Entertainment
The Wichitan September 2, 2009
7
Slow-Simmered
Creager takes his time warming up to audience Brittany Norman Editor in Chief
When Roger Creager paid a visit to the Neon Spur last Thursday, one thing was painfully obvious from the start. No one was there for the opening act. A group that few in the audience had heard of, The Modern Day Drifters, put forth the effort to liven up the nearly-empty house, but the small gathering of Red Dirt fans weren’t receptive to the raspy alto of the vocalist or the skilled lead guitar (the band even took on a Stevie Ray Vaughan tune in honor of the 19th anniversary of the rock legend’s death). They barely got any applause between sets, and the biggest reaction they drew was when they announced that Creager would be taking the stage momentarily. When the Texas Country superstar took the stage, though,
Photo by Brittany Norman Red Dirt artist, Roger Creager, entertained the small crowd at the Neon Spur last Thursday.
the venue was still shy of halffull and the energy level was remarkably low, both in the audience and on the stage. Creager started powering through his set, playing old favorites like “Having Fun All Wrong,” and tracks from his new album, including the upbeat and rowdy “I’m From the Beer Joint.” Unfortunately, the enthusiasm the band displayed was not reflected in the audience. The majority of the concertgoers remained either standing back around the bar or seated rather than crowding around the stage. They applauded, they yelled when it was appropriate, and a few were even singing along, but something was missing. The “feel” of Red Dirt concerts, especially outdoor ones with big-name artists on the Texas Music scene, a bill that Creager certainly fits, is normally a little rowdy, a little bit loud and a lot drunk.
The audience didn’t live up to tradition. There was a disconnect between performer and audience, it seemed. Maybe it was just the small crowd, but something wasn’t clicking. And then Creager took a pause between songs. He talked about how singing these songs were like spilling his guts in front of an audience. A drunken fan warned that Creager shouldn’t “rile them up,” but when he struck up the opening chords to the classic Red Dirt drinking song “Everclear,” that’s exactly what he did. Whatever connection the band was failing to make with the crowd finally slid home, and the show hit the rowdy momentum it should have had from the start. The cheers kept coming as the band finished out the set. He played several crowd favories, and even took a few drinks with the audience.
The connection he has with his own songs is undeniable. Even a first-timer at a Roger Creager concert can tell that he feels the words he’s singing. The lonesome self-doubt in “Late Night Case of the Blues” and the memories of a troubled romance in “I Loved You When” were offset by his slow, easy drawl as he sang and the expressions on his face. Sometimes it appeared that he got lost for a moment in his own world, enraptured as much as the audience by the songs which obviously mean so much to him personally. Creager comes through Wichita Falls a few times a year, and while the lyrics stay the same, the show is always different. That night was slow and easy as compared to the norm. It wasn’t necessarily a bad departure from the usual. The slow build-up was worth it for a great show from a regional star.
than some lettuce, a slice of tomato and dressing. They have their own Italian house dressing, as well as some of the favorites including ranch, thousand island and oil and vinegar. After ordering we chatted and listened to the soft Italian music playing, which set a very comfortable atmosphere. The salads arrived at the table and shortly afterwards our meals were delivered, all steaming hot. We all immediately took bites of our food but promptly gulped down our drinks. The waitress wasn’t kidding when she said the food was hot. But once the food cooled down to an edible temperature, it was delicious. My pizza had a thin crunchy crust with a layer of sauce and cheese cooked to a golden brown color.
My friends all raved about their choices and some of us ended up with to-go boxes due to the large portions you are given. They do have a small selection of desserts including cheesecake, cannoli cream and tiramisu, but we were all too full to order one. When we were finished eating, the waitress left our ticket on the table but didn’t rush us to leave at all. When we were able to finally get up, we took our bill to the cash register at the front of the restaurant where a nice gentleman rang up our total. We all left with our stomachs and our wallets full. Most dishes range from $6.95 to $9.95, and the lunch specials, which are available Tuesday through
Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., are only $5.95, which is definitely college budget friendly. If you are pizza lover, like myself, their cheese pizzas are $6.95 for small 12-inch, $7.95 for a medium 14-inch and $8.95 for a large 16-inch. Extra toppings are $1 per topping. Napoli’s is definitely a great choice for dates, lunches with families or just a meal with friends. Even with our party of seven, the service was outstanding and prompt. So if you are craving good Italian food for a good price, Napoli’s is the place to go. Napoli’s is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
A taste of Italy found on Kemp at Napoli’s restaurant Lauren Wood Entertainment Editor
Being the poor college student that I am, I am always trying to save a few bucks. But with my huge appetite, it’s not always easy to do. So when I heard there was a new Italian restaurant in town, Napoli’s, I decided to check it out and see if it was “college budget” friendly. Napoli’s is a quaint Italian restaurant nestled between the Sonic and Subway on Kemp Boulevard. It used to be a Deli Planet for those who are familiar with the area. From the moment you get out of your car, you can smell the Italian spices. When my friends and I walked in, we were immediately greeted by the host who sat us quickly and handed us
our menus. Our waitress was extremely friendly and took our drink orders as we skimmed the extensive menu of homemade baked pastas, spaghetti, salads and house specialties. While we were considering our options, baskets of rolls were brought to the table. The bread was fluffy on the inside but had a hard crust with seasoning and parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. I only had one piece though, because I have a bad habit of filling up on bread before my meal comes. Napoli’s has the typical entrees including baked ziti, lasagna, calzones and fettuccini alfredo. But they also have dishes new to my vocabulary including chicken pomodoro, which is chicken sautéed with tomatoes,
basil, olive oil and garlic with a light marinara sauce all served over penne pasta, and sausage pizzaola, which is Italian sausage mixed with mushrooms, onions, green peppers and marinara sauce served over spahettini pasta. I had heard the pizza was pretty good and since I usually judge hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurants by their pizza, I ordered a small, 12-inch cheese pizza. Most of my friends ordered from the “lunch specials” section. One ordered the baked ziti, another ordered a calzone and three of them ordered the pasta sampler, which was composed of spinach ravioli, lasagna and manicotti. All lunch specials include a salad as well, which is not more
Summer hits sizzle and leave hot hopes for fall releases Cora Kuykendall For the Wichitan
The summer of 2009 is sadly coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean the playlist of the last few months is leaving us too. Now, if the Top 40 type of music isn’t your style, this will probably not appeal to you, but if you do, read on my friend. The summer started out with hits like Pitbull’s “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)”, Lady Gaga’s “Lovegame” and Sean Kingston’s “Fire Burning.” When the Black Eyed Peas’ first hit of summer, “Boom Boom Pow” from their new album, “The E.N.D.,” finally made its way off of the Top
10 list, it was quickly replaced with their upbeat “I’ve Got a Feelin’.” Some of the slower jams of the summer were “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon, Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” and the talented and recently married, Beyonce, with “Halo.” But of course, after tragedy struck the world with the news of Michael Jackson’s death, the iTunes charts quickly became the Michael Jackson charts. Songs including “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “Smooth Criminal” exploded on the radio after his death. The only artist to share a spot in the Top 10 video rankings with Jackson was Taylor
Photo Courtesy Recent and upcoming album releases include the Black Eyed Peas “The E.N.D.,” Taylor Swift “Fearless,” and Mariah Carey “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.”
Swift with “You Belong With Me,” which quickly became the anthem for teenage girls everywhere. Toward the end of the summer, the charts were as hot as it was outside due to Cobra Starship’s “Good Girls Go Bad,”
featuring Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meister. Shakira’s latest hit and very racy music video, “She Wolf,” has climbed the charts as well. Then no one can forget Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed” video that caused quite the drama with
rapper Eminem. He lashed back with his song, “The Warning,” which insulted and threatened Carey and her husband, Nick Cannon. It’s definitely easy to say that this summer there was a song for everyone. Whether you were
“Waking up in Vegas” with Katy Perry or getting “Down” with Jay Sean and Lil Wayne, summer hits made long road trips to distant relatives more bearable. Let’s just hope the heat from this summer’s hits continues this fall as artists release their new albums. Pitbull’s “Rebelution” album became available in stores Tuesday, Jay-Z’s “Blueprint 3” album is expected to release Sept. 14, and Lil Wayne’s “Rebirth” album should come to stores Nov. 24. Other artists including Boys Like Girls, Paramore and even the Backstreet Boys are expected to heat up the charts as well in the coming months.
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