THE HEIGHTS
B4
Thursday, February 14, 2013
KEELEY’S CORNER
STAR VALUE BY HUNTER GAMBINO
Grammys: the 13-year old martial arts champ Mati set for success good, the bad and the ugly WHO: Reshat Mati, aka “The Albanian Bear” AGE: 13
WHERE: Staten Island, New York WHY HE MATTERS: Mati is a legitimate phenomenon, trained from youth to be the next martial arts champion
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has never been more popular, but in a sport that seems so seemingly brutish, the sight of a 5-foot-2, 130-lb, 13-year-old may cock some heads as he stands, staring his opponent down from across the cage. The son of an Albanian immigrant, Reshat Mati has had a knack for throwing fists since his birth, earning the nickname “Punch Baby.” Mati’s father Adrian has trained the lean and fleet footed phenom from the time he was able to punch things other then the air. Already an adorned champion in multiple disciplines of martial arts, including boxing, kickboxing, and grappling, the teen has earned himself a new nickname, “the Albanian Bear.” Mati trains at several different gyms across Brooklyn and Staten Island, NY, where his training regiment is intimidating, even for the fittest of adults. Just as astonishing is Mati’s determination to become the best, even as an adolescent. His story just goes to show that technique will continue to beat strength. It may take the triumph of an athlete like Mati to prove this notion to denying spectators. As he stands atop the podiums a champion, Mati continues to push the progressive bounds of MMA.
FASHION FORWARD
Black is back: re-claiming a classic Black is a bold and versatile color for all your fashion needs
TAYLOR CAVALLO I’m sick of people telling me that black isn’t a color. I don’t care that scientifically it’s the “complete absence of light.” I’m sorry, if I can see it with my eyes and if I can buy a pair of heels in it, it’s a color. It’s been hard all these years, answering frankly, “black” to the shallow, inconsequential question, “What’s your favorite color?” It’s as if as soon as the word leaves your mouth, people are wondering if you’re a goth, depressed, or a closeted Elvira, Mistress of the Dark enthusiast. Why should I pretend? I shy away from the bright spring colors that emerge seemingly out of nowhere, just as the trees start mysteriously, yet hopefully blossoming in early April. I feel awkward in bright yellow, and my skin crawls at the thought of bright pink. Eek. Maybe it’s a Manhattan thing. Maybe I’m too introspective. Maybe it’s because I’m cursed with skin that errs on the side of ‘pale’ during most months of the year, with extremely dark brown hair: a lethal combination that has made Wednesday and/or Morticia Addams an easy last minute Halloween costume. Maybe it’s because extremely bright colors wash me out and mostly, as I mentioned before, make me generally uncomfortable. Whatever the reason, “all black everything,” as Jay-Z would put it, has become a staple of my wardrobe, for better or worse. Nowadays, black is the color most commonly associated with high fashion—it seems to articulate a sleek, chic elegance that is no doubt conceived from the groundbreaking 1926 fashion moment: Coco Chanel’s ‘little black dress,’ the great equalizer of fashion that was an essential part of any stylish woman’s wardrobe. The beauty of the little black dress is that, no matter the occasion, a woman could always look flawless. The common fashion mantra that all women look good in black certainly has some truth to it—it’s a flattering color for almost all body types and matches with all other colors. While black may be a feature of your wardrobe that exists only sparingly, its place will become more necessary as we venture into adulthood. While I write that last sentence with a big knot in my throat, as there are some parts of my ‘young adult’ wardrobe that I don’t ever want to give up (my LF lace corset tops and
cheetah print jeans from New York’s iconic punk-rock boutique Trash & Vaudeville, to name a few), it’s an undeniable fact we all must face. Some days, far from now when we’re exhausted after having to wake up each day at the crack of dawn to commute to work, it might be easier to just throw on a black pencil skirt with a white blouse than to construct a going-to-work outfit that could be seen while flipping through the pages of Vogue (note: I said some days). There are some black essentials for all female closets: BLACK PUMPS Once you buy them, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. While most people own a pair of black heels, a quality pair is a necessary investment for a young professional woman, or anyone who intends on dressing up even semi-frequently in their adult lives. If you don’t, good for you, but if you do, peruse labels such as Jeffrey Campbell or Michael Kors (two of my personal favorites) for a timeless black pump. A rounded toe, usually between 5 and 6 inches (depending on your talent for walking in heels), in leather or suede are the most basic and functional, yet chic, black heels you could find. I’m all for funky shoes—I’m currently obsessed with black suede, studded wedges with gold studs, (I’ve bought two pairs in the past month) but buy this pair before venturing down that path. LITTLE BLACK DRESS Channel your inner Coco. A closet isn’t complete without it, as cliched as it might sound. It’s a great option for a last minute semi-formal/formal event that might come up—you’ll never have to wonder if you’re dressed appropriately. This is another item that needs to be an investment piece—I’ve had luck with French Connection and Ralph Lauren, but my personal favorite is Calvin Klein, paired with your new black pumps or a funky colored pair of platform heels (try red, forest green, or grey), an accent necklace or cocktail ring—you’re golden. BLACK PENCIL SKIRT I’m sure everyone’s mother has urged her to buy this item at one point. Make her and yourself happy, and just do it. BLACK LEATHER JACKET Just for fun. I probably take it to an extreme. I am hard pressed to construct an outfit that does not consist of at least one black item. On days I’m feeling adventurous or, dare I say, bright, I am forced to venture into the closets of my roommates. I’m proud of my black wardrobe. Johnny Cash, Elvira, Jean-Paul Sartre, Benedictine monks, and Edith Piaf would be too.
Taylor Cavallo is a senior staff writer for The Heights. She can be reached at arts@bcheights. com.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GOOGLE IMAGES
From the classic little black dress, inspired by Coco Chanel, to more casual everyday outfits, black is a more adaptable and stylish color than it’s usually given credit for.
THIS WEEKEND in arts
BY: ARIANA IGNERI | ASSOCIATE ARTS & REVIEW EDITOR
Friday
Saturday
1. SEXUAL CHOCOLATE PRESENTS BIG SHOW (FRIDAY 2/15, 7:00 PM)
3. PORTUGAL, JESUITS, AND JAPAN (OPENS SATURDAY 2/16,)
A sweet treat, Boston College’s all male step team, Sexual Chocolate, is presenting their annual Big Show with Fuego del Corazon and BC’s Dance Ensemble in Robsham Theater this weekend. Tickets are available both at the box office and online for $10.
2. THE BAD PLUS CONCERT (FRIDAY, 2/15, 7:00 AND 9:30 PM) The avant garde band The Bad Plus will be premiering their bold jazz/rock rendition of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring at the Institute of Contemporary Art. An astounding video mix designed by Cristina Guadalupe and Noah Hutton will accompany the concert. For students, tickets are $31.50.
Sunday
Examining the age of exploration of the 16th and 17th centuries, The McMullen Museum’s latest exhibit illustrates the complex exchange of commodities, customs, religious ideas, and artistic styles that merchants and missionaries partook in at the time. Admission is free.
4. TINY FURNITURE SCREENING AT MFA (SATURDAY 2/16, 11:00 AM) Delving into relatable themes such as romantic embarrassment and post-collegiate confusion, Lena Dunham’s film, Tiny Furniture, is both honest and charming. Tickets are available for $7 through the MFA.
5. SAFE HAVEN (SUNDAY) Safe Haven, released this Valentine’s Day, is the most recent film based on the best-selling romantic novels from Nicholas Sparks. Starring Josh Duhamel and Julianne Houghe, it tells the story of a mysterious young woman who is forced to confront her past when she falls in love with a small-town, North Carolina widow.
SEAN KEELEY Last Sunday, in the midst of compiling this paper in a busy Heights office, I watched the Grammy awards with a mixture of distraction, amusement, enjoyment, and confusion. I suppose that’s about the usual range of emotions experienced when sitting through an awards show, but the Grammys are a special case. Most surprises at the Oscars or Emmys are contained to the winners’ speeches, and the rest is all rehearsed monologues and montages. The Grammys, though, are by their nature performancebased, and thus a bit more unpredictable. Compared to other awards shows, the Grammys always offer some element of surprise. Sometimes the surprise is unwelcome. Exhibit A: Taylor Swift’s opening rendition of the ever-popular “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Since she first hit the music scene, Swift has been gradually shifting away from country-pop to just plain pop, and this smash single is certainly her poppiest effort yet. Sunday’s performance—complete with a Mad Hatter outfit, Wonderland-themed clowns, and animals jumping around, and all sorts of bizarre design elements—seemed like an attempt to furnish the image of Swift as a crazy, outlandish pop star along the lines of Lady Gaga. But she’s not. Her entire popularity rests on her carefully crafted persona as a sweet, simple Southern belle. Even for devoted Swifties, it’s hard to deny that her surrealist nightmare of a Grammy performance was a definite miscalculation. The night certainly had its share of misguided performances—not as hugely wrong-headed as Swift’s, perhaps, but headscratching nonetheless. Who ever thought of putting Ed Sheeran together with Elton John? What do they share, besides being British men with red hair? It’s a classic example of the Grammy producers randomly throwing together a veteran musician with a younger one to try to make some sort of vague cross-generational statement. I have nothing against John, and I think Sheeran has a long and promising career ahead of him, but the pairing was rather unnecessary. Ditto the pairings of Rihanna and Jack White, and Maroon 5 and Alicia Keys. I’d rather see those artists perform on their own, rather than being awkwardly shoehorned in with someone else for ratings purposes. And there are some artists I’d rather not hear at all. Grammys and popularity be damned, I can’t stand fun.—from their complete disregard for logical punctuation to their shrill, annoying harmonies, they seem designed to annoy me. Kelly Clarkson is a perfect example of a great voice with no personality: she did a technically fine job singing “Tennessee Waltz,” and she nearly put me to sleep in the process. The various country bands chosen to perform were about as interchangeable as you’d expect. So who managed to actually make a favorable impression? Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z, for one: recently back in the spotlight thanks to “Suit & Tie,” the unlikely duo showcased their effortless star power with that song and the debut of a new one. White, when given a chance to perform apart from Rihanna, lived up to his high standards with two cuts from his excellent solo album Blunderbuss. And hey, there were even a few unlikely collaborations that delivered the goods. The Black Keys, Dr. John, and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band joined forces for an electrifying take on “Lonely Boy,” and an all-star tribute to the late, great Levon Helm found Mavis Staples, Mumford & Sons, Zac Brown, and others grooving along to “The Weight.” Finally, I would like to throw in my support for Frank Ocean. There’s been a noticeable backlash against the R&B star recently, as is typical for artists rumored to be the next big thing. Many scoffed at his Grammy performance of “Forrest Gump”—a short, slow album track off Channel Orange that lacks the obvious pizazz of singles like “Thinkin’ Bout You” or “Sweet Life.” But “Forrest Gump” is one of my favorites from Ocean, and his Grammy performance honored the original track while also changing it up—playing with the pace, offering new vocal inflections, and modifying the lyrics. Perhaps that’s why people didn’t respond well: Ocean simply didn’t deliver what was expected, and ultimately, he lost out on Album of the Year to Mumford & Sons’ Babel. As much as I enjoy Mumford & Sons, I can’t say they have ever surprised me the way Ocean has. I expect them to continue to deliver more high-quality folk-rock on their third album, much in line with their first two. I genuinely don’t know what Ocean will do next—that, to me, makes him the more interesting artist, and the real winner of the night.
Sean Keeley is the Arts & Review Editor for The Heights. He can be reached at arts@bcheights.com.