Upcoming shows for March/April
It’s a packed week and tight space, so Oscars aren’t the only ones bumping up in contenders for your attention. Here’s what’s coming up concert-wise and event-wise in the coming months.
MARCH
NOW – “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” at IU Auditorium.
3 – Pattern is Movement, at the Bishop.
5 – Magnetic Fields, at Buskirk-Chumley Theater.
6 – Carrie Newcomer (CD release), at Buskirk-Chumley Theater.
6-13 – Pit Stop Music Marathon, various locations.
14 – Young Widows, Phantom Family Halo, at the Bishop.
18-20: Tim Wilson, at the Funny Bone.
23 – Woods / Real Estate, at The Bishop.
23 – Yo-Yo Ma, at IU Auditorium.
Live from Kirkwood
Downtown passersby may notice something unusual about the Buskirk-Chumley’s marquee this weekend. As part of ArtsWeek and a followup to its event, the Dirt Song Collective will take over the sign at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m. Sunday. During the two-hour public performance art pieces, messages will come and go, as well as stage directions, on the sign that holds only 22 characters at a time. (Take that, Twitter.) Instead of pointing to performances, the marquee will become the stage and the public the performers. Dirt Song Collective artists include Tim Andreae, Catherine Bowman, Mark Harrison and Daniel Peltz. Says Bowman, Ruth Lilly Professor of Poetry at the IU Department of English and the group’s founder: “Our hope is too heighten and gently provoke perceptions of the immediate environment, if only in the slightest way by asking those on foot or driving by to, for example, sound out a spontaneous love note to the traffic or in three minutes notice three kinds of impacts.”
“Symphony of the Dead” film screens at IU
Here’s something unique that Ryder viewers can see on the IU campus this weekend. It’ll be like a concert at Auer or the MAC, but not quite.
The opening credits for “Elect the Dead Symphony” roll. An orchestra queues up as the lights dim. Dressed in a white suit, Serj Tankian walks out onto the stage, stepping up to the mic like an opera singer. And at times, his soaring voice makes you forget he’s the frontman for hard rock group System of A Down, or that his lyrics and melodies aren’t quite the normal classical music fare.
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A hearty dose of events for Valentines, Mardi Gras
Bloomington offers almost as much variety for the holiday as a Hallmark card stand. Here’s what you can find this week (not even going into NEXT week’s V-day events…).
On another note, I (Kristina Wood) am transitioning over from the arts desk to the night desk, where I will handle news on the local, national or world level, depending on my shift. (I doubt I’ll ever address the online audience as “nation” in a Web video, though.) It has been great covering the scene over the last 10 years and working with you all. Now, onto the list:
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R.I.P., Howard Zinn
BigThink sent me this video clip late last week, with the passing of historian, activist and author Howard Zinn:
Zinn’s legacy (1922-2010) may most clearly be seen with his seminal 1980 book, “A Peoples History of the United States.” His works shed light on social and political inequities throughout the U.S. history, and the activists who worked to change it.
For many, his voice helped “The People Speak.” And close to home.
In 2002, Howard Zinn told the standing-room-only crowd gathered at the Buskirk-Chumley, that behind nearly every act of terrorism is a grievance that sparked the action. Zinn talked about his life, sharing how he worked in a shipyard at age 18 and later took part in World War II as an Air Force bombardier. “It didn’t occur to me that I was dropping bombs on people,” he said. “What I came away with was that war doesn’t solve anything.” Zinn came to town via Union Board’s lecture series.
Fast forward to a few years ago, when Bloomington South grad Anthony Arnove sat down with Zinn to begin working on a companion book to Zinn’s original work, called “Voices of A People’s History of the United States.” This led to “The People Speak,” a 90-minute documentary of dramatic readings from the letters, diaries and speeches of the people who spurred social change throughout American history. It aired on TV late last year. It included such dissident voices as Frederick Douglass, Henry Thoreau, Sojourner Truth. Thanks to Arnove, Bloomington audiences got a sneak peek at the film.
Once the “Voices” book came out, celebrity readings sprang up across the country, with such stars as Danny Glover, Viggo Mortensen, Sandra Oh, James Earl Jones, Marisa Tomei, Wallace Shawn, Alice Walker, John Sayles, Patti Smith and many more. A lot of those names ended up in the film, which Matt Damon co-produced. (It also had music by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Eddie Vedder, John Legend and more.) Damon has long been a fan of Zinn’s work. In the 1997 film he co-wrote and co-starred in, “Good Will Hunting,” Damon’s character talks to actor Robin Williams’s character about Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States” and its significance in highlighting the contributions of average people who did extraordinary things.
Zinn has made, and will continue to make, great strides in educating the American people about its history, its government and the ever-pressing need to advance social change.
New Music Happy Hour
Feel like you’re falling a little behind, as far as what’s up and coming in the overall music scene? Landlocked Music staffers have the answer.
At a new monthly party, called New Music Happy Hour, the Landlocked crew will DJ the newest and best upcoming tunes. (Who better to introduce hot up-and-comers than those whose hands unwrap new releases and get them spinning every week?)
The first-ever session starts at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Bishop. Both admission and schwag (bands and record labels’ posters, stickers, samplers, etc.) are free. Since the event includes drink specials, it is for those 21 and older.
MLK Day and Cleveland’s pending visit
In just half an hour, the Rev. Jesse Jackson will give his speech to the gathered Bloomington community, seated at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, watching from nearby City Hall Council Chambers or surfing via live broadcasts, including the H-T’s here.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Orchestra, who was to perform a chamber concert tonight at IU, went on strike and has been in talks today with negotiators. There’s still a chance that an agreement will be reached and the group’s residency and big concert (Wednesday night at the IU Auditorium) will go on as planned. We’re still awaiting word on this and will update via Twitter and here (and also the news side) once we know more.
TUESDAY UPDATE: We learned this morning that all Cleveland Orchestra events at IU — aside from a couple talks/presentations (one today at 4 in the MAC) — have been cancelled.
What’s up with Dunnkirk
So, apparently U.Fester’s went quietly into the night late last fall, to make way for the new 902’s nightclub and sports bar/grill Hoosier Knights upstairs. We swung by over the holidays, but to not much avail as there wasn’t a flier or hours info or contact to be found. Just the two slick signs “902’s: Out on Top” and “Hoosier Knights” and hints of the nighttime parties that went on during bar-hopping, late-night hours.
Now that IU is back in session, the party space is back open for business. Next on the club’s event cal is Friday’s show by local alt-rock group White Roberts. In the band’s own words: “Inspired by the alternative rock movement of the 90’s, songwriting team Mike Cionni and Hank Whitaker combine clever lyrics with groovy tunes to create a sound that we have affectionately termed “dude rock”. Our message is simple: You don’t have to change your clothes to listen to us. It’s a party, and everyone’s invited.” If you check the main page of 902’s, there’s a Facebook (where everyone lives these days — that and Twitter, of course) link to a snippet of their Kings of Leon cover. It doesn’t open before 9, but stays open till 3. As a day-shifter, perhaps I’ll get to check it out this weekend. If I can brave joining the throngs of college-age fans on a dancing buzz, that is.
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hot upcoming events:
2. Junk in the Trunk - 20100821
3. Oliver Winery Tunes on the Terrace - Jenn Cristy - 20100820
4. People's Park Tuesday Lunch Concert Series - 20100817
5. The Wooden Birds featuring Andrew Kenny of AmericanAnalog Set and Matt Pond of matt pond PA with Dan Mangan - 20100823
6. Jason Groth Karaoke - 20100810
7. Todd Snider Live Hillbilly Haiku Americana Music Series - 20100903
8. Davy Jay Sparrow, The Tillers and The New Old Cavalry - 20100813
9. Cox Brothers - 20100821
10. Ingram Hill - 20100817
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armchair movie critic
Seen a good movie recently? Wasted your money on a loser? Trying to decide what to see this weekend?
Check out our reader movie reviews
at Armchair Movie Critic and take a moment to add one yourself. You'll also find links to official movie web sites, movie trailers and movie times for current Bloomington movies.
scene.ning
Hey you, bands and fans!
Check out The Scene's new social network site on bloomingtonscene.ning.com and upload all your favorite photos, videos, mp3s, etc...
local music
The Scene is putting together a local music player for our website. Please send us links to your mp3s, albums with your permission and we’ll add these into our online music component, which will eventually live on our site. Send e-mail to kwood@heraldt.com for more information/questions. The hope is that when people are looking for things to do in the calendar, they can sample your music (and also be enticed to come out to your show).|
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