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Lead singer of Tantric, Hugo Ferreira performing the bands hit “Down and Out” Friday night. (Samuel Dixon / The Clarion Call)
This year’s CampusFest featured two headliners, whose respective styles of music are vastly different.
Friday night headliner Tantric is a hard rock band, originally based out of Louisville, Kentucky, whose singles “Breakdown” and “Down and Out” have earned them moderate radio success during the past decade.
4.22.10 / A&E
Some people may indeed consider a movie with the title of “Kick Ass” to be a bit presumptuous. If someone promotes a film with such a title, one should be able to deliver on such a lofty title. However, in the newest addition to the comic book adaptation, the title is fully earned. This flick is most certainly “kick ass.”
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Circa Survive has long been attributed as the founders of today’s “progressive rock” movement. Even though many bands have gone on to expand upon and nearly perfect the style that Circa Survive attempted to achieve, Circa always seemed destined to create that one record that would be a masterpiece.
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Short films are always fun to watch. The ninth annual LUNAFEST: Short Films by, for, about Women featured 10 short films on Monday in Hart Chapel.
The presentation was sponsored by Clarion University’s Women and Gender Studies Program.
This was the second year in a row that Clarion hosted this festival. It cost $3 admission, but filmgoers received free LUNA Bars (varieties of Whole Nutrition Bar for Women) to eat during the screening.
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Artist Profile: Emily Byrtus (Chantel Wilson / The Clarion Call)
Emily Byrtus is a senior graduating this spring. She is earning a CFA in art with a dual concentration in graphic design and drawing, as well as three minors in history, art history and honors courses.
Byrtus’ series, titled “A Series of Tubes” after the quote from Senator Ted Stevens regarding the nature of the internet.
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The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is holding the 42nd annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival through April 17. Eight regional festivals had been held at colleges and universities across the country in January and February.
Selected participants from these regional festivals are invited to showcase their talents and to be considered for scholarships and awards. Participants are also chosen to take part in master classes with other artists in their field.
Students in the festivals are eligible for awards in performance, stage design, play writing, directing, stage management, dramaturgy and dramatic critic.
Clarion University’s Audrina Lee Zaczyk is a nominee for this year’s scenic design award.
Scenic Design is one of three Barbizon Awards for Excellence along with costume and light design. The Barbizon Award gives student designers, like Zaczyk, the chance to display their art at a higher level. Barbizon, Inc. is a theatrical supply house that specializes in lighting for professionals.
All Barbizon Award recipients will receive an award of $500 and an expenses paid trip to New York City for the National Design Portfolio Review at Lincoln Center. Recipients will also be set up in a professional development residency.
Finalists will also be eligible for design fellowships to the O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwright’s Conference and the Shakespeare Theater Company Costume Internship. Five industry experts will select the award recipients in each category.
Zaczyk, a Clarion junior, won the Barbizon award for design at the Kennedy Center/ American College Theater Festival Region II Competition. Zaczyk won the award for her design in Clarion University’s productions “The Water Engine” and “Mr. Happiness,” which were both showcased in November.
Zaczyk described her feelings on going through regionals into nationals.
“I had never done any kind of competition/conference for my designs before and so i didn’t know what was expected of me,” Zaczyk said. “It was nerve racking though because we had a little while to wait to give our response.”
KCACTF was developed by Roger L. Stevens in 1969 and is “dedicated to encouraging, recognizing and celebrating the finest and most diverse work produced in college and university theater programs,” according to a press release sent out late last month.
The festivals aim to provide a chance for college theater departments to present their original, student-written work. The Kennedy Center itself provides educational experiences in the arts for students through performances, residencies, workshops, conferences, career development programs, symposia and online and print resources.
The educational mission of the Kennedy Center is to “foster understanding of and participation in the arts through programs and performances for diverse populations of all ages that represent the unique cultural life and heritage of the United States.”
Zaczyk said that while she was at the regional competition the judges gave her constructive criticism, which was what she was looking for.
“I’ve had one session out of three with Mercier and he is great and has a lot of great insights into the theatre world and design,” she said.
In addition to the Barbizon Awards, KCACTF also provides recognition education and support to all other aspects of theater.
KCACTF puts it’s name on the award for sound design and also for the make-up design along with Alcone. At the festival, there are also other awards and recognitions given out to students including the National Award for Design Excellence, Stage Management Fellowships, The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers Student Directing Fellowship, the Literary Managers and Dramaturges of the Americas Dramaturgy Award, the O’Neill National Critics Institute Scholarship and the KCACTF Undergraduate Scholar Award.
Zaczyk said that along with support from her high school technology education teacher, her college experience, and experience in this festival, her knowledge and love for design has grown.
“I’ve really just learned to just keep working at what i’m doing – it never gets easier but hopefully my work will get better.”
4.15.10 / A&E
In the 1960s, the Internet was created by The Advanced Research Projects Agency for the United States Department of Defense. Originally designed as a way for scientists to share research information, today’s culture has shifted the Internet into a black hole of social deviancy and questionable content.
Further pushing these boundaries is the new sensation Chatroulette. More 4channel than Facebook, Chatroulette is a social networking site that connects visitors to a stranger to share a few words over video or text chat. Words however, are not the only thing shared.
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Rabbits in top-coats, cats disappearing in thin air, smoking caterpillars, talking playing cards and magical tea parties only begin to describe the wonderland of the new box office smash “Alice in Wonderland” in 3-D.
Most people remember the animated Disney version of “Alice in Wonderland” from their childhood and can admit that it was a pretty insane and trippy movie. But now some 50 years later, Tim Burton is bringing it back for a second movie, making it even crazier and more unbelievable than the first. More »
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After a five-month breather, Cady Groves is back on iTunes with her second EP, “Life of a Pirate.” With a voice comparable to a mix between Hayley Williams and Carrie Underwood, only softer, Groves’ unique acoustic/punk sound makes this album a must listen for anyone that likes to sing along in the car. More »
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Jamie Richard, Marcus DeAngelo, Shernee Bellamy, Matt Catledge and Ashley Steuart perform “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” (Carly Masiroff / The Clarion Call)
The second performance in Clarion University’s Theatre Series, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” by August Wilson, was presented March 26 and 27 at Hart Chapel.
This staged reading featured many characters. The story was told by a narrator, who in this case was Shawn Arnold. He told the audience everything that the characters would be doing if it were a play.
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Friday, April 23 will be the first night of a promised two nights for this year’s CampusFest. The University Activities Board has managed to land four widely different artists for the two night special.
Post-grunge band Tantric is set to headline opening night with Advocate, winner of Clarion University’s Battle of the bands starting the show. Tantric has opened for bands like Creed and Kid Rock in the past and their latest album “Mind Control” was released to fair reviews last year.
Night two will also feature Advocate as the opening band, Josh Gracin, Matt Nathanson and Cobra Starship will be rounding out the show and providing a diverse collection of music.
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Imagine yourself on Friday March 19, 2010 standing in front of Walmart anticipating the release of part two of the “Twilight Saga: New Moon.” You own all the books, the first “Twilight” movie and even the dolls.
Your even a bigger fan of “Twilight” then you were “Harry Potter,” when it first came out. There are about 100 other people there who want that same movie. The doors open and now everyone is rushing in to get there copy. Within minutes there are no copies left. Your “Twilight” collection is now up to date.
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Circa Survive, the experimental rock quintet from Philadelphia, is set to release its 3rd full-length album, “Blue Sky Noise,” on April 20. The album will be their first major label release since signing on to Atlantic Records last year. It has been framed by the band as an entirely “new chapter.” “Blue Sky Noise,” produced by three-time Grammy winner David Bottrill (King Crimson, Muse, Tool), will be the first release from the band in nearly three years and is an attempt by the band to explore different angles. The band’s most popular member, vocalist Anthony Green, has grown incredibly as a guitar player, which the band has said played a major role on the record. The track “Get Out,” featured on the band’s Myspace, is the only song released so far and has a different sound in regard to their previous efforts. The song is a straightforward rock song that is precise and calculated in its delivery. The production is clear giving the song a “in you face” feeling, leading many old fans to wonder if Circa Survive will drop the ambient, more meandering approach their music is known for.
The Deftones’ have established themselves as one of the best hard rock bands of the past decade and are set to add their sixth full-length album “Diamond Eyes” to their impressive discography. “Diamond Eyes” will be the first album released by the band since their bassist Chi Cheng has been in a coma from injuries suffered from an automobile accident in 2008. After this tragedy the band decided to create an album with an overall positive and optimistic vibe. Vocalist Chino Moreno described the album’s theme as a “positive zest for life.” Two songs released from the album have been showcased on the band’s Myspace and have created much more anticipation for this album. “Rocket Skates” and radio single “Diamond Eyes” quickly captured the atmospheric and transient sound Deftones are famous for while capturing an edginess that remind older fans of the band’s older albums “White Pony” and “Around the Fur.” “Diamond Eyes” originally set to be released on May 18 has been pushed up two weeks to May 4, due to the album leaking online last week.
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Thursday, March 11 was a day full of mixed emotions for Copeland fans residing in Western Pennsylvania.
After nine years of heartfelt music making, the band announced their breakup toward the end of last October. However, they promised a farewell tour for their devoted audience, who would greatly miss this legendary indie rock band.
This much awaited night of cute indie rock love songs finally hit Pittsburgh. The show was held at Mr. Small’s Funhouse in Millvale, Pa. and though the venue wasn’t sold out, everyone packed in as closely to the stage as they could, so they wouldn’t miss a second of their last chance to watch Copeland.
Hundreds of Copeland fans, old and new, came flooding in to celebrate as well as support this iconic band for their final Pittsburgh show.
Deas Vail was the opening act. They had a Copeland-esque sound, so naturally, the crowd was well-pleased with them. Next in the lineup was a band called Person L.
This is the experimental/indie rock project of Starting Line’s lead singer, Kenny Vasoli. There were only a few shouts from the audience requesting to hear some Starting Line songs, which the band quickly dismissed.
After Person L, Ace Enders, of The Early November, did a set with his the other alternative rock project named I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business. Their set was solid, and they received much praise from the audience.
Finally came the long-awaited Copeland set, the highlight of the night. The band stepped on stage sporting cardigans, scarves and other such classy attire. The audience greeted them with nothing short of glee.
Songs for their farewell set were selected through an online poll where fans were prompted to vote for their four favorite songs off each of the band’s albums.
It was a brilliant way to ensure that pretty much all of the audience would know the material they played, and like it, which gave their performance kind of a familiar, fun atmosphere.
Their sound was balanced, and Aaron Marsh, the lead singer, was sure to hit every note, even in his legendary most rangy falsetto stints.
There was jubilant dancing when they played their more peppy tunes, like “Pin Your Wings,” “She changes Your Mind,” “Take Care” and “The Day I lost my voice (The Suitcase Song).”
An almost concert-wide sing-along commenced when they played some of their older hits, like “Paula Sparks” and “Coffee.”
Copeland announced that they would be wrapping up their set, and commenced with the song, “California” as the last song they would play.
By the end of the show, there were many soupy eyes in the audience.
Everybody was pretty content with the show, having been given the chance to hear their favorite Copeland tunes one last time.
Not wanting this final show to come to such an abrupt close, though, the audience began chanting, “One more song” as the band was walking off stage.
The band had planned on returning for an encore, because by the time the audience had managed to syncopate their cheers for more Copeland, front-man Aaron Marsh, came back out instantly, and sat down to his keyboard.
To the great pleasure of older Copeland fans, he chose to begin playing “Brightest.” The next, and final song of the night, was “You Have My Attention,” a Copeland classic.
3.17.10 / A&E
A showcase of talent and entertainment brought artists and audiences together in appreciation.
“Without the performers, there wouldn’t be anything here,” said Jim Rose, a secondary education freshman and Philosophy Club member.
The Philosophy Club held an open microphone performance in the Carlson Library Art Gallery on Tuesday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. Almost 30 performers and appreciators attended. The event was the first of many open mic’s to come.
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Dr. Deborah Williams performs Wednesday night during the monologues faculty and alumni performance (Caitlin McGill / The Clarion Call)
The Vagina Monologues at Clarion University is reaching its tenth anniversary this year. This year’s show is directed by junior film major Carly Masiroff and fifth year English/Spanish major Mariah Yancey. According to Masiroff, who has been involved with the Monologues for the past two years, this year’s performance has “much more power.”
3.4.10 / A&E
Formally described as a little bit of the Mars Volta, mixed with Trophy Scars, and Glassjaw, Jacobi Wichita’s sound is an intriguing mix of various elements of Latin, hip-hop, experimental, and post-hardcore music.
After months of delays and legal issues, Connecticut natives Jacobi Wichita have finally released their follow up to their debut album “Bonez Malone.” Their debut was released by the band without a record label and became a classic to the small audience that heard it.
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As residents of Pennsylvania, the statement, “Pennsylvania is Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Alabama in between,” made by James Carville on Meet the Press, during the heated Democratic primary between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has become a topic of much discussion.
What you might not be aware of is that this quote has become the inspiration for one of the most interesting art galleries going on this week in Clarion.
“Pennsyltucky: Are We There Yet,” is an art exhibit going on in Carlson Library this week.
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September 2004 is when Flight 815 crashed on an island in the first episode of the TV series “Lost.” Three years later, after many characters have died (and some have come back to life) the series is in its final season.
The show was originally meant to run two seasons, but additional episodes extended it to three seasons.
The producers of “Lost” have been planning this ending for three years now. “Lost” was mostly filmed in Hawaii.
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The list of actors and actresses may be enough to tempt moviegoers to view “Valentine’s Day.” It offers a range of possibilities for relationships, storylines and conclusions.
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Music often draws powerful emotions from both the musicians and the listeners. In the case of Manchester Orchestra, take the usual amount of emotion on a scale of one to 10 and turn it up to 11.
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(Sean Montgomery / The Clarion Call)
Robert Levy, director of Clarion Univeristy’s production of “Rent,” is excited about tonight’s opening performance.
“The designers actors and I all went looking for a new approach to this.”
Levy, who is also chairman of the theatre department, said he didn’t want to produce a cookie-cutter show. The Broadway show, turned motion picture in 2005, leaves audiences with expectations.
“I mean, ever since the appearance of the movie, audiences expect a certain kind of Rent” said Levy. He said he decided on this musical in particular because it was available, popular, and perfect for the age group of Clarion. It’s a “hot show,” Levy said. More »
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Michael Jagmin, Brian White, Cory La Quay, Kyle Simmons, Joey Wilson and Nick Miller better known as A Skylit Drive, played a phenomenal show for audiences at Mr. Smalls Theater in Pittsburgh last Thursday, Feb. 18.
With the help of other acts such as We Came As Romans, The Word Alive, Of Mice and Men and the headlining band, Alesana, the guys sold out the venue before the doors were even opened. The Romans started off the night’s energy when front man David Stephens yelled to the crowd that Pittsburgh is one of the top places that all of the bands had looked forward to on tour.
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“Paul is dead” read the tabloids and news articles through the 1960’s. The hoax surrounding the supposed death of The Beatles member, Paul McCartney, has been investigated for many years and is still talked about today.
Dr. Todd Pfannestiel, a Clarion History professor, presented his “Paul is Dead” presentation, one in which he has not presented in three years. Pfannestiel had a prepared PowerPoint showing pictures and audio clips throughout McCartney’s career explaining his urban-legendary death.
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The year 2009 was a big one for entertainment. With an almost non-stop influx of big named titles, it proved to be one of the best for the industry. Titles like “Avatar,” “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” and Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” dominated their respective markets breaking records and setting a precedent for all to follow.
However, with all the big titles coming out, some of the best the year had to offer got buried by bigger names and their even bigger advertising budget.
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“Shutter Island” is director Martin Scorsese’s most recent film. The film came out Feb. 19, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo and Ben Kingsley.
The plot of the film starts out in 1954, with Federal Marshals Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule arriving at Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of one of the patients at the asylum.
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On Tuesday evening in an intimate setting in Moore Hall, author Sheryl St. Germain shared stories of her life, and excerpts of her work.
Germain is an American poet who has published several works, the most popular including the book of essays, “Swamp Songs,” and her collection of new and collected poems, “Let It Be a Dark Roux.” In both of these works, Germain writes intimately of her native state of Louisiana, and her “embarrassing” family growing up.
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By now it’s common knowledge that Lil’ Wayne has decided to try his hand at “rock music.” His rock album, “Rebirth,” dropped at the end of December after it was postponed for over a year. Listeners did get a preview of the album last spring though, with the singles “Prom Queen” and “Hot Revolver,” which didn’t make it through the final cut.
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There’s always one zombie flick that comes out every so many years, and it is always essentially a remake of the one before it, leaving the viewer disappointed. However, the movie “Zombieland” does not follow that sad, sad trend. The movie was released to theaters Oct. 2, 2009 then released Feb. 2, to Blu-Ray and DVD.
2.18.10 / A&E
Break-dancing and booty shaking their way through music blogs and review sites are Boston’s own Bad Rabbits. Their debut album “Stick Up Kids,” has been up for free download on their myspace and has created a lot attention in the online community.
“Stick Up Kids”, self-released by the group, brings a fresh new approach as to what today’s indie music sounds like. Instead of grabbing listeners’ attention with the typical indie method of breakdowns or banjos, Bad Rabbits chooses dance grooves and synthesizer leads that are catchy enough to make Prince jealous. The basic sound of the album is basically funk, soul, R&B and pop that is all mixed together with an 80s swagger that makes the listener want to strap on a pair of high-tops and jump on the dance floor.
4.29.10 / Logan Powell
Tantric’s performance under whelms / Cobra Starship lands in Clarion
4.22.10 / Russel Pekelnicky
Movie Review: Fun with superheroes
4.22.10 / Logan Powell
Album Review: Anthony Green’s falling
4.22.10 / Chelsea Perza
Clarion hosts film festival for women
4.22.10 / Russel Pekelnicky
Perspectives on art and culture from a Clarion art history major. From artist spotlights to gallery reviews, from avant-garde to pop, Kelli Grill covers it all. Start reading »
The musings of Clarion's #1 social butterfly. Whether it's around town, around campus, or around midnight, Steve is there.Start reading »
Coverage of the music scene, both in Clarion and across the world.Start reading »