An Awakening of Spring and Spirit
Spring Awakening is truly an awakening for its characters and for the audience, adding a modern-day twist to a strict German society in the 1890s.
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Spring Awakening is truly an awakening for its characters and for the audience, adding a modern-day twist to a strict German society in the 1890s.
The only thing missing was Fred Savage.
Russian spies, the geocentric theory, and music have converged in an unlikely partnership under the auspices of local rock outfit Venona.
As signed bands argue with record companies, unsigned bands engage in an equally difficult battle with promoters. Saturday night's Supernova Band Wars at the Tralf was no exception.
Broadway has become less conventional in recent years. A deviation from the iconic, plain, button-down musicals with quaint showtune lyrics began with Rent, segued with Spring Awakening, and found its latest example in Green Day's American Idiot.
Album: Tron: Legacy (Soundtrack)
I've always dreaded seeing my favorite books played out on the silver screen.
There's something to be said when a concertgoer finds a skateboard's crash landing off to his left more interesting than the show in front of them.
Friday evening, Mohawk Place showcased a number of unplugged sets from some of Buffalo's best local talent, including hometown hero Dan Erickson.
Grade: A
While college might be the perfect atmosphere for learning and drinking, it is not the best place to create a band. Still, the UB students of Fighting for First make it work.
The exchange that is repeated over and over across campus is disturbing – a UB card thrust at a cashier, a muttered mention of dining dollars and a hasty departure.
Students are always looking for a way to have fun. For those at the University at Buffalo, an often expensive trip to downtown's party district can help ease the stress caused by homework and exams.
All winter, concertgoers have hidden from sub-zero temperatures in the warmth of an indoor venue. But now the temperature's rising and summer nights draw music lovers out into the open, filling up arenas and parking lots across the country. So here are a few dates you might just want to skip that summer job for. Vans Warped Tour at Darien Lake PAC 7/14 $30 The aptly named "Punk Rock Summer Camp" is back for its 16th year and is boasting one of its strongest lineups yet. Although the tour is famous for being the grueling boot camp for the newer bands, this year also brings back some older, well-established acts. Gracing the stage will be the talented men of Sum 41 and Motion City Soundtrack – both must-see acts. Also hitting the parking lots will be We the Kings, Four Year Strong, Alkaline Trio, Never Shout Never, All-American Rejects, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Buffalo natives Every Time I Die. Of the lesser-known bands, The Downtown Fiction is one that shouldn't be overlooked. As the tour crisscrosses the USA, the only reason punk rock lovers have for missing this summer staple is if they're out of the country. Bamboozle Roadshow at Molson Amphitheater, Toronto, ON 6/16 $39.25 to $51.75 CAN (fees included) Although this concert may require a passport and a roughly two-hour drive, it will be worth it. All Time Low boasts some of the best music in the pop-punk genus and has a live show to match it. After years on the Warped Tour, this quartet has honed their summer concert skills and definitely won't disappoint. They are joined by three more headliners – Boys Like Girls, LMFAO and Third Eye Blind. Out of the nine other performers, Forever the Sickest Kids and Good Charlotte are two sets you will want to be in the pit for. Green Day with AFI at Darien Lake PAC 8/5 $35-$85 If you have somehow missed any of Green Day's concerts, then consider the night of August 5 booked. Green Day gives one of the best live shows this decade has to offer. They won't be taking your attendance for granted. The trio will work up a sweat halfway into the first song and their energy won't die down until the last note ends. Plus, they tend to bring along fireworks. Oh, and that other band? AFI? They're pretty amazing as well. Honda Civic Tour- Paramore with Tegan & Sara, New Found Glory, and Kadawatha Darien Lake PAC 8/8 $26- $37.50 Another band that grew up in the spotlight, Paramore started in the business at an age when they still knew how painful it was to go to a bad show, so they have created the opposite. With an energetic show sure to keep you happy, they are supported by the amazing talents of Tegan & Sara and New Found Glory. Although Kadawatha is lesser known, they have a strong sound and Paramore fans can trust that the band wouldn't bring along a bad act. Lynard Skynyrd God and Guns Tour at Darien Lake PAC 7/3 $29-$59.50 It's a chance to yell "Free Bird" and actually have it be relevant. Festivals Music festivals are an integral part of the summer and there are three well-established, excellent offerings you can get to without too much trouble. Unfortunately, none are in the Buffalo area and most will make your wallet cry. Bamboozle Chicago 5/15 $35 Travel time: Eight and a half hours Since the largest Bamboozle falls during exams (May 1 and 2), most will be missing this. Yet for the first time ever, this problem has been rectified with Bamboozle's newest endeavor, located in the Windy City. It may be a drive, but the tickets are cheap and the eight hours on the highway will pay off with the headliners alone: Something Corporate, Cobra Starship, and 3OH!3. Since the only shows the newly reformed Something Corporate has announced are Bamboozle-related, fans may want to head out to see them for fear they may disappear again. Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN June 10-13 $249.50 (includes camping and parking) Travel time: 12 hours This infamous four-day festival really needs no introduction. Featuring over 100 bands and comedians, concertgoers will get their money's worth. This year, the festival hosts such bands as Rise Against, the National, Against Me!, Gaslight Anthem, OK Go, Bo Burnham, Manchester Orchestra and Frank Turner. Comedians include Conan O'Brien and Nick Kroll. It's expensive and far away, but if it has enough bands you like, it's going to be worth it. Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Chicago August 6-8 $215 Travel time: Nine hours Featuring mainly punk and pop acts, this year's major bands include Sound Garden, Green Day and Lady Gaga. Other well-known bands appearing are Arcade Fire, MGMT, The National, AFI, Matt & Kim, Drive-By Truckers, Switchfoot, Foxy Shazam and The Strokes. As with Boonaroo, if the love of the music outweighs the hefty price, the money won't be wasted. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
Grade: A
Even on a bad day, Bryce Avary of The Rocket Summer still lives up to his reputation as the good guy of rock.
The cost of depth By VANESSA FRITH Asst. Arts Editor 3D – it's the new "must" in the movie industry, guaranteed to help you rake in that box office money. But do we really need it in our living rooms? Recently television makers such as Sony, Samsung and Panasonic have launched their latest technology: the 3D-capable TV. With such an innovation, your favorite movies and programs can come alive, taking over your home Jumanji-style. But is the technology ready? Is the price really worth it? With the cheapest model coming in at the low, affordable price of $1700 (the Samsung PN50C7000 plasma television), the cost of depth, to say the least, is high. That price doesn't include the glasses, required for anyone wishing to view the movie, which run around $150 per pair. Without the glasses, the stereopsis technology creates an incomprehensible image. Relying on taking two images of the same scene – one meant for the left eye and the other for the right – and laying them on top of each other, the process creates a blurred mass for the natural eye. Yet television stations are still embracing this new medium, the forerunner being the world of sports. Over the last week, Comcast broadcasted certain segments of the Masters in 3D. ESPN will be doing the same come June 11, starting with the first World Cup game, Mexico versus South Africa. In the meantime, companies such as Verizon, Cablevision and DTV will be launching 3D packages, according to CNET. 3D has had a long love affair with children's movies, most recently taking on How to Train Your Dragon and the re-mastered versions of the Toy Story series. Yet the technology has started to corner the general public as well. Tickets for Avatar were quickly swept up by the populous, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I promises the same turnout come fall. Although a 3D IMAX theater ticket costs around $16, it's still a far cry from the thousands one would need to spend to experience the same effect in his or her own home. Do the math. That's 106 movies for the price of a TV. On top of the highly extravagant prices, the technology is still new. As with any new technology, the problems generally outnumber the benefits. You will either spend half your time and money on tech support and updates or you will have an outdated piece of plastic by time 2010 comes to a close. If you really feel the need to have golf balls flying in your general direction, I suggest standing in the middle of a driving range or giving your little brother a golf club. Although the effect may be slightly more painful, it is drastically cheaper than investing in the world of the third dimension. E-mail: vanessa.frith@ubspectrum.com
From somewhere behind the scenes of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Rory Albanese is juggling his role of executive producer and writer, churning out jokes but never standing in the limelight. Things have started to change for the four-time Emmy winner. Albanese recently landed a half-hour special with Comedy Central Presents, due to air Friday at 11 p.m. Coming out from behind the curtain, Albanese is taking on the world of stand up once more. With past tours such as "Red, White and Screwed" in 2006, Bonnaroo in 2009 and UB last year, Albanese isn't a stranger to this role. "I get to write and tell jokes – it's pretty awesome. I cant even believe still that that's a job … I always wanted to do this," Albanese said. "I don't know what I'd do if this wasn't an option … sometimes I'm on my way to work and I see a guy with a jackhammer wrecking the concrete on the street and I'm like, ‘That's pretty cool. He gets to destroy things all day,' but I don't know, I didn't really have a backup plan." Instead of taking on physical destruction, Albanese retaliates with words. Anyone who feels that Americans are unrefined and undeserving, Albanese will give you a different idea. From defending our country in drunken arguments at a London McDonald's to enforcing regional stereotypes, the comedian pays homage to his home country – outsourced Indian phone operators be forewarned. Growing up on Long Island – a place so many make the butt of jokes – Albanese had to develop a defense mechanism. It surfaced in his natural comedic nature. "It was just this impulse where you're in a room full of people and it's quiet, like in school … and the teacher says something and there's that moment where you know if you say something in that moment everyone is going to laugh and you know the consequences … but you would rather get everyone to laugh and suffer the consequences," Albanese said. With impulses like that, it was no surprise that Albanese grew up to write for Jon Stewart, one of the funniest men in America. Yet he reminds us that even The Daily Show isn't just all fun and games: it poses its own problems. They may not look at themselves as a news source, but many college kids do. "It's really about figuring out what are we trying to say and what's the point of saying it because it's not just about playing a sound bite and making a silly face … It's a pretty short amount of news if you break down the amount of time that we're on the show that we're devoting to a headline or a story; you're not necessarily getting the full scope of what's going on in the world," Albanese said. "I always tell people to use it as a launching point to do your own research. I understand the impulse. When I was in college, I got most of my news from Dave Letterman's monologue." However, when Albanese is doing standup, he is on his own. "Standup is bombing. You go out and you tell a joke and people don't like it so you go, ‘Ok, well I'll try another,' and sometimes you know it's a bad joke and sometimes it's a good joke and you told it poorly and sometimes … the crowd doesn't like what you're saying but its usually worth trying a couple of times … you're alone out there and you're coming up with something you think is funny and you don't get to run it past a master comedian like Jon Stewart," Albanese said. Despite the uncertainty that comes with standup, it's a refreshing change and a chance to work on new material. "The special has inspired me/required me to put a little more attention on my jokes and writing some new material because I don't want to go out next year … I want to be able to do another one in the future so I want to be able to have another 30 minutes of stuff that hasn't been taped," Albanese said. Those extra 30 minutes of jokes are going to come in handy. In addition to Comedy Central Presents, Albanese is currently working on a script deal for Paramount with John Oliver as well as heading out on tour this summer and fall. Catch him before he heads back behind the camera again. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
Through the study abroad program at UB, students have been able to broaden their horizons in cultural hubs across the globe. Yet there is one area that had, until now, gone unexplored by the wandering feet of undergrads. With ethnic diversity sprawling over from the vibrant metropolis just across its borders, this land boasts thriving industrial and agricultural aspects, as well as a history that is filled with technological innovation but also still seeps back to colonial foundations. There can only be one place that is fit to hold such credentials and it lies but a few hundred miles southeast of the Queen City. Starting next semester, UB will be sending students to the fine upstanding academic institutions of the great state of New Jersey. After much deliberation, it was deemed that the daily life of an average New Jerseyan was so foreign and exotic that it could qualify for the program. Wonders will abound for the traveling student. On the descent into Newark Liberty International Airport, the flight attendant will welcome passengers to the garden state with a knowing chuckle. Out the window, a strange new world of snaking pavement twists out of sight, traversed only by those who relish tempting fate. Students will want to quickly vacate the Newark area before an untimely demise in the slums. Traveling down the N.J. Turnpike at Audubon speeds, bridges and factories will obscure one's vision until the designated exit – every town has one – pops up and the car squeals off into the never-ending suburbs. Once the student navigates the slippery slopes of the "Joisey" accent, the sights and sounds can be explored. Day trips are numerous. The northeastern portion of the state can walk students through every scene from The Sopranos as they encounter the famous Italian immigrants and their tangled web of mob connections. Watch for the telltale signs of a guido – the slicked back hair, the tiny, tight-fitting shirts, and the gold chains. If they're lucky, visitors might be able to take a photo of this strange and exquisite creature. If feelings of homesickness surface in this strange environment, the cure rests in the heart of the Meadowlands. Be ready to attend a Jets or Giants game at the newly created Meadowlands Stadium. Environmental classes are offered out in the heart of the Jersey Shore. This area can also be used for recreational swimming, but the hypodermic needles littering the beaches may be a turn-off. Instead of going for a dip, students can head to the Jersey Shore house, which is surely heading toward historical landmark status by now. Meet Snooki, a local guide and Jersey connoisseur who will tell the tales of how the home was once a haven for slaves trying to escape through the Underground Railroad. However, food is plentiful and easy to come by in this strange area. Pizza and bagels abound, and 24-hour diners are around almost every corner. While leaving the last diner of the night, it's possible to see the sunrise behind the Manhattan skyline. That's if the factories have spontaneously shut down and the wind is going in the right direction. But that never happens. As the toxins slowly seep into students who get a taste of New Jersey, they can at least take solace in the fact that, while they watch the landfills rise higher around them, they can relax as someone else pumps their gas. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
Over the years, there have been some strange forms of time machines, including phone booths and DeLoreans. But there is yet to have been a time machine that is a hot tub. Although Hot Tub Time Machine is cursed with a strange and blatantly obvious title, the actors are quick to extol the hidden virtues of director Steve Pink's (Speechless) latest work. "[Hot Tub Time Machine] is deliberately irreverent. I think people will be surprised," said Clark Duke (Sex Drive) "I'm not going to say it's a brainiac comedy, but how smart it is and sharp it is and clever. With the title Hot Tub Time Machine, it kind of tells you, you should go in there and not think at all. But there's some good jokes in there." Duke, along with Craig Robinson (Father of Invention), John Cusack (2012), and Rob Corddry (Taking Chances) takes a vacation to escape their personal problems. Yet, the foursome is given a chance to change their lives as they are thrown back into the '80s by a time machine in the guise of an innocent hot tub. However, this isn't a reimagining of the Back to the Future variety. Physics are tossed out the window and comedy takes the driver seat in this improve heavy film. "Steve Pink, the director, was very encouraging and wanting us improve and mix and match and develop these characters more, so a lot of what you see isn't on the actual page," Robinson said. After holding a majority of standup and television jobs, the transition to the big screen did include some changes for the Duke and Robinson. "[I had to take] what I learned doing comedy on stage into film and television and that was something I had to learn how to do and that was not easy because sometimes you got to be subtle with the acting and you got to know when to be big," Robinson said. Following in the massive wake made by last year's The Hangover, Hot Tub Time Machine has a high standard to meet. They're not worried though. "They are the target to hit, to pass. They are reigning king right now. All do respect to The Hangover, we've got a pretty funny movie and were going to give it a shot," Robinson said. Aside from Cusack, and the brief appearance of Chevy Chase, most of the leads have only had small time roles. Given the chance to step up, the group didn't want to disappoint. "Everybody delivers. It's funny to see. People get laughs, even characters who just appear once in the movie. I think what's going to ensure the happiness in Rob Corddry's performance," Robinson said. "He kind of gets away with stealing the movie, his character has no rules and no limits and he just rode it all the way to the bank. We all had fun but Rob Corddry killed it." The children of the '90s don't need to worry though. Even as the '80s slowly slip farther into obscurity, the typical stereotypes prevail. "Your going to enjoy it as much as somebody who lived through the '80s and you'll be familiar with some of the songs and you'll get to pretty much take a trip back and see how things were going on and see the ridiculousness of hairstyles and colorful outfits," said Robinson Duke agreed with Robinson and assured that audiences wouldn't be bogged down and confused in the '80s nostalgia. "It's not like a Ken Burns documentary about the '80s or anything, you're going to be able to keep up, I promise," said Duke. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether the world will really be interested in a movie about a bunch of dudes messing with time from the comfort of a hot tub. Yet Duke is optimistic. "There's a lot of pent up public demand for a hot tub themed film right now. This film is almost a public service. You're welcome, America," said Duke. So for that section of the populace who is craving hot tub based movies, or if their just looking for comedy, Hot Tub Time Machine opens nationwide on Friday. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com