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(03/19/10 4:00am)
Six years ago I was dropped into the world of punk rock, landed on my head, and loved it.
The culprit? Green Day's American Idiot.
Since then I've wandered down the dark allies of hardcore and lingered under the flashing lights of pop punk only to find myself a little older, a little deafer, but once again staring at that hand grenade heart.
Why, you wonder? It's because American Idiot has once more blown its way into the public conscience, this time as a Broadway musical.
From the groans and complaints that have echoed from some Green Day fans you would think that Billie Joe had put on a tutu and announced he was going to sing country.
There was something more to that album, and you can cling to Dookie and Nimrod all you want, but sometimes evolution is inevitable.
Call it selling out, call it what you will, but for an album that was hailed as a rock opera and a magnus opus, its natural to expect that more could come out of such a work.
Paired with the creative talent of Tony Award wining director Michael Mayer and the youthful energy of former Spring Awakening star and Tony award winner John Gallagher Jr., the time is right for the loose plot behind the album to be filled in.
With a sold-out run in Berkley, the high-energy production is obviously doing something right.
Why sit around and speculate that the show will be no good and that Green Day has gone around the U-bend? So they put their black eyeliner aside for a moment. Don't write off the obvious time, effort, and talent that went into this production just because it doesn't follow your preconceived notions of what punk music is.
Following the path that was cut by Rent and Spring Awakening, American Idiot holds the chance to pull in people who would never give that Broadway sign a second glance. The rock musical genre is becoming a norm on Broadway and viewers should embrace it as a new and legitimate form.
American Idiot was written as a concept album. It was threaded together by the characters of Jesus of Suburbia, St. Jimmy, and Whatsername, looking for meaning in a world that wont believe in them.
It deserves the chance to have all the ideas behind it, the ideas that went rather ignored by many listeners, to be showcased.
So head to New York City this summer, buy yourself the least expensive back row ticket you can find and give it a chance. The worst that happens is you'll be guilty of getting a little culture.
E-mail: vanessa.frith@ubspectrum.com
(03/17/10 4:00am)
Titus Andronicus' music is filled with despair, hopelessness and misery. Yet it's their despondency that makes them stand out.
Without falling into the void of emo music, the band named for Shakespeare's bloodiest play, rejects the state of the world around them while standing firmly upon the ground of punk rock with their latest release, The Monitor.
As a concept album, the background is an important factor. Though it has a Civil War theme and history melted into its lyrics, the bloody war is used just for conveying a more modern problem.
"Our hero goes out in search of fulfillment and like minded compatriots, and tries to smote his enemies, those that oppose his ideologies, but then in the end our hero finds out that under it all, people are all just the same- for better or worse," said lead singer, Patrick Stickles.
Reminding listeners that "It's still us against them" and that "enemy is everywhere," Titus Andronicus' lyrics are incredibly varied, focusing more on expressing meaning then having catchy hooks or sing-along choruses. In fact there is not one chorus throughout the entire course of the ten-track album.
With most tracks progressing into a head banging frenzy, there is still the occasional slower song. Nestled in the middle of the album this slower edge manifests itself in the form of "Four Score and Seven", the three part "Theme From Cheers", and "To Old Friends and New."
But for those looking for a healthy cup of despair to go with a fast pace tempo, need look no farther then "Richard III".
"There will be parties, there will be fun/ there'll be tall gallows for everyone/ and we will be sleeping easy/ upon the setting of the sun/ But there is only one dream that I keep close / and it's the one of my hand at your throat," Stickles sings discord with, making listeners feel the urge to dance.
Armed with the usual weapons of the trade, guitar bass and drums, Titus Andronicus has also added piano, cello, trombone, trumpet, organ, harmonica and bagpipes to their arsenal, creating strong harmonies.
Although this is the second album from the New Jersey natives, this is not the same group one may have seen at Mohawk Place last year. Yet, through the changes, the music remains the same.
"This is version 6.0," Stickles said. "All of our candidates have come from a pool of friends we knew understood our sensibilities and whose work we respected and fit in just great. Hopefully, it hasn't changed too much. I'd like to think it's more of a process of refinement than anything else. Nothing lasts forever man, especially not in punk rock bands."
Also unchanged is the furor of Titus Andronicus' live show. With the idea that it's "really about pleasing the kids," Stickles and his crew never fail to entertain. Completely into their music and totally unconcerned what anyone cares to say about them, the band can turn even the brightest of record store stages into the back of a dark bar.
With the talented and long time members in the form of drummer Eric Harm and bassist Ian Graetzer mixed in with the newer Amy Klien on guitar and violin and David Robbins holding down the piano, it isn't unusual to find someone singing from the floor or jumping across the stage.
With roots in the small suburban town of Glen Rock, it's really no surprise that Stickles infuses their music with mentions of local hangouts as he spins a love poem to his home state.
The first track, "A More Perfect Union" kick starts this underlying ballad, as the hero heads to Massachusetts "to realize to late I never should have left New Jersey," finally coming to an end with the conclusion of the CD. The 14 minute "Battle of Hampton Roads", when the hero decides that he's "going back to New Jersey, I do believe they've had enough of me."
Yet to the joy of fans, Titus Andronicus will not be returning to their home ground any time soon as they kick of a coast to coast tour this month, coming tantalizingly close to Buffalo with a stop in Toronto.
(02/24/10 5:00am)
Album: Of Men and Angels
Artist: The Rocket Summer
Release Date: 2/23/2010
Label: Island Records
Grade: A
The Rocket Summer jets back into the spotlight, bringing upbeat lyrics to the pop-rock arena.
With relative silence since 2007's Do You Feel, lead singer/guitarist/pianist Bryce Avary has penned the brand new 15-track album, Of Men and Angels.
Imbued with the strong guitar-driven sound that fans have become accustomed to, the initial tracks 'Roses' and 'You Gotta Believe' kick the listener into gear and set the tone for the rest of the album.
Closely following are a few of the strongest songs The Rocket Summer has put out to date. The title track has a beat that hearkens back to 'Do You Feel', while 'I Need A Break…But I'd Rather Have A Break Through' draws you in with its powerful chorus.
Yet the middle portion of the album takes a different turn. Avary changes the tune up as he explores a different rhythm, and more serious topics, in the three successive tracks- 'Japanese Exchange Student', 'Nothing Matters', and 'Tara, I'm Terrible'.
This divergence from the norm never detracts from the album, but gives the listener a break in a long album that could have faded into monotony.
'Hey!' serves to bring the pace back to the norm for the remaining four tracks, which closes out with the sentimental message of 'Light', where Avary reminds us that he's 'old enough to know/ that time doesn't move slow enough/ and young enough to know/ that I can't ever be too old enough to trust you'.
Although focused on more weighty matters than its previous work, The Rocket Summer has kept the music feeling light while still conveying the message through carefully crafted lyrics, creating an album that lends itself to repeated play.
E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
(02/15/10 5:00am)
Extended families have always displayed aspects of drama and comedy, hate and love. The upcoming television series, Parenthood, showcases these tendencies.
(02/12/10 5:00am)
Radio has died. An investigation was launched, but the prime suspect, video, was acquitted late last night. It was deemed a suicide, induced by mass amounts of mind-numbing, repetitive mainstream trash.
(02/05/10 5:00am)
(02/01/10 5:00am)
The Friday Night Boys came back to Buffalo for the fourth time, this time in the middle of a snowstorm.
(01/25/10 5:00am)
Album: What is Love?
(01/22/10 5:00am)
Title: Aliens vs. Predator
(01/12/10 5:00am)
All Time Low
(12/04/09 5:00am)
Club Infinity came to life Tuesday night in a swarm of tight jeans, guys with perms and what appeared to be every teenage girl in the 716.
(11/11/09 5:00am)
The Swedish quartet of Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid, better known as ABBA, danced and jived on in the tribute show ABBA Mania.
(11/06/09 5:00am)
Every Avenue
(10/28/09 4:00am)
What happens when you pack up and leave your life behind?
(10/19/09 4:00am)
Students in the master's of Fine Arts program in the Department of Visual Studies collaborated to produce an exhibit entitled '6.'
(10/16/09 4:00am)
The Center for the Arts Mainstage Theater played host to a velvety cast of characters Tuesday and Wednesday night – depressed, confused, homosexual, slutty and sardonically hilarious puppets.
(09/25/09 4:00am)
NCIS has upgraded to a new team, new toys and an entirely new mode of operation.
(09/21/09 4:00am)
As the lights went out and the music started, a small, demure lady stepped on stage, starting a long, mildly provocative dance for Hitler. She then seduced and killed him.
(09/21/09 4:00am)
Whether or not you liked Hamlet as a high school student is completely irrelevant to the enjoyment of Paul Rudnick's I Hate Hamlet, currently playing at Buffalo's Kaleidoscope Theater.
(09/16/09 4:00am)
Whether or not you liked Hamlet as a high school student is completely irrelevant to the enjoyment of Paul Rudnick's I Hate Hamlet, currently playing at Buffalo's Kaleidoscope Theater.