Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

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THE CIRCLE IS PERFECT. | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz

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Horseback riding in C-U (page 3) ARTS

Classic Wilder play performed (page 7) MUSIC

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Dancers break out into C-U

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I JUST WANTED A VISUAL | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz

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COMMUNIT Y

Q & A with Italian restauranter ARTS

Da Vanci Code tackled MUSIC

Songs Ma and Pa never wanted you to hear CALENDAR

See all there is to do in C-U FILM & TV

Five films come out before Thanksgiving

Volume 1, Number 38 COVER DESIGN | Andy Getz

editor’snote

W

hen the Board of Trustees decided not to vote on the Chief last week, they demonstrated their cowardice, their inability to act as a ruling body.

For me, I do not care what happens to the “time honored” “racist” symbol known as Chief Illiniwek.

Logic dictates that outside pressures such as the NCAA will eventually force the board to retire the Chief.

For the board, their move proved predictable. The board raised tuition, and the board does not want to lose any more funding, especially since some alumni have said they will stop supporting the University if the Chief goes.

Either way, I want the board to make a decision and end this bickering. The Chief question has become as common on this campus as “pro-life, pro-choice” and “pro-death penalty, anti-death penalty.”

Today, millions of Africans are infected with HIV. Today, many will die from urban violence across our nation. Today, hundreds will die from hunger.

Yet, people sit here and argue about this symbol.

Why don’t these people redirect their energy? Why don’t we take that energy and transform our society?

Do these people protest because they want something to speak out against or for (depending on how you feel about the Chief)? If so, then why do they not protest the greater

wrongs? Why do they not protest Iraq anymore? What happened to that fight? By the end of the Iraqi occupation, more than a thousand troops will probably be dead. Maybe more Americans will die in Iraq than were tragically murdered on Sept. 11.

How many Iraqis will die too? The numbers will be tragic in the end. Yet, this bloodshed has gone largely unprotested since April.

During the Vietnam years, hundreds crowded Green Street to protest the death of their peers and the death of innocent Vietnamese. Why can’t these people who protest the Chief do the same? Why can we not get into the consciousness of the American people?

I do not support the Iraqi occupation or the conflict. Yes, we freed an oppressed people, but we did it without support. But at this point, I will take a pro-Iraqi war demonstration over any Chief protests or demonstrations. At least, it will show someone cares again about the conflict that will claim so many lives.

These two protesting forces need to combine. They need to put their power towards a more meaningful movement, something that will create some change in our world.

In the meantime, the board should make their decision and stand by it. Either way, students should respect the decision of the ruling board.

If students continue to protest against each other, then we will have this same status quo—Chief or no Chief.

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21st Annual

BUZZ STAFF Editor in chief Tom Rybarczyk Art Director Meaghan Dee Copy Chief Erin Green Arts Katie Richardson Music Brian Mertz Entertainment Jason Cantone Calendar Marissa Monson Assistant Music Editor Jacob Dittmer Calendar Coordinators Lauren Smith, Cassie Conner, Erin Scottberg Photography Adam Young, Suzanne Sitrick, Brian Mertz, Nadia Oussenko Copy Editors Elizabeth Zeman, Jen Hubert, Suzanne Sitrick Designers Adam Obendorf, Carol Mudra, Jason Cantone, Marissa Monson, Amy Hanlon Production Manager Theon Smith Editorial Adviser Elliot Kolkovich Sales Manager Lindsey Benton Marketing/Distribution Melissa Schleicher, Maria Erickson Publisher Mary Cory All editorial questions or letters to the editor should be sent to buzz@readbuzz.com or 337-8137 or buzz, 57 E. Green St., Champaign, Ill., 61820.

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.

Art Fair Craft League of Champaign-Urbana Urbana Civic Center 108 East Water Street Saturday, November 22 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday, November 23 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ceramics • woodworking • fiber • jewelry basketry • painting • glass • photography printmaking • drawing

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buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26 , 2003 | SEX TAPES, HELL YEAH!!

Paris sex tapes, Lynch’s success

DirtyTalk

you be my boyfriend? love, elizabeth

Clap, Mu Chi's, cuz we're gonna take the man down!

Abby- Can I get you in the Sak?

BY MICHAEL COULTER | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

NicholsonIM -- I think you are "cute" too, and I love how you are sensitive -- but just with girls? Give me a shot -- Robin

Betsy- Thanks for waking me up and giving me a cookie. I’ll give you somethin’ else later if you’d like ;-)

Katie-- I hope I can perfect my biomedical imaging watching you in ECE 280.

Book- it was intense while it lasted, but I can’t say I’ll miss you.

To LAK--Anthro 105 forever, babe...If I said I was burial ground would you dig me?--Homo Erectus

Hoopes- get some rest, and then lets get some.

Melamin, you are better than a naked Legolas and Aragorn combined!

Dugan- How the hell’ve you been? I stopped sending these because I can’t rhyme very well with dugan.

Hey Johnny, next time I come over I'll take off my top again and everything else for that matter!!! -Madge

Future husband- I love you.

AND ANOTHER THING...

I

couldn’t have been happier with the unveiling of the Paris Hilton sex tape. I haven’t seen it, but it seems to make her uncomfortable and aggravated and that alone is enough to give me a small amount of joy.

She strikes me as a snooty little pain in the ass with more money than sense and more surgery than beauty. Without the least bit of talent or skill she thrust herself into our lives and became famous, basically by coming out of a wealthy uterus. It just seems like she had this whole porn scandal coming.

If there is some justice, Jessica Lynch may be able to avoid her inevitable porn scandal for a little longer, maybe forever, since her spotlight time is getting smaller by the minute.

Yes, we’ll be seeing less and less of Miss Lynch now, particularly since Hustler publisher Larry Flynt has bought the rights to some nude pictures of her frolicking with other soldiers.

When you look at everyone surrounding this girl and Larry Flynt turns out to be the most accountable and moral one, it might be a sign the war in Iraq wasn’t an especially great idea.

He says she seems like a good kid who was nothing but a pawn for the government, and he’s probably right. Truth be told though, he’s just using her too. I bet those photos wouldn’t stay in his vault long if she agreed to do a spread for Playboy or Penthouse. Before it’s all said and done, Jessica may be lucky if she isn’t doing some kinky girl-on-girl thing with Miss Hilton. It’ll have a bad title, too. A Lynching in Paris is about the best one you could hope for.

I watched some of the interview with Jessica Lynch the other day though, and it doesn’t seem like she had much of this coming. Maybe she’s just better at covering up her attempt at star whoredom, but it almost seems like she’d just as soon it all go away so she can live her life.

If her plan to become famous included growing up in a tiny town in Virginia, joining the Army, going to war, getting wounded, raped, then rescued until the national press was beating down her door, you gotta admit, that’s a pretty sucky plan. If such a plan actually worked out for her, then she deserved all the attention she got and she would be a much better planner than any of

her superiors in the Army.

The media and military made her into whatever made the best story for them, as she was too unconscious to do much about any of it until it was already done. Now that she can actually speak for herself she doesn’t even seem like the same person. She feels her story was overdramatized by the U.S. Military. Yeah, honey, everyone pretty much feels that way.

If your rescue was really that dangerous, they would have had people holding guns instead of cameras as they burst through the hospital doors. They needed a mascot and you were the first one that came along who was cute enough. It doesn’t matter if the real story comes out now. They’ve already got everything out of it that they needed to.

People only remember the headlines.

Something slides across the bottom of the TV screen that says the poor girl was rescued in a dramatic fashion and it stops there. It doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not.

You can print as many corrections as you like, they won’t get read nearly as carefully as the initial headline was. She’s a national hero already and she can’t do anything about it.

Jessica Lynch’s life will now be seen as the movie of the week. She won’t be remembered as herself but as the actress who portrayed her.

Let’s face it, you mention Sid Vicious and most folks get a mental picture of Gary Oldman in Sid and Nancy. I’m surprised she hasn’t allowed herself to get sucked into the machine further. Most folks in her shoes would have already had a canceled talk show by now, not to mention an action figure and a T-shirt with an inspirational message on it.

Hell, she could have cornered the market if she endorsed yellow ribbons to tie on your car antenna. Jessica authorized a biography about her experiences, but I doubt that will do much.

See, anyone who’s really interested in this story probably isn’t much of a reader, at least not of books. They’ll read the review of the book in People magazine and that will be the end of that. The book will be on the bargain rack before we manage to get ourselves into another war and in six months she’ll be lucky if anyone can remember her name during a Trivial Pursuit game.

It may be all she ever wanted. buzz

Michael Coulter is a videographer at Parkland College. He writes a weekly e-mail column, “This Sporting Life” and has hosted several local comedy shows.

walters...mexico is missing one thing: you! the days are warm but i miss your sunshine. hurry up, march! heart--carmel

Hey Dr. J, If your Pre-Dental does that mean I have to pay you to put your tool in my mouth?

Let me know...Mary Heyy matt...I feel it; you're different...will

Hpets- A goldfish left lincoln logs in my sock drawer. Today we're animals.

Tomorrow... dissolving in space. -Rev. Euphoria GDers- And the deadline said-- The book is done. :-D Carol- Happy Birthday. Let’s party like the book’s done.

Stens- here’s to finally finding out what the floor of your office feels like ;-) SWEET “DIRTY” TALKS ARE FREE. To submit your message go to www.readbuzz.com and click on the Sweet Talk link.

Leave out last names and phone numbers because we (and probably you!) could get in big fat trouble for printing them.

We reserve the right to edit your messages.

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odds & end

I WISH MY HORISCOPE WAS BETTER THIS WEEK... | NOVEMBER 13-NOVEMBER 19, 2003

buzz

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): To prepare you for your upcoming encounters with inexpressible mystery, Ioffer you the words of Alexander Solzhenitsyn from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech.

"Not everything has a name," he said. "Some things lead us into a realm beyond words . . . to revelations unattainable by reason. It is like that small mirror in fairy tales -- you glance in it and what you see is not yourself; for an instant you glimpse the Inaccessible, where no magic carpet can take you. And the soul cries out for it."

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "Do one thing that scares you every day," counsels novelist Kurt Vonnegut.That's easy for a risk-loving Scorpio like him to say, but is it good advice for you Tauruses, who typically thrive on peace and safety? At most other times, I would say no; I'd suggest you force yourself to face your fears no more than once a month. But the coming weeks are shaping up as a departure from your usual rhythms. You can do a lot to ensure your long-term peace and safety through regular encounters with unpredictable experiences that will scare up your hidden reserves of courage.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): At one point in Steve Martin's novella, The Pleasure of My Company, the main character Daniel says: "The real me and a false one were competing against each other." San Francisco Chronicle reviewer David Kipen comments that "You could easily read the whole novella as the story of this competition between real and false Daniels." I think we can apply a similar description to your adventures in the coming weeks, Gemini: The deep, genuine version of you will be struggling for supremacy with the artificial, fragmented one.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): "Dear Mr. Brezsny: I'm a feminist in a post-feminist era, a warrior poet when poetry is considered irrelevant in war, and a lone wolf amidst yapping coyotes. I've been a firefighter, journalist, and janitor -- and damn good at all three, not that anybody noticed. My questions are: Why is my success with men like that of a goat trying to herd trucks? Why is the only luck I ever have the 'avoided the falling piano at the last second' kind? Are there any cake raffle winnings in my future? -AntiHeroic Crab" Dear Anti-Heroic: The mournful conditions you described will take a turn for the better when you devote a concentrated time to becoming emotionally self-sufficient. During that period, vow to draw all the love you need from either yourself or whatever passes for God of Goddess in your world. Now would be the perfect moment to begin.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Clarissa Pinkola Estes is a psychotherapist and cantadora, "a keeper of the old stories." She believes that feeding the soul with nourishing tales is a great healing art. And what constitutes a "nourishing" tale? Her repertoire is filled with

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "Charlie's Angels" star Cameron Diaz, born under the sign of Virgo, hates to give autographs to fans.

She's so notorious that Autograph Collector magazine named her the least approachable celebrity entertainer. Another Virgo luminary, Shannon Elizabeth, was ranked right behind Diaz in her stinginess. To redeem your tribe's reputation, I urge you to give away your autograph to anyone and everyone in the coming week. Such a generous display would also dovetail nicely with the astrological omens, which suggest you should engage in playful acts that make you feel like a star.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "Satan is broke!" declared a recent article in the Weekly World News. "He's selling back souls at half price to avoid bankruptcy." On the face of it, this is an amusing riff dreamed up by one of the comic geniuses who writes for the notorious tabloid. But oddly enough, there is a metaphorical grain of truth in it. The astrological omens suggest that a huge window of opportunity has opened for those who need redemption. It is a favorable moment for lost souls to find themselves, for black sheep and prodigal sons to return to the fold, and for incorrigible troublemakers to mend their ways. I'm letting you know, Aquarius, because your tribe, more than any of the other signs, is in the best position to facilitate rehabilitations and restorations of all kinds -- both for others and for yourself.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Many plants used for prescription drugs originate in tropical rainforests. Do their endangered ecosystems therefore harbor other healing herbs that are as yet undiscovered? Probably. But a recent study suggests that weeds growing in easily accessible places near human settlements may be an equally important source of medicine. The Journal of Ethnopharmacology reports that the Highland Mayans of Chiapa "rely almost exclusively on disturbed areas for medicinal plants, even in communities that are adjacent to stands of primary forest." I offer up this intriguing scenario as an apt metaphor for you in the coming days. The best goodies are more likely to be close at hand in the midst of familiar clutter, not in far-off enclaves of peace and plenty. (Thanks to www.eurekalert.org/ for this info.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "I've finally got my relationship problem figured out," wrote Melinda, a reader from Philadelphia.

"It has been a lifelong, insidious misunderstanding of what I'm entitled to, combined with a fear of abandonment that has made me grab onto the wrong companions." I bring this testimony to your attention, Pisces, because I think it resonates with realizations you're ready for. The coming months will be a favorable time for you to discern the hidden karma that has been keeping you from getting the love you want. A good way to begin your search will be to take inven ory of your fear of abandonment and your misunderstanding of what you're entitled to.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): To supply the newsprint for the average Sunday edition of the New York Times, about 63,000 trees must die. Is that a worthy sacrifice? Maybe. To keep your body fueled with caffeine for a year, upwards of a thousand plants must give up their lives. Is that a worthy sacrifice? Possibly.

To make sure your freshly hatched dream will ultimately reach full bloom, at least three of your tired old illusions will have to croak. Is that a worthy sacrifice? Hell, yes. Let the mercy killing begin.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You're not awakening from a coma or anesthesia; it's not quite that dramatic. But the effect will be similar. Events you've been blind to will suddenly become visible.You'll become a magnet for clues you've been repelling.Your emotional numbness will recede, allowing a flood of feelings to come rushing into your awareness. The net effect, at least initially, may be confusing: You'll be filled up with too much information too fast to make sense of it. But be patient and concentrate

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Horses prove to be fun for C-U BETH ROGERS | STAFF WRITER

A

girl wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt crouches astride the broad back of a chestnut stallion that stands 5 feet tall at the shoulder. Her arms and legs, delicate as matchsticks, cling to the animal. Crouching low over its neck, she gallops around the indoor arena at Topline Farm. She wheels the horse around and turns him to the center of the ring, where her instructor watches her posture, analyzing her balance and control of the horse in a single glance.

A smile bursts over Claire Nonnemann’s face, her mouth stretching so wide that the chinstrap of her helmet threatens to snap. The animal tosses its head and snorts, waiting for the next chance to run.

“Next time you want to raise your sternum,” says Kim Kennedy, owner of Topline Farm, giving the horse’s thick neck an energetic pat before sending horse and rider on another lap around the arena.

Millions of Americans come to riding academies like Topline Farm every year, looking for the fun and excitement equestrianism can

HaroldAllston

43 Discovery of

10 Anatomical

45 Cradle

11 Gauge datum

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12 Summer fig-

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Sir James Chadwick contents

46 Walk like a cat

30 Something planned 40 They don’t follow suit 42 Occasion for rolling

out the red carpet

ures?

13 Some complex

49 Hit upon the solution

14 Gliders

50 Pedal, perhaps

21 Like

Venezuela

52 Modern pentathletes’

needs

53 Hints 54 Harper of Hollywood 55 Like some curtains

DOWN 1 Radiator adjunct

communities

Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7

22 Refine 24 Legions 25 Service status

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7 A runner may enter

35 Be like 36 Music symbol 37 One with a

fleet fleet

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48 51

Puzzle by Robert H. Wolfe

38 Thieving

46 Meth., e.g.

39 Present and

47 ___ Ridge (race-

43 Computers on

51 Land in S.A.

a network

44 Some painted vessels

What is the history behind the Great Impasta?

In 1983, Piero Faraci fulfilled a lifelong dream of opening a small Italian restaurant. The old restaurant was located one half block west of our current location. I was given the opportunity to purchase the restaurant and this property was available. Our population was such that we decided to make the move east.

How did you get involved in the restaurant business?

I was a University student here trying to pay the bills. I started working at Greater Downtown Food and Beverage Company that was next door to the Great Impasta. I learned the ins and outs of cooking and service and discovered I was talented at it.

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bring. Horseback riding is one of the oldest forms of exercise and has been used for everything from entertainment at annual horse races to therapy for the physically disabled.

Although the horse show season is mostly over this late in the year, equestrian sport lovers will continue to ride and enjoy these animals all year long. Without the hoopla that surrounds events like the Kentucky Derby, curious newcomers to equestrian sports may not know where to look for opportunities to ride.

Claire, 13, began riding when she was 9 years old. She started out learning balance and the basics of how to direct the horse. She had her first major accident at the age of 10, toppling from the saddle when the horse stumbled on a rough patch of ground. Claire landed in the dirt and was kicked in the face by her mount, but remained steadfast in her goals; later in the emergency room, while the doctors reset her broken collarbone, she begged, “Can I still be in the horse show on Saturday?”

“That’s when I knew I had a real horse addict on my hands,” says Bob Nonnemann, Claire’s father.

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6 Jimmies

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with “the”

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32 Makes secret,

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8 Shore soarers

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30 Mohammed,

5 Valjean’s

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27 Hands over

2 Many a heavenly

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1

interstices

48 ___ Teques,

22 Political leader origi-

29 Display aid

Coming in November

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "I go through the canned-goods department of my soul," mused columnist Jon Carroll, "and I write down how many cubes of spiritual bouillon I have left." I suggest you take a similar tack this week, Capricorn. In other words, add a touch of self-mocking frivolity as you make a profound inventory of your current relationship with the Great Mystery. And be sure to mix in a few wacky, winsome questions with your heartfelt yearning for deeper understanding. Here's how Carroll expressed it: "Who am I? Why am I here? Is there an entity greater than myself? If there is, how can I get it to like me?

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horse)

Harold Allston knows many of the ins and outs of the restaurant business. Former chef for the Great Impasta, Allston now owns the Italian restaurant, located at 132 W. Church in downtown Champaign. Allston currently resides in Champaign with his wife Nancy and has two children.

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community

NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 |

Q & A

Tommy G’s Fri., November 21 FREE FOOD FRIDAYS!

myths and fairy tales that "cut fine wide doors in previous blank walls, openings that lead to the dreamland, that lead to love and learning, that lead us back to our own real lives." I advise you to get some of this good stuff, Leo. Feast on unpredictable stories that replenish your innocence and rekindle your sense of wonder. Estes' book, Women Who Run With the Wolves, has some good ones. Try "Skeleton Woman" or "Sealskin, Soulskin."

buzz

How did you specifically get involved with the Great Impasta?

I met Piero when he was making pasta at Greater Downtown Food and Beverage before the Great Impasta. I left town for a while but when I came back he had opened the Great Impasta and asked me to work. Since I was unemployed, I said sure, and that was 17 years ago.

What is the best part of your job?

The people. The people that come in and the people I work with. I also like tasting Scott’s (Great Impasta chef) specials.

PHOTO | CHRISTINE LITAS

1120buzz0322

Claire Nonnemann brushes Indy after her lesson.

What attracts customers to the Great Impasta?

Great food, great service, great staff and great all-around atmosphere. There is a lot of loyalty here. We have an incredible number of loving guests. When we moved, we were closed for three months and I was besieged with questions about when we were going to open. I was tempted to do a soft, quiet opening, but as soon as we opened, we had florists delivering flowers from people congratulating us on the opening. I didn’t expect such an outpouring of concern and care, and I am truly grateful for it.

Does the Great Impasta have a specialty dish?

All our dishes are special. All of our pastas are made from scratch and we feature several kinds of lasagna—seafood, portabella, marinara. We also have great luncheon pasta salads and feature our ‘Great Impastanoff’ which is our take on beef stroganoff.

How does owning a restaurant differ from being a chef?

There is more pressure, responsibility and anxiety with owning a restaurant. As a chef, you are more involved in the immediate. If the dish went over, you knew immediately.

As an owner, you are responsible for everyone working for you and forecasting the future. You have to be one step ahead.

What is your favorite food?

I love seafood. I think my children inherited my taste buds as well—they love lobster and crab too.

What are some of your other interests?

My children, and spending time with my family. I also enjoy bicycle riding and reading.

What is in store for the future of the Great Impasta?

We have an upstairs that I would like to convert into a banquet area and there is a space to the north (where) I would like to have an outdoor patio. We will continue to celebrate local produce and share our wine and culinary discoveries with the guests.

What is one piece of advice you would give to new chefs or business owners?

I would give different pieces of advice for each one. For new business owners, I would say learn the finances. Talk to accountants, banks and lawyers. Learn as much as you can about numbers. For chefs, I would say continue to explore. Continue to eat in different places and taste as many dishes as possible.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given?

‘It is all in the details.’ Piero used to tell me that constantly, and he is absolutely right— especially in a business like this.

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NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003

Claire never considered quitting after suffering her injury, nor did she develop a fear of horses as a result of her setback. “I just couldn’t give it up. I love the rush.”

For anyone who is fascinated by horses, lessons are a good place to start. This way, interested people can find out whether or not they truly enjoy riding before they spend several hundred dollars on equipment. Lessons are a good way to learn the basics of horse riding, which is more than just kicking the horse to make it go, pulling back on the reins to stop and not falling off. As Nicolas Evans writes in his novel The Horse Whisperer, “It’s a lot like nuts and bolts—if the rider’s nuts, the horse bolts!”

“When you ride, you’re holding together the whole horse,” says Kennedy. “If you fall off, you want to have a good story to tell, not something silly like, ‘I forgot to tighten the girth’ or ‘My balance was off.’”

Finding a place to ride usually isn’t difficult in Illinois. The flat, grassy landscape is perfect for grazing horses. A few minutes spent looking through the phone book or on the Internet can turn up a few options in your area, and even if it is a half hour away or so, parents can be talked into making the trip once a week.

Finding the teacher that fits your style can be more difficult, so think about observing classes at as many different stables as you can.

This way, you can see how classes are run and what class times fit into your schedule. You can also ask questions before you begin lessons. This is important, especially if you were hoping to learn something specific about riding, such as jumping.

In the cool autumn evening, Claire arrives at Topline Farm well before her 6:30 p.m. les-

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son and heads into the barn to get her mount the ground occasionally as through ready to go. ready to ride. Her boot heels click on the con- Claire often pats the horse affectionately on the crete floor as she passes the stalls, the chains nose or neck as she passes back and forth. hanging on the walls clinking in the wind. Another benefit of horsemanship, aside from After fetching her horse, a dark stallion stand- the excellent exercise, is the companionship of ing more than 5 feet tall at the shoulder, she this huge, friendly beast.

Plenty of opportunities exist for riders to attaches his harness to the chains to keep him in place while she grooms him. She brushes rediscover the sport or get into it for the first his satiny coat free of mud and dust, making time with the Illini Equestrians. The group is as especially sure that his back is clean where the big on social events like barn dances and bar saddle will rest. She picks each hoof with a crawls as they are in the Intercollegiate Horse special tool, scraping hard clods of mud out Show Association shows, says Cat Dayger, one with the pointed end, brushing away loose of two English coaches for the club. Members dirt with the bristles on the other end. This can personalize their level of involvement and should not feel like will make it less likely they cannot join if they for the horse to pick don’t want to appear up a stone in its hoof in horse shows or if while in the arena. they do not have time Then the saddle pad for every social event, and saddle are put on Dayger says. the horse’s back, “I love being around against the withers— Ron Rhoades horses because they’re the area where the honest. If they’re mad, neck meets the body — and cinched up using a strap with several buck- they show it. They’re easy to please; they’ll do les, called a girth. The girth can be adjusted to anything for treats. They watch for you as you avoid pinching the animal. One of the final come into the barn ... they really care,” says parts of the process is sliding the bridle over the Dayger. Dayger, a junior in animal sciences at horse’s head and getting him to take the bit the University of Illinois, has been riding seribetween his teeth. The bridle is a complicated ously since sixth grade and leases her horse looking combination of straps and metal pieces from a local stable.

Claire, like most young equestrians, hopes to that encircle the horse’s entire head, so it can take practice to put it on correctly, with the reins lease or own her own horse one day as well. She resting on the horse’s back and the metal bit in has been taking riding lessons for so long that his mouth. This routine must be completed she became bored with simple trail riding and before any lesson has begun to ensure the safe- decided to learn jumping.

“She’s been taking jumps up to 3 feet 6 inchty and happiness of both horse and rider.

Claire’s mount waits patiently while she fin- es (tall). That’s exciting enough to make a parishes these necessities, neighing and pawing ent’s heart go pitter-patter,” says Bob.

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Buying a horse isn’t the expensive part — keeping it is.

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NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | S0... A PIRATE WALKS INTO A BAR

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

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

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• All employment advertising in this newspaper is subject to the City of Champaign Human Rights Ordinance and similar state and local laws, making it illegal for any person to cause to be published any advertisement which expresses limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, color, mental handicap, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, political affiliation, prior arrest or conviction record, source of income, or the fact that such person is a student.

• Specification in employment classifications are made only where such factors are bonafide occupational qualifications necessary for employment.

• All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, and similar state and local laws which make it illegal for any person to cause to be published any advertisement relating to the transfer, sale, rental, or lease of any housing which expresses limitation, specifications or discrimination as to race, color, creed, class, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental handicap, personal appearance, sexual oientation, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or the fact that such person is a student.

• This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. Our readers are informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal oppportunity basis.

DEADLINE:

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

Employment 000

AUTOMOBILES

HELP WANTED | Full Time

HELP WANTED | Part Time

1990 Olds Cutlass Ciera. Dark Red. 2 Door. All Power. Sporty Ride at $1250.

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Le Therapeutic Massage. Day/ Evening/ Weekend, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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LAWN CARE FREE ESTIMATES: Tree trimming, Topping, Removal, Stump Grinding.

384-5010.

1990 Pontiac Turbo Grand-Prix.

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1992 Pontiac Grand-Am. Green. 4 Door. A/C. Nice Ride at $1450.

Affordable Auto Sale 912 West Bradley Ave Champaign, IL 61821 (217)352-5238

Used Beseler Dichro 67-F enlarger.

Plus miscellaneous equipment. $300 398-1963

AUTOMOBILES

1993 Ford Escort Wagon. AC, Green. Great ride at $1250.

Affordable Auto Sale 912 West Bradley Ave Champaign, IL 61821 (217)352-5238

1992 Plymouth 7- passenger minivan. Reliable utility vehicle $1150 586-1943.

Photo Sellers 30 words or less + photo: $5 per issue

Action Ads • 20 words, run any 5 days (in buzz or The Daily Illini), $14 • 10 words, run any 5 days (in buzz or The Daily Illini), $7 • add a photo to an action ad, $10

102 S. Lincoln Horizon Apts.

Green and Lincoln, U.

August 2004 3 level townhouse, cathedral ceiling living room, loft deck. Must see to appreciate. Sleeps 4, 2 full baths, gas heat, central air, washer/dryer, dishwasher, garbage disposal, internet, and cable ready. Two free parking spaces. $1380/month.

Call 352-3674 or 377-1552

Security Building

Paid-in-Advance: 25¢/word

Garage Sales 30 words in both Thursday’s buzz and Friday’s Daily Illini!! $10. If it rains, your next date is free.

808 S. Oak, Champaign Imported furnishings, sound proofing, A/C, 2 balconies, burglar alarms, laundry. Utility discount.

Parking. Aug 2004. www.mhmproperties.com 337-8852

3 & 4 bedroom luxury apartments 205 S. Sixth St.

RATES:

1987 Nissan Sentra. 2 Door Hatchback. Blue. Sporty economy ride at $750.

Affordable Auto Sale 912 West Bradley Ave Champaign, IL 61821 (217)352-5238

1993 Ford Taurus Wagon. Green, All Power. Very clean ride at $1695.

Affordable Auto Sale 912 West Bradley Ave Champaign, IL 61821 (217)352-5238

805 S. Locust, C. 2 & 4 bedroom luxury furnished apartments. Contemporary furnishings, bi-level, laundry, AC, large rooms, microwave, dishwasher, parking. Aug. 2004. www.mhmproperties.com 337-8852 JOHN SMITH PROPERTY MANAGEMENT www.johnsmithproperties.com (217)384-6930 “believe the hype”

CAMPUS APARTMENTS Unurnished 507A W. Green St. One bedroom Spring semester, quiet location, close to campus, covered parking, central heat/ air, water/ garbage included, residential neighborhood. $450/mo. (309)383-3346.

Brand new luxury 1, 2, 3, bedroom apartments available in Champaign.

Call Manchester Property Management at 359-0248 for an appointment.

You name it

SUBLETS

Apartment for Rent All utilities ethernet, cable, laundry included. $425/mo. $350 deposit.

Parking. 637-6372.

Available for spring nice one bedroom in great location, free parking rent negotiable. 847-651-9062.

Close to Engineering campus. Large efficiency. $355/mo. 363-0107.

2, 3, 4 bedroom luxury apartment

107 N. Busey, U.

Billed rate: 34¢/word

Right: Thirteenyear-old Claire Nonnemann of Urbana rides Indy, a thorough bred, during her weekly lesson Monday evening at Top Line Farm.

Nonnemann has been riding since she was 9 years old: "It's something exciting and different."

PAID UTILITIES! Living room, eat-in kitchen, porch, parking, laundry facilities, air conditioning, furnished. August 2004. www.mhmproperties.com 337-8852

August ‘04. New 2, 4 bedroom luxury furnished apartments.Sundeck, Balconies, Skylights, 2 Full Baths, Cathedral Ceilings, Ceiling Fan, Laundry on each floor. Assigned parking. Sound proofing. Utility discount, security system. www.mhmproperties.com 337-8852

CAMERAS

CAMPUS APARTMENTS Furnished

101 S. Busey, U. 1 bedroom apartment with

New Security Building

Merchandise 200

Transportation 300

Washer/dryer, AC, balcony, dishwasher, intercom, ethernet, contemporary furnishings, microwave.

605 E. Clark St., C. www.mhmproperties.com 337-8852

2 bedroom and bi-level 4 bedroom, two bath. Imported furnishings, balconies, skylights, cathedral ceilings, washer/ dryer in each apt. Security underground parking. Aug. 2004 www.mhmproperties.com 337-8852

CLEANING Exact Extraction. Carpet & upholstery cleaning. Free estimates. 6883101.

1 Bedroom Luxury Apartments

New Security Building

New Security Building

Crab Hut in Market Place Mall needs sales people over 18 ASAP. Call Lela 630-854-8363

BUSINESS SERVICES

801 STOUGHTON, URBANA. MULTI-LEVEL TOWNHOME, 4 BLOCKS FROM QUAD. PRIVATE LOFT W/ FULL BATH, FIREPLACE, PATIO, GARAGE, SKYLIGHT, W/D, CENTRAL A/C. CALL MISSY FOR DETAILS, 202-6412

101 E. Daniel, C.

HELP WANTED | Full / Part Time

100

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Spring semester weekday hours.

Enquire Rick Orr Florists. 351-9299

Services

400

CAMPUS APARTMENTS Furnished

Express Personnel Services 217.355.8500 101 Devonshire Dr., Champaign

The Champaign County Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Council (40N\88W) is looking for the right person to be Managing Director.

See 40north.org for details and application procedures.

Apartments

Washer/ dryer, AC, balconies, dishwasher, ethernet, 48’ TV, microwave. www.mhmproperties.com 337-8852

502 W. Green, U Aug 2004 A fireplace and a private balcony is what you will have with this cozy 4 bedroom, 2 full bath apartment. Nice furniture, fully carpeted, washer/dryer, garbage disposal, microwave, and dishwasher. Internet and cable ready, central air. $1120/month.

Call 352-3674 or 377-1552

We’ll sell it for you

Great location Spring, furnished efficiency apartment all utilities included, 4th/ Chalmers rent negotiable. pdburnet@uiuc.edu Spacious one bedroom unfurnished hardwood floors $475 negotiable.

217-259-9981

Spring 2004 Sublet. Efficiency near Beckman. $355 per month bbayer@uiuc.edu.

Spring/ Summer. Huge 2 bedroom, furnished, free parking, on campus, new kitchen, low utilities, we’ll cover reconnection fees, low rent.

(217)384-8032.

Other Rentals 500 ROOMS Efficiency rooms on campus $250-$310, all utilities paid. 3676626

ROOMMATES For Spring Semester 1 BR available in 4 BR house on campus. Fully furnished, W/D, free parking. Price negotiable. 217-3846061 or msstraus@law.uiuc.edu

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Left: Claire Nonnemann removes Indy's harness after her lesson.

PHOTO | CHRISTINE LITAS

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11/19/03

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film & tv

HALLE BERRY IS BIGGER AND BETTER. | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz

BROTHER BEAR ★★ JOAQUIN PHOENIX AND PHIL COLLINS While American animators still have a long way to go to achieve the sheer grandeur and exhilarating imagination of foreign animation, such as in last year’s Spirited Away, Brother Bear shows they do have their moments. It’s just unfortunate that their visuals have to be spoiled by rudimentary plots, discardable characters and downright ugly music. (John Loos) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

ELF ★★★ WILL FERRELL AND JAMES CAAN The film itself really makes no attempts to hide its basic premise as a Christmas movie.There’s Santa, perfectly played by Ed Asner.There’s the head elf, portrayed by Bob Newhart.There’s the grumpy, anti-Christmas guy, James Caan. It’s like every Christmas television special and movie rolled into one. And therein lies its genius. (Dan Maloney) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

KILL BILL: VOLUME ONE ★★★★ UMA THURMAN AND DAVID CARRADINE Kill Bill is raw entertainment that packs brains with its brawn.

That is because Tarantino is an expert at drawing feeling from his killers, robbers and sociopaths. In Kill Bill, Tarantino revisits his penchant for characters who have experienced past— and specifically, childhood—trauma, again hitting the mark with brave situational dichotomy.(Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION ★★ JENNA ELFMAN AND STEVE MARTIN On paper, Looney Tunes: Back in Action has all the pieces in place to equal Who Framed Roger Rabbit. But on the screen, the film is occasionally entertaining, and, in terms of laughs, doesn’t even equal Space Jam. Hard to believe, but for the first time in memory, the Looney Tunes gang will likely bore adults and children alike. (Andrew Vecelas) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy.

LOVE ACTUALLY ★★★ HUGH GRANT AND EMMA THOMPSON The film’s delicate blend of outrageous comedic scenes, which also prove that Brits can perform slapstick and dry humor equally, mix well with heartwarming confessions from each of the characters. Needless to say, keep a lookout for a wonderful dance sequence with Grant’s character.. The large ensemble cast is also made up of the “who’s who” of English actors. Laura Linney joins in too, and puts in a marvelous performance as an American wallflower who draws on everyone’s empathy without appearing fake. (Janelle Greenwood) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

LIVE JAZZ at

MASTER AND COMMANDER ★★★★ RUSSELL CROWE AND PAUL BETTANY Weir buffs will get a kick out of watching this film and remembering The Truman Show. While Truman’s aquatic-oriented scenes introduced the director’s ability to craft stimulating scenes of sea-swept peril, Master and Commander achieves a far higher degree of oceanic fanfare. It’s a glorious tale of adventure on the high seas sure to put wind in any landlubber’s sails. (Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy.

THE MATRIX: REVOLUTIONS ★★ KEANU REEVES AND LAURENCE FISHBURNE In the utterly disappointing The Matrix: Revolutions, the Wachowskis simultaneously step away from that which made the previous films worthwhile and indulge in the elements that made them hollow. Gone are the eye-popping action sequences of high-tech originality and legitimate conceptions of a machine-oriented future spun out of control.

(Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy.

RADIO ★★ CUBA GOODING JR. AND ED HARRIS Cuba Gooding Jr. does his best to give a performance that will make his critics less likely to demand that he give back his Oscar after horrendous films such as Snow Dogs, but this film doesn’t do anything more than give a dramatic version of Adam Sandler’s The Waterboy. (Jason Cantone) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

RUNAWAY JURY ★★★ DUSTIN HOFFMAN AND GENE HACKMAN Based upon the best-selling John Grisham novel, this story was originally about tobacco farms, but becomes a tale of guns. Featuring two of the greatest actors alive, this film is exactly what a summer beach novel is good for: a lot of fun, provided that you suspend disbelief. (Jason Cantone) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

SCARY MOVIE 3 ★★★ CHARLIE SHEEN AND DENISE RICHARDS With the Wayans brothers gone, slapstick king David Zucker does his best to reinvent this dying franchise. Occasionally hilarious, but often stupid. (Andrew Crewell) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

TUPAC: RESURRECTION ★★★ NARRATED BY TUPAC SHAKUR It is Shakur’s demigod status that shines through in the film— the same status that made the original creator of “thug life” the greatest rapper ever before being killed at the young age of 25. (Andrew Crewell) Now showing at Savoy.

OPENING THIS WEEKEND CAT IN THE HAT

MIKE MYERS AND ALEC BALDWIN Jim Carrey took his rendition of the Grinch to box office heights, but can Mike Myers echo the same success? If Good Boy! is making money, this just has to. (Jason Cantone) Opening at Beverly and Savoy

GOTHIKA

HALLE BERRY AND ROBERT DOWNEY JR. Halle Berry looks unattractive and Robert Downey Jr. doesn’t do drugs. If that’s not totally crazy enough, Berry also plays a psychiatrist who becomes a client. (Jason Cantone) Opening at Beverly and Savoy

THE HUMAN STAIN

ANTHONY HOPKINS AND NICOLE KIDMAN Anthony Hopkins has a deep, dark secret that unravels his life and leads him to wild sex with Nicole Kidman after she does a sexy striptease. If that’s what happens when life becomes unravelled, sign me up! (Jason Cantone) Opening at Beverly

SHATTERED GLASS

o m ab t Sh exte$ S 3 627 E. GREEN 344-0710

THURSDAY AT 9:30 $3.00 COVER

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN AND CHLOE SEVIGNY The true story of a young journalist caught plagiarizing. If only he wrote an apology about how it was all an accident about citing things. That seems to work. (Jason Cantone) Opening at Beverly

STEP INTO LIQUID

ROCHELLE BALLARD AND SHAWN BARRON No special effects. No stuntmen. No stereotypes. This film provides an action-packed look inside the surfing world in this well-reviewed documentary. (Jason Cantone) Opening at Boardman’s

moviereview

SYLVIA ★★

BY JANELLE GREENWOOD | STAFF WRITER

FOCUS FEATURES

Drive-thru Reviews

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F

ilms capturing famed authors’ lives, such as last year’s The Hours, which looked at Virginia Woolf, are definitely on the rise in Hollywood; the latest, Sylvia, fits nicely into this window of Oscar possibilities.

Unfortunately, Sylvia never quite reaches the flow or ease of The Hours, and it reverts back to the worst screenplay filler of romantic feuds.

Notes from the real Sylvia Plath, from her husband’s private collection after his death, led to the film’s screenplay. The nature in which the notes were found may have influenced the film’s focus on Plath’s love life, rather than her total melancholy.

The story never really progresses past her weepy romance, which turns into paranoia, inevitably becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Yes, Sylvia Plath (Gwyneth Paltrow) was married and her life did revolve around her relationship to the writer Ted Hughes (Daniel Craig), but her overwhelming depression from her general insecurities proposed more of an issue than her jealousy of her husband’s success and his infidelity. Paltrow turns in the best

SYLVIA | GWYNETH PALTROW performance possible under a one-dimensionally written character. At the very least, the audience can tell that Plath feels uncomfortable in her own skin. Most remarkable is Paltrow’s portrayal of Plath’s demeanor, mannerisms and appearance.

Plath’s work on her famous novel, The Bell Jar, briefly gets mentioned, which really takes away from the film’s credibility. Her work on that well-known novel followed her own similar progression into madness, which ultimately led Plath to take her own life several months later. The film really sidesteps this point, which is far more significant to Plath’s life than her wavering relationship.

Overall Sylvia’s plot and character development lack the conviction that made Nicole Kidman’s portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours so powerful.

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community

NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26 | FUNNY SENTENCE HERE

Some think purchasing the horse is the most expensive part of owning it, says Ron Rhoades, owner of White Horse farms in Seymour, Ill. “Buying a horse isn’t the expensive part— keeping it is,” says Rhoades. He estimates that one horse costs about $175 a month for routine medical care, food and bedding, plus a monthly fee for boarding the horse at a stable. Also, the rider will buy between $1,000 and $2,000 of equipment, called tack, including the saddle, helmet, bridles and lead lines. There are always ways to cut costs on these initial investments, however. If possible, people board the animal at home. Another easy way to save is to look for used equipment in the classifieds in your area. If you’re already taking lessons, ask your instructor if he knows anyone who has a horse or tack for sale cheap—but be sure to find out why the animal is such a bargain before buying. The horse itself could cost several thousand dollars if you have your heart set on a particular breed.

Time is another thing to consider. Like any pet, a horse demands a lot of time and care.

But never confuse a horse with the family dog—horses are an enormous responsibility.

You must clean their stalls every day, make

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sure they have plenty of food and water, keep their coats and hooves clean and most importantly, don’t forget to ride! Horses depend on you for exercise just as much as you depend on them.

If you’ve thought about the financial sacrifices, and are determined to buy a horse even if you have to live in your newly-built barn eating ramen noodles, don’t buy a horse from an auction unless you have experience. It’s too easy for amateurs to bid on the wrong horse or to bid too much. Take an experienced horse person with you to look at possible buys to get their opinion and look at a lot of horses. Ask questions of anyone who knows anything about horses, read books and surf the Internet for information. There are people all over the world dying to pass on their enthusiasm to you. Take a look.

No matter what your living situation or financial background, true horse enthusiasts will find a way to include horses in their lifestyle. “Horse people are crazy,” says Rhoades, “But they’re good people.”

For more information about joining Illini Equestrians, check out their Web site: http://www2.uiuc.edu/ro/IlEq/. buzz

Owner of Top Line Farm Kim Kennedy coaches a riding lesson Monday evening. Kennedy has owned the farm for 15 years and teaches lessons throughout the week.

moviereview

TUPAC: RESURECTION ★★★

BY ANDREW CREWELL | STAFF WRITER

T

upac Shakur comes back to life in the documentary Tupac: Resurrection. The rapper slain by gunfire just over seven years ago narrates his own life story, where he tells all about his youth, drugs, women, battles and all else tied up in a life filled with controversy.

Getting shot was nothing strange to Tupac.

Two years before his death, he was shot five times—including twice in the head—but lived through the ordeal. Upon leaving the hospital, Shakur blamed Notorious B.I.G. and other “East-Coast” rappers for the attempt on his life, and so began the feud between East Coast and West Coast that would entrance the hip-hop world for years. This blame caused Tupac to join Suge Knight-led Death Row Records, which also produced Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. It was then that Shakur sat down to grant an interview that would encompass his entire life.

He talked candidly about his family, his Black Panther past, the importance of drugs and violence in his life, his cultured upbringing and the race conflict that at times ruled his life.

It is this interview that Tupac: Resurrection laces over snippets of Shakur’s concerts, talk show spots and other appearances to give the

TUPAC: RESURRECTION | TUPAC SHAKUR autobiographical documentary.

It isn’t until now that many will fully comprehend the depth of the rapper. The film portrays Tupac as a theologian and cultural revolutionary obsessed with the inequalities of society. Constantly striving for equality for blacks and the poor, Tupac: Resurrection paints the picture that his enemies never wanted to be seen.

The man was a poet, an articulate speaker and an intellectual who rose from the concrete projects to be a hero to the masses.

Long-winded and one-sided at times, but infinitely educational, Tupac: Resurrection illustrates the importance of the departed artist.

Almost like John F. Kennedy’s death a generation ago, there are people all over America who cannot only tell you what they were doing when Shakur died, but what they were doing every time he was shot. It is Shakur’s demigod status that shines through in the film—the same status that made the original creator of “thug life” the greatest rapper ever before being killed at the young age of 25.

PHOTOS | CHRISTINE LITAS

11/19/03

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arts

SHUT UP! I GET STUFF! | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003

buzz

Dance comes alive in the outdoors

BY DREW FRIST | STAFF WRITER

said Justin Jacobs, a dance student and On Location performer.

A site that is not spectacularly interesting on its own could be transformed by a pern Location, a suite of four site-specific formance. Introducing dance to a hill or a dance performances, is organized and choreo- busy sidewalk brings dance closer to the pubgraphed by second-year graduate students in lic and the public closer to dance.

“A site is a perfect place where there is a lot dance—Petry, Water Logic; Ling-Fen Chien, of natural elements Stepping F o r w a r d ; going on,” said Petry.

Nadia Oussenko, “There are sounds, Sonority Movement; there are buses, you and Jessica Ray, have the clouds—it is Demanding Company. this idea of building Site-specific dance our life around what developed as a reacwe t h i n k i s g o i n g tion to the social and around one direction, political climate of and learning to adapt the 1960s, pioneerand evolve, and to be ing offstage moveopen to that.” ment and dance.

Petry’s own site“When you think specific dance— of dance you think of Water Logic—was perleotards, tutus and formed at Orchard toe shoes—this is a Downs Hill, located at little different,” said the i n t e r s e c t i o n o f N i c P e t r y, a Florida Avenue and University o f Orchard Street in Illinois graduate Urbana, on Nov. 16. student in dance.

Water Logic com“ We w a n t e d t o bines dance and music work on sites, centered on and break out of the thearound a hill. Dancers ater and that prosceIn this style of dance, dancers use the outside as and musicians explored nium idea.” their theater. aspects of the hill, “By putting a interacting with the piece on a site, people that wouldn’t have necessarily gone to a set design. Petry hoped to shift the physidance concert are suddenly confronted with cal and visual perspectives of the art and dance—maybe they are affected by it,” audience.

PHOTOS | NADIA OUSSENKO

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“I am taking more risk now with all of my He enlisted the help of Chad Tyler, a senior in landscape architecture at the University, movement,” said Pittner.

“The sites are all over,” said Petry. Locations to help “set stage” on the hill. Tyler, having previous experience with set design, out- include the corner of Green and Wright streets fitted the hill with props and the dancers in Champaign, Orchard Downs Hill, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in with costumes.

During the performance of Water Logic, Urbana and a lone country house on North the hill was dotted with red buckets and Market Street in Champaign.

The subject and performance style dancers wearing Day-Glo yellow raincoats. Petry and Tyler intentionally juxta- varies greatly too. Petry’s Water Logic is posed the unnatural colors with the hill’s accompanied by the live music of composer and musician John Toenjes, while Ray’s green grass and trees.

“Throughout history, hills were massive performance relies on pre-recorded instrumental music. stages for battle,” M o v e m e n t s d i ff e r, said Tyler. “During polarizing from “awkwinter this hill will wardly elegant jaunts” to be filled with chilChien’s “leaning, reachdren sliding down ing, turning and pushit.” ing” in Green and Wright The dance is part streets’ bustle. battle and part play, “Different actions can he said. create different percepSite-specific perNic Petry, dance student tions,” said Tyler. formances afford Ray’s performance, artists and performers more audience interaction and partici- Demanding Company, on Nov. 8, was minimal pation than traditional theater seating and compared to Petry’s Water Logic.

Two performers sprout from behind a ticketing would allow—Water Logic’s audilone tree in the backyard of the country ence is lead around the hill by rope.

“I wanted to reverse the idea of where the house, the twinkling of Prospect Avenue’s audience usually is, which is above the area strip mall sprawl uninhibited by the and watch(ing) down at the dance,” said Petry. empty corn field surrounding 3113 N. “What better than a hill. In a bowl, like this Market St., Champaign.

The performers, Regan Kinder and Kate hill’s (valley), the audience is down and McIlvain, were “bumbling around the holes of around the performance.”

Andrea Pittner and Rachel Wagner, both resident groundhogs.” dance students and Water Logic performers, have appreciated the opportunities off-site dancing can bring to a dancer. continued on page 7

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I wanted to reverse the idea of where the audience usually is, which is above the area and watch(ing) down at the dance.

[

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moviereview

CASA DE LOS BABYS ★★★★

BY SYD SLOBODNIK | CONTRIBUTING WRITER For more than two decades, John Sayles has been one of the most independent creative writers/directors working in the U.S. film industry, and without a doubt, he has created some of the most fascinating characters and social situations in his film stories. His latest film, Casa de los Babys, is a unique look at motherhood, the circumstances of wealthy women who can afford to have children but cannot naturally and the circumstances of poor women who can’t afford to have the children they cannot seem to help having.

Sayles’ story is another of his trademark ensemble pieces, an intriguing narrative involving numerous people whose lives become interconnected through the main concern of the film’s story. Casa de los Babys focuses on six middle-class American women who are stuck in limbo in an unidentified South American city, waiting for the bureaucratic adoption procedures to clear their personal miseries and send them home to the United States as new moms.

Sayles’ tale develops with the steady but casual pace of a well-crafted stage play. In a small resort hotel we meet the film’s six main characters: Leslie, a no-nonsense, free-speaking New Yorker (Lili Taylor); Gayle, a middle-aged recovering alcoholic (Mary Steenburgen); Nan,

tvreview

TRU CALLING ★★★

BY JENNIFER KEAST | STAFF WRITER

F

film & tv

| RITA MORENO WAS A VERY ATTRACTIVE NUN ON HBO.

or anyone who has seen Run Lola Run, FOX’s new drama thriller Tru Calling will seem vaguely familiar. The main character, Tru (Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Eliza Dushku), witnessed her mother’s murder when she was 12, and at the funeral her deceased mother speaks to her.

No one believes her at the time, of course.

The show is set after Tru’s college graduation, after a day from hell when she loses her hospital internship due to budget cuts, which was going to help her get into medical school.

Her brother was also beaten for lacking funds due at a lost poker game, and she discovers her oldest sister is on cocaine again.

One good thing does happen on this horrible day, though. Tru gets a job on the graveyard shift tagging and preparing bodies at the city morgue. Little does she know this will end up

whose arrogance and strong will to get her child puts off most everyone in the story (Marcia Gay Harden) ; Skipper, an obsessed athletic blonde who has experienced the loss of three children (Darryl Hannah); Jennifer, a wealthy younger gal from Washington, D.C. (Maggie Gyllenhaal); and Eileen, possibly the woman most in genuine need of a baby, an Irish Catholic Bostonian (Susan Lynch).

Through many conversations, we learn how important being a mother is for each woman and how past attempts at conception, miscarriages or other difficulties have caused them to choose adoption.

Interwoven in Sayles’ main tale are parallel dramas of those connected to the amazing life cycle the six main characters want so passionately to participate in: Senora Munoz, the sleazy proprietress of the baby adoption business and hotel (played with much relish by veteran Rita Moreno); a band of orphaned street urchins who beg, steal and dodge troubles on the mean streets of the city; several young Latinas who work as maids in the hotel; a couple of those womens’ boyfriends; and other young locals with dreams of greater happiness.

Sayles shows with touches of irony how important motherhood is, how many women long with great passion to nurture young lives and yet how neglected many young children are in Third World countries, where the wealth of the United States can only provide some select lucky ones with an opportunity for a comfortable lifestyle.

Sayles’ film, though, is not tackling these major social issues on any grand scale. In fact, some might think this 95-minute film is a rather slight effort that barely gets off the ground before it resolves itself to a rather abrupt sense of closure, while other stains of its story are left unfulfilled. But this isn’t a complex and plotted narrative; it’s more a slice of life. being more than she bargained for.

Her first night alone in the morgue, she thinks she hears whispering voices coming from the crypt. She locates the drawer where the whispering is coming from, she stares at the dead body, and then the dead body quickly (and scarily enough to make viewers jump the first time they see it) turns its head and says, “Help me.” And with that, the plot (and Tru) is off and running.

Each time a new corpse pleads for help, Tru wakes up and gets a second chance to live the day over again. During these second chances she does everything she can to find out why these corpses have died and then runs (and literally runs, since she was a track star while in college) around trying to prevent the deaths from occurring.

Tru Calling is a promising new drama that is sure to addict viewers if they give it a first chance. Dushku wonderfully balances the sweetheart, caring side with her tough, I-wantto-change-the-world attitude. Throughout all her adventures she always manages to look stunning in the latest trends (and even in her morgue smock).

The writers for the show do a fantastic job keeping viewers guessing with plot twists and

CAT IN THE HAT (PG) (3 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 1:00 1:15 1:30 3:00 3:15 3:30 5:00 5:15 5:30 7:00 7:15 7:30 9:00 9:15 9:30 11:00 11:15 11:30 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 1:15 1:30 3:00 3:15 3:30 5:00 5:15 5:30 7:00 7:15 7:30 9:00 9:15 9:30

SONY CLASSICS PICTURES

11/19/03

CASA DE LOS BABYS | RITA MORENO Where Sayles’ is most skilled in Casa de los Babys is in exploring the feelings and emotions of his main characters. All six female leads give outstanding and subtle performances with great sensitivity to avoiding the cliched manners of desperate women longing for motherhood. Lili Taylor is tough and unsentimental; Steenburgen is her usual soft Southern sweetness, but thinly hides a deeper set of hardfought troubles. Darryl Hannah has never been more natural, unpretentious and completely believable. And recent Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden proves once again why she is one of the most quietly powerful actresses working in Hollywood today. Gyllenhaal and Lynch also add moments of touching emotions, as the two youngest women of the group.

Together with Sayles’ dialogue and engaging camera technique, these actresses explore many of the personal, human emotions of women with almost the same effectiveness as Swedish director Ingmar Bergman did in such films like Persona and Cries and Whispers decades ago.

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MYSTIC RIVER (R) Fri. - Tue. 1:30 7:15 RADIO (PG) Fri. & Sat. 4:00 9:45 12:00 Sun. - Tue. 4:00 9:45

SCARY MOVIE 3 (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 1:10 3:00 5:00 7:10 9:00 11:00 THE HUMAN STAIN (R) Fri. & Sun. - Tue. 1:10 3:00 5:00 7:10 Sat. 12:45 3:00 5:15 7:30 9:45 9:00 12:00 Sun. - Thu. 12:45 3:00 5:15 7:30 SCHOOL OF ROCK (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 1:00 3:10 5:30 7:40 9:45 9:50 12:00 GOTHIKA (R) Fri. & Sat. 1:30 Sun. - Tue. 1:00 3:10 5:30 7:40 9:50 3:30 5:30 7:30 9:30 11:30 Sun. - Thu. 1:30 3:30 5:30 7:30 ◆ MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (R) 9:30 (2 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 12:45 1:15 BROTHER BEAR (G) Fri. & Sat. 4:00 4:30 7:00 7:30 9:35 10:05 1:00 3:00 5:00 7:00 9:00 11:00 12:10 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 3:00 5:00 7:00 Sun. - Tue. 12:45 1:15 4:00 4:30 7:00 7:30 9:35 10:05 9:00 Wed. & Thu. 1:15 4:30 7:00 ELF (PG) (2 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 7:30 9:35 10:05 1:00 1:30 3:00 3:30 5:00 5:30 7:00 7:30 9:00 9:30 11:00 11:30 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 1:30 3:00 3:30 5:00 5:30 7:00 7:30 9:00 9:30 SHATTERED GLASS (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 1:10 3:10 5:20 7:30 LOONEY TUNES (PG) Fri. & 9:45 12:00 Sat. 1:10 3:10 5:10 7:10 9:10 Sun. - Thu. 1:10 3:10 5:20 7:30 11:10 9:45 Sun. - Tue. 1:10 3:10 5:10 7:10 BAD SANTA (R) Wed. & Thu. 9:10 Wed. & Thu. 1:10 3:10 5:10 12:50 3:00 5:00 7:00 9:00 HAUNTED MANSION (PG) LOVE ACTUALLY (R) Fri. & Sat. 12:45 4:00 7:00 9:40 12:15 Wed. & Thu. 1:15 3:15 5:15 7:15 9:15 Sun. - Thu. 12:45 4:00 7:00 9:40 MASTER & COMMANDER (PG–13) ◆ THE MISSING (R) Wed. 1:20 (2 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 12:45 1:15 4:00 7:05 9:40 3:45 4:15 6:45 7:15 9:30 10:00 Thu. 1:20 4:00 7:05 9:40 12:10 TIMELINE (PG–13) Wed. & Sun. - Thu. 12:45 1:15 3:45 4:15 Thu. 1:00 4:45 7:15 9:40 6:45 7:15 9:30 10:00 Showtimes for 11/21 thru 11/27

SAVOY 16 Route 45 & Burwash Ave. $5.50 Kids all shows

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SHOWTIMES 11/21 - 11/25

THE CAT IN THE HAT (PG) 3 PRINTS / 3 SCREENS

20TH CENTURY FOX TELEVISION

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TRU CALLING | ELIZA DUSHKU surprises. Just when you think everything is going to be OK, the writers throw something else at the viewers. The shocking endings (or rather, the abrupt nonending of the plotline) to the episodes make one want to tune in for the next, simply because one wants to know what happens to the poor people Tru is trying to save from death.

Tru Calling is one of the fall’s most promising new shows. If viewers are willing to give up Friends to watch it, is it sure to be a hit.

(SAT/SUN 11:10) 1:15, 1:35, 3:05, 3:35, 5:05, 5:30, 7:00, 7:25, 9:00, 9:20 FRI/SAT LS 11:15, 11:40 STADIUM SEATING 12:40, 2:35, 4:30, 6:45, 8:40 FRI/SAT LS 10:45 GOTHIKA (R) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 1:10, 3:15, 5:20, 7:25, 9:30 FRI/SAT LS 11:35 STADIUM SEATING 1:40, 3:45, 5:50, 7:55, 10:00 FRI/SAT LS 12:05 MASTER AND COMMANDER(PG-13) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 1:25, 4:10, 6:55, 9:40 STADIUM SEATING 12:55, 3:40, 6:25, 9:10 LOONEY TUNES BACK IN ACTION (PG) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 11:50, 1:00, 1:45, 3:00, 3:40, 5:00, 5:35, 7:30 TUPAC: RESURRECTION (R) STADIUM SEATING 12:40, 3:00, 5:20, 7:40, 9:55 FRI/SAT LS 12:10 MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (R) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 7:20, 10:00 STADIUM SEATING 1:20, 4:00, 6:40, 9:40 ELF (PG) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 12:50, 3:05, 5:10, 7:15 STADIUM SEATING 1:10, 3:25, 5:30, 7:35, 9:40 FRI/SAT LS 11:45 BROTHER BEAR (G) 1:45, 3:40, 5:45, 7:30, 9:25 FRI/SAT LS 11:20 MYSTIC RIVER (R) 9:35 LOVE ACTUALLY (R) (SAT/SUN 11:00) 1:40, 4:15, 6:50, 9:25 FRI/SAT LS 12:00 SCARY MOVIE 3 (PG-13) 7:45, 9:45 FRI/SAT LS 11:45 COUPON RADIO (PG) 1:00, 3:10, 5:20

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (R)

9:20 FRI/SAT LS 11:20

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moviereview

MASTER AND COMMANDER ★★★★

BY MATT PAIS | LEAD REVIEWER

W

ith his powerful masculinity that can shift smoothly into impassioned sensitivity, Russell Crowe has established himself as the new face of Oscar. His last three major roles (Proof of Life excluded) garnered him consecutive Oscar nominations and a Best Actor prize for Gladiator, arguably the least respected among his performances in The Insider and A Beautiful Mind.

Unlike Tom Hanks, whose affectionate affability found him a host of praiseworthy roles as unlikely heroes, Crowe’s gruff bravado places him in burlier, majestic films with a more inyour-face dramatic punch.

In Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Peter Weir’s booming account of early 19th-century ocean warfare, Crowe balances his insuppressible machismo with the proud dignity of a fearless leader. He plays Captain

moviereview

LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION ★★

BY ANDREW VECELAS | STAFF WRITER

F

ew things in Hollywood have been as consistent as Looney Tunes; the animated crew has appeared in so many classic animated shorts that it’s hard to recall a time when Bugs, Daffy and the rest have disappointed. Looney Tunes: Back in Action, the latest mix of animation and live action from Warner Brothers, comes across as one of the biggest missteps of the Looney Tunes brand to date. It’s a stunningly bland film that proves that even the most talented people in Hollywood can make mistakes.

In the film, Daffy Duck is fired from the latest Warner Brothers movie after he balks about playing second fiddle to Bugs his whole career.

He then ends up in the company of DJ Drake (Brendan Fraser), a security guard also fired from the studio lot. The two search for DJ’s lost father (Timothy Dalton), who turns out to be a secret agent. Meanwhile, Bugs and the studio V.P. (Jenna Elfman) realize losing Daffy will be a disaster and set out to bring him back. The expectedly off-the-wall plot sends the characters trotting to a number of famous locations on (and off) the globe.

BUGS BUNNY, DAFFY DUCK AND STEVE MARTIN! OH MY! | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz

“Lucky” Jack Aubrey of the HMS Surprise, an English ship sent to intercept the Acheron, a much larger and stronger French boat.

Clad in a flowing ponytail and Seinfeld-reminiscent puffy shirt, Crowe is far from his muscular, attention-grabbing turn in L.A. Confidential, but the Australian actor appears no less domineering. His restrained, regal performance meshes perfectly with the film—a striking mix of looming battle sequences and early-modern ideas of global and scientific exploration. Working from Patrick O’Brian’s novels, Weir directs with the placid grace and strapping ambition of the vessel itself.

As meticulously crafted as any ship in a bottle, the Surprise has a distinguished, creaking beauty that refuses to wither, even as its wood splinters and men perish from the impact of 18pound cannonballs.

“This ship is England!” Captain Jack declares in his climactic, Knute Rockne-esque speech to rouse the men for their final battle. And he’s right. The year is 1805, and Britain represents the lone rebel to Napoleon’s oppressive hold on Europe. The importance of their mission lends a pressing urgency to the vulnerability of the boat and its crew, who begin to doubt they can defeat the heavier, better-armed Acheron.

But despite its historical theatrics, the film packs a genuine wallop of intense, significant entertainment for even those completely apathetic toward the chronology of European power. It examines several complex dynamics of the relationships between seamen of differThe cast serves as a good indicator of where the film goes wrong. Fraser and Elfman give it a good shot but seem bored in most of their scenes. On the other end of the spectrum, Steve Martin parades around with all his comic might as the primary villain, but he still comes across as merely amusing. To have such able comic actors as Fraser, Elfman and especially Martin fall flat repeatedly really shows how poorly the movie is scripted. Even Bugs and Daffy produce only a handful of laughs. With so many gags thrown out at breakneck pace, it’s remarkable that the film produces only the occasional isolated laughs.

The movie manages one truly inspired sequence where Elmer Fudd gives chase to Daffy and Bugs through the Louvre. The characters jump into and out of famous paintings and discover what dangers lurk in the surrealism of Dali and the pointillism of Seurat.

Unfortunately, it’s the only scene that shows a good deal of creativity. The filmmakers clearly want to show off expensive effects, but they haven’t given any thought as to what to do with them. There’s nothing here to compare to the genius in the climax of Who Framed Roger Rabbit; the action scenes in Looney Tunes: Back in Action are boring even by cartoon standards.

By all means, Joe Dante should have been the right director for the film. With his chapter of Twilight Zone: The Movie and especially Gremlins and its sequel, it’s clear that he has a talent for balancing surreal effects with oddball comedy.

But his fascination with throwing in cameos and references to dozens of classic movies

T

MASTER AND COMMANDER | RUSSELL CROWE familiarity. This is big, boisterous filmmaking that still manages to glide gently over the ups and downs of the water.

Tackling his most sweeping, extravagant production yet, Weir reveals an added flair for broad, eye-popping cinematic exhibition to his already ripe directorial repertoire. Weir buffs will get a kick out of watching the Surprise and remembering the fate that befell Jim Carrey’s ship in The Truman Show. While Truman’s aquatic-oriented scenes introduced the director’s ability to craft stimulating scenes of sea-swept peril, Master and Commander achieves a far higher degree of oceanic fanfare. It’s a glorious tale of adventure on the high seas sure to put wind in any landlubber’s sails.

Elf ★★★

SCREEN REVIEW GUIDE

★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★ no stars

Flawless Good Mediocre Bad Unwatchable

helps the audience realize how adaptable and relevant this work is for the modern stage.

Ora Jones’ performance as narrator-stage manager justifies Brown’s bold touches with a performance that brings Grover’s Corners into the modern world with power and dignity. In ★★★ Thornton Wilder this production, the audience rediscovers what this play is all about.

The Wisconsin-born, Yale-educated Wilder

BY JEFF NELSON | CONTRIBUTING WRITER lived a very cosmopolitan life in such places as China, France and the University of Chicago. hornton Wilder’s Our Town is the quintesHe is not merely a product of the restricted sential American drama, and its worldwide world he writes about. popularity attests to its extraordinary ability Yet, it was a world that fascinated him. He to capture the essence of what makes us realized that most people did human. But it is very not have his experience with different to experilife, and that every day was ence it as a live play. filled with strictures that The words about define a person’s place in the how people live and world. On these strictures of die in the fictitious everyday life, he put a human town of Grover’s face and a human drama, and Corners, N.H., sudhe did it brilliantly. denly take on a draFour years after Our Town, matic life that puts he would win a second the audience right Pulitzer Prize for drama with into another world.

The Skin of Our Teeth. In this In 1938, Wilder, play, everyday life is filled who had already with drama and a constant won a Pulitzer Prize struggle for survival. The for literature, won extraordinary events dominate the first of two life, yet humanity survives. In Pulitzer Prizes for Our Town, the ordinary events drama with this bareof life generate their own stage human drama. drama, and humanity perseThis seems to be the This historic play still affects audiences. veres. year of the Pulitzer The daily lives of ordinary people are a Prize play in the Chicago area, and now the American Writer’s Theatre in northern subur- parable not only for the strictures of everyday ban Glencoe has staged a fine rendition of this life, but also for its humanity and the drama classic that will remind you why you must that makes us human. Human beings are fasciexperience this play as an audience member nating simply as they are, and Our Town proves it as William Brown’s production reafand not just read it.

Director William Brown has put together a firms it. fine cast of Chicago veterans and some creThe Writer’s Theatre is at 325 Tudor Court ative ideas to pull off this ensemble piece.

Using the small space of Glencoe’s Women’s in Glencoe, just north of the Loop on the Lake.

Library Club and such bold strokes as using a The theater can be reached at (847) 242-6000 or woman as the narrator/stage manager, Brown www.writerstheatre.org.

Our Town

C-UViews

weighs down the film. These may please older audience members, but the references will be completely lost on the film’s core audience.

On paper, Looney Tunes: Back in Action has all the pieces in place to equal Who Framed Roger Rabbit. But on the screen, the film is occasionally entertaining, and, in terms of laughs, doesn’t even equal the live-action/animated effort, Space Jam. Hard to believe, but for the first time in memory, the Looney Tunes gang will likely bore adults and children alike.

arts

NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26 | NERD DREAMS ARE TAKING OVER MY SUBCONSCIOUS LIFE

playreview

ent rank, and doesn’t lose steam when the cannons are closed. The scenes on the calm, open water are as expansive and textured as anything in Titanic, and when the ocean turns harsh, Master and Commander becomes a luminous spectacle of rainy realism.

Weir creates tremendously tumultuous scenes in which waves crash and thick sheets of mist practically blind the crew, transporting the audience not just to the middle of the surging sea but back in time to an era of national honor and responsibility.

These men fight to save their country first and themselves last, and an overall feeling of heroic dedication sits in the hearts of the hundreds of men onboard the Surprise. Young boys are depended upon for large, commanding duties, and many lives are lost for the sake of the ship.

Amidst the pervasive violence is Dr. Steven Maturin (A Beautiful Mind’s Paul Bettany), a longtime friend of the captain and the only man on the ship with legitimate medical knowledge.

However, the obvious limits of 19th-century medicine result in some primitive scenes of the doctor at work that are as compelling as they are difficult to watch.

Of course, there are a bevy of recognizable, seafaring moments in Master and Commander, from the rowers in the galley, to the sea chanties sung on deck, to the ship’s officials laughing over classic nautical stories at the captain’s table. Yet there remains a spirited, freshwater sparkle that overshadows any sense of salty

LOONEY TUNES | JENNA ELFMAN, BRENDAN FRASER

buzz

Lynn Albertsen Gibson City

“It was a good holiday movie.”

★★★ Heather Albertsen Gibson City

“I thought it was funny and cute.”

Sylvia ★★★★

“A very dark movie with good acting; well worth seeing.”

TURTLE ISL AND STRING QUARTET

Outside continued from page 6 Betsy Hammill, an audience member, said she enjoyed the performance. The dance reminded her of the fragility of ballet, but in grass.

“Many of us have seen a performances at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, but no one had been out to that farmhouse before. The dance becomes the whole event of finding the place and standing in the cold,” said Ray. “A new dance, a new experience.”

D E C 3 , 7: 3 0 P M

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film & tv

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UNIVERSAL PICTURES

11/19/03

WARNER BROS. FILMS

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The final On Location performance, Nadia Oussenko’s Sonority Movement, will be at 2:35 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, in the Foellinger Great Hall foyer at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Admission will be free.

Sites are transformed by the dancers movements making the rotation of this picture possible.

For tickets

217/333-6280 KrannertCenter.com

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arts

NO SLEEP WILL REALLY MAKE YOU CRAZY IN YOUR PANTS | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003

bookreview

The Da Vinci Code ★★★

By Dan Brown

BY NIK GALLICCHIO | STAFF WRITER

T

he Da Vinci Code is one of the most talked about books in the United States today, topping the New York Times bestseller list for weeks, and it lives up to the hype.

Much of its popularity is due to the wide audience it appeals to. There’s art history; there’s suspense. There are guns, fancy cars and a smart, yet (supposedly) beautiful, woman. As if that’s not enough, Brown offers engaging tales that describe traditions within all kinds of faith. The main focus, however, is on Catholic doctrine. Brown relates details of the Catholic Church’s past, enabling the reader to examine the idea of faith.

In short, this book is a modern-day quest for the Holy Grail, complete with a knight and an innocent American on the run from the French

police. The Grail in question is not simply a cup; it is a relic wanted by two groups that actually exist: the Opus Dei (an extremely controversial Catholic organization) and the Priory of Sion (a clandestine group that holds a secret able to annihilate tenants of Christianity).

Close on the trail of finding this secret are a Harvard art history professor and a French cryptologist. This unlikely pair receives clues relating to the Grail’s location, putting them in danger due to the two aforementioned religious sects.

The book has a rich background of religious knowledge. Brown points out that two millennia ago, the people of the world worshipped gods and goddesses, but in today’s society, the emphasis has been placed on gods alone. He suggests that the reasons behind this have more to do with the Catholic faith than one would think. Furthermore, intriguing historical facts are revealed that lead one to think twice about religion. Wherever one’s interests may lie, the facts in this book are great conversation starters.

The symbolism of the “conspiracy” that lies at the heart of religious faith is everywhere— Brown points this out especially in Da Vinci’s paintings, and even Disney movies.

The fast-paced action makes the novel hard to put down, and the way Brown shows different viewpoints of all the groups vying for the Grail makes the adventure cinematic. He jumps from scene to scene, focusing on Opus Dei for a chapter and then on the grandmaster of the Priory of Sion in the next. He documents their actions as they all get closer to figuring out the mystery of the Grail.

Clues are given to the reader as the characters likewise receive them, which make it easy to connect with the characters’ confusion and frustration when trying to crack the code. However, the dialogue is somewhat forced at times. While relating facts, the speakers lose finesse and the conversations, at times, fail to flow smoothly. Moreover, the suggestion of romance between the Harvard professor and the cute foreign cryptologist is somewhat contrived, and their attraction to each other only appears as an afterthought within the story.

Yet Brown deserves a nod for addressing the

buzz

subject of the Holy Grail, a topic so often dominated by the satire of Monty Python. While one may go into the novel with an idea of what the Holy Grail actually is, the reader will end up completely surprised by the end.

The Da Vinci Code is a refreshing look at religion. In the world today, faiths are changing along with the times, yet some refuse to alter their beliefs. Both groups are depicted in the novel, along with atheists. Brown forces the audience to rethink the world’s label of “pagan” and suggests examining the facts behind one’s belief system. In the midst of all the religious and skeptical rhetoric, there are still high-quality thrills taking place in the background.

Not only is this book worth reading for the adventure, but also for the different angles from which it views the world. Even if the dialogue fails to impress, one can tell that this story has been informed by extensive historical research. The information about faith and the facts that surround how religion has been manipulated throughout the centuries offers incentive to keep on reading. And if that’s not enough, at least by the end you will discover the secret behind Mona Lisa’s smile.

ARTIST CORNER

BY SUZANNE SITRICK | STAFF WRITER

Y

uri Sohn was born in Hawaii and grew up in Australia. He obtained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii and then came to the University of Illinois for graduate school in the fall of 1989, where he received a master’s degree in speech communication.

Ji Miao is from China. She is a third-year graduate student at the University of Illinois, studying cell and structural biology.

Both Yuri and Ji started dancing when they took a class taught by the Dancing Illini. Now they teach for the Dancing Illini. They have also competed together in many dance competitions.

How long have you been teaching dance and which types of dance have you taught? Is teaching dance your only job?

Yuri: I’ve been teaching for about four years. I’ve taught salsa, swing, cha-cha, nightclub two-step, hustle, meringue and bachata. I am currently teaching intermediate salsa and nightclub two-step for the Dancing Illini on Thursday nights with Ji Miao at Freer Gym. I am also independently teaching beginning, intermediate and advanced salsa, meringue and bachata on Tuesday and Friday nights with Muge Dizen at the McKinley Foundation. I teach dance part

What inspires you to dance? What inspires you to teach dancing?

Yuri: What inspires me to dance is that I have a passion for the many elements that go into partner dancing, which is what I concentrate on. I enjoy interacting with the music. I enjoy the ability to express your emotions through movement.

I enjoy the combination of art and athleticism involved in dancing. I enjoy the connection you can build with your partner when dancing.

Dancing as one with your partner can be incredible. Overall, interacting with your partner and the music through movement is very addictive. I enjoy teaching dancing because it provides an opportunity for me to share my passion. It is a treat to see people enjoy and improve their dancing.

Ji: I love the way that dancing is a combination of music, body movement and feeling.

You can express your feeling by using your

body according to the music. It’s such a beautiful art that I enjoy watching and experiencing. I love dancing and at the same time I love to help those who want to dance. I am really happy to see that what I could show to my students makes them appreciate the art of the dancing and helps them getting better in dancing.

How does the music affect you while you dance? How does the style and rhythm of the different dance types affect you or your mood or emotions while you dance? What is your favorite style of dance?

Yuri: The music certainly is a key in inspiring me to dance. I enjoy dancing to music that moves me. The different style and rhythm of the dance types bring out and connect w i t h different moods and emotions from within me. I am most partial to swing (happy and peppy music) and salsa (passionate and sensual) as far as favorite styles of dance, but I also enjoy many other types of dance. It depends on my mood. It can also dictate what style of dance I enjoy most at any particular time.

Ji: Music definitely is a crucial factor in dancing. Some (pieces of) music are cheerful and happy, some are playful, some are passionate, etc. I like all types of ballroom and PHOTOS | SUZANNE SITRICK

time. My full-time job is as the head tennis teaching professional for the Champaign Park District. I teach and run the tennis programs all year round.

Ji: I started teaching dancing about a year ago with Yuri. Teaching dancing is not my job.

I am a third-year graduate student in this University, and my major is cell structural biology. This is my third year in the U.S.

night club dances, and Latin dances such as cha-cha, rumba and salsa are my favorites.

Where are the best places in Champaign or Urbana to go dancing?

Yuri: Best regular places to go dancing in Champaign are: (for salsa) the Regent on Friday nights and McKinley Foundation on Tuesday nights; (for ballroom) the Regent on Friday nights, before salsa; (for swing) the McKinley Foundation on Thursday nights.

Why is dance important to you and what role does dancing play in your life?

Yuri: Dance, and in particular partner dancing, allows you to physically interact with great music and a partner. I have an appreciation for movement and therefore dance, which is the art of movement. Dance allows you to be playful, creative and is just so much fun. It allows you to feel better, even if you have had a bad day. To connect with your partner through movement while listening to great music is a wonderful feeling. Dancing plays a huge role in my life. I am drawn to dance, teach dance and learn about dance in my spare time. I am a part of the salsa, swing, ballroom, tango (and other) communities in Champaign-Urbana.

Ji: I have loved dancing since I was young.

I love to feel the music; I love to express my passion through my body movement. Partner dancing is teamwork; I enjoy the connection shared with my partner. Dancing plays an important role in my life. I spend a big part of my spare time learning, practicing and teaching dancing. It’s hard for me to imagine my life without dancing.

For more information visit the Dancing Illini Web site at www.uiuc.edu/ro/dancing.

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NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com

“Anna Pottery: Plagiarism as Art” – Reintroduces Illinois to its greatest potters, the brothers Cornwall and Wallace Kirkpatrick, and their Anna Pottery (1859-96). The exhibition focuses on the brothers’ large-scale incised works that obsessively reproduce texts from quirky yet mundane sources like telephone books and corporate reports.

Ahead of its time, the Kirkpatricks’ work is a forerunner to the outsider art and pop art of today. Anna Pottery: Plagiarism as Art is on view through Jan 4.

“Whistler and Japonisme: Selections from the Permanent Collection” – Marking the 100th anniversary of James McNeill Whistler’s death, this exhibition highlights his works on paper and examines the influence that Japanese woodcuts had on his artistic technique. On display at the Krannert Art Museum through March 28, 2004.

500 E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am8pm, Sun 2-5pm. 333-1860. Suggested Donation: $3 “Faculty Art Exhibition” – Features the newest work by current faculty in the School of Art and Design. This exhibition, a major event in the Urbana-Champaign art community, is one of the oldest, continuously-running faculty exhibitions in the country. Recent works of painting, sculpture, installation art, photography, glass, graphic design and other media will be on display through Jan 4. Four faculty members will give talks about their work at noon on the following Wednesdays: Dec 3, Kevin Hamilton; Dec 10, Melissa Pokorny; Dec 17, Gerald Guthrie. 500 E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm

ON STAGE LISTINGS Elysium on the Prairie, Live Action Roleplaying – Vampires stalk the city streets and struggle for dominance in a world of gothic horror. Create your own character and mingle with dozens of players who portray their own undead alter egos. Each session is another chapter in an ongoing story of triumph, tragedy and betrayal. Friday, “Vampire: The Masquerade” For more information visit: http://ww2.uiuc.edu/ro/elysium/intro.html. Check site for location, 7pm.

Hamlet Q1: The First Quarto 1603 – A shorter, actionpacked version of Shakespeare’s play performed with nontraditional gender casting by the University of Illinois New Revels Players. Performances will be held Sat, Dec 6 at 3pm and 7pm and Sun, Dec 7 at 3pm at the McKinley Foundations Westminster Hall, 809 S Fifth St, Champaign, Ill. Tickets are $5 at the door. For reservations, e-mail tllyons@uiuc.edu or call (217) 384-5462.

The Celebration Company at the Station Theatre presents 110 Degrees in the Shade. 110 Degrees in the Shade is a musical with score by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt of The Fantastiks fame. It is based on the hit play The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash, who also wrote the book for this show. All rights to this show are administered by TamsWhitmark Music Library, Inc. The Celebration Company production of 110 in the Shade at the Station Theatre will be directed by Jim Dobbs and Music directed by Debra Myers Dobbs. Show dates will be from: Nov 19 through Sun, Nov 23. Wed, Nov 26, CLOSED Thanksgiving Day (Nov 27). Fri, Nov 28 through Sun, Nov 30. Wed, Dec 3 through Sat, Dec 6. All shows are at 8pm. Call (217) 384-4000 for reservations. Ticket prices: Wed 2 for $10, Thu $10, Fri $12, Sat $12, Sun $10 Parkland Theatre presents its 13th annual student show, Out of Order by Ray Cooney. This British farce takes place one fateful night in a London hotel, as a Conservative Government Member of Parliament attempts to have an affair with a secretary of the Opposition. Filled with an odd assortment of characters including a conniving waiter, a suspicious hotel manager, an alert private detective, an angry wife, a furious husband, a bungling secretary, an unconscious nurse and a dead body, nothing is going to go as planned. Performances are Dec 3, 4, 5, 6 at 8pm and Dec 6 and 7 at 3pm. General admission tickets are $8 for adults; student and senior tickets are $5. Call (217) 3512528 for tickets and information or e-mail theatre@parkland.edu.

Amasong Winter Concert – “Come Dance and Sing” – Featured music of Ireland,Wales, Canada, Byzantine Chant.

Music by historical women, composers and much more. – McKinley Presbyterian Church, 509 S 5th St, Champaign, Dec 6 at 8pm, Dec 7 at 3pm

MIND BODY SPIRIT Sunday Zen Meditation Meeting – Prairie Zen Center, 515 S Prospect, Champaign, NW corner Prospect & Green, enter through door from parking area. Introduction to

Zen Sitting, 10am; Full Schedule: Service at 9 followed by sitting, Dharma Talk at 11 followed by tea until about 12 noon. Can arrive at any of above times, open to all, no experience needed, no cost. For info call 355-8835 or www.prairiezen.org Prairie Sangha for Mindfullness Meditation – Monday evenings from 7:30-9pm and monthly retreats on Sunday. Theravadan (Vipassana) and Tibetan (Vjrayana & Dzogchen) meditation practice. Meets in Urbana. More information call or email Tom at 356-7413 or shayir@soltec.net. www.prairiesangha.org Clear Sky Zen Group – Meets on Thursday evenings in the Geneva Room of the McKinley Foundation. Newcomers to meditation and people of all traditions and faiths are welcome – McKinley Foundation, 809 S Fifth St, 6:25-9pm Formerly-Fat Persons’ Support Group – Free social meeting every Saturday at 2pm at Aroma Cafe, 118 N Neil St, C. For more information contact Jessica Watson at 3534934.

Loose Womyn Discussion Section (discussion topics are loose, the women need not be ) – Dec 18, 7pm, we’ll discuss the book Not Your Mothers’ Midlife by Marilyn Kentz and Nancy Alspaugh. Borders Bookstore, 802 Town Center Blvd, Champaign (217) 351-9011

this week Th Nov 20 Wine Tasting 5pm, free Enescu Ensemble 7:30pm, $2-$5 Merce Cunningham Dance Company 7:30pm, $22-$34 Talkback: following the show, free Patron Co-sponsors: Jerald Wray and Dirk Mol Anonymous Corporate Platinum Sponsor:

@

krannert center

Tu Dec 2

Th Dec 4

UI Jazz Band III 7:30pm, $2-$5

Wine Tasting 5pm, free

We Dec 3

UI Jazz Band II 7:30pm, $2-$5

Turtle Island String Quartet: Solstice Celebration 7:30pm, $15-$32 Corporate Silver Sponsor:

UI Percussion Ensemble 7:30pm, $2-$5

Loose Womyn Discussion Section – (discussion topics are loose, the women need not be) – Nov 20 we’ll discuss the book The Right Questions by Debbie Ford. Borders Bookstore, 802 Town Center Blvd, Champaign (217) 3519011.

Simplicity Discussion Group – Dec 4, 7pm, we’ll discuss the book Inner Peace for Busy People by Joan Borysenko.

Borders Bookstore, 802 Town Center Blvd, Champaign (217) 351-9011.

Life Map Workshop – A life map is a collection of visual images, a method of connecting with your intuition, a tool for visualizing your dreams or goals. Come explore life mapping—approaches, uses, and the opportunity to create your own life map. 9:15am-1:00pm on Sat, Dec 6 at McKinley Foundation, C. $45. To register or for information, contact Jo Pauly, MSW, Whole Life Coach at (217) 337-7823 or jopauly@prairienet.org

Some Krannert Center programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council, and patron and corporate contributions.

Season Sponsors Coporate Season Underwriters

Support for Krannert Center’s 2003.2004 season is provided in part by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

KrannertCenter.com 217/333-6280 or 800/KCPATIX 217/333-9714 (TTY) 217/244-SHOW (Fax) 217/244-0549 (Groups) kran-tix@uiuc.edu Ticket Office Open 10am to 6pm daily; on days of performances open 10am through intermission.

Patron Season Sponsors

CAROLE AND JERRY RINGER

KIDS AND FAMILIES Baby Time – Nov 20 – Bring your baby for nursery rhymes, music activities, and play time for little ones. Registration is not required – Douglass Branch Library, 10:30-11am Thursday Arts and Crafts For Kids – Nov 20 – For elementary school-age children. No registration – Douglass Branch Library, 4-5pm Family Reading Night – Nov 20 – Community celebrities will read out loud as part of a statewide celebration planned by the Illinois State Library. No registration – Champaign Public Library, 6:30-8pm Girls, Girls, Girls – Nov 21 – Games, crafts and reading time for girls in kindergarten to fifth grade. No registration – Douglass Branch Library, 4-5pm Storyshop – Nov 26 – Preschoolers with a parent or school group will enjoy weekly stories and activities.

Registration is not required – Champaign Public Library, 9:30-10am

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calendar ART GALLERIES AND EXHIBITS

Aroma Cafe – “Micrograms: Photos and Collage” by Rohn Koester on display through Dec 14. 118 N Neil Boneyard Pottery – Ceramic Art by Michael Schwegmann and more. 403 Water St, Champaign. Tue-Sat 11am-5pm.

355-5610.

Broken Oak Gallery – Local and national artists. Original art including photography, watercolors, pottery, oil paintings, colored pencil, woodturning and more. Refreshments served by the garden all day Saturday. 1865 N 1225 E Rd, White Heath. Thu-Sat 10am-4pm. 762-4907.

Cinema Galley – Local and regional artists including many University of Illinois and Parkland College faculty members. Currently on display through Dec 24:“Dennis Rowan: New Works on Paper and Artist’s Books.” 120 W Main, Urbana. Holiday Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-7pm. Sun 1-5pm.

367-3711.

Creation Art Studios – Current display features paintings and drawings by Shoshanna Bauer, Audrey Martin and Jennifer Martin, Jeannine Bestoso and an evolving display of recent student works in ceramics, paintings and drawings. For information, contact Jeannine Bestoso. 1102 E Washington St., Urbana. Mon-Fri 3-5:30pm, Sat 1-4pm and scheduled studio sessions. 344-6955. www.creationartstudios.com

WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003

Country in the City – Antiques, architectural, gardening, home accessories. Custom designing available. 1104 E Washington St, Urbana. Thu-Sat 10am-5pm 367-2367.

Framer’s Market – Frame Designers since 1981. Ongoing work from local artists on display. 807 W Springfield Ave, Champaign. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat 10am-4pm. 3517020.

Furniture Lounge – Collection of fine art photographic images by local artisan Glenn Harriger on display Nov 24Dec 24. Also specializing in mid-century modern furniture from the 1920s-1980s, retro, Danish modern, lighting, vintage stereo equipment and vinyl records. 9 E University, Champaign. 352-5150. Sun-Mon 12-4:30pm, Wed-Sat 11am-5:30pm.

Glass FX – New and antique stained glass windows, lamps, and unique glass gifts. Gallery is free and open to the public. Interested in learning the art of Stained Glass?

Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Stained Glass Classes offered. 202 S First St, Champaign. Mon-Thu 10am5:30pm, Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 9am-4pm. 359-0048. www.glassfx.com.

Griggs Street Potters – Handmade functional and decorative pottery. 305 W Grigg St, Urbana. Mon-Fri noon-5pm, or call for appointment. 344-8546.

Gallery Virtu Cooperative – Original works by the nine artist-owners: jewelry, pottery, paintings, collages, hats, handbags and other textiles, sculptures and journals. The Gallery also offers workshops. 220 W. Washington St, Monticello. 762-7790. Thu 12-4pm, Fri 12-8pm, Sat 10am6pm. www.galleryvirtu.org Hill Street Gallery Inc. – Oil and watercolor paintings, hand painted T-shirts, handmade jewelry. 703 W Hill, Champaign. Sat 12-5pm or by appointment during the week. 359-0675.

International Galleries – Works from local artists including quilts by Nancy Summers, oil paintings by Deborah Lightfield and “Abandoned Dreams,” paintings by Jim Golaszewski on display through Dec 2. Lincoln Square Mall. Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12-5pm. 3282254.

Larry Kanfer Gallery – University of Illinois images by photographic artist Larry Kanfer. Unique diploma frames and other UI gifts. Sepia Champaign-Urbana Collection also on display. Available now: 2004 Prairiescapes and University of Illinois calendars. 2503 S Neil, Champaign. Free and Open to the Public. Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm. 3982000.www.kanfer.com LaPayne Photography – Specializes in panoramic photography up to 6 feet long of different subjects including sporting events, city skylines, national parks and University of Illinois scenes. 816 Dennison Dr, Champaign. Mon-Fri 9am-4pm and by appointment. 356-8994.

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NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | LEAVE IT TO LORENZO GOETZ TO START A METALLICA MOSH PIT

Premium blends

Old Vic Art Gallery – Fine and original art, hand signed limited edition prints, works by local artists, art restoration, custom framing, and periodic shows by local artists. 11 E University, Champaign. Mon-Thu 11am-5:30pm, Sat 11am4:30pm. 355-8338.

Steeple Gallery – Vintage botanical and bird prints, antiques, framed limited edition prints. 102 E Lafayette St, Monticello. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm. 762-2924. www.steeplegallery.com

Otter drops his eclectic beats at Cowboy Monkey on Sunday nights

BY BRIAN MERTZ | MUSIC EDITOR

Verde Gallery & Verdant News and Coffee – Magazines, newspapers, coffee, beverages and fine pastries along with the Verde Fine Art Gallery. 17 E Taylor St, Champaign.

Cafe hours: Mon-Sat 7am-10 pm; Gallery Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-10pm. 366-3204. www.verdantsystems.com/Verde.htm

I

n front of a subdued Sunday night crowd of about 20 people, Matthis Helmick, better known to some as Otter, calmly takes a Bjork record and speeds it up on one turntable to match a hip-hop beat on his other deck while still keeping the Icelandic singer’s voice recognizable. It is a wonder to watch for anyone who has tried their hand at spinning on vinyl.

Throughout the rest of the evening Helmick will blend together tunes from A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village, The Beatles, Radiohead, Pole and a scratched up voice that an attentive listener would swear is Eric Cartman.

“Have fun. Freak people out,” Helmick said in describing what he is thinking about while he creates his blends on the turntables.

Blends by Otter is once again a weekly feature in Champaign-Urbana. Helmick spins every Sunday night at Cowboy Monkey when a band is not playing.

Before this residency, Helmick had regularly performed over the years at The Blind Pig, The Highdive, Orchid, The Brass Rail, Boltini’s, Mike ‘N’ Molly’s, 02 Main and Barfly.

The 33-year-old Helmick began mixing at the age of 25 while at college in Olympia, Wash. His love for records began with looking at the

Ziemer Gallery – Original paintings and limited edition prints by Larry Ziemer. Pottery, weavings, wood turning and glass works by other artists. Gallery visitors are welcome to sit, relax, listen to the music and just enjoy being surrounded by art. 210 W Washington, Monticello. Tue 10am-8pm, Wed-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm. 762-9786. www.ziemergallery.com

ART-ON VIEW “Nevertheless: That’s Our Guarantee!” – Solo exhibit focusing on graphic design by local artist John Havlik on display through Dec 12. Show will display works demonstrating Havlik’s ability to visually respond to a wide range of artistic presentations and a series of pieces created to demonstrate the range of products a graphic designer is involved with. With tongue-in-cheek humor, Havlik provides an insider’s look at the graphic designprofession.

Visit www.nevertheless-guaranteed.com for a peek at this exhibit. 115 E University, Champaign. Mon-Fri 10am-3pm and Mon-Thu evenings 6-8pm, Sat 12-2pm. 351-2485.

Handicapped accessible and open and free to the public.

“IUB Photo Competition” – The Illini Union Art Gallery presents color and black and white photography from UIUC students. On display through Dec 2. 1401 W Green, Urbana. Open Everyday 7am-10pm.

The Middle Room Gallery – Digital prints and mixed media from UIUC graphic design student Jessica Mullen on display through November. 218 W Main St, Urbana. http://www.gallery.ucimc.org/ “E-Motion2: Our Reality as Seen and Unseen” – A unique dance/technology installation in which programmer Ben Schaeffer, choreographer Luc Vanier, and composer Bradford Blackburn come together through motion capture technology to create an alternate version of reality.

On display at the Krannert Art Museum through Jan 4. 500 E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm, Sun 2-5pm. 333-1860. Suggested Donation: $3

album covers of his mother’s record collection; his path to becoming one of Champaign’s top DJs began by observing an acid-jazz DJ at a club called Theckla in Olympia. “(The acid-jazz DJ) moved away and gave me his night with no knowledge of DJing or how to work a crossfader. I had one turntable and I was going to Seattle every now and then to buy hip-hop 12-inches to play at home without even thinking about DJing,” Helmick said.

Over time, Helmick honed his skills, playing underground hip-hop sets at the club, and playing elsewhere around Olympia.

“I would do parties where bands were playing. It was horrible, with my bad mixes,” Helmick said. “But at parties, that is where I got the idea ‘Well shit, I’ve got the Neil Young Decade album.’ I had all this other shit at home that I liked. And I wasn’t in a club so I felt all this freedom to play other shit.”

That freedom gave birth to Otter’s style, which combines eclectic track selection, incredible scratching techniques and a carefree attitude.

“Confidence,” said Helmick, describing his attitude. “And maybe being like it is not all that serious. If you are playing to 2,000 people that is serious. I’m not dissing the 30 or 40 people that might come out tonight, or even the five, but it is just not as serious as a thing. Confidence and relaxation let me do it.”

As Helmick stood in his apartment, picking

through shelf after shelf of records, a few hours before he performed at Cowboy Monkey, he described his philosophy for choosing records.

“There is always stuff I want to hear every week,” Helmick said. “I like to thumb through and touch every record. I’ll find something like this Del record from three years ago and I think I only played it twice back then and I’ll want to bring that. I might not even remember what it sounds like.”

Helmick owns enough records to play for days, but he usually only brings two crates worth of vinyl to Cowboy Monkey.

“When I go out my collection is probably one crate of hip hop and then one crate of rock, jazz, blues and fucked up dumb shit like Kennedy speeches or Sesame Street.”

Reading the mood of a crowd is something that Helmick thinks about while performing, but not while preparing for his shows.

“I don’t think about the people. I just know I am at the Monkey tonight and I have freedom there,” Helmick added.

Once Helmick’s records are packed in his two crates, reading his crowd can become an adventure for Helmick and anyone in the audience.

“I’ll see some freaks walk in the door, and I bet they’ve never seen anyone scratch. They’re some friends of friends of friends so I know why they’re there. But I see them and I’ll play a house record and scratch over it,” Helmick said.

Apply to be an editor or coordinator. e-mail calendar@ readbuzz.com

PHOTO | BRIAN MERTZ

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Otter (Matthis Helmick) mixes a Bjork track over a hip-hop beat at The Cowboy Monkey. Otter spins every Sunday night at the Monkey when bands aren’t playing.

“But before I scratch it, I’m going to play some Billie Holiday so that they know it is Billie Holiday and then I’m going to catch her voice and start. They are going to go home and basically know that ‘that guy scratched Billie Holiday over something.’ They might not even know what house music is called.”

Not every crowd has been as appreciative of Otter’s sound as crowds at The Brass Rail or Cowboy Monkey.

“I would try that sound at other bars and people would look at me like ‘what is this guy doing?,’” Helmick said. “They’d ask ‘you got the new Jay Z?’” Attendance hasn’t been large yet on Sunday nights at Cowboy Monkey. But Otter prefers Sunday evenings for his style.

“I just don’t like the weekend crowd. I like to drink with them maybe, but not entertain them.

And props to the people who entertain them because they do it very well,” Helmick said. “30 or 40 people make me smile and that’s great.

That’s what it is about.”

Helmick first experienced success with his sound several years ago.

“The Brass Rail is where it really happened. I had expressive freedom there. And that is where it would come together for what I wanted to do.”

“If people start coming now (to Cowboy Monkey), that’s awesome. That is what it was like at the Rail. No one came to that bar and then one spring we looked up and were like ‘look what we built, this night is hot.’ And that is the challenge.”

The sounds at The Brass Rail were diverse, as were the crowds.

“Some hip-hop kids showed up, and they hung out with these indie rock kids. Then there are going to be the ones who just turned 21 and have never been to a bar and have never seen a DJ. And I’m going to have something for all of them. And that’s what I like.”

Helmick also plays from time to time in a trio called DMS meets Kneelinghorse meets The Otter, but being a rock star or a superstar DJ isn’t necessarily his major goal.

“I am more interested in making beats now,” Helmick said. “I’m almost in my mid-30s. I’m not going to send demos out and try to be a star.

My ultimate scenario would (be to) make some off-the-wall beats and have people to get into it.”

Despite being one of the most respected DJs in the Champaign area, Helmick stays modest.

“Anyone can DJ,” Helmick said. “I’m not knocking anyone who DJs, but anyone who takes themselves too seriously I’m knocking.

The person you just smirked at could take two months and learn to do what you just did.”

“You’re just playing records. That is definitely a vibe I want to get across.”

As Otter scratches out a vocal snippet from The Beatles’ “Good Day Sunshine” that vibe and a whole lot more comes through. buzz

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I’VE WATCHED THE AQUA TEENS DVD 100 TIMES BY NOW. | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003

RYAN ADAMS Rock N Roll Lost Highway Records Zero stars

BY LOGAN MOORE Ryan Adams’ first solo outing, Heartbreaker, was, for me, an album that every music lover can recall. That album that defines those apocalyptic relationships of your late teens, conjuring up images of adolescent longing, drunken infidelities and the sort of sexual attraction that can only be born of extreme loneliness and a certain romantic inexperience. So, for a time, I really liked Ryan Adams. I say this not in a moment of self-indulgent revelation but in defense of the review which I am about to give.

Which brings us to his latest opus, Rock N Roll. Oh lord, how far the mighty have fallen. I’ll still own up to being a fan of Heartbreaker, and even a good third of Gold. I will not, however, back off from my opinion that for quite some time now my one-time co-conspirator of misery has seemed more obsessed with portraying the role of tortured genius, attempting to measure up to his musical heroes, and nailing every doe-eyed model and actress in New York, than actually making any music of value. Rock N Roll is the natural result of a once promising singer/songwriter (and how many of those do we get nowadays) descending into cliched, soft rock crap.

In his band Whiskeytown and on Heartbreaker, Adams was always on the verge of the sort of emotional honesty that borders on the embarrassing, which is what makes every good singer/songwriter so inherently exhilarating. It was the sort of album you could cry to without feeling too guilty about it. Rock N Roll is an album that makes you want to cry for all the wrong reasons. Adams apparently lives and dies by the fawning, vaguely homoerotic praise that has been thrown at him by the British music press and is, once again, attempting to canonize himself alongside the greats of rock ‘n’ roll to whom he is frequently compared. What he ends up with is the musical equivalent of making a drunken pass at your friend’s mother. Everyone knows you’re never going to succeed and you look like an asshole in the process.

My god, is this album bad. Most of the songs bleed together in a bland summation of every horrid bar band you’ve ever heard. It’s getting to the point where a press conference in which Adams peels away his face to reveal, a la Scooby-Doo, that it was really just Bob Seger attempting a comeback all along doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Most of the album attempts for a halfway between the Ramones and the Replacements and ends up at a hellish combo of latter day Aerosmith and Kiss (which, if anybody was wondering, is not a compliment). However, the music is complemented almost too well by the lyrics. This guy used to be able to write a drunken, plain-faced love song that really tugged at the heartstrings.

On Rock N Roll he literally sounds like a Saturday Night Live parody of himself.Take, for instance,“Wish You Were Here,” in which he pens the masterful couplet “It’s totally fucked up / I’m totally fucked up.” And just when you say to yourself, “Hold up a sec, did he just try to rhyme ‘fucked up’ with ‘fucked up?’” he tops it with the chorus of “And if I had my way / We’d take some drugs / And we’d smile.” Trent Reznor has gotten deeper into the psyche of the broken-hearted male than that; shit, John Denver probably has. Oh, and let’s not forget the falsetto that he employs on several of the songs here, most notably “So Alive,” which culminates in a chorus of, I kid you not,“I am on your side / And so alive / So alive it isn’t real.” In some sort of half-assed effort at Thom Yorke or Bono, Adams sounds uncannily like me when I’m doing my impression of Journey’s Steve Perry.

I find it somewhat ironic that, much like the failed relationship that began my involvement with Ryan Adams, my appreciation of him has ended in the same way: disappointment, bewilderment at how things have gotten this bad and embarrassment that I was ever enthused in the first place.

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MARK FARINA Air Farina Om Records

★★★

BY BRIAN MERTZ San Francisco producer and DJ Mark Farina is best known amongst house and lounge fans for his Mushroom Jazz mix albums. Each of his Mushroom Jazz albums has been an eclectic and thoroughly entertaining mix of hip hop, downtempo, dub and house tracks of Farina’s own creation as well as absolute gems from other artists.

Air Farina sees the short in stature but tall in talent Farina going down the same musical paths that are typical for the Mushroom Jazz series and the Om label in general. This time around, the tracks are solely Farina’s own creations. Well, sort of. He still brings in fellow deep house gurus Lance Desardi and Kaskade to contribute their talents to two of the more danceable tracks on the album,“Leaving SF”and “To Do.”And for a slightly crazy take on the underground West Coast hiphop sound, fellow Golden-staters The People Under The Stairs add their rhymes to the song “Travel.”

The entire album follows the theme of flying. There are at least six interludes throughout Air Farina that feature recordings of tower discussions with airplanes in flight as well as departure schedules and weather reports.

The airline theme is good idea and shows an artist’s devotion to making an album instead of just a hodgepodge of songs. The devotion to making an album that works from start to finish is commendable, but the airline structure sometimes hinders Farina’s mix.

Just when the listener is finally getting into one of Farina’s trademark house grooves with the song “Talk to Me,” Farina breaks up the mix and slows down the momentum of the album by dropping in a “Layover” interlude that is nothing but a 1950s sounding vocal lecture about lost aircrafts.

Unfortunately for Farina, the aircraft and the listener are both lost on the awkward and abrupt break in the groove.

Ask anyone who has traveled across the country and they’ll tell you that a direct flight is almost always preferable to one with lots of flight changes and layovers. Farina should take note of that fact for his next release.While his individual tunes are just as amazing as anyone who has followed his career would expect them to be, there is something missing from this album compared to his Mushroom Jazz mixes.

That missing element is the groove and the vibe that Farina is such a master of creating with very different elements. Just when something good gets going, Farina stops it and turns his musical sights in another direction. And that feeling of turbulence in terms of mood obscures even some of the best tracks on this album.

Instead of feeling like a fulfilling vacation with a myriad of sights and sounds, Air Farina leaves the listener feeling like they just caught the red-eye from San Francisco to Chicago with five layovers in between. The end result is a trip that feels exhausting in the end instead of rewarding.

JONNY LANG Long Time Coming A&M Records

★

BY JACOB DITTMER It certainly has been a “long time” since Lang released an album. His 1998 album, Wander this World, was met with a decent amount of critical and commercial success as Lang found himself opening for the Rolling Stones that year. Everyone was in such an uproar over this 17-year-old blues guitarist that he was said to be the next Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Well, he’s not. Sure, his humble beginnings in Fargo, N.D., coupled with his ability to play spectacular blues in his teenage years made him a favorite in the music media.

Releasing his first major label album, Lie to Me, at 16 and selling thousands of records was an impressive feat that made him quickly put out Wander this World with the hit single “Still Rainin’” the following year. Fast-forward five years to 2003. Music fads and pop sensations like *NSync have come and gone; we lost the Spice Girls somewhere around 1998 and Britney has gone from cute schoolgirl to Esquire’s and Rolling Stone’s cover girl sex symbol.

A lot has changed, and it sounds like Jonny has too. At the “old” age of 22 we might expect Jonny to have matured his sound and traveled to new realms of blues, or to achieve an even larger level of greatness like Stevie Ray Vaughn. Lang did try a new sound with Long Time Coming, but it is definitely a step backward from its predecessor. The liner notes reveal the huge number of personnel that went into making this album. Every song has numerous credits with vari-

buzz

calendar

NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com

Spurlock Museum 600 S Gregory, Urbana, 333.2360 The Station Theatre 223 N. Broadway, Urbana, 384-4000 Strawberry Fields Cafe 306 W Springfield, Urbana, 328.1655 Ten Thousand Villages 105 N Walnut, Champaign, 352.8938 TK Wendl’s 1901 S Highcross Rd, Urbana, 255.5328 Tommy G’s 123 S. Mattis Ave, Country Fair Shopping Center, 359.2177 Tonic 619 S Wright, Champaign, 356.6768 Two Main 2 Main, Champaign, 359.3148 University YMCA 1001 S Wright, Champaign, 344.0721 Verde/Verdant 17 E Taylor St, Champaign, 366.3204 Virginia Theatre 203 W Park Ave, Champaign, 356.9053 White Horse Inn 112 1/2 E Green, Champaign, 352.5945 Zorba’s 627 E Green, Champaign

CHICAGOSHOWS NOVEMBER 11/20 Jonny Lang @ House of Blues 11/21 Anti-Flag, Rise Against @ Metro 11/21 Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Abbey Pub 11/22 Guided By Voices @ Abbey Pub 11/22 Cash Brothers @ Schubas 11/22 Tom Jones @ House of Blues 11/22 Alabama @ Allstate Arena 11/23 Guided By Voices @ Abbey Pub 11/23 Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs! @ Metro 11/23 Tom Jones @ House of Blues 11/24 Symphony X @ Metro 11/25 Jaguars @ House of Blues 11/25 Mindless Self Indulgence @ Metro 11/26 Mindless Self Indulgence @ Metro 11/24 Obie Trice @ House of Blues 11/26 OK Go @ Abbey Pub 11/28 Bollweevils @ Metro, all ages

Special Event: ISDA Trunk Show November 23rd

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11/28 Buzzcocks @ Double Door 11/28 Tortoise @ Abbey Pub 11/29 Rocket from the Tombs @ Abbey Pub 11/29 Asylum Street Pranksters @ Schubas 11/30 Something Corporate @ House of Blues

DECEMBER 12/2 Living Colour @ Park West 12/5 Donna The Buffalo @ Martyr’s 12/5 They Might Be Giants @ Vic, all ages 12/6 Autumn Defense @ Schubas 12/6 Rufus Wainwright @ Vic, all ages 12/6 Blank Theory @ Metro 12/7 Hey Mercedes @ Metro 12/8 Fun Lovin’ Criminals @ Double Door 12/9 Wayne Wonder @ House of Blues 12/11 Kurtis Blow, Rob Base @ Double Door 12/12 Coheed & Cambria @ House of Blues 12/12 Aquabats @ Metro, all ages 12/12 Atmosphere, Mr. Dibbs, Others @ Abbey Pub, 18 & over 12/12 Neko Case @ Old Town School of Music 12/13 Ryan Adams @ Riviera 12/13 Wyclef John, Baby Bash @ House of Blues 12/13 Death in June @ Empty Bottle 12/19 Beyonce, Bow Wow @ United Center 12/19 Dwele, Slum Village @ Metro 12/19 Los Straitjackets @ Abbey Pub 12/31 Aretha Franklin @ Chicago Theater 12/31 Flaming Lips, White Stripes @ Aragon Ballroom 12/31 Guster @ House of Blues

CHICAGOVENUES House of Blues 329 N Dearborn, Chicago, 312.923.2000 The Bottom Lounge 3206 N Wilton, Chicago Congress Theatre 2135 N Milwaukee, 312.923.2000 Vic Theatre 3145 N Sheffield, Chicago, 773.472.0449 Metro 3730 N Clark St, Chicago, 773.549.0203

Elbo Room 2871 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago Park West 322 W Armitage, Chicago, 773.929.1322 Riviera Theatre 4746 N Racine at Lawerence, Chicago Allstate Arena 6920 N Mannheim Rd, Rosemont, 847.635.6601 Arie Crown Theatre 2300 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, 312.791.6000 UIC Pavilion 1150 W Harrison, Chicago, 312.413.5700 Schubas 3159 N Southport, Chicago, 773.525.2508 Martyrs 3855 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, 773.288.4545 Aragon 1106 W Lawerence, Chicago, 773.561.9500 Abbey Pub 3420 W Grace, Chicago, 773.478.4408 Fireside Bowl 2646 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, 773.486.2700 Schubert Theatre 22 W Monroe, Chicago, 312.977.1700

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Studio is located in east Urbana at 1102 E Washington St. www.creationartstudios.com Join Artists and Workshops at Gallery Virtu – Gallery Virtu, an artist-owned cooperative, now invite applications from area artists. The Gallery also offers workshops for adults, teens and children in knitting, embroidery, photography, jewelry making, printmaking, papermaking, bookbinding and ribbon flowers. Gallery Virtu offers original works by the members including: jewelry, pottery, collages, sculptures, journals, hats, handbags and other textiles. For more information please call 762-7790, visit our website at www.galleryvirtu.org, e-mail workshops@galleryvirtu.org or visit the gallery. Regular hours: Thu 12-4pm, Fri 12-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm. 220 W Washington Street in Monticello.

Art Classes at High Cross Studio – All classes are held at High Cross Studio in Urbana. 1101 N High Cross Road. Email or call for reservations and details. (217) 367-6345 or spiritofsandra@hotmail.com..

ART NOTICES

“Portrait Paintings with Oils”– This course will provide instruction in painting portraits from photographs. Paint a portrait of your loved one or yourself. Mon-Fri daytime class and weekend workshop offered.

Portraits – Award winning portrait artist Sandra Ahten is currently accepting commissions for portraits for holiday giving. Portraits are priced at an affordable range and professional exchange or barter may be accepted. For examples of work and a quote, contact Sandra Ahten at (217) 367-6345 or spiritofsandra@hotmail.com

“Collage for the Soul” – Students will learn a variety of collage techniques, including photo and photocopy transfer, papermaking and manipulation, and frontage, while exploring a particular subject, such as a place, a memory, an experience or a relationship. No art-making experience necessary.

Creation Art Studio Art Classes for Children and Adults – All classes offer technical instruction and the exploration of materials through expressive, spontaneous art and experimentation. Independent studies of personal interests and ideas, dreams, etc. are expressed and developed through collage and assemblage art and through drawing, painting, sculpture and ceramics. Children meet MonThu 3:30-5pm. Adolescents meet Fri 4-5:30pm. Adults meet Wed @ 10am and Sat 1-3pm. Open to beginners and advanced students. Adult Open Studio meets Tue night 7:00 to 9:00. Drop-ins welcome. Come with a friend. Call to make special arrangements for a group. For more information contact Jeannine Bestoso at 344 6955. CPDU’s offered.

“Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” – For adults who have always wanted to learn to draw, but felt as if they lacked talent or confidence.

Other Classes:“Making Monoprints,”“Art With Intention” (Open Studio). For information on these visit http://www.spiritofsandra.com and click on “classes,” then e-mail or call for reservations.

Market at the Square is Moving INSIDE! contemporary clothing, accesories, jewelry & shoes 107 N. Walnut Downtown Champaign 359.2195

The very successful and very well attended Farmer’s Market at Lincoln Square is moving into Lincoln Square for the Holiday Season making it Market IN the Square.

Starting November 15, 2003 the season will continue through December 27, 2003.

Make this event a holiday tradition for your family and friends!

For More Information Call (217) 344-3872 or email office@urbanabusiness.com

601624

M – TH FRI SAT SUN

10:30 – 5:30 10:30 – 8:00 10:30 – 5:00 11:00 – 4:00

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WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz

for the whole family at Faith United Methodist Church, 1719 S Prospect Ave, Champaign. Two performances will be given: at 2pm and at 7:30pm, with a Concert Conversation with Music Director Kevin Kelly 1/2 hour before each performance. Soloists will be soprano Kay Shaw and 14-year-old Matt Brown as “Sam I Am.” Also on the program are “Making Your Own Orchestra” by Michael Lankester and “Opus Number Zoo” by Luciano Berio. For tickets, call (217) 355-9077, visit www.PrairieEnsemble.org, or purchase them at the door. $5-10

OTHER Market at the Square – crafts, entertainment and more – Lincoln Square Mall, inside, 7am-noon

SundayNov23 LIVE MUSIC Open Mic – Poetry/Spoken Word hosted by Illusion - The Canopy Club, 7pm, $2 The Blues Jam hosted by Kilborn Alley – The Canopy Club, 10pm, $2 Lorenzo Goetz, Deconstructin Jim – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, TBA

DJ Fresh Face DJ – Barfly, 9pm, free Blends by Otter – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free Reel to Reel and the Wheels of Steel: Spicerack Movies with soundtrack provided by DJ Spinnerty and DJ Bozak – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, $1 Lorenzo Goetz –blend of funk and rock – Cowboy Monkey, Sunday at 10pm.

ThursdayNov20 LIVE MUSIC Chip McNeill Quartet – Iron Post, 7pm, TBA Alan Jackson, Joe Nichols – Assembly Hall, 7:30pm, $29.50 Gabe Rosen – Aroma, 8pm, free Lamonte Parsons Jazz Trio – Senators Pub, 8pm, TBA Shabmo Sextet – Zorba’s, 9:30pm, $3 Illini Contraband – The Canopy Club, 10pm, TBA FeeD, Sick Day, Mighty Fine Machine – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $3

Superjoint Ritual, Morbid Angel, Devildriver – The Canopy Club, 10pm, $20 The Noisy Gators – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $3 The Violents, Crime and Judy, TBA – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, $3 Bryce and Jason Johnson – Tommy G’s, 5-7pm American Heritage Band – Tommy G’s, 10pm-2am

COMEDY

KARAOKE

LIVE MUSIC The Prairie Dogs – Cowboy Monkey, 5pm, free Jeff Helgesen Quintet – Iron Post, 5pm, TBA At Knifepoint, Explosions in the Sky, William Lazarus, Headlights (Adam & Erin of Absinthe Blind) – Cafe Paradiso, 8pm, $6 Kathy Harden and the King Bees – Iron Post, 9pm, TBA

KARAOKE “G” Force Karaoke – T.K. Wendl’s, 9pm, free

“G” Force Karaoke – Lincoln Castle, 9pm, free

TuesdayNov25 SaturdayNov22 Record Service Benefit: Triple Whip, Sanya N’Kanta, Gabe Rosen – Cafe Paradiso, 6pm, $3 Blind Tiger, Made – Channing Murray Foundation, 7pm, $3 The Noisy Gators – Hubers, 8pm Candy Foster and Shades of Blue – Iron Post, 9pm, TBA Guilt, Little Black Spiders, Felix – Brass Rail, 10pm, $3 Nightrain (Guns and Roses tribute band) – The Canopy Club, 10pm, TBA Rising Lion – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $6 The Impalas – Embassy Tavern, free Alchymist, The Infamous, Jaded Kayne, Eye Level – The Am-Vet’s, Rantoul, 7-11pm Renegade – Tommy G’s, 10pm-2am

FridayNov21

Danny Barnes – 2 sets – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $7

2ON2OUT – Barfly, 9pm, free DJ Betty Rocker – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, free

LIVE MUSIC

Merce Cunningham Dance Company: 50 Years of Forward Motion – The celebration looks back to the pioneering work that Cunningham created in 1985 – Native Green with music by John King – Tryon Festival Theatre, Krannert Center, 7:30pm, $22-34

LIVE MUSIC DJ

MUSIC PERFORMANCES

ON STAGE

MondayNov24

DJ Bozak – Barfly, 9pm, free DJ Tim Williams – The Highdive, 10:30pm, $5 DJ Mertz – Joe’s Brewery, 10 pm DJ Chad – T.K. Wendl’s, 8pm, free

Bill Burr – comedian – Courtyard Cafe, Illini Union, 9pm, $5

Enescu Ensemble – his program features the premieres of previously unknown virtuoso works for violin by the 19th-century composers Lipinski and Mayseder, who were followers of Paganini – Foellinger Great Hall, Krannert Center, 7:30pm, $2-5

“G” Force Karaoke – T.K. Wendl’s, 9pm, free

DJ

DJ In the Red Room with DJ J-Phlip – Barfly, 9pm, free – The Highdive, 9pm, $5 DJ Orby - Joe’s Brewery, 10 pm DJ Runi, Mathematx, Fury, KRA_Z K – The Highdive, 10pm

KARAOKE

DJ DJ Hipster Sophisto – Barfly, 9pm, free DJ Resonate – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, $1 DJ Tim Williams – The Highdive, 10:30pm, $5 DJ Naughty Boy – Joe’s Brewery DJ Stiffler – Lava, 9pm DJ Brad – T.K. Wendl’s, 8pm, free “G” Force DJ Chris – White Horse Inn, 10pm

KARAOKE

LIVE MUSIC Verde Hootenanny – bluegrass jam - Verdant News & Coffee, 7pm, free Open Mic Night – Espresso Royale Cafe, 7:30, free Open Mic/Open Jam hosted by Openingbands.com and Tom Grassman – The Canopy Club, 10pm, $2 Adam Wolf’s acoustic night – Tommy G’s, 9pm-1am

DJ Seduction with DJ Resonate – Barfly, 10pm, free Drew Patterson – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free Preston Wright, Jim Creason – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, $1

KARAOKE “G” Force Karaoke – T.K. Wendl’s, 9pm, free

WednesdayNov26 LIVE MUSIC Lorenzo Goetz, Mike Ingram – Iron Post, 10pm, $3 Finga Lickin’ – The Canopy Club, 10pm, free Open Mic Night hosted by Brandon T. Washington – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $2 Kilborn Alley – Tommy G’s, 9pm-1am

“G” Force Karaoke – Lincoln Castle, 9pm, free

DJ

MUSIC PERFORMANCES

DJ Joel Spencer – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, $1 Chef Ra – Reggae, Barfly, 9pm, free DJ Forrest – Lava, 9pm

The Prairie Ensemble – presents a musical rendition of Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham – in a concert

C-UVENUES Assembly Hall First & Florida, Champaign, 333.5000 American Legion Post 24 705 W Bloomington Rd, Champaign, 356.5144 American Legion Post 71 107 N Broadway, Urbana, 367.3121 Barfly 120 N Neil, Champaign,352.9756 Barnes and Noble 51 E Marketview, Champaign, 355.2045 Boltini Lounge 211 N Neil, Champaign, 378.8001 Borders Books & Music 802 W Town Ctr, Champaign, 351.9011 The Brass Rail 15 E University, Champaign, 352.7512 Canopy Club (The Garden Grill) 708 S Goodwin, Urbana, 367.3140 C.O. Daniels 608 E Daniel, Champaign, 337.7411 Cosmopolitan Club 307 E John, Champaign, 367.3079 Courtyard Cafe Illini Union, 1401 W Green, Urbana, 333.4666 Cowboy Monkey 6 Taylor St, Champaign, 398.2688 Clybourne 706 S Sixth, Champaign, 383.1008 Curtis Orchard 3902 S Duncan Rd, Champaign, 359.5565 D.R. Diggers 604 S Country Fair Dr, Champaign, 356.0888 Embassy Tavern & Grill 114 S Race, Urbana, 384.9526 Esquire Lounge 106 N Walnut, Champaign, 398.5858 Fallon’s Ice House 703 N Prospect, Champaign, 398.5760 Fat City Saloon 505 S Chestnut, Champaign, 356.7100 The Great Impasta 114 W Church, Champaign, 359.7377 G.T.’s Western Bowl Francis Dr, Champaign, 359.1678 The Highdive 51 Main, Champaign, 359.4444 Huber’s 1312 W Church, Champaign, 352.0606 Illinois Disciples Foundation 610 E Springfield, Champaign, 352.8721 Independent Media Center 218 W Main St, Urbana, 344.8820 The Iron Post 120 S Race, Urbana, 337.7678 Joe’s Brewery 706 S Fifth, Champaign, 384.1790 Kam’s 618 E Daniel, Champaign, 328.1605 Krannert Art Museum 500 E Peabody, Champaign, 333.1861 Krannert Center for Performing Arts 500 S Goodwin, Urbana, Tickets: 333.6280, 800/KCPATIX La Casa Cultural Latina 1203 W Nevada, Urbana, 333.4950 Lava 1906 W Bradley, Champaign, 352.8714 Legends Bar & Grill 522 E Green, Champaign, 355.7674 Les’s Lounge 403 N Coler, Urbana, 328.4000 Lincoln Castle 209 S Broadway, Urbana, 344.7720 Malibu Bay Lounge North Route 45, Urbana, 328.7415 Mike & Molly’s 105 N Market, Champaign, 355.1236 Mulligan’s 604 N Cunningham, Urbana, 367.5888 Murphy’s 604 E Green, Champaign, 352.7275 Neil Street Pub 1505 N Neil, Champaign, 359.1601 Boardman’s Art Theater 126 W Church, Champaign, 351.0068 The Office 214 W Main, Urbana, 344.7608 Parkland College 2400 W Bradley, Champaign, 351.2528 Phoenix 215 S Neil, Champaign, 355.7866 Pia’s of Rantoul Route 136 E, Rantoul, 893.8244 Pink House Routes 49 & 150, Ogden, 582.9997 The Rainbow Coffeehouse 1203 W Green, Urbana, 766.9500 Red Herring/Channing-Murray Foundation 1209 W Oregon, Urbana, 344.1176 Rose Bowl Tavern 106 N Race, Urbana, 367.7031 Springer Cultural Center 301 N Randolph, Champaign, 355.1406

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ous songwriters, producers and engineers placing their fingers on the creation of this album. That is why it fails.

No singular vision was used in making this debacle. It sounds as if someone realized Lang hasn’t released an album for some time and the label felt it was time for some new material.The result is an album that sounds like the overproduced blues-infused rock of the late Santana albums. But even beyond that, there is a heavy focus on Lang’s vocals and not his abilities with the six-string. Lang wears the influence of numerous R&B acts in his vocals, often sounding like a bad Stevie Wonder (a surprise bonus live track of “Livin’ for the City” further reveals this).

The cover image shows how much Jonny has grown up, and yet he still looks like a nice hunk of man easily marketed to the right people if the ad reps get on it. The lyrics reveal the album’s focus to be his recent marriage and love for his wife. This makes for the sentimental bubbly love songs that can be any musician’s downfall. Why didn’t Lang just release an instrumental album of him in his basement wailing on his guitar like a cool blues guitarist?

Lang’s vocals, although they don’t sound like a pretty white boy, aren’t worth emphasizing. His guitar playing is absent on much of this album; instead the listener is assaulted with an over-produced pop sound that just fails to intrigue even those looking for something to ignore.

SEEKONK For Barbara Lee Kimchee Records

★★★

BY KATIE RICHARDSON It’s hard to believe that a band that started as the result of “two guys getting dumped within a couple weeks of each other” could also produce music that is, according to its press release, “warm,

TopFive

music

| SERIOUSLY. 100 TIMES.

sad and wise.” Broken hearts are powerful driving forces, but only if the private pain that resonates within those shaken corridors is transformed into a commonly understood ache.

Most “hot” contemporary artists (according to mainstream opinion) like John Mayer, Jewel or Fiona Apple rely on powerful lyrics to convert their various hurts into universal truths.The power of these artists’ poetry isn’t in question, but for those who feel agony can never truly be expressed through words, Seekonk creates low, smooth instrumental music that is designed for a private pain-filled listening room.

Most critics think of Seekonk as a twig on the same branch as The Velvet Underground, Neil Young and Pink Floyd. While Seekonk appears to embrace these influences, they are also reminiscent of more timely bands like Morcheeba and Portishead. Flavored with trip pop, this instrumental recipe has an incredible, modern twist.

Though no vocals are present for most of the songs on this album, the resulting sounds are a mixture of bass tones that become more complicated because of variances in the length and volume. There is no doubt that these interesting compositions are somewhat due to the wide range of instruments Seekonk has access to. The five members have fashioned together a mini-orchestra that features an ample assortment of sounds from instruments like the cello, trombone, xylophone and a bowed amplified birdcage (which sounds like a violin plucked by fingers rather than strummed by a bow).

If the birdcage wasn’t a clue, this isn’t the Boston Orchestra. The Boston Orchestra has been around long enough to develop a thematic center. Seekonk hasn’t.

Though their tunes—especially in the long instrumental ballad “Swim Again”—are rich in melancholy, the album’s overriding message is muddled underneath the inconsistent lyrical contributions. Only two of the eight songs on the CD contain vocals, and though the voice of Shana Barry is pleasing, the question might be raised as to why she is included at all.

It’s clear that this band likes their guitars to do the talking, and they are good at conveying sadness through that vein.

Furthermore, two songs just aren’t enough to establish a firm

Songs your parents hated

1.“Closer” Nine Inch Nails

“I wanna fuck you like an animal.” Yes, that’s the infamous mantra of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer,”which had hundreds of teenage kids singing along with no idea as to what it means. The music video along with the lyrics themselves made hundreds of mothers and fathers cringe with fear thinking, “what has my child gotten into?”Although Trent Reznor made an excellent song, it’s safe to say that parents would rather have not heard it.

2.“Baby Beluga” Raffi

How harmful could a children’s song about a whale really be, especially when it is sung by Raffi, one of the world’s most beloved toddler troubadours?

Put yourself in a parent’s position. Your 5-year-old son can’t get enough of “Baby Beluga.”

So every time the family is in the car, your son listens to the song, sings along at the top of

his little lungs and then rewinds the tape when the song finishes. Over and over and over. Some fathers still have nightmares about this children’s tune.

3.“Rape Me” Nirvana

This song’s title gives parents the jibblies. Although the song isn’t really about rape, it could easily be construed as a misogynistic song making mothers take up arms against Kurt Cobain. But listening to and reading into the song’s true meaning would make one realize it isn’t a rape song. But what parent is going to do that?

4.“Fight for Your Right” Beastie Boys

High school wouldn’t be high school without some angstfilled rebellion. It isn’t surprising that after its release in 1986, many teenagers picked up on this anthem and made it their own. Did it ever incite widespread rebellion against par-

place for Barry. When she is singing, it comes as a surprise because you’ve gotten used to listening to sheer harmonies.

It’s not that her presence is necessarily unwanted, but the vocals need to be weaved throughout the rest of the album or disregarded completely.

As is, she’s just a pretty voice with uneasy footing. She doesn’t really seem like she’s a part of the band—only a visiting accompanist. For the most part, though, Seekonk succeeds in establishing a nice, smooth sound that should be enjoyed when one is relaxing. The most innovative part of this CD is the way in which Seekonk doesn’t take the idea of “relaxing lounge music” too seriously. They aren’t copying old Billie Holiday albums, nor are they solely relying on a piano to recreate a mellow mood.

Seekonk started because of two really sad guys and their low-key music succeeds in conveying this melancholy using a bowed birdcage. That can’t be too easy to do. Though it sometimes falters, this album is ambitious and makes for some great listening.

MUSIC REVIEW GUIDE

★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★ no stars

Flawless Good Mediocre Bad Un-listenable

Next week: Top five Beatles songs.

What’s Yours? e-mail us at music@readbuzz.com ents? Probably not. But there is no denying that MCA, Ad Rock and Mike D’s nasally grating chants and crashing guitars made some parents roll their eyes at these mini-coups for the right to sneak some beers on the weekend.

5.“Louie Louie” The Kingsmen

Lock your doors, hide your daughters, rock ‘n’ roll is coming! All right, so the world has become a little more tolerant of rock ‘n’ roll’s excesses (except perhaps the censors at Wal-Mart), but back when rock music was first born, almost anything could make an overprotective parent freak out. The “freak-out” factor was multiplied by 10 when parents couldn’t understand what their kids were listening to. With its mumbled lyrics that people to this day still don’t understand, parents and even the federal government wanted to stop this tune from “corrupting” every kid in the country.

Boardman’s

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CHARTS PARASOL RECORDS TOP 10 SELLERS 1. Belle And Sebastian - Step into My Office Baby (Rough Trade Records) 2. Moonbabies - The Orange Billboard (A Hidden Agenda Record) 3. Jeff Kelly - For The Swan In The Hallway (A Hidden Agenda Record) 4. The Wannadies - Before & After (A Hidden Agenda Record) 5. Guided By Voices - Hardcore UFOs: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere (Matador Records) 6. Motorpsycho - It's A Love Cult (Stickman Records - Germany) 7. Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts Of The Great Highway (Jetset Records) 8. Movietone - The Sand And The Stars (Drag City Records) 9. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop Records) 10. The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? (Alien8 Records -Canada)

RECORD SERVICE TOP 10 SELLERS 1. Pearl Jam - Lost Dogs (Sony) 2. Jay-Z - Black Album (Def Jam) 3. Duvall - Volume and Density (Asian Man Records) 4. The Strokes - Room On Fire (RCA) 5. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop) 6. Lucky Boys Confusion - Commitment (Elektra) 7. Kid Koala - Some of My Best Friends Are DJ’s (Ninja Tune) 8. Sarah McLachlan - Afterglow (Arista) 9. Guided By Voices - Best of Guided By Voices (Matador Records) 10. Pink - Try This! (La Face)

NEW RELEASES Audioslave - Audioslave Deep Dish - Toronto Box Set Dixie Chicks - Top of the World Tour Missy Elliott - This Is Not a Test!

Enrique Iglesias - Seven Korn - Take a Look in the Mirror Madonna - Remixed & Revisited Ruben Studdard - Soulful Puddle of Mudd - Life on Display Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez - In the House (three CDs) (Defected) Nelly Furtado - Folklore (DreamWorks) Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz - Part II (TVT)

Art Theatre

126 W. Church St. Champaign, IL

Whale Rider

Step into Liquid

Roger Ebert says: “Wonderful and inspirational!...four stars.”

PG, runs 98 minutes, scope, presented in HPS-4000/DD.

Not rated, runs 88 minutes, flat, presented in HPS-4000/DD. Official site w/trailer: http:// www.stepintoliquid.com

Daily at 6:00 p.m., Matinees Sat/Sun and Thanksgiving Day at 4:00 p.m.

Daily at 8:15 p.m., Late Fri/Sat & Thanksgiving Day at 10:00 p.m., Matinees Sat/Sun and Thanksgiving Day at 2:00 p.m.

AT THE LORRAINE THEATRE IN HOOPESTON: Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat www.BoardmansLorraineTheatre.com

BOARDMAN’S THEATRES www.BoardmansTheatres.com 1-800-BEST PLACE (800-237-8752) 217/355-0068 eTickets/reserved seats: www.BoardmansArtTheatre.com

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Explosions in the Sky at Paradiso

Record Service has been a constant fixture in the C-U landscape for decades. Come out and show your support for one of C-U’s local independent music sellers. Local bands Triple Whip, Sanya N’ Kanta and Gabe Rosen will perform at Cafe Paradiso. Local trio Triple Whip blends drums and bass for an impressive layered sound. After releasing their first full-length album, Slapshot, on local label Innocent Words, Triple Whip’s future looks promising. Opening is local reggae, rock, soul singer songwriter Sanya N’ Kanta and Gabe Rosen. Saturday, Nov. 22, Cafe Paradiso.

Explosions in the Sky could quite possibly be the loudest band on earth. Whether this can be proven or not, the Texas quartet’s instrument indie rock show is amazing. With Absinthe Blind offshoot Headlights opening and the new local post rock project At Knifepoint headlining, Friday night at Paradiso will be a night of new and experimental music that should not be missed.

It’s Miller Time at Buffalo Wild Wings!

Studio X photos by Jason Pankoke

Fay Sapp made the move from Identity Salon to

Champaign-Urbana's premiere source of information for both bands and fans:

Kane & Co. Make the move with her!

Specializes in Cuts, Coloring and Highlight Call today for an appointment.

41 E. University, Champaign 217.359.2424

- c-u's most complete and up to date concert listings OB

- online forums and instant messaging - cd reviews, articles and editorials

openingbands.com For extra photos, check out readbuzz.com

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11/19/03

calendar

3:29 PM

Page 1

calendar

buzzpicks

Support local bands and music store

13

Explosions in the Sky at Paradiso

Record Service has been a constant fixture in the C-U landscape for decades. Come out and show your support for one of C-U’s local independent music sellers. Local bands Triple Whip, Sanya N’ Kanta and Gabe Rosen will perform at Cafe Paradiso. Local trio Triple Whip blends drums and bass for an impressive layered sound. After releasing their first full-length album, Slapshot, on local label Innocent Words, Triple Whip’s future looks promising. Opening is local reggae, rock, soul singer songwriter Sanya N’ Kanta and Gabe Rosen. Saturday, Nov. 22, Cafe Paradiso.

Explosions in the Sky could quite possibly be the loudest band on earth. Whether this can be proven or not, the Texas quartet’s instrument indie rock show is amazing. With Absinthe Blind offshoot Headlights opening and the new local post rock project At Knifepoint headlining, Friday night at Paradiso will be a night of new and experimental music that should not be missed.

It’s Miller Time at Buffalo Wild Wings!

Studio X photos by Jason Pankoke

Fay Sapp made the move from Identity Salon to

Champaign-Urbana's premiere source of information for both bands and fans:

Kane & Co. Make the move with her!

Specializes in Cuts, Coloring and Highlight Call today for an appointment.

41 E. University, Champaign 217.359.2424

- c-u's most complete and up to date concert listings OB

- online forums and instant messaging - cd reviews, articles and editorials

openingbands.com For extra photos, check out readbuzz.com

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WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz

for the whole family at Faith United Methodist Church, 1719 S Prospect Ave, Champaign. Two performances will be given: at 2pm and at 7:30pm, with a Concert Conversation with Music Director Kevin Kelly 1/2 hour before each performance. Soloists will be soprano Kay Shaw and 14-year-old Matt Brown as “Sam I Am.” Also on the program are “Making Your Own Orchestra” by Michael Lankester and “Opus Number Zoo” by Luciano Berio. For tickets, call (217) 355-9077, visit www.PrairieEnsemble.org, or purchase them at the door. $5-10

OTHER Market at the Square – crafts, entertainment and more – Lincoln Square Mall, inside, 7am-noon

SundayNov23 LIVE MUSIC Open Mic – Poetry/Spoken Word hosted by Illusion - The Canopy Club, 7pm, $2 The Blues Jam hosted by Kilborn Alley – The Canopy Club, 10pm, $2 Lorenzo Goetz, Deconstructin Jim – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, TBA

DJ Fresh Face DJ – Barfly, 9pm, free Blends by Otter – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free Reel to Reel and the Wheels of Steel: Spicerack Movies with soundtrack provided by DJ Spinnerty and DJ Bozak – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, $1 Lorenzo Goetz –blend of funk and rock – Cowboy Monkey, Sunday at 10pm.

ThursdayNov20 LIVE MUSIC Chip McNeill Quartet – Iron Post, 7pm, TBA Alan Jackson, Joe Nichols – Assembly Hall, 7:30pm, $29.50 Gabe Rosen – Aroma, 8pm, free Lamonte Parsons Jazz Trio – Senators Pub, 8pm, TBA Shabmo Sextet – Zorba’s, 9:30pm, $3 Illini Contraband – The Canopy Club, 10pm, TBA FeeD, Sick Day, Mighty Fine Machine – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $3

Superjoint Ritual, Morbid Angel, Devildriver – The Canopy Club, 10pm, $20 The Noisy Gators – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $3 The Violents, Crime and Judy, TBA – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, $3 Bryce and Jason Johnson – Tommy G’s, 5-7pm American Heritage Band – Tommy G’s, 10pm-2am

COMEDY

KARAOKE

LIVE MUSIC The Prairie Dogs – Cowboy Monkey, 5pm, free Jeff Helgesen Quintet – Iron Post, 5pm, TBA At Knifepoint, Explosions in the Sky, William Lazarus, Headlights (Adam & Erin of Absinthe Blind) – Cafe Paradiso, 8pm, $6 Kathy Harden and the King Bees – Iron Post, 9pm, TBA

KARAOKE “G” Force Karaoke – T.K. Wendl’s, 9pm, free

“G” Force Karaoke – Lincoln Castle, 9pm, free

TuesdayNov25 SaturdayNov22 Record Service Benefit: Triple Whip, Sanya N’Kanta, Gabe Rosen – Cafe Paradiso, 6pm, $3 Blind Tiger, Made – Channing Murray Foundation, 7pm, $3 The Noisy Gators – Hubers, 8pm Candy Foster and Shades of Blue – Iron Post, 9pm, TBA Guilt, Little Black Spiders, Felix – Brass Rail, 10pm, $3 Nightrain (Guns and Roses tribute band) – The Canopy Club, 10pm, TBA Rising Lion – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $6 The Impalas – Embassy Tavern, free Alchymist, The Infamous, Jaded Kayne, Eye Level – The Am-Vet’s, Rantoul, 7-11pm Renegade – Tommy G’s, 10pm-2am

FridayNov21

Danny Barnes – 2 sets – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $7

2ON2OUT – Barfly, 9pm, free DJ Betty Rocker – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, free

LIVE MUSIC

Merce Cunningham Dance Company: 50 Years of Forward Motion – The celebration looks back to the pioneering work that Cunningham created in 1985 – Native Green with music by John King – Tryon Festival Theatre, Krannert Center, 7:30pm, $22-34

LIVE MUSIC DJ

MUSIC PERFORMANCES

ON STAGE

MondayNov24

DJ Bozak – Barfly, 9pm, free DJ Tim Williams – The Highdive, 10:30pm, $5 DJ Mertz – Joe’s Brewery, 10 pm DJ Chad – T.K. Wendl’s, 8pm, free

Bill Burr – comedian – Courtyard Cafe, Illini Union, 9pm, $5

Enescu Ensemble – his program features the premieres of previously unknown virtuoso works for violin by the 19th-century composers Lipinski and Mayseder, who were followers of Paganini – Foellinger Great Hall, Krannert Center, 7:30pm, $2-5

“G” Force Karaoke – T.K. Wendl’s, 9pm, free

DJ

DJ In the Red Room with DJ J-Phlip – Barfly, 9pm, free – The Highdive, 9pm, $5 DJ Orby - Joe’s Brewery, 10 pm DJ Runi, Mathematx, Fury, KRA_Z K – The Highdive, 10pm

KARAOKE

DJ DJ Hipster Sophisto – Barfly, 9pm, free DJ Resonate – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, $1 DJ Tim Williams – The Highdive, 10:30pm, $5 DJ Naughty Boy – Joe’s Brewery DJ Stiffler – Lava, 9pm DJ Brad – T.K. Wendl’s, 8pm, free “G” Force DJ Chris – White Horse Inn, 10pm

KARAOKE

LIVE MUSIC Verde Hootenanny – bluegrass jam - Verdant News & Coffee, 7pm, free Open Mic Night – Espresso Royale Cafe, 7:30, free Open Mic/Open Jam hosted by Openingbands.com and Tom Grassman – The Canopy Club, 10pm, $2 Adam Wolf’s acoustic night – Tommy G’s, 9pm-1am

DJ Seduction with DJ Resonate – Barfly, 10pm, free Drew Patterson – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free Preston Wright, Jim Creason – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, $1

KARAOKE “G” Force Karaoke – T.K. Wendl’s, 9pm, free

WednesdayNov26 LIVE MUSIC Lorenzo Goetz, Mike Ingram – Iron Post, 10pm, $3 Finga Lickin’ – The Canopy Club, 10pm, free Open Mic Night hosted by Brandon T. Washington – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $2 Kilborn Alley – Tommy G’s, 9pm-1am

“G” Force Karaoke – Lincoln Castle, 9pm, free

DJ

MUSIC PERFORMANCES

DJ Joel Spencer – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, $1 Chef Ra – Reggae, Barfly, 9pm, free DJ Forrest – Lava, 9pm

The Prairie Ensemble – presents a musical rendition of Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham – in a concert

C-UVENUES Assembly Hall First & Florida, Champaign, 333.5000 American Legion Post 24 705 W Bloomington Rd, Champaign, 356.5144 American Legion Post 71 107 N Broadway, Urbana, 367.3121 Barfly 120 N Neil, Champaign,352.9756 Barnes and Noble 51 E Marketview, Champaign, 355.2045 Boltini Lounge 211 N Neil, Champaign, 378.8001 Borders Books & Music 802 W Town Ctr, Champaign, 351.9011 The Brass Rail 15 E University, Champaign, 352.7512 Canopy Club (The Garden Grill) 708 S Goodwin, Urbana, 367.3140 C.O. Daniels 608 E Daniel, Champaign, 337.7411 Cosmopolitan Club 307 E John, Champaign, 367.3079 Courtyard Cafe Illini Union, 1401 W Green, Urbana, 333.4666 Cowboy Monkey 6 Taylor St, Champaign, 398.2688 Clybourne 706 S Sixth, Champaign, 383.1008 Curtis Orchard 3902 S Duncan Rd, Champaign, 359.5565 D.R. Diggers 604 S Country Fair Dr, Champaign, 356.0888 Embassy Tavern & Grill 114 S Race, Urbana, 384.9526 Esquire Lounge 106 N Walnut, Champaign, 398.5858 Fallon’s Ice House 703 N Prospect, Champaign, 398.5760 Fat City Saloon 505 S Chestnut, Champaign, 356.7100 The Great Impasta 114 W Church, Champaign, 359.7377 G.T.’s Western Bowl Francis Dr, Champaign, 359.1678 The Highdive 51 Main, Champaign, 359.4444 Huber’s 1312 W Church, Champaign, 352.0606 Illinois Disciples Foundation 610 E Springfield, Champaign, 352.8721 Independent Media Center 218 W Main St, Urbana, 344.8820 The Iron Post 120 S Race, Urbana, 337.7678 Joe’s Brewery 706 S Fifth, Champaign, 384.1790 Kam’s 618 E Daniel, Champaign, 328.1605 Krannert Art Museum 500 E Peabody, Champaign, 333.1861 Krannert Center for Performing Arts 500 S Goodwin, Urbana, Tickets: 333.6280, 800/KCPATIX La Casa Cultural Latina 1203 W Nevada, Urbana, 333.4950 Lava 1906 W Bradley, Champaign, 352.8714 Legends Bar & Grill 522 E Green, Champaign, 355.7674 Les’s Lounge 403 N Coler, Urbana, 328.4000 Lincoln Castle 209 S Broadway, Urbana, 344.7720 Malibu Bay Lounge North Route 45, Urbana, 328.7415 Mike & Molly’s 105 N Market, Champaign, 355.1236 Mulligan’s 604 N Cunningham, Urbana, 367.5888 Murphy’s 604 E Green, Champaign, 352.7275 Neil Street Pub 1505 N Neil, Champaign, 359.1601 Boardman’s Art Theater 126 W Church, Champaign, 351.0068 The Office 214 W Main, Urbana, 344.7608 Parkland College 2400 W Bradley, Champaign, 351.2528 Phoenix 215 S Neil, Champaign, 355.7866 Pia’s of Rantoul Route 136 E, Rantoul, 893.8244 Pink House Routes 49 & 150, Ogden, 582.9997 The Rainbow Coffeehouse 1203 W Green, Urbana, 766.9500 Red Herring/Channing-Murray Foundation 1209 W Oregon, Urbana, 344.1176 Rose Bowl Tavern 106 N Race, Urbana, 367.7031 Springer Cultural Center 301 N Randolph, Champaign, 355.1406

buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003

ous songwriters, producers and engineers placing their fingers on the creation of this album. That is why it fails.

No singular vision was used in making this debacle. It sounds as if someone realized Lang hasn’t released an album for some time and the label felt it was time for some new material.The result is an album that sounds like the overproduced blues-infused rock of the late Santana albums. But even beyond that, there is a heavy focus on Lang’s vocals and not his abilities with the six-string. Lang wears the influence of numerous R&B acts in his vocals, often sounding like a bad Stevie Wonder (a surprise bonus live track of “Livin’ for the City” further reveals this).

The cover image shows how much Jonny has grown up, and yet he still looks like a nice hunk of man easily marketed to the right people if the ad reps get on it. The lyrics reveal the album’s focus to be his recent marriage and love for his wife. This makes for the sentimental bubbly love songs that can be any musician’s downfall. Why didn’t Lang just release an instrumental album of him in his basement wailing on his guitar like a cool blues guitarist?

Lang’s vocals, although they don’t sound like a pretty white boy, aren’t worth emphasizing. His guitar playing is absent on much of this album; instead the listener is assaulted with an over-produced pop sound that just fails to intrigue even those looking for something to ignore.

SEEKONK For Barbara Lee Kimchee Records

★★★

BY KATIE RICHARDSON It’s hard to believe that a band that started as the result of “two guys getting dumped within a couple weeks of each other” could also produce music that is, according to its press release, “warm,

TopFive

music

| SERIOUSLY. 100 TIMES.

sad and wise.” Broken hearts are powerful driving forces, but only if the private pain that resonates within those shaken corridors is transformed into a commonly understood ache.

Most “hot” contemporary artists (according to mainstream opinion) like John Mayer, Jewel or Fiona Apple rely on powerful lyrics to convert their various hurts into universal truths.The power of these artists’ poetry isn’t in question, but for those who feel agony can never truly be expressed through words, Seekonk creates low, smooth instrumental music that is designed for a private pain-filled listening room.

Most critics think of Seekonk as a twig on the same branch as The Velvet Underground, Neil Young and Pink Floyd. While Seekonk appears to embrace these influences, they are also reminiscent of more timely bands like Morcheeba and Portishead. Flavored with trip pop, this instrumental recipe has an incredible, modern twist.

Though no vocals are present for most of the songs on this album, the resulting sounds are a mixture of bass tones that become more complicated because of variances in the length and volume. There is no doubt that these interesting compositions are somewhat due to the wide range of instruments Seekonk has access to. The five members have fashioned together a mini-orchestra that features an ample assortment of sounds from instruments like the cello, trombone, xylophone and a bowed amplified birdcage (which sounds like a violin plucked by fingers rather than strummed by a bow).

If the birdcage wasn’t a clue, this isn’t the Boston Orchestra. The Boston Orchestra has been around long enough to develop a thematic center. Seekonk hasn’t.

Though their tunes—especially in the long instrumental ballad “Swim Again”—are rich in melancholy, the album’s overriding message is muddled underneath the inconsistent lyrical contributions. Only two of the eight songs on the CD contain vocals, and though the voice of Shana Barry is pleasing, the question might be raised as to why she is included at all.

It’s clear that this band likes their guitars to do the talking, and they are good at conveying sadness through that vein.

Furthermore, two songs just aren’t enough to establish a firm

Songs your parents hated

1.“Closer” Nine Inch Nails

“I wanna fuck you like an animal.” Yes, that’s the infamous mantra of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer,”which had hundreds of teenage kids singing along with no idea as to what it means. The music video along with the lyrics themselves made hundreds of mothers and fathers cringe with fear thinking, “what has my child gotten into?”Although Trent Reznor made an excellent song, it’s safe to say that parents would rather have not heard it.

2.“Baby Beluga” Raffi

How harmful could a children’s song about a whale really be, especially when it is sung by Raffi, one of the world’s most beloved toddler troubadours?

Put yourself in a parent’s position. Your 5-year-old son can’t get enough of “Baby Beluga.”

So every time the family is in the car, your son listens to the song, sings along at the top of

his little lungs and then rewinds the tape when the song finishes. Over and over and over. Some fathers still have nightmares about this children’s tune.

3.“Rape Me” Nirvana

This song’s title gives parents the jibblies. Although the song isn’t really about rape, it could easily be construed as a misogynistic song making mothers take up arms against Kurt Cobain. But listening to and reading into the song’s true meaning would make one realize it isn’t a rape song. But what parent is going to do that?

4.“Fight for Your Right” Beastie Boys

High school wouldn’t be high school without some angstfilled rebellion. It isn’t surprising that after its release in 1986, many teenagers picked up on this anthem and made it their own. Did it ever incite widespread rebellion against par-

place for Barry. When she is singing, it comes as a surprise because you’ve gotten used to listening to sheer harmonies.

It’s not that her presence is necessarily unwanted, but the vocals need to be weaved throughout the rest of the album or disregarded completely.

As is, she’s just a pretty voice with uneasy footing. She doesn’t really seem like she’s a part of the band—only a visiting accompanist. For the most part, though, Seekonk succeeds in establishing a nice, smooth sound that should be enjoyed when one is relaxing. The most innovative part of this CD is the way in which Seekonk doesn’t take the idea of “relaxing lounge music” too seriously. They aren’t copying old Billie Holiday albums, nor are they solely relying on a piano to recreate a mellow mood.

Seekonk started because of two really sad guys and their low-key music succeeds in conveying this melancholy using a bowed birdcage. That can’t be too easy to do. Though it sometimes falters, this album is ambitious and makes for some great listening.

MUSIC REVIEW GUIDE

★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★ no stars

Flawless Good Mediocre Bad Un-listenable

Next week: Top five Beatles songs.

What’s Yours? e-mail us at music@readbuzz.com ents? Probably not. But there is no denying that MCA, Ad Rock and Mike D’s nasally grating chants and crashing guitars made some parents roll their eyes at these mini-coups for the right to sneak some beers on the weekend.

5.“Louie Louie” The Kingsmen

Lock your doors, hide your daughters, rock ‘n’ roll is coming! All right, so the world has become a little more tolerant of rock ‘n’ roll’s excesses (except perhaps the censors at Wal-Mart), but back when rock music was first born, almost anything could make an overprotective parent freak out. The “freak-out” factor was multiplied by 10 when parents couldn’t understand what their kids were listening to. With its mumbled lyrics that people to this day still don’t understand, parents and even the federal government wanted to stop this tune from “corrupting” every kid in the country.

Boardman’s

11

CHARTS PARASOL RECORDS TOP 10 SELLERS 1. Belle And Sebastian - Step into My Office Baby (Rough Trade Records) 2. Moonbabies - The Orange Billboard (A Hidden Agenda Record) 3. Jeff Kelly - For The Swan In The Hallway (A Hidden Agenda Record) 4. The Wannadies - Before & After (A Hidden Agenda Record) 5. Guided By Voices - Hardcore UFOs: Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in the Western Hemisphere (Matador Records) 6. Motorpsycho - It's A Love Cult (Stickman Records - Germany) 7. Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts Of The Great Highway (Jetset Records) 8. Movietone - The Sand And The Stars (Drag City Records) 9. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop Records) 10. The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? (Alien8 Records -Canada)

RECORD SERVICE TOP 10 SELLERS 1. Pearl Jam - Lost Dogs (Sony) 2. Jay-Z - Black Album (Def Jam) 3. Duvall - Volume and Density (Asian Man Records) 4. The Strokes - Room On Fire (RCA) 5. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow (Sub Pop) 6. Lucky Boys Confusion - Commitment (Elektra) 7. Kid Koala - Some of My Best Friends Are DJ’s (Ninja Tune) 8. Sarah McLachlan - Afterglow (Arista) 9. Guided By Voices - Best of Guided By Voices (Matador Records) 10. Pink - Try This! (La Face)

NEW RELEASES Audioslave - Audioslave Deep Dish - Toronto Box Set Dixie Chicks - Top of the World Tour Missy Elliott - This Is Not a Test!

Enrique Iglesias - Seven Korn - Take a Look in the Mirror Madonna - Remixed & Revisited Ruben Studdard - Soulful Puddle of Mudd - Life on Display Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez - In the House (three CDs) (Defected) Nelly Furtado - Folklore (DreamWorks) Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz - Part II (TVT)

Art Theatre

126 W. Church St. Champaign, IL

Whale Rider

Step into Liquid

Roger Ebert says: “Wonderful and inspirational!...four stars.”

PG, runs 98 minutes, scope, presented in HPS-4000/DD.

Not rated, runs 88 minutes, flat, presented in HPS-4000/DD. Official site w/trailer: http:// www.stepintoliquid.com

Daily at 6:00 p.m., Matinees Sat/Sun and Thanksgiving Day at 4:00 p.m.

Daily at 8:15 p.m., Late Fri/Sat & Thanksgiving Day at 10:00 p.m., Matinees Sat/Sun and Thanksgiving Day at 2:00 p.m.

AT THE LORRAINE THEATRE IN HOOPESTON: Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat www.BoardmansLorraineTheatre.com

BOARDMAN’S THEATRES www.BoardmansTheatres.com 1-800-BEST PLACE (800-237-8752) 217/355-0068 eTickets/reserved seats: www.BoardmansArtTheatre.com

music

3:27 PM

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I’VE WATCHED THE AQUA TEENS DVD 100 TIMES BY NOW. | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003

RYAN ADAMS Rock N Roll Lost Highway Records Zero stars

BY LOGAN MOORE Ryan Adams’ first solo outing, Heartbreaker, was, for me, an album that every music lover can recall. That album that defines those apocalyptic relationships of your late teens, conjuring up images of adolescent longing, drunken infidelities and the sort of sexual attraction that can only be born of extreme loneliness and a certain romantic inexperience. So, for a time, I really liked Ryan Adams. I say this not in a moment of self-indulgent revelation but in defense of the review which I am about to give.

Which brings us to his latest opus, Rock N Roll. Oh lord, how far the mighty have fallen. I’ll still own up to being a fan of Heartbreaker, and even a good third of Gold. I will not, however, back off from my opinion that for quite some time now my one-time co-conspirator of misery has seemed more obsessed with portraying the role of tortured genius, attempting to measure up to his musical heroes, and nailing every doe-eyed model and actress in New York, than actually making any music of value. Rock N Roll is the natural result of a once promising singer/songwriter (and how many of those do we get nowadays) descending into cliched, soft rock crap.

In his band Whiskeytown and on Heartbreaker, Adams was always on the verge of the sort of emotional honesty that borders on the embarrassing, which is what makes every good singer/songwriter so inherently exhilarating. It was the sort of album you could cry to without feeling too guilty about it. Rock N Roll is an album that makes you want to cry for all the wrong reasons. Adams apparently lives and dies by the fawning, vaguely homoerotic praise that has been thrown at him by the British music press and is, once again, attempting to canonize himself alongside the greats of rock ‘n’ roll to whom he is frequently compared. What he ends up with is the musical equivalent of making a drunken pass at your friend’s mother. Everyone knows you’re never going to succeed and you look like an asshole in the process.

My god, is this album bad. Most of the songs bleed together in a bland summation of every horrid bar band you’ve ever heard. It’s getting to the point where a press conference in which Adams peels away his face to reveal, a la Scooby-Doo, that it was really just Bob Seger attempting a comeback all along doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Most of the album attempts for a halfway between the Ramones and the Replacements and ends up at a hellish combo of latter day Aerosmith and Kiss (which, if anybody was wondering, is not a compliment). However, the music is complemented almost too well by the lyrics. This guy used to be able to write a drunken, plain-faced love song that really tugged at the heartstrings.

On Rock N Roll he literally sounds like a Saturday Night Live parody of himself.Take, for instance,“Wish You Were Here,” in which he pens the masterful couplet “It’s totally fucked up / I’m totally fucked up.” And just when you say to yourself, “Hold up a sec, did he just try to rhyme ‘fucked up’ with ‘fucked up?’” he tops it with the chorus of “And if I had my way / We’d take some drugs / And we’d smile.” Trent Reznor has gotten deeper into the psyche of the broken-hearted male than that; shit, John Denver probably has. Oh, and let’s not forget the falsetto that he employs on several of the songs here, most notably “So Alive,” which culminates in a chorus of, I kid you not,“I am on your side / And so alive / So alive it isn’t real.” In some sort of half-assed effort at Thom Yorke or Bono, Adams sounds uncannily like me when I’m doing my impression of Journey’s Steve Perry.

I find it somewhat ironic that, much like the failed relationship that began my involvement with Ryan Adams, my appreciation of him has ended in the same way: disappointment, bewilderment at how things have gotten this bad and embarrassment that I was ever enthused in the first place.

buzz

MARK FARINA Air Farina Om Records

★★★

BY BRIAN MERTZ San Francisco producer and DJ Mark Farina is best known amongst house and lounge fans for his Mushroom Jazz mix albums. Each of his Mushroom Jazz albums has been an eclectic and thoroughly entertaining mix of hip hop, downtempo, dub and house tracks of Farina’s own creation as well as absolute gems from other artists.

Air Farina sees the short in stature but tall in talent Farina going down the same musical paths that are typical for the Mushroom Jazz series and the Om label in general. This time around, the tracks are solely Farina’s own creations. Well, sort of. He still brings in fellow deep house gurus Lance Desardi and Kaskade to contribute their talents to two of the more danceable tracks on the album,“Leaving SF”and “To Do.”And for a slightly crazy take on the underground West Coast hiphop sound, fellow Golden-staters The People Under The Stairs add their rhymes to the song “Travel.”

The entire album follows the theme of flying. There are at least six interludes throughout Air Farina that feature recordings of tower discussions with airplanes in flight as well as departure schedules and weather reports.

The airline theme is good idea and shows an artist’s devotion to making an album instead of just a hodgepodge of songs. The devotion to making an album that works from start to finish is commendable, but the airline structure sometimes hinders Farina’s mix.

Just when the listener is finally getting into one of Farina’s trademark house grooves with the song “Talk to Me,” Farina breaks up the mix and slows down the momentum of the album by dropping in a “Layover” interlude that is nothing but a 1950s sounding vocal lecture about lost aircrafts.

Unfortunately for Farina, the aircraft and the listener are both lost on the awkward and abrupt break in the groove.

Ask anyone who has traveled across the country and they’ll tell you that a direct flight is almost always preferable to one with lots of flight changes and layovers. Farina should take note of that fact for his next release.While his individual tunes are just as amazing as anyone who has followed his career would expect them to be, there is something missing from this album compared to his Mushroom Jazz mixes.

That missing element is the groove and the vibe that Farina is such a master of creating with very different elements. Just when something good gets going, Farina stops it and turns his musical sights in another direction. And that feeling of turbulence in terms of mood obscures even some of the best tracks on this album.

Instead of feeling like a fulfilling vacation with a myriad of sights and sounds, Air Farina leaves the listener feeling like they just caught the red-eye from San Francisco to Chicago with five layovers in between. The end result is a trip that feels exhausting in the end instead of rewarding.

JONNY LANG Long Time Coming A&M Records

★

BY JACOB DITTMER It certainly has been a “long time” since Lang released an album. His 1998 album, Wander this World, was met with a decent amount of critical and commercial success as Lang found himself opening for the Rolling Stones that year. Everyone was in such an uproar over this 17-year-old blues guitarist that he was said to be the next Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Well, he’s not. Sure, his humble beginnings in Fargo, N.D., coupled with his ability to play spectacular blues in his teenage years made him a favorite in the music media.

Releasing his first major label album, Lie to Me, at 16 and selling thousands of records was an impressive feat that made him quickly put out Wander this World with the hit single “Still Rainin’” the following year. Fast-forward five years to 2003. Music fads and pop sensations like *NSync have come and gone; we lost the Spice Girls somewhere around 1998 and Britney has gone from cute schoolgirl to Esquire’s and Rolling Stone’s cover girl sex symbol.

A lot has changed, and it sounds like Jonny has too. At the “old” age of 22 we might expect Jonny to have matured his sound and traveled to new realms of blues, or to achieve an even larger level of greatness like Stevie Ray Vaughn. Lang did try a new sound with Long Time Coming, but it is definitely a step backward from its predecessor. The liner notes reveal the huge number of personnel that went into making this album. Every song has numerous credits with vari-

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calendar

NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com

Spurlock Museum 600 S Gregory, Urbana, 333.2360 The Station Theatre 223 N. Broadway, Urbana, 384-4000 Strawberry Fields Cafe 306 W Springfield, Urbana, 328.1655 Ten Thousand Villages 105 N Walnut, Champaign, 352.8938 TK Wendl’s 1901 S Highcross Rd, Urbana, 255.5328 Tommy G’s 123 S. Mattis Ave, Country Fair Shopping Center, 359.2177 Tonic 619 S Wright, Champaign, 356.6768 Two Main 2 Main, Champaign, 359.3148 University YMCA 1001 S Wright, Champaign, 344.0721 Verde/Verdant 17 E Taylor St, Champaign, 366.3204 Virginia Theatre 203 W Park Ave, Champaign, 356.9053 White Horse Inn 112 1/2 E Green, Champaign, 352.5945 Zorba’s 627 E Green, Champaign

CHICAGOSHOWS NOVEMBER 11/20 Jonny Lang @ House of Blues 11/21 Anti-Flag, Rise Against @ Metro 11/21 Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Abbey Pub 11/22 Guided By Voices @ Abbey Pub 11/22 Cash Brothers @ Schubas 11/22 Tom Jones @ House of Blues 11/22 Alabama @ Allstate Arena 11/23 Guided By Voices @ Abbey Pub 11/23 Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs! @ Metro 11/23 Tom Jones @ House of Blues 11/24 Symphony X @ Metro 11/25 Jaguars @ House of Blues 11/25 Mindless Self Indulgence @ Metro 11/26 Mindless Self Indulgence @ Metro 11/24 Obie Trice @ House of Blues 11/26 OK Go @ Abbey Pub 11/28 Bollweevils @ Metro, all ages

Special Event: ISDA Trunk Show November 23rd

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CDReviews

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11/28 Buzzcocks @ Double Door 11/28 Tortoise @ Abbey Pub 11/29 Rocket from the Tombs @ Abbey Pub 11/29 Asylum Street Pranksters @ Schubas 11/30 Something Corporate @ House of Blues

DECEMBER 12/2 Living Colour @ Park West 12/5 Donna The Buffalo @ Martyr’s 12/5 They Might Be Giants @ Vic, all ages 12/6 Autumn Defense @ Schubas 12/6 Rufus Wainwright @ Vic, all ages 12/6 Blank Theory @ Metro 12/7 Hey Mercedes @ Metro 12/8 Fun Lovin’ Criminals @ Double Door 12/9 Wayne Wonder @ House of Blues 12/11 Kurtis Blow, Rob Base @ Double Door 12/12 Coheed & Cambria @ House of Blues 12/12 Aquabats @ Metro, all ages 12/12 Atmosphere, Mr. Dibbs, Others @ Abbey Pub, 18 & over 12/12 Neko Case @ Old Town School of Music 12/13 Ryan Adams @ Riviera 12/13 Wyclef John, Baby Bash @ House of Blues 12/13 Death in June @ Empty Bottle 12/19 Beyonce, Bow Wow @ United Center 12/19 Dwele, Slum Village @ Metro 12/19 Los Straitjackets @ Abbey Pub 12/31 Aretha Franklin @ Chicago Theater 12/31 Flaming Lips, White Stripes @ Aragon Ballroom 12/31 Guster @ House of Blues

CHICAGOVENUES House of Blues 329 N Dearborn, Chicago, 312.923.2000 The Bottom Lounge 3206 N Wilton, Chicago Congress Theatre 2135 N Milwaukee, 312.923.2000 Vic Theatre 3145 N Sheffield, Chicago, 773.472.0449 Metro 3730 N Clark St, Chicago, 773.549.0203

Elbo Room 2871 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago Park West 322 W Armitage, Chicago, 773.929.1322 Riviera Theatre 4746 N Racine at Lawerence, Chicago Allstate Arena 6920 N Mannheim Rd, Rosemont, 847.635.6601 Arie Crown Theatre 2300 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, 312.791.6000 UIC Pavilion 1150 W Harrison, Chicago, 312.413.5700 Schubas 3159 N Southport, Chicago, 773.525.2508 Martyrs 3855 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, 773.288.4545 Aragon 1106 W Lawerence, Chicago, 773.561.9500 Abbey Pub 3420 W Grace, Chicago, 773.478.4408 Fireside Bowl 2646 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, 773.486.2700 Schubert Theatre 22 W Monroe, Chicago, 312.977.1700

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Studio is located in east Urbana at 1102 E Washington St. www.creationartstudios.com Join Artists and Workshops at Gallery Virtu – Gallery Virtu, an artist-owned cooperative, now invite applications from area artists. The Gallery also offers workshops for adults, teens and children in knitting, embroidery, photography, jewelry making, printmaking, papermaking, bookbinding and ribbon flowers. Gallery Virtu offers original works by the members including: jewelry, pottery, collages, sculptures, journals, hats, handbags and other textiles. For more information please call 762-7790, visit our website at www.galleryvirtu.org, e-mail workshops@galleryvirtu.org or visit the gallery. Regular hours: Thu 12-4pm, Fri 12-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm. 220 W Washington Street in Monticello.

Art Classes at High Cross Studio – All classes are held at High Cross Studio in Urbana. 1101 N High Cross Road. Email or call for reservations and details. (217) 367-6345 or spiritofsandra@hotmail.com..

ART NOTICES

“Portrait Paintings with Oils”– This course will provide instruction in painting portraits from photographs. Paint a portrait of your loved one or yourself. Mon-Fri daytime class and weekend workshop offered.

Portraits – Award winning portrait artist Sandra Ahten is currently accepting commissions for portraits for holiday giving. Portraits are priced at an affordable range and professional exchange or barter may be accepted. For examples of work and a quote, contact Sandra Ahten at (217) 367-6345 or spiritofsandra@hotmail.com

“Collage for the Soul” – Students will learn a variety of collage techniques, including photo and photocopy transfer, papermaking and manipulation, and frontage, while exploring a particular subject, such as a place, a memory, an experience or a relationship. No art-making experience necessary.

Creation Art Studio Art Classes for Children and Adults – All classes offer technical instruction and the exploration of materials through expressive, spontaneous art and experimentation. Independent studies of personal interests and ideas, dreams, etc. are expressed and developed through collage and assemblage art and through drawing, painting, sculpture and ceramics. Children meet MonThu 3:30-5pm. Adolescents meet Fri 4-5:30pm. Adults meet Wed @ 10am and Sat 1-3pm. Open to beginners and advanced students. Adult Open Studio meets Tue night 7:00 to 9:00. Drop-ins welcome. Come with a friend. Call to make special arrangements for a group. For more information contact Jeannine Bestoso at 344 6955. CPDU’s offered.

“Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” – For adults who have always wanted to learn to draw, but felt as if they lacked talent or confidence.

Other Classes:“Making Monoprints,”“Art With Intention” (Open Studio). For information on these visit http://www.spiritofsandra.com and click on “classes,” then e-mail or call for reservations.

Market at the Square is Moving INSIDE! contemporary clothing, accesories, jewelry & shoes 107 N. Walnut Downtown Champaign 359.2195

The very successful and very well attended Farmer’s Market at Lincoln Square is moving into Lincoln Square for the Holiday Season making it Market IN the Square.

Starting November 15, 2003 the season will continue through December 27, 2003.

Make this event a holiday tradition for your family and friends!

For More Information Call (217) 344-3872 or email office@urbanabusiness.com

601624

M – TH FRI SAT SUN

10:30 – 5:30 10:30 – 8:00 10:30 – 5:00 11:00 – 4:00

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calendar ART GALLERIES AND EXHIBITS

Aroma Cafe – “Micrograms: Photos and Collage” by Rohn Koester on display through Dec 14. 118 N Neil Boneyard Pottery – Ceramic Art by Michael Schwegmann and more. 403 Water St, Champaign. Tue-Sat 11am-5pm.

355-5610.

Broken Oak Gallery – Local and national artists. Original art including photography, watercolors, pottery, oil paintings, colored pencil, woodturning and more. Refreshments served by the garden all day Saturday. 1865 N 1225 E Rd, White Heath. Thu-Sat 10am-4pm. 762-4907.

Cinema Galley – Local and regional artists including many University of Illinois and Parkland College faculty members. Currently on display through Dec 24:“Dennis Rowan: New Works on Paper and Artist’s Books.” 120 W Main, Urbana. Holiday Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-7pm. Sun 1-5pm.

367-3711.

Creation Art Studios – Current display features paintings and drawings by Shoshanna Bauer, Audrey Martin and Jennifer Martin, Jeannine Bestoso and an evolving display of recent student works in ceramics, paintings and drawings. For information, contact Jeannine Bestoso. 1102 E Washington St., Urbana. Mon-Fri 3-5:30pm, Sat 1-4pm and scheduled studio sessions. 344-6955. www.creationartstudios.com

WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003

Country in the City – Antiques, architectural, gardening, home accessories. Custom designing available. 1104 E Washington St, Urbana. Thu-Sat 10am-5pm 367-2367.

Framer’s Market – Frame Designers since 1981. Ongoing work from local artists on display. 807 W Springfield Ave, Champaign. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat 10am-4pm. 3517020.

Furniture Lounge – Collection of fine art photographic images by local artisan Glenn Harriger on display Nov 24Dec 24. Also specializing in mid-century modern furniture from the 1920s-1980s, retro, Danish modern, lighting, vintage stereo equipment and vinyl records. 9 E University, Champaign. 352-5150. Sun-Mon 12-4:30pm, Wed-Sat 11am-5:30pm.

Glass FX – New and antique stained glass windows, lamps, and unique glass gifts. Gallery is free and open to the public. Interested in learning the art of Stained Glass?

Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Stained Glass Classes offered. 202 S First St, Champaign. Mon-Thu 10am5:30pm, Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 9am-4pm. 359-0048. www.glassfx.com.

Griggs Street Potters – Handmade functional and decorative pottery. 305 W Grigg St, Urbana. Mon-Fri noon-5pm, or call for appointment. 344-8546.

Gallery Virtu Cooperative – Original works by the nine artist-owners: jewelry, pottery, paintings, collages, hats, handbags and other textiles, sculptures and journals. The Gallery also offers workshops. 220 W. Washington St, Monticello. 762-7790. Thu 12-4pm, Fri 12-8pm, Sat 10am6pm. www.galleryvirtu.org Hill Street Gallery Inc. – Oil and watercolor paintings, hand painted T-shirts, handmade jewelry. 703 W Hill, Champaign. Sat 12-5pm or by appointment during the week. 359-0675.

International Galleries – Works from local artists including quilts by Nancy Summers, oil paintings by Deborah Lightfield and “Abandoned Dreams,” paintings by Jim Golaszewski on display through Dec 2. Lincoln Square Mall. Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12-5pm. 3282254.

Larry Kanfer Gallery – University of Illinois images by photographic artist Larry Kanfer. Unique diploma frames and other UI gifts. Sepia Champaign-Urbana Collection also on display. Available now: 2004 Prairiescapes and University of Illinois calendars. 2503 S Neil, Champaign. Free and Open to the Public. Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm. 3982000.www.kanfer.com LaPayne Photography – Specializes in panoramic photography up to 6 feet long of different subjects including sporting events, city skylines, national parks and University of Illinois scenes. 816 Dennison Dr, Champaign. Mon-Fri 9am-4pm and by appointment. 356-8994.

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music

NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | LEAVE IT TO LORENZO GOETZ TO START A METALLICA MOSH PIT

Premium blends

Old Vic Art Gallery – Fine and original art, hand signed limited edition prints, works by local artists, art restoration, custom framing, and periodic shows by local artists. 11 E University, Champaign. Mon-Thu 11am-5:30pm, Sat 11am4:30pm. 355-8338.

Steeple Gallery – Vintage botanical and bird prints, antiques, framed limited edition prints. 102 E Lafayette St, Monticello. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm. 762-2924. www.steeplegallery.com

Otter drops his eclectic beats at Cowboy Monkey on Sunday nights

BY BRIAN MERTZ | MUSIC EDITOR

Verde Gallery & Verdant News and Coffee – Magazines, newspapers, coffee, beverages and fine pastries along with the Verde Fine Art Gallery. 17 E Taylor St, Champaign.

Cafe hours: Mon-Sat 7am-10 pm; Gallery Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-10pm. 366-3204. www.verdantsystems.com/Verde.htm

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n front of a subdued Sunday night crowd of about 20 people, Matthis Helmick, better known to some as Otter, calmly takes a Bjork record and speeds it up on one turntable to match a hip-hop beat on his other deck while still keeping the Icelandic singer’s voice recognizable. It is a wonder to watch for anyone who has tried their hand at spinning on vinyl.

Throughout the rest of the evening Helmick will blend together tunes from A Tribe Called Quest, Slum Village, The Beatles, Radiohead, Pole and a scratched up voice that an attentive listener would swear is Eric Cartman.

“Have fun. Freak people out,” Helmick said in describing what he is thinking about while he creates his blends on the turntables.

Blends by Otter is once again a weekly feature in Champaign-Urbana. Helmick spins every Sunday night at Cowboy Monkey when a band is not playing.

Before this residency, Helmick had regularly performed over the years at The Blind Pig, The Highdive, Orchid, The Brass Rail, Boltini’s, Mike ‘N’ Molly’s, 02 Main and Barfly.

The 33-year-old Helmick began mixing at the age of 25 while at college in Olympia, Wash. His love for records began with looking at the

Ziemer Gallery – Original paintings and limited edition prints by Larry Ziemer. Pottery, weavings, wood turning and glass works by other artists. Gallery visitors are welcome to sit, relax, listen to the music and just enjoy being surrounded by art. 210 W Washington, Monticello. Tue 10am-8pm, Wed-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm. 762-9786. www.ziemergallery.com

ART-ON VIEW “Nevertheless: That’s Our Guarantee!” – Solo exhibit focusing on graphic design by local artist John Havlik on display through Dec 12. Show will display works demonstrating Havlik’s ability to visually respond to a wide range of artistic presentations and a series of pieces created to demonstrate the range of products a graphic designer is involved with. With tongue-in-cheek humor, Havlik provides an insider’s look at the graphic designprofession.

Visit www.nevertheless-guaranteed.com for a peek at this exhibit. 115 E University, Champaign. Mon-Fri 10am-3pm and Mon-Thu evenings 6-8pm, Sat 12-2pm. 351-2485.

Handicapped accessible and open and free to the public.

“IUB Photo Competition” – The Illini Union Art Gallery presents color and black and white photography from UIUC students. On display through Dec 2. 1401 W Green, Urbana. Open Everyday 7am-10pm.

The Middle Room Gallery – Digital prints and mixed media from UIUC graphic design student Jessica Mullen on display through November. 218 W Main St, Urbana. http://www.gallery.ucimc.org/ “E-Motion2: Our Reality as Seen and Unseen” – A unique dance/technology installation in which programmer Ben Schaeffer, choreographer Luc Vanier, and composer Bradford Blackburn come together through motion capture technology to create an alternate version of reality.

On display at the Krannert Art Museum through Jan 4. 500 E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm, Sun 2-5pm. 333-1860. Suggested Donation: $3

album covers of his mother’s record collection; his path to becoming one of Champaign’s top DJs began by observing an acid-jazz DJ at a club called Theckla in Olympia. “(The acid-jazz DJ) moved away and gave me his night with no knowledge of DJing or how to work a crossfader. I had one turntable and I was going to Seattle every now and then to buy hip-hop 12-inches to play at home without even thinking about DJing,” Helmick said.

Over time, Helmick honed his skills, playing underground hip-hop sets at the club, and playing elsewhere around Olympia.

“I would do parties where bands were playing. It was horrible, with my bad mixes,” Helmick said. “But at parties, that is where I got the idea ‘Well shit, I’ve got the Neil Young Decade album.’ I had all this other shit at home that I liked. And I wasn’t in a club so I felt all this freedom to play other shit.”

That freedom gave birth to Otter’s style, which combines eclectic track selection, incredible scratching techniques and a carefree attitude.

“Confidence,” said Helmick, describing his attitude. “And maybe being like it is not all that serious. If you are playing to 2,000 people that is serious. I’m not dissing the 30 or 40 people that might come out tonight, or even the five, but it is just not as serious as a thing. Confidence and relaxation let me do it.”

As Helmick stood in his apartment, picking

through shelf after shelf of records, a few hours before he performed at Cowboy Monkey, he described his philosophy for choosing records.

“There is always stuff I want to hear every week,” Helmick said. “I like to thumb through and touch every record. I’ll find something like this Del record from three years ago and I think I only played it twice back then and I’ll want to bring that. I might not even remember what it sounds like.”

Helmick owns enough records to play for days, but he usually only brings two crates worth of vinyl to Cowboy Monkey.

“When I go out my collection is probably one crate of hip hop and then one crate of rock, jazz, blues and fucked up dumb shit like Kennedy speeches or Sesame Street.”

Reading the mood of a crowd is something that Helmick thinks about while performing, but not while preparing for his shows.

“I don’t think about the people. I just know I am at the Monkey tonight and I have freedom there,” Helmick added.

Once Helmick’s records are packed in his two crates, reading his crowd can become an adventure for Helmick and anyone in the audience.

“I’ll see some freaks walk in the door, and I bet they’ve never seen anyone scratch. They’re some friends of friends of friends so I know why they’re there. But I see them and I’ll play a house record and scratch over it,” Helmick said.

Apply to be an editor or coordinator. e-mail calendar@ readbuzz.com

PHOTO | BRIAN MERTZ

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Otter (Matthis Helmick) mixes a Bjork track over a hip-hop beat at The Cowboy Monkey. Otter spins every Sunday night at the Monkey when bands aren’t playing.

“But before I scratch it, I’m going to play some Billie Holiday so that they know it is Billie Holiday and then I’m going to catch her voice and start. They are going to go home and basically know that ‘that guy scratched Billie Holiday over something.’ They might not even know what house music is called.”

Not every crowd has been as appreciative of Otter’s sound as crowds at The Brass Rail or Cowboy Monkey.

“I would try that sound at other bars and people would look at me like ‘what is this guy doing?,’” Helmick said. “They’d ask ‘you got the new Jay Z?’” Attendance hasn’t been large yet on Sunday nights at Cowboy Monkey. But Otter prefers Sunday evenings for his style.

“I just don’t like the weekend crowd. I like to drink with them maybe, but not entertain them.

And props to the people who entertain them because they do it very well,” Helmick said. “30 or 40 people make me smile and that’s great.

That’s what it is about.”

Helmick first experienced success with his sound several years ago.

“The Brass Rail is where it really happened. I had expressive freedom there. And that is where it would come together for what I wanted to do.”

“If people start coming now (to Cowboy Monkey), that’s awesome. That is what it was like at the Rail. No one came to that bar and then one spring we looked up and were like ‘look what we built, this night is hot.’ And that is the challenge.”

The sounds at The Brass Rail were diverse, as were the crowds.

“Some hip-hop kids showed up, and they hung out with these indie rock kids. Then there are going to be the ones who just turned 21 and have never been to a bar and have never seen a DJ. And I’m going to have something for all of them. And that’s what I like.”

Helmick also plays from time to time in a trio called DMS meets Kneelinghorse meets The Otter, but being a rock star or a superstar DJ isn’t necessarily his major goal.

“I am more interested in making beats now,” Helmick said. “I’m almost in my mid-30s. I’m not going to send demos out and try to be a star.

My ultimate scenario would (be to) make some off-the-wall beats and have people to get into it.”

Despite being one of the most respected DJs in the Champaign area, Helmick stays modest.

“Anyone can DJ,” Helmick said. “I’m not knocking anyone who DJs, but anyone who takes themselves too seriously I’m knocking.

The person you just smirked at could take two months and learn to do what you just did.”

“You’re just playing records. That is definitely a vibe I want to get across.”

As Otter scratches out a vocal snippet from The Beatles’ “Good Day Sunshine” that vibe and a whole lot more comes through. buzz

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NO SLEEP WILL REALLY MAKE YOU CRAZY IN YOUR PANTS | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003

bookreview

The Da Vinci Code ★★★

By Dan Brown

BY NIK GALLICCHIO | STAFF WRITER

T

he Da Vinci Code is one of the most talked about books in the United States today, topping the New York Times bestseller list for weeks, and it lives up to the hype.

Much of its popularity is due to the wide audience it appeals to. There’s art history; there’s suspense. There are guns, fancy cars and a smart, yet (supposedly) beautiful, woman. As if that’s not enough, Brown offers engaging tales that describe traditions within all kinds of faith. The main focus, however, is on Catholic doctrine. Brown relates details of the Catholic Church’s past, enabling the reader to examine the idea of faith.

In short, this book is a modern-day quest for the Holy Grail, complete with a knight and an innocent American on the run from the French

police. The Grail in question is not simply a cup; it is a relic wanted by two groups that actually exist: the Opus Dei (an extremely controversial Catholic organization) and the Priory of Sion (a clandestine group that holds a secret able to annihilate tenants of Christianity).

Close on the trail of finding this secret are a Harvard art history professor and a French cryptologist. This unlikely pair receives clues relating to the Grail’s location, putting them in danger due to the two aforementioned religious sects.

The book has a rich background of religious knowledge. Brown points out that two millennia ago, the people of the world worshipped gods and goddesses, but in today’s society, the emphasis has been placed on gods alone. He suggests that the reasons behind this have more to do with the Catholic faith than one would think. Furthermore, intriguing historical facts are revealed that lead one to think twice about religion. Wherever one’s interests may lie, the facts in this book are great conversation starters.

The symbolism of the “conspiracy” that lies at the heart of religious faith is everywhere— Brown points this out especially in Da Vinci’s paintings, and even Disney movies.

The fast-paced action makes the novel hard to put down, and the way Brown shows different viewpoints of all the groups vying for the Grail makes the adventure cinematic. He jumps from scene to scene, focusing on Opus Dei for a chapter and then on the grandmaster of the Priory of Sion in the next. He documents their actions as they all get closer to figuring out the mystery of the Grail.

Clues are given to the reader as the characters likewise receive them, which make it easy to connect with the characters’ confusion and frustration when trying to crack the code. However, the dialogue is somewhat forced at times. While relating facts, the speakers lose finesse and the conversations, at times, fail to flow smoothly. Moreover, the suggestion of romance between the Harvard professor and the cute foreign cryptologist is somewhat contrived, and their attraction to each other only appears as an afterthought within the story.

Yet Brown deserves a nod for addressing the

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subject of the Holy Grail, a topic so often dominated by the satire of Monty Python. While one may go into the novel with an idea of what the Holy Grail actually is, the reader will end up completely surprised by the end.

The Da Vinci Code is a refreshing look at religion. In the world today, faiths are changing along with the times, yet some refuse to alter their beliefs. Both groups are depicted in the novel, along with atheists. Brown forces the audience to rethink the world’s label of “pagan” and suggests examining the facts behind one’s belief system. In the midst of all the religious and skeptical rhetoric, there are still high-quality thrills taking place in the background.

Not only is this book worth reading for the adventure, but also for the different angles from which it views the world. Even if the dialogue fails to impress, one can tell that this story has been informed by extensive historical research. The information about faith and the facts that surround how religion has been manipulated throughout the centuries offers incentive to keep on reading. And if that’s not enough, at least by the end you will discover the secret behind Mona Lisa’s smile.

ARTIST CORNER

BY SUZANNE SITRICK | STAFF WRITER

Y

uri Sohn was born in Hawaii and grew up in Australia. He obtained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii and then came to the University of Illinois for graduate school in the fall of 1989, where he received a master’s degree in speech communication.

Ji Miao is from China. She is a third-year graduate student at the University of Illinois, studying cell and structural biology.

Both Yuri and Ji started dancing when they took a class taught by the Dancing Illini. Now they teach for the Dancing Illini. They have also competed together in many dance competitions.

How long have you been teaching dance and which types of dance have you taught? Is teaching dance your only job?

Yuri: I’ve been teaching for about four years. I’ve taught salsa, swing, cha-cha, nightclub two-step, hustle, meringue and bachata. I am currently teaching intermediate salsa and nightclub two-step for the Dancing Illini on Thursday nights with Ji Miao at Freer Gym. I am also independently teaching beginning, intermediate and advanced salsa, meringue and bachata on Tuesday and Friday nights with Muge Dizen at the McKinley Foundation. I teach dance part

What inspires you to dance? What inspires you to teach dancing?

Yuri: What inspires me to dance is that I have a passion for the many elements that go into partner dancing, which is what I concentrate on. I enjoy interacting with the music. I enjoy the ability to express your emotions through movement.

I enjoy the combination of art and athleticism involved in dancing. I enjoy the connection you can build with your partner when dancing.

Dancing as one with your partner can be incredible. Overall, interacting with your partner and the music through movement is very addictive. I enjoy teaching dancing because it provides an opportunity for me to share my passion. It is a treat to see people enjoy and improve their dancing.

Ji: I love the way that dancing is a combination of music, body movement and feeling.

You can express your feeling by using your

body according to the music. It’s such a beautiful art that I enjoy watching and experiencing. I love dancing and at the same time I love to help those who want to dance. I am really happy to see that what I could show to my students makes them appreciate the art of the dancing and helps them getting better in dancing.

How does the music affect you while you dance? How does the style and rhythm of the different dance types affect you or your mood or emotions while you dance? What is your favorite style of dance?

Yuri: The music certainly is a key in inspiring me to dance. I enjoy dancing to music that moves me. The different style and rhythm of the dance types bring out and connect w i t h different moods and emotions from within me. I am most partial to swing (happy and peppy music) and salsa (passionate and sensual) as far as favorite styles of dance, but I also enjoy many other types of dance. It depends on my mood. It can also dictate what style of dance I enjoy most at any particular time.

Ji: Music definitely is a crucial factor in dancing. Some (pieces of) music are cheerful and happy, some are playful, some are passionate, etc. I like all types of ballroom and PHOTOS | SUZANNE SITRICK

time. My full-time job is as the head tennis teaching professional for the Champaign Park District. I teach and run the tennis programs all year round.

Ji: I started teaching dancing about a year ago with Yuri. Teaching dancing is not my job.

I am a third-year graduate student in this University, and my major is cell structural biology. This is my third year in the U.S.

night club dances, and Latin dances such as cha-cha, rumba and salsa are my favorites.

Where are the best places in Champaign or Urbana to go dancing?

Yuri: Best regular places to go dancing in Champaign are: (for salsa) the Regent on Friday nights and McKinley Foundation on Tuesday nights; (for ballroom) the Regent on Friday nights, before salsa; (for swing) the McKinley Foundation on Thursday nights.

Why is dance important to you and what role does dancing play in your life?

Yuri: Dance, and in particular partner dancing, allows you to physically interact with great music and a partner. I have an appreciation for movement and therefore dance, which is the art of movement. Dance allows you to be playful, creative and is just so much fun. It allows you to feel better, even if you have had a bad day. To connect with your partner through movement while listening to great music is a wonderful feeling. Dancing plays a huge role in my life. I am drawn to dance, teach dance and learn about dance in my spare time. I am a part of the salsa, swing, ballroom, tango (and other) communities in Champaign-Urbana.

Ji: I have loved dancing since I was young.

I love to feel the music; I love to express my passion through my body movement. Partner dancing is teamwork; I enjoy the connection shared with my partner. Dancing plays an important role in my life. I spend a big part of my spare time learning, practicing and teaching dancing. It’s hard for me to imagine my life without dancing.

For more information visit the Dancing Illini Web site at www.uiuc.edu/ro/dancing.

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calendar

NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to calendar@readbuzz.com

“Anna Pottery: Plagiarism as Art” – Reintroduces Illinois to its greatest potters, the brothers Cornwall and Wallace Kirkpatrick, and their Anna Pottery (1859-96). The exhibition focuses on the brothers’ large-scale incised works that obsessively reproduce texts from quirky yet mundane sources like telephone books and corporate reports.

Ahead of its time, the Kirkpatricks’ work is a forerunner to the outsider art and pop art of today. Anna Pottery: Plagiarism as Art is on view through Jan 4.

“Whistler and Japonisme: Selections from the Permanent Collection” – Marking the 100th anniversary of James McNeill Whistler’s death, this exhibition highlights his works on paper and examines the influence that Japanese woodcuts had on his artistic technique. On display at the Krannert Art Museum through March 28, 2004.

500 E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am8pm, Sun 2-5pm. 333-1860. Suggested Donation: $3 “Faculty Art Exhibition” – Features the newest work by current faculty in the School of Art and Design. This exhibition, a major event in the Urbana-Champaign art community, is one of the oldest, continuously-running faculty exhibitions in the country. Recent works of painting, sculpture, installation art, photography, glass, graphic design and other media will be on display through Jan 4. Four faculty members will give talks about their work at noon on the following Wednesdays: Dec 3, Kevin Hamilton; Dec 10, Melissa Pokorny; Dec 17, Gerald Guthrie. 500 E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm

ON STAGE LISTINGS Elysium on the Prairie, Live Action Roleplaying – Vampires stalk the city streets and struggle for dominance in a world of gothic horror. Create your own character and mingle with dozens of players who portray their own undead alter egos. Each session is another chapter in an ongoing story of triumph, tragedy and betrayal. Friday, “Vampire: The Masquerade” For more information visit: http://ww2.uiuc.edu/ro/elysium/intro.html. Check site for location, 7pm.

Hamlet Q1: The First Quarto 1603 – A shorter, actionpacked version of Shakespeare’s play performed with nontraditional gender casting by the University of Illinois New Revels Players. Performances will be held Sat, Dec 6 at 3pm and 7pm and Sun, Dec 7 at 3pm at the McKinley Foundations Westminster Hall, 809 S Fifth St, Champaign, Ill. Tickets are $5 at the door. For reservations, e-mail tllyons@uiuc.edu or call (217) 384-5462.

The Celebration Company at the Station Theatre presents 110 Degrees in the Shade. 110 Degrees in the Shade is a musical with score by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt of The Fantastiks fame. It is based on the hit play The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash, who also wrote the book for this show. All rights to this show are administered by TamsWhitmark Music Library, Inc. The Celebration Company production of 110 in the Shade at the Station Theatre will be directed by Jim Dobbs and Music directed by Debra Myers Dobbs. Show dates will be from: Nov 19 through Sun, Nov 23. Wed, Nov 26, CLOSED Thanksgiving Day (Nov 27). Fri, Nov 28 through Sun, Nov 30. Wed, Dec 3 through Sat, Dec 6. All shows are at 8pm. Call (217) 384-4000 for reservations. Ticket prices: Wed 2 for $10, Thu $10, Fri $12, Sat $12, Sun $10 Parkland Theatre presents its 13th annual student show, Out of Order by Ray Cooney. This British farce takes place one fateful night in a London hotel, as a Conservative Government Member of Parliament attempts to have an affair with a secretary of the Opposition. Filled with an odd assortment of characters including a conniving waiter, a suspicious hotel manager, an alert private detective, an angry wife, a furious husband, a bungling secretary, an unconscious nurse and a dead body, nothing is going to go as planned. Performances are Dec 3, 4, 5, 6 at 8pm and Dec 6 and 7 at 3pm. General admission tickets are $8 for adults; student and senior tickets are $5. Call (217) 3512528 for tickets and information or e-mail theatre@parkland.edu.

Amasong Winter Concert – “Come Dance and Sing” – Featured music of Ireland,Wales, Canada, Byzantine Chant.

Music by historical women, composers and much more. – McKinley Presbyterian Church, 509 S 5th St, Champaign, Dec 6 at 8pm, Dec 7 at 3pm

MIND BODY SPIRIT Sunday Zen Meditation Meeting – Prairie Zen Center, 515 S Prospect, Champaign, NW corner Prospect & Green, enter through door from parking area. Introduction to

Zen Sitting, 10am; Full Schedule: Service at 9 followed by sitting, Dharma Talk at 11 followed by tea until about 12 noon. Can arrive at any of above times, open to all, no experience needed, no cost. For info call 355-8835 or www.prairiezen.org Prairie Sangha for Mindfullness Meditation – Monday evenings from 7:30-9pm and monthly retreats on Sunday. Theravadan (Vipassana) and Tibetan (Vjrayana & Dzogchen) meditation practice. Meets in Urbana. More information call or email Tom at 356-7413 or shayir@soltec.net. www.prairiesangha.org Clear Sky Zen Group – Meets on Thursday evenings in the Geneva Room of the McKinley Foundation. Newcomers to meditation and people of all traditions and faiths are welcome – McKinley Foundation, 809 S Fifth St, 6:25-9pm Formerly-Fat Persons’ Support Group – Free social meeting every Saturday at 2pm at Aroma Cafe, 118 N Neil St, C. For more information contact Jessica Watson at 3534934.

Loose Womyn Discussion Section (discussion topics are loose, the women need not be ) – Dec 18, 7pm, we’ll discuss the book Not Your Mothers’ Midlife by Marilyn Kentz and Nancy Alspaugh. Borders Bookstore, 802 Town Center Blvd, Champaign (217) 351-9011

this week Th Nov 20 Wine Tasting 5pm, free Enescu Ensemble 7:30pm, $2-$5 Merce Cunningham Dance Company 7:30pm, $22-$34 Talkback: following the show, free Patron Co-sponsors: Jerald Wray and Dirk Mol Anonymous Corporate Platinum Sponsor:

@

krannert center

Tu Dec 2

Th Dec 4

UI Jazz Band III 7:30pm, $2-$5

Wine Tasting 5pm, free

We Dec 3

UI Jazz Band II 7:30pm, $2-$5

Turtle Island String Quartet: Solstice Celebration 7:30pm, $15-$32 Corporate Silver Sponsor:

UI Percussion Ensemble 7:30pm, $2-$5

Loose Womyn Discussion Section – (discussion topics are loose, the women need not be) – Nov 20 we’ll discuss the book The Right Questions by Debbie Ford. Borders Bookstore, 802 Town Center Blvd, Champaign (217) 3519011.

Simplicity Discussion Group – Dec 4, 7pm, we’ll discuss the book Inner Peace for Busy People by Joan Borysenko.

Borders Bookstore, 802 Town Center Blvd, Champaign (217) 351-9011.

Life Map Workshop – A life map is a collection of visual images, a method of connecting with your intuition, a tool for visualizing your dreams or goals. Come explore life mapping—approaches, uses, and the opportunity to create your own life map. 9:15am-1:00pm on Sat, Dec 6 at McKinley Foundation, C. $45. To register or for information, contact Jo Pauly, MSW, Whole Life Coach at (217) 337-7823 or jopauly@prairienet.org

Some Krannert Center programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council, and patron and corporate contributions.

Season Sponsors Coporate Season Underwriters

Support for Krannert Center’s 2003.2004 season is provided in part by the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

KrannertCenter.com 217/333-6280 or 800/KCPATIX 217/333-9714 (TTY) 217/244-SHOW (Fax) 217/244-0549 (Groups) kran-tix@uiuc.edu Ticket Office Open 10am to 6pm daily; on days of performances open 10am through intermission.

Patron Season Sponsors

CAROLE AND JERRY RINGER

KIDS AND FAMILIES Baby Time – Nov 20 – Bring your baby for nursery rhymes, music activities, and play time for little ones. Registration is not required – Douglass Branch Library, 10:30-11am Thursday Arts and Crafts For Kids – Nov 20 – For elementary school-age children. No registration – Douglass Branch Library, 4-5pm Family Reading Night – Nov 20 – Community celebrities will read out loud as part of a statewide celebration planned by the Illinois State Library. No registration – Champaign Public Library, 6:30-8pm Girls, Girls, Girls – Nov 21 – Games, crafts and reading time for girls in kindergarten to fifth grade. No registration – Douglass Branch Library, 4-5pm Storyshop – Nov 26 – Preschoolers with a parent or school group will enjoy weekly stories and activities.

Registration is not required – Champaign Public Library, 9:30-10am

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moviereview

MASTER AND COMMANDER ★★★★

BY MATT PAIS | LEAD REVIEWER

W

ith his powerful masculinity that can shift smoothly into impassioned sensitivity, Russell Crowe has established himself as the new face of Oscar. His last three major roles (Proof of Life excluded) garnered him consecutive Oscar nominations and a Best Actor prize for Gladiator, arguably the least respected among his performances in The Insider and A Beautiful Mind.

Unlike Tom Hanks, whose affectionate affability found him a host of praiseworthy roles as unlikely heroes, Crowe’s gruff bravado places him in burlier, majestic films with a more inyour-face dramatic punch.

In Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Peter Weir’s booming account of early 19th-century ocean warfare, Crowe balances his insuppressible machismo with the proud dignity of a fearless leader. He plays Captain

moviereview

LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION ★★

BY ANDREW VECELAS | STAFF WRITER

F

ew things in Hollywood have been as consistent as Looney Tunes; the animated crew has appeared in so many classic animated shorts that it’s hard to recall a time when Bugs, Daffy and the rest have disappointed. Looney Tunes: Back in Action, the latest mix of animation and live action from Warner Brothers, comes across as one of the biggest missteps of the Looney Tunes brand to date. It’s a stunningly bland film that proves that even the most talented people in Hollywood can make mistakes.

In the film, Daffy Duck is fired from the latest Warner Brothers movie after he balks about playing second fiddle to Bugs his whole career.

He then ends up in the company of DJ Drake (Brendan Fraser), a security guard also fired from the studio lot. The two search for DJ’s lost father (Timothy Dalton), who turns out to be a secret agent. Meanwhile, Bugs and the studio V.P. (Jenna Elfman) realize losing Daffy will be a disaster and set out to bring him back. The expectedly off-the-wall plot sends the characters trotting to a number of famous locations on (and off) the globe.

BUGS BUNNY, DAFFY DUCK AND STEVE MARTIN! OH MY! | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz

“Lucky” Jack Aubrey of the HMS Surprise, an English ship sent to intercept the Acheron, a much larger and stronger French boat.

Clad in a flowing ponytail and Seinfeld-reminiscent puffy shirt, Crowe is far from his muscular, attention-grabbing turn in L.A. Confidential, but the Australian actor appears no less domineering. His restrained, regal performance meshes perfectly with the film—a striking mix of looming battle sequences and early-modern ideas of global and scientific exploration. Working from Patrick O’Brian’s novels, Weir directs with the placid grace and strapping ambition of the vessel itself.

As meticulously crafted as any ship in a bottle, the Surprise has a distinguished, creaking beauty that refuses to wither, even as its wood splinters and men perish from the impact of 18pound cannonballs.

“This ship is England!” Captain Jack declares in his climactic, Knute Rockne-esque speech to rouse the men for their final battle. And he’s right. The year is 1805, and Britain represents the lone rebel to Napoleon’s oppressive hold on Europe. The importance of their mission lends a pressing urgency to the vulnerability of the boat and its crew, who begin to doubt they can defeat the heavier, better-armed Acheron.

But despite its historical theatrics, the film packs a genuine wallop of intense, significant entertainment for even those completely apathetic toward the chronology of European power. It examines several complex dynamics of the relationships between seamen of differThe cast serves as a good indicator of where the film goes wrong. Fraser and Elfman give it a good shot but seem bored in most of their scenes. On the other end of the spectrum, Steve Martin parades around with all his comic might as the primary villain, but he still comes across as merely amusing. To have such able comic actors as Fraser, Elfman and especially Martin fall flat repeatedly really shows how poorly the movie is scripted. Even Bugs and Daffy produce only a handful of laughs. With so many gags thrown out at breakneck pace, it’s remarkable that the film produces only the occasional isolated laughs.

The movie manages one truly inspired sequence where Elmer Fudd gives chase to Daffy and Bugs through the Louvre. The characters jump into and out of famous paintings and discover what dangers lurk in the surrealism of Dali and the pointillism of Seurat.

Unfortunately, it’s the only scene that shows a good deal of creativity. The filmmakers clearly want to show off expensive effects, but they haven’t given any thought as to what to do with them. There’s nothing here to compare to the genius in the climax of Who Framed Roger Rabbit; the action scenes in Looney Tunes: Back in Action are boring even by cartoon standards.

By all means, Joe Dante should have been the right director for the film. With his chapter of Twilight Zone: The Movie and especially Gremlins and its sequel, it’s clear that he has a talent for balancing surreal effects with oddball comedy.

But his fascination with throwing in cameos and references to dozens of classic movies

T

MASTER AND COMMANDER | RUSSELL CROWE familiarity. This is big, boisterous filmmaking that still manages to glide gently over the ups and downs of the water.

Tackling his most sweeping, extravagant production yet, Weir reveals an added flair for broad, eye-popping cinematic exhibition to his already ripe directorial repertoire. Weir buffs will get a kick out of watching the Surprise and remembering the fate that befell Jim Carrey’s ship in The Truman Show. While Truman’s aquatic-oriented scenes introduced the director’s ability to craft stimulating scenes of sea-swept peril, Master and Commander achieves a far higher degree of oceanic fanfare. It’s a glorious tale of adventure on the high seas sure to put wind in any landlubber’s sails.

Elf ★★★

SCREEN REVIEW GUIDE

★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★ no stars

Flawless Good Mediocre Bad Unwatchable

helps the audience realize how adaptable and relevant this work is for the modern stage.

Ora Jones’ performance as narrator-stage manager justifies Brown’s bold touches with a performance that brings Grover’s Corners into the modern world with power and dignity. In ★★★ Thornton Wilder this production, the audience rediscovers what this play is all about.

The Wisconsin-born, Yale-educated Wilder

BY JEFF NELSON | CONTRIBUTING WRITER lived a very cosmopolitan life in such places as China, France and the University of Chicago. hornton Wilder’s Our Town is the quintesHe is not merely a product of the restricted sential American drama, and its worldwide world he writes about. popularity attests to its extraordinary ability Yet, it was a world that fascinated him. He to capture the essence of what makes us realized that most people did human. But it is very not have his experience with different to experilife, and that every day was ence it as a live play. filled with strictures that The words about define a person’s place in the how people live and world. On these strictures of die in the fictitious everyday life, he put a human town of Grover’s face and a human drama, and Corners, N.H., sudhe did it brilliantly. denly take on a draFour years after Our Town, matic life that puts he would win a second the audience right Pulitzer Prize for drama with into another world.

The Skin of Our Teeth. In this In 1938, Wilder, play, everyday life is filled who had already with drama and a constant won a Pulitzer Prize struggle for survival. The for literature, won extraordinary events dominate the first of two life, yet humanity survives. In Pulitzer Prizes for Our Town, the ordinary events drama with this bareof life generate their own stage human drama. drama, and humanity perseThis seems to be the This historic play still affects audiences. veres. year of the Pulitzer The daily lives of ordinary people are a Prize play in the Chicago area, and now the American Writer’s Theatre in northern subur- parable not only for the strictures of everyday ban Glencoe has staged a fine rendition of this life, but also for its humanity and the drama classic that will remind you why you must that makes us human. Human beings are fasciexperience this play as an audience member nating simply as they are, and Our Town proves it as William Brown’s production reafand not just read it.

Director William Brown has put together a firms it. fine cast of Chicago veterans and some creThe Writer’s Theatre is at 325 Tudor Court ative ideas to pull off this ensemble piece.

Using the small space of Glencoe’s Women’s in Glencoe, just north of the Loop on the Lake.

Library Club and such bold strokes as using a The theater can be reached at (847) 242-6000 or woman as the narrator/stage manager, Brown www.writerstheatre.org.

Our Town

C-UViews

weighs down the film. These may please older audience members, but the references will be completely lost on the film’s core audience.

On paper, Looney Tunes: Back in Action has all the pieces in place to equal Who Framed Roger Rabbit. But on the screen, the film is occasionally entertaining, and, in terms of laughs, doesn’t even equal the live-action/animated effort, Space Jam. Hard to believe, but for the first time in memory, the Looney Tunes gang will likely bore adults and children alike.

arts

NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26 | NERD DREAMS ARE TAKING OVER MY SUBCONSCIOUS LIFE

playreview

ent rank, and doesn’t lose steam when the cannons are closed. The scenes on the calm, open water are as expansive and textured as anything in Titanic, and when the ocean turns harsh, Master and Commander becomes a luminous spectacle of rainy realism.

Weir creates tremendously tumultuous scenes in which waves crash and thick sheets of mist practically blind the crew, transporting the audience not just to the middle of the surging sea but back in time to an era of national honor and responsibility.

These men fight to save their country first and themselves last, and an overall feeling of heroic dedication sits in the hearts of the hundreds of men onboard the Surprise. Young boys are depended upon for large, commanding duties, and many lives are lost for the sake of the ship.

Amidst the pervasive violence is Dr. Steven Maturin (A Beautiful Mind’s Paul Bettany), a longtime friend of the captain and the only man on the ship with legitimate medical knowledge.

However, the obvious limits of 19th-century medicine result in some primitive scenes of the doctor at work that are as compelling as they are difficult to watch.

Of course, there are a bevy of recognizable, seafaring moments in Master and Commander, from the rowers in the galley, to the sea chanties sung on deck, to the ship’s officials laughing over classic nautical stories at the captain’s table. Yet there remains a spirited, freshwater sparkle that overshadows any sense of salty

LOONEY TUNES | JENNA ELFMAN, BRENDAN FRASER

buzz

Lynn Albertsen Gibson City

“It was a good holiday movie.”

★★★ Heather Albertsen Gibson City

“I thought it was funny and cute.”

Sylvia ★★★★

“A very dark movie with good acting; well worth seeing.”

TURTLE ISL AND STRING QUARTET

Outside continued from page 6 Betsy Hammill, an audience member, said she enjoyed the performance. The dance reminded her of the fragility of ballet, but in grass.

“Many of us have seen a performances at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, but no one had been out to that farmhouse before. The dance becomes the whole event of finding the place and standing in the cold,” said Ray. “A new dance, a new experience.”

D E C 3 , 7: 3 0 P M

CORPORATE SILVER SPONSOR

Chris Barlow Champaign

SOLSTICE C E L E B R AT O N

PHOTO | NADIA OUSSENKO

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film & tv

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARY BUCK

3:22 PM

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

11/19/03

WARNER BROS. FILMS

1120buzz0718

The final On Location performance, Nadia Oussenko’s Sonority Movement, will be at 2:35 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, in the Foellinger Great Hall foyer at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Admission will be free.

Sites are transformed by the dancers movements making the rotation of this picture possible.

For tickets

217/333-6280 KrannertCenter.com

7#

3:23 PM

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arts

SHUT UP! I GET STUFF! | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003

buzz

Dance comes alive in the outdoors

BY DREW FRIST | STAFF WRITER

said Justin Jacobs, a dance student and On Location performer.

A site that is not spectacularly interesting on its own could be transformed by a pern Location, a suite of four site-specific formance. Introducing dance to a hill or a dance performances, is organized and choreo- busy sidewalk brings dance closer to the pubgraphed by second-year graduate students in lic and the public closer to dance.

“A site is a perfect place where there is a lot dance—Petry, Water Logic; Ling-Fen Chien, of natural elements Stepping F o r w a r d ; going on,” said Petry.

Nadia Oussenko, “There are sounds, Sonority Movement; there are buses, you and Jessica Ray, have the clouds—it is Demanding Company. this idea of building Site-specific dance our life around what developed as a reacwe t h i n k i s g o i n g tion to the social and around one direction, political climate of and learning to adapt the 1960s, pioneerand evolve, and to be ing offstage moveopen to that.” ment and dance.

Petry’s own site“When you think specific dance— of dance you think of Water Logic—was perleotards, tutus and formed at Orchard toe shoes—this is a Downs Hill, located at little different,” said the i n t e r s e c t i o n o f N i c P e t r y, a Florida Avenue and University o f Orchard Street in Illinois graduate Urbana, on Nov. 16. student in dance.

Water Logic com“ We w a n t e d t o bines dance and music work on sites, centered on and break out of the thearound a hill. Dancers ater and that prosceIn this style of dance, dancers use the outside as and musicians explored nium idea.” their theater. aspects of the hill, “By putting a interacting with the piece on a site, people that wouldn’t have necessarily gone to a set design. Petry hoped to shift the physidance concert are suddenly confronted with cal and visual perspectives of the art and dance—maybe they are affected by it,” audience.

PHOTOS | NADIA OUSSENKO

O

“I am taking more risk now with all of my He enlisted the help of Chad Tyler, a senior in landscape architecture at the University, movement,” said Pittner.

“The sites are all over,” said Petry. Locations to help “set stage” on the hill. Tyler, having previous experience with set design, out- include the corner of Green and Wright streets fitted the hill with props and the dancers in Champaign, Orchard Downs Hill, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in with costumes.

During the performance of Water Logic, Urbana and a lone country house on North the hill was dotted with red buckets and Market Street in Champaign.

The subject and performance style dancers wearing Day-Glo yellow raincoats. Petry and Tyler intentionally juxta- varies greatly too. Petry’s Water Logic is posed the unnatural colors with the hill’s accompanied by the live music of composer and musician John Toenjes, while Ray’s green grass and trees.

“Throughout history, hills were massive performance relies on pre-recorded instrumental music. stages for battle,” M o v e m e n t s d i ff e r, said Tyler. “During polarizing from “awkwinter this hill will wardly elegant jaunts” to be filled with chilChien’s “leaning, reachdren sliding down ing, turning and pushit.” ing” in Green and Wright The dance is part streets’ bustle. battle and part play, “Different actions can he said. create different percepSite-specific perNic Petry, dance student tions,” said Tyler. formances afford Ray’s performance, artists and performers more audience interaction and partici- Demanding Company, on Nov. 8, was minimal pation than traditional theater seating and compared to Petry’s Water Logic.

Two performers sprout from behind a ticketing would allow—Water Logic’s audilone tree in the backyard of the country ence is lead around the hill by rope.

“I wanted to reverse the idea of where the house, the twinkling of Prospect Avenue’s audience usually is, which is above the area strip mall sprawl uninhibited by the and watch(ing) down at the dance,” said Petry. empty corn field surrounding 3113 N. “What better than a hill. In a bowl, like this Market St., Champaign.

The performers, Regan Kinder and Kate hill’s (valley), the audience is down and McIlvain, were “bumbling around the holes of around the performance.”

Andrea Pittner and Rachel Wagner, both resident groundhogs.” dance students and Water Logic performers, have appreciated the opportunities off-site dancing can bring to a dancer. continued on page 7

[

I wanted to reverse the idea of where the audience usually is, which is above the area and watch(ing) down at the dance.

[

buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003

moviereview

CASA DE LOS BABYS ★★★★

BY SYD SLOBODNIK | CONTRIBUTING WRITER For more than two decades, John Sayles has been one of the most independent creative writers/directors working in the U.S. film industry, and without a doubt, he has created some of the most fascinating characters and social situations in his film stories. His latest film, Casa de los Babys, is a unique look at motherhood, the circumstances of wealthy women who can afford to have children but cannot naturally and the circumstances of poor women who can’t afford to have the children they cannot seem to help having.

Sayles’ story is another of his trademark ensemble pieces, an intriguing narrative involving numerous people whose lives become interconnected through the main concern of the film’s story. Casa de los Babys focuses on six middle-class American women who are stuck in limbo in an unidentified South American city, waiting for the bureaucratic adoption procedures to clear their personal miseries and send them home to the United States as new moms.

Sayles’ tale develops with the steady but casual pace of a well-crafted stage play. In a small resort hotel we meet the film’s six main characters: Leslie, a no-nonsense, free-speaking New Yorker (Lili Taylor); Gayle, a middle-aged recovering alcoholic (Mary Steenburgen); Nan,

tvreview

TRU CALLING ★★★

BY JENNIFER KEAST | STAFF WRITER

F

film & tv

| RITA MORENO WAS A VERY ATTRACTIVE NUN ON HBO.

or anyone who has seen Run Lola Run, FOX’s new drama thriller Tru Calling will seem vaguely familiar. The main character, Tru (Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Eliza Dushku), witnessed her mother’s murder when she was 12, and at the funeral her deceased mother speaks to her.

No one believes her at the time, of course.

The show is set after Tru’s college graduation, after a day from hell when she loses her hospital internship due to budget cuts, which was going to help her get into medical school.

Her brother was also beaten for lacking funds due at a lost poker game, and she discovers her oldest sister is on cocaine again.

One good thing does happen on this horrible day, though. Tru gets a job on the graveyard shift tagging and preparing bodies at the city morgue. Little does she know this will end up

whose arrogance and strong will to get her child puts off most everyone in the story (Marcia Gay Harden) ; Skipper, an obsessed athletic blonde who has experienced the loss of three children (Darryl Hannah); Jennifer, a wealthy younger gal from Washington, D.C. (Maggie Gyllenhaal); and Eileen, possibly the woman most in genuine need of a baby, an Irish Catholic Bostonian (Susan Lynch).

Through many conversations, we learn how important being a mother is for each woman and how past attempts at conception, miscarriages or other difficulties have caused them to choose adoption.

Interwoven in Sayles’ main tale are parallel dramas of those connected to the amazing life cycle the six main characters want so passionately to participate in: Senora Munoz, the sleazy proprietress of the baby adoption business and hotel (played with much relish by veteran Rita Moreno); a band of orphaned street urchins who beg, steal and dodge troubles on the mean streets of the city; several young Latinas who work as maids in the hotel; a couple of those womens’ boyfriends; and other young locals with dreams of greater happiness.

Sayles shows with touches of irony how important motherhood is, how many women long with great passion to nurture young lives and yet how neglected many young children are in Third World countries, where the wealth of the United States can only provide some select lucky ones with an opportunity for a comfortable lifestyle.

Sayles’ film, though, is not tackling these major social issues on any grand scale. In fact, some might think this 95-minute film is a rather slight effort that barely gets off the ground before it resolves itself to a rather abrupt sense of closure, while other stains of its story are left unfulfilled. But this isn’t a complex and plotted narrative; it’s more a slice of life. being more than she bargained for.

Her first night alone in the morgue, she thinks she hears whispering voices coming from the crypt. She locates the drawer where the whispering is coming from, she stares at the dead body, and then the dead body quickly (and scarily enough to make viewers jump the first time they see it) turns its head and says, “Help me.” And with that, the plot (and Tru) is off and running.

Each time a new corpse pleads for help, Tru wakes up and gets a second chance to live the day over again. During these second chances she does everything she can to find out why these corpses have died and then runs (and literally runs, since she was a track star while in college) around trying to prevent the deaths from occurring.

Tru Calling is a promising new drama that is sure to addict viewers if they give it a first chance. Dushku wonderfully balances the sweetheart, caring side with her tough, I-wantto-change-the-world attitude. Throughout all her adventures she always manages to look stunning in the latest trends (and even in her morgue smock).

The writers for the show do a fantastic job keeping viewers guessing with plot twists and

CAT IN THE HAT (PG) (3 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 1:00 1:15 1:30 3:00 3:15 3:30 5:00 5:15 5:30 7:00 7:15 7:30 9:00 9:15 9:30 11:00 11:15 11:30 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 1:15 1:30 3:00 3:15 3:30 5:00 5:15 5:30 7:00 7:15 7:30 9:00 9:15 9:30

SONY CLASSICS PICTURES

11/19/03

CASA DE LOS BABYS | RITA MORENO Where Sayles’ is most skilled in Casa de los Babys is in exploring the feelings and emotions of his main characters. All six female leads give outstanding and subtle performances with great sensitivity to avoiding the cliched manners of desperate women longing for motherhood. Lili Taylor is tough and unsentimental; Steenburgen is her usual soft Southern sweetness, but thinly hides a deeper set of hardfought troubles. Darryl Hannah has never been more natural, unpretentious and completely believable. And recent Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden proves once again why she is one of the most quietly powerful actresses working in Hollywood today. Gyllenhaal and Lynch also add moments of touching emotions, as the two youngest women of the group.

Together with Sayles’ dialogue and engaging camera technique, these actresses explore many of the personal, human emotions of women with almost the same effectiveness as Swedish director Ingmar Bergman did in such films like Persona and Cries and Whispers decades ago.

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MYSTIC RIVER (R) Fri. - Tue. 1:30 7:15 RADIO (PG) Fri. & Sat. 4:00 9:45 12:00 Sun. - Tue. 4:00 9:45

SCARY MOVIE 3 (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 1:10 3:00 5:00 7:10 9:00 11:00 THE HUMAN STAIN (R) Fri. & Sun. - Tue. 1:10 3:00 5:00 7:10 Sat. 12:45 3:00 5:15 7:30 9:45 9:00 12:00 Sun. - Thu. 12:45 3:00 5:15 7:30 SCHOOL OF ROCK (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 1:00 3:10 5:30 7:40 9:45 9:50 12:00 GOTHIKA (R) Fri. & Sat. 1:30 Sun. - Tue. 1:00 3:10 5:30 7:40 9:50 3:30 5:30 7:30 9:30 11:30 Sun. - Thu. 1:30 3:30 5:30 7:30 ◆ MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (R) 9:30 (2 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 12:45 1:15 BROTHER BEAR (G) Fri. & Sat. 4:00 4:30 7:00 7:30 9:35 10:05 1:00 3:00 5:00 7:00 9:00 11:00 12:10 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 3:00 5:00 7:00 Sun. - Tue. 12:45 1:15 4:00 4:30 7:00 7:30 9:35 10:05 9:00 Wed. & Thu. 1:15 4:30 7:00 ELF (PG) (2 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 7:30 9:35 10:05 1:00 1:30 3:00 3:30 5:00 5:30 7:00 7:30 9:00 9:30 11:00 11:30 Sun. - Thu. 1:00 1:30 3:00 3:30 5:00 5:30 7:00 7:30 9:00 9:30 SHATTERED GLASS (PG–13) Fri. & Sat. 1:10 3:10 5:20 7:30 LOONEY TUNES (PG) Fri. & 9:45 12:00 Sat. 1:10 3:10 5:10 7:10 9:10 Sun. - Thu. 1:10 3:10 5:20 7:30 11:10 9:45 Sun. - Tue. 1:10 3:10 5:10 7:10 BAD SANTA (R) Wed. & Thu. 9:10 Wed. & Thu. 1:10 3:10 5:10 12:50 3:00 5:00 7:00 9:00 HAUNTED MANSION (PG) LOVE ACTUALLY (R) Fri. & Sat. 12:45 4:00 7:00 9:40 12:15 Wed. & Thu. 1:15 3:15 5:15 7:15 9:15 Sun. - Thu. 12:45 4:00 7:00 9:40 MASTER & COMMANDER (PG–13) ◆ THE MISSING (R) Wed. 1:20 (2 SCREENS) Fri. & Sat. 12:45 1:15 4:00 7:05 9:40 3:45 4:15 6:45 7:15 9:30 10:00 Thu. 1:20 4:00 7:05 9:40 12:10 TIMELINE (PG–13) Wed. & Sun. - Thu. 12:45 1:15 3:45 4:15 Thu. 1:00 4:45 7:15 9:40 6:45 7:15 9:30 10:00 Showtimes for 11/21 thru 11/27

SAVOY 16 Route 45 & Burwash Ave. $5.50 Kids all shows

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SHOWTIMES 11/21 - 11/25

THE CAT IN THE HAT (PG) 3 PRINTS / 3 SCREENS

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TRU CALLING | ELIZA DUSHKU surprises. Just when you think everything is going to be OK, the writers throw something else at the viewers. The shocking endings (or rather, the abrupt nonending of the plotline) to the episodes make one want to tune in for the next, simply because one wants to know what happens to the poor people Tru is trying to save from death.

Tru Calling is one of the fall’s most promising new shows. If viewers are willing to give up Friends to watch it, is it sure to be a hit.

(SAT/SUN 11:10) 1:15, 1:35, 3:05, 3:35, 5:05, 5:30, 7:00, 7:25, 9:00, 9:20 FRI/SAT LS 11:15, 11:40 STADIUM SEATING 12:40, 2:35, 4:30, 6:45, 8:40 FRI/SAT LS 10:45 GOTHIKA (R) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 1:10, 3:15, 5:20, 7:25, 9:30 FRI/SAT LS 11:35 STADIUM SEATING 1:40, 3:45, 5:50, 7:55, 10:00 FRI/SAT LS 12:05 MASTER AND COMMANDER(PG-13) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 1:25, 4:10, 6:55, 9:40 STADIUM SEATING 12:55, 3:40, 6:25, 9:10 LOONEY TUNES BACK IN ACTION (PG) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 11:50, 1:00, 1:45, 3:00, 3:40, 5:00, 5:35, 7:30 TUPAC: RESURRECTION (R) STADIUM SEATING 12:40, 3:00, 5:20, 7:40, 9:55 FRI/SAT LS 12:10 MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (R) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 7:20, 10:00 STADIUM SEATING 1:20, 4:00, 6:40, 9:40 ELF (PG) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 12:50, 3:05, 5:10, 7:15 STADIUM SEATING 1:10, 3:25, 5:30, 7:35, 9:40 FRI/SAT LS 11:45 BROTHER BEAR (G) 1:45, 3:40, 5:45, 7:30, 9:25 FRI/SAT LS 11:20 MYSTIC RIVER (R) 9:35 LOVE ACTUALLY (R) (SAT/SUN 11:00) 1:40, 4:15, 6:50, 9:25 FRI/SAT LS 12:00 SCARY MOVIE 3 (PG-13) 7:45, 9:45 FRI/SAT LS 11:45 COUPON RADIO (PG) 1:00, 3:10, 5:20

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (R)

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film & tv

HALLE BERRY IS BIGGER AND BETTER. | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz

BROTHER BEAR ★★ JOAQUIN PHOENIX AND PHIL COLLINS While American animators still have a long way to go to achieve the sheer grandeur and exhilarating imagination of foreign animation, such as in last year’s Spirited Away, Brother Bear shows they do have their moments. It’s just unfortunate that their visuals have to be spoiled by rudimentary plots, discardable characters and downright ugly music. (John Loos) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

ELF ★★★ WILL FERRELL AND JAMES CAAN The film itself really makes no attempts to hide its basic premise as a Christmas movie.There’s Santa, perfectly played by Ed Asner.There’s the head elf, portrayed by Bob Newhart.There’s the grumpy, anti-Christmas guy, James Caan. It’s like every Christmas television special and movie rolled into one. And therein lies its genius. (Dan Maloney) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

KILL BILL: VOLUME ONE ★★★★ UMA THURMAN AND DAVID CARRADINE Kill Bill is raw entertainment that packs brains with its brawn.

That is because Tarantino is an expert at drawing feeling from his killers, robbers and sociopaths. In Kill Bill, Tarantino revisits his penchant for characters who have experienced past— and specifically, childhood—trauma, again hitting the mark with brave situational dichotomy.(Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION ★★ JENNA ELFMAN AND STEVE MARTIN On paper, Looney Tunes: Back in Action has all the pieces in place to equal Who Framed Roger Rabbit. But on the screen, the film is occasionally entertaining, and, in terms of laughs, doesn’t even equal Space Jam. Hard to believe, but for the first time in memory, the Looney Tunes gang will likely bore adults and children alike. (Andrew Vecelas) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy.

LOVE ACTUALLY ★★★ HUGH GRANT AND EMMA THOMPSON The film’s delicate blend of outrageous comedic scenes, which also prove that Brits can perform slapstick and dry humor equally, mix well with heartwarming confessions from each of the characters. Needless to say, keep a lookout for a wonderful dance sequence with Grant’s character.. The large ensemble cast is also made up of the “who’s who” of English actors. Laura Linney joins in too, and puts in a marvelous performance as an American wallflower who draws on everyone’s empathy without appearing fake. (Janelle Greenwood) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

LIVE JAZZ at

MASTER AND COMMANDER ★★★★ RUSSELL CROWE AND PAUL BETTANY Weir buffs will get a kick out of watching this film and remembering The Truman Show. While Truman’s aquatic-oriented scenes introduced the director’s ability to craft stimulating scenes of sea-swept peril, Master and Commander achieves a far higher degree of oceanic fanfare. It’s a glorious tale of adventure on the high seas sure to put wind in any landlubber’s sails. (Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy.

THE MATRIX: REVOLUTIONS ★★ KEANU REEVES AND LAURENCE FISHBURNE In the utterly disappointing The Matrix: Revolutions, the Wachowskis simultaneously step away from that which made the previous films worthwhile and indulge in the elements that made them hollow. Gone are the eye-popping action sequences of high-tech originality and legitimate conceptions of a machine-oriented future spun out of control.

(Matt Pais) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy.

RADIO ★★ CUBA GOODING JR. AND ED HARRIS Cuba Gooding Jr. does his best to give a performance that will make his critics less likely to demand that he give back his Oscar after horrendous films such as Snow Dogs, but this film doesn’t do anything more than give a dramatic version of Adam Sandler’s The Waterboy. (Jason Cantone) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

RUNAWAY JURY ★★★ DUSTIN HOFFMAN AND GENE HACKMAN Based upon the best-selling John Grisham novel, this story was originally about tobacco farms, but becomes a tale of guns. Featuring two of the greatest actors alive, this film is exactly what a summer beach novel is good for: a lot of fun, provided that you suspend disbelief. (Jason Cantone) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

SCARY MOVIE 3 ★★★ CHARLIE SHEEN AND DENISE RICHARDS With the Wayans brothers gone, slapstick king David Zucker does his best to reinvent this dying franchise. Occasionally hilarious, but often stupid. (Andrew Crewell) Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

TUPAC: RESURRECTION ★★★ NARRATED BY TUPAC SHAKUR It is Shakur’s demigod status that shines through in the film— the same status that made the original creator of “thug life” the greatest rapper ever before being killed at the young age of 25. (Andrew Crewell) Now showing at Savoy.

OPENING THIS WEEKEND CAT IN THE HAT

MIKE MYERS AND ALEC BALDWIN Jim Carrey took his rendition of the Grinch to box office heights, but can Mike Myers echo the same success? If Good Boy! is making money, this just has to. (Jason Cantone) Opening at Beverly and Savoy

GOTHIKA

HALLE BERRY AND ROBERT DOWNEY JR. Halle Berry looks unattractive and Robert Downey Jr. doesn’t do drugs. If that’s not totally crazy enough, Berry also plays a psychiatrist who becomes a client. (Jason Cantone) Opening at Beverly and Savoy

THE HUMAN STAIN

ANTHONY HOPKINS AND NICOLE KIDMAN Anthony Hopkins has a deep, dark secret that unravels his life and leads him to wild sex with Nicole Kidman after she does a sexy striptease. If that’s what happens when life becomes unravelled, sign me up! (Jason Cantone) Opening at Beverly

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HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN AND CHLOE SEVIGNY The true story of a young journalist caught plagiarizing. If only he wrote an apology about how it was all an accident about citing things. That seems to work. (Jason Cantone) Opening at Beverly

STEP INTO LIQUID

ROCHELLE BALLARD AND SHAWN BARRON No special effects. No stuntmen. No stereotypes. This film provides an action-packed look inside the surfing world in this well-reviewed documentary. (Jason Cantone) Opening at Boardman’s

moviereview

SYLVIA ★★

BY JANELLE GREENWOOD | STAFF WRITER

FOCUS FEATURES

Drive-thru Reviews

20

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ilms capturing famed authors’ lives, such as last year’s The Hours, which looked at Virginia Woolf, are definitely on the rise in Hollywood; the latest, Sylvia, fits nicely into this window of Oscar possibilities.

Unfortunately, Sylvia never quite reaches the flow or ease of The Hours, and it reverts back to the worst screenplay filler of romantic feuds.

Notes from the real Sylvia Plath, from her husband’s private collection after his death, led to the film’s screenplay. The nature in which the notes were found may have influenced the film’s focus on Plath’s love life, rather than her total melancholy.

The story never really progresses past her weepy romance, which turns into paranoia, inevitably becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Yes, Sylvia Plath (Gwyneth Paltrow) was married and her life did revolve around her relationship to the writer Ted Hughes (Daniel Craig), but her overwhelming depression from her general insecurities proposed more of an issue than her jealousy of her husband’s success and his infidelity. Paltrow turns in the best

SYLVIA | GWYNETH PALTROW performance possible under a one-dimensionally written character. At the very least, the audience can tell that Plath feels uncomfortable in her own skin. Most remarkable is Paltrow’s portrayal of Plath’s demeanor, mannerisms and appearance.

Plath’s work on her famous novel, The Bell Jar, briefly gets mentioned, which really takes away from the film’s credibility. Her work on that well-known novel followed her own similar progression into madness, which ultimately led Plath to take her own life several months later. The film really sidesteps this point, which is far more significant to Plath’s life than her wavering relationship.

Overall Sylvia’s plot and character development lack the conviction that made Nicole Kidman’s portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours so powerful.

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community

NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26 | FUNNY SENTENCE HERE

Some think purchasing the horse is the most expensive part of owning it, says Ron Rhoades, owner of White Horse farms in Seymour, Ill. “Buying a horse isn’t the expensive part— keeping it is,” says Rhoades. He estimates that one horse costs about $175 a month for routine medical care, food and bedding, plus a monthly fee for boarding the horse at a stable. Also, the rider will buy between $1,000 and $2,000 of equipment, called tack, including the saddle, helmet, bridles and lead lines. There are always ways to cut costs on these initial investments, however. If possible, people board the animal at home. Another easy way to save is to look for used equipment in the classifieds in your area. If you’re already taking lessons, ask your instructor if he knows anyone who has a horse or tack for sale cheap—but be sure to find out why the animal is such a bargain before buying. The horse itself could cost several thousand dollars if you have your heart set on a particular breed.

Time is another thing to consider. Like any pet, a horse demands a lot of time and care.

But never confuse a horse with the family dog—horses are an enormous responsibility.

You must clean their stalls every day, make

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sure they have plenty of food and water, keep their coats and hooves clean and most importantly, don’t forget to ride! Horses depend on you for exercise just as much as you depend on them.

If you’ve thought about the financial sacrifices, and are determined to buy a horse even if you have to live in your newly-built barn eating ramen noodles, don’t buy a horse from an auction unless you have experience. It’s too easy for amateurs to bid on the wrong horse or to bid too much. Take an experienced horse person with you to look at possible buys to get their opinion and look at a lot of horses. Ask questions of anyone who knows anything about horses, read books and surf the Internet for information. There are people all over the world dying to pass on their enthusiasm to you. Take a look.

No matter what your living situation or financial background, true horse enthusiasts will find a way to include horses in their lifestyle. “Horse people are crazy,” says Rhoades, “But they’re good people.”

For more information about joining Illini Equestrians, check out their Web site: http://www2.uiuc.edu/ro/IlEq/. buzz

Owner of Top Line Farm Kim Kennedy coaches a riding lesson Monday evening. Kennedy has owned the farm for 15 years and teaches lessons throughout the week.

moviereview

TUPAC: RESURECTION ★★★

BY ANDREW CREWELL | STAFF WRITER

T

upac Shakur comes back to life in the documentary Tupac: Resurrection. The rapper slain by gunfire just over seven years ago narrates his own life story, where he tells all about his youth, drugs, women, battles and all else tied up in a life filled with controversy.

Getting shot was nothing strange to Tupac.

Two years before his death, he was shot five times—including twice in the head—but lived through the ordeal. Upon leaving the hospital, Shakur blamed Notorious B.I.G. and other “East-Coast” rappers for the attempt on his life, and so began the feud between East Coast and West Coast that would entrance the hip-hop world for years. This blame caused Tupac to join Suge Knight-led Death Row Records, which also produced Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. It was then that Shakur sat down to grant an interview that would encompass his entire life.

He talked candidly about his family, his Black Panther past, the importance of drugs and violence in his life, his cultured upbringing and the race conflict that at times ruled his life.

It is this interview that Tupac: Resurrection laces over snippets of Shakur’s concerts, talk show spots and other appearances to give the

TUPAC: RESURRECTION | TUPAC SHAKUR autobiographical documentary.

It isn’t until now that many will fully comprehend the depth of the rapper. The film portrays Tupac as a theologian and cultural revolutionary obsessed with the inequalities of society. Constantly striving for equality for blacks and the poor, Tupac: Resurrection paints the picture that his enemies never wanted to be seen.

The man was a poet, an articulate speaker and an intellectual who rose from the concrete projects to be a hero to the masses.

Long-winded and one-sided at times, but infinitely educational, Tupac: Resurrection illustrates the importance of the departed artist.

Almost like John F. Kennedy’s death a generation ago, there are people all over America who cannot only tell you what they were doing when Shakur died, but what they were doing every time he was shot. It is Shakur’s demigod status that shines through in the film—the same status that made the original creator of “thug life” the greatest rapper ever before being killed at the young age of 25.

PHOTOS | CHRISTINE LITAS

11/19/03

MTV NETWORKS

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community

NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003

Claire never considered quitting after suffering her injury, nor did she develop a fear of horses as a result of her setback. “I just couldn’t give it up. I love the rush.”

For anyone who is fascinated by horses, lessons are a good place to start. This way, interested people can find out whether or not they truly enjoy riding before they spend several hundred dollars on equipment. Lessons are a good way to learn the basics of horse riding, which is more than just kicking the horse to make it go, pulling back on the reins to stop and not falling off. As Nicolas Evans writes in his novel The Horse Whisperer, “It’s a lot like nuts and bolts—if the rider’s nuts, the horse bolts!”

“When you ride, you’re holding together the whole horse,” says Kennedy. “If you fall off, you want to have a good story to tell, not something silly like, ‘I forgot to tighten the girth’ or ‘My balance was off.’”

Finding a place to ride usually isn’t difficult in Illinois. The flat, grassy landscape is perfect for grazing horses. A few minutes spent looking through the phone book or on the Internet can turn up a few options in your area, and even if it is a half hour away or so, parents can be talked into making the trip once a week.

Finding the teacher that fits your style can be more difficult, so think about observing classes at as many different stables as you can.

This way, you can see how classes are run and what class times fit into your schedule. You can also ask questions before you begin lessons. This is important, especially if you were hoping to learn something specific about riding, such as jumping.

In the cool autumn evening, Claire arrives at Topline Farm well before her 6:30 p.m. les-

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son and heads into the barn to get her mount the ground occasionally as through ready to go. ready to ride. Her boot heels click on the con- Claire often pats the horse affectionately on the crete floor as she passes the stalls, the chains nose or neck as she passes back and forth. hanging on the walls clinking in the wind. Another benefit of horsemanship, aside from After fetching her horse, a dark stallion stand- the excellent exercise, is the companionship of ing more than 5 feet tall at the shoulder, she this huge, friendly beast.

Plenty of opportunities exist for riders to attaches his harness to the chains to keep him in place while she grooms him. She brushes rediscover the sport or get into it for the first his satiny coat free of mud and dust, making time with the Illini Equestrians. The group is as especially sure that his back is clean where the big on social events like barn dances and bar saddle will rest. She picks each hoof with a crawls as they are in the Intercollegiate Horse special tool, scraping hard clods of mud out Show Association shows, says Cat Dayger, one with the pointed end, brushing away loose of two English coaches for the club. Members dirt with the bristles on the other end. This can personalize their level of involvement and should not feel like will make it less likely they cannot join if they for the horse to pick don’t want to appear up a stone in its hoof in horse shows or if while in the arena. they do not have time Then the saddle pad for every social event, and saddle are put on Dayger says. the horse’s back, “I love being around against the withers— Ron Rhoades horses because they’re the area where the honest. If they’re mad, neck meets the body — and cinched up using a strap with several buck- they show it. They’re easy to please; they’ll do les, called a girth. The girth can be adjusted to anything for treats. They watch for you as you avoid pinching the animal. One of the final come into the barn ... they really care,” says parts of the process is sliding the bridle over the Dayger. Dayger, a junior in animal sciences at horse’s head and getting him to take the bit the University of Illinois, has been riding seribetween his teeth. The bridle is a complicated ously since sixth grade and leases her horse looking combination of straps and metal pieces from a local stable.

Claire, like most young equestrians, hopes to that encircle the horse’s entire head, so it can take practice to put it on correctly, with the reins lease or own her own horse one day as well. She resting on the horse’s back and the metal bit in has been taking riding lessons for so long that his mouth. This routine must be completed she became bored with simple trail riding and before any lesson has begun to ensure the safe- decided to learn jumping.

“She’s been taking jumps up to 3 feet 6 inchty and happiness of both horse and rider.

Claire’s mount waits patiently while she fin- es (tall). That’s exciting enough to make a parishes these necessities, neighing and pawing ent’s heart go pitter-patter,” says Bob.

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Buying a horse isn’t the expensive part — keeping it is.

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NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | S0... A PIRATE WALKS INTO A BAR

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

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Employment 000

AUTOMOBILES

HELP WANTED | Full Time

HELP WANTED | Part Time

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Action Ads • 20 words, run any 5 days (in buzz or The Daily Illini), $14 • 10 words, run any 5 days (in buzz or The Daily Illini), $7 • add a photo to an action ad, $10

102 S. Lincoln Horizon Apts.

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Garage Sales 30 words in both Thursday’s buzz and Friday’s Daily Illini!! $10. If it rains, your next date is free.

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805 S. Locust, C. 2 & 4 bedroom luxury furnished apartments. Contemporary furnishings, bi-level, laundry, AC, large rooms, microwave, dishwasher, parking. Aug. 2004. www.mhmproperties.com 337-8852 JOHN SMITH PROPERTY MANAGEMENT www.johnsmithproperties.com (217)384-6930 “believe the hype”

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Right: Thirteenyear-old Claire Nonnemann of Urbana rides Indy, a thorough bred, during her weekly lesson Monday evening at Top Line Farm.

Nonnemann has been riding since she was 9 years old: "It's something exciting and different."

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Left: Claire Nonnemann removes Indy's harness after her lesson.

PHOTO | CHRISTINE LITAS

4

11/19/03

call 217.337.8337

11/19/03

3:30 PM

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odds & end

I WISH MY HORISCOPE WAS BETTER THIS WEEK... | NOVEMBER 13-NOVEMBER 19, 2003

buzz

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): To prepare you for your upcoming encounters with inexpressible mystery, Ioffer you the words of Alexander Solzhenitsyn from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech.

"Not everything has a name," he said. "Some things lead us into a realm beyond words . . . to revelations unattainable by reason. It is like that small mirror in fairy tales -- you glance in it and what you see is not yourself; for an instant you glimpse the Inaccessible, where no magic carpet can take you. And the soul cries out for it."

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "Do one thing that scares you every day," counsels novelist Kurt Vonnegut.That's easy for a risk-loving Scorpio like him to say, but is it good advice for you Tauruses, who typically thrive on peace and safety? At most other times, I would say no; I'd suggest you force yourself to face your fears no more than once a month. But the coming weeks are shaping up as a departure from your usual rhythms. You can do a lot to ensure your long-term peace and safety through regular encounters with unpredictable experiences that will scare up your hidden reserves of courage.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): At one point in Steve Martin's novella, The Pleasure of My Company, the main character Daniel says: "The real me and a false one were competing against each other." San Francisco Chronicle reviewer David Kipen comments that "You could easily read the whole novella as the story of this competition between real and false Daniels." I think we can apply a similar description to your adventures in the coming weeks, Gemini: The deep, genuine version of you will be struggling for supremacy with the artificial, fragmented one.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): "Dear Mr. Brezsny: I'm a feminist in a post-feminist era, a warrior poet when poetry is considered irrelevant in war, and a lone wolf amidst yapping coyotes. I've been a firefighter, journalist, and janitor -- and damn good at all three, not that anybody noticed. My questions are: Why is my success with men like that of a goat trying to herd trucks? Why is the only luck I ever have the 'avoided the falling piano at the last second' kind? Are there any cake raffle winnings in my future? -AntiHeroic Crab" Dear Anti-Heroic: The mournful conditions you described will take a turn for the better when you devote a concentrated time to becoming emotionally self-sufficient. During that period, vow to draw all the love you need from either yourself or whatever passes for God of Goddess in your world. Now would be the perfect moment to begin.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Clarissa Pinkola Estes is a psychotherapist and cantadora, "a keeper of the old stories." She believes that feeding the soul with nourishing tales is a great healing art. And what constitutes a "nourishing" tale? Her repertoire is filled with

ACROSS

featuring food by Foudini’s

1 Alcott’s Little Women,

American heritage band Rock, rock, and more rock! 10 PM

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Renegade

e.g.

9 Legal opener 13 Juice dispenser 14 Engendered 15 Neither here

nor there, say

16 Work in the kitchen,

in a way

17 It may take a bow

Southern & classic rock Renegade will be at Tommy G’s on New Year’s Eve 2004!

18 Doesn’t own

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23 Daughter of Juan

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "Charlie's Angels" star Cameron Diaz, born under the sign of Virgo, hates to give autographs to fans.

She's so notorious that Autograph Collector magazine named her the least approachable celebrity entertainer. Another Virgo luminary, Shannon Elizabeth, was ranked right behind Diaz in her stinginess. To redeem your tribe's reputation, I urge you to give away your autograph to anyone and everyone in the coming week. Such a generous display would also dovetail nicely with the astrological omens, which suggest you should engage in playful acts that make you feel like a star.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "Satan is broke!" declared a recent article in the Weekly World News. "He's selling back souls at half price to avoid bankruptcy." On the face of it, this is an amusing riff dreamed up by one of the comic geniuses who writes for the notorious tabloid. But oddly enough, there is a metaphorical grain of truth in it. The astrological omens suggest that a huge window of opportunity has opened for those who need redemption. It is a favorable moment for lost souls to find themselves, for black sheep and prodigal sons to return to the fold, and for incorrigible troublemakers to mend their ways. I'm letting you know, Aquarius, because your tribe, more than any of the other signs, is in the best position to facilitate rehabilitations and restorations of all kinds -- both for others and for yourself.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Many plants used for prescription drugs originate in tropical rainforests. Do their endangered ecosystems therefore harbor other healing herbs that are as yet undiscovered? Probably. But a recent study suggests that weeds growing in easily accessible places near human settlements may be an equally important source of medicine. The Journal of Ethnopharmacology reports that the Highland Mayans of Chiapa "rely almost exclusively on disturbed areas for medicinal plants, even in communities that are adjacent to stands of primary forest." I offer up this intriguing scenario as an apt metaphor for you in the coming days. The best goodies are more likely to be close at hand in the midst of familiar clutter, not in far-off enclaves of peace and plenty. (Thanks to www.eurekalert.org/ for this info.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "I've finally got my relationship problem figured out," wrote Melinda, a reader from Philadelphia.

"It has been a lifelong, insidious misunderstanding of what I'm entitled to, combined with a fear of abandonment that has made me grab onto the wrong companions." I bring this testimony to your attention, Pisces, because I think it resonates with realizations you're ready for. The coming months will be a favorable time for you to discern the hidden karma that has been keeping you from getting the love you want. A good way to begin your search will be to take inven ory of your fear of abandonment and your misunderstanding of what you're entitled to.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): To supply the newsprint for the average Sunday edition of the New York Times, about 63,000 trees must die. Is that a worthy sacrifice? Maybe. To keep your body fueled with caffeine for a year, upwards of a thousand plants must give up their lives. Is that a worthy sacrifice? Possibly.

To make sure your freshly hatched dream will ultimately reach full bloom, at least three of your tired old illusions will have to croak. Is that a worthy sacrifice? Hell, yes. Let the mercy killing begin.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You're not awakening from a coma or anesthesia; it's not quite that dramatic. But the effect will be similar. Events you've been blind to will suddenly become visible.You'll become a magnet for clues you've been repelling.Your emotional numbness will recede, allowing a flood of feelings to come rushing into your awareness. The net effect, at least initially, may be confusing: You'll be filled up with too much information too fast to make sense of it. But be patient and concentrate

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Horses prove to be fun for C-U BETH ROGERS | STAFF WRITER

A

girl wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt crouches astride the broad back of a chestnut stallion that stands 5 feet tall at the shoulder. Her arms and legs, delicate as matchsticks, cling to the animal. Crouching low over its neck, she gallops around the indoor arena at Topline Farm. She wheels the horse around and turns him to the center of the ring, where her instructor watches her posture, analyzing her balance and control of the horse in a single glance.

A smile bursts over Claire Nonnemann’s face, her mouth stretching so wide that the chinstrap of her helmet threatens to snap. The animal tosses its head and snorts, waiting for the next chance to run.

“Next time you want to raise your sternum,” says Kim Kennedy, owner of Topline Farm, giving the horse’s thick neck an energetic pat before sending horse and rider on another lap around the arena.

Millions of Americans come to riding academies like Topline Farm every year, looking for the fun and excitement equestrianism can

HaroldAllston

43 Discovery of

10 Anatomical

45 Cradle

11 Gauge datum

13

14

12 Summer fig-

15

16

Sir James Chadwick contents

46 Walk like a cat

30 Something planned 40 They don’t follow suit 42 Occasion for rolling

out the red carpet

ures?

13 Some complex

49 Hit upon the solution

14 Gliders

50 Pedal, perhaps

21 Like

Venezuela

52 Modern pentathletes’

needs

53 Hints 54 Harper of Hollywood 55 Like some curtains

DOWN 1 Radiator adjunct

communities

Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7

22 Refine 24 Legions 25 Service status

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23 26

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7 A runner may enter

35 Be like 36 Music symbol 37 One with a

fleet fleet

12

35

43

36

37

38

39

44

47

48 51

Puzzle by Robert H. Wolfe

38 Thieving

46 Meth., e.g.

39 Present and

47 ___ Ridge (race-

43 Computers on

51 Land in S.A.

a network

44 Some painted vessels

What is the history behind the Great Impasta?

In 1983, Piero Faraci fulfilled a lifelong dream of opening a small Italian restaurant. The old restaurant was located one half block west of our current location. I was given the opportunity to purchase the restaurant and this property was available. Our population was such that we decided to make the move east.

How did you get involved in the restaurant business?

I was a University student here trying to pay the bills. I started working at Greater Downtown Food and Beverage Company that was next door to the Great Impasta. I learned the ins and outs of cooking and service and discovered I was talented at it.

41

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the like

bring. Horseback riding is one of the oldest forms of exercise and has been used for everything from entertainment at annual horse races to therapy for the physically disabled.

Although the horse show season is mostly over this late in the year, equestrian sport lovers will continue to ride and enjoy these animals all year long. Without the hoopla that surrounds events like the Kentucky Derby, curious newcomers to equestrian sports may not know where to look for opportunities to ride.

Claire, 13, began riding when she was 9 years old. She started out learning balance and the basics of how to direct the horse. She had her first major accident at the age of 10, toppling from the saddle when the horse stumbled on a rough patch of ground. Claire landed in the dirt and was kicked in the face by her mount, but remained steadfast in her goals; later in the emergency room, while the doctors reset her broken collarbone, she begged, “Can I still be in the horse show on Saturday?”

“That’s when I knew I had a real horse addict on my hands,” says Bob Nonnemann, Claire’s father.

25

34

55

34 Some waders

11

29

54

6 Jimmies

10

28

53

in a way

9

22

21

52

33 Malefactors

8

19

50

with “the”

7

18

17

49

pulled back

32 Makes secret,

9 It uses flippers

6

46

4 Pull back

8 Shore soarers

5

45

31 Morph

one

4

28 It may be

3 It has strings attached

hideout

3

42

30 Mohammed,

5 Valjean’s

2

27 Hands over

2 Many a heavenly

body

1

interstices

48 ___ Teques,

22 Political leader origi-

29 Display aid

Coming in November

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "I go through the canned-goods department of my soul," mused columnist Jon Carroll, "and I write down how many cubes of spiritual bouillon I have left." I suggest you take a similar tack this week, Capricorn. In other words, add a touch of self-mocking frivolity as you make a profound inventory of your current relationship with the Great Mystery. And be sure to mix in a few wacky, winsome questions with your heartfelt yearning for deeper understanding. Here's how Carroll expressed it: "Who am I? Why am I here? Is there an entity greater than myself? If there is, how can I get it to like me?

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on digesting the glut, Sagittarius, and by this time next week the mess will have evolved into a web of fresh insights.

horse)

Harold Allston knows many of the ins and outs of the restaurant business. Former chef for the Great Impasta, Allston now owns the Italian restaurant, located at 132 W. Church in downtown Champaign. Allston currently resides in Champaign with his wife Nancy and has two children.

3

community

NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 |

Q & A

Tommy G’s Fri., November 21 FREE FOOD FRIDAYS!

myths and fairy tales that "cut fine wide doors in previous blank walls, openings that lead to the dreamland, that lead to love and learning, that lead us back to our own real lives." I advise you to get some of this good stuff, Leo. Feast on unpredictable stories that replenish your innocence and rekindle your sense of wonder. Estes' book, Women Who Run With the Wolves, has some good ones. Try "Skeleton Woman" or "Sealskin, Soulskin."

buzz

How did you specifically get involved with the Great Impasta?

I met Piero when he was making pasta at Greater Downtown Food and Beverage before the Great Impasta. I left town for a while but when I came back he had opened the Great Impasta and asked me to work. Since I was unemployed, I said sure, and that was 17 years ago.

What is the best part of your job?

The people. The people that come in and the people I work with. I also like tasting Scott’s (Great Impasta chef) specials.

PHOTO | CHRISTINE LITAS

1120buzz0322

Claire Nonnemann brushes Indy after her lesson.

What attracts customers to the Great Impasta?

Great food, great service, great staff and great all-around atmosphere. There is a lot of loyalty here. We have an incredible number of loving guests. When we moved, we were closed for three months and I was besieged with questions about when we were going to open. I was tempted to do a soft, quiet opening, but as soon as we opened, we had florists delivering flowers from people congratulating us on the opening. I didn’t expect such an outpouring of concern and care, and I am truly grateful for it.

Does the Great Impasta have a specialty dish?

All our dishes are special. All of our pastas are made from scratch and we feature several kinds of lasagna—seafood, portabella, marinara. We also have great luncheon pasta salads and feature our ‘Great Impastanoff’ which is our take on beef stroganoff.

How does owning a restaurant differ from being a chef?

There is more pressure, responsibility and anxiety with owning a restaurant. As a chef, you are more involved in the immediate. If the dish went over, you knew immediately.

As an owner, you are responsible for everyone working for you and forecasting the future. You have to be one step ahead.

What is your favorite food?

I love seafood. I think my children inherited my taste buds as well—they love lobster and crab too.

What are some of your other interests?

My children, and spending time with my family. I also enjoy bicycle riding and reading.

What is in store for the future of the Great Impasta?

We have an upstairs that I would like to convert into a banquet area and there is a space to the north (where) I would like to have an outdoor patio. We will continue to celebrate local produce and share our wine and culinary discoveries with the guests.

What is one piece of advice you would give to new chefs or business owners?

I would give different pieces of advice for each one. For new business owners, I would say learn the finances. Talk to accountants, banks and lawyers. Learn as much as you can about numbers. For chefs, I would say continue to explore. Continue to eat in different places and taste as many dishes as possible.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given?

‘It is all in the details.’ Piero used to tell me that constantly, and he is absolutely right— especially in a business like this.

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I JUST WANTED A VISUAL | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz

insidebuzz 3 8 11

14 20

COMMUNIT Y

Q & A with Italian restauranter ARTS

Da Vanci Code tackled MUSIC

Songs Ma and Pa never wanted you to hear CALENDAR

See all there is to do in C-U FILM & TV

Five films come out before Thanksgiving

Volume 1, Number 38 COVER DESIGN | Andy Getz

editor’snote

W

hen the Board of Trustees decided not to vote on the Chief last week, they demonstrated their cowardice, their inability to act as a ruling body.

For me, I do not care what happens to the “time honored” “racist” symbol known as Chief Illiniwek.

Logic dictates that outside pressures such as the NCAA will eventually force the board to retire the Chief.

For the board, their move proved predictable. The board raised tuition, and the board does not want to lose any more funding, especially since some alumni have said they will stop supporting the University if the Chief goes.

Either way, I want the board to make a decision and end this bickering. The Chief question has become as common on this campus as “pro-life, pro-choice” and “pro-death penalty, anti-death penalty.”

Today, millions of Africans are infected with HIV. Today, many will die from urban violence across our nation. Today, hundreds will die from hunger.

Yet, people sit here and argue about this symbol.

Why don’t these people redirect their energy? Why don’t we take that energy and transform our society?

Do these people protest because they want something to speak out against or for (depending on how you feel about the Chief)? If so, then why do they not protest the greater

wrongs? Why do they not protest Iraq anymore? What happened to that fight? By the end of the Iraqi occupation, more than a thousand troops will probably be dead. Maybe more Americans will die in Iraq than were tragically murdered on Sept. 11.

How many Iraqis will die too? The numbers will be tragic in the end. Yet, this bloodshed has gone largely unprotested since April.

During the Vietnam years, hundreds crowded Green Street to protest the death of their peers and the death of innocent Vietnamese. Why can’t these people who protest the Chief do the same? Why can we not get into the consciousness of the American people?

I do not support the Iraqi occupation or the conflict. Yes, we freed an oppressed people, but we did it without support. But at this point, I will take a pro-Iraqi war demonstration over any Chief protests or demonstrations. At least, it will show someone cares again about the conflict that will claim so many lives.

These two protesting forces need to combine. They need to put their power towards a more meaningful movement, something that will create some change in our world.

In the meantime, the board should make their decision and stand by it. Either way, students should respect the decision of the ruling board.

If students continue to protest against each other, then we will have this same status quo—Chief or no Chief.

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21st Annual

BUZZ STAFF Editor in chief Tom Rybarczyk Art Director Meaghan Dee Copy Chief Erin Green Arts Katie Richardson Music Brian Mertz Entertainment Jason Cantone Calendar Marissa Monson Assistant Music Editor Jacob Dittmer Calendar Coordinators Lauren Smith, Cassie Conner, Erin Scottberg Photography Adam Young, Suzanne Sitrick, Brian Mertz, Nadia Oussenko Copy Editors Elizabeth Zeman, Jen Hubert, Suzanne Sitrick Designers Adam Obendorf, Carol Mudra, Jason Cantone, Marissa Monson, Amy Hanlon Production Manager Theon Smith Editorial Adviser Elliot Kolkovich Sales Manager Lindsey Benton Marketing/Distribution Melissa Schleicher, Maria Erickson Publisher Mary Cory All editorial questions or letters to the editor should be sent to buzz@readbuzz.com or 337-8137 or buzz, 57 E. Green St., Champaign, Ill., 61820.

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.

Art Fair Craft League of Champaign-Urbana Urbana Civic Center 108 East Water Street Saturday, November 22 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday, November 23 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ceramics • woodworking • fiber • jewelry basketry • painting • glass • photography printmaking • drawing

www.craftleagueofcu.org

23

buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26 , 2003 | SEX TAPES, HELL YEAH!!

Paris sex tapes, Lynch’s success

DirtyTalk

you be my boyfriend? love, elizabeth

Clap, Mu Chi's, cuz we're gonna take the man down!

Abby- Can I get you in the Sak?

BY MICHAEL COULTER | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

NicholsonIM -- I think you are "cute" too, and I love how you are sensitive -- but just with girls? Give me a shot -- Robin

Betsy- Thanks for waking me up and giving me a cookie. I’ll give you somethin’ else later if you’d like ;-)

Katie-- I hope I can perfect my biomedical imaging watching you in ECE 280.

Book- it was intense while it lasted, but I can’t say I’ll miss you.

To LAK--Anthro 105 forever, babe...If I said I was burial ground would you dig me?--Homo Erectus

Hoopes- get some rest, and then lets get some.

Melamin, you are better than a naked Legolas and Aragorn combined!

Dugan- How the hell’ve you been? I stopped sending these because I can’t rhyme very well with dugan.

Hey Johnny, next time I come over I'll take off my top again and everything else for that matter!!! -Madge

Future husband- I love you.

AND ANOTHER THING...

I

couldn’t have been happier with the unveiling of the Paris Hilton sex tape. I haven’t seen it, but it seems to make her uncomfortable and aggravated and that alone is enough to give me a small amount of joy.

She strikes me as a snooty little pain in the ass with more money than sense and more surgery than beauty. Without the least bit of talent or skill she thrust herself into our lives and became famous, basically by coming out of a wealthy uterus. It just seems like she had this whole porn scandal coming.

If there is some justice, Jessica Lynch may be able to avoid her inevitable porn scandal for a little longer, maybe forever, since her spotlight time is getting smaller by the minute.

Yes, we’ll be seeing less and less of Miss Lynch now, particularly since Hustler publisher Larry Flynt has bought the rights to some nude pictures of her frolicking with other soldiers.

When you look at everyone surrounding this girl and Larry Flynt turns out to be the most accountable and moral one, it might be a sign the war in Iraq wasn’t an especially great idea.

He says she seems like a good kid who was nothing but a pawn for the government, and he’s probably right. Truth be told though, he’s just using her too. I bet those photos wouldn’t stay in his vault long if she agreed to do a spread for Playboy or Penthouse. Before it’s all said and done, Jessica may be lucky if she isn’t doing some kinky girl-on-girl thing with Miss Hilton. It’ll have a bad title, too. A Lynching in Paris is about the best one you could hope for.

I watched some of the interview with Jessica Lynch the other day though, and it doesn’t seem like she had much of this coming. Maybe she’s just better at covering up her attempt at star whoredom, but it almost seems like she’d just as soon it all go away so she can live her life.

If her plan to become famous included growing up in a tiny town in Virginia, joining the Army, going to war, getting wounded, raped, then rescued until the national press was beating down her door, you gotta admit, that’s a pretty sucky plan. If such a plan actually worked out for her, then she deserved all the attention she got and she would be a much better planner than any of

her superiors in the Army.

The media and military made her into whatever made the best story for them, as she was too unconscious to do much about any of it until it was already done. Now that she can actually speak for herself she doesn’t even seem like the same person. She feels her story was overdramatized by the U.S. Military. Yeah, honey, everyone pretty much feels that way.

If your rescue was really that dangerous, they would have had people holding guns instead of cameras as they burst through the hospital doors. They needed a mascot and you were the first one that came along who was cute enough. It doesn’t matter if the real story comes out now. They’ve already got everything out of it that they needed to.

People only remember the headlines.

Something slides across the bottom of the TV screen that says the poor girl was rescued in a dramatic fashion and it stops there. It doesn’t matter whether it’s true or not.

You can print as many corrections as you like, they won’t get read nearly as carefully as the initial headline was. She’s a national hero already and she can’t do anything about it.

Jessica Lynch’s life will now be seen as the movie of the week. She won’t be remembered as herself but as the actress who portrayed her.

Let’s face it, you mention Sid Vicious and most folks get a mental picture of Gary Oldman in Sid and Nancy. I’m surprised she hasn’t allowed herself to get sucked into the machine further. Most folks in her shoes would have already had a canceled talk show by now, not to mention an action figure and a T-shirt with an inspirational message on it.

Hell, she could have cornered the market if she endorsed yellow ribbons to tie on your car antenna. Jessica authorized a biography about her experiences, but I doubt that will do much.

See, anyone who’s really interested in this story probably isn’t much of a reader, at least not of books. They’ll read the review of the book in People magazine and that will be the end of that. The book will be on the bargain rack before we manage to get ourselves into another war and in six months she’ll be lucky if anyone can remember her name during a Trivial Pursuit game.

It may be all she ever wanted. buzz

Michael Coulter is a videographer at Parkland College. He writes a weekly e-mail column, “This Sporting Life” and has hosted several local comedy shows.

walters...mexico is missing one thing: you! the days are warm but i miss your sunshine. hurry up, march! heart--carmel

Hey Dr. J, If your Pre-Dental does that mean I have to pay you to put your tool in my mouth?

Let me know...Mary Heyy matt...I feel it; you're different...will

Hpets- A goldfish left lincoln logs in my sock drawer. Today we're animals.

Tomorrow... dissolving in space. -Rev. Euphoria GDers- And the deadline said-- The book is done. :-D Carol- Happy Birthday. Let’s party like the book’s done.

Stens- here’s to finally finding out what the floor of your office feels like ;-) SWEET “DIRTY” TALKS ARE FREE. To submit your message go to www.readbuzz.com and click on the Sweet Talk link.

Leave out last names and phone numbers because we (and probably you!) could get in big fat trouble for printing them.

We reserve the right to edit your messages.

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THE CIRCLE IS PERFECT. | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz

z buz Nov. 13-Nov.19, 2003 Arts | Entertainment | Community

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COMMUNIT Y

Horseback riding in C-U (page 3) ARTS

Classic Wilder play performed (page 7) MUSIC

Premium Blends by Otter (page 9) CALENDAR

Local bands play benefit for Record Service (page 12) FILM & TV

ON SALE THIS SATURDAY NOV. 22 10AM!

& JAY GOLDBERG EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT ®

www.jamusa.com

December 10 • Peoria Civic Center Exhibit Hall Peoria Civic Center Box Office & all

locations

CHARGE-BY-PHONE: 217-351-2626 or ticketmaster.com www.aperfectcircle.com No audio or video recorders, no cameras, patdowns are required

Catch this Commander (page 18)

Dancers break out into C-U