Buzz Magazine: March 31, 2005 by Buzz Magazine

y l k e e w

What’s Happening in Urbana

New Balance Urbana

Market At The Square May 14 through November Saturdays from 7a.m. to noon Southeast corner of the parking lot at Lincoln Square Vendors from all over the state of Illinois come to this large open air market to share the freshest home grown produce, local honey, baked goods, hand-crafted items, plants & flowers and much more! With over 100 vendors, the market supports local farmers, and allows people to eat healthy and enjoy themselves every Saturday morning! The Great Race June 28 Downtown Urbana The largest, longest-running road rally comes through town on their coast-to-coast race.There will be vintage cars on display, live musical entertainment, and a sure good time for all! 30th Annual Sweetcorn Festival August 26 and 27th Downtown Urbana The businesses and citizens of Urbana, Illinois, invite you to the streets of Downtown Urbana for Champaign County's oldest and largest festival VOTED THE BEST FESTIVAL IN URBANACHAMPAIGN, 2002. For over a quarter century the Urbana Sweetcorn Festival has brought thousands of friends, families, entertainers and vendors to Main Street to share in the best that traditional, small town America has to offer.

BUY SELL TRADE

Come To The New Balance Store

The Boneyard Arts Festival April 15 & 16 An annual event hosted by 40 North and supported by the UBA. Visual artists, musicians and other performers come out of the wood work and Urbana, Champaign and Campus come alive.

CDs LPs DVDs

110 S. Race St. Urbana

Full Line of NB Shoes & Apparel

N is for fit, not fashion. N is for technology, not gimmickry. N is for sticking to your principles. Real shoes engineered for real athletes. In multiple widths, not just multiple sizes. N is for New Balance. Find the perfect fit at New Balance Urbana.

367-7927

www.recordswap.com

Historic Lincoln Hotel

209 S. Broadway, Urbana t 384-8800 t historiclincolnhotel.com

The Library Great Hall

Alumni Tap

Breakfast and Lunch served daily from 7AM -2PM

Dinner served Tues-Thurs 4 -8 , Fri-Sat 4 -9 Chef’s Specials Served Daily PM

Tues-Thurs 4 -10 , Fri-Sat 4 -1 Live Entertainment every Friday 5 -8 PM

*FEATURING Ed Mason on keyboard & Fred Travathen on bass *EVERYDAY $1.50 drafts Bud light & Miller light

The Hotel

Feature YOUR Urbana business here. Call 337-8382 for details.

128 Luxury rooms with European touch, indoor swimming pool and hot tub

z buz FREE

13 03 | 31 | 15 . 04 | 06 | 05 champaign . urbana

buzz weekly

DON’T BE JEALOUS CAUSE I’VE BEEN CHATTING ONLINE WITH HOT BABES ALL DAY.

3 3 4 4 5 5

|6-9| 6 7 7

| 10 - 13 | 10 11 12

12 13 13 13

| 14 - 18 | 17 18 18

| 19 - 22 | 19 20 20 20

21 22

| 23 | 23

| 24 - 26 | 24 24 24 25 25 25 26 26

| 27 |

under the cover

INTRO

Editor’s Note This Modern World • Tom Tomorrow News of the Weird • Chuck Shephard Sh!ts and Giggles First Things First • Michael Coulter The Local Sniff • Seth Fein

AROUND TOWN Junk food in schools • Emily Wahlheim q + a with Rachel Vellenga Life in Hell • Matt Groening

•

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

C OV E R

under t h e |1-5|

PHOTO • SARAH KROHN

MA R . 31

LISTEN, HEAR SXSW Festival • Alex Rodriguez Dark Star Orchestra • Kyle Gorman Everything But the Girl review • Brian Mertz M.Ward review • Imran Siddiquee Sound Ground #69 • Todd J. Hunter The Hurly-Burley • Logan Moore Parasol Charts

MAIN EVENT Free Will Astrology Bob n’ Dave • Dave King Jonesin’ Crosswords • Matt Gaffney

ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT Kindred Spirits • Courtney Hrejsa Krannert Springtime • Jeff Nelson (Th)ink • Keef Knight Even Cowgirls Get the Blues review • Kerri Mullen Artist’s Corner with Mari Gish Unforgettable Illini basketball • Seth Fein

WINE + DINE All by myself • Carly Fisher

Employment Services Merchandise Transportation Apartments Other Housing/Rent Real Estate for Sale Things To Do Announcements Personals

000 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

• PLEASE CHECK YOUR AD! Report errors immediately by calling 337-8337. We cannot be responsible for more than one day’s incorrect insertion if you do not notify us of the error by 2 pm on the day of the first insertion. • All advertising is subject to the approval of the publisher. The Daily Illini shall have the right to revise, reject or cancel, in whole or in part, any advertisement, at any time. • All employment advertising in this newspaper is subject to the City of Champaign Human Rights Ordinance and similar state and local laws, making it illegal for any person to cause to be published any advertisement which expresses limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, color, mental handicap, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, political affiliation, prior arrest or conviction record, source of income, or the fact that such person is a student. • Specification in employment classifications are made only where such factors are bonafide occupational qualifications necessary for employment. • All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, and similar state and local laws which make it illegal for any person to cause to be published any advertisement relating to the transfer, sale, rental, or lease of any housing which expresses limitation, specifications or discrimination as to race, color, creed, class, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental handicap, personal appearance, sexual oientation, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or the fact that such person is a student. • This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. Our readers are informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal oppportunity basis.

2 p.m. Monday for the next Thursday’s edition.

Millions review • Matt Pais Loos Ends • John Loos Photo Poll • Guess Who Guess Who review • Paul Prikazsky Miss Congeniality 2 review • Brian Nichols Movie time listings Slowpoke • Jen Sorenson Drive Through Reviews

RATES: Billed rate: 35¢/word Paid-in-Advance: 28¢/word Photo Sellers 30 words or less + photo: $5 per issue Garage Sales 30 words in both Thursday’s buzz and Friday’s Daily Illini!! $10. If it rains, your next date is free. Action Ads • 20 words, run any 5 days (in buzz or The Daily Illini), $14 • 10 words, run any 5 days (in buzz or The Daily Illini), $7 • add a photo to an action ad, $10

CLASSIFIEDS

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

420

APARTMENTS Furnished

Employment 000 010

HELP WANTED Full Time

Organic vegetable farm, planting, harvesting, sales, equipment operation and maintenance. Long-term position possible. 217-643-2031

020

HELP WANTED Part Time

Barfly sound lounge now hiring parttime waits and doo for spring. Please apply in perso at 120 N. Neil.

030

HELP WANTED Full/Part Time

Earn $5000 as an egg donor. Must be 20-29 and a non-smoker. Please call Alternative Reproductive Resources at 773-327-7315 or 847446-1001 to learn how you can help a family fulfill its dreams.

Transportation 300 AUTOMOBILES

310

www.lookatusedcars.com

Apartments

400 410

APARTMENTS Furnished/Unfurnished

Available Now. 2 bedroom on campus. $550 per month. 367-6626.

410

APARTMENTS Furnished/Unfurnished

203 S. Sixth. C.

For August 2005. Large 3, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths. Balconies, laundry, covered parking. Office at 309 S. First, Ch. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

BEST VALUE 1 BR. loft from $480. 1 Br. $370 2 BR. $470 3 BR. $750 4 BR $755 Campus. 367-6626.

207- 211 JOHN

Fall 2005 Prime Campus Location 2, 3 Bedrooms THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

Available Jan 05 1 bedroom $385 Campus. 367-6626

420

Furnished

1005 S. SECOND, C

Efficiencies. Available now and Fall 2005. Secured building. Private parking. Laundry on site, ethernet available. Office at 309 S. First, Ch. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

1006 S. 3RD, C.

Aug 2005. 1 bedroom. Location, location. Covered parking & laundry, furnished & patios, ethernet available. Office at 309 S. First, Ch. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

Night Production Coordinator The Daily Illini Immediate Part-time opening Work in a fun and creative environment at the independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois. We need an energetic, detail-oriented, mac-loving person to work Sunday through Thursday, 7 p.m.-midnight when the University of Illinois is in session (reduced hours during semester breaks). Job responsibilities include the transmission and troubleshooting of our nightly digital files. Applicants must have an eye for detail and be able to troubleshoot a variety of font and file problems. Experience with mac computers and ability to work quickly and accurately under tight deadlines a must. Experience in Quark XPress, Photoshop, and/or PitStop a plus. Pay is hourly and will depend on applicant’s experience. Email questions and/or resumes to Kit Donahue at kit@illinimedia.com by Thursday, March 31, 2005.

Now & Fall 2005 2 and 3 bedrooms. Furnished with internet. Parking and laundry available. On-site resident manager. Call Kenny. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

307 & 310 E. White 307 & 309 Clark

Fall 2005. Large studio, double closet, well furnished. Secured building. Available June 1 and August ‘05. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

105 E. John

Available Fall 2005. 1& 2 bedroom furnished, great location. Includes parking. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

602 E. Stoughton

Unique 1 & 2 bedroom apartments. All furnished, laundry, internet, and parking available. Must see!! THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

WESTGATE

•

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

420

APARTMENTS Furnished

605 S. Fifth, C.

Fall 2005 5th and Green location Outdoor activity area. 1 bedrooms available. Garage off-street parking. Office at 309 S. First, Champaign. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

506 E. Stoughton, C

1 bedroom lofts $497 2 bedrooms $545 3 bedrooms $650 4 bedrooms $1000 Campus, parking. Fall 04, 367-6626

APARTMENTS

420

APARTMENTS Furnished

503- 505- 508 E. White

INDEX

MA R . 31

WHAT’LL YOU HAVE? I’LL HAVE A PINT!

PHONE: 217/337-8337 DEADLINE: 2 p.m. Tuesday for the next Thursday’s edition.

DEADLINE:

THE SILVER SCREEN

27 • b u z z w e e k l y

For August 2005. Extra large efficiency apartments. Security building entry, complete furniture, laundry, off-street parking, ethernet available. Office at 309 S. First, Champaign. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

509 E. White, C.

Aug. 2005. Large 1 bedrooms. Security entry, balconies, patios, furnished. Laundry, off-street parking, ethernet available. Office at 309 S. First, Ch. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

JOHN STREET APARTMENTS

58 E. John August 2005. Two and three bedrooms, fully furnished. Dishwashers, center courtyard, on-site laundry, central air, ethernet available. Call Chad at 344-9157 THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

OLD TOWN CHAMPAIGN

510 S. Elm Available Fall 2005. 2 BR close to campus, hardwood floors, dishwasher, W/D, central air/heat, off street parking, 24 hr. maintenance. $525/mo. 841-1996. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

APARTMENTS

• Clean 1 & 2 Bedrooms • Superior • Dependable, 24hr. management NOW LEASING maintenance • Short-term Leases FOR FALL • Free Parking • 24 Hour Courtesy • On Busline Gate House

HEALEY COURT APARTMENTS

307- 309 Healey Court. Fall 2005. Behind Gully’s. 2 bedrooms. Ethernet available. Office at 309 S. First, C. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

604 E. White, C. Security Entrance For Fall 2005, Large 1 bedroom furnished, balconies, patios, laundry, off-street parking, ethernet available. Phone 352-3182. Office at 309 S. First, C. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 1 bedroom lofts $525 2 bedrooms $585 3 bedrooms $750 4 bedrooms $1000 Campus, parking. Fall ‘05, 367-6626

430

APARTMENTS Unfurnished

515 W. WASHINGTON, C.

Newly remodeled, 1 BR, Now available. $395/mo. Near dowtown Champaign. 352-8540. www.faronproperties.com

www.readbuzz.com

2 •

Other Rentals 500 HOUSES

510

2 bedroom and 7 bedroom house on campus for Fall 2004. 367-6626.

Eight to Nine Bedroom Fall, Campus, $2850 367-6626

ROOMMATE WANTED 550 1 bedroom, near campus $300 per month 367-6626

Personals

900

Brighten some-

one’s thursday place a

buzz personal

359-5330 359-5330

Hours: M-F 9-5 Sat 9-1 • www.westgateapts.net

337.8337

Quality apartments and houses for rent • Many pet-friendly locations • Furnished AND Unfurnished units • 9 month leases negotiable at some locations

• On-campus or off-campus • Excellent Tenant Union record • Weekend/evening showings by appointment

CALL US AT (217) 384-6930 VIEW OUR LISTINGS @ www.johnsmithproperties.com

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

26 • b u z z w e e k l y BOOGEYMAN 1.5 stars

Barry Watson & Charles Mesure It was only a matter of time before somebody would come out with a film based on that scary creature underneath the bed or in the closet. The few scares Boogeyman provides are not worth the frustration of the rest of the film. (David Just) COACH CARTER 3.5 stars

ALONE IN THE DARK .5 STARS

Christian Slater & Tara Reid With the horrid music, awful writing and B-list casting, Alone in the Dark is not a must-see movie. While the idea may have enticed some film studio execs, it will do little for studio audiences. (Lauren Bridgewater) BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE 2 stars Jeff Daniels & Dave Matthews The movie is sweet; it is charming; it is innocent; it is dull. Based on the novel by Kate Dicamillo, the movie runs like a middle school read: lonely cute girl finds dog that helps her make friends with the eccentric, outcast characters of the town. It’s not a fairy tale, but it’s not exactly reality either. (Randy Ma) BE COOL 1 star John Travolta & Uma Thurman While watching Be Cool, one can’t help but think that the pieces are there for a pretty good movie. It has all the elements that would make a good film, such as humorous scenes and a couple of strong performances by the actors. Unfortunately, the movie is composed of numerous unrelated scenes that when tied together make for one unbearable plot to sit through for 115 minutes. (Brian Nichols)

MA R . 31

TELL HIM ABOUT THE TWINKIE.

Samuel L. Jackson & Ashanti It is predictable, a tad cliche, and it relies on some familiar techniques seen over and over again in sports films. But Coach Carter achieves exactly what it sets out to do. It is a magical story with a surprising and all too perfect ending. (David Just) CONSTANTINE 1.5 stars

Keanu Reeves & Rachel Weisz Overlong, overdone and overly plotted, Constantine is more of an anti-smoking commercial than an investigation into the forces that compel people toward good or evil. As far as Christianity-themed films go, it’s less laughable than Heath Ledger’s embarrassing, amateur The Order, but it’s still packed with religious philosophizing that neither its script nor its actors can pull off. (Matt Pais) CURSED 1 star Christina Ricci & Shannon Elizabeth There are a few genuine moments of shock during Cursed but nothing that hasn’t already been done. The dialogue is extremely weak, and the performances are uninspired. Cursed is not terrifying, is funny when it shouldn’t be and boasts the most obnoxiously CG werewolf ever to disgrace the screen. (Paul Prikazsky) HIDE AND SEEK 1.5 STARS Robert DeNiro & Dakota Fanning Hide and Seek relies on a climactic twist to deliver its

psychological payoff, but here the major revelation deprives the film of any intellectual insight, not to mention its already-weak grasp on reality. As far as horror movies go, Hide and Seek is pure child’s play. (Matt Pais) HITCH 2.5 STARS Will Smith and Eva Mendes Hitch is high-concept Hollywood fluff, yet, for the most part, it works because of its focus on chivalry and love and not sex and debauchery. There’s also a perfect niche for Hitch as a movie that, like an issue of Cosmo, can both entertain and court women, while teaching guys a few things about falling in love. (Matt Pais) HOTEL RWANDA 2.5 stars Don Cheadle & Sophie Okonedo A high-profile starring role has been a long time coming for Don Cheadle, and it’s a pleasure to see the charismatic character actor drive Hotel Rwanda with patience and quiet strength. Too bad Terry George’s highly dramatized retelling of the 1994 political crisis that left one million people dead never achieves the chaotic horror of the real-life tragedy. (Matt Pais) HOSTAGE 1.5 stars Bruce Willis & Kevin Pollak Hostage takes old scenes, and instead of making them feel new, spits them out the same as they always were. Even casting Willis as the negotiator/police chief is becoming redundant. The opening credits were the high point of Hostage, and the film always looks back. (David Just) MAN OF THE HOUSE 1.5 stars Tommy Lee Jones & Cedric the Entertainer Only a true pessimist could have predicted that, 12 years after accepting an Oscar for his work in The Fugitive, Tommy Lee Jones would be sticking his hand up the south end of a cow in the lowbrow fish-out-ofwater comedy Man of the House. For some reason, it took three writers to put together this nonsense, and not one succeeded in making it funny. (Matt Pais) MILLION DOLLAR BABY 3 STARS

Clint Eastwood & Hilary Swank It does take an unexpectedly dark twist toward the end that should knock most viewers back a few steps. Yet, Million Dollar Baby never swings hard enough to send you reeling. It’s enough to win a judge’s decision, but it’s no knockout. (Matt Pais) THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 3 stars

Al Pacino & Joeseph Fiennes The true fire to The Merchant of Venice is the question of what is worth more: money, love, religion or life itself. In the end, it’s the law that supercedes in a story in which commitment can be comedic, the loss of one’s faith can be tragic and honor is never for sale. (Matt Pais) THE PACIFIER 1 STAR

Vin Diesel & Lauren Graham Maybe if Diesel wanted to make one for the kids he just had to accept that his tough guy image would be toned down a notch. Maybe he didn't mind. With the money, women and political office his predecessors have pulled in, he probably couldn't wait for someone to walk in his agent’s office offering a multi-million-dollar Disney flick. The kids get a kick out of this stuff, but most of the sixth-grade-educated audience is lucky to get through these scenes without eating their own arms off. (Andrew Crewell) THE RING TWO 1 STAR

Naomi Watts & Sissy Spacek Troubling for all the wrong reasons, The Ring Two never makes a strong case for its own existence. The biggest letdown about the movie is that it fails to significantly advance the story, something a reporter like Rachel should understand is crucial in a follow-up effort. Like the video that provides the premise, it’s a wonder that

•

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

anyone would still be interested in watching something of this nature. It might not kill you, but don’t take the chance. (Matt Pais)

MA R . 31

•

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

EDITOR’S NOTE

ROBOTS 2 STARS

PAUL WAGNER • EDITOR IN CHIEF

Ewan MacGregor & Robin Williams Most of Robots is surprisingly dull and desperate to entertain, including several jokes that don’t even make sense in a robot society. (Seriously, metal detectors just aren’t practical.) The transitions are choppy, an extended farting sequence is downright despicable, and for all its attempts to look like an animated-film upgrade, structurally, Robots never really tries to rage against the machine. (Matt Pais) THE SEA INSIDE 3.5 STARS

Javier Bardem & Belen Rueda It’s easy to write off The Sea Inside as a disease-of-theweek flick. But it endures with its joy for life and respect for humanity. Ironic that a film about euthanasia can simultaneously support it but also prevent others from executing it. It is a film about humanity and the freedom to choose whether the decision is right or wrong. (Randy Ma) THE WEDDING DATE .5 star

Debra Messing & Dermot Mulroney The Wedding Date is another movie where being single is a curse, and heaven help you if you haven’t landed a man by your mid-30s. It’s as much fun as getting left at the altar and just as romantic. (Matt Pais)

Fresh flicks opening this weekend

BEAUTY SHOP Queen Latifah & Alicia Silverstone First came Barbershop, then Barbershop 2: Back in Business and now comes the spin-off Beauty Shop. Queen Latifah returns as Gina, who moves to Atlanta and ends up standing up to her overbearing boss (Kevin Bacon) by opening her own beauty salon. Of course, the customers and employees of the shop feel free to give us a piece of their minds. Silverstone proves she hasn’t fallen off the face of the earth by appearing as shampoo girl Lynn. It’ll make tons of money, but we’ll see if the well is dr y from one too many trips down. (Andrew Vecelas)

SIN CITY Mickey Rourke & Bruce Willis Based on the popular comic book series created by Frank Miller, Sin City is a state-of-the-art film noir thriller featuring computer-generated scenery, much like last year’s Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. The city of the title is a shady hellhole of violence and corruption. Rourke looks to make another career comeback as Marv, a tough guy who looks to avenge the death of the lovely Goldie (Jamie King). Also appearing are Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Benecio Del Toro, Josh Hartnett, Jessica Alba and Elijah Wood, among many others. Robert Rodriguez (Desperado) helped adapt the screenplay, and also directs, along with Miller and special guest Quentin Tarantino. This could potentially be Miller’s greatest contribution to Hollywood since he penned the script for Robocop 2. (Andrew Vecelas) s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

Getting yourself back into a

routine after a break of any length of time is difficult. It doesn’t matter what routine you have to get back into. Work, school, relationships, they’re all the same. After the break, you just want to keep on breaking and not worry about stuff. Especially when the weather is so darn nice. The beginning of this week brought Champaign-Urbana some unbelievably beautiful weather. I was outside for as long as I could be. It was a struggle to go to class and then go to work after class. I just wanted to sit outside. Maybe play some frisbee. Or baseball. Or anything. The start of spring is a great time of year. It’ll be fifty degrees outside and everyone will wear shorts. Why? Not because it’s warm enough for shorts, but because the fifty seems so damn warm compared to the bitter cold we’ve all been used to. It’s great to see so many people outside too. The community and campus look so barren and lonely during the winter months when everyone’s inside and windows are closed to the elements. People are friendlier, baseball season is starting, basketball games are being played ... who doesn’t love this? Also, LET’S GO ILLINI!!!!!! - Paul

v o l u m e

n o . 1 3

Cover Design • Adam Obendorf Editor in chief • Paul Wagner Art Director • Carol Mudra Copy Chief • Stacey Ivanic Music • Kyle Gorman Arts • Brian Warmoth Film • Andrew Vecelas Community • Susie An Calendar • Erin Scottberg Photography Editor • David Solana Designers • Adam Obendorf, Sue Janna Truscott, Glenn Cochon, Claire Napier, Hannah Bai, Brittany Bindrim Calendar Coordinators • Cassie Conner Photography • Sarah Krohn, Adriana D’Onofrio Copy Editors • Jen Hubert, Nellie Waddell Staff Writers • Matt Pais, Brian Nichols, Paul Prikazsky, John Loos, Imran Siddiquee, Todd J. Hunter, Courtney Hrejsa, Brian Mertz, Kerri Mullen, Alex Rodriguez, Emily Wahlheim, Carly Fisher Contributing Writers • Michael Coulter, Seth Fein, Logan Moore, Jeff Nelson Production Manager • Jazmyne Jones Sales Manager • Anna Rost Marketing/Distribution • Louis Reeves III Publisher • Mary Cory

e-mail:

buzz@readbuzz.com write:

57 E. Green St. Champaign, IL 61820 call:

Farren’s Pub and Eatery 308 N. Randolph Champaign, IL 61820 (217) 359-6977

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. Buzz magazine is a student-run publication of Illini Media Company and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the University of Illinois administration, faculty or students.

contemporary clothing jewelry, accessories, & shoes

First copy of Buzz is FREE, each additional copy is $.50

107 n. walnut downtown champaign 217.359.2195 M - Th 10:30 - 5:30 Fri - Sat 10:30 - 5:00 Sun 11:00 - 4:00 f r o m

BUZZ STAFF

TALK TO BUZZ

s o u n d s

buzz weekly •

BESIDES, WE BOTH KNOW I’M TRAINING TO BE A CAGE FIGHTER

STRESS RELATED PAIN? Chiropractic Honors

the Body’s Ability to Heal Itself, Naturally FREE EXAM & X-RAY (IF NEEDED)

NEW PATIENTS ONLY

24 Hour Answering Service

Dr. Joseph Snell

COVERED BY STUDENT INSURANCE

SNELL CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC 1802 Woodfield Dr. 2 blocks north of Savoy 16

217-352-9899

t h e

s c e n e

n e w s n o t

j u s t

nEwS

MA R . 31

YOU THINK ANYBODY WANTS A ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO THE FACE WHILE I'M WEARING THESE BAD BOYS?

Defensive back Randall Gay wore a New England Patriots jersey as a member of this year's Super Bowl-winning team, but when one of his former college professors tried to order a personalized jersey in tribute to Gay in midFebruary, she was turned down. The National Football League's official online merchandiser, NFLshop.com, refused to imprint "Gay" on the back of a Patriots jersey because it was a "naughty" word, one of 1,159 the shop has banned. (Two weeks later, after the Web site Outsports.com picked up the story, the word was removed from the list.)

G R E AT A R T ! -- In 1992, News of the Weird reported that artist Janine Antoni carved huge blocks of chocolate and lard using her teeth, but at New York City's "LMAKprojects" gallery in February, artist Emily Katrencik gnawed sections of the drywall separating the gallery's exhibition space from the director's office, for 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Katrencik said

she concentrates on thinking of "the things in the wall that are good for me, like calcium and iron." But, she said, "I prefer cast concrete because it has a more metallic flavor." -- The mother of all of those recreationroom paintings of dogs playing poker is the series of nine originals by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge in 1903, sponsored by a Minnesota advertising company, and in February, two of those masterpieces were sold by the Doyle New York auction house for a total of $590,400. Explaining the high price, Doyle's director of paintings pointed out that the auction coincided with both New York's Westminster Dog Show and the recent popularity of televised poker.

BELOW THE FOLD Apparently important to actor Robert Blake's acquittal on a murder charge in March was the lack of credibility of the prosecution's witnesses, including an alleged methamphetamine abuser who once thought his house was surrounded by large, horned animals and "people dressed like sagebrush or Joshua trees." To testify that drug

users are unreliable witnesses, the defense presented a UCLA psychopharmacologist who revealed that in the course of his own drug use 25 years ago, he had once crawled into a cage of monkeys that were smoking crack cocaine.

RECURRING THEMES The police report column in the March 16 Newton (Mass.) Tab newspaper listed a "hate crime" committed by someone who apparently left the familiar Nazi symbol on the dirty window of an SUV.The police report read: "On the rear hatch someone with their finger traced out 'wash me' and below that was a swatz sticker symbol." (The officer is not the only one unclear on Nazi history. In 1994, News of the Weird reported that a murder defendant in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., had asked a judge for permission to wear a Ku Klux Klan robe in court and to be addressed by the "honorable and respected name of Hi Hitler.") COPYRIGHT 2004 Chuck Shepherd Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

Silver Bullet Bar 1401 E. Washington, U. www.silverbulletbar.net 344-0937 BEST BAR IN CHAMPAIGN-URBANA BEST DJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AND MUSIC - BEST DRINK SPECIALS

Monday - $2 Domestic Beers Tuesday - $2 Rum & Coke Wednesday - $2.50 Screwdrivers Thurdsday - $2 Amaretto Stone Sours FREE POOL 8PM-9PM FEMALE DANCERS NIGHTLY OPEN Monday - Thursday 8pm-1am Friday-Saturday 8pm-2am Ladies & Couples Welcome Always Free Admission with our T-Shirt ATM $5.00 Admission/Ladies Free Accepted MUST BE 21

Song Title: (the way i flow)

SPORTSWEAR

12 Main St. Downtown Champaign 217-359-2231

Dance Apparel and Shoes www.austinssportswear.com

Listen to something fresh and new. Buy a Pepsi and download an unknown hit song! For Free! Go to itunes.com and download (the way i flow) Email:IWYNN@iglide.net All rights reserved by Artist Anthony Wynn

â&#x20AC;˘

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

a Nd GiggLEs ] [ An informed and opinionated look at this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s events COMPILED BY LOGAN MOORE

The Burger King fast food franchise has unveiled plans for a new breakfast sandwich that consists of one sausage patty, two eggs, two American cheese slices and three strips of bacon. Word has it the sight of the sandwich sends vegetarian recording artist Moby into hysterical fits of crying. The U.S. Army recently announced that it would raise the maximum age of reserve recruits to join the parttime army from 35 to the age of 39. Look to see army recruiters diligently scouring retirement communities in Miami Beach some time in 2009. The U.S. army command in Iraq has blocked Italian policemen from examining the car in which Italian intelligence agent Nicola Calipari was killed by U.S. forces protecting exhostage and repor ter Giuliana Sgrena. Italian conspiracy theorists are currently purchasing a clean pair of pants. According to a USA Today/CNN Gallup poll, President Bushâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approval rating has fallen to 45 percent, the lowest point of his presidency. We here at the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sh!ts and Gigglesâ&#x20AC;? column canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine why. The Bush administration announced recently that it would resume selling F-16 fighter jets, capable of carrying nuclear missiles, to Pakistan. For those of you readers welcoming the inevitable apocalypse of human kind, this will be another feather in your cap. Illinois Senator Barack Obama recently claimed that the first bill he plans on introducing to Congress will increase the maximum amount of Pell Grant awards that help lower-income students afford college. Gee, if Bushâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget proposal goes through perhaps you lucky college students will get $3.75 knocked off your tuition, which you can then spend on a gallon of gas!

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

buzz weekly â&#x20AC;˘

MOTHER PUS BUCKET.

PAUL PRIKAZSKY â&#x20AC;˘ STAFF WRITER

S H !t S

chuck shepherd

MA R . 31

GUESS WHO

THOMAS A. EDISON

wEiRd

LEAD STORY

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

OPPORTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

y o u r e v e r y d a y n e w s but hell, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re weekly

oF thE

â&#x20AC;˘

ou meet the girl of your dreams. You begin dating, the relationship gets serious and before you know it, you want to marry her. Now you have to meet her parents. And when the mildly precocious, but wholly lovable groom has to tangle with the brideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overbearing and intimidating father, comic hijinks ensue. Believe it or not, that was an entirely original premise â&#x20AC;Ś back in the 1950s. It all started with the seminal social comedy Guess Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Coming to Dinner, which spawned a string of copycats; notably Meet the Parents and the dismal remake, Guess Who. In Guess Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Coming to Dinner, a young lady brings her black fiance (Sidney Poitier) home to her WASPy parents, played by the iconic screen duo of Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Guess Who follows exactly the same premise, but guess what? To meet the politically correct standards of the 21st century, there has been a race reversal.Theresa Jones (Zoe Saldana) brings home Simon Green (Ashton Kutcher) to meet mom and pop (Bernie Mac). And guess what? Percy and Marilyn Jones have no idea their little girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new beau happens to be a white boy. The

couple is attending the 25th anniversary of Theresaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents and plan to announce their own engagement. Unfortunately, Percy isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t thrilled with his daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boyfriend, and Simon is petrified of his new fatherin-law. The plot suffocates in its awkwardness and race related jokes so much that the film is ruined after its introduction. Brilliant. Ok, the film is trying to show that racism is two-fold and not just onesided as often portrayed. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reasonable. It tries to quash the cultural stereotypes surrounding blacks GUESS WHO â&#x20AC;˘ and whites (i.e. Mac is a successful black man; Kutcher is an unemployed white guy). However, the mixture of degrading black and white jokes only bogs down the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real message: we should treat everyone equally regardless of skin color. That epithet could be tacked on to Kutcherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Simon, who truly loves Theresa and is unconcerned with her skin color. On the other hand, Percy treats everything Simon says as something with a racist undertone. Macâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s racism and eventual acceptance of the smarmy white boy provides a respectable focal point for the film. First of all let me say that whoever chose Ashton Kutcher to play the role of Simon

SIN CITY (R) Fri. 1:10 2:00 4:00 5:00 7:00 7:40 9:40 11:00 Sat. 11:10 1:10 2:00 4:00 5:00 7:00 7:40 9:40 11:00 Sun. - Thu. 1:10 2:00 4:00 5:00 7:00 7:40 9:40 UPSIDE OF ANGER (R) Fri. & Sat. 1:05 4:05 7:05 9:35 12:05 Sun. - Thu. 1:05 4:05 7:05 9:35 BE COOL (PGâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;13) Fri. & Sat. 1:30 4:30 7:00 9:35 12:00 Sun. - Thu. 1:30 4:30 7:00 9:35 BEAUTY SHOP (PGâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;13) Fri. 1:00 1:05 3:15 3:20 5:30 5:35 7:45 7:50 10:00 10:30 Sat. 11:05 1:00 1:05 3:15 3:20 5:30 5:35 7:45 7:50 10:00 10:30 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 1:05 3:15 3:20 5:30 5:35 7:45 7:50 10:00 The plot suf- CONSTANTINE (R) Fri. & Sat. 1:15 4:10 7:15 9:50 focates in its 12:20 awkwardness Sun. - Thu. 1:15 4:10 7:15 9:50 and race â&#x2014;&#x2020; GUESS WHO (PGâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;13) related jokes. Fri. 1:20 4:00 7:00 9:20 11:45 Sat. 11:05 1:20 4:00 7:00 9:20 11:45 Sun. - Thu. 1:20 4:00 7:00 9:20 HITCH (PGâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;13) Fri. & Sat. 1:30 4:20 7:00 9:30 12:00 Sun. - Thu. 1:30 4:20 7:00 9:30 COLUMBIA PICTURES

buzz weekly

ASHTON KUTCHER & BERNIE MAC

Green got punked.Very badly. He is by far one of the worst actors ever to disgrace the screen. His inane comedic talents garner no laughs and only emphasize his lackluster screen presence. At least he can go home to Demi Moore. A footnote: Bernie Mac needs to stay in syndicated television because film roles that require his comedic muscle only succeed in falling short. Hollywood is in dire need of fresh ideas. Reversing race roles in a remake just doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work. Guess Who should have been called Meet the Black Parents. For its unoriginality, stay at home and play Guess Who. And I mean the game.

HOSTAGE (R) Fri. & Sat. 1:00 4:00 7:10 9:40 12:05 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 4:00 7:10 9:40 ICE PRINCESS (G) Fri. 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40 11:50 Sat. 11:10 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40 11:50 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40 MISS CONGEN. 2 (PGâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;13) Fri. 1:20 2:00 4:00 5:00 7:00 7:30 9:40 10:00 12:15 Sat. 11:20 1:20 2:00 4:00 5:00 7:00 7:30 9:40 10:00 12:15 Sun. - Thu. 1:20 2:00 4:00 5:00 7:00 7:30 9:40 10:00 ROBOTS (PG) Fri. 1:20 2:00 3:25 4:20 5:25 7:00 7:25 9:10 9:30 11:10 11:45 Sat. 11:00 11:30 1:20 2:00 3:25 4:20 5:25 7:00 7:25 9:10 9:30 11:10 11:45 Sun. - Thu. 1:20 2:00 3:25 4:20 5:25 7:00 7:25 9:10 9:30 PACIFIER (PG) Fri. 1:00 3:05 5:10 7:20 9:40 12:00 Sat. 11:10 1:00 3:05 5:10 7:20 9:40 12:00 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 3:05 5:10 7:20 9:40 RING TWO (PGâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;13) Fri. & Sat. 1:00 4:00 7:10 9:30 12:00 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 4:00 7:10 9:30 BRIDE & PREJUDICE (PGâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;13) Fri. & Sat. 1:30 4:15 7:10 9:40 12:15 Sun. - Thu. 1:30 4:15 7:10 9:40 Showtimes for 4/1 thru 4/7

MISS CONGENIALITY 2:

ARMED & FABULOUS BRIAN NICHOLS â&#x20AC;˘ STAFF WRITER

tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sequel time! So whether we asked for it or not, Sandra Bullock is back in Miss Congeniality 2 to try and strain a few more laughs from an already used idea. While Miss Congeniality was fresh and original, its sequel falls flat on its face lacking any of the comedy that made the first a surprise hit. Our tale begins shortly after the Miss America Pageant with runner-up Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) back in the field doing undercover work for the FBI. Unfortunately, as one can imagine, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little hard to be inconspicuous when your face was just plastered on everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s TV during the Miss America Pageant bomb fiasco. So after being recognized in the field, leading to an almost-blown mission, FBI director McDonald (Ernie Hudson) decides to make Gracie the official spokeswoman/mascot for the FBI. So with your taxpayer money, McDonald hires Joel (Diedrich Bader) to turn tomboy Gracie into â&#x20AC;&#x153;FBI Barbie.â&#x20AC;? I guess Michael Cain was busy. Almost a year passes with Gracie reduced to mascot status. Now she learns that her best friend, aka Miss USA, has just been kidnapped along with Stan Fields s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

(Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner). So with the help of her FBI bodyguard Sam Fuller (Regina King), Gracie must fly to Las Vegas, get her FBI buttkicking-skills back and solve the case, or both Miss USA and Sam are finished. Sound familiar? Basically the plot is the original minus the comedy.While the movie provides a few laughs, they are so few and far between that they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worth paying for the ticket. In all fairness, the acting in this movie is not bad. Sandra Bullock does a great job MISS CONGENIALITY 2 â&#x20AC;˘ SANDRA BULLOCK going the extra mile to deliver her lines and get laughs but unfor- unenviable task of trying to put this loosetunately for Sandra, she isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t given much ly tied story into something that resembles to work with. The writing for this movie a comedy. The take home lesson from this is that is what absolutely kills it. While solving the case, the plot jumps from A to B to C not all good movies deserve sequels. Miss so quickly that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s little actual detective Congeniality had been surprisingly funny work actually involved and in the era and wrapped itself up nicely. But because where CSI reigns supreme, the audience it was a surprise hit, studio execs decided to force feed us one more serving. Sequels just wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t buy that. Also, the plot is so insultingly simple need to be fresher and funnier than the that it could well have been written in original and Armed and Fabulous is neither. some studioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conference room over the So save your money and wait for this one course of two hours. Honestly, if the writ- to come out on DVD. Otherwise, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be wasting your ers had used Mad Libs to come up with this story, the writing still couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have Saturday night sitting in those uncomfortbeen worse. If the cast actually had been able theatre chairs with your overpriced given material to work with, this movie popcorn and soda thinking to yourself could have been as good as the original.As â&#x20AC;&#x153;Was that supposed to be funny?â&#x20AC;? is, director John Pasquin was given the

3!6/9 2OUTE "URWASH !VE

& ) , +IDS ALL SHOWS 3ENIORS ,ATE 3HOWS &RI 3AT 3TUDENTS $!),9 -ATINEES TIL PM .O PASSES !,, $)')4!, 34%2%/

5NLIMITED &REE $RINK 2EFILLS ` #ORN 2EFILLS

34!$)5- 3%!4).' 3(/74)-%3 3(/73 !.$ 4)-%3 35"*%#4 4/ #(!.'%

3). #)49 2 02).43 3#2%%.3

WARNER BROS.

4 â&#x20AC;˘

Basically the plot is the original minus the comedy.

3!4 35. &2) 3!4 ,3 "%!549 3(/0 0' 02).43 3#2%%.3 34!$)5- 3%!4).' 3!4 35. &2) 3!4 ,3 '5%33 7(/ 0' 02).43 3#2%%.3 34!$)5- 3%!4).' 3!4 35. &2) 3!4 ,3 -)33 #/.'%.)!,)49 !2-%$ !.$ &!"5,/53 0' 02).43 3#2%%.3 3!4 35. &2) 3!4 ,3 34!$)5- 3%!4).' 3!4 35. &2) 3!4 ,3 4(% 2).' 47/ 0' 02).43 3#2%%.3 3!4 35. &2) 3!4 ,3 34!$)5- 3%!4).' 3!4 35. &2) 3!4 ,3 )#% 02).#%33 ' 3!4 35. 2/"/43 0' 02).43 3#2%%.3 3!4 35. 34!$)5- 3%!4).' 3!4 35. &2) 3!4 ,3 #/.34!.4).% 2 &2) 3!4 ,3 (/34!'% 2 3!4 35. "% #//, 0' &2) 3!4 ,3 4(% 0!#)&)%2 0' 3!4 35. &2) 3!4 ,3 #/50/. ()4#( 0' /: $2).+ 3!4 35. WITH PURCHASE OF OZ BAG OF BUTTERY POPCORN ONE PER AD 3AVOY %XP -!9 $) "%34 $%!, IN H.EWSLETTER AT &2) 3!4 ,3 WWW SAVOY COM

WWW SAVOY COM

MA R . 31

•

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

seth fein

the local sniff

Personally, I liked the university. They gave us money and facilities; we didn't have to produce anything! You've never been out of college! You don't know what it's like out there!

I've worked in the private sector. They expect results.

I beseech you all: Pray for Michigan St. this Saturday

Stay the hell out of my life, especially the religious right

SETH FEIN • CONTRIBUTING WRITER.

There’s

Millions traces life’s little miracles and maps the path of mourning to recovery to beneficence.

a fine line between optimism and naivete and between idealism and sentimentality. For every In America, which manages to be simultaneously wide-eyed, sad and uplifting, there are at least three relatives of Pay It Forward, a well-intentioned but heavy-handed failure to capture philanthropy in its purest form: that which comes from a child who wants to change the world. Millions, an exquisite work of youthful generosity, similarly taps into a child’s unblemished desire to impact society through giving and goodness but does so without pandering to the cinema’s most saccharin instincts. Rather, thanks to the best performances by children since Sarah and Emma Bolger in In America, director Danny Boyle’s first kidfriendly film takes on a magical sense of uncomplicated wonderment. In fact, Alex Etel is so magnificent as Damian, a young British boy who is literally hit with a bag of money after it’s tossed from a train, that he single-handedly provides Millions’ tone of uncompromised kindness and trust. In his debut role, Etel is nothing short of captivating, as Damian seeks to share his newfound wealth with those in need. The recent death of his mother has turned the boy onto

C - U

v i e w s

COMPILED BY JERRY CHENG

Chris Dorsey Calumet City, Ill.

“Hilarious.”

Guess Who

Stephanie Schnepper Urbana, Ill.

“It was very funny.”

Johnathan Robinson Riverdale, Ill.

“Very funny, and surprisingly dramatic.”

MOVIE NEWS BY JOHN LOOS

FOX SEARCHLIGHT

MATT PAIS • LEAD REVIEWER

Loos enDs Marginally famous actor Tom Sizemore (S a v i n g P r i v a t e Ryan, Pearl Harbor and most recently Paparazzi) has been sentenced to two years in prison for failing seven drug tests while on probation for a 2003 domestic violence charge. He has admitted to using methamphetamines several times and allegedly tried to use a fake penis during one of his seven failed drug tests. Sure, I don’t know what it’s like to be a drug addict but if stuffing a plastic johnson in your pants with a pouch of someone else’s urine isn’t a sign things might be a wee bit out of control, I don’t know what is. Sandra Bullock has sworn off romantic comedies, ladies and gentlemen. The goofy girl next door to Julia Roberts says her last love romp, Two Weeks Notice, was a fitting way to end her run as a romantic comedy leading lady right as several dramas are filling her plate. She’ll soon been seen in the independent car crash drama brilliantly titled Crash and is currently wrapping up a role as To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee in a yet untitled Douglas McGrath film. Damnit, I was totally hoping there would be a Forces of Nature 2. I should really end this column on a happy note. Although we bid farewell to Tom Sizemore and the brunt of Sandra Bullock’s career, we welcome back Courtney Love from her recent, wild drug problems as she reinvents herself into a clean and wholesome woman. She’ll start by playing the role of Linda Lovelace in the upcoming film Lovelace, a biopic about the ‘70s porn star who starred in the granddaddy of all pornos, Deep Throat (she also headlined a film called Dog Fucker). You know, if Sandra Bullock really wanted to shed her romantic comedy image, she’d jump on board this project.

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

the chances are poor that I will get a good night's rest. I have come to accept this with humility and fear, knowing that after Monday night, something has to change. I am an addicted gambler. Okay, that's a little dramatic and to be honest, a bit of a lie. But in all truth, gambling addiction runs thick in my family's blood. And I don't have the money to prove it. It all starts with my grandfather who I never met because he essentially committed suicide at age 51 by not taking care of himself. For real. He had a heart attack at age 46 in January of 1965 and the doctor said to him, “If you don't take care of yourself, you'll be dead in five years.” Needless to say, he didn't take care of himself and in January of 1970, he dropped dead of a heart attack. True story. Previous to that, it is assumed that he had serious mob ties. Although no one in my family can say for sure, it seems plausible given the Seth Fein is from Urbana. He has literalfact that he ran five tavly cried over Purdue erns in Calumet City, basketball losses in south of Chicago, two of the past. Yes sir, he's which had illegal casinos got issues. He can in the back that were be reached at sethsomehow never busted by fein@hotmail.com. the police. In addition, he owned racing horses and bet on what would be millions and millions of dollars today.That was his life. Pure gambling. In the end, when he died, he left all his winnings to his second wife who, within a couple of years, spent it all on nothing. Now, I have student loans to pay. Sniff, sniff. But this is how my father grew up. By the time he was an undergraduate student at Cornell of Iowa, he was playing any kind of card game he could. It didn't matter which game so long as there was a chance to win. One time, as the story goes, he was in a week long game of Red Dog (a type of poker) and got himself down a couple of thousand dollars before he and his friend discovered that the person running the game was “dealing off the bottom of the deck.” In other words, he was cheating. My father, short and skinny like a rail, had to call his father to take care of it. In the end, all the debt was cleared, but I know for a fact it scared my dad something awful. He has relayed that story to me as much as any other story in my entire life. Unlike his father, my pops got it together

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

by the time he became a Christian and married my mom. He still loves it though. He used to deal hands of blackjack to himself at the kitchen table when I was growing up, knowing he couldn't really gamble our money, to see if he could discover the “system” that would beat the house dealers once and for all. He never figured it out. But I know for a fact that it still plagues him to the day. I learned to love gambling in a different way. Basketball pools. As a child, my friends and I would bet on the week’s Big Ten games and then of course, do a pool for the NCAA tournament. By the time I was in college, I had won three out of the four years in high school and each year, I was given the same thrill. It’s not as though there was ever too much money on the line, as we only bet five or 10 bucks between 10 of us. But I swear to you, something’s not right with me when it comes to this type of gambling. It keeps me up at night. So, in college, I decided to stop it all together. I filled out brackets and had fun with it. No money. I tried not to think about it too much and because I had a lot of other things going on in my life, I was pretty sure that my need to gamble on NCAA basketball had subsided. Then, I decided to enter a pool this year, not knowing how big the final take would be. As it stands, if a certain team loses this weekend and a certain team wins twice, I could be looking at thousands of dollars. This year’s tournament began while I was in Costa Rica with my lady friend and my brother and his wife. Because my brother’s wife is a die-hard Illinois fan and because of my having entered into this pool, we spent some of those nights of the first and second rounds watching a computer screen refresh itself in a dial-up internet cafe, cheering and screaming when something went right or wrong. People thought we were crazy. Because we were. I am. When it comes to college basketball, I’m a nutter butter, case closed. I am not addicted to gambling. Meaning, I don’t spend my time looking at Vegas odds or at the OTB or even playing Texas Hold ‘em. But I tell you, my faithful readers, it’s in my blood. And with what I am feeling now, I know that anything beyond this would be disastrous. So, after the championship, I will either have a lot of money that I didn’t anticipate, or I will be the same poor man that I was before. In any event, I am looking forward to it being over. Trust me: this is no way to live.

coulter

Mind your own damn business

Over the coming four days,

MILLIONS

first things first

To gamble or not to gamble

Ghostbusters

the subject of saints as an explanation for her death, a fixation that his brother Anthony (Lewis McGibbon, also appearing in his first film) says won’t make him any friends at their new school. Thankfully, the movie is smart enough not to use their mother’s death as an emotional crutch—in several scenes of perfectly-orchestrated, cathartic humor, the boys receive free food and special treatment when they pout and tell strangers their mom died. Instead, it’s a story about the way that a young child can see the world in a totally pure way MILLIONS • LEWIS MCGIBBON & ALEX ETAL and that all of us can forget Unfortunately, the film also strays off how, at an early age, we were once concerned with the plight of everyone across the globe. course when it deals with a bank robber Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce, it’s not (Christopher Fulford) trying to recover the exactly about the way that a child copes with money from Damian, and it doesn’t quite setthe death of a parent but the manner in which tle into a subplot in which a charity worker (Daisy Donovan) begins a relationship with he shares his mother’s spirit with the world. This is all set against the backdrop of the the boys’ father (James Nesbitt). Yet there’s a tenderness here that belongs UK’s transition from the pound to the euro, and the film serves as an exploration of the to Etel and McGibbon, two fine young actors things that stay with us even after they are sup- who not only embody their own parts but posed to be gone. It subtly and gracefully play off one another so well that they work tackles the idea of something that has always marvelously as brothers.The movie is undenimeant so much suddenly losing its presence ably theirs, two performers whose total age is and value and the question of what happens to under 20 but possess an innate honesty it afterwards.Without succumbing to morbid- beyond their years. In a movie concentrating ity or sappiness, Millions traces life’s little mir- on what to do with money that you haven’t acles and maps the path of mourning to recov- earned, these boys show that the greatest riches they have are each other. ery to beneficence.

buzz weekly •

FORGET ABOUT IT!

MICHAEL COULTER • CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In case there’s any question

later on, I’d like to take a quick moment and insist that if I become brain dead and unable to function, I would like the religious right to play no role whatsoever in my life or lack thereof. Since I won’t be able to speak for myself at such a time, let me say it now. Um, seriously, mind your own damn business. Let any future wife decide, let my folks decide, let the freaking dog bark twice for death, once for suspended animation; I don’t care much really. I‘d just rather not have a crapload of busybody Christians having anything to do with me … ever. So, I just wanted to get that out of the way. It’d also be nice if no one would release any pictures of me in this state for the media to show over and over again each night, but that’s probably too much to ask for. Actually, I’ve never really found a picture of myself that’s especially flattering, so let’s just skip any photos, pre or post vegetative. None of that is really the point of the column this week, but somehow, it all strikes me as being a part of something bigger. I’ve heard it called the Disneyfication of America or something, which is fine if little catch phrases like that help you, but I call it something different: people sticking their noses where they really don’t belong. The one place this sort of thing is expected though is at work. No matter who you’re working for, you’re getting told what to do. So, the man pretty much owns your ass for the work day, but the common thought is that afterwards your time is your time. It’s sort of a free country after all so when your working day is done, you’re free to do what you like, whether it’s worshiping, drinking, golfing or simply watching television … sometimes all at once! For some people, sadly, this isn’t the case anymore. Lynn Gobelle of Moulton, Ga., could probably tell you something about that. Her boss, a douchebag by the name of Phil Geddes, terminated her for displaying a John Kerry bumper sticker on her car. I’m sure he’s a real charmer, by the way. He even liked our president so much he put pro-Bush flyers in the company’s pay envelopes. All of this seems wrong on its face, um well, because it is wrong.The trouble is that it’s not exactly illegal. Actually, only five states have laws that protect folks against political firings. Not surprisingly, Georgia isn’t one of those states. Further north, in an effort to prove he’s an

even bigger asshole, Howard Weyers, owner of Weyco, Inc. in Okemos, Mich., has banned tobacco use by his employees, whether they’re working or not. He even makes them take urine tests to make sure they aren’t sneaking around behind his back. Driven crazy with power after this little plan worked, he’s on a new quest now. He wants to make all of his workers as fit as fiddles.That sounds almost nice, except it means he’ll fire you if you’re obese. He’ll help you all he can by giving you access to eating coaches and Michael Coulter vouchers for health club is a videographmemberships, but he still er, comedian wants your ass fit. Of course, and can be he’s very upset that obese heard on WPGU people are legally protected 107.1 Thursdays at 5 with Ricker at the moment. He feels these smokers and workin’ it. fat asses are driving up insurance costs, and it’s unfair to the skinny nonsmoker to pay more than their share. Well, rising healthcare costs are a hot topic issue, so maybe he should take it a step further. I mean, I tore up my ankle playing tennis a few years ago. It affected my performance at work because I couldn’t really walk much for a few days. The bill for the doctor was pretty expensive, and seriously, why should non-tennis players pay for my tennis injury. I know people who drive to work are more likely to get hurt in a car crash than people who walk to work.That doesn’t seem fair either. In fact, just having employees leave work and have outside lives probably puts quite a strain on the owners of these companies. Maybe they could build quarters and have the workers stay there during their free time. It’ll be just like an old time plantation, except it won’t be called slavery, just good business. Actually, it’s a shame it’s taken us so long to get to this point.We could have changed the history of the world. FDR, nice work during WWII; you did a fine job. Check it out.We’ve got a new deal for you. We saw your crippled ass smoking the other day, so, thanks for the service, but you’re out. Pavarotti, hell of a job on that solo there, but we can’t have a fat bastard like you working for us.Take your size 65 extra-wide tuxedo and get the piss out of the theatre. Winston Churchill, you have hit the trifecta my obese, smoking, drunken friend. Fine work helping the Allies put an end to the Axis powers, but there’s no place for a man of your character around here. What a glorious place it will be some day, when we’re all working our asses off, looking exactly the same. I wonder if they’ll change the name when it’s not America anymore.

health

The only way to keep your is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.

When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford. Samuel Johnson • author

Mark Twain • Author all by myself

After saving for months for spring break, I decid-

Conceding to the possibility that the pub food may not have tasted that great because it was from a pub, I gave Harry Ramsden’s fast food restaurant, located directly across the street from our youth hostel, a try. Claiming to have ‘The World’s Best Fish and Chips’ and also lured in by a £3 meal, I gave it a whirl. It had a similarity to Long John Silver’s that left me wiping the grease off my face for the next half hour. Despite the intense indigestion I experienced, I still felt it was a lot better than the St. Patrick’s Day dinner I ate at the Allen Residence Hall the week before. At that point, I figured it would be in my best interest to stop eating fish and chips and check out the local curry houses that London is famous for. Because our youth hostel happened to be located next to Denman Street, which is filled entirely with Indian restaurants, Caitlin and I wandered into Chowki. A chic Indian restaurant in the heart of Piccadilly, Chowki offers a unique and delicious menu of monthly feasts from different regions of India. For only £10.95, you can split a hearty meal of three appetizers, an entree and dessert with a friend, or if you have the financial means and luxury of refrigerator, you can take leftovers home with you. However, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill Indian restaurant. The restaurateurs have created a trendy decor of dark wooden floors and metal accents that makes anyone feel classy. Obviously, we felt slightly embarrassed stumbling in from a day of traveling the Tube non-stop and wearing jeans, but they were very attentive and friendly regardless.

Are you interested in being featured in an exclusive newspaper article? Are you lonely and in search of a dinner date? Consider accompanying Carly Fisher on her next food review! Send inquiries to dinnerwithcarly@gmail.com.

Pig Out Zelma’s on

$5.00 Large Pizza!

Present your student ID for a $5 Large 1 Topping Pizza. Good Sun-Thurs, Table Service Only. Minimum Drink Order of $2 Required. Expires 4/15/2005

359-1994 1103 W. Windsor Road, Champaign CAMPUS

NEIL

WINDSOR PROSPECT

round Urbana High School (UHS), John Woodward is known as the “Nutra-Sweet” principal. After becoming principal at UHS in the fall of 2002, Woodward set out on a mission to make his students healthier. He started with their diets. Within four months, he had revamped the school’s vending machines. Granola bars and trail mix replaced Fritos and Snickers.Water and fruit juice took the place of Pepsi and Mountain Dew. As a principal in Ohio, Woodward started to restrict the content in vending machines in 1982. He was worried that the school was sending mixed messages to students by teaching healthy eating in the classroom but offering junk food in the halls. Back then,Woodward was ahead of the curve. Now, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics,

childhood obesity rates are high-calorie, low-nutrient snacks. nearly triple what they were “If you give a kid a choice between a candy bar and a bag when Woodward first banned of carrots, which will they choose?” Woodward said. “It is vending machines. Fifteen inconsistent to give them the option to buy something we percent of children ages 6-19 have taught is bad.” are obese, which is classified Woodward says his decision to take the junk food out of as being overweight by 30 UHS was not a popular one. Students protested. They felt percent of the ideal body the school was infringing on their rights. More than a thouweight. Obesity has been sand students signed petitions, asking for the junk food linked to medical conditions back. For months, the student newspaper published editorisuch as Type II diabetes and als and letters to the editor that voiced this discontent. But, cardiovascular disease. These it did not stop Woodward, who is not alone among area facts drew the attention of principals in wanting the vending machines out. At St. state lawmakers. Joseph-Ogden High School, Principal Mike McKenzie said At the beginning of a state ban would give schools the necessary push for February, Rep.Tom Cross, R- removal, something he has wanted for a long time. Oswego, re-introduced legisIn the three years since Woodward took out the junk food, lation in the Illinois House student discontent has not gone away at Urbana. Students still that would ban soda and junk complain daily about not having junk food, said Mandi food from school vending Lowery, 16, a junior at UHS. machines. In January, both the “We are 15,16,17,18 years old, and the school doesn’t think Illinois House and Senate we are responsible enough to choose our own food,” Lowery passed resolutions urging the said.“I would say it makes kids eat more of it because they are State Board of Education, told they can’t have it.” vending companies and A state ban against junk food would likely bring the same schools to eliminate soft reaction at other schools. Devin Goldenstein, 18, a senior at drinks and junk foods from Champaign Central High School, finds it ironic that the their offerings to students. state would consider limiting his options on what to eat The legislation comes during the school day. amid increasing concerns “The government says I am old enough to drive a car, that an increasing number of children are experiencing vote and go to war but I can’t eat a candy bar at lunch?” he health problems related to the consumption of junk food, said. “Those are big responsibilities; I think I can pick out Cross said in a news release. my own lunch. And, it wouldn’t work. Students would eat Illinois is not alone in trying to pass such legislation.Arizona junk to defy the school.” is considering a similar ban, and Urbana still allows students to California passed legislation last bring their own food from home year. However, in both states, the and has an open campus, so The government says I’m old enough to drive ban only applies to grade schools; Woodward feels he is not a car, vote and go to war, but I can’t eat a high schools are exempt. infringing on students rights to candy bar at lunch? Currently, more than 98 percent chose what they eat. Rather, he -Devin Goldenstein, senior at Champaign Central of high schools have vending does not want to be enabling stumachines, according to a study done dents to make harmful decisions. by the Center for Science in the The place of the state in regPublic Interest, a consumer advocacy group. The regulation of ulating vending machines is a question that has been raised food in these machines is difficult because, unlike school lunch- with the pending legislation as well. David Dring, a es, the content of vending machines is not subject to the U.S. spokesman for Cross, said that childhood obesity has Department of Agriculture guidelines. The result is a healthy become such an issue that a ban on junk food is necessary school lunch that must compete with vending machine coils of to draw attention to what kids are eating.

ed to go to the wildest party city in the world. No, not Cancun—London! Unpredictable weather and the worst currency exchange in the world may bother some people, but not me. Honestly though, there are many opportunities for fine dining and speed dating in this cultural epicenter. So what can a naive traveler do in London? The best option is to pick yourself up a travel guide. Because I am cheap, I bought an outdated AAA travel guide from 1998. Fortunately, I was traveling with Miss Caitlin Bergo and her companions who were smart enough to purchase 2004-2005 editions of various books. Either way, we quickly learned that travel guide or not, London offers far more than you can pack into a week. Although the flight was only seven hours, we lost a day and arrived on Tuesday. We booked a youth hostel in Piccadilly Circus and due to unfortunate miscommunication, we lost our reservation for the week because we did not check in Monday night. Fortunately, we used our powers of fierce sexuality combined with a touch of good luck and pathetic groveling to secure a room for the rest of the week. Realizing that napping to adjust to local time was essentially a waste, I took the London Underground, better known as ‘The Tube,’ to Camden Town. Camden Town is a lively area located in northwest London offering a slew of pubs, alternative shops and pubs. I ended up at the World’s End, a multi-leveled pub with a delightful historical charm located conveniently across the street from the Tube. Like most pubs, the menu was limited to fish and chips and other fried food, as the main attraction is beer and social interaction. The barmaid’s usage of microwave technology to ineffectively reheat my meal was definitely worth the £5 (or 10 USD).

If you’re in London and don’t mind eating greasy pub food for the sake of an experience, I would search around before trying Harry Ramsden’s or consider skipping it entirely for an evening of fine dining at Chowki. Either way, an adventurous attitude provided me with a fantastic spring break, even if it wasn’t in Mexico.

It took us several minutes to decide what to eat, as all of the options were very appetizing.We shared the Mangalore feast, consisting of marinated prawns, lentils, spicy chicken curry, naan bread, rice and rice pudding.The presentation of the meal was particularly impressive: porcelain, interlocking, crescent-shaped dishes highlighting a colorfully artful meal. Lightly pan-fried in tamarind, cumin and coriander, the prawns couldn’t have been fresher. The lentils and spicy chicken curry were both mouth-watering and filling. Each item held a refined flavor that was delicious on its own or combined with any other item. I was delighted that a dessert was included, but I felt I could have easily been satisfied with a main course. The rice pudding had been prepared in coconut milk, providing a sweet complement to the spicy meal we had just eaten. Warm and comforting, it was the perfect way to distract me from my bank account, which was quickly dissolving. Although the menu changes monthly, I would still recommend it based on the fact Chowki was possibly the best restaurant we ate at during our trip and maybe the most amazing Indian food I’ve ever eaten.

GALEN

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION • DAVID SOLANA

Should unhealthy foods be removed from school vending machines?

CARLY FISHER • STAFF WRITER

Pound for pound

JUNK FOOD DECISIONS

EMILY WAHLHEIM • STAFF WRITER

food review

Pizza ~ Wings ~ Pasta Sandwiches ~ Beer ~ Wine

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

22 â&#x20AC;˘ b u z z w e e k l y

ILLI[NUMBER ONE]S!

CINDERELLA STORY: SETH FEIN â&#x20AC;˘ STAFF WRITER

am standing in the Ubben Basketball Complex, east of the Assembly Hall on St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road. My teleconference with Bruce Weber didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really go as planned earlier in the day, and I am getting anxious to talk to any one of the players to try to get some feeling from the team. As I walk in, banners of Big Ten titles past hang above my head. In the office waiting area, championship trophies line the room. Books on the team sit five deep on the coffee table and the woman behind the desk greets me with a smile. I tell her that I am waiting to meet Kent, the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PR guy. I spoke with him on the phone earlier that day about coming in and talking to some of the players. I wait for a bit and after reading some about Illinois basketball history, I begin to get fidgety. I walk out into the gymnasium room, and people are starting to shoot on the court below me. I can tell they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the players.They are small and they are all white.Anybody who pays attention the way I do could spot this team from a distance.They are as recognizable to me as J-Lo or Brad Pitt. They are superstars. These guys are the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s managers and they shoot halfcourt shots over and over, trying to reenact Nick Andersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heroics vs. Indiana in 1989.

,/#!4)/. 7 #HURCH 3T %8()")4)/. $!4%3 (/523 !PRIL n eb !PRIL n eb !PRIL n eb !PRIL n eb

3ILENT AUCTIONS FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY FOR POPU LAR WORKS $ETAILS

They are just goofing around and not even coming close, despite the fact that each of them has taken about 20 shots from that far out. James Augustine runs out on to the court, barefoot. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the first one to arrive and he greets a couple of them. Just as fast, they start dishing him the ball and he joins in on the game. He takes ten shots or so from deep past the arch around mid-court.And while he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make any, all of themâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;each one â&#x20AC;&#x201D;hits the rim. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right on the mark. And not only that. He makes it look effortless. In groups of threes and twos, the rest of the team strolls in past me, five minutes and five minutes apart. I get a nod from Dee Brown, and I watch him make his way downstairs and join the others on the floor.The press is beginning to show up, and so I go back into the office. As I am watching the players shoot around, I can sense for the first time really that I am truly in the presence of greatness. These are basketball players. Amateurs at that. But they allow themselves a king-sized attitude, and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t blame them for a minute. They are the underdogs this year. And while everyone expected a good run in the tournament, most critics are skeptical of their ability to match up to some of the other power teams this year.And it mostly has to do with their frontcourt. James Augustine and Roger Powell are not what most people call â&#x20AC;&#x153;superstarsâ&#x20AC;?. In the

4HE 4HIRTEENTH !NNUAL VOLUNTEER OPERATED EXHIBITION AND SALE FEATURING OVER LOCAL ARTISTS WORKS WILL BE HELD IN DOWNTOWN #HAMPAIGN 0ROCEEDS GO DIRECTLY

0ROJECT '#!0 A LOCAL NON PROlT AGENCY PROVIDING SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY ()6 !)$3

AVAILABLE AT THE EVENT

&OR INFORMATION CALL

â&#x20AC;˘

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

The Illini have an unforgettable season

TO 4HE 'REATER #OMMUNITY !)$3 .%7 4()3 9%!2

MA R . 31

WWW GCAPNOW COM

face of the new â&#x20AC;&#x153;three amigos,â&#x20AC;? Luther Head, Deron Williams and Dee Brown, they take a backseat and fulfill their role by being excellent setup men. By allowing themselves to be effective enough in the post, it makes it almost impossible for opponents to double team the perimeter. They have unleashed something in the three guards that is almost unheard of in this day and age of collegiate basketball: total selflessness. As team players, they have handled themselves beautifully. The media on the court are starting to break up, and the players are still just shooting around when a man looks up to me and calls out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hey! You Fein?â&#x20AC;? The man is wearing Nike clothes and has a serious look on his face. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yeah.Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s me,â&#x20AC;? I call back. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, you better get yerself down here. You only got five minutes or so.â&#x20AC;? I nod and start to walk downstairs. As I make it to the floor, something dawns on me. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a revelation of sorts and while I am nervous with the idea of it, just as quickly, I begin to embrace it. I have nothing to ask these guys that will make this story any better. I mean, sureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I could ask them questions and if I were so inclined, I could start hanging around the gym before practices and try to get a better understanding of Roger Powell and his streakiness or of Dee Brown and his lightening-quick fast breaks. I could hang around long enough and get some words face to face with Coach Weber or with a couple of the assistants but in all truth, I feel as though it would be a violation of their privacy, a technical foul, if you will. These guys play basketball. They arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t there to be the cornerstone on an angle for some indie-rocker-cumjournalist. They play to win, and they do it because they love it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same way your biology professor is never around because of some experiment or the way a musician will play until their fingers bleed. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same as a runner beating their own best time or a doctor on the brink of a new discovery. These people are involved in what they are doing. And while finding a cure for cancer or discovering a new species of animal are on a different level than NCAA hoops, they are one in the same when it comes to victory. It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just wanted; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needed and necessary. I look around for a moment and get a couple of glances from some players. I am definitely the odd man out here. Surrounded by men in Nike gear, I am wearing an indie-rock outfit: tight jeans, shitkickinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cowboy boots, an Arcade Fire T-shirt and a brown courdoroy blazer.All the other journalists look like they are either going to a funeral or a wedding. Dee Brown gets up from his seat and joins his teammates around the three point arch and looks my way againâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;another nod. I nod INTRO | AROUND TOWN | LISTEN, HEAR | MAIN

back this time and hold my hand up with what used to be the symbol for black power and what has now become an acceptable affirmative hand gesture for any and all to use. He flashes a smile, takes a ball from Jack Ingram and drives to the hoop, laying it in with the same ease as he does when heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in front of 20,000 screaming fans on an opponents court. I decide that it is the best interview I could have given. This year, the Illini came oh so close to perfection. In a dramatic finish, the post-seasondeprived Ohio State handed them their first loss in the last game of the regular season by just one point. And while some might say that it is a tragedy that they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t complete the season undefeated, I would venture to disagree with them. I have always maintained that a loss would be just the ticket to help them get the balance that they need to win it all. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same thing with joy and sorrow: you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t appreciate one without the other. Like the rest of you, I stood and watched the game versus Arizona on Saturday, mouth agape and my mind numbed to the point of disbelief. Never have we seen that before and chances are, you may never see anything like that again.To sum it up, it was the greatest comeback Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever seen live on TV in my life. And I have watched many, many games in my twenty-five years. Based on Saturdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream-like 20 point comeback for Louisville over West Virginia and the intensity of the rest of the Elite Eight, chances are primed for the games this weekend to be barnburners. No team that has ever made it to the Final Four gives up without the fight of their lives. That these four teams faced such challenges last Saturday and Sunday only raises the stakes. I can tell you one thing though: I can feel it. The Illini are ready for this.The only thing that will stop them is themselves and my guess is, that after what happened Saturday, they wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be beating themselves on Monday.Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be beating another team. buzz

MA R . 31

â&#x20AC;˘

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

buzz weekly â&#x20AC;˘

MMM PURPLE.

Linda Dawson, the director of editorial services at the Illinois Association of School Boards, agreed that more attention needs to be paid to what kids are eating. However, she also feels that the state could be overstepping its boundaries with this ban. Mandates such as this are best dealt with at the local level, she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Illinois is the only state that mandates P.E., and we still have obese kids. Something needs to be done,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But, it is a community issue.You need to weigh what each community values before making a decision. For example, you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell a school in Hershey, Penn., they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell chocolate bars in schools. It wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make sense.â&#x20AC;? Pam Robertson, assistant supervisor with the Illinois Nutrition Education Training Program, agrees that something must be done to deal with childhood obesity but that a state ban on junk food in public schools might not be the most effective.Wellness policies, such as those now required by the federal government, might support bans on junk food but in her experience, bans such as this have been done at the district level or local level. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Usually it takes a dedicated individual to stand up and make the change. If each school has a wellness plan that might happen,â&#x20AC;? she said.â&#x20AC;&#x153;But, at the state level, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see it happening.â&#x20AC;? Dawson also pointed out that state mandates such as these can cost local schools money. Funding is an issue with the ban as schools enter into contracts with vending or soda companies. At Urbana High School, which has a contract with

Pepsi, the funds from the vending machines went to the consultant Susan Kundrat. The problem is not eating junk Student Senate. The Senate sponsors dances and other social food but how much kids eat. activities for students. When it removed the junk food, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having a 16-ounce bottle of pop a day isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to kill high school compensated the Senate for these funds and gave you, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably enough,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Taking it out entirestudents other to options raise money, including a school ly might lead kids to binge on it later.â&#x20AC;? store that sells school supplies and school apparel. Woodward readily concedes changing the machines did Contracts with vending-machine companies can provide not stop students from eating junk food. After all, he says, schools with tens of thousands of dollars a year, but locally, they are not in school 24 hours a day. Other area principals schools with contracts said the funds they receive are mini- agree that a state ban might help, but it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t solve the mal or could be found elsewhere. Woodward was able to issue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The responsibility for healthy eating is not necessarrenegotiate with Pepsi and fill the vending ily a state issue, but machines with other options for students. something that needs to â&#x20AC;&#x153;We talked to a lot of schools about a ban If you give a kid a choice between a candy bar start at home,â&#x20AC;? like this,â&#x20AC;? Dring said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some said it would and a bag of carrots, which will they choose? McKenzie said. hurt, some said it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Most said they â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good idea for -John Woodward, UHS Principal would be able to fill it with other things and the state, but kids are make up the difference.â&#x20AC;? still going to eat it. Filling the vending machines does not Here, they would go necessarily mean those other things are necessarily better uptown and buy it,â&#x20AC;? McKenzie said.â&#x20AC;&#x153;Education might help, choices for students. At Urbana, the vending machines still but look at drugs and alcohol. We teach that those are sell Gatorade and fruit juices high in sugar. Students can harmful, yet kids still do it. It needs to start at home.â&#x20AC;? still get Pop-Tarts, with 254 calories and 11 grams of fat in And, the ones with the most power to effectively tackle one pastry. Most packages contain two pastries. A Snickers childhood obesityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;agree. bar contains 266 calories and 11 grams of fat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eat junk food because I know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bad for me,â&#x20AC;? However, regulating the vending machines does not mean Lowery said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I did not eat a lot of it growing up. At my age, students will stop eating junk food. Moderation then, kids will eat what they want, no matter what adults say.â&#x20AC;? buzz becomes the key, said licensed nutritionist and local nutrition

q+a a Velleng l e h c a R Rachel Vellenga is a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s librarian at The Urbana Free Library at 201 S. Race St. Vellenga thinks people should check out The Urbana Free Library or Champaign Public Library. They have many resources from books and magazines to DVDs and CDs. How would you describe your work at the library?

We help people to find the materials or answers they are looking for.We also create and perform various programs and storytimes for children. Another task is reading book reviews and selecting books, videos, DVDs, CD-ROMs and other materials for the collection. We also give book talks at local schools and other outreach projects. Why did you decide to be a librarian?

I enjoy working with children and especially like to help connect kids with books that they would like. I like that I get to work with a range of ages. I also really enjoy reading the great childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s literature that is published.

Q + A

PHOTO â&#x20AC;˘ DAVID SOLANA

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

8 â&#x20AC;˘ buzz weekly

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M A LOVER NOT A FIGHTER BUT Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL CRACK YOUR TEETH.

MA R . 31

â&#x20AC;˘

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

MA R . 31

â&#x20AC;˘

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

buzz weekly â&#x20AC;˘

YOUR MOTHER'S CELLULITE DIMPLES ARE SO CAVERNOUS, SHE LOSES DOLLOPS OF PĂ&#x201A;TĂ&#x2030; IN THEM.

ar tistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corner

Mari Gish

Q + A CONTINUED

F RO M

PA G E

BRIAN WARMOTH â&#x20AC;˘ ARTS EDITOR

What were you doing before you worked at Urbana Free Library?

What is your favorite medium to work with?

My favorite medium to work with depends on the project I am working on. When making a painting I prefer to work with oils and for more smaller drawing type projects I like to work with color pencils. I feel the most confident working with oils and color pencils, I am able to control and manipulate them much easier then any other material I have worked with.

I taught English as a Second Language in Chicago and as a Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia in Southern Africa. I worked as a library aide in high school in my hometown of Monmouth, Ill. What is the best part about working at The Urbana Free Library?

Working with the kids, parents and teachers of Urbana has been so much fun. Every day at the library brings different questions and children with new interests. The job itself has a lot of variety between performing storytimes to reading to kids at the Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market. The staff here really are committed to our patrons so they are good to work with. What is the worst part?

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if there is a worst part. Having a kid throw up at storytime is never fun though. What is your favorite book?

Tough question! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have to say Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dell about a girl who grows up on an island by herself after the other members of her tribe are taken to a California mission. It was loosely based on a true story. When you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t working at the library, what do you enjoy doing?

I enjoy traveling overseas to get a taste for what life is like elsewhere. My favorite trip so far has been Vietnam where I stayed with a friend and his family in a village. I also like to cook and to go hiking and camping with my husband and our dog. Why should people check out Urbana Free Library, specifically?

-ARISOL

!LOHA 3AY THE 0RETTY 'IRLS

/BIE !WARD WINNING h/UTSTANDING 0LAYv 3IX $RAMA ,EAGUE !WARDS INCLUDING h"EST 0LAYv

4HURSDAY 3ATURDAY !PRIL AT PM 4HURSDAY 3ATURDAY !PRIL AT PM 3UNDAY !PRIL AT PM #OLWELL 0LAYHOUSE &LEX 3# 3TU 5) 9TH 3INGLE 3# 3TU 5) 9TH

4HURSDAY 3ATURDAY -ARCH !PRIL AT PM 7EDNESDAY 3ATURDAY !PRIL AT PM 3UNDAY !PRIL AT PM 3TUDIO 4HEATRE &LEX 3# 3TU 5) 9TH 3INGLE 3# 3TU 5) 9TH 7ILD FUNNY AND DEEPLY POLITICAL PLAYWRIGHT *OSĂ? 2IVERA S TAKE ON OUR PRE APOCALYPTIC WORLD INVOLVES A GOOD MIDDLE CLASS 0UERTO 2ICAN WOMAN LIVING IN THE "RONX AND HER GUARDIAN ANGEL WHO IS PREOCCUPIED BY A REVOLT IN HEAVEN AGAINST AN OLD AND IMPOTENT 'OD WHO HAS LET THE WORLD RUN AMUCK 'UEST DIRECTOR "RAD #ARROLL COMMENTS h-ARISOL REMINDS US THAT A THIN MEMBRANE SEPARATES OUR COMFORTABLE COCOON FROM PURE CHAOSÂ&#x2C6;AND THE MEMBRANE SEEMS TO BE SHREDDING BOTH FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE v #ONTAINS ADULT THEMES AND STRONG LANGUAGE THERE IS NO LATE SEATING IN THE 3TUDIO 4HEATRE

Mari Gish is a junior in the School of Fine Arts at the University of Illinois. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., she majors in Painting but seeks out a wide range of outlets. She can be found experimenting with photography, coloring, sewing, knitting, as well as finding innovative approaches to using fabric. Her work is currently on display in a student exhibition on the walls of the Link Gallery between the Krannert Art Museum and Design Building through April 8.

)N AN IMAGINATIVE COMEDY AWARD WINNING PLAYWRIGHT .AOMI )IZUKA EXAMINES HOW YOUNG PEOPLE ENTER AND LEAVE EACH OTHER S LIVES AS THEY MOVE DOWN THE ROAD OF MATURITY (ER OFFBEAT CHARACTERS JOURNEY FROM THE URBAN JUNGLE OF .EW 9ORK TO EXOTIC LOCALES LIKE !LASKA )NNER "ORNEO AND (AWAII DURING ENCOUNTERS THAT RANGE FROM HOUSE PLANTS TO HULA GIRLS WILD DOGS TO +OMODO DRAGONS AND POTENTIAL SPOUSES TO )NCAN MUMMIES 0ATHS CROSS AND COLLIDE AND STRANGERS BECOME FRIENDS BECOME STRANGERS IN THE CHAOTIC

RANDOM WORLD OF !LOHA 3AY THE 0RETTY 'IRLS GUEST DIRECTED BY ,ISA 2OTHE

t s a l r u o y s i Y TODA d n a l l o r n e o t day ! k c a b 0 0 1 $ get

#ONTAINS ADULT THEMES AND STRONG LANGUAGE

GRE GMAT LSAT MCAT DAT OAT PCAT TOEFL

$ESSERT AND #ONVERSATION 4HURSDAY !PRIL AT PM +RANNERT 2OOM

We just remodeled and expanded the library so we are very excited about that. We have great nooks for reading and bigger play areas and even window seats in the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department. When I see a parent and kids cuddled up reading a book on one of the window seats, I know why I became a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s librarian.

Receive a $100 rebate when you enroll in a Kaplan course between March 1 and March 31. Limited time offer! Call or visit us online for more information or to enroll.

1-800-KAP-TEST

kaptest.com/rebate

Higher test scores guaranteed or your money back

*Test names are registered trademarks of their respective owners. **Conditions and restrictions apply. For complete guarantee eligibility requirements, visit kaptest.com/hsg. The Higher Score Guarantee applies only to Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions courses taken and complete within the United States and Canada. The Higher Score Guarantee does not apply to PCAT and TOEFL courses. Rebate restrictions apply. Must enroll between 3/1/05-3/31/05. Visit kaptest.com/rebate for complete information.

s o u n d s

f r o m

How do you know when a project youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve completed has been a success?

PHOTO â&#x20AC;˘ DAVID SOLANA

t h e

s c e n e

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

I know when a project I have completed is a success when I have learned something from it. If a project I am working on allows me to improve and grow as an artist then I know it is a success. Where do you usually look to draw inspiration?

Much of my inspiration comes from

nature. My paintings are a response and reflection on natural beauty inspired by forms found in nature. I abstract organic objects and use them as my subject matter. I see this approach as a challenge to look beyond the organic object as a whole and instead examine it intimately, isolating some parts for study and further exploring others. I recognize the simple beauty found in these objects by concentrating on the formal art elements it natural possesses. Given the proper resources, what would your dream project look like?

I would have to say if I were given the proper resources, my dream project would look like me raising a family with the man of my dreams and living comfortably off of my craft. I would love it if I could just wake up every morning in my countryside home, walk into my studio and have the freedom to create whatever it is I am inspired by at that moment.

D iscover the

Virginia!

WKIO 92.5 CONCERT SERIES

Felix Cavaliere's The Rascals & The Buckinghams April 8 at 7:00pm. Reserved $39 VIP; $30 Main/Mezz; $27 Balcony.

Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival April 20-24. Festival Passes sold out. $9 individual tickets (on sale April 1).

Fabulous Motown Revue May 28 at 7:00pm.Reserved $23 Main/ Mezz; $21 Balcony(Groups 10+: $19).

Champaign Urbana Theatre Company

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum April 14-16 at 7:30pm; April 17 at 2:30pm. Reserved & General Adm: $17 Adult; $15 Senior/Student; $8 Child.

An Evening with David Sedaris April 18 at 8:00pm. Reserved $35 Main/Mezz; $30 Balcony. Experience this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hit movies at prices... R EEL DE ALS yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s check out $2 Tuesday $3 Thursday www.thevirginia.org for movie listings.

Ice Cream and Independence with the Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra July 2 at 7:30pm. Reserved $9 Adult. $8 Senior, $5 Student.

Be a Volunteer! Volunteer groups or individuals are needed for a variety of shows and events. Discover the benefits! Call the Virginia at 356-9053.

203 W. Park Ave, Champaign www.thevirginia.org

This program is partially sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Cal l ( 2 1 7 ) 3 5 6 - 9 0 6 3 for t i cke ts!

20 â&#x20AC;˘ b u z z w e e k l y

YO MAMA SO FAT SHE FELL IN LOVE AND BROKE IT.

MA R . 31

novel

â&#x20AC;˘

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

MA R . 31

â&#x20AC;˘

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

book review

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

First off, this is Tom Robbins.

JEFF NELSON â&#x20AC;˘

staff

WRITER

Urbanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Krannert Center has some great offerings to sug-

gest that some of spring should be spent indoors. Jazz aficionados can begin the month with the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra on April 5, and those looking for something different can catch Rennie Harrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Puremovement program, Facing Mekkaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as street songs and movements become modern classical dance, on April 8 and 9. Classical music enthusiasts can catch pianist Richard Goode on April 21, and he will be joined by soprano Dawn Upshaw for a selection of songs for piano and voice. On April 22, the Pacifica Quartet will perform their third concert of the year and will be joined by pianist Ian Hobson for the Schumann quintet. Lovers of string quartet music will only have to wait a few days for the Artemis Quartet on April 28. From Bartok to Beethoven, this young German quartet is one of the rising ensembles on the current classical scene. For those who want their music with a full orchestra,The Sinfonia da Camaera will give its final concert on April 30. The worlds of classical music and theater come together

in opera, and this month the U of I opera will present the last work from the creator of opera, Claudio Monteverdi. His drama of love and passion set in Romeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early empire era recreates, at least musically, the drama surrounding the emperor Nero and his wife Poppea. Poppea will run from April 28-30 and close on May 1. It will be sung in Italian with English supertitles. Theater in April offers a final production of the U of I theater department. Naomi Iizukaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls takes a satirical look at young adults trying to find a place, and possibly their place in a multi-cultural world. This play will run in the Colwell Playhouse from April 1424 on weekends. The final theatrical production in the Colwell Playhouse for this school year is another satirical look at an aspect of our modern worldâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;corporate job outsourcing. Alladeen, a co-production of an American and a British theater company, offers technology, theater and commentary on the issue of customer service from Bangalore, India. This production is sold out; but call for possible cancellations. For inquiries and information call 217-333-6280 or www.krannertcenter.com.

And Tom Robbins is exhausting. So if this little passage takes on a ridiculous metaphoric flavor, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been immersed in Cowgirls for the past few hours, and my brain feels a little stretched out. Tom Robbins uses sentences like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;His voice wore no pants.â&#x20AC;? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a short one, but there are others, and to get a hold on him just open up any page referring to Sissyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thumbs, and you get the metaphoric picture. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues is a modest little endeavor, covering the following themes (among others): freedom, evolution, movement, time, gender, the mind, sex and whooping cranes. If these topics interest you, by all means read it; I liked it. The basic premise is that Sissy Hankshaw is a girl who was born with gigantic thumbs. These thumbs lead her to become a champion hitchhiker. This is a lovely idea. Sissy encounters Indians, a rich man who calls himself the Countess and who obtained his riches through selling douche bags to counter a most offensive smell (also described with great frequency), several cowgirls, an old Japanese man who lives in a cave called the Chink (the irony is not lost on anyone), and a psychiatrist who has the same name as the bookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s author. The book does what a novel does: sets up a bunch of characters at the beginning and gathers them all for a climactic scene rivaling all others, because it has whooping cranes. It is hard to read but harder to describe, as any subplot I choose to delineate would spiral out of control and eat the rest of Buzz alive. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coy, too, this Tom Robbins guy. He comes right out and tells you, in one of his author-interference interludes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A book no more contains reality than a clock contains time.â&#x20AC;? And so he manipulates his book, makes sentences turn into champagne (Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not kidding) and when the title is finally referenced in the text, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be happy to have made it that farâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; if you want a hint, it has to do with solitary activities one can participate in while on a Dakota prairie. He doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reveal good, meaty information about what the hell is going on until at least 100 pages in. But at the end of the sprawling Dakota prairie book, I felt like I read something good, even if he did keep it from me until the end. The gender thingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the gender thing may bother you, as it bothered me. It was written in 1976 and I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t preach about the problems inherent in a man writing what amounts to male fantasy about cowgirls living as lesbians (but non-threatening ones because they still do it with men). Just a fair warning. There are some musings on gender relations and feminism that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sit nearly as well as the descriptions of glossy pubes or what exactly that smell smells like. But it is from 30 years ago, and maybe it needed to be said, then. But apart from that (and it really is just a part of what is an expansive, and interesting, and philosophical novel), Robbins gets you. And if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested in goatherding, or deconstructing Eastern and Western philosophy and especially if you ever wanted to be a cowgirl, sit down with Dr. Robbins for an evening, and see if he canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make you smile, even if you are a little sore.

4H -AR

3U !PR

-ORE 3CHOOL OF -USIC

+RANNERT 5NCORKED PM FREE

)LLINOIS "RASS 1UINTET PM

4H !PR

-ARISOL PM

4U !PR

&R !PR

5) 3YMPHONY /RCHESTRA AND /RATORIO 3OCIETY PM

3KAILA +ANGA HARP PM -USIC "UILDING !UDITORIUM FREE

-ARK -ORRIS $ANCE 'ROUP PM 4ALKBACK AFTER THE SHOW FREE

h&ACING -EKKA FEELS ANCIENT BUT LOOKS SPANKING NEW )N THIS WEAVING OF DANCE LIVE SOUNDS AND VISUALS

CHOREOGRAPHER PERFORMER 2ENNIE (ARRIS TAPPED INTO THE PRIMEVAL NATURE OF MOVEMENT AS A COMMUNAL AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE v 3OUTH &LORIDA 3UN 3ENTINEL 2ENNIE (ARRIS 0UREMOVEMENT &ACING -EKKA

0ATRON 3PONSORS -AXINE AND *IM +ALER IN MEMORY OF THEIR DAUGHTER *ILL , +ALER 0ATRON #O SPONSORS .ANCY AND %DWARD 4EPPER !NONYMOUS

-ARISOL PM

#HAMPAIGN 5RBANA 3YMPHONY /RCHESTRA PM

4HE EXPLOSIVE ENERGY OF HIP HOP STREET DANCE MOVES INTO THE THEATER AS 2ENNIE (ARRIS PROVOCATIVELY COMMUNICATES AN ALL EMBRACING MESSAGE OF SELF EMPOWERMENT &ACING -EKKA EXPLORES DANCE S CULTURAL ROOTS AND GLOBAL SPIRITUALITY WITH HIGHLY CHARGED LIVE MUSIC AGAINST A BACKDROP OF COLLAGE LIKE PROJECTED IMAGES

0ATRON 3PONSORS -ARGARET AND ,ARRY .EAL 0ATRON #O SPONSOR !NONYMOUS #ORPORATE 3ILVER 3PONSOR

#ORPORATE 3ILVER 3PONSOR

3A !PR

&RIDAY 3ATURDAY !PRIL AT PM 4RYON &ESTIVAL 4HEATRE &LEX 3# 3TU 5) 9TH 3INGLE 3# 3TU 5) 9TH

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

-ARK -ORRIS $ANCE 'ROUP PM 4ALKBACK AFTER THE SHOW FREE -ARISOL PM

7E !PR %NESCU %NSEMBLE PM -ARISOL PM

4H !PR +RANNERT 5NCORKED PM FREE 5) 4ROMBONE #HOIR PM

0ATRON #O SPONSORS *ERALD 7RAY AND $IRK -OL

#ORPORATE 3EASON 5NDERWRITER

#ORPORATE 3ILVER 3PONSOR 4HE $AILY )LLINI 3UPPORTED IN PART BY THE (EARTLAND !RTS &UND

A PROGRAM OF !RTS -IDWEST FUNDED BY THE .ATIONAL %NDOWMENT FOR THE !RTS WITH ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM 'ENERAL -ILLS &OUNDATION ,AND / ,AKES &OUNDATION 3PRINT #ORPORATION AND THE )LLINOIS !RTS #OUNCIL

BEING MATTERS #OLLEGE OF &INE AND !PPLIED !RTS 5NIVERSITY OF )LLINOIS AT 5RBANA #HAMPAIGN

t h e

-ARQUEE PERFORMANCES ARE SUPPORTED IN PART BY THE )LLINOIS !RTS #OUNCILÂ&#x2C6; A STATE AGENCY WHICH RECOGNIZES +RANNERT #ENTER IN ITS 0ARTNERS IN %XCELLENCE 0ROGRAM

.ORTH AND +RANNERT #ENTER WORKING TOGETHER TO PUT #HAMPAIGN #OUNTY S CULTURE ON THE MAP

4ALKBACKS AFTER BOTH SHOWS FREE

f r o m

#HAMPAIGN 5RBANA 3YMPHONY CONCERTS ARE SUPPORTED IN PART BY THE )LLINOIS !RTS #OUNCIL A STATE AGENCY

-ARISOL PM

#ONCERT 0REPS BEFORE BOTH SHOWS PM +RANNERT 2OOM FREE

s o u n d s

-USIC "UILDING 7 .EVADA 5RBANA

*AZZ AT ,INCOLN #ENTER S !FRO ,ATIN *AZZ /RCHESTRA PM

3OUTH 'OODWIN !VENUE 5RBANA

THIS WEEK AT KRANNERT

KERRI MULLEN â&#x20AC;˘ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Springtime for Krannert and euphony

buzz weekly â&#x20AC;˘

WE COULD GO OUT FOR COFFEE, OR MAYBE EVEN A WHOLE MEAL OF FOOD.

s c e n e

0ATRON 3EASON 3PONSOR 4HE FAMILY OF 2AYMOND 4IMPONE 3R

+RANNERT#ENTER COM OR +#0!4)8

“ Downtown

Austin is simply overrun for five days. New bars open up specifically for the event, tents are erected, and bars that never feature live music during the rest of the year suddenly find themselves housing rock shows. ”

ALWAYS GET MARRIED EARLY IN THE MORNING. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted a whole day.

- Alex Rodriguez

PHOTOS BY ALEX RODRIGUEZ

Austin,Texas, for the mother of all music festivals. CMJ, Coachella, Lollapawarphordelillistock have (and had) their charms (especially for people who like to ride in taxis or play in the mud), but South By Southwest is the benchmark conference that sets the bar which competitors must try to reach. Downtown Austin is simply overrun for five days. New bars open up specifically for the event, tents are erected, and bars that never feature live music during the rest of the year suddenly find themselves housing rock shows. The streets teem with people, though, since the University of Texas is on spring break, the hordes of bleach-blonde, silicon-chested, unnaturally tanned women and the frat boys who are on a mission to get them into bed are replaced with tattooed, gender-bending, impossibly hip-looking musicians and the industry types who are on a mission to lick their assholes clean. What does this mean for your average visitor to the Texas state capital during these five days in March? Some of the most amazing musicians in the world, together in one place and in venues that are no more than a 20 minute walk away. For a music-loving geek

such as myself, heaven could be no sweeter. For those of you that have not been fortunate enough to make the pilgrimage, let me explain how SXSW works. Bands are selected t any other time, in any other place, to play (mainly) in two ways. One, the selecit might seem odd for me to find myself sittion committee hears a submitted CD, likes it ting in a room at 4 a.m. with a legendary and invites the band to play at the conference. punk rocker sitting on the chair to my left, Two, labels big and small, booking companies two-thirds of one of the more influential and other industry conglomerations have bands for me during my younger years on showcases.When this happens, the companies my right, my hosts, one of whom is one of are free to choose whomever they’d like to the top 20 female bloggers in the country play their night.There are a select few artists sitting across from me, as we engage in who are pursued to play SXSW, but these are political debates, music scene gossip, and all names like Elvis Costello or Erykah Badu, so the other happenings that take place when most bands won’t enter this way. you host an after-hours party.This is South In order to gain admission to the show, By Southwest though, so this seems perthere are three ways you can go about it. fectly normal. On the day of the show, you can pay to get Every year, I look forward to the third into any show that is offering tickets. This week of March, the one right before the U of is used by Austinites mostly, for people that I spring break, because it’s the one chance I really just want to see one show. Next, get all year to go on a real vacation. So, I make there are wristbands. This is the most popthe most of it: I pack my bags full, since I have ular option, and the best way to see a lot of to be prepared for both cold and warm music without paying an exorbitant weather, though I hope for the warm weathamount of money. You get access to all er that has pushed any memories of cold shows, but you must wait in line behind weather from my brain. My sights are set for badge holders. There are a few batches released, the first one about a month before the festival priced at $110. As those sell out, the price jumps about $20 with each batch, until they reach $150. Once those are gone, wristbands are sold out. Far and away the best route to see as much as you can at SXSW is getting a badge. In September, the first batch of badges goes on sale.These are priced at $325 and include admission to all the shows, inclusion in the registrants’ directory, the SXSW big bag and admission to all the music panels. Also, you can cut to the front of any line in front of wristband holders, and there are all sorts of giveaways (cigarettes! beer! food!) that are for badge holders only. There are even a few shows that are strictly for badge holders. Badges are on sale until March, but they shoot up in price about $50 a month, until they reach $525. Buy early if this is going to be your option. Champaign-Urbana’s own American Minor appears at SXSW. The Living Blue and Rob McColley also played. ALEX RODRIGUEZ • CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Once you get to Austin, it’s best to pace oneself.There is so much going on, with day showcases, night showcases, and after-hours parties, that it’s really easy to burn out after a day or two. Remember, this is a marathon not a sprint, and endurance is a key. After two years of being completely exhausted by Saturday, I still managed to forget this and found myself breathing pretty heavy once Friday rolled around. Regardless, I still checked out some fantastic music. Elvis Costello—For me, the concert of the conference, and it happened on the first night. Declan McManus (as his mother calls him) is the consummate musician and was gracious enough to do an interview earlier in the day at the Austin Convention Center. Among stories about him and George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Count Basie and others, Elvis showed himself to be a very intelligent, soft spoken, and articulate man. He has a brilliant grasp of where he stands in the music industry, especially as one of very few men who as been able to make a career last 30 years and still be relevant. He also sees the impending downfall of the independent record store, but also the big five record labels. Besides all this, his concert was amazing, two hours of pure energy at La Zona Rosa, a hall that fits about 1200 people. Sleater-Kinney—Another show that happened on the first night of SXSW. They played mostly songs from their upcoming release, which will be their debut album for Sub Pop. These women are the vanguard of indie rock, and their new record, which will be out in May, promises to be more of what propelled them to legendary status among riot grrrls and boys that wear cardigan sweaters and horn rimmed glasses. Watchers—This Chicago-based quintet has produced two records for Gern Blandston, with funky grooves delicately balanced with no wave sensibilities.They’ve already done one stint as the backing band for James Chance, and they are set to do another this summer. Their frontman, Michael, is a force to be reckoned with, with hot dance moves on stage and off; although, be careful if you’re shy and in the front row because he likes to shatter the barrier between band and audience. Plastilina Mosh—Monterrey, Mexico, is bursting with talent at the moment, and among the cream of the crop is this duo that appears live as a sextet. Ponder for a moment Trans Am, the Beastie Boys and Manu Chao collaborating to form one super-robot, the likes of which has never been seen in this galaxy before, and you’ve got a beginning of s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

KINDRED SPIRITS Anne Hughes grew up in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Her early exposure to this multi-cultural environment motivated her to travel and study in places all over erde Gallery’s new exhibit Spirits the globe, including much of Europe and shows the soft pastel pieces of Anne Hughes Indonesia.“I also journey into the world of and the textiles of Lisa Nelson Raabe. imagination and ideas,” she said. Although both women currently reside in Hughes said that she has found in art central Illinois, their artistic influence and something that she had been unable to find inspiration extend far beyond the local elsewhere: the ability to explore many cornfields. Their individual concerns for interests simultaneously and without limits. global issues, interpretations of beauty and Her vibrant works’ miniature pictures, use of natural imagery binds their work which range from three inches by three together, despite their very different medi- inches to 35 inches by 26 inches, are often ums and subject matter. ethereal and otherworldly. The use of soft pastels on cotton rag paper, rather than a smoother or less flexible paper, contributes to the intense feel of her pieces. Her technique lends itself to creating a sense of fluidity for the viewer’s eye to trace and follow. Hughes’ huge range of interests is evident in her work. Hughes says that she is often inspired by news stories heard on NPR, especially those pertaining to ecology. Her concern for the environment is clearly seen in such pieces as “Arc,” in which a tree’s leaves have subtly turned to giant beetles. Her reaction to the severe threat of the imported Asian Longhorn beetle infestation to Chicago’s hardwood trees resulted in one of her more literal representations, but the majority of her work tends to be abstract. “All of my work begins without knowing where it will take me,” Hughes wrote. “I respond to the process of working intuitively, having openness to accidents and welcoming surprises. As part of my process, I may impose an Infinity by Anne Hughes is done with soft pastel and is part of image and see where the the Spirits collection on display at Verde Gallery until April 9. mix of color, form and COURTNEY HREJSA • STAFF WRITER

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

imagery leads.”The spontaneity, while liberating in certain ways, has not diminished the quality of the art. Like Hughes, Lisa Nelson Raabe also focuses her pieces on largescale issues. But her primary focus is war. Her textile works on display at Verde often utilize Army blankets as their foundation, overlaid with striking embroidery and sometimes in combination with commercial fabrics. An extensive traveler, Raabe’s study of Islamic art is evident in her patterning. She successfully marries Middle East and West in both her art and horrifying subject matter. One of her most striking pieces appears to be just simply a blue-gray blanket. But upon closer viewing, the power of “The Nature of the Enemy” is overwhelming. The Army blanket is blood-stained and Raabe has embroidered a maroon, detailed archway at the top of the vertically-hanging blanket. Nearly all of the pieces in the gallery share this upward movement. Of Raabe’s work, Hughes commented, “The verticality of Lisa’s work fits with their spiritual aesthetic. They transcend the political symbols of government and culture and reach toward the common hope for humanity’s higher-self.” In Verde Gallery’s typical fashion, the two artists’ works are juxtaposed in a thought-provoking and fluid way. Raabe’s “Letter Home,” for example, is positioned next to Hughes’ “Bridge.” “Letter Home” features a large flowering tree embroidered in metallic brown/gold thread over camouflage pattern commercial fabric, detailed with a fabric depicting a collage of illustrated wolves. Raabe’s desire to represent the struggle to find beauty in destruction and hatred mixes well with Hughes’ neighboring work that addresses a desire for successful communication. Perhaps “Letter Home” implies that by staying in touch with their families or friends, soldiers can find a way to find any redemption in the horrors they witness daily. On a larger scale, successful communication between warring parties is a requirement for ever reaching a peaceful solution. “Bridge,” one of the largest pastel

PHOTOS • SARAH KROHN

SXSW FESTIVAL TAKES OVER AUSTIN, TEXAS

Mickey Rooney

works on display, appears to depict a hope for this ideal. The individuals in the piece have obscured faces, including one who is holding a leaf-covered mask in his or her hand and one who is looking upward, seemingly with hope. Raabe is simultaneously an artist and an art therapist, currently practicing in Peoria. Her family background is heavy with fellow artists and she graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1988 and from ISU in 1995, having earned a master’s degree in art education with a concentration in art therapy. “The creation of art can often be a medium for understanding one’s own life and making sense of the world around you,” Raabe said. Although she notes that there is a difference between private art and pieces suitable for galleries, she combined the two in a solo show in 2002, called Personal Grottoes. Her small sculptures, constructed of a variety of man-made and natural materials like glass shards, twigs, thorns and fencing represented her own struggle with breast cancer. Having selected the artists,Verde Gallery co-owner Curt Tucker is best fit to give the final commentary of the current exhibit. “Art often is about representing the essence or ‘spirit’ inherent in objects, people, places or concepts. I felt that Lisa and Anne’s work fulfilled this in very clear ways. Whether it’s Lisa’s used, stained and beautifully embroidered Army blanket, representing the sadness and pain of war, or Anne’s tree with foliage made up of insects, representing a deeper understanding of nature, both reach into and pull out a view inherent in these concepts for many.Art can help us see and feel what is around us in a deeper way. Lisa’s and Anne’s work does this. Hence the name Spirits.”

Spirits will be on display through early April. Verde Gallery is located at 17 E. Taylor St. in downtown Champaign.

buzz

18 • b u z z w e e k l y

jonesin crossword puzzle

b o b

’n

d a v e

MA R . 31

I SHOULD CHASE AFTER HER. FOR SHE IS MY RIDE.

b y

d a v i d

•

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

MA R . 31

•

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

buzz weekly •

IT'S OKAY. HE'S JUST ADMIRING THE SHAPE OF YOUR SKULL.

crossword

Dark Star Orchestra: More Than Covers

k i n g

KYLE GORMAN • MUSIC EDITOR

“

saying "Phttphbphb!" as he left CBS? 59 Maker of the xB and tC 62 Home in an apiary 63 Elizabeth of "The Incredibles" 64 TV knife that cuts through a lead pipe 65 Deck quartet 66 Make a dramatic exit, doorwise 67 Utterly screwed 68 Word after oxygen or pup 69 Alma mater of Lewis Black and Ben Stein Down 1 Red Hot Chili Peppers track "___ Tissue" 2 "There you have it!" 3 "Spamalot" creator Idle 4 Easygoing personality 5 "Free Your Mind" ladies 6 Night crawlers, often 7 Relative of "yada" 8 Two-for-one deal, say 9 Foreman's forte 10 Bakery installations 11 The blue guy, to waiter Grover 12 She allowed "Across the Universe" to be performed at the Grammys 13 Tex-___ 21 Like Big Mouth Billy Basses and Velvet Elvises 22 Number before sechs

a grasp of Plastilina Mosh. They’re on Astralwerks, and you can check out a few tracks on the Web site. I recommend starting out with “Human Disco Ball.” It’s in English, unlike most of their songs, which are written in their native tongue, and its got accessible hooks to grab even the most undiscerning listener. LCD Soundsystem—DFA Records coowner James Murphy doesn’t just produce music, he programs and sings for himself as well.The recently released self-titled album by his project, LCD Soundsystem is cowbell heavy and laden with beats so danceable, even my drunk ass was shaking at their late-night Thursday show.While the record is a little spotty, interchanging moments of brilliance with patches of … adequacy, live, Murphy knows what he’s doing.The crowd flowed and ebbed at his whim, even though the level of inebriation that he was in would’ve felled a lesser man. I hereby dub this the drunkest show of the conference. All hail Johnny Powers, my official whiskey for SXSW. Son Volt—They never really broke up, they just stopped making records for five years.After putting in his time with Jeff Tweedy in the seminal alt-country band Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar decided to stick with the country sound that Tweedy has been trying to escape since forming Wilco.While I had to sit through the worst half hour of my life waiting for the Wallflowers to finish up (Jakob Dylan brought his band out half an hour late, completely lousing up my plans for the evening), Son Volt made it all worth while, playing songs from the album that they recorded this winter just outside of St. Louis, along with plenty of familiar tunes from their earlier records. Brian Wilson—He didn’t play but, he was gracious enough to do a panel on SMiLE, the album that took 37 years to complete. After Wilson had a nervous breakdown in 1967, it took until Nov. 16, 2003, for him to get started on the project. After The Beatles released Rubber Soul, Wilson created Pet Sounds, which in turn led to the Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. SMiLE was to be Wilson’s answer to that record, although with the delay it has become so mired in legend and myth that it seems to have eclipsed itself as a testament to Wilson’s genius.

25 They'll ruin a morning commute 26 Cat that preys on monkeys 27 Piano parts 28 Toast from the Middle East 29 Mirna's smaller teammate in "The Amazing Race 5" 30 In an urgent way 32 Professor in the Harry Potter books 33 Tails' video game pal 34 Ready to tear somebody a new one 37 Busy worker in Apr. 38 It may get burned at home 41 Racer Al or Al, Jr. 43 Game that spawned "The Urbz," with "The" 44 Drink holder at some theaters 46 M&M variety 49 Perot, formally 51 "Everything's Coming Up Roses" musical 53 Cool, in 1990s parlance 54 2005 "American Idol" singer Bo 55 3-3, say 56 "Breakadawn" singers ___ Soul 57 Section in some porn shops 58 License info 59 Slaughter's rank 60 AFL partner 61 Go to hell ___ handbasket

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

Other bands worth mentioning: local boys American Minor, the Living Blue and Rob McColley all had showcases at this year’s festival, all well attended, and the Living Blue even got a write-up in the Chicago Reader. Austin bands galore played, some of the better ones were Amplified Heat, three brothers from Mexico that play so fast that their fingers blur as I watch them; Migas, who are so fast and loud that the drummer tried to quit halfway through their show; and Yuppie Pricks, who will be releasing their first album on Alternative Tentacles this year. You can be sure that their cold black capitalist hearts can’t wait until the royalty checks from the hard earned cash that you spend on it gets to their pockets. Hot Hot Heat, Louis XIV,The Futureheads, Doves and Bloc Party played what had to have been the most crowded showcase: the line stretched from the doors of La Zona Rosa in either direction as far as the eye could see. Badge holders waited in line for two hours to get into this show, held by BBC 1 Radio.And that is merely one-tenth of 1 percent of the bands that played at SXSW this year. Check out the web site: http://www.sxsw.com to see a list of all the bands that played, and you can listen online to mp3s that many of the bands have posted. With all the music, the beautiful weather that stayed in the mid 60’s or higher all week, the delicious food that varies from greasy burger joints at three in the morning to breakfast tacos at Amaya’s to (my favorite) BBQ, to the best bar food ever at Casino El Camino, great friends that graciously granted me use of their guest room (until I was usurped by the aforementioned punk rock legend), I find it a little surprising that I even got on the plane back to Champaign, although now that I’m back it does feel like home, especially because of the people I had waiting for me. SXSW is maybe the most fun you can have in a week, so I’m glad it only happens once a year. Otherwise I’d have had cirrhosis of the liver five years ago, and I’d be so jaded about rock shows that I’d have to start writing for Pitchfork. buzz Alex Rodriguez is assistant music director at WPGU 107.1 FM, and can be heard hosting “Under The Influence” Sundays at 9 p.m.

Come

without any preconceived notions,” suggests Dark Star Orchestra rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rob Eaton, concerning his band’s upcoming performance at The Canopy Club. That might be hard for those who are familiar with the DSO’s aesthetics: the group plays the music of the Grateful Dead, usually relying on a setlist from a Grateful Dead show as a guide, though it’s not fully a science nor an art solely of recreation. “You can’t recreate a concert; it happened in a space and a time. The music itself was created in an improvisational space and has to stay that way,” Eaton notes. He plays the parts once belonging to Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir and is surprisingly convincing both instrumentally and vocally in his role, though he brushes off the suggestion that he impersonates Weir. Rather, one could say that he came about his role naturally: at the age of 12, Eaton discovered the Dead’s now classic three-record set Europe ’72, which details the band’s said tour. “Soon, I said, ‘That’s the kind of guitar I want to play.’ It’s ‘lead rhythm,’ and for me, that’s much more fun playing than even the lead guitar.” Our conversation, however, avoids dwelling on the mechanics of Dark Star’s music, nearly indistinguishable from the original and focuses more on aesthetics. It’s hard for some to imagine, though, that the reinterpretation of the Dead would allow for the group to be anything but a cover band. “It would take me a lifetime to learn all the notes in a single show,” Eaton notes. Ignoring that physical and mental limit, outside material is essential to the Grateful Dead experience.

“The Grateful Dead were the original cover band, pulling maybe 50 percent of their material from other sources. Throughout the previous century, jazz musicians have used older material in their sets, referring to the pieces with the positively-connotated term ‘standard.’” “It’s only a problem when people try to make it a problem. It’s about pure emotion —that’s what the music is based off of and where the improvisations come from. If the music moves you, it doesn’t matter where it came from. Really, if you think about music too much you miss it.” DSO makes music “in the spirit” of the original, but Eaton mentions that it’s not just a tribute but a band making their own music in the here and now. “It’s more about us than them.” Despite that, there’s a lot of cultural baggage fans might bring to a show, something Eaton encourages. “The function we provide is a way to reminisce with yourself and to remember why you chose what you did—it’s a huge cultural thing in the lives of a lot of people. We get everyone together in the same space —we’re just a piece. Music is the catalyst, but it’s about the community.” “Some of the best compliments the Orchestra has received have come from people involved with the Grateful Dead themselves,” says Eaton.The band has played with, among others, original drummer Bill Kreutzman, Bob Weir and vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux, who remarked, according to Eaton,“When I’m standing on stage, and I’m feeling the energy, it’s the same feeling I had with the Dead.” buzz The Dark Star Orchestra appear at The Canopy Club next Tuesday. The show begins at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15.

PHOTO BY LOOKY LOO

James Murphy is as krunk as he looks - LCD Soundsystem performs at South By Southwest.

Across 1 "Leave it in" 5 Recessions 9 It's a bust 14 Elwes of "Saw" 15 Simba's friend 16 Sheepish, so to speak 17 Take ___ (fall slightly) 18 Crack container 19 Fortune 500 company, Fortune 500 company, Fortune 500 company... 20 The "See Who Can Get $5 First" challenge? 23 Lawn mower attachment 24 Use a plunger 28 Game Boy screen 31 Classroom no-no 35 Lemieux milieu 36 Alternatives in the "You Must Draw Poultry" class? 38 Monopoly card 39 Half-woman, half-bird creature 40 They Might Be Giants' "___ Ng" 41 Part that dangles 42 Territory 43 Caption from a campaign barbecue photo-op? 45 Down with something 46 Lousy cars, slangily 47 Ave. crossers 48 Uncontrollable situation 50 "Family Guy" daughter 52 Newsman Rather

Darkstar Orchestra performing at Cervante’s Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver, Colorado.

12 • b u z z w e e k l y

Everything But the Girl Adapt or Die: Ten Years of Remixes Atlantic BY BRIAN MERTZ

MA R . 31

ONE TOKE, FOOL!

Musicians whose fans pay close attention to the music must adapt in some way if they want to be relevant after two decades of making music. Jimmy Buffett can get away with rehashing the same damn song 50 times because his loyal legion of middle-aged Parrotheads are too drunk to realize each song sounds like “Margaritaville.” Fans of the British duo Everything But The Girl demand more. And 23 years after vocalist Tracey Thorn and songwriter/producer Ben Watt met at Hull University in England, they still are creating music that is engaging, relevant and forward thinking. A small caveat should be entered here. It has been six years since EBTG’s album Temperamental, a classic that firmly showed that they moved away from their light jazz acoustic roots to a style that embraced the club sounds of house, drum ‘n’ bass and trip-hop. Unfortunately, the latest EBTG release, Adapt or Die, isn’t brand new material, but instead 14 strong remixes dating all the way back to 1990. So Ben and Tracey haven’t been pushing forward with new music in the last six years. Ben has busied himself with his DJing career and a sublime new deep house label (Buzzin Fly). But as Adapt or Die shows, EBTG’s old music still can be stretched in new and amazing directions. Four of the remixes on Adapt or Die are brand new.The other 10 include some of the more difficult EBTG remixes to find unless you rabidly collect 12”singles. Having all of the old remixes in one place plus the addition of some of the new

remixes, make this album worth owning. King Britt’s new, chopped-up bubbly remix of “Rollercoaster”should impress the fans of broken-beat and intelligent hip-hop.The best remix on the whole album is Jazzy Jeff ’s brand new remix of “Mirrorball.”While the original sound has the aura of a sweet ballad, Jeff strips it down to the vocal and adds spacey effects and an infectious throbbing bassline. It is at once intelligent, soulful and crosses genres—which also could sum up why EBTG is so revered by so many. Highlights of the old remixes include Knee Deep’s dancefloor stomping, Latin house remix of “Corcovado,”the extremely sparse remix Pull Timewarp remix of “Temperamental”and Fabio’s melodic drum ‘n’ bass remix of “Blame.” And while there is not an awful remix on this album, there are definitely better remixes that could have gone on this album. The CL McSpadden remix of “Missing”sounds like a cheap knock off of the Todd Terry remix that gave EBTG their biggest hit. The Adam F remix of “Before Today”and the Todd Terry remix of “Wrong”both don’t stand up to the Dillinja remix of “Before Today”and Ben Watt’s own bootleg mix of “Wrong.”Substituting these other two mixes in would have made Adapt or Die a truly standout album. As it stands now, Adapt or Die is a good album that is worth purchasing, especially if you do not own any EBTG remixes. And if you do own some, you owe it to yourself to get this album for the Jazzy Jeff remix alone. With last year’s greatest hits album and this remix album, the only thing Everything But The Girl can do now is release new material. Here’s to hoping that they choose that form of adaptation instead of just letting their wonderful musical project die.

•

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

MA R . 31 f r e e

•

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

w i l l

... AND IN ADDITION, TWO PLUS TWO EQUALS FOUR.

a s t r o l o g y

ARIES

M. Ward Transistor Radio Merge BY IMRAN SIDDIQUEE

Through the haze of Americana that has billowed out of the indie music scene in the past two years or so, M. Ward has ridden high above the clouds. Following his phenomenal Transfiguration in 2003, he returns in ’05 to expand his collection of catchy and creative homegrown alternative folk. Unlike the Devendra Banharts of the world, who excel by piercing the strange and subtle core of folk storytelling, Ward veers towards the melodic backbone of this truly American genre, concocting a sound that is entirely his own. His pounding beat on “Deep Dark Well”or the accentuated rhythm of “HiFi”are only two of the many examples of his hearkening for sweetened chord progression. “Big Boat”is another song that will have you tapping your toes and singing along in no time. Beginning with an awesome piano it adds a heavy beat and a huge bass guitar while Ward spews simple lines about the hazards of materialism. Ward expands on his base style on swinging numbers such as “Here Comes the Sun Again,”which takes his signature melancholic positivity to new heights. The obvious reference to

m a r

(March 21-April 19)

"Some people weave burlap into the fabric of our lives, and some weave gold thread," says Cosmo Doogood in his Urban Alamanc. "Both contribute to make the whole picture beautiful and unique." I would add that there are certain people who on some occasions weave burlap into the fabric of our lives, and at other times weave gold thread. You are such a person, Aries. At this particular moment, though, you're in one of your gold-thread phases. Honor your natural tendencies, please. Save your rougher gifts for later so you can concentrate on giving your grace and beauty now.

TAU RU S

George Harrison’s original is accentuated by the presence of a similar melody. But Ward finds the sad irony in the phrase “here comes the sun again,”and he is able to make you cry and smile within a few lines, all in that same sly tone of voice. “Lullaby and Exile”is one of three fine tunes that come near the end of the record, where Ward slows it down to a simple acoustic jaunt. Once again he cleverly expresses the bipolar nature of life; “Well a sound of a bell/could sound like angel’s crying/or sunlight multiplying/through Virgin Mary in stained glass.” Though this record lacks a song with the breathtaking beauty of Ward’s cover of Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,”it does contain an amazing intro instrumental that has implanted itself in my consciousness for days. A rollicking and perfectly melodious riff on his acoustic guitar, that rises and falls quickly, before gliding into the next track. The first song alone is worth the price of admission, among the singer/songwriter’s best work, but if we’ve learned nothing else from Ward’s growing canon, it’s that he is never anything short of consistent. Transistor Radio is a gorgeous little break from the monotony of not only popular music but life in general. It’s a little bit of heaven that M. Ward has let float down from his clouds.

(April 20-May 20)

Green Day recently won a Grammy for best rock album, but their future was in doubt a few years ago. The band's three members weren't getting along, record sales were declining, and they no longer felt aligned with the bratty punk attitude that had originally been the core of their identity. They tried a variety of experients to shake themselves out of their funk. Their best idea was to rebel against their signature style by recording a bunch of silly songs like polka ditties and dirty Christmas carols. A similar approach would be a good prescription for you right now, Taurus. Whether you're suffering from a mental block or emotional constipation, one possible cure is to play at being what you're not.

GEMINI

what ’s your sign?

(May 21-June 20)

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22)

There are a number of organizations whose specialty is dreaming up new holidays. With their inventions added to the old standards, you now have the chance to goof off as you celebrate something or other on every single day of the year. I'll mention a few upcoming festivals that are perfect for you and your astrological needs. First there's No Housework Day on April 7. Avoid all humdrum domestic chores during that 24-hour period, and don't feel a trace of guilt. April 8 brings Take a Wild Guess Day, when you should entertain sudden inspirations and out-of-the-blue hunches. April 9 is Rebel against Your Past Day. Refuse to be controlled by what you used to be. On April 10, observe Fantastic Fantasy Day, a time when you should let your imagination run wild. April 11 is Wear Someone Else's Clothes Day, and April 12 is Be Big and Loud Day.

VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Though much of Iceland is covered with snow, glaciers, and lava plateaus, the town of Hveragerdi is graced with greenhouses where geothermal energy is harnessed to grow bananas. You remind me of this oasis, Virgo. Though you're surrounded by what might be described as a barren wasteland, you yourself are a warm, nurturing source of fertility. No matter how inhospitable it might get outside of your circle in the next two weeks, you should just keep growing.

LIBRA

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

"Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use," said semanticist Wendell Johnson. Though I almost always agree with his advice, I have to make an exception for you Geminis this week. This may be one of the most bigger-than-life, no-strings-attached interludes in many moons. Even the ordinary could become epic; the last might become first and vice versa. In the midst of blockbuster special effects and melodramatic plot twists, you might find that invocations of "always" and "never" are downright reasonable.

When people need a major alibi to get out of work or explain their absence from an event they're expected to attend, one of the most frequently used excuses is "I had to go to my grandmother's funeral." While I'm definitely not predicting your grandmother will die this week, I am prophesying that you'll need an equally plausible reason to skip out on an unexciting task in order to enjoy a very pleasant adventure. A good surprise is coming, Libra, and you should do whatever it takes to make sure that a previously scheduled duty doesn't get in the way.

CANCER

SCORPIO

(June 21-July 22)

"I used to have superpowers," the bumper sticker says, "but my therapist took them away." Does that describe you? Have you been overly normalized by the bland conventions of what constitutes psychological health? Has your spunk been sapped by the pressure to behave yourself in a civilized manner? If so, I have two bits of advice. They'll have a sickening effect if you apply them too liberally, but they'll be a wonderful tonic if you use them in small doses. First, here's some medicine from Thoreau: "Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something." Now try this inoculation by Rumi (as translated by Coleman Barks): "Forget safety./ Live where you fear to live./ Destroy your reputation./ Be notorious./ I have tried prudent planning/ long enough./ From now/ on, I'll be mad."

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Inmates at a penitentiary in Washington have created The Convict Cookbook. Normal prison fare gets pretty boring, so they've improvised recipes that can be cooked in a jail cell using radiator pipes instead of a stove and plastic bags in place of bowls. Proceeds from the book's sale go to a children's museum. Judging from your temporary astrological omens, Scorpio, I think The Convict Cookbook could serve as an inspiration. While you're in nowhere near as tight a spot as those criminals, your style has definitely been getting cramped lately. Why not have fun while you're indisposed? Maybe you can even turn a profit and contribute to a good cause as you do.

SAGITTARIUS

buzz weekly • 3 1

a p r

0 6

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

English poet William Wordsworth said that "Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings." By that definition, Sagittarius, you'll be a fount of poetry this week. For best results, though, don't immediately translate those spontaneous feelings into action. Let them have their way with you for a while before you decide what they all mean. It's one of those frothy, dazzling times when you have no more important task than to honor your emotional riches with your reverent, patient attention.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Mahatma Gandhi said that "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." You are maybe as close as you've ever been to achieving that mythical state. I'm tempted to say that there's a cosmic conspiracy working to unify elements of your life that have long been at odds. Fragments are weaving themselves together as if directed by a power that's beyond your conscious awareness. Contradictions that have at times threatened to make you feel like a hypocrite are tantalizingly close to melting away. I urge you to drop everything, Capricorn, so that you may give yourself fully to an intense collaboration with this cosmic conspiracy.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Anne Sullivan (1866-1936) was a miracle worker who taught the deaf, dumb, and blind child, Helen Keller, how to communicate. Through Sulllivan's efforts, Keller grew up to become a renowned author and public speaker dedicated to social reform. I believe most of us are visited at least once in our lives by our own version of Anne Sullivan--a teacher who offers us dramatic help in overcoming our limitations. For you, Aquarius, 2005 could bring the arrival of such a person. Will you respond or will you turn away, retreating to your comfortable ignorance? What happens in the coming weeks may be crucial in answering that question.

PISCES

(Feb. 19-March 20)

I came across an interesting meditation in a New Yorker analysis of the film, The Assassination of Richard Nixon. Describing the main character, Sam Byck, played by Sean Penn, the reviewer observed that "Sam wants to be treated as an individual. But, living in a competitive and utilitarian society, he doesn't have sufficient talent to be treated as an individual." Do you agree with this statement, Pisces? Is it your belief that the more talented a person is, the more deserving he or she is of being treated as an individual? Think it through thoroughly. In the coming week, you'll be dealing with variations on this theme, and how you respond could have a big impact on your ability to express your own talents.

ART and THEATER

Flexible Hours & GREAT PAY!! We offer 10 - 40+ Hours/Week

$7.00 - $12.00+ /Hour

Route Delivery Positions and Packaging Positions -Kankakee -Peoria -Bloomington

“Here Again” [a story told in daily installments of sound and distributed via the Internet. The IPRH featured work will include an expansion of the original 2004 installment.] IPRH through April 22, Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm, www.iprh.uiuc.edu “Spirits” [featuring textiles, constructions, paintings and other media from Lisa Nelson Raabe and Anne Hughes] Verde Gallery through April 9 Tue-Sat 10am-10pm

We have 8 locations around Illinois: -Decatur -Springfield -Morris

50,000 Watts [drawings by UIUC Professor Ron Kovatch and new ceramics by retired SIU Professor Dan Anderson] Cinema Gallery April 2 - 30 Tue-Sat 10am-4pm

-Chicago -Bolling Brook

1-800-642-8994 www.homecityice.com

“Apocalypse Then: Images of Destruction, Prophecy, and Judgment from Dürer to the Twentieth Century” Krannert Art Museum through April 3 Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm, Sun 2-5pm Suggested Donation: $3 “Over + Over: Passion for Process” [art inspired by the arts and crafts movement,

including meticulous hand-beading, sewing, quilting, silhouette cutting, collaging, and collecting] Krannert Art Museum through April 3 Guided tour conducted by Kathleen Harleman, KAM Director and exhibit organizer March 10, 3:30pm. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm, Sun 2-5pm Suggested Donation: $3 “State Of The Art 2005 National Biennial Watercolor Invitational” Parkland Art Gallery through April 6 Mon-Fri 10am–3pm, Mon-Thur 6–8pm, Sat 12pm–2pm Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon Light Show William M. Staerkel Planetarium at Parkland April 1, 2 ,8 ,9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 9:30pm, $3-5 “Marisol” [a young Puerto Rican woman in the Bronx finds herself surrounded by society's corrosion and corruption, where neo-Nazis set fire to the homeless and Citicorp kidnaps people who exceed their credit limit.] Krannert Studio Theater

March 31-April 2, 7:30pm; April 6, 7:30pm; April 7-9, 7:30pm; April 10, 3pm. $6-$12 "The Skin of Our Teeth" [This zany play features George Antrobus, inventor extraordinaire, who with his wife, two children, and maid seem a typical American family living in New Jersey. However, they are also Adam, Eve, Cain, Lilith, and a daughter who survive the 'trifles' of everyday life from the Ice Age to world war.] Parkland Theatre April 6, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16 at 8 p.m. and April 17 at 3 p.m. $6-$10. There will be a post-performance talk with the director and actors on April 8. call 351-2528 or visit www.parkland.edu/theatre for more information "The Space Between" [paintings by Lei Z. Shanbhag, mixed media works by Shannon Batman and video by Teresa Gale. Springer Cultural Center April 6 - May 1. Opening reception on April 15th, 6-8 pm with live music by Lanterna, and artists' talk at 7. Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sunday 12-5 pm.

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

16 • b u z z w e e k l y

CAN YOU PAY A RAINBOW TO BE LESS BEAUTIFUL?

A Fresh

C.V. Lloyde Music Cener 102 S. Neil St., Downtown Champaign (217) 352-7031 www.cvlloyde.com M-F 10-7 Sat 10-5

New Flow

Listen to a song that’s sure to be a smash hit once you listen! Title: The Way I Flow Artist: Anthony Wynn I know you have heard a lot of songs over and over again. This is not one of those songs. Here’s what I want you to do: log onto www.itunes.com and find a song you will love once you hear. Click on new artist, new music. You can find all my songs at every E-store on the internet. Thank you! (The way I flow)*(Wrap me with your love) (Its over)*(You’re the love)

Please Email me at IWYNN@iglide.net. For more info log onto www.THEORCHARD.com (773) 483-1352 fax (773) 483-1352 Go to www.itunes.com New Music & Artist Anthony Wynn

C-U Taxi/ Illini Taxi 1410 N. Neil, Champaign 217/384-5892 open 24-hours a day

MA R . 31

•

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

MA R . 31

•

A P R . 6 , 2 OO5

v e n u e s C H A M P A I G N

THE

U R B A N A

ASSEMBLY HALL | First & Florida, Champaign 333-5000 AMERICAN LEGION POST 24 | 705 W Bloomington, Champaign 356-5144 AMERICAN LEGION POST 71 | 107 N Broadway, Urbana 367-3121 AROMA CAFE | 118 N Neil, Champaign 352-9756 BARFLY | 120 N Neil, Champaign 352-9756 BOLTINI LOUNGE | 211 N Neil, Champaign 378-8001 BOARDMAN’S ART THEATER | 126 W Church, Champaign 351-0068 THE BRASS RAIL | 15 E University, Champaign 352-7512 THE CANOPY CLUB (GARDEN GRILL) | 708 S Goodwin, Urbana 367-3140 CHANNING-MURRAY FOUNDATION | 1209 W Oregon, Urbana COSMOPOLITAN CLUB | 307 E John, Champaign 367-3079 COURTYARD CAFE | Illini Union, 1401 W Green, Urbana 333-4666 COWBOY MONKEY | 6 Taylor, Champaign 398-2688 CURTIS ORCHARD | 3902 S Duncan, Champaign 359-5565 D.R. DIGGERS | 604 S Country Fair, Champaign 356-0888 ELMER’S CLUB 45 | 3525 N Cunningham, Urbana 344-3101 EMBASSY TAVERN & GRILL | 114 S Race, Urbana 384-9526 ESQUIRE LOUNGE | 106 N Walnut, Champaign 398-5858 FALLON’S ICE HOUSE | 703 N Prospect, Champaign 398-5760 FAT CITY SALOON | 505 S Chestnut, Champaign 356-7100 THE GREAT IMPASTA | 114 W Church, Champaign 359-7377 G.T.’S WESTERN BOWL | Francis, Champaign 359-1678 THE HIGHDIVE | 51 Main, Champaign 359-4444 HUBER’S | 1312 W Church, Champaign 352-0606 ILLINOIS DISCIPLES FOUNDATION | 610 E Springfield, Champaign 352-8721 INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTER | 218 W Main, Urbana 344-8820 THE IRON POST | 120 S Race, Urbana 337-7678 JACKSON'S RIBS-N-TIPS RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE | 116 N First, Champaign 355-2916JOE’S BREWERY | 706 S Fifth, Champaign 384-1790 KRANNERT ART MUSEUM | 500 E Peabody, Champaign

333-1861 KRANNERT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | 500 S Goodwin, Urbana Tickets: 333-6280, 800-KCPATIX LA CASA CULTURAL LATINA | 1203 W Nevada, Urbana 333-4950 LAVA | 1906 W Bradley, Champaign 352-8714 LINCOLN CASTLE | 209 S Broadway, Urbana 344-7720 MALIBU BAY LOUNGE | North Route 45, Urbana 328-7415 MIKE ‘N’ MOLLY’S | 105 N Market, Champaign 355-1236 NARGILE | 207 W Clark, Champaign NEIL STREET PUB | 1505 N Neil, Champaign 359-1601 THE OFFICE | 214 W Main, Urbana 344-7608 PARKLAND COLLEGE | 2400 W Bradley, Champaign 351-2528 PHOENIX | 215 S Neil, Champaign 355-7866 PIA’S OF RANTOUL | Route 136 E, Rantoul 893-8244 RED HERRING/CHANNING-MURRAY FOUNDATION | 1209 W Oregon, Urbana 344-1176 ROSE BOWL TAVERN | 106 N Race, Urbana 367-7031 SPRINGER CULTURAL CENTER | 301 N Randolph, Champaign 355-1406 SPURLOCK MUSEUM | 600 S Gregory, Urbana, 333-2360 THE STATION THEATRE | 223 N Broadway, Urbana 384-4000 STRAWBERRY FIELDS CAFE | 306 W Springfield, Urbana 328-1655 TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES | 105 N Walnut, Champaign 352-8938 TK WENDL’S | 1901 S Highcross, Urbana 255-5328 TOMMY G’S | 123 S Mattis, Country Fair Shopping Center 359-2177 TONIC | 619 S Wright, Champaign 356-6768 UNIVERSITY YMCA | 1001 S Wright, Champaign 344-0721 VERDE/VERDANT | 17 E Taylor, Champaign 366-3204 VIRGINIA THEATRE | 203 W Park Ave, Champaign 356-9053 WHITE HORSE INN | 112 1/2 E Green, Champaign 352-5945 ZORBA’S | 627 E Green, Champaign 344-0710

s o u n d s

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

HURLY-BURLY

w H at tH e He L L?

The Dandy Warhols have announced completion of their fifth LP, named Odditorium or Warlords of Mars, and have set a summer release date via Capitol.

Au t o m o b i l e c o n g l o m e r a t e Toyota announced at the South By Southwest Music Festival that it will be starting its own music imprint in order to break new bands and most likely sell a few cars in the process. Much like a Toyota, the bands may be around for a long time, but listening to them probably won’t get you a date.

Ryan Adams will release his latest LP Cold Roses via Lost Highway on May 3. It is the first of a projected three releases this year by Adams, an album September set for a summer release date and 29 to hit shelves this fall.

c h a r t s PARASOL RECORDS TOP 10 SELLERS 1. Shout Out Louds • Very Loud EP (Bud Fox/Capitol) 2. Decemberists • Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars) 3. Yo La Tengo • Prisoners Of Love (Matador) 4. Ivy • In the Clear (Nettwerk) 5. Soundtrack of Our Lives • The “Origin” (Republic/Universal) 6. Husky Rescue • Country Falls (Minty Fresh) 7. Radio Dept • This Past Week (Labrador) 8. Akmomo • Return to N.Y (A Hidden Agenda Record) 9. Josh Rouse • Nashville (Ryko) 10. M.I.A. • Arular (Beggars)

sound ground #69 TODD J. HUNTER • STAFF WRITER

f r o m

t h e

s c e n e

MOMENT OF THE WEEK

708 S. Goodwin 18+ Urbana, IL 344-BAND 344-BAND www.canop yclub.com www.canopy Thursday, M arch 3 0

VIDEO TRAPPE D THE RAPPER TOUR 2005

Bright Eyes has announced spring tour dates beginning April 18 and ending June 10, hitting Chicago’s Riviera on May 1415. The tour will see Bright Eyes mastermind Connor Oberst backed by members of The Faint, Cursive and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Friday, A pril 1

7 pm earl y show!

The White Stripes have announced they have finished recording their latest LP in their hometown of Detroit. The as yet untitled album will be released June 14 via V2/ Third Man.

Saturday, April 2

w. Hello Dave

Former Replacements lead singer Paul Westerberg has announced some tour dates in support of an upcoming “best of ” compilation on Rhino records. The tour begins April 14 and ends June 1 with a set at Chicago’s Riviera theatre on April 15.

music

welcome development in 2005 is the expansion, or restoration, of Cameo Turret. Founded in Billings, Mont., by Kip and Rachel Brandstadter, it matured into a rock quartet before the couple relocated to Champaign. Last year, they performed here under the same name as an acoustic duo.Twice at Nargile now, however, Cameo Turret has showcased a confident, full-bodied rock sound with the return of Mike “Too Smooth” Schmitt of Green Light Go on drums and the enlistment of Bethany Whisenhunt, on loan from Seattle, Wash., on bass. Kip and Rachel both sing and play guitar. The name Cameo Turret comes from a Richard Brautigan poem, and the band’s Northwestern origin is reflected in its set list (“Wyoming,”“Lumberjack”). In addition, Rachel will play May 26 at Aroma with Joanna Michal. To understate, The Living Blue is keeping busy. In March, after playing St. Patrick’s Day for the Minty Fresh showcase in Austin at SXSW, the band began recording album three at Gravity Studios in Chicago. Meanwhile, Alternative Press and Chicago Reader separately spotlighted The Living Blue. The latter reported, “one of its songs had been picked up for the MTV reality series Power Girls. Another is slated for a forthcoming feature film called Waiting.”The Living Blue have three local dates in April: tomorrow with The Beauty Shop at Nargile, $6 cover; April 16 for The Local CookOut at The Canopy Club, $8 cover ($5 in advance); and April 17 for Star Course Presents: An Evening with Ben Kweller at Foellinger Auditorium, $18.50 cover ($16 with valid UIUC student ID). In the absence of a current release, the new song “Murderous Youth” is available for a limited time at the SXSW web site: http://2005.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/18471.html To compensate for the quietude of spring break, the scene

s o u n d s

buzz weekly •

WHAT? NO. WE CAN’T STOP HERE. THIS IS BAT COUNTRY.

Tuesday, April 5

PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.WHITESTRIPES.NET

Friday, April 8 this week in music

reawakens with a vengeance tonight.The Suede Chain disbanded a decade ago and although it is not about to reconvene, its veterans return to Champaign to play together tonight in their current incarnations: Jason and Matt Docter in The Lift, and Brian Krumm and Brian Hunt in The Great Crusades. This is part of The Lift’s ten-city tour of the Midwest, and The Lift and The Great Crusades played together last night at 8:30 at Elbo Room Chicago with The Touchers and Lorenzo Goetz.The show tonight is at 10 at Cowboy Monkey with Lanterna, and cover is $5. Also at 10, Nargile hosts Shipwreck with Tractor Kings; cover is $5. At 9, as addressed last time, The Canopy Club hosts the Video Trapped the Rapper tour, and Brass Rail hosts Terminus Victor with Snakebite Machinegun, The Situation and Romancing the Bone; cover is $4. At 8:30, Courtyard Cafe hosts Twin Wrecks the Memory with DownPour, Maxlider and Broken Day (unconfirmed); cover is $4 ($3 with valid UIUC student ID). At 8, Aroma hosts Noisy Gators, and an undetermined location hosts the punk show previously scheduled at Red Herring. Sunday, Illinois Disciples Foundation presents Acoustic Lovin’: A Benefit for The Center for Women in Transition. “The Center for Women in Transition provides food, shelter and support services to homeless women” as they strive for self-sufficiency. On the bill are Larry Gates and Jesse Greenlee of Lorenzo Goetz, The Elanors, Mike Ingram, Kate Hathaway and Shipwreck. Cameron McGill had to cancel and sends his regrets.There will be Christmas lights and an active fireplace to make the show cozy. It is an allages show, and cover is $4. All proceeds go to The Center for Women in Transition. Todd J. Hunter hosts “WEFT Sessions”and “Champaign Local 901,”two hours of local music every Monday night at 10 on 90.1 FM. Send news to soundground@excite.com.

Monday, A pril 1 1 7 pm DDoors 8 pm sshow! Tuesday, April 12

w.guests

DJ DJ Delaney

Friday, April 15

Thursday, A pril 2 1 ... AND Y OU W ILL KNOW U S B Y T HE TRAIL O F D EAD with “ the s word ” & “ the b lack ”

Sunday, April 24

MC Chris

as heard heard on Cart Cartoon Networ k’s s twork’ Adult Swim!

Tickets for advance shows on sale now at: The Canopy Club, Family Pride, and Bacca Cigar, or call 1-800-514-ETIX. Or print tickets at home on JayTV.com!

Live Music Jazz Jam with ParaDocs The Iron Post, 7-10pm, TBA Quadremedy [rock] Tommy G's, 10pm, free

Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. Maya Angelou

aCOUSTIC LOVIN': thursday March 31

A BENEFIT FOR THE CENT ER FOR WOMEN IN TRANSIT ION

THE ELANORS

buzz pick LARRY GATES AND JESS GREENLEE (OF LORENZO GOETZ), THE ELANORS, MIKE INGRAM, KATE HATHAWAY SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 8PM, $4, ILLINOIS DISCIPLES FOUNDATION

The mission of the Center for Women in Transition states that the organization "provides support services and safe transitional housing to homeless women and their children to foster and sustain their self-sufficiency." On Sunday night a group of local musicians come together to support this very worthy cause. In addition to gaining good karma by attending this show, music fans will also be treated to all-acoustic sets by local favorites in the cozy setting of the living room of the IDF. Kate Hathaway, Mike Ingramand The Elanors will perform with their usual acoustic goodness. Larry Gates on guitar and Jess Greenlee on percussion will end the night with some acoustic renditions of favorites from their usually non-acoustic band Lorenzo Goetz. By Cassie Conner

Puzzle

pg.18

Live Music Parkland Big Band The Iron Post, 7-9pm, TBA Acoustic Music Series: The Noisy Gators Aroma, 8pm, free Kayla Brown Boltini Lounge, 8pm, free Terminus Victor, Snakebite Machinegun, The Situation, Romancing the Bone Brass Rail, 9pm, $4 Video Trapped the Rapper Tour 2005: Earatik Statik, Tableek, Ciencia, Fixion, H The Great The Canopy Club, 9pm, $4 Backyard Tire Fire, Bockman Paulie's, 9pm, $3 Caleb Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Jammin' Jimmy Bean Tommy G's, 9pm, free Weasel Dreams Quintet Zorba's, 9:30pm-12:30am, $3 The Lift, The Great Crusades, Lanterna Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $5 Shipwreck, Tractor Kings, TBA Nargile, 10pm, $5 Twin Wrecks the Memory, DownPour, Maxlider Courtyard Cafe, TBA, $3/UIUC students, $4/non Carnatic (South Indian) Classical Vocal Music Channing-Murray Foundation Hall, 7:30pm, free DJ DJ J-Phlip [house] Bar fly, 10pm, free Generic DJ Jackson’s Ribs-n-Tips, 8-11pm Karaoke "G" Force Karaoke Pia's of Rantoul 9pm-1am, free The Cheezy Trio Geo's, 9pm, TBA Lectures, Meetings, Discussions Meet the Candidates Forum Douglass Branch Library 6:30-7:30pm The Real Meets the Imagines: Northwest Coast Art, Claude Levi-Strauss and the Surrealists

Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 7:30pm Film Soldiers Pay Illinois Disciples Foundation 7-9pm, free Dancing UIUC Swing Society McKinley Foundation 9:30pm-12am, free Fitness Belly Dance for Fitness The Fitness Center Champaign, 8pm, $7-$9 Belly Dance for Fitness Gold’s Gym, Champaign 7:30pm, $7-$9 Wine Tasting Krannert Uncorked Krannert Art Center Lobby 5pm, free

friday April 1

Live Music Jazz Happy Hour: Ear Doctor The Iron Post, 5-7pm, free Al Ierardi Tommy G's, 5pm, free Kate Hathaway, Richard Edwards Caffe Paradiso, 7pm, free Oteil and The Peacemakers The Canopy Club, 7pm, $6 in advance Bockman The Iron Post, 9pm, TBA Country Connection Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, $1 The Detholz!, Danger Adventure, Shipwreck Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $5 The Living Blue, The Beauty Shop, TBA Nargile, 10pm, $6 Lost Boys [80's hard rock and hair metal] Tommy G's, 10pm, cover DJ DJ Bozak [hip hop, downtempo] Barfly, 10pm, free Alpha Phi Alpha DJ Dance Party The Canopy Club, 10:30pm, cover DJ Tim Williams [hip hop, house, top 40 dance] The Highdive, 10:30pm, $5 DJ Mighty Dog Jackson’s Ribs-n-Tips, 9-2am

Education Parkland Spring Open House [talk one-on-one with faculty and staff throughout the college] Parkland College, 2-5pm Lectures, Discussions, Meetings The Latest Advances in Cancer Therapy William M. Staerkel Planetarium at Parkland, 7pm, $1 Theater Mark Morris Dance Group Tryon Festival Theater, 7:30pm, $24-$36

saturday April 2

Live Music Ed Anderson [of Backyard Tire Fire] CII East, 5pm, free Green Mountain Grass Pages For All Ages, 7pm, free Billy Currington, Hello Dave The Canopy Club, 9pm, $16/advance, $18/door Country Connection Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, $1 Whiskey Daredevils, The Situation Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $5 J. Davis Trio Friends & Co., 10pm, TBA Even Flow [Pearl Jam tribute band], A Certain Shade of Green [Incubus tribute band] Tommy G's, 10pm, cover First Coat, The Elanors The Iron Post, 9pm, TBA Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchastra Foellinger Great Hall, 7:30pm, $10-$28 DJ Underground Elements: DJ Geist, Uncle Roro, DJ Scurvy, TBA Paulie's, 8pm, $5 DJ Resonate [hip hop] Barfly, 10pm, free DJ Mellow Fellow [hip hop, retro, R&B] Nargile, 10pm, free DJ Tim Williams The Highdive, 10pm, $5 DJ Mighty Dog Jackson’s Ribs-n-Tips, 9-2am

Karaoke Liquid Courage Karaoke Geo's, 9pm-1am, free Theater Mark Morris Dance Group Tryon Festival Theater, 7:30pm, $24-$36

sunday April 3

Live Music The Prairie Dogs The Iron Post, 7-10pm, TBA Motion City Soundtrack, Communique, Somerset Courtyard Cafe, 7:30pm, $12/UIUC students, $14/non Acoustic Lovin': A Benefit for the Center for Women in Transition: Larry Gates and Jess Greenlee of Lorenzo Goetz, The Elanors, Mike Ingram, Kate Hathaway, Shipwreck Illinois Disciples Foundation 8pm, $4 Asylum Street Spankers [rock/folk/punk/bluegrass] Cowboy Monkey, 9pm, $10 The Crystal River Band Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Free Rock Show: Pirates of the Boneyard [rock, hard rock, southern covers] Tommy G's, 9pm, free Traditional Irish Music [hosted by fiddler Lisa Boucher] Mike & Molly’s, 5pm, free Open Mic Night Geovanti's, 8pm-12am Illinois Brass Quintet Foellinger Great Hall, 7:30pm, $2-$6 Kilborn Alley Jackson’s Ribs-n-Tips, 8-11pm

DJ UC Hip Hop presents Chill in the Grill [DJs, MCs, break dancers and more] The Canopy Club, 9pm, free Ear Candy [house DJ's] Nargile, 9pm, free DJ Delayney [hip hop, soul] Barfly, 10pm, free Family Monday Mania [Play with your infant/toddler in a gym atmosphere. Brought to you by Mothers & More and the Champaign Park District] Leonard Recreation Center 10am-12pm. $2/CPD member, $3/non Lectures, Meetings, Discussions Eat with iT [Individuals Together is a grassroots organization that works to bring together young professionals/ artists/students/individuals of all backgrounds to just eat together and network on a variety of topics] The Great Impasta, 6pm New Challenges, New Opportunities: Mary Frances Berry [discussion of the global struggle for human rights] Third Floor, Levis Faculty Center, www.cas.uiuc.edu for more information

tuesday April 5

Live Music Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra: Arturo O'Farrill Krannert Center, 7:30pm, $21-36

The Dark Star Orchestra [Grateful Dead tribute band] The Canopy Club, 9pm, $15 Joan Hickley, Jeff Helgesen, Armand Boudion, Jeff Magby The Iron Post, 9pm, TBA The Crystal River Band [country] Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Machines That Think, TBA Nargile, 10pm, TBA Adam Wolfe's Acoustic Night with Jess Greenlee Tommy G's, 10pm, free Open Stage Espresso Royale Goodwin & Oregon, 8pm, free UI Symphony Orchastra and Oratorio Society Foellinger Great Hall 7:30pm, $2-$6 Jazz at Lincoln Center’s AfroLatin Jazz Orchestra Foellinger Great Hall 7:30pm, $2-$6 DJ DJ Sophisto [house] Barfly, 10pm, free DJ Reaganomics [80's music] Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free Subversion: DJ ZoZo, DJ Evily, DJ TwinScin [goth, industrial, electro] The Highdive, 10pm, $2 Karaoke "G" Force Karaoke Neil St. Pub, 8pm-12am, free Liquid Courage Karaoke Geo's Chill and Grill, 9pm, free Lectures, Meetings, Discussions Author Presentation: Dave Pelzer’s “A Child Called ‘It’” Champaign Public Library 7pm, free

wednesday April 6

The Iron Post, 9pm, TBA Ed o'Hara and Friends Rose Bowl Tavern 9pm, free Apollo Project Nargile, 10pm, free Blues Night: Kilborn Alley Tommy G's, 10pm, free Chambana Jackson’s Ribs-n-Tips, 8-10p

Film IPRH Film Series: Harold and Maude Krannert Art Museum Room 62, 5:30, free Lectures, Meetings, Discussions Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology and NanoCEMMS Seminar Series [Dr. Nicole Grobert, Department of Materials, University of Oxford] 5602 Beckman Institute, 4pm Open Poetry Night [writers may read their own work or just listen] Illini Union Bookstore,7-8 pm Fitness UIUC Yoga Club Illini Union room 406 7:30pm, free

Live Music Green Mountain Grass

www.cumusicawards.com with performances by:

Triple Whip $5 at the door Lorenzo Goetz The Living Blue Brandon T. Washington Dawna Nelson Listen to WPGU 107.1 for your chance to win tickets to this amazing event!