Published April 27, 2010
Link
Senior uses experience to educate about Internet safety
Like any normal 13-year-old, Alicia Kozakiewicz enjoyed talking to people in Internet chat rooms. Little did she know that a man she would meet in one of these chat rooms would make her the victim of a child abduction case that would change the focus of her life forever.
Kozakiewicz, now 21 years old, entered an online relationship with Scott Tyree of Herndon, Va., in early 2002 when she was 13 years old. After several months of “grooming,” a term used by police that means brainwashing based on the building of relationships between predator and victim, Kozakiewicz agreed to meet him in person on the first of that year.
“He was always there for me no matter what, any time of day or night. And he was always on my side no matter what. He made me feel beautiful,” Kosakiewicz, a senior psychology major at Point Park University, said. “I never planned on going anywhere. I left the door ajar. Maybe I just snuck outside to see if he was really going to show up.”
When he did, Tyree abducted Kozakiewicz, driving her to Virginia where she spent the following three days chained in Tyree’s bedroom. While there, he raped and sexually abused her until she was rescued by the FBI on the fourth day – the day Kozakiewicz believes Tyree had planned to kill her.
“The second I saw him, I knew that I was in a lot of trouble,” she said. “He squeezed my hand so tightly, I thought it was broken. He was saying things like, ‘be good, the trunk’s cleaned out for you,’ and threats like that. So I realized that this guy is literally 400 lbs to my 80 lbs, what can I really do? I can’t jump out of a moving vehicle. I just need to sit here, keep quiet and do whatever I can to survive.”
Because of her amazing and rare survival story, Kozakiewicz has since begun the Alicia Project, a community service-oriented organization focused on educating children and parents alike of the dangers involved with the Internet and actions that can be taken to prevent abduction by online predators.
Following her rescue from Tyree, Kozakiewicz’s story was thrust into the public eye, receiving both negative and positive press from many media outlets.
“I was one of the first cases that this had happened,” she said. “In order to put self-defense mechanisms up, I had to be a bad child or my parents were bad parents…people really blamed us.”
However, because of the constant media frenzy surrounding her, Kozakiewicz felt it was natural to start speaking out about her experience. She started the Alicia Project when she was 15, just two years after being rescued from Tyree’s home. Through the Project, she speaks to schools to warn against the dangers of the Internet.
“I started trying to speak out when I was 15, which didn’t work out very well,” Kozakiewicz said. “I’m an extremely shy person. There would be times where I would literally pass out after giving a speech.”
“It was difficult to watch her. As a parent, you want to keep her from hurting herself,” Mary Kozakiewicz, Alicia’s mother, said. “But Alicia was doing something of value. Only she could reach them. When a victim comes in and testifies, it makes it real...[it makes you] consider what you’re doing.”
After taking a brief break in high school to complete her SATs, Kozakiewicz again began to pursue the Project in college. Upon beginning classes at Point Park, Pat Moran, former director of the universities community outreach program and current director of Focus On Renewal (F.O.R.), a community aid program in McKees Rocks, came to speak in Kozakiewicz’s University Experience course about the outreach program, and something in Kozakiewicz “clicked,” she said. She approached Moran after class with ideas of merging their two projects.
“Alicia came to me wanting help reaching a younger audience,” Moran said. “I helped her set up talks in elementary schools and get a bigger audience to tell her story.”
Kozakiewicz tells her story of survival in schools in order to make children understand the dangers of sharing private information about themselves on the Internet.
“Her approach was educational, not shock value,” Moran said of Kozakiewicz. “Her story is shocking, but it is meant as a preventative measure, which is privy to anyone. Kids are online earlier and earlier. Younger is becoming more dangerous.”
At these talks, Kozakiewicz also shares tips on how to prevent becoming a victim of Internet predators, such as making your screen name gender neutral.
“Your screen name is who you are online. It’s your identity,” Kozakiewicz said. “At one point in my program, a girl gave me her screen name. She was 9 years old, and it was hotgirl69XXO, and she probably had no idea what that meant. So, I always tell the kids that this girl goes into a chat room, who is going to message her? And the kids were like ‘pedophiles, perverts,’ and that’s possible, but definitely someone who wants to talk about sex. And can you blame them because that’s exactly what her screen name says.”
While Kozakiewicz speaks to the children in the schools, her mother, Mary, often speaks to the parents of those children.
“When something like this happens, you don’t want it to happen to anyone else,” Mary Kozakiewicz said. “It’s important for others, to help them survive.”
Mary Kozakiewicz is part of the nation-wide Surviving Parents Coalition, which is a group of parents of children who have been predatorily abducted or sexually abused. Mary Kozakiewicz and the other members of the Coalition comprise a “cohesive force across the U.S.” against Internet abuse of children.
“Schools have fire drills as often as once a month,” she said. “But there is a small chance there will ever be a fire. But a child comes in contact with a predator every day.”
Both Mary and Alicia Kozakiewicz believe prevention is the key to stopping child Internet abuse crimes.
“I had one gentleman come up – he was about 14 or 15 – and he said, ‘I think I might be a predator. Some of the things I look at online, I just want to break my arm,’” Alicia Kozakiewicz said. “And I was so floored by that. The fact that he came forward, maybe he won’t become a predator. Maybe he would have been, but since someone came in and spoke to him, maybe he won’t be now.”
In addition to speaking at schools across the nation, traveling as far as Florida and Oregon, Alicia Kozakiewicz has appealed to several courts and congresses on the passing of Alicia’s Law, the stateside version of the Child Online Protection Act of 2008, for which she spoke in front of Congress. However, according to Kozakiewicz, only 2 percent of the special task forces designed to enforce the act are being funded to solve cases like Kozakiewicz’s. Alicia’s Law, if passed, would provide funding for these task forces.
A version of Alicia’s Law has already been passed in Virginia, and Kozakiewicz will be appealing to the National State Legislature in Kentucky this summer for its passing in all 50 states.
“Legislation, education, communication with your kids,” Kozakiewicz said. “It has to be all sides. The parents have to know what’s happening, the kids have to know what’s happening. The police have to know what’s happening and have enough money to change things.”
Kozakiewicz has additionally appeared on Oprah, Fox and Friends and several other media outlets to promote Alicia’s Law and safe Internet practices. She has been featured in videos for PA Cyber Schools, a national lesson program called Internet Safety 101 and wrote a book with five fellow abduction victims called “You’re Not Alone: The Journey from Abduction to Empowerment.”
Additionally, for her work with the Alicia Project, Kozakiewicz recently won the Jefferson Award in Washington, D.C. for community service.
Following graduation next semester, she plans to attend graduate school to get her Ph.D. in psychology and hopes to someday work with the FBI’s child exploitation unit. She also has plans to open her own private practice in the future, specializing in helping children who have been abused or victims of Internet lure.
But for now, she will continue speaking to schools and other children organizations through the Alicia Project about preventative measures regarding Internet safety.
“I had a little boy ask me one time, ‘Ms. Alicia, who can change the Internet, who can fix this?’” Kozakiewicz said. “And I didn’t know how to answer that at first. I was thinking Google, Microsoft, and then I was like oh wait, it’s you. It’s you who changes the Internet. It’s what you open, and, more importantly, what you refuse to open that changes what’s there today and tomorrow.”
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
The Globe: New club reaches out to community
Kristina Alvarez has been a student mentor at Pittsburgh King through Point Park University a year. As a result of her experiences mentoring children in Pittsburgh public schools, Alvarez decided these experiences needed to be open to and shared with the rest of the university community, so she began the process of founding an on-campus Mentoring Club.
Chelsea Smith joined “Strong Women Strong Girls” to make a change in the lives of young females in the Pittsburgh public school district. At the end of this semester, Smith joined the new Mentoring Club to continue this endeavor.
While Alvarez and Smith are two of many student mentors working in programs offered at the university, Alvarez realized few people knew about the mentoring opportunities available to students. Having just been recognized by the United Student Government (USG) as a club two weeks ago, the Mentoring Club’s members are pushing to recruit more student mentors for the 2010-2011 school year.
Molly McClelland, the student support specialist for the Point Park University School of Arts and Sciences and faculty adviser to the Mentoring Club, brought the mentoring program “Two Hours to Change” to Point Park three years ago. The program works in conjunction with Pittsburgh King, an elementary and middle school in the Pittsburgh Public school district.
“I had been student-teaching at the time, and was doing some observations at King, and [I felt] God speaking to me saying this is the place that needs help,” McClelland said. “So I asked the principal what we could do, and she said what these kids really need are some positive role models – it’s really lacking in their neighborhood.”
All of the mentoring programs offered at Point Park focus on providing these positive role models to King students.
Two separate programs exist under the umbrella program “Two Hours to Change”: “I Am,” which was started this year and teaches basic character values, such as respect, to fifth graders at King, and “Next,” which will be launched next year. According to McClelland, “Next” will “hone in on who the student leaders are in the school community and [help them] develop leadership skills relative to positive choices and behavior.”
Point Park also has “Champions of Character,” an athletics-based mentoring program, “College Now,” which focuses on preparing high school students for college, and “Strong Women Strong Girls,” which is geared toward developing strong character in female students. All of the programs receive grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), Highmark and the Grable Foundation.
The Mentoring Club Alvarez is starting on campus would house all of these programs, with each program having its own leaders and officers.
“We definitely want to make sure each program keeps their own identity, to be housed under the Mentoring Club to create a supportive group and a safety net so nobody gets lost,” Alvarez, a sophomore photojournalism and digital media major, said.
Alvarez, who is the event planning coordinator for “Strong Women Strong Girls” and will be the chief officer in contact with USG for the Mentoring Club, has been pushing to be a USG-recognized club since the beginning of January.
“I saw ‘Strong Women Strong Girls’ struggling to get our voice out there with our events, so I figured if we had a club integrated on campus and getting the word out there and getting the budget from USG, it would be better,” Alvarez said.
With only two weeks at the end of the semester to set up elections for club officers, Alvarez has been looking members and students willing to hold positions within the club so it can begin functioning as soon as the fall semester starts.
Alvarez chose to start the Mentoring Club separate from the pre-existing Community Service Club because, she said, it offers a different kind of community service.
“We’re here to make personal connections,” Alvarez said. “Our initiative is to reach the youth of Pittsburgh.”
McClelland agreed.
“This isn’t a river clean-up,” McClelland said. “It’s a certain skill and it’s a certain passion that you have to devote. It’s very different.”
Chelsea Smith, a sport, arts and entertainment management major, is currently involved with “Strong Women Strong Girls” and will be joining the Mentoring Club. Smith said the personal connections made with the King students is what makes the work as a mentor worth it.
“I’ve had a little girl, who was blond, tall and lanky, draw me a picture, and she said, ‘I just wanted you to know that when I grow up, I want to be just like you.’ And at that moment, my heart was just breaking but so full at the same time, because I’m just me, I’m no one important, but to her I was the world,” Smith said at the mentoring club’s first meeting on April 15.
The mentoring programs have held many on-campus activities with the King students throughout the year, including etiquette dinners and baseball games.
“So many of these kids have never sat down to a meal where they have had to use a fork and a knife, so [we are] just teaching them the basic skills that will allow them access to other opportunities,” McClelland said. “That’s why we like to have them at Point Park, because all of those are a build-up to your ability to achieve and your ability to get into Point Park, or any college of your dreams, and make it happen.”
Starting in the fall, the mentoring programs will also be offered as a credited course in the School of Arts and Sciences.
“We [wouldn’t] be meeting in a formal way, but the expectation would be that everyone would be trained, have their clearances and maintain the weekly 2-hour commitment,” McClelland said.
Alvarez and McClelland wanted to assure that all students would have a place in the Mentoring Club – even students who prefer to work behind the scenes and do not necessarily wish to mentor a child.
“Not everyone is inclined to work with kids. People have fears or reservations, and that is certainly something we can be understanding of,” McClelland said. “The most important thing is commitment – you have to have a commitment to mentoring and the power of mentoring.”
“If a student doesn’t want to be a mentor, they could be on committee…[to] help us with events, help us with fundraising, help us put together budget plans,” Alvarez said. “They don’t necessarily have to be a mentor.”
The Mentoring Club is open to all who wish to join with the only requirements being good academic standing, membership in one of the campus mentoring programs and having the required criminal background, child abuse and FBI clearances. Those interested in joining or holding a leadership position should contact Alvarez at kralvar@pointpark.edu or McClelland at mmclelland@pointpark.edu.
“We wanted to offer an opportunity for all Point Park students to serve the community in a time frame that was doable, understanding that college students have a ton of commitments,” McClelland said. “You can donate two hours of your time to change a life.”
*Published in 2010 Issue 13 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/news/new-club-reaches-out-to-community-1.1376514
Chelsea Smith joined “Strong Women Strong Girls” to make a change in the lives of young females in the Pittsburgh public school district. At the end of this semester, Smith joined the new Mentoring Club to continue this endeavor.
While Alvarez and Smith are two of many student mentors working in programs offered at the university, Alvarez realized few people knew about the mentoring opportunities available to students. Having just been recognized by the United Student Government (USG) as a club two weeks ago, the Mentoring Club’s members are pushing to recruit more student mentors for the 2010-2011 school year.
Molly McClelland, the student support specialist for the Point Park University School of Arts and Sciences and faculty adviser to the Mentoring Club, brought the mentoring program “Two Hours to Change” to Point Park three years ago. The program works in conjunction with Pittsburgh King, an elementary and middle school in the Pittsburgh Public school district.
“I had been student-teaching at the time, and was doing some observations at King, and [I felt] God speaking to me saying this is the place that needs help,” McClelland said. “So I asked the principal what we could do, and she said what these kids really need are some positive role models – it’s really lacking in their neighborhood.”
All of the mentoring programs offered at Point Park focus on providing these positive role models to King students.
Two separate programs exist under the umbrella program “Two Hours to Change”: “I Am,” which was started this year and teaches basic character values, such as respect, to fifth graders at King, and “Next,” which will be launched next year. According to McClelland, “Next” will “hone in on who the student leaders are in the school community and [help them] develop leadership skills relative to positive choices and behavior.”
Point Park also has “Champions of Character,” an athletics-based mentoring program, “College Now,” which focuses on preparing high school students for college, and “Strong Women Strong Girls,” which is geared toward developing strong character in female students. All of the programs receive grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), Highmark and the Grable Foundation.
The Mentoring Club Alvarez is starting on campus would house all of these programs, with each program having its own leaders and officers.
“We definitely want to make sure each program keeps their own identity, to be housed under the Mentoring Club to create a supportive group and a safety net so nobody gets lost,” Alvarez, a sophomore photojournalism and digital media major, said.
Alvarez, who is the event planning coordinator for “Strong Women Strong Girls” and will be the chief officer in contact with USG for the Mentoring Club, has been pushing to be a USG-recognized club since the beginning of January.
“I saw ‘Strong Women Strong Girls’ struggling to get our voice out there with our events, so I figured if we had a club integrated on campus and getting the word out there and getting the budget from USG, it would be better,” Alvarez said.
With only two weeks at the end of the semester to set up elections for club officers, Alvarez has been looking members and students willing to hold positions within the club so it can begin functioning as soon as the fall semester starts.
Alvarez chose to start the Mentoring Club separate from the pre-existing Community Service Club because, she said, it offers a different kind of community service.
“We’re here to make personal connections,” Alvarez said. “Our initiative is to reach the youth of Pittsburgh.”
McClelland agreed.
“This isn’t a river clean-up,” McClelland said. “It’s a certain skill and it’s a certain passion that you have to devote. It’s very different.”
Chelsea Smith, a sport, arts and entertainment management major, is currently involved with “Strong Women Strong Girls” and will be joining the Mentoring Club. Smith said the personal connections made with the King students is what makes the work as a mentor worth it.
“I’ve had a little girl, who was blond, tall and lanky, draw me a picture, and she said, ‘I just wanted you to know that when I grow up, I want to be just like you.’ And at that moment, my heart was just breaking but so full at the same time, because I’m just me, I’m no one important, but to her I was the world,” Smith said at the mentoring club’s first meeting on April 15.
The mentoring programs have held many on-campus activities with the King students throughout the year, including etiquette dinners and baseball games.
“So many of these kids have never sat down to a meal where they have had to use a fork and a knife, so [we are] just teaching them the basic skills that will allow them access to other opportunities,” McClelland said. “That’s why we like to have them at Point Park, because all of those are a build-up to your ability to achieve and your ability to get into Point Park, or any college of your dreams, and make it happen.”
Starting in the fall, the mentoring programs will also be offered as a credited course in the School of Arts and Sciences.
“We [wouldn’t] be meeting in a formal way, but the expectation would be that everyone would be trained, have their clearances and maintain the weekly 2-hour commitment,” McClelland said.
Alvarez and McClelland wanted to assure that all students would have a place in the Mentoring Club – even students who prefer to work behind the scenes and do not necessarily wish to mentor a child.
“Not everyone is inclined to work with kids. People have fears or reservations, and that is certainly something we can be understanding of,” McClelland said. “The most important thing is commitment – you have to have a commitment to mentoring and the power of mentoring.”
“If a student doesn’t want to be a mentor, they could be on committee…[to] help us with events, help us with fundraising, help us put together budget plans,” Alvarez said. “They don’t necessarily have to be a mentor.”
The Mentoring Club is open to all who wish to join with the only requirements being good academic standing, membership in one of the campus mentoring programs and having the required criminal background, child abuse and FBI clearances. Those interested in joining or holding a leadership position should contact Alvarez at kralvar@pointpark.edu or McClelland at mmclelland@pointpark.edu.
“We wanted to offer an opportunity for all Point Park students to serve the community in a time frame that was doable, understanding that college students have a ton of commitments,” McClelland said. “You can donate two hours of your time to change a life.”
*Published in 2010 Issue 13 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/news/new-club-reaches-out-to-community-1.1376514
The Globe: 'Midsummer' solution to midwinter misery
Shakespeare, for many people, evokes memories of high school English class, studying strands of complicated sentences with no obvious meaning. Even the most avid fans of Shakespearean plays do not always consider them particularly funny, but daunting to decipher.
Those who study his large body of work regard Shakespeare’s wit as best actualized by the interactions between characters, such as in the twisted plot of enchanted lovers in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which opened at the O’Reilly Theater on Thursday, Jan. 21 and runs through Feb. 21.
“Midsummer” revolves around the romantic entanglements of four main characters: Hermia (Lindsey Kyler), Helena (Beth Wittig), Lysander (Lucas Near-Verbrugghe) and Demetrius (J.T. Arbogast). Lysander and Hermia are in love, but Hermia’s father wants her to marry Demetrius, who Hermia loathes but Helena loves. Unfortunately, Demetrius does not share these feelings for Helena and treats her poorly, which only seems to intensify Helena’s affection. Because of Egeus’ disapproval of their love and the forced marriage of Hermia and Demetrius, Hermia and Lysander plan to run away from Athens and marry in secret, during which they stumble upon a mysterious wood inhabited by fairies and other magical folk. The keeper of the wood, Oberon (David Whalen), has his servant, Puck (Harris Doran), play a trick using a love potion on the travelers. Puck’s trick backfires as both Lysander and Demetrius ironically end up falling in love with Helena, much to her disbelief.
Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of “Midsummer,” directed by Ted Pappas, is Shakespeare as it was meant to be seen. The O’Reilly’s set-up resembles that of a coliseum in Greece, where the story takes place, with the stage positioned on the floor and cathedral seating surrounding it on three sides. Audience members in the front row were inches away from the action as actors used the whole floor and stairways as their stage. Entrances and exits were made from all sides, which engaged the audience in the head-turning action – such as Helena and Demetrius’ entrance from the rear and Puck’s ascent on a side ladder.
The characters also, at times, seemed aware of the audience, naturally gesturing in its direction and further drawing spectators into the magical world and bizarre story.
As the plot progresses from simple to complex with the inclusion of fairies and magic potion, so does the stage transform. A shower of leaves begins to fall from overhead as what once appeared to be a decorated wall is revealed as a facade hiding trap doors and flowery decorations.
Pappas’ spot-on direction of the characters adds life to the show, particularly in his interpretation of their action within the story.
Kristen Rylander, a Public Theater season ticket holder who attended the opening night of “Midsummer,” believed it was the director’s influence that made the show unique.
“I’ve seen a lot of versions of this, and the characters are doing a great job of interpreting the words [in this production],” Rylander, 43, of Carnegie, Pa., said. “I think this is the best performance we’ve seen.”
Rylander said she particularly enjoyed the interpretation of mischievous Puck and dim-witted Nick Bottom, a member of a traveling performance troupe who is turned into half a donkey by Puck.
Indeed, Puck and Bottom steal the show. Between Puck’s excitable, childish trickery that ultimately drives the story and Bottom’s arrogance that prevents him from realizing he has been duped, no scene shines more than when they are involved.
Puck and Bottom also exemplify Pappas’ directing skill. As Puck rolls on the floor in glee at his mischief and Bottom wheezes and neighs as he laughs, Pappas’ version of Shakespeare’s characters are given life and personality they lack in print.
Robert Lewis, a professor of a Shakespeare class at Point Park University, said there are elements in “Midsummer” that everyone can enjoy.
“What makes the play so entertaining [and] effective is how skillfully Shakespeare blends the traditions [of classic/Roman comedy and Romance comedy],” Lewis said in an e-mail interview. “As with the original presentation in the Globe Theater, there needed to be something to appeal to a really diverse audience. There is something to appeal to a lot of different people.”
Though the audience’s time in Athens is brief, it is full of a lifetime of magic and comedy. Because of Pappas’ skillful directing and the actors’ hysterical characters, one wishes such extraordinary events could happen in daily life.
Dorothy Aiken, a patron who enjoyed the “Midsummer” opening night production, exclaimed “we need more fairy dust in the world,” just after curtain call. If the result is anywhere near as magical as Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production, it could only have positive results.
*Published in 2010 Issue 4 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7417/midsummer-solution-to-midwinter-misery-1.1426300
Those who study his large body of work regard Shakespeare’s wit as best actualized by the interactions between characters, such as in the twisted plot of enchanted lovers in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which opened at the O’Reilly Theater on Thursday, Jan. 21 and runs through Feb. 21.
“Midsummer” revolves around the romantic entanglements of four main characters: Hermia (Lindsey Kyler), Helena (Beth Wittig), Lysander (Lucas Near-Verbrugghe) and Demetrius (J.T. Arbogast). Lysander and Hermia are in love, but Hermia’s father wants her to marry Demetrius, who Hermia loathes but Helena loves. Unfortunately, Demetrius does not share these feelings for Helena and treats her poorly, which only seems to intensify Helena’s affection. Because of Egeus’ disapproval of their love and the forced marriage of Hermia and Demetrius, Hermia and Lysander plan to run away from Athens and marry in secret, during which they stumble upon a mysterious wood inhabited by fairies and other magical folk. The keeper of the wood, Oberon (David Whalen), has his servant, Puck (Harris Doran), play a trick using a love potion on the travelers. Puck’s trick backfires as both Lysander and Demetrius ironically end up falling in love with Helena, much to her disbelief.
Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of “Midsummer,” directed by Ted Pappas, is Shakespeare as it was meant to be seen. The O’Reilly’s set-up resembles that of a coliseum in Greece, where the story takes place, with the stage positioned on the floor and cathedral seating surrounding it on three sides. Audience members in the front row were inches away from the action as actors used the whole floor and stairways as their stage. Entrances and exits were made from all sides, which engaged the audience in the head-turning action – such as Helena and Demetrius’ entrance from the rear and Puck’s ascent on a side ladder.
The characters also, at times, seemed aware of the audience, naturally gesturing in its direction and further drawing spectators into the magical world and bizarre story.
As the plot progresses from simple to complex with the inclusion of fairies and magic potion, so does the stage transform. A shower of leaves begins to fall from overhead as what once appeared to be a decorated wall is revealed as a facade hiding trap doors and flowery decorations.
Pappas’ spot-on direction of the characters adds life to the show, particularly in his interpretation of their action within the story.
Kristen Rylander, a Public Theater season ticket holder who attended the opening night of “Midsummer,” believed it was the director’s influence that made the show unique.
“I’ve seen a lot of versions of this, and the characters are doing a great job of interpreting the words [in this production],” Rylander, 43, of Carnegie, Pa., said. “I think this is the best performance we’ve seen.”
Rylander said she particularly enjoyed the interpretation of mischievous Puck and dim-witted Nick Bottom, a member of a traveling performance troupe who is turned into half a donkey by Puck.
Indeed, Puck and Bottom steal the show. Between Puck’s excitable, childish trickery that ultimately drives the story and Bottom’s arrogance that prevents him from realizing he has been duped, no scene shines more than when they are involved.
Puck and Bottom also exemplify Pappas’ directing skill. As Puck rolls on the floor in glee at his mischief and Bottom wheezes and neighs as he laughs, Pappas’ version of Shakespeare’s characters are given life and personality they lack in print.
Robert Lewis, a professor of a Shakespeare class at Point Park University, said there are elements in “Midsummer” that everyone can enjoy.
“What makes the play so entertaining [and] effective is how skillfully Shakespeare blends the traditions [of classic/Roman comedy and Romance comedy],” Lewis said in an e-mail interview. “As with the original presentation in the Globe Theater, there needed to be something to appeal to a really diverse audience. There is something to appeal to a lot of different people.”
Though the audience’s time in Athens is brief, it is full of a lifetime of magic and comedy. Because of Pappas’ skillful directing and the actors’ hysterical characters, one wishes such extraordinary events could happen in daily life.
Dorothy Aiken, a patron who enjoyed the “Midsummer” opening night production, exclaimed “we need more fairy dust in the world,” just after curtain call. If the result is anywhere near as magical as Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production, it could only have positive results.
*Published in 2010 Issue 4 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7417/midsummer-solution-to-midwinter-misery-1.1426300
The Globe: Pittsburgh brings the heat
Hip-hop dance studio holds competitive team auditions
Pittsburgh Heat Hip Hop Dance Co. prides itself in being the only all hip-hop dance studio in the city and immediate surrounding area.
“It’s an individual kind of place,” Pittsburgh Heat owner Brenna Jaworski said. “When you type Pittsburgh hip hop dance in Google, we are on the first page.”
Offering classes from original hip-hop styling to break dancing, Pittsburgh Heat will be holding open audition for its competitive dance teams on Sunday, April 18.
Jaworski, 27, opened Pittsburgh Heat in 2005 originally as a competition-based studio.
With professionally grafittied walls of vibrant red and scrawling black letting, Pittsburgh Heat has an urban “hip-hop vibe as soon as you walk in the door,” according to Jaworski, despite its suburban location on Camp Horne Road in Ross Township. Jaworski and her team, which include fellow choreographer Kia Davenport and break dancing instructor Chris Jaeger, teach classes for 4 year olds up through adults.
“We have anywhere from 200-350 people come,” Jaworski said. “From 3 year olds to 55 year olds every week.”
Pittsburgh Heat additionally offers competition teams for each of the age groups – 4 to 8 year olds, 9 to 14 year olds and adults of 15 and over – which anyone can join. Break dancing and tumbling classes are also offered in each of these age groups.
Unlike most dance studios, Pittsburgh Heat does not require a binding contract to participate in the dance classes. Each hip-hop class is $15, $20 for break dancing and $30 for private lessons, which can be paid in cash at each class or in a lump sum by the month.
“The economy is not good to be paying $100 a month,” Jaworski said. “It’s ridiculous to charge so much.”
To join the competitive teams, Jaworski suggests dancers take classes at the studio beforehand. Membership in a competition group is free, but a dancer must pay at least $15 a week for a class whether or not they choose to take one.
A typical hip-hop class, taught by either Jaworski or Davenport, will feature a warm-up to a popular song, “like Rihanna or Jay-Z,” according to Jaworski. The instructor will then teach a 30 or so second routine, which differs each week, to be run over and over again for the remaining hour of class.
“We teach hip-hop you can take to the club,” Jaworski said. “[Dancing] is just as fun for exercise or to take to a social scene.”
Davenport, who has been with Pittsburgh Heat as an instructor and choreography for almost a year, said the laid-back and family-friendly atmosphere is what makes Pittsburgh Heat unique.
“We cater to everyone’s needs,” said Davenport, who attended Point Park University for a semester and is now involved with the on-campus dance team Impulse. “That we don’t do contracts keeps it really open…It’s just for fun.”
Liz Velez, a Point Park sophomore, has taken a few classes at Pittsburgh Heat and agrees that it is an open and friendly place.
“There’s many repeat customers,” Velez said. “It’s definitely customer-friendly and welcoming.”
Jaworski designed Pittsburgh Heat to make it as welcoming and homey a place as possible.
“We make up our own original routines – we do it as we go,” Jaworksi said. “We ask students for input too. It makes them feel really involved and shows the creative process.”
Jaworski grew up in Oakland, “which is about as city as it gets,” she said, and has had a passion for hip-hop ever since she was young. After taking jobs as a cheerleading coach and, most recently, a hair dresser, Jaworski decided put her passion into action by starting Pittsburgh Heat in 2005. Jaworski decided to open the studio in the suburbs to promote a positive view toward hip-hop. Since its start, Pittsburch Heat’s comepetitve teams have performed at events throughout Pittsburgh, including weddings and special events at the Mattress Factory and Station Square.
“We’ve had a lot of success over the past five years,” Jaworski said. “We’ve found the right mesh of people…Between the three of us, we’re the perfect team.”
Pittsburgh Heat’s competition teams also take part in local and national level competitions.
“The competitions are strict,” Davenport said. “They have lots of rules…But we encourage people to dance outside the box…We do what we love here.”
Dancing outside the box and enjoying the experience is exactly what Jaworski hopes visitors to Pittsburgh Heat take away from a class.
“Our mission statement is to experience real hip hop,” Jaworski said. “To feel the real, positive hip-hop love. We all really want to be there. It’s not a job, it’s our life.”
*Published in 2010 Issue 12 of The Globe. Link currently unavailable.
Pittsburgh Heat Hip Hop Dance Co. prides itself in being the only all hip-hop dance studio in the city and immediate surrounding area.
“It’s an individual kind of place,” Pittsburgh Heat owner Brenna Jaworski said. “When you type Pittsburgh hip hop dance in Google, we are on the first page.”
Offering classes from original hip-hop styling to break dancing, Pittsburgh Heat will be holding open audition for its competitive dance teams on Sunday, April 18.
Jaworski, 27, opened Pittsburgh Heat in 2005 originally as a competition-based studio.
With professionally grafittied walls of vibrant red and scrawling black letting, Pittsburgh Heat has an urban “hip-hop vibe as soon as you walk in the door,” according to Jaworski, despite its suburban location on Camp Horne Road in Ross Township. Jaworski and her team, which include fellow choreographer Kia Davenport and break dancing instructor Chris Jaeger, teach classes for 4 year olds up through adults.
“We have anywhere from 200-350 people come,” Jaworski said. “From 3 year olds to 55 year olds every week.”
Pittsburgh Heat additionally offers competition teams for each of the age groups – 4 to 8 year olds, 9 to 14 year olds and adults of 15 and over – which anyone can join. Break dancing and tumbling classes are also offered in each of these age groups.
Unlike most dance studios, Pittsburgh Heat does not require a binding contract to participate in the dance classes. Each hip-hop class is $15, $20 for break dancing and $30 for private lessons, which can be paid in cash at each class or in a lump sum by the month.
“The economy is not good to be paying $100 a month,” Jaworski said. “It’s ridiculous to charge so much.”
To join the competitive teams, Jaworski suggests dancers take classes at the studio beforehand. Membership in a competition group is free, but a dancer must pay at least $15 a week for a class whether or not they choose to take one.
A typical hip-hop class, taught by either Jaworski or Davenport, will feature a warm-up to a popular song, “like Rihanna or Jay-Z,” according to Jaworski. The instructor will then teach a 30 or so second routine, which differs each week, to be run over and over again for the remaining hour of class.
“We teach hip-hop you can take to the club,” Jaworski said. “[Dancing] is just as fun for exercise or to take to a social scene.”
Davenport, who has been with Pittsburgh Heat as an instructor and choreography for almost a year, said the laid-back and family-friendly atmosphere is what makes Pittsburgh Heat unique.
“We cater to everyone’s needs,” said Davenport, who attended Point Park University for a semester and is now involved with the on-campus dance team Impulse. “That we don’t do contracts keeps it really open…It’s just for fun.”
Liz Velez, a Point Park sophomore, has taken a few classes at Pittsburgh Heat and agrees that it is an open and friendly place.
“There’s many repeat customers,” Velez said. “It’s definitely customer-friendly and welcoming.”
Jaworski designed Pittsburgh Heat to make it as welcoming and homey a place as possible.
“We make up our own original routines – we do it as we go,” Jaworksi said. “We ask students for input too. It makes them feel really involved and shows the creative process.”
Jaworski grew up in Oakland, “which is about as city as it gets,” she said, and has had a passion for hip-hop ever since she was young. After taking jobs as a cheerleading coach and, most recently, a hair dresser, Jaworski decided put her passion into action by starting Pittsburgh Heat in 2005. Jaworski decided to open the studio in the suburbs to promote a positive view toward hip-hop. Since its start, Pittsburch Heat’s comepetitve teams have performed at events throughout Pittsburgh, including weddings and special events at the Mattress Factory and Station Square.
“We’ve had a lot of success over the past five years,” Jaworski said. “We’ve found the right mesh of people…Between the three of us, we’re the perfect team.”
Pittsburgh Heat’s competition teams also take part in local and national level competitions.
“The competitions are strict,” Davenport said. “They have lots of rules…But we encourage people to dance outside the box…We do what we love here.”
Dancing outside the box and enjoying the experience is exactly what Jaworski hopes visitors to Pittsburgh Heat take away from a class.
“Our mission statement is to experience real hip hop,” Jaworski said. “To feel the real, positive hip-hop love. We all really want to be there. It’s not a job, it’s our life.”
*Published in 2010 Issue 12 of The Globe. Link currently unavailable.
The Globe: Secret Life of an American President
'Honest' Abe Lincoln vanquishes vampires in new parody novel
America’s sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln, is most famous for his tireless fight against slavery, achieving victory in the nation’s only civil war and his sudden assassination in a Washington, D.C. theater. In the latest parody novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, Lincoln’s “Honest Abe” image is shattered by the fictional revelation of his unknown fight against America’s true enemy: vampires.
“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” opens with an anecdotal letter from the author to his readers of his own experience with vampires, during which he is given the lost diaries of Abraham Lincoln by a young vampire who frequents the shop at which he works. The following chapters of the book are details of the deceased president’s life and struggle with the secret underbelly vampire alliance of 19th-Century America.
The novel accurately follows Lincoln’s life as a child of a poor farmer father and educated mother as they move from Kentucky to Indiana. As the economy worsens, Lincoln’s father, Thomas, takes out a loan from old friends in order to maintain his farm. In a fictional twist, Thomas cannot pay the loan to his vampiric debtors, as young Abraham later discovers, so Nancy Hanks, Abraham’s mother, is poisoned and killed in lieu of payment. From that day forth, Lincoln swears to vanquish “every vampire in America.”
“Vampire Hunter” is broken into three sections: Lincoln’s childhood and first experiences with vampires, his life as a vampire hunter and his presidency.
The story accurately follows Lincoln’s real life as a lawyer in Illinois, romances with Ann Rutledge and Mary Todd and opposition to slavery, while fancifully attributing each event in his life to vampire influence. Grahame-Smith takes advantage of the many holes in Lincoln’s history, such as his supposed romance with Rutledge and mysteriously broken off marriage to Todd, to mold his unique story. In Grahame-Smith’s story, every death that deeply impacts Lincoln is the doing of a vampire, as Lincoln’s diary reveals. Even his well-known opposition to slavery is due to his repulsion toward vampires buying and selling innocent slaves for food.
“Vampire Hunter” is the seventh book by humor author Grahame-Smith, who also penned the famous parody “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” It has since spawned similar rewrites of Jane Austen’s other classic novels, “Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters” and “Mansfield Park and Mummies.”
These rewritten versions of classic literature are part of a recent new parody, or New Victorian, genre, similar to the increasingly popular steampunk movement.
According to Humanities and Human Sciences Assistant Professor Megan Ward, steampunk is a “contemporary way of looking at the 19th Century” that creates anachronisms by incorporating modern technology into history, such as a doctored photo of Abraham Lincoln with a machine gun. While “Vampire Hunter” is not technically steampunk, it follows the same popular style of blending modern trends – such as vampire stories – with historical fact.
Ward said this recent influx of historical reality mashed up with new age fantasy is a result of modern angst, which is causing people to “turn to the past” for entertainment. Likewise, Humanities and Human Sciences Professor P.K. Weston believes it is the result of a post-9/11 society.
“We’ve all learned our vulnerability – 9/11 taught us we are vulnerable. [In these stories], we are facing monsters and winning,” Weston said.
Weston also enjoyed the style of Grahame-Smith’s writing in “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.”
“He did an excellent job with the voice and tone, mimicking the style,” she said. “Stylistically, to match ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ that’s no small feat.”
Grahame-Smith uses this same approach in “Vampire Hunter,” copying the voice of Lincoln to compose fictional journal entries. The passion and 19th Century diction with which he writes falsely convinces the reader of the authenticity of Lincoln’s long-lost diary. While most of the novel is composed of these journal entries, Grahame-Smith also offers his own commentary based on historical research. At times, “Vampire Hunter” reads like a scholarly journal, with annotated photographic “evidence” of vampire dealings during Lincoln’s life and presidency, which adds to the believability of an unbelievable story.
With real-life characters and historical accuracy, “Vampire Hunter” tells a tall tale of graphic fantasy during one of the most horrific times in American history. With the exception of excluding Lincoln’s Black Hawk war days, “Vampire Hunter” follows Lincoln’s known history with almost complete accuracy. “Vampire Hunter” is written as a dramatic fantasy tale, with ax-wielding and blood-spurting action sequences against the undead. However, the absurdity of the idea of Lincoln as a vampire hunter makes for a light and enjoyable read. While the foreshadowing is laid on too heavily, making the ending predictable from the first page, it has enough twists to keep the reader guessing how point A will transition to point B.
Both “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” and “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” will be released as major motion pictures this coming year, with Natalie Portman starring as Elizabeth Bennett and producing “Zombies,” and Tim Burton rumored to be directing “Vampire Hunter.”
*Published in 2010 Issue 8 of The Globe. Link currently unavailable.
America’s sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln, is most famous for his tireless fight against slavery, achieving victory in the nation’s only civil war and his sudden assassination in a Washington, D.C. theater. In the latest parody novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, Lincoln’s “Honest Abe” image is shattered by the fictional revelation of his unknown fight against America’s true enemy: vampires.
“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” opens with an anecdotal letter from the author to his readers of his own experience with vampires, during which he is given the lost diaries of Abraham Lincoln by a young vampire who frequents the shop at which he works. The following chapters of the book are details of the deceased president’s life and struggle with the secret underbelly vampire alliance of 19th-Century America.
The novel accurately follows Lincoln’s life as a child of a poor farmer father and educated mother as they move from Kentucky to Indiana. As the economy worsens, Lincoln’s father, Thomas, takes out a loan from old friends in order to maintain his farm. In a fictional twist, Thomas cannot pay the loan to his vampiric debtors, as young Abraham later discovers, so Nancy Hanks, Abraham’s mother, is poisoned and killed in lieu of payment. From that day forth, Lincoln swears to vanquish “every vampire in America.”
“Vampire Hunter” is broken into three sections: Lincoln’s childhood and first experiences with vampires, his life as a vampire hunter and his presidency.
The story accurately follows Lincoln’s real life as a lawyer in Illinois, romances with Ann Rutledge and Mary Todd and opposition to slavery, while fancifully attributing each event in his life to vampire influence. Grahame-Smith takes advantage of the many holes in Lincoln’s history, such as his supposed romance with Rutledge and mysteriously broken off marriage to Todd, to mold his unique story. In Grahame-Smith’s story, every death that deeply impacts Lincoln is the doing of a vampire, as Lincoln’s diary reveals. Even his well-known opposition to slavery is due to his repulsion toward vampires buying and selling innocent slaves for food.
“Vampire Hunter” is the seventh book by humor author Grahame-Smith, who also penned the famous parody “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” It has since spawned similar rewrites of Jane Austen’s other classic novels, “Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters” and “Mansfield Park and Mummies.”
These rewritten versions of classic literature are part of a recent new parody, or New Victorian, genre, similar to the increasingly popular steampunk movement.
According to Humanities and Human Sciences Assistant Professor Megan Ward, steampunk is a “contemporary way of looking at the 19th Century” that creates anachronisms by incorporating modern technology into history, such as a doctored photo of Abraham Lincoln with a machine gun. While “Vampire Hunter” is not technically steampunk, it follows the same popular style of blending modern trends – such as vampire stories – with historical fact.
Ward said this recent influx of historical reality mashed up with new age fantasy is a result of modern angst, which is causing people to “turn to the past” for entertainment. Likewise, Humanities and Human Sciences Professor P.K. Weston believes it is the result of a post-9/11 society.
“We’ve all learned our vulnerability – 9/11 taught us we are vulnerable. [In these stories], we are facing monsters and winning,” Weston said.
Weston also enjoyed the style of Grahame-Smith’s writing in “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.”
“He did an excellent job with the voice and tone, mimicking the style,” she said. “Stylistically, to match ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ that’s no small feat.”
Grahame-Smith uses this same approach in “Vampire Hunter,” copying the voice of Lincoln to compose fictional journal entries. The passion and 19th Century diction with which he writes falsely convinces the reader of the authenticity of Lincoln’s long-lost diary. While most of the novel is composed of these journal entries, Grahame-Smith also offers his own commentary based on historical research. At times, “Vampire Hunter” reads like a scholarly journal, with annotated photographic “evidence” of vampire dealings during Lincoln’s life and presidency, which adds to the believability of an unbelievable story.
With real-life characters and historical accuracy, “Vampire Hunter” tells a tall tale of graphic fantasy during one of the most horrific times in American history. With the exception of excluding Lincoln’s Black Hawk war days, “Vampire Hunter” follows Lincoln’s known history with almost complete accuracy. “Vampire Hunter” is written as a dramatic fantasy tale, with ax-wielding and blood-spurting action sequences against the undead. However, the absurdity of the idea of Lincoln as a vampire hunter makes for a light and enjoyable read. While the foreshadowing is laid on too heavily, making the ending predictable from the first page, it has enough twists to keep the reader guessing how point A will transition to point B.
Both “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” and “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” will be released as major motion pictures this coming year, with Natalie Portman starring as Elizabeth Bennett and producing “Zombies,” and Tim Burton rumored to be directing “Vampire Hunter.”
*Published in 2010 Issue 8 of The Globe. Link currently unavailable.
Rockin' Reviews - Features
Summer-winter, “Alone is Yes”
As a desolate guitar strums a slow and somber rhythm backed by a low-pitched ambiguous hum, the lyrics “all the days are dead/ I can’t find my friends” open Pittsburgh-based indie folk rock band Summer-winter’s appropriately titled first release, “Alone is Yes.”
“People say, ‘wow, this is so sad,’ which it is,” Terry O’Hara, the band’s frontman, said. “But it’s also appealing because there’s remnants of survival and hopefulness.”
Even as the opening track, “Summer’s Bound to End,” progresses in the same solemn manner as it began, those “remnants” can be heard in the arrangement and orchestration. Subtle hints of violins and a banjo add lightness to what could have been an overwhelmingly heavy, emotional song.
The album has a soothing, spacey sound, similar to a sedated Radiohead, with an autumnal ambience meant to chill the listener, as the band’s name appropriately suggests. The vocals echo eerily on each track, and the lyrics are, more than anything, just a means of further reinforcing the cheerlessness of the album as a whole. Constant echoes and disjointed melodies laden with loaded pauses lull the listener into a calm, yet melancholy, stupor.
A highlight track comes in the form of “I Am a Cloud,” which disrupts the acoustic guitar-driven melodies of the six tracks preceding it. A warbling organ provides psychedelic airiness, while the repetition of the lyrics “you can’t feel how I’m feeling” perfectly describe the theme of “Alone is Yes.”
The album plays as a continuous thought, with musical elements from the previous song overlapping into the next. There is a wholeness to the album, a satisfaction to be felt from listening to “Alone is Yes” in its entirety from start to finish. Individual tracks add value to the overall composition, yet can strongly stand on their own. Each song tells a different story of heartache or an attempt to understand a broken relationship, such as in the songs “Gone” and “It Makes You Cry.” With lyrics like “I’m sick of all the trying / you think love’s like dying” from “Counting on You,” O’Hara conveys emotions, like frustration over a dying relationship, in an accessible and relatable manner. “Alone is Yes” is the obvious work of a single artist, O’Hara, directing other artists to actualize a final vision.
“This is the first time I’ve created the music by myself,” O’Hara said. “In a band, it can be a nightmare … [Writing songs] becomes so time-consuming. But with a director, there’s no democracy. I can choose what gets put in...It’s a lot easier.”
Despite the overwhelming emotion of the album, O’Hara considers himself to be “a pretty content person,” tending to be more thoughtful when creating music than in daily life.
O’Hara stressed the importance of interpretation, adding all artists have different objectives, whether it be to entertain or provoke thought.
“Music is subjective,” O’Hara said. “I want people to be confused [by Summer-winter’s music]. Confusion is underrated.”
“Alone is Yes” can be purchased at Paul’s CDs in Bloomfield, Pa. or for $10 online at cdbaby.com.
*Published in 2010 Issue 6 of The Globe.
As a desolate guitar strums a slow and somber rhythm backed by a low-pitched ambiguous hum, the lyrics “all the days are dead/ I can’t find my friends” open Pittsburgh-based indie folk rock band Summer-winter’s appropriately titled first release, “Alone is Yes.”
“People say, ‘wow, this is so sad,’ which it is,” Terry O’Hara, the band’s frontman, said. “But it’s also appealing because there’s remnants of survival and hopefulness.”
Even as the opening track, “Summer’s Bound to End,” progresses in the same solemn manner as it began, those “remnants” can be heard in the arrangement and orchestration. Subtle hints of violins and a banjo add lightness to what could have been an overwhelmingly heavy, emotional song.
The album has a soothing, spacey sound, similar to a sedated Radiohead, with an autumnal ambience meant to chill the listener, as the band’s name appropriately suggests. The vocals echo eerily on each track, and the lyrics are, more than anything, just a means of further reinforcing the cheerlessness of the album as a whole. Constant echoes and disjointed melodies laden with loaded pauses lull the listener into a calm, yet melancholy, stupor.
A highlight track comes in the form of “I Am a Cloud,” which disrupts the acoustic guitar-driven melodies of the six tracks preceding it. A warbling organ provides psychedelic airiness, while the repetition of the lyrics “you can’t feel how I’m feeling” perfectly describe the theme of “Alone is Yes.”
The album plays as a continuous thought, with musical elements from the previous song overlapping into the next. There is a wholeness to the album, a satisfaction to be felt from listening to “Alone is Yes” in its entirety from start to finish. Individual tracks add value to the overall composition, yet can strongly stand on their own. Each song tells a different story of heartache or an attempt to understand a broken relationship, such as in the songs “Gone” and “It Makes You Cry.” With lyrics like “I’m sick of all the trying / you think love’s like dying” from “Counting on You,” O’Hara conveys emotions, like frustration over a dying relationship, in an accessible and relatable manner. “Alone is Yes” is the obvious work of a single artist, O’Hara, directing other artists to actualize a final vision.
“This is the first time I’ve created the music by myself,” O’Hara said. “In a band, it can be a nightmare … [Writing songs] becomes so time-consuming. But with a director, there’s no democracy. I can choose what gets put in...It’s a lot easier.”
Despite the overwhelming emotion of the album, O’Hara considers himself to be “a pretty content person,” tending to be more thoughtful when creating music than in daily life.
O’Hara stressed the importance of interpretation, adding all artists have different objectives, whether it be to entertain or provoke thought.
“Music is subjective,” O’Hara said. “I want people to be confused [by Summer-winter’s music]. Confusion is underrated.”
“Alone is Yes” can be purchased at Paul’s CDs in Bloomfield, Pa. or for $10 online at cdbaby.com.
*Published in 2010 Issue 6 of The Globe.
Rockin' Reviews - Features
Violens, "V"
Comprised of New York-based artists, Violens (pronounced Vy-lenz, as indicated on their MySpace music page) have a refreshingly retro style. Sounding as if they could have just stepped off a time machine from the 1960s, Violens possess the spirit of Billboard chart toppers from decades past.
Without knowing any better, a listener of Violens' latest release, a four-track EP titled "V," could easily mistake them for a band from rock 'n roll's heyday - someone who may have opened for The Kinks during their American tour in 1965. The song "Violent Sensation Descends" incorporates a wheezy organ introduction with scratchy guitars that sound out of place in this decade. Easily the best song on the EP, "Violent Sensation Descends" showcases everything this band does well: effortlessly share complex emotions, span multiple musical styles and compose and overall incredible tune.
Interestingly, Violens could just as easily been at home in the 1980s, with wailing synths as a staple in each of the four tracks featured on "V." "Doomed," the third track, is easily the most charming, with a peppy melody and light-hearted vocals. The bass line evokes memories of California surfing in a Beach Boys-esque style, yet the synth-driven chorus could just as easily have been composed by Wham!
Despite all these similarities, Violens are distinctly unique, especially in today's pop music scene. Ambient vocals combined with the synthesized melody make for a dreamy experience, such as the echoing acoustic guitars and vocals on the first track, "Already Over."
Listening to "V" is an ethereal experience, as the band undoubtedly intended. Violens cite their musical influences as being "seashells, dreadlocks, gems, sand, veins, ribbons [and] steel," and sounding like "descriptions of nightmares, the passing of time, speculations on spiritual messages [and] accounts of hallucinations." "Doomed" instantly relaxes the senses and allows for an open and rewarding musical journey.
The only bad remark to make about this album is that it is entirely too short - not only because it is comprised of just four tracks, but also because each track rarely lasts for longer than three minutes. Impressively, despite such a short play time, "V" is one of the most impressive releases of the year, and the excellence of their debut EP leaves listeners wondering why the band is not more popular.
*Published in 2009 Issue 13 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7417/rockin-reviews-violens-v-1.1039713
Comprised of New York-based artists, Violens (pronounced Vy-lenz, as indicated on their MySpace music page) have a refreshingly retro style. Sounding as if they could have just stepped off a time machine from the 1960s, Violens possess the spirit of Billboard chart toppers from decades past.
Without knowing any better, a listener of Violens' latest release, a four-track EP titled "V," could easily mistake them for a band from rock 'n roll's heyday - someone who may have opened for The Kinks during their American tour in 1965. The song "Violent Sensation Descends" incorporates a wheezy organ introduction with scratchy guitars that sound out of place in this decade. Easily the best song on the EP, "Violent Sensation Descends" showcases everything this band does well: effortlessly share complex emotions, span multiple musical styles and compose and overall incredible tune.
Interestingly, Violens could just as easily been at home in the 1980s, with wailing synths as a staple in each of the four tracks featured on "V." "Doomed," the third track, is easily the most charming, with a peppy melody and light-hearted vocals. The bass line evokes memories of California surfing in a Beach Boys-esque style, yet the synth-driven chorus could just as easily have been composed by Wham!
Despite all these similarities, Violens are distinctly unique, especially in today's pop music scene. Ambient vocals combined with the synthesized melody make for a dreamy experience, such as the echoing acoustic guitars and vocals on the first track, "Already Over."
Listening to "V" is an ethereal experience, as the band undoubtedly intended. Violens cite their musical influences as being "seashells, dreadlocks, gems, sand, veins, ribbons [and] steel," and sounding like "descriptions of nightmares, the passing of time, speculations on spiritual messages [and] accounts of hallucinations." "Doomed" instantly relaxes the senses and allows for an open and rewarding musical journey.
The only bad remark to make about this album is that it is entirely too short - not only because it is comprised of just four tracks, but also because each track rarely lasts for longer than three minutes. Impressively, despite such a short play time, "V" is one of the most impressive releases of the year, and the excellence of their debut EP leaves listeners wondering why the band is not more popular.
*Published in 2009 Issue 13 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7417/rockin-reviews-violens-v-1.1039713
Rockin' Reviews - Features
"Caught in the Headlights," Absent Elk
Yet another case of a YouTube sensation making it big, British rock/pop band Absent Elk released their debut album, "Caught in the Headlights," on Sunday, Oct. 18 in the United Kingdom. They are best known for their acoustic pop covers posted on YouTube of the all-female group Girls Aloud's song "The Loving Kind," Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" and "All That She Wants" by Ace of Base.
The band officially formed in late 2008 and have experienced whirlwind success that is rarely seen or heard. In that time, they have toured with popular British groups The Script and Keane, both of which have received commercial success in the United States. Perhaps the most influential tour in their climb to success was when they opened for Girls Aloud, whose fans first took notice because of their cover of "The Loving Kind."
In mere months, Absent Elk have gained a strong fan base, headlined a tour and written, recorded and released a debut album with more success than even they could have likely anticipated.
While "Caught in the Headlights" is not as sensational as was expected from a band known for its innovation, the album simply shines when considering how quickly it was produced. The cover art of a snowy terrain illuminated by the Northern Lights shining overhead suggests a chilling musical experience to go along with it. Contrarily, the tracks are warm, inviting and friendly.
Even quirkier than the band's name is its musical styling. "Caught in the Headlights" alternates from bouncy and energetic on one track to brooding and dramatic on the next. The first half of the album is weighted slightly by seemingly repetitious melodies, saved only by the ardent opening track, "Sun and Water," the band's first single.
The second half, however, brightens and diversifies, beginning with the light and easy-to-dance-to "Cannibals." The only true slow song on the album is "Comfort or Amuse," with melodramatic lyrics accompanied by frontman Kjetil Morland's perfectly hallow singing and a sole acoustic guitar. The album closes with a bonus track, titled "Bleeding Ink." This song is possibly one of the best on the album because of its effortless transition from simplistic verses and melodies to a swollen and complex chorus. The lyrics never touch on anything too profound, which allows the instrumentation to shine on this track.
As of yet, Absent Elk has received little to no recognition in the United States. They remain strictly, and presumably proudly, a solely British band. While the album is still, and likely will remain, unavailable in CD form in the United States, U.S. fans can download "Caught in the Headlights" from iTunes or Absent Elk's Web site, www.absentelk.com.
*Published in 2009 Issue 7 of The Globe
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7417/rockin-reviews-1.1039941
Yet another case of a YouTube sensation making it big, British rock/pop band Absent Elk released their debut album, "Caught in the Headlights," on Sunday, Oct. 18 in the United Kingdom. They are best known for their acoustic pop covers posted on YouTube of the all-female group Girls Aloud's song "The Loving Kind," Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" and "All That She Wants" by Ace of Base.
The band officially formed in late 2008 and have experienced whirlwind success that is rarely seen or heard. In that time, they have toured with popular British groups The Script and Keane, both of which have received commercial success in the United States. Perhaps the most influential tour in their climb to success was when they opened for Girls Aloud, whose fans first took notice because of their cover of "The Loving Kind."
In mere months, Absent Elk have gained a strong fan base, headlined a tour and written, recorded and released a debut album with more success than even they could have likely anticipated.
While "Caught in the Headlights" is not as sensational as was expected from a band known for its innovation, the album simply shines when considering how quickly it was produced. The cover art of a snowy terrain illuminated by the Northern Lights shining overhead suggests a chilling musical experience to go along with it. Contrarily, the tracks are warm, inviting and friendly.
Even quirkier than the band's name is its musical styling. "Caught in the Headlights" alternates from bouncy and energetic on one track to brooding and dramatic on the next. The first half of the album is weighted slightly by seemingly repetitious melodies, saved only by the ardent opening track, "Sun and Water," the band's first single.
The second half, however, brightens and diversifies, beginning with the light and easy-to-dance-to "Cannibals." The only true slow song on the album is "Comfort or Amuse," with melodramatic lyrics accompanied by frontman Kjetil Morland's perfectly hallow singing and a sole acoustic guitar. The album closes with a bonus track, titled "Bleeding Ink." This song is possibly one of the best on the album because of its effortless transition from simplistic verses and melodies to a swollen and complex chorus. The lyrics never touch on anything too profound, which allows the instrumentation to shine on this track.
As of yet, Absent Elk has received little to no recognition in the United States. They remain strictly, and presumably proudly, a solely British band. While the album is still, and likely will remain, unavailable in CD form in the United States, U.S. fans can download "Caught in the Headlights" from iTunes or Absent Elk's Web site, www.absentelk.com.
*Published in 2009 Issue 7 of The Globe
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7417/rockin-reviews-1.1039941
Rockin' Reviews - Features
"Run Rabbit Run" by Sufjan Stevens
Although "Run Rabbit Run" can hardly be considered a "new release," being simply a rearranged version of indie folk artist Sufjan Stevens' 2001 album "Enjoy Your Rabbit," the re-recorded songs are almost entirely unrecognizable. And, in this case, that's actually a good thing.
While "Enjoy Your Rabbit" is a triumph, showcasing the composing chops of Stevens, having been entirely produced electronically and instrumentally by him, "Run Rabbit Run" kicks things up a notch. The songs have been rearranged by composers Michael Atkinson and Olivier Manchon, among others, for the string quartet Osso, who previously recorded with Stevens on his 2005 album "Illinoise."
The string arrangements on "Run Rabbit Run" are a welcome change from the entirely computerized "Enjoy Your Rabbit." While "Run Rabbit Run" lacks much of Stevens' personal "white noise" touches fans have come to associate with his albums, the bizarre styling and harmonies of the strings are about as quirky as Stevens himself. However, this new release feels much less personal than the previous, and it leaves the listener wondering just how much involvement Stevens had in this new project.
Each track focuses on an animal in the Chinese zodiac, such as the sly and smooth "Year of the Snake" or the amicable and steady "Year of the Ox." Unfortunately neglected from the new track list was "Year of the Asthmatic Cat," an homage to Stevens' record label, Asthmatic Kitty. The piercing electronic ring that comprises the 24-second introductory song would have been interesting to hear converted to strings.
Other highlights of the album are the pulse-quickening and rhythmically driven instrumentation "Year of the Boar" and melodical "Year of the Tiger." The title track from 2001's "Enjoy Your Rabbit" is also included on "Run Rabbit Run" and is easily the track that converted best from electronic to a strings arrangement. The up-beat phrases flow more easily, making it the most listener-friendly on the new album. "Run Rabbit Run" closes with "Year of the Lord," a hymnal-esque composition, which has been made more emotional by the new all-string arrangement.
Overall, "Run Rabbit Run" appears to be superior to "Enjoy Your Rabbit." The new instrumental interpretations are more aesthetically pleasing, as well as more easily accessed by the public. Anyone who appreciates good instrumentals really will enjoy the new and improved "Rabbit."
*Published in 2009 Issue 6 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7417/rockin-reviews-1.1039975
Although "Run Rabbit Run" can hardly be considered a "new release," being simply a rearranged version of indie folk artist Sufjan Stevens' 2001 album "Enjoy Your Rabbit," the re-recorded songs are almost entirely unrecognizable. And, in this case, that's actually a good thing.
While "Enjoy Your Rabbit" is a triumph, showcasing the composing chops of Stevens, having been entirely produced electronically and instrumentally by him, "Run Rabbit Run" kicks things up a notch. The songs have been rearranged by composers Michael Atkinson and Olivier Manchon, among others, for the string quartet Osso, who previously recorded with Stevens on his 2005 album "Illinoise."
The string arrangements on "Run Rabbit Run" are a welcome change from the entirely computerized "Enjoy Your Rabbit." While "Run Rabbit Run" lacks much of Stevens' personal "white noise" touches fans have come to associate with his albums, the bizarre styling and harmonies of the strings are about as quirky as Stevens himself. However, this new release feels much less personal than the previous, and it leaves the listener wondering just how much involvement Stevens had in this new project.
Each track focuses on an animal in the Chinese zodiac, such as the sly and smooth "Year of the Snake" or the amicable and steady "Year of the Ox." Unfortunately neglected from the new track list was "Year of the Asthmatic Cat," an homage to Stevens' record label, Asthmatic Kitty. The piercing electronic ring that comprises the 24-second introductory song would have been interesting to hear converted to strings.
Other highlights of the album are the pulse-quickening and rhythmically driven instrumentation "Year of the Boar" and melodical "Year of the Tiger." The title track from 2001's "Enjoy Your Rabbit" is also included on "Run Rabbit Run" and is easily the track that converted best from electronic to a strings arrangement. The up-beat phrases flow more easily, making it the most listener-friendly on the new album. "Run Rabbit Run" closes with "Year of the Lord," a hymnal-esque composition, which has been made more emotional by the new all-string arrangement.
Overall, "Run Rabbit Run" appears to be superior to "Enjoy Your Rabbit." The new instrumental interpretations are more aesthetically pleasing, as well as more easily accessed by the public. Anyone who appreciates good instrumentals really will enjoy the new and improved "Rabbit."
*Published in 2009 Issue 6 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7417/rockin-reviews-1.1039975
Rockin' Reviews - Features
MuteMath, "Armistice"
MuteMath, an electro rock band out of New Orleans, though well received by fans and critics, remains relatively unknown to the public.
The band's first glimpses of fame came after performing in the 2006 summer festivals Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Vans Warped Tour and V Festival, as well as being featured as The Fray's opening act during their Winter College tour the following year.
Known for their lively stage presence, whose antics include keyboard handstands and guitar tosses, MuteMath took their energetic music to the studio in early 2006 resulting in the band's self-titled debut.
Since then, MuteMath has embarked on a headlining tour of their own, as well as returning to the studio to begin work on their follow-up album, "Armistice." A single from the new album, "Spotlight," was featured in the "Twilight" soundtrack, and MuteMath was soon on its way to becoming a household name.
The band's sophomore album "Armistice," released Aug. 25, has an unexpected increase in maturity and complexity since the debut record. Though some of the raw energy the band always played with live has been toned down, the album maintains unmistakable depth and style. Also missing are the unique instrumentals between songs, used on the debut, which allowed each song to smoothly flow into the next. "Armistice," however, showcases each song individually, making each track often drastically different from the preceding one. Also included are slow, piano-driven ballads that display lead singer Paul Meany's surprisingly impressive vocal and melodic skills.
Both "Armistice" and their self-titled album, "MuteMath," are exhilirating listening experiences. Though the band has varied their sound slightly between recordings, and despite still being relatively unknown, they remain one of the most unique bands in the indie rock scene.
Arctic Monkeys, "Humbug"
Also known for their high energy and wit, English alternative band Arctic Monkeys took a more somber approach to their third studio release "Humbug." While previous releases "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" and "Favourite Worst Nightmare" included, and became known for, lyrics of amusing sardonic qualities, Arctic Monkeys' lead singer and lyricist Alex Turner again does not disappoint in "Humbug."
The accompanying music, however, contains guitar riffs of which Metallica would be proud. The sound of this album has hints of '90s-inspired grunge with a mix of their distinct Brit pop style. Additionally, many songs, including "Fire and the Thud" and "Cornerstone," are at a slower pace than expected from the usually upbeat band.
Their first single from the album, "Crying Lightning," attempts to bridge the gap between old Arctic Monkeys' style to what they have progressed to. The music is not quite as briskly paced as their previous releases, though considerably lively compared to other tracks on "Humbug."
Turner's singing, however, is what gives the song that extra edge. Though slightly different than the band's previously releases, "Humbug" does not disappoint.
Imogen Heap, "Ellipse"
Undoubtedly one of the most innovative, brilliant and likable of musicians, Imogen Heap must be admired, above all, for her independence and talent. Her single-handed undertaking of her third studio release "Ellipse" which was recorded in her home studio in England with Heap writing, performing and producing the entire project herself, gives an intimate glimpse into the mind and heart of its creator.
Initially one-half of the electronica duo Frou Frou, Heap soon decided her skills were best displayed solo and released her first solo album "I-Megaphone" in 1998. Heap quickly became a much sought-after collaborator, most recently co-writing and producing the song "Now or Never" with classical pop singer Josh Groban on his 2006 album "Awake."
While recording "Ellipse," Heap also kept a video blog of her work, which she shared with fans throughout the months preceding its Aug. 25 release. Heap also used Twitter, along with her blog, as a marketing tool in anticipation of the album's drop date. She appeared on Late Night with David Letterman Thursday, Aug. 18, performing the album's first single "First Train Home."
Heap embraces the moniker of a one-woman band, often darting across stage to press a button or twist a knob. Her sound is computer synthesized, but it is doubtful whether her songs would sound as graceful under any other conductor. From the chilling "Canvas," to the simple and beautiful "Little Bird," Heap's "Ellipse" could easily be the best release of 2009.
*Published in 2009 Issue 1 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7417/rockin-reviews-1.1040155
MuteMath, an electro rock band out of New Orleans, though well received by fans and critics, remains relatively unknown to the public.
The band's first glimpses of fame came after performing in the 2006 summer festivals Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Vans Warped Tour and V Festival, as well as being featured as The Fray's opening act during their Winter College tour the following year.
Known for their lively stage presence, whose antics include keyboard handstands and guitar tosses, MuteMath took their energetic music to the studio in early 2006 resulting in the band's self-titled debut.
Since then, MuteMath has embarked on a headlining tour of their own, as well as returning to the studio to begin work on their follow-up album, "Armistice." A single from the new album, "Spotlight," was featured in the "Twilight" soundtrack, and MuteMath was soon on its way to becoming a household name.
The band's sophomore album "Armistice," released Aug. 25, has an unexpected increase in maturity and complexity since the debut record. Though some of the raw energy the band always played with live has been toned down, the album maintains unmistakable depth and style. Also missing are the unique instrumentals between songs, used on the debut, which allowed each song to smoothly flow into the next. "Armistice," however, showcases each song individually, making each track often drastically different from the preceding one. Also included are slow, piano-driven ballads that display lead singer Paul Meany's surprisingly impressive vocal and melodic skills.
Both "Armistice" and their self-titled album, "MuteMath," are exhilirating listening experiences. Though the band has varied their sound slightly between recordings, and despite still being relatively unknown, they remain one of the most unique bands in the indie rock scene.
Arctic Monkeys, "Humbug"
Also known for their high energy and wit, English alternative band Arctic Monkeys took a more somber approach to their third studio release "Humbug." While previous releases "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" and "Favourite Worst Nightmare" included, and became known for, lyrics of amusing sardonic qualities, Arctic Monkeys' lead singer and lyricist Alex Turner again does not disappoint in "Humbug."
The accompanying music, however, contains guitar riffs of which Metallica would be proud. The sound of this album has hints of '90s-inspired grunge with a mix of their distinct Brit pop style. Additionally, many songs, including "Fire and the Thud" and "Cornerstone," are at a slower pace than expected from the usually upbeat band.
Their first single from the album, "Crying Lightning," attempts to bridge the gap between old Arctic Monkeys' style to what they have progressed to. The music is not quite as briskly paced as their previous releases, though considerably lively compared to other tracks on "Humbug."
Turner's singing, however, is what gives the song that extra edge. Though slightly different than the band's previously releases, "Humbug" does not disappoint.
Imogen Heap, "Ellipse"
Undoubtedly one of the most innovative, brilliant and likable of musicians, Imogen Heap must be admired, above all, for her independence and talent. Her single-handed undertaking of her third studio release "Ellipse" which was recorded in her home studio in England with Heap writing, performing and producing the entire project herself, gives an intimate glimpse into the mind and heart of its creator.
Initially one-half of the electronica duo Frou Frou, Heap soon decided her skills were best displayed solo and released her first solo album "I-Megaphone" in 1998. Heap quickly became a much sought-after collaborator, most recently co-writing and producing the song "Now or Never" with classical pop singer Josh Groban on his 2006 album "Awake."
While recording "Ellipse," Heap also kept a video blog of her work, which she shared with fans throughout the months preceding its Aug. 25 release. Heap also used Twitter, along with her blog, as a marketing tool in anticipation of the album's drop date. She appeared on Late Night with David Letterman Thursday, Aug. 18, performing the album's first single "First Train Home."
Heap embraces the moniker of a one-woman band, often darting across stage to press a button or twist a knob. Her sound is computer synthesized, but it is doubtful whether her songs would sound as graceful under any other conductor. From the chilling "Canvas," to the simple and beautiful "Little Bird," Heap's "Ellipse" could easily be the best release of 2009.
*Published in 2009 Issue 1 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7417/rockin-reviews-1.1040155
Summer concert line-up a melting pot of international, local artists - Features
Singer and songwriter Laura Marling’s acoustic folk style on her latest release, “I Speak Because I Can,” is intimate and simplistic, allowing her imagery-loaded lyrics with to shine.
On the contrary, Andy McKee is a master musician who can manipulate a guitar into making sounds one would never guess were produced by a single instrument.
Nineties’ artist Jeff Buckley was the master of both, perfectly blending his grunge rhythmic guitar, melodious singing – which could traverse five octaves – and often sorrowful lyrics to become one of the decade’s most celebrated artists.
This summer, the musical styles of all three artists and a multitude of others can be heard live in the Pittsburgh area for the city’s summer concert series. Local, national and international artists alike will take to the various Pittsburgh stages and venues, such as Mr. Smalls Funhouse in Millvale, The Rex Theater and Diesel Club Lounge on the South Side, as well as larger venues including the First Niagara Pavilion in Burgettstown and the Chevrolet Amphitheater at Station Square, to name a few.
Pittsburgh has an active music scene, with over 30 venues within the city limits that support musical performances. As May approaches, venues are compiling their summer concert lists, which provide a unique mix of styles and genres to please any Pittsburgher longing to see a live show.
Twenty-year-old Marling arrived on the music scene in 2007 to critical acclaim because of her pop-folk style and poetic lyrics. Her songs, including “My Manic & I,” “Ghosts” and “Devil’s Spoke,” are bouncy with fast-paced guitar melodies and rhythmic singing. Her vocals are subdued and almost trance-like, sung to a folkish and light tempo.
Performing live, as she has on such shows as “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” Marling appears nonchalant, but her sound is bold and determined, skipping along at an alarming pace.
Marling will be playing at the Andy Warhol Museum to support her latest release, “I Speak Because I Can,” on Saturday, May 8 as part of the museum’s Sound Series. Joining her as an opening act will be Australian indie band The Middle East, who will play ambient folk tracks from their EP, “The Recordings of the Middle East.”
Topeka, Kan. native McKee gained popularity through the video sharing website YouTube, where his homemade videos of self-penned guitar solos once held the top three positions for YouTube’s Top-Rated Videos of All Time, according to his website, www.andymckee.com. He specializes in awing an audience with his acoustic guitar, performing songs with sounds many people did not know a guitar could make. His song “Into the Ocean,” which is performed on a specially crafted 12-string guitar, is soothing, with an ebb and flow pattern similar to waves on an ocean shore.
McKee, who has released five solo albums and was featured on pop opera artist Josh Groban’s multi-platinum Christmas album, “NOEL,” will be playing at the Rex Theater on the South Side on July 23 at 9 p.m.
Additionally, artists are paying tribute to the late, great Buckley through a live show at the Rex Theater on the South Side on May 15 called “An Adulation: Jeff Buckley.” Buckley’s 1994 debut album “Grace” earned a spot on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Buckley’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” defines his legacy, with a somber, sparse guitar backing lyrics about “cold” and “broken” moments in life.
Artists performing in Buckley’s honor at the Rex include Matt King from the band Shade, Retrofitter from the band School of Athens, Justin Chechlie from the band Camera, The Longtime Darlings and others. General admission tickets cost $10.50 and can be purchased at rex.greyareaprod.com.
Major music artists from the past year, including John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band and the widely popular Lady Gaga, also include Pittsburgh as one of their tour stops.
Julia Wagner, a freshman screenwriting major, tried to get tickets to Gaga’s concert.
“They sold out so fast,” she said. “And they were way too expensive.”
Wagner tries to attend a concert as often as possible, she said, even as often as one every month, depending on the price or the convenience. Because of this, she will not be attending any concerts in the Pittsburgh area this summer, but is instead choosing to travel as far as Manchester, Tenn. for the Bonnaroo music and arts festival on June 10-13.
There are several music festivals making a stop in the Steel City as well, including the Bamboozle Roadshow, which features bands All Time Low, Simple Plan, Third Eye Blind and others, on June 23 at the Chevrolet Amphitheater in Station Square and the Vans Warped Tour on July 7 at First Niagara Pavilion. The Pittsburgh stop of Warped Tour is comprised of over 60 bands, including The Rocket Summer, The All-American Rejects and Motion City Soundtrack.
Amelia Hogan, community director of Campus Life, does not have any plans to attend a concert this summer because she thinks tickets are too overpriced.
“In general, I will fork over the money if I really want to see them,” Hogan said. “But nothing seemed worth it to me.”
Austin Elder, a freshman business marketing major, however, is looking forward to the Dave Matthews Band concert in Pittsburgh on Saturday, July 10 at PNC Park.
“It’s going to be a good night with good music,” Elder said. “Me and my buddies are looking forward to having a good time.”
Dave Matthews Band is on tour to support their latest album, “Big Whisky and the GrooGrux King,” which was released in June 2009 and has since gone platinum with hits like “You & Me” and “Funny the Way It Is.” The band is currently touring Europe and will return to the States on May 20 for a concert in Washington, D.C. The Pittsburgh concert in June still has tickets available for $49 and up, which can be purchased on their website at www.davematthewsband.com/tour.
Pittsburgh-based band The Juliana Theory, who is probably best known for the song “We’re at the Top of the World,” which appeared in television shows such as “Smallville” and “Life as We Know It,” is reuniting for a tour in celebration of the 10th anniversary of “Emotion is Dead,” the band’s first album. With stops in New York and Los Angeles, The Juliana Theory’s reunion tour, which comes four years after the band’s disbandment, will make a stop at Mr. Small’s Funhouse on the South Side on Aug. 21.
For those not partial to the live music scene, several famous live speakers will be hitting the Pittsburgh area too. Celebrity author, chef and host of the Travel Channel’s show “No Reservations” Anthony Bourdain will be sharing his experiences as a world traveler at Heinz Hall on Monday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $38 to $85 at the Pittsburgh Symphony’s website, www.pittsburghsymphony.org.
Other events around Pittsburgh:
Josh Ritter
May 18 at 7 p.m.
Diesel, $20
Of Montreal
May 28 at 8 p.m.
Ches-a-rena, $18
Beach House
June 16 at 8 p.m.
Diesel, $18
John Mayer
Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
First Niagara Pavilion
$30 lawn/$63.50 seats
Kings of Leon
Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
First Niagara Pavilion
$30.50 lawn/$50.5 seats
Craig Ferguson
April 24 at 8 p.m.
The Palace Theater, $35 - $52
*Published in 2010 Issue 13 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/features/summer-concert-line-up-a-melting-pot-of-international-local-artists-1.1376672
On the contrary, Andy McKee is a master musician who can manipulate a guitar into making sounds one would never guess were produced by a single instrument.
Nineties’ artist Jeff Buckley was the master of both, perfectly blending his grunge rhythmic guitar, melodious singing – which could traverse five octaves – and often sorrowful lyrics to become one of the decade’s most celebrated artists.
This summer, the musical styles of all three artists and a multitude of others can be heard live in the Pittsburgh area for the city’s summer concert series. Local, national and international artists alike will take to the various Pittsburgh stages and venues, such as Mr. Smalls Funhouse in Millvale, The Rex Theater and Diesel Club Lounge on the South Side, as well as larger venues including the First Niagara Pavilion in Burgettstown and the Chevrolet Amphitheater at Station Square, to name a few.
Pittsburgh has an active music scene, with over 30 venues within the city limits that support musical performances. As May approaches, venues are compiling their summer concert lists, which provide a unique mix of styles and genres to please any Pittsburgher longing to see a live show.
Twenty-year-old Marling arrived on the music scene in 2007 to critical acclaim because of her pop-folk style and poetic lyrics. Her songs, including “My Manic & I,” “Ghosts” and “Devil’s Spoke,” are bouncy with fast-paced guitar melodies and rhythmic singing. Her vocals are subdued and almost trance-like, sung to a folkish and light tempo.
Performing live, as she has on such shows as “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” Marling appears nonchalant, but her sound is bold and determined, skipping along at an alarming pace.
Marling will be playing at the Andy Warhol Museum to support her latest release, “I Speak Because I Can,” on Saturday, May 8 as part of the museum’s Sound Series. Joining her as an opening act will be Australian indie band The Middle East, who will play ambient folk tracks from their EP, “The Recordings of the Middle East.”
Topeka, Kan. native McKee gained popularity through the video sharing website YouTube, where his homemade videos of self-penned guitar solos once held the top three positions for YouTube’s Top-Rated Videos of All Time, according to his website, www.andymckee.com. He specializes in awing an audience with his acoustic guitar, performing songs with sounds many people did not know a guitar could make. His song “Into the Ocean,” which is performed on a specially crafted 12-string guitar, is soothing, with an ebb and flow pattern similar to waves on an ocean shore.
McKee, who has released five solo albums and was featured on pop opera artist Josh Groban’s multi-platinum Christmas album, “NOEL,” will be playing at the Rex Theater on the South Side on July 23 at 9 p.m.
Additionally, artists are paying tribute to the late, great Buckley through a live show at the Rex Theater on the South Side on May 15 called “An Adulation: Jeff Buckley.” Buckley’s 1994 debut album “Grace” earned a spot on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Buckley’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” defines his legacy, with a somber, sparse guitar backing lyrics about “cold” and “broken” moments in life.
Artists performing in Buckley’s honor at the Rex include Matt King from the band Shade, Retrofitter from the band School of Athens, Justin Chechlie from the band Camera, The Longtime Darlings and others. General admission tickets cost $10.50 and can be purchased at rex.greyareaprod.com.
Major music artists from the past year, including John Mayer, Dave Matthews Band and the widely popular Lady Gaga, also include Pittsburgh as one of their tour stops.
Julia Wagner, a freshman screenwriting major, tried to get tickets to Gaga’s concert.
“They sold out so fast,” she said. “And they were way too expensive.”
Wagner tries to attend a concert as often as possible, she said, even as often as one every month, depending on the price or the convenience. Because of this, she will not be attending any concerts in the Pittsburgh area this summer, but is instead choosing to travel as far as Manchester, Tenn. for the Bonnaroo music and arts festival on June 10-13.
There are several music festivals making a stop in the Steel City as well, including the Bamboozle Roadshow, which features bands All Time Low, Simple Plan, Third Eye Blind and others, on June 23 at the Chevrolet Amphitheater in Station Square and the Vans Warped Tour on July 7 at First Niagara Pavilion. The Pittsburgh stop of Warped Tour is comprised of over 60 bands, including The Rocket Summer, The All-American Rejects and Motion City Soundtrack.
Amelia Hogan, community director of Campus Life, does not have any plans to attend a concert this summer because she thinks tickets are too overpriced.
“In general, I will fork over the money if I really want to see them,” Hogan said. “But nothing seemed worth it to me.”
Austin Elder, a freshman business marketing major, however, is looking forward to the Dave Matthews Band concert in Pittsburgh on Saturday, July 10 at PNC Park.
“It’s going to be a good night with good music,” Elder said. “Me and my buddies are looking forward to having a good time.”
Dave Matthews Band is on tour to support their latest album, “Big Whisky and the GrooGrux King,” which was released in June 2009 and has since gone platinum with hits like “You & Me” and “Funny the Way It Is.” The band is currently touring Europe and will return to the States on May 20 for a concert in Washington, D.C. The Pittsburgh concert in June still has tickets available for $49 and up, which can be purchased on their website at www.davematthewsband.com/tour.
Pittsburgh-based band The Juliana Theory, who is probably best known for the song “We’re at the Top of the World,” which appeared in television shows such as “Smallville” and “Life as We Know It,” is reuniting for a tour in celebration of the 10th anniversary of “Emotion is Dead,” the band’s first album. With stops in New York and Los Angeles, The Juliana Theory’s reunion tour, which comes four years after the band’s disbandment, will make a stop at Mr. Small’s Funhouse on the South Side on Aug. 21.
For those not partial to the live music scene, several famous live speakers will be hitting the Pittsburgh area too. Celebrity author, chef and host of the Travel Channel’s show “No Reservations” Anthony Bourdain will be sharing his experiences as a world traveler at Heinz Hall on Monday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for $38 to $85 at the Pittsburgh Symphony’s website, www.pittsburghsymphony.org.
Other events around Pittsburgh:
Josh Ritter
May 18 at 7 p.m.
Diesel, $20
Of Montreal
May 28 at 8 p.m.
Ches-a-rena, $18
Beach House
June 16 at 8 p.m.
Diesel, $18
John Mayer
Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
First Niagara Pavilion
$30 lawn/$63.50 seats
Kings of Leon
Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
First Niagara Pavilion
$30.50 lawn/$50.5 seats
Craig Ferguson
April 24 at 8 p.m.
The Palace Theater, $35 - $52
*Published in 2010 Issue 13 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/features/summer-concert-line-up-a-melting-pot-of-international-local-artists-1.1376672
Mr. Smalls Art Bash preview - Online (Features)
For local artist by the name of Rev. Dashier Rocket, art is more than just an aesthetic expression of emotion – it is a celebration.
“Art is accessible to everybody,” Dashier, 32, of Greensburg, said. “Art is a celebration of culture and of who you are.”
Luckily for Dashier, Mr. Smalls Fun House in Millvale, Pa. shares his view. Dashier’s art, along side 17 other artists’ work, will be featured in Mr. Smalls’ multi-sensory Art Bash on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Eighteen artists between the ages of 20 and 40 will be featured in the event, with pieces ranging from landscape photography to pop art-inspired sketches to metallic sculptures.
“We wanted to encourage as much diverse creativity as possible,” said Lindsay Delesandro, an intern at Mr. Smalls and one of the artists being featured in the Art Bash. “No two people are alike.”
The art bash will differ from a typical art exhibit because it is a one-night-only event as opposed to a revolving exhibit, according to Delesandro. The artists will also be present to discuss their work with attendees of the event.
In addition to the art displays, the Art Bash will attempt to blend visual and audio elements for a truly unique experience. The mood will be set by local DJ e-Z Lou, whose music selection will create “a lounge atmosphere – upbeat, but not overwhelming,” according to Delesandro.
Lisa Jakab, whose oil-based painting will be featured in the exhibit, liked the idea of combining art and music, saying they “fit well together.”
Jakab’s paintings are “realistic with an abstract touch.” One of her pieces, titled “Azo Drip,” she described as having organic forms and lines, detailed texture and bright colors. This piece, as well as all others on display at the bash, will be for sale.
Many of the artists hope the laid-back atmosphere will encourage public interest in the event.
“It's a way to help support the arts in the area,” Johnny Bell, whose photography will be featured at the event, said in an e-mail. “I've taken part in a couple other gallery events, and it's opened up future opportunities. Hopefully this event will do the same for me and the other artists.”
This is the first event of its kind being held at the Mr. Smalls venue, which is known for holding mainly music concerts.
“One of the first things we did when I got here [as an intern] was to sit down and think what else the venue could be used for,” Delesandro said. “We came up with this idea, and they were really receptive of it.”
Admittance to the Art Bash costs $5 at the door and includes a complimentary drink (soda for those under 21 years of age).
“It will be a fun night out in the middle of a snow storm,” Delesandro said.
Dashier agreed.
“[These types of events] are supposed to be relaxed, a party,” Dashier said. “You should have a good time.”
*Published online for 2010 Issue 5 of The Globe. Link currently unavailable.
“Art is accessible to everybody,” Dashier, 32, of Greensburg, said. “Art is a celebration of culture and of who you are.”
Luckily for Dashier, Mr. Smalls Fun House in Millvale, Pa. shares his view. Dashier’s art, along side 17 other artists’ work, will be featured in Mr. Smalls’ multi-sensory Art Bash on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Eighteen artists between the ages of 20 and 40 will be featured in the event, with pieces ranging from landscape photography to pop art-inspired sketches to metallic sculptures.
“We wanted to encourage as much diverse creativity as possible,” said Lindsay Delesandro, an intern at Mr. Smalls and one of the artists being featured in the Art Bash. “No two people are alike.”
The art bash will differ from a typical art exhibit because it is a one-night-only event as opposed to a revolving exhibit, according to Delesandro. The artists will also be present to discuss their work with attendees of the event.
In addition to the art displays, the Art Bash will attempt to blend visual and audio elements for a truly unique experience. The mood will be set by local DJ e-Z Lou, whose music selection will create “a lounge atmosphere – upbeat, but not overwhelming,” according to Delesandro.
Lisa Jakab, whose oil-based painting will be featured in the exhibit, liked the idea of combining art and music, saying they “fit well together.”
Jakab’s paintings are “realistic with an abstract touch.” One of her pieces, titled “Azo Drip,” she described as having organic forms and lines, detailed texture and bright colors. This piece, as well as all others on display at the bash, will be for sale.
Many of the artists hope the laid-back atmosphere will encourage public interest in the event.
“It's a way to help support the arts in the area,” Johnny Bell, whose photography will be featured at the event, said in an e-mail. “I've taken part in a couple other gallery events, and it's opened up future opportunities. Hopefully this event will do the same for me and the other artists.”
This is the first event of its kind being held at the Mr. Smalls venue, which is known for holding mainly music concerts.
“One of the first things we did when I got here [as an intern] was to sit down and think what else the venue could be used for,” Delesandro said. “We came up with this idea, and they were really receptive of it.”
Admittance to the Art Bash costs $5 at the door and includes a complimentary drink (soda for those under 21 years of age).
“It will be a fun night out in the middle of a snow storm,” Delesandro said.
Dashier agreed.
“[These types of events] are supposed to be relaxed, a party,” Dashier said. “You should have a good time.”
*Published online for 2010 Issue 5 of The Globe. Link currently unavailable.
Great Wolf Lodge to open in Pittsburgh - Online (News)
Great Wolf Resorts plans to open a location in Pittsburgh, according to an announcement made by the indoor water resort development company last month. The newest of their Great Wolf Lodge locations will be built adjacent to The Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, a shopping mall located in Frazer Township.
Great Wolf Resorts is known for their premiere indoor waterparks, with less than 15 locations across the nation. One of their newest resorts opened in the Pocono Mountains in 2005.
Specific measurements and attractions for the Galleria location have yet to be determined, according to Jerry Crites, mall manager of Pittsburgh Mills.
The luxury resorts have, on average, 250 – 600 rooms and approximately 75,000 sq. ft. of indoor water park space, according to Great Wolf’s Web site. With rustic, mountain-themed decor, their mission is to be a “leader in regional family entertainment with an emphasis on indoor waterpark hotels.”
Crites said the partnership between Great Wolf and Pittsburgh Mills is less than a month old, and Great Wolf executives are still deciding on official plans at their headquarters in Madison, Wis.
“We’re expecting to break ground later this year, opening fall next year,” Crites said.
Crites is anticipating positive results following the opening of the lodge for Pittsburgh Mills, which has struggled to keep tenants since its opening in 2005. Great Wolf Lodge is known to be a destination that reaches visitors beyond the local area.
“[It will] bring in a lot of new faces,” Crites said. “It can only expand our market.”
The resort hosts most of its locations in the northern states, making Pittsburgh’s biting cold winters an ideal candidate for a Great Wolf Lodge.
“It would be something fun to do year round and in the winter,” Teresa Montoya, a sophomore dance major, said of the resort.
Great Wolf Lodge’s water parks, however, are only open to guests of the resort, with an average nightly rate of around **, according to Great Wolf’s Web site.
Despite this setback, Great Wolf is still expected to turn Pittsburgh into a vacation destination.
“Pittsburgh doesn’t have a lot to offer, as far as water parks go,” Elisa Halma, a sophomore dance major, said. “This would be something different to do.”
Pittsburgh’s other regional water park, Sandcastle, located in Homestead, Pa., is only open during the summer months of June, July and August and is slightly more than half the size of an average Great Wolf resort.
Great Wolf also offers adult and children spas, dining facilities and specialized activities for all ages, including story time around a fireplace and the Cub Club activity areas for children.
*Published online for 2010 Issue 4 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7413/great-wolf-lodge-to-open-in-pittsburgh-1.1426283
Great Wolf Resorts is known for their premiere indoor waterparks, with less than 15 locations across the nation. One of their newest resorts opened in the Pocono Mountains in 2005.
Specific measurements and attractions for the Galleria location have yet to be determined, according to Jerry Crites, mall manager of Pittsburgh Mills.
The luxury resorts have, on average, 250 – 600 rooms and approximately 75,000 sq. ft. of indoor water park space, according to Great Wolf’s Web site. With rustic, mountain-themed decor, their mission is to be a “leader in regional family entertainment with an emphasis on indoor waterpark hotels.”
Crites said the partnership between Great Wolf and Pittsburgh Mills is less than a month old, and Great Wolf executives are still deciding on official plans at their headquarters in Madison, Wis.
“We’re expecting to break ground later this year, opening fall next year,” Crites said.
Crites is anticipating positive results following the opening of the lodge for Pittsburgh Mills, which has struggled to keep tenants since its opening in 2005. Great Wolf Lodge is known to be a destination that reaches visitors beyond the local area.
“[It will] bring in a lot of new faces,” Crites said. “It can only expand our market.”
The resort hosts most of its locations in the northern states, making Pittsburgh’s biting cold winters an ideal candidate for a Great Wolf Lodge.
“It would be something fun to do year round and in the winter,” Teresa Montoya, a sophomore dance major, said of the resort.
Great Wolf Lodge’s water parks, however, are only open to guests of the resort, with an average nightly rate of around **, according to Great Wolf’s Web site.
Despite this setback, Great Wolf is still expected to turn Pittsburgh into a vacation destination.
“Pittsburgh doesn’t have a lot to offer, as far as water parks go,” Elisa Halma, a sophomore dance major, said. “This would be something different to do.”
Pittsburgh’s other regional water park, Sandcastle, located in Homestead, Pa., is only open during the summer months of June, July and August and is slightly more than half the size of an average Great Wolf resort.
Great Wolf also offers adult and children spas, dining facilities and specialized activities for all ages, including story time around a fireplace and the Cub Club activity areas for children.
*Published online for 2010 Issue 4 of The Globe.
http://www.pointparkglobe.com/2.7413/great-wolf-lodge-to-open-in-pittsburgh-1.1426283
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