Elaine Bearden. Registration for third graders and up begins immediately.] Urbana Free Library, 4pm

SAT. FEB 10 Live Bands Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band, Jennifer O’ Connor, Koufax, Pabio Canopy Club 6pm, $10 in advance New Twang City Hubers, 8pm Oceans, Snowsera, Baby + Hide, Coco Coca, Sam Vicari Iron Post, 8pm, $7 No Secret [Three great local musicians will hit the stage with great music from the ’70s to today.] Fat City Saloon, 9pm Country Connection Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, $1 Mad Mardigan, The Greytones, Jack Pine Savage, Boba Fett and The Storm Troopers [Green St. Records showcase.]

Courtyard Cafe, 9pm, $4 students/$5 public Blues Deacons Chief’s Bar and Grill, 9:30pm, $5 Ryan Montbleau Band Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $5 Concerts “Gravitacion” [Elements, Millikin University’s own faculty ensemble for early music, perform their virtuoso signature program.] McKinley Church and Foundation, 7:30pm UI Wind Symphony and UI Symphonic Band I Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30pm, $2-$8 DJ DJ Tim Williams Highdive 10pm, $5 DJ Dance Party Canopy Club 10:30pm, cover Film The News-Gazette Film Series: West Side Story Virginia Theatre, 1pm, $5 Sporting Events Illinois Men’s Tennis vs. Texas A&M Atkins Tennis Center 6pm Recreation Robert Allerton Park, 9am

Film The News-Gazette Film Series West Side Story Virginia Theatre, 1pm, $5 Black History Video Views [Excerpts from selected documentaries capture the African American experience as revealed through the lens followed by a brief discussion.] Parkland College, 12pm

Miscellaneous PSA Fashion Show [Couture is PSA’s 22nd annual fashion show exhibiting talents of members through means of songs, dances and walking patterns.] Foellinger Auditorium, 3pm, $6 in advance/$8 Monster Truck and Thrill Show Assembly Hall, 7:30pm Altgeld Chime-Tower Tours Altgeld Hall, 12:30pm

Sporting Events Illinois Women’s Tennis vs.

William & Mary Atkins Tennis Center, 6pm

Meetings Illini Folk Dance Society Illini Union, 8pm

Recreation Robert Allerton Park, 9am

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Family Fun Orange & Blue Hoopenanny [Come out for food, fun and

giveaways while cheering on the Illini. All proceeds benefit scholarships for Champaign County youth studying agriculture.] Billy Barooz, 11:30am Spanish Storytime [Families are invited to enjoy stories, songs and activities.]

Urbana Free Library, 2pm free Mind/Body/Spirit Faith Wellness Fair [Professionals representing the six spokes of the wellness wheel (spiritual, physical, social, emotional, intellectual and occupational) will be present with information, demonstrations and health screenings to help visitors focus on health and wellness.] Faith United Methodist Church, 10am

SUN. FEB 11 Live Bands Leigh Meador Trio Iron Post 7pm, $3 Dan Beahm and The Invisible Three CD Release Show [Dan Beahm and The Invisible Three will begin the evening with their brand of cello infused acoustic alternative and will be followed by Doug Robinson and The Reason Why, and Michael Davis.] Canopy Club 8:30pm, $1 Crystal River Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, no cover Concerts UI Symphonic Band II and UI Band I Krannert Center for the Performing Arts 7:30pm Sporting Events Illinois Women’s Basketball vs.

Ohio State Assembly Hall 2pm Workshops Soulmates Workshop [A workshop that will cover the secret keys to making soulmate connections and deepening any relationship you have.] School of Metaphysics, 2pm Recreation Robert Allerton Park, 9am Women Only Swim Kenney Gym, 5:30pm Miscellaneous Altgeld Chime-Tower Tours Altgeld Hall, 12:30pm Meetings University Falun Dafa Practice Group Illini Union, 4:10pm

MON. FEB 12 Live Bands MRS Trio Iron Post, 7pm, $2 Quietdrive [With special guests Ronnie Day, Melee and The Year After.] Canopy Club, 8pm, $8 in advance Open Mic Night [With hosts Brandon T. Washington and Mike Ingram.] Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, no cover Big Grove Zydeco WeFT 90.1 FM, 10pm, free Lectures/Discussions Free English Speaking, Listening Class Parkland College 9am Democracy and Captivity:

7:30pm, $32.50-$48.50 UI New Music Ensemble [Selection made by UI student and faculty composers.]

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30pm $2-$8 DJ SubVersion: DJ Evily, DJ Vermis [Industrial and electro.]

Highdive, 10pm, $2 Chris O [A blend of down tempo and deep house.]

Boltini Lounge, 10:30pm no cover Karaoke Karaoke with Randy Miller Bentley’s Pub, 9:30pm, free

Monster Truck and Thrill Show Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m.

Assembly Hall, $10-$22

Tired of this frigid, cold weather? Do yourself a favor by taking a break from the bars and stop by the Union to purchase a ticket for an event that will last forever in your college memories box — The Monster Truck and Thrill Show.

Witness donut competitions, trucks jumping over lines of cars and 15-foot wheelies. Experience the sweet smell of burning rubber and the echo of revving engines that will have you questioning whether or not Ramunition is a good name for your firstborn.

Highlights from last year’s monster truck rally included the infamous Transaurus, which is a truck that transforms into a dinosaur, eats cars and blows fire from its nostrils.

So put on your wife-beaters and prepare your mullets; the Monster Truck and Thrill show is coming to Champaign. A word of advice for newcomers: don’t forget your earplugs.

— Katie Heika

W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells and “Neo-Slave Narratives” on Anti-Black Violence and Policing [This event revisits Joy James’ feminist theory on the respective emancipatory politics of DuBois and his anti-lynching contemporary Wells.] Levis Faculty Center, 4pm, free Art and Visitors Series [A talk

by Jim Campbell, an electronic artist whose work was recently included in the Krannert Art Museum’s video exhibit “Balance and Power.”] Krannert Art Museum, 5pm Recreation Robert Allerton Park, 9am Comedy Monday Comedy Night [Improv comedy every week featuring Spicy Clamato and DeBono.] Courtyard Cafe 8pm, free Miscellaneous Black History Live [This lively, interactive history competition is popular with students. Prizes and refreshments included.]

Parkland College, 12pm Altgeld Chime-Tower Tours Altgeld Hall, 12:30pm

Meetings Italian Table [Italian conversation, all are welcome.]

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 12pm Social Issues Community Education Meeting on Emergency Contraception [Christina Tenuta with the Institute for Reproductive Health Access in New York will be speaking about the status of emergency contraception nationally and the significance of their local campaign. Planned Parenthood will be providing free emergency contraception after the meeting.] Illinois Disciples Foundation, 6pm

TUE. FEB 13 Live Bands Billy Galt Sings the Blues Blues restaurant, 11:30am Saliva, Ligion, Justify the Means Canopy Club, 8pm $15 in advance Crystal River Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, no cover Reds, Coco Coca, Exhale Look Down Nargile, 9pm, cover Greg Spero Trio, Zmick Canopy Club, 11pm, no cover Concerts Vince Gill Assembly Hall

Lectures/Discussions Free English Speaking, Listening Class Parkland College 9am “I Have Seen the Future of the United States....and It Is Mexico” [Rev. Mike Mulberry from the United Church of Christ will show slides and talk about his recent trip to Oaxaca as an international observer with Witness for Peace.] Urbana City Council Chambers, 7pm, free “The Arts of Illinois” University YMCA, 12pm Sporting Events Illinois Men’s Tennis vs. Florida Atkins Tennis Center, 6pm Workshops The Non-academic Job Search [This workshop will discuss non-academic job search strategies for graduate students.] Illini Union, 3pm Dinner for 3: Me, Myself and I...Rock! Single and Satisfied [Interactive workshop for being a satisfied single.]

Illini Union, 7pm Recreation Robert Allerton Park, 9am Red Pin Tuesday [When the head pin is red, strike and win a free game!] Illini Union, 6pm Miscellaneous Altgeld Chime-Tower Tours Altgeld Hall, 12:30pm Meetings Illini Folk Dance Society Illini Union, 8pm Family Fun Babies’ Lap Time [Babies and their parents or caregivers are invited to this program of songs, stories and rhymes for young patrons, ages birth to 24 months, with an adult.] Urbana Free Library, 9:45am

WED. FEB 14 Live Bands Andy Schumm and the Flatland Gang Iron Post, 7pm, $3 Feudin’ Hillbilly’s Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, no cover Beats by Otter Cowboy Monkey, 10:30pm, no cover UI Latin Jazz Band [Salsa, samba and bossa nova.]

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 12pm, free Concerts Dana Hall, Jazz Drums [Bigcity jazz.] Krannert Center for the Performing Arts 7:30pm, $2-$8 Hadag Nachash [Top Israeli

sounds from the scene

Art & Theater Small Work Plus: A Display of Quilt Art by Mary McDonald [McDonald’s latest collection of work represents a new direction for the artist, as the show features mostly small-scale framed pieces. McDonald is known for dense, layered compositions, and her quilts are inspired by real-life events.] Pages for All Ages through Feb. 14

Family Groove Company The Orchestrated Loons Feb. 8, 9 p.m.

Canopy Club, $5

Where Animals Dance [This exhibit examines the masquerading traditions of West Africa and features masks and other related ceremonial artifacts. It also features discussions on the impact of masquerade in belief, social structure and daily life.] Spurlock Museum through March 4 The Body Sublime [This group show seeks to broaden our ideas of what the body is through a wide range of interpretations, including microscopic examinations, full body studies, translucent portrayals and precision drawings.] Parkland Art Gallery through Feb. 8 Wall Paper Weights [A show of recent sculpture by Todd Frahm and paintings by Lara Nguyen.] Cinema Gallery through Feb. 24 Branded and On Display [“Branded and On Display” features the work of artists exploring the theme of branding and the significance of marketing in our culture. Representing a range of media — sculpture, video, installation, sound, painting and photography — the works are compelling and provocative, nudging us to “re-view” our culture with an appraising eye.] Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion through April 1 Black Coffee [This mysterious tale of murder and intrigue, written by Agatha Christie and directed by J.W. Morrissette, follows detective Hercule Poirot and his aid-de-camp Captain Hastings as they are summoned to the English countryside to protect the world from potential destruction.] Parkland Theatre, Feb. 8, 9, 10, 8 p.m.; Feb 11, 3 p.m.

Bee-luther-hatchee [Written by Thomas Gibbons and directed by Ron OJ Parson, this play raises many questions regarding the representation of certain cultures. It tells the story of a young editor who is shepherding the memoir of Libby Price, a 72-year-old African-American woman.] Krannert Center Studio Theatre, Feb. 8-10, 14-17 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 18 at 3 p.m.

Art Exhibition Series [Springer Cultural Center’s new exhibit, “PIECED A(part),” features the work of Jamie Kotewa, Miriam Slager and Kim Purkiss.] Springer Cultural Center Main Hallway and Historic Lobby through Feb. 18 Melodramas of Consumption [This photo exhibit by Brian Ulrich is an examination of consumerism within our culture. He explores the everyday activities of shopping as well as the economic, cultural, social and political implications of commercialism.] Humanities Lecture Hall, IPRH, through March 2

It is time again for the Family Groove Company to pay a visit to the Canopy Club, and I can’t wait!

This four-piece band, based out of Chicago via Los Angeles, incorporates groove sensibility (developed by the late, great James Brown) with their rich vocal harmonies reflecting elements of funk, rock and jazz. When you get down to it, the band is a jam band, but I say this loosely thrown around term “jam band” with only the positive attributes in mind.

For instance, coherence and ingenuity are essential when it comes to creating a jam band, and the Family Groove Company has it in every breath of song, every stroke of guitar and bass and every beat of drum. The chemistry between the musicians flows through every aspect of every song, intensifying their live performances and allowing them to out-reach their album’s already electric performance. Their formal improvisational talent is set at the base of their music with jazz, while still incorporating funky grooves to separate themselves from the rest of the “average joe” jam bands. Apparently, from several critics and fans, the band has said to be a “groove-informed jazz/rock band.” In other words — this band is bound to impress.

The band pumps a lot of energy into their instruments, their lyrics and, most importantly, their audience. Every song is euphoric in its own sense and is simply charming. Why waste a night dancing to commercialized music when you can come and get down and funky with the Family Groove Company?

— Caitlin Cremer

The Illinois Hillbillies [An interactive Murder Mystery performed by the Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company.] Round Barn Banquet Centre. Feb. 11, 6 p.m.

Shouting Technologies Ground

Love Letters Valentine’s Day Dinner Show [This show follows the relationship of its two main characters through the letters they write to one another. It stars Judy Fraser and Jim Turpiin.] On Stage at Grace. Feb. 14, 8 p.m.

Journeys [Umeeta Sadaranganiwill’s exhibit features a collection of watercolors, mixed media paintings and photographs.] Asian American Cultural Center through March 16

Artists Against AIDS: Orpheum Theatre Clean-Up Feb. 10 and 11, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Many helping hands are needed to clean up the Orpheum Theatre, home to this year’s Artists Against AIDS fundraising event. It is asked that only adult volunteers participate and that they come prepared with work gear, including gloves and sturdy shoes. If you would like to help prepare the theater for this extraordinary event, contact Tami at 356-7805.

hip-hop/funk/rock band, featuring the Greg Spero Trio.] Canopy Club, 8pm $10

Dancing Tango Dancing featuring DJ Joe Grohens Cowboy Monkey 7:30pm, no cover

DJ DJ Stifler [Country until 11pm, then dance and hiphop.] Highdive, 8pm, $3/$5 DJ Bozak [Mix of hip-hop, classics and broken beat.]

Boltini Lounge, 10:30pm no cover

Lectures/Discussions Free English Speaking, Listening Class Parkland College 9am History and Development of the Black Sacred Music Tradition [A review of Black sacred music periods of development and dominance from

1619 through the 1900s will be reviewed as the roots of Gospel music from Africa through American slavery.] Smith Recital Hall 6pm, free African Studies: Perspectives from Law and Journalism International Studies Building, 12pm Recreation Robert Allerton Park, 9am Valentine’s Day Open Skate Ice Arena, 7:30pm, students free/$1 public, $1 student rental fee/$2 public Miscellaneous Altgeld Chime-Tower Tours Altgeld Hall, 12:30pm Meetings Scandinavian Coffee Hour Bread Company, 4pm Illinites Meetings Illini Union, 6pm

Full Service Corporate Network Support Affordable SDSL and T1 Rates Inter-Office Private Networking Reliable Web Hosting VoIP Professional IT Services 105 S. Walnut Downtown Champaign

admin@shout.net www.shout.net 217.351.7921

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stage, screen & i n b e t w e e n

SINGING VALENTINES

serenade

THE CU ELYSE RUSSO • STAFF WRITER

F

ast-forward to February 14, Valentine’s Day. It’s a Wednesday, and every Wednesday you have a history lecture at Foellinger Auditorium at 9 a.m. Even though 9 a.m. is usually way too early for you, you have to take this history class for your major, and sadly, this was the only time it was offered.

So you’re sitting in one of Foellinger’s wooden chairs, practically falling asleep, a drool globule forming on your lip, when all of a sudden a group of four people walk into the lecture hall. They’re carrying a long-stemmed rose, and they seem to be headed right toward you. Your eyes perk up a little bit, but before you can blink they’ve handed you the rose and they start to sing: “Wise men say, ‘Only fools rush in,’ but I can’t help falling in love with you ...”

The professor stops his lecturing, and all 400 people seated in Foellinger are staring at you. You certainly are awake now, and your cheeks are turning red from embarrassment.

It’s official: You have been serenaded by the Singing Valentines.

The Singing Valentines are quartets of singers from the Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company (CUTC) who will deliver singing telegrams to your friends, coworkers or significant others on Valentine’s Day. The creator of this unique Valentine’s Day gift is Jim Mayer, who was a part of CUTC’s very f irst show.

Mayer pitched his idea to the board of directors and was in charge of it for several years. While it is one of the many fundraisers ran by this non-for-prof it theater organization, the Singing Valentines have been around for 13 years.

“The profits go towards the general operation of the company,” explained Kathy Murphy, an original founder

THE PROFESSOR STOPS HIS LECTURING, AND ALL 400 PEOPLE SEATED IN FOELLINGER ARE STARING AT YOU.

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F e b r ua r y 8

•

F e b r ua r y 1 4 , 2 oo7

buzz weekly •

WOW! TALK ABOUT TELEKINETIC ACTIVITY, LOOK AT THIS MESS!

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Illini EYECARE EXPRESS $

99

Plastic Single Vision Lenses and Frames from a select group, bifocals available at additional cost.*

SAME DAY SERVICE IN MOST CASES

$139 Contacts

Includes 3 month supply of disposable contacts and complete eye exam. Toric, color and other packages available at additioinal cost.* 518 E. Green St.

(next to Legends)

Champaign, IL 61820 (217)351-6110

Hours: Mon. 9-6 Tues. 9-8 Wed. 9-5:30 Thurs. 9-6 Fri. 9-5:30 Sat. 9-1

*See store for details

Photo illustration of a reaction to a suprise visit by the Singing Valentines. By Amelia Moore.

of CUTC and a member of the board of directors. In addition, Murphy is currently the treasurer of CUTC and has worked on the Singing Valentines project since it began.

With so many Singing Valentines to deliver, more than one quartet is needed to help deliver them all.

“There are about 30 singers. They are broken up into quartets with a couple of extra singers left over. The extras will fill in if someone gets sick or can’t perform for some reason,” Murphy said.

Murphy adds that all of the songs sung by the Singing Valentines are arranged for a quartet of voices. According to CUTC’s Web site, www.cutc.org, the songs that the Singing Valentines are singing for Feb. 14, 2007, are “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “I Love You Truly,” “Let it be Me,” “Side by Side,” “True Love,” “Unforgettable” and “When I Fall in sounds from the scene

Love.” Sound bytes of these songs, sung by the Singing Valentines, are available to listen to on the Web site as well.

The most interesting aspect of the Singing Valentines is that they will sing to anybody, anywhere, or at least anywhere in the local community.

“We stay within Champaign-Urbana and Savoy because the quartets all have to deliver about four songs per hour in order to get them all done. Can’t do that if we go out of town,” Murphy said.

While most of the serenading is done at business offices and restaurants, the CUTC Singing Valentines have been to some pretty strange locations — such as lecture halls, classrooms, dialysis labs and construction sites — to deliver valentines to some very special people.

One strange valentine deliver y was to a timekeeper at an elementary school

basketball game. Murphy admits, however, that they had to wait until a time-out to sing to him.

Aside from the location, it is often extraordinary whom the Singing Valentine is delivered to. On such case was when a Singing Valentine was sent from a father to his unborn baby. So the singers went to the office of his wife to sing “to her tummy,” Murphy said.

CUTC Singing Valentines have even been responsible for delivering a few marriage proposals on Valentine’s Days over the past few years.

A unique and certainly different Valentine’s Day gift for anyone, CUTC Singing Valentines not only brings joy to someone on Valentine’s Day but also benefit a local community theater.

The last day to purchase a Singing Valentine is Feb. 10. For more information, go to www.cutc.org.

HOURS: MON-SAT 10-9 SUN 12-6

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F e b r ua r y 8

I AM THE KEYMASTER, ARE YOU THE GATEKEEPER?

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TOP 10 AT THE BOX OFFICE 5 Days A Week

Life. Quoted.

For the weekend of Feb. 2, 2007 in the USA 1. The Messengers 2. Because I Said So 3. Epic Movie

www.

.com

4. Night at the Museum 5. Smokin’ Aces 6. Stomp the Yard 7. Dreamgirls 8. El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) 9. The Pursuit of Happyness 10. The Queen This information has been provided by www.imdb.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE KERI CARPENTER • STAGE, SCREEN & IN BETWEEN EDITOR

If someone offered you a n end less supply of money i n exch a nge for your sense of smell, would you take it?

Now, this m ight seem like a strange question, but what’s even more odd than this question is that this is something some of us would do for money.

My name is Keri Carpenter and I am the new editor for Stage, Screen & In Between. This is my third year at the University and unlike many other students, I can wait to graduate. I don’t want to grow up yet.

With journalism for a major, I have been taught to never editorialize, get to the truth and be accurate. Out of all the two-hour lectures and three-hour labs I’ve sat through, you know what the most important thing I’ve learned is? Don’t take life too seriously.

That’s right, take time to enjoy life and everything it offers.

Life offers so much more than an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. work day, a paycheck and an hour long lunch break. It offers you a chance to build fulfilling relationships, go to exotic places or, one of my personal favorites — express yourself.

Self-expression is the reason I got into writing, and thus the reason I am in this position today.

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After a long day at class, knowing that I will be going to the movie theater to see The Illusionist brightens my day. A bad mood will quickly vanish after being mesmerized by the stage production of Chicago. With dramatic movies, exhilarating on-stage productions, thrilling novels and exotic dance performances, arts and entertainment are always a pleasure that I can count on to allow me to escape the not-so-peaceful world we live in for a short time.

As the new editor of Stage, Screen & In Between, I work for you. I encourage you to express yourself and contact me with any ideas you have for stories, any questions you have for me, praises you have for the writers or even any criticisms you have. My personal e-mail address is kcarpen3@uiuc.edu.

Thank you, Elyse, for teaching me the ropes, singing to me in the buzz off ice, and believing in me and my abilit y to take over the arts and entertainment section that you have so carefully nurtured throughout the past year.

To the rest of the buzz team, I look forward to working with you and getting to know your smiling faces. To you, the community, I can’t wait to see what life offers us this year.

As Granny taught me, life is too short to not cher ish, so wake up, smel l the cof fee and appreciate the many pleasures of life in and around our community.

If you’re going to smell the coffee, you might as well drink and enjoy it, too. sounds from the scene

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NIMBLE LITTLE MINX, ISN’T SHE?

19

BECAUSE I SAID SO SYD SLOBODNIK • STAFF WRITER

With recent publication of Deborah Tannen’s You’re Wearing That?, Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation and the surprising rev ived popu l a r it y of t he si lver h a i red , 60-something Diane Keaton — from her off beat L’Oreal television ads to the Oscar nomination for Something’s Gotta Give — you’d think the new film Because I Said So would be a surefire comedic success. One couldn’t be more wrong.

Keaton plays Daphne, an obsessed mother of three adult daughters who is desperately trying to Diane Keaton (left) and Mandy Moore share a Kodak get her daughter Milly a mate. Milly, played with moment at home in Because I Said So. Photo courtesy of much charm by Mandy Moore, is a successful www.rottentomatoes.com. owner of a catering company, who has had a string of bad luck men in her life and doesn’t need help from her meddling mom. Director Michael Lehmann could have explored the unique love-hate tension between mothers and daughters, which may have led to poking some satiric fun at mothers who fail to let loose of their apron strings.

Instead, Lehmann and his screenwriters, Karen Leigh Hopkins and Jessie Nelson, turn the story into a slapstick sitcom, where the mom takes out a personal ad to screen potentials for her daughter and accidentally sets her up with two attractive males, one a successful architect and the other a sensitive musician who is a single dad, played by two TV stars, Tom Everett Scott and Gabriel Macht, respectively.

Along the way Keaton shamelessly mugs to the camera, as she mistakenly accesses an online porn site, blushes to “girl talk� about orgasms and screams at her car’s GPS system. In the end, she reveals in a rather cheaply sentimental phone conversation, “I was only trying to protect you from becoming me.� For a successful actress in her 60s, you wonder why Keaton would accept such trash.

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THE MESSENGERS

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PAUL PRIKAZSKY • STAFF WRITER

Asian horror is more atmospheric and self-absorbed than a classically defined ghost story. It’s pomp and circumstance with no spine, and unfortunately this glitz ‘n glam approach to filmmaking suffers almost as painfully as the poor suckers who shelled out 10 bucks to see the schlock-fest.

The latest entry in the aforementioned genre follows the Solomon family as they move lock, stock and barrel to the desolate plains of North Dakota. For some reason Dad (Dylan McDermott) dreams of being a sunflower farmer, Mom (Penelope Ann Miller) is uptight, rebellious teenage daughter Jess (Kristen Stewart) is well-versed in pouting and toddler Benny (Evan Turner) says nothing at all.

Soon enough, darkness falls over the family farm. Jess believes the gothic country house is haunted and she and little Benny are the only ones who can see anything. Of course, Mom and Dad think their brats are full of it, blah, blah, blah, la-dee-da; murderous tedium, prolonged pauses and stilted dialogue ensue.

Hong Kong imports Danny and Oxide Pang, progenitors of the freaky The Eye, wreak directorial havoc on the contrived script by Mark Wheaton. And in this case, two negatives don’t make a positive. Not only does the movie come off as a cheap derivative of horror staples like The Shining and The Sixth Sense, but it unabashedly rapes clichÊs of the well-established genre.

Let’s get serious folks, k id s who see spook y specters, parents who don’t believe them, a house ripe for a visit from Trading Spaces, the stoic drifter; is any of this original? At least they stole their ideas from good sources; OK so there’s a little credit.

It’s called The Messengers for good reason. There’s a message in there and though it has nothing to do with the movie, it’s definitely saying “waste of time.�

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THE REDWALLS PROBABLY VAMPIRES

Everyone — and everything — wants to get their hands on Kristen Stewart in The Messengers. Photo courtesy of www.rottentomatoes.com.

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SHIVER ME FROZEN EYEBROWS.

F e b r ua r y 8

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F e b r ua r y 1 4 , 2 oo7

T WO RE VIE WS:

“12 ANGRY MEN� AND “LADY�

JEFF NELSON • STAFF WRITER

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The theater scene in Chicago has been known to offer a variet y of traveling professional product ions and loca l ly created projects.

Nothing demonstrates this variety available to theater consumers more vividly than two recent openings: 12 Angry Men — a touring hit from Broadway — and Lady — a world premiere play commissioned by Skokie’s Northlight Theatre.

Theseplays give the theatergoer a sampling of old and new powerhouse scripts.

Both plays run just over 90 minutes, are performed without an intermission and have all- male casts (The lady in Lady is a dog who appears mostly off stage). Both deal with social issues, but 12 Angry Men has by now reached the status of a classic — and deservedly so. Scott Ellis’ superbly directed production from the 2004-05 Broadway season reminds us that this 1954 script from Reginald Rose has not lost a decibel of its original intensity and power.

This stor y of a jur y deliberating over a verdict in a murder case had its origins on one of television’s legendary shows, “Studio One,� in 1954, and went on to win three Emmys in 1955 (the fi rst year of the awards). Using only two members of the 1954 television cast, Henry Fonda produced and starred in a splendid 1957 fi lm directed by Sidney Lumet. By the 1960s 12 Angry Men had made it into many literary anthologies, high school classrooms, and last but not least, the stage.

The vivid characters, the beautifully paced dramatic interplay and the well placed social commentary build as the jury deliberations

progress and create an enduring portrait of the human drama embedded in the humanity that makes our legal system work.

Scott Ellis’ Tony-nominated reproduction is as faithful and fl awless as its material. This ensemble, led by the engaging Richard Thomas, reminds us why certain works can bring out the best in actors. The only reservation here is its limited run — until Feb. 11 at the new LaSalle Bank Theatre (formerly the Shubert) at 18 W. Monroe in the heart of Chicago’s Loop. Check www.broadwayinchicago.com or call 312-9771700 for more information.

At Skokie’s Northlight Theatre, director BJ Jones has staged a new work of considerable power and interest, but it ultimately lacks a real punch. Lady takes that male bastion of the hunting party and mixes in a hefty dose of politics and social commentary on the choices we make about our lives. Here the victims are the characters themselves, not someone off stage.

A ny aud ience member wou ld associate the character of the Cong ressman with a potential Dick Cheney hunting incident, but the diff erence here is that the characters are victims of self-infl icted wounds. The wounds are not physical, but metaphysical woundings, and this male bonding session brings out the things that have slowly pulled these old friends apart over the years.

Craig Wright’s fast-paced script shows his considerable skill at well-paced drama that he has demonstrated with such television series as Lost and Six Feet Under. However, for a story

Michael Shannon, Paul Sparks and Lance Baker make up the three-person production of Lady, playing at the Northlight Theatre in Skokie. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

with so many ideas, it requires more than a lack of dull moments.

Too many moments are preachy speeches and sermons that have potential to be engaging, but ultimately fail. This is a wonderful concept to bring a major writer to one of the Chicago area’s best theaters and commission a new script, but even the acting talents of the three principals — Lance Stuart Baker, Paul Sparks and Michael Shannon — cannot bring real greatness to this powerful but indelicate work.

The Northlight Theatre is located south of Old Orchard shopping center at 9501 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie. Check out www.northlight. org or call 847-673-6300, and note Lady will close on Feb. 25.

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HADAG NACHASH (Israeli Hip Hop Group) with special guests GREG SPERO TRIO

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A tense picture of the cast of 12 Angry Men. Photo by Joan Marcus.

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YOU’VE BEEN DRINKING DRANO, HAVEN’T YOU?

21

10 VALENTINE’S DAY MOVIES

21 The Notebook (2004)– Every girl’s a sucker for this one; don’t deny it.

1: Serendipity (2001) – John Cusack’s a hottie in this tale of romantic destiny.

Black Book (2004) - I hate this 19 Little movie with a passion, but everyone else

Worth Renting with Your Girlfriend JEFF GROSS • STAFF WRITER

seems to enjoy it.

18 Psycho (1960) – A tale of love between a son and his mother, gone horribly awry.

(2005) – Maybe Hitch can teach 17 Hitch your man a thing or two.

Harry Met Sally… (1989) - Make sure 16 When that for dinner, she orders what Meg ordered.

15 Sleepless In Seattle (1993) – This is how couples met randomly before the Internet.

Princess Bride (1987) – “My name 14 The is Inigo Montoya.You killed my father,

Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor are about to share a smooch in Moulin Rouge, a movie that both writers agree is Valentine’s Day-worthy. Photo from www.rottentomatoes.com.

12 Moulin Rouge

prepare to die.”

Love Actually (2003) – It’s the 13 perfect movie to make you laugh,

(2001) Great singing, great acting and beautiful cinematography make this film a must-see.

smile and cry all at once, you wussy.

21

LATE NIGHT LOVER PICKS JENNY MCCARTHY • STAFF WRITER

13

An Affair To Remember (1957) — An all-time classic: Also watch with some Kleenex.

14

Never Been Kissed (1999) — I always cry even though I know how it ends! And how can you resist sexy Michael Vartan as the teacher?

12 Love Actually

(2003) — It’s funny and has sexy Brits in it. What’s not to love?

1: 19 18 17 16 15

The Sound of Music (1965) — Call me old-fashioned, but the attraction between Maria and Captain von Trapp is too good to pass up!

Pride and Prejudice (1940), (2005) — It doesn’t matter which version you rent — they’re both amazing and have the wonderful Mr. Darcy. Watch with a literary fan.

Casablanca (1942) — A classic tale where Rick Blaine meets his former lover, Ilsa, in a gin joint in Africa — it’s hard to beat this plot.

The Notebook (2004) — Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams make this passionate story come to life. This is one to watch with some Kleenex on hand.

Beauty and The Beast (1991) — Cartoon, yes; greatest love story of the ’90s? Yes. Chocolat (2003) — Mmmm ... chocolate and Johnny Depp? That’s what I call an unbeatable romantic combo.

Moulin Rouge (2001) — Not only is it one of the greatest love stories of all time — it’s also a musical. I could listen to Ewan McGregor singing any day!

Hugh Grant and Martine McCurcheon aren’t shy in Love Actually, a recommended movie for Valentine’s Day. Photo courtesy of www.rottentomatoes.com.

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WHO CARES ABOUT FREAKING MOVIES?

DRIVE THRU REVIEWS

CHILDREN OF MEN

In the unfortunate tale of a young woman whose fiancĂŠ dies the day before their wedding, Jennifer Garner pulled off a convincing role as both “America’s Sweetheartâ€? and “The Girl Next Doorâ€? in the movie Catch and Release. After the death of Gray Wheeler’s (Garner) fiancĂŠ, she must learn to trust, love and have fun again.

(Keri Carpenter)

In 2027 an unexplained malady has overtaken Ear th, rendering all of humanity infer tile.

Universal chaos has ensued, somehow leaving Britain as the only standing, semi-functional and reactionary-nationalist pseudo-government.

Director Alfonso Cuaron somehow manages here to combine the gritty war-despair of Saving Private Ryan, the modern hopelessness and socio-economic infection of Fight Club and a (self-aware) sci-fi futuristic Nativity Story retelling.

(Matt Hoffman)

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This time, instead of Jamie Foxx (who also stars 8 in this movie), the name on everyone’s lips is that of newcomer Jennifer Hudson (former American Idol contestant); Beyonce Knowles, Danny Glover and Eddie Murphy round out the rest of the main cast. Hudson is the emotional force behind this movie despite Beyonce’s top billing, and director Bill Condon places her favorably within shots to share equal space with Beyonce.

Her no-holds-barred performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,� was the showstopper, leaving viewers at my screening gasping at her vocal hills and valleys and applauding her range. (Eric Nyberg)

EPIC MOVIE This movie is dreadful. Please do not waste your precious time and money on it. If you are dying to see it, wait for the DVD. Epic Movie is another one of those films which, in the same vein as the Scary Movie and Date Movie, attempts to parody an entire genre of movies. Epic Movie is somewhat funny when it directly mocks the characters of epic movies, such as Harry Potter or Superman; however, the film ultimately fails when it endlessly saturates itself with tired references to pop culture. (Eric Nyberg)

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FREEDOM WRITERS

PAN’S LABYRINTH

Freedom Writers is based on the experiences and diaries of Erin Gruwell’s Woodrow Wilson High School freshman English class from the mid-1990s in the post Rodney King riots days.

Oscar winner Hilary Swank plays Gruwell, an idealistic first-year teacher, whose father was a 1960s civil rights advocate. She is inspired to teach because she sees the fight her father fought can be most effectively addressed in the high school classroom — and not in the courts or jails. (Syd Slobodnik)

Not since David Lynch’s Eraserhead nor maybe Terry Gilliam’s Brazil has a director created such a beautiful, surrealist and terrifying vision. In simplified terms, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth is a dark fairy tale — a bloodier, more adult version of Alice in Wonderland — set in 1944 Spain. (Jeff Gross)

HAPPILY N’EVER AFTER

CATCH AND RELEASE

F e b r ua r y 8

In Happily N’Ever After, Frieda, Cinderella’s evil stepmother (voiced by Sigourney Weaver) is sick and tired of happy endings in fairy tales. When the Wizard (George Carlin) goes on vacation and leaves his two little helpers in charge (one of which is a cat, voiced by Andy Dick), Frieda steals his magic staff from his helpers which controls all fairy tales, and promises that from now on no one in fairy tale land will live “happily ever after.�

Cinderella (Sarah Michelle Gellar), then takes matters into her own hands in order to find her prince so he can save Fairy Tale Land and they can live happily ever after. (Keri Carpenter)

THE HITCHER Almost identical to the original, the remake features Jim Halsey (Zachary Knighton) and his unfairly attractive girlfriend Grace Andrews (Sophia Bush), ignoring any sane judgment and giving a lift to the titular hitcher, John Ryder (Sean Bean).

Bean’s chillingly sadistic and charmingly maniacal performance is enough to make any good samaritan think twice. (Paul Prizasky)

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA Letters from Iwo Jima is Clint Eastwood’s unique Japanese language and perspective companion piece to last year’s Flags of Our Fathers, which took an American view on the famous World War II battle for the island of Iwo Jima. Letters from Iwo Jima, seen with Flags of Our Fathers, tells the two sides of one of the bloodiest battles that occurred before the end of that great war. Eastwood begins his story at the end of 1944, when the Japanese were about to take a forceful last stand to defend their homeland against Allied forces. (Syd Slobodnik)

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) plays a down-on-his-luck father who can’t hold a job, causing a steady drift away from his son Nick. Out of desperation, Larry agrees to be the night watchman at New York City’s Museum of Natural History. Originally monitored by three guards (Dick Van Dyke, Bill Cobbs and Mickey Rooney), the museum’s power to come to life is triggered by an ancient tablet.

When this tablet is stolen, the inhabitants of the museum (everyone from Teddy Roosevelt to Attila the Hun) must put their differences aside and team up to recapture the artifact to continue their wild existence.

(Scott Frankel)

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THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS The Pursuit of Happyness will not only put a smile on your face, but will also make you appreciate everything you have, especially having a warm bed to sleep in. Starring Will Smith and his son, Jaden Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness is based on the true story of Chris Gardner, a man who loses his wife, job and home in San Francisco; the only things he doesn’t lose are his dignity and his son. Making the best of his situation, a homeless Gardner takes a nonpaying internship at Dewitt Wallace, a stock brokerage, and struggles to achieve his dreams.

(Keri Carpenter)

SMOKIN’ ACES Smokin’ Aces revolves around Buddy “Aces�

Israel (Jeremy Piven, doing what he does best), a washed-up, coked-out Las Vegas magician who finds himself in a position to rat out what’s left of the mob in Vegas to the FBI in exchange for full immunity for his own forays into organized crime. The head of the mob then puts a $1 million contract on Israel’s head, which draws all kinds of eccentric hit men and women (played by everyone from Ben Affleck to Alicia Keys) out of the woodwork. At the same time, the FBI sends two agents (Ray Liotta and Ryan Reynolds) to grab Israel first. Chaos ensues. (Tom Lange)

STOMP THE YARD Starring Chris Brown for a total of about 10 minutes, Stomp the Yard still turned out to be a successful movie and made my favorites list. It introduces an amazing dancer/actor, Columbus Short, who plays D.J. — a freshman in college whose problem is trying to fit in and whose solution is to join a fraternity. He impresses his frat brothers and those who wish they were his brothers with fresh dance moves and creative steps, hoping that his original flavor and new moves will help his fraternity win the National Step Championship. (Keri Carpenter)

WE ARE MARSHALL You’d probably think that a movie with Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Fox, as well as Golden Globe winner David Strathairn, would be worth watching. Sadly, it’s not. We Are Marshall tells the tragic tale of the plane crash that killed 75 team members, coaches and fans of Marshall University’s football team and of the town’s aftermath. What results is a deeply depressing film that leaves almost no chance of hope at the end. (Jenny McCarthy) sounds from the scene

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A UTH ENTIC

COMING 2/27

Fresh breads, pastries and crepes made from scratch & baked fresh daily!

KAMAKURA

Spring Dining Guide

308 North Randolph Downtown Champaign 217.359.6977

In a restaurant deeply noted in Urbana history, enjoy good home-cooking made from scratch. Only 5 minutes from campus.

OPEN TIL MIDNIGHT FRI/SAT NIGHTS

111 N. Race St. • Urbana • (217) 328-1811

Fine Italian Cuisine 114 W. Church Downtown Champaign (217) 359-7377

Make your Valentine’s Day reservations today! sounds from the scene

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Earn great money as an exotic dancer at the Silver Bullet. You pick your hours. Call 344-0937 after 8pm.

Courtyard on Randolph 713 S. Randolph, C. Now leasing for August. Furnished/ Unfurnished. Spacious 2 and 3 bedrooms starting at $630. Close to campus and downtown. Water, Direct TV and parking included. Balcony, laundry and seasonal pool.

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Roommate wanted to share 3 BR house. Male or Female. 1802 Peach St, near busline. Washer/dryer, DSL, cable. Rent $325/ mo. plus 1/3 utilities.

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25

the stinger kim rice & kate ruin DOIN’ IT WELL

Forget the yacht ...

Cruising for the landlocked

The term “cruising” has made its way into mainstream culture, but it started out as a term that referred to men who pursue other men in public, to show interest or initiate sex. Nowadays, folks of all sexual identities cruise … at bars, in bookstores and on the street. It is an art of mostly non-verbal communication, and the correct cruising cues can lead to a hot encounter. But miscommunication might lead to public embarrassment or have you fleeing a bad scene. In this column we’ll be focusing on man-to-man cruising.

Photo illustration by Amelia Moore

jonesin CROSSWORD PUZZLE

“Dude!” — you’re getting a crossword.

23 “Dude,” spoken reproachfully 27 Nation whose flag is a yellow star on a red Across background 1 Old-school tattoo word 30 ___.de.ap (Black Eyed 4 Soft drink originally Peas member) bottled in California 31 Make dangerous 10 Trade gossip 32 John who wrote the 14 “___ not making theme to “The NBA on sense?”

NBC” 15 Women’s headwear 35 “Zut ___!”

16 “Benedict Arnold!”

39 “Dude,” said while shak17 “Dude,” as in “I heard ing one’s head≠ about this one dude who...”

43 First name in photog19 Bee ___ raphy 20 “In the Hall of the Moun44 Tire swing locale tain King” composer 21 Influential group of men 45 Words before day or way 46 Babe, e.g. from Athens 48 Money for later 22 Iowa city

51 “Dude,” as in “I know this one dude...”

56 R&B offshoot 57 Fish eggs 58 “I’m so frustrated!!!”

62 “Oh well,” in more poetic terms 63 “Dude,” when used in congratulation 66 Barrier in Holland 67 Doing a carwash task 68 Common street name 69 Got 100% on 70 Gets big 71 Penn in movies Down 1 Helgenberger of “CSI” 2 One of Hugh’s “House” costars

3 ___ Ritz (cracker brand) 4 Japanese equivalent of “general” 5 It’s cured but was never sick 6 Place to get bread at night 7 Pretty good bowling score 8 Bathroom renovator, maybe 9 Lack of energy 10 Leader for whom a Parisian airport is named 11 Express lane count 12 Superman’s makeup 13 Woman of questionable values 18 National ___ 24 “See ya!”

25 Refine metal 26 “How ___ Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life” (plagiarized 2006 novel) 27 “___ con Dios” 28 Monopoly token 29 They’re grounded Down Under 33 Type of camera, for short 34 Animal laughter 36 Boo-boo 37 Fight night venue 38 Men only 40 Grossed out 41 “Top Chef 2” chef 42 “How’ve ya ___?”

47 Measurements around 49 Guitarist Boz 50 Salty sadness 51 Carne ___ (Mexican restaurant option) 52 It makes baby cry 53 Famed first-person shooter game 54 Not at all 55 Poke fun at 59 Stink bad 60 Big ball 61 ___ tags 64 “Do not open ___ Xmas” 65 TV mainstay broadcast from Studio 8H

Solutions pg. 26

sounds from the scene

WHERE TO CRUISE Cruising can take place anywhere: at an adult store, public parks, bathrooms at the mall or at the undergraduate library. There are cruising Web sites, some of which offer opportunities to hook up with men through the Internet or list places where men cruise in your city.

Public places like parks, beaches or washrooms where people cruise for sex and or socializing are called “beats.” Beats can be a great resource to meet other men, but because they are public, these places can also be vulnerable to police harassment, gay bashers or criminals. If you can, let someone know where you are going, and keep alert while you’re there. Better yet, go cruising with a buddy so you can watch each other’s backs (no pun intended).

Speaking of being alert, cruising while drunk or high can bring potential risks. It doesn’t take a scientific study to know that having sex while buzzed can make it more difficult to practice safer sex. But there’s also more potential for physical danger from others at the beat if your alertness is compromised by substance use. When possible, cruise sober.

LIFE JACKET If you are new to cruising, talk to others about their experiences in the local scene, and have them give you tips about what to avoid and how to make the most of your cruising experience.

Make sure you pack your protection (condoms and lube). You can’t be sure that your partners have the same HIV/STI status as you do, or that they even know their status.

Speaking of condoms, if you are having sex in a public or semi-public place, pick up after yourself! Empty condom wrappers or lube packets may alert police or others that sex is taking place, and crackdowns or arrests may follow, limiting your options.

WHY CRUISE? Homophobia (the irrational fear and hatred of gay folks) has made it hard and sometimes even life-threatening for gay men to be out in the open about their desires, flirtations and attraction.

The discretion of cruising has helped many men find sex partners while protecting their privacy.

While the Internet provides a sort of social network, traditionally men seeking men in small cities and towns only had an option of one gay bar (if there even was one at all) to meet other people. For men who are still struggling to accept their sexual orientation, going to a gay bar can be a pretty big step. Not to mention the fact that not everyone is into the bar scene … for these reasons and so many more, cruising beats are a part of many communities across the country and the world.

SEX 411: CRUISING TIPS • Respect “No”: You never have to do anything you are not comfortable with, whether it’s giving someone your phone number or being penetrated. Respect your own limits and those of others.Think ahead of time about what you want to do once you meet someone and what you are not comfortable with.

• Be Patient: It may take some time to master the art of cruising and to achieve the results you want. Because the majority of cruising communication is non-verbal, initiating contact may start with making eye contact or gently brushing up against someone to see if they return your advances. Go slowly and be patient. It’s not usually a good idea to come on too strongly. Remember to reject people kindly when you are cruised. A simple “No, thank you” while walking away is sufficient and respectful.

• Live and Let Live: If you are in a venue where others are having sex, don’t assume it’s a group party and don’t interfere. If you walk by and those having sex make eye contact or touch you, you can ask if you can join in, otherwise, keep on walkin’.

It can be embarrassing to be rejected in public. If you are at a venue with video booths, don’t bother others unless you are invited into their booth.

Kim Rice and Kate Ruin are professional sex educators. Send your sex questions, comments and fan mail to riceandruin@yahoo.com.

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DROP IT, SUCKER!

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free will astrology FEB. 08 — FEB. 14 ARIES

March 21 – April 19

Happy Valentine Daze, Aries! On this lover’s holiday, let’s see what we can do to purge some of your old romantic karma.

With a cleaner slate, you’ll be freer to create the kind of love you really want in the future. To begin, write a list of the worst sins you’ve committed against your ex-intimates. Include behavior that was ignorant, cruel, or unconscious. Next, think of atonements you might make for the hurtful things you did.

For instance, you could send your ex an “I’m sorry for the craziness our relationship caused you” letter. Finally, Aries, forgive yourself of your errors.

T A U RU S

April 20 – May 20

Happy Valentine Daze, Taurus! During this lover’s holiday, I encourage you to devote yourself full-time to acting like a person who’s in love. Even if you’re not currently in the throes of passion for a special someone, pretend you are.

Everywhere you go, exude that charismatic blend of shellshocked contentment and blissful turmoil that comes over you when you’re infatuated. Let everyone you meet soak up the delicious wisdom you exude. Dispense free blessings and extra slack like a rich saint high on natural endorphins.

(I assure you that this assignment is in perfect accord with the astrological omens.)

GEMINI

May 21 – June 20

Happy Valentine Daze, Gemini! I hope you’ll be very specific about what you want from intimacy and collaboration in the coming months. To get you in the mood, I’ve written a personal ad for you to use. Or create your own, borrowing from the spirit of mine. Here you go. Slapstick thinker with refined sensibilities seeks a saint-like sinner with insanely cool style for a longdistance joyride towards the outskirts of Nirvana. Established meditation practice and a good bedside manner are desirable.

Would it be too much to ask that you might also have a high level of emotional intelligence without boring me to death with your maturity? Is it possible that you’ll be an entertaining talker who also knows how to listen with your wild heart turned up all the way? Let’s keep reinventing ourselves forever.

CANCER

June 21 – July 22

LEO

July 23 – Aug. 22

Happy Valentine Daze, Cancerian! I sing a sly WOW toward the sky and murmur a resonant YOW toward the earth in rowdy reverent gratitude for the wonders that come your way from the special people in your life. I send out a special YAYA and GAGA to that Mysterious Other who has the power to challenge you, teach you, confound you, inspire you, and love you almost as well as you love yourself. Long may your story unfold in all of its enigmatic glory! Long may you liberate each other from your suffering!

SCORPIO

Oct. 23 – Nov. 21

S AG I T TA R I U S

Nov. 22 – Dec. 21

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 – Jan. 19

AQUA R I U S

Jan. 20 – Feb. 18

Happy Valentine Daze, Scorpio! I dare you to up the ante in your relationship with a special someone who both frustrates and inspires you. One way to do that might be to say the following to that person: “We are pain and what cures pain, both. We are the sweet cold water and the jar that pours. I want to hold you close like a lute, so that we can cry out with loving. Would you rather throw stones at a mirror? I am your mirror and here are the stones.” (This passage was written by the 13th-century poet Rumi and translated by Coleman Barks.)

“From studying the samurai art of kendo,” writes a reader named Amanda, “I’ve learned that some of history’s most fearsome warriors derived their great strength from sublime tenderness.” Your assignment during this season of love, Sagittarius, is to act on that advice in every way you can imagine. I want you to be a sensitive juggernaut of courage and daring in the coming months, and I believe the best way to do that is to intensify your commitment to mastering the art of ingenious intimacy. Happy Valentine Daze!

Happy Valentine Daze, Capricorn. I dare you to say the following to a special someone with whom you want to be closer: “Your face is true and your hair is perfect and I love you. You make boats in my dreams and you speak without words and I love you.

Your fears unnerve me and your questions amuse me and I love you. I love you not only for who you are, but for the interesting person I become when I’m with you. I say I love you and love you and love you until the words become the constant song of your voice in my head and the original ache of memory in my soul. I love you more than life and death, more than everything that’s in between the light and the dark. Do you believe me? Try harder. Do you believe me now? I’m always with you, which is why I know you will never abandon yourself.”

Happy Valentine Daze, Aquarius! During this lover’s holiday, I’m praying for you to have mind-boggling communions with smart-mouthed, quick-thinking virtuosos who are at least as brilliant as you. To be frank, I don’t care whether or not these communions are with attractive members of your favorite gender. In accordance with the promises of your current astrological omens, I just want to see you stimulated to the point of spiritual and intellectual rapture by kaleidoscopic giveand-take sessions.

PISCES Happy Valentine Daze, Leo! I predict that more love will flow into your life in the future. Why? Because beginning now, you will remove the obstructions that have been interfering with that flow. That’s not all. More love will flow into your life because you’ll decide that you are actually very lovable--more lovable than you’ve previously acknowledged. That’s not all.

More love will flow into your life because you will vow to invoke in yourself a tremendous surge of willpower that will make you hungry to give love, to bestow blessings, and to extend favors. You’ll derive deep pleasure, a real libidinous thrill, from radiating generous emotions in all directions.

VIRGO

Aug. 23 – Sept. 22

LIBRA

Sept. 23 – Oct.22

Feb. 19 – March 20

Happy Valentine Daze, Pisces! My team of Prayer Warriors and I are sending you surges of the smartest love we can conjure up. Through the sweet fierce force of our high-tech magic, we’ve transformed our hearts into the equivalents of 100,000-watt broadcasting towers that are dosing you with wave after wave of primal adoration and appreciation. Open yourself to our gift, please. It’s as real as a thunderstorm, as potent as the Buddha’s libido. If you’ve felt that no one could ever see you for who you really are, let us prove you wrong. If you’ve fantasized that no one will ever be completely on your side, surrender to the overwhelming evidence that we are your shockingly friendly allies.

Homework: Write yourself a nice long love letter. Send a copy to me if you like: http://FreeWillAstrology.com.

“You’ve been walking the ocean’s edge, holding up your robes to keep them dry,” writes Coleman Barks in his translation of the 13th-century poet Rumi. What he means is that you’ve been too tentative and inhibited in your relationship with the tidal forces of love; you’ve been holding back from giving your total devotion to the primal power that fuels the universe. “You must dive naked under and deeper under,” Barks and Rumi continue, “a thousand times deeper!” Consider taking the poets’ advice, Virgo. If you can’t manage diving a thousand times deeper, try to least make it a hundred times. Happy Valentine Daze!

AHappy Valentine Daze, Libra! After careful meditation about what advice might help you expand your experience of intimacy, I’ve decided to offer you the following meditation.

“Love sometimes gets tired of speaking sweetly. It wants to rip to shreds all your erroneous notions of truth that make you fight within yourself, and with others.” So writes Daniel Ladinsky in his translation of a poem by Hafiz. Love, he continues, “sometimes wants to do us a great favor: hold us upside down and shake all the nonsense out.” That’s a pretty good description of where I think you are in your current relationship with love, Libra. I hope you’re brave enough to cooperate with its gift.

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I HATE THIS WORLD AND ALL OF ITS TOMORROWS.

LIK ES GR IPES

27

AND

LET IT OUT

( READERS WRITE IN )

DANA HARADA Urbana GRIPES

ALEX KELLY Urbana GRIPES 1) A 40 percent increase in electric prices: What the hell! I’m already a poor college student who can barely afford to keep my apartment at 65 degrees. Now I’ll have to eat ramen all the time so I can unplug the fridge ...

2) Professors who assume: Recently, in class, I grabbed a friend’s notes to catch something I missed, and the prof actually stopped class to scold me as though I were 12. Is he so insecure about people not paying attention to his droning that he has to resort to elementary school tactics?

3) High-school-age kids and roommates who sublease to them: Would you want your apartment to become party central to high school kids who drink heavily, smoke heavily and don’t know how to wash a pot? Neither would I. Two weeks, a carpet cleaner and two bottles of wall-washing detergent later managed to erase every trace of that girl, but really, what purpose does a person have in stealing all your towels?

TATYANA SAFRONOVA Editor in chief LIKES 1) Snow: It’s a Winter Wonderland outside.

It’s beautiful, it’s all white. I’m in love.

2) Guinness: I think a Guinness float would be dreamy. Frothy. Droooool.

3) Valentine’s Day: I’m probably the only single person who loves this holiday. I love flowers and chocolates all around me! I love the word “Valentine”! And it’s a holiday! This should also be National Dance in the Street Day or something! sounds from the scene

1) iClickers: Of course I’m in classes that recently added the iClicker to the list of required materials, and now I’m forced to attend all my classes and be awake. I don’t care that they were invented at U of I! After I graduate I’m running over my iClicker with my car.

2) Waiting in line to get into the bars: It’s freezing, so let me in! Last weekend while I was waiting in line to get into Legends it started snowing. Brothers still had a line at 1 a.m. on Saturday!

3) Jam bands: Everytime I hear a jam band I can feel a little bit of my soul die. Just play the damn song!

If a Photo is worth a thousand words, how much is a Senior Photo worth?

ANNETTE GONZALEZ Calendar Editor LIKES 1) Foamy the Squirrel: If you don’t know who I’m talking about, stop reading this and Google it right now. This is a squirrel who will rant about anything from drug use to outsourcing in a hilarious, smart-ass kind of way. There’s nothing better than a squirrel telling you that people suck.

Simply awesome.

2) Jimmy John’s Beach Club: I am having a current obsession with turkey sandwiches and wheat bread and this sandwich gives me both. A giant sandwich with provolone, lettuce, turkey and a hint of avocado spread (drools).

3) Robin Thicke: OK, so I know he sounds like Justin Timberlake, but his album is incredible. You can dance, sing, cry and make babies to it if you are so inclined. A song for every mood.

b u z z @r eadbuzz. com SEND US YOUR LIKES AND GRIPES. THEY MIGHT GET PUBLISHED!

Be sure to include your name and a mug shot of your beautiful mug.

DATE: Jan. 29 - Feb. 10th TIME: am Mon-Thurs 9 -6pm Fri-Sat 9am-4pm LOCATION: Illini Media Building, 512 E. Green St, Champaign

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