Entertainment
ALBUM REVIEW: Something To Go GAGA For
By Broadside Staff Writer Daniel Odom
If you merge Madonna’s style, Gwen Stefani’s vocals, and throw in a dash of glitter you have the makings of pop music’s next big thing, Lady Gaga. At only 22, Lady Gaga, aka Stefani Germanotta, has developed a sound an image that seamlessly merge together in a total package that will resonate with club goers, across all genres. However, the techno melodies and latex-clad androgynous persona so deftly created by Lady Gaga heralds her as the gay community’s next pop culture icon.
Hubbard Street Dance Brings Humor To CFA
By Broadside Staff Writer Ijeoma Nwatu
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007, is a world renowned contemporary dance company. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Jim Vincent, the dance company brought its unique mix of musical scores and dance performances to George Mason University’s Center for the Arts on the evening of November 8.
It was announced before the start of the show that one of the company’s leading dancers, Pablo Piantino, was injured and would be replaced. Even with such news, the large audience was in the presence of very talented dancers.
Last Bernie Mac Film A Juvenile, Stereotypical Flop
By Broadside Correspondent Prasiddha Gustanto
Stand-up comedian and actor Bernie Mac passed away this August. Before he died, he left behind several finished works. Among them is Soul Men, a comedy movie about two has-been soul singers, Henderson and Hinds, played by Mac and Samuel L. Jackson, respectively. In it, they reunite and go on a cross-country road trip to do one last performance as a tribute for their recently deceased band-mate Marcus Hooks, played by John Legend.
This Week in Style: Music Series, Fashion Show
By Broadside Staff Writer Ijeoma Nwatu
The College of Visual and Performing Arts, in collaboration with the George Mason University Music Department, is hosting a faculty artist series on November 14 at 8 p.m. in Harris Theatre. Special guests for the evening include Dr. Glenn Smith, a composer, teacher, artist, and sound healer. Smith is also the Director of Theory and Composition at Mason. He will be joined by Dr. Stephen Nachmanovitch, an improvisational violinist, composer, author, computer artist, and educator.
Life In A. Minor: Please, Stop Believing
By Broadside Style Columnist Andy Minor
The tradition of the sing-a-long is one that goes back quite a long time. I suppose it started with early folk songs and drinking tunes, then moved on up into the age of radio and eventually found its way to the thousands of us who sing along with our iPods as we roll around Fairfax in our wonderful cars. Singing along to a song helps you create stronger connections with friends who sing along with you, and it also can make fond memories. Singing along helps you learn the song better and internalize it, making it a part of you. It strengthens your connection to the artist and takes you to a whole other world than just plain listening can. I encourage singing along in almost every situation, whether in your car, at the grocery store, in restaurants or even at the movies, depending on how you’d fare in a fight with fellow moviegoers.
Not All Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll
By Connect2Mason Director Grace Kendall
Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. In modern music, it’s those elusive three things which are obsessively sought by nearly every band. Musicians make headlines more frequently for their clothes and the chicks they’re scoring than for releasing new albums or going on tour. The music industry is full of decidedly sordid characters that care more about the glamour and the money than creating art.
Perhaps that is why it is so surprising to hear singer-songwriter Bob Schneider say that the only thing he wants out of music is to “feel good about being a human being.” Schneider is a performer based out Texas, whose brand of music is utterly inimitable. Drawing from a variety of influences and experiences, he slides easily between musical genres and expectations to subvert the obvious and create a unique musical experience every time he steps on stage.
Diary of a People Watcher: The Starbucks Culture
By Connect2Mason Blogger Brandon Weathers. Photo courtesy of Flickr user speakeasy(X).
Have you ever noticed that Starbucks is its own culture? Seriously sit by and watch the people that enter the building.
Starbucks attracts many different kinds of people that stand in line with their nose in the air and a stick in their ass. The only explanation for such barbaric behavior is an inferiority complex that stems from being miserable in their current day lives.
Take the horribly disfigured Marry Poppins for example; she walked into the store with a horrible pink shirt, and some khaki shorts that made her legs look like cottage cheese. Does that sound gross? Just thank God you didn’t see it in person, I had to hold back the vomit in my throat. Her voice was just as worse, it sounded like a cross between a cat being raped by a horse and an American trying to force a British accent.
Review: "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"
By Broadside Correspondent Joshua Hylton
We all know the horrors of the Holocaust. We’ve seen the tragedies that befell the entire world and we’ve seen the evil spread, but rarely do we get to see it through the eyes of a child. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas gives us this unique perspective and in the process creates a new meaning to those horrific events that occurred during.
Interview: Inside "The Boy In Striped Pajamas"
By Broadside Correspondent Joshua Hylton
For the people unfamiliar, tell them a little about yourselves.
John: I am Irish. I am a full time writer. My seventh novel is coming out next year. I’ve been published since 2000 and I am the author of [The Boy in the Striped Pajamas].
Flamenco Group Brings Spanish Culture To Mason
By Broadside Staff Writer Kristen White
José Parcel’s flamenco dance company performed the Ballet Flamenco at the Concert Hall on Saturday, Nov. 1. Flamenco dancing is a form of expression that originates from a rhythmic form of accentuation for singing. It is a contagious, spirited dance that includes the entire audience’s emotions and mood. These dances are very technical forms of theatrical performances that are closely tied to the Gypsy spirit. The Compañia Flamenco José Parcel was founded in Madrid, Spain and has been touring around the world for many years with their vibrant and colorful musicians, singers, and dancers. The feeling and intensity that the dancers brought to the stage resonated all throughout the Concert Hall on Saturday night.