North Country Entertainment

Special Edition: Featuring Morgan Fahey, Celia Faussart, and Dionne Farris

2009-11-20T18:09:00.000-08:00

Welcome! This is a special edition of North Country Entertainment Magazine, with fascinating profiles of three thought-provoking and influential entertainment figures: the reality-TV casting director Morgan Fahey, the Grammy-nominated musical sensation Celia Faussart, and the legendary and trail-blazing artist Dionne Farris. Happy reading.

After a Long Absence, Dionne Farris's "Wild Seed" Bears Fruit

2009-11-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

By Kristen Rafferty

Dionne Farris did not fall out of the spotlight. She simply chose to step into a different one.

After her stellar first album, Wild Seed Wild Flower, and the hit single “I Know,” the Grammy-nominated R&B artist has been noticeably M.I.A. from the music scene for a decade. In a recent phone interview with an upstate New York SUNY Plattsburgh journalism class, Farris discussed her life and music as they have changed since that first blowout of stardom.

“Don’t believe everything you read,” Farris laughs as she begins the interview.

Getting her start as the backup vocalist for “Arrested Development,” and working with American Idol super judge Randy Jackson on her first album, Farris quickly learned the most important part about being in the music business.

“If you want something, you have to tell them straight out,” she says. “That initial experience with Arrested Development showed me the possibilities of what I could achieve.”

Her first album, Farris says, was pure bliss. Released in 1995, ten out of 12 songs on it were on Farris’s demo record, a nearly-unheard of achievement these days, when most artists are recognized for one or two of their own songs and then made to record other people’s music. Her hit single “I Know” hit number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for a Grammy.

“I remember that song was so popular,” says amateur rapper David Smith, of NYC. “Believe it or not, the lyrical style in that song as well as a lot of her other songs inspires me with the lyrics I use in my own songs today.”

“All I remember about that song was its popular beat,” agrees Alex Silver, a drummer who currently resides just outside of the New York scene. “The vocals mixed so well with that constant percussion beat, and it was definitely one of those songs that defined the decade.”

After the billowing success, everyone expected the R&B musician with the soulfully soothing voice to become a legend in the music industry. But Farris was not to release her next full album until after the millennium—this time, under her own label, on her own terms.

“When you stop and look at the paperwork,” Farris explains, “you realize that it’s all about money for other people at the record labels. Music used to enlighten people about things in the world. Now you’re just getting what the industry pushes on you, and people are dissatisfied.”

She didn’t want to be a part of it. After taking a stand against the increasingly superficial marketing schemes of record labels, Farris turned to online forums like MySpace and Facebook in order to continue creating music in her own style. She recently launched her own label, Free and Clear, online, dedicated to promoting honesty and creativity in the artist.

“Online forums like MySpace level the playing field,” Farris says. “You need promotion and marketing for record labels, but you also need creativity and something that sets you apart from the crowd.” Farris insists on substance and value in all her music, declaring that that is the best of what she can give people, the best way to touch them with her music.

“I like things like Facebook and Twitter because they create relationships,” she says, “which is so important to me.”

Indeed. In a recent Twitter post, Farris replied to a random tweet from a Maryland college student that said “Thanks, Shazam app, that annoying song I always hear in stores is "I Know" by Dionne Farris. It sucks.”

Taking an interest in her fans—or critics, in this case—Farris responded very personally, tweeting a cheerful reply.

“Sorry to hear you don't like the song! Maybe I'll make something you will like! All my best! Dionne Farris.”

Farris’s MySpace page is similarly personal, headlined by the personal message “Back to the Beginning,” which may reference her newfound confidence as an independent musician.

“Does the title of your new record label have something to do with your past experience with misunderstandings and record labels?” asks a student from the journalism class.

“Ding Ding Ding. You got it,” Farris replies simply. “I want everyone who comes to Free and Clear records to get the benefit of the experience and blessing of their given talent.”

Farris’s struggle to create her own niche in the music industry and her eventual distancing from labels in the name of truth is the drive behind her new album, On Top of the World. An autobiographical collection of self-reflective songs, Farris described the recording process best by sharing her new motto for the album and all future endeavors.

“Your limit is your imagination,” she says. In her excitement, Farris even gave an a cappella preview of the title song to her interviewers via the Skype audio track.

Fast-paced and rhythmic, the thirty-second demo of “On Top of the World” is full of excitement, gratification. It’s a feel-good song for a really great day, a walking-down-the-sidewalk-I-feel-like-dancing song that soulfully begs you to sing along to the smooth-moving beats of Farris’s lyrics. In a pure, piercing voice that registered strong and clear over the literal miles of computer transference, Farris fearlessly proclaimed the chorus tag line, “How good of you to call when I’m on top of the world.”

Her enthusiasm is genuine, her passion overwhelming. “I’m definitely doing what I’m supposed to do,” Farris says. With an upcoming album, her own record label, and success that transcends her initial debut in 1995 to find her an established, independent musician of today, Farris’s smile is almost visible in her words.

“The one thing I can say at the end of the day to do no matter what is try to be consistent. There has always been, and will always be, a beautiful consistency in music for me.”

For another great story about Dionne Farris, click here: “Farris Paved Way for Alternative Black Artists”

Photo: Courtesy of Dionne Farris

Celia Faussart, aka BlueNefertiti, Builds Bridges Made of Music

2009-11-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

By Chris LaRose

It's been said that music is one of the few means of entertainment that can bring together almost anyone from any sort of background. Celia Faussart, one half of the Grammy-nominated group Les Nubians, knows this firsthand, as she and her sister have worked extremely hard to allow their music to act as a bridge from culture to culture. The sisters combine soul, reggae, and African sounds in their music, much of which is entirely in French - however, their dream is that, regardless of the language barrier, their music can span entire cultures and backgrounds and touch different kinds of people in many different ways.

"There's a moment in the beginning where you don't know if people will be touched by your music," Celia said, "but when you see people's reactions to the sounds you're creating... you know you've done it." My interview with Celia really solidified in me that these two women wanted to change their world, or at least a few minds, with their music. Her personality is immediately warm and welcoming and she speaks with the knowledge of an adult, but the excitement of a child who's learning new things on a daily basis; it's all of these things that left me with no question as to why she has experienced so much success.

Though their success is apparent nowadays, with a Grammy nomination under their belt and many other recognitions as well, the sisters of Les Nubians (which literally means "from Nubia" as a tribute to their homeland) didn't grow up with the knowledge of how to turn their love of music into a career. It wasn't until Celia met her friend's mother who was a successful opera singer. "She was the first one to tell me that in order to succeed with singing," Faussart said, "you had to practice, practice, practice... so I did."

Armed with a slew of gifts, from her amazing voice to her obvious beauty, Celia began working with such big names as will.i.am of the Black Eyes Peas, who once told Celia that she reminded him of Nefertiti, the ancient Egyptian queen. "He always said I look like Nefertiti," she said. Celia then added "Blue" to the name Nefertiti because it is one of her favorite colors and musical modes. "So when it came to choose my name for 'Paris@Night,' I knew that was going to be the name I used." Paris@Night is Celia's biggest dream coming true, something she realized could actually happen once she arrived in New York City. The show is a combination of the sister's creative ideas as well as their unique and original sound - all taking place in a cabaret setting. "It's amazing to see my dream coming true," Faussart said, "I just hope one day to be able to make it an even larger production."

Music is such a large aspect of Faussart's life and when asked how she feels about the direction that hip hop music is taking, the sound in her voice changed. Her thick accent seems to almost pace itself automatically as she answers, "In the beginning, hip hop helped us have a strong spine... today, it is quite different... but, creation has to go on." It's not shocking to hear that a woman, who is trying so hard to bridge the gap between the every day Americans and those who do not fit the 'status quo' of what it means to be American, is disappointed in a music form that often further separates groups of people and reinforces stereotypes.

The sisters cite Ella Fitzgerald, The Fugees and Miriam Makeba among their influences and these names, especially Ella Fitzgerald, are actually quite obvious listening to some of Les Nubians music. According to the sister's Facebook biography, Celia has said, "Making this record was, in part, a way for our generation to give tribute to musicians we've looked up to and see that their music gets the recognition it deserves."

Though Celia is not a fan of labeling her music, in a 2008 interview with SingersRoom she explained her reasoning, "...we don’t define our music, it’s Afropean music, it’s the only definition I can give. But to tell you it’s Soul, it’s R&B, it’s Jazz, it’s Afro, it’s Hip/Hop, and [well] it’s everything that’s there." All in all, the music of Les Nubians has certainly touched a variation of lives and many of their fans openly say that the music the sister's have created has touched moments of their lives forever. "Their music is fun to dance to, sensual, and rhythmic, as well as healing in some of the tracks," said Michelle Montgomery, a longtime fan of Les Nubians, "for me [they] have been highlights [of] moments in my life, when I felt a particular feeling, they have been there to comfort me."

For another great story about Celia Faussart, please click here: "Celia Faussart Gives Journalism Students a High-Spirited Intervew"

Photo credit: Oluwaseye Olusa

Casting Director Morgan Fahey Gives the Real Scoop About Reality Television

2009-11-20T14:57:00.000-08:00

By Chris LaRose

With the way reality television is today, odds are you know someone who knows someone who slept with somebody who has either been on a reality show, or has at least waited in line to audition for one. But what you may not know is just how complex of a process it is for the people who cast these shows to find the right cast members. Recently, Morgan Fahey, a casting director for such shows as "The Real World" and "Project Runway," spoke to a Plattsburgh State journalism class about her career and her experiences in casting such widely known programs.

Originally, Fahey had no intentions to go into casting for television programs, however, she had worked in post-production before. It was only when an old college friend told her about a position that had opened up in casting that Fahey decided to possibly take her career in that direction. After graduating from Wesleyan College, Fahey explained that she has always thought herself to be "very curious" and had the type of personality that could get anyone to open up to her. Lucky for her, these personality traits and her education at Wesleyan would come in very handy for a career in casting.

"I like casting shows where even I can learn something," Fahey said, "it's not always about just the selected cast members learning things about themselves." While she admits to not watching much reality television, "Project Runway" is still one of her favorites and she was thrilled to cast for season five of the hit show. "Project Runway was definitely the most difficult show to cast," she said, "because you're not only looking for A+ designers, but also personalities that will shine on television." It's these extreme personalities that Fahey says she is always looking for when casting, however, it can sometimes be difficult to decipher a real personality from someone just trying to end up on television.

Having been an integral part of casting for shows such as "Laguna Beach" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," Fahey says her job requires her to be "half psychologist and half investigative journalist - but without the ethics of either two." Regardless, she says she looks forward to the future of reality television, even though it seems that there are already established genres that a majority of the networks stick to. "I don't see much changing anytime soon," Fahey said, "but it will be interesting to see if anything new comes about... We've already wet the public's appetite."

What sets Fahey apart from others in her field is her strong personality and ability to talk to anyone about anything, because there is no kind of person she isn't interested in meeting. "My job has made me much more and much less social," Fahey said, regarding the impact it has had on her friendships and relationships with men. However, she admits that she loves her job and is grateful for all the opportunities it has opened up for her. "I had always wanted to be a writer," she said, "but being such an important part of the reality show business is something I will never regret."

Former 98 Degrees member releases solo album free online

2009-11-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

By Jessica Bakeman

Free tunes for fanhood? That’s a trade Jeff Timmons, former founding member of the boy band 98 Degrees, is willing to make.

Timmons is releasing his 2009 album, a second solo project, to fans as a free online download — with hopes that they’ll tell their friends.

“Emotional High,” for which final tracks are still being chosen, will be released online between Christmas and New Year’s, an attempt to lure in listeners who have nothing to lose, Timmons said. To gain access to the album, fans simply need to fill out a survey on at www.jefftimmons.com, and will receive a code for downloading.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had anything out,” Timmons said. “I don’t expect people to know what my sound is. I’m not expecting people to spend 10 or 15 bucks on a record if they don’t know what the songs are like.”

He said the future of the music industry will depend on artists being able to market themselves.

“You’re going to use your music as a commercial for yourself as an artist. It’s up to you to figure out how you’re going to get paid for that,” he said. “If I get a million people (to download my album), that’s a million more people that are aware of my product.”

Timmons plans to use this free model, ironically, to make money. For example, he might hold a concert where tickets are free. He would then seek out a sponsor to pay him for the performance. With a guarantee of a large crowd who will want to take advantage of free entertainment, that sponsor will get its money’s worth in exposure.

“I can guarantee that 10,000 people will be there because I’m giving all the tickets away, so now sponsors base sponsorship dollars” on those consumers, he said.

The music on the album, including the title track, “Emotional High,” and the edgy (for a former boy band member) “Sexy Mama,” echo the 98 Degrees style lyrically, exploring relationships and love. There are a few ballads, but the biggest difference in Timmons’ album and his boy-band past is the tempo.

“The radio is tempo-driven,” he said. “It’s very hard to get ballads on the radio today.”

He is excited about the new release.

“It’s kind of contemporary sound,” he said. “It’s definitely a sound that’s familiar on the radio. All of the 98 Degrees fans will be reenergized by the album.”

One of Timmons’ production partners on the album, Matt Fechter, shares musical history with him that predates 98 Degrees.

Friends from high school and then at Kent State where they both attended college, the two were in a boy band whose name changed often, from 501 Blues to Four Tools in a Box, finally settling on the title, Just Us. Timmons remembers his main motivations back then: “We were trying to impress girls in college,” he said with a laugh. “We thought we were really cool, but we weren’t.”

The group went to California from Ohio to make it big, and got pretty close. Just before signing, Timmons’ buddies backed out, unable to make the commitment.

Fechter reflects on that experience: “We were at it for a about a year and being young and naïve, three of the members decided to go home for the Thanksgiving holiday,” he said. “And once we got home, we got a little bit homesick and unfortunately, we decided we didn’t want to pursue it, even though we were getting that close. I think we were just a little immature and didn’t realize how close we were to making it.”

After that setback, Timmons put ads in industry publications looking for new band members, and the rest of the final band, 98 Degrees, joined him. They were signed not long after.

Fechter was brought on as a songwriting partner and one of Fechter’s songs ended up on 98 Degrees’ Christmas album, “This Christmas,” released in 1999.

Fechter also shared in the success of a couple of top-10 hits overseas from Timmons’ first solo project, “Whisper That Way,” released in 2004.

“Whisper That Way” addressed more serious material than the new album, as Timmons said he was going through a difficult period emotionally.

“I was having a tough time personally. I was married and going through a divorce and had kids I was fighting for,” he said. “My career had slowed down; that genre of music we were considered — a boy band — was a blessing and a curse. It has been considered ‘trendy’ music and a lot of people didn’t think we could sing live or that we produced our own music.”

“Emotional High” represents the fun side of Timmons, which he said reflects where he is in his life now.

“I like to have fun, probably too much, and I don’t take a whole lot seriously besides my kids,” he said.

Having worked with Timmons on the production and some background harmonies, Fechter said listeners can expect a mix of Timmons’ familiar ballads and a new, exciting sound.

“There’s definitely a lot of R-’n’-B-influenced uptempos, mid-tempos and, of course, there are still a few ballads on there, too,” he said.

An avid producer and businessman, Timmons’ solo project is not the only endeavor he has in the works. After nailing down the contracts with a few suppliers, Timmons is set to introduce iamMedia, a music distribution company he started working on five years ago.

“The main reason the music industry, the paradigm, is failing is because there are not as many places to get CDs,” he said. “It’s not because of downloading, it’s because (CDs are) not that available; there aren’t many outlets to purchase CDs.”

Similar to the Starbucks model, where CDs are sold by the register to entice consumers into making an impulse purchase, Timmons’ company would put CDs in grocery and convenient stores, shopping malls and truck stops — “high traffic stores.”

“Put them at the check out line where they’re impulsive, (and customers will) buy them on the way out. There are lots of ways to make money on it,” he said.

The displays would include screens with multimedia, showing an artists’ video, and providing the opportunity to buy not only CDs, but ringtones, and other multimedia products.

Timmons said he is currently in talks with convenient stores like Dollar General, CVS and Walgreens.

“Once we get all the content providers in place we’re going to launch,” he said.

Timmons is also lending his talent to other artists. An up-and-coming R ’n’ B artist, Rhapsody speaks highly of the work he has done for her.

“I think he’s pretty rare,” she said. “He just works… he’s a workaholic.”

Former manager and on-air radio personality Chad Zimmerman — who goes by Chad Taylor in his radio work in Iowa — agrees that Timmons’ commitment to his work and fans is relentless.

“I’ve never met anyone more passionate or driven about the music business than Jeff is, and that’s a sincere answer,” he said. “This is a man who works tirelessly in the studio, but he also takes time to talk to his fans on the social networking sites.”

When fans request autographs after a show, Zimmerman said, “he would wait and sign the last autograph.”

Timmons is hoping to reach both former fans as well as a new demographic with his release, and sees college students as a major target demographic. As many of the 98-Degrees fans were in their pre-teens, that group is now in the college age group.

“I definitely want to tap into that younger fan base, but I don’t want to alienate anybody or target anyone specifically,” he said. “College kids are great and they spread the word. With technology, it’s a loyal fan base.”

As for the cursed blessing of his boy-band association, Timmons hopes it will help him gain exposure for his new album, perhaps through former fans who may now be in positions of power at magazines or other entertainment news outlets. He hopes they might want to support his comeback.

Timmons is leaning on his past success to give him a shot at listener’s attention.

“You’re never gonna get away from it. There was a time when we were on TV every day for like three years. It’s not a bad thing … to be connected to a successful genre of music,” he said. “I’m not crying about it.”

Photo credit: Jenn Hoffman Photography

Quick & Easy Holiday Recipes

2009-11-19T17:17:00.000-08:00

By Chris LaRose

'Twas the night before Christmas and you don't know what to do - holiday dinner is all up to you. You've got turkey and pies and stuffing galore, but you know that your family is going to want more. The cookbook is old and tattered, it's through, you need something special, something easy and new. And what to your wondering eyes should appear? Three holiday recipes to help you this year.

The holidays are a time to celebrate family, friends and the amazing food of the season, but as people scramble to finish wrapping presents, stuff stockings and make sure their home is filled with holiday cheer, it can be difficult to cook extravagant dishes for holiday dinner. Many people have a few quick and easy holiday recipes up their sleeve that they bring out every year and below are three of the easiest, yet cutest, recipes that I've come across. Hopefully they will bring a little holiday cheer to you and your family, while taking away some of the stress of creating unique food ideas for the holidays.

Christmas Crunch Balls

Ingredients:
- 2 cups of Captain Crunch cereal
- 1 package of marshmallow
- 1 stick of butter

Directions:
- Melt marshmallow and butter together on low heat, until melted
- Add captain crunch to mixture
- Remove from stove top, stir together gently
- Let cool and then form into balls

"My four boys ask me every Christmas to make my crunch balls," said Melissa Bushey, who invented the balls herself after substituting Rice Krispies with Captain Crunch, "they're the most random idea that has somehow become a staple in my house every year." Melissa says that when people first hear of them they expect them to be way too sweet, but after tasting them they change their mind. "They're my favorite dessert at Christmas," said Nick Bushey, Melissa's son, "I like them a lot more than normal rice krispie bars." So this Christmas if you're looking to add a little color with a delicious flare to your dinner table this season, Christmas Crunch Balls can be the solution.

Jello Ice Rink

Ingredients:
- 4 boxes of blue jello
- 2 1/2 cups of boiling water
- a cup of little/big marshmallows
- sprinkles
- toothpicks
Directions:
- Let marshmallow dissolve in the 2 1/2 cups of boiling water
- Pour into a 9/13 inch pan
- Refrigerate for 3 hours
- Cut jello to your liking
- Use marshmallows, toothpicks and sprinkles to create snowmen, igloos, or any of your own ideas

The jello ice rink is a ridiculously easy recipe that can be a great addition to your Christmas dinner, for both children and adults to enjoy. "My mother and I just thought one day how cute a little jello ice rink would look," said Nicole Couture, who has used the ice rink for the past three Christmas parties she's thrown, "and when you add the snowmen and other directions to it, the rink really comes to life." The look of the jello ice rink alone is enough to impress people, but the familiar taste of jello and marshmallows always brings people to whatever table houses the little rink at the party. "I know that I always make a bee-line for the jello every year at our party," said Justin Couture, Nicole's husband, "and my mom has been jealous since she saw it the first time."

Holiday Oreo Balls

Ingredients:
- 8 ounce package cream cheese
- Whole package of Orea cookies
- Powdered sugar
Directions:
- Soften cream cheese (leave out for 20 minutes or so)
- Mix cream cheese and crushed oreos together
- Form into balls
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes
- Once hardened, roll in powdered sugar

"Oreo balls have been around for a while," said Kim Crockett, who put her own special twist to the recipe, "but most people dip them in white chocolate... I found that to be too intense of a taste." The Oreo balls resemble snowballs, so Kim yearly fills a tiny, decorative wheel barrel on her table with them to resemble a child's snowballs during a snowball fight. "I've gotten compliments on how adorable the wheel barrel turns out," Kim said, "and it's really such an easy thing to make." Kim's friend, Chrissy Allard, agrees. "The first time I tasted the Oreo balls I was hooked," Chrissy said, "they're decorative and delicious - and you'd never think they're so easy to make."

What's so special about the three recipes that were chosen is the fact that they all came from the heart of the women who created them, and they're easy to prepare when you're in a tight spot. With just a little imagination you can even put a twist on the recipes, whether it's adding more snowmen to the Jello Ice Rink, or dipping the Holiday Oreo Balls in white chocolate - it's all up to you. But hopefully this holiday while you're frantically searching for a quick recipe before a holiday party at work, or before your family members arrive for dinner on Christmas Eve, you'll look to North Country Entertainment for help.

Photo credits: Chris LaRose

A Behind the Scenes Look: Hands of a Modern Puppeteer

2009-11-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

By Nicole Weber

Puppeteer/Puppet wrangler and puppet designer for shows like the Muppets, window sets of Saks Fifth Avenue, and Lord and Taylor, and more; Mary Brehmer lives her life as a freelance artist. Living with her dog Honey, of almost 14 years, in Prospect Park Brooklyn, born in Detroit and raised in Allen Park Michigan, Brehmer talks about the hard work that has gotten her into the interesting career she is still in today.

Growing up Brehmer wanted to be a teacher, and said that if she had never become an artist she would love to work with kids somehow. Brehmer said she always thought about making jewelry or something on the side.

Brehmer took art for fun at Wayne State in Detroit, until she had to declare a major in her junior year where she declared a double major in graphic design and ceramics. “I got hooked more and more,” said Brehmer.

“She got involved in making decorations at homecoming and set buildings,” said long time high school friend Roberto Martinez who met Brehmer from being involved in decorating school events.

“I don’t know why I didn’t do costume work [back in high school],” said Brehmer. Brehmer was involved in choir and had played out small roles in her high school plays.

Mary moves to the “Big City”.

Brehmer recalls it being 1986 or 1987. She had a friend in New York City who she visited and stayed with twice. While in the city Brehmer interviewed for the Muppets’ production. She was then referred to go to another interview.

“I got really excited and decided to give it a try and have stayed here ever since,” said Brehmer. Her plan was to only stay for two years and then to go back to Michigan.

Moving to New York, Brehmer came with her sister. “Very funny timing actually. She happened to be dating someone who would be moving into New Jersey. Now their married with two children,” said Brehmer. Brehmer comments that coming with her sister definitely made it easier to transition.

After interviewing at the Muppets’ production, Spaeth Design offered her a job, which led Brehmer to designing windows of storefronts for five years. “Saks, Lord and Taylor, off and on with Macy’s,” said Brehmer.

Brehmer says her favorite storefront window had to be working on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe/Tales of Narnia window for Saks Fifth Avenue. Brehmer supervised the crew of people working on the project as well as molded and built all of the animals for the window. The animals were made out of styrofoam and faux fur with draping of sparkly fabric and the select few even had leather harnesses.

While designing window’s storefronts Brehmer met some people who were working with the Muppets’ movies and decided to re-interview. After working with the Muppets for ten years Brehmer constructed the ghosts from the past and present for the Muppets Christmas Carol, made a pirate Muppet treasure island, worked on the Muppets in space as well as numerous other productions.

Brehmer’s main role working with the Muppets was constructing models and sculpting the molds for the puppets. Brehmer has also done ‘wrangling’ which she describes as the “costume and wardrobe people for the puppets”. ‘They style the puppets, they make sure they’re wearing the right outfits, have the right props, check their hair, and make sure it looks the way it’s suppose to for every take.”

Brehmer still works off and on with the Muppets production, even after the workshop was closed down in 2002.

Brehmer has worked on productions such as Bear in the Big Blue House, Finding Nemo on Ice, puppets for a ride at Disneyland and some butterfly set pieces for Universal Studios. One of her favorite projects was being a puppet wrangler for Extreme Makeover: Home edition, Muppet episode.

Currently Brehmer is working on creating puppets for Creed’s spinoff band called Downshifter. The puppets will take the main frontal role, as cartoons do with the band Gorillaz. “Muppety looking,” is the way Brehmer described their ‘rough’ look. The puppets are being created in foam. The puppets are still being worked on and need fabric for costumes and more details.

Brehmer was hired to make Downshifter’s puppets through someone she knew through work who had worked on Sesame Street. Brehmer doesn’t know if the puppets will have names, and doubts that she will meet the members of the band –admitting that she doesn’t really know Creed’s music anyway.

Mary’s youngest sibling, her brother Michael said he believes her career to be both amazing and quirky. “She’s a part of the entertainment industry and it’s a substantial thing to have going on,” said brother Michael. “A lot of people appreciate [her art] and it makes their lives better,” said Michael Brehmer.

“It’s light hearted to have a career around Muppets,” Michael Brehmer said.

Michael Brehmer, who went to school for architecture, said how he was inspired to pursue art as a career because of Mary’s success. Michael said that coming from a blue-collar area it’s common for people to doubt that you could become an artist.

“She knew what she wanted to do and just did it when people in Michigan are just doubtful maybe,” said Michael Brehmer.

Museums; views from all over the place; just being in the city; and being in the right place at the right time are the things that inspire Brehmer’s work.

Working as a freelance artist in this economy isn’t the easiest thing to do. Martinez talked about a time where he knew Brehmer had to take a job, but didn’t want to. “One person she couldn’t stand… must be a really evil person for Mary to not like her,” said Martinez. “She’s one of the sweetest people in the world.

Sometimes too sweat. I wonder if that kindness has gotten in the way at times,” said Martinez.

“A lot of her work is word of mouth. She has talked about someone with not as good sewing skills but are quote unquote more successful,” said Martinez.

Overall, work seems pretty good for Brehmer who has more than established herself in the wide world of Puppets and set production.

Credit: ???

The Death of Weezer

2009-11-18T21:44:00.002-08:00

By Andrew Beam

Remember the early 90’s? When grunge was grabbing the world by the throat and bringing out a new sense of teen angst. The crunching guitars, the wild screams, the chugging bass, and Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain. In the middle of all of this, there was one geeky kid named Rivers Cuomo, with a bowl cut and large framed glasses fronting a band full of well-dressed gentlemen, as opposed to the bombardment of flannel and torn jeans. This band was Weezer, and they were the band that made being a nerd and a little different than everyone else, well, cooler than it was before.

There were songs like “Buddy Holly” from 1994’s The Blue Album, the pleading “Undone-The Sweater Song” from the same album. Pinkerton came in 1996 where songs like “Pink Triangle” about a man who wants to marry a woman yet unfortunately discovers she is a lesbian, or the introverted “El Scorcho.” Even The Green Album had a few good songs with “Hash Pipe”, the song Weezer should have done during the 90’s, or the fun-loving pop hit “Island in the Sun.” These were all great memories of a band that made it incredibly hard not to like. Until now, after three despicable releases, awful promotional ideas, bizarre covers, and even more peculiar guest artists on their albums, Weezer has found away to strip the life away from themselves. They now can be pronounced, dead.

It would be difficult to discuss all the past grievances, though most recently some of the more abnormal actions have been taken by Cuomo and the band. The Tripwire, an online webzine that covers a majority of the happenings in the independent, and sometimes major, music industry, has heavily scrutinized Weezer for their actions. It started when Weezer performed at KROQ Weenie Roast in Los Angeles and they covered the song “Kids” by MGMT and “Pokerface” by Lady GaGa. If there was any indication of distaste, the headline read “Oh Jesus God, Weezer Have Done It Again.” The article went on to describe Weezer’s fight to be hip as they say, “Another sign of the apocalypse, and yet another of the many signs of Weezer’s complete slide into absolute irrelevance. Confidential to Rivers Cuomo: rapping ‘I am bluffin’ with my muffin’’ may cause your audience’s ears to bleed. Just a heads up.”

The band has now moved onto releasing their seventh studio album entitled Raditude. Bryan Menegus, staff writer for Hofstra University’s school newspaper, titled his review of the album announcing, “Weezer Proclaimed Dead; Corpse Poops Out ‘Raditude.’” What he might be referring to are the suspicious collaborations Weezer has decided on with artist’s like Lil’ Wayne on the track “Can’t Stop Partying”, a song about exactly what the title entails, was also co-written with producer Jermaine Dupri. Live, the band has pushed the strange thresh-hold even more by performing with acts like Kayty Perry, Kenny G, and Gossip Girls actress Leighton Meester. This has left online publications like Pitchfork, a popular music news website, confused as author Ryan Dombol present videos of Weezer performin with Kenny G, Chamillionare, and Sarah Bareilles, with just a quick blurb stating defeatedly, “Sometimes you just have to let the videos play.”

The final nail in the coffin has come in the form of promotion for their new CD. For $30, fans were able to purchase a package where when buying the CD, they will also get a Weezer branded Snuggie, the blanket with sleeves, that has been now referred to as a wuggie. Before getting into reporting the news, The Trip Wire wrote a disclaimer stating, “We occasionally feel bad for our inability to approach anything Weezer does these days without an ounce of seriousness. But then things like these come along and remind us they aren’t taking themselves seriously, so why should we?”

It was a sign of giving up. Now the Weezer’s heart monitor has lost its beeping rhythm, and has come to a monotone flat line. Sure, Raditude won’t be the last that the world will see of Weezer, but the least they can do is bring back a little bit of the old band we knew so we can live through the nostalgia.

International Comic Creator and Animator, Svetlana Chmakova, Takes Break From Con Scene

2009-11-18T21:44:00.001-08:00

By Amanda Sivan Kaufman

With the release of the second volume of her latest comic series and currently running children’s television series, international hit Svetlana Chmakova has decided to take a break from the convention scene to focus on her work.

Recently appearing during Halloween weekend at Bakuretsu Con, an anime convention held in Colchester, VT, Chmakova said the convention would be one of the last she would attend for a while.

Chmakova specializes in manga, Japanese style comic books, and her latest series Nightschool is currently running in the monthly anthology Yen Plus magazine. The second volume of Nightschool came out on October 27, 2009 and according to Chmakova it is the series she always wanted to write as a teen.

Focusing on the story of Alex Treveney, a special kind of witch known as a weirn, who is trying to find out what happened to her sister whose evidence of existence and memory vanished, Nightschool is described by its creator as being similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer in nature. The series is expected for a minimum of four volumes, the third to be released in April 2010.

While working on Nightschool, Chmakova was also in charge of art for the children’s television series My Life Me, which began airing on Canadian stations Fall 2009. Scouted by her friend J.C. Little to be co-creator of the series, Chmakova called the experience a “learning curve” and said she prefers to work on comics than animation.

She called comics a part of who she is, having first been exposed to a series called Elf Quest back in Russia. After coming to Canada, she settled in Ontario and began going to conventions.

“I really do love animation and it would be nice to do some side projects on my own, which I could and I might,” Chmakova said in a faint Russian accent. “One of the things about animation is that it is incredibly time consuming.”

Born in Moscow, Russia, Chmakova immigrated to Canada at the age of 16 where she eventually got her animation degree. However, upon graduating she said animation job offerings were very low. She dabbled in online comics for Cosmogirl, Wirepop.com, and her own purposes and sold her work at conventions in the artist’s alley, where a representative from the Tokyopop manga company discovered her. Eventually, her first published series Dramacon came to be.

Originally intended to be a single volume story, Dramacon’s surprising popularity led to the creation of two more books in the series. The manga is being published in 12 different countries, including Japan.

Dramacon has won the Best Comics of 2005 award, nominations for a Harvey Award in the Best New Series of 2006, special recognition Eisner Award, and making the list of YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens. Chamkova’s other works include everything from online comics to toy designs, from short stories to animation.

Despite great reception and large fanbases, Chmakova has remained modest in regards to her talent.

“In my head it (her comics) looks like Lord of the Rings, you know, very cinematic, very beautiful backgrounds, and excellent soundtracks. And then what I get is what you see in the books,” she said. “I don’t think I am a bad artist. I’m certainly not amazing, but I certainly have a lot of room to grow and learn.”

With her busy schedule attributing to her lack of availability for future conventions, Chmakova remains in contact with her fans through online forums and her DeviantArt.com account that she occasionally has time to update.

Chmakova said her “dream job” would be to animate Dramacon and do more books because she has a lot more story to tell, although the reality of doing so is doubtful.

Unlike Nightschool, Dramacon is owned by Tokyopop and she has no direct control over any other productions involving the series.

In the future, however, she said she would like to team up with a writer and create art for a comic series.

“I would actually be very interested to be an artist on a project that is written by another writer,” Chmakova said. “When I write for myself, and I think maybe creators who both write and draw will find this, we go easy on ourselves. You make these compromises for yourself.”

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

2009-11-18T21:43:00.000-08:00

By Cassandra Thomas

Modern, definitely! Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 takes war and its plot to the next level. The seamlessly realistic and addictive videogame was released this past Tuesday.

Selling 4.7 million copies and gaining a first-day income of $310 million, Modern Warfare breaks the box office record of Batman: The Dark Knight, which crossed $300 million in ten days, according to PlanetXBOX360. Anticipated game-players have sought out to purchase the game with high expectations that has proven to be met.

Despite the extreme-action-packed game play, the grim reality of the game can cause uneasiness. Call of Duty is known for its first-person shooter and the rewarding heroic position the player is put in during the campaign; however, the player may question being the “ultimate hero.” In the three-act campaign, which is quite short and not too challenging, the player is placed in dark plots such as the “No Russian” level. You are the terrorist and you are being ordered to participate in the activities that terrorists do. Although the game gives the option of skipping this level, it still remains as disruptive as it sounds. “Parental discretion is advised.”

With high-definition graphics, the players get lost in realistic settings from Rio de Janeiro to suburban America. During the campaign, you will endure first-hand recreational activities: ice climbing, a snowmobile race and marine experience. Even while you’re an undercover terrorist or rescuing hostages, Modern Warfare 2 is guaranteed to make you feel as if you were really there.

Besides the required concentration of the dragging dramatic story, the multiplayer mode takes full-credit for the game’s success. The online multiplayer mode is competitive, rewarding the fastest and deadliest players with new skill-boosting perks. The sensational perks assist the player in being more strategic, more deadly and much more resilient.

Even if a player doesn’t reach “gamers” standards – long kill streaks, prestige rankings and minimum deaths – they are still capable in receiving experience points. More so, everyone is able to unlock guns, increase ranking, earn new equipment and gain perks. Unlike previous iterations of the franchise, guns that were only presented in the primary weapon slot are now available in secondary, meaning gamers no longer have to stick with handguns. For those who can’t handle the heat, a bullet-resistant riot shield can be equipped in primary, as well.

Modern Warfare satisfies the coordinated sharp shooters. In order to get from point A to point B, one must survive a swarm of enemies that are either repelling from a building or rushing towards your direction. Special Ops mode prepares the player for such a thrilling campaign and cutthroat multiplayer. “Switching guns is faster than reloading.” Ops mode assists the player in improving their reflexes, gaining flawless aim and coordination to completing objectives. The missions can be played cooperatively, so you can play with a friend and both can prepare to be “ultimate heroes.” Or not.

Modern Warfare 2 is ranked 9 out of 10.

WARNING: The game can cause sleep-deprivation and extreme, uncontrollable anger.

For another story about Modern Warfare 2, please click here: "Video Game Controversy: Modern Warfare 2"

Photo: Courtesy of GamerNode

HOLY HAIL BRINGS DIFFERENT SOUND TO MUSIC

2009-11-18T21:36:00.000-08:00

By Jamela Gibson

An indie/electro band that comes from New York City brings a different sound than some people may be used to. They call themselves “Holy Hail.” Holy Hail debut album was called Independent Pleasures Club. They’re releasing their second LP called The Dying Party in LP (Long Play) which they incorporate various of mixed sounds as well as instruments.

For someone like me that likes to listen to R&B, and some positive hip hop music such as Kanye West or Common, listening to Holy Hail takes a bit of getting used to.

When first hitting play on my computer, and anxiously awaiting for the song to begin, I didn’t know what to expect. As the instruments from the song loudly explode from my speakers to my ears, for the first fifty seconds of the song “What It’s Like To Go Away,” I began to think to myself…is this the entire song? At first it’s just instruments that play for awhile. But then I hear a female voice coming through my speakers and it sounds as if I accidentally hit the fast forward button but then I realize its apart of the song. The female vocalist begins singing words fast, so fast that I am unable to translate what she is trying to say.

It’s a bit hard to understand what the female vocalist is saying. The only thing that I can make out is “What It’s Like To Go Away,” in the chorus. The song is a little over six minutes of drums and possibly piano. After awhile it can become a bit annoying listening to eighty five percent of instruments and fifteen percent of vocals. With six minutes already into the song , it begins to sounds like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock horror movie.

The song “Creaking Cries” is different type of song that cannot be played too loud or else you will begin to hear ringing in your ears. The instruments to this song that band Green Day will have for one of their songs. Again, it’s hard to understand the lyrics to the song. Again, maybe some people would appreciate the instrumental and vocals, but coming from someone who loves R&B and positive hip hop music; it’s a different kind of music in which it takes some getting used to.

All the songs on the album are pretty much the same but the titles are just different. I didn’t understand what the message was in the songs. The positive thing is that the instruments that are in the song are easy and interesting to listen too. But if you’re looking for a song for vocals and a purpose, Holy Hail’s “The Dying Party” is not something to turn to.

Maybe someone who is interested in an indie/electro genre could enjoy the album, but if you’re not a fan of indie/electro genre then it might take some time of getting used to.

But for the most part, this is a group of four people, (three men and a female) that are taking chances with their sound, and tying to get everyone to listen to their music and like them.

If I download this onto my Ipod and listen to the LP version every day then maybe someone like me can get used to it and begin to like it.

The other songs on the LP include: Keymaker’s summer; Marry on Mountaintops; Undertow; Carry On; as well as the other two songs that were already mentioned in this review called What’s It’s Like To Go Away, and Creaking Cries.

If you really want to try and listen to something new, grab a nice cup of cold water and sit through the LP and grasp a feel as to what the group, Holy Hail’s message is. Maybe there is one, or maybe there isn’t one. It depends on the listeners ear for music.

Credit: ???

Milk Investigation

2009-11-18T21:30:00.000-08:00

By Kristen Rafferty

Author Eric Luper is not your typical writer. He wasn’t born with a passion for the classics—Dickens, Shakespeare, and Chaucer were Cliffs Notes tabs on the left side of the page—and Don Delillo, Junot Diaz, and Melvin Burgess’s edgy contemporary writings left him wanting. For most of his life, comic books were about all he would pick up.

“I was a reluctant reader,” Luper admits. “There was always too much stimulation around for me to get lost in the world of reading—other than comic books, of course.”

So how did a former comic book junkie end up the highly praised author of two young adult fiction novels, and a much-anticipated upcoming release this spring, all within two years? Steadily rising in the world of literature, his third novel, Seth Baumgartner’s Love Manifesto, is set to be released next June, and a fourth is already in the works.

“Not until college did I develop a love for the written word,” explains Luper on his professional website. “Emily Dickinson wrote, ‘There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away.’ I just didn’t get on the boat until really late.”

Once on board, though, Luper’s career took off fairly quickly.

Though Luper struggled at first to find his niche, receiving limited feedback and “nibbles,” on his first writings, he jokes that he was “too stupid to stop”.

After a friend urged him one night to watch poker on television (a suggestion Luper has been quoted as responding to with “I couldn’t possibly think of anything more boring than watching people on tv playing cards”), an idea, THE idea, was born. Call it beginner’s luck, but Luper jotted down a chapter, shared it with friends, developed the plot, and bam. Five months later, a nanosecond in authorial time, Big Slick was written.

A story of temptation, Big Slick revolves around a teenage boy who watches poker on television and online until discovering an illegal club where he can play Texas Hold ‘em for real. The novel was nominated last year for the American Library Association’s list of Best Books for Young Adults, amidst overwhelmingly positive responses.

One especially notable online review describes Luper’s storyline as “An action-filled tale involving hot girls, hot cars, very dangerous people, serious desperation, and some seriously bad choices,” and speculates that the Big Slick “is going to be a great new title for reluctant readers.”

The more prestigious Kirkus Reviews compliments Luper’s writing, praising his first novel as an “authentic first-person narrative,” a “powerful” breakout novel.

Its success was unexpected, especially given the speed of the process.

“Big Slick was written largely at my dining room table in the evenings after the kids went to sleep,” Luper shares. “I could hear the ambient noise of the television as my wife watched Law and Order (or whatever legal/medical drama was popular at the time).” Luper says that his novel was accepted for publishing with little necessity for revision—it seemed his career had hit a turning point, and the destination was his choice from here on out.

“I tend to write by the seat of my pants,” Luper confesses. “Story ideas occur to me all the time. I jot down notes and sometimes brainstorm to develop ideas more thoroughly…if the idea doesn’t totally bore me at that point, I’ll give it a few chapters and see where I end up.”

He is not without guidance, however. “My 8 year old son wants me to write a baseball story,” Luper shares cheerfully, “and my 5 year old daughter wants me to write something with princesses and ponies.”

Intriguing and as tempting as his children’s suggestions were, Luper’s inspiration for his second novel was instead his longtime passion for horseracing (hey, it’s almost a novel about ponies, right?)

Bug Boy is a Seabiscuit-style story of Thoroughbred racing set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the elegant history of the Saratoga Springs Racetrack, where Luper actually spent part of his summer doing promotional book signings.

Released last June, his sophomore novel is quickly living up to its predecessor’s success, most recently named to the Indie Next List, a prestigious list of the best books of 2009 as chosen by independent booksellers.

Reviewed as a “well-written, engaging story” by the School Library Journal, and described as “a book that's going to make teen boys fall in love with historical fiction without ever knowing what hit them” by the increasingly popular Goodreads.com, a social networking site for literature, Bug Boy is continuing to gain attention and praise in the professional community for its unique storyline.

Even as Bug Boy steadily climbs in reviews, Luper is gearing up for the promotion of his third novel Seth Baumgartner’s Love Manifesto, set to begin marketing this spring.

A story of teenage love, loss, and discovery, Love Manifesto revolves around a male teenage protagonist’s podcast about his ponderings, and even has its own playlist to accompany it.

“Yes, you read that right,” jokes Luper. “I wrote a book with a playlist. My iPod has the current playlist on it and I’m tinkering with the song selections. Right now, Cupid’s Chokehold by Gym Class Heroes is playing.

If the classic-but-still-rock-and-roll song is any indication, Luper’s fourth novel is sure to be an edgy change to his previous writings.

“I love the humor in my third novel,” Luper shares enthusiastically. “It’s a great change of pace for me…really the first time I allowed myself to spread my wings and just write.”

“Just writing” seems to be all Luper will be doing this winter, and he doesn’t mind a bit. Already setting to work on finishing a fourth novel that is aimed at younger readers—name and plotline are still under wraps, but “rest assured,” Luper says, “it’s got a lot of potty humor and antics!”—Luper’s is counting on the cold days of January and looking forward to staying inside and writing.

“If I could accomplish one thing with my writing, it would be to open people’s minds to the possibility of reading a book from the young adult section,” Luper says, adding, “I don’t mind when people don’t read my book as long as they’re reading books in general.”

A far cry from his days at the Cliffs Notes rack, Luper insists that his professional writing career does not take away from his everyday life.

“My inspirations are my kids,” Luper says. “I want them to see how hard work can be very rewarding.”

The very best part about being a published author?

“I’ve seen my books on the shelves of a bookstore or library hundreds of times,” wonders Luper, “but it still makes my heart skip a beat.”

Seven Deadly Characters

2009-11-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

By Alissa Vidulich

The seven deadly sins have been popularized in the narrative poem Dante's Commedia, through major motion pictures such as Se7en and by the official Catechism of the Catholic Church. Pope Gregory the Great proclaimed that the seven deadly sins were (in order of increasing severity): lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. The origin of the concept of “capital” sins can be traced back to Proverbs 6:16-19 of the Bible where it is written, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him.”

Deadly sins or what one might today simply refer to as 'character traits' can be seen around us every day in varying degrees. From celebrities with gluttonous narcotic addictions to the sloth-like teens who waste away in a haze of Mountain Dew and World of Warcraft.. if the seven sins are truly as god-awful as implied by the scriptures then, in the words of Marilyn Manson, “it's a long hard road out of Hell.”

In no fashion are such sins better personified than through the devices of cleverly-crafted cinematography, a striking score and an arresting actor or actress (and in some cases computer generated characters). It could just be that because the seven deadly sins are so dramatically personified through characters in film that such 'sins' being committed throughout many societies are now merely seen as character traits.

While they may not be entirely to blame for the world's growing desensitization to sinful acts, there are many characters of film who personify and exaggerate the capital sins to noteworthy degrees. Here are seven cinematic characters, who could just be the best of all time when it comes to rendering the deadliest of sins. The list follows the Pope's order of increasing severity as you descend further down the wailing depths of despair toward the crestfallen accommodations of the prideful.

#1 LUST
The vampires Lestat (Tom Cruise), Louis (Brad Pitt) & Claudia (Kirsten Dunst)
Interview with the Vampire

Tagline: “Drink from me and Live Forever”

Lestat's ceaseless lust for blood, Louis' unfulfilled longing for death and life's meaning and Claudia's undying urge for normalcy, together the treacherous trio form a lustful league of deadly proportions. Of course, they're vampires, so whether they're subject to the same degree of eternal damnation as humans are for their sins remains uncertain. Perhaps Anne Rice would be the one to ask on such matters, her screenplay for the film is based on her novel of the same title, the first in a lengthy series dubbed The Vampire Chronicles. The film was released in 1994 and was directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, The Brave One). The iconic Dracula and American Beauty's Lester Burnham are tied for second in the lust category.

#2 GLUTTONY
The Blob
The Blob

Tagline: “Scream now, while there's still room to breathe”

The Blob is the epitome of gluttonous. This red shapeless creature crashed to earth from outer space in the 1988 flick and quickly began consuming everything in its path with no discrimination. At least Monty Python's Mr. Creosote attempted to turn down the wafer thin mint before his stomach exploded. The Blob's entire 'body' appears to a gigantic gelatin stomach, and grows bigger and bigger as it consumes people, buildings, the world. The film was a remake of the 1958 version where much of The Blob's gruesome gluttony is implied rather than shown in great detail, as in the scene where The Blob devours a woman through the kitchen sink drain. The Blob was directed by Chuck Russell (Nightmare on Elm Street III, Eraser).

#3 GREED
Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine)
The Muppet Christmas Carol

Scrooge is perhaps the most iconic character when it comes to greed. He's a miser, makes his employees work on Christmas Eve and cares nothing whatever of the feelings of others. Ebenezer Scrooge originates from the classic novel, A Christmas Carol. The Disney version of the Charles Dickens character even swims in a vault of gold. While there are several films, which feature the character Brian Henson's 1992 version of the film captures the emotion of the characters better than the rest, which is odd considering most of the characters were puppets rather than on-screen actors.

#4 SLOTH
Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston)
Office Space

Tagline: “Work sucks”

The tagline of this film says it all. Peter Gibbons hates his job as a software engineer so much that after becoming hypnotized he slithers into a sublime state of sloth. He drinks booze, watches ninja movies and shows up to work at his leisure. He simply wants to do nothing and at the thought is perfectly content. It's not a good source of inspiration for aspiring software engineers, or anyone who wants food and shelter outside of living in prison. Office Space was released in 1999 and was directed by Mike Judge, creator of Beavis and Butt-head, the personifications of sloth on the small screen.

#5 WRATH
Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen)
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

Tagline: “The saga is complete”
Anakin Skywalker, who becomes the infamous Darth Vader, is a shining example of wrath by Dante's terms. Dante described wrath as the “love of justice perverted.” When Anakin is told he can save his wife from death by joining the dark side of the force his noble desires evolve into a form of wrath so vicious that it leads him to murder children. Eventually his intentions and actions are so perverted that he becomes someone else, in body, mind and spirit and sets out to destroy the Jedi in the chronological remainder of the series. In a recent Yahoo! Poll Darth Vader was voted the greatest villain of all time. The film was released in 2005 and was both written and directed by George Lucas.

#6 ENVY
Saruman (Christopher Lee)
The Lord of the Rings (trilogy)

If envy is seen as a lust for possessions that lie in the hands of someone else, then Saruman's envy of Frodo and his ring fits the frame. His envy leads Saruman the White to build an army of immense destruction to destroy Middle-Earth and attain the ring of power. The character Gollum is also holds a dangerous envy for Frodo's ring and attempts to murder him for it, but it seems he is more so truly mad than altogether evil like Saruman. The films were directed by Peter Jackson and were released from 2001 to 2003.

#7 PRIDE
The Devil

The Devil is a character that befits the greatest of all capital sins. He has been portrayed in countless films including The Devil's Advocate, Pure Evil and Hellraiser, but they all have one thing in common, lust for supremacy or pride. In this character's world he is number one and will sacrifice anything and anyone to attain ultimate power, supremacy over the earth and over God himself. Lucifer, Satan, Mephisto are only some of the many names used to describe the fallen angel. Call him a character of evil truth or call him the most vile creation of fiction, the Devil is without a doubt the embodiment of the worst kind of pride.

Photo credits:

Photo 1: rathcoombe.net
Photo 2: evildread.com
Photo 3: news.bbc.co.uk
Photo 4: truckblog.com
Photo 5: boards.theforce.net
Photo 6: ageofthering.com
Photo 7: hauntedamericantours.com

Who says lyrics makes a band

2009-11-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

By Nicholas Persad

“If you got Herpes let me know, I ain’t gonna tap that, No No No,” Many people if they heard this song on the radio would be offended and repulsed by such as crass statement. They might be even more shocked to learn that it is a line from a song by a band whose oldest member just turned 16. But that is exactly what it is. ‘Herpes’ as the song is uniquely titled, is an original song from ‘Made in China’ a group based in Upstate New York and whose six member’s ages range from 13 to 16.

The subject matter of the musical lyrics of artists and bands in mainstream music is a very controversial topic that continues to be fueled by artists such as ‘Lady Gaga’ and ‘Trey Songz’ who have sexually explicit songs and Caribbean sensation ‘Buju Banton’ who blatantly sings about violence toward homosexuals. Some critics believe that music referencing anything that is considered ‘taboo’ such as sex, violence or different lifestyles should not be allowed to be played on the radio and there should be restrictions as to where and when these songs can be performed. Other critics appreciate the realism and honesty that certain artists give even if it degrades or offends an entire group in society.

In Upstate New York one of the concerns that plague many of the unknown bands is whether or not they will have to ‘throw out’ their musical integrity in order to become successful. “I wanted to make the band more mainstream, and marketable enough to pull in the big crowds,” said Benny Peyton, who was previously a member of the now disbanded ‘Autums Obsession’. He said the reason for the band’s ‘break up’ was there were conflicts as to which path the band should follow. “I wanted to move the band into a more pop genre, but the other members did not want to do that,” Peyton said.

Peyton described ‘Autumns Obsession’ as a band that was heavy metal and had some screaming. He said that the lyrics did not have cursing, but it did get somewhat violent. He recalled that when the band was still together in October 2009 they performed at the ‘Expo Center’ in Watertown, New York, and out of all the bands that performed that night they were the only one whose music created a ‘mosh pit’.

Chris Smith, a guitarist with the band ‘Clinch’, said that the lyrics of his band are just based on funny stories. “They are explicit, but it’s not like porn or anything,” Smith said. He also said that he believes their lyrics suit their music, but they would be willing to censor it for certain reasons. “We could edit them to make it more radio,” Smith said. ‘Clinch’ currently performs primarily in bars where the content of their lyrics is not an issue, but Smith said that if the band wanted to become mainstream they would probably consider censoring their music but still be reserved about it. “Personally I think that’s ‘selling out’.” Smith said.

Jake Yaeger, who goes by the stage name ‘DJ Mynd Tek’, belongs to a musical genre that he knows is not normally associated with the North Country: Rap. “In the North Country a rock band is definitely going to get the gig over a rap artist because their shows are guaranteed to draw a crowd,” said Yaeger. Yaeger, who is now based in Florida, said that branching out is key to being successful if you’re in the North Country, and that the rap scene in Upstate New York is completely different than in Florida. “Upstate New York rap is not like down south music,” said Yaeger. “It’s more like poetry. You are rapping about your life whereas down here people are rapping about drugs and violence.”

Some bands, however, have found a strong following even though their music is much darker than what is considered mainstream. “The darker stuff that I do write, people dance to it,” said Evan Bujolb of the Potsdam based band ‘Echo Drive’. “It’s a way for me to express myself and to get my message out there but not depress anybody.” Bujolb does not consider the band’s lyrics to be explicit or too graphic but did say that they have a song about a lobotomy. He said that he would not consider changing his lyrics because the music scene in the North Country is not strong. “A producer in New York City, who runs an indie label, is really feeling us.” Bujolb said.

The overall viewpoint of North Country bands is very convoluted. Some of them would consider changing their lyrics while others would not. “I don’t think we will change,” said Charles Stevens of ‘Made in China’. “We like the rock genre.” But how serious do you take a band that talks about Herpes.

Horticultural Vandals or Beautifying Natives?

2009-11-18T15:24:00.000-08:00

By Nick Will

Imagine seeing a group of people gardening in downtown LA. With spades and watering cans in hand, this group of landscapers toil on plots of dirt that require constant maintenance and care. Technically, their day to day hobby is illegal and considered a form of vandalism, but guerrilla gardening veterans Scott Bunell and Terry Aldabert don’t feel this way.

Guerrilla gardening is best described as the act of cultivating derelict public space and turning these misused plots of land in cities into beautiful gardens. It’s all about going out and making things look better on your own and not waiting for city governments to do it. “It’s the commons, I don’t own it anymore than you own it or the city owns it, they just have jurisdiction over it,” says Bunnel.

Bunnel, 49, has been guerrilla gardening for over 20 years. He is employed by the government as a mail carrier, and commits to digs in his spare time. He often finds spots that need attention on bike rides with his wife. Bunnel has committed to more than a dozen sites in Long Beach, Hollywood, and the greater Los Angeles area. By committing, he continuously returns to these sites to water and maintain the gardens. According to Bunnel you have to be “serious about gardening,” and understand that guerrilla gardening isn’t just “something to do.”

Aldabert, 35, has been guerrilla gardening in the Toronto area for a few years. She is currently the coordinator of Toronto’s “Public Space Committee”, a prominent guerrilla gardening group in the Toronto area. She, like Bunnel started guerrilla gardening from a lack of personal space to garden. She has gardened for a few years, and has coordinated in different parts of Toronto for 3. She teaches professional development at universities across Canada, and is a part time student at the University of Toronto.

According to Bunnel, the recent media coverage over the last few years has shed quite a bit of light on the project, and may be the reason for the increase in guerilla gardening. “Monkey see monkey do,” stated Bunnel. Cells of guerrilla gardeners have sprung up all over the globe in the last few years, and this can be credited to its recent media coverage.

Both Bunnel and Aldabert are advocates of the gardening aspect of it. Bunnel stated that in his twenty years of guerrilla gardening, he has only been stopped and questioned by police once. He also mentioned that he never thinks of it as committing a crime, and just continues to do what he loves—gardening.

When asked for advice for hopeful guerrillas, Aldabert and Bunnel had gave these tips: remember to water and weed what you plant or plant in an area where neighbors will take care of the gardens, start small and close to home, know everything you can about the plants you’re planting, plant native species, and bring friends. Both were insistent that guerillas were serious about gardening. “Plants are living too, you can’t just throw them in the ground and leave them,” stated Bunnel.

So get out there and plant! For information on guerrilla gardening, check out guerrillagardening.org, or if you wish to read some literature on the subject, try to gey your hands on a copy of “On Guerrilla Gardening” by Richard Reynolds or “Guerrilla Gardening: a Manifesto” by David Tracey.

Issue #3

2009-10-29T13:54:00.001-07:00

Welcome. You are now reading the third issue of North Country Entertainment Magazine, reporting on arts and entertainment in Northern New York State, Montreal, Burlington, and beyond. Happy reading.

Meet the Zukes Girls

2009-10-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

By Chris LaRose

"I'd like a Zuke's special, please." This sentence is heard repeatedly on a daily basis at Zuke's Deli and the girls who make each and every sub for you never get sick of hearing it. "I think the customers that we get in here are sometimes the best part of the job," said Alysha Baker, 20, who is one of the "Zuke's girls" everyone has come to know and love. Zuke's Deli has been a staple in student's lives for quite a long time and although the current group of girls working at deli haven't worked there forever, they've been around long enough and that people openly recognize them in public. "I'm constantly hearing 'ZUKE'S GIRLS!' as we are walking around downtown," says Mackenzie Albin, 22, who has worked at Zuke's since coming to Plattsburgh State.

While the girls may be recognized quite often in public, many people have wondered what the "Zuke's girls" are doing when they're not making subs for hungry, hungover college students. "People will ask what we do besides working at Zuke's because they always see us working," said Devan Gallagher, the newest Zuke's girl, "and I always joke and tell them that I live at Zuke's." However, the girls certainly do have lives outside of Zuke's (come on, like they really work 24/7?) and they were more than happy to answer a few questions about the life of the Zuke's girls.

First up is Mackenzie Albin, who says her life outside of Zuke's mainly consists of playing with her dog, Mr. Pudding, and hanging out with her boyfriend and roommates. "Yes, I am taken," she joked, "so all the guys coming into the store can stop asking." When she's not working, Albin says you can most likely find her at home, but that once the weekends roll around you can always find her downtown. "My weekends start on Thursday," she said, "so I'll be at the Krazy Horse... shaking my thing." When asked to sum herself up in two words, she had to take a minute. "You know, I'm way too complicated to be summed up so easily," she said, "but I'd have to say open and crazy."

Next is Devan Gallagher, the most recent addition to the Zuke's girls, but she says she "feels like she's been there just as long as the others." Though she just turned 19 and isn't able to go downtown like the other girls, she admits to still having fun. "I can't go downtown with everyone else," she said, "but I don't just sit around and do nothing besides work." She says that working at Zuke's is an extremely fast-paced job and that her definition of what it means to be a Zuke's girl is "quick and efficient... with a great attitude." You can always find her dancing, both at work and outside of work, because it's one of her favorite things to do. "People always comment on how we dance around the deli a lot," she said, "but I'm literally always dancing."

Third is Lauren Dooley, the oldest Zuke's girl who is currently getting ready to graduate. "After this semester I'm moving to New York City for a teaching position," she said, "so it's going to be really difficult to say goodbye to this place." When she's not working, or partying it up on the weekends with other girls, you can find her with a redbull in one hand and a cigarette in the other. "It sounds so classy," she joked, "but those are my two favorite things." An extremely interesting fact about Lauren is that she drew all the menus at Zuke's and draws all the images on the quote board as well. "Art has always been something I was good at," she said, "and I really can't wait to bring it into my classroom."

Lastly is Alysha Baker, nicknamed "Sheesha" by everyone close to her. "I'm not even sure where the nickname came from," she said, "but it stuck... and I like it." When she's not making the best possible subs for customers, Baker says she's not ever doing the exact same thing as the day before. "I'm always doing something random that I haven't really done before," she said, "I'm not a fan of repetition." Her favorite part about working at Zuke's is the customers and how they interact with the girls working. "Sometimes guys will use the cheesy pickup lines on us," she said, "things like: 'do you want my footlong?'... We always just laugh in their faces." Like the other girls, she's always out to have a good time and says most people recognize her because of her "big hair" and "big personality."

So the next time you're in Zuke's be sure to look for the girl with the big hair and the big personality, or the girl with the Redbull in one hand and a cigarette in another, and say "hey", because now you know them - at least a little bit.

Credit for graphic: Chris LaRose

Art Goes Postal

2009-10-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

By Cassandra Thomas

There’s a competition in your mailbox. You’ll find large letter stamps and creative talent on its way to the UK, fighting for a chance to be published in an art book, sold at an exhibit or posted on the web.

Mail Me Art (MMA) wants artists to mail them art via stamps and envelopes – next day delivery is acceptable. Participant and winner for May 2009, Jonathan Cusick, 31, mailed MMA a mailman with a special package made of cardboard.

“I wanted to do something different and that would raise a smile,” said Cusick. “I would have loved to have followed my little man along his journey to have seen people’s reactions in the Royal Mail -- I painted their uniform and satchel.”

Darren De Lieto, founder and co-editor of illustration-news portal Little Chimp Society, runs the British-based project. Little Chimp Society is a social network that supports the online community for all artists and gives those artists an opportunity and if doesn’t matter if you’re super talented or low in confidence. Lieto was willing to answer some questions about MMA, but didn’t stay in touch as promised, maybe there’s too much in his inbox.

The inventive mail-art, once notebook doodles, are now found in MMA exhibits being seen by people all over who would have never had the ability to see it – ‘an artist’s vanity.’ Professional and amateur artists, all ages from all over the world, mail in their work on a number of objects ranging from postcards and envelopes to boxes and pieces of wood.

“It’s a place that loves artists of all kinds,” said Tom Kane, 52, creative director of Cheil advertising and June 2009 winner. “I love the fact that any artist can participate, no one is excluded.”

Prizes are given to the winners. The winners get awarded recognition; miscellaneous items (pin badges, Football Hero cards, Tresson vinyl toy, etc.), collectable illustration pieces, a signed copy of “Mail Me Art Going Postal with the World’s Best Illustrators and Designers,” or added to the MMA gallery. Submissions are posted on the website and/or in the exhibit. According to the MMA website, the artists receive 70 percent of the sale value. MMA has hopes of releasing a follow-up book, possibly called “Mail Me More Art” and if the project continues to be successful, they’ll run another exposition.

“It’s so inclusive and accessible,” said Jonathan Hannaby, 30, participant in the MMA project. “You don’t have to be a professional artist to enter and you can be in any part of the world.”

Credits: ???

Adults and Yu-Gi-Oh

2009-10-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

By Nick Will

Two magicians stand across a battlefield from each other. Each at the end of his life, one summons a giant dragon to fight for him. In an instant, the dragon is gone-slain by a trap set by the other magician.

This is a scene that takes place almost every Sunday at Plattsburgh’s local mall, only the battlefield is a tabletop. Every Sunday, a group of players get together and play a card game usually associated with children and Saturday cartoons: Yu-Gi-Oh. The tournaments are held by Jim’s Sports, a local sports enthusiast shop.

Yu-gi-oh is a card game that is linked to a cartoon series of the same name, and the cards that are printed by Konami, the company that owns the trading card game, are similar to cards that are used by the characters in the cartoon. The cartoon series began in Japan in 1998, and didn’t reach the United States until it was remade in 2000. The card game came with the TV series, and has been continuing strong in both countries.

According to Brandy Rivers and Sean Brown, two sales clerks at Jim Sports, the game is played by all ages. Rivers stated that the average age of players is between 15 and 22 and Brown followed up staying that his youngest player is 7 and the oldest is 50. Rivers went on to say that Brown has been hosting the tournaments for what will be three years in December.

According to Brown, the tournaments are broken into two sections: Beginners and Experts. Each section is charge an entrance fee: three dollars for the beginners and five for the experts. This money is used to buy the prizes from Jim’s Sports that will become the prizes awarded to the winners. Each group has a different set of rules, which Brown went on to detail. “The expert players are restricted to a list of cards they are not allowed to use” stated Brown. He went on to say that Konami has a published list of cards that you are not allowed to play, or that you can only use one or two of in your deck.

“For the beginners, we allow them to use one of each banned card if they choose, to make it easier” said Brown. According to Brown, this makes the game easier to play for beginners. Brown told me that the rankings are determined by a player’s skill and the length of time they have been playing. “We judge on merit” stated Brown.

According to Brown, adults play for the strategy aspect of the game. Brown himself started playing Yu-gi-oh in 2003, retiring from the card game Magic: the Gathering which he had been playing since ’93. “Magic is more strategy based than Yu-gi-oh” commented Brown, “but Yu-gi-oh is more dependent on a player’s deck building skills.” Brown commented that Yu-gi-oh was more demanding because you can use any card that has ever been printed with the exception of the few that have found their way onto the banned list, were as in Magic, most tournament formats have a set group of printed card that you are and are not allowed to use.

Yu-gi-oh is a game that can be enjoyed by all ages according to Brown and Rivers, which they credit to the amount of people who have been continuously coming back to play and purchase cards. For more information on the Yu-gi-oh card game, visit your local sports or comic book store or go to www.yugioh-card.com.

Theater criticism a dying career in its current form

2009-10-29T12:09:00.001-07:00

By Jessica Bakeman

David Cote has experienced four species of theater critic.

The Time Out New York theater editor said the worst type is the critic vampire, who uses a play as something to “lob jokes off, to riff off of,” he said.

Then there’s the critic hack, who doesn’t have a streamlined interest in theater, but marches to Broadway so he can file a story, any story.

The critic enthusiast likes to look at the stars.

But the critic advocate, he said, goes to the theater to advocate new playwrights and companies, to immerse himself in international theater, to hit the theaters “below 14th street,” to “have an experiential investment in the health of the scene.”

While it would be unacceptable, Cote said, for a New York Times film critic to review the latest Pixar movie but be unable to review films from Russia or France or Italy, it should be the same in theater.

“I don’t trust most theater critics in this town,” he said of New York reviewers. “If you sort of lived on a diet of off-Broadway drama and Broadway musical, you really know nothing about what was going on in the theater world.”

Like many of his contemporaries, Cote didn’t have theater criticism in mind as a career goal when he attended Bard College for English and theater.

Theater critics often fall into their positions.

Randy Gener, senior editor of American Theatre magazine and member of the International Association of Theatre Critics, saw himself writing novels and plays, not theater reviews. He pursued journalism while studying at the University of Nevada Reno for some money on the side.

After college, a friend helped him get an internship at the Village Voice, where he was later hired.

Critics agree that not only is there no clear course of action for the pursuit of the career, there may be no opportunities for success anyway. Sentiments of hopelessness are widespread among notables currently in the profession. Particularly, Madeline Shaner said she wouldn’t recommend the career to anyone.

Currently writing for Backstage in Los Angeles, Shaner has written for virtually every paper in the city except the Los Angeles Times, she said. She was educated in England and joined the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle in 1990.

As far as advice for her followers, she said, “Good luck, because there are less and less publications and less and less places to go.”

Christopher Rawson, chair of the American Theatre Critics Association and senior theater critic at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, gives the following suggestion for aspiring critics: “Inherit some money.”

While decades ago, full-time, salaried criticism was a viable career path, the economic difficulties suffered by newspapers and magazines today no longer provide that option.

“All the theater critics I know are either supported by a husband or a wife or for the most part they have job-jobs and theater criticism is something they do in the evenings,” Shaner said. "I don’t see it getting any different; I only see it getting worse.”

As critics who started working 30 or 40 years ago desperately try to keep their jobs, young people have few opportunities to break into the field.

“Theater critics aren’t really good for anything else,” Cote said. “One out of every 100 of them (can do something else). Mostly they just sort of hang out until they’re 80 years old, completely useless, and then they die. So if you have someone in that position, they’re going to hang onto it with their bloody fingernails.”

An option is for a young journalist to start out as a general assignment reporter and show editors prowess in theater criticism.

“The usual way to get a theater critic job is get a job writing on a paper and show you know something about theater and move yourself in that direction,” Rawson said.

Caldwell Titcomb, president of the Boston Theatre Critics Association and retired Brandeis University professor, said he sees this as the future for merging newspapers.

“They’re obviously going to combine jobs where they can do it because they can save money,” Titcomb said.

Titcomb wrote theater reviews for the Harvard Crimson from 1953 to 1982, and wrote 50 short articles for the Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance, published in 2003.
Age is not the only barrier to potential critics’ success.

As an Asian American, Gener has had to prove himself, writing unpaid pieces to show his ethnicity doesn’t inhibit his ability to write about traditional American playwrights, for example.

“Nobody in their right mind, at least in the beginning, would hire me to write about Arthur Miller, (so I wrote) thoughtful, engaged, sometimes cranky articles for journals,” he said.

Gener said sexual orientation and gender can also be determining characteristics for review assignments.

“If you’re gay, you’re sent to the gay plays,” he said. “If you’re the young person, you’re sent to the solo shows,” if you’re a woman, you’re sent to shows written by female authors.

Success, though difficult to attain, can only be reached with the most important element of a review: good writing.

“Drama criticism is no good at all unless people will read it, so you have to learn to write well,” Titcomb said.

Cote agrees; readers will flock to good writing.

“If the writing is interesting, if the lead paragraph is grabby and analysis is well considered, people will read it,” he said.

He suggests blogging for practice.

“Whatever you see, write something about it,” he said. “Keep a blog and take a little time to write something. If you have the time or inclination and want to write a 400- or 500- or 1,000-word review, put a couple of days into that, and put it up.”

As a general rule in criticism: “Read, read, read; see, see, see; write, write, write,” Cote said.

Critics feel there is a responsibility associated with the work they do.

Titcomb maintains that a critic can become a trusted, familiar source of information and advice for readers.

“A critic is a kind of teacher of the general public about theater,” he said. “And if you have people reading the same critic week after week, month after month, you get to know what that person’s criteria are, opinions are, so that one can judge whether to be guided by the particular person or not.”

Shaner particularly enjoys the power.

“There’s a certain personal power that I like but I don’t always admit that,” she said. “I like to be able to say what I feel is good and what I feel does not work from experience. That gives me a deal of pleasure.”

Best Kept Secret—Winter is the New Summer!

2009-10-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

By Kristen Rafferty

When the sun and the beach disappear, what’s left? The beautiful Bolton Landing on Lake George is even more stunning after the sun sets and the tourists head home. As the leaves begin to turn, the water darkens, the temperatures drop, and locals take back the town. From ice fishing to karaoke to trucks racing across the frozen lake, Bolton hosts a variety of local events throughout the fall and winter seasons that melt its cold climate into a thriving hot spot.

1. Karaoke at Frederick’s Bar and Grill

Just when you thought the sounds of summer had died. Stop in every Friday night at this local watering hole, complete with a popcorn machine and stone fireplace, and hear “Margaritaville” sung in many different keys. “

I've viewed karaoke night so many times,” laughs born-and-bred local Luke Shane, “and it is absolutely hysterical to see these inebriated adults go ahead and belt out ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ completely off key.”

Jimmy Buffet, Billy Joel, and good old Frank Sinatra have all been known to frequent the bar-turned-stage that is home to many an embarrassed local and passerby, and drinks are on the house for especially entertaining acts. Frederick’s is located on Main Street in Bolton, directly next to the only stoplight in town.

2. Sugar and Spice and Everything Fall

Everything nice is exactly what you’ll get from the colorful leaves and crisp weather of fall in Bolton.

One local alumna of Bolton Central School suggests the usual activities—“Apple picking, cider and donuts, and the leaf-and-wax paper thing are sort of traditions around here,” says Kristy Schupp. For all the out-of-towners, that last one is a form of art. Locals collect leaves and iron them between wax paper to use as art around town. Boating is another major fall activity, with most locals preferring to go out in cool weather of October rather than deal with the high temperatures and increased traffic of the summer.

“The lake is the calmest in the fall,” Kristy sighs. “It’s just beginning to turn a deep blue for winter, and it’s the calmest it will be all year…you just fly across it and it’s private and just pure beauty, with the colorful mountains all around.” As the weather turns colder, people turn to hiking those mountains.

“Frost on the ground doesn’t stop any of us,” Schupp laughs. And even though you have to be overly bundled, a horseback ride up any of the spectacular Adirondack Mountains is always in demand. “I’m going sometime soon,” Schupp says enthusiastically. “Especially towards November, there’s not as many lines, and it’s a perfect, fun, crisp weather activity.

3. Snowshoe’in in the Sticks!

Strap on a pair of snowshoes and trek your way through the acclaimed Adirondack forests as frost and then snow begin to rest on the wooded lands of Bolton and Lake George. Even more beautiful in winter, the icicle-ridden birch trees and easy-to-follow trails around town make a hike through the backwoods of Bolton an adventure extraordinaire.

Local resident Donny Sammis is a frequent snowshoer, and insists there’s no better way to spend the day. “Snowshoeing is a way for me to gather my thoughts in the peace and quiet and solitude of nature,” he says. “It gives me a perspective on life I can’t get anywhere else.”

Stay alert, though—you won’t really be alone. Wandering around the thick forest has been known to disrupt its thriving wildlife and a few friendly deer and maybe a turkey or two are likely to join you for part of the journey. If you’re lucky, you might even see the town moose. Nicknamed “Henry the Moose” by locals who have been graced with his frequent backyard visits, you’re not going to want to miss out on this unique experience that only the Adirondack forests can give. Visit ADK Kayak, the local outdoor adventure supply store, for all the gear you need.

4. Terrific Trio

Grab a fishing pole, sharpen your ice skates, and start the snowmobile. A day on the frozen Lake George is really the only way to spend some of the most pristine winter days.

“It’s pretty windy out on the lake in winter, but real fun most of the time,” says Lake George resident Luke Sussdorff. The ride out on the foot-and-a-half-thick ice is a thrill in itself, and ice fishing is a popular pastime of the men, while the women and children enjoy skating. Locals congregate around shanties for hot dogs, kielbasas, burgers, and of course, hot chocolate. Any grandparents want to join? Pull out the old beach chairs—they’ll make great grandstand seats for the day of family fun.

“Just the idea of getting out onto the ice, and the actual details of fishing—keeping the hole open and stuff like that—it’s a challenge,” says longtime resident of Bolton and seasonal fisherman, Dennis Carroll. For the prime fishing, skating, and snowmobiling areas, visit the Chamber of Commerce on Main Street of Bolton, or call 644-3831 for more information.

“When I go out on the lake,” says Sammis, who is also an avid snowmobiler, “I go out to get a rush. The flat open lake, me and my snowmobile…I race across it and feel like I’m flying.”

5. Winter Carnival!

The annual winter carnival is held on Lake George—literally. While kettle popcorn and hot chocolate stands populate the outskirts of the lake, the action truly takes place on it. Follow the snowmobiles to the center of the frozen bay and watch as dragsters and derby-style trucks race in front of hundreds of winter enthusiasts. Outhouse races are tradition (you have see it to believe it) and kite flying demonstrations are also on the schedule of events. The month-long carnival kicks off in January with the annual Polar Bear swim, where literally hundreds of crazy people jump into ice-cold water for no good reason except entertainment and tradition.

“I've always wanted to do the polar bear plunge,” Luke Shane says. “But each year I have backed out and been too scared to do so. Maybe one day I'll muster the fortitude to jump in 35 degree water on New Year's Day. I really want to.”

Who doesn’t? Even if you can’t bring yourself to willingly risk hypothermia, spectators are encouraged and welcome. The fun continues throughout the month of February with action-packed weekends that satisfy the whole family. For more information, visit lakegeorgewintercarnival.com or call 240-0809.

Credits (from top to bottom): Google Images, Dan Sheridan, Kristen Rafferty, Dan Sheridan, Google Images

When pressed, most people would say ...

2009-10-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

By Andrew Beam

When pressed, most people would say that New York City has the most eclectic mix of culture compared to their town. Those that live in the Saratoga and Albany area might be surprisingly unaware of the music that is right down the street at their local venue/bar. “It’s easier to move to Brooklyn and make a go of it,” Josh Potter, associate editor of Metroland magazine, says of the culture filled city. “When you go there, though, you have to sell your soul a little.” Potter feels that this is an exciting time for the Saratoga/Albany area, as great music as he says always comes in “waves.” With the overtly diverse Phantogram, the area’s darlings who just recently signed to Barsuk Records, an independent label based out of Seattle, a lot of attention has turned to the Saratoga/Albany area. Here are the top five bands that the focus may fall upon:

1.) Railbird

The legend of Sarah Pendinotti is quite strong in the Saratoga area. She had been in bands such as the Sarah Pendinotti Band, Raptor, and is currently in a band with bassist Ben Davis in an acid/folk band called Fit Club. What has garnered the most popularity for them is their main outfit Railbird, a psychedelic/experimental/folk band, who incorporates a little bit of the electronic age, is a driving force in the area. “I’ve only been in the area for two years,” Potter explains, “[former bassist] Tony Martellis caught my interest, that’s how I heard about them.” He refers to Pendinotti as an incredibly “charismatic front woman”, but this does not mean that other band members aren’t relevant. “They’re a very democratic band,” he says, “There is wonderful interplay between the two guitarists.” What may also influence this interesting blend of genre’s may come from Pendinotti’s fascination with science fiction, but Potter himself is not all that sure it is incorporated. “It comes out of a folky/singer/songwriter thing,” he explains, “They suddenly became really prolific.”

2.) Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned

If the name doesn’t all ready spark some sort of interest, maybe the collection of players and interest may tickle your musical craving. Lead Singer Alex Muro (though there is frequently an element of gang vocals) takes the reigns of guitar, trumpet, accordion, trumpet, and tuba; drummer Tim Koch adds the typewriter, coffee mugs, and trombone; Dan Pardee contributes singing saws; Donna Baird plays the cornet and french horn; Louis Apicello plays the kazoo… well you get the idea. So this jazz/folk/indie band from Albany is very unique. “I think it is the drug fueled Americana, but they’re not on drugs I think,” Michael Janairo, Arts and Entertainment editor for the Times Union says, “It seems like there is a lot going on. They’re fun, and it was great to see they got a lot of press at SXSW through NPR. It makes this area look good.” At any point in time, there is a jumble of different instruments heard, and the energy flows through their sound. They stay true to the area, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. “They’re very staunch Albanians,” Potter explains, “They’re purists. They went to school here and they remain here.”

3.) The Red Lions

While they are a band with a mixture of people from New York City and Ithaca, they’re base is in the Albany area where lead singer and guitarist Eric Margan. Their sound can be explained as a delicately orchestral based, folk/ragtime blues band, but can switch to an upbeat blue fusion with a horn section. “It is lush neo-romanticism,” Janairo says, “it is pastoral without being country for a digital sound” Live is where this band is in its natural habitat. They include the string elements with the Duo Parnas live, with Madalyn Parna on violin and Cicley Parnas on cello. Their album and band ethic is very independent as noted by Janairo. “They’re debut album is amazingly well produced for a do-it-yourself record.”

4.) Super 400

Sure, there are other bands that are trying to be the next big indie band that wants to be swept up in the arms of Rolling Stone as one of their “Breaking Bands”. Then there is band Super 400 who just want to play some straight up Rock N’ Roll, the way it was intended. For a band that was once signed to Island records, they certainly don’t seem to care about their position now. Chris Wienk, radio DJ for public radio station WEXT in Troy, said that he doesn’t fancy old fashion rcok all that much, but Super 400 is just something “special.” “When you hear it on CD, you can tell live they are technically so proficient on their instruments,” Wienk says. “You can tell their style comes from Cream.” They are a band with a wealth of talent, but they are not the kind of people to go on and brag about it. “Kenny [Hohman, guitarist] might be one of the best guitarists you’ll ever see,” Wienk says, “He could be flashy, but he is very subtle in what he does.” Wiek also feels that when drummer Joe Daley gets behind the kit, the man “is the beat.” “He mellows right into it,” he says. “He seems like he’s all over the place, but he is very controlled.” While bassist and singer Lori Friday may be a kick-ass-rocker-chick, she is also a great musician Wienk says. They’ve involvement in the community certainly doesn’t go unnoticed, as while playing in the band, they also teach guitar to people in the area. “They are very community-minded,” Wienk claims. “They did a show for us for free and gave up a Friday Night gig’s pay. Back in January, they insisted on buying their own tickets, and then some.”

5.) Phantogram (formerly Charlie Everywhere)

This is a band where not only the local community, but all over the world. Consisting of singer and keyboard player Sarah Barthel and guitarist and beat-maker Josh Carter, the Saratoga natives can fool many listeners as they bring aboard with them a much more urban sound that would make you think they’re from New York City. The best way their sound can be described, because they are such a difficult band to pin down with an explanation, is street beat/psych/hip-hop. “I think unwittingly, Josh and Sarah created a new space of music,” Wienk says. “It is a marrying of ambient sounds to hip-hop rhythms while adding some shoegaze.” There is no doubt that this band is very unique, it is the reason why Wienk thinks they had such a great appeal to labels. “They have this haunting feel that sucks you in, and without knowing it, you end up falling in love,” Wienk explains, “They are not copy-catting.” After signing to Barsuk records, many in the area were quite ecstatic to hear the news as WEXT tweeted about it, they’re former label Sub-Bombin, a record label based out of Saratoga, posted the news on their website, and local publications raved. Janairo is quite happy to see a band of their caliber get signed to a label. “It’s a good sign to see them get signed,” Janairo says, “and they are definitely a band to watch. I would say what they play is what the direction indie pop is headed.”

Beer Pong or Beirut? North Country College Students Debate

2009-10-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

By Jeremy Fisher

Talk to any college student across the country and theres a good chance that most will agree on what a college party should consist of. They would probably say that there should be beer and lots of it. They would probably also say that there should be a game involved with beer, particularly one that involves two teams on a table, tossing ping balls into their opponents' cups. What many college students in country, including ones in the North County, don't agree on is what the game is actually called.

“As long as I have been in college, I've been hearing people arguing with each other over what it's called,” said Paul Skaperdas, a student at the University of Vermont in Burlington. “Many people call it beer pong and many people call it beirut.”

There are multiple college campuses scattered around the North Country region and there doesn't seem to be any consensus among the students on the title of the famed beer sport.

“I think the majority of the people I know here call it beer pong,” said Don Distasio, student at SUNY Plattsburgh. “Although I have met some people at parties who call it beirut.”

According to Skaperdas, it is the complete opposite across Lake Champlain than it is in Plattsburgh.

“I call it beer pong, but there are way more people who say beirut,” said Skaperdas. “When I make a list for people who want to play at our parties, I write 'beer pong' across the top, but someone always crosses it out and writes 'beirut'.”

Legend has it that the game that most undergrads play now was derived in the early 80s at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Folklore has it that a couple frat boys got bored and started throwing balls into each other's cups. The name “beirut” was supposedly conjured up because they felt like they were “bombing” the cups, reflecting the U.S. Military involvement in Beirut, Lebanon at the time. However, many people are in disagreement over this origin, just like they are in disagreement over the name.

Ben Keefe, a former University of Vermont student and current SUNY Plattsburgh student believes that region has something to do with who calls it what.

“A lot of New Yorkers call it beer pong which is probably why its more common here in Plattsburgh,” said Keefe. “In Vermont, a lot of people are from New England and they call it beirut.”

Though many people in region believe that beirut and beer pong, despite the disagreements over the name, is still the same game. However, in some parts, students see it differently.

“To me, 'beer pong' is using ping pong balls,” said Frank Hunter, a student at SUNY Canton. “What I call 'beirut' is using quarters instead of balls with rules being slightly different than 'beer pong'.”

According Hunter, his version of beirut was being played at his fraternity long before regular beirut or beer pong became popular, adding more debate against the myth of the game's origin.

“That is the way we see it but I know many people who have different opinions,” said Hunter. “Some people say that with 'beer pong' you need to play with paddles to hit the ball into the cup and 'beirut' is when you just throw it.”

Still the debate continues among North Country collegians and other beer guzzlers across the country who enjoy the game. Despite the many arguments and disputes over the title, it seems as if young adults will continue playing beer pong/beirut into the foreseeable future.

“I personally don't care what people call it,” said Distasio. “It's all the same to me and I'll call it whatever as long as its fun.”

What will your future hold?

2009-10-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

By Jamela Gibson

As I enter Subway eatery on campus, many students are waiting for their name to be called so they can see the psychic and get a glimpse into their future. “I’m nervous about going to see the psychic because I’ve never done anything like this before and what if they tell me that I am going to die or something," senior Virgillo Hunter explains.

His legs begin to shake faster and faster as the anticipation of his name being called begins to build.

About five minutes later his named is called and he is off to see the psychic. Twenty minutes go by and he's back with an astonished look on his face.

As I begin to ask him how did it went, the first thing that comes out his mouth is “Oh my goodness, that was so creepy,” and he begins to chuckle.

“There were so many things the psychic said and I was just in shock about. I’ve never met this man prior to this and I can’t believe he told me things that I thought I only knew about myself.”

Hunter is not the only person who feels that the psychic was exactly on point, PSUC junior, Amanda DeLosh says “the psychic was most definitely on with my future. That was the hard part to comprehend because the things she was telling me were so right on. All I could do was sit there in awe,” she explains.

Some people do not believe in psychics and will never go and see one. For example, PSUC student Myasia Butler is one of the non-believers when it comes to psychics. "It would be nice for them to tell me what my future holds, but at the same time I just want to be surprised." She goes on to say, "growing up I was always told not to go to psychics to get your future read, believe in God and anything that you want to happen will," she explains further.

Junior at PSUC, Amanda DeLosh, says “you have to go into it [psychic section] being objective, don’t change your daily routine because of something a psychic told you, even the psychic that I went to told me that.

Not only do people not go to psychics to get a glimpse as to what their future might hold, some people don’t go to psychics because of religious regions. Latywonna Thornton is a Jehovah Witness and in their culture visiting a psychic is against their religion.

“My friends tell me that get their future read with a psychic and sometimes the psychic can be telling the truth or just making things up as they go along. I want to see what’s in my future, but at the same time I am not going to go against my religion. Its not worth it,” says Thornton.

Some psychics are right on point with their predictions and some psychics are way off. Also, there are psychics that either use tarot cards, a crystal ball or may read their client's palm.

Although, I couldn’t ask the psychic one on one questions he gave me his email address for me to send him some questions for him to answer, he never returned my email.

What will your future hold?

Losing The Fangs: Vampires Go Mainstream

2009-10-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

An ad for the synthetic blood vampires drink in HBO’s True Blood

By Daniel Ring

The Halloween season in full swing and the supernatural is all over our television and movie screens. However, the creature of the night that people can’t get enough of at the moment has to be the vampire. Whether it’s the moody, angst-ridden Twilight saga, the high-school drama style of Vampire Diaries or the gory, sexy True Blood – “vamp-mania” has gripped the nation.

Vampires have made a major comeback in the last year or so. This glut of new franchises all have their own interesting twists on the traditional vampire myth, whether it’s the lack of fangs, immunity to sunlight or that vampires have become an ethnic minority. The one thing they all have in common however is their distinctly American take on the idea. These new breed of stories are a far cry from Dracula. Though its under debate as to whether this is a good thing.

Alex, a student at SUNY Plattsburgh, thinks that most of the current vampiric output is geared towards girls, “its not horror – not in the same way that classic vampire films are, there is too much focus on how attractive the vampires are, the real monster element has been lost.” The main narrative in all these current shows is, after all, romance.

True Blood is different again; it has traditional vampire themes entwined with southern ideas and beliefs, producing a show that is politically charged and distinctly American. The shadowy beings have become part of the mainstream, attempting to gain social acceptance, they turn to synthetic Tru-Blood for sustenance. However like most minorities, they have to deal with many prejudices.

Sexuality plays a major part in all the shows. However, True Blood aside, the focus is on abstaining from desire and lust rather than pursuing it. Twilight is the best example of teen lust versus moral responsibility. According to Ruth La Ferla, a journalist for The New York Times, “Impulse-control is an especially resonant theme in the current era of conflicts and cutbacks.”

Protagonists Bella and Edward from teen hit Twilight.

Hannah, another student from SUNY Plattsburgh and a big fan of the Twilight saga, explains how these new breed of vampire flicks actually give more meaning to the myth, “Its a non conventional view of the vampire story, it brings the archaic stereotype up to date...the abstinence themes of Twilight and Vampire Diaries aren’t really an issue because these are vampire stories in the first place, immediately making them more edgy and interesting.”

But has this new breed of bloodsuckers really lost their bite? Despite the interesting twists these films and shows make to the conventional vampire theme, it’s impossible not to draw links with sexual abstinence, a major issue that has been promoted by many teen pop culture icons. Gone is the sexual and moral exploration and adventure of adult cult classics like Interview With a Vampire – replaced with an abundance of teen angst and sexual frustration.

Now if only those rings weren’t silver...

New Moon will be on general release on 11/20/09
Vampire Diaries airs every Saturday at 8pm EST on The CW.

Credits:
• http://aiscracker.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/trubloodbot.jpg
• http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/fashion/02VAMPIRES.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1

Review of ‘The Rocky Horror Show’

2009-10-29T09:47:00.001-07:00

Review of ‘The Rocky Horror Show’
By Nicholas Persad

Sex. Debauchery. Scandal. Three words that accurately describe the overtly sexual, button-pushing play ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ which concluded its three performances on Oct. 24 with its midnight showing in the Black Box Studio Theatre in the Myers Fine Arts Building at Plattsburgh State.

The play which was directed by PSU student Antonette Knoedl was a creative blend of musical theatre, interaction with the audience and sexual exploitation.

The play’s opening performance was by the ‘Phantoms’, a group of scantily clad dancers whose seductive gyrations and teasing countenance provided the heated mood that would resonate throughout the play. As they danced one realized that in this room, at this moment there were no restrictions and no form of physical display was out of the ordinary.

The first characters on stage were Brad Majors and Janet Weiss played by Andrew Murano and Elizabeth Abair respectively. They portrayed the newly engaged couple who as a result of their car trouble become playthings for the sexual deviants who dwell in the castle where they seek refuge.

For the play to have its interactive nature, comments from the audience where encouraged and welcomed when the cast members delivered different lines. In the beginning it was somewhat distracting as it was unclear whether these audience members who were making these comments were part of the show. By the second scene it blended perfectly and enhanced the performances by including the audience to such a great extent.

The Narrator played by Steven Hebert was the third character to enter the stage, and his role was to inform the audience as to what was going on in various situations.

When the unsuspecting couple found themselves at the doors of the castle they were greeted by Riff Raff, the butler of the castle play by Rory Wallace. Wallace’s voice was an astounding asset and elevated him above the rest of the cast, and it was evident that he was professionally trained. His acting skills proved just as formidable as his voice. His character was one that grabbed the attention of the audience whenever he was on stage. Wallace’s character proved to be one whose lines would often produce comic remarks from the audience. When his character invited the young couple into the castle he said, “You should come,” and then someone from the audience would scream, “On her face,” before he could finish the line. The actors seemed trained to pause when saying lines like these to allow the audience to appreciate the joke but still hear the lines.

Riff Raff’s female counterpart Magenta played by Danielle Henderson also had a powerful voice and on the stage she completely embodied the demonic look of her character. However, Henderson’ voice was oftentimes inaudible over the loud background music.

Characters such as Columbia played by Kady Smith and Eddie and Dr. Scott both played by Caleb Newell added to the comic relief of the play, but they did not enhance it or detract from it with their performances.

The entrance of the character Frank ‘N’ Furter played by Jason Spencer was truly a spectacle. He walked onto the stage in a corset and high heels and as he sang he moved across the stage with the elegance of a woman who has been wearing shoes with 5 inch heels all his life. His character was the focus of the story, and he did an excellent job of capturing the minds of the audience by never faltering with his character throughout the entire play.

The only character that did not live up to the hype of the production was the title character himself. Rocky who was played by Andy Velez was a tremendous miscast. His voice was not up to par with any of the other performers on stage, and he was never engrossing with his performance. He seemed to be trying too much to give this impression of this tormented, created creature that was under the power of Frank ‘N’ Furter. His performance did not seem effortless like it did for the other performers. His character became a side character whenever Wallace, Henderson or Spencer took the stage.

The ending of the play was when the audience recognized the true stars of the show. Wallace and Henderson in the final scene rebelling against their master stole the show. Overall the play was a huge success with the exception of a few less than captive performances.

Zombieland Review

2009-10-29T09:46:00.001-07:00

By Gabriel Dickens

“Nut up or shut up” could've been Zombieland's signature quip, except one doesn't really need to “grow a pair” in order to sit through this horror comedy. Light on horror and heavy on action – along with deadpan remarks abound – Zombieland is nevertheless an enjoyable undead romp through spilled guts, torn flesh and decapitated bodies.

Lanky and phobic nice-guy Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has survived two months alone in the zombie-pocolypse with his shotgun and rules akin to something found in Max Brooks' “Zombie Survival Guide.” On the way to see his parents in Ohio (alive hopefully), he hitches a ride with a no-nonsense cowboy named Tallahassee (Woody Harrison) on his quest to find the last remaining Twinkie in civilization, and civilization itself, which supposedly resides in Florida. That is, until his armored Escalade is hijacked by two conniving sisters – 12-year-old Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) and older sibling Wichita (Emma Stone).

During all the backstabbing, they happily mow down hordes of fleet-footed undead in any number of creative, macabre fashions, while never forgetting to finish 'em off. That would be rule number two: The Double Tap.

Speaking of which, one would think “Conserve Ammo” would be on that list of rules. After finding a stash of high-powered weapons inside a yellow hummer (rule number 34: Always Check the Back Seat), Tallahassee fires off round after round of automatic rifle fire into the air. “Thank God for rednecks” indeed.

But it wouldn't be much of a zombie film without nearly unlimited ammo now, would it? While perhaps not in the same league as “I Am Legend,” Zombieland still provides plenty of blood-spurting action and some white-knuckle suspense. In one scene, Tallahassee uses a combination of a banjo, baseball bat and hedge clipper to slaughter zombies at a supermarket, and he still had a miner's pick and shotgun at his disposal.“When Tallahassee goes hulk on a zombie, he sets the standard for not to be f---ed with,” affirms Columbus.

Unfortunately, the movie runs into a roadblock, and not of the zombie variety. Chalk it up to uninspired Hollywood-style romance instead. Never-been-kissed Columbus falls for Wichita, except that she prefers “bad boys.” Not to worry, for his redemption lies in facing his greatest fear – a clown, which also happens to be a zombie. The unremarkable characters and vapid writing amount to little, and only serve to scare those who plopped down hard cash expecting to see a roller-coaster ride of a film.

Nestled between these dead bits is a scene involving a comedy legend, which is a testament to the Shaun of the Dead-style black humor found throughout the film, albeit dialed down a few notches. Harrison's timing is spot-on, and even Eisenberg's character has a sarcastic side. The two play off each other splendidly. Perhaps things get a tad campy towards the end, but it does seem to pay somewhat of a homage to the classic “Army of Darkness.” And the audience really doesn't need the rules bludgeoned over their heads every time a zombie is “Double Tapped.”

Director Ruben Fleischer has created a thoroughly enjoyable zombie flick which sets itself apart in a market crowded with horror and suspense films in the weeks heading up to Halloween.

The Many Flavors of Charlie Peppers

2009-10-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

By Nicole Weber

Double majoring in newspaper journalism and theater, and a double minor in gender and Women’s studies and English, Charlie starts his days off with morning runs and loves to procrastinate by dancing in his room.

Charlie Peppers is always on the run and with him running for Student Association president this year he is all the more busy. But what else is there to Mr. Peppers besides academics?

A fan of superheroes, RPG, role-playing (computer) games, and the Matrix, Peppers said his three favorite superheroes would have to be Buffy, the Flash, and Shadowcat. When defending that Buffy was a superhero, Peppers said, “She has super strength, can endure a lot of pain, has died twice and lived for eight years as a slayer when slayers usually only live for one year.” Peppers admits his in-depth knowledge on Buffy has come from his obsession over the show. “I can tell the episodes by the number. I’ve been watching it since the second grade,” Peppers said.

Peppers created his own RPG, “Future is Ours,” as a senior in high school. The game has nine followers from around the world, and of course … the game was inspired and based off of the Buffy “Universe”.

Being a fan and major in theater Peppers is involved and will be performing in the classic piece “Waiting for Godot” in the basement of Myers from November 12th to the 14th. Peppers is casted as ‘a boy’ who is the messenger of Godot and the link between the two main characters “Estragon and Vladimir and Godot.

Peppers’ love for theater has inspired him to apply to NYU’s theater program for graduate school. Peppers also has two plays that, inside his head, he has already sketched storyboards for. “Plastic Ego” which will be about toys and “Wonder Waitress” which, surprise, will be about a superhero waitress.

Brooklyn bred, and Brooklynite, Peppers has been living in Crown’s Heights for 20 years with his parents, his cat Penny, siblings Chanta, 23, and Aaliyah who is seven. In a recent article with Cardinal Points on his campaigning to be S.A. President, Peppers tells a personal story about living in a mostly Jewish neighborhood and experiencing a hate crime against his family.

Peppers has built thick skin.

Belonging to two marginalized groups being an African American and openly gay, Peppers said he feels that he can tell how other people from marginalized groups are being treated, and how they must feel. Peppers also feels he has good empathy, and that his intuition is strong.

Considering himself an optimistic person, as he agrees with many other people who believe so as well, Peppers says he isn’t an ignorant blissful person. Peppers said he was taught the value of the dollar and the ethic being the work that made the dollar. Peppers favorite color and how he dresses changes with the mood of his day. His sense of fashion: Peppers says has matured into a majority of crisp collared shirts and jeans; growing up from his younger collection of comic superhero t-shirts.

Peppers initial interest for his major in journalism, came from the love of writing. “People become an art project,” Peppers comments on reporting. “Take that artwork and lace it with prose,” is what Peppers says he loves to do with his reporting.

Peppers decided to declare a gender and Women’s study minor based on his belief that “every man should be a feminist”. “I love my mother, and the thought of anyone belittling her the way I hear other people talk to other women boggles my mind,” said Peppers.

One woman in Peppers’ life is best friend Jenna Manders. Peppers recounts for how himself and Manders initially met; saying it was a little embarrassing for him. “I slammed my finger in a door, and I was shaking my hand jumping around and she thought I was doing a dance,” Peppers said. Peppers says he considers Manders one of people who helped him except his orientation a lot more than he already had.

“I was in Macomb walking down the hall and I thought he was doing the ‘Hot Walk’ dance (a dance for a song “Hot Walk” where the person is shaking their hand so to snap one finger into another), so I started dancing with him and then we just started talking,” Manders said.

Manders said he initial ‘click’ with Peppers was definitely a factor toward her being there for him when he came out. Manders said how she showed Peppers an article titled “Nature of Harm and Arguments” by John Corvino which explained reasons why people are prejudice toward gay people through the perspective of being the prejudice person. Manders adds that she has seen growth in Charlie’s acceptance of his orientation in the past few years.

Regarding the future Peppers says he would want to be a “porn star”, but all jokes aside, Peppers said he would really love to be an actor. “Comedy is a little to natural for me, but I would love to do Broadway (big fan of drama), but I would need to learn how to sing first,” Peppers said. For the near future Peppers hope to go to NYU for grad school while having an internship or an externship/job at a newspaper or magazine.

Ten years from now, Peppers hopes to have the same attitude with life, and to be healthy. Peppers would like to direct, create or act in a play and have people moved by it. Peppers also said he would like to be an advocate for the gay community.

“Treating everyday as if it’s a video game. New day, new level,” Peppers said is his attitude on life and what keeps him positive.

“I want him to be as successful as he wants,” Manders said. “His positive attitude affects people and his social skills can take him anywhere,” Manders said. “I hope he’s top journalist or a writer for GQ,” Manders predicts for Peppers future.

Dream job: Writing for the New York Times or writing comic books.

Issue #2

2009-10-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome. You are now reading the second issue of North Country Entertainment Magazine, reporting on arts and entertainment in Northern New York State, Montreal, Burlington, and beyond. Happy reading.

“Rising Tide” a mix to quench a different thirst

2009-10-16T00:43:00.000-07:00

By Jessica Bakeman

An album of upright bass, fiddle and acoustic guitar doesn’t normally conjure images of binge drinking, casual sex and rock ’n’ roll — but that’s what you’ll find with “Dustin Jones and the Rising Tide.”

A mostly up-tempo drunken Celtic extravaganza, the album, released this month, showcases a unique style that just seems to work.

Fans of Jones’ band Inner City Surfers will recognize the familiar liquor-drenched lyrics on the album but not the musical style of lead singer’s new friends — brothers Sheldon and Marshall Jääskeläinen of The Wild Turkeys.

The album leads with a hard edge, with the wannabe rock tunes describing the lead singer’s addiction to alcohol and “honeys,” and ends with softy, vulnerable lyrics and accompaniment.

This collaboration with a Celtic-feel taps the keg with its first track, “Molly Malloy,” a piece profiling Molly who loves a certain activity — guess!

“‘Molly, whatcha drinkin’?’/ She says, ‘Booze, all day,’” the song opens. “‘Would you like a glass of water?’/ She says, ‘No, no way.’”

The song then slips into a three-part harmony chorus of “Molly’s on a mission,” a brave quest to keep up with the boys while drinking off her hangover, and repeating the mantra, “We’re gettin’ drunk all day.”

Jones’ vocal quality is reminiscent of vocals in the work of Simple Plan and Blink 182, alternating in levels of harshness.

The second track, “Hideout,” discusses the narrator improving his mental health: “Lost my keys/ Lost my wallet/ Lost my pride/ Lost my shoes/ Well if drinkin’ is a talent/ I’m sure that I’ll never lose.”

Despite the fact that the lyrics and instrumentals fit together like pieces of different puzzles, the awkward music is surprisingly enjoyable. Like Jones’ 2007 album “Inner City Surfers,” the stupidity of the lyrics is compensated for by the sophistication of the music, and though the centerpiece this time is a raging fiddle instead of a wailing electric guitar, Jones once again gets off easy.

“Rising Tide” is a gem of the album, and sounds much more like a traditional Celtic ballad, beginning in a capella three part harmony with a fiddle at the forefront of the track and the acoustic guitar strumming support in the background.

The most introspective of the tracks, “Don’t Know,” is the standard lyrical expression of not knowing what the future may hold. He does, though, tell what his music means to him: “I’m happy chasing dreams/ singing songs that I believe help me grow.” Apparently, his musical alcoholism is beneficial to his growth as a being.

“Guy Like Me,” one of the only songs on the album with a theme not centered around booze, pulls percussion into the mix. Featuring softer, fiddle strokes, the instrument sounds more like classical violin. Background vocals include scooping “ooo’s” straight out of 1950s sock-hop tunes. Jones gets soft again on this number, singing that “you might have met a lot of guys before/ But you never met a guy like me.” Finally a song with lyrical substance, the track comes in at only 2 minutes and 43 seconds, leaving listeners high and dry.

“Don’t Stop,” the defining mellow ballad ending the album, is by far the best track, giving listeners’ ears a conclusion to the controlled Celtic chaos that proceeds it.

The album takes you on the hiccup-ful journey of a partier’s night: It starts with the blind goal of getting drunk and having fun, then turns to thoughts of romance and sex, moves next to the intellectual ponderings of inebriation and ends with soft, mellow sleepiness.

For alcohol fans trying to experience a different drunk, “Dustin Jones and the Rising Tide” might be the perfect cocktail — even left unstirred.

Credit: MISSING!

Fall of Troy Review

2009-10-16T00:42:00.000-07:00

By Andrew Beam

As Thomas Erak professes, “I fucking hate myself,” in the opening track of their brand new album, the tone has been set for what is to come. The Fall of Troy is ready to change things around.

When progressive/hardcore band The Fall of Troy released Manipulator in 2007, it was pegged as an absolute failure by fans and critics. There will be some who will blame it on the fact that it wasn’t the sequel to their 2005 release, Doppelganger, in the sense that it wasn’t heavy enough. There will be others who will say that it was due to the awful production quality as it sounded like no one cared at all when it came to mixing the album. The Fall of Troy themselves, will blame it on the fact that they were rushed and did not have enough fun making the album. Regardless, Manipulator was a huge let down in the eyes of many.

Now, it is 2009 and the trio from Mukilteo, Washington is prepared to make a boisterous comeback that will make fans wish they had never wrote them off in the first place. In the Unlikely Event is an album that is fully produced and is filled with a mixture of blues, a tinge of metal, punk, and some familiar guitar thrashing performed by lead singer and lead guitarist, Thomas Erak.

What is missing from the original line up is former bassist Tim Ward. After basically referring to him as dead weight, the band went into the recording with fresh legs as they recruited Frank Ene on bass. Bringing a little bit more funk than what Ward had usually provided, Ene is a much needed addition to their formula as he enhances tracks like “Empty the Clip, the King Has Been Slain, Long Live the Queen,” where he walks his bass along the chorus, “People and Their Lives”, a track that shows Ene giving his instrument a motor like sound, as well as providing back up vocals on the jumpy “Single”, a quality that has never been featured on a Fall of Troy album before.

Yes, it seems that everything has fallen into place nicely for Erak and drummer Andrew Forsman and they are able to capitalize on the moment. This still is not the album that the heavier-loving Fall of Troy fans are looking for, but it is an album that shows a musical progression that most should give up their stubbornness to appreciate.

The first three tracks could leave most listeners out of breath as they recall the ferocity of Doppelganger, but still have a much more melodic characteristic that shows the maturity the band has been professing to everyone. “Panic Attack” is a frantic track about the many panic attacks Erak suffered during the recording of the album. The guitars are dropped down, heavy, and Erak still brings the scream that most fans are looking for. It transitions smoothly into “Straight-Jacket Kneehauled”, a brutal, almost metal-like track that finds Erak squealing through most of the track. Then to end the onslaught is the song “Battleship Graveyard” that finds the band at their most comfortable position with a melodic song that goes through a few spastic fits.

What is also very evident is the improved pipes on Erak, as he prides himself in being self taught when it comes to singing. He flexes his polished vocals on songs like “Single”, down-beat “Webs”, and surprisingly pulls out a little falsetto in the radio-friendly sounding “Nobody’s Perfect”, well, that is until it ends in a spooky tantrum.

The high point of the disc is reached during the wiry “Dirty Pillow Talk” as Erak’s guitar stylings borrow a tip from Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine fame. To compliment, Protest the Hero’s Rody Walker makes a guest appearance in the song as he screams, “Slow down/You’re going to hurt yourself child.” This song has an interesting back storr as Walker was kidnapped by Erak in a van outside of the venue in which Walker was playing at. This interesting story just adds to the all ready outstanding track.

Success would be the word for The Fall of Troy for releasing In The Unlikely Event, as the band has made up for all their faults from the previous release, Manipulator. Even though the band claims they don’t care what anyone thinks and make music for themselves, it is hard not to think the band was at least thinking of the criticism they received from their last album. In The Unlikely Event takes those blemishes and improves on many of them with this release.

A Night with Layne Underwood

2009-10-16T00:41:00.000-07:00

By Nick Will

The room was filled with the aroma of wood-grain, stale beer and musk. The trees shook violently outside the large windows that dominated the far wall. Beer cans littered the room in bags and piles on the two tables against the windows. A man sat in a chair near those desks, clad in a red flannel and a pair of old ripped jeans with a resonator laid across his lap.

No- this is not a hunting lodge in the wilds of the North Country, this is the den of Plattsburgh’s folk prodigy Layne Underwood. Underwood is a rugged young man of 18 years, pursuing a degree in music at SUNY Plattsburgh. He keeps his unkempt brown hair back in a small pony tail, even though his hair is only an inch or so long. Wearing a pair of old plastic rimmed glasses and a makeshift necklace forged of an old bracelet and a shoe string, Underwood sat with a grin strapped across his face. It was here that he unveiled his legacy.

Layne Underwood first started playing music in 8th grade. He and a group of friends had signed up for a talent show, and created a Blink-182 cover band called 21 Days. Underwood played lead guitar in the band, along with lifelong friend and bass player Mike Kelley. According to Kelley, Underwood was “very energetic, definitely the leader.” Kelly stated that Underwood got the band many of their gigs, and motivated the rest of the group. Underwood continued with his punk roots until the summer of his senior year. “That’s the summer my Gibson SG broke” commented Underwood.

In the summer of 2008, Underwood started playing a cheap Nylon guitar that he obtained inexpensively, and began to experiment with a loop petal in his barn. Loop petals allow musicians to layer electric instrumental tracks on top of each other by recording tracks and replaying them simultaneously; this allows one artist to play different parts in a song live by themselves. Underwood went onto say that he then started being able to layer up to 60 tracks. He described the feeling as “Euphoric, better than any drug.”

Looping tracks was only part of Underwood’s evolution into folk. Underwood stated that he had started noticing similarities in punk and folk chord progressions. Folk became Layne Underwood. “Folk has a simplicity to it” Underwood said; “It is just simple to grasp.” “Layne’s use of the loop petal creates a trance-like state not present in most folk music” stated fan Scott Dombert, who dubbed Underwood’s performance as “trance-folk.”

The metal resonator sitting on Underwood’s lap is a homemade concoction. Resonators are acoustic guitars that use metal cones to resonate sound rather than the traditional wooden soundboards of wooden guitars. Underwood converted his resonator to an electric format by shoving an input into one of the f-holes on the resonator itself and attaching wires to the bottom of the fret board. “National brand electric resonators had the electric inputs in the bottom f-hole” said Underwood. “I figured it would look cool if I shoved it in there.”

Underwood also had quite a bit to say about his musical style. Each show Underwood performs contains a split set: for the first half of the night Underwood plays his folk music while sitting, melancholy in a chair; the second half of his set is comprised of violin and loop tracks to which Underwood stands and dances around controlling his music with his feet on the loop pedals. “I play the violin and loop tracks for fun and for fans, but the folk comes from the heart” commented Underwood.

As far as writing goes, Underwood had this to say: “People always complain about writing too many songs about girls or about certain situations. I like to write both direct view and imagery based songs.” Underwood especially likes to write with imagery, saying that “It gives a feeling of Nostalgia: when people hear a word, it fires a chemical in their brain.”

His use of imagery can be seen in one of his personal favorites- the song “I’m changing my name” by Underwood features such vague and well written lyrics that you would never guess that the track was actually about an accidental abortion.

Underwood stated that the song is great because it was written in 15 minutes, and is a favorite among listeners. Underwood’s friend Mike Kelley stated that he was impressed the first time he heard the song even though he has “heard every song soo many times that he just knows them too well.”

Fan and classmate Nathaniel Johnson had this to say about Layne Underwood’s live performances: “it’s not not good.” Another fan, Jocob Spurr claims that Underwood’s mannerisms in his live performances make the shows more interesting. Be on the lookout for Layne Underwood. He frequents Plattsburgh venues such as the Monopole and Koffee Kat. For upcoming shows and tracks, check out Layne Underwood’s myspace page at myspace.com/micsloopmike

Fun, Family Frenzies For Fall!

2009-10-16T00:40:00.000-07:00

Fun, Family Frenzies For Fall!
By Nicholas Persad

The apples have been harvested and are waiting to be turned into cider. The pumpkins have been carved into scary faces and are waiting to be put on doorsteps and window panes. The beauty and vibrancy of the fall foliage complements it all. It’s Fall. The time of year when the air begins to get a little crispier than it was during the summer months, and the warm, furry quilts that were stored deep in the cupboard from last year are pulled out and placed by the bedside.

The arrival of Fall also brings with it a vast amount of family activities that have come to characterize this time of year. Two that are extremely prominent and very appealing for the younger generation are pumpkin and apple picking.

Applejacks Orchard, which is located at 751 Brand Hollow Rd, Peru, NY unlike other orchards in the Plattsburgh area offers the public the opportunity to pick as many apples as they want and at their own pace. It is open from the third week in August until the week before Halloween. The orchard is also home to a petting zoo and a hay maze for younger children.

“We have a bee hive as well as all kinds of goodies. We also have something we call ‘Goat Mountain’ where the kids can go and pet goats,” said Jessica Mckee, the staff member in charge of the school tours at Applejacks. Apple picking is not a onetime thing but has become a tradition with many families. “Absolutely, it’s definitely a family tradition. We see a lot of the same families year after year,” said Mckee.

Pumpkin picking has become as much of a tradition as apple picking especially during the month of October as pumpkins are synonymous with Halloween.

“You get to ride on a tractor and see the apple field, the pumpkin field, the blueberry field and the eggplant field,” said Rory Wallace, a PSU student who went picking at Rulf’s Orchard. “Then we went into the pumpkin field to pick some pumpkins. It was quite fun especially because it’s around Halloween.” The overall cost of this excursion is $6. Rulf’s Orchard is located at 531 Bear Swamp Rd, Peru, NY.

Another activity that is enjoyable during this time of the year and allows you to be outdoors regardless of the unpredictable weather is the Vermont Corn Maze. This family-friendly outing can be taken anytime between August and October 18. The Corn Maze can be found at 1404 Wheelock Road, Danville, VT. The name is actually a little play on words.

“The corn field is turned into a maze,” said Dayna Boudreau, owner of the Vermont Corn Maze. “We spend January through May just to design the maze, then in June we transfer the design to the field. In July we make all the pathways and then in August we are open to the public,” she said.

Boudreau added that the maze sees most of its patrons during the fall foliage and that most people spend at least two hours trying to solve the puzzle. According the website www.vermontcornmaze.com 90 percent of teenagers do not complete the maze. The maze ends October 18 because the owners cut the corn while it is still good enough to feed the cows.

As the leaves change color and drop from the dying trees and the likelihood of snowfall becomes more imminent by the passing of each day the activities that are available to North Country residents decrease. These family traditions only come around for a small time period during the year but have become a symbol of Fall.

Here is where you can find more info about
Vermont Corn Maze

Here is where you can find more info about

Here is where you can find more info about

Dinner at the Circus

2009-10-16T00:39:00.000-07:00

By Kristen Rafferty

The candlelit dinner is history. How about a lantern-lit meal instead? And bread bowls are old news—it’s all about the garlic bread trapeze tents now. Chandeliers, elephant candles, and colors to flood the streets of Saratoga—now that’s a real night on the town. Hidden between the classy restaurants, shops, and boutiques on Broadway Street in Saratoga is the Circus Café, the perfect blend of sophistication and fun that defines the thriving city.

Entertainment is core here, and what better way to keep diners enthused than to delight them with circus-inspired and specially arranged meals? Pasta is served a la garlic bread trapeze tents, and fries—curly of course, because straight would simply be boring—wind through your dinner like the limbs of a contortionist. A well-
proportioned steak dazzles the eye with colorful peppers that zigzag around it, and

Chef Dave Hernandez, whose award-winning burgers are classic, spices up the usual chicken with rum, lime juice, and brown sugar to create the café’s signature dish, Mojito Chicken.

“Mojito Chicken is by far the best dinner dish,” says Dan Sheridan, a frequent visitor to the restaurant. “But for lunch, it’s gotta be the Tropical Shrimp Salad.”
Manager Lindsey Ciccone insists that the café’s attention to combining great food with nonstop entertainment is the key to its success.

“From our food to our employees to the scheduled entertainment, everything is geared toward fun,” she says. “It’s really a combination of everything that keeps people coming in.”

Entrees are delivered by an exuberant wait staff wearing themed t-shirts that proclaim phrases like “Trapeze is My Art” and “Former Contortionist.” Upbeat and charismatic, the employees are specifically hired for their dedication to the restaurant’s theme.

“All of our team members are hardworkers, and excellent servers,” Ciccone proudly admits. “We’re really like a family here.”

Amidst red-velvet curtains and painted circus murals, the café boasts an upscale dining experience that is very much family-oriented during afternoons, transforming into an adult nightlife by happy hour, and, as local patron and longtime Saratoga resident Lisa Leroux observes, a “fun and funky” gay bar by midnight. Talk about a three-ring circus.

While Ciccone does acknowledge a single adults and gay following, she insists the café’s focus is primarily family-oriented.

“We have a great number of families who come in regularly,” she says. “We also host a large younger crowd, which makes up most of our nightlife.”

From Skidmore College students to sixty-year-old baby boomers, a variety of ages mingle to create a regularly diverse audience for the weekly entertainment on

Wednesday nights, and even come to perform their own material on Thursday open mic nights. Saturdays are reserved for the jam-packed karaoke nights.

“My friends and I go down there at least once a month for the karaoke nights,” says
Kiera Stewart, a senior at Skidmore College. “There are always so many people. Some of the usual karaoke singers are really good, and some are really bad, which just makes it more fun. It’s just an awesome night out.”

Adds her friend, Christina Stromberg, “We definitely owe that place some of our best birthday nights.”

Desserts make up the finale of the show, with chocolate shavings and two cherries topping off a Circus Maximus Blackout Sundae. Homemade cotton candy—nicknamed “Fairy Floss”—piles high on a single plate (the house favorite) and specialty martinis and cocktails color the nightlife of the café. Color-rich margaritas, served beneath the lantern-strung bar, cost only $4 and draw capacity crowds. The eccentric menu includes oldies like the Moscow Mule along with the signature, candy-filled Circus-Café’s Scorpion Bowl.

“The cotton candy is everyone’s favorite,” says Ciccone. “You can’t give someone a plate of foot-high cotton candy and not have them smile. Whether you’re five or fifty, it’s just a happy moment.”

Film Review: Passenger Side

2009-10-16T00:37:00.000-07:00

By Daniel Ring

Bleeding Mexicans, porn stars, a crazy desert lady - this is movie has it all. And for a Canadian film that’s emotional and gritty this is not a combination you would expect. Directed by Matthew Bissonnette, Passenger Side stars two brothers; Michael (Adam Scott) and Tobey (Joel Bissonnette) and follows them on a soul searching adventure through the City of Angels.

Currently playing at various film festivals all over the world, Passenger Side has been received very positively by film critics. It won the Citytv Best Canadian Feature Award and has been listed as a “top pick” at the London Film Festival. Just recently, it was showing at Montreal’s 38th Festival du Nouveau Cinema.

It is a story of one man’s search for the woman he loves and his brother’s support in finding it. Though the plot loosely comes together, it is heartwarming and amusing enough to keep the audience interested. The history of the two protagonists is slowly revealed through the witty banter they both share whilst driving on this expedition to meet rather strange selection of individuals – each more ridiculous than the last.

The comedy is suitably subtle and self deprecating, a combination that the Canadian brothers fit comfortably into. Ridiculous situations are answered with dry one-liners that make the characters seem endearing rather than annoying. The witty banter the two brothers share on their journey is juxtaposed with heartwarming moments and the melancholy undertones that ultimately lead to the film’s climax.

The fact that the Matt and Joel Bissonnette are both brothers means that the relationship between Michael and Tobey must be somewhat autobiographical – a lot of history is hinted at throughout the film and has something in it that any two brothers could relate to. From forgetting your brother’s birthday or dealing with an overbearing parent to keeping deep secrets from one another, it deals with a lot of issues siblings may have or had to face.

The film has a very gritty, indie feel; it doesn’t pander to mainstream tastes. The long shots with no dialogue and quirky humor may put some people off. It’s depiction of LA is also one of a grimy, rundown city – this is not the glossy Hollywood metropolis that many may think exists on the sun-drenched west coast. The characters feel real and the setting feels real, which is why the increasingly unreal situations the characters find themselves in work so well.

This is a film that bears some of the grim realities of complicated relationships between friends and family, and while it leaves nothing to the imagination – the encounter with the transsexual being a case in point – it manages to do it with charm and wit. It is to sibling relationships what black and white television is to color, as Michael explains early in the film: “reality, without the makeup.”

Passenger Side is next showing at The Times BFI London Film Festival on the 25th and 27th of October.

Profile on Darrell “Dmac” Davis

2009-10-16T00:30:00.000-07:00

By Jamela Gibson

Born and raised in Harlem, New York, Darrell Davis is an educated 20 year old Criminal Justice major with a lot of potential. With a rugged, “gangster” look, who would have thought he’s full of book smart and street smarts?

Excerpted from “Successful” by Darrell “Dmac” Davis. “I’m tryna find a way to be successful without being regretful so I inhale a chestful of marijuana smoke and I know it ain’t know joke cuz I wandered down this road to success repressed with no place to go. Nowhere to place my faith it’s all too real but I know success erases pain. Success erases debt and I ain’t made it yet I’m on this quest to success.”

Sitting at the table playing with his blackberry, and looking around as if he’s being watched. Sitting in front of me is Darrell Davis a 20 year old college senior who’s major is Criminal Justice.

As I ask him where his poetry comes from, he sits and absorbs the question, and then picks up his phone. Within matters of seconds he says in his monotone voice. “My poetry comes from pain, life experiences and struggles. Just hopes and dreams basically.”

As I ask him he does poetry he clears his throat and says “people on Def Comedy Jam inspire me such as sciryl (Lyrics spelled backwards) and Mos Def, my mother she’s a poet, and all the injustices do as well. I try to be socially conscience about whatever I write about.”

“I started rapping at 14, and poetry is just like rap so...actually rapping has kept me calm and I made a lot of friends through it.”

Being the second oldest to his eldest sister he explains to me his dreams, and he says “my dreams for poetry and me being a lawyer is bigger than no one can ever know.

I write poetry for people to understand words on a different level rather than just the same word from word as you see in a textbook.”

“Life is just a game and success will bring you pain, and what do I give success blood sweats and tears empty dreams that may never come true; if you willing to lose your soul for this then what does it mean to you.”

As we make eye contact for a brief second he looks down at his phone to see the time and he says I have to go but to leave you with this quote…”I know success erases pain.”

As he leaves I am lost for words and nearly speechless with the intelligence that Darrell “Dmac” Davis has at such a young age. If you spoke to him on the phone you would think he was a man in his early thirties that’s been through almost everything you can think of. But that’s what makes Darrell unique.

Dining with the Dead

2009-10-16T00:19:00.000-07:00

By Alissa Vidulich

BEWARE: if the mere title of this article makes you queasy, uneasy or unsettled slowly scroll away from the article...

While picnics are typically regarded as being rather enjoyable and relaxing, cemeteries can stir a sweeping range of thoughts and emotions, from tranquility to terror. A cemetery picnic would be no 'picnic' for those who fear cemeteries, these people are known as Coimetrophobes. Those who are “[morbidly attracted] to” or even simply “fond” of cemeteries are referred to as Taphophiliacs, according to taph.com.

If you find yourself in want of an outdoor excursion, and don't mind the scenery of tombstones of course, cemetery picnicking provides a unique alternative to the backyard or city park.

Cemetery socials were particularly common during the Victorian Era or “Gilded Age,” early 1800s to 1900s. Queen Victorian inspired the name of the time period as well as many aspects of day to day living during that time. With the Industrial Revolution in full swing the wealthy class was expanding. The worldwide nouveau riche looked to Queen Victoria, much like the present day “young Hollywood” look to Victoria Beckham, or (heaven forbid) Paris Hilton, for lifestyle cues. Thus, daily etiquette steadily grew more proper and restricting.

Picnicking provided somewhat of an escape from the etiquette-intensive formal dinners and balls of the time, but became common enough so that eventually there were regulations regarding picnic etiquette as well. Isabella Beeton's The Book of Household Management, published in 1861, lists essential picnic items, “It is scarcely necessary to say that plates, tumblers, wine-glasses, knives, forks, and spoons, must not be forgotten; as also teacups and saucers, 3 or 4 teapots,” she continues, “3 dozen quart bottles of ale, packed in hampers; ginger-beer, soda-water, and lemonade, of each 2 dozen bottles; 6 bottles of sherry, 6 bottles of claret, champagne à discrétion, and any other light wine that may be preferred, and 2 bottles of brandy.”

It is likely if anyone from the 21st Century were to bring their fine china and entire liquor cabinet to a picnic s/he might be hauled off to rehab.

Common dishes of the era included boiled tongue, curried rabbit, stewed eels and plum pudding. Yum!

Women would be fully dressed in their, often ornate, apparel. The men were to cater to the women while picnicking and would often be responsible for the brewing of tea using kerosene burners. They were required to stand if the women were seated.

“Picnics and celebrating of any kind were forbidden during the two years of mourning {mourning: the period of proper grief after the death of a loved one},” states Lisa Lewis a.k.a. Victoriana Lady, Professional Victorian Public Speaker and founder of victorianalady.com, “If the family enjoyed the park-like atmosphere of the cemetery they could go anytime. For most people though it was for sentimental reasons, they wanted to stay close to their lost loved one after death.”

Cemetery picnicking in particular was “quite common,” according to Lewis “larger cemeteries were laid out like parks in the 1800's just for this purpose.”

While the many customs of picnicking have passed on since the 19th Century there are those who still relive the tradition of the Gilded Age. Cemetery picnics are now seen as a unique way to garner donations to assist in the upkeep of various cemeteries, such as the All Saints Soirée being held Oct. 24 by Save Our Cemeteries, a New Orleans group dedicated to the preservation of historic cemeteries.

For others cemetery socials are simply a great way to enjoy the day/night and might include a tour of cemetery, games, music and photography. William Burg, President of the Sacramento County Historical Society, explains the attraction of modern man to such events, “it is the appeal of having an event in such an unusually historic and beautiful place, and having an event that is obviously a celebration of life in a place associated with death.”

Still, there dines another breed who actually prefer to celebrate the concept of death and picnic in cemeteries for their darker “charms.” No, not ghouls, but goths. Jillian Venters, author of the book Gothic Charm School: An Essential Guide for Goths and Those Who Love Them, recently held the release party at Brooklyn's Greenwood Cemetery. The event attracted scores of fans, or as Venters lovingly refers to them, 'Snarklings', in full Victorian-goth getup who drank tea and listened to excerpts from the gothic guide.

Aside from the Coimetrophobes, those of Jewish faith are also strictly opposed to dining among the deceased.

“Eating and drinking may not take place on the cemetery,” Rabbi Maurice Lamm proclaims, in his article Cemetery Etiquette on chabad.org, “It is a violation of every code of honor.”

If you are interested in throwing your own post-mortem potluck, tombstone tea-party or belated brunch be sure to get permission from the cemetery owner(s), be respectful of the territory and invite acquaintances {just not your Rabbi!} in advance.

Credit: MISSING!

Is Hip Hop Dead?

2009-10-16T00:18:00.000-07:00

By Nicole Weber

Rapper Nas claimed ‘Hip Hop is Dead’ on December 19th of 2006, with the release of his album titled his exact claim.

Songs like Eminem’s “Sing for the Moment” clipping a piece of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” and Jay-Z’s “Young Forever” which uses a clip of Alphaville’s “Forever Young” is just one example of the lack of originality sparking from the hip-hop world. Auto-tuning which was created by Antares Audio Technologies was popular in the ‘80s was revamped with the rapper/hype man T-Pain. T-Pain’s auto-tuned imaged then inspired Kanye West to do the same thing and the recycling continues.

With the modern day pattern of hip-hop, most songs only spit about money, sex, and violence.

In a study conducted by the University of Chicago called the Black Project, leader Cathy Cohen says, “the overwhelming majority of young people agree with the statement: ‘Rap music videos contain too many references to sex.’” Statistics from the study showed 72 percent of black and hispanic youth agreed with that statement, while 68 percent of white youth agreed with that statement.

The image of hip-hop, which use to not only be a genre of music but also lifestyle, has changed so much from the start that was born in the mid 1970’s.

“I understand why people are saying that,” referring to hip-hop’s hypothetical death, says Keshagen Adderly also known as DJ Nuff Sed in Nassau, Bahamas. “Everything that is coming out is just copying someone else and a lot of songs are just saying ‘snap with it,’ ‘dance with it,” says Adderly.

Nas says in a video with online community ‘Hardknock’ that new up and coming rappers aren’t thinking about the career as a rapper, but rather expect to achieve it over night. Nas also says he believes most new rappers are doing it for the money and fame.

“[Hip-hop] is moving away from substance,” says Adderly who adds that hip-hop is shifting from the initial movement and idea of explaining where you’re from and how they go to where they are today.

Adderly says, rappers “shouldn’t do a Mims and be proud to make a mil without saying nothing on the track.”

Not everyone agrees with notion that hip-hop’s genre died out or that it will.

“Album sales are very successful,” says Phillip Suruda. “Additions aren’t killing hip-hop. Music is always evolving; it will never be as it was in the past,” says Suruda.

Even Nas said he believes hip-hop can be resurrected or saved with rappers the Game, Kanye West, E-40 Snoop Dogg, and even Jay-Z/Hovi.

Adderly comments in retrospect on the new rappers coming out today, “if you’re going to be a good artist you would want to feed the people, give them substance, make money by doing what you love. “Making music that people would love [forever]; not just music that will be here today and gone tomorrow.”

For more information on people who believe hip-hop is still kicking and fully booming you can visit an online blog: http://hiphopisntdead.blogspot.com.

Philosophic Pfaff

2009-10-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

By Cassandra Thomas

On a dim lit stage, one man was on the edge of his seat with gray socks and black clogs, while strumming his smooth brown guitar, a jazzy dude. The audience in awe was completely silent as joyful memories boggled inside their minds and danced with musical notes. Vibrations from the guitar were relevant to emotions they’ve experienced throughout their lives and helped trigger their thoughts to recollect moments of loneliness, broken-hearts, desire and serenity. There was a connection between this man and the audience – whatever he felt, they felt. Each thrust of the string gave off intensity and passion, which filled the air waves with soothing sounds massaging the ears of listeners. This is what he wanted: His spirit to be set free in the Krinovitz Recital Hall.

This was the 4th Annual Guitar Festival and Dr. William Pfaff, 49, Assistant Professor of Music at SUNY Plattsburgh, was performing his “Give Me an A” piece, which took him six weeks to put together and according to him, ‘it could’ve been polished.’ This musical genius hidden behind a desk was now on stage doing what he loved to do the most: perform. He knows his music has ‘the groove,’ but ultimately he is destined to ‘be one with the groove.’ This summer Pfaff attended inspiration boot camp, The Artist-In-Residence, at the Petrified Forest National Park in Holbrook, AZ, for two weeks. He wanted to be a part of the park rather than just be in the park: he decided to pursue artistic discipline while being surrounded by the park’s inspiring landscape.

Being a part of the park meant getting to know the people that run it and the resources that exist inside. Dr.Pfaff spent most of his time taking pictures of the events, the people and the scenery; however, he got the chance to create a hand-made instrument that resembles chimes (an instrument of the orchestra) out of petrified wood, which is found in the park. Learning to create beautiful sounds out of pieces of rainbow-colored crystallized logs, Pfaff translated the national park’s purpose: “a place of pleasure and preservation, into images which bring others enjoyment and a deeper understanding.” This helped Pfaff obtain spiritual peace artistically. He has learned to emphasize trying to get to know each individual piece of music through analysis and experience of it, which was taught to him by his principal teachers Martin Boykn, Yeduhi Wynerat , Allen Anderson and Niel Sir, while earning a Ph.D. in Composition and Theory at Brandeis University.

“The strange thing about music is it comes out people’s souls and spirits,” said Pfaff.

In an interview with Dr. Pfaff, I noticed his melodies reflected his overall character – spiritual and calm. Having to deal with stressful things as a professor, working on outside projects such as a piano trio for Kalliope; a solo piano work for Holly Roadfeldt-O’Riordan; and a CD of jazz tunes for a San Francisco jazz group, Atmos Trio, as well as maintaining a family with a wife, Stephanie Pfaff, and two ‘mentally whacked’ rescued cats, Syllo and Promise, a man needs some alone time in order to be optimistic.

Growing up in the suburbs of Southern New Hampshire and now residing in Plattsburgh, Pfaff has lived most of his life surrounded by breath-taking scenery, experiencing the great outdoors and being surrounded by artists of the different arts. On his spare time, in the comfort of his own home, Pfaff likes to write a lot of music, garden, read and help refurnish his home with his wife.

He puts emphasis on students in PSU, who are aspiring musicians, to broaden their horizons and expose themselves to many different things as far as music and life as a whole.

“There are plenty of things in life, try as many different things,” says Pffaf.

If a student has a strong belief in their talent or area of interest and a positive attitude that they bring to the classroom and the things they do, there is no telling what opportunities will lie at the front door, Pfaff believes. On a scale of 1-10, Pfaff gives his job a ‘8 solid’ because he’s engaged in music all the time and enjoys working with students college-age. He says they’re curious, ‘funky,’ and fun-lovely. It’s great to have a professor that supports his/her students and gives them space --Dr.Pfaff. But the students’ job is to “challenge themselves, and juggle the freedom, giving themselves limitations.”

Some of his friends, students and colleagues might say he’s a bit too quiet, but Pfaff knows the appropriate time to ‘push the envelope’, when it comes to working on music that is.

Pfaff said sometimes his friends admit to him, “You’re such a quiet soul, but man you need to turn up that f*cking instrument.”

Dr. Pfaff continues to learn every day since there is always more to gain and his opportunities continue to grow because his friends always request him to compose pieces for them. College is supposed to be functioning all the time, fresh and live; Teachers and students expand their knowledge and come to the classrooms to exchange. 10 years from now, he’ll still be writing, teaching and performing, so “right off the press, knowledge goes into the class.”

2009-09-22T00:12:00.000-07:00

Volume #1: Premiere Issue

Welcome. You are now reading the premiere issue of North Country Entertainment Magazine, reporting on arts and entertainment in Northern New York State, Montreal, Burlington, and beyond. Happy reading.

North Country Haunted Houses

2009-09-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

By Chris LaRose

With Halloween fast approaching some Plattsburgh residents can't help but think about how some of the most bizarre, haunted places in the North Country are right here in town. From the souls still left walking the halls of the old Barracks on the Air Force Base to the ghosts of the Delord family that continue to reside in the Kent Delord House, Plattsburgh is just oozing with the paranormal. "The North Country has so many stories to tell," says Randy Lucia, leader of the Lake City Paranormal Society, a Plattsburgh-based group that has investigated many of the local hot spots, "It isn't surprising that there are so many haunted places around here."

So just what are the most haunted places in and around our little town? From the well known to the urban legends, the following list, based on the investigations of Lucia and his team, as well as the "word around town," is sure to make the ghostbuster in us all come creeping to the surface.

The Barracks

Location: Old Air Force Base, Plattsburgh, NY

What's so creepy about the Barracks? It was home to many who served in both the army and the air force, as well as the place a great deal of them lost their life. People who have been inside the building claim it is one of the scariest places they have ever been. "I went inside when I was younger," said Noelle Tedford, a Plattsburgh state student who grew up in the area, "and you can literally hear footsteps on the floors above you. The place had really bad vibes." Lucia agrees, saying he and his team have taken photos of multiple orbs (little balls of energy that appear in photographs, belived to be the energy of an individual who has passed on) around the perimeter of the Barracks. "We got some definite visuals," he said.

Lake Path Cemetary

Location: Old Air Force Base, Plattsburgh, NY

Another one of the haunted areas on the old Air Force Base, Lake Path Cemetary is the burial place of soldiers from as far back as the Battle of Plattsburgh, making it extremely prone to paranormal activity. When the Lake City Paranormal Society investigated the cemetary they encountered what Lucia describes as "a quick moving light." "I was standing at the edge of the cemetary," he said, "and I noticed this light moving from one side of a tree to the other, almost poking it's head around the tree at me." Whether true or not, locals certainly know to avoid the cemetary after dark.

The Base Gym

Location: Old Air Force Base, Plattsburgh, NY

You might not expect a local gym to be a breeding ground for the paranormal, the Base Gym is said to be extremely haunted. "No one knows exactly what the story is about the place," said Lucia, "but multiple workers claim to hear the weights in the backroom lifting and slamming back down when the gym is closed." As eerie as it sounds, many people who work out in the gym claim to have experiences as well. "A few years ago when I would go to the base gym," said Leslie Wallace, a resident of Plattsburgh, "I would be in the shower and I would hear the locker room door just swing open and closed by itself."

The Kent Delord House

Location: 17 Cumberland Avenue, Plattsburgh, NY

Though Lucia and his team have never investigated the Kent Delord House, it is almost general knowledge around town that the residence is haunted. "I believe the story is that it is the ghosts of the entire Delord family," said Lillian Delisle, a local who has visited the Kent Delord House on tours, "but many people have said they've had experiences in the house." Though you can only enter the house on paid, guided tours, people have reported seeing ghostly images in the upstairs windows of the house, as well as in the backyard.

Cherry Hill

Location: Standish, NY

Although it's not directly in Plattsburgh, the creepy tale of a man murdering his entire family in the house and burying them under the front steps has plagued Cherry Hill for decades now. Lake City Paranormal Society has never formally investigated the house and Lucia believes the tale to be "just an urban legend." However, both Tedford and Wallace have heard the story of Cherry Hill and believe it to be true. "I've had friends drive out there to get video of the place," said Tedford, "and all of their cars died in front of the house... It isn't a place I'd mess around with."

Photo Credit: Chris LaRose

Rocky Horror Profile on Andrew Velez

2009-09-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

By Amanda Sivan Kaufman

It was time to audition. It was time to show the best talent possible, to be better than the competition and win recognition. When he went out in front of a panel of women judges, Andy Velez walked the walk of a man who was about to show all he could be—while singing a song, wearing high heels and no shirt. That is how he was able to nail the role for Rocky in Plattsburgh State’s upcoming production of The Rocky Horror Show.

“It was the most awkward but funny interview I have ever done,” Velez said with a smile. “I guess they wound up picking me because I looked good with my shirt off.”

Velez, who has had a wide range of roles from an apostle in Jesus Christ Super Star to the bartender in The Laramie Project, originally wanted to star as Dr. Frank N. Furter, who is the bizarre otherworldly transsexual that creates Rocky in the show.

He says he had been a “Rocky fanatic for a while,” and has high hopes for the premier on Oct. 26, the weekend before Halloween.

The play, written by Richard O’Brien and directed by Antonette Knoedl, is a slightly different version than the cult classic 1975 musical film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, about a crazed transsexual alien scientist who takes an unknowing couple into his castle, just before creating Rocky who he dubs as a masterpiece sex object.

Velez says each version has a part the other doesn’t, but this time around it’s going to be different from both under the new director.

“When she was talking about it at the theater schmooze, she said this might seem different. A lot of people will be thinking this isn’t the Rocky Horror Picture Show,” Velez said. “This is the Rocky Horror Show. It’s just her Rocky Horror Show.”

Knoedl, like many in the cast, is fan who is very familiar with the show. In the past, she had roles in it such as one of the phantoms in the castle. This year is her first time directing the play.

Despite any change that may be noticed by fans, nothing in the show has been cut out and it will run for its full 1 hour and 30 minutes without intermission.

Alongside Rocky is the character Janet Weiss, played by Elizabeth Abair who just happens to be a housemate of Velez. The show, known for its high amount of sexual content, pins the two together in many awkward moments such as a sex scene, Velez said.

According to Velez, the housemates “went into the show knowing” what they were getting themselves into and that they were aware there was “going to be a lot of sexual content.”

Part of the Rocky Horror Shows requires actors being able to handle strange roles in front of an audience, no matter who is attending.

“The funny thing is, I believe, most of us are having our parents coming up to watch this too,” Velez said, but he also noted that he has yet to have a scene that embarrassed him.

So far, he says the production is running ahead of schedule and it will be a “truly spectacular show” when finished. When it premiers, the audience will have the chance to experience the show in its fullest—as they will become interactive with the experience.

“If you want a good seat, get the aisle seat if you can,” he said. “There’s a lot of audience interaction.”

Aside from the call outs, lines that fans have made up to be shouted in between dialogue for humor’s sake, Velez said there is way more in store. Until then, he’ll be rehearsing with the rest of the cast, minus his shirt and heels.

Plattsburgh’s Best Dance Crew

2009-09-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

By Kristen Rafferty

Auditions are over, prizes are assembled, the program is set, and in just three days, the much-anticipated Plattsburgh’s Best Dance Crew will take center stage at Giltz Auditorium. On September 23rd the competition is on, and Chair of the Entertainment Committee Jimmy McKenna has nothing but enthusiasm for the show.

“From the second people walk in, we want them to be entertained,” he says. “We’ve worked really hard to make sure that our audience has fun the entire night.”

Advertised as “the hottest campus event this semester,” the contest, which takes place at 7 pm Wednesday night, is modeled after MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew, with five dance teams set to perform. Teams will each dance once, and after an intermission the three finalists will perform again—this time with an audience vote by ballot that will decide the ultimate winner. MC for the night is Michael Cashman, advisor of Student Activities.

“He’s a really funny guy,” says McKenna. “He’s got a lot good stuff planned.”

Judges for the event are Cori Matthews, Director of the Center for Student Involvement; Bill Laundry, VP of student services; Kara Lalonde, VP of student activities for the SA; and Penny Kendall, the beloved and well-known cashier at Clinton Dining Hall.

The dance teams, who auditioned last week for a spot in the competition, include select dancers from the two on-campus dance groups, Dance Corps and Jedi Step, and three amateur groups who, McKenna says, should definitely not be underestimated. Five girls make up team “Fuji,” while a four-man team calls themselves “Visionaries.” “Frank’s Phantoms,” a group of three girls and one guy, rounds out the set of teams.

Contestant Stacey Calcagni, a member of the Dance Corps team, says that her group “included a lot of tricks in the routine,” in order to spice up the competition.

“I hope the crowd will react and recognize the amount of fun and joy we get from dancing,” she says. “We tried to keep our routine flowing continuously for all those people in the audience who maybe don't follow intense technical dance training.” Stacey’s team is performing a hip hop number to “Picture Perfect Remix” by Chris Brown, Hurricane Chris, and Bow Wow.

Dharmit Laxman, a member of team “Visionaries,” says his group is also hoping to wow the crowd.

“We don’t even really care about winning,” he says. “We won’t be like any other team. I told my group to go out there and entertain the audience. Show them what we’re about.” “Visionaries” is dancing to a mix of hip hop songs and a short clip of a Britney Spears song.

The program for the evening also includes performances from the professional dance crew “61Syx Teknique,” a group which travels across the nation performing for any venue that requests their unique hip hop and break dancing styles.

“We’re really excited to have 61Syx performing at the show,” says McKenna. “They’re just great, and they’ll really add to the entertainment for the night.” With a resume that includes shows for B2K, Lloyd Banks, and Fat Joe, 61Syx will be performing a 45 minute teaser show at noon in the ACC Amnity Plaza, and three numbers in the nighttime show.

Giltz Auditorium doors open at 7 pm, and a video montage of PSU students dancing around campus is set to greet the audience as they take their seats. Door prizes and raffle tickets will also be available for audience members to possibly win DVD’s, t-shirts, iTunes gift cards, and more.

Cosplayers Bring Fictional Characters to Life

2009-09-21T23:11:00.000-07:00

By Alissa D. Vidulich

An introduction into the world of cosplay. Cosplaying began decades ago, and has quickly become a global subculture, despite that it is still unknown to many. Cosplayers bring fictional characters to life through costuming and role-playing their favorite characters. Sometimes these characters are brought to life through an empathetic process of self-actualization where cosplayers truly transform their inner character to that of the fictitious characters’.

Have you ever been Jack Skellington, creeping through the moonlit trees toward another dimension? Have you ever been Darth Vader, lured by the dark forces of nature to abandon your authentic self? Or what about Alice, curiously sipping tea with the Mad Hatter in Wonderland? For many the answer would be, 'only in my imagination,’ but in the world of cosplay people are turning their favorite works of fiction into reality.

Cosplay, a compound of the words 'costume' and 'play,’ has become an international subculture where fans of various fiction portray their favorite characters by way of detailed costumes and live role-playing. Characters, or ‘charas’, are mostly chosen from popular anime {a Japanese-style of cartoons and video games} and manga/comic books, but can be selected from any work of fiction. In an offshoot of fictional character cosplay some even go so far as to cosplay real life individuals like J-Rock or J-Pop band members, but such is usually referred to as just ‘role-playing’.

While the beginnings of cosplay are debatable one could at least say that the Trekkies, or Star Trek fans, may have played a role, in more ways than one. In the 1970's Star Trek spawned a new breed of sci-fi fans whose love for the series inspired some of them to follow suit by donning the polyester garbs of Captain Kirk and company. The hobby spread among Trekkies throughout America and began to catch on among fans of other sci-fi works such as Star Wars.

Cosplay has since become much more refined and has given rise to a global subculture. Today's cosplayers typically make their own costumes, replicating every fine stitch of their characters' attire. From hair, to makeup, to props, cosplayers use their dedication, artistic sight and imagination to virtually become whatever characters they choose. When in costume it is not uncommon for cosplayers to mimic their characters' personality traits, facial expressions and poses

Like any culture it has its own sense of language, customs and caste. For example, the terms 'crossplay' {dressing as the opposite gender} and 'glomp' {a running hug} are frequently used among cosplayers. Both crossplaying and glomping are particularly common at conventions {though it is in poor cosplay taste to glomp without first asking permission}. Average people or non-cosplayers are often referred to as the 'mundanes', while snooty expert cosplayers are called the 'elites'.

Anime, sci-fi, comic and costume conventions held in countless numbers around the globe each year are often the highlights of cosplay life. Some of the most well-known conventions in North America are Comic-Con, Anime Expo and Otakon. The Society for Creative Anachronism, may have been the first group to create the idea of a costume convention. In 1966 the group held a party in California, and according the SCA website the invitations read “that a tournament would be held on the first of May, summoning 'all knights to defend in single combat the title of 'fairest' for their ladies'."

Cosplay events at such conventions, or ‘cons’, include skits {pre-planned theatrical or comedic performances}, masquerades {staged competitions} and photo shoots {cosplayers dressed from the same fiction series often group together}.

While American cosplayers mainly stick to cosplaying at conventions, Japanese cosplaying frequently takes place in public street settings, especially in the Harajuku {Tokyo} and Nipponbashi {Osaka} shopping districts. Cosplaying has become far more prevalent in Japanese culture than in American culture since the 80s. In Japan there are stores, magazines and even cafés dedicated solely to cosplay. Yet many Americans haven't the faintest notion that such a subculture exists, and often quite close to home.

Upstate New York, for example, is mostly known for its rolling farm lands, forest preserves and the capital city of Albany. It's a far cry from Harajuku, and even those who might enjoy manga or anime may still be unaware of the cosplay group in their own backyard. The Upstate New York or UNY Cosplay group initially formed about five years ago at RPI's Genericon, and has been increasing in size over the years. The group meets at various locations throughout upstate NY and organizes events such as the annual Cosplay Picnic and the Halloween Bash where local cosplayers can meet, share ideals and of course have fun.

“I've been able to work with some incredibly motivated and creative individuals who have brought together some amazing events,” states Jen Wicks, President of UNY Cosplay. Wicks has been president of the organization for the past three years, and claims it has been an “extremely rewarding experience.”

The group recently partnered with Albany Comic Con, and will host its costume competition. Albany Comic Con is scheduled for November 1, and will be held at the local Holiday Inn on Wolf Road. At the Albany con UNY Cosplay will also hold a discussion panel about cosplay, and how it is not just for Halloween. Those interested in joining UNY Cosplay can do so by going to the group’s web site at unycosplay.com, attending meetings, or by going to the various events posted on the site.

Though many of us do imagine becoming our favorite characters the motivation to make such whims reality seems to come from that hushed yet ever present ghost of childhood, which tells us there should be something more than that ‘mundane’ society of nine-to-fives, of cutting grass and talking small. As cosplayer and forum moderator for cosplay.com Rosiel says,

“I work in corporate America, I have to blend in and wear suits and be staid and serious. So cosplay is an escape into adolescence.”

Yet there are also those who, rather than seeing a fantasy-like escape in it, find cosplaying as an inspiration for their own very real “self-transformations.” Cosplay.com forum user ‘xxdaemonxx’ explains, “Roleplaying does not always lead to an ‘escape from reality‘, it can greatly open your mind and give you more power over reality. When I was inspired by [the Fist of the North Star and Street Fighter 2] anime characters I started to take martial arts and studied various mind sciences. I wanted to be a master of my mind, body, and spirit like the anime characters that I greatly admired.” Cosplayers like ‘daemon’, beyond their costumes, their makeup, or their skits, truly do bring fictional characters to life.

Credit: photograph of Rick Lo potraying ‘L’ from Death Note, taken by ‘Slumberdoll’ of cosplay.com{used under creative commons}

Citizens, prepare to enter this army’s space

2009-09-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

By Jessica Bakeman

A wandering citizen enters a tunnel engulfed in light. The light is overwhelming — to the point where the space is physically hot. Wading his way through the glow, he continues to a door whereupon he is greeted with a calming coolness. Opening another door, he enters a world of dance, a full-blown sequence with bedazzled participants hidden behind high masks, moving to music so loud it rings in his ears. The next tunnel brings him to a battle with a high-voltage fan, where his survival instincts will push him toward the next door, his only goal being to overcome the pressure of his attacker. He is a citizen, an audience observer, and this “happening” is the army’s space.

This is how Christian Amato envisions theatre.

Though the Plattsburgh State senior acknowledges that many would find his imaginings to be no more (or less) than fantastical, this is the theatre experience he wants to create.

“I wish theatre itself could be as advanced as Disney rides,” he said, while blowing away the smoke from a bright red cigarette. “Sounds are turned on and off in your ears, wind gets blown at you so fast that you feel like you’re flying or like rats are running around at your feet. Or the ride takes you into a bakery and you smell the sweet scent of apple pie.”

He sees this theatre army’s environment manifesting itself in the tunnels that connect several dormitory buildings on campus, such as those winding under Banks and Whiteface Halls.

This project, only yet alive in his mind, is one product he hopes to achieve with a new performance group he founded this semester, The Theatre Project.

The group’s mission statement, in Amato’s words, is “that the actor is an ever-growing and ever-evolving being and every production that The Theatre Project does should reflect that,” he said.

Amato said his main motivation for establishing the group was to increase the volume of theatre being done at the college. Whereas the school’s theatre department and the College Theatre Association, another student group, usually put on two main shows a semester, this group will add another.

The other goal of The Theatre Project is to bring theatre to audiences without the exchange of money. Shows will be produced without a budget, and admission will be zip.

The group’s first production will be “Waiting for Godot,” an avant garde Samuel Beckett play “where nothing happens — twice,” the show’s director, Zack Bissell, said.

Amato asked Bissell to direct the show last May, and their original concept was to stage it on the loading dock off of Myers Fine Arts Center with a single light. As the show will go up Nov. 13-15, they decided that the Plattsburgh chill would prohibit an outdoor performance. Instead, the show will be held in the trap room of Hartman Theatre, directly under the stage.

They are doing the show with no budget, but with “calling in favors,” Bissell said. For example, a friend of Amato’s connected them with the New York University costume loft, and NYU will be loaning the costumes for the production at no cost.

“It’s simple; all you need is a tree and a mound,” Amato said, eyeing a moth that had landed on the wall next to him. “The (characters) are vagrants — bums.”

With this, he cupped the moth into his hands and frolicked to the front door, letting it fly away.

“I released a moth back into the wild!” he shouted.

Bissell continued where his friend left off, noting that “Godot” would be more of an environmental piece than a traditional stage production.

“The second you walk into the theatre space, the show starts,” he said. “It’s a living art exhibit. All of the technical aspects of the show will be exposed. Audience members will be able to see actors getting ready, technicians setting up.”

Amato plans to include a ballot in the program for audience members to vote on a future show. For the spring, he is toying with “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” as a possibility.

He will also be directing theatre faculty member Ken Roberts in a production this winter, that will hold performances the first week of classes spring semester. He hasn’t decided on the play yet, but is looking at “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller.

“I’d like to do a classic,” Amato said. “I’m sick of all this modernism.”

Future visions might include a production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” where the stage and actors are draped wholly in white linen, and the lights change the colors of the stage. He also envisions a 1920s interpretation of Sophocles’ “Ajax,” where characters hint that the title character is a bootlegger during the prohibition era.

“That’s all I got right now,” he said finally with a sigh of creative energy.

Well, that, and a musical adaptation of Disney’s “Hercules,” but under one condition, Bissell said.

“Only if Beyoncé agrees to play lead muse.”

Credit: Logo by Christian Amato, 2009.

Dress Code

2009-09-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

By Jamela Gibson

When people think of the North Country the first thing they might think of is cold weather, a lot of snow. But who knew that can change. People in the North Country explore the taste of New York City fashion. Dresscode is a fairly new clothing consignment store that sells fairly used clothes, jewelry belts, shoes and books to their customers. But here’s the twist, customers can sell their clothing to the store and earn fifty percent of what they sell.

The consignment store is located downtown of Plattsburgh on 21 Bridge Street in Plattsburgh, New York, owned by Julie LaPier. The store consists of named brand clothing such as Pacsun, Abercrombie & Fitch, Old Navy, American Eagle, Ed Hardy and many more.

How did you get started?

I found out that I was loosing my teaching job here at the local school and I decided to open up “Dresscode.”

How did you come up with the name “Dresscode?”

My daughter Jessica who was thirteen at the time was figuring out names. She and I were at American Eagle trying on a skirt and I said does it fit the Dresscode and she came out the dressing room saying “Mom that’s a great name for the store.” So we decided to name the store Dresscode.

What kind of clothing do you sell?

All brand clothes that high school kids love. I base what to put on the clothing racks based on what’s popular. If skinny jeans are popular among high school and college students then I’ll sell them. If they’re not popular, then I won’t sell them. American Eagle, Abercrombie, Hollister, etc, are what’s popular among the high school and college students at this point, but high school kids won’t wear Old Navy or Gap splattered on the front of the shirts. AGG jeans, James Pears and boutique jeans are what college students would wear rather than high school students.

How do you come up with the prices?

I base it on clearance clothes out like American Eagle or Old Navy. If a pair of American Eagle jeans are $19.99. I go for like between $13.00 and $16.00. Most people go to consignment shops looking to pay less for their clothing. Not to pay more. My nieces help me out by making some of the jewelry that I sell here.

How long have you been open?

I opened up on August 1st, 2009. But before that I opened on June 1st for consignments and by August 1st, I had pretty much the racks you see here (pointing to the clothes that are hanging up on the clothes racks) all full.

How many customers do you have per day?

When I first opened up I had forty customers per day. Now with the college kids I have thirty customers a day just looking and about twenty of the customers that are just looking actually buy something.

If you are interested in shopping at DressCode and would like to know more information you can do so by visiting…www.thenewdresscode.com or call (518) 825-2633 or going into the store and ask for Julie LaPier.

The Spice of the North Country!

2009-09-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

By Nicholas Persad

Caribbean students in the North Country can get their dose of Caribbean culture, but they have to be willing to make some trips, possibly get a visa and unfortunately be the ripe, old age of 21.

The State University of New York at Plattsburgh prides itself on being the institution that has the greatest number of international students among the SUNY schools. Students from the Caribbean make up a substantial percentage of these international students. Coming from the Caribbean to a place like Plattsburgh where there are not only many societal differences but also a complete change in climate is a huge shock and often requires a great deal of adjustment. It is therefore not surprising that many Caribbean students have a yearning for any small piece of their culture while they are at school here in Plattsburgh. These students don’t have to look very far but they do need to do their research. Large neighboring cities like Montreal and Burlington have proven to be a haven for people from the Caribbean looking to hear the music of their homeland, eat some Caribbean cuisine or simply ‘lime’ which is the equivalent to the American term of ‘hanging out’.

Montreal

Montreal is the largest metropolitan city near Plattsburgh. It is only about an hour away by car or bus. This Canadian city, whose primary language is French, is one where there has been a large influx of people from the Caribbean. There are many venues including various bars and nightclubs that cater strictly to a Caribbean audience.

“If you’re from the Caribbean and looking to party, Montreal is the place to be,” said Kerstin Perrin, a senior at PSU who frequents many Caribbean ‘hotspots’ in Montreal. With all the variety that Montreal has to offer, two locations can be highlighted as being extremely popular with Caribbean students. They are ‘Testa Rossa Bar and Longe’ and ‘Vision’. ‘Testa Rossa’ is located at 2110 Crescent (between De Maisonneuve & Sherbrooke), Montreal while ‘Vision’ is located at 662-90th Ave, Montreal.

“Testa Rossa is where you want to be on a Friday night. They play only ‘soca’* and dancehall and you can even get ‘bake and shark’*. On Saturday you want to be at ‘Vision’ because they play strictly ‘soca’.” Perrin said. Montreal is appealing to students not only because the drinking age is 18 as opposed to 21 as in the states but there is simply just more to choose from than in Plattsburgh. The only setback is that some Caribbean students may need a Canadian visa depending on which country they are from. Students from islands like The Bahamas and St. Kitt’s and Nevis do not need a visa whereas students from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago do need one.

* ‘bake and shark’ is a local dish from Trinidad and Tobago
* ‘soca’ is a form of dance music which originated in Trinidad and Tobago

Above: Flyer advertising ‘Testa Rossa’

Burlington

Burlington is in Vermont which is the state bordering New York. It is about an hour by car from Plattsburgh. The trip requires you to take a ferry across Lake Champlain and then drive about 45 minutes to Burlington. Unlike Montreal the club and bar scene in Burlington is reserved for those who are 21 plus. However, this does not take away from the fact that there is an immense Caribbean vibrancy in the city. Venues such as Nectar’s and Red Square provide the Caribbean population in Burlington with ample entertainment to keep their desire for something Caribbean satisfied.

Nectar’s is located at 188 Main Street. Red Square is found at 136 Church Street. “The clubs in Burlington may not have a designated night for Caribbean music, but they play a lot of dancehall on a regular basis so you definitely don’t have to worry about hearing techno all night.” said Yasharae Pierre, a senior at PSU who says she loves the nightlife in Burlington.

Above: Red Square (left) and Nectar’s (right)

Plattsburgh "Plattsburgh has a little bit to offer us Caribbean folk,” said Jodi Powell, a PSU senior from Jamaica. “Places like ‘Green Room’ will play some ‘soca’ and dancehall but they don’t have anything that is strictly Caribbean. Then you have places like ‘Monopole’ and ‘Peabody’s’ that will often have reggae bands performing. ‘The Naked Turtle’ has a Thursday night dedicated to Caribbean music, but they only open during the summer months.” said Powell.

Whether it is going across the border, cruising over a lake or simply remaining in Plattsburgh, the North Country has enough Caribbean culture to delight the majority of Caribbean students. They just need to go a little extra way to get that enjoyment.

Credits: TK

Album review: fun.’s Aim & Ignite

2009-09-21T13:20:00.001-07:00

By Alyse Whitney

Released on August 25th, 2009

Nate Ruess knows how to make a statement. Rather than returning to the music industry after the disbanding of indie rock favorite The Format with a haphazard solo career or newly compiled band, he decided to have some fun.

After the decision was made to put The Format on hiatus, front man Ruess turned to two of his closest friends – lead singer and guitarist Jack Antonoff of Steel Train and former Anathallo piano player, Andrew Dost – and experimented by taking a leap outside of the box. By combining multi-layered harmonies, rhythmic drumbeats, swelling violins, and a gospel choir, the arrangement of fun.’s debut LP, Aim & Ignite practically creates its own genre.

The record opens and closes with an explosion of emotion and soaring harmonies while throwing any semblance of traditional structure and tempo out the window. The unfamiliar sound of an accordion begins the opening track of “Be Calm,” cueing violins and the questioning tone of Ruess as he croons his lyrics. The irony of the lyrics (“I close my eyes, I tell myself to breathe and be calm”) and the ever-changing rhythm becomes apparent as the song quickly becomes anything but calm, picking up in tempo as soon as claps and marching band-esque beats enter the arrangement.

Although this was not released as an initial single for the band, the first transition of sweet ballad to up-tempo show-tune could easily be used as an overture for the album, illustrating just how frantic Nate Ruess can be.

While all three members of fun. contributed to the album, it becomes quite clear that Ruess is the dominant force behind its creation. Despite it being entirely different musically, a listener could easily be confused by the continuous nature of The Format’s 2006 album, Dog Problems, and fun.’s Aim & Ignite. Thankfully for Ruess, this time around, the lyrics are not cynical and breakup-fueled; instead, the album is filled with jumping violin beats and cheeky rhymes (“All the Pretty Girls”) and effortlessly beautiful piano-heavy arrangements (“The Gambler”) composed by Doth and arranger Roger Joseph Manning Jr., the former keyboardist of Jellyfish.

The combination of Manning Jr. and Dog Problems producer Steven McDonald created a strong base for fun. to build off of, layering horns upon Queen-inspired harmonized vocals along with mixed percussion and toe-tapping beats. After an initial listen, the album is a bit overwhelming and unexpected, but after the record spins on repeat a few times around, the effect is almost hypnotizing in its perfection. fun.’s decision to write and record in New York City allowed the band to see Broadway musicals every night, which provided strong influence for the album. In theory, the album (although only 42 minutes in length) could stand on its own as a full-fledged show due to Ruess’s theatrical nature and the stories, individual voices, and characters interwoven to create an absolutely stunning album. This show-tune like quality is strategically placed into each song, but shows its prominence in the uplifting “Barlights” as the gospel choir is cued up in the bridge, chanting the line, “I feel alive, I feel alive, I feel alive.” From that point on and into the chorus, the choir builds as Ruess repeats “see I’m gonna live forever” and they branch into three separate parts and end the song with an eruption of horns.

The album ends as strongly as it began with a song weighing in at 7 minutes and 51 seconds, cleverly titled “Take Your Time (Coming Home)”. Despite every element and instrument combined in a jumbled manner, each instrument is distinctive and has a solo, including Nate Ruess as he ends the song with a half-yelled, half-sung indistinct fade out of notes that leave the listener anxiously awaiting more. Although it only weighs in at ten tracks and just under 43 minutes, fun.’s debut speaks for itself, bringing together the art of show tunes and the indie-pop-rock feel that fans of The Format have been missing for the past three years.

adTUNES

2009-09-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

By Cassandra Thomas

Product placement has been since 1908 when the earliest sign of a product in popular tunes was in famous baseball song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” by Jack Norworth with references to Cracker Jack.

For years, product placement has been lingering “behind the scenes” in movies, shows, and other forms of media; however, product placement in today’s music stands as powerful as word of mouth.

Most people want to be a celebrity or live that glamorous lifestyle. What better way to appeal to these “wanna-bes” by plopping the product into a mainstream song, giving it credibility. Songs like Busta Rhymes’s “Pass the Courvoisier” and Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It On” has contributed to the rise in liquor sales. The hit record “Blame It On” mentioned drinks like Grey Goose, Patron, Circo and Nuvo --- some of hip-hop’s famous liquors.

Once the youth are exposed to these name brands that are praised in their favorite songs, they will feel the need to purchase the product. According to the New York Times, Grey Goose sales went up 10 percent after Foxx’s well-known lyrics: “Blame it on the Goose, got you feeling loose.” The advertisement seems much more subtle and convincing in a popular hit single, making the propaganda less prominent. Courvoisier sales went up 20 percent a year after the song was released. Thank you, Busta.

With the help of money-hungry musicians, companies are able to expand by seamlessly placing their products in either a shot of a music video or in the lyrics of a song. The logic is simple: for every time the radio plays that song, an artist receives $1 to $5, which makes this strategy of advertising cheaper and more effective than the average in-your-face ads throughout daily life from the television set to a t-shirt.

All genres of music consist of product placement, but hip-hop and rap artists have been targeted to do most of the name-dropping in their upbeat tunes. For the past couple of years, there has been a collapse in hip-hop’s freshness --- materialism being the theme of every lyric, from cars to clothes. These artists jump at the chance to trade their lyrics to corporations to receive billions of dollars.

Artists are able to use their talent of wordplay and their popularity to sell off shelves of products. A five second reference to brand names like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and can boost sales as well as expose a product that doesn’t live up to the hype. Rappers Biggie Smalls and Jay-Z were always given Cristal champagne as props for their video; however, after helping owner Frederic Rouzand earn billions, Jay-Z later found out Rouzand was racist and took advantage of the hip-hop industry, which is more gullible to propaganda. Liquor companies like Dom Perignon and Krug jumped on the chance to take Cristal’s place.

There are plenty of songs we listen to whose products fly past our heads because we’re so accustomed to hearing them. Product placement can be obvious as it is in RUN DMC’s “My Adidas” or Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice,” but it can also be a silent as the Cadillac Escalade in Ludacris’s video “What’s Your Fantasy” or the clothing line The Billionaire Boy’s Club in all of Pharrell’s music videos. An artist that endorses a product deserves much more respect than an artist who gets paid by placing name brands in a song --- it kills the creativity of music.

This strategy advertising with product placement in our favorite tunes may seem ludicrous, but many of our beloved musicians are signing contracts and getting paid because listeners as well as followers fall victim to the tactic. If it wasn’t for the fans, artists would not be getting the paycheck they get today. Anyone would rap about a candy bar or sing about a condom just to be rewarded more than $30,000. So we can’t really blame the artist for that decision; we can only understand where they’re coming from. Next time you see Kanye West sporting the latest Louis Vuitton backpack, think about how much he’s getting paid and how much you’ll be spending.

Plattsburgh’s Best Dance Crew

2009-09-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

By Nicole Weber

Plattsburgh’s Best Dance Crew is…(enter your dance crew’s name here). A dance off show, much like MTV’s daytime show America’s Best Dance Crew, also known as ABDC, will be held on September 23rd in E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium, of SUNY Plattsburgh, at 7 p.m. for the affordable price of free admission.

Brought to you by SUNY Plattsburgh’s Entertainment Committee on Activities Coordination Board, PBDC will hopefully be a “real big success,” said SUNY Plattsburgh’s Entertainment Committee’s Vice Chair Brett Williams. Williams adds that he hopes PBDC can become an annual event that will grow bigger and better with students’ support and interest.

PBDC was planned last semester because of the large interest in dance between the Entertainment Committee. Jimmy McKenna, Head Chair of SUNY Plattsburgh’s Entertainment Committee said. “It’s something different and students can get involved,” McKenna said.

As with ABDC, PBDC will go on a similar routine of performances, judging and cuts. All dance crews will be performing one number. The top three crews, remaining after cuts, will then perform their same act again. The top crew will be crowned and presented with a prize of $100 MasterCard each.

The host and photographer, Michael Cashman will be performing an “opening number”. “I love what the group [Entertainment Committee] is doing,” Cashman said. Also, be on the look out for pictures of the performing dance crews inside the Angell College Center.

The judges for this year’s PBDC will be Kara Lalonde, vice president of student activities; Bill Laundry; Corri Mathews, director of center of student involvement; and Penny Kendall from SUNY Plattsburgh’s Clinton Dinning Hall. McKenna explained that the Entertainment Committee wanted the judges to be people familiar to most of campus.

“I love to do these things,” said Kendall who can’t wait to see the performances. Kendall also said she expects to see a variety of dance styles. “(It’s) no fun seeing everyone doing the same thing”. Kendall has judged Mr. Plattsburgh in the past and would like to get involved with more student events in the future.

If you come to PBDC not only will you see the battle of the dance crews, but also performances by professional dance group. Group 616 is an urban, street-dance group from Chicago. 616 will perform several acts throughout the night as well as performing a teaser in the Amite Plaza at noon. This years dance crews are: Frank’s Phantom, the Visionaries, Fuji, Jedi Step and Dance Corps. Frank’s Phantom is a hip-hop, modern group who are among the cast and crew of Plattsburgh’s Rocky Horror Show. Their showcased dance for PBDC will be an actual act from the production. Frank’s Phantom consists of choreographer Antonette Knoedl, Emily Madan, Meigg Jupin and Tyler Rebello. The group is competing for fun, “everyone puts extra energy into it because it’s just for fun, Knoedl said.

The Visionaries include, choreographer Dharmit Laxman, Aymen Belazi, Danny Ye and Mirasad Amirov. The Visionaries, “have a vision to win.” We’re bringing out something special that people haven’t seen,” Amirov said. The visionaries claim to have moves that no one has on campus. B-boy breaking, hip-hop popping, with “funny theatrical” footwork is the definition of the Visionaries’ style. Fuji is a female Japanese dance group. Audiences might have seen this group perform before at SUNY Plattsburgh’s senior school play or Night of Nations last semester. However, the group has changed, losing a few members and gaining a few new ones. The group is now composed of leader Kana Kobayashi, Yukino Kamiyama, Aiko Takamoto, Tomomi Nagai and Miyu Otaka. You can expect to see shaking, popping as the group will perform a hip-hop, pop piece.

Jedi Step, from campus club Jedi Dance Production, is an all-female step team. Jedi Step consists of step captains and chorographers Jessica Ubiles and Habiba Braimah, and steppers Ashley Parris, Arielle Thurman and Nicole Renee Lewis.

Jedi Step is performing to win, as well, but are also performing to claim respect as a step team. “Rumor was that Jedi can’t step or dance,” Lewis said.

Jedi Dance Productions initially signed up a dance, rather than step, group as well, but failed to show to auditions.

Dance Corps is a hip-hop/ jazz /modern group. Choreographer Robb Roedel, Caroline LaFauei, Atum Gagne, Stacey Calcagni, Amber Parliament and Meghan Summerlin are also all from the campus club Dance Corps. Dance Corps’ crew uses the floor to create patterns and shapes, moving with the beats of the song. You can expect to see turns, jumps and even some stomps. Dance Corps performs, “a lot of different styles with energy,” Roedel said. He adds that as a group, Dance Corps has respect for other people, dancers, and styles.

Come support your favorite crew and enjoy the performance of professional dance group 616. The winning crew is decided by audience votes.

9 Reasons Not to See 9

2009-09-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

By Nick Will

September 9th, 2009 (9-9-09 in calendar talk) saw the release of two anticipated elements in the entertainment world: The Beatles edition of Rockband and the movie “9”. Part of me wishes this review was about the former.

“9” is the feature version of a short film of the same title created in 2005 by Shane Acker and was published in the 2007 anthology of “The Animation Show.” The version in theaters is an adaptation of the original, a more expansive version. “9” takes place in after the fall of mankind. After being killed by their own a machines, mans’ last hope is a surviving scientist who traps his soul in 9 rag dolls as a last resort to preserve humanity. The story surrounds 9 rag doll characters; each ironically named #’s 1-9, who are fighting a machine named the Beast.

The movie is packed with high intensity fight sequences were 9 and his comrades fight immeasurable odds, including several duels with mechanical beasts ten times their size. Each combat sequence tends to end up the same though: 9 and his friends get beat up badly and happen to defeat the creature through a quick movement. For example, the fight sequence shown in the trailer includes 9 and 5 getting literally torn apart by a giant cat-like machine. In the end of the sequence however they are saved by the mysterious #7, the rag doll featured in the trailer with the bird skull over her face.

That being said, the movie’s plot lacks any real meaning, as we the viewer are lost in fight sequences. There is no clear explanation as to why 9 and his rag-time gang are fighting the beast; it is just shown that they are fighting. Other than a few glimpses into the past, viewers are left wondering how exactly it came down to 9 rag dolls and a giant god-like machine.

The film also lacked in the dialogue department. With voice acting by fan favorites such as John C. Reilly as 5 and Elijah Wood as 9 it is hard to think that you would be bored with the dialogue but, this film’s dialogue bores with gusto. The dialogue in the film is the same banter heard in any post-apocalyptic film, with such a back drop, one would think that emotions would run high. Maybe Acker should have stuck with the silent aspect of the original.

The visuals of the film are however amazing. The art and visual departments did a great job engaging us with the post-humanity staging; the areas were extremely beautiful in a dark way. A specific set that caught my attention was a church of some sort in which the characters take refuge from the beast during the middle if the film. The church itself is well designed, and the way that the lighting and fog effects were added definitely captured the feel of the scene. The film’s characters and gadgets were also delivered well with an extremely steam punk feel. The film looks great but looking good doesn’t excuse bad dialogue and boring plot.

Another thing to mention was the films misleading advertisements. First off, the cinematic previews for “9” featured music by the alternative rock group “Coheed and Cambria” and the film itself contained none of their work. Another thing to point out was a misleading tag the film was given: “This is not your little brother’s animated movie.” To me this was nothing but a film for children. Outside of a few dead bodies shown in the opening scenes, nothing in the film was portrayed as overly violent or dark.

Alright, so there aren’t nine reasons. But, a few is good enough. If you’re looking for a beautiful movie with great animation then this is it, but if plot matters to you then you should probably look somewhere else. Maybe when they claimed that this wasn’t our little brother’s animated film, what they really meant was that not even your little brother could enjoy it.

Travelling the Road to Success Barefoot

2009-09-21T13:05:00.000-07:00

Barefoot Truth set high expectations for their 2010 release, Threads

By Andrew Beam

After performing at a pre-presidential debate rally at Hofstra University where Bruce Hornsby plays before them and David Crosby and Graham Nash plays after, then performing at a festival in Wyoming, Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin, the Mystic Connecticut quintet is set to release their latest album entitled Threads in 2010. A disc which harmonica player Garrett Duffy exclaims “Is going to make a huge splash.”

The band had a busy year as they toured around the country in 2008 with former member of Dispatch, Pete Francis, released two EP’s, one with Francis and one with female vocalist Nia Kete. While doing all of that, the band was able to head into the studio with producer Scott Riebling who Evans hesitantly admits has worked with bands such as Fall Out Boy. This did not take away the impact he had on the group. “He really pushed us to do another take and get the best one,” Evans says. “Just having an engineer who’s patient enough and who knows how to get out of you what you’re capable of without crushing your spirit. He’s very constructive.” The band took a different route for recording than they did with their 2007 release, Walk Softly, where instead of recording in analog, the band went digital. Duffy says the band still kept the process they’ve done in the past by recording the songs onto Pro-tools and putting them on tape in order to keep an organic sound. “We’ve taken an analog approach to digital.”

The band decided to go with digital recording since they feel that it is the direction recording is heading in. “To compete with bands these days, you have to keep up on things like Pro-Tools,” Duffy says, “You want to compete with the best.” Both Evans and Duffy describe the album has having a much cleaner and “polished” sound. This isn’t solely due to the new recording process, but also because they’re more experienced. “I think people will really notice an improvement in this album on our part as musicians,” Evans says, “I think we’ve gotten a lot better and tighter as a group as well.”

The band has come a long way from the beaches in Mystic where Will Evans and Driscoll first started composing songs for what is now the five person group. While they were still a duo, they released Changes In The Weather in 2005. Evans didn’t see a future for these stripped down acoustic tracks him and Driscoll were playing. In fact, he wasn’t looking too far past that summer. “I envisioned playing the bars in the summer,” Evans says, “I certainly had no sights beyond the next summer. We just did it. We weren’t like, ‘This is the best thing in the world.’ We were just having fun and people seemed to enjoy it.”

After three years of playing just between the two of them, the duo began to slowly accumulate more members. Just as Evans and Driscoll began discussing adding an upright bass to the mix, classically trained jazz-bassist Andy Wrba came into the picture. Wrba attended a Barefoot Truth gig and introduced himself to the guys after the set. After that things progressed smoothly. “We got together and jammed one time and that was pretty much it from there,” Evans describes. “I think we had a gig the next day and we’re like, ‘Wanna come play with us?’ We wrote the songs out for him on the car ride there, and he’s got a great photographic memory so he learned songs quickly.”

Duffy made his way into the band after going to school with Evans at St. Michaels College in Vermont, where the two began holding jam sessions and Evans discovered Duffy’s talent as a harp [harmonica] player. “He ended up coming to some shows just for the ride and to get away from campus for the weekend,” Evans says, “He would sit in and he really caught on to the whole business of things.” Duffy, while being the lead harmonica player, became the band’s business manager. “He’s the business guy of the group and he’s the most band looking guy of all of us.” With Long curly hair, a wool-knit hat, a scraggly beard, and a long-sleeved flannel, it would be hard to see Duffy as business savvy. “He was a business major, and for his senior project he did the band,” Evans says. “He’s taking the role with handling the merchandise, which is helpful for sure. The fact he’s a great harp player is awesome.”

After incorporating Wrba and Duffy, the group recorded Walk Softly, where Wrba was able to throw his jazz influence into the mix of reggae, folk, and blues that Barefoot Truth all ready had in place. This is what came to create what the band likes to call “Roots Rock.” Songs like “Reelin’” and “Broken Road” showcased the diversity and the very rare lead harmonica that is prevalent in bands like Blues Traveler. The band began touring and noticing that people had really taken a liking to their live show. “I’ve had people tell me they like the songs live way better than the CD,” Evans says with a laugh.

Duffy would agree, as he admits that their live show is their “best asset”. “With five people, we can do some fun things,” he explains. “With our feel-good, upbeat songs, you can see the energy pick up in the crowd.” Evans has learned that when playing for a crowd the band cannot be playing for themselves, they have a job they need to accomplish. “People come out and they play money to see you. You have to entertain them,” he says. “You’ve got to make them happy.”

The band is ready to make their fans even happier as they ready the release of Threads in February of 2010. “These songs are going to propel us to the next level,” Duffy says excitingly. “We’re setting ourselves up well organizationally.” The album is varied in the styles it contains, as it includes a horn section that livens up their jazz side. “We bring it back to the classic ‘white reggae’ feel, that roots-rock vibe,” Evans says as he describes the album, “Also, we’ve been getting more into the Weissenborn stuff with Jay, going towards more of a John Butler Trio/Ben Harper style.”

They have acquired a new piano player, Wayno, who has played with the band for a few live shows. “We would always ask him to sit in if we had a bigger show,” Evans says. “He graduated last year so we took him on full time this summer.” Unfortunately, Wayno will not be on the new album since he was unavailable due to being in school. “We’ve got a big influence from Wayno,” Duffy says, “He brings the element of jazz with Andy.”

For 2009 and 2010, the band is hopeful that they will expand in the markets they have been playing in, like the New England area, as well as building up their fan club which is called “The Barefoot Collective” where they have 500 members from all over the world. Still, the band is not trying to rush into things by any means. “We’ll take it as it comes,” Evans says, “We don’t want to kill ourselves trying to get big; we want it to happen naturally.”

What do the new exchange students make of Plattsburgh?

2009-09-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

By Daniel Ring

What do the new exchange students make of Plattsburgh?

According to the SUNY Plattsburgh website, the university ‘is a balanced environment that is conducive to learning and filled with opportunities’ but how does it compare to universities overseas? Forget ‘student satisfaction ratings’ we want the real stories from those that have lived and worked on several campuses. So who better to turn to than our very own international exchange students? Several students from Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia answered several questions about what is life is like on their home campuses and how Plattsburgh fares in comparison.

On Nightlife

Nightlife in Plattsburgh is predominantly bar focussed, which can is restricting for younger students seeing as the legal drinking age is 21. However, there are non alcoholic nights in places like Karma which provide a club atmosphere for people 18 and over. Pub crawls (an organized trail through different pubs/bars, they are a staple feature of UK university nightlife) don’t tend to occur. How does this compare to the nights out at their own universities?

Matt (University of East Anglia, UK)
‘There tends to be a mixture of nights on campus and in the town though I personally prefer the pubs. There are plenty close to the student housing and often have special deals on. We also have huge, company organized pub crawls like Carnage. In Plattsburgh there isn’t any nightlife unless the you create it yourself, thankfully the students here are very good at that.’

Julianna (University of Prince Edward Island, Canada)
‘The drinking age in my province is 19 so people so we tend to have more house parties rather than nights out in the town. We don’t really have anything organized on campus like at Plattsburgh, though its smaller so it’s easier to meet more people.’

Most universities have a particular drink that everyone loves, it’s usually something in plentiful supply, cheap and normally rather potent. Unfortunately the one thing it normally isn’t is tasty. At Plattsburgh it tends to be whatever anyone can get hold of, but what did the exchange students normally drink at home?

Leanne (University of Alberta, Canada)
It has to be Silver Beer, it’s cheap, nasty and everyone in my faculty drinks it.

Matt
‘Everyone drinks Snakebite (cider and lager with a dash of Blackcurrant cordial) but I prefer just straight Strongbow.’

Andy (University of Central Lancashire, UK)
‘Fat Frogs, its just dirty mix of every alcho-pop going. A great way to start off the night!’

Emma (University of Queensland, Australia)
‘XXXX lager, named as such because you can’t put shit on the can!’

On Shopping

Plattsburgh has several offerings when it comes to shopping in the city. There is the downtown area with several independent stores such as ‘DressCode’ and ‘Under One Roof’. There is also the Mall and a large Walmart nearer the outskirts of the town.

Leanne
‘There are lots of independent high-end stores in Edmonton, and West Edmonton mall, the biggest mall in the world, is a 20min bus ride from the center. Plattsburgh is very different, I haven’t seen anywhere near the same variety and i think that is reflected in people’s fashion on campus.’

Emma
‘My university is located right in the city center so it is very close to the shopping center. However, it’s quite expensive because, being the capital, there is a lot of tourism. Students tend to shop on the west-end. My personal favorites are Dotti, Elle and Topshop. Plattsburgh is a lot cheaper, as a student I prefer it.’

Andy
‘Preston has two main shopping areas, the high street where there is more independent stuff and the mall for the more commercial stores. It’s a good mixture, with plenty of stores catered for students. I find that the stores in Plattsburgh are focussed more towards the Plattsburgh locals.

On Music

Whilst Plattsburgh doesn’t have a lot of big names play at the university, an inquisitive student will discover that the surrounding area has a some of local talent and Montreal is also a good place to go to discover something new. However, the university doesn’t really promote anything and it as such it’s difficult students especially foreign ones to really discover anything in the area.

Matt
‘UEA is one of the best universities in the country for live music, a lot of big names in the UK such as The Arctic Monkeys, Scouting for Girls and The Killers have played there. I haven’t seen the live music scene at Plattsburgh yet but everyone seems to play RnB here!’

Emma
‘We have a lot of student bands rather than big names. However there are a lot of music festivals close by in Brisbane and we get a lot of student discounts because of that. Unfortunately I haven’t heard anything about live music at Plattsburgh.’

Leanne
‘I haven’t really experienced the music scene at Plattsburgh, they don’t really advertise it. We have quite a lot of Canadian live music such as Metric, Wintersleep and Sam Roberts.’

So according to our exchange students it seems as if Plattsburgh has a very different culture and atmosphere to most places abroad. Unfortunately it looks as if many of these other universities offer better services that on campus and in the local surronding area. Thankfully the university is in a good position to travel from; Montreal and New York City are easily accessible. In the meantime, perhaps SUNY Plattsburgh needs to see what it can provide in order to be a more attractive campus to all students, both local and international.

A typical scene on a ‘Carnage’ pub crawl in Norwich.

Video Game Controversy - Modern Warfare 2

2009-01-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

By Daniel Ring

You begin in darkness, all you hear is the clicking of loading guns, and the quiet humming of an elevator. “Remember, no Russian,” says the leader of the group as the cramped space you are stood in fades into view. Seconds later, you hear the ping of the elevator, the doors open and you step out into a crowded Russian airport. Turning to a long line of people next to you, you open fire, slaughtering hundreds instantly. As the innocent people try to flee, you shoot them in the back. A horrific scene, but this is not real -- this is a video game.

The game is Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, one of the most popular games of the decade, and perhaps one of the most important. The “shoot-em-up” genre defines American video game culture, many of the best games of recent times have been part of this genre, though it is only this latest installment in the Call of Duty series that actually touches on the morality of such games. The game is trying to make the player think about their actions, and give a new perspective to a scenario that most only hear about in the news.

Looking deeper into the story behind the level, it’s clear that there are massive political undertones to the whole scenario. You are a CIA agent, posing as a Russian militant who is supposed to be posing as an American terrorist. The guns you are firing on people with -- M240s and M4A1s -- are weapons used by the American military. This isn’t the only part of the game that may be emotionally evocative for the American player; the plot jumps between different characters so later you fight in an invaded Washington, the Capitol building crumbling in the background and in the last few levels of the game you fight against Americans.

Obviously, this game has come under a lot of fire for including the controversial content that it does, it is clearly labelled with an “Mature” rating. The player is even given the option to skip the airport level within the game.

Being a very recent form of entertainment, video games still have a lot to accomplish. People still regard them as entertainment for children. This stigma, fueled by news groups such as Fox News, has meant that video-games have been under a lot of fire for promoting violence and desensitizing our youth. It is also incorrect -- the Entertainment Software Association website states that, “the average game player is 35 years old and has been playing games for 12 years.”

Despite the age restrictions that can be placed on consoles, developers are the first to be blamed for the exposure of children to the adult content of their games. The truth is that people just don’t take games seriously -- they wouldn’t allow their thirteen year old to watch a Tarantino movie, the same rule applies to video games -- and until such a time as people realize this, games will continue to be demonized by the media.

Célia Faussart of Les Nubians Gives Journalism Students a High-Spirited Interview

2009-01-17T18:01:00.000-08:00

By Jessica Bakeman

When Célia Faussart asks to kindly excuse her French, she means it. Literally. And she adds a squealy giggle.

Faussart, one-half of the Grammy-nominated duo Les Nubians, gave a high-spirited “Frenglish” interview to a journalism class at Plattsburgh State Oct. 19, and answered student-fielded questions as if she were simply singing. She even let out a few, “la la las.”

Though her work with her sister, Helene, in Les Nubians brought her recognition and fame, Faussart is now working on a solo project: Paris@Night.

“Ah! My Paris@Night, my little French cabaret!” she squeals at the mention of the performance.

The show, with monthly performances at the Zinc Bar in New York City, mixes music, comedy and images, a union of European “ope-eer-ah” and cabaret, she said. The production, in which Faussart uses the stage name Blue Nefertiti, gives audiences a taste of what it means to be “Afro-pean.”

“Blue Nefertiti is the perfect name because I like to link Europe and Africa,” she said. “I like to link the past to the present to the future.”

Born in Paris to a French father and Cameroonian mother, Faussart experiences daily the cultural mix tape of being French, black, and living in Brooklyn.

“I only try to follow my expectations of how to be a great human being first, then to be black,” she said of being held to different cultural standards of race.

Les Nubians’ repertoire demonstrates a fusion of Faussart’s musical interests: classical, jazz, tribal and hip hop.

“I’m from that generation — the hip-hop generation,” she said. “Hip hop helped us have a strong spine.”

Faussart’s vast roster of musical influences includes Miriam Makeba, Joao Gilberto, Celia Cruz, Mozart, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.

The mellow tunes feature poetry recitation, French and English lyrics, and have a consistent, echo-y, almost angelic sound.

Faussart’s success with her sister was made sweeter by the fact that her artistic partner was family.

“Working with my sister is great, beautiful, blessed,” she said. “We argue, we argue, we ‘ar-guuue,’ but it doesn’t stay because we are sisters.”

She said they help to ground each other, no matter what country a tour might take them to.

“Traveling as family — going throughout the world — is special because you don’t lose who you are, your center,” she said. “If one of us loses it, then the other can say, ‘oh, you’re trippin’.’”

In a 2005 interview with NPR, Faussart said it was part of the “plan” that the music she made with Les Nubians could open Americans up to music of other cultures. Now 10 years after the hit album, “Princess Nubiennes,” she reflects on the realization of that dream.

She said she is not sure that her music changed Americans, or that they were simply finally ready to “open their minds and there we were with Les Nubians.”
She said it’s probably a little bit of both.

Helene is not the only family that keeps her grounded. Her kids; Jamaal, 10 and Makeda, 8, were born in France, and they have now been living with their mother in Brooklyn for two years. Faussart said they did not speak any English upon arrival, and their command of the language is now better than hers. She plopped them in an English-speaking school right away.

“For four months, they didn’t really say a thing,” she said.

She and her children are now settled in Brooklyn, giving Faussart time to develop her solo project, for which she has big dreams.

“I would love I would love I would ‘looove’ to do a bigger cabaret revue,” she said. “Like a Broadway kind of thing with a lot of dancers. La da da da da…”

Photo credit: Oluwaseye Olusa

Farris Paved Way for Alternative Black Artists

2009-01-17T17:43:00.000-08:00

By Jessica Bakeman

While Dionne Farris said today’s music doesn’t give anything to anyone, her contemporaries agree that she gave everything to aspiring and future black artists.

A working musician who has shrunk away from the public eye since her hot hits of the early ’90s, Farris is now performing out of the oppressive arms of music industry standards. Those who worked with her acknowledge her contribution to the music scene, namely her destruction of the expectations on which genres of music black artists should and could produce.

Her genre, she said, is simply music.

“I would let that (categorization) to be up to people who need it,” she said in an interview Oct. 26. “But it’s been put in pop, neo-soul, urban alterative.”

Guitarist Jermaine Rand, who played shows in Atlanta with Farris in the late ’90s, admired this mixing of genres as her successful effort to pave the way for those who followed.

“During the time period there was a very closed-minded perception of what a black artist could do on a record,” Rand said. “The first album she put out had everything from blues music to rock music to soul.”

Rand and former touring bassist for Farris, Sean Michael Ray, agree that artists such as Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu got their shot because of Farris’ bold musical exploration.

“They would not have had careers if it wasn’t for Dionne Farris,” Rand said.

When Farris broke into popular music as a solo artist with the hit single “I Know” off of “Wild Seed Wild Flower,” Rand was intrigued. He said he had never heard anything like it.

“Back in the ’90s you had the whole grunge movement, but as far as what the black artists were doing, it was the typically R ‘n’ B and rap music,” he said.

Tomi Martin, a guitarist who toured with Farris and wrote her song, “Open,” said she is often misplaced in terms of genre based on the styles of those she influenced.

“She opened the door for a lot of African American artists to be different and do something besides R ’n’ B, but it’s unfortunate that she has been put into neo-soul,” he said. “She opened the door for Erykah Badu; she opened the door for India.Arie, but she’s not neo-soul.”

Ray described her music as, "very organic, never really that slick, L.A., polished kind of sound, always a really earthy kind of vibe. It's funky at times; it's rock at times; it's almost folk-y at times. It's a little bit of everything."

Speaking to her versatility, Martin originally wrote the song “Open” with Madonna in mind, and hadn’t anticipated it would work with Farris’ musical style. But, he was wrong.

“She had a certain talent of versatility where she can make things fit,” he said.

Durga McBroom, a black singer who toured with Pink Floyd, said Farris’ style creates a perfect combination.

“Her mix of soul and rock is exactly the kind of sound I aspire to create. Plus she can blow!” she said.

While her touring musicians and fans attribute popular artists’ success to her, Farris doesn’t see herself as any more important than others whose music touched listeners and inspired aspiring musicians.

“I think that we’re all links in the chain of this whole musical history,” she said. “Someone influenced me to become an influence.”

Her look, Martin said, also influenced other musicians to break from status quo. On the cover of her album “Wild Seed Wild Flower,” the caramel colored artist sports a brush cut, an oversized flannel shirt, leather buckled boots and a melancholy expression.

“A lot of people thought she was a boy, sitting on this rocking chair on the cover, but it was just Dionne stripping it down and having you pay attention to her music,” he said. “Her videos were quote unquote white videos, because they had different subject matter; they had different layouts. It wasn’t like it was pretentious, it was just who she was.”

Martin said her videos were revolutionary, as well, as most black artists were played exclusively on BET, with some limited play on MTV. But, Farris — she made VH1. Martin said only classic artists made this channel, and her video got substantial airtime.

Music journalist Christian John Wikane, who interviewed Farris this year for popmatters.com, said Farris is an artist who sets an example for what most artists aspire to be — “an independent musician who brings together a very strong cross section of music listeners.”

He added, “She writes the truth from her experience and isn’t limited by what anyone’s perceptions are of what she should be because she is a black female singer. You’re seeing someone who is living her life’s vocation as an artist.”

Farris said expressing truth is her main motivation as a musician.

“I personally think that music should give people truth in its purest form — not just my truth, your truth — just truth,” she said. “Music should be a source of healing … beauty, power, strength, joy, funkiness, get-down, having-a-good-time, makin’-you-dance.”

Farris has been working consistently as a musician since 1992, and said she was called to this occupation. Her latest record, “Signs of Life,” taps into her spirituality and sense of what music should give others.

“I have to have that mustard seed of faith, that little tiny inkling that the universe has got your back,” she said. “I just had a (relentless) faith about putting that record together.”

She released “Signs of Life” independently online in 2008 on her own label, Free and Clear Records. The tracks appear on her MySpace page. She has already started recording tracks for her next album, which will also be released on the label. Farris maintains her social networking pages to connect with fans.

She added “Savin’ Grace,” a minute-and-a-half demo Martin and Farris did on a whim, to her MySpace page to let her fans know she was working on something new. While the song consists of mainly Martin’s guitar stylings and mumbling on her part, the unfinished track has 10,600 hits.

Listeners flock to New York, where she performs monthly at Joe’s Pub.

"Her fan base (is) still there," said Ray, who played her show there the last two months. He said when she sings her new music, she can hold the mic out to her fans who know every word.

Her fellow musicians advocate strongly for listeners to find Farris again — those who have lost her, that is.

“I really would like some people to rediscover Dionne,” Martin said. “I think people kind of put her on the back burner.”

Photo: Courtesy of Dionne Farris