The News Review:
- Scheffler’s injury is Jackson’s gain
- Russia invaded and a nation fell for grace
- Rilo Kiley dances ‘Under the Blacklight’
- Male dancers cheer Mystics
- The finale word on the TV season
- On the Beat: David Menconi on music
- A free lunchtime concert that’s worth paying for
Scheffler’s injury is Jackson’s gain
Denver Post – May 23, 2008
Nate Jackson and Tony Scheffler are Broncos teammates and friends. Jackson did not break into a touchdown dance when he learned Scheffler would miss substantial offseason practice with a recurring left foot injury. But the coldhearted truth is Scheffler’s injury presents Jackson with a greater opportunity to play. Scheffler and Jackson play the same position of “small” or “receiving” tight end. Scheffler is the starter; Jackson is the backup. So with Scheffler down Jackson who has just 16 catches in his five NFL seasons could finally get a chance to display his receiving skills.
Russia invaded and a nation fell for grace
The Australian – May 23, 2008
Those visits have been called the greatest theatrical events in Australia’s cultural history. People queued nightly for tickets and artists from all disciplines flocked to the theatres to see an unprecedented panorama of innovative dance music and design. A young Sidney Nolan is reputed to have climbed on the roof of His Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne hoping to break into a performance. Max Dupain was commissioned to take photographs for the shows. Composer John Antill was a regular as his appointment diaries now held in the National Library of Australia testify. Two medical doctors who were also keen amateur cinematographers recorded precious footage of performances in Sydney and Melbourne. The dancers were feted in every city they visited and society people vied to invite them to after-show suppers and weekend picnics… Perhaps causing the most debate over the entire period of the tours were the symphonic ballets of dancer and choreographer Leonide Massine: Les Presages Choreartium and Symphonie fantastique set to symphonies by Tchaikovsky Brahms and Berlioz respectively. If the choice of symphonic music for ballet was controversial at the time so was Massine’s choreography. Massine drew on modern dance movements as source material and what emerged was new and challenging. In Presages for example a dancer’s legs and lower body often moved in classical style but the arms sliced rather than curved through the air. It was very different from what Australians had seen. But as Baronova explains: quot;Our repertoire was so well received. People were fascinated by what they were seeing.
Rilo Kiley dances ‘Under the Blacklight’
mlive.com – May 23, 2008
combull; Details: (248) 399-2980 A jump to the majors hasn’t really affected the music of former indie-rockers Rilo Kiley; if anything the band’s folky pop sound has become more experimental. Despite causing some initial controversy among hard-core fans the Los Angeles-based group’s latest disc “Under the Blacklight” has emerged as its most successful. The group will showcase the dance-heavy album along with plenty of past musical highlights at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on Sunday. Drummer Jason Boesel said his band seems to have largely won over skeptics with its always-evolving sound at least judging from the response to its latest tour. And he’s glad fans are enjoying the new directions. “It’s pretty natural” Boesel said. “We don’t really go in search of new areas to mess around in; it just kind of comes to us… Despite the changes Boesel said he and his band mates are collaborating better than ever. The group endured a long layoff prior to working on “Blacklight” with Lewis and Sennett both former child actors jumping into side projects while de Reeder worked on solo recordings and Boesel drummed for alt-rockers Bright Eyes. The break only served to refresh the four-piece as it reconvened for the latest recording sessions. “We kind of snap back into this vibe” Boesel said. “It’s a real particular thing. But plenty of extra-curricular activities are planned for this year as well set to begin in earnest after this latest tour wraps up in mid-June. “I think we’re definitely doing our own things for a while after the tour” Boesel said.
Male dancers cheer Mystics
Auckland stuff.co.nz – May 23, 2008
The Mystics Hip Hoppers who dance up a storm during breaks are part of TRiPLe8FuNk dance company based at Auckland University. Although only six cheerleaders take part on the night the company draws on its large roster of dancers to keep the act fresh. Breakdancer Lex Tapay has noticed a big difference between freestyle dancing and dancing in front of a crowd. quot;On the court itrsquo;s more rehearsed and yoursquo;re there to performquot; he says. quot;Street dancing is less rehearsed and you move with the music.
The finale word on the TV season
USA Today – May 23, 2008
Considering the pre-show coverage of CSI’s decision to drop actor Gary Dourdan it’s likely that few viewers were shocked to see Warrick exit. But the way he left shot by the sheriff in a dark alley was a very well-executed surprise as was the fever-dream tone of the episode. Once again proving its ability to break genre boundaries CSI devoted as much attention to mood as plot creating an effective visual evocation of Warrick’s mental breakdown. And then just as they led us to believe they were leaving the door open for his possible return by demoting Warrick rather than firing him they killed him off. You knew something was up when he lingered so long at that diner but the tension packed into those final moments was still impressive. And while exits always tend to annoy fans of the exiter the show softened the blow by treating Warrick with respect. He was killed not because of his personal failings but because of his professional dedication… American Idol (Fox) * The finale word: Shouldn’t Idol be better at this by now?Granted hyperbole and an insanely inflated sense of self-importance are Idol’s stock in trade. Still must the show continually turn its last broadcast into some grotesque combination of Miss America the Oscars and Armageddon all filtered through The Brady Bunch Hour? No wonder Idol never wins the Emmy: Too many people watch the finale. Everything about the two-hour padfest seemed designed to undermine the series and make us ashamed we watched starting with the weird opening announcement that the voting wasn’t even close and including the decision to shill everything from So You Think You Can Dance to Mike Myers’ new movie to the show’s own tour. There were some highlights: Donna Summer reaching the last note on Last Dance Carrie Underwood showing her growth as a performer Amanda Overmyer looking amusingly painfully bored and out of place. But otherwise if variety weren’t already dead this show would have killed it. Oh and one of the Davids won. By the end of the two hours which one no longer mattered if it ever did.
On the Beat: David Menconi on music
News amp; Observer – May 23, 2008
[More:] X marks the spotBy David Menconi News amp; ObserverNov. 26 1993 Generation after generation it’s always the same: The bands that break ground seldom hit it big. They do however make it easier for similar bands to break through later. Motorhead cleared the way for Metallica R… “In 10 years people will look back at this time and say ‘Wow there was a lot of great music going on back then. ‘ “This wild success that Pearl Jam and Nirvana have had is great and it’s good music — better that bands like them or Helmet or Belly are doing well rather than dance bands or whatever was popular in 1987. But the bad part is that none of that has changed the ideas or priorities of record companies. It’s sort of like Michael Jackson and ‘Thriller’; everyone has huge expectations now. If X’s latest effort goes for naught commercially at least they’re used to it. Despite the sort of reviews most bands would kill for the half-dozen studio albums X released during the ’80s sold only moderately.
A free lunchtime concert that’s worth paying for
Toronto Star – May 23, 2008
John Terauds
CLASSICAL MUSIC CRITIC
There used to be a rule in marketing: if something is free consumers will think it worthless. Fortunately the Canadian Opera Company is there to break that rule in its free lunchtime and early-evening concerts on some weekdays at the Four Seasons Centre. As the second season in the glass-walled Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre draws to a close on June 18 it’s clear that some of these performances are among the very best of any being presented in the city ndash; free or paid. Yesterday’s mix of new music and opera was a case in point. Toronto-based pianist and composer Njo Kong Kie arrived with his trio A Day Off ndash; himself at the piano plus violinist Simon Claude and cellist Alexandre Castonguay ndash; as well as a brace of singers. The highlight was the first act of Knotty Together (book by Anna Chatterton music by Njo) a comedy-romance previously seen at the Rhubarb and SummerWorks festivals and presented at the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival last month… His style hints at both minimalism and Weimar-era cabaret. It’s accessible clever enough to engage the mind and usually rooted in dance rhythms. In that respect Njo’s music hearkens back several centuries when dance rhythms underpinned most instrumental pieces. The combined effect made 60 minutes feel like 15. It’s this kind of quality that explains why hundreds of people continue to flock to these concerts and presentations.