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LAUGH BOWL II SEMIFINALS
Paramore, before the departure of the Farro brothers
by eva recinos After splashing onto the music scene with bright hair and a colorful personality, pop/rock Paramore pixie Hayley Williams launched a music career that exploded. But whilst the gal snagged stardom and buzz, the guys in the band stayed mostly in the background. It was mostly Williams’ eyes and red hair that filled magazine stands, and the name Paramore became automatically associated with her face. And now it seems Josh and Zac Farro have had enough. In a feisty blog entry, the sibling duo revealed their dislike towards supposedly sneaky movements on the part of Williams’ manager and parents to catapult her to fame and kick the guys out. Not only that, but they revealed hard feelings over a breakup and lyrics from “Brand New Eyes” that conflicted with their Christian beliefs. From the get-go it was the biting lyrics, young age and fiery persona of Williams that got the music world’s ears perked up. She was college age, hardly over five feet and belted out notes like it was nobody’s business, carrot microphone in hand. For the guys, her fame became too much. The image of a happy, successful band dissolved when the Farro brothers finally departed. Whether or not the blog entry holds truth and regardless of where the blame should lie, the tiff shows the members of Paramore were on completely different wavelengths regarding their image. Williams stayed at the forefront and was able to land many solo interviews while the guys received minimal attention, something the blog entry brought up various times. Williams was not just Paramore’s poster child, she became its entire personality. The new Guns N’ Roses is nothing without guitar-note-ripping Slash. Sure, the blonde, bandana-clad Axl Rose wowed the music world with his arresting blue eyes and sexual sheen, but Slash had the talent and recognizable curly hair to make his name synonymous with the band’s persona. Without him, the new Guns N’ Roses band formation didn’t strike up half the attention, and Chinese Democracy remains a far cry from Welcome to the Jungle. In this case, both of the guys made the band. But for the Farro brothers, giving up their amount of the spotlight in the beginning got them a nice and cozy spot as William’s background men in their musical journey. If their problem with Christian lyrics was serious, what about Williams’ bitter recounting of a fight over a guy on “Misery Business” where she crooned, “God, it just feels so good?” From the very first album, the lyrics lured in an angst-ridden and honest persona, one far from the Christian identity the Farros so heavily identified with. Although the lead singer oftentimes plays the role of the lyricist, the rest of the band members also have the right to create the band’s image. The issue not dealt with, Williams continued writing tracks that hit hard but also got the band veritable fame that would prove harder to attain if Paramore tried to jump-start their career as just another group of guys trying to make it big in the music world. No one in the band possesses the epic talent level of rock icons such as Slash, but what separates Williams from the guys lies not in musical genius but in energetic stage performance and a consistently confident personality. William’s VMA performance with B.o.B. made it obvious she can hold her own, sans the vegetable microphone and the rest of the guys, aided only by the distinctiveness of her voice and a pair of heels. With their new tour, Paramore gets to introduce new members, an experience as mixed-bag as introducing a new boyfriend to your teenage daughter. But if Williams stays with Paramore, the band’s run is far from over. Letting Williams take most of the attention only makes it easier for her to move forward, whether in the new Paramore formation or with a solo career. For the hundreds of bands blossoming from independent productions and car garage practices, the lesson is simple: Either present yourself as take all of us or none of us or push your glitzy gal or hunky guy to the forefront, watch quietly and then take your share of the fame and fortune when the time comes.
Nick Cedergren
by kate bryan
Which would make a better stand-up comedian: a warrior or a bear? The warrior would have great stories to tell from countless battles. On the other hand, the bear has an instinctual rage that could translate into hilarious rants about the world around him. The Laugh Factory, for the second year running, will try to answer this question as they pit the USC Trojans against the UCLA Bruins. Student comics from each campus have auditioned to make it to the Laugh Factory stage and fight for this year’s Laugh Bowl trophy. Ten of the best comedians from each school were voted on at the Laugh Factory Web site. The top six picked from each school will perform in the Jan. 13 semifinals at the Laugh Factory Hollywood. The winner of the whole shebang will get coaching from Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada and get the chance to perform in a MTV comedy showcase. Of course, they will get the bragging rights for their school as “College Campus with the Best Sense of Humor.” USC is the reigning champ from the first Laugh Bowl – this means UCLA needs to step it up if they want to take the title. You can support your school by attending the semifinal comedy throwdown to give encouragement to your fellow Trojans or Bruins. You can judge the hilarity along with a panel of professional comedians. The semifinalists will then go up for a vote again online, where you will pick the four finalists to duke it out next month. If you’re looking for a way to show your school is the best off the field, then take your school pride to this fun and funny event happening at the World Famous Laugh Factory. For more information, visit laughfactory.com.
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Agoura Hills (818) 707-2121 • Camarillo (805) 389-4700 • Culver City (323) 296-1543 • Encino (818) 990-8820 Glendale (818) 247-1946 • Granada Hills (818) 831-1245 • Hollywood (323) 467-5791 • Huntington Beach (714) 964-5926 Koreatown (213) 386-6884 • Lawndale (310) 214-8704 • Mar Vista (310) 398-0180 • North Hollywood (818) 766-7184 Pacoima (818) 890-5515 • Palmdale (661) 947-4545 • Pasadena (626) 577-1723 • Saugus (661) 259-3895 • Simi Valley (805) 522-2586 Torrance (310) 792-4604 • Van Nuys (818) 786-3204 • Wilshire/Highland (323) 939-7661 • Winnetka (818) 700-0509 Expires 12/31/11
Campus Circle 1.12.11 - 1.18.11
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