Just wanted to do a big shout out to The-Dream, Kendrick Lamar, The Bar and Brothers From Another for being our performers for Spring Show. We had an incredible time at the event and were so happy to have had such great acts! Another big thank you to our co-sponsors the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Assn. and GPSS. Here are some pictures from the show!
This weekend will mark the start of one of the most anticipated blockbuster summers of all time. Three superhero films will be hitting theaters in the next three months: Avengers (May 4th), The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3rd), and The Dark Knight Rises (July 20th).
After a screening of The Avengers last Wednesday, I am confident this summer is going to be one for the record books. The Avengers delivers in every way people expected.
First off let me say that if you so much as giggled from Robert Downey’s one-liners in Iron Man, you will be dying from the endless barrage of witty commentary from everyone’s favorite tin man. His banter provides the Hulk-share of the laughs throughout all two-and-a-half hours.
Now the Hulk was a character I was curious to watch. He constitutes the one film franchise hero whose past Marvel film never exactly panned out. Additionally a lot of people 
questioned the decision to cast Mark Ruffalo as the green giant rather than Edward Norton. After seeing the film, I was suitably impressed with Ruffalo’s performance and felt that in light of the way Joss Whedon portrayed Bruce Banner–as more scientist than badass–the role was casted perfectly.
As for the story itself, Avengers moves along at a quick pace without losing the audience along the way. The conflict revolves around the tesseract (seen in Captain America and briefly in Thor), which grants unlimited power. Loki has returned to capture and harness the power of the tesseract. The mysterious agency, S.H.I.E.L.D, is finally seen in full force (with the craziest flagship ever imagined) as they rally earth’s heroes to defend the planet. It all boils down to an epic hour long showdown in New York City.
Here’s some others’ reviews of the film:
Richard Roeper – A
Rotten Tomatoes - 93%
Rolling Stone – 3.5 of 4
Whether you are an avid Avengers fan, or are just being exposed to the team this weekend, Avengers will be a movie that you’ll want to watch multiple times. It will be the go-to movie of the summer because it delivers what fans wanted—laughs throughout, action throughout, and a story that seamlessly ties together four distinct film franchises.
-Matt Huggins
(And be sure to stay after the credits for a taste of what’s to come for the Avengers…)
For any youngins who are sick of being denied entrance to all the good 21+ shows:
Tonight, STG is presenting a show for ALL AGES at The Crocodile – Perfume Genius with openers Parenthetical Girls. The Matador-signed artist and Seattle singer-songwriter Mike Hadreas will surely be playing a few numbers off of the recent release Put Your Back N 2 It. Hadreas’ music has been described by critics as “rare, redemptive beauty”and “extraordinary and genuinely haunting.”
Again, that’s: TONIGHT! Thursday, April 19. Doors at 8pm. $10.
KEXP, STG, and Starbucks partner to present the Little Big Show #2 on Friday, April 20th at the Neptune Theatre, featuring Real Estate and Poor Moon.
Real Estate, touring in support of their 2011 record Days, is a hazy pop group hailing from New Jersey, whose attention to acute melodies and mesmerizingly layered guitar patterns have gained them a prominent national following. Drenched in reverb and carefree bliss, Real Estate is a profoundly unique group, channeling the best qualities of pop music while adhering to simple, yet engaging song structures. Days was one of the most well-received records of 2011, and their performance at the Neptune will be assuredly similar.
In support of Real Estate is Seattle band Poor Moon, whose first EP, Illusion, was recently released on Sub Pop Records. A side project of the notorious Fleet Foxes, Poor Moon is Christian Wargo and Casey Wescott (both of Fleet Foxes and Crystal Skulls) alongside brothers Ian and Peter Murray (The Christmas Cards). Fresh off the release of Illusion, Poor Moon offer a fresh take on Seattle’s strong folk-pop sensibilities, coupling exciting vocal harmonies with incredibly strong musical craftsmanship. Poor Moon’s laid-back approach to pop is deceivingly simple, making their songs demand your full attention with each listen.
The Little Big Show is a new concert series presented by KEXP and Starbucks, in an effort to benefit Seattle’s arts organizations. 100% of the night’s proceeds will benefit Coyote Central.
We have two pairs of tickets to this show! Enter to win here. Contest ends Sunday at midnight with the winner announced Monday morning. Good Luck, and regardless – don’t miss out on this show!
Ryan Baker, Contributing Writer
Free Friday night, April 13? Are you 21+?
Check out Bear in Heaven, the Brooklyn-based outfit that gained much of its popularity with the tune “Lovesick Teenagers” off of the 2009 record, Beast Rest Fourth Mouth. After two years in the studio, Bear in Heaven is back at it, performing at The Crocodile with tracks off their newest, I Love You, It’s Cool.
Tickets are $10 and doors will be opening at 8pm for Doldrums & Blouse.
Here’s a trip back to 2010 when the band performed at CHBP:
A lot has changed for indie pop duo Cults since they posted their 3-song EP Cults “7 to their bandcamp page. The EP generated an internet buzz that resulted in almost over-night fame, at least in the indie world. Quickly signed by Columbia records imprint In The Name Of (which happens to be run by Lily Allen), their 2011 debut album Cults has received high praise, including a “Best New Music” designation by Pitchfork.
Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion formed Cults in 2010 while both students at the New School, a private liberal arts college in Manhattan. Madeline’s girlish, mysterious vocals float over a cloud of melodic, retro-pop that is both pretty and eerie. When Brian joins her for the duet “Bumper” it’s clear his voice has lead-vocal potential as well.
Cults’ appeal will be strongest among fans of the indie rock genre, but also among those who appreciate a retro flair and updated 1960’s pop sensibilities. This is reflected perfectly in the vintage look and feel of the music video for “Go Outside,” their best-known track:
Emma Roberts and Dave Franco star in the MTV “Supervideo” version of “Go Outside”, directed by Patrick Hoelck, which you can watch here
Cults is the kind of album where every track transitions smoothly into the next. If you’re rocking out to “Go Outside”, a sunny, irreverent track with a sing-song melody that belies a foreboding undercurrent, you’ll probably find that the other ten tracks on the album suit your current mood as well. This is not a bad thing; NPRs World Café got it right when they described the band’s sound as “sunny yet sinister”, and the band successfully keeps that dichotomy interesting through each of the 11 tracks on Cults.
Cults recently played at South by Southwest in Austin, TX (you can read a review and watch footage of their performance here) and on the Carson Daily Show. Come see Cults this Saturday, April 7, at the Neptune Theater, and experience their unique brand of dark, dreamy pop for yourself. Doors are at 8, Spectrals and Mrs Magician will play opening sets. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door. You can buy tickets online at the Neptune Theatre website.
-Marika Justad, Contributing Writer
Some Cults Links:
Official Website
http://cultscultscults.com/premiere/
YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/CultsVEVO?feature=watch (yes, sadly it’s Vevo)
It’s been almost two years since the release of Surf Noir, and since then, Beat Connection has come a long way. Started by UW students Jordan Koplowitz and Reed Juenger, the duo has had the opportunity to tour internationally and perform at local festivals including Bumbershoot, Capitol Hill Block Party and will be at Sasquatch this May.
The group announced last month that they were also expanding, adding Tom Eddy and Jarred Katz and making their duo a full band. With their announcement came their new single “Think/Feel” featuring Chelsay Scheffe, which I’m a big fan of. It’s the first release from their new album Palace Garden, out this summer.
Tomorrow is the first time Beat Connection will be performing as a foursome, and I’m really excited to see the new band dynamic. They’ll be playing an all ages show at Chop Suey with Wampire and Blood Vibes. Tickets are $10 and the show starts at 8pm.
We’re also doing a giveaway for tickets. Contest ends midnight tonight with the winner announced tomorrow morning. Either way, this is a show you won’t wanna miss!
Hope to see you there!
-Mayuri
It’s alright readers, you can breathe a sigh of relief. The Hunger Games have hit theaters world wide and has delivered upon its built-up hype. With an opening weekend of $152.5 million, the Hunger Games has planted itself as the third largest debut behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2 and The Dark Knight. It is expected to continue to be number one in the box-office this coming weekend. In addition the movie’s album has already reached the top of the Billboard 200 charts.
What makes the film great is not just the numbers it has boasted this far. Everyone knew the midnight showings would be packed. The book has sold over 35.6 million copies in the US. But the fact that fans are seeing the movie again and again goes beyond avid readers to reach a level of actually being a quality film. One big contributor to this success was the cohesion between author/screenwriter/director. The original adaptation was written by 
Suzanne Collins and then passed to screenwriter Billy Ray and later director Gary Ross for final revisions. This cooperation is something that lacks in most adaptations. The directors want to sell the drama while the author wants to stay true to the story. When they don’t work in unison then painful scenes like the Burrow burning in the 6th Harry Potter film just disgusts loyal readers.
Top Ten Differences Between the Film and the Book: This list is accurate but overall somewhat trivial in that none of these differences are that drastic nor significant.
Now that the Hunger Games have landed we can begin to look towards the future. Rumors are swirling that the script for the second film “Catching Fire” is already nearly finished. With all three major characters returning, and a ready and willing fan base, the film is predicted to hit theaters in November of 2013. In the meantime, enjoy the frenzy this series has ignited. The Hunger Games are here to stay — Let the games begin!
-Matt Huggins Films Coordinator
**Update** I realize there’s been immense backlash from the video and I encourage EVERYONE to look at both sides and read the articles that people have been posting regarding questionable practices and potential exaggerations. Invisible Children has since responded to the critiques and answer many if not all of them, but in any case it’s always good to know both sides before becoming an advocate, a lesson I had forgotten.
When I was a senior in high school, I raised money for Invisible Children after watching the documentary. The movie brought to light the injustice occuring everyday in Northern Uganda that wasn’t being stopped. In the region, children were being forced to become child soldiers by a man named Joseph Kony, the leader of the LRA, a rebel group in the area. It’s a very powerful film, and it inspired me to raise money for the cause.
Regrettably, after I graduated, I became distracted and my involvement in helping the cause waned. “Kony 2012” got my attention. This new film is a call to make this year the end of Joseph Kony’s crimes. Take 30 min to watch this video and you’ll understand why it’s so important. Thirty minutes is equal to one episode of family, HALF an episode of Jersey Shore, or likely the amount of time you’ve already spent on facebook today. So instead, watch this video.
Let’s make Kony Famous!
-Mayuri
A&E Exclusive Screening:
On March 9th Walt Disney Studios will release their newest action flick, JOHN CARTER. I know what you’re thinking, a Civil War military captain fighting alien species on mars?! Before you say Cowboys And Aliens hear me out. Picked up by legendary director and writer Andrew Stanton (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, WallE), John Carter represents an edgy, more violent Disney movie that is not based on a comic book or Disneyland ride. In addition it stars the rapidly rising star Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights), who will perform in his first major title role.
The trailers and teasers have me excited for this film. The Mars creatures strike me as caught somewhere between the aliens of Kamino in Star Wars and the Navii of Avatar. Either way I know Disney can do action just as well as anyone else (Pirates of the Caribbean?!). If the movie can deliver on the action and adventure the trailers promise, it should make for an entertaining flick.
Only 90mins long, John Carter won’t be the next major blockbuster hit, but it promises to be an entertaining action flick that will leave you satisfied with your money well spent.
-Matt
