z CONTACT US z Call toll-free: 800-228-0429 Cara Recine, Lifestyles and special projects editor cara.recine@thesouthern.com / ext. 5075 Brenda Kirkpatrick, lists, live music flipside@thesouthern.com / ext. 5089 Rhonda Ethridge, cover designer rhonda.ethridge@thesouthern.com / ext. 5118 The Southern Illinoisan (USPS 258-908) is published daily at a yearly subscription rate of $178. It is published at 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901. It is owned by Lee Enterprises of Davenport, Iowa.
WHAT’S INSIDE Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Music . . . . . . . . . .5-7 Cover story . . . . . . .6 Concerts . . . . . . . . .6
Live music . . . . . . . .7 Things to do . . . . . .8 Theater . . . . . . . . . .9 Movies . . . . . . .10-11
Marion Cultural and Civic Center Foundation is proud to present the
5th ANNUAL BENEFIT AFFAIR
...an affair to remember Saturday, February 20, 2010 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $35 each or $50 per couple Dancing to “Danny
& the Dreamers”
Local Celebrity Entertainment with Special Performances by Grace Reilly, Elizabeth Shore, Amanda Gott, Marion HS Choir, and Marion JHS Jazz Band SILENT
AUCTION Catered by Great Boars of Fire ~ Wine Available Call 997-4030 for more information
Page 2 Thursday, February 11, 2010 FLIPSIDE
Top 20 Restaurant of the Week: Crazy Joe’s Fish House BY DAVID ZOELLER SPECIAL ADVERTISING COPY
AVA — If you’re looking for no-frills fun — and fish — on a Friday night, Crazy Joe’s Fish House is the place to be. Robert Martin thought so when he and his wife, Marilyn, used to go there to eat. The couple know something about the restaurant business, having operated the popular Carbondale diner, Mary Lou’s, for the past 20 years. Just about four years ago, they bought Crazy Joe’s. “I’ve always wanted to do something similar to this,” Robert Martin said. “I liked the food, the fish, the cooking … I liked the atmosphere.” Crazy Joe’s is a different kind of dining experience. Customers don’t look at menus after they are seated; they choose from selections that are handwritten on a large white grease board near the entrance. In the warmer months, customers order directly at the kitchen before entering the dining and bar area. The restaurant opens each Friday at 5 p.m. The last food order is taken around 10 p.m. From March to November, Crazy Joe’s is also open on Saturday nights. While the Martins have added some menu items, such as ribs and chicken wings in the summer, the core offerings of fish, frog legs, chicken and shrimp are a constant. You may want to consider ordering an appetizer like sweet corn nuggets, fried green beans or crab Rangoon. Entrees come with cole slaw and your choice of French fries, or “Joe’s Fries,” seasoned potato
DAVID ZOELLER / THE SOUTHERN
Patrons enjoy a meal at Crazy Joe’s Fish House, this week’s Top 20 Restaurant.
‘I liked the food, the fish, the cooking ... I liked the atmosphere.’ ROBERT MARTIN OWNER OF CRAZY JOE’S FISH HOUSE ON HIS DECISION TO PURCHASE THE RESTAURANT
chips they make themselves. Music is often on the menu, too. Martin plans to have bands every Friday night in March, and much of the summer. He books local bands and acts that have performed at places such as Branson, Mo. Housed in a converted pole barn, the décor inside Crazy Joe’s is a little different, too. The walls and rafters are decorated with everything from license plates and road signs, to album covers from the likes of B.B. King and Fats Domino, to photos of presidents Abe Lincoln and George Washington. Crazy Joe’s also contributes to the community, hosting fundraisers for local causes. A recent contest
Buy one entrée and get one free at this restaurant and other featured restaurants across Southern Illinois with the 2010 Top 20 Dining Card. Top 20 Cards are available for purchase at The Southern offices in Carbondale and Marion by calling 618-529-5454 or online at www.thesouthern.com/top20. Cards are $20 each plus $1 per order for cards to be mailed. Some exclusions may apply. See card for details.
DETAILS Who: Crazy Joe’s Fish House What: Fish, frog legs, chicken, shrimp Where: 693 Suchman Road, Ava Hours: Opens at 5 p.m., last food order taken at 10 p.m. Fridays all year and Fridays and Saturdays from March to November. Phone: 618-763-4417 where participants shot at targets from the window of the restaurant raised money to build ramps for handicapped children to allow them to get on horses and ride at a nearby trail. Several other fundraisers are planned. The restaurant attracts customers from a pretty wide radius. “We draw from everywhere,” Martin said. “I’ve had people come over here from West
Frankfort, specifically just to eat here. I’ve got people who come from Harrisburg, from Carterville. We’ve got people who come here from the St. Louis area when they come here visiting family.” Martin smiles appreciatively when he thinks of people driving from Harrisburg to each fish. “That’s a little bit of a trip,” he said.
They don’t want to answer to the devil NEWS OF THE WEIRD Chuck Shepherd
A
pril Gaede, who four years ago guided her teenage daughters, Lynx and Lamb (performing as “Prussian Blue”), to a brief music career singing neo-Nazi songs, announced a new project recently on the white nationalist Web site Stormfront.org. She offers a no-fee matchmaking service to fertile Aryans, hoping to encourage marriage and baby-making, to help white people keep up with rapidly procreating minorities.
Latest religious messages z A Montana-based sect is fighting to remain viable, six months after the death of its “Mother,” the Jesus-channeling Elizabeth Clare Prophet. Several aspirants have tried to claim her mantle, but the sect’s council of elders found them all to be charlatans, and membership rolls have dwindled. The church was similarly challenged in 1990, when Mother forecast nuclear doomsday and financed the construction of large underground bunkers on a mountainside north of Yellowstone National Park (which are still available). The council is having trouble, especially, finding volunteers to transcribe the 22,000 hours of video and audio in which Mother set out the justifications for the sect. z In Frisco, Texas, in January, boutique owner Marian Chadwick, who was about to be robbed at gunpoint by a hooded intruder, pointed her finger at him and said: “In the name of Jesus, you get out of my store. I bind you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” The man appeared stunned, then turned and walked out empty-handed, cursing. z A 20-year veteran Houston cop who wears badge number 666 told the Houston Chronicle in a December profile that once, 17 years ago, a dangerous perp who had been defiant that he would not be captured suddenly dropped to his
knees and surrendered. He had glanced at the badge. Said he, “I ain’t fighting the devil.”
Cultural diversity z Computer-obsessed Japanese nerds’ latest fancy is Love Plus, a Nintendo DS dating simulation that allows them a young, attractive, mouthy, teenage digital “girlfriend” who begs for attention. The touchscreen lover demands handholding, kissing and having sweet nothings whispered in her ear. How can men so easily become addicted to such vicarious experiences? Said one reluctant player, “Koh,” to the BoingBoing blog,” (It) comes down to the fact that men are simple.” (In December, Reuters reported that Japanese player SAL9000 had eloped to the Philippines with his Love Plus girlfriend, had himself photographed with her at romantic sites — clutching the screen showing her image — and then took her through a marriage ceremony.)
Questionable judgments z In Thailand, the endangered status of crocodiles and elephants is largely ignored by the public, who are instead enthralled with the giant pandas and their cub on loan from China. (There is even a 24-hour cable TV “panda channel.”) At several of the country’s zoos, officials now regularly paint their crocodiles and elephants in panda colors (with harmlessly washable paint) to call attention to their plight. z Only four days after the January earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti, two Royal Caribbean cruise ships made a port call at a private enclave about 60 miles up Haiti’s coastline from ground zero, turning loose hundreds of frolickers for “jet ski rides, parasailing and rum cocktails delivered to their hammocks,” according to a report in London’s The Guardian. Haitian guards employed by the cruise line manned the resort’s 12-foot-high fences, but about a third of the passengers still declined to leave the ships, too upset by the unfolding disaster nearby to enjoy themselves. Royal Caribbean said it had made a large donation to the rescue effort
and promised, also, to send proceeds from the port’s thriving craft stores. z In January, as punishment for her 12-year-old son’s bad grade in school, a Warm Springs, Ga., mother allegedly forced the boy to club his pet hamster to death with a hammer. Lynn Middlebrooks Geter, 38, was arrested after the kid told his teacher, who called the state children’s services agency.
Obsessions Unless Stephen Gough, 50, changes his mind about wearing pants, he risks spending the rest of his life behind bars, according to a January ruling of Scotland’s Perth Sheriff Court. Gough, Britain’s “naked rambler,” is a freelance nudist who for years has roamed the United Kingdom countryside, interrupted by numerous jail stints for violating public decency. He was released from Perth Prison in December after his latest stay, but seconds later shucked his clothes and was re-arrested.
Least competent criminals z Shane Williams-Allen, 19, was arrested in Tavares, Fla., in January and charged with burglarizing an unmarked police car and stealing several items, including handcuffs and a Taser gun. Eventually, Williams-Allen called the police for help after he accidentally cuffed himself, and officers believe he also accidentally Tasered himself. z Police in Oakland, Calif., called off their manhunt for fleeing homeinvasion suspects in January when officers encountered four of the men wedged between two buildings they had tried to squeeze through.
Recurring themes Last August, an applicant for the police force in Montgomery, Ala., following directions to be truthful during the job interview, admitted that he owned child pornography. He was, of course, not hired, but arrested. SEND ITEMS to
weirdnews@earthlink.net.
FLIPSIDE Thursday, February 11, 2010 Page 3
z MOVIES z POP CULTURE z ART z WINERIES z MUSIC z THEATER z THINGS TO DO z BOOKS z
‘Love at the Glove’ is Friday CARBONDALE — Love at the Glove, the Valentine’s Day art show tradition, returns to the Surplus Gallery in the Glove Factory at Southern Illinois University Carbondale with a one-night event from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday. Admission to this event is $5 or $3 with two canned goods. The canned goods will benefit a local charity. This event combines studio art and design in any of its various kinds, and performance art. The Southern Illinois-based band Small Time London Thug provides music for this event. Event organizers note that Love at the Glove typically includes adult themes and is not an event for children. The Surplus Gallery is inside the Glove Factory at 432 S. Washington St. in Carbondale, and is home to studio and exhibit space for School of Art and Design students.
‘Abstract Threads’ at University Museum features many quilts CARBONDALE — The University Museum is featuring the abstract quilts of Nebraskan Gary Estergard. Estergard’s quilts speak not only to an artistic tradition but also of a story of personal triumph. In 2000, Estergard was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and learned quilting while doing chemotherapy and radiation treatment. In the last nine years, he has designed and crafted more than 35 quilts and has quilts in collections in Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, Arizona, Vermont, Virginia and Germany. Estergard’s takes on quilt planning in a different way from traditional patterns. His patterns flow freely and are more influenced by modern artists such as Wassily Kandinsky and Josef Albers, than traditional quilters. The exhibit “Abstract Threads” runs through March 5. Estergard will attend a public reception from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the museum in Faner Hall. He also will give an informal talk at 6 p.m.
— SIUC University Communications
Page 4 Thursday, February 11, 2010 FLIPSIDE
— The Southern
Art event Love at the Glove: Art show, 7-10 p.m. Friday, Surplus Gallery, Glove Factory, 432 S. Washington St., Carbondale; admission, $5 or with two canned goods, $3; canned goods to local charity; costumes encouraged; music by Small Time London Thug; adult themes.
Classes, Workshops Little Egypt Arts Centre classes: Beginning photography, drawing, art history classes, 601 Tower Square, Marion; register at 618-998-8530. Student Center Craft Shop: Variety of crafts and classes offered, SIUC; 618-453-3636, www.siuc studentcenter.org.
Displays, Exhibits The Scholastic Art Awards of Southern Illinois: Main Gallery, Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, Mount Vernon; a juried fine art competition for students in grades 7-12; top award recipients are sent to New York for the national competition; awards ceremony, 3 p.m., Sunday, Performance Hall at Cedarhurst; through Sunday; www.cedarhurst.org; 618-242-1236. Disegno Italia: By Dale Leys, Beal Grand Corridor Gallery, Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, 2600 Richview Road, Mount Vernon; exhibition of drawings created as result of travel experiences in Italy; Cedarhurst hours, 10 a.m.5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday; free; through Sunday; www.cedarhurst.org; 618-242-1236. Hear: Oil painting exhibit by Katrina Mings, Regenhardt Gallery, Shrode Art Center, Cedarhurst, Mount Vernon; through Sunday; www.cedar hurst.org; 618-242-1236. Art for Empowerment: Collection of prints by survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse,
Carbondale Civic Center Corridor Gallery; exhibit contains works by local and national women who have participated in groups that use art for healing; proceeds to The Women’s Center, Carbondale; through Feb. 20; www.thewomensctr.org or 618-549-4807, ext. 256. Biki Andres Chaplain: Central Showcase at Realty Central, 1825 W. Main St., Murdale Shopping Center, Carbondale; gallery hours, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday; art inspired by nature and people in their environment; through Feb. 20; 618-457-4663. Joan Skiver-Levy: 26 pieces of acrylics, watercolors and mixed-media, John A. Logan College, Carterville, B and C Wings; viewing hours, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.5 p.m. Saturday; through Feb. 27; www.joanskiverlevy.com. Gifts to the Collection: The Illinois State Museum’s Southern Illinois Art Gallery, the Southern Illinois Art and Artisans Center, Whittington; includes 42 paintings and drawings dating from 1883 through 2006 including several from Southern Illinois artists; through March 7; open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 618-629-2220. Ansel Adams: The Man Who Captured The Earth’s Beauty: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, University Museum, SIUC, Faner Hall; $5; all students free; through March 21,; www.museum. siu.edu or 618-453-5388. George Ions: Orlandini Vineyard, 410 Thorn Lane, Makanda; Italian landscapes compliment vineyard décor; through March; 618-995-230; www.orlandinivineyard.com; george.ions@yahoo.com. Mrs. B’s Illustrations: By Andi Butler, Beck Family Center Gallery, Cedarhurst, Mount Vernon; Butler, features whimsical/retro illustrations; through April 4; www.cedarhurst.org; 618242-1236.
Masters of Photography: University Museum, SIUC; highlights from the museum’s permanent collection; includes photograph of silent film siren Gloria Swanson; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 1-4 p.m. SaturdaySunday; through May; free. A Warrior’s Story: Oglala Sioux Buffalo Robe, 10 a.m.4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, University Museum, SIUC; through May; free. Carolyn Gassan Plochmann display: Work and life of Carbondale artist, Morris Library, SIUC; view the display in the cases outside the Hall of Presidents on the first floor; see artwork in the Special Collections Research Center reading room and other locations in the library; 618-453-2516. Ongoing art exhibit: Featuring photographs of Juhree Veach, mosaics from Janet Altoff and sculpture from Tom Horn, StarView Vineyards, 5100 Wing Hill Road, Cobden; 618-893-9463, www.starviewvineyards.com.
Openings, Receptions Abstract Stitches: Quilts by Gary Estergard, 10 a.m.4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, University Museum, SIUC; reception, 4-7 p.m. Friday with gallery talk, 6 p.m. by Estergard; through March 5; www.museum.siu.edu. Cairo Then and Now: African Americans of Southernmost Illinois, 18621890 and Saving Shotguns: Moving Towards a Better Future, University Museum, SIUC; through March 5; reception, 4-7 p.m. Friday, Gallery Talk, 5:30 p.m. by Rachel Ensor, SIUC Department of History. Stewart Wessel: A Carpenter’s Son, The Gallery Space, law office of Joni Beth Bailey, 1008 Walnut St., Murphysboro; large wooden 3D sculpture; reception, 6:308:30 p.m. March 6; through March 26; 618- 684-8668.
z MOVIES z POP CULTURE z ART z WINERIES z MUSIC z THEATER z THINGS TO DO z BOOKS z
Top college band plays at Copper CARBONDALE — Dot Dot Dot’s music is a union of rock elements cloaked in dance beats with synthy frills. Their reputation for blending original music and cover songs into a live show has earned them thousands of fans. The band tours continuously in the Midwest and has been a supporting act for national artists such as Cobra Starship, Girl Talk, Third Eye Blind and Matisyahu. Catch them Friday at Copper Dragon, 700 E. Grand Ave. The show starts at 10:30 p.m.; cover is $5; 19 and older. The band’s recent release is a five-track EP of captivating pop songs, titled simply, “I.” It is charting on the College Music Journal Top 200 chart. One of the band’s songs was recently licensed for an international retail ad campaign. The band is also preparing a national commercial radio and media campaign with a new track from a 2010 anticipated release. — The Southern
Randy Houser, TOAD complete HerrinFesta music bill Jamey Johnson at CMTsponsored events COUNTRY throughout 2009, which ended with a bash in SCENE Evansville. He joined Vince Hoffard Johnson and Kelley Pickler in January for a 10-day swing through the Middle The HerrinFesta lineup East as part of a USO tour Hairbanger’s Ball, May 27; for military troops. Last Theory of a Dead Man, week, he headlined a show May 28; .38 Special, May in San Antonio that drew 29; Luke Bryan, Wild more than 7,000 fans. Horses, May 30; Randy He is scheduled to release his sophomore Houser, LoCash Cowboys, album, “They Call Me May 31. Cadillac,” before the end PROVIDED of April. He has pledged to wo of the biggest make “A Man Like Me” a Randy Houser performs May names on the current single release from the entertainment radar — 31 with LoCash Cowboys. project. The song draws Randy Houser and Theory of these two acts,” said Jim rave reviews at live shows of a Dead Man (TOAD) — signed contracts last week Gentile, executive director and was written by of HerrinFesta. “Our goal Southern Illinois native to complete a stareach year is to provide Kendell Marvel. studded lineup for something for everyone, Houser is a proven HerrinFesta Italiana, a and this year we have songwriter. He created a highly successful event accomplished our mission line-dance craze when he that celebrates its 20th in a big way.” inked “Honky Tonk anniversary this year. A 34-year-old native of Badonkadonk” for Trace Houser will be the Mississippi, Houser signed Adkins. feature on May 31, and “We study the TOAD is the May 28 main with Universal South attraction. They join a cast Records in 2008 and made demographics of our his national debut with audience pretty hard,” which includes the killer ballad “Anything Gentile said. “The people Hairbanger’s Ball on May Goes.” He quickly showed want to see acts that are 27, .38 Special on May 29 a different side with the relevant to their genre of and Luke Bryan on May rollicking follow-up 30. music. Randy Houser is a “Boots On.” “We are tremendously modern-day outlaw who Houser co-starred with will be cranking out excited with the addition
T
Chicago-based quartet to play Tres tonight CARBONDALE — Strange Arrangement will be playing a 21 and older show at Tres Hombres tonight. In the winter of 2008, Strange Arrangement released their debut record, “Side By Side,” which combines their unique musical landscapes into tightly knit, wellcrafted songs ranging from folk and indie to progressive psychedelic funk. Since releasing “Side By Side,” Strange Arrangement has begun to build a loyal fan base by constantly touring throughout the Midwest attracting music lovers nationwide. Strange Arrangement is on the road promoting its upcoming second full-length LP with a tentative release for late spring. They will be handing out free discs previewing tracks from the LP and exclusive live tracks. Tres Hombres is at 119 N. Washington St. in Carbondale. There’s a $5 cover.
country hits for a long time.” Theory of a Dead Man is hard-rocking band from Canada. They will take a break from a busy tour schedule to play the victory ceremony at the Winter Olympics. Sparked by the vocals of front man Tyler Connolly, the band marched toward superstar status with the release of breakout album “Scars & Souvenirs” in 2008. Taking an “all killer, no filler” approach to the studio, the album has produced seven singles, including “Bad Girlfriend,” “Not Meant To Be,” “Wait For Me,” “So Happy” and “Little Smirk.” The band formed in 2001 and quickly developed a huge fan base with a mix of grunge, alternative rock and hybrid acoustic country. TOAD has toured with Shinedown, Hinder and
The Liberty Theater has Cabin Fever MURPHYSBORO — There will be a concert to benefit the Liberty Theater in Murphysboro, and it will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19. The event, called the Cabin Fever Concert, will feature music with performances by local bluegrass favorites Etherton Switch and western swing music by The Giant City Slickers. Admission is free, but there is a suggested donation of $5. Door prizes will be raffled during the performance for all in attendance. The theater is accepting donations of cash or door prizes from local businesses as well as private donations. For more information, contact Mila Maring via e-mail at milakel.sims@ gmail.com.
SEE VINCE / PAGE 10
— The Southern
HEADQUARTERS LOWEST PRICED BEADS IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Noise-Makers, Banners, Hats, Masks, Tableware, & Beads In Business 25 Years
The Party Shop 3033 S. Park Ave.
1/2 Mi. North of New Rt. 13 on Hwy 148 (Across from Affordable Home Furniture)
Herrin, Il • (618) 942-4431
— The Southern
FLIPSIDE Thursday, February 11, 2010 Page 5
z MOVIES z POP CULTURE z ART z WINERIES z COVER STORY z THEATER z THINGS TO DO z BOOKS z An Evening of Jazz 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Performance Hall at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, 2600 Richview Road, Mount Vernon; $30, $25 for Cedarhurst members. Tickets may be purchased at the door or by calling 618-2421236, ext. 225
PROVIDED
An
evening
Jazz
of
Get ready to get on the dance floor once again for a Valentine’s Day concert at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts Concerts Southern Illinois Branson comes to Metropolis: Acts at Harrah’s Metropolis includes Return to the ’50s, 8 p.m. FridaySaturday, $29.99 and 2 p.m. Sunday, $24.99 and Jim Stafford, 8 p.m. March 12-13, $29.99; 888-512-7469 or metropolis.frontgatetickets. com. Jackson Junction: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Du Bois KC Hall; benefit for St. Michael
School in Radom; $15 in advance and $20 at the door. The Mike Snider String Band: 7 p.m. Friday, O’Neil Auditorium, John A Logan College, Carterville; $10/$5; 618-985-2828 ext. 8287. Dot Dot Dot: 10:30 p.m. Friday, Copper Dragon, Carbondale; cover $5; 19 and older; 618-549-3348. An Evening of Jazz: Saturday, Performance Hall at Cedarhurst Center For the Arts, Mount Vernon; music by King City Swing and Courtney
Page 6 Thursday, February 11, 2010 FLIPSIDE
BY BECKY MALKOVICH THE SOUTHERN
MOUNT VERNON — A swingin’ good time will be had by all who attend An Evening of Jazz on Saturday at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts. King City Swing is returning for the Valentine’s Day weekend for the second year in a row. “They had their debut performance here last year,” Cedarhurst spokeswoman Sarah Sledge said. “Because they were so popular and well-liked, we invited them
Cox; 618-242-1236 or www.cedarhurst.org. Joe Bonamassa: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 5, Shryock Auditorium, SIUC; Star Club members may purchase tickets beginning at 11 a.m. Monday; general public may purchase tickets at 11 a.m. Feb. 22; 618-4536000 or www.southernlights entertainment.com. Cabin Fever Concert: 7:30 p.m., Feb. 19, Liberty Theater, 1333 Walnut St., Murphysboro; performances
back again.” The group consists of a 17-piece band with a guest violinist and singer, said KCS member Michael Thomas. The band members live in the area but come from varied professions, he said. “There are a lot of music teachers, retired or still active, but we also have a guy who was a studio musician in Detroit, a geologist, a lawyer, you name it,” he said. What brings the group together is a shared love of music and a passion for playing it.
by Etherton Switch and The Giant City Slickers; suggested donation of $5; proceeds benefit the theater; milakel.sims@gmail.com
Kentucky Roy Clark: With the Kentucky Opry Band, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Carson Center, Paducah; $35-$65; 270-4504444 or www.thecarson center.org. Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience: 7 p.m. Monday, Carson
“We’re just a bunch of people who like to play music,” Thomas said. The band plays a mix of contemporary and Big Band music, ensuring a well-used dance floor, Sledge said. Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. The evening is scheduled around Valentine’s Day, Sledge said, making it a perfect date night for couples, but friends and those going solo will also enjoy the event. “You don’t have to dress up, just come and enjoy the music,” she said.
Center, Paducah; Creole music from New Orleans; tickets start at $19; 270-4504444.
Grand Blvd., St. Louis; $44.50-$59.50; 314-534-1111; www.metrotix.com; www.fabulousfox.com.
St. Louis area
Recitals
BB King and Buddy Guy: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18 performance, The Family Arena, St. Charles, Mo.; $50.50-$92.50; 314-534-1111; 636-896-4242 or www.familyarena.com. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons: 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, Fox Theatre, 539 N.
TESSI recitals; Talent Education School of Southern Illinois recitals, Sunday, Carbondale Civic Center; classical piano and guitar students, ages 4-18 will perform at 1:30 and 3 p.m.; refreshments; free; 618-457-6300.
CRAVING KARAOKE?
WEEK OF FEB. 11-17
Wineries Phil & Chuck: 6-9 p.m. Friday, Rustle Hill Winery Sofa Kings: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, Lau-Nae Winery Phil & Chuck: 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Blue Sky Vineyard Dave Caputo: 2-5 p.m., Sunday, Von Jakob Orchard 4 On The Floor: Featured at Valentine’s Dance Saturday, Von Jakob Orchard; reservations required Ivas John Band: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Rustle Hill Winery Breeden, Bradley & Maze: 6-9 p.m. Sunday, Rustle Hill Winery Blue Sky Vineyard: 3150 S. Rocky Comfort Road, Makanda; 618-995-9463 or www.blueskyvineyard.com Lau-Nae Winery: 1522 Illinois 3, Red Bud; 618-2829463, www.lau-naewinery. com Rustle Hill Winery: US 51, Cobden; 618-893-2700, www.rustlehillwinery.com Von Jakob Orchard: 230 Illinois 127, Alto Pass; 618893-4600, www.vonjakob vineyard.com
Coffeehouses, Cafés and Eateries Bill Staines: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Cousin Andy’s Coffeehouse, Fellowship Hall of the Church of the Good Shepherd, United Church of Christ, 515 Orchard Drive, Carbondale; www.cousinandy.org
WANT TO BE LISTED?
Karaoke and DJ lists are online at flipside online.com.
Call 618-351-5089 or e-mail brenda.kirkpatrick@thesouthern.com
z TONIGHT
z
BENTON Duncan Dance Barn:: Spring Pond Band, 6:30-9:30 p.m. CARBONDALE PK’s: The Moonbuggy Kids MOUNT VERNON The Tavern on 10th: Live Blues Trio, 7-11 p.m.
z FRIDAY CARBONDALE Pinch Penny/Copper Dragon: Dot, Dot Dot PK’s: Delta INA Ina Community Building: Friday Night Jam Band, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
SPILLERTOWN Track Side Dance Barn: Mike’s Band, 7-10 p.m. WEST FRANKFORT WB Ranch Barn: Little Egypt Country Band 6:30-9:30 p.m.
SPILLERTOWN Track Side Dance Barn: Freedom, 710 p.m. MARION John Brown’s on the Square:
z SATURDAY ANNA Anna VFW: Roger Black and the Honky Tonk Stardust Cowboys. 8 p.m.midnight CARBONDALE PK’s: Napsack Problem MARION Marion Eagles: Salty Dog, 8 p.m.-midnight WHITTINGTON The Zone Lounge: LevelD, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Corner Dance Hall: Nice and Easy Band,
Barnacle Billy & The Zebra Muscles, 8:30 p.m. THOMPSONVILLE Lion’s Cave: Rebel Country, 7-10 p.m. Old Country Store Dance Barn: Country Sidekicks, 7-10 p.m. WHITE ASH The White Ash Barn: The Heartland Country Band, 7-10 p.m. WHITTINGTON Corner Dance Hall: Black Lace Band, 7:30-10:30 p.m.
z TUESDAY 7:30-10:30 p.m. MOUNT VERNON Double K’s Kickin Country: Elvis Impersonator, 7-10:30 p.m. SPILLERTOWN Track Side Dance Barn: Mike’s Band, 7-10 p.m. THOMPSONVILLE Lion’s Cave: Weekenders, 7-10 p.m. Old Country Store Dance Barn: Lil’ Boot & Classic Country, 7-10 p.m.
CARBONDALE Pinch Penny/Copper Dragon: Your Villain, My Hero PK’s: Whistle Pigs SPILLERTOWN Track Side Dance Barn: Rebel Country, 7-10 p.m. WEST FRANKFORT WB Ranch Barn: WB Ranch Band, 6:30-9:30 p.m. WHITE ASH The White Ash Barn: The Heartland Country Band, 7-10 p.m.
z SUNDAY CARBONDALE Key West: Ivas John Blues Band MARION Marion Eagles: Salty Dog, 6-10 p.m.
z MONDAY WEST FRANKFORT Wit and Wisdom: As Time Goes By, 7-10 p.m.
z WEDNESDAY DU QUOIN Ten Pin Alley: Piano Bob, 6-9 p.m.
DIRECTIONS & DIGITS Anna VFW: 70 VFW Lane, Anna 618-833-5182 Corner Dance Hall: 200 Franklin St., Whittington 618303-5266 Duncan Dance Barn: 13545 Spring Pond Road, Benton 618-435-6161 The Get-Away: 804 N. Douglas St., West Frankfort 618-937-3545 Ina Community Building: 504 Elm St., Ina 618-315-2373 John Brown’s on the Square: 1000 Tower Square, Marion 618-997-2909 Key West: 1108 W. Main, Carbondale 618-351-5998 Linemen’s Lounge: 100 E. Broadway, Johnston City Lion’s Cave: South Street, Thompsonville 618-218-4888 Marion American Legion: Longstreet Road, Marion 618997-6168 Marion Eagles: Rural Route 3, Marion 618-993-6300 Mollie’s: 107 E. Union St., Marion 618-997-3424 Old Country Store Dance Barn: Main Street, Thompsonville, 618-927-2770. Orient American Legion: 404 Jackson St., Orient 618-932-2060 Perfect Shot: 3029 S. Park Ave., Herrin 618-942-4655 Pinch Penny Pub/Copper Dragon: 700 E. Grand, Carbondale 618-549-3348 PK’s: 308 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale 618-529-1124 Ramesse: 1754 Illinois 37, Lake of Eygpt, 618-995-9104 Steelhorse Saloon: 202 Dewmain Lane, Carterville 618-985-3549 Tavern on 10th: 224 S. 10th St., Mount Vernon 618-244-7821 Tomigirl’s Rollin-in: 14960 Illinois 37, Johnston City 618-983-7655 Trackside Dance Barn: 104 Rock St., Spillertown 618-993-3035 WB Ranch Barn: 1586 Pershing Road, West Frankfort 618-937-3718 Walt’s Pizza — Pasta Grill: 213 S. Court St., Marion 618-993-8668 Whisker Willy’s Bar & Grill 13510 N. Illinois 37, Marion 618-983-5300 White Ash Barn: 207 Potter St., White Ash 618-997-4979 Wit and Wisdom Nutritional Site: 225 E. Poplar St., West Frankfort, 618-937-3070 Xrossroads: 101 Rushing Drive, Herrin / 618-993-8393 The Zone Lounge: 14711 Illinois 37, Whittington 618-629-2039
FLIPSIDE Thursday, February 11, 2010 Page 7
z MOVIES z POP CULTURE z ART z WINERIES z MUSIC z THEATER z THINGS TO DO z BOOKS z Comedy Comedian Ron “Tater Salad” White: 7:30 p.m. March 3, Shryock Auditorium, SIUC; 618-4536000 or www.southern lightsentertainment.com.
Events Midwestern Herb and Garden Show: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday and noon5 p.m. Sunday, Times Square Mall, 42nd and Broadway streets, Mount Vernon; speaker, Mel Bartholomew, The Square Foot Gardener; free; www.midwestern herbandgardenshow.com; 800-252-5464. Mardi Gras Party: Noon4 p.m. Sunday, Magnolia Manor, Cairo; Cajun cuisine and flowing champagne fountain; music by a jazz band consisting of Steve Williams, Dr. Richard Moore, Jim Wall and Gene Stineman;
$15; proceeds to the upkeep of Magnolia Manor; 618-7340201. Mardi Gras: 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, American Legion Post 147, Longstreet Road, Marion; benefit for scholarship program; Cajun food; music; $15; 618-8336496.
Film “Twilight Saga — New Moon”: 7 p.m. Thursday and 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. FridaySaturday. Student Center Auditorium, SIUC; rated PG-13; students, $2; adults, $3; children ages 3 and younger, free; 618-536-3393, www.spc4fun.com, www.twilightthemovie.com.
History History of the Old Slave House: Program by author Jon Musgrave, 6 p.m. Monday, Marion Carnegie
Library, 206 S. Market St.; story of John Hart Crenshaw and his plantation manor commonly referred to as The Old Slave House in Gallatin County; 618-9935935.
Theater/Performance The Marriage of Figaro: Thursday-Sunday, McLeod Theater at SIUC; performances, 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday; adults, $15; seniors, $12, students, $6; 618-453-3001. The Addams Family Affair: Murder mystery theater, 7 p.m. Friday, Student Center, SIUC; $20 for SIUC students or $30 for the general public; tickets must be purchased in advance; for tickets, call 618-453-3478; for more information, call 618-4531142 or visit www.siuc studentcenter.org. On Golden Pond: FridaySunday, Sesser Opera House and Feb. 19-21, Granada Theatre, Mount Vernon; Tickets: adults, $10; seniors, $8 and students, $5; 618-625-5322.
Rumors, A Farce: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Visual and Performing Arts Center, Southeastern Illinois College, 3575 College Road, Harrisburg; Tickets for students, seniors and staff are $4; tickets for the general public are $6; 618-252-5400, ext 2486 or 2487. The Wedding Singer: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Marion Cultural and Civic Center; musical comedy; $25 and $35; www.marionccc.org or 618-997-4030. The Lion in Winter: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19-20 and Feb. 26-27, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21 and Feb. 28, Varsity Center for the Arts, Carbondale; by James Goldman; directed by Roy Weshinskey; 618-549-5466; www.varsitycenterforthearts. org The Peking Acrobats: 7 p.m. today, Carson Center, Paducah; “extraordinary exhibits of agility and grace”; Tickets range from $20-$40; For tickets, 270450-4444 or www.the carsoncenter.org.
SIUC celebrates Black History Month CARBONDALE — He’s been a guest on National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation” and on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” and his opinion is sought by CNN and by such major newspapers as The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times. And this month, he will deliver the keynote address for Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s annual observance of Black History Month. Michael Eric Dyson, professor of sociology at Georgetown University, author of 16 books and the host of the radio show bearing his name, will deliver the keynote address beginning at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 in Shryock Auditorium on the SIUC campus. Dyson’s books range from the political, such as the collection “Debating Race,” to biography, as in “Mercy, Mercy Me: The
Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye,” to pop culture apologetics, with “Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur,” to the personal, with “Why I Love Black Women.” His most recent book is “April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Death and How It Changed America.” Dyson’s address is one of many activities, cultural and educational events planned for this year’s Black History Month at SIUC. See the LongList in Flipside every week for listings. Here are some highlights: Wednesday — Concert: “A Celebration of African American Operatic Divas,” featuring Wilfred Delphin and Valerie Francis, 7:309:30 p.m., Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall. Feb. 18 — Music and Poetry: Mwatabu Okantah and the Cavani Quartet, noon, Morris Library Rotunda, and 8 p.m., Altgeld Hall, Room 112 Feb. 20 — Red Extravaganza, 6-9 p.m. Student Center Ballroom D, $20; sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Contact Debra JohnsonJones, 618-203-6335 for more information. Feb. 22-25 — Tunnel of Oppression, 5-9 p.m., Grinnell Hall, Lower Level. Feb. 23 — Keynote Address: Michael Eric Dyson, 7-9 p.m., Shryock Auditorium. Feb. 24 — One-Man Show: “Brothers Gonna Work It Out,” Jeff McGoy, 7-9 p.m., Student Center Auditorium. Feb. 25 — Finer Womanhood Banquet, 6 p.m., Student Center Ballroom D, $20 single, $50 per couple, sponsored by Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.; contact Lolita Mack at 618-559-3669 for more information. — SIUC University Communications
Page 8 Thursday, February 11, 2010 FLIPSIDE
z MOVIES z POP CULTURE z ART z WINERIES z MUSIC z THEATER z THINGS TO DO z BOOKS z
Feeling a little nostalgic with The Stage Co. W OUT AND ABOUT
Cara Recine
‘The Lion in Winter’ 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19-20 and 26-27 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 21 and 28 at Varsity Center for the Arts, 418 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale. Tickets are $15, $10 students, and can be purchased at the box office from 5-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-4 p.m. Saturday and one hour before performances; at www.stagecompany.org; or by calling 800-838-3006.
e sat around a table in the intermission room at the Varsity Center for the Arts in Carbondale. Some cast members from The Stage Co.’s upcoming production of “The Lion in Winter” had gathered Saturday morning for a line reading. Come Monday, we were to be “off book,” meaning we could not use our scripts during rehearsal any more. I was nervous, as most actors are, and especially nervous because it has been 10 years since I last appeared in a Stage Co. production. But as I looked across the table at three familiar faces, I realized that even though I was in a new performance space, I was at home. Roy Weshinskey is directing
this play, and he and I have shared the stage in two productions — “Dancing at Lughnasa” and “Angel Street.” He also directed “Night of January 16th,” in which I had a small, fun role as a Swedish maid. Craig Hinde, who is portraying Henry II, is, like Roy, a founding member of the company, which is in its 28th season. Craig is a terrific actor, technical expert and company administrator. His wife, Jan, has been a stalwart supporter of the company, and she was graciously there to follow the script and prompt us. Aside from the obvious creative outlet, this is what community theater is all about. It has given me a chance to renew old
‘The Lion’ takes the stage
relationships and make new friends, including company members who have roles in this play — Dan Hill, Susan Harrocks, Kaleb Triplett, Jared Shofstall and Chris Capps. They have been a joy to work with and to get to know. The bring lots of energy and a commitment to fine performances. Another new “friend” is the theater itself. The Varsity Center for the Arts is a fabulous space, lovingly restored by a group of dedicated folks who were determined to make it a vibrant arts venue. The Stage Co. produced its first play there in October 2008. I admit, when I look out at all those seats, it’s a bit
“The Lion in Winter,” written by James Goldman, is set during Christmas 1183 at Henry II’s chateau and primary residence in Chinon, France. The play opens with the arrival of his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, from prison, where she has been locked up for 10 years after waging war with Richard against Henry. The story immediately centers on the personality conflicts and shifting alliances among the estranged couple and their adult sons and heirs to the throne. Also in the chateau, pursuing their own intrigues with the royal family are King Philip II of France and Philip half sister, Alais. Alliances shift throughout the story; almost every statement is a falsehood or half truth as family members attempt to manipulate each other. Appearing in The Stage Co.’s production are Craig Hinde as King Henry, Cara Recine as Eleanor, Susan Harrocks as Alais, Dan Hill as Richard, Kaleb Triplett as Geoffrey, Jared Shofstall as John and Chris Capps as King Philip. It is directed by Roy Weshinksey.
SEE THE STAGE CO / PAGE 10
— The Southern
Three more theatrical outings to consider Imagine walking into a party hosted by the deputy mayor of New York and finding out that he has shot himself in the earlobe and his wife is missing. That’s exactly the situation in which partygoers find themselves in “Rumors,” a Neil Simonpenned play scheduled for three upcoming performances by the Southeastern Illinois College Theater Department in Harrisburg. “It’s got all the classical elements of a farce,” said director Alison Oshel. “It’s very witty, sarcastic and humorous.” Rumors will play on the Visual and Performing Arts Center stage at 7:30 tonight and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $6 for the general public and $4 for students, seniors and staff. For more information,
call 618-252-5400, ext. 2486 or 2487. A night of murder and mayhem shared with Morticia, Gomez and the rest of the Addams family and “friends” await those who participate in the upcoming murder mystery theater at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. “The Addams Family Affair” murder mystery theater is set for Friday at the Student Center. The evening begins with a 7 p.m. dinner in the Renaissance Room. One price covers admission to the murder mystery and dinner. The menu for the dinner features cranberry and mandarin spinach salad, chicken with an herb crust, mango peach salad, farfalle gazpacho (vegetarian) pasta, steamed fresh vegetable medley, parsley buttered
red potatoes, rolls and ice tea, water and coffee. Desserts include chocolate Sacher torte and fresh fruit satay with honey orange syrup. Tickets are $20 for SIUC students or $30 for the general public. Seating is limited, and all ticket sales are only in advance. Get tickets by visiting the Student Center Ticket Office on the second floor of the Student Center from Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Or, for no additional charge, you can purchase tickets by calling 618-453-3478. There will be no ticket sales at the door. Ticket sales are non-refundable. One of the most memorable curmudgeons in film and theater history will make his way into two historic theatres, The Historic Sesser Opera House and Mount
Vernon’s Granada Theatre, when The Opera House Co. season continues with “On Golden Pond,” opening Friday. The bittersweet and beloved tale of Norman and Ethel Thayer’s retreat to their family cabin in the woods of Maine won Henry Fonda an Academy Award and has won generations of fans with its touching and often humorous look at the twilight years and the struggles and triumphs of family life. The play will be presented Friday through Sunday at the Historic Sesser Opera House and Feb. 19 to 21 at the Granada Theatre in Mount Vernon. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for students. For tickets or for more information, call 618-625-5322. — The Southern
FLIPSIDE Thursday, February 11, 2010 Page 9
z MOVIES z POP CULTURE z ART z WINERIES z MUSIC z THEATER z THINGS TO DO z BOOKS z wasteland of what was once America, a lone warrior must A Single Man Colin Firth fight to bring civilization the gives a strong, seriously knowledge that could be the melancholy performance as a key to its redemption. With grieving gay English professor Denzel Washington, Gary in 1962 L.A., but fashionOldman and Jennifer Beals. R designer-turned-director Tom (violence and language) Ford’s debut is too beautiful Dear John A young soldier for its own good. R (sex, home on leave falls in love profanity, adult themes) with an idealistic college Avatar James Cameron’s student during her spring marvel is also a whole lot of vacation, and over the next fun: A gamer generation’s few years they meet only “Dances With Wolves,” with a sporadically and correspond human soldier (and his through love letter. With avatar) falling in love with a Channing Tatum, Amanda blue-skinned alien from the Seyfried, Henry Thomas, planet Pandora. PG-13 Scott Porter and Richard (violence, aggressive action, Jenkins. PG-13 alien beasts, adult themes) Edge of Darkness A Blind Side Sandra Bullock veteran Boston homicide stars as a Southern woman detective embarks on a who takes a destitute teen mission to find out about his into her home. Based on a 24-year-old daughter’s secret true story, it’s part sports life after she is murdered on saga, all tearjerker. PG-13 the steps of his home. With Book of Eli In the not-tooMel Gibson, Ray Winstone, distant future, across the Danny Huston, Bojana Novakovic and Shawn Roberts. Written by William Monahan and Andrew Bovell. Based on the television series written by Troy Kennedy Martin. R. S HOW T IMES FOR F EBRUARY 8 TH - 11 TH Dear John (PG-13) 3:40 6:40 9:30 Extraordinary Measures Edge Of Darkness (R) 4:10 7:00 9:50 Based on the true story of When In Rome (PG-13) 5:15 7:50 10:10 The Book if Eli (R) 4:40 7:30 10:20 John Crowley, a man who Extraordinary Measures (PG) risked his family’s future to **3:50 **7:20 10:00 **Not showing 2-9-10 pursue a cure for his Sherlock Holmes (PG-13) 4:50 7:40 10:30 3D Avatar (PG-13) 3:25 6:50 10:15 children’s life-threatening Tooth Fairy (PG) 4:30 7:10 9:40 disease; starring Harrison **NCM Prairie Home Companion (Encore) Tuesday 2-9-10 @ 7:00 ONLY Ford, Brendan Fraser, Keri
Still Playing
From Paris with Love (R) 3:50 7:10 10:10 Precious (R) 3:40 6:40 Blindside (PG-13) 6:40 Legion (R) 5:10 7:50 10:15 The Lovely Bones (PG-13) 4:00 6:50 9:50 An Education (PG-13) 4:20 7:00 9:30 A Single Man (R) 4:50 7:30 10:00
When In Rome (PG-13) 4:10 6:40 Lovely Bones (R) 3:50 7:00 Edge Of Darkness (R) 5:00 7:40 Legion (R) 5:10 7:50 Dear John (PG-13) 3:40 6:50 Tooth Fairy (PG) 4:30 7:10 From Paris with Love (R) 4:40 7:20 Avatar (PG-13) 4:00 7:30
Russell and Courtney B. Vance. Rated PG (thematic material, language and a mild suggestive moment) From Paris With Love A low-level CIA operative finds himself the target of a crime ring he’s trying to bust on his first real assignment. With John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak and Richard Durden. Screenplay by Adi Hasak, based on a story by Luc Besson. R. Legion When God loses faith in Mankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse, and an outof-the-way diner becomes the unlikely battleground for survival of the human race; with Paul Bettany, Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Lucas Black, Adrianne Palicki, Jon Tenney and Charles S. Dutton. R Lovely Bones A murdered teen narrates the tale of her death and her family’s life after it, including her father’s search for the murdere. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Stanley Tucci; directed by Peter Jackson. PG (mature thematic material involving disturbing violent content and images and some language) Precious: Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire. Story of an illiterate and abused Harlem teen who finds hope in a classroom of
WE’RE OPEN AGAIN! With the Best Pizza & Pasta
Our Thanks to Marion Fire and Police for their services.
Pizza • Pasta • Grill 213 S. Court • On Hwy 37 So. Marion, IL
Page 10 Thursday, February 11, 2010 FLIPSIDE
New on DVD Couple’s Retreat Plans for an island getaway turn to serious therapy for eight friends. With Jason Bateman, Charlotte Cornwell. PG-13 (sexual content and profanity) The Time Traveler’s Wife True love offers a wife holding on to a husband she only sees occasionally because a gene causes him to involuntarily travel through time. With Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana, Arliss Howard, Ron Livingston. PG-13 (thematic elements, brief disturbing images, nudity and sexuality) The Song of Sparrows A father living outside Tehran begins to shed his principles when he is fired from his job as an ostrich-rancher and becomes a motorcycle taxi driver in the city. With Mohammad Amir Naji, Neshat Nazari; Reza Naji. PG (brief mild profanity) Endgame Realizing a stable South Africa would better serve its needs, a mining company involves itself in talks between the African National Congress and apartheid-era leader P.W. Botha. With William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jonny Lee Miller, Mark Strong. PG13 (violence/disturbing images and some strong profanity) — McClatchy-Tribune News
misfits. Director Lee Daniels. Stars Gabourey Sidibe and suporting actors Mariah Carey, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton and Lenny Kravitz. R. Sherlock Holmes Conan Doyle’s famous consulting detective has Attention Deficit Dosorder in Guy Ritchie’s clamoring, breathless, turnof-the(last)-century action movie. Robert Downey Jr., ripped and ready with the glib riposte, is Holmes, and Jude Law his bland Dr. Watson. The
Holmes-as-action-hero conceit could have been fun, if anyone had thought to write a screenplay that made sense. PG-13 Tooth Fairy When a hardcharging hockey player, nicknamed ``the tooth fairy’’ for separating opposing players from their bicuspids, discourages a youngster’s dreams, he’s sentenced to one week’s hard labor as a real tooth fairy; with Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd and
Julie Andrews. PG (mild language, rude humor) When in Rome A young New Yorker, disillusioned with romance, takes a whirlwind trip to Rome, where she plucks magic coins from a fountain of love, inexplicably igniting the passion of an odd group of suitors. With Kristen Bell, Danny DeVito, Jon Heder, Will Arnett, Dax Shepard and Josh Duhamel. PG-13. — The Associated Press, McClatchyTribune News, Fandango.com
VINCE: Schedule set for HerrinFesta Italiana FROM PAGE 5 Breaking Benjamin. The group members includes Connolly, Dave Brenner, Dean Back and Joey Dandeneau. TOAD is a staple for wrestling fans, providing several hard-driving songs for World Wrestling Entertainment, including the theme song “No Way Out” for a 2006 pay-perview and Vince McMahon anthem “No Way in Hell.” “Theory of a Dead Man is one of the most popular
hard rock bands on the planet,” Gentile said. “They play all the major venues in the U.S. and Canada. We had a great lineup. Adding them was icing on the cake. I’m looking for record-setting crowds.”
Benefit Longtime area country band Jackson Junction will be performing a benefit concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the DuBois KC Hall for the St.
Michael School in Radom. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. “They sold out last year, so if you want to get a seat, you better come early,” said group founder and drummer Bill Quigley. The band features Dave Clark on lead vocals and will have special guest Johnny Norris on steel guitar. VINCE HOFFARD can be reached at 618-658-9095 or vincehoffard@ yahoo.com.
THE STAGE CO: Feeling nostalgic in the theater FROM PAGE 9 daunting! And, although I miss the little space in the old building on the corner of Washington and
Main streets, it is exciting to be a part of this new venture in downtown Carbondale, to be back among old friends and new.
CARA RECINE is lifestyles
and special projects editor at The Southern. She can be reached at 618-3515075 or cara.recine@ thesouthern.com.
z MOVIES z POP CULTURE z ART z WINERIES z MUSIC z THEATER z THINGS TO DO z BOOKS z
All-star cast makes this year’s ‘Valentine’s Day’ special for just about everybody Valentine’s Day Rated PG-13 for sexual situations, brief partial nudity; starring Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Jennifer Garner, Emma Roberts, Jessica Alba, Patrick Demspey, Anne Hathaway, Queen Latifah, Taylor
Swift; opens Friday at University Place 8 in Carbondale and Illinois Centre 8 in Marion. BY RICK BENTLEY MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS
When making movies, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. Director Garry Marshall’s romantic
comedy “Valentine’s Day” is loaded with more stars than a season of “The Love Boat,” “Dancing With the Stars” and “Celebrity Rehab” combined. The result: celebrity overkill. And in an effort to take care of all the stars, Marshall ends up shortchanging everyone. Structured similarly to the wonderfully made
“Love Actually,” Marshall weaves together a host of romantic stories, all played out on Valentine’s Day. You need a road map to follow some of the storylines. A romantic florist asks his girlfriend to marry him. His best female friend, who’s involved with a married man, and his best male friend, who ends up in a
car accident with a football player, don’t think she is right for him. Imagine that kind of twisting and turning repeated with at least eight other storylines. Trying to keep up with all the players is exhausting. Even worse, instead of being fully formed tales or romance, each storyline has about as much depth as a little
candy heart that says “Be Mine.” This film is like a Hallmark card — designed to elicit a reaction with the promise of little more. Even with its flaws, “Valentine’s Day” is an ideal date movie. It has enough hunks and babes to hold the attention of both halves of a couple, yet it isn’t deep enough to generate any squabbles.
‘Crazy Heart’ searches for true love Bridges signed on for this low-key, low-budget character study. It isn’t every day an actor gets the chance to pitch faceforward into the camera, dead drunk. Like a good country song, the film hooks us early, keeps it simple, and tells a story straight from the heart. Bad isn’t as cussed as BY COLIN COVERT he claims, but he’s no MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE NEWS bargain. He has a truckIn “Crazy Heart,” Jeff drivin’ man’s work ethic, Bridges takes the part of hauling himself around the Bad Blake, and he takes it Southwest in a battered ’78 with both fists. Suburban for everBad is a washed-up shrinking paychecks. He country music legend remembers all his lyrics, reduced to playing though bourbon helps him bowling alleys and tiny forget the days when he bars, singing sad songs was a much bigger act and that were hits a long time the money arrived faster ago. Often playing topthan he could squander it. notch music and just as He gets through his sets, often on the edge of selfeven though he may have to destruction, the character excuse himself mid-verse fits Bridges like a pair of to Bruce into a trash can. custom Tony Lamas boots. And the honky-tonk Bridges could pass for Kris mamas he snags are getting Kristofferson’s dissolute to be nanas. The film brother, and he sings in a makes no attempt to pleasant Gene Autry tenor. explain Bad’s songs but it “Crazy Heart” is a sketches the conditions in portrait of an artist with which they begin to swarm talent and soul aplenty but and spawn. the discipline of a pile of On a two-night gig in marbles on a glass-topped Austin, Bad consents to an table. He lives life by his interview with a music own rules, which writer named Jean (Maggie frequently means no rules Gyllenhaal, in top form). at all. You can see why She’s the most beautiful
Crazy Heart
Rated R for brief sexuality and language; starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell; directed by Scott Cooper; opening Friday at University Place 8 in Carbondale.
STUDIO
‘Crazy Heart,’ the story of a washed-up country star, starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Colin Farrell, opens Friday at University Place 8 in Carbondale.
woman he’s had in his sights in a while; inside those scrunched features and gangling limbs is something interior and lovely. “I want to talk to you about how bad you make this room look,” he says, and Bridges makes you believe it’s a spontaneous burst of poetry, not a standard line of bull. More than that, he discovers he likes talking to her. A few topics are off-limits, like his onetime sideman,
current superstar Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell). But they share a love of music and a common experience of hard times. Jean, a single mom who’s seen her share of losers, takes a tentative shine to Bad, who cleans up his act and spends some time with her, baking biscuits for her little boy. This unmade bed of a man begins to pull himself together. Bridges and Farrell do shrewd, precise work together; Tommy offers
his old mentor a hand back to the big leagues and Bad can’t decide if he’s outraged, grateful or embarrassed by his own eagerness. As sure as verse follows chorus, trouble arrives, and you may see the wellworn plot twists coming a mile off. Still, “Crazy Heart” gets us worried about what will happen to Bad and Jean, who matter to each other even though the world is no longer interested in them.
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