buzz magazine: nov. 20, 2003

24
Nov. 13-Nov.19, 2003 Arts | Entertainment | Community buz z buz z FREE! COMMUNITY 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 Catch this Commander (page 18) Dancers break out into C-U Dancers break out into C-U

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Page 1: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

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

Peoria Civic Center Box Office & all locations

CHARGE-BY-PHONE: 217-351-2626 or ticketmaster.com

December 10 • Peoria Civic Center Exhibit Hall

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NOV. 2210AM!

Nov. 13-Nov.19, 2003 Arts | Entertainment | Community

buzzbuzzFREE!

C O M M U N I T Y

Horseback riding in C-U(page 3)

A R T S

Classic Wilderplayperformed(page 7)

M U S I C

PremiumBlends byOtter(page 9)

C A L E N D A R

Local bandsplay benefitfor RecordService(page 12)

F I L M & T V

Catch thisCommander(page 18)

Dancers breakout into C-UDancers breakout into C-U

1120buzz0124 11/19/03 3:32 PM Page 1

Page 2: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

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

insidebuzz

BUZZ STAFFEditor in chief Tom Rybarczyk Art Director Meaghan DeeCopy Chief Erin GreenArts Katie RichardsonMusic Brian MertzEntertainment Jason CantoneCalendar Marissa MonsonAssistant Music Editor Jacob DittmerCalendar Coordinators Lauren Smith,Cassie Conner, Erin ScottbergPhotography Adam Young, Suzanne Sitrick,Brian Mertz, Nadia OussenkoCopy Editors Elizabeth Zeman, Jen Hubert,Suzanne SitrickDesigners Adam Obendorf, Carol Mudra, JasonCantone, Marissa Monson, Amy Hanlon Production Manager Theon SmithEditorial Adviser Elliot KolkovichSales Manager Lindsey BentonMarketing/Distribution Melissa Schleicher,Maria Erickson Publisher Mary Cory

All editorial questions or letters to the editor should besent to [email protected] or 337-8137 or buzz, 57 E.Green St., Champaign, Ill., 61820.

Buzz magazine is a student-run publication of IlliniMedia Company and does not necessarily represent, inwhole or in part, the views of the University of Illinoisadministration, faculty or students.

Volume 1, Number 38COVER DESIGN | Andy Getz

3 C O M M U N I T Y

Q & A with Italian restauranter

8 A R T S

Da Vanci Code tackled

11 M U S I C

Songs Ma and Panever wanted you to hear

14 C A L E N D A R

See all there is to do in C-U

20 F I L M & T V

Five films come out before Thanksgiving

When the Board ofTrustees decided

not to vote on the Chieflast week, they demon-strated their cowardice,their inability to act asa ruling body.

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

Logic dictates that outside pressures such asthe NCAA will eventually force the board toretire the Chief.

For the board, their move proved pre-dictable. The board raised tuition, and theboard does not want to lose any more funding,especially since some alumni have said theywill stop supporting the University if the Chiefgoes.

Either way, I want the board to make a deci-sion and end this bickering. The Chief ques-tion 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 withHIV. Today, many will die from urban violenceacross our nation. Today, hundreds will diefrom hunger.

Yet, people sit here and argue about thissymbol.

Why don’t these people redirect their ener-gy? Why don’t we take that energy and trans-form our society?

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

wrongs? Why do they not protest Iraq any-more? What happened to that fight? By theend of the Iraqi occupation, more than a thou-sand troops will probably be dead. Maybemore Americans will die in Iraq than weretragically murdered on Sept. 11.

How many Iraqis will die too? The numberswill be tragic in the end. Yet, this bloodshedhas gone largely unprotested since April.During the Vietnam years, hundreds crowdedGreen Street to protest the death of their peersand the death of innocent Vietnamese. Whycan’t these people who protest the Chief do thesame? Why can we not get into the conscious-ness of the American people?

I do not support the Iraqi occupation or theconflict. Yes, we freed an oppressed people,but we did it without support. But at thispoint, I will take a pro-Iraqi war demonstra-tion over any Chief protests or demonstra-tions. At least, it will show someone caresagain about the conflict that will claim somany lives.

These two protesting forces need to com-bine. They need to put their power towards amore meaningful movement, something thatwill create some change in our world.

In the meantime, the board should maketheir decision and stand by it. Either way, stu-dents should respect the decision of the rulingboard.

If students continue to protest against eachother, then we will have this same statusquo—Chief or no Chief.

-TR

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21st Annual

Art Fair

Craft League of Champaign-UrbanaUrbana Civic Center108 East Water StreetSaturday, November 22

10 a.m.-5 p.m.Sunday, November 23

10 a.m.-4 p.m.ceramics • woodworking • fiber • jewelrybasketry • painting • glass • photography

printmaking • drawing

www.craftleagueofcu.org

BY MICHAEL COULTER |CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I couldn’t havebeen happier

with the unveilingof the Paris Hiltonsex tape. I haven’tseen it, but it seemsto make heruncomfortable and aggravated and that aloneis enough to give me a small amount of joy.She strikes me as a snooty little pain in the asswith more money than sense and more sur-gery than beauty. Without the least bit of talentor skill she thrust herself into our lives andbecame famous, basically by coming out of awealthy uterus. It just seems like she had thiswhole porn scandal coming.

If there is some justice, Jessica Lynch may beable to avoid her inevitable porn scandal for alittle longer, maybe forever, since her spotlighttime is getting smaller by the minute.

Yes, we’ll be seeing less and less of MissLynch now, particularly since Hustler pub-lisher Larry Flynt has bought the rights tosome nude pictures of her frolicking withother soldiers.

When you look at everyone surroundingthis girl and Larry Flynt turns out to be themost accountable and moral one, it might bea sign the war in Iraq wasn’t an especiallygreat idea.

He says she seems like a good kid who wasnothing but a pawn for the government, andhe’s probably right. Truth be told though, he’sjust using her too. I bet those photos wouldn’tstay in his vault long if she agreed to do aspread for Playboy or Penthouse. Before it’s allsaid and done, Jessica may be lucky if she isn’tdoing some kinky girl-on-girl thing with MissHilton. It’ll have a bad title, too. A Lynching inParis is about the best one you could hope for.

I watched some of the interview withJessica Lynch the other day though, and itdoesn’t seem like she had much of this com-ing. Maybe she’s just better at covering up herattempt at star whoredom, but it almostseems like she’d just as soon it all go away soshe can live her life.

If her plan to become famous includedgrowing up in a tiny town in Virginia, join-ing the Army, going to war, getting wound-ed, raped, then rescued until the nationalpress was beating down her door, you gottaadmit, that’s a pretty sucky plan. If such aplan actually worked out for her, then shedeserved all the attention she got and shewould be a much better planner than any of

her superiors in the Army.The media and military made her into what-

ever made the best story for them, as she wastoo unconscious to do much about any of ituntil it was already done. Now that she canactually speak for herself she doesn’t evenseem like the same person. She feels her storywas 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 gunsinstead of cameras as they burst through thehospital doors. They needed a mascot and youwere the first one that came along who wascute enough. It doesn’t matter if the real storycomes out now. They’ve already got every-thing out of it that they needed to.

People only remember the headlines.Something slides across the bottom of the TVscreen that says the poor girl was rescued in adramatic fashion and it stops there. It doesn’tmatter whether it’s true or not.

You can print as many corrections as youlike, they won’t get read nearly as carefully asthe initial headline was. She’s a national heroalready and she can’t do anything about it.

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

Let’s face it, you mention Sid Vicious andmost folks get a mental picture of GaryOldman in Sid and Nancy. I’m surprised shehasn’t allowed herself to get sucked into themachine further. Most folks in her shoeswould have already had a canceled talk showby now, not to mention an action figure and aT-shirt with an inspirational message on it.

Hell, she could have cornered the market ifshe endorsed yellow ribbons to tie on your carantenna. Jessica authorized a biography abouther experiences, but I doubt that will do much.See, anyone who’s really interested in thisstory probably isn’t much of a reader, at leastnot of books. They’ll read the review of thebook in People magazine and that will be theend of that. The book will be on the bargainrack before we manage to get ourselves intoanother war and in six months she’ll be luckyif anyone can remember her name during aTrivial Pursuit game.

It may be all she ever wanted.

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

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

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

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

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

To LAK--Anthro 105 forever, babe...If Isaid I was burial ground would you digme?--Homo Erectus

Melamin, you are better than a nakedLegolas and Aragorn combined!

Hey Johnny, next time I come over I'll takeoff my top again and everything else forthat matter!!! -Madge

Hey Dr. J, If your Pre-Dental does thatmean I have to pay you to put your tool inmy mouth?

Let me know...Mary

Heyy matt...I feel it; you're different...will

you be my boyfriend? love, elizabeth

Hpets- A goldfish left lincoln logs in mysock drawer. Today we're animals.Tomorrow... dissolving in space. -Rev.Euphoria

Abby- Can I get you in the Sak?

GDers- And the deadline said-- The bookis done. :-D

Carol- Happy Birthday. Let’s party likethe book’s done.

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

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

Hoopes- get some rest, and then lets getsome.

Dugan- How the hell’ve you been? Istopped sending these because I can’trhyme very well with dugan.

Future husband- I love you.

Stens- here’s to finally finding out what thefloor of your office feels like ;-)

SWEET “DIRTY” TALKS ARE FREE. To submit your message goto www.readbuzz.com and click on the Sweet Talk link.Leave out last names and phone numbers because we (andprobably you!) could get in big fat trouble for printing them.We reserve the right to edit your messages.

23buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26 , 2003 | SEX TAPES, HELL YEAH!!

AND ANOTHER THING. . . DirtyTalkParis sex tapes,Lynch’s success

buzz

1120buzz0223 11/19/03 3:31 PM Page 1

Page 3: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

I WISH MY HORISCOPE WAS BETTER THIS WEEK... | NOVEMBER 13-NOVEMBER 19, 2003 buzz22odds & endodds & endARIES (March 21-April 19): To prepare you for your upcomingencounters with inexpressible mystery, Ioffer you the words ofAlexander Solzhenitsyn from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech."Not everything has a name," he said. "Some things lead us into arealm beyond words . . . to revelations unattainable by reason. Itis like that small mirror in fairy tales -- you glance in it and whatyou see is not yourself; for an instant you glimpse theInaccessible, where no magic carpet can take you. And the soulcries out for it."

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "Do one thing that scares you everyday," counsels novelist Kurt Vonnegut.That's easy for a risk-lovingScorpio like him to say,but is it good advice for you Tauruses,whotypically thrive on peace and safety? At most other times, I wouldsay no; I'd suggest you force yourself to face your fears no morethan once a month. But the coming weeks are shaping up as adeparture from your usual rhythms. You can do a lot to ensureyour long-term peace and safety through regular encounterswith unpredictable experiences that will scare up your hiddenreserves of courage.

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

CANCER (June 21-July 22): "Dear Mr. Brezsny: I'm a feminist in apost-feminist era, a warrior poet when poetry is considered irrel-evant in war, and a lone wolf amidst yapping coyotes. I've been afirefighter, journalist, and janitor -- and damn good at all three,not that anybody noticed. My questions are: Why is my successwith men like that of a goat trying to herd trucks? Why is the onlyluck I ever have the 'avoided the falling piano at the last second'kind? Are there any cake raffle winnings in my future? -Anti-Heroic Crab"

Dear Anti-Heroic: The mournful conditions you described willtake a turn for the better when you devote a concentrated timeto becoming emotionally self-sufficient. During that period, vowto draw all the love you need from either yourself or whateverpasses for God of Goddess in your world. Now would be the per-fect moment to begin.

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

myths and fairy tales that "cut fine wide doors in previous blankwalls, openings that lead to the dreamland, that lead to love andlearning, that lead us back to our own real lives." I advise you toget some of this good stuff, Leo. Feast on unpredictable storiesthat replenish your innocence and rekindle your sense of won-der. Estes' book, Women Who Run With the Wolves, has some goodones. Try "Skeleton Woman" or "Sealskin, Soulskin."

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 namedher the least approachable celebrity entertainer. Another Virgoluminary, Shannon Elizabeth, was ranked right behind Diaz in herstinginess. To redeem your tribe's reputation, I urge you to giveaway your autograph to anyone and everyone in the comingweek. Such a generous display would also dovetail nicely withthe astrological omens, which suggest you should engage inplayful acts that make you feel like a star.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Many plants used for prescriptiondrugs originate in tropical rainforests. Do their endangeredecosystems therefore harbor other healing herbs that are as yetundiscovered? Probably. But a recent study suggests that weedsgrowing in easily accessible places near human settlements maybe an equally important source of medicine. The Journal ofEthnopharmacology 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 for-est." I offer up this intriguing scenario as an apt metaphor for youin the coming days. The best goodies are more likely to be closeat hand in the midst of familiar clutter, not in far-off enclaves ofpeace and plenty. (Thanks to www.eurekalert.org/ for this info.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): To supply the newsprint for theaverage Sunday edition of the New York Times, about 63,000trees must die. Is that a worthy sacrifice? Maybe. To keep yourbody fueled with caffeine for a year, upwards of a thousandplants must give up their lives. Is that a worthy sacrifice? Possibly.To make sure your freshly hatched dream will ultimately reachfull bloom, at least three of your tired old illusions will have tocroak. Is that a worthy sacrifice? Hell, yes. Let the mercy killingbegin.

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

on digesting the glut, Sagittarius, and by this time next week themess will have evolved into a web of fresh insights.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "I go through the canned-goodsdepartment of my soul," mused columnist Jon Carroll, "and Iwrite down how many cubes of spiritual bouillon I have left." Isuggest you take a similar tack this week, Capricorn. In otherwords, add a touch of self-mocking frivolity as you make a pro-found inventory of your current relationship with the GreatMystery. And be sure to mix in a few wacky, winsome questionswith your heartfelt yearning for deeper understanding. Here'show Carroll expressed it: "Who am I? Why am I here? Is there anentity greater than myself? If there is, how can I get it to like me?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "Satan is broke!" declared a recentarticle in the Weekly World News. "He's selling back souls at halfprice to avoid bankruptcy." On the face of it, this is an amusing riffdreamed up by one of the comic geniuses who writes for thenotorious tabloid. But oddly enough, there is a metaphoricalgrain of truth in it. The astrological omens suggest that a hugewindow of opportunity has opened for those who need redemp-tion. It is a favorable moment for lost souls to find themselves, forblack sheep and prodigal sons to return to the fold, and for incor-rigible troublemakers to mend their ways. I'm letting you know,Aquarius, because your tribe, more than any of the other signs, isin the best position to facilitate rehabilitations and restorationsof all kinds -- both for others and for yourself.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "I've finally got my relationshipproblem figured out," wrote Melinda, a reader from Philadelphia."It has been a lifelong, insidious misunderstanding of what I'mentitled to, combined with a fear of abandonment that has mademe grab onto the wrong companions." I bring this testimony toyour attention, Pisces, because I think it resonates with realiza-tions you're ready for. The coming months will be a favorabletime for you to discern the hidden karma that has been keepingyou from getting the love you want. A good way to begin yoursearch will be to take inven ory of your fear of abandonment andyour misunderstanding of what you're entitled to.

HOMEWORK:The media love bad newsbecause they think it's moreinteresting than good news.Is it? Send your interestinggood news to me atwww.freewillastrology.com.

Rob Brezsny's Free WillAstrology beautyandtruth@ f r e e w i l l a s t r o l o g y. c o m415.459.7209(v)• 415.457.3769 http://www.freewillastrology.com P.O. Box 798San Anselmo, CA 94979

! "

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

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Kilborn AlleyComing in November

American heritage band

ACROSS

1 Alcott’s Little Women,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

18 Doesn’t own

19 Digs, so to speak

20 Strong suits

22 Political leader origi-nally surnamedDzhugashvili

23 Daughter of JuanCarlos I

24 Kind of security

26 Stand on an airplane, maybe

29 Display aid

30 Something planned

40 They don’t follow suit

41 Silk pattern

42 Occasion for rollingout the red carpet

43 Discovery of Sir James Chadwick

45 Cradle contents

46 Walk like a cat

48 ___ Teques,Venezuela

49 Hit upon the solution

50 Pedal, perhaps

52 Modern pentathletes’needs

53 Hints

54 Harper of Hollywood

55 Like some curtains

DOWN

1 Radiator adjunct

2 Many a heavenlybody

3 It has strings attached

4 Pull back

5 Valjean’shideout

6 Jimmies

7 A runner may enterone

8 Shore soarers

9 It uses flippers

10 Anatomicalinterstices

11 Gauge datum

12 Summer fig-ures?

13 Some complexcommunities

14 Gliders

21 LikeBruckner’sSymphony No. 7

22 Refine

24 Legions

25 Service status

27 Hands over

28 It may be pulled back

30 Mohammed,with “the”

31 Morph

32 Makes secret, in a way

33 Malefactors

34 Some waders

35 Be like

36 Music symbol

37 One with a fleet fleet

38 Thieving

39 Present and the like

43 Computers on a network

44 Some painted vessels

46 Meth., e.g.

47 ___ Ridge (race-horse)

51 Land in S.A.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14

15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24 25

26 27 28

29

30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41

42 43 44

45 46 47 48

49 50 51

52 53

54 55

Puzzle by Robert H. Wolfe

BETH ROGERS | STAFF WRITER

Agirl wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt crouch-es astride the broad back of a chestnut stal-

lion that stands 5 feet tall at the shoulder. Herarms and legs, delicate as matchsticks, cling tothe animal. Crouching low over its neck, shegallops around the indoor arena at ToplineFarm. She wheels the horse around and turnshim to the center of the ring, where herinstructor watches her posture, analyzing herbalance and control of the horse in a singleglance.

A smile bursts over Claire Nonnemann’sface, her mouth stretching so wide that thechinstrap of her helmet threatens to snap. Theanimal tosses its head and snorts, waiting forthe next chance to run.

“Next time you want to raise your ster-num,” says Kim Kennedy, owner of ToplineFarm, giving the horse’s thick neck an ener-getic pat before sending horse and rider onanother lap around the arena.

Millions of Americans come to riding acad-emies like Topline Farm every year, looking forthe fun and excitement equestrianism can

bring. Horseback riding is one of the oldestforms of exercise and has been used for every-thing from entertainment at annual horse racesto therapy for the physically disabled.Although the horse show season is mostlyover this late in the year, equestrian sportlovers will continue to ride and enjoy theseanimals all year long. Without the hoopla thatsurrounds events like the Kentucky Derby,curious newcomers to equestrian sports maynot know where to look for opportunities toride.

Claire, 13, began riding when she was 9years old. She started out learning balance andthe basics of how to direct the horse. She hadher first major accident at the age of 10, top-pling from the saddle when the horse stum-bled on a rough patch of ground. Claire land-ed in the dirt and was kicked in the face by hermount, but remained steadfast in her goals;later in the emergency room, while the doctorsreset her broken collarbone, she begged, “CanI still be in the horse show on Saturday?”

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

Horses prove to be fun for C-Ubuzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | 3communitycommunity

What is the history behind the GreatImpasta?In 1983, Piero Faraci fulfilled a lifelong dreamof opening a small Italian restaurant. The oldrestaurant was located one half block west ofour current location. I was given theopportunity to purchase the restaurant andthis property was available. Our populationwas such that we decided to make the moveeast.

How did you get involved in the restaurantbusiness?I was a University student here trying to paythe bills. I started working at GreaterDowntown Food and Beverage Company thatwas next door to the Great Impasta. I learnedthe ins and outs of cooking and service anddiscovered I was talented at it.

How did you specifically get involved withthe Great Impasta?I met Piero when he was making pasta atGreater Downtown Food and Beverage beforethe Great Impasta. I left town for a while butwhen I came back he had opened the GreatImpasta and asked me to work. Since I wasunemployed, I said sure, and that was 17years ago.

What is the best part of your job?The people. The people that come in and thepeople I work with. I also like tasting Scott’s(Great Impasta chef) specials.

What attracts customers to the GreatImpasta?Great food, great service, great staff and greatall-around atmosphere. There is a lot ofloyalty here. We have an incredible number ofloving guests. When we moved, we wereclosed for three months and I was besiegedwith questions about when we were going toopen. I was tempted to do a soft, quietopening, but as soon as we opened, we hadflorists delivering flowers from peoplecongratulating us on the opening. I didn’texpect such an outpouring of concern andcare, and I am truly grateful for it.

Does the Great Impasta have a specialtydish?All our dishes are special. All of our pastasare made from scratch and we feature severalkinds of lasagna—seafood, portabella,marinara. We also have great luncheon pastasalads and feature our ‘Great Impastanoff’which is our take on beef stroganoff.

How does owning a restaurant differ frombeing a chef?There is more pressure, responsibility andanxiety with owning a restaurant. As a chef,you are more involved in the immediate. Ifthe dish went over, you knew immediately.As an owner, you are responsible foreveryone working for you and forecasting thefuture. You have to be one step ahead.

What is your favorite food?I love seafood. I think my children inheritedmy taste buds as well—they love lobster andcrab too.

What are some of your other interests?My children, and spending time with myfamily. I also enjoy bicycle riding and reading.

What is in store for the future of the GreatImpasta?We have an upstairs that I would like toconvert into a banquet area and there is aspace to the north (where) I would like tohave an outdoor patio. We will continue tocelebrate local produce and share our wineand culinary discoveries with the guests.

What is one piece of advice you would giveto new chefs or business owners?I would give different pieces of advice foreach one. For new business owners, I wouldsay learn the finances. Talk to accountants,banks and lawyers. Learn as much as you canabout numbers. For chefs, I would saycontinue to explore. Continue to eat indifferent places and taste as many dishes aspossible.

What is the best piece of advice you havebeen given?‘It is all in the details.’ Piero used to tell methat constantly, and he is absolutely right—especially in a business like this.

Harold Allston knows many of the ins andouts of the restaurant business. Former cheffor the Great Impasta, Allston now owns theItalian restaurant, located at 132 W. Churchin downtown Champaign. Allston currentlyresides in Champaign with his wife Nancyand has two children.

HaroldAllstonQ & A

Claire Nonnemann brushes Indy after her lesson.

PHO

TO| C

HRI

STIN

E LI

TAS

1120buzz0322 11/19/03 3:30 PM Page 1

Page 4: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

4 NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzzcommunityClaire never considered quitting after suf-

fering her injury, nor did she develop a fear ofhorses as a result of her setback. “I just could-n’t give it up. I love the rush.”

For anyone who is fascinated by horses, les-sons are a good place to start. This way, inter-ested people can find out whether or not theytruly enjoy riding before they spend severalhundred dollars on equipment. Lessons are agood way to learn the basics of horse riding,which is more than just kicking the horse tomake it go, pulling back on the reins to stopand not falling off. As Nicolas Evans writes inhis novel The Horse Whisperer, “It’s a lot likenuts and bolts—if the rider’s nuts, the horsebolts!”

“When you ride, you’re holding togetherthe whole horse,” says Kennedy. “If you falloff, you want to have a good story to tell, notsomething silly like, ‘I forgot to tighten thegirth’ or ‘My balance was off.’”

Finding a place to ride usually isn’t difficultin Illinois. The flat, grassy landscape is perfectfor grazing horses. A few minutes spent look-ing through the phone book or on the Internetcan turn up a few options in your area, andeven if it is a half hour away or so, parents canbe talked into making the trip once a week.

Finding the teacher that fits your style canbe more difficult, so think about observingclasses at as many different stables as you can.This way, you can see how classes are run andwhat class times fit into your schedule. Youcan also ask questions before you begin les-sons. This is important, especially if you werehoping to learn something specific about rid-ing, such as jumping.

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

son and heads into the barn to get her mountready to ride. Her boot heels click on the con-crete floor as she passes the stalls, the chainshanging on the walls clinking in the wind.After fetching her horse, a dark stallion stand-ing more than 5 feet tall at the shoulder, sheattaches his harness to the chains to keep himin place while she grooms him. She brusheshis satiny coat free of mud and dust, makingespecially sure that his back is clean where thesaddle will rest. She picks each hoof with aspecial tool, scraping hard clods of mud outwith the pointed end, brushing away loosedirt with the bristles on the other end. Thiswill make it less likelyfor the horse to pickup a stone in its hoofwhile in the arena.

Then the saddle padand saddle are put onthe horse’s back,against the withers—the area where theneck meets the body —and cinched up using a strap with several buck-les, called a girth. The girth can be adjusted toavoid pinching the animal. One of the finalparts of the process is sliding the bridle over thehorse’s head and getting him to take the bitbetween his teeth. The bridle is a complicatedlooking combination of straps and metal piecesthat encircle the horse’s entire head, so it cantake practice to put it on correctly, with the reinsresting on the horse’s back and the metal bit inhis mouth. This routine must be completedbefore any lesson has begun to ensure the safe-ty and happiness of both horse and rider.

Claire’s mount waits patiently while she fin-ishes these necessities, neighing and pawing

the ground occasionally as through ready to go.Claire often pats the horse affectionately on thenose or neck as she passes back and forth.Another benefit of horsemanship, aside fromthe excellent exercise, is the companionship ofthis huge, friendly beast.

Plenty of opportunities exist for riders torediscover the sport or get into it for the firsttime with the Illini Equestrians. The group is asbig on social events like barn dances and barcrawls as they are in the Intercollegiate HorseShow Association shows, says Cat Dayger, oneof two English coaches for the club. Memberscan personalize their level of involvement and

should not feel likethey cannot join if theydon’t want to appearin horse shows or ifthey do not have timefor every social event,Dayger says.

“I love being aroundhorses because they’rehonest. If they’re mad,

they show it. They’re easy to please; they’ll doanything for treats. They watch for you as youcome into the barn ... they really care,” saysDayger. Dayger, a junior in animal sciences atthe University of Illinois, has been riding seri-ously since sixth grade and leases her horsefrom a local stable.

Claire, like most young equestrians, hopes tolease or own her own horse one day as well. Shehas been taking riding lessons for so long thatshe became bored with simple trail riding anddecided to learn jumping.

“She’s been taking jumps up to 3 feet 6 inch-es (tall). That’s exciting enough to make a par-ent’s heart go pitter-patter,” says Bob.

Buying a horse isn’t the expensive part —

keeping it is.Ron Rhoades

[ [

Left: ClaireNonnemann removesIndy's harness afterher lesson.

Right: Thirteen-year-old ClaireNonnemann ofUrbana rides Indy, athorough bred, dur-ing her weekly lessonMonday evening atTop Line Farm.Nonnemann has beenriding since she was9 years old: "It'ssomething excitingand different." PH

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21buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | S0... A PIRATE WALKS INTO A BAR

Employment 000Services 100Merchandise 200Transportation 300Apartments 400Other Housing/Rent 500Real Estate for Sale 600Things To Do 700Announcements 800Personals 900• PLEASE CHECK YOUR AD!

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Express Personnel Services217.355.8500101 Devonshire Dr., Champaign

The Champaign County Arts, Cul-ture, and Entertainment Council (40N\88W) is looking for the right person to be Managing Director.See 40north.org for details and ap-plication procedures.

Spring semester weekday hours.Enquire Rick Orr Florists. 351-9299

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

Services 100

Le Therapeutic Massage. Day/ Eve-ning/ Weekend, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.Only by appointment. 344-8879.

Graphic design studio is seeking models, makeup artists for beauty and style photography.

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Merchandise 200

Used Beseler Dichro 67-F enlarger.Plus miscellaneous equipment. $300 398-1963

Transportation 300

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

1987 Nissan Sentra. 2 Door Hatch-back. Blue. Sporty economy ride at $750.

Affordable Auto Sale912 West Bradley AveChampaign, IL 61821

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

Affordable Auto Sale912 West Bradley AveChampaign, IL 61821

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1990 Pontiac Turbo Grand-Prix.Black. 2 Door. Extremely fast sporty ride at $1750.

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

Affordable Auto Sale912 West Bradley AveChampaign, IL 61821

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

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

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Apartments 400

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

**Private Home Room“s”. Kitchen, laundry, DSL, parking. Urbana.$300/mo. 367-4252.

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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, inter-net, and cable ready. Two free park-ing spaces. $1380/month.

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Brand new luxury 1, 2, 3, bedroom apartments available in Champaign.Call Manchester Property Manage-ment at 359-0248 for an appoint-ment.

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1120buzz0421 11/19/03 3:24 PM Page 1

Page 5: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

BROTHER BEAR!!JOAQUIN PHOENIX AND PHIL COLLINSWhile American animators still have a long way to go toachieve the sheer grandeur and exhilarating imagination offoreign animation, such as in last year’s Spirited Away, BrotherBear shows they do have their moments. It’s just unfortunatethat their visuals have to be spoiled by rudimentary plots, dis-cardable characters and downright ugly music. (John Loos)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

ELF!!!WILL FERRELL AND JAMES CAANThe film itself really makes no attempts to hide its basic prem-ise as a Christmas movie.There’s Santa, perfectly played by EdAsner.There’s the head elf, portrayed by Bob Newhart.There’sthe grumpy, anti-Christmas guy, James Caan. It’s like everyChristmas television special and movie rolled into one. Andtherein lies its genius. (Dan Maloney)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

KILL BILL: VOLUME ONE!!!!UMA THURMAN AND DAVID CARRADINEKill Bill is raw entertainment that packs brains with its brawn.That is because Tarantino is an expert at drawing feeling fromhis killers, robbers and sociopaths. In Kill Bill,Tarantino revisitshis penchant for characters who have experienced past—and specifically, childhood—trauma, again hitting the markwith brave situational dichotomy.(Matt Pais)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION!!JENNA ELFMAN AND STEVE MARTINOn paper, Looney Tunes: Back in Action has all the pieces inplace 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 firsttime in memory,the Looney Tunes gang will likely bore adultsand children alike. (Andrew Vecelas)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy.

LOVE ACTUALLY!!!HUGH GRANT AND EMMA THOMPSONThe film’s delicate blend of outrageous comedic scenes,which also prove that Brits can perform slapstick and dryhumor equally, mix well with heartwarming confessions fromeach of the characters. Needless to say, keep a lookout for awonderful dance sequence with Grant’s character.. The largeensemble cast is also made up of the “who’s who” of Englishactors. Laura Linney joins in too, and puts in a marvelous per-formance as an American wallflower who draws on every-one’s empathy without appearing fake. (Janelle Greenwood)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

MASTER AND COMMANDER!!!!RUSSELL CROWE AND PAUL BETTANYWeir buffs will get a kick out of watching this film andremembering The Truman Show. While Truman’s aquatic-ori-ented scenes introduced the director’s ability to craft stimu-lating scenes of sea-swept peril, Master and Commanderachieves a far higher degree of oceanic fanfare. It’s a glorioustale of adventure on the high seas sure to put wind in anylandlubber’s sails. (Matt Pais)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy.

THE MATRIX: REVOLUTIONS!!KEANU REEVES AND LAURENCE FISHBURNEIn the utterly disappointing The Matrix: Revolutions, theWachowskis simultaneously step away from that which madethe previous films worthwhile and indulge in the elementsthat made them hollow. Gone are the eye-popping actionsequences of high-tech originality and legitimate concep-tions of a machine-oriented future spun out of control.(Matt Pais)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy.

RADIO!!CUBA GOODING JR. AND ED HARRISCuba Gooding Jr. does his best to give a performance thatwill make his critics less likely to demand that he give backhis Oscar after horrendous films such as Snow Dogs, but thisfilm doesn’t do anything more than give a dramatic versionof Adam Sandler’s The Waterboy. (Jason Cantone)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

RUNAWAY JURY!!!DUSTIN HOFFMAN AND GENE HACKMANBased upon the best-selling John Grisham novel, this storywas originally about tobacco farms, but becomes a tale ofguns. Featuring two of the greatest actors alive, this film isexactly 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 RICHARDSWith the Wayans brothers gone, slapstick king David Zuckerdoes his best to reinvent this dying franchise. Occasionallyhilarious, but often stupid. (Andrew Crewell)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

TUPAC: RESURRECTION!!!NARRATED BY TUPAC SHAKURIt 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 ageof 25. (Andrew Crewell)Now showing at Savoy.

CAT IN THE HATMIKE MYERS AND ALEC BALDWINJim Carrey took his rendition of the Grinch to box officeheights, but can Mike Myers echo the same success? If GoodBoy! is making money, this just has to. (Jason Cantone)Opening at Beverly and Savoy

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

THE HUMAN STAINANTHONY HOPKINS AND NICOLE KIDMANAnthony Hopkins has a deep, dark secret that unravels his lifeand leads him to wild sex with Nicole Kidman after she doesa sexy striptease. If that’s what happens when life becomesunravelled, sign me up! (Jason Cantone)Opening at Beverly

SHATTERED GLASSHAYDEN CHRISTENSEN AND CHLOE SEVIGNYThe true story of a young journalist caught plagiarizing. Ifonly he wrote an apology about how it was all an accidentabout citing things. That seems to work. (Jason Cantone)Opening at Beverly

STEP INTO LIQUIDROCHELLE BALLARD AND SHAWN BARRONNo special effects. No stuntmen. No stereotypes. This filmprovides an action-packed look inside the surfing world inthis well-reviewed documentary. (Jason Cantone)Opening at Boardman’s

20 HALLE BERRY IS BIGGER AND BETTER. | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzzfilm & tv

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BY JANELLE GREENWOOD | STAFF WRITER

Films capturing famed authors’ lives, such aslast year’s The Hours, which looked at

Virginia Woolf, are definitely on the rise inHollywood; the latest, Sylvia, fits nicely intothis window of Oscar possibilities.Unfortunately, Sylvia never quite reaches theflow or ease of The Hours, and it reverts back tothe worst screenplay filler of romantic feuds.

Notes from the real Sylvia Plath, from herhusband’s private collection after his death, ledto the film’s screenplay. The nature in whichthe notes were found may have influenced thefilm’s focus on Plath’s love life, rather than hertotal melancholy.

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

Yes, Sylvia Plath (Gwyneth Paltrow) wasmarried and her life did revolve around herrelationship to the writer Ted Hughes (DanielCraig), but her overwhelming depression fromher general insecurities proposed more of anissue than her jealousy of her husband’s suc-cess and his infidelity. Paltrow turns in the best

performance possible under a one-dimension-ally written character. At the very least, theaudience can tell that Plath feels uncomfortablein her own skin. Most remarkable is Paltrow’sportrayal of Plath’s demeanor, mannerismsand appearance.

Plath’s work on her famous novel, The BellJar, briefly gets mentioned, which really takesaway from the film’s credibility. Her work onthat well-known novel followed her own simi-lar progression into madness, which ultimatelyled Plath to take her own life several monthslater. The film really sidesteps this point, whichis far more significant to Plath’s life than herwavering relationship.

Overall Sylvia’s plot and character develop-ment lack the conviction that made NicoleKidman’s portrayal of Virginia Woolf in TheHours so powerful.

moviereview

SYLVIA!!

SYLVIA | GWYNETH PALTROW

FOC

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BY ANDREW CREWELL | STAFF WRITER

Tupac Shakur comes back to life in the docu-mentary Tupac: Resurrection. The rapper slain

by gunfire just over seven years ago narrateshis own life story, where he tells all about hisyouth, drugs, women, battles and all else tiedup in a life filled with controversy.

Getting shot was nothing strange to Tupac.Two years before his death, he was shot fivetimes—including twice in the head—but livedthrough 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 andWest Coast that would entrance the hip-hopworld for years. This blame caused Tupac tojoin Suge Knight-led Death Row Records,which also produced Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.

It was then that Shakur sat down to grant aninterview that would encompass his entire life.He talked candidly about his family, his BlackPanther past, the importance of drugs and vio-lence in his life, his cultured upbringing and therace conflict that at times ruled his life.

It is this interview that Tupac: Resurrectionlaces over snippets of Shakur’s concerts, talkshow spots and other appearances to give the

autobiographical documentary. It isn’t until now that many will fully com-

prehend the depth of the rapper. The film por-trays Tupac as a theologian and cultural revo-lutionary obsessed with the inequalities of soci-ety. Constantly striving for equality for blacksand the poor, Tupac: Resurrection paints the pic-ture that his enemies never wanted to be seen.The man was a poet, an articulate speaker andan intellectual who rose from the concrete proj-ects to be a hero to the masses.

Long-winded and one-sided at times, butinfinitely educational, Tupac: Resurrection illus-trates the importance of the departed artist.Almost like John F. Kennedy’s death a genera-tion ago, there are people all over America whocannot only tell you what they were doingwhen Shakur died, but what they were doingevery time he was shot. It is Shakur’s demigodstatus that shines through in the film—thesame status that made the original creator of“thug life” the greatest rapper ever beforebeing killed at the young age of 25.

moviereview

TUPAC:RESURECTION!!!

TUPAC: RESURRECTION | TUPAC SHAKUR

MTV

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5buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26 | FUNNY SENTENCE HERE communitySome think purchasing the horse is the most

expensive part of owning it, says RonRhoades, owner of White Horse farms inSeymour, Ill.

“Buying a horse isn’t the expensive part—keeping it is,” says Rhoades. He estimates thatone horse costs about $175 a month for routinemedical care, food and bedding, plus a month-ly fee for boarding the horse at a stable. Also,the rider will buy between $1,000 and $2,000of equipment, called tack, including the sad-dle, helmet, bridles and lead lines. There arealways ways to cut costs on these initialinvestments, however. If possible, peopleboard the animal at home. Another easy wayto save is to look for used equipment in theclassifieds in your area. If you’re already tak-ing lessons, ask your instructor if he knowsanyone who has a horse or tack for salecheap—but be sure to find out why the animalis such a bargain before buying. The horseitself could cost several thousand dollars ifyou have your heart set on a particular breed.

Time is another thing to consider. Like anypet, a horse demands a lot of time and care.But never confuse a horse with the familydog—horses are an enormous responsibility.You must clean their stalls every day, make

sure they have plenty of food and water, keeptheir coats and hooves clean and most impor-tantly, don’t forget to ride! Horses depend onyou for exercise just as much as you dependon them.

If you’ve thought about the financial sacri-fices, and are determined to buy a horse evenif you have to live in your newly-built barneating ramen noodles, don’t buy a horse froman auction unless you have experience. It’s tooeasy for amateurs to bid on the wrong horse orto bid too much. Take an experienced horseperson with you to look at possible buys to gettheir opinion and look at a lot of horses. Askquestions of anyone who knows anythingabout horses, read books and surf the Internetfor information. There are people all over theworld dying to pass on their enthusiasm toyou. Take a look.

No matter what your living situation orfinancial background, true horse enthusiastswill find a way to include horses in theirlifestyle. “Horse people are crazy,” saysRhoades, “But they’re good people.”

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

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

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Page 6: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

SHUT UP! I GET STUFF! | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz6artsarts

BY DREW FRIST | STAFF WRITER

On Location, a suite of four site-specificdance performances, is organized and choreo-graphed by second-year graduate students indance—Petry, Water Logic; Ling-Fen Chien,Stepping Forward ;Nadia Oussenko,Sonority Movement;and Jessica Ray,Demanding Company.Site-specific dancedeveloped as a reac-tion to the social andpolitical climate ofthe 1960s, pioneer-ing offstage move-ment and dance.

“When you thinkof dance you think ofleotards, tutus andtoe shoes—this is alittle different,” saidN i c P e t r y , aU n i v e r s i t y o fIllinois graduatestudent in dance.“ We w a n t e d t ow o r k o n s i t e s ,break out of the the-ater and that prosce-nium idea.”

“By putting apiece on a site, peo-ple that wouldn’t have necessarily gone to adance concert are suddenly confronted withart and dance—maybe they are affected by it,”

said Justin Jacobs, a dance student and OnLocation performer.

A site that is not spectacularly interestingon its own could be transformed by a per-formance. Introducing dance to a hill or abusy sidewalk brings dance closer to the pub-lic and the public closer to dance.

“A site is a perfect place where there is a lotof natural elementsgoing on,” said Petry.“There are sounds,there are buses, youhave the clouds—it isthis idea of buildingour life around whatwe t h i n k i s g o i n garound one direction,and learning to adaptand evolve, and to beopen to that.”

Petry’s own site-spec i f i c dance—Water Logic—was per-formed at OrchardDowns Hill, located atthe i n t e r s e c t i o n o fFlorida Avenue andOrchard Street inUrbana, on Nov. 16.

Water Logic com-bines dance and musiccentered on andaround a hill. Dancersand musicians exploredaspects of the hill,interacting with the

set design. Petry hoped to shift the physi-cal and visual perspectives of theaudience.

He enlisted the help of Chad Tyler, a seniorin landscape architecture at the University,to help “set stage” on the hill. Tyler, havingprevious experience with set design, out-fitted the hill with props and the dancerswith costumes.

During the performance of Water Logic,the hill was dotted with red buckets anddancers wearing Day-Glo yellow rain-coats. Petry and Tyler intentionally juxta-posed the unnatural colors with the hill’sgreen grass and trees.

“Throughout history, hills were massivestages for battle,”said Tyler. “Duringwinter this hill willbe filled with chil-dren sliding downit.”

The dance is partbattle and part play,he said.

Site-specific per-formances affordartists and per-formers more audience interaction and partici-pation than traditional theater seating andticketing would allow—Water Logic’s audi-ence is lead around the hill by rope.

“I wanted to reverse the idea of where theaudience usually is, which is above the areaand watch(ing) down at the dance,” said Petry.“What better than a hill. In a bowl, like thishill’s (valley), the audience is down andaround the performance.”

Andrea Pittner and Rachel Wagner, bothdance students and Water Logic performers,have appreciated the opportunities off-sitedancing can bring to a dancer.

“I am taking more risk now with all of mymovement,” said Pittner.

“The sites are all over,” said Petry. Locationsinclude the corner of Green and Wright streetsin Champaign, Orchard Downs Hill, theKrannert Center for the Performing Arts inUrbana and a lone country house on NorthMarket Street in Champaign.

The subject and performance stylevaries greatly too. Petry’s Water Logic isaccompanied by the live music of compos-er and musician John Toenjes, while Ray’sperformance relies on pre-recorded

instrumental music.Movements d i ffer,

polarizing from “awk-wardly elegant jaunts” toChien’s “leaning, reach-ing, turning and push-ing” in Green and Wrightstreets’ bustle.

“Different actions cancreate different percep-tions,” said Tyler.

Ray’s performance,Demanding Company, on Nov. 8, was minimalcompared to Petry’s Water Logic.

Two performers sprout from behind alone tree in the backyard of the countryhouse, the twinkling of Prospect Avenue’sstrip mall sprawl uninhibited by theempty corn field surrounding 3113 N.Market St., Champaign.

The performers, Regan Kinder and KateMcIlvain, were “bumbling around the holes ofresident groundhogs.”

Dance comes alive in the outdoors

I wanted to reverse the idea of where the audience

usually is, which is above the area and watch(ing) down

at the dance. Nic Petry, dance student

[ [

In this style of dance, dancers use the outside astheir theater.

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19buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | RITA MORENO WAS A VERY ATTRACTIVE NUN ON HBO. film & tv

CAT IN THE HAT(PG) (3 SCREENS)Fri. & Sat. 1:00 1:15 1:30 3:003:15 3:30 5:00 5:15 5:30 7:007:15 7:30 9:00 9:15 9:30 11:0011:15 11:30Sun. - Thu. 1:00 1:15 1:30 3:003:15 3:30 5:00 5:15 5:30 7:007:15 7:30 9:00 9:15 9:30THE HUMAN STAIN (R) Fri. &Sat. 12:45 3:00 5:15 7:30 9:4512:00Sun. - Thu. 12:45 3:00 5:15 7:309:45GOTHIKA (R) Fri. & Sat. 1:303:30 5:30 7:30 9:30 11:30Sun. - Thu. 1:30 3:30 5:30 7:309:30BROTHER BEAR(G) Fri. & Sat.1:00 3:00 5:00 7:00 9:00 11:00Sun. - Thu. 1:00 3:00 5:00 7:009:00ELF (PG) Fri. & Sat.(2 SCREENS)1:00 1:30 3:00 3:30 5:00 5:307:00 7:30 9:00 9:30 11:00 11:30Sun. - Thu. 1:00 1:30 3:00 3:305:00 5:30 7:00 7:30 9:00 9:30LOONEY TUNES (PG) Fri. &Sat. 1:10 3:10 5:10 7:10 9:1011:10Sun. - Tue. 1:10 3:10 5:10 7:109:10Wed. & Thu. 1:10 3:10 5:10LOVE ACTUALLY (R) Fri. &Sat. 12:45 4:00 7:00 9:40 12:15Sun. - Thu. 12:45 4:00 7:00 9:40MASTER & COMMANDER(PG–13)

Fri. & Sat. 12:45 1:15(2 SCREENS)3:45 4:15 6:45 7:15 9:30 10:0012:10Sun. - Thu. 12:45 1:15 3:45 4:156:45 7:15 9:30 10:00

MYSTIC RIVER (R) Fri. - Tue.1:30 7:15RADIO (PG) Fri. & Sat. 4:009:45 12:00Sun. - Tue. 4:00 9:45SCARY MOVIE 3 (PG–13) Fri.& Sat. 1:10 3:00 5:00 7:10 9:0011:00Sun. - Tue. 1:10 3:00 5:00 7:109:00SCHOOL OF ROCK (PG–13)Fri. & Sat. 1:00 3:10 5:30 7:409:50 12:00Sun. - Tue. 1:00 3:10 5:30 7:409:50! MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (R)

Fri. & Sat. 12:45 1:15(2 SCREENS)4:00 4:30 7:00 7:30 9:35 10:0512:10Sun. - Tue. 12:45 1:15 4:00 4:307:00 7:30 9:35 10:05Wed. & Thu. 1:15 4:30 7:007:30 9:35 10:05

SHATTERED GLASS (PG–13)Fri. & Sat. 1:10 3:10 5:20 7:309:45 12:00Sun. - Thu. 1:10 3:10 5:20 7:309:45BAD SANTA (R) Wed. & Thu.12:50 3:00 5:00 7:00 9:00HAUNTED MANSION (PG)Wed. & Thu. 1:15 3:15 5:157:15 9:15!THE MISSING (R) Wed. 1:204:00 7:05 9:40Thu. 1:20 4:00 7:05 9:40TIMELINE (PG–13) Wed. &Thu. 1:00 4:45 7:15 9:40

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THE CAT IN THE HAT (PG) 3 PRINTS / 3 SCREENS(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, 11:40STADIUM SEATING 12:40, 2:35, 4:30, 6:45, 8:40 FRI/SAT LS 10:45 GOTHIKA (R) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS1:10, 3:15, 5:20, 7:25, 9:30 FRI/SAT LS 11:35STADIUM 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, 9:40STADIUM 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 12:10MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (R) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 7:20, 10:00 STADIUM SEATING 1:20, 4:00, 6:40, 9:40ELF (PG) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 12:50, 3:05, 5:10, 7:15STADIUM SEATING 1:10, 3:25, 5:30, 7:35, 9:40 FRI/SAT LS 11:45BROTHER BEAR (G)1:45, 3:40, 5:45, 7:30, 9:25 FRI/SAT LS 11:20MYSTIC RIVER (R) 9:35LOVE ACTUALLY (R) (SAT/SUN 11:00) 1:40, 4:15, 6:50, 9:25 FRI/SAT LS 12:00SCARY MOVIE 3 (PG-13) 7:45, 9:45 FRI/SAT LS 11:45RADIO (PG) 1:00, 3:10, 5:20THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (R) 9:20 FRI/SAT LS 11:20

BY SYD SLOBODNIK | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For more than two decades, John Sayles hasbeen one of the most independent creativewriters/directors working in the U.S. filmindustry, and without a doubt, he has createdsome of the most fascinating characters andsocial situations in his film stories. His latestfilm, Casa de los Babys, is a unique look at moth-erhood, the circumstances of wealthy womenwho can afford to have children but cannot nat-urally and the circumstances of poor womenwho can’t afford to have the children they can-not seem to help having.

Sayles’ story is another of his trademarkensemble pieces, an intriguing narrativeinvolving numerous people whose livesbecome interconnected through the main con-cern of the film’s story. Casa de los Babys focuseson six middle-class American women who arestuck in limbo in an unidentified SouthAmerican city, waiting for the bureaucraticadoption procedures to clear their personalmiseries and send them home to the UnitedStates as new moms.

Sayles’ tale develops with the steady butcasual pace of a well-crafted stage play. In asmall resort hotel we meet the film’s six maincharacters: Leslie, a no-nonsense, free-speakingNew Yorker (Lili Taylor); Gayle, a middle-agedrecovering alcoholic (Mary Steenburgen); Nan,

whose arrogance and strong will to get herchild puts off most everyone in the story(Marcia Gay Harden) ; Skipper, an obsessedathletic blonde who has experienced the loss ofthree children (Darryl Hannah); Jennifer, awealthy younger gal from Washington, D.C.(Maggie Gyllenhaal); and Eileen, possibly thewoman most in genuine need of a baby, an IrishCatholic Bostonian (Susan Lynch).

Through many conversations, we learn howimportant being a mother is for each womanand how past attempts at conception, miscar-riages or other difficulties have caused them tochoose adoption.

Interwoven in Sayles’ main tale are paralleldramas of those connected to the amazing lifecycle the six main characters want so passion-ately to participate in: Senora Munoz, thesleazy proprietress of the baby adoption busi-ness and hotel (played with much relish by vet-eran Rita Moreno); a band of orphaned streeturchins who beg, steal and dodge troubles onthe mean streets of the city; several youngLatinas who work as maids in the hotel; a cou-ple of those womens’ boyfriends; and otheryoung locals with dreams of greater happiness.Sayles shows with touches of irony how impor-tant motherhood is, how many women longwith great passion to nurture young lives andyet how neglected many young children are inThird World countries, where the wealth of theUnited States can only provide some selectlucky ones with an opportunity for a comfort-able lifestyle.

Sayles’ film, though, is not tackling thesemajor social issues on any grand scale. In fact,some might think this 95-minute film is a ratherslight effort that barely gets off the groundbefore it resolves itself to a rather abrupt senseof closure, while other stains of its story are leftunfulfilled. But this isn’t a complex and plottednarrative; it’s more a slice of life.

Where Sayles’ is most skilled in Casa de losBabys is in exploring the feelings and emotionsof his main characters. All six female leads giveoutstanding and subtle performances withgreat sensitivity to avoiding the cliched man-ners of desperate women longing for mother-hood. Lili Taylor is tough and unsentimental;Steenburgen is her usual soft Southern sweet-ness, but thinly hides a deeper set of hard-fought troubles. Darryl Hannah has never beenmore natural, unpretentious and completelybelievable. And recent Oscar-winner MarciaGay Harden proves once again why she is oneof the most quietly powerful actresses workingin Hollywood today. Gyllenhaal and Lynchalso add moments of touching emotions, as thetwo youngest women of the group.

Together with Sayles’ dialogue and engagingcamera technique, these actresses explore manyof the personal, human emotions of womenwith almost the same effectiveness as Swedishdirector Ingmar Bergman did in such films likePersona and Cries and Whispers decades ago.

CASA DE LOSBABYS

moviereview

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BY JENNIFER KEAST | STAFF WRITER

For anyone who has seen Run Lola Run, FOX’snew drama thriller Tru Calling will seem

vaguely familiar. The main character, Tru (Buffythe Vampire Slayer’s Eliza Dushku), witnessedher mother’s murder when she was 12, and atthe funeral her deceased mother speaks to her.No one believes her at the time, of course.

The show is set after Tru’s college gradua-tion, after a day from hell when she loses herhospital internship due to budget cuts, whichwas going to help her get into medical school.Her brother was also beaten for lacking fundsdue at a lost poker game, and she discovers heroldest sister is on cocaine again.

One good thing does happen on this horribleday, though. Tru gets a job on the graveyardshift tagging and preparing bodies at the citymorgue. Little does she know this will end up

being more than she bargained for.Her first night alone in the morgue, she

thinks she hears whispering voices comingfrom the crypt. She locates the drawer wherethe whispering is coming from, she stares at thedead body, and then the dead body quickly(and scarily enough to make viewers jump thefirst time they see it) turns its head and says,“Help me.” And with that, the plot (and Tru) isoff and running.

Each time a new corpse pleads for help, Truwakes up and gets a second chance to live theday over again. During these second chancesshe does everything she can to find out whythese corpses have died and then runs (and lit-erally runs, since she was a track star while incollege) around trying to prevent the deathsfrom occurring.

Tru Calling is a promising new drama that issure to addict viewers if they give it a firstchance. Dushku wonderfully balances thesweetheart, caring side with her tough, I-want-to-change-the-world attitude. Throughout allher adventures she always manages to lookstunning in the latest trends (and even in hermorgue smock).

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

surprises. Just when you think everything isgoing to be OK, the writers throw somethingelse at the viewers. The shocking endings (orrather, the abrupt nonending of the plotline) tothe episodes make one want to tune in for thenext, simply because one wants to know whathappens to the poor people Tru is trying to savefrom death.

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

TRU CALLING | ELIZA DUSHKU

TRU CALLING"""

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Page 7: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

BUGS BUNNY, DAFFY DUCK AND STEVE MARTIN! OH MY! | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz18film & tvfilm & tv

BY ANDREW VECELAS | STAFF WRITER

Few things in Hollywood have been as con-sistent as Looney Tunes; the animated crew

has appeared in so many classic animatedshorts that it’s hard to recall a time when Bugs,Daffy and the rest have disappointed. LooneyTunes: Back in Action, the latest mix of animationand live action from Warner Brothers, comesacross as one of the biggest missteps of theLooney Tunes brand to date. It’s a stunninglybland film that proves that even the most tal-ented people in Hollywood can make mistakes.

In the film, Daffy Duck is fired from the lat-est Warner Brothers movie after he balks aboutplaying second fiddle to Bugs his whole career.He then ends up in the company of DJ Drake(Brendan Fraser), a security guard also firedfrom the studio lot. The two search for DJ’s lostfather (Timothy Dalton), who turns out to be asecret agent. Meanwhile, Bugs and the studioV.P. (Jenna Elfman) realize losing Daffy will bea disaster and set out to bring him back. Theexpectedly off-the-wall plot sends the charac-ters trotting to a number of famous locations on(and off) the globe.

The cast serves as a good indicator of wherethe film goes wrong. Fraser and Elfman give ita good shot but seem bored in most of theirscenes. On the other end of the spectrum, SteveMartin parades around with all his comicmight as the primary villain, but he still comesacross as merely amusing. To have such ablecomic actors as Fraser, Elfman and especiallyMartin fall flat repeatedly really shows howpoorly the movie is scripted. Even Bugs andDaffy produce only a handful of laughs. Withso many gags thrown out at breakneck pace, it’sremarkable that the film produces only theoccasional isolated laughs.

The movie manages one truly inspiredsequence where Elmer Fudd gives chase toDaffy and Bugs through the Louvre. The char-acters jump into and out of famous paintingsand discover what dangers lurk in the surreal-ism of Dali and the pointillism of Seurat.Unfortunately, it’s the only scene that shows agood deal of creativity. The filmmakers clearlywant to show off expensive effects, but theyhaven’t given any thought as to what to dowith them. There’s nothing here to compare tothe genius in the climax of Who Framed RogerRabbit; the action scenes in Looney Tunes: Back inAction are boring even by cartoon standards.

By all means, Joe Dante should have been theright director for the film. With his chapter ofTwilight Zone: The Movie and especially Gremlinsand its sequel, it’s clear that he has a talent forbalancing surreal effects with oddball comedy.But his fascination with throwing in cameosand references to dozens of classic movies

weighs down the film. These may please olderaudience members, but the references will becompletely lost on the film’s core audience.

On paper, Looney Tunes: Back in Action has allthe pieces in place to equal Who Framed RogerRabbit. But on the screen, the film is occasional-ly entertaining, and, in terms of laughs, doesn’teven equal the live-action/animated effort,Space Jam. Hard to believe, but for the first timein memory, the Looney Tunes gang will likelybore adults and children alike.

BY MATT PAIS | LEAD REVIEWER

With his powerful masculin-ity that can shift smoothly

into impassioned sensitivity,Russell Crowe has establishedhimself as the new face ofOscar. His last three majorroles (Proof of Life excluded)

garnered him consecutive Oscar nominationsand a Best Actor prize for Gladiator, arguablythe least respected among his performances inThe Insider and A Beautiful Mind.

Unlike Tom Hanks, whose affectionate affa-bility found him a host of praiseworthy roles asunlikely heroes, Crowe’s gruff bravado placeshim in burlier, majestic films with a more in-your-face dramatic punch.

In Master and Commander: The Far Side of theWorld, Peter Weir’s booming account of early19th-century ocean warfare, Crowe balanceshis insuppressible machismo with the prouddignity of a fearless leader. He plays Captain

“Lucky” Jack Aubrey of the HMS Surprise, anEnglish ship sent to intercept the Acheron, amuch larger and stronger French boat.

Clad in a flowing ponytail and Seinfeld-remi-niscent puffy shirt, Crowe is far from his mus-cular, attention-grabbing turn in L.A.Confidential, but the Australian actor appears noless domineering. His restrained, regal per-formance meshes perfectly with the film—astriking mix of looming battle sequences andearly-modern ideas of global and scientificexploration. Working from Patrick O’Brian’snovels, Weir directs with the placid grace andstrapping ambition of the vessel itself.

As meticulously crafted as any ship in a bot-tle, the Surprise has a distinguished, creakingbeauty that refuses to wither, even as its woodsplinters and men perish from the impact of 18-pound cannonballs.

“This ship is England!” Captain Jack declaresin his climactic, Knute Rockne-esque speech torouse the men for their final battle. And he’sright. The year is 1805, and Britain representsthe lone rebel to Napoleon’s oppressive hold onEurope. The importance of their mission lendsa pressing urgency to the vulnerability of theboat and its crew, who begin to doubt they candefeat the heavier, better-armed Acheron.

But despite its historical theatrics, the filmpacks a genuine wallop of intense, significantentertainment for even those completely apa-thetic toward the chronology of Europeanpower. It examines several complex dynamicsof the relationships between seamen of differ-

ent rank, and doesn’t lose steam when the can-nons are closed. The scenes on the calm, openwater are as expansive and textured as any-thing in Titanic, and when the ocean turnsharsh, Master and Commander becomes a lumi-nous spectacle of rainy realism.

Weir creates tremendously tumultuousscenes in which waves crash and thick sheets ofmist practically blind the crew, transporting theaudience not just to the middle of the surgingsea but back in time to an era of national honorand responsibility.

These men fight to save their country firstand themselves last, and an overall feeling ofheroic dedication sits in the hearts of the hun-dreds of men onboard the Surprise. Young boysare depended upon for large, commandingduties, and many lives are lost for the sake ofthe ship.

Amidst the pervasive violence is Dr. StevenMaturin (A Beautiful Mind’s Paul Bettany), alongtime friend of the captain and the only manon the ship with legitimate medical knowledge.However, the obvious limits of 19th-centurymedicine result in some primitive scenes of thedoctor at work that are as compelling as theyare 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 chantiessung on deck, to the ship’s officials laughingover classic nautical stories at the captain’stable. Yet there remains a spirited, freshwatersparkle that overshadows any sense of salty

familiarity. This is big, boisterous filmmakingthat still manages to glide gently over the upsand downs of the water.

Tackling his most sweeping, extravagantproduction yet, Weir reveals an added flair forbroad, eye-popping cinematic exhibition to hisalready ripe directorial repertoire. Weir buffswill get a kick out of watching the Surprise andremembering the fate that befell Jim Carrey’sship in The Truman Show. While Truman’s aquat-ic-oriented scenes introduced the director’sability to craft stimulating scenes of sea-sweptperil, Master and Commander achieves a farhigher degree of oceanic fanfare. It’s a glorioustale of adventure on the high seas sure to putwind in any landlubber’s sails.

MASTER ANDCOMMANDER

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LOONEY TUNES | JENNA ELFMAN, BRENDAN FRASER

LOONEY TUNES:BACK IN ACTION!!

!!!!

SCREEN REVIEW GUIDE!!!! Flawless!!! Good!! Mediocre! Badno stars Unwatchable

Elf

“It was a good holiday movie.”

!!!

Lynn Albertsen

Gibson City

C-UViews

!!!

Heather Albertsen

Gibson City

!!!!

Chris Barlow

Champaign

“I thought it was funny and cute.”

“A very dark movie with good acting; well

worth seeing.”

Sylvia

#buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26 | NERD DREAMS ARE TAKING OVER MY SUBCONSCIOUS LIFE artsarts 7

For tickets 217/333-6280KrannertCenter.com

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Our Town!!! Thornton Wilder

BY JEFF NELSON | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Thornton Wilder’s Our Town is the quintes-sential American drama, and its worldwide

popularity attests to its extraordinary abilityto capture the essence of what makes ushuman. But it is verydifferent to experi-ence it as a live play.

The words abouthow people live anddie in the fictitioustown of Grover’sCorners, N.H., sud-denly take on a dra-matic life that putsthe audience rightinto another world.

In 1938, Wilder,who had alreadywon a Pulitzer Prizefor literature, wonthe first of twoPulitzer Prizes fordrama with this bare-stage human drama.This seems to be theyear of the PulitzerPrize play in the Chicago area, and now theAmerican Writer’s Theatre in northern subur-ban Glencoe has staged a fine rendition of thisclassic that will remind you why you mustexperience this play as an audience memberand not just read it.

Director William Brown has put together afine cast of Chicago veterans and some cre-ative ideas to pull off this ensemble piece.Using the small space of Glencoe’s Women’sLibrary Club and such bold strokes as using awoman as the narrator/stage manager, Brown

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

Ora Jones’ performance as narrator-stagemanager justifies Brown’s bold touches with aperformance that brings Grover’s Corners intothe modern world with power and dignity. Inthis production, the audience rediscovers whatthis play is all about.

The Wisconsin-born, Yale-educated Wilderlived a very cosmopolitan life in such places asChina, France and the University of Chicago.He is not merely a product of the restrictedworld he writes about.

Yet, it was a world that fascinated him. Herealized that most people didnot have his experience withlife, and that every day wasfilled with strictures thatdefine a person’s place in theworld. On these strictures ofeveryday life, he put a humanface and a human drama, andhe did it brilliantly.

Four years after Our Town,he would win a secondPulitzer Prize for drama withThe Skin of Our Teeth. In thisplay, everyday life is filledwith drama and a constantstruggle for survival. Theextraordinary events dominatelife, yet humanity survives. InOur Town, the ordinary eventsof life generate their owndrama, and humanity perse-veres.

The daily lives of ordinary people are aparable not only for the strictures of everydaylife, but also for its humanity and the dramathat makes us human. Human beings are fasci-nating simply as they are, and Our Townproves it as William Brown’s production reaf-firms it.

The Writer’s Theatre is at 325 Tudor Courtin Glencoe, just north of the Loop on the Lake.The theater can be reached at (847) 242-6000 orwww.writerstheatre.org.

playreview

This historic play still affects audiences.

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Betsy Hammill, an audience member, saidshe enjoyed the performance. The dancereminded her of the fragility of ballet, butin grass.

“Many of us have seen a performances atthe Krannert Center for the Performing Arts,but no one had been out to that farmhousebefore. The dance becomes the whole event offinding the place and standing in the cold,”said Ray. “A new dance, a new experi-ence.”

The final On Location performance, NadiaOussenko’s Sonority Movement, will be at2:35 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, in the FoellingerGreat Hall foyer at the Krannert Center for thePerforming Arts. Admission will be free.

Outsidecontinued from page 6

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

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Page 8: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

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

BY SUZANNE SITRICK | STAFF WRITER

Yuri Sohn was born in Hawaii and grew up inAustralia. He obtained a bachelor’s degree

from the University of Hawaii and then came tothe University of Illinois for graduate school in thefall of 1989, where he received a master’s degree inspeech communication.

Ji Miao is from China. She is a third-year grad-uate student at the University of Illinois, studyingcell and structural biology.

Both Yuri and Ji started dancing when they tooka class taught by the Dancing Illini. Now theyteach for the Dancing Illini. They have also com-peted together in many dance competitions.

How long have you been teaching dance andwhich types of dance have you taught? Isteaching dance your only job?

Yuri: I’ve been teaching for about fouryears. I’ve taught salsa, swing, cha-cha,nightclub two-step, hustle, meringue andbachata. I am currently teaching intermediatesalsa and nightclub two-step for the DancingIllini on Thursday nights with Ji Miao atFreer Gym. I am also independently teachingbeginning, intermediate and advanced salsa,meringue and bachata on Tuesday andFriday nights with Muge Dizen at theMcKinley Foundation. I teach dance part

time. My full-time job is as the head tennisteaching professional for the ChampaignPark District. I teach and run the tennis pro-grams all year round.

Ji: I started teaching dancing about a yearago with Yuri. Teaching dancing is not my job.I am a third-year graduate student in thisUniversity, and my major is cell structuralbiology. This is my third year in the U.S.

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

Yuri: What inspires me to dance is that Ihave a passion for the many elements that gointo partner dancing, which is what I concen-trate on. I enjoyinteracting withthe music. I enjoyt h e a b i l i t y t oe x p r e s s y o u remotions throughm o v e m e n t .I enjoy the com-bination of artand athleticisminvolved in danc-ing. I enjoy theconnection youcan build withyour partnerwhen dancing.Dancing as one with your partner can beincredible. Overall, interacting with yourpartner and the music through movement isvery addictive. I enjoy teaching dancingbecause it provides an opportunity for me toshare my passion. It is a treat to see peopleenjoy and improve their dancing.

Ji: I love the way that dancing is a combina-tion of music, body movement and feeling.You can express your feeling by using your

body according to the music. It’s such a beau-tiful art that I enjoy watching and experienc-ing. I love dancing and at the same time I loveto help those who want to dance. I am reallyhappy to see that what I could show to mystudents makes them appreciate the artof the dancing and helps them gettingbetter in dancing.

How does the music affect you while youdance? How does the style and rhythm ofthe different dance types affect you or yourmood or emotions while you dance? What isyour favorite style of dance?

Yuri: The music certainly is a key in inspir-ing me todance. I enjoyd a n c i n g t om u s i c t h a tmoves me. Thedifferent styleand rhythm ofthe dance typesbring out andconnect w i t hd i f f e r e n tm o o d s a n demotions fromwithin me. I ammost partial toswing (happy

and peppy music) and salsa (passionate andsensual) as far as favorite styles of dance, butI also enjoy many other types of dance. Itdepends on my mood. It can also dictate whatstyle of dance I enjoy most at any particulartime.

Ji: Music definitely is a crucial factor indancing. Some (pieces of) music are cheerfuland happy, some are playful, some are pas-sionate, etc. I like all types of ballroom and

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

Where are the best places in Champaign orUrbana to go dancing? Yuri: Best regular places to go dancing inChampaign are: (for salsa) the Regent onFriday nights and McKinley Foundation onTuesday nights; (for ballroom) the Regent onFriday nights, before salsa; (for swing) theMcKinley Foundation on Thursday nights.

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

Yuri: Dance, and in particular partner danc-ing, allows you to physically interact withgreat music and a partner. I have an apprecia-tion for movement and therefore dance,which is the art of movement. Dance allowsyou to be playful, creative and is just so muchfun. It allows you to feel better, even if youhave had a bad day. To connect with yourpartner through movement while listening togreat music is a wonderful feeling. Dancingplays a huge role in my life. I am drawn todance, teach dance and learn about dance inmy spare time. I am a part of the salsa, swing,ballroom, tango (and other) communities inChampaign-Urbana.

Ji: I have loved dancing since I was young.I love to feel the music; I love to express mypassion through my body movement. Partnerdancing is teamwork; I enjoy the connectionshared with my partner. Dancing plays animportant role in my life. I spend a big part ofmy spare time learning, practicing and teach-ing dancing. It’s hard for me to imagine mylife without dancing.

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

ARTIST CORNER

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The Da Vinci Code !!! By Dan Brown

BY NIK GALLICCHIO | STAFF WRITER

The Da Vinci Code is one of the most talkedabout books in the United States today, top-

ping the New York Times bestseller list forweeks, and it lives up to the hype.

Much of its popularity is due to the wideaudience it appeals to. There’s art history;there’s suspense. There are guns, fancy carsand a smart, yet (supposedly) beautiful,woman. As if that’s not enough, Brown offersengaging tales that describe traditions withinall kinds of faith. The main focus, however, ison Catholic doctrine. Brown relates details ofthe Catholic Church’s past, enabling the read-er to examine the idea of faith.

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

police. The Grail in question is not simply acup; it is a relic wanted by two groups thatactually exist: the Opus Dei (an extremely con-troversial Catholic organization) and thePriory of Sion (a clandestine group that holds asecret able to annihilate tenants of Christianity).Close on the trail of finding this secret are aHarvard art history professor and a Frenchcryptologist. This unlikely pair receives cluesrelating to the Grail’s location, putting them indanger due to the two aforementioned reli-gious sects.

The book has a rich background of religiousknowledge. Brown points out that two millen-nia ago, the people of the world worshippedgods and goddesses, but in today’s society, theemphasis has been placed on gods alone. Hesuggests that the reasons behind this have moreto do with the Catholic faith than one wouldthink. Furthermore, intriguing historical factsare revealed that lead one to think twice aboutreligion. Wherever one’s interests may lie, thefacts in this book are great conversation starters.

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

The fast-paced action makes the novel hardto put down, and the way Brown shows differ-ent viewpoints of all the groups vying for the

Grail makes the adventurecinematic. He jumps fromscene to scene, focusing onOpus Dei for a chapter andthen on the grandmaster ofthe Priory of Sion in thenext. He documents theiractions as they all get clos-er to figuring out the mys-tery of the Grail.

Clues are given to thereader as the characters likewise receive them,which make it easy to connect with the charac-ters’ confusion and frustration when trying tocrack the code. However, the dialogue is some-what forced at times. While relating facts, thespeakers lose finesse and the conversations, attimes, fail to flow smoothly. Moreover, thesuggestion of romance between the Harvardprofessor and the cute foreign cryptologist issomewhat contrived, and their attraction toeach other only appears as an afterthoughtwithin the story.

Yet Brown deserves a nod for addressing the

subject of the Holy Grail, a topic so often dom-inated by the satire of Monty Python. Whileone may go into the novel with an idea of whatthe Holy Grail actually is, the reader will endup completely surprised by the end.

The Da Vinci Code is a refreshing look at reli-gion. In the world today, faiths are changingalong with the times, yet some refuse to altertheir beliefs. Both groups are depicted in thenovel, along with atheists. Brown forces theaudience to rethink the world’s label of “pagan”and suggests examining the facts behind one’sbelief system. In the midst of all the religiousand skeptical rhetoric, there are still high-quali-ty thrills taking place in the background.

Not only is this book worth reading forthe adventure, but also for the differentangles from which it views the world. Evenif the dialogue fails to impress, one can tellthat this story has been informed by exten-sive historical research. The informationabout faith and the facts that surroundhow religion has been manipulatedthroughout the centuries offers incentiveto keep on reading. And if that’s notenough, at least by the end you will dis-cover the secret behind Mona Lisa’s smile.

bookreview

17buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to [email protected] calendar

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this week

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

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

KrannertCenter.com

217/333-6280 or 800/KCPATIX217/333-9714 (TTY) 217/244-SHOW (Fax)217/244-0549 (Groups)[email protected]

Ticket OfficeOpen 10am to 6pm daily; on days of performances open 10am through intermission.

@krannert center

Th Nov 20Wine Tasting5pm, free

Enescu Ensemble7:30pm, $2-$5

Merce CunninghamDance Company7:30pm, $22-$34Talkback: following theshow, freePatron Co-sponsors: Jerald Wray and Dirk MolAnonymousCorporate PlatinumSponsor:

Tu Dec 2UI Jazz Band III7:30pm, $2-$5

We Dec 3Turtle Island StringQuartet: SolsticeCelebration7:30pm, $15-$32Corporate Silver Sponsor:

UI Percussion Ensemble7:30pm, $2-$5

Th Dec 4Wine Tasting5pm, free

UI Jazz Band II7:30pm, $2-$5

Season SponsorsCoporate Season Underwriters

Patron Season Sponsors

CAROLE AND JERRY RINGER

“Anna Pottery: Plagiarism as Art” – Reintroduces Illinois toits greatest potters, the brothers Cornwall and WallaceKirkpatrick, and their Anna Pottery (1859-96). The exhibi-tion focuses on the brothers’ large-scale incised worksthat obsessively reproduce texts from quirky yet mun-dane sources like telephone books and corporate reports.Ahead of its time, the Kirkpatricks’ work is a forerunner tothe outsider art and pop art of today. Anna Pottery:Plagiarism as Art is on view through Jan 4.

“Whistler and Japonisme: Selections from thePermanent Collection” – Marking the 100th anniversaryof James McNeill Whistler’s death, this exhibition high-lights his works on paper and examines the influence thatJapanese woodcuts had on his artistic technique. On dis-play at the Krannert Art Museum through March 28, 2004.500 E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm, Sun 2-5pm. 333-1860. Suggested Donation: $3

“Faculty Art Exhibition” – Features the newest work bycurrent faculty in the School of Art and Design. This exhi-bition, a major event in the Urbana-Champaign art com-munity, is one of the oldest, continuously-running facultyexhibitions in the country. Recent works of painting, sculp-ture, installation art, photography, glass, graphic designand other media will be on display through Jan 4. Fourfaculty members will give talks about their work at noonon the following Wednesdays: Dec 3, Kevin Hamilton; Dec10, Melissa Pokorny; Dec 17, Gerald Guthrie. 500 EPeabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm

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

Hamlet Q1: The First Quarto 1603 – A shorter, action-packed version of Shakespeare’s play performed with non-traditional gender casting by the University of Illinois NewRevels Players. Performances will be held Sat, Dec 6 at 3pmand 7pm and Sun, Dec 7 at 3pm at the McKinleyFoundations Westminster Hall, 809 S Fifth St, Champaign,Ill. Tickets are $5 at the door. For reservations, [email protected] or call (217) 384-5462.

The Celebration Company at the Station Theatre pres-ents 110 Degrees in the Shade. 110 Degrees in the Shade isa musical with score by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt ofThe Fantastiks fame. It is based on the hit play TheRainmaker by N. Richard Nash, who also wrote the book forthis show. All rights to this show are administered by Tams-Whitmark Music Library, Inc. The Celebration Companyproduction of 110 in the Shade at the Station Theatre willbe directed by Jim Dobbs and Music directed by DebraMyers Dobbs. Show dates will be from: Nov 19 throughSun, Nov 23. Wed, Nov 26, CLOSED Thanksgiving Day (Nov27). Fri, Nov 28 through Sun, Nov 30. Wed, Dec 3 throughSat, Dec 6. All shows are at 8pm. Call (217) 384-4000 forreservations. 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 placeone fateful night in a London hotel, as a ConservativeGovernment Member of Parliament attempts to have anaffair with a secretary of the Opposition. Filled with an oddassortment of characters including a conniving waiter, asuspicious hotel manager, an alert private detective, anangry wife, a furious husband, a bungling secretary, anunconscious nurse and a dead body, nothing is going togo as planned. Performances are Dec 3, 4, 5, 6 at 8pm andDec 6 and 7 at 3pm. General admission tickets are $8 foradults; student and senior tickets are $5. Call (217) 351-2528 for tickets and information or e-mail [email protected].

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

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

Zen Sitting, 10am; Full Schedule: Service at 9 followed bysitting, Dharma Talk at 11 followed by tea until about 12noon. Can arrive at any of above times, open to all, noexperience needed, no cost. For info call 355-8835 orwww.prairiezen.org

Prairie Sangha for Mindfullness Meditation – Mondayevenings from 7:30-9pm and monthly retreats onSunday. Theravadan (Vipassana) and Tibetan (Vjrayana &Dzogchen) meditation practice. Meets in Urbana. Moreinformation call or email Tom at 356-7413 [email protected]. www.prairiesangha.org

Clear Sky Zen Group – Meets on Thursday evenings in theGeneva Room of the McKinley Foundation. Newcomersto meditation and people of all traditions and faiths arewelcome – McKinley Foundation, 809 S Fifth St, 6:25-9pm

Formerly-Fat Persons’ Support Group – Free social meet-ing every Saturday at 2pm at Aroma Cafe, 118 N Neil St, C.For more information contact Jessica Watson at 353-4934.

Loose Womyn Discussion Section (discussion topics areloose, the women need not be ) – Dec 18, 7pm, we’ll dis-cuss the book Not Your Mothers’ Midlife by Marilyn Kentzand Nancy Alspaugh. Borders Bookstore, 802 TownCenter Blvd, Champaign (217) 351-9011

Loose Womyn Discussion Section – (discussion topics areloose, the women need not be) – Nov 20 we’ll discuss thebook The Right Questions by Debbie Ford. BordersBookstore, 802 Town Center Blvd, Champaign (217) 351-9011.

Simplicity Discussion Group – Dec 4, 7pm, we’ll discussthe 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 visualimages, a method of connecting with your intuition, atool for visualizing your dreams or goals. Come explorelife mapping—approaches, uses, and the opportunity tocreate your own life map. 9:15am-1:00pm on Sat, Dec 6 atMcKinley Foundation, C. $45. To register or for informa-tion, contact Jo Pauly, MSW, Whole Life Coach at (217)337-7823 or [email protected]

Baby Time – Nov 20 – Bring your baby for nursery rhymes,music activities, and play time for little ones. Registrationis not required – Douglass Branch Library, 10:30-11am

Thursday Arts and Crafts For Kids – Nov 20 – For elemen-tary school-age children. No registration – DouglassBranch Library, 4-5pm

Family Reading Night – Nov 20 – Community celebritieswill read out loud as part of a statewide celebrationplanned by the Illinois State Library. No registration –Champaign Public Library, 6:30-8pm

Girls, Girls, Girls – Nov 21 – Games, crafts and reading timefor girls in kindergarten to fifth grade. No registration –Douglass Branch Library, 4-5pm

Storyshop – Nov 26 – Preschoolers with a parent or schoolgroup will enjoy weekly stories and activities.Registration is not required – Champaign Public Library,9:30-10am

ON STAGE LISTINGS

KIDS AND FAMILIES

MIND BODY SPIRIT

F O U R S O M E P A R AB A R K E E P E R S I R E DI N B E T W E E N K N E A DO B I R E N T S A B O D EM E T I E R S S T A L I NE L E N A H O M E L A N DS T R E T C H O N E S L E G S

E A S E LP R E M E D I T A T E D A C TR E N E G E R S M O I R EO S C A R S N E U T R O NP H O N E P R O W L L O SH A D I T R I D E A B I K EE P E E S O V E R T O N E ST E S S T A S S E L E D

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16 WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to [email protected] | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzzcalendar

Aroma Cafe – “Micrograms: Photos and Collage” by RohnKoester on display through Dec 14. 118 N Neil

Boneyard Pottery – Ceramic Art by Michael Schwegmannand more. 403 Water St, Champaign. Tue-Sat 11am-5pm.355-5610.

Broken Oak Gallery – Local and national artists. Original artincluding photography, watercolors, pottery, oil paintings,colored pencil, woodturning and more. Refreshmentsserved 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 manyUniversity of Illinois and Parkland College faculty mem-bers. 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 paintingsand drawings by Shoshanna Bauer, Audrey Martin andJennifer Martin, Jeannine Bestoso and an evolving displayof recent student works in ceramics, paintings and draw-ings. For information, contact Jeannine Bestoso. 1102 EWashington St., Urbana. Mon-Fri 3-5:30pm, Sat 1-4pm andscheduled studio sessions. 344-6955. www.creationartstu-dios.com

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

Framer’s Market – Frame Designers since 1981. Ongoingwork from local artists on display. 807 W Springfield Ave,Champaign. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat 10am-4pm. 351-7020.

Furniture Lounge – Collection of fine art photographicimages by local artisan Glenn Harriger on display Nov 24-Dec 24. Also specializing in mid-century modern furniturefrom the 1920s-1980s, retro, Danish modern, lighting, vin-tage stereo equipment and vinyl records. 9 E University,Champaign. 352-5150. Sun-Mon 12-4:30pm, Wed-Sat11am-5:30pm.

Glass FX – New and antique stained glass windows, lamps,and unique glass gifts. Gallery is free and open to the pub-lic. Interested in learning the art of Stained Glass?Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Stained GlassClasses offered. 202 S First St, Champaign. Mon-Thu 10am-5:30pm, Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 9am-4pm. 359-0048.www.glassfx.com.

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

Gallery Virtu Cooperative – Original works by the nineartist-owners: jewelry, pottery, paintings, collages, hats,handbags and other textiles, sculptures and journals. TheGallery also offers workshops. 220 W. Washington St,Monticello. 762-7790. Thu 12-4pm, Fri 12-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm. www.galleryvirtu.org

Hill Street Gallery Inc. – Oil and watercolor paintings, handpainted T-shirts, handmade jewelry. 703 W Hill,Champaign. Sat 12-5pm or by appointment during theweek. 359-0675.

International Galleries – Works from local artists includingquilts by Nancy Summers, oil paintings by DeborahLightfield and “Abandoned Dreams,” paintings by JimGolaszewski on display through Dec 2. Lincoln SquareMall. Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12-5pm. 328-2254.

Larry Kanfer Gallery – University of Illinois images by pho-tographic artist Larry Kanfer. Unique diploma frames andother UI gifts. Sepia Champaign-Urbana Collection also ondisplay. Available now: 2004 Prairiescapes and Universityof Illinois calendars. 2503 S Neil, Champaign. Free andOpen to the Public. Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm. 398-2000.www.kanfer.com

LaPayne Photography – Specializes in panoramic photog-raphy up to 6 feet long of different subjects includingsporting events, city skylines, national parks and Universityof Illinois scenes. 816 Dennison Dr, Champaign. Mon-Fri9am-4pm and by appointment. 356-8994.

Old Vic Art Gallery – Fine and original art, hand signed lim-ited edition prints, works by local artists, art restoration,custom framing, and periodic shows by local artists. 11 EUniversity, Champaign. Mon-Thu 11am-5:30pm, Sat 11am-4:30pm. 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

Verde Gallery & Verdant News and Coffee – Magazines,newspapers, coffee, beverages and fine pastries alongwith the Verde Fine Art Gallery. 17 E Taylor St, Champaign.Cafe hours: Mon-Sat 7am-10 pm; Gallery Hours: Tue-Sat10am-10pm. 366-3204. www.verdant-systems.com/Verde.htm

Ziemer Gallery – Original paintings and limited editionprints by Larry Ziemer. Pottery, weavings, wood turningand glass works by other artists. Gallery visitors are wel-come to sit, relax, listen to the music and just enjoy beingsurrounded by art. 210 W Washington, Monticello. Tue10am-8pm, Wed-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm. 762-9786.www.ziemergallery.com

“Nevertheless: That’s Our Guarantee!” – Solo exhibitfocusing on graphic design by local artist John Havlik ondisplay through Dec 12. Show will display works demon-strating Havlik’s ability to visually respond to a wide rangeof artistic presentations and a series of pieces created todemonstrate the range of products a graphic designer isinvolved with. With tongue-in-cheek humor, Havlik pro-vides an insider’s look at the graphic designprofession.Visit www.nevertheless-guaranteed.com for a peek at thisexhibit. 115 E University, Champaign. Mon-Fri 10am-3pmand 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 Gallerypresents color and black and white photography fromUIUC students. On display through Dec 2. 1401 W Green,Urbana. Open Everyday 7am-10pm.

The Middle Room Gallery – Digital prints and mixed mediafrom UIUC graphic design student Jessica Mullen on dis-play through November. 218 W Main St, Urbana.http://www.gallery.ucimc.org/

“E-Motion2: Our Reality as Seen and Unseen” – A uniquedance/technology installation in which programmer BenSchaeffer, choreographer Luc Vanier, and composerBradford Blackburn come together through motion cap-ture technology to create an alternate version of reality.On display at the Krannert Art Museum through Jan 4. 500E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm,Sun 2-5pm. 333-1860. Suggested Donation: $3

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ART GALLERIES AND EXHIBITS

buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | LEAVE IT TO LORENZO GOETZ TO START A METALLICA MOSH PIT 9musicmusic

Premium blendsBY BRIAN MERTZ | MUSIC EDITOR

In front of a subdued Sunday night crowdof about 20 people, Matthis Helmick, betterknown to some as Otter, calmly takes a Bjorkrecord and speeds it up on one turntable tomatch a hip-hop beat on his other deck whilestill keeping the Icelandic singer’s voice recog-nizable. It is a wonder to watch for anyonewho has tried their hand at spinning on vinyl.

Throughout the rest of the evening Helmickwill blend together tunes from A Tribe CalledQuest, Slum Village, The Beatles, Radiohead,Pole and a scratched up voice that an attentivelistener would swear is Eric Cartman.

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

Blends by Otter is once again a weekly fea-ture in Champaign-Urbana. Helmick spinsevery Sunday night at Cowboy Monkey when aband is not playing.

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

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

album covers of his mother’s record collection;his path to becoming one of Champaign’s topDJs began by observing an acid-jazz DJ at a clubcalled Theckla in Olympia.

“(The acid-jazz DJ) moved away and gaveme his night with no knowledge of DJing orhow to work a crossfader. I had one turntableand I was going to Seattle every now and thento buy hip-hop 12-inches to play at home with-out even thinking about DJing,” Helmick said.

Over time, Helmick honed his skills, playingunderground hip-hop sets at the club, and play-ing elsewhere around Olympia.

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

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

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

As Helmick stood in his apartment, picking

through shelf after shelf of records, a few hoursbefore he performed at Cowboy Monkey, hedescribed his philosophy for choosing records.

“There is always stuff I want to hear everyweek,” Helmick said. “I like to thumb throughand touch every record. I’ll find something likethis Del record from three years ago and I thinkI only played it twice back then and I’ll want tobring that. I might not even remember what itsounds like.”

Helmick owns enough records to play fordays, but he usually only brings two cratesworth of vinyl to Cowboy Monkey.

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

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

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

Once Helmick’s records are packed in his twocrates, reading his crowd can become an adven-ture for Helmick and anyone in the audience.

“I’ll see some freaks walk in the door, and Ibet they’ve never seen anyone scratch. They’resome friends of friends of friends so I knowwhy they’re there. But I see them and I’ll play ahouse record and scratch over it,” Helmick said.

“But before I scratch it, I’m going to playsome Billie Holiday so that they know it is BillieHoliday and then I’m going to catch her voiceand start. They are going to go home and basi-cally know that ‘that guy scratched BillieHoliday over something.’ They might not evenknow what house music is called.”

Not every crowd has been as appreciative ofOtter’s sound as crowds at The Brass Rail orCowboy Monkey.

“I would try that sound at other bars andpeople would look at me like ‘what is this guydoing?,’” Helmick said. “They’d ask ‘you gotthe new Jay Z?’”

Attendance hasn’t been large yet on Sundaynights at Cowboy Monkey. But Otter prefersSunday evenings for his style.

“I just don’t like the weekend crowd. I like todrink with them maybe, but not entertain them.And props to the people who entertain thembecause they do it very well,” Helmick said. “30or 40 people make me smile and that’s great.That’s what it is about.”

Helmick first experienced success with hissound several years ago.

“The Brass Rail is where it really happened. Ihad expressive freedom there. And that iswhere it would come together for what I want-ed to do.”

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

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

“Some hip-hop kids showed up, and theyhung out with these indie rock kids. Then thereare going to be the ones who just turned 21 andhave never been to a bar and have never seen aDJ. And I’m going to have something for all ofthem. And that’s what I like.”

Helmick also plays from time to time in a triocalled DMS meets Kneelinghorse meets TheOtter, but being a rock star or a superstar DJisn’t necessarily his major goal.

“I am more interested in making beats now,”Helmick said. “I’m almost in my mid-30s. I’mnot going to send demos out and try to be a star.My ultimate scenario would (be to) make someoff-the-wall beats and have people to get into it.”

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

“Anyone can DJ,” Helmick said. “I’m notknocking anyone who DJs, but anyone whotakes themselves too seriously I’m knocking.The person you just smirked at could take twomonths and learn to do what you just did.”

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

As Otter scratches out a vocal snippet fromThe Beatles’ “Good Day Sunshine” that vibeand a whole lot more comes through.

Otter drops his eclectic beats at Cowboy Monkey on Sunday nights

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.

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Page 10: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

RYAN ADAMSRock N RollLost Highway Records

Zero stars

BY LOGAN MOORE

Ryan Adams’ first solo out-ing, Heartbreaker, was, for

me, an album that every music lover can recall. That albumthat defines those apocalyptic relationships of your lateteens, conjuring up images of adolescent longing, drunkeninfidelities and the sort of sexual attraction that can only beborn of extreme loneliness and a certain romantic inexperi-ence. So, for a time, I really liked Ryan Adams. I say this not ina moment of self-indulgent revelation but in defense of thereview 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 fanof Heartbreaker, and even a good third of Gold. I will not,however, back off from my opinion that for quite some timenow my one-time co-conspirator of misery has seemedmore obsessed with portraying the role of tortured genius,attempting to measure up to his musical heroes, and nailingevery doe-eyed model and actress in New York, than actual-ly making any music of value. Rock N Roll is the natural resultof a once promising singer/songwriter (and how many ofthose do we get nowadays) descending into cliched, softrock crap.

In his band Whiskeytown and on Heartbreaker, Adamswas always on the verge of the sort of emotional honestythat borders on the embarrassing, which is what makesevery good singer/songwriter so inherently exhilarating. Itwas the sort of album you could cry to without feeling tooguilty about it. Rock N Roll is an album that makes you wantto cry for all the wrong reasons. Adams apparently lives anddies by the fawning, vaguely homoerotic praise that hasbeen thrown at him by the British music press and is, onceagain, attempting to canonize himself alongside the greatsof rock ‘n’ roll to whom he is frequently compared. What heends up with is the musical equivalent of making a drunkenpass at your friend’s mother. Everyone knows you’re nevergoing to succeed and you look like an asshole in the process.

My god, is this album bad. Most of the songs bleedtogether in a bland summation of every horrid bar bandyou’ve ever heard. It’s getting to the point where a pressconference in which Adams peels away his face to reveal, ala Scooby-Doo, that it was really just Bob Seger attempting acomeback all along doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Most ofthe album attempts for a halfway between the Ramonesand the Replacements and ends up at a hellish combo oflatter day Aerosmith and Kiss (which, if anybody was won-dering, is not a compliment). However, the music is comple-mented almost too well by the lyrics. This guy used to beable to write a drunken, plain-faced love song that reallytugged at the heartstrings.

On Rock N Roll he literally sounds like a Saturday Night Liveparody of himself.Take, for instance,“Wish You Were Here,” inwhich 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 myway / We’d take some drugs / And we’d smile.” Trent Reznorhas gotten deeper into the psyche of the broken-heartedmale than that; shit, John Denver probably has. Oh, and let’snot forget the falsetto that he employs on several of thesongs here, most notably “So Alive,” which culminates in achorus of, I kid you not,“I am on your side / And so alive / Soalive it isn’t real.” In some sort of half-assed effort at ThomYorke or Bono, Adams sounds uncannily like me when I’mdoing my impression of Journey’s Steve Perry.

I find it somewhat ironic that, much like the failed rela-tionship that began my involvement with Ryan Adams, myappreciation of him has ended in the same way: disappoint-ment, bewilderment at how things have gotten this bad andembarrassment that I was ever enthused in the first place.

MARK FARINAAir FarinaOm Records

!!!

BY BRIAN MERTZ

San Francisco producerand DJ Mark Farina is bestknown amongst house and

lounge fans for his Mushroom Jazz mix albums. Each of hisMushroom Jazz albums has been an eclectic and thoroughlyentertaining mix of hip hop, downtempo, dub and housetracks of Farina’s own creation as well as absolute gems fromother artists.

Air Farina sees the short in stature but tall in talent Farinagoing down the same musical paths that are typical for theMushroom Jazz series and the Om label in general. This timearound, the tracks are solely Farina’s own creations. Well, sortof. He still brings in fellow deep house gurus Lance Desardiand Kaskade to contribute their talents to two of the moredanceable tracks on the album,“Leaving SF”and “To Do.”Andfor a slightly crazy take on the underground West Coast hip-hop sound, fellow Golden-staters The People Under TheStairs add their rhymes to the song “Travel.”

The entire album follows the theme of flying.There are atleast six interludes throughout Air Farina that feature record-ings of tower discussions with airplanes in flight as well asdeparture schedules and weather reports.

The airline theme is good idea and shows an artist’s devo-tion to making an album instead of just a hodgepodge ofsongs. The devotion to making an album that works fromstart to finish is commendable, but the airline structuresometimes hinders Farina’s mix.

Just when the listener is finally getting into one of Farina’strademark house grooves with the song “Talk to Me,” Farinabreaks up the mix and slows down the momentum of thealbum by dropping in a “Layover” interlude that is nothingbut a 1950s sounding vocal lecture about lost aircrafts.Unfortunately for Farina, the aircraft and the listener are bothlost on the awkward and abrupt break in the groove.

Ask anyone who has traveled across the country andthey’ll tell you that a direct flight is almost always preferableto one with lots of flight changes and layovers. Farina shouldtake note of that fact for his next release.While his individualtunes are just as amazing as anyone who has followed hiscareer would expect them to be, there is something missingfrom this album compared to his Mushroom Jazz mixes.

That missing element is the groove and the vibe thatFarina is such a master of creating with very different ele-ments. Just when something good gets going, Farina stops itand turns his musical sights in another direction. And thatfeeling of turbulence in terms of mood obscures even someof the best tracks on this album.

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

JONNY LANGLong Time ComingA&M Records

!

BY JACOB DITTMER

It certainly has been a“long time” since Langreleased an album. His 1998

album, Wander this World, was met with a decent amount ofcritical and commercial success as Lang found himself open-ing for the Rolling Stones that year. Everyone was in such anuproar over this 17-year-old blues guitarist that he was saidto 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 histeenage years made him a favorite in the music media.Releasing his first major label album, Lie to Me, at 16 and sell-ing thousands of records was an impressive feat that madehim quickly put out Wander this World with the hit single“Still Rainin’” the following year. Fast-forward five years to2003. Music fads and pop sensations like *NSync have comeand gone; we lost the Spice Girls somewhere around 1998and Britney has gone from cute schoolgirl to Esquire’s andRolling 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 hissound and traveled to new realms of blues, or to achieve aneven larger level of greatness like Stevie Ray Vaughn. Langdid try a new sound with Long Time Coming, but it is defi-nitely a step backward from its predecessor. The liner notesreveal the huge number of personnel that went into mak-ing this album. Every song has numerous credits with vari-

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

CDRe

views

15buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to [email protected] calendar

contemporary clothing, accesories, jewelry & shoes

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Starting November 15, 2003 the season will continue through

December 27, 2003.

Make this event a holidaytradition for your family

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For More InformationCall (217) 344-3872

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Spurlock Museum600 S Gregory, Urbana, 333.2360The Station Theatre223 N. Broadway, Urbana, 384-4000Strawberry Fields Cafe306 W Springfield, Urbana, 328.1655Ten Thousand Villages105 N Walnut, Champaign, 352.8938TK Wendl’s1901 S Highcross Rd, Urbana, 255.5328Tommy G’s123 S. Mattis Ave, Country Fair Shopping Center, 359.2177Tonic619 S Wright, Champaign, 356.6768Two Main2 Main, Champaign, 359.3148University YMCA1001 S Wright, Champaign, 344.0721Verde/Verdant17 E Taylor St, Champaign, 366.3204Virginia Theatre203 W Park Ave, Champaign, 356.9053White Horse Inn112 1/2 E Green, Champaign, 352.5945Zorba’s

627 E Green, Champaign

CHICAGOSHOWSNOVEMBER11/20 Jonny Lang @ House of Blues11/21 Anti-Flag, Rise Against @ Metro11/21 Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Abbey Pub11/22 Guided By Voices @ Abbey Pub11/22 Cash Brothers @ Schubas11/22 Tom Jones @ House of Blues11/22 Alabama @ Allstate Arena11/23 Guided By Voices @ Abbey Pub11/23 Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs! @ Metro11/23 Tom Jones @ House of Blues11/24 Symphony X @ Metro11/25 Jaguars @ House of Blues11/25 Mindless Self Indulgence @ Metro11/26 Mindless Self Indulgence @ Metro11/24 Obie Trice @ House of Blues11/26 OK Go @ Abbey Pub 11/28 Bollweevils @ Metro, all ages

11/28 Buzzcocks @ Double Door11/28 Tortoise @ Abbey Pub11/29 Rocket from the Tombs @ Abbey Pub11/29 Asylum Street Pranksters @ Schubas11/30 Something Corporate @ House of Blues

DECEMBER12/2 Living Colour @ Park West12/5 Donna The Buffalo @ Martyr’s12/5 They Might Be Giants @ Vic, all ages12/6 Autumn Defense @ Schubas12/6 Rufus Wainwright @ Vic, all ages12/6 Blank Theory @ Metro12/7 Hey Mercedes @ Metro12/8 Fun Lovin’ Criminals @ Double Door12/9 Wayne Wonder @ House of Blues12/11 Kurtis Blow, Rob Base @ Double Door12/12 Coheed & Cambria @ House of Blues12/12 Aquabats @ Metro, all ages12/12 Atmosphere, Mr. Dibbs, Others @ Abbey Pub, 18 & over12/12 Neko Case @ Old Town School of Music12/13 Ryan Adams @ Riviera12/13 Wyclef John, Baby Bash @ House of Blues12/13 Death in June @ Empty Bottle12/19 Beyonce, Bow Wow @ United Center12/19 Dwele, Slum Village @ Metro12/19 Los Straitjackets @ Abbey Pub 12/31 Aretha Franklin @ Chicago Theater12/31 Flaming Lips, White Stripes @ Aragon Ballroom12/31 Guster @ House of Blues

CHICAGOVENUESHouse of Blues 329 N Dearborn, Chicago, 312.923.2000The Bottom Lounge 3206 N Wilton, ChicagoCongress Theatre2135 N Milwaukee, 312.923.2000Vic Theatre

3145 N Sheffield, Chicago, 773.472.0449Metro3730 N Clark St, Chicago, 773.549.0203

Elbo Room2871 N Lincoln Ave, ChicagoPark West 322 W Armitage, Chicago, 773.929.1322Riviera Theatre4746 N Racine at Lawerence, ChicagoAllstate Arena 6920 N Mannheim Rd, Rosemont, 847.635.6601Arie Crown Theatre 2300 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, 312.791.6000UIC Pavilion 1150 W Harrison, Chicago, 312.413.5700Schubas 3159 N Southport, Chicago, 773.525.2508Martyrs 3855 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, 773.288.4545Aragon 1106 W Lawerence, Chicago, 773.561.9500Abbey Pub3420 W Grace, Chicago, 773.478.4408Fireside Bowl 2646 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, 773.486.2700Schubert Theatre 22 W Monroe, Chicago, 312.977.1700

Portraits – Award winning portrait artist Sandra Ahten iscurrently accepting commissions for portraits for holidaygiving. Portraits are priced at an affordable range and pro-fessional exchange or barter may be accepted. For exam-ples of work and a quote, contact Sandra Ahten at (217)367-6345 or [email protected]

Creation Art Studio Art Classes for Children and Adults –All classes offer technical instruction and the explorationof materials through expressive, spontaneous art andexperimentation. Independent studies of personal inter-ests and ideas, dreams, etc. are expressed and developedthrough collage and assemblage art and through draw-ing, painting, sculpture and ceramics. Children meet Mon-Thu 3:30-5pm. Adolescents meet Fri 4-5:30pm. Adultsmeet Wed @ 10am and Sat 1-3pm. Open to beginners andadvanced students. Adult Open Studio meets Tue night7:00 to 9:00. Drop-ins welcome. Come with a friend. Call tomake special arrangements for a group. For more informa-tion contact Jeannine Bestoso at 344 6955. CPDU’s offered.

Studio is located in east Urbana at 1102 E Washington St.www.creationartstudios.com

Join Artists and Workshops at Gallery Virtu – GalleryVirtu, an artist-owned cooperative, now invite applicationsfrom area artists. The Gallery also offers workshops foradults, teens and children in knitting, embroidery, photog-raphy, jewelry making, printmaking, papermaking, book-binding and ribbon flowers. Gallery Virtu offers originalworks by the members including: jewelry, pottery, col-lages, sculptures, journals, hats, handbags and other tex-tiles. For more information please call 762-7790, visit ourwebsite at www.galleryvirtu.org, [email protected] or visit the gallery. Regularhours: Thu 12-4pm, Fri 12-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm. 220 WWashington Street in Monticello.

Art Classes at High Cross Studio – All classes are held atHigh Cross Studio in Urbana. 1101 N High Cross Road. E-mail or call for reservations and details. (217) 367-6345 [email protected]..

“Portrait Paintings with Oils”– This course will provideinstruction in painting portraits from photographs. Paint aportrait of your loved one or yourself. Mon-Fri daytimeclass and weekend workshop offered.

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

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

Other Classes:“Making Monoprints,”“Art WithIntention” (Open Studio). For information on these visithttp://www.spiritofsandra.com and click on “classes,” thene-mail or call for reservations.

ART NOTICES

1120buzz1015 11/19/03 3:27 PM Page 1

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14 WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to [email protected] | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzzcalendar

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

DJ In the Red Room with DJ J-Phlip – Barfly, 9pm, free– The Highdive, 9pm, $5

DJ Orby - Joe’s Brewery, 10 pmDJ Runi, Mathematx, Fury, KRA_Z K – The Highdive, 10pm

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

MUSIC PERFORMANCESEnescu Ensemble – his program features the premieres of

previously unknown virtuoso works for violin by the19th-century composers Lipinski and Mayseder, whowere followers of Paganini – Foellinger Great Hall,Krannert Center, 7:30pm, $2-5

ON STAGEMerce Cunningham Dance Company: 50 Years of

Forward Motion – The celebration looks back to the pio-neering work that Cunningham created in 1985 – NativeGreen with music by John King – Tryon Festival Theatre,Krannert Center, 7:30pm, $22-34

FridayNov21 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) – CafeParadiso, 8pm, $6

Kathy Harden and the King Bees – Iron Post, 9pm, TBA

Superjoint Ritual, Morbid Angel, Devildriver – TheCanopy 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, 5-7pmAmerican Heritage Band – Tommy G’s, 10pm-2am

DJ 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

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

SaturdayNov22 LIVE MUSIC 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, 7-11pmRenegade – Tommy G’s, 10pm-2am

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

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

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

OTHERMarket 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 DJBozak – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, $1

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

MondayNov24 LIVE MUSICDanny Barnes – 2 sets – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $7

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

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

TuesdayNov25 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, freeDrew 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, $2Kilborn Alley – Tommy G’s, 9pm-1am

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

C-UVENUESAssembly HallFirst & Florida, Champaign, 333.5000American Legion Post 24705 W Bloomington Rd, Champaign, 356.5144American Legion Post 71107 N Broadway, Urbana, 367.3121Barfly120 N Neil, Champaign,352.9756Barnes and Noble51 E Marketview, Champaign, 355.2045Boltini Lounge211 N Neil, Champaign, 378.8001Borders Books & Music 802 W Town Ctr, Champaign, 351.9011The Brass Rail15 E University, Champaign, 352.7512Canopy Club (The Garden Grill)708 S Goodwin, Urbana, 367.3140C.O. Daniels608 E Daniel, Champaign, 337.7411Cosmopolitan Club307 E John, Champaign, 367.3079Courtyard CafeIllini Union, 1401 W Green, Urbana, 333.4666Cowboy Monkey6 Taylor St, Champaign, 398.2688Clybourne706 S Sixth, Champaign, 383.1008Curtis Orchard3902 S Duncan Rd, Champaign, 359.5565D.R. Diggers604 S Country Fair Dr, Champaign, 356.0888Embassy Tavern & Grill114 S Race, Urbana, 384.9526Esquire Lounge106 N Walnut, Champaign, 398.5858Fallon’s Ice House703 N Prospect, Champaign, 398.5760Fat City Saloon505 S Chestnut, Champaign, 356.7100The Great Impasta114 W Church, Champaign, 359.7377G.T.’s Western BowlFrancis Dr, Champaign, 359.1678The Highdive51 Main, Champaign, 359.4444Huber’s1312 W Church, Champaign, 352.0606Illinois Disciples Foundation610 E Springfield, Champaign, 352.8721Independent Media Center218 W Main St, Urbana, 344.8820 The Iron Post120 S Race, Urbana, 337.7678Joe’s Brewery706 S Fifth, Champaign, 384.1790Kam’s618 E Daniel, Champaign, 328.1605Krannert Art Museum500 E Peabody, Champaign, 333.1861Krannert Center for Performing Arts500 S Goodwin, Urbana,Tickets: 333.6280, 800/KCPATIXLa Casa Cultural Latina1203 W Nevada, Urbana, 333.4950Lava 1906 W Bradley, Champaign, 352.8714Legends Bar & Grill522 E Green, Champaign, 355.7674Les’s Lounge403 N Coler, Urbana, 328.4000Lincoln Castle209 S Broadway, Urbana, 344.7720Malibu Bay LoungeNorth Route 45, Urbana, 328.7415Mike & Molly’s105 N Market, Champaign, 355.1236Mulligan’s604 N Cunningham, Urbana, 367.5888Murphy’s604 E Green, Champaign, 352.7275Neil Street Pub1505 N Neil, Champaign, 359.1601Boardman’s Art Theater126 W Church, Champaign, 351.0068The Office214 W Main, Urbana, 344.7608Parkland College2400 W Bradley, Champaign, 351.2528Phoenix215 S Neil, Champaign, 355.7866Pia’s of RantoulRoute 136 E, Rantoul, 893.8244Pink HouseRoutes 49 & 150, Ogden, 582.9997The Rainbow Coffeehouse1203 W Green, Urbana, 766.9500Red Herring/Channing-Murray Foundation1209 W Oregon, Urbana, 344.1176Rose Bowl Tavern106 N Race, Urbana, 367.7031Springer Cultural Center301 N Randolph, Champaign, 355.1406

Lorenzo Goetz –blend of funk and rock – Cowboy Monkey, Sunday at 10pm.

11buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | SERIOUSLY. 100 TIMES. music

126 W. Church St. Champaign, IL

BOARDMAN’S THEATRES www.BoardmansTheatres.com1-800-BEST PLACE (800-237-8752) 217/355-0068

eTickets/reserved seats: www.BoardmansArtTheatre.com

Art TheatreWhale RiderRoger Ebert says: “Wonderful and inspirational!...four stars.” PG, runs 98 minutes, scope, presented in HPS-4000/DD.

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

Boardman’s

Step into LiquidNot rated, runs 88 minutes,flat, presented in HPS-4000/DD.Official site w/trailer: http://www.stepintoliquid.com

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

1.“Closer”Nine Inch Nails“I wanna fuck you like an ani-mal.” Yes, that’s the infamousmantra of Nine Inch Nails’“Closer,”which had hundreds ofteenage kids singing alongwith no idea as to what itmeans. The music video alongwith the lyrics themselvesmade hundreds of mothers and

fathers cringe with fear thinking, “what has my child gotteninto?”Although Trent Reznor made an excellent song, it’s safeto say that parents would rather have not heard it.

2.“Baby Beluga”RaffiHow harmful could a children’ssong about a whale really be,especially when it is sung byRaffi, one of the world’s mostbeloved toddler troubadours?Put yourself in a parent’s posi-tion. Your 5-year-old son can’tget 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 fin-ishes. Over and over and over. Some fathers still have night-mares about this children’s tune.

3.“Rape Me”NirvanaThis song’s title gives parentsthe jibblies. Although the songisn’t really about rape, it couldeasily be construed as a misog-ynistic song making motherstake up arms against KurtCobain. But listening to andreading into the song’s truemeaning would make one real-

ize it isn’t a rape song. But what parent is going to do that?

4.“Fight for Your Right”Beastie BoysHigh school wouldn’t be highschool without some angst-filled rebellion. It isn’t surpris-ing that after its release in 1986,many teenagers picked up onthis anthem and made it theirown. Did it ever incite wide-spread rebellion against par-

ents? Probably not. But there is no denying that MCA, AdRock and Mike D’s nasally grating chants and crashing gui-tars made some parents roll their eyes at these mini-coupsfor the right to sneak some beers on the weekend.

5.“Louie Louie”The KingsmenLock your doors, hide yourdaughters, rock ‘n’ roll is com-ing! All right, so the world hasbecome a little more tolerantof rock ‘n’ roll’s excesses(except perhaps the censors atWal-Mart), but back when rockmusic was first born, almostanything could make an over-

protective parent freak out. The “freak-out” factor was multi-plied by 10 when parents couldn’t understand what theirkids were listening to. With its mumbled lyrics that peopleto this day still don’t understand, parents and even the fed-eral government wanted to stop this tune from “corrupting”every kid in the country.

TopFive Songs your parents hated Next week: Top five Beatles songs.What’s Yours? e-mail us at [email protected]

PARASOL RECORDS TOP 10 SELLERS

1. Belle And Sebastian - Step into My OfficeBaby (Rough Trade Records)2. Moonbabies - The Orange Billboard (A HiddenAgenda Record)3. Jeff Kelly - For The Swan In The Hallway (AHidden Agenda Record)4. The Wannadies - Before & After (A HiddenAgenda Record)5. Guided By Voices - Hardcore UFOs:Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in theWestern Hemisphere (Matador Records)6. Motorpsycho - It's A Love Cult (StickmanRecords - Germany)7. Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts Of The Great Highway(Jetset Records)8. Movietone - The Sand And The Stars (DragCity Records)9. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow (Sub PopRecords)10. The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair WhenWe'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 ManRecords)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 - AudioslaveDeep 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 theHouse (three CDs) (Defected)Nelly Furtado - Folklore(DreamWorks)Lil Jon & the East SideBoyz - Part II (TVT)

CHARTSous songwriters, producers and engineers placing their fin-gers on the creation of this album. That is why it fails.

No singular vision was used in making this debacle. Itsounds as if someone realized Lang hasn’t released an albumfor some time and the label felt it was time for some newmaterial.The result is an album that sounds like the overpro-duced blues-infused rock of the late Santana albums. Buteven beyond that, there is a heavy focus on Lang’s vocals andnot his abilities with the six-string. Lang wears the influenceof numerous R&B acts in his vocals, often sounding like a badStevie Wonder (a surprise bonus live track of “Livin’ for theCity” 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 marketedto the right people if the ad reps get on it. The lyrics revealthe album’s focus to be his recent marriage and love for hiswife. This makes for the sentimental bubbly love songs thatcan be any musician’s downfall. Why didn’t Lang just releasean instrumental album of him in his basement wailing on hisguitar like a cool blues guitarist?

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

SEEKONK For Barbara LeeKimchee Records

!!!

BY KATIE RICHARDSON

It’s hard to believe that aband that started as theresult of “two guys getting

dumped within a couple weeks of each other” could alsoproduce music that is, according to its press release, “warm,

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

Most “hot” contemporary artists (according to main-stream opinion) like John Mayer, Jewel or Fiona Apple relyon powerful lyrics to convert their various hurts into uni-versal truths.The power of these artists’ poetry isn’t in ques-tion, but for those who feel agony can never truly beexpressed through words, Seekonk creates low, smoothinstrumental music that is designed for a private pain-filledlistening room.

Most critics think of Seekonk as a twig on the samebranch as The Velvet Underground, Neil Young and PinkFloyd. While Seekonk appears to embrace these influences,they are also reminiscent of more timely bands likeMorcheeba and Portishead. Flavored with trip pop, thisinstrumental recipe has an incredible, modern twist.

Though no vocals are present for most of the songs onthis album, the resulting sounds are a mixture of bass tonesthat become more complicated because of variances in thelength and volume. There is no doubt that these interestingcompositions are somewhat due to the wide range of instru-ments Seekonk has access to. The five members have fash-ioned together a mini-orchestra that features an ampleassortment of sounds from instruments like the cello, trom-bone, xylophone and a bowed amplified birdcage (whichsounds like a violin plucked by fingers rather than strummedby a bow).

If the birdcage wasn’t a clue, this isn’t the BostonOrchestra. The Boston Orchestra has been around longenough to develop a thematic center. Seekonk hasn’t.Though their tunes—especially in the long instrumental bal-lad “Swim Again”—are rich in melancholy, the album’s over-riding message is muddled underneath the inconsistent lyri-cal contributions. Only two of the eight songs on the CD con-tain 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

place for Barry. When she is singing, it comes as a surprisebecause you’ve gotten used to listening to sheer harmonies.It’s not that her presence is necessarily unwanted, but thevocals need to be weaved throughout the rest of the albumor disregarded completely.

As is, she’s just a pretty voice with uneasy footing. Shedoesn’t really seem like she’s a part of the band—only a vis-iting accompanist. For the most part, though, Seekonk suc-ceeds in establishing a nice, smooth sound that should beenjoyed when one is relaxing. The most innovative part ofthis CD is the way in which Seekonk doesn’t take the idea of“relaxing lounge music” too seriously. They aren’t copyingold Billie Holiday albums, nor are they solely relying on apiano to recreate a mellow mood.

Seekonk started because of two really sad guys and theirlow-key music succeeds in conveying this melancholy usinga bowed birdcage. That can’t be too easy to do. Though itsometimes falters, this album is ambitious and makes forsome great listening.

MUSIC REVIEW GUIDE

!!!! Flawless!!! Good!! Mediocre! Badno stars Un-listenable

1120buzz1114 11/19/03 3:20 PM Page 1

Page 12: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

13calendarcalendar12calendar

buzzpicks

openingbands.comOB

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

- online forums and instant messaging

- cd reviews, articles and editorials

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

For extra photos, check out readbuzz.com

It’s Miller Time at Buffalo Wild Wings!

Fay Sapp made the move from

Identity Salon to

Kane & Co.Make the move with her!

41 E. University, Champaign217.359.2424

Specializes in Cuts,Coloring and Highlight

Call today for an appointment.

Support local bands and music storeRecord Service has been a constant fixture in the C-U landscape for decades. Come out and show your sup-port for one of C-U’s local independent music sellers. Local bands Triple Whip, Sanya N’ Kanta and GabeRosen will perform at Cafe Paradiso. Local trio Triple Whip blends drums and bass for an impressive lay-ered 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, soulsinger songwriter Sanya N’ Kanta and Gabe Rosen. Saturday,

Nov. 22, Cafe Paradiso.

Explosions in the Sky at ParadisoExplosions in the Sky could quite possibly be the loudest bandon earth. Whether this can be proven or not, the Texas quar-tet’s instrument indie rock show is amazing. With AbsintheBlind offshoot Headlights opening and the new local post rockproject At Knifepoint headlining, Friday night at Paradiso willbe a night of new and experimental music that should not bemissed.

Studio X photos by Jason Pankoke

1120buzz1213 11/19/03 3:29 PM Page 1

Page 13: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

13calendarcalendar12calendar

buzzpicks

openingbands.comOB

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

- online forums and instant messaging

- cd reviews, articles and editorials

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

For extra photos, check out readbuzz.com

It’s Miller Time at Buffalo Wild Wings!

Fay Sapp made the move from

Identity Salon to

Kane & Co.Make the move with her!

41 E. University, Champaign217.359.2424

Specializes in Cuts,Coloring and Highlight

Call today for an appointment.

Support local bands and music storeRecord Service has been a constant fixture in the C-U landscape for decades. Come out and show your sup-port for one of C-U’s local independent music sellers. Local bands Triple Whip, Sanya N’ Kanta and GabeRosen will perform at Cafe Paradiso. Local trio Triple Whip blends drums and bass for an impressive lay-ered 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, soulsinger songwriter Sanya N’ Kanta and Gabe Rosen. Saturday,

Nov. 22, Cafe Paradiso.

Explosions in the Sky at ParadisoExplosions in the Sky could quite possibly be the loudest bandon earth. Whether this can be proven or not, the Texas quar-tet’s instrument indie rock show is amazing. With AbsintheBlind offshoot Headlights opening and the new local post rockproject At Knifepoint headlining, Friday night at Paradiso willbe a night of new and experimental music that should not bemissed.

Studio X photos by Jason Pankoke

1120buzz1213 11/19/03 3:29 PM Page 1

Page 14: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

14 WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to [email protected] | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzzcalendar

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

DJ In the Red Room with DJ J-Phlip – Barfly, 9pm, free– The Highdive, 9pm, $5

DJ Orby - Joe’s Brewery, 10 pmDJ Runi, Mathematx, Fury, KRA_Z K – The Highdive, 10pm

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

MUSIC PERFORMANCESEnescu Ensemble – his program features the premieres of

previously unknown virtuoso works for violin by the19th-century composers Lipinski and Mayseder, whowere followers of Paganini – Foellinger Great Hall,Krannert Center, 7:30pm, $2-5

ON STAGEMerce Cunningham Dance Company: 50 Years of

Forward Motion – The celebration looks back to the pio-neering work that Cunningham created in 1985 – NativeGreen with music by John King – Tryon Festival Theatre,Krannert Center, 7:30pm, $22-34

FridayNov21 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) – CafeParadiso, 8pm, $6

Kathy Harden and the King Bees – Iron Post, 9pm, TBA

Superjoint Ritual, Morbid Angel, Devildriver – TheCanopy 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, 5-7pmAmerican Heritage Band – Tommy G’s, 10pm-2am

DJ 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

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

SaturdayNov22 LIVE MUSIC 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, 7-11pmRenegade – Tommy G’s, 10pm-2am

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

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

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

OTHERMarket 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 DJBozak – Mike ‘n Molly’s, 10pm, $1

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

MondayNov24 LIVE MUSICDanny Barnes – 2 sets – Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $7

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

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

TuesdayNov25 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, freeDrew 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, $2Kilborn Alley – Tommy G’s, 9pm-1am

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

C-UVENUESAssembly HallFirst & Florida, Champaign, 333.5000American Legion Post 24705 W Bloomington Rd, Champaign, 356.5144American Legion Post 71107 N Broadway, Urbana, 367.3121Barfly120 N Neil, Champaign,352.9756Barnes and Noble51 E Marketview, Champaign, 355.2045Boltini Lounge211 N Neil, Champaign, 378.8001Borders Books & Music 802 W Town Ctr, Champaign, 351.9011The Brass Rail15 E University, Champaign, 352.7512Canopy Club (The Garden Grill)708 S Goodwin, Urbana, 367.3140C.O. Daniels608 E Daniel, Champaign, 337.7411Cosmopolitan Club307 E John, Champaign, 367.3079Courtyard CafeIllini Union, 1401 W Green, Urbana, 333.4666Cowboy Monkey6 Taylor St, Champaign, 398.2688Clybourne706 S Sixth, Champaign, 383.1008Curtis Orchard3902 S Duncan Rd, Champaign, 359.5565D.R. Diggers604 S Country Fair Dr, Champaign, 356.0888Embassy Tavern & Grill114 S Race, Urbana, 384.9526Esquire Lounge106 N Walnut, Champaign, 398.5858Fallon’s Ice House703 N Prospect, Champaign, 398.5760Fat City Saloon505 S Chestnut, Champaign, 356.7100The Great Impasta114 W Church, Champaign, 359.7377G.T.’s Western BowlFrancis Dr, Champaign, 359.1678The Highdive51 Main, Champaign, 359.4444Huber’s1312 W Church, Champaign, 352.0606Illinois Disciples Foundation610 E Springfield, Champaign, 352.8721Independent Media Center218 W Main St, Urbana, 344.8820 The Iron Post120 S Race, Urbana, 337.7678Joe’s Brewery706 S Fifth, Champaign, 384.1790Kam’s618 E Daniel, Champaign, 328.1605Krannert Art Museum500 E Peabody, Champaign, 333.1861Krannert Center for Performing Arts500 S Goodwin, Urbana,Tickets: 333.6280, 800/KCPATIXLa Casa Cultural Latina1203 W Nevada, Urbana, 333.4950Lava 1906 W Bradley, Champaign, 352.8714Legends Bar & Grill522 E Green, Champaign, 355.7674Les’s Lounge403 N Coler, Urbana, 328.4000Lincoln Castle209 S Broadway, Urbana, 344.7720Malibu Bay LoungeNorth Route 45, Urbana, 328.7415Mike & Molly’s105 N Market, Champaign, 355.1236Mulligan’s604 N Cunningham, Urbana, 367.5888Murphy’s604 E Green, Champaign, 352.7275Neil Street Pub1505 N Neil, Champaign, 359.1601Boardman’s Art Theater126 W Church, Champaign, 351.0068The Office214 W Main, Urbana, 344.7608Parkland College2400 W Bradley, Champaign, 351.2528Phoenix215 S Neil, Champaign, 355.7866Pia’s of RantoulRoute 136 E, Rantoul, 893.8244Pink HouseRoutes 49 & 150, Ogden, 582.9997The Rainbow Coffeehouse1203 W Green, Urbana, 766.9500Red Herring/Channing-Murray Foundation1209 W Oregon, Urbana, 344.1176Rose Bowl Tavern106 N Race, Urbana, 367.7031Springer Cultural Center301 N Randolph, Champaign, 355.1406

Lorenzo Goetz –blend of funk and rock – Cowboy Monkey, Sunday at 10pm.

11buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | SERIOUSLY. 100 TIMES. music

126 W. Church St. Champaign, IL

BOARDMAN’S THEATRES www.BoardmansTheatres.com1-800-BEST PLACE (800-237-8752) 217/355-0068

eTickets/reserved seats: www.BoardmansArtTheatre.com

Art TheatreWhale RiderRoger Ebert says: “Wonderful and inspirational!...four stars.” PG, runs 98 minutes, scope, presented in HPS-4000/DD.

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

Boardman’s

Step into LiquidNot rated, runs 88 minutes,flat, presented in HPS-4000/DD.Official site w/trailer: http://www.stepintoliquid.com

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

1.“Closer”Nine Inch Nails“I wanna fuck you like an ani-mal.” Yes, that’s the infamousmantra of Nine Inch Nails’“Closer,”which had hundreds ofteenage kids singing alongwith no idea as to what itmeans. The music video alongwith the lyrics themselvesmade hundreds of mothers and

fathers cringe with fear thinking, “what has my child gotteninto?”Although Trent Reznor made an excellent song, it’s safeto say that parents would rather have not heard it.

2.“Baby Beluga”RaffiHow harmful could a children’ssong about a whale really be,especially when it is sung byRaffi, one of the world’s mostbeloved toddler troubadours?Put yourself in a parent’s posi-tion. Your 5-year-old son can’tget 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 fin-ishes. Over and over and over. Some fathers still have night-mares about this children’s tune.

3.“Rape Me”NirvanaThis song’s title gives parentsthe jibblies. Although the songisn’t really about rape, it couldeasily be construed as a misog-ynistic song making motherstake up arms against KurtCobain. But listening to andreading into the song’s truemeaning would make one real-

ize it isn’t a rape song. But what parent is going to do that?

4.“Fight for Your Right”Beastie BoysHigh school wouldn’t be highschool without some angst-filled rebellion. It isn’t surpris-ing that after its release in 1986,many teenagers picked up onthis anthem and made it theirown. Did it ever incite wide-spread rebellion against par-

ents? Probably not. But there is no denying that MCA, AdRock and Mike D’s nasally grating chants and crashing gui-tars made some parents roll their eyes at these mini-coupsfor the right to sneak some beers on the weekend.

5.“Louie Louie”The KingsmenLock your doors, hide yourdaughters, rock ‘n’ roll is com-ing! All right, so the world hasbecome a little more tolerantof rock ‘n’ roll’s excesses(except perhaps the censors atWal-Mart), but back when rockmusic was first born, almostanything could make an over-

protective parent freak out. The “freak-out” factor was multi-plied by 10 when parents couldn’t understand what theirkids were listening to. With its mumbled lyrics that peopleto this day still don’t understand, parents and even the fed-eral government wanted to stop this tune from “corrupting”every kid in the country.

TopFive Songs your parents hated Next week: Top five Beatles songs.What’s Yours? e-mail us at [email protected]

PARASOL RECORDS TOP 10 SELLERS

1. Belle And Sebastian - Step into My OfficeBaby (Rough Trade Records)2. Moonbabies - The Orange Billboard (A HiddenAgenda Record)3. Jeff Kelly - For The Swan In The Hallway (AHidden Agenda Record)4. The Wannadies - Before & After (A HiddenAgenda Record)5. Guided By Voices - Hardcore UFOs:Revelations, Epiphanies and Fast Food in theWestern Hemisphere (Matador Records)6. Motorpsycho - It's A Love Cult (StickmanRecords - Germany)7. Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts Of The Great Highway(Jetset Records)8. Movietone - The Sand And The Stars (DragCity Records)9. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow (Sub PopRecords)10. The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair WhenWe'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 ManRecords)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 - AudioslaveDeep 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 theHouse (three CDs) (Defected)Nelly Furtado - Folklore(DreamWorks)Lil Jon & the East SideBoyz - Part II (TVT)

CHARTSous songwriters, producers and engineers placing their fin-gers on the creation of this album. That is why it fails.

No singular vision was used in making this debacle. Itsounds as if someone realized Lang hasn’t released an albumfor some time and the label felt it was time for some newmaterial.The result is an album that sounds like the overpro-duced blues-infused rock of the late Santana albums. Buteven beyond that, there is a heavy focus on Lang’s vocals andnot his abilities with the six-string. Lang wears the influenceof numerous R&B acts in his vocals, often sounding like a badStevie Wonder (a surprise bonus live track of “Livin’ for theCity” 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 marketedto the right people if the ad reps get on it. The lyrics revealthe album’s focus to be his recent marriage and love for hiswife. This makes for the sentimental bubbly love songs thatcan be any musician’s downfall. Why didn’t Lang just releasean instrumental album of him in his basement wailing on hisguitar like a cool blues guitarist?

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

SEEKONK For Barbara LeeKimchee Records

!!!

BY KATIE RICHARDSON

It’s hard to believe that aband that started as theresult of “two guys getting

dumped within a couple weeks of each other” could alsoproduce music that is, according to its press release, “warm,

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

Most “hot” contemporary artists (according to main-stream opinion) like John Mayer, Jewel or Fiona Apple relyon powerful lyrics to convert their various hurts into uni-versal truths.The power of these artists’ poetry isn’t in ques-tion, but for those who feel agony can never truly beexpressed through words, Seekonk creates low, smoothinstrumental music that is designed for a private pain-filledlistening room.

Most critics think of Seekonk as a twig on the samebranch as The Velvet Underground, Neil Young and PinkFloyd. While Seekonk appears to embrace these influences,they are also reminiscent of more timely bands likeMorcheeba and Portishead. Flavored with trip pop, thisinstrumental recipe has an incredible, modern twist.

Though no vocals are present for most of the songs onthis album, the resulting sounds are a mixture of bass tonesthat become more complicated because of variances in thelength and volume. There is no doubt that these interestingcompositions are somewhat due to the wide range of instru-ments Seekonk has access to. The five members have fash-ioned together a mini-orchestra that features an ampleassortment of sounds from instruments like the cello, trom-bone, xylophone and a bowed amplified birdcage (whichsounds like a violin plucked by fingers rather than strummedby a bow).

If the birdcage wasn’t a clue, this isn’t the BostonOrchestra. The Boston Orchestra has been around longenough to develop a thematic center. Seekonk hasn’t.Though their tunes—especially in the long instrumental bal-lad “Swim Again”—are rich in melancholy, the album’s over-riding message is muddled underneath the inconsistent lyri-cal contributions. Only two of the eight songs on the CD con-tain 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

place for Barry. When she is singing, it comes as a surprisebecause you’ve gotten used to listening to sheer harmonies.It’s not that her presence is necessarily unwanted, but thevocals need to be weaved throughout the rest of the albumor disregarded completely.

As is, she’s just a pretty voice with uneasy footing. Shedoesn’t really seem like she’s a part of the band—only a vis-iting accompanist. For the most part, though, Seekonk suc-ceeds in establishing a nice, smooth sound that should beenjoyed when one is relaxing. The most innovative part ofthis CD is the way in which Seekonk doesn’t take the idea of“relaxing lounge music” too seriously. They aren’t copyingold Billie Holiday albums, nor are they solely relying on apiano to recreate a mellow mood.

Seekonk started because of two really sad guys and theirlow-key music succeeds in conveying this melancholy usinga bowed birdcage. That can’t be too easy to do. Though itsometimes falters, this album is ambitious and makes forsome great listening.

MUSIC REVIEW GUIDE

!!!! Flawless!!! Good!! Mediocre! Badno stars Un-listenable

1120buzz1114 11/19/03 3:20 PM Page 1

Page 15: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

RYAN ADAMSRock N RollLost Highway Records

Zero stars

BY LOGAN MOORE

Ryan Adams’ first solo out-ing, Heartbreaker, was, for

me, an album that every music lover can recall. That albumthat defines those apocalyptic relationships of your lateteens, conjuring up images of adolescent longing, drunkeninfidelities and the sort of sexual attraction that can only beborn of extreme loneliness and a certain romantic inexperi-ence. So, for a time, I really liked Ryan Adams. I say this not ina moment of self-indulgent revelation but in defense of thereview 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 fanof Heartbreaker, and even a good third of Gold. I will not,however, back off from my opinion that for quite some timenow my one-time co-conspirator of misery has seemedmore obsessed with portraying the role of tortured genius,attempting to measure up to his musical heroes, and nailingevery doe-eyed model and actress in New York, than actual-ly making any music of value. Rock N Roll is the natural resultof a once promising singer/songwriter (and how many ofthose do we get nowadays) descending into cliched, softrock crap.

In his band Whiskeytown and on Heartbreaker, Adamswas always on the verge of the sort of emotional honestythat borders on the embarrassing, which is what makesevery good singer/songwriter so inherently exhilarating. Itwas the sort of album you could cry to without feeling tooguilty about it. Rock N Roll is an album that makes you wantto cry for all the wrong reasons. Adams apparently lives anddies by the fawning, vaguely homoerotic praise that hasbeen thrown at him by the British music press and is, onceagain, attempting to canonize himself alongside the greatsof rock ‘n’ roll to whom he is frequently compared. What heends up with is the musical equivalent of making a drunkenpass at your friend’s mother. Everyone knows you’re nevergoing to succeed and you look like an asshole in the process.

My god, is this album bad. Most of the songs bleedtogether in a bland summation of every horrid bar bandyou’ve ever heard. It’s getting to the point where a pressconference in which Adams peels away his face to reveal, ala Scooby-Doo, that it was really just Bob Seger attempting acomeback all along doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Most ofthe album attempts for a halfway between the Ramonesand the Replacements and ends up at a hellish combo oflatter day Aerosmith and Kiss (which, if anybody was won-dering, is not a compliment). However, the music is comple-mented almost too well by the lyrics. This guy used to beable to write a drunken, plain-faced love song that reallytugged at the heartstrings.

On Rock N Roll he literally sounds like a Saturday Night Liveparody of himself.Take, for instance,“Wish You Were Here,” inwhich 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 myway / We’d take some drugs / And we’d smile.” Trent Reznorhas gotten deeper into the psyche of the broken-heartedmale than that; shit, John Denver probably has. Oh, and let’snot forget the falsetto that he employs on several of thesongs here, most notably “So Alive,” which culminates in achorus of, I kid you not,“I am on your side / And so alive / Soalive it isn’t real.” In some sort of half-assed effort at ThomYorke or Bono, Adams sounds uncannily like me when I’mdoing my impression of Journey’s Steve Perry.

I find it somewhat ironic that, much like the failed rela-tionship that began my involvement with Ryan Adams, myappreciation of him has ended in the same way: disappoint-ment, bewilderment at how things have gotten this bad andembarrassment that I was ever enthused in the first place.

MARK FARINAAir FarinaOm Records

!!!

BY BRIAN MERTZ

San Francisco producerand DJ Mark Farina is bestknown amongst house and

lounge fans for his Mushroom Jazz mix albums. Each of hisMushroom Jazz albums has been an eclectic and thoroughlyentertaining mix of hip hop, downtempo, dub and housetracks of Farina’s own creation as well as absolute gems fromother artists.

Air Farina sees the short in stature but tall in talent Farinagoing down the same musical paths that are typical for theMushroom Jazz series and the Om label in general. This timearound, the tracks are solely Farina’s own creations. Well, sortof. He still brings in fellow deep house gurus Lance Desardiand Kaskade to contribute their talents to two of the moredanceable tracks on the album,“Leaving SF”and “To Do.”Andfor a slightly crazy take on the underground West Coast hip-hop sound, fellow Golden-staters The People Under TheStairs add their rhymes to the song “Travel.”

The entire album follows the theme of flying.There are atleast six interludes throughout Air Farina that feature record-ings of tower discussions with airplanes in flight as well asdeparture schedules and weather reports.

The airline theme is good idea and shows an artist’s devo-tion to making an album instead of just a hodgepodge ofsongs. The devotion to making an album that works fromstart to finish is commendable, but the airline structuresometimes hinders Farina’s mix.

Just when the listener is finally getting into one of Farina’strademark house grooves with the song “Talk to Me,” Farinabreaks up the mix and slows down the momentum of thealbum by dropping in a “Layover” interlude that is nothingbut a 1950s sounding vocal lecture about lost aircrafts.Unfortunately for Farina, the aircraft and the listener are bothlost on the awkward and abrupt break in the groove.

Ask anyone who has traveled across the country andthey’ll tell you that a direct flight is almost always preferableto one with lots of flight changes and layovers. Farina shouldtake note of that fact for his next release.While his individualtunes are just as amazing as anyone who has followed hiscareer would expect them to be, there is something missingfrom this album compared to his Mushroom Jazz mixes.

That missing element is the groove and the vibe thatFarina is such a master of creating with very different ele-ments. Just when something good gets going, Farina stops itand turns his musical sights in another direction. And thatfeeling of turbulence in terms of mood obscures even someof the best tracks on this album.

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

JONNY LANGLong Time ComingA&M Records

!

BY JACOB DITTMER

It certainly has been a“long time” since Langreleased an album. His 1998

album, Wander this World, was met with a decent amount ofcritical and commercial success as Lang found himself open-ing for the Rolling Stones that year. Everyone was in such anuproar over this 17-year-old blues guitarist that he was saidto 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 histeenage years made him a favorite in the music media.Releasing his first major label album, Lie to Me, at 16 and sell-ing thousands of records was an impressive feat that madehim quickly put out Wander this World with the hit single“Still Rainin’” the following year. Fast-forward five years to2003. Music fads and pop sensations like *NSync have comeand gone; we lost the Spice Girls somewhere around 1998and Britney has gone from cute schoolgirl to Esquire’s andRolling 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 hissound and traveled to new realms of blues, or to achieve aneven larger level of greatness like Stevie Ray Vaughn. Langdid try a new sound with Long Time Coming, but it is defi-nitely a step backward from its predecessor. The liner notesreveal the huge number of personnel that went into mak-ing this album. Every song has numerous credits with vari-

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

CDRe

views

15buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to [email protected] calendar

contemporary clothing, accesories, jewelry & shoes

107 N. WalnutDowntown Champaign

359.2195

M – TH 10:30 – 5:30FRI 10:30 – 8:00SAT 10:30 – 5:00SUN 11:00 – 4:00

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Market at the Squareis Moving INSIDE!

The very successful and very wellattended Farmer’s Market at Lincoln

Square is moving into Lincoln Square forthe Holiday Season making it

Market IN the Square.

Starting November 15, 2003 the season will continue through

December 27, 2003.

Make this event a holidaytradition for your family

and friends!

For More InformationCall (217) 344-3872

or email [email protected]

601624

Spurlock Museum600 S Gregory, Urbana, 333.2360The Station Theatre223 N. Broadway, Urbana, 384-4000Strawberry Fields Cafe306 W Springfield, Urbana, 328.1655Ten Thousand Villages105 N Walnut, Champaign, 352.8938TK Wendl’s1901 S Highcross Rd, Urbana, 255.5328Tommy G’s123 S. Mattis Ave, Country Fair Shopping Center, 359.2177Tonic619 S Wright, Champaign, 356.6768Two Main2 Main, Champaign, 359.3148University YMCA1001 S Wright, Champaign, 344.0721Verde/Verdant17 E Taylor St, Champaign, 366.3204Virginia Theatre203 W Park Ave, Champaign, 356.9053White Horse Inn112 1/2 E Green, Champaign, 352.5945Zorba’s

627 E Green, Champaign

CHICAGOSHOWSNOVEMBER11/20 Jonny Lang @ House of Blues11/21 Anti-Flag, Rise Against @ Metro11/21 Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Abbey Pub11/22 Guided By Voices @ Abbey Pub11/22 Cash Brothers @ Schubas11/22 Tom Jones @ House of Blues11/22 Alabama @ Allstate Arena11/23 Guided By Voices @ Abbey Pub11/23 Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs! @ Metro11/23 Tom Jones @ House of Blues11/24 Symphony X @ Metro11/25 Jaguars @ House of Blues11/25 Mindless Self Indulgence @ Metro11/26 Mindless Self Indulgence @ Metro11/24 Obie Trice @ House of Blues11/26 OK Go @ Abbey Pub 11/28 Bollweevils @ Metro, all ages

11/28 Buzzcocks @ Double Door11/28 Tortoise @ Abbey Pub11/29 Rocket from the Tombs @ Abbey Pub11/29 Asylum Street Pranksters @ Schubas11/30 Something Corporate @ House of Blues

DECEMBER12/2 Living Colour @ Park West12/5 Donna The Buffalo @ Martyr’s12/5 They Might Be Giants @ Vic, all ages12/6 Autumn Defense @ Schubas12/6 Rufus Wainwright @ Vic, all ages12/6 Blank Theory @ Metro12/7 Hey Mercedes @ Metro12/8 Fun Lovin’ Criminals @ Double Door12/9 Wayne Wonder @ House of Blues12/11 Kurtis Blow, Rob Base @ Double Door12/12 Coheed & Cambria @ House of Blues12/12 Aquabats @ Metro, all ages12/12 Atmosphere, Mr. Dibbs, Others @ Abbey Pub, 18 & over12/12 Neko Case @ Old Town School of Music12/13 Ryan Adams @ Riviera12/13 Wyclef John, Baby Bash @ House of Blues12/13 Death in June @ Empty Bottle12/19 Beyonce, Bow Wow @ United Center12/19 Dwele, Slum Village @ Metro12/19 Los Straitjackets @ Abbey Pub 12/31 Aretha Franklin @ Chicago Theater12/31 Flaming Lips, White Stripes @ Aragon Ballroom12/31 Guster @ House of Blues

CHICAGOVENUESHouse of Blues 329 N Dearborn, Chicago, 312.923.2000The Bottom Lounge 3206 N Wilton, ChicagoCongress Theatre2135 N Milwaukee, 312.923.2000Vic Theatre

3145 N Sheffield, Chicago, 773.472.0449Metro3730 N Clark St, Chicago, 773.549.0203

Elbo Room2871 N Lincoln Ave, ChicagoPark West 322 W Armitage, Chicago, 773.929.1322Riviera Theatre4746 N Racine at Lawerence, ChicagoAllstate Arena 6920 N Mannheim Rd, Rosemont, 847.635.6601Arie Crown Theatre 2300 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, 312.791.6000UIC Pavilion 1150 W Harrison, Chicago, 312.413.5700Schubas 3159 N Southport, Chicago, 773.525.2508Martyrs 3855 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, 773.288.4545Aragon 1106 W Lawerence, Chicago, 773.561.9500Abbey Pub3420 W Grace, Chicago, 773.478.4408Fireside Bowl 2646 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, 773.486.2700Schubert Theatre 22 W Monroe, Chicago, 312.977.1700

Portraits – Award winning portrait artist Sandra Ahten iscurrently accepting commissions for portraits for holidaygiving. Portraits are priced at an affordable range and pro-fessional exchange or barter may be accepted. For exam-ples of work and a quote, contact Sandra Ahten at (217)367-6345 or [email protected]

Creation Art Studio Art Classes for Children and Adults –All classes offer technical instruction and the explorationof materials through expressive, spontaneous art andexperimentation. Independent studies of personal inter-ests and ideas, dreams, etc. are expressed and developedthrough collage and assemblage art and through draw-ing, painting, sculpture and ceramics. Children meet Mon-Thu 3:30-5pm. Adolescents meet Fri 4-5:30pm. Adultsmeet Wed @ 10am and Sat 1-3pm. Open to beginners andadvanced students. Adult Open Studio meets Tue night7:00 to 9:00. Drop-ins welcome. Come with a friend. Call tomake special arrangements for a group. For more informa-tion contact Jeannine Bestoso at 344 6955. CPDU’s offered.

Studio is located in east Urbana at 1102 E Washington St.www.creationartstudios.com

Join Artists and Workshops at Gallery Virtu – GalleryVirtu, an artist-owned cooperative, now invite applicationsfrom area artists. The Gallery also offers workshops foradults, teens and children in knitting, embroidery, photog-raphy, jewelry making, printmaking, papermaking, book-binding and ribbon flowers. Gallery Virtu offers originalworks by the members including: jewelry, pottery, col-lages, sculptures, journals, hats, handbags and other tex-tiles. For more information please call 762-7790, visit ourwebsite at www.galleryvirtu.org, [email protected] or visit the gallery. Regularhours: Thu 12-4pm, Fri 12-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm. 220 WWashington Street in Monticello.

Art Classes at High Cross Studio – All classes are held atHigh Cross Studio in Urbana. 1101 N High Cross Road. E-mail or call for reservations and details. (217) 367-6345 [email protected]..

“Portrait Paintings with Oils”– This course will provideinstruction in painting portraits from photographs. Paint aportrait of your loved one or yourself. Mon-Fri daytimeclass and weekend workshop offered.

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

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

Other Classes:“Making Monoprints,”“Art WithIntention” (Open Studio). For information on these visithttp://www.spiritofsandra.com and click on “classes,” thene-mail or call for reservations.

ART NOTICES

1120buzz1015 11/19/03 3:27 PM Page 1

Page 16: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

16 WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to [email protected] | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzzcalendar

Aroma Cafe – “Micrograms: Photos and Collage” by RohnKoester on display through Dec 14. 118 N Neil

Boneyard Pottery – Ceramic Art by Michael Schwegmannand more. 403 Water St, Champaign. Tue-Sat 11am-5pm.355-5610.

Broken Oak Gallery – Local and national artists. Original artincluding photography, watercolors, pottery, oil paintings,colored pencil, woodturning and more. Refreshmentsserved 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 manyUniversity of Illinois and Parkland College faculty mem-bers. 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 paintingsand drawings by Shoshanna Bauer, Audrey Martin andJennifer Martin, Jeannine Bestoso and an evolving displayof recent student works in ceramics, paintings and draw-ings. For information, contact Jeannine Bestoso. 1102 EWashington St., Urbana. Mon-Fri 3-5:30pm, Sat 1-4pm andscheduled studio sessions. 344-6955. www.creationartstu-dios.com

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

Framer’s Market – Frame Designers since 1981. Ongoingwork from local artists on display. 807 W Springfield Ave,Champaign. Tue-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat 10am-4pm. 351-7020.

Furniture Lounge – Collection of fine art photographicimages by local artisan Glenn Harriger on display Nov 24-Dec 24. Also specializing in mid-century modern furniturefrom the 1920s-1980s, retro, Danish modern, lighting, vin-tage stereo equipment and vinyl records. 9 E University,Champaign. 352-5150. Sun-Mon 12-4:30pm, Wed-Sat11am-5:30pm.

Glass FX – New and antique stained glass windows, lamps,and unique glass gifts. Gallery is free and open to the pub-lic. Interested in learning the art of Stained Glass?Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Stained GlassClasses offered. 202 S First St, Champaign. Mon-Thu 10am-5:30pm, Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 9am-4pm. 359-0048.www.glassfx.com.

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

Gallery Virtu Cooperative – Original works by the nineartist-owners: jewelry, pottery, paintings, collages, hats,handbags and other textiles, sculptures and journals. TheGallery also offers workshops. 220 W. Washington St,Monticello. 762-7790. Thu 12-4pm, Fri 12-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm. www.galleryvirtu.org

Hill Street Gallery Inc. – Oil and watercolor paintings, handpainted T-shirts, handmade jewelry. 703 W Hill,Champaign. Sat 12-5pm or by appointment during theweek. 359-0675.

International Galleries – Works from local artists includingquilts by Nancy Summers, oil paintings by DeborahLightfield and “Abandoned Dreams,” paintings by JimGolaszewski on display through Dec 2. Lincoln SquareMall. Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12-5pm. 328-2254.

Larry Kanfer Gallery – University of Illinois images by pho-tographic artist Larry Kanfer. Unique diploma frames andother UI gifts. Sepia Champaign-Urbana Collection also ondisplay. Available now: 2004 Prairiescapes and Universityof Illinois calendars. 2503 S Neil, Champaign. Free andOpen to the Public. Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm. 398-2000.www.kanfer.com

LaPayne Photography – Specializes in panoramic photog-raphy up to 6 feet long of different subjects includingsporting events, city skylines, national parks and Universityof Illinois scenes. 816 Dennison Dr, Champaign. Mon-Fri9am-4pm and by appointment. 356-8994.

Old Vic Art Gallery – Fine and original art, hand signed lim-ited edition prints, works by local artists, art restoration,custom framing, and periodic shows by local artists. 11 EUniversity, Champaign. Mon-Thu 11am-5:30pm, Sat 11am-4:30pm. 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

Verde Gallery & Verdant News and Coffee – Magazines,newspapers, coffee, beverages and fine pastries alongwith the Verde Fine Art Gallery. 17 E Taylor St, Champaign.Cafe hours: Mon-Sat 7am-10 pm; Gallery Hours: Tue-Sat10am-10pm. 366-3204. www.verdant-systems.com/Verde.htm

Ziemer Gallery – Original paintings and limited editionprints by Larry Ziemer. Pottery, weavings, wood turningand glass works by other artists. Gallery visitors are wel-come to sit, relax, listen to the music and just enjoy beingsurrounded by art. 210 W Washington, Monticello. Tue10am-8pm, Wed-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm. 762-9786.www.ziemergallery.com

“Nevertheless: That’s Our Guarantee!” – Solo exhibitfocusing on graphic design by local artist John Havlik ondisplay through Dec 12. Show will display works demon-strating Havlik’s ability to visually respond to a wide rangeof artistic presentations and a series of pieces created todemonstrate the range of products a graphic designer isinvolved with. With tongue-in-cheek humor, Havlik pro-vides an insider’s look at the graphic designprofession.Visit www.nevertheless-guaranteed.com for a peek at thisexhibit. 115 E University, Champaign. Mon-Fri 10am-3pmand 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 Gallerypresents color and black and white photography fromUIUC students. On display through Dec 2. 1401 W Green,Urbana. Open Everyday 7am-10pm.

The Middle Room Gallery – Digital prints and mixed mediafrom UIUC graphic design student Jessica Mullen on dis-play through November. 218 W Main St, Urbana.http://www.gallery.ucimc.org/

“E-Motion2: Our Reality as Seen and Unseen” – A uniquedance/technology installation in which programmer BenSchaeffer, choreographer Luc Vanier, and composerBradford Blackburn come together through motion cap-ture technology to create an alternate version of reality.On display at the Krannert Art Museum through Jan 4. 500E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm,Sun 2-5pm. 333-1860. Suggested Donation: $3

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ART GALLERIES AND EXHIBITS

buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | LEAVE IT TO LORENZO GOETZ TO START A METALLICA MOSH PIT 9musicmusic

Premium blendsBY BRIAN MERTZ | MUSIC EDITOR

In front of a subdued Sunday night crowdof about 20 people, Matthis Helmick, betterknown to some as Otter, calmly takes a Bjorkrecord and speeds it up on one turntable tomatch a hip-hop beat on his other deck whilestill keeping the Icelandic singer’s voice recog-nizable. It is a wonder to watch for anyonewho has tried their hand at spinning on vinyl.

Throughout the rest of the evening Helmickwill blend together tunes from A Tribe CalledQuest, Slum Village, The Beatles, Radiohead,Pole and a scratched up voice that an attentivelistener would swear is Eric Cartman.

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

Blends by Otter is once again a weekly fea-ture in Champaign-Urbana. Helmick spinsevery Sunday night at Cowboy Monkey when aband is not playing.

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

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

album covers of his mother’s record collection;his path to becoming one of Champaign’s topDJs began by observing an acid-jazz DJ at a clubcalled Theckla in Olympia.

“(The acid-jazz DJ) moved away and gaveme his night with no knowledge of DJing orhow to work a crossfader. I had one turntableand I was going to Seattle every now and thento buy hip-hop 12-inches to play at home with-out even thinking about DJing,” Helmick said.

Over time, Helmick honed his skills, playingunderground hip-hop sets at the club, and play-ing elsewhere around Olympia.

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

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

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

As Helmick stood in his apartment, picking

through shelf after shelf of records, a few hoursbefore he performed at Cowboy Monkey, hedescribed his philosophy for choosing records.

“There is always stuff I want to hear everyweek,” Helmick said. “I like to thumb throughand touch every record. I’ll find something likethis Del record from three years ago and I thinkI only played it twice back then and I’ll want tobring that. I might not even remember what itsounds like.”

Helmick owns enough records to play fordays, but he usually only brings two cratesworth of vinyl to Cowboy Monkey.

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

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

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

Once Helmick’s records are packed in his twocrates, reading his crowd can become an adven-ture for Helmick and anyone in the audience.

“I’ll see some freaks walk in the door, and Ibet they’ve never seen anyone scratch. They’resome friends of friends of friends so I knowwhy they’re there. But I see them and I’ll play ahouse record and scratch over it,” Helmick said.

“But before I scratch it, I’m going to playsome Billie Holiday so that they know it is BillieHoliday and then I’m going to catch her voiceand start. They are going to go home and basi-cally know that ‘that guy scratched BillieHoliday over something.’ They might not evenknow what house music is called.”

Not every crowd has been as appreciative ofOtter’s sound as crowds at The Brass Rail orCowboy Monkey.

“I would try that sound at other bars andpeople would look at me like ‘what is this guydoing?,’” Helmick said. “They’d ask ‘you gotthe new Jay Z?’”

Attendance hasn’t been large yet on Sundaynights at Cowboy Monkey. But Otter prefersSunday evenings for his style.

“I just don’t like the weekend crowd. I like todrink with them maybe, but not entertain them.And props to the people who entertain thembecause they do it very well,” Helmick said. “30or 40 people make me smile and that’s great.That’s what it is about.”

Helmick first experienced success with hissound several years ago.

“The Brass Rail is where it really happened. Ihad expressive freedom there. And that iswhere it would come together for what I want-ed to do.”

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

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

“Some hip-hop kids showed up, and theyhung out with these indie rock kids. Then thereare going to be the ones who just turned 21 andhave never been to a bar and have never seen aDJ. And I’m going to have something for all ofthem. And that’s what I like.”

Helmick also plays from time to time in a triocalled DMS meets Kneelinghorse meets TheOtter, but being a rock star or a superstar DJisn’t necessarily his major goal.

“I am more interested in making beats now,”Helmick said. “I’m almost in my mid-30s. I’mnot going to send demos out and try to be a star.My ultimate scenario would (be to) make someoff-the-wall beats and have people to get into it.”

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

“Anyone can DJ,” Helmick said. “I’m notknocking anyone who DJs, but anyone whotakes themselves too seriously I’m knocking.The person you just smirked at could take twomonths and learn to do what you just did.”

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

As Otter scratches out a vocal snippet fromThe Beatles’ “Good Day Sunshine” that vibeand a whole lot more comes through.

Otter drops his eclectic beats at Cowboy Monkey on Sunday nights

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.

PHO

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

BY SUZANNE SITRICK | STAFF WRITER

Yuri Sohn was born in Hawaii and grew up inAustralia. He obtained a bachelor’s degree

from the University of Hawaii and then came tothe University of Illinois for graduate school in thefall of 1989, where he received a master’s degree inspeech communication.

Ji Miao is from China. She is a third-year grad-uate student at the University of Illinois, studyingcell and structural biology.

Both Yuri and Ji started dancing when they tooka class taught by the Dancing Illini. Now theyteach for the Dancing Illini. They have also com-peted together in many dance competitions.

How long have you been teaching dance andwhich types of dance have you taught? Isteaching dance your only job?

Yuri: I’ve been teaching for about fouryears. I’ve taught salsa, swing, cha-cha,nightclub two-step, hustle, meringue andbachata. I am currently teaching intermediatesalsa and nightclub two-step for the DancingIllini on Thursday nights with Ji Miao atFreer Gym. I am also independently teachingbeginning, intermediate and advanced salsa,meringue and bachata on Tuesday andFriday nights with Muge Dizen at theMcKinley Foundation. I teach dance part

time. My full-time job is as the head tennisteaching professional for the ChampaignPark District. I teach and run the tennis pro-grams all year round.

Ji: I started teaching dancing about a yearago with Yuri. Teaching dancing is not my job.I am a third-year graduate student in thisUniversity, and my major is cell structuralbiology. This is my third year in the U.S.

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

Yuri: What inspires me to dance is that Ihave a passion for the many elements that gointo partner dancing, which is what I concen-trate on. I enjoyinteracting withthe music. I enjoyt h e a b i l i t y t oe x p r e s s y o u remotions throughm o v e m e n t .I enjoy the com-bination of artand athleticisminvolved in danc-ing. I enjoy theconnection youcan build withyour partnerwhen dancing.Dancing as one with your partner can beincredible. Overall, interacting with yourpartner and the music through movement isvery addictive. I enjoy teaching dancingbecause it provides an opportunity for me toshare my passion. It is a treat to see peopleenjoy and improve their dancing.

Ji: I love the way that dancing is a combina-tion of music, body movement and feeling.You can express your feeling by using your

body according to the music. It’s such a beau-tiful art that I enjoy watching and experienc-ing. I love dancing and at the same time I loveto help those who want to dance. I am reallyhappy to see that what I could show to mystudents makes them appreciate the artof the dancing and helps them gettingbetter in dancing.

How does the music affect you while youdance? How does the style and rhythm ofthe different dance types affect you or yourmood or emotions while you dance? What isyour favorite style of dance?

Yuri: The music certainly is a key in inspir-ing me todance. I enjoyd a n c i n g t om u s i c t h a tmoves me. Thedifferent styleand rhythm ofthe dance typesbring out andconnect w i t hd i f f e r e n tm o o d s a n demotions fromwithin me. I ammost partial toswing (happy

and peppy music) and salsa (passionate andsensual) as far as favorite styles of dance, butI also enjoy many other types of dance. Itdepends on my mood. It can also dictate whatstyle of dance I enjoy most at any particulartime.

Ji: Music definitely is a crucial factor indancing. Some (pieces of) music are cheerfuland happy, some are playful, some are pas-sionate, etc. I like all types of ballroom and

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

Where are the best places in Champaign orUrbana to go dancing? Yuri: Best regular places to go dancing inChampaign are: (for salsa) the Regent onFriday nights and McKinley Foundation onTuesday nights; (for ballroom) the Regent onFriday nights, before salsa; (for swing) theMcKinley Foundation on Thursday nights.

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

Yuri: Dance, and in particular partner danc-ing, allows you to physically interact withgreat music and a partner. I have an apprecia-tion for movement and therefore dance,which is the art of movement. Dance allowsyou to be playful, creative and is just so muchfun. It allows you to feel better, even if youhave had a bad day. To connect with yourpartner through movement while listening togreat music is a wonderful feeling. Dancingplays a huge role in my life. I am drawn todance, teach dance and learn about dance inmy spare time. I am a part of the salsa, swing,ballroom, tango (and other) communities inChampaign-Urbana.

Ji: I have loved dancing since I was young.I love to feel the music; I love to express mypassion through my body movement. Partnerdancing is teamwork; I enjoy the connectionshared with my partner. Dancing plays animportant role in my life. I spend a big part ofmy spare time learning, practicing and teach-ing dancing. It’s hard for me to imagine mylife without dancing.

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

ARTIST CORNER

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The Da Vinci Code !!! By Dan Brown

BY NIK GALLICCHIO | STAFF WRITER

The Da Vinci Code is one of the most talkedabout books in the United States today, top-

ping the New York Times bestseller list forweeks, and it lives up to the hype.

Much of its popularity is due to the wideaudience it appeals to. There’s art history;there’s suspense. There are guns, fancy carsand a smart, yet (supposedly) beautiful,woman. As if that’s not enough, Brown offersengaging tales that describe traditions withinall kinds of faith. The main focus, however, ison Catholic doctrine. Brown relates details ofthe Catholic Church’s past, enabling the read-er to examine the idea of faith.

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

police. The Grail in question is not simply acup; it is a relic wanted by two groups thatactually exist: the Opus Dei (an extremely con-troversial Catholic organization) and thePriory of Sion (a clandestine group that holds asecret able to annihilate tenants of Christianity).Close on the trail of finding this secret are aHarvard art history professor and a Frenchcryptologist. This unlikely pair receives cluesrelating to the Grail’s location, putting them indanger due to the two aforementioned reli-gious sects.

The book has a rich background of religiousknowledge. Brown points out that two millen-nia ago, the people of the world worshippedgods and goddesses, but in today’s society, theemphasis has been placed on gods alone. Hesuggests that the reasons behind this have moreto do with the Catholic faith than one wouldthink. Furthermore, intriguing historical factsare revealed that lead one to think twice aboutreligion. Wherever one’s interests may lie, thefacts in this book are great conversation starters.

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

The fast-paced action makes the novel hardto put down, and the way Brown shows differ-ent viewpoints of all the groups vying for the

Grail makes the adventurecinematic. He jumps fromscene to scene, focusing onOpus Dei for a chapter andthen on the grandmaster ofthe Priory of Sion in thenext. He documents theiractions as they all get clos-er to figuring out the mys-tery of the Grail.

Clues are given to thereader as the characters likewise receive them,which make it easy to connect with the charac-ters’ confusion and frustration when trying tocrack the code. However, the dialogue is some-what forced at times. While relating facts, thespeakers lose finesse and the conversations, attimes, fail to flow smoothly. Moreover, thesuggestion of romance between the Harvardprofessor and the cute foreign cryptologist issomewhat contrived, and their attraction toeach other only appears as an afterthoughtwithin the story.

Yet Brown deserves a nod for addressing the

subject of the Holy Grail, a topic so often dom-inated by the satire of Monty Python. Whileone may go into the novel with an idea of whatthe Holy Grail actually is, the reader will endup completely surprised by the end.

The Da Vinci Code is a refreshing look at reli-gion. In the world today, faiths are changingalong with the times, yet some refuse to altertheir beliefs. Both groups are depicted in thenovel, along with atheists. Brown forces theaudience to rethink the world’s label of “pagan”and suggests examining the facts behind one’sbelief system. In the midst of all the religiousand skeptical rhetoric, there are still high-quali-ty thrills taking place in the background.

Not only is this book worth reading forthe adventure, but also for the differentangles from which it views the world. Evenif the dialogue fails to impress, one can tellthat this story has been informed by exten-sive historical research. The informationabout faith and the facts that surroundhow religion has been manipulatedthroughout the centuries offers incentiveto keep on reading. And if that’s notenough, at least by the end you will dis-cover the secret behind Mona Lisa’s smile.

bookreview

17buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | WANT TO GET YOUR EVENT LISTED ON OUR CALENDAR? Send your listings to [email protected] calendar

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this week

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

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

KrannertCenter.com

217/333-6280 or 800/KCPATIX217/333-9714 (TTY) 217/244-SHOW (Fax)217/244-0549 (Groups)[email protected]

Ticket OfficeOpen 10am to 6pm daily; on days of performances open 10am through intermission.

@krannert center

Th Nov 20Wine Tasting5pm, free

Enescu Ensemble7:30pm, $2-$5

Merce CunninghamDance Company7:30pm, $22-$34Talkback: following theshow, freePatron Co-sponsors: Jerald Wray and Dirk MolAnonymousCorporate PlatinumSponsor:

Tu Dec 2UI Jazz Band III7:30pm, $2-$5

We Dec 3Turtle Island StringQuartet: SolsticeCelebration7:30pm, $15-$32Corporate Silver Sponsor:

UI Percussion Ensemble7:30pm, $2-$5

Th Dec 4Wine Tasting5pm, free

UI Jazz Band II7:30pm, $2-$5

Season SponsorsCoporate Season Underwriters

Patron Season Sponsors

CAROLE AND JERRY RINGER

“Anna Pottery: Plagiarism as Art” – Reintroduces Illinois toits greatest potters, the brothers Cornwall and WallaceKirkpatrick, and their Anna Pottery (1859-96). The exhibi-tion focuses on the brothers’ large-scale incised worksthat obsessively reproduce texts from quirky yet mun-dane sources like telephone books and corporate reports.Ahead of its time, the Kirkpatricks’ work is a forerunner tothe outsider art and pop art of today. Anna Pottery:Plagiarism as Art is on view through Jan 4.

“Whistler and Japonisme: Selections from thePermanent Collection” – Marking the 100th anniversaryof James McNeill Whistler’s death, this exhibition high-lights his works on paper and examines the influence thatJapanese woodcuts had on his artistic technique. On dis-play at the Krannert Art Museum through March 28, 2004.500 E Peabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm, Sun 2-5pm. 333-1860. Suggested Donation: $3

“Faculty Art Exhibition” – Features the newest work bycurrent faculty in the School of Art and Design. This exhi-bition, a major event in the Urbana-Champaign art com-munity, is one of the oldest, continuously-running facultyexhibitions in the country. Recent works of painting, sculp-ture, installation art, photography, glass, graphic designand other media will be on display through Jan 4. Fourfaculty members will give talks about their work at noonon the following Wednesdays: Dec 3, Kevin Hamilton; Dec10, Melissa Pokorny; Dec 17, Gerald Guthrie. 500 EPeabody, Urbana. Tue, Thu-Sat 9am-5pm, Wed 9am-8pm

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

Hamlet Q1: The First Quarto 1603 – A shorter, action-packed version of Shakespeare’s play performed with non-traditional gender casting by the University of Illinois NewRevels Players. Performances will be held Sat, Dec 6 at 3pmand 7pm and Sun, Dec 7 at 3pm at the McKinleyFoundations Westminster Hall, 809 S Fifth St, Champaign,Ill. Tickets are $5 at the door. For reservations, [email protected] or call (217) 384-5462.

The Celebration Company at the Station Theatre pres-ents 110 Degrees in the Shade. 110 Degrees in the Shade isa musical with score by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt ofThe Fantastiks fame. It is based on the hit play TheRainmaker by N. Richard Nash, who also wrote the book forthis show. All rights to this show are administered by Tams-Whitmark Music Library, Inc. The Celebration Companyproduction of 110 in the Shade at the Station Theatre willbe directed by Jim Dobbs and Music directed by DebraMyers Dobbs. Show dates will be from: Nov 19 throughSun, Nov 23. Wed, Nov 26, CLOSED Thanksgiving Day (Nov27). Fri, Nov 28 through Sun, Nov 30. Wed, Dec 3 throughSat, Dec 6. All shows are at 8pm. Call (217) 384-4000 forreservations. 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 placeone fateful night in a London hotel, as a ConservativeGovernment Member of Parliament attempts to have anaffair with a secretary of the Opposition. Filled with an oddassortment of characters including a conniving waiter, asuspicious hotel manager, an alert private detective, anangry wife, a furious husband, a bungling secretary, anunconscious nurse and a dead body, nothing is going togo as planned. Performances are Dec 3, 4, 5, 6 at 8pm andDec 6 and 7 at 3pm. General admission tickets are $8 foradults; student and senior tickets are $5. Call (217) 351-2528 for tickets and information or e-mail [email protected].

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

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

Zen Sitting, 10am; Full Schedule: Service at 9 followed bysitting, Dharma Talk at 11 followed by tea until about 12noon. Can arrive at any of above times, open to all, noexperience needed, no cost. For info call 355-8835 orwww.prairiezen.org

Prairie Sangha for Mindfullness Meditation – Mondayevenings from 7:30-9pm and monthly retreats onSunday. Theravadan (Vipassana) and Tibetan (Vjrayana &Dzogchen) meditation practice. Meets in Urbana. Moreinformation call or email Tom at 356-7413 [email protected]. www.prairiesangha.org

Clear Sky Zen Group – Meets on Thursday evenings in theGeneva Room of the McKinley Foundation. Newcomersto meditation and people of all traditions and faiths arewelcome – McKinley Foundation, 809 S Fifth St, 6:25-9pm

Formerly-Fat Persons’ Support Group – Free social meet-ing every Saturday at 2pm at Aroma Cafe, 118 N Neil St, C.For more information contact Jessica Watson at 353-4934.

Loose Womyn Discussion Section (discussion topics areloose, the women need not be ) – Dec 18, 7pm, we’ll dis-cuss the book Not Your Mothers’ Midlife by Marilyn Kentzand Nancy Alspaugh. Borders Bookstore, 802 TownCenter Blvd, Champaign (217) 351-9011

Loose Womyn Discussion Section – (discussion topics areloose, the women need not be) – Nov 20 we’ll discuss thebook The Right Questions by Debbie Ford. BordersBookstore, 802 Town Center Blvd, Champaign (217) 351-9011.

Simplicity Discussion Group – Dec 4, 7pm, we’ll discussthe 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 visualimages, a method of connecting with your intuition, atool for visualizing your dreams or goals. Come explorelife mapping—approaches, uses, and the opportunity tocreate your own life map. 9:15am-1:00pm on Sat, Dec 6 atMcKinley Foundation, C. $45. To register or for informa-tion, contact Jo Pauly, MSW, Whole Life Coach at (217)337-7823 or [email protected]

Baby Time – Nov 20 – Bring your baby for nursery rhymes,music activities, and play time for little ones. Registrationis not required – Douglass Branch Library, 10:30-11am

Thursday Arts and Crafts For Kids – Nov 20 – For elemen-tary school-age children. No registration – DouglassBranch Library, 4-5pm

Family Reading Night – Nov 20 – Community celebritieswill read out loud as part of a statewide celebrationplanned by the Illinois State Library. No registration –Champaign Public Library, 6:30-8pm

Girls, Girls, Girls – Nov 21 – Games, crafts and reading timefor girls in kindergarten to fifth grade. No registration –Douglass Branch Library, 4-5pm

Storyshop – Nov 26 – Preschoolers with a parent or schoolgroup will enjoy weekly stories and activities.Registration is not required – Champaign Public Library,9:30-10am

ON STAGE LISTINGS

KIDS AND FAMILIES

MIND BODY SPIRIT

F O U R S O M E P A R AB A R K E E P E R S I R E DI N B E T W E E N K N E A DO B I R E N T S A B O D EM E T I E R S S T A L I NE L E N A H O M E L A N DS T R E T C H O N E S L E G S

E A S E LP R E M E D I T A T E D A C TR E N E G E R S M O I R EO S C A R S N E U T R O NP H O N E P R O W L L O SH A D I T R I D E A B I K EE P E E S O V E R T O N E ST E S S T A S S E L E D

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Page 18: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

BUGS BUNNY, DAFFY DUCK AND STEVE MARTIN! OH MY! | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz18film & tvfilm & tv

BY ANDREW VECELAS | STAFF WRITER

Few things in Hollywood have been as con-sistent as Looney Tunes; the animated crew

has appeared in so many classic animatedshorts that it’s hard to recall a time when Bugs,Daffy and the rest have disappointed. LooneyTunes: Back in Action, the latest mix of animationand live action from Warner Brothers, comesacross as one of the biggest missteps of theLooney Tunes brand to date. It’s a stunninglybland film that proves that even the most tal-ented people in Hollywood can make mistakes.

In the film, Daffy Duck is fired from the lat-est Warner Brothers movie after he balks aboutplaying second fiddle to Bugs his whole career.He then ends up in the company of DJ Drake(Brendan Fraser), a security guard also firedfrom the studio lot. The two search for DJ’s lostfather (Timothy Dalton), who turns out to be asecret agent. Meanwhile, Bugs and the studioV.P. (Jenna Elfman) realize losing Daffy will bea disaster and set out to bring him back. Theexpectedly off-the-wall plot sends the charac-ters trotting to a number of famous locations on(and off) the globe.

The cast serves as a good indicator of wherethe film goes wrong. Fraser and Elfman give ita good shot but seem bored in most of theirscenes. On the other end of the spectrum, SteveMartin parades around with all his comicmight as the primary villain, but he still comesacross as merely amusing. To have such ablecomic actors as Fraser, Elfman and especiallyMartin fall flat repeatedly really shows howpoorly the movie is scripted. Even Bugs andDaffy produce only a handful of laughs. Withso many gags thrown out at breakneck pace, it’sremarkable that the film produces only theoccasional isolated laughs.

The movie manages one truly inspiredsequence where Elmer Fudd gives chase toDaffy and Bugs through the Louvre. The char-acters jump into and out of famous paintingsand discover what dangers lurk in the surreal-ism of Dali and the pointillism of Seurat.Unfortunately, it’s the only scene that shows agood deal of creativity. The filmmakers clearlywant to show off expensive effects, but theyhaven’t given any thought as to what to dowith them. There’s nothing here to compare tothe genius in the climax of Who Framed RogerRabbit; the action scenes in Looney Tunes: Back inAction are boring even by cartoon standards.

By all means, Joe Dante should have been theright director for the film. With his chapter ofTwilight Zone: The Movie and especially Gremlinsand its sequel, it’s clear that he has a talent forbalancing surreal effects with oddball comedy.But his fascination with throwing in cameosand references to dozens of classic movies

weighs down the film. These may please olderaudience members, but the references will becompletely lost on the film’s core audience.

On paper, Looney Tunes: Back in Action has allthe pieces in place to equal Who Framed RogerRabbit. But on the screen, the film is occasional-ly entertaining, and, in terms of laughs, doesn’teven equal the live-action/animated effort,Space Jam. Hard to believe, but for the first timein memory, the Looney Tunes gang will likelybore adults and children alike.

BY MATT PAIS | LEAD REVIEWER

With his powerful masculin-ity that can shift smoothly

into impassioned sensitivity,Russell Crowe has establishedhimself as the new face ofOscar. His last three majorroles (Proof of Life excluded)

garnered him consecutive Oscar nominationsand a Best Actor prize for Gladiator, arguablythe least respected among his performances inThe Insider and A Beautiful Mind.

Unlike Tom Hanks, whose affectionate affa-bility found him a host of praiseworthy roles asunlikely heroes, Crowe’s gruff bravado placeshim in burlier, majestic films with a more in-your-face dramatic punch.

In Master and Commander: The Far Side of theWorld, Peter Weir’s booming account of early19th-century ocean warfare, Crowe balanceshis insuppressible machismo with the prouddignity of a fearless leader. He plays Captain

“Lucky” Jack Aubrey of the HMS Surprise, anEnglish ship sent to intercept the Acheron, amuch larger and stronger French boat.

Clad in a flowing ponytail and Seinfeld-remi-niscent puffy shirt, Crowe is far from his mus-cular, attention-grabbing turn in L.A.Confidential, but the Australian actor appears noless domineering. His restrained, regal per-formance meshes perfectly with the film—astriking mix of looming battle sequences andearly-modern ideas of global and scientificexploration. Working from Patrick O’Brian’snovels, Weir directs with the placid grace andstrapping ambition of the vessel itself.

As meticulously crafted as any ship in a bot-tle, the Surprise has a distinguished, creakingbeauty that refuses to wither, even as its woodsplinters and men perish from the impact of 18-pound cannonballs.

“This ship is England!” Captain Jack declaresin his climactic, Knute Rockne-esque speech torouse the men for their final battle. And he’sright. The year is 1805, and Britain representsthe lone rebel to Napoleon’s oppressive hold onEurope. The importance of their mission lendsa pressing urgency to the vulnerability of theboat and its crew, who begin to doubt they candefeat the heavier, better-armed Acheron.

But despite its historical theatrics, the filmpacks a genuine wallop of intense, significantentertainment for even those completely apa-thetic toward the chronology of Europeanpower. It examines several complex dynamicsof the relationships between seamen of differ-

ent rank, and doesn’t lose steam when the can-nons are closed. The scenes on the calm, openwater are as expansive and textured as any-thing in Titanic, and when the ocean turnsharsh, Master and Commander becomes a lumi-nous spectacle of rainy realism.

Weir creates tremendously tumultuousscenes in which waves crash and thick sheets ofmist practically blind the crew, transporting theaudience not just to the middle of the surgingsea but back in time to an era of national honorand responsibility.

These men fight to save their country firstand themselves last, and an overall feeling ofheroic dedication sits in the hearts of the hun-dreds of men onboard the Surprise. Young boysare depended upon for large, commandingduties, and many lives are lost for the sake ofthe ship.

Amidst the pervasive violence is Dr. StevenMaturin (A Beautiful Mind’s Paul Bettany), alongtime friend of the captain and the only manon the ship with legitimate medical knowledge.However, the obvious limits of 19th-centurymedicine result in some primitive scenes of thedoctor at work that are as compelling as theyare 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 chantiessung on deck, to the ship’s officials laughingover classic nautical stories at the captain’stable. Yet there remains a spirited, freshwatersparkle that overshadows any sense of salty

familiarity. This is big, boisterous filmmakingthat still manages to glide gently over the upsand downs of the water.

Tackling his most sweeping, extravagantproduction yet, Weir reveals an added flair forbroad, eye-popping cinematic exhibition to hisalready ripe directorial repertoire. Weir buffswill get a kick out of watching the Surprise andremembering the fate that befell Jim Carrey’sship in The Truman Show. While Truman’s aquat-ic-oriented scenes introduced the director’sability to craft stimulating scenes of sea-sweptperil, Master and Commander achieves a farhigher degree of oceanic fanfare. It’s a glorioustale of adventure on the high seas sure to putwind in any landlubber’s sails.

MASTER ANDCOMMANDER

moviereview

MASTER AND COMMANDER | RUSSELL CROWE

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LOONEY TUNES | JENNA ELFMAN, BRENDAN FRASER

LOONEY TUNES:BACK IN ACTION!!

!!!!

SCREEN REVIEW GUIDE!!!! Flawless!!! Good!! Mediocre! Badno stars Unwatchable

Elf

“It was a good holiday movie.”

!!!

Lynn Albertsen

Gibson City

C-UViews

!!!

Heather Albertsen

Gibson City

!!!!

Chris Barlow

Champaign

“I thought it was funny and cute.”

“A very dark movie with good acting; well

worth seeing.”

Sylvia

#buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26 | NERD DREAMS ARE TAKING OVER MY SUBCONSCIOUS LIFE artsarts 7

For tickets 217/333-6280KrannertCenter.com

S O L S T I C EC E L E B R ATO N

TURTLE ISLAND STRING QUARTET

DEC 3, 7: 30 PM

CORPORATE SILVER SPONSOR

Our Town!!! Thornton Wilder

BY JEFF NELSON | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Thornton Wilder’s Our Town is the quintes-sential American drama, and its worldwide

popularity attests to its extraordinary abilityto capture the essence of what makes ushuman. But it is verydifferent to experi-ence it as a live play.

The words abouthow people live anddie in the fictitioustown of Grover’sCorners, N.H., sud-denly take on a dra-matic life that putsthe audience rightinto another world.

In 1938, Wilder,who had alreadywon a Pulitzer Prizefor literature, wonthe first of twoPulitzer Prizes fordrama with this bare-stage human drama.This seems to be theyear of the PulitzerPrize play in the Chicago area, and now theAmerican Writer’s Theatre in northern subur-ban Glencoe has staged a fine rendition of thisclassic that will remind you why you mustexperience this play as an audience memberand not just read it.

Director William Brown has put together afine cast of Chicago veterans and some cre-ative ideas to pull off this ensemble piece.Using the small space of Glencoe’s Women’sLibrary Club and such bold strokes as using awoman as the narrator/stage manager, Brown

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

Ora Jones’ performance as narrator-stagemanager justifies Brown’s bold touches with aperformance that brings Grover’s Corners intothe modern world with power and dignity. Inthis production, the audience rediscovers whatthis play is all about.

The Wisconsin-born, Yale-educated Wilderlived a very cosmopolitan life in such places asChina, France and the University of Chicago.He is not merely a product of the restrictedworld he writes about.

Yet, it was a world that fascinated him. Herealized that most people didnot have his experience withlife, and that every day wasfilled with strictures thatdefine a person’s place in theworld. On these strictures ofeveryday life, he put a humanface and a human drama, andhe did it brilliantly.

Four years after Our Town,he would win a secondPulitzer Prize for drama withThe Skin of Our Teeth. In thisplay, everyday life is filledwith drama and a constantstruggle for survival. Theextraordinary events dominatelife, yet humanity survives. InOur Town, the ordinary eventsof life generate their owndrama, and humanity perse-veres.

The daily lives of ordinary people are aparable not only for the strictures of everydaylife, but also for its humanity and the dramathat makes us human. Human beings are fasci-nating simply as they are, and Our Townproves it as William Brown’s production reaf-firms it.

The Writer’s Theatre is at 325 Tudor Courtin Glencoe, just north of the Loop on the Lake.The theater can be reached at (847) 242-6000 orwww.writerstheatre.org.

playreview

This historic play still affects audiences.

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Betsy Hammill, an audience member, saidshe enjoyed the performance. The dancereminded her of the fragility of ballet, butin grass.

“Many of us have seen a performances atthe Krannert Center for the Performing Arts,but no one had been out to that farmhousebefore. The dance becomes the whole event offinding the place and standing in the cold,”said Ray. “A new dance, a new experi-ence.”

The final On Location performance, NadiaOussenko’s Sonority Movement, will be at2:35 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, in the FoellingerGreat Hall foyer at the Krannert Center for thePerforming Arts. Admission will be free.

Outsidecontinued from page 6

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

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Page 19: Buzz Magazine: Nov. 20, 2003

SHUT UP! I GET STUFF! | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzz6artsarts

BY DREW FRIST | STAFF WRITER

On Location, a suite of four site-specificdance performances, is organized and choreo-graphed by second-year graduate students indance—Petry, Water Logic; Ling-Fen Chien,Stepping Forward ;Nadia Oussenko,Sonority Movement;and Jessica Ray,Demanding Company.Site-specific dancedeveloped as a reac-tion to the social andpolitical climate ofthe 1960s, pioneer-ing offstage move-ment and dance.

“When you thinkof dance you think ofleotards, tutus andtoe shoes—this is alittle different,” saidN i c P e t r y , aU n i v e r s i t y o fIllinois graduatestudent in dance.“ We w a n t e d t ow o r k o n s i t e s ,break out of the the-ater and that prosce-nium idea.”

“By putting apiece on a site, peo-ple that wouldn’t have necessarily gone to adance concert are suddenly confronted withart and dance—maybe they are affected by it,”

said Justin Jacobs, a dance student and OnLocation performer.

A site that is not spectacularly interestingon its own could be transformed by a per-formance. Introducing dance to a hill or abusy sidewalk brings dance closer to the pub-lic and the public closer to dance.

“A site is a perfect place where there is a lotof natural elementsgoing on,” said Petry.“There are sounds,there are buses, youhave the clouds—it isthis idea of buildingour life around whatwe t h i n k i s g o i n garound one direction,and learning to adaptand evolve, and to beopen to that.”

Petry’s own site-spec i f i c dance—Water Logic—was per-formed at OrchardDowns Hill, located atthe i n t e r s e c t i o n o fFlorida Avenue andOrchard Street inUrbana, on Nov. 16.

Water Logic com-bines dance and musiccentered on andaround a hill. Dancersand musicians exploredaspects of the hill,interacting with the

set design. Petry hoped to shift the physi-cal and visual perspectives of theaudience.

He enlisted the help of Chad Tyler, a seniorin landscape architecture at the University,to help “set stage” on the hill. Tyler, havingprevious experience with set design, out-fitted the hill with props and the dancerswith costumes.

During the performance of Water Logic,the hill was dotted with red buckets anddancers wearing Day-Glo yellow rain-coats. Petry and Tyler intentionally juxta-posed the unnatural colors with the hill’sgreen grass and trees.

“Throughout history, hills were massivestages for battle,”said Tyler. “Duringwinter this hill willbe filled with chil-dren sliding downit.”

The dance is partbattle and part play,he said.

Site-specific per-formances affordartists and per-formers more audience interaction and partici-pation than traditional theater seating andticketing would allow—Water Logic’s audi-ence is lead around the hill by rope.

“I wanted to reverse the idea of where theaudience usually is, which is above the areaand watch(ing) down at the dance,” said Petry.“What better than a hill. In a bowl, like thishill’s (valley), the audience is down andaround the performance.”

Andrea Pittner and Rachel Wagner, bothdance students and Water Logic performers,have appreciated the opportunities off-sitedancing can bring to a dancer.

“I am taking more risk now with all of mymovement,” said Pittner.

“The sites are all over,” said Petry. Locationsinclude the corner of Green and Wright streetsin Champaign, Orchard Downs Hill, theKrannert Center for the Performing Arts inUrbana and a lone country house on NorthMarket Street in Champaign.

The subject and performance stylevaries greatly too. Petry’s Water Logic isaccompanied by the live music of compos-er and musician John Toenjes, while Ray’sperformance relies on pre-recorded

instrumental music.Movements d i ffer,

polarizing from “awk-wardly elegant jaunts” toChien’s “leaning, reach-ing, turning and push-ing” in Green and Wrightstreets’ bustle.

“Different actions cancreate different percep-tions,” said Tyler.

Ray’s performance,Demanding Company, on Nov. 8, was minimalcompared to Petry’s Water Logic.

Two performers sprout from behind alone tree in the backyard of the countryhouse, the twinkling of Prospect Avenue’sstrip mall sprawl uninhibited by theempty corn field surrounding 3113 N.Market St., Champaign.

The performers, Regan Kinder and KateMcIlvain, were “bumbling around the holes ofresident groundhogs.”

Dance comes alive in the outdoors

I wanted to reverse the idea of where the audience

usually is, which is above the area and watch(ing) down

at the dance. Nic Petry, dance student

[ [

In this style of dance, dancers use the outside astheir theater.

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19buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | RITA MORENO WAS A VERY ATTRACTIVE NUN ON HBO. film & tv

CAT IN THE HAT(PG) (3 SCREENS)Fri. & Sat. 1:00 1:15 1:30 3:003:15 3:30 5:00 5:15 5:30 7:007:15 7:30 9:00 9:15 9:30 11:0011:15 11:30Sun. - Thu. 1:00 1:15 1:30 3:003:15 3:30 5:00 5:15 5:30 7:007:15 7:30 9:00 9:15 9:30THE HUMAN STAIN (R) Fri. &Sat. 12:45 3:00 5:15 7:30 9:4512:00Sun. - Thu. 12:45 3:00 5:15 7:309:45GOTHIKA (R) Fri. & Sat. 1:303:30 5:30 7:30 9:30 11:30Sun. - Thu. 1:30 3:30 5:30 7:309:30BROTHER BEAR(G) Fri. & Sat.1:00 3:00 5:00 7:00 9:00 11:00Sun. - Thu. 1:00 3:00 5:00 7:009:00ELF (PG) Fri. & Sat.(2 SCREENS)1:00 1:30 3:00 3:30 5:00 5:307:00 7:30 9:00 9:30 11:00 11:30Sun. - Thu. 1:00 1:30 3:00 3:305:00 5:30 7:00 7:30 9:00 9:30LOONEY TUNES (PG) Fri. &Sat. 1:10 3:10 5:10 7:10 9:1011:10Sun. - Tue. 1:10 3:10 5:10 7:109:10Wed. & Thu. 1:10 3:10 5:10LOVE ACTUALLY (R) Fri. &Sat. 12:45 4:00 7:00 9:40 12:15Sun. - Thu. 12:45 4:00 7:00 9:40MASTER & COMMANDER(PG–13)

Fri. & Sat. 12:45 1:15(2 SCREENS)3:45 4:15 6:45 7:15 9:30 10:0012:10Sun. - Thu. 12:45 1:15 3:45 4:156:45 7:15 9:30 10:00

MYSTIC RIVER (R) Fri. - Tue.1:30 7:15RADIO (PG) Fri. & Sat. 4:009:45 12:00Sun. - Tue. 4:00 9:45SCARY MOVIE 3 (PG–13) Fri.& Sat. 1:10 3:00 5:00 7:10 9:0011:00Sun. - Tue. 1:10 3:00 5:00 7:109:00SCHOOL OF ROCK (PG–13)Fri. & Sat. 1:00 3:10 5:30 7:409:50 12:00Sun. - Tue. 1:00 3:10 5:30 7:409:50! MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (R)

Fri. & Sat. 12:45 1:15(2 SCREENS)4:00 4:30 7:00 7:30 9:35 10:0512:10Sun. - Tue. 12:45 1:15 4:00 4:307:00 7:30 9:35 10:05Wed. & Thu. 1:15 4:30 7:007:30 9:35 10:05

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THE CAT IN THE HAT (PG) 3 PRINTS / 3 SCREENS(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, 11:40STADIUM SEATING 12:40, 2:35, 4:30, 6:45, 8:40 FRI/SAT LS 10:45 GOTHIKA (R) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS1:10, 3:15, 5:20, 7:25, 9:30 FRI/SAT LS 11:35STADIUM 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, 9:40STADIUM 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 12:10MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (R) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 7:20, 10:00 STADIUM SEATING 1:20, 4:00, 6:40, 9:40ELF (PG) 2 PRINTS / 2 SCREENS 12:50, 3:05, 5:10, 7:15STADIUM SEATING 1:10, 3:25, 5:30, 7:35, 9:40 FRI/SAT LS 11:45BROTHER BEAR (G)1:45, 3:40, 5:45, 7:30, 9:25 FRI/SAT LS 11:20MYSTIC RIVER (R) 9:35LOVE ACTUALLY (R) (SAT/SUN 11:00) 1:40, 4:15, 6:50, 9:25 FRI/SAT LS 12:00SCARY MOVIE 3 (PG-13) 7:45, 9:45 FRI/SAT LS 11:45RADIO (PG) 1:00, 3:10, 5:20THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (R) 9:20 FRI/SAT LS 11:20

BY SYD SLOBODNIK | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For more than two decades, John Sayles hasbeen one of the most independent creativewriters/directors working in the U.S. filmindustry, and without a doubt, he has createdsome of the most fascinating characters andsocial situations in his film stories. His latestfilm, Casa de los Babys, is a unique look at moth-erhood, the circumstances of wealthy womenwho can afford to have children but cannot nat-urally and the circumstances of poor womenwho can’t afford to have the children they can-not seem to help having.

Sayles’ story is another of his trademarkensemble pieces, an intriguing narrativeinvolving numerous people whose livesbecome interconnected through the main con-cern of the film’s story. Casa de los Babys focuseson six middle-class American women who arestuck in limbo in an unidentified SouthAmerican city, waiting for the bureaucraticadoption procedures to clear their personalmiseries and send them home to the UnitedStates as new moms.

Sayles’ tale develops with the steady butcasual pace of a well-crafted stage play. In asmall resort hotel we meet the film’s six maincharacters: Leslie, a no-nonsense, free-speakingNew Yorker (Lili Taylor); Gayle, a middle-agedrecovering alcoholic (Mary Steenburgen); Nan,

whose arrogance and strong will to get herchild puts off most everyone in the story(Marcia Gay Harden) ; Skipper, an obsessedathletic blonde who has experienced the loss ofthree children (Darryl Hannah); Jennifer, awealthy younger gal from Washington, D.C.(Maggie Gyllenhaal); and Eileen, possibly thewoman most in genuine need of a baby, an IrishCatholic Bostonian (Susan Lynch).

Through many conversations, we learn howimportant being a mother is for each womanand how past attempts at conception, miscar-riages or other difficulties have caused them tochoose adoption.

Interwoven in Sayles’ main tale are paralleldramas of those connected to the amazing lifecycle the six main characters want so passion-ately to participate in: Senora Munoz, thesleazy proprietress of the baby adoption busi-ness and hotel (played with much relish by vet-eran Rita Moreno); a band of orphaned streeturchins who beg, steal and dodge troubles onthe mean streets of the city; several youngLatinas who work as maids in the hotel; a cou-ple of those womens’ boyfriends; and otheryoung locals with dreams of greater happiness.Sayles shows with touches of irony how impor-tant motherhood is, how many women longwith great passion to nurture young lives andyet how neglected many young children are inThird World countries, where the wealth of theUnited States can only provide some selectlucky ones with an opportunity for a comfort-able lifestyle.

Sayles’ film, though, is not tackling thesemajor social issues on any grand scale. In fact,some might think this 95-minute film is a ratherslight effort that barely gets off the groundbefore it resolves itself to a rather abrupt senseof closure, while other stains of its story are leftunfulfilled. But this isn’t a complex and plottednarrative; it’s more a slice of life.

Where Sayles’ is most skilled in Casa de losBabys is in exploring the feelings and emotionsof his main characters. All six female leads giveoutstanding and subtle performances withgreat sensitivity to avoiding the cliched man-ners of desperate women longing for mother-hood. Lili Taylor is tough and unsentimental;Steenburgen is her usual soft Southern sweet-ness, but thinly hides a deeper set of hard-fought troubles. Darryl Hannah has never beenmore natural, unpretentious and completelybelievable. And recent Oscar-winner MarciaGay Harden proves once again why she is oneof the most quietly powerful actresses workingin Hollywood today. Gyllenhaal and Lynchalso add moments of touching emotions, as thetwo youngest women of the group.

Together with Sayles’ dialogue and engagingcamera technique, these actresses explore manyof the personal, human emotions of womenwith almost the same effectiveness as Swedishdirector Ingmar Bergman did in such films likePersona and Cries and Whispers decades ago.

CASA DE LOSBABYS

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BY JENNIFER KEAST | STAFF WRITER

For anyone who has seen Run Lola Run, FOX’snew drama thriller Tru Calling will seem

vaguely familiar. The main character, Tru (Buffythe Vampire Slayer’s Eliza Dushku), witnessedher mother’s murder when she was 12, and atthe funeral her deceased mother speaks to her.No one believes her at the time, of course.

The show is set after Tru’s college gradua-tion, after a day from hell when she loses herhospital internship due to budget cuts, whichwas going to help her get into medical school.Her brother was also beaten for lacking fundsdue at a lost poker game, and she discovers heroldest sister is on cocaine again.

One good thing does happen on this horribleday, though. Tru gets a job on the graveyardshift tagging and preparing bodies at the citymorgue. Little does she know this will end up

being more than she bargained for.Her first night alone in the morgue, she

thinks she hears whispering voices comingfrom the crypt. She locates the drawer wherethe whispering is coming from, she stares at thedead body, and then the dead body quickly(and scarily enough to make viewers jump thefirst time they see it) turns its head and says,“Help me.” And with that, the plot (and Tru) isoff and running.

Each time a new corpse pleads for help, Truwakes up and gets a second chance to live theday over again. During these second chancesshe does everything she can to find out whythese corpses have died and then runs (and lit-erally runs, since she was a track star while incollege) around trying to prevent the deathsfrom occurring.

Tru Calling is a promising new drama that issure to addict viewers if they give it a firstchance. Dushku wonderfully balances thesweetheart, caring side with her tough, I-want-to-change-the-world attitude. Throughout allher adventures she always manages to lookstunning in the latest trends (and even in hermorgue smock).

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

surprises. Just when you think everything isgoing to be OK, the writers throw somethingelse at the viewers. The shocking endings (orrather, the abrupt nonending of the plotline) tothe episodes make one want to tune in for thenext, simply because one wants to know whathappens to the poor people Tru is trying to savefrom death.

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

TRU CALLING | ELIZA DUSHKU

TRU CALLING"""

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BROTHER BEAR!!JOAQUIN PHOENIX AND PHIL COLLINSWhile American animators still have a long way to go toachieve the sheer grandeur and exhilarating imagination offoreign animation, such as in last year’s Spirited Away, BrotherBear shows they do have their moments. It’s just unfortunatethat their visuals have to be spoiled by rudimentary plots, dis-cardable characters and downright ugly music. (John Loos)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

ELF!!!WILL FERRELL AND JAMES CAANThe film itself really makes no attempts to hide its basic prem-ise as a Christmas movie.There’s Santa, perfectly played by EdAsner.There’s the head elf, portrayed by Bob Newhart.There’sthe grumpy, anti-Christmas guy, James Caan. It’s like everyChristmas television special and movie rolled into one. Andtherein lies its genius. (Dan Maloney)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

KILL BILL: VOLUME ONE!!!!UMA THURMAN AND DAVID CARRADINEKill Bill is raw entertainment that packs brains with its brawn.That is because Tarantino is an expert at drawing feeling fromhis killers, robbers and sociopaths. In Kill Bill,Tarantino revisitshis penchant for characters who have experienced past—and specifically, childhood—trauma, again hitting the markwith brave situational dichotomy.(Matt Pais)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION!!JENNA ELFMAN AND STEVE MARTINOn paper, Looney Tunes: Back in Action has all the pieces inplace 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 firsttime in memory,the Looney Tunes gang will likely bore adultsand children alike. (Andrew Vecelas)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy.

LOVE ACTUALLY!!!HUGH GRANT AND EMMA THOMPSONThe film’s delicate blend of outrageous comedic scenes,which also prove that Brits can perform slapstick and dryhumor equally, mix well with heartwarming confessions fromeach of the characters. Needless to say, keep a lookout for awonderful dance sequence with Grant’s character.. The largeensemble cast is also made up of the “who’s who” of Englishactors. Laura Linney joins in too, and puts in a marvelous per-formance as an American wallflower who draws on every-one’s empathy without appearing fake. (Janelle Greenwood)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

MASTER AND COMMANDER!!!!RUSSELL CROWE AND PAUL BETTANYWeir buffs will get a kick out of watching this film andremembering The Truman Show. While Truman’s aquatic-ori-ented scenes introduced the director’s ability to craft stimu-lating scenes of sea-swept peril, Master and Commanderachieves a far higher degree of oceanic fanfare. It’s a glorioustale of adventure on the high seas sure to put wind in anylandlubber’s sails. (Matt Pais)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy.

THE MATRIX: REVOLUTIONS!!KEANU REEVES AND LAURENCE FISHBURNEIn the utterly disappointing The Matrix: Revolutions, theWachowskis simultaneously step away from that which madethe previous films worthwhile and indulge in the elementsthat made them hollow. Gone are the eye-popping actionsequences of high-tech originality and legitimate concep-tions of a machine-oriented future spun out of control.(Matt Pais)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy.

RADIO!!CUBA GOODING JR. AND ED HARRISCuba Gooding Jr. does his best to give a performance thatwill make his critics less likely to demand that he give backhis Oscar after horrendous films such as Snow Dogs, but thisfilm doesn’t do anything more than give a dramatic versionof Adam Sandler’s The Waterboy. (Jason Cantone)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

RUNAWAY JURY!!!DUSTIN HOFFMAN AND GENE HACKMANBased upon the best-selling John Grisham novel, this storywas originally about tobacco farms, but becomes a tale ofguns. Featuring two of the greatest actors alive, this film isexactly 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 RICHARDSWith the Wayans brothers gone, slapstick king David Zuckerdoes his best to reinvent this dying franchise. Occasionallyhilarious, but often stupid. (Andrew Crewell)Now showing at Beverly and Savoy

TUPAC: RESURRECTION!!!NARRATED BY TUPAC SHAKURIt 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 ageof 25. (Andrew Crewell)Now showing at Savoy.

CAT IN THE HATMIKE MYERS AND ALEC BALDWINJim Carrey took his rendition of the Grinch to box officeheights, but can Mike Myers echo the same success? If GoodBoy! is making money, this just has to. (Jason Cantone)Opening at Beverly and Savoy

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

THE HUMAN STAINANTHONY HOPKINS AND NICOLE KIDMANAnthony Hopkins has a deep, dark secret that unravels his lifeand leads him to wild sex with Nicole Kidman after she doesa sexy striptease. If that’s what happens when life becomesunravelled, sign me up! (Jason Cantone)Opening at Beverly

SHATTERED GLASSHAYDEN CHRISTENSEN AND CHLOE SEVIGNYThe true story of a young journalist caught plagiarizing. Ifonly he wrote an apology about how it was all an accidentabout citing things. That seems to work. (Jason Cantone)Opening at Beverly

STEP INTO LIQUIDROCHELLE BALLARD AND SHAWN BARRONNo special effects. No stuntmen. No stereotypes. This filmprovides an action-packed look inside the surfing world inthis well-reviewed documentary. (Jason Cantone)Opening at Boardman’s

20 HALLE BERRY IS BIGGER AND BETTER. | NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzzfilm & tv

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BY JANELLE GREENWOOD | STAFF WRITER

Films capturing famed authors’ lives, such aslast year’s The Hours, which looked at

Virginia Woolf, are definitely on the rise inHollywood; the latest, Sylvia, fits nicely intothis window of Oscar possibilities.Unfortunately, Sylvia never quite reaches theflow or ease of The Hours, and it reverts back tothe worst screenplay filler of romantic feuds.

Notes from the real Sylvia Plath, from herhusband’s private collection after his death, ledto the film’s screenplay. The nature in whichthe notes were found may have influenced thefilm’s focus on Plath’s love life, rather than hertotal melancholy.

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

Yes, Sylvia Plath (Gwyneth Paltrow) wasmarried and her life did revolve around herrelationship to the writer Ted Hughes (DanielCraig), but her overwhelming depression fromher general insecurities proposed more of anissue than her jealousy of her husband’s suc-cess and his infidelity. Paltrow turns in the best

performance possible under a one-dimension-ally written character. At the very least, theaudience can tell that Plath feels uncomfortablein her own skin. Most remarkable is Paltrow’sportrayal of Plath’s demeanor, mannerismsand appearance.

Plath’s work on her famous novel, The BellJar, briefly gets mentioned, which really takesaway from the film’s credibility. Her work onthat well-known novel followed her own simi-lar progression into madness, which ultimatelyled Plath to take her own life several monthslater. The film really sidesteps this point, whichis far more significant to Plath’s life than herwavering relationship.

Overall Sylvia’s plot and character develop-ment lack the conviction that made NicoleKidman’s portrayal of Virginia Woolf in TheHours so powerful.

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SYLVIA!!

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Tupac Shakur comes back to life in the docu-mentary Tupac: Resurrection. The rapper slain

by gunfire just over seven years ago narrateshis own life story, where he tells all about hisyouth, drugs, women, battles and all else tiedup in a life filled with controversy.

Getting shot was nothing strange to Tupac.Two years before his death, he was shot fivetimes—including twice in the head—but livedthrough 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 andWest Coast that would entrance the hip-hopworld for years. This blame caused Tupac tojoin Suge Knight-led Death Row Records,which also produced Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.

It was then that Shakur sat down to grant aninterview that would encompass his entire life.He talked candidly about his family, his BlackPanther past, the importance of drugs and vio-lence in his life, his cultured upbringing and therace conflict that at times ruled his life.

It is this interview that Tupac: Resurrectionlaces over snippets of Shakur’s concerts, talkshow spots and other appearances to give the

autobiographical documentary. It isn’t until now that many will fully com-

prehend the depth of the rapper. The film por-trays Tupac as a theologian and cultural revo-lutionary obsessed with the inequalities of soci-ety. Constantly striving for equality for blacksand the poor, Tupac: Resurrection paints the pic-ture that his enemies never wanted to be seen.The man was a poet, an articulate speaker andan intellectual who rose from the concrete proj-ects to be a hero to the masses.

Long-winded and one-sided at times, butinfinitely educational, Tupac: Resurrection illus-trates the importance of the departed artist.Almost like John F. Kennedy’s death a genera-tion ago, there are people all over America whocannot only tell you what they were doingwhen Shakur died, but what they were doingevery time he was shot. It is Shakur’s demigodstatus that shines through in the film—thesame status that made the original creator of“thug life” the greatest rapper ever beforebeing killed at the young age of 25.

moviereview

TUPAC:RESURECTION!!!

TUPAC: RESURRECTION | TUPAC SHAKUR

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5buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26 | FUNNY SENTENCE HERE communitySome think purchasing the horse is the most

expensive part of owning it, says RonRhoades, owner of White Horse farms inSeymour, Ill.

“Buying a horse isn’t the expensive part—keeping it is,” says Rhoades. He estimates thatone horse costs about $175 a month for routinemedical care, food and bedding, plus a month-ly fee for boarding the horse at a stable. Also,the rider will buy between $1,000 and $2,000of equipment, called tack, including the sad-dle, helmet, bridles and lead lines. There arealways ways to cut costs on these initialinvestments, however. If possible, peopleboard the animal at home. Another easy wayto save is to look for used equipment in theclassifieds in your area. If you’re already tak-ing lessons, ask your instructor if he knowsanyone who has a horse or tack for salecheap—but be sure to find out why the animalis such a bargain before buying. The horseitself could cost several thousand dollars ifyou have your heart set on a particular breed.

Time is another thing to consider. Like anypet, a horse demands a lot of time and care.But never confuse a horse with the familydog—horses are an enormous responsibility.You must clean their stalls every day, make

sure they have plenty of food and water, keeptheir coats and hooves clean and most impor-tantly, don’t forget to ride! Horses depend onyou for exercise just as much as you dependon them.

If you’ve thought about the financial sacri-fices, and are determined to buy a horse evenif you have to live in your newly-built barneating ramen noodles, don’t buy a horse froman auction unless you have experience. It’s tooeasy for amateurs to bid on the wrong horse orto bid too much. Take an experienced horseperson with you to look at possible buys to gettheir opinion and look at a lot of horses. Askquestions of anyone who knows anythingabout horses, read books and surf the Internetfor information. There are people all over theworld dying to pass on their enthusiasm toyou. Take a look.

No matter what your living situation orfinancial background, true horse enthusiastswill find a way to include horses in theirlifestyle. “Horse people are crazy,” saysRhoades, “But they’re good people.”

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

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

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4 NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 buzzcommunityClaire never considered quitting after suf-

fering her injury, nor did she develop a fear ofhorses as a result of her setback. “I just could-n’t give it up. I love the rush.”

For anyone who is fascinated by horses, les-sons are a good place to start. This way, inter-ested people can find out whether or not theytruly enjoy riding before they spend severalhundred dollars on equipment. Lessons are agood way to learn the basics of horse riding,which is more than just kicking the horse tomake it go, pulling back on the reins to stopand not falling off. As Nicolas Evans writes inhis novel The Horse Whisperer, “It’s a lot likenuts and bolts—if the rider’s nuts, the horsebolts!”

“When you ride, you’re holding togetherthe whole horse,” says Kennedy. “If you falloff, you want to have a good story to tell, notsomething silly like, ‘I forgot to tighten thegirth’ or ‘My balance was off.’”

Finding a place to ride usually isn’t difficultin Illinois. The flat, grassy landscape is perfectfor grazing horses. A few minutes spent look-ing through the phone book or on the Internetcan turn up a few options in your area, andeven if it is a half hour away or so, parents canbe talked into making the trip once a week.

Finding the teacher that fits your style canbe more difficult, so think about observingclasses at as many different stables as you can.This way, you can see how classes are run andwhat class times fit into your schedule. Youcan also ask questions before you begin les-sons. This is important, especially if you werehoping to learn something specific about rid-ing, such as jumping.

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

son and heads into the barn to get her mountready to ride. Her boot heels click on the con-crete floor as she passes the stalls, the chainshanging on the walls clinking in the wind.After fetching her horse, a dark stallion stand-ing more than 5 feet tall at the shoulder, sheattaches his harness to the chains to keep himin place while she grooms him. She brusheshis satiny coat free of mud and dust, makingespecially sure that his back is clean where thesaddle will rest. She picks each hoof with aspecial tool, scraping hard clods of mud outwith the pointed end, brushing away loosedirt with the bristles on the other end. Thiswill make it less likelyfor the horse to pickup a stone in its hoofwhile in the arena.

Then the saddle padand saddle are put onthe horse’s back,against the withers—the area where theneck meets the body —and cinched up using a strap with several buck-les, called a girth. The girth can be adjusted toavoid pinching the animal. One of the finalparts of the process is sliding the bridle over thehorse’s head and getting him to take the bitbetween his teeth. The bridle is a complicatedlooking combination of straps and metal piecesthat encircle the horse’s entire head, so it cantake practice to put it on correctly, with the reinsresting on the horse’s back and the metal bit inhis mouth. This routine must be completedbefore any lesson has begun to ensure the safe-ty and happiness of both horse and rider.

Claire’s mount waits patiently while she fin-ishes these necessities, neighing and pawing

the ground occasionally as through ready to go.Claire often pats the horse affectionately on thenose or neck as she passes back and forth.Another benefit of horsemanship, aside fromthe excellent exercise, is the companionship ofthis huge, friendly beast.

Plenty of opportunities exist for riders torediscover the sport or get into it for the firsttime with the Illini Equestrians. The group is asbig on social events like barn dances and barcrawls as they are in the Intercollegiate HorseShow Association shows, says Cat Dayger, oneof two English coaches for the club. Memberscan personalize their level of involvement and

should not feel likethey cannot join if theydon’t want to appearin horse shows or ifthey do not have timefor every social event,Dayger says.

“I love being aroundhorses because they’rehonest. If they’re mad,

they show it. They’re easy to please; they’ll doanything for treats. They watch for you as youcome into the barn ... they really care,” saysDayger. Dayger, a junior in animal sciences atthe University of Illinois, has been riding seri-ously since sixth grade and leases her horsefrom a local stable.

Claire, like most young equestrians, hopes tolease or own her own horse one day as well. Shehas been taking riding lessons for so long thatshe became bored with simple trail riding anddecided to learn jumping.

“She’s been taking jumps up to 3 feet 6 inch-es (tall). That’s exciting enough to make a par-ent’s heart go pitter-patter,” says Bob.

Buying a horse isn’t the expensive part —

keeping it is.Ron Rhoades

[ [

Left: ClaireNonnemann removesIndy's harness afterher lesson.

Right: Thirteen-year-old ClaireNonnemann ofUrbana rides Indy, athorough bred, dur-ing her weekly lessonMonday evening atTop Line Farm.Nonnemann has beenriding since she was9 years old: "It'ssomething excitingand different." PH

OTO

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21buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | S0... A PIRATE WALKS INTO A BAR

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Spring semester weekday hours.Enquire Rick Orr Florists. 351-9299

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I WISH MY HORISCOPE WAS BETTER THIS WEEK... | NOVEMBER 13-NOVEMBER 19, 2003 buzz22odds & endodds & endARIES (March 21-April 19): To prepare you for your upcomingencounters with inexpressible mystery, Ioffer you the words ofAlexander Solzhenitsyn from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech."Not everything has a name," he said. "Some things lead us into arealm beyond words . . . to revelations unattainable by reason. Itis like that small mirror in fairy tales -- you glance in it and whatyou see is not yourself; for an instant you glimpse theInaccessible, where no magic carpet can take you. And the soulcries out for it."

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "Do one thing that scares you everyday," counsels novelist Kurt Vonnegut.That's easy for a risk-lovingScorpio like him to say,but is it good advice for you Tauruses,whotypically thrive on peace and safety? At most other times, I wouldsay no; I'd suggest you force yourself to face your fears no morethan once a month. But the coming weeks are shaping up as adeparture from your usual rhythms. You can do a lot to ensureyour long-term peace and safety through regular encounterswith unpredictable experiences that will scare up your hiddenreserves of courage.

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

CANCER (June 21-July 22): "Dear Mr. Brezsny: I'm a feminist in apost-feminist era, a warrior poet when poetry is considered irrel-evant in war, and a lone wolf amidst yapping coyotes. I've been afirefighter, journalist, and janitor -- and damn good at all three,not that anybody noticed. My questions are: Why is my successwith men like that of a goat trying to herd trucks? Why is the onlyluck I ever have the 'avoided the falling piano at the last second'kind? Are there any cake raffle winnings in my future? -Anti-Heroic Crab"

Dear Anti-Heroic: The mournful conditions you described willtake a turn for the better when you devote a concentrated timeto becoming emotionally self-sufficient. During that period, vowto draw all the love you need from either yourself or whateverpasses for God of Goddess in your world. Now would be the per-fect moment to begin.

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

myths and fairy tales that "cut fine wide doors in previous blankwalls, openings that lead to the dreamland, that lead to love andlearning, that lead us back to our own real lives." I advise you toget some of this good stuff, Leo. Feast on unpredictable storiesthat replenish your innocence and rekindle your sense of won-der. Estes' book, Women Who Run With the Wolves, has some goodones. Try "Skeleton Woman" or "Sealskin, Soulskin."

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 namedher the least approachable celebrity entertainer. Another Virgoluminary, Shannon Elizabeth, was ranked right behind Diaz in herstinginess. To redeem your tribe's reputation, I urge you to giveaway your autograph to anyone and everyone in the comingweek. Such a generous display would also dovetail nicely withthe astrological omens, which suggest you should engage inplayful acts that make you feel like a star.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Many plants used for prescriptiondrugs originate in tropical rainforests. Do their endangeredecosystems therefore harbor other healing herbs that are as yetundiscovered? Probably. But a recent study suggests that weedsgrowing in easily accessible places near human settlements maybe an equally important source of medicine. The Journal ofEthnopharmacology 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 for-est." I offer up this intriguing scenario as an apt metaphor for youin the coming days. The best goodies are more likely to be closeat hand in the midst of familiar clutter, not in far-off enclaves ofpeace and plenty. (Thanks to www.eurekalert.org/ for this info.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): To supply the newsprint for theaverage Sunday edition of the New York Times, about 63,000trees must die. Is that a worthy sacrifice? Maybe. To keep yourbody fueled with caffeine for a year, upwards of a thousandplants must give up their lives. Is that a worthy sacrifice? Possibly.To make sure your freshly hatched dream will ultimately reachfull bloom, at least three of your tired old illusions will have tocroak. Is that a worthy sacrifice? Hell, yes. Let the mercy killingbegin.

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

on digesting the glut, Sagittarius, and by this time next week themess will have evolved into a web of fresh insights.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "I go through the canned-goodsdepartment of my soul," mused columnist Jon Carroll, "and Iwrite down how many cubes of spiritual bouillon I have left." Isuggest you take a similar tack this week, Capricorn. In otherwords, add a touch of self-mocking frivolity as you make a pro-found inventory of your current relationship with the GreatMystery. And be sure to mix in a few wacky, winsome questionswith your heartfelt yearning for deeper understanding. Here'show Carroll expressed it: "Who am I? Why am I here? Is there anentity greater than myself? If there is, how can I get it to like me?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "Satan is broke!" declared a recentarticle in the Weekly World News. "He's selling back souls at halfprice to avoid bankruptcy." On the face of it, this is an amusing riffdreamed up by one of the comic geniuses who writes for thenotorious tabloid. But oddly enough, there is a metaphoricalgrain of truth in it. The astrological omens suggest that a hugewindow of opportunity has opened for those who need redemp-tion. It is a favorable moment for lost souls to find themselves, forblack sheep and prodigal sons to return to the fold, and for incor-rigible troublemakers to mend their ways. I'm letting you know,Aquarius, because your tribe, more than any of the other signs, isin the best position to facilitate rehabilitations and restorationsof all kinds -- both for others and for yourself.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "I've finally got my relationshipproblem figured out," wrote Melinda, a reader from Philadelphia."It has been a lifelong, insidious misunderstanding of what I'mentitled to, combined with a fear of abandonment that has mademe grab onto the wrong companions." I bring this testimony toyour attention, Pisces, because I think it resonates with realiza-tions you're ready for. The coming months will be a favorabletime for you to discern the hidden karma that has been keepingyou from getting the love you want. A good way to begin yoursearch will be to take inven ory of your fear of abandonment andyour misunderstanding of what you're entitled to.

HOMEWORK:The media love bad newsbecause they think it's moreinteresting than good news.Is it? Send your interestinggood news to me atwww.freewillastrology.com.

Rob Brezsny's Free WillAstrology beautyandtruth@ f r e e w i l l a s t r o l o g y. c o m415.459.7209(v)• 415.457.3769 http://www.freewillastrology.com P.O. Box 798San Anselmo, CA 94979

! "

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

$25 Gift Certificate given away every Friday. Stop by each week to register.

New arrivals this week! Straight from LA!

Tommy G’sBar and Grill

www.tommygs.com

featuring food by Foudini’s

Every Tuesday

Fri., November 21

Sat., November 22

Every Wednesday

FREE MUSICno cover weekdays!

123 S. Mattis, Champaign - Counrty Fair Mall, 359-2177

Adam wolf’sAcoustic Night

Plus $2 Tuesdays - two dollar drafts,cans,dom. Bottles, well drinks, order of wings,

basket-o-spuds, chips-n-salsa.

Thursdays - Pool Tourney, Cash Prizes, 7 PM

FREE FOOD FRIDAYS!

Rock, rock, and more rock! 10 PM

Bryce & Jason Johnson live - plus free food, no cover! 5-7 PM

RenegadeSouthern & classic rock

Renegade will be at Tommy G’s on New Year’s Eve 2004!

28 - The Brat Pack, 29 - Crystal River Band

Kilborn AlleyComing in November

American heritage band

ACROSS

1 Alcott’s Little Women,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

18 Doesn’t own

19 Digs, so to speak

20 Strong suits

22 Political leader origi-nally surnamedDzhugashvili

23 Daughter of JuanCarlos I

24 Kind of security

26 Stand on an airplane, maybe

29 Display aid

30 Something planned

40 They don’t follow suit

41 Silk pattern

42 Occasion for rollingout the red carpet

43 Discovery of Sir James Chadwick

45 Cradle contents

46 Walk like a cat

48 ___ Teques,Venezuela

49 Hit upon the solution

50 Pedal, perhaps

52 Modern pentathletes’needs

53 Hints

54 Harper of Hollywood

55 Like some curtains

DOWN

1 Radiator adjunct

2 Many a heavenlybody

3 It has strings attached

4 Pull back

5 Valjean’shideout

6 Jimmies

7 A runner may enterone

8 Shore soarers

9 It uses flippers

10 Anatomicalinterstices

11 Gauge datum

12 Summer fig-ures?

13 Some complexcommunities

14 Gliders

21 LikeBruckner’sSymphony No. 7

22 Refine

24 Legions

25 Service status

27 Hands over

28 It may be pulled back

30 Mohammed,with “the”

31 Morph

32 Makes secret, in a way

33 Malefactors

34 Some waders

35 Be like

36 Music symbol

37 One with a fleet fleet

38 Thieving

39 Present and the like

43 Computers on a network

44 Some painted vessels

46 Meth., e.g.

47 ___ Ridge (race-horse)

51 Land in S.A.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14

15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24 25

26 27 28

29

30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41

42 43 44

45 46 47 48

49 50 51

52 53

54 55

Puzzle by Robert H. Wolfe

BETH ROGERS | STAFF WRITER

Agirl wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt crouch-es astride the broad back of a chestnut stal-

lion that stands 5 feet tall at the shoulder. Herarms and legs, delicate as matchsticks, cling tothe animal. Crouching low over its neck, shegallops around the indoor arena at ToplineFarm. She wheels the horse around and turnshim to the center of the ring, where herinstructor watches her posture, analyzing herbalance and control of the horse in a singleglance.

A smile bursts over Claire Nonnemann’sface, her mouth stretching so wide that thechinstrap of her helmet threatens to snap. Theanimal tosses its head and snorts, waiting forthe next chance to run.

“Next time you want to raise your ster-num,” says Kim Kennedy, owner of ToplineFarm, giving the horse’s thick neck an ener-getic pat before sending horse and rider onanother lap around the arena.

Millions of Americans come to riding acad-emies like Topline Farm every year, looking forthe fun and excitement equestrianism can

bring. Horseback riding is one of the oldestforms of exercise and has been used for every-thing from entertainment at annual horse racesto therapy for the physically disabled.Although the horse show season is mostlyover this late in the year, equestrian sportlovers will continue to ride and enjoy theseanimals all year long. Without the hoopla thatsurrounds events like the Kentucky Derby,curious newcomers to equestrian sports maynot know where to look for opportunities toride.

Claire, 13, began riding when she was 9years old. She started out learning balance andthe basics of how to direct the horse. She hadher first major accident at the age of 10, top-pling from the saddle when the horse stum-bled on a rough patch of ground. Claire land-ed in the dirt and was kicked in the face by hermount, but remained steadfast in her goals;later in the emergency room, while the doctorsreset her broken collarbone, she begged, “CanI still be in the horse show on Saturday?”

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

Horses prove to be fun for C-Ubuzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26, 2003 | 3communitycommunity

What is the history behind the GreatImpasta?In 1983, Piero Faraci fulfilled a lifelong dreamof opening a small Italian restaurant. The oldrestaurant was located one half block west ofour current location. I was given theopportunity to purchase the restaurant andthis property was available. Our populationwas such that we decided to make the moveeast.

How did you get involved in the restaurantbusiness?I was a University student here trying to paythe bills. I started working at GreaterDowntown Food and Beverage Company thatwas next door to the Great Impasta. I learnedthe ins and outs of cooking and service anddiscovered I was talented at it.

How did you specifically get involved withthe Great Impasta?I met Piero when he was making pasta atGreater Downtown Food and Beverage beforethe Great Impasta. I left town for a while butwhen I came back he had opened the GreatImpasta and asked me to work. Since I wasunemployed, I said sure, and that was 17years ago.

What is the best part of your job?The people. The people that come in and thepeople I work with. I also like tasting Scott’s(Great Impasta chef) specials.

What attracts customers to the GreatImpasta?Great food, great service, great staff and greatall-around atmosphere. There is a lot ofloyalty here. We have an incredible number ofloving guests. When we moved, we wereclosed for three months and I was besiegedwith questions about when we were going toopen. I was tempted to do a soft, quietopening, but as soon as we opened, we hadflorists delivering flowers from peoplecongratulating us on the opening. I didn’texpect such an outpouring of concern andcare, and I am truly grateful for it.

Does the Great Impasta have a specialtydish?All our dishes are special. All of our pastasare made from scratch and we feature severalkinds of lasagna—seafood, portabella,marinara. We also have great luncheon pastasalads and feature our ‘Great Impastanoff’which is our take on beef stroganoff.

How does owning a restaurant differ frombeing a chef?There is more pressure, responsibility andanxiety with owning a restaurant. As a chef,you are more involved in the immediate. Ifthe dish went over, you knew immediately.As an owner, you are responsible foreveryone working for you and forecasting thefuture. You have to be one step ahead.

What is your favorite food?I love seafood. I think my children inheritedmy taste buds as well—they love lobster andcrab too.

What are some of your other interests?My children, and spending time with myfamily. I also enjoy bicycle riding and reading.

What is in store for the future of the GreatImpasta?We have an upstairs that I would like toconvert into a banquet area and there is aspace to the north (where) I would like tohave an outdoor patio. We will continue tocelebrate local produce and share our wineand culinary discoveries with the guests.

What is one piece of advice you would giveto new chefs or business owners?I would give different pieces of advice foreach one. For new business owners, I wouldsay learn the finances. Talk to accountants,banks and lawyers. Learn as much as you canabout numbers. For chefs, I would saycontinue to explore. Continue to eat indifferent places and taste as many dishes aspossible.

What is the best piece of advice you havebeen given?‘It is all in the details.’ Piero used to tell methat constantly, and he is absolutely right—especially in a business like this.

Harold Allston knows many of the ins andouts of the restaurant business. Former cheffor the Great Impasta, Allston now owns theItalian restaurant, located at 132 W. Churchin downtown Champaign. Allston currentlyresides in Champaign with his wife Nancyand has two children.

HaroldAllstonQ & A

Claire Nonnemann brushes Indy after her lesson.

PHO

TO| C

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

insidebuzz

BUZZ STAFFEditor in chief Tom Rybarczyk Art Director Meaghan DeeCopy Chief Erin GreenArts Katie RichardsonMusic Brian MertzEntertainment Jason CantoneCalendar Marissa MonsonAssistant Music Editor Jacob DittmerCalendar Coordinators Lauren Smith,Cassie Conner, Erin ScottbergPhotography Adam Young, Suzanne Sitrick,Brian Mertz, Nadia OussenkoCopy Editors Elizabeth Zeman, Jen Hubert,Suzanne SitrickDesigners Adam Obendorf, Carol Mudra, JasonCantone, Marissa Monson, Amy Hanlon Production Manager Theon SmithEditorial Adviser Elliot KolkovichSales Manager Lindsey BentonMarketing/Distribution Melissa Schleicher,Maria Erickson Publisher Mary Cory

All editorial questions or letters to the editor should besent to [email protected] or 337-8137 or buzz, 57 E.Green St., Champaign, Ill., 61820.

Buzz magazine is a student-run publication of IlliniMedia Company and does not necessarily represent, inwhole or in part, the views of the University of Illinoisadministration, faculty or students.

Volume 1, Number 38COVER DESIGN | Andy Getz

3 C O M M U N I T Y

Q & A with Italian restauranter

8 A R T S

Da Vanci Code tackled

11 M U S I C

Songs Ma and Panever wanted you to hear

14 C A L E N D A R

See all there is to do in C-U

20 F I L M & T V

Five films come out before Thanksgiving

When the Board ofTrustees decided

not to vote on the Chieflast week, they demon-strated their cowardice,their inability to act asa ruling body.

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

Logic dictates that outside pressures such asthe NCAA will eventually force the board toretire the Chief.

For the board, their move proved pre-dictable. The board raised tuition, and theboard does not want to lose any more funding,especially since some alumni have said theywill stop supporting the University if the Chiefgoes.

Either way, I want the board to make a deci-sion and end this bickering. The Chief ques-tion 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 withHIV. Today, many will die from urban violenceacross our nation. Today, hundreds will diefrom hunger.

Yet, people sit here and argue about thissymbol.

Why don’t these people redirect their ener-gy? Why don’t we take that energy and trans-form our society?

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

wrongs? Why do they not protest Iraq any-more? What happened to that fight? By theend of the Iraqi occupation, more than a thou-sand troops will probably be dead. Maybemore Americans will die in Iraq than weretragically murdered on Sept. 11.

How many Iraqis will die too? The numberswill be tragic in the end. Yet, this bloodshedhas gone largely unprotested since April.During the Vietnam years, hundreds crowdedGreen Street to protest the death of their peersand the death of innocent Vietnamese. Whycan’t these people who protest the Chief do thesame? Why can we not get into the conscious-ness of the American people?

I do not support the Iraqi occupation or theconflict. Yes, we freed an oppressed people,but we did it without support. But at thispoint, I will take a pro-Iraqi war demonstra-tion over any Chief protests or demonstra-tions. At least, it will show someone caresagain about the conflict that will claim somany lives.

These two protesting forces need to com-bine. They need to put their power towards amore meaningful movement, something thatwill create some change in our world.

In the meantime, the board should maketheir decision and stand by it. Either way, stu-dents should respect the decision of the rulingboard.

If students continue to protest against eachother, then we will have this same statusquo—Chief or no Chief.

-TR

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21st Annual

Art Fair

Craft League of Champaign-UrbanaUrbana Civic Center108 East Water StreetSaturday, November 22

10 a.m.-5 p.m.Sunday, November 23

10 a.m.-4 p.m.ceramics • woodworking • fiber • jewelrybasketry • painting • glass • photography

printmaking • drawing

www.craftleagueofcu.org

BY MICHAEL COULTER |CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I couldn’t havebeen happier

with the unveilingof the Paris Hiltonsex tape. I haven’tseen it, but it seemsto make heruncomfortable and aggravated and that aloneis enough to give me a small amount of joy.She strikes me as a snooty little pain in the asswith more money than sense and more sur-gery than beauty. Without the least bit of talentor skill she thrust herself into our lives andbecame famous, basically by coming out of awealthy uterus. It just seems like she had thiswhole porn scandal coming.

If there is some justice, Jessica Lynch may beable to avoid her inevitable porn scandal for alittle longer, maybe forever, since her spotlighttime is getting smaller by the minute.

Yes, we’ll be seeing less and less of MissLynch now, particularly since Hustler pub-lisher Larry Flynt has bought the rights tosome nude pictures of her frolicking withother soldiers.

When you look at everyone surroundingthis girl and Larry Flynt turns out to be themost accountable and moral one, it might bea sign the war in Iraq wasn’t an especiallygreat idea.

He says she seems like a good kid who wasnothing but a pawn for the government, andhe’s probably right. Truth be told though, he’sjust using her too. I bet those photos wouldn’tstay in his vault long if she agreed to do aspread for Playboy or Penthouse. Before it’s allsaid and done, Jessica may be lucky if she isn’tdoing some kinky girl-on-girl thing with MissHilton. It’ll have a bad title, too. A Lynching inParis is about the best one you could hope for.

I watched some of the interview withJessica Lynch the other day though, and itdoesn’t seem like she had much of this com-ing. Maybe she’s just better at covering up herattempt at star whoredom, but it almostseems like she’d just as soon it all go away soshe can live her life.

If her plan to become famous includedgrowing up in a tiny town in Virginia, join-ing the Army, going to war, getting wound-ed, raped, then rescued until the nationalpress was beating down her door, you gottaadmit, that’s a pretty sucky plan. If such aplan actually worked out for her, then shedeserved all the attention she got and shewould be a much better planner than any of

her superiors in the Army.The media and military made her into what-

ever made the best story for them, as she wastoo unconscious to do much about any of ituntil it was already done. Now that she canactually speak for herself she doesn’t evenseem like the same person. She feels her storywas 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 gunsinstead of cameras as they burst through thehospital doors. They needed a mascot and youwere the first one that came along who wascute enough. It doesn’t matter if the real storycomes out now. They’ve already got every-thing out of it that they needed to.

People only remember the headlines.Something slides across the bottom of the TVscreen that says the poor girl was rescued in adramatic fashion and it stops there. It doesn’tmatter whether it’s true or not.

You can print as many corrections as youlike, they won’t get read nearly as carefully asthe initial headline was. She’s a national heroalready and she can’t do anything about it.

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

Let’s face it, you mention Sid Vicious andmost folks get a mental picture of GaryOldman in Sid and Nancy. I’m surprised shehasn’t allowed herself to get sucked into themachine further. Most folks in her shoeswould have already had a canceled talk showby now, not to mention an action figure and aT-shirt with an inspirational message on it.

Hell, she could have cornered the market ifshe endorsed yellow ribbons to tie on your carantenna. Jessica authorized a biography abouther experiences, but I doubt that will do much.See, anyone who’s really interested in thisstory probably isn’t much of a reader, at leastnot of books. They’ll read the review of thebook in People magazine and that will be theend of that. The book will be on the bargainrack before we manage to get ourselves intoanother war and in six months she’ll be luckyif anyone can remember her name during aTrivial Pursuit game.

It may be all she ever wanted.

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

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

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

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

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

To LAK--Anthro 105 forever, babe...If Isaid I was burial ground would you digme?--Homo Erectus

Melamin, you are better than a nakedLegolas and Aragorn combined!

Hey Johnny, next time I come over I'll takeoff my top again and everything else forthat matter!!! -Madge

Hey Dr. J, If your Pre-Dental does thatmean I have to pay you to put your tool inmy mouth?

Let me know...Mary

Heyy matt...I feel it; you're different...will

you be my boyfriend? love, elizabeth

Hpets- A goldfish left lincoln logs in mysock drawer. Today we're animals.Tomorrow... dissolving in space. -Rev.Euphoria

Abby- Can I get you in the Sak?

GDers- And the deadline said-- The bookis done. :-D

Carol- Happy Birthday. Let’s party likethe book’s done.

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

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

Hoopes- get some rest, and then lets getsome.

Dugan- How the hell’ve you been? Istopped sending these because I can’trhyme very well with dugan.

Future husband- I love you.

Stens- here’s to finally finding out what thefloor of your office feels like ;-)

SWEET “DIRTY” TALKS ARE FREE. To submit your message goto www.readbuzz.com and click on the Sweet Talk link.Leave out last names and phone numbers because we (andprobably you!) could get in big fat trouble for printing them.We reserve the right to edit your messages.

23buzz NOVEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 26 , 2003 | SEX TAPES, HELL YEAH!!

AND ANOTHER THING. . . DirtyTalkParis sex tapes,Lynch’s success

buzz

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

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Nov. 13-Nov.19, 2003 Arts | Entertainment | Community

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C O M M U N I T Y

Horseback riding in C-U(page 3)

A R T S

Classic Wilderplayperformed(page 7)

M U S I C

PremiumBlends byOtter(page 9)

C A L E N D A R

Local bandsplay benefitfor RecordService(page 12)

F I L M & T V

Catch thisCommander(page 18)

Dancers breakout into C-UDancers breakout into C-U

1120buzz0124 11/19/03 3:32 PM Page 1