Arts

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Pre-gaming

Most good drunken nights start off with a lively "pre-game" in an effort to avoid buying countless drinks at the bar.

Movie Theatres

If you want to get off campus for some fun and you lack the age, the fake ID, or the desire to drink alcohol, there are still plenty of ways to have fun in Buffalo. To start, there is the Amherst Theater across the street from South Campus and next to McDonalds.

Theater

Face it ? the vast majority of students at UB could use a bit of culture. What better way than with a trip to Buffalo's famed theater district? Shea's Performing Arts Center in Downtown Buffalo offers many shows each season.

Getting Back from the Bars

Late nights on Chippewa can be some of the best nights of a college career, but after a few too many drinks at the bar, driving home is out of the question. This is the time to call in the cavalry, and luckily, the fine drivers at Action Taxi are there to help out ? for a price, that is.

Music Venues

Town Ballroom This is the premier venue in Buffalo. Not only is the pit the perfect size, but it also sports a tri-level flight of stairs and three bars, so there is plenty of room to stand and have a drink while jamming out to your favorite band. Nietzsche's Located on Allen Street, Nietzsche's has featured live music every night for generations.

"Late Nite UB, CFA, Slee Hall"

Late Night UB, part of UB's Division of Student Affairs, has a mission to provide late-night entertainment for students who wish to have fun in an alcohol-free environment.

Videos of the Week

American Idiot Stars on Broadway

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. Based on the 2004 album of the same name, American Idiot expands upon the built-in plot of the concept album, entwining the lives of Johnny, Will, and Tunny, three disaffected post-9/11 suburban youths. As Will (Michael Esper, A Man For All Seasons) is forced to stay behind in Jingletown to play the role of an outcast, misunderstood accidental father, Johnny (John Gallagher Jr., Spring Awakening) and Tunny (Stark Sands, Journey's End) head for the city. Tunny finds himself even more lost and disillusioned in the skyscraper-dotted metropolis and is sucked into the glorified image of the U.S.

Semester Album Preview

It's tough going to school in the frozen tundra of Buffalo. One good way to warm up is tossing on a new record and dancing.

Hi-Five Soup! For The Soul

Artist: The Aquabats Album: Hi-Five Soup! Label: Fearless Records Grade: B Calling all Aquacadets! The Aquabats are at it again with their fifth studio album, Hi-Five Soup!, and they're just as over-the-top and ridiculous as ever. For those unaware, the Aquabats are superhero, new-wave-ska pop-punkers who aren't afraid to be more than just a little absurd with their music.

Sidekick Carries Superhero Flick

Grade: B-

A Week in Ink: Issue No. 12

Superman No. 707 The Man of Steel has always stood for three things: truth, justice and the American way.

All You Need Is This Album

Artist: Duran Duran Album: All You Need Is Now Release Date: Dec. 21 Record Label: Tape Modern Grade: B+ With their extravagant outfits, flamboyant haircuts, and big booming pop hits, Duran Duran might be the quintessential band of the 80s.

TRON: Legacy

Grade: B- Lightcycle races and pixilated explosions are great to look at, but aren't enough to save Disney's TRON: Legacy from the grips of mediocrity. TRON: Legacy is a reboot of the famed TRON franchise that got its start with the 1982 cult classic TRON.

deadmau5 is Alive and Recording

Artist: deadmau5 Album: 4x4=12 Label: Mau5trap, Ultra Records, Virgin Records. Release Date: Dec. 7 Grade: B+ Tom loves the name of this Canadian electronic artist - Jerry, not so much. Joel Zimmerman, better known by his stage name deadmau5 (pronounced "dead mouse"), released his newest album, 4x4=12, on Dec.

Just Charlie is Just Decent

Artist: Charlie Wilson Album: Just Charlie Grade: C+ In the 1980s, Charlie Wilson brought funky music to the world as the front man of The Gap Band.

The Secret Genius of Ke$ha

About one year ago, my radio was invaded by an annoying, presumably alcoholic woman who sang about how she woke up feeling like P.

EPIC FAIL

Grade: C- Like most failing franchises, all Mickey Mouse needed was a gritty reboot to place him back in the hearts and minds of children around the world. Sadly, all thoughts of the mouse with the largest ears on television will be negative after kids get their hands on Warren Spector's interpretation of the age-old rodent in Epic Mickey. Like many games before it, Epic Mickey's appeal is limited to the ease of control of its main protagonist, and after spending five minutes with the game, players will groan, as the camera can almost never quite capture the on-screen action. The landscape is one that has never been explored by the mouse's eccentric designer, and the barren wasteland makes the perfect place for the attempted narrative Spector presents.

The Walking Dead Rises

Heartfelt storytelling and brain-splattering gunshots have proven to be a winning combination with AMC's latest series, The Walking Dead. Sunday night saw the season finale to AMC's new post-apocalyptic horror series.

Ninjas vs. Cowboys

Movie: The Warrior's Way Release Date: Dec. 3 Grade: B Move over pirates: The Warrior's Way, a new action film from rookie director Sngmoo Lee, is proving that ninjas and cowboys are really where the action is. The story of The Warrior's Way is that of assassin Yang (Dong-gun Jang, Good Morning President), who travels to the West to escape his clan, which is after him for failing to complete a mission.