Buzz Magazine: June 10, 2004

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DON’T FORGET FATHER’S DAY IS COMING ... BUT WHAT DAY IS IT AGAIN? | JUNE 10 -16, 2004

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The musical artistry of

DEVENDRA BANHART The new faces of avant-garde folk Pg. 7 & 8

T HE V IRGINIA

MARKS

ITS PLACE IN HISTORY

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ARTIST ALLEN STRINGFELLOW RETURNS FOR HOMETOWN EXHIBIT

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HEY KIDS! I BET YOU THOUGHT THAT I WAS DEAD! | JUNE 10 - 16, 2004 buzz

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TOP OF THE NINTH

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The Story

4 The Virginia Theatre marks a historic moment The regal theater murmurs as audiences members anticipate the evening show. The soft light that illuminates the room goes down as the rich red curtains rise and the show begins. The anticipation in the room is unfamiliar to the walls of the Virginia...

Arts 6 Artist Allen Stringfellow visits Champaign-Urbana The call of the trumpet, the kick of the drums, the slap of the bass and the twinkle of the keyboards provide the soundtrack to Allen Stringfellow’s artwork depicting African-American life. The opening of ...

Music 9 The art of folk: Devendra Bandhart & Joanna Newsom reviews Joanna Newsom’s debut release (disregarding two self-released EPs) is her attempt to demonstrate the capabilities of her preferred instrument, which she feels has been misrepresented in mainstream music...

Calendar 11 Singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield at Highdive You might remember Juliana Hatfield from her 1990s popularity as a member of alternative rock band The Lemonheads, or maybe from her early 90s hit “Spin the Bottle.” But regardless of whether...

Film

16 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban For all of their worldly success, the films based on J.K. Rowling’s wildly popular Harry Potter series have had their share of muggles (for the uninitiated: muggle, n. anyone not down with...

PHOTO COURTESY OF | LENKA DUSILOVA

BUZZ STAFF

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Volume 2, Number 19

Editor in chief Marissa Monson Art Directors Meaghan Dee & Carol Mudra Copy Chief Chris Ryan Music Jacob Dittmer Art Katie Richardson Film Paul Wagner Community Margo O’Hara Calendar Maggie Dunphy Photography Editor Roderick Gedey Calendar Coordinators Cassie Conner, Erin Scottberg Photography Roderick Gedey Copy Editors Chris Ryan, Nellie Waddell Designers Glenn Cochon, Chris Depa, Jacob Dittmer, Maggie Dunphy, Margo O’Hara Production Manager Theon Smith Sales Manager John Maly Marketing/Distribution Melissa Schleicher, Maria Erickson Publisher Mary Cory

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Copyright Illini Media Company 2004

MARISSA MONSON EDITOR IN CHIEF

N

ow that the candidates have been narrowed down for the 2004 election, the campaign ads start airing, and the insults start flying. In the past, the candidates election committees have resorted to negative ads. These ads tend to leave a sour taste in most voters’ mouths and leave both candidates looking silly. However, this year, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has put their money behind a new twist on typical negative campaign strategy. It’s called Republican Survivor.

Republican Survivor is a web-based show modeled from the popular reality show Survivor. All of your favorite Republican players are there. George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Ann Coulter, Katherine Harris, Tom Delay and John

Ashcroft. In the first episode, the crew plays a game of capture the flag.

Republican or Democrat, we can all appreciate a little humor injected into what is typically a pretty straight-laced campaign. This web-based show could possibly get more disinterested individuals from the “dreaded 25 and under group” to get out and vote. If you can’t find a player to root for in the party spoof, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia makes an appearance as the “immunity fairy”. He designates which contestants can’t be voted from the island.

The jokes are great, but more importantly, the show is a nice change of pace from the serious, typical nature of Election campaign commercials.

Hopefully more of this campaign style will be used. It’s okay to laugh about politics. If we don’t, we may cry.

-M.M.

The Gipper and why sports still matter

BY ADAM AND SETH FEIN | 2ON2OUT

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JUNE 10 -16, 2004 | SCREW THE FOOD PYRAMID. I’M GOING ON ATKINS.

here is something to be said for history.

Cliche, I know, but I can’t help but try to dissect how American history and sports seem to collide so often.

This past Saturday, some things happened—within hours of each other—that will help shape history. I think it should be acknowledged because, simply, it matters.

First and foremost, former President Reagan joined the party in the sky. I could never hate Reagan the way that my older ultra-liberal friends or my parents do. I was too young to understand what he was doing at the time to formulate a solid opinion and what’s more, well, he’s The Gipper. If you’ve ever seen Knute Rockne All American, you’d know what I mean. To me, Ronald Reagan was too nice a guy to be as shrewd and cunning as Dubya or his scallywag dad. Nixon was a schmuck based, more than anything, on the way he handled himself until the day he died.

Nope. Reagan was a good guy in my book, and I say that knowing how poorly he dealt with the economy and the excess of global famine that was so prevalent during that time.

I know deep down how much I disagree with him politically, but I don’t want to dislike him for one reason more than any.

President Reagan bled baseball.

He was always known for his charismatic ability to contain people with his speech. It’s what made him the superstar he was in Hollywood, and naturally, the same reason he was so politically popular. He was easy to trust.

But Lord knows, we may never have another president who calls an inning at Wrigley.

Reagan was a broadcaster for the Cubbies in Des Moines during the 1930s, generally recreating games from the news ticker for the WHO radio network. But at the end of his presidency, with the late great Harry Caray at his side during the 1988 campaign, for the cubbies and his VP—that mark-ass trick George Sr.—the first true Hollywood politician made his way to the press box at the friendly confines.

A senior writer at Yellon.org was there to experience it.

He writes: “On September 30, 1988, Reagan was nearing the end of his second term and was in Chicago making a speech. Suddenly, he told his aides he wanted to take in the ballgame at Wrigley Field. I was there, and noticed after I had already gotten in the park, that there were sharpshooters on the roof, and metal detectors for fans coming in. The crowd was very small, only 9,805, and the Cubs lost, in one of those odd coincidences,

to the same team they played this weekend, the Pirates, 10-9 in 10 innings. (Footnote: Sixteen years later, one player who appeared in that game is still active—Rafael Palmeiro.)

Reagan also joined Harry Caray for an inning of play-by-play ... “ It warms my heart to know this. I can feel my love for the game and for this country well up inside my chest and I know that it matters.

Whatever the sport, it’s the amazing intricacies that exist within them that give them their charm. It’s a game-winning goal off a penalty shot in soccer. It’s the perfect game in baseball.

The last-second field goal in football, the game winning shot in hoops.

My father grew up with horses, the kind that race for money. His early life was experienced with that and despite the sad parts of the sport, there are beautiful things within it.

He still loves it. Lord knows that my mom would smoke him if he ever gambled their money away, and he doesn’t, but that love for those intricacies is branded deeply inside of him.

The Belmont Stakes ran last weekend, and Smarty Jones was up for the Triple Crown, after taking the Derby and the Preakness. The Triple Crown is the thing for racing fans. It’s the ultimate, and my father’s first words to me after we left Wrigley Field—where the Cubs finally showed signs of life against the cellarridden Pirates—were: “The Stakes run at 5:30.

This is huge.”

There was a glimmer in his eye; that look someone gets when something magnificent is on the brink of happening. I love that look. I know it and so do you.

But Smarty Jones didn’t win the Triple Crown. He lost by half a length or something at the very end of the home stretch and I know that it hurt my Dad. I wasn’t there with him, but I know how disappointing it was because he hasn’t even mentioned it to me since it ran.

It’s hard to say how a Triple Crown victory this year could have changed the world. I doubt anything monumental would have occurred, but still it would have had an effect.

The Gipper would have wanted Smarty Jones to win that race. And even though I know that my father had the tendency to vomit more over Reagan’s administration than most anything—even his aunt’s cooking—this simple fact reminds me of the ways that sports can bring even the most opposite of people together.

And that’s how I know it matters.

The 2ON2OUT are Seth and Adam Fein and would like to denounce Donald Rumsfeld and his policies and any hot dog that isn’t kosher.

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Guilty Conscience

by Richard Levinson & William Link A fiendish psychological thriller Opens June 19 Parfumerie

by Miklos Laszlo A romantic comedy of friends, life, and love Opens June 24 Studio Theatre, $7-$16 A Marvelous Party Summerfest Apprentice/Intern Benefit July 21, 23 $35, $25 with purchase of 2 or more plays The Younger Generation Apprentice/Intern Presentation July 31, 2pm, free

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being matters.

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DID YOU KNOW COMBOS ARE THE OFFICIAL CHEESE FILLED-SNACK OF NASCAR? | JUNE 10 -16, 2004

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): While living in Manhattan in the 1950s, avant-garde composer John Cage felt beleaguered by the omnipresence of radio sound. Rather than piss and moan, he wrote a musical piece that featured several radios tuned to different frequencies. After that, he was always able to respond to street radio noise with a pleasant sense of "They're playing my song." According to my reading of the astrological omens, Aries, this is a perfect strategy for you to borrow in the coming week.

Turn something that bothers you into something that comforts you, enhances you, or both. (Thanks to Ruby for inspiring this horoscope.)

5 Requests

2. Local H California Songs 3. The Blackouts No Tomorrow

Top

4. Dashboard Confessional Vindicated 5. The Cure The End of the World

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): One of my readers, Elizabeth Whitsage, told me a story of when she was working at Disneyland selling mouse-eared balloons. Every so often a mother, father, and young son would come up to her, the parents asking in enthusiastic voices "What color do you want?" and the son answering "Pink!" One parent, usually the father, would recoil in horror and say something like, "No, son, don't you want red or blue?" But before the child could reply, Elizabeth would whip a pink balloon out of the bunch and wrap its string around his wrist. Then she'd smile and say to the dad, "That'll be one dollar, please." Keep this story uppermost in mind during the week ahead, Taurus. Make sure that you always get and always give your personal equivalent of the pink balloon.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): From an astrological perspective, last January wasn't an ideal time to make New Year's resolutions. I'd be surprised if you kept any of the promises you made back then.

On the other hand, now is a perfect moment to make New Year'stype resolutions. Here are a few free samples to inspire you. 1. "I resolve to seek out conversations that are so intense and interesting that I lose track of time." 2. "While in the throes of road rage, I resolve to howl like a wolf." 3."I resolve to unashamedly pray for cash, enjoy how messy my room is, and sing along loudly with the muzak in public places."

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Jean-Dominique Bauby was a 43year-old editor when he suffered an unusual stroke. Though his brain remained undamaged, his entire body was paralyzed except for his left eye. Slowly he learned to communicate in code by blinking, and over the next two years he dictated a memoir.

Feeling as if he were trapped in a diving bell, but with his imagination as free as a butterfly, he called his book The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Critics have described it as "inspirational" and "a jewel." Bauby is your role model during this last difficult phase of your yearly cycle, Cancerian. Though you won't suffer from any physical affliction, your psychic turmoil may make you feel imprisoned and inaccessible. And yet I promise you that you can find a way to liberate your mind and convey luminous truths to the people who matter.

Make your vote for the

TOP 8 most requested songs!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I don't know if you're the type of person who enjoys trance-dancing half-undressed till 4 a.m. at bacchanalian parties, then prowling the early morning streets barking at the moon and singing songs from Broadway musicals with loony companions until you end up playing strip poker outside an allnight diner as the sun comes up. But if you are that type of person, this will be a perfect week to indulge your inclinations. If you're not, please find an equivalent adventure that you're comfortable with. 'Tis the season to be rowdy.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I propose that you drink a toast to Virgo actress Sophia Loren, who has been in a hundred movies during her long career. To do so may help you take maximum advantage of this phase of your astrological cycle, when your instinct for creating abundance and longevity is at a peak. Are you game? Say this: "May the spirit of Sophia Loren come to me in my dreams and reveal her secret of enduring success." I suggest you also visualize Loren's fortieth birthday, when her husband gave her a custom-made, 14-karat-gold toilet seat. Then drink a toast to yourself, saying: "As compensation for all the times that fate has kicked my ass over the years, may I now receive a reward that's as luxurious as Sophia Loren's magic toilet seat."

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): This is a perfect time to translate your recent inner changes into a visible form. If you're an artist, start work on a masterpiece that reflects your fresh insights. If you're a businessperson, dream up novel approaches to making money from doing what you love.If you're a politician, get yourself a new spin doctor. If you're between gigs, experiment with your physical appearance. However you do it, Libra, show the world vivid evidence of how you've transformed.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Aeschylus, the seminal playwright of ancient Greece, wrote over ninety plays, but most did not survive the ravages of time.The evidence for his renown has consisted of just seven works. Recently, however, archaeologists have discovered an eighth, "Achilles." It was on a papyrus scroll stuffed inside an Egyptian mummy. This summer, a theater company in Cyprus will stage the play for the first time in over 2,000 years. I urge you Scorpios to be alert for ways this story can serve as a metaphor for your personal quest in the near future. What old but dynamic parts of your life have been all but lost? How can you regain access to them and make them work for you now?

can cloud objectivity and make negotiations more jarring. Since you and your partners will probably want to agree on some common goals, you should include calming blue in the mix. Not too much, though: An excess of blue can cause a chill.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): My analysis of the cosmic omens suggests that you have one major assignment this week, Capricorn: to kill germs. I'm referring to both the physical and psychic versions of those tiny invaders. There'll be more of them than usual trying to mess with you. As a public service, I'll remind you of the factors that are most effective in zapping pest of all kinds: hot soapy water, fresh air, sunshine, orgasms, and tears.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It's the perfect moment to ask you a question I've been thinking about posing for a long time, so here goes. I'd like to know if you're willing to push hard to get better, improve your attitude, grow your devotion to the truth, fuel your commitment to beauty, refine your emotions, hone your dreams, face your shadow, cure your ignorance, and soften your heart -- even as you pledge to always accept yourself for exactly who you are with all your so-called imperfections, never demeaning the present moment by comparing it to an idealized past or future. Well? Are you?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "More good has been launched by more people from kitchen tables than any other platform in the land," says populist writer Jim Hightower, quoted in Orion magazine. I hope you take his words to heart, Pisces. Even if your power spot is normally in an office or store or art studio, this week it will be at your kitchen table. Even if you normally like to brainstorm with your allies at restaurants or bars or on long walks, this week you should gather them at your kitchen table. The dreams and schemes you hatch there in the coming days could change the course of history.

✍ HOMEWORK: Psychologists

hypothesize that the best way to eliminate a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. Tell how you're going to do just that. www.freewillastrology.com.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Color psychologists say that red stimulates emotional intensity.It can raise the temperature of love and awaken feelings that have been subconscious or dormant. Given the rich potentials for deepening intimacy that are now available, you may therefore want to add more red to your apparel and environment. On the other hand, be aware that red

Brezsny’s Free Will ☎ Rob Astrology freewillastrology@comcast.net 415.459.7209 P.O. Box 798 San Anselmo, CA 94979

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS Snapped Arrowhead feature E.T.O. carrier Other direction It may get you out of a rut: Abbr.

17 56-Across’s land 18 One might be verbal 19 Waiting to exhale?

20 Dairy product used in some cheese plants 22 Asian capital 23 Saxophonist nicknamed “the Sound” 24 Enjoying 25 Tight (with) 27 Appearance after an eclipse 31 Not treat seriously, with “at” 32 Aesop’s morals, e.g.

33 Pole length?

35 Mil. post in Fayetteville, N.C. 39 Baseball Hall-of-Famer George and others 41 L’___-deux-guerres (French era) 42 Cold side 45 “Goin’ Gone” singer Kathy 1 7 11 14 16

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JUNE 10 - 16, 2004 | HAPPINESS IS WARM APPLESAUCE

FIRST THING’S FIRST...

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY (JUNE 10 - 16)

1. Franz Ferdinand Take Me Out

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Demeter’s mother Memorial announcer Self starter?

Noted early 20th-century writer/reformer 54 Collectible frames 55 Touch 56 Capital of 17-Across 58 Bad thing to invoke 59 “Civil dissension is a viperous worm” speaker 60 “This is ___” 61 Stationer’s stock 62 Didn’t go unfulfilled 46 47 49 50

DOWN Bill’s friend or foe?

Plenty Suddenly revealed to Drag “Woe ___” (best-selling grammar guide) 6 Seasoned lightly 7 Show fluster 8 Make ___ (earn big bucks) 9 Level, in London 10 Letters of invitation 11 Basic language course 1 2 3 4 5

12 Reach on a

cruise 13 Add 15 Biting 21 Like many a dead letter 23 Fetching ones?

26 Marching to a different drummer 28 Place holders 29 Kind of booster 30 It’s been seen before 32 Boy/girl introduction 34 It’s sometimes wrapped in rice 36 Where sweaters are found?

37 60’s mantra 38 Mascot costume, maybe 40 Breakfast order 42 Knocker 43 “Shoot!”

44 Hard to move 45 Basement problem 48 Not so hot 51 Golfer Isao ___

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Don’t mess with Texas’s litter prevention slogan

BY MICHAEL COULTER | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

S

tate slogans are kind of interesting. OK, not really so much, but let’s pretend they are for the purpose of this column.

They’re mostly used for tourism, I suppose.

Nothing says “Great vacation!” like a T-shirt, keychain or snow globe to prove to others that you’ve actually been to a state. You would think it hard to capture the essence of a state in a twoor three-word slogan. You would be right.

For example, the Alabama state slogan is “Wonder Full.” Whatever, I was there once as a kid and from what I remember, the slogan should be “Kind of Boring and Hotter Than a Bastard.” Louisiana’s little catchphrase is “Come as you are, leave different.” By leaving different, I assume they are referring to being hung over and having chlamydia.

Alaska uses “Beyond your dreams, within your reach.” I understand why they went with that instead of the more fitting slogan “Alaska—Bears will probably eat you.” The Connecticut slogan (“Full of surprises!”) and the Ohio one (“So much to discover”) both make their states seem like it’s going to be an adventure for the whole damned family. If you consider syrup, strip malls and clueless expressions on the faces of the locals exciting, then those may actually be the adventure states for you.

Around these parts, we’re known mostly as “The Prairie State” or “The Land of Lincoln.” I suppose those are OK. I know a few people who refer to it as “The Land of Drinkin’,” which I personally like better, but it’s tough to name a whole state because of a few bad seeds.

I didn’t even know what Texas’ slogan was. I thought I knew, but I was wrong. The actual slogan is “Texas—It’s a whole other country.”

Other country? Sometimes, I wish that were true. If it actually were a whole other country, the rest of the states might not wonder about them as much.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been there several times and enjoyed myself, but there’s also something kind of odd about it. Most recently, they’ve given us a president who’s a little shady. If a convicted murderer is retarded, they kill him just the same. In their most famous battle, they got their asses kicked. When you enter the state, if you don’t have a gun, they give you one. I guess it is sort of a whole other country.

They like it that way, which is why I thought their state slogan was “Don’t mess with Texas.”

It turns out that slogan isn’t for what I thought it

was. It started out as a Texas Department of Transportation slogan to discourage litter in the state. Somewhere along the way, citizens of Texas decided it meant something else and started putting it everywhere. Now the transportation department wants it back ... um, right now.

“The State of Texas has a lot of money invested in the slogan, and we definitely want people to know it’s a litter prevention message, it’s not a macho message,” said Doris Howdeshell, director of the department’s travel division.

Man, I still remember when all it took to keep me from littering was a crying Indian.

They’ve sent out 23 cease and desist warnings in the last year to folks trying to make a buck off the copyrighted slogan. I hope this doesn’t lead to some sort of recall. That’s quite a lot of memorabilia collecting to do. “Sir, we’re going to need your underwear and your coffee mug. If we catch you using anything with our slogan again, you will be executed, like pretty much any other law breaker in our state.”

I think the whole thing probably came to a head when a reproductive rights group started selling T-shirts that said, “Don’t mess with Texas women.” I can see the point of stopping this copyright infringement. It could get out of hand. Don’t mess with Texas chiropractors.

Don’t mess with Texas glass blowers. Don’t mess with Texas rodeo clowns. Once something like that gets started, it would never stop.

In fact, many there would likely fear that if they didn’t have a shirt expounding their profession and how they shouldn’t be messed with, they would become the lowest form of life in Texas. “Gee, Bob, the guys at McDonald’s have “Don’t mess with Texas McDonald’s workers” shirts. If we don’t get some “Don’t mess with Texas Burger King workers” shirts, we’re going to be overrun with people messing with us.

Let’s face it, nobody likes to be messed with.

While I’m unsure what messing was done in the past to make Texas believe in this principle so strongly, I do know that they believe it.

Maybe, just maybe, if you tell everyone something enough times, they just begin to believe it.

“I’m not sure what I’m doing this weekend, but I’ll tell you one thing, I’m not messing with Texas. I hear they don’t like that shit at all.”

If they crack down too hard on this copyright thing, maybe the citizens of Texas should just come out and say what they really mean.

“Don’t fuck with Texas. We don’t really like the rest of you states very much.” It’s a little more abrasive, but it’s much more to the point. Hell, that’s a T-shirt I wouldn’t mind having.

Michael Coulter is a videographer, comedian and creator of the weekly email column “The Sporting Life.”

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News of the weird Lead story Several George W. Bush-supporting punk rock bands have gained prominence in the United States recently to challenge the generally assumed dominance of rock music by political liberals, according to a May dispatch from New York by BBC News, which reported that bands such as Gotham Road and Bouncing Souls “are not raging against the machine, they are raging for it.” A Rolling Stone writer attributed the upsurge to conservatives’ general pugnaciousness, but one maven of “conservative punk” laid it to Republicans’ and punk’s joint “emphasis on personal responsibility.”

Things that are not as they seem (1) After a 10-year study with a global positioning satellite system (reported in February), researchers at England’s Oxford University concluded that homing pigeons do not get their bearings from the sun, as previously thought, but rather just follow roads and highways home. (2) Mr. Jian Feng, of Hegang in northern China, suspicious

when his wife gave birth to a baby he regarded as seriously ugly, got her to admit that, though she was not adulterous, she had herself been seriously ugly before she met Jian, but had had major plastic surgery in South Korea and now did not much resemble her genetic look. (Even so, Jian divorced her and in May sued her for fraud.)

Police blotter — Robert Hesketh was acquitted of drunk-driving in Chilliwack, British Columbia, in March because police were actually too zealous in getting him a lawyer.

After arresting Hesketh, Constable Rick Murray asked him several times if he wanted a lawyer, but Hesketh each time refused, until Murray himself called one on Hesketh’s behalf. Only after the lawyer and Hesketh talked did police administer a breathalyzer test, and Judge John Lenaghan ruled that that was too much of a delay and tossed out the test’s results.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Chuck Shepherd Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

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The Virginia marks a historic moment

After over 80 years in operation, a local theater keeps audiences coming back

BREAKIN’ ALL THE RULES ★★ JAMIE FOXX AND GABRIELLE UNION Breakin’ All the Rules is a watchable film. At its peaks and during Foxx’s “sexpert� scenes, it could even be considered hilarious. Chestnut is solid gold. This is a film that will not draw many looks from critics around the country, but can provide a light moviegoing experience for those that aren’t up to the substance of the summer blockbusters hitting the screens this summer. Have fun, but don’t expect too much out of Foxx and Chestnut in Breakin’ All the Rules. (Andrew Crewell) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

BY SUSIE AN | STAFF WRITER

T

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW ★★★ DENNIS QUAID & JAKE GYLLENHAAL There’s lots of scientific mumbo-jumbo, but for every scene of dull, Weather Channel-style explanation, there’s a magnificent shot of the United States engulfed by truly unthinkable storms. Even though you know the whole thing was the act of computers—not of God—it’s hard not to ooh and aah at the sight of New York City iced over like a snow cone. The problem is that most of the characters express little more than awe, rather than fear, as to what may be the unforeseen apocalypse. Expect to feel that same disconnected absence of intensity towards a film that is supposed to be unprecedented but unlikely to be remembered the day after tomorrow. (Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN DANIEL RADCLIFFE & EMMA WATSON ★★★ So much of the material in the films has felt like a visual projection of Rowling’s books without the brain and heart to match. It seems that, in attempting to whittle down hundreds of pages into a workable screenplay, Kloves merely makes a check mark every time he incorporates an important point while ignoring the specifics that give each element its meaning. So far, the Harry Potter films represent a frustrating body of work, fantasy that has yet to realize its potential to be fantastic.

Cuaron’s deeper artistic vision is a step in the right direction, but Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban still fails to cast a spell. (Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

PHOTO | RODERICK GEDEY

he regal theater murmurs as audience members anticipate the evening show. The soft light that illuminates the room goes down as the rich red curtains rise and the show begins.

The anticipation in the room is not unfamiliar to the walls of the Virginia Theatre.

After all, it has been showcasing performances for more than 80 years.

The Virginia Theatre first opened its doors in 1921 and still continues to keep that nostalgic grand theater atmosphere for audience members today.

The theater is host to a number of events such as live musical performances, stage plays and the popular Roger Ebert’s Overlooked Film Festival in the spring.

At one point, there was talk about shutting down the theater and turning it into something like a parking lot or an apartment complex, said former manager Rebecca Cain. “A lot of people in the community have spent countless hours and their own dollars in keeping and operating for the last 70 to 80 years,� she said.

After the Champaign Park District took control of the theater in 2000, things began to turn around for the theater with more funding and fewer plans for a shutdown.

Recently, the theater has been nationally designated as a historic site. “The designation sort of solidifies the park district’s commitment to the renovation of the theater and it also protects it so that the building will remain intact,� Cain said. “The designation is a big determent from the building ever being torn down.�

Recently designated as a national historic site, the Virginia Theatre continues to attract community members through unique and high-profile performances. “It’s a completely The designation refers to the different atmosphere than what you find in Central Illinois,� said Rebecca Cain, the theater’s former manager. architectural element of the building, Cain said. This includes the Italian parts of the 20th century, Cain said. These the- ited this theater as a boy. He’s got a lot of love they go ‘wow’ because they can’t believe that this exists in downtown Champaign.�

Renaissance plaster work, the structure of aters remain a unique feature to the country for the building,� she said.

Cathy Guennewig of Champaign said she Many people in the community have the balcony and even the projection system. which is why the Virginia is important to the never been to the Virginia Theatre. However, has enjoyed the events she has attended at the The theater continues to maintain the Champaign community.

Notable past events at the Virginia include first-timers are usually amazed upon the ini- Virginia Theatre. She believes the historic desauthentic movie house elements instead of ignation will continue to provide quality two sold-out performances by Anne Murray, tial visit. completely upgrading to a modern style. “It’s a completely different environment entertainment for audiences in the future. “We’ve got a real gem, a good acoustical a “Weird� Al Yankovic concert, Bolshoi Ballet, “I think the theater has a really fun atmosbuilding,� she said. “You can’t upgrade some- The Temptations and Roger Ebert’s than what you find in Central Illinois,� she said. “Most people come in and it’s amazing phere and is a great change of pace for outOverlooked Film Festival. thing that already works really well.� “Ebertfest happens here because Roger vis- to see them. Old people and young people, ings,� she said.

Movie palaces were built in the earlier

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JUNE 10 -16, 2004 | HARRY POTTER DEFEATS SHREK 2 TO WIN THIS WEEK’S BOX OFFICE

Drive-thru Reviews

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I’M NOT SCARED ★★★ AITANA SĂ NCHEZ-GIJĂ“N & DINO ABBRESCIA Salvatores’s narrative unwraps in multiple ways revealing layers of several popular genres: horror, mystery and suspense. Realistically afraid and curious Michele is nevertheless willing to help the bound child that he found chained and starving underground. Avoiding most of the clichĂŠs of these genres, Salvatores then challenges the audience to figure out what the main focus of the narrative will be. Some surprises are soon revealed and not all plot developments and character motivations are elaborated that clearly. (Syd Slobodnik) Now showing at Boardman’s Art Theatre MAN ON FIRE ★★ DENZEL WASHINGTON & DAKOTA FANNING Director Tony Scott (Spy Game) never met a flashy, kneejerk cut he didn’t like, and he makes even the calmest sequences in Man on Fire feel like chase scenes out of Enemy of the State. Essentially, this overly long drama is little more than a story of the usual American mentality of trying to solve the problems of other countries with bigger guns and bigger egos. (Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy MEAN GIRLS ★★★ LINDSEY LOHAN & LACEY CHABERT Mean Girls’ screenwriter Tina Fey uses a candor that not only criticizes the stereotypes of these portrayals, but also depicts them in an entertaining way that is unique to anything shown before. The students of North Shore High don’t all belong in magazine advertisements. Some belong in the “beforeâ€? pictures in weight loss commercials or on the front

cover of “Special Olympics Success Stories.� This film uses the formula of the typical high school illustration, adds fresh humor and a touch of reality that makes the film surprisingly entertaining to watch. (Art Mitchell) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy RAISING HELEN ★★★ KATE HUDSON & JOAN CUSACK Kate Hudson sparkles in the most bleak of circumstances, making the film appear somewhat appear as a comedy like its premise suggests. Hudson easily transitions from a charming single woman to an upset mother, proving that her acting chops were not just a fluke in Almost Famous. Her performance saves an otherwise over-sentimentalized drama, making Raising Helen shine when it desperately needs a glimmer of hope.

(Janelle Greenwood) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy SHREK 2 ★★★ MIKE MYERS & EDDIE MURPHY Shrek 2 does an admirably effective job of balancing its sarcastic but sensitive tone, and it’s never too bitter to be sweet. The film manages to repeatedly wink at all things Disney without coming off competitive, an honorable move for a Dreamworks studio that should have plenty to gloat about at the box office this summer. In giving reverence with each reference, the four-headed team of writers keeps things light and sprinkles good-hearted, intelligent fun throughout every scene. It becomes apparent that the original strove for greatness while this suitable sequel is merely good, but it’s hard to complain about another chuckle-filled trip to fantasyland sure to once again make Disney green (cha-ching!) with envy. (Matt Pais) SOUL PLANE ★★★ SNOOP DOGG & TOM ARNOLD Soul Plane offers just what anyone who walks into the theater would expect. There is a bad movie with great comedians who let loose on drugs, white people, black people and everything in between. Barring a closedminded audience, the racially and sexually charged humor are a raving success. Cameos from D.L. Hughley, John Witherspoon, Karl Malone and many more keep the fans on the edge of their seats. The smoking hot women keep the eyes busy should anyone miss a joke. Those over 35 should forget about Soul Plane and go see Troy for the fourth time. But if you are up for a good time and an hour and a half of nonstop laughs, get yourself a boarding pass to Soul Plane. (Andrew Crewell) Now Showing at Beverly and Savoy THIS OLD CUB ★★★ RON SANTO The film’s more joyous moments details Santo’s recent work as a Cub announcer and his broadcast chemistry with Pat Hughes and the team’s number retirement ceremony at Wrigley Field last year. These scenes can’t compensate, though, for the film’s more awkward parts, which include the recent wishful hype over Santo’s possible induction into baseball’s Hall of Fame. Here, director Jeff Santo interviews legends Johnny Bench, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Brooks Robinson, all of whom strongly endorsed Santo’s wish for the Hall of Fame.

Sadly, like last year’s missed playoff opportunities, Santo will have to wait until another day for his induction into the Hall of Fame. (Syd Slobodnik) TROY ★★ BRAD PITT AND ERIC BANA Troy uses endless flourishes of triumphant horns and cymbal crashes to create some sense of majesty, but it does as much justice to Homer as William Hung does to “She Bangs.� Troy desperately wants to be a loud, sweeping rallying cry for love, brotherhood and country, but it’s just a bunch of pretty boys playing dress-up in this real Greek tragedy. (Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy VAN HELSING ★ HUGH JACKMAN Dracula relentlessly tries to spread his seed (unprotected sex, anyone?) and it’s up to the vampire slayer to stop him. And when Anna tells Van Helsing she’s never been to the sea, you know he’s going to take her there because that’s what a real man would do (wink wink). All of this should be enough to make your heart thump, but instead your pulse will nap while your mind goes for popcorn.

For all of its adrenaline-rush action, Van Helsing is like a Halloween costume-themed Universal Studios ride, tailored to a PG-13 audience happy to get its biggest thrills from Count Chocula. (Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

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OPENING THIS WEEKEND THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK VIN DEISEL & JUDY DENCH It’s a sad thing when the fate of the world lies in the hands of one Vin Diesel, whose sole life-saving attribute seems to be his ability to see in the dark. This sequel to Pitch Black follows Riddick, the ex-con/hero that Vin Diesel plays so well, through his role in galactic war and his attempt to save all living things. (Paul Wagner) GARFIELD: THE MOVIE BRECKIN MEYER & JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT Ah, Garfield. The lazy fat cat that embodies American desires so well ‌ on the big screen. After Odie, Garfield’s lone animal friend that takes the shape of a not-so-bright yellow dog, gets caught by the dog catcher, Garfield feels guilty and goes on a quest to save him.

Lasagna, sarcasm, laziness and other tasty tidbits are sure to lead this film to comedy gold. (Paul Wagner) THE STEPFORD WIVES MATTHEW BRODERICK & NICOLE KIDMAN Unfortunately, John Cusack dropped out of this film and was replaced by Matthew Broderick. Similarly, after moving to Stepford, Broderick’s wife, Nicole Kidman, suspects something odd afoot and discovers that her tooperfect female neighbors aren’t really people, but really subservient robots ‌ seems a bit farfetched, but with a combination of Kidman and Broderick with Bette Midler thrown in the mix, this movie can’t be all bad, can it?

(Paul Wagner) SUPERSIZE ME MORGAN SPURLOCK & HONEST AMERICANS This movie seeks to answer the burning question on everyone’s mind: Why the hell are Americans so damn fat? Spurlock seeks answers from experts, random people and himself. He lived on McDonald’s food for one month, eating nothing but McDonald’s to see what the result would be on his livelihood. To find out what happened, be sure to check out this enlightening film.

(Paul Wagner) Opening at Boardman’s Art Theatre

GARFIELD (PG) (2 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 11:00 11:30 1:00 1:30 3:00 3:30 5:00 5:30 7:10 7:30 9:10 9:30 11:10 11:30 Sun. - Thu. 11:00 11:30 1:00 1:30 3:00 3:30 5:00 5:30 7:10 7:30 9:10 9:30 ◆ HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (PG) (4 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 11:00 11:30 12:30 1:00 2:00 3:40 4:00 4:30 5:00 6:45 7:00 7:30 8:00 9:45 10:00 11:20 11:45 Sun. - Tue. 11:00 11:30 12:30 1:00 2:00 3:40 4:00 4:30 5:00 6:45 7:00 7:30 8:00 9:45 10:00 ◆ (3 SCREENS) Wed. & Thu. 11:00 11:30 12:30 2:00 3:40 4:30 5:00 6:45 7:30 8:00 9:45 SAVED! (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 11:00 1:40 4:20 7:15 9:40 12:15 Sun. - Thu. 11:00 1:40 4:20 7:15 9:40 THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 11:00 1:40 4:20 7:15 9:40 12:15 Sun. - Thu. 11:00 1:40 4:20 7:15 9:40 THE STEPFORD WIVES (PG–13) (2 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 11:10 11:30 1:10 1:30 3:10 4:00 5:10 7:00 7:30 9:20 9:40 11:30 11:50 Sun. - Thu. 11:10 11:30 1:10 1:30 3:10 4:00 5:10 7:00 7:30 9:20 9:40 RAISING HELEN (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 11:10 1:40 4:10 7:00 9:40 12:10 Sun. - Thu. 11:10 1:40 4:10 7:00 9:40

MEAN GIRLS (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 11:10 2:00 4:00 7:10 9:30 11:40 Sun. - Thu. 11:10 2:00 4:00 7:10 9:30 ◆ SHREK 2 (PG) (3 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 11:00 11:20 12:00 1:00 1:20 2:00 3:00 3:20 4:00 5:00 5:20 7:00 7:30 9:00 9:40 11:00 11:40 Sun. - Tue. 11:00 11:20 12:00 1:00 1:20 2:00 3:00 3:20 4:00 5:00 5:20 7:00 7:30 9:00 9:40 (3 SCREENS) Wed. & Thu. 11:00 11:20 12:00 1:00 1:20 2:00 3:00 3:20 4:00 5:00 5:20 7:00 7:30 9:00 9:40 THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (PG–13) (2 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 11:30 12:00 2:00 2:50 4:40 5:30 7:20 8:00 10:00 11:00 Sun. - Tue. 11:30 12:00 2:00 2:50 4:40 5:30 7:20 8:00 10:00 Wed. & Thu. 12:00 2:50 5:30 7:20 8:00 10:00 TROY (R) Fri. - Tue. 6:45 10:00 INTERMISSION (R) Fri. & Sat. 12:30 2:50 5:10 7:30 9:50 12:10 Sun. - Thu. 12:30 2:50 5:10 7:30 9:50 AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (PG) (2 SCREENS) Wed. & Thu. 11:10 12:00 2:00 4:00 5:10 7:00 8:00 9:50 Showtimes for 6/11 thru 6/17

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BUZZ HAS BEEN INVADED BY HARRY POTTER | JUNE 10 -16, 2004

film

moviereview

HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN ★★★

BY MATT PAIS | LEAD REVIEWER

F

or all of their worldwide success, the films based on J.K. Rowling’s wildly popular Harry Potter series have had their share of muggles (for the uninitiated: muggle, n. anyone not down with wizardry).

Helmed by crowd-appeasing Chris Columbus, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets revealed significant limitations in translating Rowling’s books to the screen. Quite simply, the movies weren’t magical.

Rather, they were mildly inspired fantasy, pleasant kids’ flicks that delighted but didn’t dazzle. So it should be good news to anyone who found those films drier than Dumbledore’s skin that indie fave Alfonso Cuaron has taken the reins for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of

Azkaban and livened things up a bit.

Instead of providing only what we expect to see, Cuaron offers vivid images that threaten to leap off the screen like words leaping off the page. He creates movement in all non-living things, helping the third Potter installment to come to life in ways that the first two films never imagined. People within paintings, newspapers and wanted posters move and talk as if they were behind interactive video screens, and these stylish visuals supply a much needed dose of imagination to these literary adaptations.

What Columbus never discovered was how to adjust the Harry Potter books to a moviegoing demographic as wide as the novels’ audience.

Cuaron comes closer to broadening the appeal, improving the effects and drawing better performances out of his actors. Ron’s (Rupert Grint) less weasley, Harry’s (Daniel Radcliffe) more heroically determined, and Hermione (Emma Watson) continues evolving into the series’ strongest character. Watson has a fire that burns through all her scenes, and she jumpstarts Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban whenever it gets bogged down in rambling exposition.

It’s shorter than the first two films but still too long. It’s leaner, with fewer diversions and subtler, more valuable foreshadowing, but there’s still the nagging feeling that the story is strangely underdeveloped for a two-and-a-half hour film. Early on, the titular boy wizard learns that Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has broken out of Azkaban prison in order to kill Harry and bring Lord Voldemort back to power.

We never see Azkaban, however, and Oldman

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doesn’t appear until halfway through the movie. By then, Harry, Ron and Hermione have engaged in numerous childish spats with rival Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), and the script by Steve Kloves (who also wrote Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets) waits too long to deal with Oldman’s prisoner. It’s meant to draw out the mystery, but it unnecessarily lengthens the story and leads to repetitive encounters with the hovering, demonic HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN | DANIEL RADCLIFFE Dementors, which look like castaways from The ture the fantastic detail of Rowling’s stories. The screen versions feel skimmed over and choppy, Lord of the Rings.

It’s one of the weaknesses of a series that must including the general ideas of the novels but choose between being faithful to its increasingly none of the nuance. New characters such as a long source material (the hardcover of the fifth new dark arts teacher (David Thewlis) and a book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is half-eagle, half-horse hybrid are introduced as 870 pages) and condensing Rowling’s vision to a significant plot points without being given due comprehensible, meaningful movie for kids and screen time.

That’s why so much of the material in the films adults as well. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, you can’t shake the sense that the jokes has felt like a visual projection of Rowling’s should be funnier and the fantasy more exuberant. books without the brain and heart to match. It Cuaron does a good job of handling a darker seems that, in attempting to whittle down huntone and keeping things PG-proper. It’s chilling dreds of pages into a workable screenplay, but not scary, eerie but not threatening, and Kloves merely makes a check mark every time he there’s some fun to be had when the young wiz- incorporates an important point while ignoring ards actually get to confront their fears via oth- the specifics that give each element its meaning.

So far, the Harry Potter films represent a fruserworldly powers.

Too often, though, the wizardry is limited to trating body of work, fantasy that has yet to realthe flick of a wand and a bland reworking of ize its potential to be fantastic. Cuaron’s deeper “Abracadabra”—one act simply requires the artistic vision is a step in the right direction, but wizard to say the word “Ridiculous”—and it’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban still fails clear that no filmmaker yet has been able to cap- to cast a spell.

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JUNE 10 -16, 2004

“A lot of people in the community have spent countless hours and their own dollars in keeping and operating for the last 70 to 80 years.”

Rebecca Cain

before they are gone forever.

The theater will even host a number of weddings this year. Cain said the theater appreciates the community’s help and hopes people will continue supporting by attending theater events.

Michelle Birkett of Urbana said if it hadn’t been for Ebertfest, she would not know of the Virginia Theatre. She believes it is a great part of the community.

“I think the theater is beautiful,” Birkett said. “I’m glad that it’s been titled a historic site. It definitely deserves the title, and it will help preserve the theater for future generations.” buzz

Q & A

and is proud of the new historical designation the theater has received.

DVD REVIEWS

HARRY POTTER & THE SCORCER’S STONE

HARRY POTTER & THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS

★★★

★★★

BY ANDREW VECELAS | STAFF WRITER

T

he first film adaptation of J.K Rowling’s beloved Harry Potter books was a guaranteed smash right off the bat, since the books already had an incredible worldwide following. No wonder, then, that the filmmakers took few chances and fewer diversions from the source material in bringing to story to the screen. Despite this guarded approach, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone remains a worthwhile undertaking for fans of the series, and a good introduction for those just getting into the films with the latest entry in theaters now.

Sorcerer’s Stone follows Harry Potter as he leaves his spiteful aunt and uncle for his first year at the wizards’ school, Hogwarts. Harry’s schooling is at once ordinary and incredible— he spends almost as much time worrying about bullies and sports as he does fighting trolls and learning to cast spells. He also has to solve the mystery of what’s hidden on the third floor of the school (search no further than the film’s title for the answer), and why it’s so important to keep hidden.

Overall, the story and much of the dialogue comes directly out of J.K. Rowling’s novel. On the bright side, the novel’s quirky personality and sense of wonderment shine through. Fans of the books should be pleased with the direct translation to the screen. However, Rowling’s initial faults of plotting also carry over to the film. Most notably, the story slows down about two-thirds of the way through, just when the mystery and anticipation should be building into overdrive. And the climax rests on the old, reliable cliche of the talking villain to explain everything that has happened.

The DVD of the film comes in a two-disc set, with the usual deleted scenes, promotional material and “making-of” features. More noteworthy than the special features is the way they are accessed. The disc makes you play little games to access the materials, which quickly becomes an annoyance.

Though it’s outshined by subsequent entries in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone lays the groundwork for what will surely turn out to be one of the biggest franchises in movie history, and captures a lot of what made the books popular to begin with. It’s an enjoyable film for those that are young, or young at heart, but the real magic is still to come in the series.

BY ALAN BANNISTER | STAFF WRITER

W

hen it comes time for Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) to return to the Hogwarts School of Magic, his uncle isn’t as excited as him or his viewers. Locking Harry in his room, however, turns out to be as effective as escaping to a remote hideaway like the first time Uncle Vernon (Richard Griffiths) tried to keep Harry from achieving his destiny. Nor does a stern warning from a diminutive house elf named Dobby about an impending severe danger awaiting Harry at Hogwarts thwart his determination to go. With a little help from his school chum Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), a wild ride in the Weasley family flying car, Harry manages to make it out of his room and to Hogwarts.

More mysterious happenings occur.

Mudbloods (half wizard, half human) are found mysteriously petrified and not even headmaster Professor Dumbledore can find a way to stop it. Add to that whisperings in the hall that only Harry can hear and Hogwarts becomes a tense place to live. It is slowly revealed to Harry and his entourage that somebody has opened the chamber of secrets.

Accusations abound and cover everyone from the new teacher, famous writer magician Gilderoy Lockhart, to Harry himself.

Only two real problems emerge in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The movie relies a bit too heavily upon viewers having seen the first film, which plays into the second problem: that the movie seems less fantastical then the first, and filled with less discovery. As a standalone movie, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets fails to wow viewers with a fantastical journey into the magical, but as a continuation of a series, it capitalizes on its predecessor, cutting away at the scenes of wonder and amazement at the magical world of Hogwarts throughout the movie in order to save time.

With this time saved, director Chris Columbus focuses the movie on what matters in the series: the development of Harry and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Because of this, Columbus, at the end of the movie, has earned the right to reinforce Harry’s realization that what counts is on the inside.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on DVD remains as quality a film as it was in theatres. Containing interviews with the cast and J.K. Rowling, along with 19 deleted scenes, the two-disc DVD set contains plenty of distractions for any rainy day.

[

The Virginia Theatre continues to entertain with new ideas for upcoming events. In October, the theater will work with the Krannert Center for Performing Arts to put on a Champaign rendition of performances from New York’s Apollo Theater.

Community members will have the chance to audition for the show. The winner of the show has the opportunity to compete at the real Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York.

“The community is working together to provide a real diverse set of cultural opportunities, spreading off campus,” Cain said.

The theater will also host the News-Gazette’s film series which will show classic films

LeonardDoyle

What was the best part about working at the Virginia?

In my younger days, seeing the stars that went through there such as Ethel Barrymore, Marx Brothers, Red Skelton, many of the old Vaudeville stars.

Worst part about working there?

I really don’t know if there was a worst part.

I enjoy working with people and crowds.

What was the most interesting thing that happened there?

Just meeting the stars was my main interest.

And seeing some of the films that were developed from small screen to widescreen and wrap-around sound.

Who was your favorite star to meet?

Red Skelton was one of the better stars to work with or talk to. He was just a common, ordinary person. He was not stuck on himself.

Leonard Doyle first started working at the Virginia Theatre in his high school days during the mid-1940s. He started out earning 50 cents an hour as an usher and eventually $5-6 an hour as a manager and projectionist. He claims to have spent about 90 percent of his lifetime with the theater and now, as a MTD employee, he continues to volunteer for the Virginia Theatre during most of the events. Over his many years with the Virginia, Doyle has developed a love for the theater. He strongly supports the continuation of the theater,

community

What do you think is the best quality of the building?

Acoustics. You can stand on the stage and talk fairly normal, and you can be heard very well in the top row of the balcony. Years ago, the performers never did have microphones or body mics as they do today. So they had to learn how to project their voice and the pronouncing of their words so they could be heard and understood.

When did you start volunteering?

Fifteen years ago when I learned that the theater was going to be closing and that it could be torn down or could be turned into an office complex. There’s where I took a little more interest again and formed the

5

PHOTO | RODERICK GEDEY

6/9/04

WARNER BROS.

061004buzz0516

An audience awaits a performance at the Virginia Theatre. After 83 years in operation, the theater maintains daily operation. An upcoming event will feature a rendition of performances from the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York.

Champaign Urbana Theater Company (CUTC). We have been going for about 13-14 years now as a volunteer group. I work with them and the Virginia Theatre.

(CUTC is a community theater company.)

Why do you continue to volunteer?

Because I want to see the theater be one of the best theaters in the central part of the state.

I want to see it go back to its original beginning type of entertainment and beauty. And I also want to see that the CUTC gets to perform on such a great stage as the Virginia. There’s nothing like it in Central Illinois.

What changes have you seen over the years?

I have seen from stage to motion pictures to the theater itself in the decline when the shopping mall theaters came into play, taking away from the movies. In a way, the theater is starting to come back due to cost in tickets and the size of the screen.

Why is it important to have the historical title?

Because the building itself is almost 100 years old, the structure, the architectural design. And it’s very good for the community.

The community should be very proud and honored to have such a building as this in Champaign.

which an ordinary patron could not possibly see. So I do not go to movies very much because of that. And the quality of movies of today is not truly in my opinion movies.

Because I guess … It depends what you want to see in a movie.

What is the problem with movies today?

The problems with movies today are they are too violent. Cartoons are not truly animated cartoons for kids to see. Violence and languages are main things. The actors today are not truly actors of the screen. They’re good in what they’re doing now, but to me they’re not truly actors.

Why do you think it’s important for the Virginia to keep that nostalgic feel?

Because the Virginia is a theater. The other theaters are four walls with seats and a screen. The Virginia is a theater. There’s difference compared to the Assembly Hall, which is a sports arena. The Krannert is a different type of theater, which was never really truly built as a theater, but it puts on different types of shows. The Virginia was built specifically for Vaudeville.

Favorite movie and performances?

Two of them: Star Wars and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. And one of my favorite stage shows was one of our own CUTC performances, Fiddler on the Roof, which we will be doing again in July.

What are your favorite memories at the Virginia?

When the lines of people on Saturday night, full houses of 1,500.

Sunday again full house, 1,500 per show and seeing the entertainers on stage. And looking at seeing the people’s faces and happiness on the faces of the people when they come out of the auditorium.

Would you say you’re a movie buff?

Not really. I like the movies, but I pick them apart too much. I see things in the movies that a lot of people do not see because of watching the same show over and over several times,

Any parting words?

I want to do as much as I can to enlighten the community on the Virginia Theatre and CUTC; our two most important organizations in Champaign-Urbana.

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arts

IT’S AMAZING THAT THE AMOUNT OF NEWS THAT HAPPENS IN THE WORLD EVERY DAY ALWAYS JUST EXACTLY FITS THE NEWSPAPER | JUNE 10 -16, 2004 buzz

T

Artist Allen Stringfellow.

The Weight of It : Amy Wilensky

BY KATIE RICHARDSON | ARTS EDITOR

PHOTOS | RODERICK GEDEY

I

Allen Stringfellow’s artwork depicting African-American life.

his life, as well as African-American life, said Phoebe Wolfskill, the exhibition curator.

“Stringfellow has been interested in music all of his life. He’s interested in gospel music and also jazz music,” Wolfskill said.

“You’ll see many of the works in the exhibition about jazz and jazz musicians, so of course it makes sense to have Chambana be here and play some jazz music.”

His piece Music For the Tenement shows faceless men playing instruments outside of a tenement. The piece is full of different pieces of color paper putting the images together.

Another piece that uses collage and watercolors is Under the Red Umbrella. This depicts a baptism at a river.

“I was raised with jazz and church,” Stringfellow said.

“Good jazz is spiritual, too.”

Another of Stringfellow’s pieces, Miss Hattie’s Porch, shows an afternoon picnic gathering. The piece is reminiscent of Pierre Auguste Renoir ’s painting The Luncheon of the Boating Party.

Most people at the opening were the more elderly members of the community, yet it was still a diverse group. The exhibition

seemed lively and fast-paced.

Jordana Moore, an art history graduate student, liked how the music of Chambana tied in with Stringfellow’s work. The jazz music gives viewers the idea that Stringfellow was listening to this music while he was making his art, she said. It was as if the music was coming out of the painting the same time the viewer hears it.

“I’m also really attracted to the idea of the faceless people,” Moore said. “It’s sort of modern, but it’s also very ancient to have the idea of Renaissance sort of paintings and you have the people who have very interesting features so you can project your idea of what these people are going to be onto the canvas or identify with it in the first place.”

Moore also thinks the jazz music plays in well with the art in that the colors and images play in well with each other like a jazz improvisational piece.

“It’s not just jazz in subject, but it’s also very improvisational in style,” she said. “I guess in jazz improvisation, you have multiple layers of the rhythm section with the horns working all together, but they’re all doing their own thing, but they’re still this tight-knit group.

You can’t have one without the other. And that’s what he’s doing here.”

Stringfellow, now 81 years old, continues creating his artwork. Art is important to him, and he will continue because it is his life.

“It’s my spirit, my love. It’s a way to express my love and beauty to other people,” Stringfellow said. “That’s what I really want to do is spread love, joy and beauty.” buzz

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

A Story of Two Sisters ★★

BY SUSIE AN | STAFF WRITER

n her second personal memoir, Amy Wilensky tackles two fairly standard topics in mainstream American culture: weight and sisterhood. Well, in actuality, she doesn’t particularly tackle them. Tackling would insinuate that there is an intense discussion of the subjects, one in which perhaps mind-blowing ideas were brought into light. Wilensky doesn’t do this.

Yes, she is a good writer. Themes are set up nicely, creative metaphors sometimes make their way in, and the characters are adequately developed. The novel depicts Wilensky’s younger sister’s (Allison) battle with her weight. This battle leads to gastric bypass surgery. Her sister’s personality, as well as her relationship with Amy, is drastically affected by both her heaviness and her eventual weight loss.

One gets some sense of Allison’s eccentricities, her parents’ kindness but concern for their obese daughter, and Wilensky’s guilt yet sense of personal satisfaction for being the thin daughter. And, of course, the inevitable competition between Amy and Allison rears its ugly head several times.

To her credit, Wilensky is admirably candid in this memoir. Sometimes, her character comes off looking not so great and that level of honesty isn’t always present in autobiographical novels. However, in the sphere of sister bonding and sister conflict, she is not particularly original. She and Amy have the usual fights, the usual make-ups, the usual plights for their parents’ attention.

continued on Page 7

classified

JUNE 10 - 16, 2004 | WANT TO SELL THAT GREEN VELVET COUCH OF YOURS? CALL BUZZ CLASSIFIEDS AT 337-8337

PHONE: 217/337-8337

Stringfellow visits Champaign

he call of the trumpet, the kick of the drums, the slap of the bass and the twinkle of the keyboards provide the soundtrack to Allen Stringfellow’s artwork depicting African-American life.

The opening of his exhibition Jamming with the Man was supported by the jazz music of Chambana. Stringfellow, dressed in red and gold, took the time to speak with admirers of his work.

Stringfellow, who now resides in Chicago, is a Champaign native and comes back to be recognized for his art.

“It’s beautiful to be remembered in your own home town,” he said.

The inspiration for Stringfellow’s work is his own life experience. He uses collage and watercolor in much of his work to capture those experiences.

“Collage is such a wonderful way to express yourself,” he said. “It’s very popular now, but it wasn’t when I started 50 years ago.”

Strong themes that run through most of Stringfellow’s works are music and spirituality. He shows how these things played a part in

buzz

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• 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.

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

RATES: Billed rate: 34¢/word Paid-in-Advance: 25¢/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

Employment 000 HELP WANTED | Part Time Help wanted for green house work part-time temporary position about 30/hr to start. Apply in person at 101 Tomaras Ave. in Savoy, next to fire station. Ask for Fred.

The Daily Illini and Buzz are looking for an ad assistant this summer. 10 hrs. per week. Great experience with sales and advertising. Stop by 57 E Green for an application or email jmaly@uiuc.edu for more info.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Put your PC to work. $25-$75 an hour, part-time, full-time. Full training provided. Call 800-810-4582. www.dreamsneverending.com

Apartments

400

CAMPUS APARTMENTS Furnished | Unfurnished 1 bedroom lofts $497 2 bedrooms $585 3 bedrooms $750 4 bedrooms $1000 Campus, parking.

Fall 04, 367-6626 1, 2, & 3 BR Apts, reasonable rates.

Please call 398-5946 or 390-9536.

105 E. CLARK Avail Aug 2004. Attractive modern loft apts. Dishwasher disposal, window a/c, ceiling fans, patio/ balconies, carpet, laundry, parking, 2nd floor skylights. Rent starts from $435/mo. $50/month to furnish.

Apts. shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

609 W. MAIN, U Renting Aug 2004. Quiet building in nice Urbana neighborhood. 2 bedroom apts. Furnished $525/mo.

Parking optional, Central A/C, Carpet, laundry facilities. Gas Heat. Daily showings, 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

CAMPUS APARTMENTS Furnished | Unfurnished

706 S. WALNUT, U Renting for August 2004. Quiet neighborhood. 1 bedroom apts. from $475/mo. Gas heat, central a/c, laundry facilities. Parking included.

To furnish $50/mo. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com Available Now. 2 bedroom on campus for January. $550 per month.

367-6626.

Large 3 bedroom, duplex, clean, quiet, well-maintained.

Hardwood floors, responsible owner, near IMPE, Champaign. $900/month.

Available mid-August. 684-2226.

Courtyard Apartments 713 S. Randolph, Champaign Renting for Fall/2 & 3 Bedrooms.

Furnished & Unfurnished From $608/mo.

Includes cable, parking, water.

Has laundry facility and seasonal pool. Near campus and downtown Champaign.

352-8540, 355-4608 pm. www.faronproperties.com CAMPUS APARTMENTS Furnished

1006 W. STOUGHTON, U. Very close to Engineering campus.

Avail for Aug 2004. Masonry construction.

2 bedrooms from $620/mo. Window A/C, Carpet, Parking $25/mo. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

15

CAMPUS APARTMENTS Furnished

CAMPUS APARTMENTS Furnished

CAMPUS APARTMENTS Unurnished

Other Rentals 500

1005 S. SECOND, C Efficiencies. Fall 2004. Secured building. Private parking. Laundry on site, ethernet available. Phone 352-3182. Office at 309 S. First, Ch. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com

702 W. WESTERN, U.

1 & 2 bedroom off-campus apartments in older homes. All utilities, parking, laundry included. Available now. 314, 316 S. State, 316 Cottage Court. 369-7205.

HOUSES

102 N. GREGORY, U. August 2004. Close to Illini Union. 2 bedrooms at $500/mo. Carpet, Gas Heat, Laundry. Parking available at $30/mo. 7 days a week showings.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com.

104 E. ARMORY Location!!

4 bedroom, 2 bath www.ugroup96.com 352-3182 105 E. John 1 bedroom furnished, great location.

Includes parking. www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

201 N. LINCOLN, U August 2004 rental. 2 bedroom apt at $500/mo. Close to campus with parking, ceiling fans, laundry, carpet/tile floors. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

311 E. WHITE, C. Avail for Aug 2004. Large furnished efficiencies close to Beckman Center. Rent starts at $325/mo. Parking avail at $30/mo. Window A/C, carpet. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com 509 E. White, C. Aug. 2004. Large 1 bedrooms. Security entry, balconies, patios, furnished. Laundry, off-street parking, ethernet available. Phone 352-3182.

Office at 309 S. First, Ch. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 604 E. White, C. Security Entrance For Fall 2004, Large 1 & 2 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

Aug 2004. 1 bedrooms with window a/c, carpet/tile floors, boiler heat, laundry on site. Parking avail. Rents from $495/mo. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

706 S. FIRST, C Excellent Value for Aug 2004. Half block south of Green on First Street.

Large apts in security building. 2 bedrooms from $427/mo. Window A/C, Carpet, Hot water heat. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

805 S. LINCOLN, U. Aug 2004. Great location. Attractive apts. Carpet, Ceiling fans, A.C. Efficiencies from $500/mo. 7 days a week showing.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

BUSEY & ILLINOIS, U. Large apts in quiet Urbana location one block South of Green and one block East of Lincoln. Off street parking. 2 bedrooms now starting at $560/mo. Avail Aug 2004. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com ENGINEERING CAMPUS Large Studio APTS Fall 2004 307-310 E. White Secured Bldg., ethernet available UGroup96.com 352-3182 JOHN STREET APARTMENTS 58 E. John August 2004. Two and three bedrooms, fully furnished. Dishwashers, center courtyard, on-site laundry, central air, ethernet available.

Call Chad at 344-9157 352-3182 University Group www.ugroup96.com OLD TOWN CHAMPAIGN 510 S. Elm 2 BR close to campus, hardwood floors, dishwasher, W/D, central air/heat, off street parking, 24 hr. maintenance. $525/mo. 352-3182 or 841-1996. www.ugroup96.com

205 E. Stoughton, Champaign Great 3 bedroom apartment available for fall. Large living room, Central air/heat. Close to Engineering quad. $595/mo. www.theelectrumgroup.com (217)649-0761

115 W. WASHINGTON, U Available Aug 2004. 1 bedroom apts. in quiet Urbana neighborhood.

Carpet, window a/c, laundry, boiler heat. Rents from $510/mo. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

205 EAST HEALEY, C Renting Aug 2004. Very large 1 bedroom apartments. Carpet, window A/C, parking available at $30/mo.

Rents start at $385/mo. Shown daily 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com 211 N. Neil, C. Downtown loft w/ exposed brick. Hardwood/Carpet. W/D in apartment. Covered parking.

Available August. $875. Call TSG 355-1950.

800 W. Church, C. Available now and through summer.

Economical 2 BR. $450/mo.

352-8540, 355-4608 pm, weekends. www.faronproperties.com Our most desirable location on U of I golf course. 1200 sq. ft, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, fireplace, study, dishwasher, W/D, A/C, covered parking, balcony/ patio. 359-3687 and 359-0065.

Lease, deposit, no pets.

Large one bedroom. Available ASAP. Water, gas paid. $420/month through 8/2005. 201 S Elm, C. 3900475.

SOUTH WEST CHAMPAIGN 1418 Lincolnshire.Newly decorated large 4 bedroom. 2 full baths. Fireplace. Kit. Dining/Living Room. Private patio. Water/Parking included.

AUGUST. No pets. 356-0660/ 352-3642.

3 bedroom houses for rent. Starting at $750. 337-4889 or 621-3971.

6 BR, 2 full bath. 2 kitchen, 2 story.

W/D. 2 car garage. Free parking.

Champaign location. $1580/mo.

398-5946.

6-9 bedroom house on campus for fall 2004. 367-6626.

602 W. Michigan, U Avail 2004. 3 bedroom house with sunroom, washer & dryer, forced air heat. Rent $1,300/mo. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com Lovely 4-5 bedroom house. Fireplace, oak French doors and floors.

A/C, parking, full basement, busline.

Randolph and White St., Champaign. Available 8/16/04. $1300/mo.

356-3232 Stonecreek Rental, Urbana, IL. Beautiful 2,500 sq.ft. home, 2 yrs. old. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 3 car garage. Fenced back yard, jacuzzi in master bath. Available July 1, 2004. $1,600/mo. Call Phyllis Cler (217)373-4932.

ROOMS

903 W. NEVADA, U Quality rooming house. Near Jimmy John’s on Lincoln Ave. Rooms avail for Aug. 2004. Rents from $260/mo to $330/mo. Laundry facilities, Common kitchen. Showing 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com Rooms from $285 per bedroom on campus. Available Now. 367-6626, 637-2111.

ROOMMATES M or F, 1 or 2 for new house in country. $325 includes everything.

217-840-2257. Leave message.

NEGOTIABLE 4th and Gregory. Female. $200/mo.

202-9735.

SUBLETS Sublet: one of two bedrooms, furnished. Corner Lincoln/Main. $342.

Parking, laundry, internet. Joe 404-606-0212, jmweinbe@uiuc.edu

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www.sterlinghousing.com

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calendar

Faux Finishing workshops – Boyer Drawing & Painting Studio in Lincoln Square Mall. June 16 & Aug 25. 9am-5pm. Fee: $195. Info: 369-8838 or www.boyerdrawing.com.

Creation Art Studios – On-going after-school art classes for children. Morning, evening and weekend studio sessions for adults. 1102 E Washington St, U. www.creationartstudios.com. 344-6955.

Reflection and Creation Art Worshop/Retreats – Workshops at Creation Art Studios with artist Jeannine Bestoso. Snacks. Pre-register. Fee: $50.

9am-1pm – June 13, July 18. Four CPDU’s offered.

344-6955, www.creationartstudios.com, jbestos@msn.com.

Call for Entries for "Inside the Box: A Shoebox Show" – The Parkland Art Gallery invites resident artists to enter the show. All works must fit into a 4" x 12" x 8" shoebox. The deadline for slide entries is June 25. The "Inside the Box" exhibition will run from Jan 10- Feb 11, 2005 at the Parkland Art Gallery. Entry fee: $25. Info: 351-2485 or www.parkland.edu/gallery.

ART EXHIBITS Cafe Kopi – Work from Melissa Washburn on display.

109 N Walnut, C. M-Thu 7am-11pm, Fri-Sat 7am12pm, Sun 11am-8pm. 359-4266.

Creation Art Studios Gallery – Artwork by director Jeannine Bestoso, associates and students on display. New hours: M-Sat, 1-5:30pm and other scheduled times. 1102 E Washington, U. www.creationartstudios.com. 344-6955.

Glass FX – Interested in learning the art of stained glass? Beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes offered. M-Thu, 10am-5:30pm; Fri, 10am5pm; Sat, 9am-4pm. 202 S 1st, C. www.glassfx.com.

359-0048.

Greasey Creek Oaks Gallery – Oakland Garden Faire. Sat, 9am-4pm.“Dying with Coreopsis” free, day-long demonstration during fair. 8 E Main St, Oakland. Wed-Sat, 9am-4pm. 346-2986.

Old Vic Art Gallery – Fine and original art. 11 E University, C. Mon-Thu 11am-5:30pm, Sat 11am4:30pm. 355-8338.

“Changing Rooms: The Creation of Cinematic Space in the Works of Harry Horner” – Krannert Art Museum, display thru Sept 19. 500 E Peabody, U. Tu, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, W 9am-8pm, Sun 2-5pm.

Sugg Don: $3.

“Healing Works” – On display at the Independent Media Center Middle Room Gallery. 218 W Main St, Suite 110, U. carahale@uiuc.edu.

“Prints and Pots” – Printmaking by Lawrence Hamlin and pottery by Louis Ballard. Runs thru Sun. Springer Cultural Center. M-F 8am-9pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm. 398-2376. www.champaignparkdistrict.com.

New Interpreted Images by Larry Kanfer – Each piece uses digital technology and is completed as a giclee. Great Father's Day gifts. Larry Kanfer Gallery. 2503 S Neil, C. Free. M-Sat 10am-5:30pm.

398-2000. www.kanfer.com.

“Conscious Living Through Nature” – Works from Lisa Billman on display thru June 20. Aroma. 118 N Neil, C. Open 7 days a week, 7am-12am. 356-3200.

Parkland Student Graphic Design Juried Exhibition – The Parkland College Student Graphic Design Juried Exhibition. On display thru June 17. Parkland Art Gallery. M-Thur, 10am-2pm, Tu & Thur, 6-8pm. 351-2485.

Prairie Boatworks Gallery – Watercolors by Heather Collier, earthenware self-portraits by Parkland sculpture students, paintings by Olivia Walder. Thru June 27. Fri & Sat, 12-5pm; Sun, 124pm.

“Enigma and Intimacy - The Photography of David Nolan” – On display at Verde’s Gallery Two thru Sat. 17 E Taylor St, C. Cafe hours: Mon-Sat 7am10 pm; Gallery Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-10pm. 3663204.

WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com | JUNE 10 - 16, 2004

“Gestural Curiosities” – Drawings by Jodi Bowen and Ceramics by Ella Brown Dunn on display at Verde in the Main Gallery thru Sat. 17 E Taylor St, C. Cafe hours: Mon-Sat 7am-10 pm; Gallery Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-10pm. 366-3204.

“Vision to Verse, Verse to Vision: A Visual and Poetic Dialouge” – Paintings by Jessica Damen and poetry by Maj Ragain on display at Verde Gallery June 15-Sept 4. Book Signing and Reception June 17 at 6pm. 17 E Taylor St, C. Cafe: M-Sat 7am-10pm; Gallery: Tu-Sat 10am-10pm.

366-3204.

ON STAGE Elysium on the Prairie, Live Action Roleplaying – Vampires stalk the city streets and struggle for dominance in a world of gothic horror. Create your own character and mingle with dozens of players who portray their own undead alter egos. Each session is another chapter in an ongoing story of triumph, tragedy and betrayal. Fridays,“Vampire: The Masquerade.” 7pm. For location: www2.uiuc.edu/ro/elysium/intro.html.

Drop Dead – The Celebration Company at the Station Theatre. June 10-13,16-20,23-26, 8pm. WedSun: $8. Fri & Sat: $10. Wed is 2 for 1. Reservations: 384-4000.

EVENTS & LECTURES Dump and Run garage sale collection – They will NOT be collecting: sofa sleepers, large exercise equipment, non-working computer parts and large appliances. The items will be sold at University YMCA’s Annual Garage Sale, Aug 25-27 at the Stock Pavilion on campus. Collection dates: Now-June 5, M-F, 9am-3:30pm; June 5, 9am-4pm; July 10, 8am-4pm; Aug 2-10, M-Sat, 9am-3:30pm.

Info: Aimee, 337-1500 or www.universityymca.org.

Bloomsday Centennial – Downtown Champaign will join in this year’s celebration with word, dance and song on June 19. Info: David Gehrig at zemblan@earthlink.net, Lisa Boucher at lisa@fpmrecords.com, fpmrecords.com/events/bloomsday.html.

The Life of a Writer: Six Chicago Authors – Six Chicago authors will share writing adventures.

Guest authors: Raymond Benson (author of the last seven James Bond books), Barry Eisler (Rain Storm), David Ellis (Jury of One), J. A. Konrath (The Lt. Jack Daniels series), Sam Reaves (Dooley’s Back), and Robert W. Walker (Absolute Instinct). No registration. Champaign Public Library. Sun, 2-3:30pm.

Info: 403-2070.

Mad About Harry: Banned Books Booktalk – Each year, books are challenged by the dozens. Wizardin-training Harry Potter has topped many recent lists of challenged books. The Library’s Kelly Strom will introduce several challenged titles at this casual talk. Find out why they were challenged and why they are worth reading. Champaign Public Library. Wed, 7-8pm.

Christie Clinic Diabetes Lectures – Each lecture will be held from 4-5pm in the Education Room at Christie Clinic. Free. Thur:“Diabetes and the Eye” by Chris Schmidt, M.D. June 17:“Diabetes and the Foot” by William L. Pierce, D.P.M. June 24:“Self-Care and Glucose Monitoring” by Nurse Educator Sylvia Taylor. July 1:“Complications and New Findings” by John Stokes, M.D. Info: Chrsitie Clinic at 366-1200.

Red Mask Players Seeking Directors – The company is accepting applications for directors for the 2004-2005 season. The plays for the upcoming season include:“Barefoot In The Park” by Neil Simon, “Dr. Cook's Garden” by Ira Levin and “The Web of Murder” by Jonathan Troy. Applicants must submit a letter to the Red Mask Board of Directors describing their production plans. Applicants will be interviewed by the Board. Applications should be mailed to: Red Mask Players, P.O. Box 814, Danville, IL 61834-0814. Applications must be received by August 1. Scripts are available to review at the Danville Public Library.

Volunteer – Homeworks store, Habitat for Humanity of Champaign and Piatt Counties. Help sort, move, price, and display new donations to the resale store, or assist with donation pick-ups in box truck.

Volunteers needed every Wed, Fri, and Sat. Info: 355-6460 or Angela Miller, hfhangela@soltec.net.

Champaign County YMCA’s Third Annual Slamma Jamma – This 3-on-3 basketball tournament will be July 10 & 11 in West Side Park in Champaign.

Register at YMCA: 707 N Country Fair Dr or 500 W Church St, or online at www.ccymca.net. Register

by June 20. Fee: $96 per 4-member team. Teams guaranteed two games. Info: YMCA at 239-2813.

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WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Paxton Majestic Theater Workshop – Participants will perform skits, play games and learn about stage design and theater production. For firstninth graders. Register by July 5. Cost: $75. July 26Aug 6. M-F, 9am-12pm.

Life Map Workshop – A life map is a collection of images, a method of connecting with your intuition, a tool for visualizing your dreams or goals.

Come explore life mapping – approaches, uses, and the opportunity to create your own life map.

McKinley Foundation, C. Sat, 9:15am-1pm. Info: Jo Pauly at 337-7823 or jopauly@prairienet.org.

Loose Womyn Discussion Group – (discussion topics are loose, the women need not be). The group will discuss the book Make Your Creative Dreams Real : A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day by SARK. Borders. June 17, 7pm. 351-9011.

“How to Align Your Business for Success” – McKinley Foundation, Stage Door Meeting Room, 2nd Floor. Wed, 7pm. Sponsored by the Wise MidIllinois Business Group.

arts

JUNE 10 -16, 2004 | HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT ANYONE GOING SLOWER THAN YOU IS AN IDIOT AND ANYONE GOING FASTER IS A MANIAC?

7

ARTIST’S CORNER

BY BLANE MCCLELLAN | STAFF WRITER

I

lene Silverman is the art director at Columbia Center of Champaign, a public alternative school. She received an art degree from the University, spent 10 years teaching in innercity Chicago, and has taught in the Champaign area for the past 10 years. A Renaissance woman, Ilene was delighted to have studied under notable local artists Harry Breen and Robert Von Neumann, and now works in a variety of media from paint, to wire, to glass. She is married and has two children.

What are you working on now?

I’ve gotten my students involved with

Mystery Discussion Group – The group will discuss the book Rumor of Bones by Beverly Connor.

Borders. June 14, 6pm. 351-9011.

Border Crossers Discussion Group – (exploring the works of international authors). The group will discuss the book The Silent Duchess by Italian author Dacia Maraini. Borders. June 24, 7pm. 351-9011.

Belly Dancing Classes – 6-wk classes, beginning June 15 & 17. The Refinery. Info: Ishara at 469-8895, ishara@cubellydance.com, The Refinery at 3784607, or cubellydance.com.

projects that are community-oriented through the United Way, like landscaping and quilting. Our ongoing project started a few years ago with the United Way “Helping Hand” program. When I was asked a project suggestion, I came up with painting MTD benches for the community. We have no major sponsorship. Brian Silverman and Associates has provided funding for extra paint, brushes and varnish.

Tell me about the benches.

On each bench we paint a piece by a major artist, such as Van Gogh, Mondrian, O’Keefe and Rizzi. Typically, a few of my students and myself do the work.

The idea is not only that the students are finding pieces they can do, but also that they can translate

the pieces onto the bench, having hands-on experience with the artist’s painting style and technique. There are 10 benches placed in the community, including two more on the school grounds that are almost ready to go.

Right now, we’re working on one that’s a graffiti piece that one student was especially involved with painting.

How does this benefit your kids and the community?

I hope people sitting on MTD benches will be curious about the decoration and enjoy the exposure to artists’ work.

I have always thought that it was uncanny how unusually creative our students are. I often tease that their creativity may affect their focus in traditional classrooms. They get services, but don’t have the opportunity to give them. This project develops a sense of empathy to share with others. It’s important for them to participate col-

laboratively rather than as personal isolated expression, and for the community to view them as talented and generous.

What interests you personally, as an artist, about this project, and what else are you working on?

I just love to sit elbow to elbow with kids, working. The adventure of starting with a simple wooden bench, translating a piece of art and having a productive product is awesome. Every bench has met the rubric—to be a respectful representation of the original work and to have students experience the strength of community. In my personal work, I continue to draw and paint, but have dabbled with wire sculpture and glass mosaics in the past couple years.

Note: Benches can be found near Schnucks in Urbana, by Clark Lindsey Village, and across the street from Carle Clinic on University Avenue.

MIND BODY SPIRIT Sunday Zen Meditation Meeting - Prairie Zen Center. For information, call 355-8835 or go to www.prairiezen.org.

Planet Putt-Putt

Word of Mouth – Spoken word performances by Amira Nuha and others, followerd by group discussion and refreshments. No registration. Douglass Branch Library. Sat, 1-3pm. Info: 403-2090.

Campus Recreation Introduces Intramural Summer Softball League – Campus Rec is offering an Intramural Softball League beginning June 22 with both men’s and co-rec divisions. Entries will be accepted Tuesday and Wednesday by fax (244-9817) or at 140 IMPE. Fee: $150. Info: 333.3806, www.campusrec.uiuc.edu or 140 IMPE.

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a

PHOTOS | RODERCIK GEDEY

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w in

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Qu alif yt o

061004buzz0714

ond Golf Cours e by illow P W o t com ing ou tt o:

: June 16th 8:30- 10:30 PM : June 23rd10:30- 12:30 PM : June 30th 8:30- 10:30 PM July 7th 8:30- 10:30 PM

AT CADDY SHACK ON JULY 7th (Immediately following the Qualifying Round) Play to win a FREE foursome, dinner at Caddy Shack, a golf hat, shirt and a dozen golf balls!

“Interpretation” by Piet Mondran painted by Columbia Center students and Ilene Silverman.

Ilene Silverman.

Weight continued from Page 6 Readers have read this novel before, especially readers of “chick” lit. Its ancestors are Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Little Women. Its contemporaries are anything on the Oprah Book Club, pre-Ana Karenina. Granted, the topic of gastric bypass surgery isn’t present in many of these novels, but the procedure is a hot topic in the mainstream media.

For most of the novel, Wilensky seems like she’s riding those coattails, focusing more on the topic of the novel than the writing itself.

And the aesthetic of the book suffers because

of it. A significant majority of the sentences are awkwardly structured, and her voice tends to wander. For the most part, there isn’t a lot of coherence here, and some of the facts she presents about obesity seem a little uneducated. The novel is worth a once-over, but don’t turn to it if you’re looking for a truly introspective memoir.

BOOK REVIEW GUIDE

★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★ No stars

Flawless Good Mediocre Bad Unreadable

by Billy VanZandt and Jane Milmore directed by Aaron Polk

June 10-13, 16-20, 23-26 Tickets: $8.00 (Wed, Thurs, Sun) $10.00 (Fri and Sat) Wednesday is 2 for 1 All shows at 8:00pm Partially funded by Illinois Arts Council

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8 Rejoicing with Devendra Banhart music

BY LOGAN MOORE | STAFF WRITER

“I don’t feel like I play folk music,” Banhart says. “I’m not a purist. I don’t play any traditional music.”

Banhart was born in Texas in 1981, named by evendra Banhart explains his musical an Indian mystic whom his parents followed. origins thusly: “This inner desire to sing about After his parents divorced, he was raised by his something that was a little bit strange, possibly mother, among the shanties and sweatshops of wrong, but possibly beautiful. And that is of Caracas, Venezuela, and these roots still linger course plastic surgery. No seriously, Venezuela in his music. Banhart occasionally sings songs has the highest rate of plastic surgery in the in Spanish. The simple, sun-drenched beauty world. People give plastic surgery to their pets of some of his tunes recalls such South to make them look more like their owners. My American giants as Caetano Veloso.

His mother remarried, the family moved family gave plastic surgery to our schnauzer to make it look more like my grandmother. I start- back to Los Angeles, and in 1998, he attended ed singing about this when I was like 9 years The San Francisco Art Institute. Disillusioned old. I would make these songs and sing them to with the constraints of the academic art world, Banhart quickly took to busking the streets of my family and my family told me to stop.”

Spend any amount of time with Banhart’s San Francisco and playing anywhere that music and you’ll discover that this most likely would have him.

“When I first started,” recalls Banhart, “I fabricated story is also quite an accurate metaphor for his art: innocent, surreal, humor- sang a capella, then I started singing with a litous and sinister in equal measures. Banhart tle bit of guitar. I like the build-up. Next year, exists in an alternate realm, a mutant gene of maybe I’ll have a full band. But I don’t think I’ll the “man with a guitar” tradition. When asked ever make a Yes record.” Not old enough to what inspires his music the most, Banhart drink, others often snuck him in to play venues says, “My garden, really old people or really like Du Nord’s weekly “Monday Night Hoot.”

In the summer of 2000, he dropped out of art young people.”

What at first may seem a coyly simplistic, school and moved to Paris. There he opened bordering on inane, response takes on a differ- indie rock shows at small clubs and recorded ent meaning within the context of his music. songs on an eight-track recorder as well as a By simultaneously drawing upon and rejecting friend’s answering machine. Of his wandera whole history of acoustic folk, from old-time lust, Banhart says, “It helped me see how unito psychedelia, Banhart creates his own singu- fied everything is, how everywhere you go is lar universe, one where the wisdom and mys- just one little place. There’s no sense in just tery of the ancient becomes entangled with the fetishizing somewhere you’ve never been.”

Returning to Los Angeles and San Francisco bizarre whimsy of childhood. in the fall, Banhart was discovered at a sound check by a friend of Michael Gira, ex-member of New York avantindustrial mavens Swans and head of Young God Records.

Gira quickly signed Banhart and released his first album Oh Me Oh My ... The Way the Day Goes by the Sun is Setting Dogs are Dreaming Lovesongs of the Christmas Spirit.

Taken directly from Banhart’s original eight-track recordings, the album is a dreamy song cycle of creaky, psychedelic imagery and Banhart’s wild, warbling voice navigating emotional extremes.

Mystic folk musician Devendra Banhart will perform this Sunday in Chicago.

Read a review of his new music with Vetiver and solo album Rejoicing in Hands The album garnered Banhart comparisons on Page 9.

PHOTO COURTESY OF YOUNG GOD RECORDS (ALISSA ANDERSON)

D

to Syd Barret and Daniel Johnston, rave reviews, several tours in both the U.S. and Europe, and in the process became something of a latter-day lo-fi classic. What both Banhart and Gira came to realize, though, was that Devendra’s talent far exceeded the boundaries of that somewhat limited genre.

For the follow-up, Banhart recorded at Gira’s friend Lynn Bridges’s house on the Alabama-Georgia border using the best vintage gear available. For 10 days straight, 12 hours a day, Banhart sat on a stool and played while Gira and Bridges ran the tapes.

“It was a really wild place,” Banhart says.

“He (Bridges) shared the house with a taxidermy warehouse, the furniture was all stuffed raccoons, stuffed bobcats, stuffed exotic birds, and these beautiful spider web glass sculptures. These were all surrounding me while I was recording. Outside, the cicadas would sing all night.”

The cicadas can be heard in certain spots of what would become Rejoicing in the Hands. What is much more obvious is the overwhelming, wholly original talent that Banhart possesses.

“It’s (the first record) more like a documentary of my psychology at that moment. This one is more like a film. It’s natural and connected,” Banhart says. “Song to song, all the lyrics are much more connected.” And indeed, a lot of what mesmerizes about Rejoicing are Banhart’s impossibly detailed hallucinogenic ruminations on life, death, nature, insects, family, teeth, friends and a host of other topics ranging from the hilariously absurd to the darkly profound.

“I have a few books, like composition notebooks, filled up,” says Banhart of his lyric writing process. “And I just sort of edit and extract songs from that.” His guitar playing has grown considerably as well, the off-kilter strumming and intricate arpeggios enhancing the depth of his vision. Banhart says of his guitar, “Sometimes, I felt like it was screaming at me to put it down, like we were fighting. Now it just feels like we’re raping each other.”

Banhart has a lot in store for the future. Out now on a national tour, he plans to have a second release, Nino Rojo, culled from the same recordings as Rejoicing in the Hands, due out in September. As for his immediate plans, Banhart says, “In August, I’m moving to the south of France. My girlfriend’s mother is a bullfighter. Flamenco music was originally conceived as an accompaniment to bull-fighting, so hopefully I’m going to go and learn flamenco and play to one of her fights.” In Banhart’s world, such an outlandish, romantic proposition seems entirely possible. buzz

Devendra Banhart, Vetiver and Joanna Newsom will perform at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge June 13. Tickets are $10. The show starts at 8 p.m. Read reviews of their CDs on the next page.

I AM AWESOME-O 4000 | JUNE 10 -16, 2004 buzz

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calendar

JUNE 10 -16, 2004 | WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com

WednesdayJune16 LIVE MUSIC Hard Poor Korn – Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Russell Clerk Recital – The Iron Post, 5:30-8:30pm, TBA Forca Macabra, Tulsa, Hollowed Out, The Railers, Rujina – hardcore – Red Herring, 7:30pm, $6 The Situation, Green Light Go – The Iron Post, 10pm, TBA

DJ Salsateca! with DJ Bris Mueller – salsa, mambo, bachata – Cowboy Monkey, 9pm, free Fabulous! – rawk – Nargile, 10pm, $3 Hoppin' with Capt'n Eddy – Historic Lincoln Hotel, 6pm, free Chef Ra – reggae – Barfly, 9pm, free

KARAOKE “Liquid Courage Karaoke” – Fat City Saloon, 8pm12am, TBA “G” Force Karaoke/DJ – TNT corner tavern in Rantoul, 8pm-12am Live Band Karaoke: The Cheezy Trio – Tommy G's, 9pm, free

C-UVENUES Alto Vineyards 4210 N Duncan Rd, Champaign, 356-4784 Assembly Hall First & Florida, Champaign, 333-5000 American Legion Post 71 107 N Broadway, Urbana, 367-3121 Barfly 120 N Neil, Champaign,352-9756 Barnes and Noble 51 E Marketview, Champaign, 355-2045 Boardman’s Art Theater 126 W Church, Champaign, 351-0068 Boltini Lounge 211 N Neil, Champaign, 378-8001 Borders Books & Music 802 W Town Ctr, Champaign, 351-9011 The Brass Rail 15 E University, Champaign, 352-7512 Canopy Club (Garden Grill) 708 S Goodwin, Urbana, 367-3140 Channing-Murray Foundation 1209 W Oregon, Urbana C.O. Daniels 608 E Daniel, Champaign, 337-7411 Cosmopolitan Club 307 E John, Champaign, 367-3079 Courtyard Cafe Illini Union, 1401 W Green, Urbana, 333-4666 Cowboy Monkey 6 Taylor St, Champaign, 398-2688 Clybourne 706 S Sixth, Champaign, 383-1008 Curtis Orchard 3902 S Duncan Rd, Champaign, 359-5565 D.R. Diggers 604 S Country Fair Dr, 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 Dr, Champaign, 359-1678 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 St, Urbana, 344-8820 The Iron Post 120 S Race, Urbana, 337-7678 Joe’s Brewery 706 S Fifth, Champaign, 384-1790 Kam’s 618 E Daniel, Champaign, 328-1605 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 Legends Bar & Grill 522 E Green, Champaign, 355-7674 Les’s Lounge 403 N Coler, Urbana, 328-4000 Lincoln Castle 209 S Broadway, Urbana, 344-7720 Lowe’s Big Barrel & Summer Club 14 N Hazel, Danville, 442-8090 Malibu Bay Lounge North Route 45, Urbana, 328-7415 Mike n’ Molly’s 105 N Market, Champaign, 355-1236 Mulligan’s 604 N Cunningham, Urbana, 367-5888 Murphy’s 604 E Green, Champaign, 352-7275 Nargile 207 W Clark St, 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 Pink House Routes 49 & 150, Ogden, 582-9997 The Rainbow Coffeehouse 1203 W Green, Urbana, 766-9500 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 Sweet Betsy’s 805 S Philo Rd, Urbana Ten Thousand Villages 105 N Walnut, Champaign, 352-8938 TK Wendl’s 1901 S Highcross Rd, Urbana, 255-5328 Tommy G’s 123 S Mattis Ave, Country Fair Shopping Center, 359-2177 Tonic 619 S Wright, Champaign, 356-6768 Two Main 2 Main, Champaign, 359-3148 University YMCA 1001 S Wright, Champaign, 344-0721 Verde/Verdant 17 E Taylor St, 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

CHICAGOSHOWS JUNE 6/10 Janet Bean & The Concertina Wire @ Schubas 6/11 Aquabats @ Metro, all-ages 6/11 James Brown @ House of Blues 6/11 MC5 @ Metro, 18+ 6/11 Jesse Malin @ Schubas 6/11 Dios @ Martyrs' 6/11 Sam Phillips @ Park West 6/11 Handsome Family @ Old Town School of Folk Music 6/11-12 Beulah @ Abbey Pub 6/12 Kenny Brown, Cedric Burnside, T-Model Ford @ House of Blues Back Porch Stage 6/12 Fetal Position @ Old Town School of Folk Music 6/12 Fleetwood Mac @ Tweeter Center 6/12 Franz Ferdinand @ Metro, all-ages 6/12 Marah @ Schubas 6/12 Maritime @ Bottom Lounge, 18+ 6/12 John P. Strohm @ Schubas 6/12 X-ecutioners @ Metro, 18+ 6/13 Cheryl Wheeler @ Old Town School of Folk Music 6/13 Richie Hawtin @ Smart Bar 6/13 Devendra Banhardt @ Bottom Lounge, 18+

BOB ’N DAVE

6/13 Blink 182, No Doubt @ Tweeter Center 6/14 Mclusky @ Schubas 6/15 Femi Kutl, Angelique Kidjo @ House of Blues, 18+ 6/15-16 Skinny Puppy @ Vic 6/17 David Byrne @ Skyline Stage 6/17 Grant-Lee Phillips, John Doe @ Park West, all-ages 6/18 B-52'S @ Vic, all-ages 6/18 Dave Matthews Band @ Tweeter Center 6/18-19 Shins @ House of Blues 6/19 Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire @ Tweeter Center 6/22 Rachael Yamagata @ Schubas 6/24 Peter Himmelman & Band @ Park West, 18+ 6/24 Richard Thompson @ House of Blues 6/25 Taj Mahal & The Hula Blues Band @ House of Blues, 18+ 6/25 Jonathan Richman w/Tommy Larkins @ Double Door 6/25-26 & 28-29 Prince @ Allstate Arena 6/26 Primus @ UIC Pavilion 6/25-27 Magnetic Fields @ Old Town School of Folk Music 6/26 Brother Ali @ Abbey Pub, 18+ 6/26 Mum @ Logan Square Auditorium, all-ages 6/27 Leon Russell @ Abbey Pub 6/28-29 Pedro the Lion @ Abbey Pub, 18+ 6/30 Los Lobos @ Park West, 6/30, (rescheduled from 4/30)

JULY 7/1 Soulive @ House of Blues, 18+ 7/1 Sotckholm Syndrome @ Metro, 18+ 7/1 311, Roots @ Tweeter Center 7/2 David Murray Creole Project III @ HotHouse 7/2 Samples @ House of Blues, 18+ 7/2 Jaga Jazzist @ Empty Bottle 7/2 Iron & Wine @ Abbey Pub, 18+ 7/2 Hidden Variable, Phantom 45 @ Smart Bar 7/2 Blue October @ Schubas 7/2 Dieselboy @ Metro, 18+ 7/2 Johnny Clegg @ Park West, 18+ 7/3 John Cowan Band, Vassar Clements @ Abbey Pub 7/3 Rooney @ House of Blues, all-ages 7/3 Tim McGraw @ Tweeter Center 7/4 ZZ Top, Doors of the 21st Century @ Tweeter Center 7/4 Frankie Knuckles @ House of Blues 7/6 Jet @ House of Blues, all-ages 7/6 Jessica Simpson @ Tweeter Center 7/6 Inti-Illimani @ HotHouse 7/6 Afroman @ Double Door 7/7 Mooney Suzuki @ Metro, all-ages 7/7 Courtney Love & The Chelsea @ Vic, all-ages 7/8 Jazzanova @ Smart Bar 7/9 Kiss, Poison @ Tweeter Center 7/9 Vienna Teng, Ben Arthur, Abra Moore @ Schubas, 18+ 7/9 Johnny Winter @ House of Blues 7/9 Pat McGee Band, Great Big Sea @ Skyline Stage, 18+ 7/9 Bering Strait @ Joe’s 7/9-10 Rudi Protrudi @ Lyons Den (9), Underground Lounge (10) 7/10 Saves the Day @ Metro, all-ages 7/10 Jimmy Buffett @ Alpine Valley, sold out 7/10 Album Leaf @ Schubas 7/10 Kindred the Family Soul @ House of Blues 7/10 Three Doors Down, Nickelback @ Tweeter Center 7/10 O.A.R., Howie Day @ New City YMCA, all-ages 7/11 K.D. Lang @ Ravinia 7/11-12, 7/14-15 Madonna @ United Center, sold out 7/12 Don Henley @ Ravinia

BY DAVID KING

13

7/13 John Hiatt @ Ravinia 7/13 Ozric Tentacles @ Martyrs’ 7/13, 7/18 Alive Cooper @ Skyline Stage (13), Star Plaza (18) 7/14 Josh Holmes @ Schubas 7/14 Incubus @ Allstate Arena 7/15 Carole King @ Auditorium Theatre 7/15-16 New Year @ Schubas, 7/15 18+ 7/16 Brave Combo @ FitzGerald’s 7/16 Natalie Cole @ Skyline Stage 7/16, 7/18 John Wesley Harding @ Schubas 7/17 Bad Examples @ FitzGerald’s 7/17 Eric Clapton @ United Center 7/17 Gipsy Kings @ Chicago Theatre 7/17 Good Life @ Schubas 7/17 Gravy Train @ Fireside Bowl 7/17 Poncho Sanchez @ HotHouse 7/17 Britney Spears, JC Chasez @ Tweeter Center 7/18 Sting, Annie Lennox @ Tweeter Center 7/18 Cowboy Junkies @ Skyline Stage 7/19-20 Van Halen @ United Center, 7/19 sold out 7/21 Red West @ Schubas 7/21 Jimmie Vaughn @ House of Blues 7/21 Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morissette @ Tweeter Center 7/21 Camera Obscura @ Empty Bottle 7/22 Kansas @ Skyline Stage 7/22 Steel Pulse @ House of Blues, 18+ 7/22-23 Finn Brothers @ Vic, all-ages 7/23 Matthew Dear @ Empty Bottle 7/23 Split Lip Rayfield @ Abbey Pub 7/23 Kottonmouth Kings @ House of Blues, all-ages 7/23 HIM @ HotHouse 7/23 Ojos de Brujo @ Metro, 18+ 7/24 Warped Tour – New Found Glory, Rufio, Bad Religion, Alkaline Trio, Simple Plan @ Tweeter Center 7/24 The Dead @ Alpine Valley 7/24 Cex @ Abbey Pub, 18+ 7/24 DJ Hype @ Metro, 18+ 7/25-27 Chris Isaak @ House of Blues, 7/25-26 sold out 7/27 Blues Traveler @ Ravinia 7/29 Finch @ Metro, all-ages 7/29 Lollapalooza – Morrissey, Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, Le Tigre @ Tweeter Center 7/30 Lollapalooza – String Cheese Incident, Flaming Lips, Michael Franti, Spearhead @ Tweeter Center 7/30 Brother Danielson @ Empty Bottle 7/30 Hilary Duff @ Allstate Arena 7/31 Boyz II Men, En Vogue, Silk @ Star Plaza 7/31 Toby Keith @ Tweeter Center 7/31 Hanson @ Skyline Stage, sold out 7/31 Minders @ Schubas 7/31 Oneida @ Empty Bottle 7/31 Reel Big Fish, Lucky Boys Confusion @ Congress Theater, all-ages

ART NOTICES Art Classes by Sandra Ahten:“Drawing and Painting” & “Drawing from a Model” – “Painting”: June 17-July 15, Thur 7-9pm. Beginning to intermediate drawing and painting.“Model”: June 15-July 13, Tu 7-9pm. Instruction available for beginners. Experienced artists welcome. High Cross Art Studio. 367-6345. spiritofsandra.com.

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ThursdayJune10 LIVE MUSIC Joni Laurence – Cowboy Monkey, 5:30, free Acoustic Music Series: Darrin Drda with David Tcheng – eclectic – Aroma, 8pm, free Jazz Mayhem – The Iron Post, 7-10pm, TBA The Midnight Special: 2ON2OUT, TBA – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free Country Connection – Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free

DJ DJ J-Phlip – house – Barfly, 9pm, free DJ Stifler – ‘80s hair bands – Tommy G's, 9pm, free DJ Delayney – Nargile, 10pm, $5 DJ Bozak – Boltini, 10:30pm, free DJ Impact – house – Nargile, 10pm, free

SPOKEN WORD The Northstar Lounge hosted by CZAR Absolute of Animate Objects – hip-hop/spoken word poetry set/open mic – Nargile, 10:30pm, $5

KARAOKE "G" Force Karaoke/DJ – Pia's in Rantoul, 9pm, TBA Live Band Karaoke: The Cheezy Trio – The Highdive, 10pm, $3

AROUND TOWN Wine Tasting – sample and/or buy for $3.50 per glass – Krannert Center Interlude lobby bar, 5pm, free

FridayJune11 LIVE MUSIC Country Connection – Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Roger Clair – Cowboy Monkey, 5pm, free Billy Galt – blues – Tommy G's, 5-7pm, free Jazz Happy Hour: Pocket Big Band – Highdive, 5:30pm, $3 Adam Wolfe and Friends – The Iron Post, 9pm, TBA

WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com | JUNE 10 -16, 2004

Loco Diablo Records presents: Jaded Kayne – The Phoenix, 9pm, free Stilife, Like Wize, TBA – Canopy Club, 9pm, $5

DJ

“G� Force Karaoke/DJ – Sappy’s on Devenshire, 9pm, TBA

TuesdayJune15

SundayJune13

LIVE MUSIC

KARAOKE “G� Force Karaoke – Urbana American Legion, 8pm-1am, TBA

SaturdayJune12 LIVE MUSIC Country Connection – Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Ryan Mackstaller – jazz – Nargile, 5-7:30pm, $5 Hardly Portland – Borders, 8-10pm, free The Greedy Loves, Green Light Go – Nargile, 9pm, $5 The Unfinished Business Band – blues – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $3 Lorenzo Goetz, Clean Ray, Aveo – The Iron Post, 10pm, $3 The Mindset – classic rock – Tommy G's, 10pm, cover Electric Wood – Embassy Tavern, TBA, free Blues Deacons – Alto Vineyards, 8-11pm, $3

$%@&*!!

Do you ever think “I wish I could hear _____ on the radio!�?

Whether you have ideas for programming, news, sports coverage, contests, station image, promotions, remote broadcasts, giveaways, absolutely anything relating to what you would like to see your radio station doing, we want to hear your opinions!

Join an open discussion group of WPGU 107.1 The Planet listeners on Tuesday, June 15th from 6-7PM in 106 Lincoln Hall.

All are welcome.

RSVP to marketing@wpgu.com.

Come on out and let us hear what YOU want!

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music

JUNE 10 -16, 2004 | LAME

DJ

Southbound – southern rock – Tommy G's, 10pm, cover Treologic, Melodic Scribes – Nargile, 10:30pm, $5 The Brat Pack – ‘80s retro – Fat City Saloon, TBA, cover Full Circle – ‘80s hard rock – Diamond's in Rantoul, 9pm-1am, TBA Delta Kings – rock & blues – The Phoenix, 9pm1am, TBA X-Krush – Sneaky Pete’s in Effingham, 9:30pm, TBA Grass Roots Revival – Kickapoo Canoe Landing, 5:30-7:30pm, free All Will Fall, Heos, Slavereign Nation, Heavy Handed – metal – The Canopy Club, 9pm, $5 DJ Bozak – hip-hop – Barfly, 9pm, free DJ Tim Williams – Highdive, 10pm, $5 DJ J-Phlip – Boltini, 10pm, free Nekromancy: DJ SoceryKid – dark dance and fetish – Red Herring, 9pm, $2 Onda Tropicale: DJ Mambo Otaliano – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free

buzz

CDReviews

061004buzz0912

DJ Lil' Big Bass – drum ‘n bass – Nargile, 10pm, free DJ Bozak – Boltini, 10:30pm, free DJ Carlos – hip-hop – Barfly, 9pm, free

DJ

MUSIC PERFORMANCE

DJ Resonate – hip-hop – Barfly, 9pm, free House Party: DJ Mertz, DJ J-Phlip – house – Nargile, 10pm, $5 DJ Tim Williams – Highdive, 10pm, $5 “Soulful Saturdays� w/ DJ Phokiss, Chill Will, DJ World – Watusi Lounge, free before 11pm DJ Limbs – Boltini, 10pm, free

Community Drum Circle – Ten Thousand Villages, 7-9pm, free

KARAOKE “G� Force Karaoke and DJ – Wendl’s, after softball until 2am, TBA

KARAOKE

Crystal River – Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Adam Wolfe, Jess Greenlee – acoustic – Tommy G's, 10pm, free Open Mic/Open Jam hosted by Openingbands.com and Kate Hathaway – Canopy Club, 9pm, $2 Acoustic Music Series: Tom Grassman – White Horse Inn, 9:30pm, free Eclectic Theory, TBA – Nargile, 10pm, $3

LIVE MUSIC Crystal River – Rose Bowl Tavern, 8:30pm, free Juliana Hatfield, The Damnwells – Highdive, 9pm, $15 Legendary Shack Shakers, The Greedy Loves – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $6 No One of Consequence, TBA – Nargile, 11pm, $3

DJ

DJ DJ Bozak – Boltini, 10:30pm, free DJ Delayney – hip-hop, funk, downbeat – Barfly, 9pm, free

2ON2OUT – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free NOX DJ ZoZo – Highdive, 10pm, $2 DJ Sophisto – house, funk – Barfly, 9pm, free 2ON2OUT – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free

KARAOKE

DANCING

“G� Force Karaoke and DJ – Wendl’s, after softball until 2am, TBA

KARAOKE “G� Force Karaoke/DJ – Neil Street Pub, 8pm-12am, free

LIVE MUSIC Jazz Jam with ParaDocs – The Iron Post, 9pm, TBA Open Mic hosted by Mike Ingram – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free

KRANNERT CENTER

4H *UNE

3U *UNE

3UMMER *AZZ &ESTIVAL 4HE 2ED "ACK "OOK PM

3UMMER *AZZ &ESTIVAL 4HE 2ED "ACK "OOK PM !LLERTON 0ARK

-ONTICELLO

&R *UNE 3UMMER *AZZ &ESTIVAL 0ORGY AND "ESS 3KETCHES OF 3PAIN PM

3A *UNE 3UMMER *AZZ &ESTIVAL *ON &ADDIS AND #HIP -C.EILL *AM PM

+RANNERT #ENTER SERVICES REMAIN OPEN ALL SUMMER

)NTERMEZZO

"REAKFAST LUNCH

LIGHT SUPPERS AM PM NON PERFOR MANCE WEEKDAYS AM THROUGH PERFORMANCE ON WEEKDAYS MINUTES BEFORE THROUGH PERFORMANCES ON WEEKENDS

3OME +RANNERT #ENTER PROGRAMS ARE SUPPORTED IN PART BY THE .ATIONAL %NDOWMENT FOR THE !RTS THE )LLINOIS !RTS #OUNCIL AND PATRON AND CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS

Young God Records

★★★★

VETIVER Vetiver DiCristina Records

★★★★

BY LOGAN MOORE

Latin Dance Night – salsa, cha-cha, merengue, bachata – McKinley Foundation, 9:30-11:30pm, $1

MondayJune14 THIS WEEK

DEVENDRA BANHART Rejoicing In The Hands

4HE 0ROMENADE

'IFTS CARDS CANDY

AND MORE AM PM -ONDAY 3ATURDAY /NE HOUR BEFORE TO MINUTES AFTER PERFORMANCES

4OURS

PM DAILY WHEN CLASSES ARE IN SESSION /R BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

+RANNERT#ENTER COM OR +#0!4)8 449 3(/7 &AX 'ROUPS KRAN TIX UIUC EDU 4ICKET /FFICE /PEN AM TO PM DAILY ON DAYS OF PERFORMANCES OPEN AM THROUGH INTERMISSION

Certain music digs deep into your bones and gestates in your marrow. It punches the back of your teeth from the inside of your mouth, curls itself around your fingers and toes causing them to twitch rhythmically, uncontrollably. Certain music reminds you simultaneously of weddings and funerals, of flowers at altars and headstones. Music that, when heard for the first time, makes traffickers in affected hipness and contrived, ham-fisted melancholy seem so spiritually irrelevant as to be non-existent. Devendra Banhart draws from both timeless, universal musical traditions and a deep, tempestuous well of human emotion to craft just such music.

Too often, Devendra Banhart is attributed the status of “eccentric,� atoning for the sins of a nation steeped in dark, bloody politics and self-congratulatory, vapid pop culture. The image of a fairy-like man-child perched on a toadstool in an ancient forest crooning whimsical ditties for frogs and birds is consistently invoked. It’s a vastly inane, solipsistic, and insulting summation of his music.

Rather than quaint weirdness for its own sake, Banhart

conjures raw, visceral sketches of alternate realities that serve to remind us of and connect us to our own reality.

It’s like traveling to another planet and counting the ways it makes you homesick for Earth. With his stunning second album, Rejoicing in the Hands, and his contributions to the subtle grandeur of Vetiver’s self-titled debut, Banhart reaches a state of depth and maturity that far transcends the role of outsider music that could be easily thrust upon him.

Rejoicing in the Hands, albeit in the most idiosyncratic of manners, embraces a whole range of moods and ideas—and through his at times impenetrable but always wholly engrossing lyrical imagery and intricate guitar work—Banhart crafts a truly original classic that seems to have a shelf life dated long before and after the confines of 2004. Producer Michael Gira has chosen wisely in lifting Banhart from the eccentric lo-fi ghetto without losing the fragile peculiarity and pained intimacy of his debut. Although some of the schizophrenic intensity of past Banhart efforts is lost, that oddity bubbles under the surface and connects each track to the next like a fever dream with a cast of recurring characters.

Lyrically, Banhart seems consumed by the process of birth and decay and a deeply spiritual reverence for man’s reflection in nature. Thus, much of the imagery is organic in nature and typified by songs like “Insect Eyes� with lines such as, “And each strand of her hair/is really insect eyes/and each hole in her tongue/is always occupied/by the milk of the sun.� Although his guitar work and song structures have their slight roots in both traditional folk and ‘60s revivalism, Banhart owns his peculiar brand of folk. Be it the mounting tension of the off-kilter rag-time of “This Beard is for Siobahn,� the profound, sun-dappled balladry of “Will Is My Friend� or the eerie, delicate, death hymn of “See Saw,� the music sounds alien from anything before it and, as is often cited in descriptions of his music, bizarrely removed from time.

This apparent chronological displacement spills over into Banhart’s other project Vetiver. Truly a songwriting outlet for San Francisco’s Andy Cabic, Vetiver consists of Cabic on banjo, guitar and vocals, Banhart on guitar, Alissa Anderson on cello, and Jim Gaylord on violin. On their debut, Vetiver achieve a brilliant fusion of delicately strummed and finger-picked acoustic guitars accented by delicious bowed and plucked strings. This is all held together by Cabic’s graceful songwriting, which draws lines from traditional American ballads to Nick Drake to Velvet Underground’s third album. The experimental bent of Banhart’s music does not escape Vetiver, yet it exists in a much subtler form. Sloppy, clip-clopping percussion punctuates the lovely melody of “Without a Song.�“Amour Fou� is a joyous, propulsive ditty consisting mostly of the lines,“She wanted love, love, crazy love� repeated with varying degrees enthusiasm by Cabic and Banhart. Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) contributes ghostly coos to the background of the lamentful, moonlit imagery of “Angel’s Share� and Colm O’Ciosoig (My Bloody Valentine) lends his purposeful rhythms to the stately, beautiful “Luna Sea� and the grotesquely haunting closing epic “On A Nerve.� The result is an album

where airy beauty melds with a peculiar earthiness, making it oddly appropriate for both sun-drenched Friday afternoons and drizzly, gray Sunday mornings.

With these releases, Devendra Banhart finds himself not only at the forefront of the current abundance of avant-folk activity, but an endlessly compelling artist in his own right. If he continues along his current past, he’s assured to not only be seen as an artist out of time, but an artist for the ages as well.

JOANNA NEWSOM The Milk-Eyed Mender ★★★★

Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus is readying a collection of new material scheduled for a possible January release, most likely on Matador records. It is unclear whether the new album will be a solo project or collaboration with Malkmus’s band The Jicks.

CHARTS

SHADIE ELNASHAI

Joanna Newsom’s debut release (disregarding two self-released EPs) is her attempt to demonstrate the capabilities of her preferred instrument, which she feels has been misrepresented in mainstream music. By combining a distinctive classically trained harp style with her unique voice, she makes The MilkEyed Mender an avant-garde interpretation on traditional Appalachian folk. The result sounds like indie-influenced neo-folk.

The diminutive Californian successfully showcases her voice, which is the album’s most distinguishing feature. It falls somewhere between the controlled and measured volatility of Noe Venable and the deceptive coyness of CocoRosie. Like Fiona Apple, any delicacy she possesses can instantly disseminate into a surprising emotive power, while she takes cues from Scandinavian vocalists like Bjork and Stina Nordemstam. Her melodies contain constantly unpredictable musical eccentricities.

Lyrically, she assumes the perspective of a naive child, reflecting the innocence her sweet tones would suggest and whenever her words threaten to become too abstract she grounds them, using a frank simplicity that enables her poetry to both flow and retain its magical quality. Even so, for a handful of ballads—such as her cover of traditional folk tune “Three Little Babies�—she betrays a resigned wisdom that explains the underlying complexity of her work.

As a harp player, she excels, with her arrangements veering from delicate and minimalist percussive contributions to the flowing scales and arpeggios most frequently provided by the harp. She uses the harp’s inherent dynamics to make it every bit as expressive as her vocals, the two aspects harmoniously complementing one another.

However, the highlight of The Milk-Eyed Mender is when Newsom employs the harpsichord for “Peach, Plum, Pear.� Her voice, with all its idiosyncratic variation, could hardly be more perfectly suited to the track. Her

Sifting through the commotion and crap of music culture

Nick Cave is set to release the double album Abattoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus in September via Mute Records. The follow-up to last year’s Nocturama will be the first since the departure of long-time guitarist Blixa Bargeld.

experimentation is prominent, for she splinters rather than syncopates her rhythm, but the song is backed up by some emphatic multi-layered vocals and easily possesses the catchiest melody on the album. Its only shortcoming is its length. At 3:33, it is one of the shortest of 12 tracks on the hour-long record.

On the surface, The Milk-Eyed Mender is a gorgeous fairly-tale mosaic (both musically and semantically) that stands up to the scrutiny of repeat listenings to reveal an unexpected maturity beneath its endearing sincerity. At the age of 22, Joanna Newsom is an artist to pay close attention to.

Drag City

The Hurly-Burly Kanye West is kicking off a tour this August, hitting arenas all over the country as the opening act for Usher. In addition, West is starting his own clothing line dubbed Mascot, which will be in stores before the end of the year. A sneaker line, Mascot trainers, is currently in the design stage.

9

What the hell?

Moment of the week Q: What do you get when you cross Jimmy Buffett with Body Glove pants? A: Sammy Hagar. That’s right Mr. Hagar is currently collaborating with frighteningly patriotic country star Toby Keith. The duet, which will be included on Keith’s upcoming album, is wittily titled What Happens in Cabo, Stays in Cabo. Hey, NASCAR fans need their anthems of summertime hedonism too, all right?

Breaking News!

Creed has officially called it quits. I guess that explains all the flags at half-mast this week.

PARASOL RECORDS TOP 10 SELLERS 1. Velvet Crush - Stereo Blues (Action Musik) 2. Unbunny - Snow Tires (Hidden Agenda) 3. !!! - Louden Up Now (Touch & Go) 4. A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder (Matador) 5. The Fall - 50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong: 39 Golden Greats (Beggars Banquet) 6. The Like Young - So Serious (Parasol) 7. Tommy Keene - Drowning (Not Lame) 8. Matt Sharp - Matt Sharp (In Music We Trust) 9. Vandermark 5 - Elements Of Style, Exercises In Surprise (Atavistic) 10. Maritime - Glass Floor (DeSoto)

NEW RELEASES JUNE 15 The Beastie Boys - To the 5 Boroughs Carla Bley - The Lost Chords Andrea Bocelli - Verdi: Il Trovatore Celine Dion - A New Day ... Live in Las Vegas DJ Shadow - Live! In Tune & On Time Fleetwood Mac - Live in Boston Somnambulants - Evacuation Johnny Winter - I’m a Bluesman The Wylde Bunch - Wylde Tymes at Washington High

MUSIC REVIEW GUIDE

★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★ No stars

Flawless Good Mediocre Bad Unlistenable

BUY

CDs

SELL

LPs

TRADE

DVDs

110 S. Race St. Urbana 367-7927 www.recordswap.com

061004buzz1011

6/9/04

5:46 PM

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10

calendar

second annual

DIV A garage sale Friday and Saturday June 11 and 12 8 am-2 pm 309 South New St. Champaign Mark your Calendars!

Proceeds from the sale will benefit a local charity.

DIVA (Downtown Independent Volunteer Association) is a local women’s volunteer group.

FREE RIDE!

O’HARE / MIDWAY AIRPORTS Pay for 5 rides–6th ride free!

The Point teaches the Art and Sport of Fencing for all ages and levels – from beginners to international competition levels.

LEAVE HUFF HALL

LEAVE ALTEGELD

LEAVE IL TERMINAL

4th & Gregory

Wright at John

45 E. University

14:45 am 17:45 am 19:45 am* 12:45 pm 13:45 pm

14:50 am 17:50 am 9:50 am* 12:50 pm 13:50 pm

15:00 am 18:00 am 10:00 am* 11:00 pm 14:00 pm

Dependable Service since 1998

Bluebird 217/351-5838 217/352-0722 Located Downtown 500 N. Walnut, Champaign www.thepointfencingclub.com

1-800-400-5500

*Special trip during peak periods only. ***effective 05/30/04

Aveo at Iron Post

buzzpicks Treologic, Scribes get melodic

H band to be produced by Phil Ek of Built to Spill and Modest Mouse notoriety. The three-piece lineup is fronted by guitarist/vocalist William Wilson, with their music taking cues from The Smiths and other alternative rock influences. Critics have compared Aveo’s music to Belle and Sebastian’s quiet intimacy. This is a good chance to see a quality indie rock show in an extremely intimate setting, The Iron Post. Local funk rock talents ans of the Northwest’s prolific indie Lorenzo Goetz—good old Larry has been rock scene are in for a treat this getting around this summer, hasn’t Saturday when Seattle trio Aveo roll he?—and Clean Ray are scheduled to through town. They are touring in support open. Their is a $3 cover charge, and the of their spring release Battery on Barsuk show starts at 10 p.m. records. This is the second album for the

ip-hop acts Treologic and Melodic Scribes head to Nargile this Friday.

The Melodic Scribes are a three-man group consisting of “DJ Mar Mar” (Martin Daniel), “Wuk” (Ryan Wukovits) and “Pinan” (Neil Dasgupta), the last of whom helped form U-C Hip-Hop. The Scribes are local favorites on the Champaign-Urbana music scene. The group’s power lies in each member’s ability to not only bring beat and rhythm together but also to bring thought-provoking lyrics to its audiences. The group puts on a show that will

make you get into the vibe of the night and also make you think and follow along with every verse. Don’t miss Melodic Scribes along with Treologic. The show starts at 10:30 p.m.

F

“Don’t Fear the Hookah”

P

ower-pop band Green Light Go is a band worth hearing, and now you get your chance twice in one week.

The band will share the bill with The Greedy Loves this Saturday at Nargile’s “Don’t Fear The Hookah” party. And on Wednesday, Green Light Go will pair up with The Situation to play a show at The Iron Post. The band got together in C-U and is new to the music scene this year, but they are sure to be around for a while. They craft fast, catchy songs you’ll want dance to, and they bring a punk-pop edge to the mix, too. Be sure to check out the band this week!

Hatfield hits the Highdive

Y

ou might remember Juliana Hatfield from her 1990s popularity as a member of alternative rock band The Lemonheads, or maybe from her early ‘90s hit “Spin the Bottle.” But regardless of whether or not you’ve heard of her in the past, this honest, powerful singersongwriter is worth remembering now.

Her voice is unique and powerful, yet her strongest musical ability is undoubtedly her masterful guitar playing. Check out Hatfield’s show at Highdive this Sunday.

The Damnwells and Col. Rhodes will also perform. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. and has a $15 cover charge. Don’t miss it.

calendar

11

061004buzz1011

6/9/04

5:46 PM

Page 1

10

calendar

second annual

DIV A garage sale Friday and Saturday June 11 and 12 8 am-2 pm 309 South New St. Champaign Mark your Calendars!

Proceeds from the sale will benefit a local charity.

DIVA (Downtown Independent Volunteer Association) is a local women’s volunteer group.

FREE RIDE!

O’HARE / MIDWAY AIRPORTS Pay for 5 rides–6th ride free!

The Point teaches the Art and Sport of Fencing for all ages and levels – from beginners to international competition levels.

LEAVE HUFF HALL

LEAVE ALTEGELD

LEAVE IL TERMINAL

4th & Gregory

Wright at John

45 E. University

14:45 am 17:45 am 19:45 am* 12:45 pm 13:45 pm

14:50 am 17:50 am 9:50 am* 12:50 pm 13:50 pm

15:00 am 18:00 am 10:00 am* 11:00 pm 14:00 pm

Dependable Service since 1998

Bluebird 217/351-5838 217/352-0722 Located Downtown 500 N. Walnut, Champaign www.thepointfencingclub.com

1-800-400-5500

*Special trip during peak periods only. ***effective 05/30/04

Aveo at Iron Post

buzzpicks Treologic, Scribes get melodic

H band to be produced by Phil Ek of Built to Spill and Modest Mouse notoriety. The three-piece lineup is fronted by guitarist/vocalist William Wilson, with their music taking cues from The Smiths and other alternative rock influences. Critics have compared Aveo’s music to Belle and Sebastian’s quiet intimacy. This is a good chance to see a quality indie rock show in an extremely intimate setting, The Iron Post. Local funk rock talents ans of the Northwest’s prolific indie Lorenzo Goetz—good old Larry has been rock scene are in for a treat this getting around this summer, hasn’t Saturday when Seattle trio Aveo roll he?—and Clean Ray are scheduled to through town. They are touring in support open. Their is a $3 cover charge, and the of their spring release Battery on Barsuk show starts at 10 p.m. records. This is the second album for the

ip-hop acts Treologic and Melodic Scribes head to Nargile this Friday.

The Melodic Scribes are a three-man group consisting of “DJ Mar Mar” (Martin Daniel), “Wuk” (Ryan Wukovits) and “Pinan” (Neil Dasgupta), the last of whom helped form U-C Hip-Hop. The Scribes are local favorites on the Champaign-Urbana music scene. The group’s power lies in each member’s ability to not only bring beat and rhythm together but also to bring thought-provoking lyrics to its audiences. The group puts on a show that will

make you get into the vibe of the night and also make you think and follow along with every verse. Don’t miss Melodic Scribes along with Treologic. The show starts at 10:30 p.m.

F

“Don’t Fear the Hookah”

P

ower-pop band Green Light Go is a band worth hearing, and now you get your chance twice in one week.

The band will share the bill with The Greedy Loves this Saturday at Nargile’s “Don’t Fear The Hookah” party. And on Wednesday, Green Light Go will pair up with The Situation to play a show at The Iron Post. The band got together in C-U and is new to the music scene this year, but they are sure to be around for a while. They craft fast, catchy songs you’ll want dance to, and they bring a punk-pop edge to the mix, too. Be sure to check out the band this week!

Hatfield hits the Highdive

Y

ou might remember Juliana Hatfield from her 1990s popularity as a member of alternative rock band The Lemonheads, or maybe from her early ‘90s hit “Spin the Bottle.” But regardless of whether or not you’ve heard of her in the past, this honest, powerful singersongwriter is worth remembering now.

Her voice is unique and powerful, yet her strongest musical ability is undoubtedly her masterful guitar playing. Check out Hatfield’s show at Highdive this Sunday.

The Damnwells and Col. Rhodes will also perform. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. and has a $15 cover charge. Don’t miss it.

calendar

11

12

6/9/04

5:46 PM

Page 1

calendar

ThursdayJune10 LIVE MUSIC Joni Laurence – Cowboy Monkey, 5:30, free Acoustic Music Series: Darrin Drda with David Tcheng – eclectic – Aroma, 8pm, free Jazz Mayhem – The Iron Post, 7-10pm, TBA The Midnight Special: 2ON2OUT, TBA – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free Country Connection – Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free

DJ DJ J-Phlip – house – Barfly, 9pm, free DJ Stifler – ‘80s hair bands – Tommy G's, 9pm, free DJ Delayney – Nargile, 10pm, $5 DJ Bozak – Boltini, 10:30pm, free DJ Impact – house – Nargile, 10pm, free

SPOKEN WORD The Northstar Lounge hosted by CZAR Absolute of Animate Objects – hip-hop/spoken word poetry set/open mic – Nargile, 10:30pm, $5

KARAOKE "G" Force Karaoke/DJ – Pia's in Rantoul, 9pm, TBA Live Band Karaoke: The Cheezy Trio – The Highdive, 10pm, $3

AROUND TOWN Wine Tasting – sample and/or buy for $3.50 per glass – Krannert Center Interlude lobby bar, 5pm, free

FridayJune11 LIVE MUSIC Country Connection – Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Roger Clair – Cowboy Monkey, 5pm, free Billy Galt – blues – Tommy G's, 5-7pm, free Jazz Happy Hour: Pocket Big Band – Highdive, 5:30pm, $3 Adam Wolfe and Friends – The Iron Post, 9pm, TBA

WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com | JUNE 10 -16, 2004

Loco Diablo Records presents: Jaded Kayne – The Phoenix, 9pm, free Stilife, Like Wize, TBA – Canopy Club, 9pm, $5

DJ

“G� Force Karaoke/DJ – Sappy’s on Devenshire, 9pm, TBA

TuesdayJune15

SundayJune13

LIVE MUSIC

KARAOKE “G� Force Karaoke – Urbana American Legion, 8pm-1am, TBA

SaturdayJune12 LIVE MUSIC Country Connection – Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Ryan Mackstaller – jazz – Nargile, 5-7:30pm, $5 Hardly Portland – Borders, 8-10pm, free The Greedy Loves, Green Light Go – Nargile, 9pm, $5 The Unfinished Business Band – blues – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $3 Lorenzo Goetz, Clean Ray, Aveo – The Iron Post, 10pm, $3 The Mindset – classic rock – Tommy G's, 10pm, cover Electric Wood – Embassy Tavern, TBA, free Blues Deacons – Alto Vineyards, 8-11pm, $3

$%@&*!!

Do you ever think “I wish I could hear _____ on the radio!�?

Whether you have ideas for programming, news, sports coverage, contests, station image, promotions, remote broadcasts, giveaways, absolutely anything relating to what you would like to see your radio station doing, we want to hear your opinions!

Join an open discussion group of WPGU 107.1 The Planet listeners on Tuesday, June 15th from 6-7PM in 106 Lincoln Hall.

All are welcome.

RSVP to marketing@wpgu.com.

Come on out and let us hear what YOU want!

buzz

music

JUNE 10 -16, 2004 | LAME

DJ

Southbound – southern rock – Tommy G's, 10pm, cover Treologic, Melodic Scribes – Nargile, 10:30pm, $5 The Brat Pack – ‘80s retro – Fat City Saloon, TBA, cover Full Circle – ‘80s hard rock – Diamond's in Rantoul, 9pm-1am, TBA Delta Kings – rock & blues – The Phoenix, 9pm1am, TBA X-Krush – Sneaky Pete’s in Effingham, 9:30pm, TBA Grass Roots Revival – Kickapoo Canoe Landing, 5:30-7:30pm, free All Will Fall, Heos, Slavereign Nation, Heavy Handed – metal – The Canopy Club, 9pm, $5 DJ Bozak – hip-hop – Barfly, 9pm, free DJ Tim Williams – Highdive, 10pm, $5 DJ J-Phlip – Boltini, 10pm, free Nekromancy: DJ SoceryKid – dark dance and fetish – Red Herring, 9pm, $2 Onda Tropicale: DJ Mambo Otaliano – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free

buzz

CDReviews

061004buzz0912

DJ Lil' Big Bass – drum ‘n bass – Nargile, 10pm, free DJ Bozak – Boltini, 10:30pm, free DJ Carlos – hip-hop – Barfly, 9pm, free

DJ

MUSIC PERFORMANCE

DJ Resonate – hip-hop – Barfly, 9pm, free House Party: DJ Mertz, DJ J-Phlip – house – Nargile, 10pm, $5 DJ Tim Williams – Highdive, 10pm, $5 “Soulful Saturdays� w/ DJ Phokiss, Chill Will, DJ World – Watusi Lounge, free before 11pm DJ Limbs – Boltini, 10pm, free

Community Drum Circle – Ten Thousand Villages, 7-9pm, free

KARAOKE “G� Force Karaoke and DJ – Wendl’s, after softball until 2am, TBA

KARAOKE

Crystal River – Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Adam Wolfe, Jess Greenlee – acoustic – Tommy G's, 10pm, free Open Mic/Open Jam hosted by Openingbands.com and Kate Hathaway – Canopy Club, 9pm, $2 Acoustic Music Series: Tom Grassman – White Horse Inn, 9:30pm, free Eclectic Theory, TBA – Nargile, 10pm, $3

LIVE MUSIC Crystal River – Rose Bowl Tavern, 8:30pm, free Juliana Hatfield, The Damnwells – Highdive, 9pm, $15 Legendary Shack Shakers, The Greedy Loves – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $6 No One of Consequence, TBA – Nargile, 11pm, $3

DJ

DJ DJ Bozak – Boltini, 10:30pm, free DJ Delayney – hip-hop, funk, downbeat – Barfly, 9pm, free

2ON2OUT – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free NOX DJ ZoZo – Highdive, 10pm, $2 DJ Sophisto – house, funk – Barfly, 9pm, free 2ON2OUT – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free

KARAOKE

DANCING

“G� Force Karaoke and DJ – Wendl’s, after softball until 2am, TBA

KARAOKE “G� Force Karaoke/DJ – Neil Street Pub, 8pm-12am, free

LIVE MUSIC Jazz Jam with ParaDocs – The Iron Post, 9pm, TBA Open Mic hosted by Mike Ingram – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free

KRANNERT CENTER

4H *UNE

3U *UNE

3UMMER *AZZ &ESTIVAL 4HE 2ED "ACK "OOK PM

3UMMER *AZZ &ESTIVAL 4HE 2ED "ACK "OOK PM !LLERTON 0ARK

-ONTICELLO

&R *UNE 3UMMER *AZZ &ESTIVAL 0ORGY AND "ESS 3KETCHES OF 3PAIN PM

3A *UNE 3UMMER *AZZ &ESTIVAL *ON &ADDIS AND #HIP -C.EILL *AM PM

+RANNERT #ENTER SERVICES REMAIN OPEN ALL SUMMER

)NTERMEZZO

"REAKFAST LUNCH

LIGHT SUPPERS AM PM NON PERFOR MANCE WEEKDAYS AM THROUGH PERFORMANCE ON WEEKDAYS MINUTES BEFORE THROUGH PERFORMANCES ON WEEKENDS

3OME +RANNERT #ENTER PROGRAMS ARE SUPPORTED IN PART BY THE .ATIONAL %NDOWMENT FOR THE !RTS THE )LLINOIS !RTS #OUNCIL AND PATRON AND CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS

Young God Records

★★★★

VETIVER Vetiver DiCristina Records

★★★★

BY LOGAN MOORE

Latin Dance Night – salsa, cha-cha, merengue, bachata – McKinley Foundation, 9:30-11:30pm, $1

MondayJune14 THIS WEEK

DEVENDRA BANHART Rejoicing In The Hands

4HE 0ROMENADE

'IFTS CARDS CANDY

AND MORE AM PM -ONDAY 3ATURDAY /NE HOUR BEFORE TO MINUTES AFTER PERFORMANCES

4OURS

PM DAILY WHEN CLASSES ARE IN SESSION /R BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

+RANNERT#ENTER COM OR +#0!4)8 449 3(/7 &AX 'ROUPS KRAN TIX UIUC EDU 4ICKET /FFICE /PEN AM TO PM DAILY ON DAYS OF PERFORMANCES OPEN AM THROUGH INTERMISSION

Certain music digs deep into your bones and gestates in your marrow. It punches the back of your teeth from the inside of your mouth, curls itself around your fingers and toes causing them to twitch rhythmically, uncontrollably. Certain music reminds you simultaneously of weddings and funerals, of flowers at altars and headstones. Music that, when heard for the first time, makes traffickers in affected hipness and contrived, ham-fisted melancholy seem so spiritually irrelevant as to be non-existent. Devendra Banhart draws from both timeless, universal musical traditions and a deep, tempestuous well of human emotion to craft just such music.

Too often, Devendra Banhart is attributed the status of “eccentric,� atoning for the sins of a nation steeped in dark, bloody politics and self-congratulatory, vapid pop culture. The image of a fairy-like man-child perched on a toadstool in an ancient forest crooning whimsical ditties for frogs and birds is consistently invoked. It’s a vastly inane, solipsistic, and insulting summation of his music.

Rather than quaint weirdness for its own sake, Banhart

conjures raw, visceral sketches of alternate realities that serve to remind us of and connect us to our own reality.

It’s like traveling to another planet and counting the ways it makes you homesick for Earth. With his stunning second album, Rejoicing in the Hands, and his contributions to the subtle grandeur of Vetiver’s self-titled debut, Banhart reaches a state of depth and maturity that far transcends the role of outsider music that could be easily thrust upon him.

Rejoicing in the Hands, albeit in the most idiosyncratic of manners, embraces a whole range of moods and ideas—and through his at times impenetrable but always wholly engrossing lyrical imagery and intricate guitar work—Banhart crafts a truly original classic that seems to have a shelf life dated long before and after the confines of 2004. Producer Michael Gira has chosen wisely in lifting Banhart from the eccentric lo-fi ghetto without losing the fragile peculiarity and pained intimacy of his debut. Although some of the schizophrenic intensity of past Banhart efforts is lost, that oddity bubbles under the surface and connects each track to the next like a fever dream with a cast of recurring characters.

Lyrically, Banhart seems consumed by the process of birth and decay and a deeply spiritual reverence for man’s reflection in nature. Thus, much of the imagery is organic in nature and typified by songs like “Insect Eyes� with lines such as, “And each strand of her hair/is really insect eyes/and each hole in her tongue/is always occupied/by the milk of the sun.� Although his guitar work and song structures have their slight roots in both traditional folk and ‘60s revivalism, Banhart owns his peculiar brand of folk. Be it the mounting tension of the off-kilter rag-time of “This Beard is for Siobahn,� the profound, sun-dappled balladry of “Will Is My Friend� or the eerie, delicate, death hymn of “See Saw,� the music sounds alien from anything before it and, as is often cited in descriptions of his music, bizarrely removed from time.

This apparent chronological displacement spills over into Banhart’s other project Vetiver. Truly a songwriting outlet for San Francisco’s Andy Cabic, Vetiver consists of Cabic on banjo, guitar and vocals, Banhart on guitar, Alissa Anderson on cello, and Jim Gaylord on violin. On their debut, Vetiver achieve a brilliant fusion of delicately strummed and finger-picked acoustic guitars accented by delicious bowed and plucked strings. This is all held together by Cabic’s graceful songwriting, which draws lines from traditional American ballads to Nick Drake to Velvet Underground’s third album. The experimental bent of Banhart’s music does not escape Vetiver, yet it exists in a much subtler form. Sloppy, clip-clopping percussion punctuates the lovely melody of “Without a Song.�“Amour Fou� is a joyous, propulsive ditty consisting mostly of the lines,“She wanted love, love, crazy love� repeated with varying degrees enthusiasm by Cabic and Banhart. Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) contributes ghostly coos to the background of the lamentful, moonlit imagery of “Angel’s Share� and Colm O’Ciosoig (My Bloody Valentine) lends his purposeful rhythms to the stately, beautiful “Luna Sea� and the grotesquely haunting closing epic “On A Nerve.� The result is an album

where airy beauty melds with a peculiar earthiness, making it oddly appropriate for both sun-drenched Friday afternoons and drizzly, gray Sunday mornings.

With these releases, Devendra Banhart finds himself not only at the forefront of the current abundance of avant-folk activity, but an endlessly compelling artist in his own right. If he continues along his current past, he’s assured to not only be seen as an artist out of time, but an artist for the ages as well.

JOANNA NEWSOM The Milk-Eyed Mender ★★★★

Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus is readying a collection of new material scheduled for a possible January release, most likely on Matador records. It is unclear whether the new album will be a solo project or collaboration with Malkmus’s band The Jicks.

CHARTS

SHADIE ELNASHAI

Joanna Newsom’s debut release (disregarding two self-released EPs) is her attempt to demonstrate the capabilities of her preferred instrument, which she feels has been misrepresented in mainstream music. By combining a distinctive classically trained harp style with her unique voice, she makes The MilkEyed Mender an avant-garde interpretation on traditional Appalachian folk. The result sounds like indie-influenced neo-folk.

The diminutive Californian successfully showcases her voice, which is the album’s most distinguishing feature. It falls somewhere between the controlled and measured volatility of Noe Venable and the deceptive coyness of CocoRosie. Like Fiona Apple, any delicacy she possesses can instantly disseminate into a surprising emotive power, while she takes cues from Scandinavian vocalists like Bjork and Stina Nordemstam. Her melodies contain constantly unpredictable musical eccentricities.

Lyrically, she assumes the perspective of a naive child, reflecting the innocence her sweet tones would suggest and whenever her words threaten to become too abstract she grounds them, using a frank simplicity that enables her poetry to both flow and retain its magical quality. Even so, for a handful of ballads—such as her cover of traditional folk tune “Three Little Babies�—she betrays a resigned wisdom that explains the underlying complexity of her work.

As a harp player, she excels, with her arrangements veering from delicate and minimalist percussive contributions to the flowing scales and arpeggios most frequently provided by the harp. She uses the harp’s inherent dynamics to make it every bit as expressive as her vocals, the two aspects harmoniously complementing one another.

However, the highlight of The Milk-Eyed Mender is when Newsom employs the harpsichord for “Peach, Plum, Pear.� Her voice, with all its idiosyncratic variation, could hardly be more perfectly suited to the track. Her

Sifting through the commotion and crap of music culture

Nick Cave is set to release the double album Abattoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus in September via Mute Records. The follow-up to last year’s Nocturama will be the first since the departure of long-time guitarist Blixa Bargeld.

experimentation is prominent, for she splinters rather than syncopates her rhythm, but the song is backed up by some emphatic multi-layered vocals and easily possesses the catchiest melody on the album. Its only shortcoming is its length. At 3:33, it is one of the shortest of 12 tracks on the hour-long record.

On the surface, The Milk-Eyed Mender is a gorgeous fairly-tale mosaic (both musically and semantically) that stands up to the scrutiny of repeat listenings to reveal an unexpected maturity beneath its endearing sincerity. At the age of 22, Joanna Newsom is an artist to pay close attention to.

Drag City

The Hurly-Burly Kanye West is kicking off a tour this August, hitting arenas all over the country as the opening act for Usher. In addition, West is starting his own clothing line dubbed Mascot, which will be in stores before the end of the year. A sneaker line, Mascot trainers, is currently in the design stage.

9

What the hell?

Moment of the week Q: What do you get when you cross Jimmy Buffett with Body Glove pants? A: Sammy Hagar. That’s right Mr. Hagar is currently collaborating with frighteningly patriotic country star Toby Keith. The duet, which will be included on Keith’s upcoming album, is wittily titled What Happens in Cabo, Stays in Cabo. Hey, NASCAR fans need their anthems of summertime hedonism too, all right?

Breaking News!

Creed has officially called it quits. I guess that explains all the flags at half-mast this week.

PARASOL RECORDS TOP 10 SELLERS 1. Velvet Crush - Stereo Blues (Action Musik) 2. Unbunny - Snow Tires (Hidden Agenda) 3. !!! - Louden Up Now (Touch & Go) 4. A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder (Matador) 5. The Fall - 50,000 Fall Fans Can’t Be Wrong: 39 Golden Greats (Beggars Banquet) 6. The Like Young - So Serious (Parasol) 7. Tommy Keene - Drowning (Not Lame) 8. Matt Sharp - Matt Sharp (In Music We Trust) 9. Vandermark 5 - Elements Of Style, Exercises In Surprise (Atavistic) 10. Maritime - Glass Floor (DeSoto)

NEW RELEASES JUNE 15 The Beastie Boys - To the 5 Boroughs Carla Bley - The Lost Chords Andrea Bocelli - Verdi: Il Trovatore Celine Dion - A New Day ... Live in Las Vegas DJ Shadow - Live! In Tune & On Time Fleetwood Mac - Live in Boston Somnambulants - Evacuation Johnny Winter - I’m a Bluesman The Wylde Bunch - Wylde Tymes at Washington High

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8 Rejoicing with Devendra Banhart music

BY LOGAN MOORE | STAFF WRITER

“I don’t feel like I play folk music,” Banhart says. “I’m not a purist. I don’t play any traditional music.”

Banhart was born in Texas in 1981, named by evendra Banhart explains his musical an Indian mystic whom his parents followed. origins thusly: “This inner desire to sing about After his parents divorced, he was raised by his something that was a little bit strange, possibly mother, among the shanties and sweatshops of wrong, but possibly beautiful. And that is of Caracas, Venezuela, and these roots still linger course plastic surgery. No seriously, Venezuela in his music. Banhart occasionally sings songs has the highest rate of plastic surgery in the in Spanish. The simple, sun-drenched beauty world. People give plastic surgery to their pets of some of his tunes recalls such South to make them look more like their owners. My American giants as Caetano Veloso.

His mother remarried, the family moved family gave plastic surgery to our schnauzer to make it look more like my grandmother. I start- back to Los Angeles, and in 1998, he attended ed singing about this when I was like 9 years The San Francisco Art Institute. Disillusioned old. I would make these songs and sing them to with the constraints of the academic art world, Banhart quickly took to busking the streets of my family and my family told me to stop.”

Spend any amount of time with Banhart’s San Francisco and playing anywhere that music and you’ll discover that this most likely would have him.

“When I first started,” recalls Banhart, “I fabricated story is also quite an accurate metaphor for his art: innocent, surreal, humor- sang a capella, then I started singing with a litous and sinister in equal measures. Banhart tle bit of guitar. I like the build-up. Next year, exists in an alternate realm, a mutant gene of maybe I’ll have a full band. But I don’t think I’ll the “man with a guitar” tradition. When asked ever make a Yes record.” Not old enough to what inspires his music the most, Banhart drink, others often snuck him in to play venues says, “My garden, really old people or really like Du Nord’s weekly “Monday Night Hoot.”

In the summer of 2000, he dropped out of art young people.”

What at first may seem a coyly simplistic, school and moved to Paris. There he opened bordering on inane, response takes on a differ- indie rock shows at small clubs and recorded ent meaning within the context of his music. songs on an eight-track recorder as well as a By simultaneously drawing upon and rejecting friend’s answering machine. Of his wandera whole history of acoustic folk, from old-time lust, Banhart says, “It helped me see how unito psychedelia, Banhart creates his own singu- fied everything is, how everywhere you go is lar universe, one where the wisdom and mys- just one little place. There’s no sense in just tery of the ancient becomes entangled with the fetishizing somewhere you’ve never been.”

Returning to Los Angeles and San Francisco bizarre whimsy of childhood. in the fall, Banhart was discovered at a sound check by a friend of Michael Gira, ex-member of New York avantindustrial mavens Swans and head of Young God Records.

Gira quickly signed Banhart and released his first album Oh Me Oh My ... The Way the Day Goes by the Sun is Setting Dogs are Dreaming Lovesongs of the Christmas Spirit.

Taken directly from Banhart’s original eight-track recordings, the album is a dreamy song cycle of creaky, psychedelic imagery and Banhart’s wild, warbling voice navigating emotional extremes.

Mystic folk musician Devendra Banhart will perform this Sunday in Chicago.

Read a review of his new music with Vetiver and solo album Rejoicing in Hands The album garnered Banhart comparisons on Page 9.

PHOTO COURTESY OF YOUNG GOD RECORDS (ALISSA ANDERSON)

D

to Syd Barret and Daniel Johnston, rave reviews, several tours in both the U.S. and Europe, and in the process became something of a latter-day lo-fi classic. What both Banhart and Gira came to realize, though, was that Devendra’s talent far exceeded the boundaries of that somewhat limited genre.

For the follow-up, Banhart recorded at Gira’s friend Lynn Bridges’s house on the Alabama-Georgia border using the best vintage gear available. For 10 days straight, 12 hours a day, Banhart sat on a stool and played while Gira and Bridges ran the tapes.

“It was a really wild place,” Banhart says.

“He (Bridges) shared the house with a taxidermy warehouse, the furniture was all stuffed raccoons, stuffed bobcats, stuffed exotic birds, and these beautiful spider web glass sculptures. These were all surrounding me while I was recording. Outside, the cicadas would sing all night.”

The cicadas can be heard in certain spots of what would become Rejoicing in the Hands. What is much more obvious is the overwhelming, wholly original talent that Banhart possesses.

“It’s (the first record) more like a documentary of my psychology at that moment. This one is more like a film. It’s natural and connected,” Banhart says. “Song to song, all the lyrics are much more connected.” And indeed, a lot of what mesmerizes about Rejoicing are Banhart’s impossibly detailed hallucinogenic ruminations on life, death, nature, insects, family, teeth, friends and a host of other topics ranging from the hilariously absurd to the darkly profound.

“I have a few books, like composition notebooks, filled up,” says Banhart of his lyric writing process. “And I just sort of edit and extract songs from that.” His guitar playing has grown considerably as well, the off-kilter strumming and intricate arpeggios enhancing the depth of his vision. Banhart says of his guitar, “Sometimes, I felt like it was screaming at me to put it down, like we were fighting. Now it just feels like we’re raping each other.”

Banhart has a lot in store for the future. Out now on a national tour, he plans to have a second release, Nino Rojo, culled from the same recordings as Rejoicing in the Hands, due out in September. As for his immediate plans, Banhart says, “In August, I’m moving to the south of France. My girlfriend’s mother is a bullfighter. Flamenco music was originally conceived as an accompaniment to bull-fighting, so hopefully I’m going to go and learn flamenco and play to one of her fights.” In Banhart’s world, such an outlandish, romantic proposition seems entirely possible. buzz

Devendra Banhart, Vetiver and Joanna Newsom will perform at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge June 13. Tickets are $10. The show starts at 8 p.m. Read reviews of their CDs on the next page.

I AM AWESOME-O 4000 | JUNE 10 -16, 2004 buzz

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JUNE 10 -16, 2004 | WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com

WednesdayJune16 LIVE MUSIC Hard Poor Korn – Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Russell Clerk Recital – The Iron Post, 5:30-8:30pm, TBA Forca Macabra, Tulsa, Hollowed Out, The Railers, Rujina – hardcore – Red Herring, 7:30pm, $6 The Situation, Green Light Go – The Iron Post, 10pm, TBA

DJ Salsateca! with DJ Bris Mueller – salsa, mambo, bachata – Cowboy Monkey, 9pm, free Fabulous! – rawk – Nargile, 10pm, $3 Hoppin' with Capt'n Eddy – Historic Lincoln Hotel, 6pm, free Chef Ra – reggae – Barfly, 9pm, free

KARAOKE “Liquid Courage Karaoke” – Fat City Saloon, 8pm12am, TBA “G” Force Karaoke/DJ – TNT corner tavern in Rantoul, 8pm-12am Live Band Karaoke: The Cheezy Trio – Tommy G's, 9pm, free

C-UVENUES Alto Vineyards 4210 N Duncan Rd, Champaign, 356-4784 Assembly Hall First & Florida, Champaign, 333-5000 American Legion Post 71 107 N Broadway, Urbana, 367-3121 Barfly 120 N Neil, Champaign,352-9756 Barnes and Noble 51 E Marketview, Champaign, 355-2045 Boardman’s Art Theater 126 W Church, Champaign, 351-0068 Boltini Lounge 211 N Neil, Champaign, 378-8001 Borders Books & Music 802 W Town Ctr, Champaign, 351-9011 The Brass Rail 15 E University, Champaign, 352-7512 Canopy Club (Garden Grill) 708 S Goodwin, Urbana, 367-3140 Channing-Murray Foundation 1209 W Oregon, Urbana C.O. Daniels 608 E Daniel, Champaign, 337-7411 Cosmopolitan Club 307 E John, Champaign, 367-3079 Courtyard Cafe Illini Union, 1401 W Green, Urbana, 333-4666 Cowboy Monkey 6 Taylor St, Champaign, 398-2688 Clybourne 706 S Sixth, Champaign, 383-1008 Curtis Orchard 3902 S Duncan Rd, Champaign, 359-5565 D.R. Diggers 604 S Country Fair Dr, 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 Dr, Champaign, 359-1678 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 St, Urbana, 344-8820 The Iron Post 120 S Race, Urbana, 337-7678 Joe’s Brewery 706 S Fifth, Champaign, 384-1790 Kam’s 618 E Daniel, Champaign, 328-1605 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 Legends Bar & Grill 522 E Green, Champaign, 355-7674 Les’s Lounge 403 N Coler, Urbana, 328-4000 Lincoln Castle 209 S Broadway, Urbana, 344-7720 Lowe’s Big Barrel & Summer Club 14 N Hazel, Danville, 442-8090 Malibu Bay Lounge North Route 45, Urbana, 328-7415 Mike n’ Molly’s 105 N Market, Champaign, 355-1236 Mulligan’s 604 N Cunningham, Urbana, 367-5888 Murphy’s 604 E Green, Champaign, 352-7275 Nargile 207 W Clark St, 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 Pink House Routes 49 & 150, Ogden, 582-9997 The Rainbow Coffeehouse 1203 W Green, Urbana, 766-9500 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 Sweet Betsy’s 805 S Philo Rd, Urbana Ten Thousand Villages 105 N Walnut, Champaign, 352-8938 TK Wendl’s 1901 S Highcross Rd, Urbana, 255-5328 Tommy G’s 123 S Mattis Ave, Country Fair Shopping Center, 359-2177 Tonic 619 S Wright, Champaign, 356-6768 Two Main 2 Main, Champaign, 359-3148 University YMCA 1001 S Wright, Champaign, 344-0721 Verde/Verdant 17 E Taylor St, 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

CHICAGOSHOWS JUNE 6/10 Janet Bean & The Concertina Wire @ Schubas 6/11 Aquabats @ Metro, all-ages 6/11 James Brown @ House of Blues 6/11 MC5 @ Metro, 18+ 6/11 Jesse Malin @ Schubas 6/11 Dios @ Martyrs' 6/11 Sam Phillips @ Park West 6/11 Handsome Family @ Old Town School of Folk Music 6/11-12 Beulah @ Abbey Pub 6/12 Kenny Brown, Cedric Burnside, T-Model Ford @ House of Blues Back Porch Stage 6/12 Fetal Position @ Old Town School of Folk Music 6/12 Fleetwood Mac @ Tweeter Center 6/12 Franz Ferdinand @ Metro, all-ages 6/12 Marah @ Schubas 6/12 Maritime @ Bottom Lounge, 18+ 6/12 John P. Strohm @ Schubas 6/12 X-ecutioners @ Metro, 18+ 6/13 Cheryl Wheeler @ Old Town School of Folk Music 6/13 Richie Hawtin @ Smart Bar 6/13 Devendra Banhardt @ Bottom Lounge, 18+

BOB ’N DAVE

6/13 Blink 182, No Doubt @ Tweeter Center 6/14 Mclusky @ Schubas 6/15 Femi Kutl, Angelique Kidjo @ House of Blues, 18+ 6/15-16 Skinny Puppy @ Vic 6/17 David Byrne @ Skyline Stage 6/17 Grant-Lee Phillips, John Doe @ Park West, all-ages 6/18 B-52'S @ Vic, all-ages 6/18 Dave Matthews Band @ Tweeter Center 6/18-19 Shins @ House of Blues 6/19 Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire @ Tweeter Center 6/22 Rachael Yamagata @ Schubas 6/24 Peter Himmelman & Band @ Park West, 18+ 6/24 Richard Thompson @ House of Blues 6/25 Taj Mahal & The Hula Blues Band @ House of Blues, 18+ 6/25 Jonathan Richman w/Tommy Larkins @ Double Door 6/25-26 & 28-29 Prince @ Allstate Arena 6/26 Primus @ UIC Pavilion 6/25-27 Magnetic Fields @ Old Town School of Folk Music 6/26 Brother Ali @ Abbey Pub, 18+ 6/26 Mum @ Logan Square Auditorium, all-ages 6/27 Leon Russell @ Abbey Pub 6/28-29 Pedro the Lion @ Abbey Pub, 18+ 6/30 Los Lobos @ Park West, 6/30, (rescheduled from 4/30)

JULY 7/1 Soulive @ House of Blues, 18+ 7/1 Sotckholm Syndrome @ Metro, 18+ 7/1 311, Roots @ Tweeter Center 7/2 David Murray Creole Project III @ HotHouse 7/2 Samples @ House of Blues, 18+ 7/2 Jaga Jazzist @ Empty Bottle 7/2 Iron & Wine @ Abbey Pub, 18+ 7/2 Hidden Variable, Phantom 45 @ Smart Bar 7/2 Blue October @ Schubas 7/2 Dieselboy @ Metro, 18+ 7/2 Johnny Clegg @ Park West, 18+ 7/3 John Cowan Band, Vassar Clements @ Abbey Pub 7/3 Rooney @ House of Blues, all-ages 7/3 Tim McGraw @ Tweeter Center 7/4 ZZ Top, Doors of the 21st Century @ Tweeter Center 7/4 Frankie Knuckles @ House of Blues 7/6 Jet @ House of Blues, all-ages 7/6 Jessica Simpson @ Tweeter Center 7/6 Inti-Illimani @ HotHouse 7/6 Afroman @ Double Door 7/7 Mooney Suzuki @ Metro, all-ages 7/7 Courtney Love & The Chelsea @ Vic, all-ages 7/8 Jazzanova @ Smart Bar 7/9 Kiss, Poison @ Tweeter Center 7/9 Vienna Teng, Ben Arthur, Abra Moore @ Schubas, 18+ 7/9 Johnny Winter @ House of Blues 7/9 Pat McGee Band, Great Big Sea @ Skyline Stage, 18+ 7/9 Bering Strait @ Joe’s 7/9-10 Rudi Protrudi @ Lyons Den (9), Underground Lounge (10) 7/10 Saves the Day @ Metro, all-ages 7/10 Jimmy Buffett @ Alpine Valley, sold out 7/10 Album Leaf @ Schubas 7/10 Kindred the Family Soul @ House of Blues 7/10 Three Doors Down, Nickelback @ Tweeter Center 7/10 O.A.R., Howie Day @ New City YMCA, all-ages 7/11 K.D. Lang @ Ravinia 7/11-12, 7/14-15 Madonna @ United Center, sold out 7/12 Don Henley @ Ravinia

BY DAVID KING

13

7/13 John Hiatt @ Ravinia 7/13 Ozric Tentacles @ Martyrs’ 7/13, 7/18 Alive Cooper @ Skyline Stage (13), Star Plaza (18) 7/14 Josh Holmes @ Schubas 7/14 Incubus @ Allstate Arena 7/15 Carole King @ Auditorium Theatre 7/15-16 New Year @ Schubas, 7/15 18+ 7/16 Brave Combo @ FitzGerald’s 7/16 Natalie Cole @ Skyline Stage 7/16, 7/18 John Wesley Harding @ Schubas 7/17 Bad Examples @ FitzGerald’s 7/17 Eric Clapton @ United Center 7/17 Gipsy Kings @ Chicago Theatre 7/17 Good Life @ Schubas 7/17 Gravy Train @ Fireside Bowl 7/17 Poncho Sanchez @ HotHouse 7/17 Britney Spears, JC Chasez @ Tweeter Center 7/18 Sting, Annie Lennox @ Tweeter Center 7/18 Cowboy Junkies @ Skyline Stage 7/19-20 Van Halen @ United Center, 7/19 sold out 7/21 Red West @ Schubas 7/21 Jimmie Vaughn @ House of Blues 7/21 Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morissette @ Tweeter Center 7/21 Camera Obscura @ Empty Bottle 7/22 Kansas @ Skyline Stage 7/22 Steel Pulse @ House of Blues, 18+ 7/22-23 Finn Brothers @ Vic, all-ages 7/23 Matthew Dear @ Empty Bottle 7/23 Split Lip Rayfield @ Abbey Pub 7/23 Kottonmouth Kings @ House of Blues, all-ages 7/23 HIM @ HotHouse 7/23 Ojos de Brujo @ Metro, 18+ 7/24 Warped Tour – New Found Glory, Rufio, Bad Religion, Alkaline Trio, Simple Plan @ Tweeter Center 7/24 The Dead @ Alpine Valley 7/24 Cex @ Abbey Pub, 18+ 7/24 DJ Hype @ Metro, 18+ 7/25-27 Chris Isaak @ House of Blues, 7/25-26 sold out 7/27 Blues Traveler @ Ravinia 7/29 Finch @ Metro, all-ages 7/29 Lollapalooza – Morrissey, Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, Le Tigre @ Tweeter Center 7/30 Lollapalooza – String Cheese Incident, Flaming Lips, Michael Franti, Spearhead @ Tweeter Center 7/30 Brother Danielson @ Empty Bottle 7/30 Hilary Duff @ Allstate Arena 7/31 Boyz II Men, En Vogue, Silk @ Star Plaza 7/31 Toby Keith @ Tweeter Center 7/31 Hanson @ Skyline Stage, sold out 7/31 Minders @ Schubas 7/31 Oneida @ Empty Bottle 7/31 Reel Big Fish, Lucky Boys Confusion @ Congress Theater, all-ages

ART NOTICES Art Classes by Sandra Ahten:“Drawing and Painting” & “Drawing from a Model” – “Painting”: June 17-July 15, Thur 7-9pm. Beginning to intermediate drawing and painting.“Model”: June 15-July 13, Tu 7-9pm. Instruction available for beginners. Experienced artists welcome. High Cross Art Studio. 367-6345. spiritofsandra.com.

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Faux Finishing workshops – Boyer Drawing & Painting Studio in Lincoln Square Mall. June 16 & Aug 25. 9am-5pm. Fee: $195. Info: 369-8838 or www.boyerdrawing.com.

Creation Art Studios – On-going after-school art classes for children. Morning, evening and weekend studio sessions for adults. 1102 E Washington St, U. www.creationartstudios.com. 344-6955.

Reflection and Creation Art Worshop/Retreats – Workshops at Creation Art Studios with artist Jeannine Bestoso. Snacks. Pre-register. Fee: $50.

9am-1pm – June 13, July 18. Four CPDU’s offered.

344-6955, www.creationartstudios.com, jbestos@msn.com.

Call for Entries for "Inside the Box: A Shoebox Show" – The Parkland Art Gallery invites resident artists to enter the show. All works must fit into a 4" x 12" x 8" shoebox. The deadline for slide entries is June 25. The "Inside the Box" exhibition will run from Jan 10- Feb 11, 2005 at the Parkland Art Gallery. Entry fee: $25. Info: 351-2485 or www.parkland.edu/gallery.

ART EXHIBITS Cafe Kopi – Work from Melissa Washburn on display.

109 N Walnut, C. M-Thu 7am-11pm, Fri-Sat 7am12pm, Sun 11am-8pm. 359-4266.

Creation Art Studios Gallery – Artwork by director Jeannine Bestoso, associates and students on display. New hours: M-Sat, 1-5:30pm and other scheduled times. 1102 E Washington, U. www.creationartstudios.com. 344-6955.

Glass FX – Interested in learning the art of stained glass? Beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes offered. M-Thu, 10am-5:30pm; Fri, 10am5pm; Sat, 9am-4pm. 202 S 1st, C. www.glassfx.com.

359-0048.

Greasey Creek Oaks Gallery – Oakland Garden Faire. Sat, 9am-4pm.“Dying with Coreopsis” free, day-long demonstration during fair. 8 E Main St, Oakland. Wed-Sat, 9am-4pm. 346-2986.

Old Vic Art Gallery – Fine and original art. 11 E University, C. Mon-Thu 11am-5:30pm, Sat 11am4:30pm. 355-8338.

“Changing Rooms: The Creation of Cinematic Space in the Works of Harry Horner” – Krannert Art Museum, display thru Sept 19. 500 E Peabody, U. Tu, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, W 9am-8pm, Sun 2-5pm.

Sugg Don: $3.

“Healing Works” – On display at the Independent Media Center Middle Room Gallery. 218 W Main St, Suite 110, U. carahale@uiuc.edu.

“Prints and Pots” – Printmaking by Lawrence Hamlin and pottery by Louis Ballard. Runs thru Sun. Springer Cultural Center. M-F 8am-9pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm. 398-2376. www.champaignparkdistrict.com.

New Interpreted Images by Larry Kanfer – Each piece uses digital technology and is completed as a giclee. Great Father's Day gifts. Larry Kanfer Gallery. 2503 S Neil, C. Free. M-Sat 10am-5:30pm.

398-2000. www.kanfer.com.

“Conscious Living Through Nature” – Works from Lisa Billman on display thru June 20. Aroma. 118 N Neil, C. Open 7 days a week, 7am-12am. 356-3200.

Parkland Student Graphic Design Juried Exhibition – The Parkland College Student Graphic Design Juried Exhibition. On display thru June 17. Parkland Art Gallery. M-Thur, 10am-2pm, Tu & Thur, 6-8pm. 351-2485.

Prairie Boatworks Gallery – Watercolors by Heather Collier, earthenware self-portraits by Parkland sculpture students, paintings by Olivia Walder. Thru June 27. Fri & Sat, 12-5pm; Sun, 124pm.

“Enigma and Intimacy - The Photography of David Nolan” – On display at Verde’s Gallery Two thru Sat. 17 E Taylor St, C. Cafe hours: Mon-Sat 7am10 pm; Gallery Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-10pm. 3663204.

WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com | JUNE 10 - 16, 2004

“Gestural Curiosities” – Drawings by Jodi Bowen and Ceramics by Ella Brown Dunn on display at Verde in the Main Gallery thru Sat. 17 E Taylor St, C. Cafe hours: Mon-Sat 7am-10 pm; Gallery Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-10pm. 366-3204.

“Vision to Verse, Verse to Vision: A Visual and Poetic Dialouge” – Paintings by Jessica Damen and poetry by Maj Ragain on display at Verde Gallery June 15-Sept 4. Book Signing and Reception June 17 at 6pm. 17 E Taylor St, C. Cafe: M-Sat 7am-10pm; Gallery: Tu-Sat 10am-10pm.

366-3204.

ON STAGE Elysium on the Prairie, Live Action Roleplaying – Vampires stalk the city streets and struggle for dominance in a world of gothic horror. Create your own character and mingle with dozens of players who portray their own undead alter egos. Each session is another chapter in an ongoing story of triumph, tragedy and betrayal. Fridays,“Vampire: The Masquerade.” 7pm. For location: www2.uiuc.edu/ro/elysium/intro.html.

Drop Dead – The Celebration Company at the Station Theatre. June 10-13,16-20,23-26, 8pm. WedSun: $8. Fri & Sat: $10. Wed is 2 for 1. Reservations: 384-4000.

EVENTS & LECTURES Dump and Run garage sale collection – They will NOT be collecting: sofa sleepers, large exercise equipment, non-working computer parts and large appliances. The items will be sold at University YMCA’s Annual Garage Sale, Aug 25-27 at the Stock Pavilion on campus. Collection dates: Now-June 5, M-F, 9am-3:30pm; June 5, 9am-4pm; July 10, 8am-4pm; Aug 2-10, M-Sat, 9am-3:30pm.

Info: Aimee, 337-1500 or www.universityymca.org.

Bloomsday Centennial – Downtown Champaign will join in this year’s celebration with word, dance and song on June 19. Info: David Gehrig at zemblan@earthlink.net, Lisa Boucher at lisa@fpmrecords.com, fpmrecords.com/events/bloomsday.html.

The Life of a Writer: Six Chicago Authors – Six Chicago authors will share writing adventures.

Guest authors: Raymond Benson (author of the last seven James Bond books), Barry Eisler (Rain Storm), David Ellis (Jury of One), J. A. Konrath (The Lt. Jack Daniels series), Sam Reaves (Dooley’s Back), and Robert W. Walker (Absolute Instinct). No registration. Champaign Public Library. Sun, 2-3:30pm.

Info: 403-2070.

Mad About Harry: Banned Books Booktalk – Each year, books are challenged by the dozens. Wizardin-training Harry Potter has topped many recent lists of challenged books. The Library’s Kelly Strom will introduce several challenged titles at this casual talk. Find out why they were challenged and why they are worth reading. Champaign Public Library. Wed, 7-8pm.

Christie Clinic Diabetes Lectures – Each lecture will be held from 4-5pm in the Education Room at Christie Clinic. Free. Thur:“Diabetes and the Eye” by Chris Schmidt, M.D. June 17:“Diabetes and the Foot” by William L. Pierce, D.P.M. June 24:“Self-Care and Glucose Monitoring” by Nurse Educator Sylvia Taylor. July 1:“Complications and New Findings” by John Stokes, M.D. Info: Chrsitie Clinic at 366-1200.

Red Mask Players Seeking Directors – The company is accepting applications for directors for the 2004-2005 season. The plays for the upcoming season include:“Barefoot In The Park” by Neil Simon, “Dr. Cook's Garden” by Ira Levin and “The Web of Murder” by Jonathan Troy. Applicants must submit a letter to the Red Mask Board of Directors describing their production plans. Applicants will be interviewed by the Board. Applications should be mailed to: Red Mask Players, P.O. Box 814, Danville, IL 61834-0814. Applications must be received by August 1. Scripts are available to review at the Danville Public Library.

Volunteer – Homeworks store, Habitat for Humanity of Champaign and Piatt Counties. Help sort, move, price, and display new donations to the resale store, or assist with donation pick-ups in box truck.

Volunteers needed every Wed, Fri, and Sat. Info: 355-6460 or Angela Miller, hfhangela@soltec.net.

Champaign County YMCA’s Third Annual Slamma Jamma – This 3-on-3 basketball tournament will be July 10 & 11 in West Side Park in Champaign.

Register at YMCA: 707 N Country Fair Dr or 500 W Church St, or online at www.ccymca.net. Register

by June 20. Fee: $96 per 4-member team. Teams guaranteed two games. Info: YMCA at 239-2813.

CROSSWORD P 18 L O B B Y I S T

O P U L E N C E

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T I T B O S I T E K I N A F E G R A G E T Z O O D E F F A D F E E T B R E T T E S L A W A O T A R B E O U A G K I N G I N K S

A W A D

R A S E

M E A G P O S M B I L L A D H E W

B Y O B M I R S E S P E E N A T T C O U N R A S

L A T I N I

S A I L T O

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A T T H E G Y M

F R E E L O V E

B E A R S U I T

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WORKSHOPS & CLASSES Paxton Majestic Theater Workshop – Participants will perform skits, play games and learn about stage design and theater production. For firstninth graders. Register by July 5. Cost: $75. July 26Aug 6. M-F, 9am-12pm.

Life Map Workshop – A life map is a collection of images, a method of connecting with your intuition, a tool for visualizing your dreams or goals.

Come explore life mapping – approaches, uses, and the opportunity to create your own life map.

McKinley Foundation, C. Sat, 9:15am-1pm. Info: Jo Pauly at 337-7823 or jopauly@prairienet.org.

Loose Womyn Discussion Group – (discussion topics are loose, the women need not be). The group will discuss the book Make Your Creative Dreams Real : A Plan for Procrastinators, Perfectionists, Busy People, and People Who Would Really Rather Sleep All Day by SARK. Borders. June 17, 7pm. 351-9011.

“How to Align Your Business for Success” – McKinley Foundation, Stage Door Meeting Room, 2nd Floor. Wed, 7pm. Sponsored by the Wise MidIllinois Business Group.

arts

JUNE 10 -16, 2004 | HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT ANYONE GOING SLOWER THAN YOU IS AN IDIOT AND ANYONE GOING FASTER IS A MANIAC?

7

ARTIST’S CORNER

BY BLANE MCCLELLAN | STAFF WRITER

I

lene Silverman is the art director at Columbia Center of Champaign, a public alternative school. She received an art degree from the University, spent 10 years teaching in innercity Chicago, and has taught in the Champaign area for the past 10 years. A Renaissance woman, Ilene was delighted to have studied under notable local artists Harry Breen and Robert Von Neumann, and now works in a variety of media from paint, to wire, to glass. She is married and has two children.

What are you working on now?

I’ve gotten my students involved with

Mystery Discussion Group – The group will discuss the book Rumor of Bones by Beverly Connor.

Borders. June 14, 6pm. 351-9011.

Border Crossers Discussion Group – (exploring the works of international authors). The group will discuss the book The Silent Duchess by Italian author Dacia Maraini. Borders. June 24, 7pm. 351-9011.

Belly Dancing Classes – 6-wk classes, beginning June 15 & 17. The Refinery. Info: Ishara at 469-8895, ishara@cubellydance.com, The Refinery at 3784607, or cubellydance.com.

projects that are community-oriented through the United Way, like landscaping and quilting. Our ongoing project started a few years ago with the United Way “Helping Hand” program. When I was asked a project suggestion, I came up with painting MTD benches for the community. We have no major sponsorship. Brian Silverman and Associates has provided funding for extra paint, brushes and varnish.

Tell me about the benches.

On each bench we paint a piece by a major artist, such as Van Gogh, Mondrian, O’Keefe and Rizzi. Typically, a few of my students and myself do the work.

The idea is not only that the students are finding pieces they can do, but also that they can translate

the pieces onto the bench, having hands-on experience with the artist’s painting style and technique. There are 10 benches placed in the community, including two more on the school grounds that are almost ready to go.

Right now, we’re working on one that’s a graffiti piece that one student was especially involved with painting.

How does this benefit your kids and the community?

I hope people sitting on MTD benches will be curious about the decoration and enjoy the exposure to artists’ work.

I have always thought that it was uncanny how unusually creative our students are. I often tease that their creativity may affect their focus in traditional classrooms. They get services, but don’t have the opportunity to give them. This project develops a sense of empathy to share with others. It’s important for them to participate col-

laboratively rather than as personal isolated expression, and for the community to view them as talented and generous.

What interests you personally, as an artist, about this project, and what else are you working on?

I just love to sit elbow to elbow with kids, working. The adventure of starting with a simple wooden bench, translating a piece of art and having a productive product is awesome. Every bench has met the rubric—to be a respectful representation of the original work and to have students experience the strength of community. In my personal work, I continue to draw and paint, but have dabbled with wire sculpture and glass mosaics in the past couple years.

Note: Benches can be found near Schnucks in Urbana, by Clark Lindsey Village, and across the street from Carle Clinic on University Avenue.

MIND BODY SPIRIT Sunday Zen Meditation Meeting - Prairie Zen Center. For information, call 355-8835 or go to www.prairiezen.org.

Planet Putt-Putt

Word of Mouth – Spoken word performances by Amira Nuha and others, followerd by group discussion and refreshments. No registration. Douglass Branch Library. Sat, 1-3pm. Info: 403-2090.

Campus Recreation Introduces Intramural Summer Softball League – Campus Rec is offering an Intramural Softball League beginning June 22 with both men’s and co-rec divisions. Entries will be accepted Tuesday and Wednesday by fax (244-9817) or at 140 IMPE. Fee: $150. Info: 333.3806, www.campusrec.uiuc.edu or 140 IMPE.

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PHOTOS | RODERCIK GEDEY

5:47 PM

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ond Golf Cours e by illow P W o t com ing ou tt o:

: June 16th 8:30- 10:30 PM : June 23rd10:30- 12:30 PM : June 30th 8:30- 10:30 PM July 7th 8:30- 10:30 PM

AT CADDY SHACK ON JULY 7th (Immediately following the Qualifying Round) Play to win a FREE foursome, dinner at Caddy Shack, a golf hat, shirt and a dozen golf balls!

“Interpretation” by Piet Mondran painted by Columbia Center students and Ilene Silverman.

Ilene Silverman.

Weight continued from Page 6 Readers have read this novel before, especially readers of “chick” lit. Its ancestors are Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Little Women. Its contemporaries are anything on the Oprah Book Club, pre-Ana Karenina. Granted, the topic of gastric bypass surgery isn’t present in many of these novels, but the procedure is a hot topic in the mainstream media.

For most of the novel, Wilensky seems like she’s riding those coattails, focusing more on the topic of the novel than the writing itself.

And the aesthetic of the book suffers because

of it. A significant majority of the sentences are awkwardly structured, and her voice tends to wander. For the most part, there isn’t a lot of coherence here, and some of the facts she presents about obesity seem a little uneducated. The novel is worth a once-over, but don’t turn to it if you’re looking for a truly introspective memoir.

BOOK REVIEW GUIDE

★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★ No stars

Flawless Good Mediocre Bad Unreadable

by Billy VanZandt and Jane Milmore directed by Aaron Polk

June 10-13, 16-20, 23-26 Tickets: $8.00 (Wed, Thurs, Sun) $10.00 (Fri and Sat) Wednesday is 2 for 1 All shows at 8:00pm Partially funded by Illinois Arts Council

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IT’S AMAZING THAT THE AMOUNT OF NEWS THAT HAPPENS IN THE WORLD EVERY DAY ALWAYS JUST EXACTLY FITS THE NEWSPAPER | JUNE 10 -16, 2004 buzz

T

Artist Allen Stringfellow.

The Weight of It : Amy Wilensky

BY KATIE RICHARDSON | ARTS EDITOR

PHOTOS | RODERICK GEDEY

I

Allen Stringfellow’s artwork depicting African-American life.

his life, as well as African-American life, said Phoebe Wolfskill, the exhibition curator.

“Stringfellow has been interested in music all of his life. He’s interested in gospel music and also jazz music,” Wolfskill said.

“You’ll see many of the works in the exhibition about jazz and jazz musicians, so of course it makes sense to have Chambana be here and play some jazz music.”

His piece Music For the Tenement shows faceless men playing instruments outside of a tenement. The piece is full of different pieces of color paper putting the images together.

Another piece that uses collage and watercolors is Under the Red Umbrella. This depicts a baptism at a river.

“I was raised with jazz and church,” Stringfellow said.

“Good jazz is spiritual, too.”

Another of Stringfellow’s pieces, Miss Hattie’s Porch, shows an afternoon picnic gathering. The piece is reminiscent of Pierre Auguste Renoir ’s painting The Luncheon of the Boating Party.

Most people at the opening were the more elderly members of the community, yet it was still a diverse group. The exhibition

seemed lively and fast-paced.

Jordana Moore, an art history graduate student, liked how the music of Chambana tied in with Stringfellow’s work. The jazz music gives viewers the idea that Stringfellow was listening to this music while he was making his art, she said. It was as if the music was coming out of the painting the same time the viewer hears it.

“I’m also really attracted to the idea of the faceless people,” Moore said. “It’s sort of modern, but it’s also very ancient to have the idea of Renaissance sort of paintings and you have the people who have very interesting features so you can project your idea of what these people are going to be onto the canvas or identify with it in the first place.”

Moore also thinks the jazz music plays in well with the art in that the colors and images play in well with each other like a jazz improvisational piece.

“It’s not just jazz in subject, but it’s also very improvisational in style,” she said. “I guess in jazz improvisation, you have multiple layers of the rhythm section with the horns working all together, but they’re all doing their own thing, but they’re still this tight-knit group.

You can’t have one without the other. And that’s what he’s doing here.”

Stringfellow, now 81 years old, continues creating his artwork. Art is important to him, and he will continue because it is his life.

“It’s my spirit, my love. It’s a way to express my love and beauty to other people,” Stringfellow said. “That’s what I really want to do is spread love, joy and beauty.” buzz

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

A Story of Two Sisters ★★

BY SUSIE AN | STAFF WRITER

n her second personal memoir, Amy Wilensky tackles two fairly standard topics in mainstream American culture: weight and sisterhood. Well, in actuality, she doesn’t particularly tackle them. Tackling would insinuate that there is an intense discussion of the subjects, one in which perhaps mind-blowing ideas were brought into light. Wilensky doesn’t do this.

Yes, she is a good writer. Themes are set up nicely, creative metaphors sometimes make their way in, and the characters are adequately developed. The novel depicts Wilensky’s younger sister’s (Allison) battle with her weight. This battle leads to gastric bypass surgery. Her sister’s personality, as well as her relationship with Amy, is drastically affected by both her heaviness and her eventual weight loss.

One gets some sense of Allison’s eccentricities, her parents’ kindness but concern for their obese daughter, and Wilensky’s guilt yet sense of personal satisfaction for being the thin daughter. And, of course, the inevitable competition between Amy and Allison rears its ugly head several times.

To her credit, Wilensky is admirably candid in this memoir. Sometimes, her character comes off looking not so great and that level of honesty isn’t always present in autobiographical novels. However, in the sphere of sister bonding and sister conflict, she is not particularly original. She and Amy have the usual fights, the usual make-ups, the usual plights for their parents’ attention.

continued on Page 7

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JUNE 10 - 16, 2004 | WANT TO SELL THAT GREEN VELVET COUCH OF YOURS? CALL BUZZ CLASSIFIEDS AT 337-8337

PHONE: 217/337-8337

Stringfellow visits Champaign

he call of the trumpet, the kick of the drums, the slap of the bass and the twinkle of the keyboards provide the soundtrack to Allen Stringfellow’s artwork depicting African-American life.

The opening of his exhibition Jamming with the Man was supported by the jazz music of Chambana. Stringfellow, dressed in red and gold, took the time to speak with admirers of his work.

Stringfellow, who now resides in Chicago, is a Champaign native and comes back to be recognized for his art.

“It’s beautiful to be remembered in your own home town,” he said.

The inspiration for Stringfellow’s work is his own life experience. He uses collage and watercolor in much of his work to capture those experiences.

“Collage is such a wonderful way to express yourself,” he said. “It’s very popular now, but it wasn’t when I started 50 years ago.”

Strong themes that run through most of Stringfellow’s works are music and spirituality. He shows how these things played a part in

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INDEX 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.

DEADLINE:

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

RATES: Billed rate: 34¢/word Paid-in-Advance: 25¢/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

Employment 000 HELP WANTED | Part Time Help wanted for green house work part-time temporary position about 30/hr to start. Apply in person at 101 Tomaras Ave. in Savoy, next to fire station. Ask for Fred.

The Daily Illini and Buzz are looking for an ad assistant this summer. 10 hrs. per week. Great experience with sales and advertising. Stop by 57 E Green for an application or email jmaly@uiuc.edu for more info.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Put your PC to work. $25-$75 an hour, part-time, full-time. Full training provided. Call 800-810-4582. www.dreamsneverending.com

Apartments

400

CAMPUS APARTMENTS Furnished | Unfurnished 1 bedroom lofts $497 2 bedrooms $585 3 bedrooms $750 4 bedrooms $1000 Campus, parking.

Fall 04, 367-6626 1, 2, & 3 BR Apts, reasonable rates.

Please call 398-5946 or 390-9536.

105 E. CLARK Avail Aug 2004. Attractive modern loft apts. Dishwasher disposal, window a/c, ceiling fans, patio/ balconies, carpet, laundry, parking, 2nd floor skylights. Rent starts from $435/mo. $50/month to furnish.

Apts. shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

609 W. MAIN, U Renting Aug 2004. Quiet building in nice Urbana neighborhood. 2 bedroom apts. Furnished $525/mo.

Parking optional, Central A/C, Carpet, laundry facilities. Gas Heat. Daily showings, 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

CAMPUS APARTMENTS Furnished | Unfurnished

706 S. WALNUT, U Renting for August 2004. Quiet neighborhood. 1 bedroom apts. from $475/mo. Gas heat, central a/c, laundry facilities. Parking included.

To furnish $50/mo. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com Available Now. 2 bedroom on campus for January. $550 per month.

367-6626.

Large 3 bedroom, duplex, clean, quiet, well-maintained.

Hardwood floors, responsible owner, near IMPE, Champaign. $900/month.

Available mid-August. 684-2226.

Courtyard Apartments 713 S. Randolph, Champaign Renting for Fall/2 & 3 Bedrooms.

Furnished & Unfurnished From $608/mo.

Includes cable, parking, water.

Has laundry facility and seasonal pool. Near campus and downtown Champaign.

352-8540, 355-4608 pm. www.faronproperties.com CAMPUS APARTMENTS Furnished

1006 W. STOUGHTON, U. Very close to Engineering campus.

Avail for Aug 2004. Masonry construction.

2 bedrooms from $620/mo. Window A/C, Carpet, Parking $25/mo. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

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CAMPUS APARTMENTS Furnished

CAMPUS APARTMENTS Furnished

CAMPUS APARTMENTS Unurnished

Other Rentals 500

1005 S. SECOND, C Efficiencies. Fall 2004. Secured building. Private parking. Laundry on site, ethernet available. Phone 352-3182. Office at 309 S. First, Ch. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com

702 W. WESTERN, U.

1 & 2 bedroom off-campus apartments in older homes. All utilities, parking, laundry included. Available now. 314, 316 S. State, 316 Cottage Court. 369-7205.

HOUSES

102 N. GREGORY, U. August 2004. Close to Illini Union. 2 bedrooms at $500/mo. Carpet, Gas Heat, Laundry. Parking available at $30/mo. 7 days a week showings.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com.

104 E. ARMORY Location!!

4 bedroom, 2 bath www.ugroup96.com 352-3182 105 E. John 1 bedroom furnished, great location.

Includes parking. www.ugroup96.com 352-3182

201 N. LINCOLN, U August 2004 rental. 2 bedroom apt at $500/mo. Close to campus with parking, ceiling fans, laundry, carpet/tile floors. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

311 E. WHITE, C. Avail for Aug 2004. Large furnished efficiencies close to Beckman Center. Rent starts at $325/mo. Parking avail at $30/mo. Window A/C, carpet. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com 509 E. White, C. Aug. 2004. Large 1 bedrooms. Security entry, balconies, patios, furnished. Laundry, off-street parking, ethernet available. Phone 352-3182.

Office at 309 S. First, Ch. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 604 E. White, C. Security Entrance For Fall 2004, Large 1 & 2 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

Aug 2004. 1 bedrooms with window a/c, carpet/tile floors, boiler heat, laundry on site. Parking avail. Rents from $495/mo. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

706 S. FIRST, C Excellent Value for Aug 2004. Half block south of Green on First Street.

Large apts in security building. 2 bedrooms from $427/mo. Window A/C, Carpet, Hot water heat. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

805 S. LINCOLN, U. Aug 2004. Great location. Attractive apts. Carpet, Ceiling fans, A.C. Efficiencies from $500/mo. 7 days a week showing.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

BUSEY & ILLINOIS, U. Large apts in quiet Urbana location one block South of Green and one block East of Lincoln. Off street parking. 2 bedrooms now starting at $560/mo. Avail Aug 2004. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com ENGINEERING CAMPUS Large Studio APTS Fall 2004 307-310 E. White Secured Bldg., ethernet available UGroup96.com 352-3182 JOHN STREET APARTMENTS 58 E. John August 2004. Two and three bedrooms, fully furnished. Dishwashers, center courtyard, on-site laundry, central air, ethernet available.

Call Chad at 344-9157 352-3182 University Group www.ugroup96.com OLD TOWN CHAMPAIGN 510 S. Elm 2 BR close to campus, hardwood floors, dishwasher, W/D, central air/heat, off street parking, 24 hr. maintenance. $525/mo. 352-3182 or 841-1996. www.ugroup96.com

205 E. Stoughton, Champaign Great 3 bedroom apartment available for fall. Large living room, Central air/heat. Close to Engineering quad. $595/mo. www.theelectrumgroup.com (217)649-0761

115 W. WASHINGTON, U Available Aug 2004. 1 bedroom apts. in quiet Urbana neighborhood.

Carpet, window a/c, laundry, boiler heat. Rents from $510/mo. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com

205 EAST HEALEY, C Renting Aug 2004. Very large 1 bedroom apartments. Carpet, window A/C, parking available at $30/mo.

Rents start at $385/mo. Shown daily 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com 211 N. Neil, C. Downtown loft w/ exposed brick. Hardwood/Carpet. W/D in apartment. Covered parking.

Available August. $875. Call TSG 355-1950.

800 W. Church, C. Available now and through summer.

Economical 2 BR. $450/mo.

352-8540, 355-4608 pm, weekends. www.faronproperties.com Our most desirable location on U of I golf course. 1200 sq. ft, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, fireplace, study, dishwasher, W/D, A/C, covered parking, balcony/ patio. 359-3687 and 359-0065.

Lease, deposit, no pets.

Large one bedroom. Available ASAP. Water, gas paid. $420/month through 8/2005. 201 S Elm, C. 3900475.

SOUTH WEST CHAMPAIGN 1418 Lincolnshire.Newly decorated large 4 bedroom. 2 full baths. Fireplace. Kit. Dining/Living Room. Private patio. Water/Parking included.

AUGUST. No pets. 356-0660/ 352-3642.

3 bedroom houses for rent. Starting at $750. 337-4889 or 621-3971.

6 BR, 2 full bath. 2 kitchen, 2 story.

W/D. 2 car garage. Free parking.

Champaign location. $1580/mo.

398-5946.

6-9 bedroom house on campus for fall 2004. 367-6626.

602 W. Michigan, U Avail 2004. 3 bedroom house with sunroom, washer & dryer, forced air heat. Rent $1,300/mo. Shown 7 days a week.

BARR REAL ESTATE INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com Lovely 4-5 bedroom house. Fireplace, oak French doors and floors.

A/C, parking, full basement, busline.

Randolph and White St., Champaign. Available 8/16/04. $1300/mo.

356-3232 Stonecreek Rental, Urbana, IL. Beautiful 2,500 sq.ft. home, 2 yrs. old. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 3 car garage. Fenced back yard, jacuzzi in master bath. Available July 1, 2004. $1,600/mo. Call Phyllis Cler (217)373-4932.

ROOMS

903 W. NEVADA, U Quality rooming house. Near Jimmy John’s on Lincoln Ave. Rooms avail for Aug. 2004. Rents from $260/mo to $330/mo. Laundry facilities, Common kitchen. Showing 7 days a week.

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BUZZ HAS BEEN INVADED BY HARRY POTTER | JUNE 10 -16, 2004

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moviereview

HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN ★★★

BY MATT PAIS | LEAD REVIEWER

F

or all of their worldwide success, the films based on J.K. Rowling’s wildly popular Harry Potter series have had their share of muggles (for the uninitiated: muggle, n. anyone not down with wizardry).

Helmed by crowd-appeasing Chris Columbus, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets revealed significant limitations in translating Rowling’s books to the screen. Quite simply, the movies weren’t magical.

Rather, they were mildly inspired fantasy, pleasant kids’ flicks that delighted but didn’t dazzle. So it should be good news to anyone who found those films drier than Dumbledore’s skin that indie fave Alfonso Cuaron has taken the reins for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of

Azkaban and livened things up a bit.

Instead of providing only what we expect to see, Cuaron offers vivid images that threaten to leap off the screen like words leaping off the page. He creates movement in all non-living things, helping the third Potter installment to come to life in ways that the first two films never imagined. People within paintings, newspapers and wanted posters move and talk as if they were behind interactive video screens, and these stylish visuals supply a much needed dose of imagination to these literary adaptations.

What Columbus never discovered was how to adjust the Harry Potter books to a moviegoing demographic as wide as the novels’ audience.

Cuaron comes closer to broadening the appeal, improving the effects and drawing better performances out of his actors. Ron’s (Rupert Grint) less weasley, Harry’s (Daniel Radcliffe) more heroically determined, and Hermione (Emma Watson) continues evolving into the series’ strongest character. Watson has a fire that burns through all her scenes, and she jumpstarts Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban whenever it gets bogged down in rambling exposition.

It’s shorter than the first two films but still too long. It’s leaner, with fewer diversions and subtler, more valuable foreshadowing, but there’s still the nagging feeling that the story is strangely underdeveloped for a two-and-a-half hour film. Early on, the titular boy wizard learns that Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has broken out of Azkaban prison in order to kill Harry and bring Lord Voldemort back to power.

We never see Azkaban, however, and Oldman

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doesn’t appear until halfway through the movie. By then, Harry, Ron and Hermione have engaged in numerous childish spats with rival Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), and the script by Steve Kloves (who also wrote Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets) waits too long to deal with Oldman’s prisoner. It’s meant to draw out the mystery, but it unnecessarily lengthens the story and leads to repetitive encounters with the hovering, demonic HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN | DANIEL RADCLIFFE Dementors, which look like castaways from The ture the fantastic detail of Rowling’s stories. The screen versions feel skimmed over and choppy, Lord of the Rings.

It’s one of the weaknesses of a series that must including the general ideas of the novels but choose between being faithful to its increasingly none of the nuance. New characters such as a long source material (the hardcover of the fifth new dark arts teacher (David Thewlis) and a book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is half-eagle, half-horse hybrid are introduced as 870 pages) and condensing Rowling’s vision to a significant plot points without being given due comprehensible, meaningful movie for kids and screen time.

That’s why so much of the material in the films adults as well. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, you can’t shake the sense that the jokes has felt like a visual projection of Rowling’s should be funnier and the fantasy more exuberant. books without the brain and heart to match. It Cuaron does a good job of handling a darker seems that, in attempting to whittle down huntone and keeping things PG-proper. It’s chilling dreds of pages into a workable screenplay, but not scary, eerie but not threatening, and Kloves merely makes a check mark every time he there’s some fun to be had when the young wiz- incorporates an important point while ignoring ards actually get to confront their fears via oth- the specifics that give each element its meaning.

So far, the Harry Potter films represent a fruserworldly powers.

Too often, though, the wizardry is limited to trating body of work, fantasy that has yet to realthe flick of a wand and a bland reworking of ize its potential to be fantastic. Cuaron’s deeper “Abracadabra”—one act simply requires the artistic vision is a step in the right direction, but wizard to say the word “Ridiculous”—and it’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban still fails clear that no filmmaker yet has been able to cap- to cast a spell.

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JUNE 10 -16, 2004

“A lot of people in the community have spent countless hours and their own dollars in keeping and operating for the last 70 to 80 years.”

Rebecca Cain

before they are gone forever.

The theater will even host a number of weddings this year. Cain said the theater appreciates the community’s help and hopes people will continue supporting by attending theater events.

Michelle Birkett of Urbana said if it hadn’t been for Ebertfest, she would not know of the Virginia Theatre. She believes it is a great part of the community.

“I think the theater is beautiful,” Birkett said. “I’m glad that it’s been titled a historic site. It definitely deserves the title, and it will help preserve the theater for future generations.” buzz

Q & A

and is proud of the new historical designation the theater has received.

DVD REVIEWS

HARRY POTTER & THE SCORCER’S STONE

HARRY POTTER & THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS

★★★

★★★

BY ANDREW VECELAS | STAFF WRITER

T

he first film adaptation of J.K Rowling’s beloved Harry Potter books was a guaranteed smash right off the bat, since the books already had an incredible worldwide following. No wonder, then, that the filmmakers took few chances and fewer diversions from the source material in bringing to story to the screen. Despite this guarded approach, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone remains a worthwhile undertaking for fans of the series, and a good introduction for those just getting into the films with the latest entry in theaters now.

Sorcerer’s Stone follows Harry Potter as he leaves his spiteful aunt and uncle for his first year at the wizards’ school, Hogwarts. Harry’s schooling is at once ordinary and incredible— he spends almost as much time worrying about bullies and sports as he does fighting trolls and learning to cast spells. He also has to solve the mystery of what’s hidden on the third floor of the school (search no further than the film’s title for the answer), and why it’s so important to keep hidden.

Overall, the story and much of the dialogue comes directly out of J.K. Rowling’s novel. On the bright side, the novel’s quirky personality and sense of wonderment shine through. Fans of the books should be pleased with the direct translation to the screen. However, Rowling’s initial faults of plotting also carry over to the film. Most notably, the story slows down about two-thirds of the way through, just when the mystery and anticipation should be building into overdrive. And the climax rests on the old, reliable cliche of the talking villain to explain everything that has happened.

The DVD of the film comes in a two-disc set, with the usual deleted scenes, promotional material and “making-of” features. More noteworthy than the special features is the way they are accessed. The disc makes you play little games to access the materials, which quickly becomes an annoyance.

Though it’s outshined by subsequent entries in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone lays the groundwork for what will surely turn out to be one of the biggest franchises in movie history, and captures a lot of what made the books popular to begin with. It’s an enjoyable film for those that are young, or young at heart, but the real magic is still to come in the series.

BY ALAN BANNISTER | STAFF WRITER

W

hen it comes time for Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) to return to the Hogwarts School of Magic, his uncle isn’t as excited as him or his viewers. Locking Harry in his room, however, turns out to be as effective as escaping to a remote hideaway like the first time Uncle Vernon (Richard Griffiths) tried to keep Harry from achieving his destiny. Nor does a stern warning from a diminutive house elf named Dobby about an impending severe danger awaiting Harry at Hogwarts thwart his determination to go. With a little help from his school chum Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), a wild ride in the Weasley family flying car, Harry manages to make it out of his room and to Hogwarts.

More mysterious happenings occur.

Mudbloods (half wizard, half human) are found mysteriously petrified and not even headmaster Professor Dumbledore can find a way to stop it. Add to that whisperings in the hall that only Harry can hear and Hogwarts becomes a tense place to live. It is slowly revealed to Harry and his entourage that somebody has opened the chamber of secrets.

Accusations abound and cover everyone from the new teacher, famous writer magician Gilderoy Lockhart, to Harry himself.

Only two real problems emerge in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The movie relies a bit too heavily upon viewers having seen the first film, which plays into the second problem: that the movie seems less fantastical then the first, and filled with less discovery. As a standalone movie, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets fails to wow viewers with a fantastical journey into the magical, but as a continuation of a series, it capitalizes on its predecessor, cutting away at the scenes of wonder and amazement at the magical world of Hogwarts throughout the movie in order to save time.

With this time saved, director Chris Columbus focuses the movie on what matters in the series: the development of Harry and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Because of this, Columbus, at the end of the movie, has earned the right to reinforce Harry’s realization that what counts is on the inside.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on DVD remains as quality a film as it was in theatres. Containing interviews with the cast and J.K. Rowling, along with 19 deleted scenes, the two-disc DVD set contains plenty of distractions for any rainy day.

[

The Virginia Theatre continues to entertain with new ideas for upcoming events. In October, the theater will work with the Krannert Center for Performing Arts to put on a Champaign rendition of performances from New York’s Apollo Theater.

Community members will have the chance to audition for the show. The winner of the show has the opportunity to compete at the real Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York.

“The community is working together to provide a real diverse set of cultural opportunities, spreading off campus,” Cain said.

The theater will also host the News-Gazette’s film series which will show classic films

LeonardDoyle

What was the best part about working at the Virginia?

In my younger days, seeing the stars that went through there such as Ethel Barrymore, Marx Brothers, Red Skelton, many of the old Vaudeville stars.

Worst part about working there?

I really don’t know if there was a worst part.

I enjoy working with people and crowds.

What was the most interesting thing that happened there?

Just meeting the stars was my main interest.

And seeing some of the films that were developed from small screen to widescreen and wrap-around sound.

Who was your favorite star to meet?

Red Skelton was one of the better stars to work with or talk to. He was just a common, ordinary person. He was not stuck on himself.

Leonard Doyle first started working at the Virginia Theatre in his high school days during the mid-1940s. He started out earning 50 cents an hour as an usher and eventually $5-6 an hour as a manager and projectionist. He claims to have spent about 90 percent of his lifetime with the theater and now, as a MTD employee, he continues to volunteer for the Virginia Theatre during most of the events. Over his many years with the Virginia, Doyle has developed a love for the theater. He strongly supports the continuation of the theater,

community

What do you think is the best quality of the building?

Acoustics. You can stand on the stage and talk fairly normal, and you can be heard very well in the top row of the balcony. Years ago, the performers never did have microphones or body mics as they do today. So they had to learn how to project their voice and the pronouncing of their words so they could be heard and understood.

When did you start volunteering?

Fifteen years ago when I learned that the theater was going to be closing and that it could be torn down or could be turned into an office complex. There’s where I took a little more interest again and formed the

5

PHOTO | RODERICK GEDEY

6/9/04

WARNER BROS.

061004buzz0516

An audience awaits a performance at the Virginia Theatre. After 83 years in operation, the theater maintains daily operation. An upcoming event will feature a rendition of performances from the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York.

Champaign Urbana Theater Company (CUTC). We have been going for about 13-14 years now as a volunteer group. I work with them and the Virginia Theatre.

(CUTC is a community theater company.)

Why do you continue to volunteer?

Because I want to see the theater be one of the best theaters in the central part of the state.

I want to see it go back to its original beginning type of entertainment and beauty. And I also want to see that the CUTC gets to perform on such a great stage as the Virginia. There’s nothing like it in Central Illinois.

What changes have you seen over the years?

I have seen from stage to motion pictures to the theater itself in the decline when the shopping mall theaters came into play, taking away from the movies. In a way, the theater is starting to come back due to cost in tickets and the size of the screen.

Why is it important to have the historical title?

Because the building itself is almost 100 years old, the structure, the architectural design. And it’s very good for the community.

The community should be very proud and honored to have such a building as this in Champaign.

which an ordinary patron could not possibly see. So I do not go to movies very much because of that. And the quality of movies of today is not truly in my opinion movies.

Because I guess … It depends what you want to see in a movie.

What is the problem with movies today?

The problems with movies today are they are too violent. Cartoons are not truly animated cartoons for kids to see. Violence and languages are main things. The actors today are not truly actors of the screen. They’re good in what they’re doing now, but to me they’re not truly actors.

Why do you think it’s important for the Virginia to keep that nostalgic feel?

Because the Virginia is a theater. The other theaters are four walls with seats and a screen. The Virginia is a theater. There’s difference compared to the Assembly Hall, which is a sports arena. The Krannert is a different type of theater, which was never really truly built as a theater, but it puts on different types of shows. The Virginia was built specifically for Vaudeville.

Favorite movie and performances?

Two of them: Star Wars and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. And one of my favorite stage shows was one of our own CUTC performances, Fiddler on the Roof, which we will be doing again in July.

What are your favorite memories at the Virginia?

When the lines of people on Saturday night, full houses of 1,500.

Sunday again full house, 1,500 per show and seeing the entertainers on stage. And looking at seeing the people’s faces and happiness on the faces of the people when they come out of the auditorium.

Would you say you’re a movie buff?

Not really. I like the movies, but I pick them apart too much. I see things in the movies that a lot of people do not see because of watching the same show over and over several times,

Any parting words?

I want to do as much as I can to enlighten the community on the Virginia Theatre and CUTC; our two most important organizations in Champaign-Urbana.

6/9/04

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JUNE 10 -16, 2004

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The Virginia marks a historic moment

After over 80 years in operation, a local theater keeps audiences coming back

BREAKIN’ ALL THE RULES ★★ JAMIE FOXX AND GABRIELLE UNION Breakin’ All the Rules is a watchable film. At its peaks and during Foxx’s “sexpert� scenes, it could even be considered hilarious. Chestnut is solid gold. This is a film that will not draw many looks from critics around the country, but can provide a light moviegoing experience for those that aren’t up to the substance of the summer blockbusters hitting the screens this summer. Have fun, but don’t expect too much out of Foxx and Chestnut in Breakin’ All the Rules. (Andrew Crewell) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

BY SUSIE AN | STAFF WRITER

T

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW ★★★ DENNIS QUAID & JAKE GYLLENHAAL There’s lots of scientific mumbo-jumbo, but for every scene of dull, Weather Channel-style explanation, there’s a magnificent shot of the United States engulfed by truly unthinkable storms. Even though you know the whole thing was the act of computers—not of God—it’s hard not to ooh and aah at the sight of New York City iced over like a snow cone. The problem is that most of the characters express little more than awe, rather than fear, as to what may be the unforeseen apocalypse. Expect to feel that same disconnected absence of intensity towards a film that is supposed to be unprecedented but unlikely to be remembered the day after tomorrow. (Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN DANIEL RADCLIFFE & EMMA WATSON ★★★ So much of the material in the films has felt like a visual projection of Rowling’s books without the brain and heart to match. It seems that, in attempting to whittle down hundreds of pages into a workable screenplay, Kloves merely makes a check mark every time he incorporates an important point while ignoring the specifics that give each element its meaning. So far, the Harry Potter films represent a frustrating body of work, fantasy that has yet to realize its potential to be fantastic.

Cuaron’s deeper artistic vision is a step in the right direction, but Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban still fails to cast a spell. (Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

PHOTO | RODERICK GEDEY

he regal theater murmurs as audience members anticipate the evening show. The soft light that illuminates the room goes down as the rich red curtains rise and the show begins.

The anticipation in the room is not unfamiliar to the walls of the Virginia Theatre.

After all, it has been showcasing performances for more than 80 years.

The Virginia Theatre first opened its doors in 1921 and still continues to keep that nostalgic grand theater atmosphere for audience members today.

The theater is host to a number of events such as live musical performances, stage plays and the popular Roger Ebert’s Overlooked Film Festival in the spring.

At one point, there was talk about shutting down the theater and turning it into something like a parking lot or an apartment complex, said former manager Rebecca Cain. “A lot of people in the community have spent countless hours and their own dollars in keeping and operating for the last 70 to 80 years,� she said.

After the Champaign Park District took control of the theater in 2000, things began to turn around for the theater with more funding and fewer plans for a shutdown.

Recently, the theater has been nationally designated as a historic site. “The designation sort of solidifies the park district’s commitment to the renovation of the theater and it also protects it so that the building will remain intact,� Cain said. “The designation is a big determent from the building ever being torn down.�

Recently designated as a national historic site, the Virginia Theatre continues to attract community members through unique and high-profile performances. “It’s a completely The designation refers to the different atmosphere than what you find in Central Illinois,� said Rebecca Cain, the theater’s former manager. architectural element of the building, Cain said. This includes the Italian parts of the 20th century, Cain said. These the- ited this theater as a boy. He’s got a lot of love they go ‘wow’ because they can’t believe that this exists in downtown Champaign.�

Renaissance plaster work, the structure of aters remain a unique feature to the country for the building,� she said.

Cathy Guennewig of Champaign said she Many people in the community have the balcony and even the projection system. which is why the Virginia is important to the never been to the Virginia Theatre. However, has enjoyed the events she has attended at the The theater continues to maintain the Champaign community.

Notable past events at the Virginia include first-timers are usually amazed upon the ini- Virginia Theatre. She believes the historic desauthentic movie house elements instead of ignation will continue to provide quality two sold-out performances by Anne Murray, tial visit. completely upgrading to a modern style. “It’s a completely different environment entertainment for audiences in the future. “We’ve got a real gem, a good acoustical a “Weird� Al Yankovic concert, Bolshoi Ballet, “I think the theater has a really fun atmosbuilding,� she said. “You can’t upgrade some- The Temptations and Roger Ebert’s than what you find in Central Illinois,� she said. “Most people come in and it’s amazing phere and is a great change of pace for outOverlooked Film Festival. thing that already works really well.� “Ebertfest happens here because Roger vis- to see them. Old people and young people, ings,� she said.

Movie palaces were built in the earlier

film

JUNE 10 -16, 2004 | HARRY POTTER DEFEATS SHREK 2 TO WIN THIS WEEK’S BOX OFFICE

Drive-thru Reviews

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I’M NOT SCARED ★★★ AITANA SĂ NCHEZ-GIJĂ“N & DINO ABBRESCIA Salvatores’s narrative unwraps in multiple ways revealing layers of several popular genres: horror, mystery and suspense. Realistically afraid and curious Michele is nevertheless willing to help the bound child that he found chained and starving underground. Avoiding most of the clichĂŠs of these genres, Salvatores then challenges the audience to figure out what the main focus of the narrative will be. Some surprises are soon revealed and not all plot developments and character motivations are elaborated that clearly. (Syd Slobodnik) Now showing at Boardman’s Art Theatre MAN ON FIRE ★★ DENZEL WASHINGTON & DAKOTA FANNING Director Tony Scott (Spy Game) never met a flashy, kneejerk cut he didn’t like, and he makes even the calmest sequences in Man on Fire feel like chase scenes out of Enemy of the State. Essentially, this overly long drama is little more than a story of the usual American mentality of trying to solve the problems of other countries with bigger guns and bigger egos. (Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy MEAN GIRLS ★★★ LINDSEY LOHAN & LACEY CHABERT Mean Girls’ screenwriter Tina Fey uses a candor that not only criticizes the stereotypes of these portrayals, but also depicts them in an entertaining way that is unique to anything shown before. The students of North Shore High don’t all belong in magazine advertisements. Some belong in the “beforeâ€? pictures in weight loss commercials or on the front

cover of “Special Olympics Success Stories.� This film uses the formula of the typical high school illustration, adds fresh humor and a touch of reality that makes the film surprisingly entertaining to watch. (Art Mitchell) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy RAISING HELEN ★★★ KATE HUDSON & JOAN CUSACK Kate Hudson sparkles in the most bleak of circumstances, making the film appear somewhat appear as a comedy like its premise suggests. Hudson easily transitions from a charming single woman to an upset mother, proving that her acting chops were not just a fluke in Almost Famous. Her performance saves an otherwise over-sentimentalized drama, making Raising Helen shine when it desperately needs a glimmer of hope.

(Janelle Greenwood) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy SHREK 2 ★★★ MIKE MYERS & EDDIE MURPHY Shrek 2 does an admirably effective job of balancing its sarcastic but sensitive tone, and it’s never too bitter to be sweet. The film manages to repeatedly wink at all things Disney without coming off competitive, an honorable move for a Dreamworks studio that should have plenty to gloat about at the box office this summer. In giving reverence with each reference, the four-headed team of writers keeps things light and sprinkles good-hearted, intelligent fun throughout every scene. It becomes apparent that the original strove for greatness while this suitable sequel is merely good, but it’s hard to complain about another chuckle-filled trip to fantasyland sure to once again make Disney green (cha-ching!) with envy. (Matt Pais) SOUL PLANE ★★★ SNOOP DOGG & TOM ARNOLD Soul Plane offers just what anyone who walks into the theater would expect. There is a bad movie with great comedians who let loose on drugs, white people, black people and everything in between. Barring a closedminded audience, the racially and sexually charged humor are a raving success. Cameos from D.L. Hughley, John Witherspoon, Karl Malone and many more keep the fans on the edge of their seats. The smoking hot women keep the eyes busy should anyone miss a joke. Those over 35 should forget about Soul Plane and go see Troy for the fourth time. But if you are up for a good time and an hour and a half of nonstop laughs, get yourself a boarding pass to Soul Plane. (Andrew Crewell) Now Showing at Beverly and Savoy THIS OLD CUB ★★★ RON SANTO The film’s more joyous moments details Santo’s recent work as a Cub announcer and his broadcast chemistry with Pat Hughes and the team’s number retirement ceremony at Wrigley Field last year. These scenes can’t compensate, though, for the film’s more awkward parts, which include the recent wishful hype over Santo’s possible induction into baseball’s Hall of Fame. Here, director Jeff Santo interviews legends Johnny Bench, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Brooks Robinson, all of whom strongly endorsed Santo’s wish for the Hall of Fame.

Sadly, like last year’s missed playoff opportunities, Santo will have to wait until another day for his induction into the Hall of Fame. (Syd Slobodnik) TROY ★★ BRAD PITT AND ERIC BANA Troy uses endless flourishes of triumphant horns and cymbal crashes to create some sense of majesty, but it does as much justice to Homer as William Hung does to “She Bangs.� Troy desperately wants to be a loud, sweeping rallying cry for love, brotherhood and country, but it’s just a bunch of pretty boys playing dress-up in this real Greek tragedy. (Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy VAN HELSING ★ HUGH JACKMAN Dracula relentlessly tries to spread his seed (unprotected sex, anyone?) and it’s up to the vampire slayer to stop him. And when Anna tells Van Helsing she’s never been to the sea, you know he’s going to take her there because that’s what a real man would do (wink wink). All of this should be enough to make your heart thump, but instead your pulse will nap while your mind goes for popcorn.

For all of its adrenaline-rush action, Van Helsing is like a Halloween costume-themed Universal Studios ride, tailored to a PG-13 audience happy to get its biggest thrills from Count Chocula. (Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

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OPENING THIS WEEKEND THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK VIN DEISEL & JUDY DENCH It’s a sad thing when the fate of the world lies in the hands of one Vin Diesel, whose sole life-saving attribute seems to be his ability to see in the dark. This sequel to Pitch Black follows Riddick, the ex-con/hero that Vin Diesel plays so well, through his role in galactic war and his attempt to save all living things. (Paul Wagner) GARFIELD: THE MOVIE BRECKIN MEYER & JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT Ah, Garfield. The lazy fat cat that embodies American desires so well ‌ on the big screen. After Odie, Garfield’s lone animal friend that takes the shape of a not-so-bright yellow dog, gets caught by the dog catcher, Garfield feels guilty and goes on a quest to save him.

Lasagna, sarcasm, laziness and other tasty tidbits are sure to lead this film to comedy gold. (Paul Wagner) THE STEPFORD WIVES MATTHEW BRODERICK & NICOLE KIDMAN Unfortunately, John Cusack dropped out of this film and was replaced by Matthew Broderick. Similarly, after moving to Stepford, Broderick’s wife, Nicole Kidman, suspects something odd afoot and discovers that her tooperfect female neighbors aren’t really people, but really subservient robots ‌ seems a bit farfetched, but with a combination of Kidman and Broderick with Bette Midler thrown in the mix, this movie can’t be all bad, can it?

(Paul Wagner) SUPERSIZE ME MORGAN SPURLOCK & HONEST AMERICANS This movie seeks to answer the burning question on everyone’s mind: Why the hell are Americans so damn fat? Spurlock seeks answers from experts, random people and himself. He lived on McDonald’s food for one month, eating nothing but McDonald’s to see what the result would be on his livelihood. To find out what happened, be sure to check out this enlightening film.

(Paul Wagner) Opening at Boardman’s Art Theatre

GARFIELD (PG) (2 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 11:00 11:30 1:00 1:30 3:00 3:30 5:00 5:30 7:10 7:30 9:10 9:30 11:10 11:30 Sun. - Thu. 11:00 11:30 1:00 1:30 3:00 3:30 5:00 5:30 7:10 7:30 9:10 9:30 ◆ HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (PG) (4 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 11:00 11:30 12:30 1:00 2:00 3:40 4:00 4:30 5:00 6:45 7:00 7:30 8:00 9:45 10:00 11:20 11:45 Sun. - Tue. 11:00 11:30 12:30 1:00 2:00 3:40 4:00 4:30 5:00 6:45 7:00 7:30 8:00 9:45 10:00 ◆ (3 SCREENS) Wed. & Thu. 11:00 11:30 12:30 2:00 3:40 4:30 5:00 6:45 7:30 8:00 9:45 SAVED! (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 11:00 1:40 4:20 7:15 9:40 12:15 Sun. - Thu. 11:00 1:40 4:20 7:15 9:40 THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 11:00 1:40 4:20 7:15 9:40 12:15 Sun. - Thu. 11:00 1:40 4:20 7:15 9:40 THE STEPFORD WIVES (PG–13) (2 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 11:10 11:30 1:10 1:30 3:10 4:00 5:10 7:00 7:30 9:20 9:40 11:30 11:50 Sun. - Thu. 11:10 11:30 1:10 1:30 3:10 4:00 5:10 7:00 7:30 9:20 9:40 RAISING HELEN (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 11:10 1:40 4:10 7:00 9:40 12:10 Sun. - Thu. 11:10 1:40 4:10 7:00 9:40

MEAN GIRLS (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 11:10 2:00 4:00 7:10 9:30 11:40 Sun. - Thu. 11:10 2:00 4:00 7:10 9:30 ◆ SHREK 2 (PG) (3 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 11:00 11:20 12:00 1:00 1:20 2:00 3:00 3:20 4:00 5:00 5:20 7:00 7:30 9:00 9:40 11:00 11:40 Sun. - Tue. 11:00 11:20 12:00 1:00 1:20 2:00 3:00 3:20 4:00 5:00 5:20 7:00 7:30 9:00 9:40 (3 SCREENS) Wed. & Thu. 11:00 11:20 12:00 1:00 1:20 2:00 3:00 3:20 4:00 5:00 5:20 7:00 7:30 9:00 9:40 THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (PG–13) (2 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 11:30 12:00 2:00 2:50 4:40 5:30 7:20 8:00 10:00 11:00 Sun. - Tue. 11:30 12:00 2:00 2:50 4:40 5:30 7:20 8:00 10:00 Wed. & Thu. 12:00 2:50 5:30 7:20 8:00 10:00 TROY (R) Fri. - Tue. 6:45 10:00 INTERMISSION (R) Fri. & Sat. 12:30 2:50 5:10 7:30 9:50 12:10 Sun. - Thu. 12:30 2:50 5:10 7:30 9:50 AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (PG) (2 SCREENS) Wed. & Thu. 11:10 12:00 2:00 4:00 5:10 7:00 8:00 9:50 Showtimes for 6/11 thru 6/17

C-UViews

3!6/9

Compiled by Roderick Gedey

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DID YOU KNOW COMBOS ARE THE OFFICIAL CHEESE FILLED-SNACK OF NASCAR? | JUNE 10 -16, 2004

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): While living in Manhattan in the 1950s, avant-garde composer John Cage felt beleaguered by the omnipresence of radio sound. Rather than piss and moan, he wrote a musical piece that featured several radios tuned to different frequencies. After that, he was always able to respond to street radio noise with a pleasant sense of "They're playing my song." According to my reading of the astrological omens, Aries, this is a perfect strategy for you to borrow in the coming week.

Turn something that bothers you into something that comforts you, enhances you, or both. (Thanks to Ruby for inspiring this horoscope.)

5 Requests

2. Local H California Songs 3. The Blackouts No Tomorrow

Top

4. Dashboard Confessional Vindicated 5. The Cure The End of the World

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): One of my readers, Elizabeth Whitsage, told me a story of when she was working at Disneyland selling mouse-eared balloons. Every so often a mother, father, and young son would come up to her, the parents asking in enthusiastic voices "What color do you want?" and the son answering "Pink!" One parent, usually the father, would recoil in horror and say something like, "No, son, don't you want red or blue?" But before the child could reply, Elizabeth would whip a pink balloon out of the bunch and wrap its string around his wrist. Then she'd smile and say to the dad, "That'll be one dollar, please." Keep this story uppermost in mind during the week ahead, Taurus. Make sure that you always get and always give your personal equivalent of the pink balloon.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): From an astrological perspective, last January wasn't an ideal time to make New Year's resolutions. I'd be surprised if you kept any of the promises you made back then.

On the other hand, now is a perfect moment to make New Year'stype resolutions. Here are a few free samples to inspire you. 1. "I resolve to seek out conversations that are so intense and interesting that I lose track of time." 2. "While in the throes of road rage, I resolve to howl like a wolf." 3."I resolve to unashamedly pray for cash, enjoy how messy my room is, and sing along loudly with the muzak in public places."

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Jean-Dominique Bauby was a 43year-old editor when he suffered an unusual stroke. Though his brain remained undamaged, his entire body was paralyzed except for his left eye. Slowly he learned to communicate in code by blinking, and over the next two years he dictated a memoir.

Feeling as if he were trapped in a diving bell, but with his imagination as free as a butterfly, he called his book The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Critics have described it as "inspirational" and "a jewel." Bauby is your role model during this last difficult phase of your yearly cycle, Cancerian. Though you won't suffer from any physical affliction, your psychic turmoil may make you feel imprisoned and inaccessible. And yet I promise you that you can find a way to liberate your mind and convey luminous truths to the people who matter.

Make your vote for the

TOP 8 most requested songs!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I don't know if you're the type of person who enjoys trance-dancing half-undressed till 4 a.m. at bacchanalian parties, then prowling the early morning streets barking at the moon and singing songs from Broadway musicals with loony companions until you end up playing strip poker outside an allnight diner as the sun comes up. But if you are that type of person, this will be a perfect week to indulge your inclinations. If you're not, please find an equivalent adventure that you're comfortable with. 'Tis the season to be rowdy.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I propose that you drink a toast to Virgo actress Sophia Loren, who has been in a hundred movies during her long career. To do so may help you take maximum advantage of this phase of your astrological cycle, when your instinct for creating abundance and longevity is at a peak. Are you game? Say this: "May the spirit of Sophia Loren come to me in my dreams and reveal her secret of enduring success." I suggest you also visualize Loren's fortieth birthday, when her husband gave her a custom-made, 14-karat-gold toilet seat. Then drink a toast to yourself, saying: "As compensation for all the times that fate has kicked my ass over the years, may I now receive a reward that's as luxurious as Sophia Loren's magic toilet seat."

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): This is a perfect time to translate your recent inner changes into a visible form. If you're an artist, start work on a masterpiece that reflects your fresh insights. If you're a businessperson, dream up novel approaches to making money from doing what you love.If you're a politician, get yourself a new spin doctor. If you're between gigs, experiment with your physical appearance. However you do it, Libra, show the world vivid evidence of how you've transformed.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Aeschylus, the seminal playwright of ancient Greece, wrote over ninety plays, but most did not survive the ravages of time.The evidence for his renown has consisted of just seven works. Recently, however, archaeologists have discovered an eighth, "Achilles." It was on a papyrus scroll stuffed inside an Egyptian mummy. This summer, a theater company in Cyprus will stage the play for the first time in over 2,000 years. I urge you Scorpios to be alert for ways this story can serve as a metaphor for your personal quest in the near future. What old but dynamic parts of your life have been all but lost? How can you regain access to them and make them work for you now?

can cloud objectivity and make negotiations more jarring. Since you and your partners will probably want to agree on some common goals, you should include calming blue in the mix. Not too much, though: An excess of blue can cause a chill.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): My analysis of the cosmic omens suggests that you have one major assignment this week, Capricorn: to kill germs. I'm referring to both the physical and psychic versions of those tiny invaders. There'll be more of them than usual trying to mess with you. As a public service, I'll remind you of the factors that are most effective in zapping pest of all kinds: hot soapy water, fresh air, sunshine, orgasms, and tears.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): It's the perfect moment to ask you a question I've been thinking about posing for a long time, so here goes. I'd like to know if you're willing to push hard to get better, improve your attitude, grow your devotion to the truth, fuel your commitment to beauty, refine your emotions, hone your dreams, face your shadow, cure your ignorance, and soften your heart -- even as you pledge to always accept yourself for exactly who you are with all your so-called imperfections, never demeaning the present moment by comparing it to an idealized past or future. Well? Are you?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "More good has been launched by more people from kitchen tables than any other platform in the land," says populist writer Jim Hightower, quoted in Orion magazine. I hope you take his words to heart, Pisces. Even if your power spot is normally in an office or store or art studio, this week it will be at your kitchen table. Even if you normally like to brainstorm with your allies at restaurants or bars or on long walks, this week you should gather them at your kitchen table. The dreams and schemes you hatch there in the coming days could change the course of history.

✍ HOMEWORK: Psychologists

hypothesize that the best way to eliminate a bad habit is to replace it with a good one. Tell how you're going to do just that. www.freewillastrology.com.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Color psychologists say that red stimulates emotional intensity.It can raise the temperature of love and awaken feelings that have been subconscious or dormant. Given the rich potentials for deepening intimacy that are now available, you may therefore want to add more red to your apparel and environment. On the other hand, be aware that red

Brezsny’s Free Will ☎ Rob Astrology freewillastrology@comcast.net 415.459.7209 P.O. Box 798 San Anselmo, CA 94979

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS Snapped Arrowhead feature E.T.O. carrier Other direction It may get you out of a rut: Abbr.

17 56-Across’s land 18 One might be verbal 19 Waiting to exhale?

20 Dairy product used in some cheese plants 22 Asian capital 23 Saxophonist nicknamed “the Sound” 24 Enjoying 25 Tight (with) 27 Appearance after an eclipse 31 Not treat seriously, with “at” 32 Aesop’s morals, e.g.

33 Pole length?

35 Mil. post in Fayetteville, N.C. 39 Baseball Hall-of-Famer George and others 41 L’___-deux-guerres (French era) 42 Cold side 45 “Goin’ Gone” singer Kathy 1 7 11 14 16

ONLINE 8@8

intro

JUNE 10 - 16, 2004 | HAPPINESS IS WARM APPLESAUCE

FIRST THING’S FIRST...

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY (JUNE 10 - 16)

1. Franz Ferdinand Take Me Out

buzz

Demeter’s mother Memorial announcer Self starter?

Noted early 20th-century writer/reformer 54 Collectible frames 55 Touch 56 Capital of 17-Across 58 Bad thing to invoke 59 “Civil dissension is a viperous worm” speaker 60 “This is ___” 61 Stationer’s stock 62 Didn’t go unfulfilled 46 47 49 50

DOWN Bill’s friend or foe?

Plenty Suddenly revealed to Drag “Woe ___” (best-selling grammar guide) 6 Seasoned lightly 7 Show fluster 8 Make ___ (earn big bucks) 9 Level, in London 10 Letters of invitation 11 Basic language course 1 2 3 4 5

12 Reach on a

cruise 13 Add 15 Biting 21 Like many a dead letter 23 Fetching ones?

26 Marching to a different drummer 28 Place holders 29 Kind of booster 30 It’s been seen before 32 Boy/girl introduction 34 It’s sometimes wrapped in rice 36 Where sweaters are found?

37 60’s mantra 38 Mascot costume, maybe 40 Breakfast order 42 Knocker 43 “Shoot!”

44 Hard to move 45 Basement problem 48 Not so hot 51 Golfer Isao ___

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Puzzle by Byron Walden

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Crush Statement issuer Growlers ___ mission

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Don’t mess with Texas’s litter prevention slogan

BY MICHAEL COULTER | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

S

tate slogans are kind of interesting. OK, not really so much, but let’s pretend they are for the purpose of this column.

They’re mostly used for tourism, I suppose.

Nothing says “Great vacation!” like a T-shirt, keychain or snow globe to prove to others that you’ve actually been to a state. You would think it hard to capture the essence of a state in a twoor three-word slogan. You would be right.

For example, the Alabama state slogan is “Wonder Full.” Whatever, I was there once as a kid and from what I remember, the slogan should be “Kind of Boring and Hotter Than a Bastard.” Louisiana’s little catchphrase is “Come as you are, leave different.” By leaving different, I assume they are referring to being hung over and having chlamydia.

Alaska uses “Beyond your dreams, within your reach.” I understand why they went with that instead of the more fitting slogan “Alaska—Bears will probably eat you.” The Connecticut slogan (“Full of surprises!”) and the Ohio one (“So much to discover”) both make their states seem like it’s going to be an adventure for the whole damned family. If you consider syrup, strip malls and clueless expressions on the faces of the locals exciting, then those may actually be the adventure states for you.

Around these parts, we’re known mostly as “The Prairie State” or “The Land of Lincoln.” I suppose those are OK. I know a few people who refer to it as “The Land of Drinkin’,” which I personally like better, but it’s tough to name a whole state because of a few bad seeds.

I didn’t even know what Texas’ slogan was. I thought I knew, but I was wrong. The actual slogan is “Texas—It’s a whole other country.”

Other country? Sometimes, I wish that were true. If it actually were a whole other country, the rest of the states might not wonder about them as much.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been there several times and enjoyed myself, but there’s also something kind of odd about it. Most recently, they’ve given us a president who’s a little shady. If a convicted murderer is retarded, they kill him just the same. In their most famous battle, they got their asses kicked. When you enter the state, if you don’t have a gun, they give you one. I guess it is sort of a whole other country.

They like it that way, which is why I thought their state slogan was “Don’t mess with Texas.”

It turns out that slogan isn’t for what I thought it

was. It started out as a Texas Department of Transportation slogan to discourage litter in the state. Somewhere along the way, citizens of Texas decided it meant something else and started putting it everywhere. Now the transportation department wants it back ... um, right now.

“The State of Texas has a lot of money invested in the slogan, and we definitely want people to know it’s a litter prevention message, it’s not a macho message,” said Doris Howdeshell, director of the department’s travel division.

Man, I still remember when all it took to keep me from littering was a crying Indian.

They’ve sent out 23 cease and desist warnings in the last year to folks trying to make a buck off the copyrighted slogan. I hope this doesn’t lead to some sort of recall. That’s quite a lot of memorabilia collecting to do. “Sir, we’re going to need your underwear and your coffee mug. If we catch you using anything with our slogan again, you will be executed, like pretty much any other law breaker in our state.”

I think the whole thing probably came to a head when a reproductive rights group started selling T-shirts that said, “Don’t mess with Texas women.” I can see the point of stopping this copyright infringement. It could get out of hand. Don’t mess with Texas chiropractors.

Don’t mess with Texas glass blowers. Don’t mess with Texas rodeo clowns. Once something like that gets started, it would never stop.

In fact, many there would likely fear that if they didn’t have a shirt expounding their profession and how they shouldn’t be messed with, they would become the lowest form of life in Texas. “Gee, Bob, the guys at McDonald’s have “Don’t mess with Texas McDonald’s workers” shirts. If we don’t get some “Don’t mess with Texas Burger King workers” shirts, we’re going to be overrun with people messing with us.

Let’s face it, nobody likes to be messed with.

While I’m unsure what messing was done in the past to make Texas believe in this principle so strongly, I do know that they believe it.

Maybe, just maybe, if you tell everyone something enough times, they just begin to believe it.

“I’m not sure what I’m doing this weekend, but I’ll tell you one thing, I’m not messing with Texas. I hear they don’t like that shit at all.”

If they crack down too hard on this copyright thing, maybe the citizens of Texas should just come out and say what they really mean.

“Don’t fuck with Texas. We don’t really like the rest of you states very much.” It’s a little more abrasive, but it’s much more to the point. Hell, that’s a T-shirt I wouldn’t mind having.

Michael Coulter is a videographer, comedian and creator of the weekly email column “The Sporting Life.”

3

News of the weird Lead story Several George W. Bush-supporting punk rock bands have gained prominence in the United States recently to challenge the generally assumed dominance of rock music by political liberals, according to a May dispatch from New York by BBC News, which reported that bands such as Gotham Road and Bouncing Souls “are not raging against the machine, they are raging for it.” A Rolling Stone writer attributed the upsurge to conservatives’ general pugnaciousness, but one maven of “conservative punk” laid it to Republicans’ and punk’s joint “emphasis on personal responsibility.”

Things that are not as they seem (1) After a 10-year study with a global positioning satellite system (reported in February), researchers at England’s Oxford University concluded that homing pigeons do not get their bearings from the sun, as previously thought, but rather just follow roads and highways home. (2) Mr. Jian Feng, of Hegang in northern China, suspicious

when his wife gave birth to a baby he regarded as seriously ugly, got her to admit that, though she was not adulterous, she had herself been seriously ugly before she met Jian, but had had major plastic surgery in South Korea and now did not much resemble her genetic look. (Even so, Jian divorced her and in May sued her for fraud.)

Police blotter — Robert Hesketh was acquitted of drunk-driving in Chilliwack, British Columbia, in March because police were actually too zealous in getting him a lawyer.

After arresting Hesketh, Constable Rick Murray asked him several times if he wanted a lawyer, but Hesketh each time refused, until Murray himself called one on Hesketh’s behalf. Only after the lawyer and Hesketh talked did police administer a breathalyzer test, and Judge John Lenaghan ruled that that was too much of a delay and tossed out the test’s results.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Chuck Shepherd Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

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HEY KIDS! I BET YOU THOUGHT THAT I WAS DEAD! | JUNE 10 - 16, 2004 buzz

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TOP OF THE NINTH

insidebuzz

The Story

4 The Virginia Theatre marks a historic moment The regal theater murmurs as audiences members anticipate the evening show. The soft light that illuminates the room goes down as the rich red curtains rise and the show begins. The anticipation in the room is unfamiliar to the walls of the Virginia...

Arts 6 Artist Allen Stringfellow visits Champaign-Urbana The call of the trumpet, the kick of the drums, the slap of the bass and the twinkle of the keyboards provide the soundtrack to Allen Stringfellow’s artwork depicting African-American life. The opening of ...

Music 9 The art of folk: Devendra Bandhart & Joanna Newsom reviews Joanna Newsom’s debut release (disregarding two self-released EPs) is her attempt to demonstrate the capabilities of her preferred instrument, which she feels has been misrepresented in mainstream music...

Calendar 11 Singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield at Highdive You might remember Juliana Hatfield from her 1990s popularity as a member of alternative rock band The Lemonheads, or maybe from her early 90s hit “Spin the Bottle.” But regardless of whether...

Film

16 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban For all of their worldly success, the films based on J.K. Rowling’s wildly popular Harry Potter series have had their share of muggles (for the uninitiated: muggle, n. anyone not down with...

PHOTO COURTESY OF | LENKA DUSILOVA

BUZZ STAFF

Got an opinion?

Volume 2, Number 19

Editor in chief Marissa Monson Art Directors Meaghan Dee & Carol Mudra Copy Chief Chris Ryan Music Jacob Dittmer Art Katie Richardson Film Paul Wagner Community Margo O’Hara Calendar Maggie Dunphy Photography Editor Roderick Gedey Calendar Coordinators Cassie Conner, Erin Scottberg Photography Roderick Gedey Copy Editors Chris Ryan, Nellie Waddell Designers Glenn Cochon, Chris Depa, Jacob Dittmer, Maggie Dunphy, Margo O’Hara Production Manager Theon Smith Sales Manager John Maly Marketing/Distribution Melissa Schleicher, Maria Erickson Publisher Mary Cory

E-mail us at buzz@readbuzz.com or you can send us a letter at 1001 S. Wright St., Champaign, IL 61820.

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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.

Copyright Illini Media Company 2004

MARISSA MONSON EDITOR IN CHIEF

N

ow that the candidates have been narrowed down for the 2004 election, the campaign ads start airing, and the insults start flying. In the past, the candidates election committees have resorted to negative ads. These ads tend to leave a sour taste in most voters’ mouths and leave both candidates looking silly. However, this year, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has put their money behind a new twist on typical negative campaign strategy. It’s called Republican Survivor.

Republican Survivor is a web-based show modeled from the popular reality show Survivor. All of your favorite Republican players are there. George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Ann Coulter, Katherine Harris, Tom Delay and John

Ashcroft. In the first episode, the crew plays a game of capture the flag.

Republican or Democrat, we can all appreciate a little humor injected into what is typically a pretty straight-laced campaign. This web-based show could possibly get more disinterested individuals from the “dreaded 25 and under group” to get out and vote. If you can’t find a player to root for in the party spoof, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia makes an appearance as the “immunity fairy”. He designates which contestants can’t be voted from the island.

The jokes are great, but more importantly, the show is a nice change of pace from the serious, typical nature of Election campaign commercials.

Hopefully more of this campaign style will be used. It’s okay to laugh about politics. If we don’t, we may cry.

-M.M.

The Gipper and why sports still matter

BY ADAM AND SETH FEIN | 2ON2OUT

T

odds & end

JUNE 10 -16, 2004 | SCREW THE FOOD PYRAMID. I’M GOING ON ATKINS.

here is something to be said for history.

Cliche, I know, but I can’t help but try to dissect how American history and sports seem to collide so often.

This past Saturday, some things happened—within hours of each other—that will help shape history. I think it should be acknowledged because, simply, it matters.

First and foremost, former President Reagan joined the party in the sky. I could never hate Reagan the way that my older ultra-liberal friends or my parents do. I was too young to understand what he was doing at the time to formulate a solid opinion and what’s more, well, he’s The Gipper. If you’ve ever seen Knute Rockne All American, you’d know what I mean. To me, Ronald Reagan was too nice a guy to be as shrewd and cunning as Dubya or his scallywag dad. Nixon was a schmuck based, more than anything, on the way he handled himself until the day he died.

Nope. Reagan was a good guy in my book, and I say that knowing how poorly he dealt with the economy and the excess of global famine that was so prevalent during that time.

I know deep down how much I disagree with him politically, but I don’t want to dislike him for one reason more than any.

President Reagan bled baseball.

He was always known for his charismatic ability to contain people with his speech. It’s what made him the superstar he was in Hollywood, and naturally, the same reason he was so politically popular. He was easy to trust.

But Lord knows, we may never have another president who calls an inning at Wrigley.

Reagan was a broadcaster for the Cubbies in Des Moines during the 1930s, generally recreating games from the news ticker for the WHO radio network. But at the end of his presidency, with the late great Harry Caray at his side during the 1988 campaign, for the cubbies and his VP—that mark-ass trick George Sr.—the first true Hollywood politician made his way to the press box at the friendly confines.

A senior writer at Yellon.org was there to experience it.

He writes: “On September 30, 1988, Reagan was nearing the end of his second term and was in Chicago making a speech. Suddenly, he told his aides he wanted to take in the ballgame at Wrigley Field. I was there, and noticed after I had already gotten in the park, that there were sharpshooters on the roof, and metal detectors for fans coming in. The crowd was very small, only 9,805, and the Cubs lost, in one of those odd coincidences,

to the same team they played this weekend, the Pirates, 10-9 in 10 innings. (Footnote: Sixteen years later, one player who appeared in that game is still active—Rafael Palmeiro.)

Reagan also joined Harry Caray for an inning of play-by-play ... “ It warms my heart to know this. I can feel my love for the game and for this country well up inside my chest and I know that it matters.

Whatever the sport, it’s the amazing intricacies that exist within them that give them their charm. It’s a game-winning goal off a penalty shot in soccer. It’s the perfect game in baseball.

The last-second field goal in football, the game winning shot in hoops.

My father grew up with horses, the kind that race for money. His early life was experienced with that and despite the sad parts of the sport, there are beautiful things within it.

He still loves it. Lord knows that my mom would smoke him if he ever gambled their money away, and he doesn’t, but that love for those intricacies is branded deeply inside of him.

The Belmont Stakes ran last weekend, and Smarty Jones was up for the Triple Crown, after taking the Derby and the Preakness. The Triple Crown is the thing for racing fans. It’s the ultimate, and my father’s first words to me after we left Wrigley Field—where the Cubs finally showed signs of life against the cellarridden Pirates—were: “The Stakes run at 5:30.

This is huge.”

There was a glimmer in his eye; that look someone gets when something magnificent is on the brink of happening. I love that look. I know it and so do you.

But Smarty Jones didn’t win the Triple Crown. He lost by half a length or something at the very end of the home stretch and I know that it hurt my Dad. I wasn’t there with him, but I know how disappointing it was because he hasn’t even mentioned it to me since it ran.

It’s hard to say how a Triple Crown victory this year could have changed the world. I doubt anything monumental would have occurred, but still it would have had an effect.

The Gipper would have wanted Smarty Jones to win that race. And even though I know that my father had the tendency to vomit more over Reagan’s administration than most anything—even his aunt’s cooking—this simple fact reminds me of the ways that sports can bring even the most opposite of people together.

And that’s how I know it matters.

The 2ON2OUT are Seth and Adam Fein and would like to denounce Donald Rumsfeld and his policies and any hot dog that isn’t kosher.

r food u o y s e Do ce suck? servi

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Guilty Conscience

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by Miklos Laszlo A romantic comedy of friends, life, and love Opens June 24 Studio Theatre, $7-$16 A Marvelous Party Summerfest Apprentice/Intern Benefit July 21, 23 $35, $25 with purchase of 2 or more plays The Younger Generation Apprentice/Intern Presentation July 31, 2pm, free

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being matters.

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