#brandeis university

James O'Brien and Karaugh Brown live performance at Cholmondeley’s

(feat. track - “Throat" [spotify] from Life Underwater [spotify]by James O'Brien)

There’s something special about Chumley’s.   The little coffeehouse plays host to its fair share of student performances, and most of us have been by there for a scoop of ice cream and a cup of hot chocolate at some point.  But over the years, Chums has also welcomed some of the best and brightest performers in the folk world, a distinction that all to often goes unmentioned and unnoticed by the undergrad population.  Witness this Friday night, where before an appreciative crowd of 20 or 30 singer-songwriter James O'Brien offered up and hour and a half of caustic agony, resilient hope and some of the purest emotion I’ve ever seen grace a stage.

O'Brien is as much a shaman or a channeler as he is a folk singer – he summons forth the demons in his head and lets them speak their peace, wrestling to keep them under the harness of his powerful yawl, blasting them forth from an acoustic guitar with the power of a jackhammer and the precision of a jigsaw.  Shearing through his set with a punk-rock intensity, O'Brien nonetheless manages the perfect phrasing of a man who seems to know exactly what he wants to say and how to say it.

O'Brien is a master of control.  Vocally, he slides from a voluminous boom to a brittle falsetto with grace.  Instrumentally he does the same, deftly hopping from a gentle finger-picked introduction to a searing chorus, straining to contain the massive burst of energy flowing through his skinny frame.  It’s a radiant, contagious energy, the kind that jumps from the stage to the audience and sets a kinetic buzz about the room, one that was impossible not to pick up on in the cozy confines of Friday night’s show.

Opener Karaugh Brown played the stereotypical folk-waif – her 45 minute set adhered to all the conventions of the genre: complex lyrics, pretty but complicated melodies, weak choruses and little vocal range.  All well executed, Brown didn’t lack for talent, but for originality.  Still, the audience sopped it up, calling her back for one of those rare, unplanned encores.

originally written 4/29/01

Islam Awareness Week Event at Usdan Student Center’s International Lounge

(no music available)

In the first major event of this month’s Islam Awareness Week, attendees were treated to the art of Islam in its diversity.  On Monday night in the Usdan Student Center’s International Lounge, an audience of around sixty Brandeis students and friends had the opportunity to experience the modern expression of Muslim tradition through the physical art of Abdul Badi Abdul-Musawwir, the delectable delicacies of Turkish gourmet, and the rousing Muslim Sufi ear-stravaganza of members of the Cambridge Turkish Music Group.

Following a brief prayer session for the observant Muslims in attendance, artist Abdul-Musawwir took the floor.  Abdul-Musawwir introduced his work by introducing himself: the son of a half Cherokee/half African-American father and a mother of Dutch ancestry, he converted to Islam at 16 after a spiritually transformative vision of the word Allah while reading a Christian text.  Though he left art for 25 years (he spent much of that time as a counselor, including 10 years as the resident Imam of Walpole State Prison), he experienced a personal renaissance during a visit to the United Arab Emirates three years ago.  

Abdul-Musawwir’s works are dually informed by his ken for modern art – during his talk, he cited Jackson Pollock and Modigliani, among others, as crucial influences – and his devotion to the Muslim faith.  Asserting that he strives to portray “humanity in its diversity and its unity at the same time” through his art, Abdul-Musawwir proceeded to unveil a series of slides of his work, primarily paintings and mixed-media compositions featuring pastels.  

Much of the work he displayed focused on similar thematics, involving Islamic symbolism (both through traditional Muslim architecture and the different stylized forms of Arabic calligraphy) interweaved with modernist technique.  Most of the pieces displayed featured portions of text from the Koran and other holy Islamic works; generally, the work itself symbolically highlighted the themes of the textual inclusion.  Though it revealed itself most prominently in a work featuring the Arabic text “all praise be to Allah, the lord of all the worlds,” with the jagged lightning-strikes of text screaming towards the heavens in stark black and white, this type of symbolism pervaded much of Abdul-Musawwir’s work.

Other pieces required more explanation; one truly exquisite work (and oddly enough, his first) envisioning an abstracted mosque fronted with a funeral ground was explained as “the mosque is calling loudly; the graves are calling softly; can anybody hear me?"  Though his overweening use of monotones and the occasionally hodge-podge nature of a few of the selections presented detracted somewhat from the overall affect, Abdul-Musawwir’s art served well to further the religio-cultural dialogue.  Indeed, a question-and-answer session following the presentation turned into a short primer on the basic tenets of Islam.

Following a delicious catered dinner of traditional Turkish food including some perfectly sweet desserts, four members of the Cambridge Turkish Music Group (plus a Brandeis student who chose to join in the fun) presented a brief showcase of traditional Sufi Muslim music.  Featuring the steady propulsion of darbouka drums and the tortuous maneuverings on the fretboard of standout Turgay Erturk’s oud (musically, a cross between a guitar and a sitar; physically, a likely precursor to both) backing lyrics derived from the great Muslim spiritual poets Rumi and Yunnus Emre, the group took the audience through three pieces.

Aside from a few short introductory taksim (brief improvisory introductions to musical works), the focus of the music Monday night was on concentrated groupwork, the steady synchronization of drums and vocals amongst the members.  The resulting performance drew its power from its rigid focus as much as it’s liturgical theme.  

Throughout the night, there was a clear cultural exchange – the crowd, seemingly about half Muslim and half not (if the earlier discussion was any evidence), took the opportunity to engage in their own discussions on religious pluralism and multiculturalism, during dinner and beyond.  As an art exhibition, Monday night’s program was a clear success; as a fundament to Islam Awareness Week, it was even more so.

originally written 4/03/01

Roberto Vizcaino live performance at Cholmondeley’s

(no audio available)

In a year where Steely Dan can walk away with Album of the Year while Eminem gets the shaft, it seems hard to put any stock in the Grammy awards.  But broken down beyond the hype, cultural relevance and superslick studio production, there’s one thing that all Grammy winners share: overwhelming talent, far enough beyond their fellow musicians that even their so-called peers seem merely adequate.  It’s in their ability to bring music beyond the creative arrangement of sound, to make it inspire feeling, emotion, dance and trance, energy and synergy.  And it’s something Roberto Vizcaino has in spades.

Roberto Vizcaino, music scholar and Grammy-winning percussionist, graced a packed Chumleys with his demure presence this past Tuesday night.  On leave from his native Cuba to tour and teach in the United States, Vizcaino proved ever the educator.  His lesson Tuesday night — that one inspired man, with only his hands, can reach the emotional pinnacles even symphonies only grasp at.  Stunning the crowd in an hour-long performance, Vizcaino banged and thumped through a set of primarily traditional Afro-Cuban tunes with an assured know-how and a deft mastery of his drums.

On the stage all by his lonesome, Vizcaino made like a master chef, mixing a dash of rumba with a taste of jazz, stirring the audience to a frenzy, bringing the air in Chum’s to a boil, backing down and letting the beat stew simmer.  His original compositions rose and fell with grace, but the credit belongs most of all to Vizcaino’s astute sense of his audience, his ability to manipulate the proceedings, to bring about tension and release at just the right moments.  His mining of traditional Cuban music and its African roots made like a history syllabus, and the inclusion of a few better known crowd-pleasers like the anthemic “Guantanamera” kept everyone focused front and center.

Though he confines his instrumentation to drums, Vizcaino’s skill is in utilizing them as agents of melody.  For the majority of his time on stage he confined himself to a set of four congas, each tuned to a different note.  But this limited arsenal, when combined with Vizcaino’s seemingly limitless styles of playing, allowed for a stunning range of tonal alterations, varying timbres and just outright cool effects.  Just as the best a capella groups manipulate the human voice into a lush backdrop of instruments, Vizcaino’s drums sing, squeal and hum.  And when he added in a few more percussion choices, working with both stick and hand drums at once, singing and stomping all in time, it was akin to watching an entire band perform.

He speaks almost no English (he was frequently joined on stage by Naama Laufer ‘03, whose admirable attempts at translation provided for some of the night’s funnier moments), but it mattered not on Tuesday — Vizcaino is living proof of the universality of music as a language.  Almost entirely without words, he communicated a depth of history and experience that the longest of books would be hard-pressed to match, and when he invited the audience to sing along in words foreign to most, it was clear that the meaning was part and parcel with the melody.

The audience, for its part, responded with a healthy enthusiasm.  Grooving gently, absorbing the music slowly at first, the entire crowd was dancing along (to a few hastily-taught steps) by the show’s climax.  Though a few attempts at letting the fans clap along failed miserably, their excitement trumped their lack of rhythm in the end.  But while Vizcaino worked his hardest to involve the crowd in the musical process, it was clearly his show from start to finish.

Which is as it should have been.  It’s a rare opportunity to witness a talent on the level of Roberto Vizcaino in such an intimate setting; for the lucky audience at Chums on Tuesday night, it’s a moment they’re not likely to forget.

originally written 3/17/01

Kevin So live performance on WBRS Coffeehouse

(feat. track - “Standing In The Shadow Of Ellis Paul” [spotify] from The So Must Go On [spotify])

Friday afternoon saw lauded folk singer Kevin So make an appearance on WBRS’ weekly free live music series, the “WBRS Coffeehouse."  Highlighting tracks from his recently released "That Oriental Guy” and plugging an upcoming performance at Brandeis’ Asian Awareness Weeks’ main event, So romped through blues grit and classic folk ballads with a musical virtuosity and bright personality that livened up the snowy afternoon.

Though often referencing his Chinese-American roots, So mines a musical vein as old as the country itself, brushing upon the work of folk luminaries from Woodie Guthrie and Bob Dylan up through the modern anti-folk cadre, sampling liberally from the blues, jazz and classical music along the way.  Deft on the fretboard, So proved that he knows his way around an acoustic guitar, having a little fun with a slide to boot, but even more impressive was his brief interlude on the studio’s rickety piano, where he squeezed some beautiful sounds out of the vaguely out of tune box. 

Though a solid performer, So falls into the trap that hurts so many modern folk acts, crossing the line from clever to gimmicky a little too often for comfort; for every few brilliantly smart analysis like the witty “Standing in the Shadow of Ellis Paul,” a rumination on So’s place in the Boston folk scene, or the cleverly playful blues romp “Hot Tub,” there’s a cheeseball number like the silly “Porn Star” (sample line: “Just take off your clothes, don’t screw up your lines/ Don’t pick your nose, make sure you last a long time”).  Still, So seems pretty good at sensing his limits, and ends up on the right side of the line most of the time.

Over the course of 90 minutes, So showed his range, both charming and lulling the modest audience in Usdan’s Winer Wing.  So’s star is rising, and with good reason; as was witnessed Friday afternoon, he’s a magnificent performer with a ton of talent in reserve.  Kevin So may not look like a typical folk singer, and the simple fact is that he’s not a typical folk singer – he’s much better than that.

originally written 3/11/01

The Mexican (movie review)

What do you get when you cross a bumbling mob-thug slapstick with a cheeseball relationship story?  Surprisingly enough, in the case of “The Mexican,” you get an entertaining, if unexceptional, romp through all the conventions that make both genres work, with a few surprises to boot.  

“The Mexican” is a low-budget storyline accompanied by a star-celeb cast featuring inimitable bad-boy Brad Pitt (seen most recently in “Snatch”) as Jerry Welbach, a mob heavy trying to back his way out of the business.  Sent on a final mission to track down a legendary pistol, Pitt stumbles and bumbles his way through Mexico like a modern day Keystone Kop.  Meanwhile, his on-again off-again partner Samantha (the oscar-nominated Julia Roberts) sets out towards Vegas with dreams of starting anew, only to get hijacked by mob hitman Leroy (“The Sopranos’” James Gandolfini in a stellar performance).  Held as an insurance policy, Roberts and Gandolfini find themselves fast friends as they make their way to Sin City.

What emerges are two completely separate movies, intertwined, held together by a few consistent threads – the call of destiny, the role of fate, the power of love and so on.  Hackneyed all, but there’s still a sort of sweet charm in the movie’s attempt.  And when they finally merge in the movie’s last thirty minutes, it all comes together a little better than it likely should.

Gandolfini, in his turn as a gay hitman slowly emerging from the closet, is the real showstopper in the midst of a clutter of stock characters.  With some fabulous depth, Gandolfini has just enough edge to make the mob act believable and yet throws on some serious doe-eyes when bonding with Roberts’ character.  Unfortunately, the writing doesn’t hold up for the rest of the cast – Roberts’ new-agey overanalyzing bitchy girlfriend is a little too genuine Brandeis for my escapist-fantasy wantings, and Pitt’s can’t seem to figure out whether he’s supposed to play Jerry as dumb or just unlucky.  And aside from the principles, there’s nobody who puts in a performance worth mentioning (kind of sad for a 120 minute movie, actually).

Director Gore Verbinsky, in his second time out on the big screen (the acclaimed commercial director, perhaps best known for the Budweiser frogs, made his directorial debut in 1997’s “Mouse Hunt”), thinks big but lacks the skill to capitalize, especially in his stretches at some serious metaphor (like the recurring traffic “light in the middle of nowhere” theme).  And while he goes too subtly into the deep moments, he also comes off as way too obvious in other moments (how many scenes of Mexican street-partiers shooting off fireworks do we really need in one movie)?  That and an underlying succession of wicked Mexican stereotypes (there’s probably two or three characters for every stock Mexican type in the book) brings down what is otherwise an enjoyable flick.

And there’s no question it is enjoyable – while nothing falls together quite right, it still feels pretty good in the end.  “The Mexican” emerges as a sort of weird amalgam – it’s a chick flick with brawn, a dick flick with heart – and while the two storylines don’t go together so well as chocolate and peanut butter, the combo tastes pretty darn good nonetheless.  

originally written 3/10/01

The Pledge (movie review)

Buried in theaters under a load of hits ranging from Mel Gibson sensitive-guy flick “What Women Want” to chop-sockey action-romance “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “The Pledge” is definitely the kind of movie that could fly in below the radar.  Let’s hope that people take notice; “The Pledge” is a quirky, unexpected character study hiding under the archetypical cop-chase-killer premise.

A chubby Jack Nicholson (“A Few Good Men,” “The Shining”) stars as Jerry Black, a rough-edged, scruffy Nevada cop who takes up the case of a raped and murdered seven year old girl on the eve (literally) of his retirement.  When their main suspect (Benicio del Toro in a showstopping performance as the mentally-handicapped accused) commits suicide after a dubious confession, the police close the books on the case.  Black, unconvinced that the killer has been caught and driven by a pledge to the victim’s mother, begins to pursue the case on his own.  That’s when things get good.

What could become a simple “Jack Nicholson tries to find the killer” movie instead becomes a psychological profile of Black, unable to cope with his retirement, unwilling to let go of his assumed duty, and unwitting as his pursuit soon consumes him.  Looking for solace, Black instead settles in with a young mother (Robin Wright Penn) who soothes his nerves and her young daughter, whose resemblance to the previous victims fuels his obsessive quest.

The only presence topping Nicholson’s tour-de-force is director Sean Penn (“The Crossing Guard”).  The former Mr. Madonna shows off his chops as a top-notch director, eking out the script’s subtleties with uncompromising skill.  Penn latches on to both religious and temporal motifs, spinning through Nicholson’s paranoia with deft jump-cuts and some truly original camera work.  

Through it all, Penn keeps a strange balance: its never quite clear whether Black is losing it all, or if he’s right on the money with his hunch.  His reasoning is always logical but never obvious; his suspicions are alternately delusional and evident.  “The Pledge” is a work of parallels – Nicholson’s fishing obsession ties almost directly to his using the young girl as bait for the murderer, his search for an obsessive killer acts as a mask for his own obsession.

Unfortunately, a few hooey moments keep “The Pledge” from being quite what it aspires to.  Is it really necessary to show Wright Penn with a chipped front tooth at first (she’s poor, get it?), and then have it get knocked out simply so she’ll have a nice normal looking cap when she eventually consummates her relationship with Nicholson?  

With a running time of over two hours, the psychological explorations can start to feel a little aimless.  Perhaps “The Pledge’s” weakest moment is its ending – for a movie that virtually revels in the ambiguities of life, the finale is a little too concrete for comfort. 

Still, “The Pledge” is definitely a pleasant surprise, avoiding the obvious plot directions in favor of something much more profound and artistic.  Credit Nicholson with an excellent choice of roles; credit Penn for casting Nicholson in a part that really lets him show off his range; credit yourself for taking the time to check out this quality flick.

originally written 1/21/01

The Grinch (movie review)

Dr. Seuss was a one-of-a-kind original, and a true genius to boot.  The poet laureate of a generation, his mastery of the language enabled him to construct a whimsical fantasy world that even the youngest child could relate to, and in there lied the good Doctor’s brilliance.  His legacy is a brilliant art form all his own, the linguistically simple yet thematically complex children’s book.

Ron Howard (Splash, Apollo 13) may be a great director, but he’s no Seuss.  While “The Grinch” adheres tightly to the original text (extended segments are included verbatim, both in voiceover and dialogue), the final product feels kind of slight and simpy – the magic slowly dissipates over the movie’s 100-plus minutes, until we’re left with the sort of simplistic morality play that Seuss himself so perfectly avoided in his work.

Maybe simplistic isn’t the word.  Perhaps confused is more accurate.  The familiar tale, in which sage innocent Cindy Lou Who saves Christmas for the citizens of Whoville by making nice with the dastardly Grinch, is full of the stuff that makes for good reading, but its complexities get muddled in the screen production.

The movie indicts the citizens of Whoville for making the Grinch what he is (and rightly so).  On the other hand, it also insists that anyone who denounces the capitalistic greedfest of modern Christmas is acting downright Grinchy for spoiling the fun.   Ultimately, the Whos themselves are torn as to whether Christmas is about sharing gifts or simply sharing joy.  (Woe be to those who think Christmas has something to do with a Messiah baby, because this sure ain’t the movie for you).  

Out of this confused mess we get a Grinch who insists Christmas isn’t about shiny gifts despite the Whos’ objections and subsequently steals their presents to try and ruin Christmas for them. Yet the Grinch later undergoes a seeming epiphany when he discovers that…well, that Christmas isn’t really about the presents to begin with?  Was someone not paying attention before?

Don’t fault the actors for this one – all of the talent is absolutely top notch, starting with leading man Jim Carrey (Ace Ventura, Man on the Moon).  Carrey plays the Grinch with both sweetness and swagger, in a role most akin to that in his underrated classic “The Mask.” He nails both the Grinch’s outrageous, cartoonish exterior and his sad, needy soul, almost completely losing himself in the role (save for a few explosions of classic Carrey humor).

But for all of Carrey’s brilliance (and yes there’s quite a bit here), the true scene stealer is eight-year-old Taylor Momsen, playing Cindy Lou Who with the perfect innocence and unconditional love that only a child can bring.  Momsen gets everything just right; she’s the wide-eyed naif and loving inner child that even us grown-up kids can connect to.  Forgiving the Grinch at every turn, trusting him wholeheartedly regardless of his actions, Cindy Lou is the one Who who sees the Grinch for what he is on the inside, and Momsen draws it out with a true artistic beauty.

Also artistically beautiful are the costumes and sets, which seem to truly embody Seuss’ vision down to the most minute details like the curling tops of the mountains and clouds.  The toothy, high-nosed Who’s come off as a group of natural holly-jollies, and Carrey’s Grinch getup is utterly transformative.  The twisted décor lends to a wonderfully surreal world – think Salvadore Dali, but full of love.

“The Grinch” is far from the perfect movie, but then again the Seuss legacy is an incredibly high bar to live up to.  Perhaps the biggest flaw was unavoidable – there’s really no way to turn a 200 word book into a two hour movie without some serious retooling to the plot, and while the additions are welcome the execution often falls short.  It’s unfortunate, but it really drags the rest of the movie down.  Watching “The Grinch” is like watching an ice skating routine where the skater falls – most of the performance is great, but you just can’t come out of it feeling too good about the whole thing.  

originally written 11/18/00

Brandeis Democrats Coffeehouse live performance at Cholmondeley’s

(no audio available)

Wednesday night probably seemed like any other night for most people. But for all you fans of all-female a capella, Wednesday night was your day to celebrate, to revel, Christmas and Easter all wrapped in to one, as both In Sync and Up the Octave performed at Cholmondeley’s, bookending a coffeehouse in support of the Brandeis Democrats.

Openers In Sync hit the stage for their semester debut, decked out in the all-black schema that seems to have become de riguer for a capella outfits this year (though some well-chosen scarves added a bit of flair), to the cheers of a decidedly favorable crowd.  Kicking off the set with the always-popular “Galileo,” In Sync quickly demonstrated a penchant for avoiding complex arrangements and instead focusing on the soloists, a tactic which worked best when matched with Miranda Moody ‘02’s bombastic performance of the Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreaming.”

Sticking to a set of predominantly modern femme-pop (save for a fabulously well done riff on the other N*Sync, a smartly arranged “Bye Bye Bye” featuring newcomer Christina Bean '03 on solo), In Sync’s brief set hit on all the requisite performers (Tracy Chapman, Natalie Merchant) before coming to a firm stop with an unexpectedly well-done cover of Paula Abdul’s “Cold Hearted."  Soloist Edie Meyerson '02’s vamp-camp lead brought the crowd to cheers and the set to a close.

At the other end of the night, Up the Octave put together a short set highlighting their arrangements and groupwork.  Clad in black shirts and blue jeans, UTO stuck primarily to lesser known numbers, letting their talents speak for them rather than falling back on the crutch of popular songs.  To that end, the spot on arrangement in "Storms in Africa” perfectly blended the group’s harmonies with Zeynep Saltuk '01’s solid solo to truly beautiful effect.

The arrangements shone throughout the night, particularly in the Irit Feldman '03 fronted “Angel in the House,” where the powerful harmonies helped bolster an already strong lead.  And the closing number, a rendition of Garbage’s “Push It” featuring Becca Green '02 on the nights strongest solo, showcased a marvelously-composed backing. 

In between a capella acts, the new and improved Chappie and Pals proved that having a drummer doesn’t necessarily make you any more traditional a band.  The wacky, wild set quickly became the Mark Hopkins '03 show, as he led the charge through both some solid solo-acoustic filler material and a truly mind-boggling piece of military-polka performance art.  Closing with a new number entitled “Concomitant,” Chappie and Pals once again staked their claim as the weirdest guys willing to get up on a stage at Brandeis.

Following Chappie, Greg Levine '04 took the stage for a short comedy set.  Though he borrowed liberally from others’ material, he pulled it off well with a deadpan delivery and strong timing.  Afterwards, Sara Mason '03 and Chris Birsbach '03 put on a fairly standard performance. As always, Birsbach '03’s guitar skills matched Mason '03 well as they ran through a set of original folk-pop and debuted a new number in their typical coffeehouse vein.  But the night really belonged to Brandeis’ all-female a capella contingent, and impress they did. 

originally written 11/05/00

New A Capella Groups Roundup

(no music available)

You might think, with as many a capella groups as Brandeis has, that there would be something for everyone.  But all of Brandeis’ a capella groups are specific in one way or another – Voicemale is all male, Company B only sings songs from before 1980, and so on.  With so many possible niches to fill, there are always a few left unoccupied.

That may be changing however, as this semester saw the creation of many new groups.  Among these are Proscenium and Jewish Fella A Capella.  Both groups seek to fill a particular void in the Brandeis a capella landscape.

Proscenium (named after the arch on a stage) is dedicated to the performance of theatrical music.  According to co-coordinator Tracey Cohen ‘00, “we are going to be singing songs from both on- and off-Broadway shows.  We’re also going to be once in a while singing songs from movies.”  

“I’m very into theater and coming into Brandeis I wanted to do shows."  Her first year, she had a role in a graduate production of "The Pajama Game."  "It was so time consuming.  I love singing and acting, but singing is the first of the things I love.  [Proscenium] gives an opportunity to sing theater music without all the extra time commitments.”

So far things are looking good for the group.  “We had a really impressive number of people come and audition."  Look for the group to contain approximately twenty members, male and female.  "We’re starting out next semester.  Keep an eye out for us!”

Also coming next semester are Jewish Fella A Capella.  “I enjoyed singing Jewish music at Shabbos lunch, we liked the all-male sound,” says founding member Dan Victor '01.  “It’s nice to get a good group of guys together.  My introduction to a capella was all male.  Jewish music is my passion.  [Jewish Fella A Capella is] a combination of both worlds.”

Jewish Fella A Capella currently have eight members, and have been holding rolling auditions to find three or four more.  “The group of guys we have is excellent.  There isn’t a shortage of singers, we just need to raise the interest.  We encourage anyone who’s enjoyed [singing Jewish music] on the side to give it a shot.”

While the lineup is not yet set, they already have plans to perform in a Brandeis a capella festival, as well as a Brandeis Jewish festival of the arts.  They’re also looking for some off-campus gigs, “to get the feeling of performing for someone.”

Both of these groups look to have promising futures in the ever-growing Brandeis a capella scene.  And as long as there are niches to be filled, new groups continue to form.  But at Brandeis, perhaps the campus activity capital of the universe, we wouldn’t expect any less.

originally written 11/21/99

Late Night Snack with Andrew Slack - First Episode Taping (TV Review)

I give BTV a lot of credit.  Getting something accomplished at this University is always a chore, and bringing a television station online is an overwhelming task anywhere.  But what is a station without programming?  Last year saw the premier of insipid melodramady “Mod 5,” a seeming pastiche of cliches and rejected “Melrose Place” scripts set in the world’s best housing this side of the projects (those aforementioned projects being East Quad, naturally.)  That groan you heard was really a collective “Come on guys, you can do better than that!”

And so after a semester of text messages and dead air, they have.  The coming year will see the debut of “Late Night Snack with Andrew Slack,” an ambitious and incredibly promising take on the Leno / Letterman formula.  I had the pleasure of attending the first episode’s taping as a member of the studio audience, and if the energy in the room carries over to the small screen, viewers are in for a treat.

The heart of the show Slack ‘02 himself, a magnetic performer whose interviewing skills are as of yet endearingly unaccomplished.  While he pulls no punches (the opening episode includes a musical number bashing the Republican right), his almost-bashful naivete and gentle deference to his interviewees (Professors Robert Reich and Andrew Swensen in episode one) gives the whole show a warm fuzziness.

“Late Night Snack” breaks out of the standard late-nite formula when it comes to content.  Slack gladly displays his deep commitment to liberal ideals, and delves into the deep meaningful questions in a way that would never be found on network television (Slack and Reich discussing solutions to the widening rich-poor gap; Slack and Swensen looking for instances of heaven in everyday life).  Even the humor is decidedly highbrow – where  else could you see an interview interrupted by a nefarious Dostoyevski-impersonator?  

All in all, the taping went off well, with only a few minor hitches.  “I was SO pleased with it,” said Slack.  “[The show] will help build more community for the school.  [Brandeis is] in an identity crisis.  We don’t know if we’re Jewish or secular, if we want to be a state sponsored party school, an academic institution that ignores social life or an alternative school with leftist ideals.  We need to be a community."  It sounds like strong sentiments for a television show, but this kind of vision seems to be underlying in every aspect of the program.  

According to creator and executive producer Scott Josephson '00, Brandeis can expect five episodes to air over the next semester.  "Look for some crazy publicity stunts."  Or as Slack put it, ”[we’re] open to everything, anything goes.“  And if the first episode is any evidence, that’s an exciting proposition.

originally written 11/20/99

Brandeis Players Coffeehouse live performance at Cholmondeley’s

(no audio available)

On the afternoon of Wednesday Sept. 27, I spent nearly an hour conversing with a friend, lamenting the state of musical affairs at Brandeis. Standouts the Bluehouse Effect have gone their separate ways; quirkmeister Myq Kaplan ‘00 has graduated; and a general monotony had seemingly overtaken the Brandeis scene in the last year.  Was there no hope for music on campus?  Leave it to fate that the Brandeis Players’ coffeehouse later that night (for their upcoming “Players Gala Event,” a series of one-acts on Oct. 6 and 7) would find me not only reassured but excited for another year of Cholmondeley’s performances.

As is typical of UTC group coffeehouses, the beginning portion of the evening was dedicated to the cast and crew showing off their individual talents.  Things kicked off with a set of duets featuring Liliana Kualapai '03 and Jeff Bouthiette '01.  Hitting on some of the odder moments in musical theater (song topics included presidential assassin Charles Guiteau and conjoined twins), Kualapai’s formidable range led the charge through a solid set, with Bouthiette’s keyboard skills providing some structural support.  

Valerie Kolko '01 then took Kualapai’s place up front for a few show tunes of her own.  With Bouthiette still backing, Kolko stayed with more traditional selections, including a number from her self-proclaimed favorite show, “Ragtime.”

The night’s first standout performance belonged to Helen D. Lewis '02 and Mike Zussman '02.  With Lewis on acoustic guitar and Zussman alternating between guitar and djembe, the folk-pop duo showed off their chops in a set of crowd-pleasers including covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” and Simon and Garfunkel’s “59^th Street Bridge Song."  Lewis’ willingness to test the lower end of her range proved a wonderful match for her percussive strumming (think Ani with some soul), and Zussman’s instrumental prowess nailed the back end down.  Relaxed and chatty onstage, the duo drew the crowd in for the whole of their performance, performing the entire set without microphones.  Lewis and Zussman have a good thing going, and it should be exciting to see how they progress as the year goes on.

Keeping in the eclectic spirit of the night was an as-of-yet nameless band featuring Ron Wilson '04, Michel Lamblin '03 and Scott (???).  Making up for an obvious lack of practice time with some charm, the group pulled themselves through a cover of the Dave Matthews Band’s "Proudest Monkey” after an early false start and some microphone problems.  Changing gears, they then tore through the Presidents of the United States of America’s jokey rave-up “Peaches” with appropriate attitude before finishing with Radiohead’s “Exit Music (for a Film).”

Next up was highlight number two, Chappie and Pals.  The five-man jazz-pop-jam combo fronted by Josh Chappie '03 brought back memories of long-departed outfits like Jam Apple Zig Zag and Steel Carter, showing off a style of music that had all but disappeared from the Brandeis scene last year.  Powered by Greg Schwartz '03’s terrific sax playing, the band jammed through a series of extended numbers featuring dedications to both the residents of Mod 5 and late sax-man Stanley Turrentine.  Though they pushed themselves beyond their capabilities on occasion, Chappie and Pals exuded an energy which the audience eagerly picked up on.

Closing the night were erstwhile theater-group-coffeehouse performers Roger and the Presenters.  The duo of Zack Handlen '01 and Jeff Bouthiette '01 keep getting better; what started as a standard coffeehouse time filler has matured into a tight, powerful performing unit worthy of the closing spot.  On Wednesday they stuck to their old material in a fairly typical setlist of originals and covers.  Handlen drew liberally from the Elvis Costello and Elton John catalogues for material, appearance and inspiration – his dynamic cover of Costello’s “I Want You” is always a showstopper – while Bouthiette’s obvious musical theater influences made for a wonderful contrast.  Charismatic, energetic and bombastic both, Roger and the Presenters were the perfect way to cap off a genuinely reassuring night.

originally written 9/30/00

Dinosaur (movie review)

Oh Disney, how could you fail us so!   Building up our expectations with that fabulous trailer, showing us clips of that brilliant animation, hinting at an epic to come.  But “Dinosaur” is no epic – it’s a 75 minute highlight reel, with all the cliché’s of a potentially good movie spliced together into an insipid melodramatic crapfest.  Though the spectacular computer animation holds up to expectations, “Dinosaur” seems to be simply a vehicle to show off the technology – kind of like an action movie full of explosions and car chases but no plot, except targeted at the kiddie crowd.

“Dinosaur” tells the story of Aladar (voiced by D. B. Sweeney), an Iguanadon raised by a family of Lemurs.  Forced to flee with his adopted family after a meteor shower destroys their home, Aladar falls in with a herd of dinosaurs migrating to their nesting grounds, led by stereotypical bad-ass Kron (Samuel E. Wright).  Along the way he befriends an aging dinosaurs Eema and Baylene (Della Reese and Joan Plowright respectively), falls in love with Kron’s sister Neera (Juliana Margulies) and rises to challenge for leadership in the herd.

“Dinosaur” is a revolution in animation, combining computer graphics with live backgrounds seamlessly.  While the technology isn’t quite all the way there, the results are still impressive, with a level of depth and detail never before seen in animation.  As a vehicle for breakthrough animating techniques, “Dinosaur” is almost reminiscent of “Toy Story."  But as an all-around movie, "Dinosaur” never comes close to that brilliant piece of work.

While “Toy Story” was a masterpiece of technical wizardry, it succeeded primarily on the strength of its story and its emotionally rich, engaging characters.  Unfortunately, these are “Dinosaur’s” biggest weaknesses.  All the characters have the depth of cardboard cutouts.  Even protagonist Aladar never shows any emotional depth, changing from timid but friendly kid to strident leader at just the right point in the script but with no prompting or emotional development to cue it.  Even his relationship with Neera seems to develop simply because it’s the obvious, cliched thing to happen.  The story has lots of heart but falls way short on the exposition; things happen simply by convention rather than believable necessity.

Usually, Disney movies succeed where other kiddie movies fail by hooking in the parents as well with tight stories and strong characters, but “Dinosaur” never rises above the level of the average Saturday-morning cartoon.  Indeed, as a parent I’d be ashamed if my kid couldn’t see what a shallow movie “Dinosaur” is.  

originally written 5/19/00