CONCERT REVIEW A Smorgasbord of MIT A Capella Groups
Last weekend had a lot to offer to MIT students, as the wide variety of student groups on campus showcased their love of everything <i>but</i> math and science to the visiting families. One of the weekend’s highlights was the Saturday night a cappella concert, dubbed the “Greater Boston Invitational Songfest.” The lineup included all nine campus a cappella groups, each performing two numbers of their choice.
CONCERT REVIEW Say Hi: Raw Like Sushi
Say Hi (formerly Say Hi to Your Mom), the little-known second opener at TT’s, proved to be by far the most talented band of the evening, blowing both the opening act and the headlining band out of the water. Raw and loud without any sacrifice to their catchy, simple melodies, Say Hi’s show on Tuesday was a performance that changed the way one would listen to a band’s recorded work.
CONCERT REVIEW Reviving the Masters
A point of clarification: the practice of castrating pre-pubescent boys that showed promise in singing started in the sixteenth century somewhere in Italy. In the absence of the testosterone-secreting gland, limbs elongated, ribs kept growing (resulting in extraordinarily large lung capacity) and, perhaps most importantly, the larynx failed to develop: the adult male (<i>castrato</i> in Italian) retained his pre-pubescent range and flexibility. Subsequent training developed the pre-pubescent voice into a mature, fully-developed, yet eerily pristine, alto or soprano voice part.
RESTAURANT REVIEW Eating Out with Mom and Dad
T<b>he Scenario</b>: Your parents have just arrived on campus, pleased to see that you haven’t gained all of the “freshman fifteen” in a month and a half of college. You show them around campus, stopping by the Student Center and emphasizing that this is where you eat on a daily basis. Eventually, you hear the five magic words from your parents, “We’re taking you out tonight.” Without missing a beat, you slyly say, “Well, there is one place I’ve always wanted to try out…”
CONCERT REVIEW Built to Spill Dig Further Down
Built to Spill, just days after the release of their seventh LP <i>There Is No Enemy</i>, stopped by Cambridge for a three night run at The Middle East Downstairs last weekend. After seventeen years and a handful of different lineups, songwriter Doug Martsch is still at the helm, looking aged but adjusted. The “well-groomed” five-piece took the stage on Sunday, warmed up after two nights in the same venue, opening with a powerful version of “You Were Right,” a tune from 1999’s <i>Keep it Like a Secret</i>. The song pulled the audience back and forth through a dynamic maze, always climaxing with Martsch’s accusation, “you were wrong/when you said/everything’s gonna be alright.” The song benefited from the controlled layering of three guitars. Most notably, guitarist Brett Netson’s overdriven leads cut through the mix at times to reveal a deeper counterpoint against Martsch’s riffing.
BOOK REVIEW Byrne, Bikes, Buenos Aires, Oh My!
At the core of <i>Bicycle Diaries</i>, David Byrne’s foray into cycling fan-(non)-fiction, is the notion that being on a bike provides a unique viewpoint of the world. Through offerings that are captivating and thought provoking, Byrne dispenses his insights from eyes perched above the cars and pedestrians. Being on a bike probably helps, but the real trick is being David Byrne. How else could you explain diary entries from Buenos Aires bike rides that devolve into meditations on canine hierarchy and lewd dog behaviors?
MOVIE REVIEW When Science Attacks!
Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) lives with his dad on an island whose inhabitants’ sole source of food and income comes from the sardine business. Flint has always had a passion in science and inventing things since childhood. So when the sardine supply vanishes one day and the town is left to go hungry, he comes up with the perfect invention: a machine that will turn water into food.
CD REVIEW Pearl Jam Heads Back to Familiar Space
Of the all the bands that came out of Seattle and popularized the grunge movement in the early 90s, Pearl Jam is essentially the only surviving group that has consistently released albums and amassed a following of devoted fans. In the beginning, it was <i>Ten</i> that launched the group onto the map.
MOVIE REVIEW ★★★ A Tale of the Haves and the Have-Nots
It’s not every day that I get to see Michael Moore in the flesh. Granted, he’s too much of a liberal firebrand for me to stomach at times, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see the Republican Party’s Public Enemy Number 1 in all of his pudgy glory last Wednesday night when I screened his film, <i>Capitalism: A Love Story</i>.
BALLET REVIEW All Eyes on Giselle
G<i>iselle</i> was a fine choice as the season opener for the Boston Ballet, in the terms of the company’s new goals of enticing and capturing a younger audience by placing ballet in a trendier and more accessible spotlight. What could been better than the timeless tale of love to win over the hearts of young and old?
CONCERT REVIEW Philharmonia’s First Concert of Season Is a Hit
From the outside, the New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall is deceptively plain. Construction lines the street and scaffolding hides the entire face of the building, making it easy to pass by without a second glance. Inside, however, is a different story altogether. An ambience of grandeur and excellence penetrates every corner of the 1013-seat concert hall, whose rich mahogany paneled walls and gold-plated detailing creates an aesthetically, as well as acoustically, perfect space.
CONCERT REVIEW Too Too Too Long Since the Last Album
Sawing out the same old tunes for ticket-buying fans would be the undoing of any average rock band — thankfully, Ra Ra Riot is far from average. A tight performance and real musical skill enthralled the Paradise Rock Club, and even the sawing — as delivered by beautiful string players Alexandra Lawn and Rebecca Zeller — urged the Saturday night audience to break into en masse hipster shuffling.
MOVIE REVIEW Coco, Coco, Where Is Chanel?
The mere title of <i>Coco Before Chanel</i> may intimidate moviegoers with no interest in fashion. But even the least fashion-aware recognize the name as the face of haute couture. Perhaps these moviegoers will be happier to know that <i>Coco Before Chanel</i> is an almost biographical portrayal of Gabriel Chanel (‘Coco’ was her pet name), played by the adorable French actress Audrey Tautou, before Chanel became the legendary fashion icon and businesswoman.
RESTAURANT REVIEW Highway-Side Food at Highway-Side Prices
Inman Square in Cambridge is packed with pricey bars and Portuguese/Brazilian cuisine that will give you a classy dining experience provided you give them most of your money. Instead, wander into the small, unassuming Indian restaurant at the center of the Square: Punjabi Dhaba, a little restaurant that Harvard students swear by but MIT students seem to have largely left unexplored.
CONCERT REVIEW The Inevitable String Tribute…
There are a lot of ways to change a song. Obsessive fans tend to covet rare gems like acoustic strip-downs, jazz renditions, or the occasional remix. For the real collector, though, there’s always another avenue: the string tribute. Often unadorned, and painfully obvious in its recapitulation of a melody, the string tribute does no more for a song than a fancy carrying case does for an iPod — you may think you’re stepping up in class, but you’re right where you began.
MOVIE REVIEW Unplugged in ‘Surrogates’
Imagine a sci-fi thriller that is original, witty, and well directed. Imagine watching a sci-fi thriller without fear of cheesy dialogue, pointless chases, and imminent apocalyptic doom. Now imagine the opposite, and that sums up <i>Surrogates</i>, a whodunit graphic novel adaptation starring Bruce Willis and directed by Jonathan Mostow (<i>U-571</i>, <i>Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines</i>).
CONCERT REVIEW Traffic Jams and Mechanical Claws
U2 is about as big as it gets when it comes to rock bands. Since the Zoo TV tour of the early ‘90s, they’ve insisted on including the most prodigious, high-tech, and sometimes outrageous — think mirror ball lemon from PopMart — gadgets on their stage sets.
CONCERT REVIEW Ryanhood Heats Up, Melts Chocolate Bar
Ryanhood, formed by Arizona natives Ryan Green and Cameron Hood, gave a free concert last week in their second home of Boston to a small but excited crowd of fans and newcomers. Defined primarily by smooth vocals and slick guitar work, the duo performed a mixed repertoire of flashy jams and deep ballads that demonstrated why, in spite of not having a Wikipedia page about them, they continue to gain new fans with every show.
CONCERT REVIEW Levine Tackles the Greats
James Levine led the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a sold-out show of spiritual awakening last Saturday at Symphony Hall, presenting Stravinsky’s <i>Symphony of Psalms</i> and Mozart’s <i>Requiem in D minor</i>.
CONCERT REVIEW Jamal: Master of Musical Space
It’s hard to put a finger on Ahmad Jamal’s music. It speaks slowly, suggestively, and delicately. He’s seen his fair share of music, and his style fits into the spectrum between breezy carelessness and angsty desperation. Perhaps its greatest quality is its use of space. Few other artists out there can tap out of melody with as much natural, composed structure as Jamal can without it sounding inevitable and rigid. Jamal’s playing is unfettered but rational, well-balanced, and smooth. Above all, it feels good.