z buz
08 | 17 | 06 . 08 | 23 | 06 s o u n d s f r o m t h e s c e n e FREE
w e e k l y
champaign . urbana
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SADORUS IS SAD
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HEADLIGHTS SHINE BRIGHT
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PERIOD PARTY
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buzz weekly
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EXCUSE ME, DO THESE EFFECTIVELY HIDE MY THUNDER?
BUZZ STAFF volume
4
no.32
Cover Design • Brittany Bindrim Editor in chief • Todd Swiss Art Director • Brittany Bindrim Copy Chief • Todd Swiss Listen, Hear • Leah D. Nelson Stage, Screen & in Between • Elyse Russo Around Town • Tatyana Safronova CU Calendar • Todd Swiss Photography Editor • Christina Leung Designers • Hank Patton Calendar Coordinator • Brian McGovern Photography • Christina Leung Copy Editors • Sarah Goebel, Whitney Harris Staff Writers • Keri Carpenter, Kevin Olsen, Randy Ma, Jenny McCarthy Contributing Writers • Michael Coulter, Seth Fein Sales Manager • Mark Nattier Production Manager • Rick Wiltfong Marketing/Distribution • Brandi Wills Publisher • Mary Cory
|1-3| 3 3 3 |4-6| 4 6 |7-9| 7 8 8 9
INTRO This Modern World • Tom Tomorrow Life in Hell • Matt Groening First Things First • Michael Coulter
AROUND TOWN A Shrinking Sadorus • S. Colby Smith The Local Sniff • Seth Fein
LISTEN, HEAR The headlights are on • Imran Siddiquee One’s a fan, two’s a duo, three’s a crowd • Carlye Wisel Album review What rhe hell?! moment of the week
| 10 - 11 |
CU CALENDAR
| 12 - 14 |
STAGE, SCREEN & IN BETWEEN
13 - 14
e-mail: buzz@readbuzz.com write: 512 E. Green St. Champaign, IL 61820 call: 217.337.3801 We reserve the right to edit submissions. Buzz will not publish a letter without the verbal consent of the writer prior to publication date. 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.
A u g u s t 23 , 2 oo 6
UNDER THE COVER
12
TALK TO BUZZ
•
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About that man on the penny • Elyse Russo Movie reviews Page Rage
| 15 - 17 |
CLASSIFIEDS
| 18 - 20 |
THE STINGER
18 18 20
Doin it Well • Kim Rice & Kate Ruin Jonesin’ Crosswords • Matt Gaffney Likes and Gripes
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todd swiss EDITOR’S NOTE
L
at el y, I h ave been thinking a lot about how people interact online. With most of my friends up in the Chicago subu rbs a nd me dow n here in Champaign-Urbana, talking to them online or on the phone have become my only viable options. Most of the time, talking on the phone is a bad idea for me. I am basically the worst, most awkward phone conversationalist. Lately, my problem has been rushing the conversation to an end. I don’t know if I do it because I know that I am horrible on the phone and just want to get it over with or if I just suck for a completely different reason. In any case, I try to avoid the phone like the plague, so that brings us to online interactions. Technolog y companies and websites are constantly com ing up w ith new ways to communicate online. First there was email, then there were chat rooms, and now there is instant messaging along with more voice-based communication possibilities like Skype. Let’s avoid the last type because it is basically a remediated version of the telephone. I have come to the conclusion that while Internet communication is helpful and even essential in many cases when distance is an issue, INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
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there just is no substitute for true person-toperson communication. Sure, there are plenty of perks to email and instant messaging. You can always go back and see what you have communicated unlike in a regular conversation. Natural lulls in conversation are so wonderfully not awkward and both or all of the parties involved can communicate at the same time with little to no confusion. Just compare a busy chat room to a room full of talkative people. The chat room, while potentially overwhelming, is no match for the sensory overload of a large group of people talking about different things all at once. But, as I said, there is no substitute for in-person interaction. All of the little subtleties that make interaction great are often sacrificed. While some of these things have been recreated, it is not the same. A happy emoticon is no match for a smile. All capital letters usually just annoy me rather than show me that the person is “yelling.” Even certain noises that a person makes during person-to-person interaction can be taken wrongly or just spelled in a phonetically incorrect way, which may cause confusion. And there are dozens of more examples. As technology pushes forward and makes our social lives easier, we must look critically at what sacrifices are being made to let these new technologies take hold in our lives. sounds from the scene
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A u g u s t 23 , 2 oo 6
buzz weekly •
YOU MUST TEACH ME THE WAYS OF THE SECULAR FLESH.
3
michael coulter FIRST THINGS FIRST
It’s time for high school football A reflection
I
always get a strange feeling this time of year in the early morning when I go outside. I think it’s the smell, the wet grass maybe. It could just be how something in the air promises an oppressive day. I think though, that it’s really just a feeling that has never went away, a feeling from long ago that is now insignificant to me but still makes me feel apprehensive. It is the feeling of the beginning of high school football practice. I sort of remember it as an especially wonderful feeling. Well, not at the time, but now, that first practice freshmen year was kind of a good feeling. None of us had ever attempted anything like this before. There wasn’t a football pony league down home, so our only experience was playing pick up games after school and on weekends. We had played organized basketball and baseball, but the other team very seldom had the opportunity to knock the piss out of us in those sports. We had worked all summer bailing hay or virtually any other work grown ups didn’t want to do, so we thought we were in decent shape, but once again, no one was really trying to knock the piss out of us while we were working. We had no idea what to expect. Fine, we had one idea of what to expect. The first time we did get the piss knocked out of us, it would be from our older teammates. It was already folklore by morning of the first practice. Older brothers, friends, and even our parents had warned us about being freshmen and being on the football team. We would be poked, pinched, prodded, tackled, and generally beaten by the upperclassmen until we either quit or until they grew tired of poking, pinching, prodding, tackling, and generally beating us. It turns out, those guys never really got tired. So, there were several things to worry about at 7 a.m. on the first day of two a day practices. My mom dropped me off and offered me one last chance to turn tail and run, but I got out of the car and went to the locker room. All of the freshmen were congregated in a corner, apparently to make it easier for the seniors to beat us as a unit. No one on the team had even perspired yet and the locker room already had the stench of ass, ass and our impending deaths. A few freshmen were slapped hard on the butt and a few more got titty twisters as we adjusted
our shoulder pads and helmets, idiots being tortured even though they had no information to give up. I just felt and looked frantic, like that prison thing where you act crazy on the first day so they don’t screw with you. That wasn’t my intention at all, but it was probably the vibe I was giving out. The seniors ordered us to take the field. It was really great, running out there and having guys smack your helmet as hard as humanly possible. I remember looking around and not seeing any of the coaching staff. “Um, hey fellas, this pack of juiced up teenagers is vastly under supervised out here.” Apparently, no one could be punished if no one of authority saw what happened. We were told to lay on the ground and roll up and down the length of the field so the upperclassmen wouldn’t get dew on their clothes. It sort of sucked, what with the guys kicking you every so often, but it wasn’t all that bad, I thought. I didn’t think that after we stood up. We were soppy wet, sort of itchy, and completely unprepared for any sort of workout. Perfect, cue the coaching staff. Ten seconds into practice and I have never wanted to stick a whistle up someone’s ass quite as much as I did at that moment. There were calisthenics, but those were a welcome respite because we weren’t being beaten during them. The coaches told us to run around the track once. At this point, we were slapped about the head for a quarter mile or so. When we returned, it was 20 minutes of wind sprints. My friend, Mark, made it through seven minutes before he began to vomit the milk he unfortunately drank for breakfast. Around this point, it became a blur of running through tires and diving on the ground just so we could get back up again, all until we could no longer take it. No one really screwed with us much in the shower afterward. One of the seniors gave me a ride home in his Chevelle, an 8 track of Meat Loaf blaring as I tried not to fall asleep. I eased out of the car and actually dreaded the 20 steps to the house. I had never been this freaking sore in my life. The first day of practice and I really felt like I hadn’t done anything football related. I only felt like I’d been beaten. I ate a steak my mom had cooked for me and fell into bed, knowing that in four hours I would have to do the same thing again. Crazy as it seems, it’s still sort of a nice feeling to think about.
OOPS! WE MADE A MISTAKE • The Flashback Horror Weekend took place at 5554 N. River Road in Rosemont, Ill., not the Allstate
Arena. The website is http://www.flashbackweekend.com/. We regret these errors.
sounds from the scene
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around town
A SHRINKING SADORUS S. COLBY SMITH • STAFF WRITER
This is part one in a multi-part series on Sadorus, Ill., a town ten miles southwest of Champaign.
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SAMUEL SMITH • PHOTO
arket Street in Sadorus, Ill. was once appropriately named. Farmers drove their great trucks, stuffed with corn and soybeans, into town from miles around to load their Midwestern bounty into the Grand Prairie Co-Op grain elevator, once among the largest in East Central Illinois. Farmers could settle their fi nances at the Co-Op offices, then walk across the street to the pub for a nightcap after another hard-earned harvest. The town funded movie projections on the broad side of the Co-Op building on summer weekends, where residents could stroll up and watch the moving pictures as they would at a drive-in. On Sundays the residents of predominately German heritage fi lled the pews of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, originally constructed in 1876. The flood plains of the Kaskaskia River carve a gentle lilt into the landscape moving away from southwestern Sadorus. The Sadorus Grove, a smattering of hardwood trees on the open prairie, once offered a few fortunate landowners a welcome break from the punishing summer sun. Here in the farm town of Sadorus the land is what matters. Rows of feed corn and soybeans command the soil. Narrow county roads and the occasional meandering drainage ditch create the few interruptions in the vast patchwork of fields. The population is small, 407 people, according to the 2005 census. Like many small towns in Champaign County, today’s Sadorus is a well entrenched “bedroom community,” according to village board president, John Deedrick. “A few people work at the machine shop and a few farm, but mostly they commute to Champaign,” he said. Unlike many bedroom communities in Champaign County, Sadorus, just 10 miles from southwest Champaign, has been losing population steadily since 1990. Across much of the rest of the county, including towns twice the distance from the Champaign-Urbana commercial epicenter, traditional farm towns have been preparing themselves for unprecedented suburban development. In 100-year-old railroad towns, such as Fisher and Gifford to the north, and Savoy and Tolono to the south, developers have been snatching-up farmland and constructing modern, cul-de-sac communities, complete with private ponds and state of the art geothermal climate control systems. Former University of Illinois Professor of Anthropology Sonya Salamon documented the phenomenon of bedroom communities in traditional farming towns in her 2003 book “Newcomers to Old Towns: Suburbanization of the Heartland.” “As the twenty-first century begins,” Salamon wrote, “towns in rural Illinois are drifting from their deep rooted heritage and losing the vestiges of community that connect them with the golden age of small towns at the turn of the twentieth century.” Salamon’s book is a 10-year case study of six unnamed towns across Central Illinois, which she claims have undergone an erosion of community spirit because of the recent influx of residents, who are willing to pay good money for the small-town feel but who have no vested interest in the long-term welfare of the community. Savoy and Tolono have been careening down this path for more than 20 years. Their populations have nearly doubled since the 1990 census. And, by many measures, the towns have adapted well. Tolono has constructed three new schools – one elementary, one middle and one high school – to handle increased
The Grand Prairie Co-Op grain elevators were once the largest for miles. Sadorus is the earliest permanent white settlement in Champaign County, and the Great Western Railroad built a spur through town to accommodate increasing crop production in the area. Ten years ago, the Co-Op offi ce, once located in the white siding-clad house, moved to Tolono.
attendance, which comes from the growth in town and from the recently acquired surrounding communities that attend. Savoy, bordering Champaign, pays into Champaign’s Unit 4 school district, where local students attend. Crime rates are low compared to Champaign County benchmarks, according to the sheriff ’s office. Employment is high. Fisher and Gifford are newcomers to the “newcomer” phenomenon. In the style of modern suburbia, the two are currently funding the construction of subdivisions around the fringes of the Midwest towns, originally developed around the familiar and utilitarian main street grid design. With populations of slightly over 1600 and just under 1000, the burgeoning communities of Fisher and Gifford, respectively, express with glowing pride the draw that their quintessential and quiet communities offer. The sense of community into which new residents move, and the rate at which they are doing so has had a dramatic effect on the value of land, even in the 100-year-old part of Gifford. From 1980 to 1985, the average sale price of a parcel of residential property in old Gifford was approximately $28,000. By the years 2000 to 2005, that number had nearly tripled to $81,000, according to data available from the Champaign County assessor’s office. The data were obtained by entering all of the sales data available from the assessor and striking any f igures below $10,000 from the average. This elimination was done with Chief Deputy County Assessor Gary Twist’s approval. He said that the lower values represented vacant and half lots, the sale prices of which often do not represent true home values. IN
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Not surprisingly, the value of lot sales increased during this period as well. From 2000 to 2005, only one parcel sold for less than $10,000. From 1980 to 1985, 13 lots closed below $10,000. “New growth can be difficult to assess, and sometimes we have to go back and reassess the land value as determined by turn-over sales. Sometimes it can take as long as ten years to achieve an accurate picture of what we believe the land to be worth,” Twist said. Because of a reassessment recently conducted in the Compromise Township – home to the Village of Gifford – taxes have been increasing. Village Board President John Bouse, for example, said he pays more than $4,000 per year in taxes on his new home, well above county averages. “I think that’s high,” he said. “But people are willing to pay for things that have kept this town independent.” Gifford has its own municipal water supply, sewage disposal, natural gas piping and elementary public school system. “Those things cost money,” Bouse said. “But this town is a close-knit place, and people want it to stay that way.” While towns like Fisher and Gifford brace themselves for rapid growth, Sadorus, closer than either to metropolitanChampaign and only about five miles from bustling Tolono, remains as secluded as ever, the population having dropped from a sleepy 469 in 1990 to 407 last year, according to census data. The prosperous Market Street that was once the gem of Sadorus is all but gone. Residents of Sadorus have to leave their hamlet just to grab a gallon of milk. sounds from the scene
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A u g u s t 23 , 2 oo 6
Appreciation of home values in Sadorus has failed to keep pace. Since 1990, the average sale price for a home in Sadorus has increased a full eight percentage points below Fisher and five points below Gifford, according to the data from the Champaign County Assessor’s Office. Crime is higher in Sadorus, too, notably burglaries. From 1995 to 2005, there were 58 recorded burglaries in Sadorus, compared to just seven in Gifford, a town with more than twice the population. Despite the recent increase in methamphetamine use, which has decimated communities across r ura l Il l inois, dr ug problems have remained low in Sadorus. There have been just four drug-related offenses in the past ten years. Officer Matt Henson of the City of Champaign narcotics unit speculated that the drug offenses in Sadorus were not related to large-scale operations, either. “Those kinds of (low frequency) offenses usually mean someone bought the stuff out of town and took just enough to sell to pay for their own use,� Henson said. “It’s not much anymore – not the way it used to be,� reminisces Gertrude McDuffee, a grey-haired elderly woman who spent all but a year and a half of her life in Sadorus. “I don’t go down there much anymore ... haven’t got much reason to; the minister comes here a couple times a month and we just have the nicest visits,� she said from her bed in an assisted living community. Minister Bill Lambert is pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Sadorus, the oldest religious organization in the village. Even there, in the
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town settled by a group with tough Lutheran roots, “the congregation is slipping. ... It’s not what it used to be,� he said. To the north, when the corn is no more than ankle high, sunlight illuminates the acres of new construction at the intersection of Curtis and Duncan Roads, which the City of C h a m pa i g n i s g r o om i n g for a ne w Interstate interchange. John Deedrick said he does not understand why the population has been decreasing so rapidly – nearly ten percent in less than 15 years. “I guess I always liked this little town, probably because I grew up here, but all of our attempts to attract business and younger residents to town have failed,� he said. “We’ve got what I think is a reasonable tax rate, and we’re close to town, and the land is affordable, but no one wants to invest here,� he said. The lack of investment in Sador us has contr ibuted to its continual decline. But, Deedrick, for all his sentimentality, is no stranger to fi nance and strong business; he is the owner of the successful machine shop where a few Sadorus residents work and the landlord of several rental properties in and around the village. Deedrick believes the town’s reluctance to increase taxes, which would fund a tax increment finance (TIF) district and annex some of the larger home s bei ng bu i lt ju st out side Sador u s l i m it s, is cont r ibut i ng to the st ag nat ion in growth. TIF districts encourage growth by reimbursing developers. Steve Zehr, a Fisher-based builder and benef iciary of that town’s 25-year TIF development plan, explained how growing
communities and the buyers of new property benefit from TIFs: “Normally, developers pay for the roads and sewer and water lines in subdivisions, and that cost gets passed on to the buyer of a new home. But when the land value increases and the tax base goes up ... (the town reimburses developers,) so we can afford to sell the houses for less.� The City of Champaign, the county’s largest community, instituted a TIF redevelopment program to stimulate investment in a slipping downtown economy in 1981. Meanwhile, the Village of Fisher initiated its own TIF incentive in 2003, which has stoked the residential investment and population growth on the outskirts of town. Deedrick believes Sadorus needs a plan to encourage outside investment if the town is to stop the bleeding. “But there’s just no money right now,� he said. The town’s annual budget is only about $400,000. “We did just manage to get ourselves out of the red, so that was a step in the right direction,� he said. The village board members are all part-time volunteers, so despite efforts to stimulate growth, any extra action has to be taken when everyone has spare time. And getting six board members together for more than just their monthly meting can be difficult. “We’ve been talking about getting started on looking into one of these TIF deals – just look what it did for downtown Champaign – but there’s no one in town who really knows much of anything about it,� Deedrick said. “Something has to be done soon. I’d hate to see this town fall apart.� buzz
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SAMUEL SMITH • PHOTO
A u g u s t 17
The Sadorus Rock is a monument to the town’s original settler, Henry Sadorus. The village recently moved the boulder from its site at the old Sadorus home to the entrance to the park. Locals wanted to check the back of the commemorative plaque for any historical information but were unable to remove the brass marker for fear of splitting the cracked rock in two.
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sounds from the scene
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A u g u s t 23 , 2 oo 6
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A u g u s t 17
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you b y
FIRST SNIFF It’s worth noting, at least to me, that two of Champaign-Urbana’s fi nest bands from the past are playing this fall to do a little reunion action for us. In the wake of the Red Lion Reunion, which I did not attend due to being at MMS in Indy last weekend, I feel like it should be headline news. So – Yes! The Didjits! Sept. 16 at Highdive! Yes! The Vertebrats! Sept. 15 AND 16 at The Iron Post! Tickets are on sale now – and from the looks of it – it seems like unless you hustle – you’re gonna get locked out of both! CAREFUL WHAT YOU POST... I’ve been with www.openingbands.com since practically its inception. I’ve watched it go from being totally unknown, to having some real power in town, to having it’s founder ditch town, to watching it become almost completely ignored. But yeah, I still check it every now and again. No, not every day. But I check it still. The shows list is an invaluable resource. But, I decided a while ago – that even though it’s fun to do it – I wouldn’t post things anymore. I had enough fl ame wars with faceless people in my heyday and I learned that it just wasn’t worth it. Ward Gollings self-imposed a moratorium on himself and to paraphrase him, “I’ve never felt better about myself since I stopped posting.� Which brings me to my point. Be very careful when posting on message boards. I got burnt earlier this week because I lost my temper, flew off the handle (big shock, right?) and went nuts about something that people can’t ever really seem to understand except for those of us who do it for a living. but someone I tried to edit it, with a little too what I wrote much time on their hands, saved and used it against me, proceeded to publicly humiliate me and then shrugged it off like I was asking for it. Whew! Now I know how some of you must feel! Taste of the ol’ medicine. Kinda tastes like cherry. But with a hint Yum! woof rkeginger. r But! I still Love openingbands.com. Reason? Cassie Conner. She is the real gas there. Sure, she didn’t create it and certainly, despite the fact that she doesn’t update as much as much as she used to, deserves the bulk of the credit for keeping it running, so to speak. Plus, her band, Pulsar47, also rocks. She delivers the fi nest in local music news for The Hub, especially since Todd Hunter left to become a door-to-door Lego salesman, or so the rumor goes. Not to mention the fact that most times, she is willing to stand up for me. And yeah – I suppose that makes a difference. No one ever told me about the pitfalls of kissing ass. I like it.
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THE GREAT IMPASTA... That’s the name of the Restaurant I was raving about last week. In case it wasn’t obvious from the title this week. Sorry, once again, Harold. DAYS SINCE BUSH WAS ELECTED WITHOUT AN APOLOGY FROM JOHN FOREMAN, EDITOR OF THE NEWS GAZETTE: 653 days! Come Johnnyboy! People are DYING! You know you wanna! It’s ok. The fat asses from Ogden are still gonna buy the Sunday paper for the Wal-Mart ads. At the least, try to justify it to us in some way in that column of yours that runs on Sunday. Go ahead. I dare you to try. BUSINESS OF THE WEEK!!! This one goes out to Meineke on Cuningham Avenue in Urbana. Man, I hate that place. But certainly, it’s not because of the service. I only hate because I am there too much with my fucking jalopy of a car Honda. Bob runs the joint. Terr y oversees it, and no matter what your car trouble – you are gonna get a straight and honest quote from these guys. I know this because Bob actually shows me what’s wrong before he starts working on the car. Need to get back to your waitstaff job at Bacaro? They’ll drive you back there. Need someone to pick you up to get your car? Just ask. For car repair in Champaig n-Urbana – the Sniffer says “Give it a go!� SHOW OF THE WEEK!!! Now, you know me. I have said it before and will say it again. I am NOT a hip-hop head. No sir. I am not. I love Late Registration and I LOVE Dr. Octagon, but overall – I just don’t really get into it. But I would get into this show: Krukid, Sanya N’Kanta, Sense L, Reese T. and The Few all performing live at the Cowboy Monkey on Saturday, Aug. 19. I grew up listening to Reese T, across the hall of my fi rst apartment, smoking blunts and eating bowls of cereal the size of Lake Michigan. They are some of the best memories that I ever had. Get there early as it will no doubt sell out. FINAL WHIFF I will sorely miss Todd Hunter’s coverage of the same 12 bands week in and week out. Really I will. Can someone please step to the table at buzz and fi ll this void? Seriously. I will help push it through. Get in touch with buzz if you think you can accurately report on what’s actually going down in the music scene. I bet we can convince Erin and Anna to get you on board. Those are two cool ass women. They love the live music. It’s why I love my job here. Seth Fein is from Urbana. You all broke the record last week for number of emails at 47. He is highly impressed. He can be reached at sethfein1@ gmail.com.
sounds from the scene
7
listen, hear
THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON
JAMES ALBRECHT • PHOTO
The democratic spirit of the is somewhere between Stars and My Bloody Valentine, but band’s creative process has entirely unique. extended to include outside “We like atmosphere, but we’ve always loved melodic and pop help on the new album as well, tunes,” Wraight said. “But we also like a lot of darker stuff. Live not to mention a split EP with we try to incorporate all of this.” former tour mates the Metal Headlights have a reputation for a stellar live show around town, Hearts due in the spring. but that isn’t by accident. Wraight and crew approach the live “We had more time for experience with a very specific concept in mind, understanding songwriting this time, we the intricacies of performance versus recording. worked with professional “When we record, we fall in love with little parts or sounds producers as opposed to just that we can’t always play live,” Wraight said. “But live you can’t doing it in my living room,” rewind, and you really have to embrace that. And what really Wraight said. “So we had separates it from recording is that immediacy, you have to make more time to think about the most of it.” how we wanted to structure On Aug. 23, the band begins a massive 72-date tour in support our songs.” of Kill Them With Kindness that finds them at the Canopy Club The m a ny voices a nd on the 27th for a CD release party, and then back in Urbana a extra time spent on writing month later for the Pygmalion Music Festival. The band is dedbreathed new life into Head- icated to pushing this record as far as it can take them, planning lights’ sound, which is more to keep touring until they can’t anymore. varied and confident than in “For our last EP we did like 140 shows, and we definitely have a the past. Kill Them With Kind- responsibility to tour in support of the new one,” Wraight said. “We’re ness moves effortlessly between focusing on playing really energetic shows, to get people excited.” genres, while still holding to Headlights are hoping that the intensity and personality of Headlights are too cool for you. Their debut album arrives in stores August 22. a central melodic theme. their latest offering can be reproduced on stage through their IMRAN SIDDIQUEE • STAFF WRITER “The last two EP’s where passionate performances. But whether in the immediacy of that sort of made just to support the environment, or just listening to the album in your car, what is ristan Wraight and Erin Fein have been playing band,” Wraight said. “But this record we wanted to make a state- always apparent with the songs on Kill Them With Kindness is the music together for over seven years. Seven years of ment artistically, and we focused on not pigeonholing ourselves, amount of emotion behind them. disappointments and achievement. Seven years of we wanted to explore different genres, ideas and textures.” “We only really write about what we know, and all we really tense and joyous practice sessions, nerve-racking live Headlights have always been drawn to layered sounds, know is our own experiences,” Wraight said. “We aren’t an issue performances, recording and promoting. Seven years often pushing their brand of indie-rock through a glittering band, we don’t have a morality we try to spread. But we all live of hardships and breakthroughs, leading them to Headlights. wall of shoegaze. But the melodic core of the songs is what and breathe in the same world and we all struggle at things. “We’ve had to struggle through a lot of roadblocks, even had keeps them grounded and so addictive. The resulting sound That’s what this is about.” buzz to struggle just to find a group that was equally dedicated to the music as we are,” Wraight said. “I think this (new) record is a culmination of seven years of our frustrations.” On Aug. 22, Kill Them With Kindness, the debut album from Headlights will finally be released by Polyvinyl. It’s a record that has been preceded by intense anticipation ever since the release of 2004’s four-song Enemies EP, and one that promises to shine the pristine indie-rock of Headlights on an even larger, national audience. “We’re all really excited and proud of this record,” Wraight said. “But it’s a tough world we work in, and you don’t have many expectations beyond just keep playing and work hard. We have no idea what’s gonna happen, but I’d call it a hopeful optimism.” But if any local band is going to make the jump to the big leagues this year, this is the one. Headlights initial EP received glowing reviews from everyone from PopMatters to NPR, and they have steadily built a huge following in the ChampaignUrbana and surrounding areas. “I love the music scene here, we have grown up here and we really appreciate what’s going on with the bars and ‘PGU,” Wraight said. “They’ve been really supportive of the local scene. The whole community has come together really well.” Wraight first started playing in his former band, Absinthe Blind, when he was barely just a teenager. Since that time he, Fein and drummer Brett Sanderson have changed quite a bit, but the process hasn’t always been easy. “I started Absinthe when I was 14, inevitably we grew out of that,” Wraight said. “Luckily we where able to fall a few times then, and learn from it for the future.” The history that the band members share translates into a very collaborative songwriting process. While Fein and Wraight usually share songwriting duties, they often enlist the help of Sanderson, who is described by Wraight as a very-skilled recording engineer. Erin Fein, Brett Sanderson and Tristan Wraight are Headlights. Their long-anticipated debut album will be released on Tuesday, August 22. MEGAN HOLMES • PHOTO
T
sounds from the scene
“This is our life, this is what we always wanted.” INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, H EAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
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8 •
buzz weekly
ONE’S A FAN,
A u g u s t 17
WE SHOULDN’T FEAR A WORLD THAT IS MORE INTERACTED.
•
A u g u s t 23 , 2 oo 6
album REVIEW
TWO’S A DUO,
THREE’S A CROWD
HEADLIGHTS Kill Them With Kindness Polyvinyl
An interview with the Benevento-Russo Duo CARLYE WISEL
• STAFF WRITER
W
e all encounter different types of couples on a daily basis. On the streets, there’s the token ugly PDA couple. Out at the bars, there’s the unavoidable man-wingman pair. And, of course, there’s the irritating name-fusioned celebrities, ranging from the over popular Bennifer to the lesser known Vaughiston. However, the negative connotation with couples is about to change. Comprised of Marco Benevento on organ and Joe Russo on drums, the Benevento-Russo Duo is an up-and-coming coupling of two talented and artsy-but-still-attractive (hey, I can’t help it if I have eyes) musicians about to make themselves household names. Fresh off their summer tour with Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon of Phish, Marco and Joe played Lollapalooza last Sunday afternoon, where we sat down in the shade to chat about their weekend, music, and experiences.
Benevento: That was cool. Mike called me up and was just asking me, “How you feelin’?” Mike and I and Joe had played in a trio a couple times before — we did some tours — but not with Trey. Since we started with Trey, Mike was like, “How does it feel to officially be a member of Phish?” Even though we didn’t do any Phish songs or whatever, it was a quartet, so it was similar in instrumentation. I told him, “What’s really cool about it is that I’m playing at a venue with you where I saw you with Phish.” Russo: (arriving to the interview) Hi! I’m Joe, sorry for my tardiness!
Russo: (sarcastically) Who?
days, what acts did you see, and who did you really like?
Benevento: It was nice, the crowd was really receptive, [and] it seemed like everybody was into it. I liked the festival a lot, because all my favorite bands are here -Wilco, The Shins, uh... Manu Chao.
Benevento: Ohhh. buzz: Did you see the crowd for that show? interesting.
Russo: Mm, like ‘phone’! Benevento: Yeah, like phone! (laughing)
buzz: What was it like for you to play with Trey and Mike, having been a Phish fan originally?
Russo: I came in early to see Ween, and they were incredible. I saw Gnarls Barkley, that was cool. I saw the Raconteurs.
buzz: Yea, it’s spelled with a ‘P’, which is
buzz: Were you here the past two days?
Benevento: I liked Medeski Martin and Wood in ’96 — ten years ago — when they were playing little 800, 1,000 [people] rooms, and now they’re playing big rooms. Even Phish — they were big then, but I used to listen to them, and they were small at a time.
LEAH D. NELSON • LISTEN, HEAR EDITOR
Russo: A couple years ago, everybody was having a festival, and it seems like now there’s more big ones like this (Lollapalooza) and Bonnaroo. People are really honing in on the diverse acts, so now I think it’s a lot cooler than it was. It [used to be] like, “Dude, I’m havin’ a fuckin’ fest”, so that was lame, [since] it was the same shitty jam band lineups. buzz: With the festival over the past two
buzz: (sarcastically) Oh, Trey Anastasio? He’s the lead singer of a band called Phish?
buzz: Like which ones?
buzz: What do you guys think of the recent growth of music festivals and how it seems that music festivals are really catching on?
buzz: No worries, we were just talking about [what it was like] playing with Trey and Mike.
buzz: What was it like playing this festival (Lollapalooza 2006)?
Benevento: I got here yesterday, walked around and saw The Flaming Lips. It was a great festival. I like festivals that are day festivals; it’s refreshing every day to be here as opposed to a camping festival where everyone gets...grimy. There’s something great about that too though, you know, people who have been camping and on the third day everyone’s all freaked out on acid or something. At our signing and even at our show there were a lot of younger kids, and I like seeing that. To me, it shows that our music is something that kids [who] are going to be the next generation are hungry for. When I was 18, all the bands that I listened to that were a little bit underground at that time are doing pretty well now.
It was like, “Oh, great! I get to play with these guys [who] I used to go see!”
Russo: Yeah, that’s right; we did do a few week tour with those guys, didn’t we? Benevento: Oh yeah! buzz: So, did you guys meet Page (McConnell) and (Jon) Fishman (the piano player and drummer for Phish)?
Russo: Oh yeah, it was fucking crazy. That was really cool! I was in and out [mostly] ... I saw a little bit of Common last night, and that was sick. You walk around and you see so many people you know [that] you end up having conversations half the time. buzz: What’s it like to play with other people as opposed to playing by yourselves? Do you find it more difficult to bring other people in? Russo: It’s hard; we just have such a thing going on with the two of us. When we had more of an improv band it was easy to bring people in, but now that we have our own–
Russo: Yep, they both played with the Duo. buzz: What was that like? Because, in a way,
Benevento: (laughing) and then we started writing songs!
you guys were sort of replacements.
Russo: (laughs) yeah, and now it’s a bit harder. Russo: People saw it like that, but we weren’t trying to [be]. Page played with us a number of times, and then Jon, the last time we played Vermont, came down. He would come to our shows a lot, and every time I’d be like, “Dude, just come up onstage and play, anytime!” This time he just walked up, and I was like, “Oh!”, so Me and Marco went out for a while, and it was pretty cool. Benevento: We’d go see them ten, 11 years ago, and it wasn’t anything weird or crazy, it was actually very natural to have him come out and play.
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Benevento: Yeah, when other people come and sit in with us — which doesn’t happen that often — but when they do, they’ll kind of know the song before, or know the part. [Otherwise,] we’ll have someone just come sit in on something that’s pretty free, and we’ll just improvise, depend[ing] on the night. For the most part we’re into the duo thing, and we’ll want to keep it a duo. Fine by me. The Benevento-Russo’s new album, Play Pause Stop, is in stores now.
B ETWEEN | CLASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
Even in such a diverse and vibrant music scene, it’s hard to believe that Kill Them With Kindness, the debut album from local trio Headlights, was produced locally, with songs written in a farmhouse surrounded by a monotonous corny landscape. From the jaunty “Lullabies” to the tranquil pastel beauty of the album’s simple cover art, Kindness is beautiful in a melancholy, retro sort of way. Headlights bring it in their debut full-length album – harmoniously dueling male and female lead singers mixed with keyboards, strings, inspired lyrics, weeping guitar and drums that var y between steady and ruckus. Many of Kindness’ 14 songs literally “pop” and “twinkle” from instruments I can’t and don’t want to name, because then it won’t be as magical. The album opens with an instrumental for a minute and a half, followed by the dual voices of Erin Fein and Tristan Wraight, showcasing the music before the show on “Your Old Street,” a song posing as a melancholy rock song until it throws you for a loop. Their voices are backed by strings and a slow, steady drumbeat for a moment, and then drummer Brett Sanderson slowly eases more beats in, integrating his drums into the melody, completing the song and the band. But Fein’s sweet voice stands alone in “Owl Eyes,” another song that begins slow and finishes with a flourish. “I hope that you/ feel the same as I do/ walking through/ the ruins of this crazy town,” she delicately sings. They know their pop culture, too. “Songy Darko” flows with a peaceful melody that I can only imagine is homage to a certain movie. Jim Morrison sang, “The West is the best,” and Headlights answer with an 18-second accordian solo halfway through the album that should make any corn-fed Midwesterner smile. “Put Us Back Together Right” is an instant pop classic, again highlighting dual voices that at once compliment each other and move as one. The lyrics, “So we can leave them on their feet in the night,” will stay with you, and the melody as well. Upon buying the sixth Harry Potter book, I read and re-read, dissected, laughed, cried and had a great time. I finished the book with a sort of bittersweet anguish; excited that I got to experience the book, but already desperate for more of the story. Kill Them With Kindness gave me the same feeling. It left me fulfilled, yet wanting more. Go buy this album. Kill Them With Kindness will be released on Aug. 22. sounds from the scene
A u g u s t 17
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A u g u s t 23 , 2 oo 6
buzz weekly •
I TELL PEOPLE, LET’S DON’T FEAR THE FUTURE, LET’S SHAPE IT.
WHAT THE HELL?!
9
[ PARASOL TOP TEN ]
moment of the week
1. MATTHEW SWEET & SUSANNA HOFFS The Pillowcase EP--Limited Edition Double-7 Vinyl
IMRAN SIDDIQUEE • STAFF WRITER
(Parasol)
2. PETER BJORN AND JOHN Writer’s Block (V2 Scandinavia/Wichita)
3. SEBADOH III (Domino)
4. JOSE GONZALEZ Stay In The Shade (A Hidden Agenda Record)
5. THE WORKS S/T (Subliminal)
6. EL PERRO DEL MAR S/T (International Version) (Memphis Industries)
7. COMETS ON FIRE Avatar
PHOTO COURTESY OF SONYBMG
R o c k a b ye B a b y! h a s i nt r o d uce d lu l l a bye ver sion s of a l l you r f avor ite rock song s! Featur ing Radiohead, Coldplay and Tool. Umm. And while you might f ind “Opiate,” a little heavy for your 1-year-old, (“He has needs like I do/We both want to rape you”,) don’t fret, these are all instrumentals. No such luck with Kidz Bop 10, which debuted at number three last week on the Billboard charts. Featuring songs by Rihanna, Nickel Creek and others sung by wee little tykes, it is far cuter than twinkle bell-ed Radiohead. But subjecting your kids to the Black Eyed Peas’ “Pump It” is much scarier than anything Tool can muster. And even though Bon Jovi’s “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” actually sounds like 4-year-olds wrote it, the longterm consequences of these generic Bop albums on children are worse than you might realize. Number one on the Billboard charts last week? The Kidz older bro, Now! That’s What I Call Music! Volume 22.
(Sub Pop)
8. SWORD Age of Winters (Kemado)
9. VARIOUS International Pop Overthrow Vol. 9 (Not Lamel)
Tool is now available for backyard barbecues and to sing lullabyes to children.
10. ELANORS Movements (Parasol)
sounds from the scene
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Live Bands Cheap Sex, The Scarred, XXX Smut, Counteractive, The Insolents, Carbomb Lottery Red Herring Coffee House 6pm, $8
Kayla Brown and Mike Ingram Aroma Cafe, 8pm, free Caleb Rose Bowl Tavern 9pm, free fireflies, Pompeii, The October Canopy Club, 9pm, $6 Jazz Sandwich Iron Post 9pm, cover Shovelwrack White Horse Inn, 10:30pm, free DJ Atomic Age Cocktail Party: DJ Jason Croft Cowboy Monkey 9pm, free Will Rogers Chief’s, 9pm cover Secret Society Thursdays: DJ Asiatic Soma, 9pm, free Thirsty Thursdays: DJ Dice DJ Smoooth V Lava, 9pm, $3 in advance/$5 DJ Huggy Joe’s Brewery 10pm, cover Metal Thursday Highdive 10pm, free DJ Limbs Boltini 10:30pm, free
Gus Black Steve Reynolds Aug. 20, 9 p.m. Cowboy Monkey, $3
DJ Chris O Boltini 10:30pm, free Karaoke Liquid Courage Karaoke Geo’s 9pm, free
Champaign County Emergency Services – Preparedness Exercise Champaign County’s emergency response plans will be tested with a preparedness exercise on Sept. 13, 2006. At least 40 to 50 volunteers are needed to roleplay as victims during this county-wide emergency preparedness drill to be held in Champaign. Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. for this one-day exercise. Individuals who are interested in participating as a volunteer “victim� should contact Bill Keller, Champaign County Emergency Service Coordinator, at 384-3826 or Anita Guffey 355-3550 at Carle Emergency Services.
Enter: Gus Black. Not only containing the best first name possible but with the best last name possible trailing behind, Gus Black has been making music over the span of two millennia. Though that in actuality may only be near ten years, Gus has released four albums, two under simply “Gus�. Though he hails from Los Angeles, his music resembles nothing of the “phony� or “plastic� things that protrude from the ground along that sprawling, shaking city. Black seems more kindred spirits with the northern land on the Pacific coast. Maybe Oregon, Vancouverish-area ... wherever that Disney film Big Brother took place. Yeah, the one with the baby bear. You may have heard Gus’s down to earth songs on anything from “Smallville,� “One Tree Hill,� or the original Wes Craven film Scream. Playing with Gus is Steve Reynolds from Canada, eh! Folk and bluegrass infused in his pop music, Steve has recently toured Europe in support of his new album from 429 Records.
Lectures / Discussions Loose Womyn Discussion Group [The Loose Womyn Discussion Group (whereby discussion topics are loose, the womyn need not be) will be discussing the book “The Reading Group� by Elizabeth Noble.] Borders 7pm, free Film FILM: “The DaVinci Code� (2006) Virginia Theatre 7pm, $3 Workshops Carle Expectant Parent Classes: Car Seat Safety [Preregistration is requested for all classes by calling (217) 383-6962.] Carle Foundation Hospital, 6:30pm, free
FRI. AUG 18
—Brian McGovern
Live Bands Billy Galt Blues Barbecue, 11:30am, free Jeff Helgesen Trio Iron Post 5pm, free The New Orleans Jazz Machine Cowboy Monkey 5:30pm, free Crossroads Pages for All Ages, 6pm, free JigGsaw, The Signal, The Midnight Fall McKinley Foundation, 6pm, $5 Starlite Ramblers Hubers 8pm, free The Rafters Memphis on Main, 8:30pm, $3 Lonnie Brooks Highdive 8:30pm, $15 Dropsixx, None Taken, Cat’s Eye Shot Canopy Club, 9pm, $5
Miscellaneous Hays Garage Sale Hays Recreation Center, 8am, free
Signings Ben Woods [The author will discuss and sign his book, “The Developers�] Borders 3pm, free IMAGE COURTESY OF WWW.PRAIRIENET.ORG
Country Connection Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, $1 The Impalas Cowboy Monkey 9:30pm, $4 Quadremedy White Horse Inn, 10pm, free Missing the Point, Broken Day Iron Post, 10pm, cover
Liquid Courage Karaoke The Brickhouse, 9pm, free
DJ Hip-hop DJ Nargile, 9pm, free before 10pm DJ Who Joe’s Brewery 10pm, cover DJ Mertz Boltini 10:30pm, free DJ Tim Williams Highdive 11:30pm, $5
Film Film: “Raging Bull� (1980) Virginia Theatre, 7pm, $5
Dancing Contra Dancing Sponsored by Urbana Country Dancers Phillips Recreation Center 8pm, $5
Miscellaneous Hays Garage Sale Hays Recreation Center, 8am, free
Karaoke Creative Karaoke American Legion Post 71, 8pm, free
Lectures / Discussions Writers group [American association of university women.] Pages for All Ages 1pm, free
Recreation Learn to Play Pinochle [Current participants will teach newcomers how to play Pinochle.] Hays Recreation Center, 1pm, free
SAT. AUG 19 Live Bands WEFT Fundraiser Iron Post 1pm, cover
SUN. AUG 20
Grooveyard Alto Vineyards 7:30pm, $3 Bob, Dan & Joni Hubers 8pm, free Steve Wortherey Band Memphis on Main, 8:30pm, $3 Country Connection Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, $1 Umellmaheye, Bellcaster, Triple Whip Mike & Molly’s, 9pm cover Krukid, Sanya N’Kanta, Sense L, Reese T, The Few Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $5 The Beauty Shop, Scourge of the Sea Iron Post 10pm, cover DJ Hip-hop DJ Nargile, 9pm, free before 10pm DJ White Horse Inn 9:30pm, free DJ Naughty Boy Joe’s Brewery 10pm, cover DJ Tim Williams Highdive 10pm, $5
Live Bands Crystal River Band Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Nonpoint, Silent Civilian, Seemless, Ankla Canopy Club 9pm, $12 Gus Black, Steve Reynolds Cowboy Monkey, 9pm, $3 Urbana Backyard BBQ Band Iron Post, 9pm, cover Karaoke Liquid Courage Karaoke The Brickhouse, 9pm, free Recreation Campus Rec Block Party [Games, live music, food, and cool prizes. Free for UIUC students. At CRCE and Illini Grove.] Campus Recreation (CRCE) 7pm, free
MON. AUG 21 Live Bands Feuding Hillbillies Rose Bowl Tavern, 6pm, free Michael Davis Bentley’s Pub 7pm, cover
VISIT WWW.CUCALENDAR.COM FOR THE MOST CURRENT EV ENTS AND TO ADD YOUR OWN.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WWW.MYSPACE.COM/GUSBLACK
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Workshops Women & Business - BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag lunch): Networking 101 Urbana Free Library, 12pm, $2
Family Fun Peaches & Cream Festival [Cerro Gordo Church of the Brethren Women’s and MenĂs Fellowship invites the public to a Peaches and Cream Festival 2006. The menu includes homemade ice cream, peach cobbler, fresh sliced peaches, and drinks. Donations appreciated. All proceeded will go towards future church outreach projects. For more information, please call (217) 763-8641.] Cerro Gordo Church of the Brethren, 4pm, donations
Karaoke Boneyard Karaoke Memphis on Main, 7:30pm, free Karaoke Fat City Saloon 8pm, free Liquid Courage Karaoke Jillian’s Billiards Club 9pm, free Liquid Courage Karaoke The Office, 10pm, free
I often think that if I wasn’t a skinny white male that played acoustic folk music I wouldn’t have such an inclination to pick shows that involve skinny, white folk/bluegrass singer songwriting men. At times I wonder the types of picks I’d have if I was a large PacificIsland woman that played freeform jazz on an alto saxophone. Oh well, that’ll never happen and I need to deal with that. This week I pick a pair playing at Cowboy Monkey. Yes if I stood next to them, we would look the same. Yes if we all played guitar people could probably understand I play in a similar vein, but in a more amateur/unenjoyable manner compared to them.
Film Film: “Raging Bull� (1980) Virginia Theatre, 1pm & 7pm, $5 Dive-In Movies [Bring your floats and if under the age of 12, an adult. The film will be, “Robots� (PG).] Sholem Aquatic Center, 8:30pm pool admission
IN
B ETWEEN | CLASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
sounds from the scene
MRS Trio Iron Post 9pm, cover Alma Afro Beat Ensemble Weft 90.1 FM, 10pm, free Open Mic Cowboy Monkey 10pm, free
art & theater
DJ Jazz Night Nargile, 9pm, free DJ Delayney Barfly 10pm, free Karaoke Liquid Courage Karaoke The Brickhouse, 9pm, free Recreation Campus Rec I-Skate [Fun night of ice skating at the U of I ice arena.] Ice Arena, 8pm, free for UIUC students
PUZZLE pg. 18
TUE. AUG 22 Live Bands Billy Galt Blues Barbecue 11:30am, free JigGsaw Main Quad 2pm, free Crystal River Band Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free
PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.WIU.EDU
cu calendar
THU. AUG 17
Circles " # $ $" ( " ! ( pastries and crepes Fresh breads, 8/12 "
BAKED FRESH DAILY! '
DJ Subversion: DJ Evily, DJ TwinScin Highdive, 10pm, $2 DJ Tremblin BG Barfly 10pm, free DJ Mertz Cowboy Monkey 10pm, free DJ J-Phlip Boltini 10:30pm, free
Miscellaneous Zoo Theatre Company’s Boltini Bingo and Lounge Variety Show Boltini, 7pm, free
Everything made from scratch
New Summer Menu! Smoothies & More! Large Orders Welcome
Speed Sketchings and Paper Tearing Artworks by Hua Nian [Hua Nian is an active exhibiting artist and art instructor in ChampaignUrbana, Ill. Her paintings appear in international and national art exhibitions, winning awards at local, state, and national shows.] Pages for All Ages through Sept. 30
WED. AUG 23 Live Bands Irish Traditional Music Session Bentley’s Pub, 7pm, free Feuding Hillbillies Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Adam Wolfe Fat City Saloon 9pm, free
contemporary clothing jewelry & shoes
Beyond Words: A Dialogue Between Friends [Works by Sylvia Arnstein & Mark Corrodi] Verde Gallery through Sept. 9 Springfield Art Show [Paintings by John Hayes, photographs by Ron Ackerman and ceramics by Bob Dixon of Springfield, Ill.] Cinema Gallery through Aug. 19
DJ DJ Stifler Highdive, 8pm, $5 DJ Bris Soma, 8pm, free Chef Ra Barfly, 10pm, free DJ Bozak Boltini 10:30pm, free
The Extinction Series: Faith Heller [Prismacolor drawings on handmade paper.] Wind, Water and Light Gallery through Aug. 31
Dancing Tango Dancing Cowboy Monkey, 8-10:30pm, free Salsa Dancing Cowboy Monkey, 10:30pm, $3
Recreation Learn to Play Pinochle [Current participants will teach newcomers how to play Pinochle.] Hays Recreation Center, 1pm, free
Rain Forest Visions [This exhibition focuses on artistic representations by contemporary South American indigenous people of ecological, mythical, and cosmic spirit forces in their lives. The focal people whose myths and narratives provide the basis for the imagery are the Canelos Quichua of Amazonian Ecuador. Complementary artifacts come from the Achuar, Tigua, and Chachi of Ecuador, the Shipibo-Conibo of Peru, the Waounam and EmberĂĄ of Colombia and Panama, the Tukuna of Colombia and Brazil, and the Yekuana of Venezuela.] Spurlock Museum through Aug. 20
Karaoke Liquid Courage Karaoke Geo’s 9pm, free Karaoke with Randy Miller Bentley’s Pub, 9:30pm, free
Karaoke Outlaw Karaoke White Horse Inn, 9:30pm, free
116 N. Neil St. Champaign, IL 61820 217.359.4500
Parkland Art and Design Faculty Exhibition Parkland Art Gallery through Sept. 21
IMAGE COURTESY OF WWW.AIRNYC.ORG
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TAKING A CUE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, EVENTS OF HIGH PRIORITY HAVE BEEN LABELED IN ORANGE.
Pekara B " # $ " ! ( $" ( 6/22‌ "
'
107 N. Walnut Downtown Champaign M-Th • 10.30-5.30 Fri-Sat • 10.30-5.00 Sun • 11.00-4.00
“Giant Sloth Parade� by Faith Heller.
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12
stage, screen & i n b e t w e e n
ABOUT THAT MAN ON THE PENNY Learning about Honest Abe at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill. ELYSE RUSSO • STAGE, SCREEN & INBETWEEN EDITOR
A
ccording to a February 2005 Gallup Poll, approximately 1000 Americans were asked who they thought was “The Greater President”: George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. The results of the poll concluded that 69% of Americans felt that Lincoln was the greater President. While many seem to love Lincoln and think him to be “greater” than our nation’s first President, Americans know very little about Honest Abe besides his delivering of the legendary Gettysburg’s Address and his fortitude in emancipating the slaves. If Americans truly admire and appreciate Abraham Lincoln’s efforts during his reign as President, then shouldn’t they seek out knowledge about Lincoln’s life before the Presidency, his family life, and how he ultimately helped our country stay together during the Civil War? If you are looking to learn more about the man whose face is on the American penny and the five dollar bill, the place to start would be at Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.
VISITING THE MUSEUM: LEARNING ABOUT LINCOLN’S JOURNEYS The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum provides an easy to follow and learn environment for all visitors. After you walk into the museum, to your lef t there is an ex h ibit ent it led “Jour ney One: The Pre-Presidentia l Years;” this ex h ibit i nvolves wa l k i ng through an artif icial log cabin, which is the type of house that Lincoln l ived in throughout his chi ldhood. A fter passing t h roug h t he log cabi n, you enter another sector of Journey One and learn about Lincoln’s road to becom ing President. This part of the journey shows where he worked and lived in Springf ield, using life-like silicon f igures to depict snapshots of what would have been his ever y d ay l i fe. O ne of t he most interesting multi-media showcases in the Journey One Exhibit is a modern day news broadca st t h at a n a ly z e s t he election of 1860, the year that Lincoln won the presidency. It is these t y pes of lea r n ing tools best help communicate Lincoln’s life and works. On the right side of the museum is “Journey Two: The White House Years.” Instead of walking through a log cabin, visitors walk through a artificial, smaller scale White House to learn about Lincoln’s life during the presidency; you learn about everything from Lincoln leading the Union to win the Civil War to Lincoln’s son Willy dying The Lincoln family. From left to right, Tad, Robert, Mary, Abraham and Willie Lincoln. in the White House. Multi-media and educational showcases abound in Journey Two. The Whispering Gallery, as little explosions go off designating where the battles were for example, is an entire room with framed political cartoons fought, the death toll totals go up and up for both the Union and caricatures of Lincoln and his wife. In addition, the room is and the Confederacy. In addition, this short f ilm is set to also filled with voices of men and women “whispering” mean instrumental patriotic songs, which make for an even more rumors about the Lincoln Family. It is really effective in show- moving experience. ing how there was a general dislike toward Lincoln during parts While admitting that picking a favorite exhibit is like of his presidency. “asking a parent which is their favorite child,” Andreasen The multi-media showcases in the Civil War Gallery dur- says that “The Civil War in Four Minutes” is probably ing Journey Two are the most poignant. “The Civil War his favorite. in Four Minutes” is one such multi-media showcase that “The graphic depiction of the ebb and flow of the battle lines shows a visual timeline of the Civil War on a scale that one drives home the tragic scope of the war in a way that even the second equals one week. This showcase is quite emotional; best written books cannot,” Andreasen said. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELYSE RUSSO
THE MUSEUM’S HISTORY When the museum opened in April 2005, it brought an interactive, multi-media space to a city where Lincoln lived and where he is now buried: Springfield, Ill. According to the museum’s Manager of Collections, Research, and Education, Bryon Andreasen, there have been a total of 811,000 visitors since the museum opened 18 months ago. “Crowds vary depending on the season and the day of the week, with the highest visitation rates being in the summer months. For example, there was a weekly average of 17,880 visitors in July,” said Andreasen. The State of Illinois owns and operates the museum, but Andreasen describes that the mission of the museum is not only to educate the citizens of Illinois but also to educate the nation about Abraham Lincoln. “Sociologists have noted that Americans’ sense of identity and continuity with the past has been steadily declining over recent decades. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum is important in that it attempts to rekindle interest in connecting with the past and in rediscovering traditions that have been important to generations of Americans. Lincoln’s story – particularly the ways in which he faced adversity and wartime challenges – still has relevance today, “ said Andreasen.
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VISITING THE MUSEUM: THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS While Journey’s One and Two of the museum provide self-guiding tours for visitors, the theatrical productions at The Union Theatre and The Holav ision Theater w i l l del iver visitors information about Lincoln in a different way. The show at The Union Theater entitled “Lincoln’s Eyes“ is a movie that plays on three screens: the center screen shows the movie and the side screens are used to create multi-dimensional effects with lighting, sound, and set pieces. The movie’s narrator provides a biography of Lincoln, and as he explains throughout the movie, we can see the personality, the triumphs and the hardships that Lincoln faced all through his eyes. The other theatrical presentation entitled “The Ghosts of the Library,“ takes place in the Holavision Theater. The special effects and technology that are used in this production make it a magical experience for both young and old museum visitors. The story is told by a man who is doing research in an artificial library who interacts with the ghosts of old Civil War soldiers and tells the audience about their stories. Both theatrical productions are free with the purchase of the museum admission. FROM MARTHA TO LAURA: A FIRST RATE, FIRST LADY EXHIBIT. Unlike the stable exhibits at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, The Illinois Gallery features different temporary exhibit s t h rou g hout t he ye a r. Unt i l Oc t. 29, the Illinois Galler y is featuring an exhibit entitled “Mrs. President: From Mar tha to Laura“ which is about ever y f irst lady who lived in the White House from Martha Washington to Laura Bush. In addition to a short biography on ever y f irst lady, a number of objects are on display including dresses worn by f irst ladies and personal items, such as one of Jackie Kennedy Onasis‘ pillbox hats. Televisions and radios continuously play various inter v iews w ith more contemporar y f ir st ladies throughout the exhibit, and the exhibit ulitmately demonstrates how and why f irst ladies are important to the White House. ”O u r t e m p or a r y e x h i bit s g i ve u s a n opportunit y to address themes beyond the Lincoln story. The current first ladies exhibit ... reminds us that presidents and their wives are real people with all the family cares and concerns that we all have. The exhibit also documents the important political and cultural roles that first ladies have played in our nation. Also, by noting the changes in clothing, social obligations, and material artifacts evident as one walks chronologically through the exhibit, visitors experience first hand the evolution of American cultural norms.” Lincol n once sa id, “Leave noth i ng for tomor row which can be done today,” and what you should do today is drive the hour to Springfield from Champaign and learn more about the man whose face is on the penny. buzz T he Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum is located at 112 N. Sixth Street in Spring field, Ill. For more information about Abraham Lincoln or the Library & Museum, check out www.alplm.org. sounds from the scene
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I AM NOBODY AND NOBODY IS PERFECT: THEREFORE I MUST BE PERFECT.
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FILM
BARNYARD: THE ORIGINAL PARTY ANIMALS KERI CARPENTER • CONTRIBUTING WRITER
You think we know how to party at UIUC? Wait until you see the whole barn party til’ the cows home in Barnyard: The Original Party Animals, a hilarious animated f ilm created by Steve Oedekerk and Nickelodeon Movies.
Barnyard is the story of an energetic party-cow named Otis (voice of Kevin James) who must learn to be responsible and stand up for not only himself, but the rest of the Barn when his dad Ben (voice of Sam Elliot) is no longer in charge. Barnyard will
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WWW.ROTTENTOMATOES.COM
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Otis the cow (voice of Kevin James) in Barnyard: The Original Party Animals.
take you on a delightful ride with Otis, the chickens, roosters, pigs, dogs and many other amusing animals in the barn. I should warn you, however, that on the way you’ll make a few stops for six-packs (of milk, of course), “bombastic” dances, and humantipping. Oh, and Otis drives a car. Wanda Sykes, voice of Bessy the Cow, had some lines smothered into the movie, none of which were very funny considering she is a veteran comedian. However, Otis’ friendship with Pip the Mouse (voice of Jeffrey Garcia) made up for Sykes’ absence of comedy and added more than enough laughs throughout. Danny Glover gives voice to the wise mule, Miles, who encouraged Otis and gave him advice on how be to a strong man (well, strong cow); his portray of Miles was very convincing and essential to the film. The never-ending party that is Barnyard actually strongly resembles one of my favorite animated movies, The Lion King, with Otis as Simba trying to become a responsible adult; Miles as Rafiki, a wise friend of the family; the coyotes as the hyenas, the enemies of the barn and Pride Rock. And also similar to The Lion King, Barnyard was not only hysterical, but also teaches us all a lesson worth learning: the only power bullies have is the power we give to them.
THE DESCENT RANDY MA • STAFF WRITER
The Descent, written and directed by Neil Marshall, is a small horror film that was originally produced in the United Kingdom for well under $10 million. It follows a group of six adventureseeking women that go on an expedition into an uncharted cave in the Appalachian Mountains. Here is the twist: the girls become trapped in the cave and discover that they are not alone. Out of the horror movies that have been released this summer season, this movie is easily the best. The plot follows two cinematic principles: the slow burn and the Jaws rule. The Descent takes its time (hence, the slow burn) developing the atmosphere and the fear of being lost in a cave; this, in turn, creates a sense of claustrophobia and artificial danger. The Jaws rule applies in that you do not see the cave creatures until well into the second half of the film. Where the film falters is with its character arcs. Aside from the external drama of the cave, Marshall provides internal conflict within the group. At the beginning of the film, Sarah is recovering from an accident a year ago that killed both her husband and daughter. This is all well and good because it gives the audience someone to root for. What doesn’t work is that there is
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WWW.ROTTENTOMATOES.COM.
A u g u s t 17
Shauna Macdonald and Natalie Jackson Mendoza in The Descent. this terrible subplot where one of the girls had an affair with Sarah’s husband. In addition, this movie also suffers from what I refer to as the 28 Days Later syndrome, as the main character undergoes a sudden change near the conclusion of the f ilm (i.e. they become Rambo). Summoning internal
strength is one thing, but going commando on zombies or cave-dwel l ing creat ures is entirely different. Regardless of these faults, The Descent does have valid hype behind it and you won’t find a better scare as the summer season ends; as the saying goes, “Save the best for last.”
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A u g u s t 17
SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT ONE’S PERSONALITY IS REFLECTED OFF OF THEIR CAR... WELL, I HAVE NO CAR.
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A u g u s t 23 , 2 oo 6
FILM
TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY KEVIN OLSEN • STAFF WRITER
ACCEPTED (PG–13) Fri. 1:00 3:15 5:30 7:45 10:00 12:00
Will Ferrell shines in his latest role as a NASCAR driver in the laugh-out-loud comedy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Ferrell plays Ricky Bobby, a dimwitted, Southern race driver who lives by the motto “If you ain’t fi rst, you’re last.� With this motto, Bobby fi nds himself in the victory lane most of the time with the help of life-long best friend and driving partner Cal Naughton Jr. ( John C. Reilly) creating the formidable duo “shake and bake.� When French Formula One driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) comes into NASCAR, his sole purpose is to prove he is the best driver in the world and basically destroys Bobby’s life in the process. The movie entails Bobby’s attempt to get back in the spotlight and overcome his phobia of driving fast after a horrific accident. With NASCAR booming in popularity, writer and director Adam McKay takes full advantage of the rich, traditional southern sport to make a hilarious parody. All the stereotypes of racing fans and drivers are played out completely throughout the fi lm. With the largest amount of product placements ever in a movie, Talladega Nights truly demonstrates NASCAR’s notorious and numerous sponsorships. This is especially evident when Ricky Bobby is driving with a large Fig Newton decal on his windshield, obstructing his view as he drives 200 mph.
SNAKES ON A PLANE (R) Fri. 1:00 1:30 4:00 4:30 7:00 7:30 9:40 10:00 12:00
Sat. 11:00 1:00 3:15 5:30 7:45 10:00 12:00 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 3:15 5:30 7:45 10:00
Sat. 11:10 1:00 1:30 4:00 4:30 7:00 7:30 9:40 10:00 12:00 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 1:30 4:00 4:30 7:00 7:30 9:40 10:00 MATERIAL GIRLS (PG) Fri. & Sat. 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:45 12:00 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:45
PULSE (PG–13) Fri. 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40 11:50 Sat. 11:00 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40 11:50 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40
PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.ROTTENTOMATOES.COM.
STEP UP (PG–13) Fri. 1:30 4:15 7:10 9:40 12:00
Sat. 11:15 1:30 4:15 7:10 9:40 12:00 Sun. - Thu. 1:30 4:15 7:10 9:40 ZOOM (PG) Fri. 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40 11:50 Sat. 11:00 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40 11:50 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40 WORLD TRADE CENTER (PG–13) Fri. - Thu. 1:00 4:00 7:00 9:55 TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY (PG–13) Fri. 1:15 1:50 4:10 4:45 7:05 7:35 9:30 10:00 11:45 Sat. 11:00 11:30 1:15 1:50 4:10 4:45 7:05 7:35 9:30 10:00 11:45 Sun. - Thu. 1:15 1:50 4:10 4:45 7:05 7:35 9:30 10:00 THE DESCENT (R) Fri. & Sat. 12:45 3:00 5:15 7:30 9:45 12:00 Sun. - Thu. 12:45 3:00 5:15 7:30 9:45 JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE (PG–13) Fri. 1:20 3:25 5:30 7:35 9:40 12:00 Sat. 11:15 1:20 3:25 5:30 7:35 9:40 12:00 Sun. - Thu. 1:20 3:25 5:30 7:35 9:40 BARNYARD THE ORIGINAL PARTY ANIMALS (PG)Fri. 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40 11:40 Sat. 11:00 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40 11:40 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 9:40 MIAMI VICE (R) Fri. & Sun. - Thu. 1:45 4:30 7:15 10:00 Sat. 11:00 1:45 4:30 7:15 10:00 MONSTER HOUSE (PG) Fri. & Sun. - Thu. 1:15 3:20 5:25 7:30 Sat. 11:10 1:15 3:20 5:25 7:30 LITTLE MAN (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 9:35 11:50 Sun. - Thu. 9:35 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST (PG–13) Fri. 1:00 2:15 4:15 5:30 7:30 9:00 10:45 Sat. 11:00 1:00 2:15 4:15 5:30 7:30 9:00 10:45 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 2:15 4:15 5:30 7:30 9:00
Will Ferrell as Ricky Bobby in his hilarious new comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. In this fi lm, Ferrell goes back to what he does best: playing an outrageous character full of gags and one-liners. Although some jokes tend to go on for too long, there are plenty noteworthy scenes that are reminiscent of Ferrell’s earlier
movies. Talladega Nights is defi nitely a step back towards what made America love him before he was in flops like Bewitched and Kicking and Screaming. Talladega Nights is sure to put Ferrell back in favor with all fans of comedy.
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Andy Greenwald’s Miss Misery JENNY MCCARTHY • STAFF WRITER
“Miss Misery� is the sad story of David Gould, a twentysomething who is struggling to f ind himself in the midst of Manhattan. It’s no surprise that Miss Misery makes the internet blogging reader feel mostly miserable throughout the whole book. Ever y time I even began to feel good about his character, he would go do something miserable and depressing enough to make me question whether or not he’s a good guy. And then there’s the whole doppelganger issue which is placed in the novel for the sole purpose of confusing the reader. “Miss Misery� is like Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club in that both main characters are lonely and depressed people who happen to see things that are not as they really are. The idea of writing a book about internet blogging stalkers and doppelgangers for
emo kids is all a bit too pretentious, even for Andy Greenwald. The writing style may be witty at times but even the greatest rhetoric cannot save his failing plot. While the novel’s title sets the mood of the book with a great song, Elliott Smith’s “Miss Misery,� it seems as though Greenwald spends most of the book trying to prove how indie and emo his musical tastes are; the book is just another way for Mr. Greenwald to demonstrate his superior knowledge of indie and emo culture. Sure, it can be funny in a morbid sort of way. But when it comes down to it, “Miss Misery� is just Andy Greenwald’s fictionalized account of his fi rst book on emo-ness, “Nothing Feels Good.� Unless you want to read about someone whose life is just as sad and depressing as its title describes, take a pass on “Miss Misery.�
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WHEN I’M NOT IN MY RIGHT MIND, MY LEFT MIND GETS PRETTY CROWDED.
Employment 000 HELP WANTED
020
Part Time Jimmy John’s is seeking drivers. Up to $20/hrs. Also seeking inshoppers. Apply at Green, Green2, and Lincoln locations.
HELP WANTED
030
Full/Part Time Earn $7000 as an egg donor. Must be 20-29 and a non-smoker. Please call Alternative Reproductive Resources at 773-327-7315 or 847446-1001 to learn how you can help a family fulfill its dreams. RESTAURANT ASSISTANT MANAGER (Crew members + drivers on campus) Full time summer, part time fall. Flexible hrs. Fun outdoor music catering events, too! Call 351-5048.
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Butterfly Ladies Cleaning Service Jackie Jamison 217-898-3109, Judy Fitton 217-419-2671.
Merchandise 200 FURNITURE
240
Couch, loveseat, small desk. You pick up. Call 390-5193.
10,000 sq ft of:
•Furniture •Kitchen items •Home décor •and more! For your apartment or dorm
A ll s a le s b e n e fit
H abitat for H um anity! 40 E University, dow ntow n Cham paign
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Collie puppies AKC sable or tri-colors born June 5th very pretty, white factor. $500 649-3189. www.goldleafcollies.com.
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Marty Casey and the Love Hammers at the Canopy Club in Urbana. Augut 25th. 3 tickets. $16.50 each. (217)531-8980.
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400 410
Furnished/Unfurnished 1 bedroom near Lincoln Square. AC, parking. $455. 344-6576 2 bedroom, free parking, quiet building, large living room with fireplace, close to busline. $550/mo plus security. (217)355-0307. Available immediately.
420
APARTMENTS Furnished
THE GEORGIAN 1005 S. SIXTH, C
Aug 2006. Next to UI Library. 1 bedrooms from $540/mo. Laundry, Window A/C, Carpet. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
410
APARTMENTS Furnished/Unfurnished
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Furnished ARBOR APARTMENTS, C. Aug 2006. 1 bdrms at Third & Gregory across from Snack Bar. Window A/C, Laundry, Ethernet avail. Rents from $390/mo. Parking $50/mo. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
APARTMENTS
410
Furnished/Unfurnished
307 E. Elm #3, U. 1 BD/1BA Avail 8/1, $450/mo. 903 N. Lincoln, U. 2 BD/2BA, fireplace. We have furnished or unfurnished units avail now! $835935/mo. 1601 Wiley, C. 2 Bedroom/ 1 Bath, washer & dryer. No pets. $615/mo. Available now!
217-239-6677 CLOSE TO CAMPUS 2 BR, 2 BA, W. Oregon, U. Cats may be considered. $875. www.ppmrent.com 351-1800
UNIQUE For Fall, 1 bedroom loft apartment. Fully equipped. Balcony, parking. 409 W. Green. Call Hardwick Apartments, 356-5272 or 621-1012.
APARTMENTS
420
Furnished Available For Fall You want hip vintage boutique 1-4 person residences on & off campus.
APARTMENTS Furnished/Unfurnished
410
APARTMENTS Furnished/Unfurnished
410
APARTMENTS Furnished/Unfurnished
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Cheapest studio in town - tiny but clean, efficient, incl utilities $295.00. Vintage, spacious, economical ones in safe, treelined Urbana 209 Coler and 704 Stoughton. Studios w/walk in closets - spacious 605 S. Fourth and 407 Stoughton 4 blocks to Union/Atgeld/Engineering. Spacious ones 2 blocks to IMPE/stadium on bus line - 1010 S. First, Ch. - $460 New York Greystone- loft for 4 people Across from engineering quad/Beckman, $295/person. Ones...two blocks to quad - Kam’s - Union - Fourth & Chalmers, Ch. Ask about 703 Park - very hip vintage 1-2 person in great Champaign neighborhood. Near Prospect and Park. Hemmingway would have lived here - Hugh Hefner did - ones at 1108 Nevada and 1107 Oregon, Urbana next to Music buildings, two blocks from quad.
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311 E. WHITE, C Avail Aug 2006. Large efficiencies close to Beckman Center. From $340/mo. Parking avail at $35/mo. Window A/C, carpet, Ethernet avail. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
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BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEER HOLDER.
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2 bedroom apartment in Old Town Champaign in recently rehabed 1880s farmhouse. Pets ok. Laundry access, 10 minute walk to downtown Champaign, bus to campus stops across street. Wireless internet access, wood floors, off street parking. (773)217-2319.
1 bedroom apartment available 10/1. $510/month. Unique attic apartment with angled cielings, loaded with charm. 3 blocks from downtown, 2 blocks from West Side Park. Dogs and cats ok. Includes heat, water and free on-site laundry. Mason.cat@gmail.com.
One and two bedroom apartments available August, $370-$580 (some utilities included), clean quiet well maintained building 684-2226 or email crpayne30@hotmail.com
$595- 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath. New appliances, DW, CA, close buslines. 1001 Francis, Champaign. Available 08/15/06. Lease ends 5/15/07. Call Penny: 217-359-4652.
New apartment building near John and First. Just opened, 1 BR, unfurnished, but includes W/D, dishwasher, stove, refrigerator, $700/month, available fall. Call 356-1407.
Place your personal greeting cheap and easy. Call 337-8337 for details.
2 bedrooms 1.5 bath, huge 1200 sq.ft. 2nd floor condo $825/mo, located on the beautiful shores of Lake Devonshire in SW Champaign. Great view must see to believe. 214-478-9066
Old Town Champaign
2 BR DUPLEX Spacious unit near busline and Springfield and Mattis. Large grassy backyard. Available immediately. Radiant heat included. $590/mo. 384-0333 or 840-6860 (cell). Furnished efficiency, paid heat and water. $450/month, just off campus on busline. (217)202-0741.
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At the Lake August: Large 1 BR plus study from $440; 2 BR from $480. Convenient to Crystal Lake Park, downtown Ubana, 6 minute bus to campus. (217)840-5134. www.robsapartments.com Available Aug, unfurnished 2 bedroom apartment near Lincoln Square. Rent negotiable. Call Simon 356-8836.
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Convenient to campus & downtown, old town Champaign, 1 & 2 BR’s, available starting June, July & August. From $380/mo.Call 352-8540, or see: www.faronproperties.com Quiet 1BR 616 W. Healey. Free parking, water $400- 420 369-6101 Very nice studio, 3 BR, 4 BR available August 1st. Off campus, close to downtown. Call 621-4849.
722 S. BROADWAY, U. Aug 2006. 1 bdrm apts close to Campus. Window A/C. Rents $430/mo. Shown 7 days/wk. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
SUBLETS
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1 Bedroom in 3 Bedroom apt fro August on White st on street parking. $268/mo. (708)7172420. 203 E Healey, Champaign 1 bedroom available in 3 bedroom for 06/07 school year. 1.5 BA. W/D in complex. #20/mo. Erica (309)7382211.
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Apartment on South Wright between Clark and University. 2 bedroom, 2 bath. Sublet for 1 or 2. Price negotiable. Call (618)244-6326 Campus Connection 1 BR in 3 BR Apartment all females. Aug 1st, $476/mo. plus $100 off for 9 months and mini-fridge. (708)567-4083.
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403 W. High, U. 4 BR, 2 BA. Remodeled interior. 4 + parking, $1500/mo. Roland Realty 328-1226 607 W Green C Leasing for August 18th, beautiful furnished 5 BR 3 BA home. C/A fre parking Ted 766-5108. Two bedrooms. $575/mo. 5 minutes from campus. Quiet neighborhood. (217)896-2347. CAMPUS GROUP HOUSE 313 W. White, C. 6 BR, 2 BA, limited parking, partially furnished, NO PETS. $1,700. www.ppmrent.com 351-1800 Furnished 4 & 5 bedroom houses on campus near Ohio and Lincoln (4) and Stoughton and Fourth (5) for Fall ‘06. Call 356-1407. Off-campus 4 bedroom house. 707 E. Illinois. $1200/mo, Steve 3695877. Remodeled 2 bedroom, full basement, 2 car garage, new appliances. $700/month. 731-239-9586 Very clean 4 BR Urbana home. Overlooking Victory Park. 903 E. Green. W/D, stowed refrig. Nice house. 367-8793 or 469-0000.
ROOMMATE WANTED 550 3 Rooms Available. Huge, Clean Apartment. Great location on Green. $482.50/mo. Call NOW before its too late. Doug, (309)370-1133 Female Roommate wanted. $400/mo. 3 Bedroom house, Utilities included. 618-520-5224
Male Grad. renting room in house. $295, Urbana. Chris 732-619-8385. cwhalen@uiuc.edu. Roommates needed for nice house! See: http://www.tinyurl.com/c8462
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512 E. Green Champaign, IL 217.337.3116 Right where you need it. In the heart of campus. The Illini Apple Center is the best place for students, faculty, and staff to find the tools they need to be successful and have fun at the U of I. Get educational pricing on a Mac, iPod, and accessories. Stop in today to test drive the latest Apple products.
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the stinger kim rice & kate ruin DOIN’ IT WELL
jonesin CROSSWORD PUZZLE
“You Don’t Know...” — one part of your anatomy from something different.
30 31 35 36
Fallopian tube travelers Served perfectly Confession confession One reply to “How old are you?” Across 1 Teen on a sugar high, e.g. 38 Pack heat, if you don’t know one from 5 Bruce of “Big Love” the other? 9 Corleones and crew 14 “___ you one!” 42 Little three-wheeler 43 Org. based in Langley 15 Food with its name 44 “___ sow, so shall...” stamped on it 45 Galena, e.g. 16 Livorno love 17 Give assistance, if you 46 Put flowers in place 50 LP, if you don’t know one don’t know one from from the other? the other? 19 One way to rate a date 55 Insurance co. whose 20 Home of a shroud mascot is voiced by 21 Put into the law books Gilbert Gottfried 56 “The Lord of the Rings” 23 Jelly’s partner, if you realm don’t know one from the other? 58 Strategic peninsula 29 Preppy sock patterns
60 What’s needed to get out of class, if you don’t know one from the other? 64 What dictionaries help with 65 Singer formerly of the group Clannad 66 ___ Domini 67 Beauty marks, often 68 Messed with the facts 69 Alternative to “ja” Down 1 Riverbed deposit 2 Kind of ad that may be blocked 3 “Bird on ___” (1990 Mel Gibson movie) 4 Cholesterol-lowering drug introduced in 2006
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5 Outburst popularized in the 1990s 6 Time 7 He told Stimpy about Yak Shaving Day 8 Option given by Howie Mandel 9 Kuala Lumpur’s land 10 Oil company that merged with BP 11 Extras at the bottom 12 Bug 13 DDE’s opponent, twice 18 “___ Karenina” 22 Wind vane dir. 24 Bear in the sky 25 End-of-workweek letters 26 Snarky, minus the humor 27 Complete 28 “You nearly ___ over!” 31 Role player 32 Writer John Le ___ 33 It opened in 1825 34 Dwight Gooden’s nickname, based on many strikeouts 37 Kingston Trio hit named for a subway system 39 Some vet appointments 40 Five, in France 41 Newman’s Own competitor 47 Stat on a food label 48 Haircut named for a TV character 49 Wyatt of the Old West 51 Coming-___ story 52 Like some numerals 53 River that starts in the Swiss Alps 54 New Age musician who famously played at the Acropolis 57 Reno lights 58 Canadian band ___ 41 59 Looking for, to a personal ad writer 61 Folk rocker DiFranco 62 Lutefisk soaking agent 63 Wee little man Answers pg. 11
A Curse... Or cause for celebration?
K
im: On a recent trip to San Francisco to see Kate, my cousin asked me about the best way to celebrate with her daughter when she gets her period for the first time. She stated that she has already talked with her 11-year-old about reproduction, her body and the changes of puberty. She asked if maybe she should give her a gift? This question reminded me of a wonderful approach to recognizing and honoring the onset of menstruation that I had heard from my dear friend (and co-author) Kate, a few years before. I relayed the story to my cousin. She loved the idea offered, and in some way, sharing Kate’s story seemed to give her permission to act on some ideas she already had developed on her own. Kate: My mom actually threw me party the year I started getting my period. At first I was embarrassed at the thought of it, but she did a great job putting it together and to this day a smile comes to my face when I think about the love that went into planning that party. My mom got about ten of our women friends and family together. Aunts, grandma, friends of the family, even the midwife who helped my mom give birth to me attended. Each woman was asked to bring a special gift for me ... a small thing they made, found or bought. Before I got to the party (I was the last to arrive) the women had made me a beautiful crown of roses and exchanged stories of what it was like when they “started.” When I arrived, each woman took turns telling me a story about the present she had picked for me. One woman gave me a little packet of bath salts to help me relax when I got stressed out or got cramps. Another gave me a doll with a funny dress on and told me a story about how this doll symbolized individuality and creativity. My grandma gave me a pair of butterfly earrings, the butterfly she said, symbolized “transformation” like the one I was going through. Of the stories shared, the most memorable was from an older family friend who had given me a small stone shaped like a heart. She told me a story about how hearts can be happy and full of love, or can be broken and hurt, but they always have the strength and resilience to heal. As I proceeded to charge through adolescence and get my heart broken several times I thought about this story and drew a sense of comfort from the knowledge that my heart could heal. While many of my friends grew up believing their periods were inconvenient if not painful curses that kept them from doing things they wanted (swimming, exercise, even showering) t he per iod pa r t y helped me to a r r ive at
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a different understanding of the changes going on in my body. I viewed my period as an initiation into the greater responsibilities and privileges of growing up. The circle of women at the party modeled healthy support that women are capable of sharing with each other. That message of support stood in stark contrast to the images of woman-on-woman hate and competition I saw in the media and among kids at middle school. Above all, it set the stage for me to look at my changing body with acceptance, respect and even appreciation. Don’t forget to send us your favorite first date and make-out spots for an upcoming column!
SEX 411 Ideas for throwing a Period Party: • What is appropriate for your family will depend on your family values, the wishes of the young woman, and the motivation for throwing the party. • Ask the young woman how she feels about the idea of a period party and what she would like to see happen. While it was a positive experience for Kate, not all young women may appreciate it. • Let the young woman have as much input into the matter as she desires. Some youth may want to be surprised by the details of the party; others may want an active role in planning and leading it. • Think about who you’ll invite and what role those people will play. • Will you want to include religious or spiritual components to this celebration? Or will you want it to be informal and sectarian? • It doesn’t have to be a young woman’s parents who throw the party… it could be relatives, aunties, cousins, friends, a girl-scout troupe, etc. It could be a celebration for one young woman, or for a group of young women. • For more ideas check out www.celebrategirls.com
Kim Rice and Kate Ruin are professional sex educators. To have your question featured in buzz write to us at riceandruin@yahoo.com .
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IF YOU CAN’T SEE THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE, POLISH THE DULL SIDE.
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free will astrology AUG. 17 — AUG. 23 ARIES
March 21 – April 19
I was at an airport bookstore. A businessman near me plucked Chuck Palahniuk’s Haunted from the shelf and said to his companion, “I’ve heard this book makes some people actually vomit. Listen to this passage.” He read it aloud. It was about a guy who eats ten freeze-dried turkey dinners, and dies when his stomach literally explodes. Moments after reciting this gruesome tale, the businessman collapsed and went into convulsions. I knelt down and cradled his head. A saleswoman called paramedics, and 15 minutes later he was fine. “That never happened to me before,” he said. “I don’t have epilepsy. It must have been a reaction to what I read.” The moral of the story, Aries: Words will have potent effects on you in the coming days. You should therefore surround yourself not with Palahniuk-type curses but with good news and uplifting stories and people who dispense articulate blessings.
T A U RU S
April 20 – May 20
GEMINI
May 21 – June 20
CANCER
June 21 – July 22
I heard a guy on the radio tell the following story. He and his wife stopped to enjoy a sunset. After a few minutes, they noticed that its breathtaking beauty remained static; the scene wasn’t evolving. Upon further investigation, they registered the embarrassing fact that they had actually been admiring an image on a billboard. Make sure a similar event doesn’t happen to you, Taurus. Avoid getting hooked on substitutes, stand-ins, or simulacrums. Insist on the real thing.
In her song “Deeper Well,” Emmylou Harris says she’s “looking for the water from a deeper well.” Make that your assignment, Gemini. And if you’re feeling brave, extend your search to an even more challenging quest: what Harris refers to as searching for a “holier grail.” According to my reading of the omens, your biggest, brightest dream isn’t as big and bright as it could be. Raise your standards.
The omens suggest that you’re most likely to be happy and healthy in the coming weeks if you treat the whole world as your classroom. Thank God, then, that you won’t suffer anytime soon from sophophobia (a fear of learning) or optophobia (fear of opening one’s eyes). It’s my duty to inform you, however, that you could experience politicophobia (fear of politicians) or myxophobia (fear of slime). Ironically, that would be quite lucky, because it’s crucial that you avoid manipulative power-brokers and mud-slinging know-it-alls who might confuse you about the educational experiences you need to pursue.
LEO
July 23 – Aug. 22
“Raising kids is like making pancakes,” muses Brian Copeland in his show Not a Genuine Black Man. “You always mess up the first one.” A similar idea might apply to a certain multi-pronged project you’ve been working on, Leo. I’m not saying you should abandon or throw away your initial effort. On the contrary, like rookie parents whose inexperience has slightly tweaked their first-born, you should be thorough in trying to undo your mistakes. But I also suggest that you immediately get started on the next creation in the series, being sure you’ve learned all you can from the consequences of your earlier ignorance.
VIRGO
Sept. 23 – Oct.22
SCORPIO
Oct. 23 – Nov. 21
S AG I T TA R I U S
Nov. 22 – Dec. 21
CAPRICORN
Dec. 22 – Jan. 19
AQUA R I U S
Jan. 20 – Feb. 18
Novelist Jeanette Winterson told a TV interviewer about her mother’s strongest belief: “You can be happy, or else you can be like normal people.” This idea applies to you right now, Libra--maybe more than you realize. From what I can tell, you’re at a crossroads in your relationship with happiness. You could go either way, and it’s mostly up to you: Will you tame your urges for wild joy, repress your instincts to follow your lyrically crazy heart, and surrender to the dull insanity of the maddening crowd? Or would you prefer the scarier, more eccentric and action-packed route that will constantly push you to enlarge your capacity to feel good?
Sculptor Luis Jiminez was renowned for making large pieces with political themes that incited controversy. In “The Barfly,” created during the Vietnam War, he depicted the Statue of Liberty as a drunken floozy. “Vaquero” shows a Mexican cowboy riding a bucking stallion and waving a gun. It not only satirizes the pretentious statues of military leaders on horses that are often found in parks; it’s also a reminder that the original cowboys of the American West were Mexicans. “It’s not my job to censor myself,” Jimenez said. “An artist’s job is to constantly test the boundaries.” Whether or not you’re an artist yourself, Scorpio, your next assignment is aligned with Jiminez’s approach: Don’t censor yourself as you test the boundaries.
There are now as many people working at Wal-Mart stores as there are high-school teachers. Can anything be done to change this depressing state of affairs? Well, it so happens that the time is ripe for you Sagittarians to cultivate your skill at sharing what you know. It’s also an excellent phase to cultivate your ability to inspire and energize your fellow humans. So if just one percent of you use this pregnant moment as a springboard to launch careers as high-school educators, Wal-Mart employees would no longer outnumber you and your heroic colleagues. And even if you personally decide not to go in that direction, I hope you at least think more about what you have to teach the world, and take steps to give your gifts more aggressively.
Philosopher Robert Anton Wilson said that “the universe acts like a chess game in which the player on the other side remains invisible to us. By analyzing the moves, we can form an image of the intellect behind them.” The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to gain insights into that other chess player, Capricorn. You will have an extraordinary capacity for setting aside your own subjective mind-chatter and seeing the objective truth. You’ll also be more skilled than usual at understanding what’s going on in the shadows and darkness. The hidden world is whispering secrets in codes you can crack.
It’s time for you to fall in love, Aquarius--though not necessarily with a person. You could swoon with infatuation for a place where your heart feels free, for example. You could dive into new music that liberates you from your past, or give yourself with abandon to a fascinating task that brings out the best in you. You might lose your heart to a mind-expanding mentor, a mysterious animal, or a thrilling fight for justice. It really doesn’t matter exactly how or what you fall in love with, Aquarius, as long as it incites you to break open the doors of perception.
Aug. 23 – Sept. 22
My old philosophy professor Norman O. Brown would periodically interrupt his lectures, tilt his head upward as if tuning into the whisper of some heavenly voice, and announce in a mischievous tone, “It’s time for your irregular reminder: We’re already living after the end of the world. No need to fret anymore.” The implication was that the worst had already happened. We had already lost most of the cultural riches that had given humans meaning for centuries. All that was going to be taken from us had already been taken. On the bright side, that meant we were utterly free to reinvent ourselves. Living amidst the emptiness, we had nowhere to go but up. What remained was alienating, but it was also fresh. Use these ideas as seeds for your meditations, Virgo. You can apply them to both your personal life and the world at large.
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LIBRA
PISCES
Feb. 19 – March 20
Last week’s symbol was a boot kicking with futility at a closed door that was locked in response to your kicking; it bespoke a frustrated strength that provoked even greater resistance. This week’s symbol will be dramatically different: bare feet climbing a rope ladder to a dance floor on a roof where a telescope is trained on the planet Jupiter. In this new phase, there will still be obstacles for you to overcome. But the emphasis will be on craft and agility rather than force and instinct. And this time around the most grounded part of you will find lots of luck and slack. Homework: What’s the best surprise you could give yourself right now? Testify at http://freewillastrology.com.
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LIKES AND GRIPES LET IT OUT
CHRISTINA LEUNG Photography editor GRIPES 1. Back to school: Summer school is officially OVER. Time to: THROW OUT THE NOTES! SELL ALL THE BOOKS!! Weeks of pain and agony has finally come to an end. Am I relieved? YOU BET! Wait, back to school next week? WHAT?! I never left school in the first place... 2. Paper cut: Takes forever to heal and I am running out of Band-Aids. 3. Air travel: After 9/11 airport security has gotten so tight that it already took out most of the fun in air travel. The UK incident from last week, with people plotting to blow up US-bound passenger jets, that surely isn’t helping either. Who would want to put their laptops in the storage with no insurance? And can you imagine flying a 15-hour international flight without lotions and toothpaste?! That would SUCK.
TODD SWISS Editor in chief GRIPES 1 . N o t h avi n g a n apar tment in CU: If I only knew what a hassle this whole commuting two and a half hours to work thing was, I would have never agreed to keep my job without having a place to stay. 2. Moving: Well, moving is just the half of it, My bed at home is still piled high with junk I brought home from school. I can’t wait to sleep on the couch for another week as I make some sense of my mess. 3. Falling asleep with my contacts in: It seems like a good idea when you are just about to pass out, but the extreme pain of dry plastic on your eyes in the middle of the night just is not worth it.
ELYSE RUSSO Entertainment editor LIKES 1. My new apartment: I just moved to Green Street Towers this week and it is so fabulous! I just love it! 2. Woody Allen’s newest movie Scoop: I’ve never seen a Woody Allen movie before but I really liked Scoop. I heard that the next one I should rent should probably be Annie Hall or something like that. 3. Allerton’s rope course: This is such a great team building activity. I’m not even athletic and I still really enjoyed it! INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
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