Campus Circle Newspaper Vol. 21 Issue 16

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NEWS

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MUSIC

CULTURE

EVENTS

DVD

GAMING

SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Campus News College Central Local News World News

inside campus circle

campus circle April 20 - April 26, 2011 Vol. 21 Issue 16

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Editor-in-Chief Yuri Shimoda editor.chief@campuscircle.net

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03 NEWS CAMPUS NEWS 04 BLOGS THE GREENER SIDE 12 BLOGS TREND BLENDER 06 FILM MORGAN SPURLOCK Tackles Product Placement in Films in The Greatest Movie Ever Sold 06 FILM WATER FOR ELEPHANTS Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon join the circus.

Acting Voice & Speech Vocal Production Movement Fencing

Dance for Actors Musical Theatre Acting for Camera Audition Training and More!

Space is Limited

Apply Today aada.edu 800-222-2867

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Film Editor film.editor@campuscircle.net Music Editor music.editor@campuscircle.net Calendar Editor Frederick Mintchell calendar@campuscircle.net Editorial Interns Dana Jeong, Cindy KyungAh Lee

07 FILM DVD DISH 08 FILM TV TIME 08 FILM MOVIE REVIEWS 10 FILM PROJECTIONS

Our alumni have been nominated for 96 Oscars®, 240 Emmys® and 83 Tonys®

Managing Editor/Art Director managing.editor@campuscircle.net

10 FILM THE CHANNEL SURFER 12 MUSIC FREQUENCY 14 MUSIC THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT Are Everywhere, All at Once 14 MUSIC NOTES 16 MUSIC EASTERN CONFERENCE

CHAMPIONS Light Up Your Speak-ahh 16 MUSIC REPORT 17 MUSIC LIVE SHOW REVIEWS

Contributing Writers Laura Bertocci, Mary Broadbent, Erica Carter, Richard Castañeda, Deepthi Cauligi, Nick Day, Natasha Desianto, Sean Fitz-Gerald, Mari Fong, Stephanie Forshee, Jacob Gaitan, Denise Guerra, Castulo Hernandez, Elisa Hernandez, Ximena Herschberg, Josh Herwitt, Matthew Kitchen, Jessica Koslow, Angela Matano, Hiko Mitsuzuka, Stephanie Nolasco, Samantha Ofole, Brien Overly, Ariel Paredes, Sasha Perl-Raver, Rex Pham, Eva Recinos, Dov Rudnick, Brianne Schaer, Mike Sebastian, Doug Simpson, John Stapleton IV, David Tobin, Drew Vaeth, Kevin Wierzbicki, Candice Winters

Contributing Artists & Photographers Castulo Hernandez, Da Ron Jackson, Josh

17 MUSIC CD REVIEWS

Herwitt, Rex Pham

03 CULTURE L.A. FACES

ADVERTISING

04 CULTURE SPRING BOOKS 13 CULTURE GET UP GET OUT 18 CULTURE COMEDY: Mike Birbiglia 18 CULTURE BEAUTY BEAT 18 CULTURE PAGES

Sean Bello sean.bello@campuscircle.net Joy Calisoff joy.calisoff@campuscircle.net Jon Bookatz Music Sales Manager jon.bookatz@campuscircle.net

19 CULTURE ON THE MENU 20 CULTURE CURTAIN CALL 20 CULTURE JET SETTER 22 SPORTS L.A. HOOPLA 22 SPORTS DODGERS 411 22 SPORTS THE COLLEGE PITCH 22 SPORTS PIGSKIN BLITZ 23 SPORTS GALAXY KICK 23 EVENTS THE 10 SPOT

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Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle CAMPUSNEWS

Afghan activist speaks at L.A. campuses. by brianne schaer

Afghan politician Malalai Joya spoke at four locations in Southern California last April 7 and 8 as part of her three-weeklong speaking tour.

She lectured about prospects for ending the Afghan war and promoted the updated edition of her book, A Woman Among Warlords.

The U.S. government denied Joya’s visa request March 16, on the grounds that Joya “lived underground” and was “unemployed.” The campaign began immediately to pressure authorities to grant Joya’s visa request.

Letters and online petitions began pouring into the U.S. Embassy from Congress members, activists, intellectuals, the ACLU and a massive online petition garnering over 3,000 signatures.

A national call-in day was staged on March 23 to urge Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to grant Joya’s visa.

On March 24, Joya’s visa request was approved; however, she had missed her first several stops on the tour, including New York and Washington, D.C. Due to her absence, Joya spoke to the crowds via video broadcast.

“The audience reaction was very powerful,” she says.

“Technology can cross borders without the need of a visa.”

Joya has witnessed diverse audiences during her tour,

most notably two little girls who approached her during a book signing after one of her lectures.

They looked at all the things on her table as they handed her a piece of paper to autograph.

Out of the over 300 people who attended her lecture, these girls became embedded in her memory after the emotional moment the three of them shared.

“They are the future,” Joya says about young people with an interest in politics. “They have more energy.”

She spoke at Cal State Los Angeles and the University of Southern California on Thursday, April 7, and at the University of California Santa Barbara and Golden West College on Friday, April 8.

At the age of 27, Joya was the youngest female politician elected to the Afghan parliament in 2005. She was later dismissed for her public criticism of warlords and fundamentalism in Afghanistan.

She has been the target of several assassination attempts, forcing her to live underground.

She has also denounced the War on Terrorism and U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

Joya describes her generation as a “war generation,” since innocent men, women and children are killed, injured or directly affected by the Taliban, warlords, and fighting from the war.

She also advocates women’s rights. She describes the situation of the woman in Afghanistan as “like hell.”

Rape, domestic abuse and violence towards women are increasing rapidly.

“The reason is because there is no justice with misogynist warlords, especially with the Taliban,” she says.

Joya has traveled to the United States five times in the past several years, and this is the first time she has had a

L.A.FACES

ANGEL CITY DERBY GIRLS

April 23 @ Culver City Veterans Memorial Auditorium by laura bertocci For the Angel City Derby Girls, derby is everything and real life is just what pays the bills. This women’s roller derby league has been recruiting and reforming girls not only into a new kind of sport, but also into a family.

“It’s mostly girls who were once outsiders, or who didn’t always belong,” says coach Rachel Rotten.

“We don’t turn anyone away, no matter their age or their physical abilities. If they can hack it, they’re in,” adds recruiting coach Shanks.

Derby rules are set down by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), which regulates all roller derby leagues in the nation. Two teams consisting of five skaters each compete, earning points every time their team’s “Jammer” (a skater designated by a helmet cover with a large star on it) passes the opposite team’s “blockers.” The blockers want to prevent the opposing Jammer from passing the crowd of skaters, while letting their own Jammer through. Derby is a full-contact sport, and blockers are free to hip-check their opponents, pop them in the chest or the shoulder, or any number of strategies in order to keep them from breaching

Afghan activist, politician and author Malalai Joya shared her experiences with L.A. students. problem obtaining a visa.

She says she was not surprised that she was denied this time because of her publicly denouncing the foreign politics of the U.S. government.

“My message to the justice loving people of the U.S. And around the world is just that even now it is not too late,” she says regarding the violence and oppression occurring in Afghanistan, Libya and other countries in the Middle East.

Campus Circle > Culture > L.A. Faces their human wall of skaters. Derby is most remarkable for the incredible sense of camaraderie it fosters between teammates.

“When I first started, my confidence was on the ground,” says Shanks, who balances derby between a job and a full load of classes at Pasadena City College. “These girls just lift you right up.”

“Once you get past the bullshit of life, it’s nice that someone’s got your back. When shit starts blowin’ up, you have 70 women who won’t judge you, who say ‘Hey, we get it,’” says Babyface Nellie.

Roller derby has been an emerging sport in the past 10 years, with roots dating back to 1885. Marathon races were popular during the Depression; one famously held at Madison Square Garden was the equivalent distance from Los Angeles to New York around a rink. It grew to popularity and evolved into a sport with unique rules in the ’40s, but had faded by the ’70s. In 2002, a group of women in Austin began a revival when they wanted to start an all-girl team, catalyzing other females to start their own leagues as well.

Derby girls go by their skater names, both on and off the track. These aliases give the sport a sense of humor and are often either a play on the player’s real name or a unique element of their personality. Other players have been christened by their teammates in the last minutes of a pretournament car ride, like Breakfast whose number is 8am.

Skater names compliment typical skater attire, which usually consists of knee high socks, tights, short-shorts, and a shirt bearing the skater’s alias and number. Derby-style is tinged with punk, shown in the duct tape, rips and tears in tights and tops.

“It’s a sport where women look like women,” says Rotten.

“In the Women’s National Basketball Association, the women basically dress like men, and people will still see a men’s

(c) 2011 Jacky Shu

MALALAI JOYA

Campus Circle > News > Campus News

basketball game before they see a women’s game.”

The Angel City Derby Girls have a training system they require their novices to pass through before they can make the A or B teams. The first thing a skater learns in Fresh Meat, Angel City’s new-recruit team, is how to fall. Falling is inevitable and skaters have to be able to do it at a certain speed.

“If you can fall correctly, you just take a knee and pop right back up rather than falling behind and becoming a liability to your team, “ says coach Rotten.

After the first six to eight weeks of Fresh Meat, skaters move on to Round II: Cosmos, where they learn Derby 101 and fundamentals.

“It doesn’t make any sense for the first two months,” says Rotten.

Once the girls are sufficiently comfortable on their skates, they must pass an assessment, skating 25 laps around the rink in five minutes to be eligible to be placed on the team.

Culver City Veterans Memorial Auditorium is located at 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City. For more information, visit angelcityderbygirls.com.

Campus Circle 4.20.11 - 4.26.11

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NEWS

FILM

MUSIC

CULTURE

THEGREENERSIDE

SPECIALFEATURES-BOOKS

EARTH HOUR

SPRING READS

And Beyond

by deepthi cauligi Did you switch off YOUR lights for an hour on March 26? Then you are doing your bit to save our planet.

Earth Hour is a brilliant way to save the planet one hour at a time by conserving valuable resources. It is one of the public awareness campaigns started by the World Wildlife Fund.

A journey of a thousand steps begins with one step. Turning off unessential electronic gadgets and lights for an hour is the first step in helping save our planet.

Switching off lights one hour every year is not going to save the environment, but Earth Hour is organized to show that one has to begin by taking smaller steps to achieve a bigger mission. It is a grassroots movement intended to take positive actions for the environment. It is observed on the last Saturday of March every year. Earth Hour was started in 2007 in Sydney as a protest against global warming. Over two million people and more than 2,000 businesses switched off the lights to show that turning off electricity for 60 minutes can actually help us see the impact we have on the environment. One year later, 35 countries and more than 50 million people joined to show the world that 60-minutes of no electricity could make a difference. By 2011, there were 135 countries and hundreds of millions of people who participated.

Earth Hour 2011 introduced “Beyond the Hour” to push people to take this beyond the 60 minutes to show commitment to help save our environment. We don’t have to wait every year for Earth Hour to think about energy expenditure. It’s time we take initiative and start by doing small things like switching off the lights when not in use, riding a bicycle to work or school one day a week, recycling and using energy-efficient light bulbs.

Earth Hour has motivated me to think about our planet. I use my bicycle when commuting to college, use rideshare to go to far-off destinations, check all the lights before leaving home and remove unused adaptors and chargers from the plug point when not in use. If each individual puts in a little effort and thinks of each day as Earth Hour, then together we can save our planet from global warming and preserve valuable resources. Earth hour, Earth weekend and Earth year, we don’t have to stop there. We can continue to do our bit to keep the world safe for future generations.

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EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Art Beauty Books Fashion Food Gaming Lifestyle Special Features Theater Travel

Campus Circle 4.20.11 - 4.26.11

by angela matano Fiction

Fulfilling a fantasy you may not have realized you even had, Are You Going to Kiss Me Now? (available May 1) maroons a normal American teen with five celebrities off the coast of Madagascar.

Sloane Tanen keeps it breezy and fun while having her way with the cult of fame.

Perhaps my favorite film of this century, Winter’s Bone, based on the novel by Daniel Woodrell, piqued my interest in his other work. Three of the author’s works have been brought together in The Bayou Trilogy (available April 28) and burst with a deeply regional vibe of the South.

Chock full of all the best tales by which to dream, The Big Book of Adventure Stories (edited by Otto Penzler, available May 31) includes the work of Rudyard Kipling, Jack London and O. Henry.

Let this tome transport you to a lost childhood that may only exist in fantasy.

The tried and true combination of English estates and unsolved mysteries comes together in Kate Morton’s The House at Riverton.

This tale, with expert pacing and absorbing characters keeps you glued to the page.

Whether it’s Elvis Presley or Justin Bieber, every generation of girls finds a boy toy to fixate on. Allison Pearson’s I Think I Love You takes this gestalt one step further when her main character, wracked by middle-age disappointments, finally gets a chance to face her idol.

Like a dip in a cool pool, Bridget Asher’s The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted is a refreshing escape. Substituting as a kind of porn for women, the lure of France, wine and a fresh start are a perennial, inexhaustible favorite.

Crackerjack and elegiac, a winning combination, Cara Hoffman’s So Much Pretty threatens to keep you up until dawn turning pages. The intertwined tales of a missing woman, an intrepid reporter and an unusual teenager mix perfectly in this first novel.

Kate Atkinson’s Started Early, Took My Dog continues the downward spiral that is Jackson Brodie’s sad excuse for a life as the, now former, private investigator finds himself again uncovering deep, dark secrets from the past. Fans of the series that begin with Case Histories won’t be able to put this one down.

Perhaps the most lauded novel of the year thus far, Swamplandia! (by first-timer Karen Russell) recounts the outlandish story of the Bigtree family and their alligator park. Twisty and surprising, Ava’s journey to hell and back feels simultaneously old and new.

The trend that keeps on trending, the cult of Jane Austen, successfully gels in Cathleen Schine’s The Three Weissmanns of Westport. This simultaneous ode and riff on Sense and Sensibility satisfies from start to finish

Foodie Taking food to a whole new level of fun, Bite Me turns the stuffy cookbook format on its head. Written by two sisters, Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat, the Dyn-O-Mite! Asian Meatballs and Yee Haw TexMex Chicken Tortilla Casserole just beg to be served.

Famous for her terrific blog, Orangette, Molly Wizenberg expands her thoughts into book form with A Homeade Life.

Bursting with anecdotes, recipes and food facts, this little tome is both indelible and delicious.

Memoir The dark side of the freewheeling hippie lifestyle gets explored to perfection in This Life Is in Your Hands. Melissa Coleman’s touching memoir recounts her idealistic family undone by the tragic death of her sister.

Blood, Bones & Butter, grabs you by the balls and holds on tight.

Like Ruth Reichl before her, Gabrielle Hamilton writes about food and self with a depth and emotion that transcends this increasingly crowded genre.

Non-Fiction Art Workers: Radical Practice in the Vietnam War Era, by Julia Bryan-Wilson marries scholarship with human interest. The first book to cover “art workers,” fascinates by putting a spotlight on an overlooked but influential group of people.

Warm and fascinating, Tony Fitzjohn’s Born Wild recounts the author’s enthralling adventures in Africa, including returning more than 40 lions and leopards to their natural habitat.

Conspiracy theorists tend to veer either hard right or hard left, depending on who’s being blamed in the scenario. J. Wayne’s Conspiracy in the Heartland takes the former tack, blaming “the witches of the Left Coast,” among others for breaking the American spirit.

If you’re craving a little substance in your life, Enduring Violence: Ladina Women’s Lives in Guatemala will fill you right up. Cecilia Menjívar’s in-depth account of politics, gender and suffering shines a light on an underexposed topic.

Astonishingly riveting, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot recounts the true story of a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells end up becoming infamous in the world of science. An unwitting donor, Lacks’ contribution becomes an integral component in such groundbreaking medical breakthroughs as gene mapping and the polio vaccine.

For lovers of The Orchid Thief (also known for being turned into the film Adaptation), a new tale of smuggling exotica gets told to perfection in Jennie Erin Smith’s Stolen World. This time, reptiles take center stage with the quirky and improbably named Hank Molt leading the charge.

Marjorie Garber’s The Use and Abuse of Literature, an elegant treatise on why books still matter, painstakingly argues for loyalty to the Canon, in this increasingly digital age.

After reading the brilliant Zeitoun, I couldn’t wait to have a go at Dave Eggers’ What is the What. This tale of one of the Lost Boys of Sudan reads lightening quick while wringing your heart dry.

Great Gifts For funnies junkies or anyone with a good sense of humor, The Comics: The Complete Collection by cartoonist and historian Brian Walker gives the gift of giggles laying out the history of American newspaper comics – rare original art included.

The seemingly inexhaustible supply of never-before-seen memorobilia regarding arguably Hollywood’s brightest star gets another go with MM-Personal: From the Private Archives of Marilyn Monroe. This lavish enterprise, by Lois Banner and Mark Anderson, features photos, personal correspondence and even a recipe for bouillabaisse.

I’ve just discovered two gorgeous titles from UC Press, San Francisco in the 1930s: The WPA Guide to the City By the Bay and Los Angeles in the 1930s: The WPA Guide to the City of Angels. They both make great gifts, but also work as travelogues, unlocking secrets in both cities.

Funny and smart, Mike Sacks’ Your Wildest Dreams Within Reason sports wildly laudatory blurbs from the likes of David Sedaris, Paul Feig (“Freaks & Geeks”) and Jack Handey. Be prepared to laugh out loud.

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Summer Sessions 2011 at CSULB

SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS

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OPEN NOW RENFAIR.COM

No formal admission to CSULB required Earn units toward your degree Enroll on a “space available” basis

Two 6-Week Sessions

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May 31–August 19 (SSD)

Register Now! Call (800) 963-2250 ext. 60023 for more information. www.ccpe.csulb.edu/summer4 email: summer@ccpe.csulb.edu

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Campus Circle Campus Circle 4.20.11 - 4.26.11 5 Slightly Stoopid, Robert Plant, Bonham, Dispatch/Greek Theatre 1/4 page 4.875” x 5.9” • BW

MUSIC

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EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS The Channel Surfer DVD Dish Interviews Movie Reviews Projections Special Features TV Time

FILMINTERVIEWS

THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD How Product Placement Made Morgan Spurlock Speechless by sasha perl-raver Morgan Spurlock is a modern-day whirl– ing dervish. Wearing a sharp black suit littered with product placement logos that make him look like the upscale version of a NASCAR racer, Spurlock walks into a private conference room at the Andaz Hilton – one of his sponsors – his fingers furiously tapping out messages on his phone.

“We’re in post [production] on the Comic-Con movie right now so I’m communicating with people in New York while doing this,” he explains, referring to his upcoming documentary about the annual geekfest, as he puts his phone down and turns his attention to the subject at hand, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, his incredibly meta latest effort. It’s a film about product placement and co-branding, brought to you by companies such as POM Wonderful and JetBlue.

Spurlock says his inspiration for the film came from the show “Heroes.” In one particularly blatant episode, the director describes, “Hayden Panettiere is given a car. It cuts

Campus Circle > Film > Interviews to the front of this car and then back to her face as she goes, ‘The Rogue! The Nissan Rogue?!? I can’t believe it’s the Nissan Rogue!’ And I was dumbfounded that this commercial happened right in the middle of a show. I was flabbergasted, just speechless. I came to work the next day, and we started talking about all the terrible product placement that’s in movies and TV shows and said ‘Why not make a film that looks at this kind of marketing and get brands to pay for it?’”

It’s that kind of thoughtfully subversive brilliance that’s made Spurlock a star in the realms of independent and documentary film, but he swears it isn’t something practiced or planned. In fact, when asked if there’s a formula to becoming the next Morgan Spurlock, he can only laugh.

“I remember when M. Night Shyamalan made The Sixth Sense, he said, ‘I have the formula for success. I know the secret to make hit movies.’ Which apparently didn’t last,” he says with a grin. “I don’t think you can claim that there’s something that’s the golden egg. What ultimately makes films work best is when it’s something you’re passionate about.

For me, what I think has helped my projects work is that I’m willing to let my guard down and be honest with the viewer.”

It’s Spurlock’s brand of revealing, thought-provoking yet irreverently humorous filmmaking that has won over audiences who might not consider themselves documentary fans.

“We’re constantly fighting this PBS stigma. PBS ruined it for everybody,” Spurlock decrees. “They really did. Ultimately they painted a view of what documentaries were, so you’re fighting this idea that they’re not entertaining, that they’re not great movies. Man on Wire was an amazing film. Alex Gibney makes brilliant documentaries. Michael Moore showed they can actually be entertaining; Errol Morris, the same thing. I want to make films for a larger audience. When people go to see a movie on a Friday night, I don’t want my

FILMINTERVIEWS

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and an Elephant in the Room by candice winters The book was on the New York Times Best Seller List for 12 weeks when it was first published in 2006.

Since then, Water for Elephants has quickly become a classic story of heroism, love and … an elephant. Just as the novel by Sara Gruen captured the hearts and minds of readers all over the world, a pretty lady named Tai stole the screen from her female co-star and Hollywood princess Reese Witherspoon.

Robert Pattinson also stars in the film adaptation, and he says the 9,000-pound elephant was just one of the crew.

“I don’t think I was scared at all,” says the young actor.

“There was only one moment when we first saw the whole pack of elephants, the herd, together. Gary, Tai’s trainer, said, ‘Sit’ literally, as if you were talking to a dog, and it sat down in exactly the way a dog would. It’s totally incomprehensible when you see it. It’s really powerful to think that you can have a relationship with these huge beasts.”

Tai, who is a 42-year-old Asian elephant, stars as Rosie, the elephant in the film that joins the Benzini Brothers

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Campus Circle 4.20.11 - 4.26.11

film to be their fourth choice, I want it to be their first choice.

To do that, you have to make something entertaining enough that it can compete on the level of a big Hollywood movie.”

As one of the poster children for independent movie– making, Spurlock admits that state of indie film isn’t as rosy as it was a decade ago.

“An amazing thing happened right around 2000 which was a massive democratization of cinema, where anyone with a camera, a computer and a good idea could make a movie,” he explains. “So now you’ve got studios and independent filmmakers fighting for the same space, and it becomes harder to get a film into the marketplace. Now you’re competing with so much outside of cinema: online, iPads, television with 500 channels. It’s a difficult business to be in, but the key to success, at least for me, is forward momentum. If you’re going to be an independent filmmaker you can’t just sit around and pat yourself on the back and say, ‘Boy, that was a great one.’

You have to be in motion.”

With that said, our interview ends, Spurlock shakes my hand, grabs his phone and makes a phone call that begins with the word “Comic-Con.”

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

FILM

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold releases in select theaters April 22.

Campus Circle > Film > Interviews Circus. August (Christoph Waltz) is its ringleader and owner.

He is charming and demented, charismatic and ruthless.

Determined to beat out the Ringling Brothers in sales, he often uses unbecoming means to do so, including several brutal scenes with Rosie and the bull hook.

Waltz says that not only was Tai not hurt during any scene, she hardly noticed the other actors at all.

“This animal has one relationship with a human being only,” says Waltz. “And that’s her trainer. The rest of us are just there. I didn’t work with an elephant. I worked next to an elephant. Considering that she could step on your toes, it’s good to keep a certain distance.”

Apart from Rosie, Marlena (Witherspoon) is August’s prize possession and the selling point for his show. She also happens to be his wife. When recent veterinary school dropout, Jacob (Pattinson), leaves his haunted past and joins the Benzini Bros.

Circus, August is initially smitten with the prospect of having a real vet in their ranks. However, paranoia takes him hostage, as Marlena and Jacob get too close for his comfort.

On set, there was another love connection that passed as whispers through the crew.

“It sounds really disturbing, like I’ve been flirting with the elephant,” says Pattinson. “I had a relationship to the elephant that was based purely on candy. I strategically placed mints.

You know, you suck a peppermint for a bit and stick it on to your body. I had them in my armpits and covering my entire chest. Every time the elephant would constantly sniff me, I’d be like ‘I don’t know, she just really likes me!’”

The actors had much more to worry about than wooing the animal. The characters are so vividly described in the book that the filmmakers were eager to get everything right.

Witherspoon chopped off her hair and dyed it white for the role, but the hardest part was dealing with her own conscience.

David James

NEWS

Water for Elephants’ Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon “I made a conscious effort all my career not to end up in a bathing suit in a movie,” she reveals. “And here I was in this movie wearing a leotard the majority of it. It was horrifying!

But they were beautiful, and it was a different time when women loved their curves and enjoyed being voluptuous.”

The film is set in the early 1930s at the peak of the Great Depression. Director Francis Lawrence made sure that authenticity was the name of the game. The circus big top was fashioned in direct likeness of old-fashioned circuses, and every detail from the animals to the costumes was spot on which helped the actors find the right mentality for their roles.

“There was a kind of comprehensive creation of the world,” admits Pattinson. “There was an embankment with the train tracks on top. All the trailers were on one side and then there was the circus world on the other. Once you walked over the tracks, there was a camera, but that was the only thing from the 21st century. You could stand on the tracks to look over everything, and you were in that world.”

Water for Elephants releases in theaters April 22.

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle DVDDISH

SPECIAL FEATURES

“An AvALAnche oF ASS-kIckIng!” - Devin Faraci, BADASS DIgeST

by mike sebastian

The Majors: Nicole Kidman nabbed an Oscar nomination for her performance in Rabbit Hole.

The film follows a once-happy couple, played by Kidman and Aaron Eckhart, whose lives fall apart following their son’s death. John Cameron Mitchell (Shortbus) directs David LindsayAbaire’s adaptation of his own play.

Jack Black leads an all-star cast in Gulliver’s Travels. This comedic modern-day retelling focuses on the Lilliput episode of the original story, in which Gulliver (Black) lands on an island populated by a kingdom of pint-sized people. Jason Segel and Emily Blunt co-star.

Peter Weir (Master and Commander) co-wrote and directed The Way Back, the harrowing true story of escapees from a Siberian gulag who must trek thousands of miles across harsh terrain to freedom. Ed Harris and Colin Farrell star.

Sophia Coppola took home the Golden Lion award at last year’s Venice film festival for Somewhere, her latest minimalist meditation on the lives of the privileged and vapid.

Stephen Dorff plays a Hollywood celebrity who begins to reconsider his non-stop party lifestyle when he gets a visit from his 11-year-old daughter (Elle Fanning).

The Idiotbox: The Ernie Kovacs Collection is a six-disc retrospective of the legendary comedian’s trailblazing television work. Capturing over 15 hours of comedy genius, the set spans 1951-1962, from his first local morning show to his primetime ABC specials.

Gear up for Earth Day with a little ’90s nostalgia when Captain Planet and the Planeteers: Season One arrives.

Before he was one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, Will Smith was the loveable misfit from West Philly turned fish out of water in posh Bel-Air in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” The sixth and final season is now available.

Catch a young Clive Owen alongside Sean Bean and Polly Walker in the BBC adaptation of the timeless novel of love and revenge, “Lorna Doone.”

donnie Yen

shU Qi

the RetURn of chen Zhen legendofthefist.com

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From Criterion With Love: Over the course of his long career, English auteur Ken Loach has carved out a niche exploring the lives of his working-class countrymen. His definitive statement, Kes (1969), comes to Criterion DVD with a slew of great bonus features. The film follows a bullied boy from an unhappy home who forms a unique bond with a falcon. Shot with nonprofessional actors on location, Kes remains one of the key social realist films.

Funny Business: Terry and Dean are back in Fubar: Balls to the Wall. The sequel

by Michael Dowse (Take Me Home Tonight) has the pair of dimwitted, past-their-prime headbangers seeking gainful employment while a woman threatens to tear them apart.

Also available: Whitney Cummings: Money Shot, Year of the Carnivore

Under the Radar: Christian Carion (Joyeux Noel) directs Farewell, a superb true-life espionage story about a French engineer who finds himself a key player in the Cold War when he meets a KGB colonel. Willem Dafoe co-stars.

Donnie Yen reprises his role as legendary kung fu master Ip Man in Ip Man 2. Man, along with his star pupil Bruce Lee, gained iconic status for bringing Wing Chun to the world.

Also available: Nick Stahl in the sci-fi thriller The Speed of Thought

Stranger than Fiction: For “I Love the ’80s” aficionados, check out Falco, a feature-length documentary on the one-time German pop phenomenon behind “Rock Me Amadeus.”

Also available: Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story Blu Notes: In honor of its 40th anniversary, the Oscar-nominated adaptation of the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof comes to Blu-ray. Bonus features include commentary by director Norman Jewison and star Topol, a deleted song and more.

Everybody’s favorite robot, Johnny 5 is back and in high-def with Short Circuit 2. Fisher Stevens and Michael McKean star.

STARTS FRIDAY, APRIL 22

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Q&A with writer/director Michael Gleissner at the 7:30 PM screening at the Bigfoot Crest on Friday, April 22.

Campus Circle 4.20.11 - 4.26.11

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‘WILD LIFE’

The National Geographic Version of “Entourage” by hiko mitsuzuka When you remove three Hollywood actors from their natural habitats and plant them in the middle of nowhere with a couple of backpacks and one nature photographer, some might think you have the ingredients for another exploitative reality-competition show during which narcissistic confessions are made, brawls break out and a sore loser is sent home at the end of every episode.

That is not the case with “Wild Life,” a fascinating new docuseries making its debut across the Interwebs this week.

Actors Stephen Colletti, James Lafferty and Stuart Lafferty have teamed up with documentarian photographer and author Ian Shive (National Parks 2.0) to invite today’s evertweeting generation to drop the smartphones and experience the adventure that awaits in their own backyard – the American wilderness. Think of it as the National Geographic version of “Entourage.”

That said, it was somewhat fitting to rendezvous at the TreePeople Center for Community Forestry in Los Angeles’ Coldwater Canyon Park for a chat with these guys after their return from the Florida Everglades. Upon grabbing a space in the environmentally friendly “parking grove” (in my Prius, natch), we found a spot in the shade to discuss what it was like to go swimming with manatees, get up close and personal

Campus Circle > Film > TV Time with a few alligators and perfect the art of building a campfire.

“We always talked about doing a show like this,” says the scruffy-faced Colletti. Reality junkies may remember him from MTV’s original reality juggernaut, “Laguna Beach.”

In fact, when the idea started to be pitched around town, outsiders saw the concept in a totally different way.

“People wanted to turn it into [us] going out at night,” says Colletti. “They wanted to get everyone partying and take it down that [clichéd] reality route … and that’s not something we wanted to do. We always wanted to put on a travel show that’s, in a more respectable sense, documenting your travels, where you’re at, your landscape, your environment.”

Stuart Lafferty saw a void in the reality spectrum he thought they could fill. “I don’t really see that many shows on television that really capture young audiences,” he says. “I haven’t seen travel shows that go after that demographic …

Young people want to watch other young people travel and see what happens to them.”

And if they happen to pick up some cool facts about the natural wonders of these great United States, even better.

Shive, Colletti, and both Lafferty brothers all learned a few things during their adventures together. Colletti realized how technology dependent he and his peers actually are.

“It’s hard for people to detach themselves and get out in the world without a cell phone,” he notes.

During their trip to the Florida marshlands, they endured a 36-hour period in which they were completely cut off from the world. James Lafferty saw it as a much-needed wake-up call. One of the things he discovered that he takes for granted?

Taking showers. “You learn to take care of yourself better,” he says. “We have so many creature comforts available to us … but when you’re out there in the wild, your health is most important.”

MOVIEREVIEWS Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (Variance/Well Go USA) Let me preface this review by stating that Donnie Yen, star of Legend of the Fist, deserves to be as big of an international star as Jet Li, Jackie Chan or even the mighty Bruce Lee. He’s an amazing martial artist and a very good actor. Coming off of the two Ip Man films, I imagine it is only a matter of time before Hollywood starts offering this guy something more substantial than, say, his supporting role in Blade II. Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen is the latest iteration of the popular, and iconic, Chen Zhen character. The Fist films are always treated as prestige films in China, and the previous two entries were headlined by none other than the aforementioned Bruce Lee and Jet Li, respectively. This reimagining, with Yen as the lead, seems to take a Christopher Nolan-esque approach, mixing the superhero nature of the character with a grittier realism and just a dash of pulp noir.

The director is Andrew Lau, who previously co-directed the Infernal Affairs trilogy, and he shows a good eye for period detail, as well as some pretty sensational fight scenes.

I don’t think this particular Fist outing is better than the previous two films (Of which, I enjoy the Jet Li version the best. Sorry, Bruce.), and it is certainly not of the same dramatic caliber as the Ip Man films, but it is solid entertainment and a respectable superhero take on a classic character. If you found, for instance, the Iron Man films to be dramatically slight, but visually captivating, with actors who elevate the material, then you can go into Legend of the Fist knowing that it is the same kind of film. Like most modern popcorn films, it’ll thrill you while it is on, but after it is over you’ll just go looking for the next big thing.

Yen, however, is my favorite Chen Zhen. If you’ve ever seen the Ip Man films, (If you are a fan of martial arts films, then why

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Ian Shive

FILM

Part of those 36 hours included navigating the narrow, alligator-infested channels of the Florida marshlands in canoes and using a map that wasn’t drawn to scale. Putting their isolation in perspective, Shive says, “The people who were closest to us were the people flying overhead in an airplane. That’s how far out we were.”

When asked if spending so much time with each other tested any nerves, James says there was never any dude vs. dude conflicts: “With a trip like this, you forget the bond that can be formed when you must rely on each other without anything around you. It’s such a great feeling, being surrounded by people you trust and love.”

Using social media and the Internet, they are hoping to capture an audience and inspire a new generation of adventure travelers. Shive would like to see more people develop a curiosity for the great outdoors. “The outdoors have been so over-sensationalized with Man versus Nature scenarios,” he says. “There’s this fear of going outside for a lot of people … and it’s not like that at all.”

“Wild Life” airs on generationwild.tv.

Campus Circle > Film > Movie Reviews haven’t you?) then you know what kind of a flawless performer Yen can be, and he has some of his best choreography in this particular film. When the fights go down, you’ll be mesmerized.

Grade: B —Nick Day Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen releases in select theaters April 22.

Courtesy of Variance Fillms/Well Go USA

NEWS

Meek’s Cutoff (Oscilloscope) America’s Wild West wasn’t simply saloons, gunslingers, boom towns and high-noon showdowns. The grim reality for many Americans following the western path toward a better future was a long wearisome wagon trail fraught with dangers.

Likewise, the western movie doesn’t have to conform to cowboys and natives in whiskey bottle-strewn thoroughfares.

Meek’s Cutoff makes the cut as an atypical western; it’s a period piece about traveling west in the earliest days of the Oregon Trail. In this literal, and figuratively pioneering film, the harsh and mundane truth of the covered-wagon party is brought to the screen in all its somber authenticity.

Director Kelly Reichardt and screenwriter Jon Raymond bring this extremely realistic trailblazing drama to life, where several families are traveling west led by their guide Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood). Along the trail, the families become suspicious of Meek and are forced to choose between trusting in the craggy guide who has proven somewhat inconstant or a Native-American prisoner (Rod Rondeaux), whom the group picks up along the way, to steer them on. While roving the plains, one of the women travelers Emily Tetherow (Michelle Williams) befriends the native prisoner to the ire of Meek and the concern of Emily’s husband Solomon (Will Patton).

Ultimately, the power struggle sees the group entrusting their

Donnie Yen in Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen lives to their prisoner. The film also stars notable actors Paul Dano and Shirley Henderson.

Meek’s Cutoff is an exceptionally accurate depiction of pioneers traveling the covered-wagon trail. That is its strength and its weakness. Although the film’s look and feel are dead on for the time and the actors portray trailblazers to a T, the progression of the story is lead-footed and eventually leads to a nonevent.

The scenes are beautifully shot. In the breathtaking Oregon wilderness the families trudge on and on leading their animals with wagons in tow. The actors even practiced skills like leading oxen at pioneer camp prior to filming to make a true-to-life performance. The sound design sets the mood perfectly and is reminiscent of some other recent unconventional westerns. All said and done, the movie creates an amazing historical picture of what it was to travel across the western frontier in the 1800s.

Yet, it fails to deliver the impact needed after almost two hours of watching the sullen families walking the plains.

Grade: C —Drew Vaeth Meek’s Cutoff releases in select theaters April 22.

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TWO BY SOFIA COPPOLA April 20-21 @ New Beverly Cinema by candice winters To come from a family of fame and success in Hollywood is both a blessing and curse. Instant wealth and recognition, all doors conveniently open to you, the assumption that you, too, can act and sing and direct. So maybe it’s more of a blessing than a curse, but coming from a successful family does have its drawbacks. Talent is talent, but opportunity can’t be planned or purchased. The privilege of connections provides the summer internships and the first job. But what that person does with his or her introductions is completely up to him or, in this case, her.

Sofia Coppola has that big-ticket last name that can’t be ignored on a resumé. Daughter of the one and only Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia was raised on set. Like Al Pacino, she was one of the cast members who appeared in all three “Godfather” films, albeit she had small roles. Cousin of Nicolas Cage and Jason Schwartzman, Sofia Coppola won the Oscar in 2004 for her original screenplay for Lost in Translation, which she also directed. Hers is only the second family to have Oscar winners in three generations, the first being Anjelica Huston and her famous family. Coppola is also the third woman in history and

Campus Circle > Film > Projections the first American woman to be nominated for Best Director.

She got her start helping out her father, and she made her first feature film in 1999. The Virgin Suicides was based on the bestselling novel of the same name. The film starred Kathleen Turner, James Wood, Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett and centered around a small Michigan suburb in the 1970s. The five Lisbon girls are the mystique of the town, and a group of neighborhood boys become obsessed with trying to break into their world, which is heavily barricaded by their strict religious parents.

The Virgin Suicides was a mighty film, especially for a newcomer to the director’s chair. Coppola won an MTV Movie Award for Best New Filmmaker, as well as Young Hollywood Award for Best Director. The film remains a classic comingof-age teen drama, one of my personal favorites in the genre.

She then followed that film with Lost in Translation, which she wrote and directed. Bill Murray is Bob Harris, an American movie star whose dwindling career leads him to Tokyo where he can still get work in commercials. There he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), a neglected newlywed who is looking for her place in life. Naturally, everything is lost in the translation of the Japanese city. Bob and Charlotte will never be the same.

Coppola’s sophomore work won her not only an Oscar for writing, but it won three BAFTA Awards, three Golden Globes and four Independent Spirit Awards.

In many ways, it is an amazing piece of work from someone who took the opportunity afforded to her and did not let it keep her from making great films. She went on to make Marie Antoinette (2006) and most recently, Somewhere (2010) starring Elle Fanning and Stephen Dorff.

The wonderful people at the New Beverly Cinema are screening a double feature, “Two by Sofia Coppola” on Wednesday April 20 and Thursday April 21. Both nights, you

THECHANNELSURFER

THERE WILL BE BLOOD ... AND SINGING by hiko mitsuzuka

As ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and ‘Glee’ near their second season finales, we have to ask: Where the hell is Klaus, and what’s going to happen at Nationals?

For those of you who have been dying for some fresh blood – er, episodes – of what I consider to be television’s best primetime soap, wait no more. Now that April has arrived in full bloom, “VD fans” everywhere can rejoice over the return of the CW’s highly addictive drama. After that juicy April 7 episode (“Know Thy Enemy”), let’s focus on what’s going on and where executive producer Kevin Williamson is planning to take us ...

Elena, Stefan & Damon – The hot blood-drinkin’ brothers planned to watch over Elena and protect her from the evil Klaus now that word has gotten out that she’s the doppelgänger.

Meanwhile, Elena became the recipient of a fancy scholarship, but nasty Catherine interrupted the ceremony – by killing John (E’s biological dad)!

Isobel & Catherine – The undead BFFs reunited and did some much-needed catching up. Isobel told Catherine that Klaus won’t kill her (Cat) unless he gets the moonstone and the doppelgänger (Elena). Turns out it was just a trick: Once

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Paul Jasmin

NEWS

Sofia Coppola behind the scenes of Somewhere can enjoy Somewhere and the gem of her collection thus far, Lost in Translation.

It’s funny, growing up in the industry. Somewhere won a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival last year, which was highly controversial. Quentin Tarantino was the President of the Jury, and some people questioned his objectivity since Coppola was a former girlfriend of his. That’s just the business.

Six degrees is often too many. Everyone is connected often by far fewer, especially if you are raised as the princess of a filmschool god. In fact, she still has to work, you know. Coppola had to appear in an episode of “The Girls Next Door” (2009) in order to gain access to the Playboy Mansion and meet Kristina and Karissa Shannon who play the stripper twins that Johnny enjoys in Somewhere. It really is a hard knock life.

New Beverly Cinema is located at 7165 W. Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, visit newbevcinema.com.

Campus Circle > Film > The Channel Surfer Katherine found the moonstone (in a bowl of soap bars!)

Isobel ditched her to kidnap Elena, leaving Klaus’s henchman to move in on the real target, Catherine. But there was another twist: Isobel was only protecting Elena because she was compelled by Klaus to do so. After a touching moment between mother and daughter, Isobel took off her protective ring and set herself on fire in the sunlight – in front of Elena.

Caroline & Matt – After finding out that Caroline is a vamp and that his sister, Vicky, was really murdered, Matt ran off (Who could blame him?) and tried to make sense of it all. Caroline cried and asked for his forgiveness, but in the end Matt wanted one thing: for her to wipe his memory of the truth (just like she did with her mom, the sheriff). She reluctantly does it, but it looks like it didn’t work because …

Cut to: Matt getting in a car with Caroline’s mom – they still remember everything!

Bonnie & Jeremy – After some intense sexual tension, these two finally hooked up, and now Elena’s younger brother is pretty much a loyal sidekick for Mystic Falls’ resident witch whenever she’s got a séance to hold or a spell to cast. (Need a candle lit? Jeremy’s your guy.) After making some books fly off a shelf, Bonnie found a spell that harnessed the power of a bunch of dead witches that can be used against the super-evil Klaus. The only catch: She could die trying to use it, and you know Jeremy will have none of that.

Jenna & Alaric – “Auntie Vanilla” packed her bags and ran out on Alaric after finding out Isobel was very much “alive.”

Alaric was then abducted by one of Isobel’s lackeys – and then turned into Klaus via some kind of possession ritual!

Meanwhile, over at McKinley High, America’s favorite glee club has much to look forward to – prom, Nationals, summer vacation – as they near the end of another year of surprises, secrets and scintillating songs (Sorry, Gleeks, looks like that

highly anticipated Anne Hathaway episode won’t happen ’til Season 3.). But rumor has it that some of the boys are doing their own version of “Friday,” the Rebecca Black YouTube sensation, in the super-sized April 26 prom episode titled “Born This Way.” Yep, they’re bringing Gaga back, and I can’t think of a better anthem for the kids of New Directions.Where we left off…

Will & Emma – Will wooed substitute Holly Holliday (Gwyneth Paltrow) and got the kids to write original songs to perform at Regionals – and win! Meanwhile, Emma let it slip that she’s been confused by the apparent feelings she still has for Will, sending hubby Dr. Carl (John Stamos) away.

Finn & Rachel & Quinn – Quinn pretended to be friends with Rachel in order to hide the fact that she and Finn were back together. Once the truth came out, Rachel poured her heart and soul into an original song (the power ballad “Get it Right”), and everyone voted her Regionals MVP. Santana & Brittany – After opening herself up to Brittany and then being turned down, Santana shunned Brit’s friendship and chose to fake her way through her relationship with the clueless and “trouty-mouthed” Sam. Kurt & Blaine – After the Warblers mascot passed away, Blaine saw another side of Kurt and realized that he was the One. The two shared a kiss (finally) before going on stage to perform a duet … and a kickass rendition of Pink’s “Raise Your Glass.”

Sue Sylvester – After taking on the role of Aural Intensity’s coach, Sue attempted to bring down New Directions yet again by pandering to the judges at Regionals – and failing. Cut to: Sue punching out the announcer on stage and storming off. I can only imagine that World War Sue has only just begun.

“The Vampire Diaries” airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on the CW. “Glee” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Fox.

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by brien overly Ellie Goulding April 20 @ The Music Box I have to admit, there’s something about Brit-pop that I just don’t understand. It’s a completely different beast than American pop is, which is predictably trashy with lowest common denominator appeal.

Maybe it’s because we as Americans get the filtered version of British pop music and the truly terrible equivalent to American pop just isn’t as prominent here as it is there. Or maybe British pop stars are actually completely legit Experience some Brit-pop with Ellie Goulding. musicians, and not the Hiltonesque talking heads we have here. Or maybe I’m just biased because I like the accent.

Whatever.

Point being, U.K. native Ellie Goulding has a little something in her oeuvre for everyone. From hauntingly vulnerable singer-songwriter ballads, to sing-along dance club jams, the girl can do it all. More importantly, she does it with killer natural vocals, no Auto-Tune necessary. Because really, there’s so much more to the potential of pop music than what Britney and Ke$ha would have you believe with their latest singles.

by dana jeong

April might actually be the most stressful month for us college kids. Projects and term papers are piling up, finals are rapidly approaching, and what about that housing deadline for next year? And when was registration again? As if those weren’t enough, employers have decided to fill up their summer internship spots right in the middle of this agonizing month, which means we will be darting from West Hollywood to downtown for frantic interviews in between our hectic classes. Hence, I have decided to dedicate this week’s Trend Blender to tips on dressing professionally chic in hopes of removing at least the outfit trauma portion from your mounting stress.

The Jacket

Slightly Stoopid Yannis Vlamos; style.com

A plain black blazer is a must for professional interviews, but it doesn’t always have to be paired with a white blouse and a pencil skirt.

You can definitely play with the length of the blazer to suit your own style. I personally like to throw on a slightly long, loosely fitted blazer on top of a cowl neck top and belt them all together – conservative, but not conventional. Cropped blazers and tweed jackets are great, too! (Burberry Prorsum Spring 2011)

The Top

fun.

Monica Feudi; style.com

Two universal rules in interview styling: no cleavage and no see-through. A fashionable friend of mine made the sinful mistake of wearing a slightly sheer blouse with a black bra. She didn’t get the job, but her interviewer had a good 10-minute conversation with her chest. But as long as you stick to those rules, this is your chance to reveal your unique taste. Put that white button-down aside and play with different tops to see which one brings out your eyes and feels comfortable at the same time. (Celine Spring 2011)

April 20 @ The Greek Yeah, this is exactly what it looks like. It’s a Slightly Stoopid show on April 20. And I think we can reasonably surmise that it will be exactly how you expect a show like this to be, no matter how wild or farfetched your imagination may take you with that.

One you’ve gone to enough shows, you’ve been to at least one show like this, where you’re not quite sure why the vibe is so odd in the venue, but man if everyone else isn’t absolutely stoked on life in that very moment. Unless of course this is your regular scene, in which case, carry on, business as usual. And, to preemptively answer your next question, no, I don’t have a lighter or rolling papers.

Since I’ve now thoroughly cemented myself as an outsider to the surf-jam-rock culture, I will say I wholeheartedly support that proceeds from this show benefit Japan aid via Music For Relief. Because the only thing better than performing a charitable act, is performing one and not having to be coherent or conscious in order to do it.

April 21 @ The Glass House Speaking of catchy pop music, you don’t know what infectious means until you’ve listened to a fun. song on your iPod. And then listened to it on repeat in your brain, without any electronic assistance, for the subsequent month thereafter. It sucks. I mean, it doesn’t suck, the music’s great, but once it’s in your head, it’s in there permanently.

Frontman Nate Ruess’ signature vocal tone and inflections have an unmatched skill for finding ways to embed themselves in your subconscious, gnawing their way outward when you least expect it, so that when you’re trying to focus on something serious, the only words your brain will process are “All the pretty girls on a Saturday night.” Not that I’m complaining, or anything.

Fake Problems

If you are the kind of a girl who can’t stay in heels for more than five minutes, then I advise you, please, please don’t squeeze your precious feet into those torture devices. To walk into an office wobbling and clearly in pain not only makes the recruiters question your professionalism but also kills your confidence. Opt for simple ballet flats or kitten heels, but no flashy colors – save them for the partying when you celebrate your new job. (3.1 Phillip Lim Spring 2011)

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Monica Feudi; style.com

The Shoes

April 21 @ Chain Reaction April 23 @ Cobalt Café And here we have my designated “Do Not Miss” show of the week. Try as you might, you will not find another up-and-coming punk band who is quite as awesome as these dudes. More importantly, you won’t find another band who has done as much good work in the name of legitimizing beach-punk as an actual genre. Granted, there may not be a huge movement of bands that are taking up that cause at the moment, but that’s inconsequential because the only one that really matters is this one.

Balancing mellow sing-along-worthy bro-out jams with aggressive and in-your-face punk attitude, the Florida natives know how to put on a show that’s high energy and emotionally engaging. Frontman Chris Farren has mastered the entirety of his vocal range, from sandpaper-throated growling to boozy crooning, the dude knows how to create an atmosphere with his voice alone.

On top of all that, while both of these venues are among the least pleasant places to be in all of Southern California, they’re also among the most intimate and the most appropriate places to take in a Fake Problems show. Although the fact they chose two dry venues here is … puzzlingly incongruous with everything one needs to know about the band.

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by Sasha Perl-Raver ‘Do or do not; there is no try.’

“I get knocked down, but I get up again. No, you’re never gonna keep me down.”

“Falling is part of learning.”

The first of these quotes comes from a little green sensei, then there are the indelible lyrics of Chumbawamba and, finally, are the wise words that stuntman and “Quidam” performer Cory Sylvester has come to live by.

After pursuing a career in special make-up effects, Sylvester had a life changing experience when he went to see the Cirque du Soleil show “Quidam” and witnessed the German Wheel for the first time.

“I saw this warrior up on stage moving and manipulating this thing around,” Sylvester says over the phone, his voice reverent. “It struck me and really gave me something to want to run with.”

He was so taken, in fact, that he decided to change his entire life and enroll in circus school in Montreal, a gateway to Cirque, where he could perfect his craft. Years later, after a dalliance in the superhero business with stints as Spider-Man at Universal Studios and Batman in the stunt show at Magic Mountain, our conversation is taking place during a break in San Francisco where “Quidam” is being performed and Sylvester is one of the show’s stars.

If you don’t know what the German Wheel is, Sylvester

explains, “It’s basically a big wheel, and I put myself inside of it and roll around like I’m inside a big coin. It’s a two-railed wheel, as though you bent a ladder into a perfect circle and took off a couple of rungs so that there’s only enough for feet and hands.”

There’s a classic scene from The Toy where Richard Pryor climbs into an inflated gadget called a Wonder Wheel and slowly somersaults across a toy store; think of that as the super low-octane version of what Sylvester wanted to master.

Invented in 1925 by Otto Feick, the son of a blacksmith, who was inspired by a childhood memory when he had tied sticks between two beer barrel bands that his father had made and rolled down a hill inside of it, the German Wheel is not for the faint of heart, weak of stomach or lazy of mind and body.

“It takes a lot of strength and focus on feeling and technique,” Sylvester says.

His segment of the show usually runs five to seven minutes, which might not seem that long if you’re sitting on the couch eating Cheetos, but when you’re performing gymnastic feats while rolling around in a heavy metal contraption, it’s a serious undertaking.

So how hurt has the performer gotten?

He laughs at the query.

“Uh, well, it’s definitely more dangerous than doing laundry, I’ll tell you that! But you’ve got to take your falls,” he explains. “You have to acquire a few bumps and bruises to get the hang of it, especially in the early training years. When you don’t have a sense of how to do it, falling is part of learning.”

To begin, Sylvester started with what he calls “boring, basic stuff,” like standing in the wheel and slowly rolling back and forth, getting “a feel for the wheel,” before eventually grabbing onto the handles and going all the way over and back, “like doing a cartwheel. Doing a handstand for the first

Matt Beard

‘QUIDAM’

Campus Circle > Culture > Get Up, Get Out

“Quidam”’s Cory Sylvester delights in the German Wheel. time was a really big deal.”

But that was then. Now, after years of training, doing stunts and working on his core strength, Sylvester says he can bust one out anytime, anyplace, even after a few drinks.

“It’s a great trick at parties,” he offers with a chuckle.

While many people may joke or dream about running away with the circus, Sylvester, who says he hopes to one day open a center where people can learn circus and other creative arts, has actually done it, with an unexpected byproduct.

Asked what his favorite part of the show is, he replies, “It’s the people [in the show] who are from all different parts of the world. But the one of the things I love about this the most is going home and seeing my family.”

Long Beach Arena is located at 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach.

For more information, visit cirquedusoleil.com.

UCR Summer Sessions 2011 All UC and visiting students welcome – just an hour on the freeway!

• Classes offered in 3 to 10 week long sessions • Get back on track or finish your degree • Convenient day & evening classes • Fast freeway access and lots of parking • Easy online application process

www.summer.ucr.edu Campus Circle 4.20.11 - 4.26.11

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CULTURE EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS CD Reviews Frequency Interviews Live Show Reviews Music Notes Music Report Special Features

MUSICINTERVIEWS

THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT Five Consecutive L.A. Shows by eva recinos In the middle of a tour that goes every– where from London to Los Angeles, the Airborne Toxic Event is gearing up again to get back into the music world. After the band’s 2008 self-titled debut, which included their successful, heart-wrenching track “Sometime Around Midnight,” the band has made it onto radio stations and TV networks around the world. Airborne Toxic Event has made a name for itself with genuine lyricism and melancholy sounds that include everything from drumbeats to violin notes.

All at Once, the band’s upcoming album, and the band’s current tour show its growth from a struggling, independent band to a full-fledged worldwide-loved musical phenomenon.

Now back with this new album, the band’s upcoming tour shows the Airborne Toxic event is not pulling any stops when it comes to playing sets and sharing its music. The band has come a long way since their self-titled debut album, which the Boston Herald called “Debut Album of the Year.”

“We didn’t have a label for a really long time. We basically toured … we played 350-something shows to support our first record. It was mostly a word-of-mouth thing,” says Mikel Jollett, lead singer of Airborne Toxic Event In fact, Jollett admits that he was shocked to learn that so

Campus Circle > Music > Interviews many people bought tickets so quickly to the band’s upcoming shows. Despite all the attention and fame, however, Jollett stresses the very personal and genuine energy that goes into the band’s albums and performances.

For Jollett, there is a lot to be said about the connection between songwriting and reaching out to any and all fans who hear the Airborne Toxic Event’s music. Jollett wrote about 50 songs for the new album, making sure that the tracks included carry a distinct meaning and purpose. For him, there is a strong connection that can be found between utter strangers when listening to a song, even if this connection stems from seemingly negative situations. Recognizing that someone else feels the same way you do is one of the most important moments in music.

“Writing has a lot to do with loneliness,” says Jollett. “You write because you’re overwhelmed by an idea. Something about taking it to the page and sharing it with other people makes it less overwhelming to you.”

All at Once boasts some of the same themes from their debut, but their continued growth as a band makes it a different album when it comes to sounds.

“We had a whole year to make it. There’s multiple genres happening at the same time: folk music, rock ’n’ roll, classical music and electronic music. We weren’t sure if anyone was going to hear the first album. We made it at a friend’s house.

This one had a real producer. We knew people were going to hear it. We wanted to have something to say,” says Jollett.

He also comments on the fact that the shows are now bigger and louder when it comes to audience members. For him, though, the key to any live show is focusing on the energy of the song and remembering why he wrote it. L.A. fans, however, should expect quite a show if they attend an Airborne Toxic Event concert.

MUSICNOTES

THE BRITNEY SPEARS FORMULA by eva recinos

Despite having gone through everything from controversy over her ex-husband, the less musically successful Kevin Federline aka K-Fed, to her alarming car ride with a child in the front seat with her, Britney Spears doesn’t see any reason to stop making music.

Her most recent album, Femme Fatale, in fact, has again made it to the No. 1 spot – her sixth debut at the top of the charts. That puts her in a tie for third most No. 1 albums for a female artist with Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson.

All of Spears’ success goes back to her young exposure to fame and celebrity life, with her appearances on “The Mickey Mouse Club,” alongside current stars Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. She had a tenacity and vision that was rare in someone of her young age, but that’s nothing different from any other artist recording out there, famous or not. Is it a so-called star quality that has created a more lucrative path for Spears versus other pop stars? Is there something about her voice and face specifically that makes her name instantly recognizable in almost any country you visit?

Perhaps the reason she has so much success lies in the fact that she knows exactly how to be a celebrity – and that talent

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Autumn de Wilde

NEWS FILM MUSIC

“Just complete madness,” Jollett jokes when talking about the nature of L.A. shows. “Andy Warhol said something as opposed to nothing has to happen.” The moment when you are surprised by something and you realize something just happened to you, not just in front of you … I want that to be every one of our shows.”

If you’ve never heard the band, rest assured that their sound is far from ordinary. And the upcoming concerts are more than profit-making shows for Jollett and company.

“It’s not something we take lightly because people trust us to makes music that informs their lives. That’s what we do,” Jollett says.

For now, the current tour is proof enough that the band will continue to flourish in the current musical scene. There are always tough issues to deal with, but the Airborne Toxic Event’s music goes to show that everyone’s got problems and everyone can sing along to Jollett’s voice and get through them.

All at Once will be available April 26. The Airborne Toxic Event perform April 25 at the Satellite, April 26 at the Troubadour, April 27 at the El Rey, April 28 at the Music Box and April 29 at Ford Amphitheatre. For more information, visit theairbornetoxicevent.com.

Campus Circle > Music > Music Notes is enough. In Spears’ case, it really does seem that any press is good press. It does not matter so much that she got married one day and divorced only a couple of days later or that she risked the life of one of her children. Somehow, her signature smile woo music fans back in again, and the club-friendly, danceable tracks she continues to create suggest that she doesn’t really care what anyone thinks, music journalist or not.

Spears’ music does not necessarily introduce any new techniques to the music world. Her success is more of a testament to the fact that whatever an audience deems buzzworthy, catchy and popular remains so. And Spears seems to have found the exact formula for being all of the above.

Yet the mystery becomes more enigmatic when one really stops to think about how she was able to survive with the springing up of so many new pop artists, female or not.

Spears is no longer a young ingenue. She’s not the youthful figure we once saw, but she still manages to stay on top of the music world.

It’s been said dozens of times, but Spears is planted atop the music charts because fans can’t stop being fans. And it seems young music listeners are going to be continually exposed to her tracks, whether old or new.

Perhaps we cheer on Spears because of something we see or want in ourselves. Despite her flaws and the serious events that have transpired as she grew older, the girl is back in the music business, creating tracks that we can dance to at the end of stressful weeks, ensconced in the darkness of clubs and roaming bright lights.

What she presents to us is the version we want to be – carefree, fully aware of the wrongness of her actions and not afraid to look straight at the camera.

Spears is undoubtedly adding to the generation of kids who will stand in front of their mirror and swing their hips

Britney Spears scored her sixth No. 1 album debut. while holding a hairbrush as a fake microphone. And that’s what makes her a good pop star. She gets her infectious tracks and physical attributes stuck in our head to the point where it gets easier to recall facts about her than it is to remember anything else from recent history.

Growing up in the celebrity spotlight has not harmed Spears’ success or her revenue. She’s created a persona that seems to have a formula down. But when attempted by others, the results are dissimilar and less effective.

The auto-tuned voice of this saccharine yet devilish woman will continue to be the self-confessed and guilty pleasure of millions of music fans across the world.

For Spears, that might or might not be the best thing for her. In a world where fame can consume both the entertainer and the fan, when will Spears draw the line and retreat to a normal life?

For now, that doesn’t seem to be any time soon.

NEWS FILM MUSIC

CULTURE EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS CD Reviews Frequency Interviews Live Show Reviews Music Notes Music Report Special Features

MUSICINTERVIEWS

EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS Expanding Sound

by jacob gaitan Eastern Conference Champions have been on the creative offense within the past year preparing for its forthcoming album, Speak-ahh. Formed in the City of Brotherly Love, the three-piece act consisting of Greg Lyons, Joshua Ostrander and Melissa Dougherty now resides in Los Angeles, creating a stir across local clubs and residencies.

Their Americana ballads and soothing folk melodies earned them a spot on the Twilight Eclipse soundtrack, which was nominated for a Grammy.

Recording for Speak-ahh began last winter in Los Angeles, revealing a different approach from their debut release from nearly four years ago.

“I feel like we took risks with a couple songs and stepped out of our comfort zone,” shares lead singer Ostrander.

“There is a song in the record called ‘Bull in the Wild’ which I think is the biggest project to date for us. When people hear it, they’ll know it’s not from the epicenter of what we normally do. We have a few songs on there that are five-minutes long, and we’ve been embracing the freedom without a label.”

Campus Circle > Music > Interviews Expanding towards a different direction, the album reveals a raw and daring approach as they depart from their previous sound.

“A lot of the lyrics in this album are about growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and fighting to get out of there,” continues Ostrander. “Musically we’ve been doing whatever we want.”

Their musical approach is a combined effort and a mutual collaboration within the group. Constantly trying to reinvent themselves creatively, they channel their aesthetic sound at every attempt.

“We try to keep our music very clean and tight within the band so the ideas remain fresh,” shares Ostrander. “We’re not really listening to new stuff because we don’t want to be influenced by something we heard on the radio, hopefully we create something unique and original.”

The song “A Million Miles an Hour” off the Eclipse soundtrack deliberately expresses their creative agenda and spontaneity. Having created a demo within a few hours, they earned the coveted spot from a list containing 400 other artists.

“They let us know what they were looking for, we knew they wanted a bass intro and slow BPMs” states Ostrander.

“Instantly it was a challenge because it wasn’t something we would do normally, but it became really rewarding once we got it. We learned that we could be put in any situation and shine. Normally they hear a song off our LP, or EP, and it becomes our decision if we want to let them use it, but they wanted a specific song and luckily we delivered on it. We’re really proud.”

On the current spring tour, ECC has been debuting new material while playing close attention to crowd responses.

As of late, they have focused on creating music that can

MUSICREPORT by kevin wierzbicki Kristeen Young: V the Volcanic With her new EP titled V the Volcanic, it’s tempting to say that Kristeen Young is “hot as lava” as her career “erupts.” The new music does actually mark a turning point for Young, who says she wasn’t feeling the greatest after her 2009 breakthrough, Music For Strippers, Hookers, and the Odd On-Looker.

“I was going through a particularly dank depression,” Young reveals. “I didn’t want to be me so I decided to use what was killing my time and become other people.”

Those other people turned out to be characters in movies as Young found inspiration for the EP’s seven songs in the likes of Old Lodge Skins from Little Big Man, Cleopatra from the film of the same name and even the android Pris from Blade Runner. The lyrical variety caused Young in turn to push herself beyond what she had initially imagined V the Volcanic to be stylistically.

“I started branching out into other styles a bit: opera, dark wave and other sounds that felt cozy to me.”

V the Volcanic drops on April 26, and Young shows off her four-octave vocal range during a four-week Monday night residency at the Hotel Café beginning May 2.

Are You the King of the Blues?

Guitar Center’s annual unsigned artist discovery program for blues guitarists is underway. Interested guitarists need to sign up for the competition at a Guitar Center location of their choice if they want a chance at taking home a share of $50,000 in prizes. Among the goodies that the grand prize winner will get: $25,000 in cash, a studio session with Grammy Awardwinning producer Pete Anderson, a Vintage Collector’s Series Les Paul guitar, an Egnater amp and full stack, an effects

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be enjoyed live while transcending a personal bond on the album.

“We have two songs we’re currently excited about called ‘Hell or High Water’ and ‘Attica,’” says Ostrander. “When we recorded ‘Hell or High Water’ we knew it was a big song for us. But then trying to pull it off live we didn’t know how it was going to work. I think fans will understand when they hear it.

But I think it’ll sound really good in front of a live crowd, I can’t wait to go out and play it at shows.“ Parting ways from a record label usually spells disaster for many artists. When ECC stepped away from Geffen, they independently released two EPs while producing, mixing and creating the album artwork themselves.

“Being independent gives us the freedom to do whatever we want and as an artist that’s great,” adds Ostrander. “If we were signed to a label, our last EP would have taken months to release, instead we recorded a few acoustic songs and really quickly released something. We love being in this position.”

Speak-ahh will be available April 26. Eastern Conference Champions perform April 22 at the Echo. For more information, visit easternconferencechampions.com.

Campus Circle > Music > Music Report processor and pedals, a feature in Guitar World magazine and endorsement deals from Gibson, Ernie Ball, Boss and Egnater.

Each entrant is required to play a live solo to their choice of Guitar Center-chosen backing tracks. Tracks are available for free download now at guitarcenter.com/kingoftheblues; local play-offs begin May 5.

Free Tsurumi Sampler In conjunction with their third birthday, Seattle-based imprint Tsurumi Records is offering a free download of a 10-song sampler. The complimentary compilation features tracks from garage punks the Beautiful Mothers, lo-fi rockers the Second Academy, Tokyo-based noise act Golden and new music from the latest Tsurumi signing, Fonzarelli. Downloads of The Tsurumi Sampler are available through May 11, which also happens to be the day that Fonzarelli’s Last Chance Summer Dance album drops. tsurumirecords.com

MEINL Grant McFarland Video Contest This Or the Apocalypse’s Grant McFarland and MEINL Cymbals have announced a video contest for drummers.

Contestants need to download a special “click track” version of the This Or the Apocalypse song “Toro” from meinldrumcontest.com, make a video of themselves playing along to the track and then upload it to the same site.

The judges (McFarland and Lamb of God’s Chris Adler) will be looking for accurate and faithful replication of the song’s drum part. Contestants have until July 31 to upload their entry for a chance at winning a set-up of MEINL’s new Classics Custom Series cymbals.

Breanne Duren Makes Sparks Fly Having already captivated music fans with her live and

Kristeen Young’s V the Volcanic EP is explosive. recorded work with Owl City, singer-songwriter Breanne Duren is stepping out on her own with a debut EP entitled Sparks. Duren says she began sketching out ideas for the songs on Sparks while she was on tour with Owl City’s Adam Young.

“I’d hum melodies while walking around the airport, write lyrics in my bunk on the bus or dance to the rhythms playing in my head while getting ready for a show,” says Duren. “I find the environment on tour to be very inspiring as every day revolves around music and performance. Also, constantly experiencing new places and meeting new people really fuels the creative fire.”

Sparks drops on May 3, and Duren plays the Hotel Café May 12.

Outasight’s Figure 8 Warner Bros. hip-hop artist Outasight is offering his five-song EP, Figure 8, for free download via Facebook in exchange for an e-mail address. Get your freebie beginning April 25 or buy a copy beginning April 26.

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle

Rex Pham

LIVESHOWREVIEWS

Pac Div electrified the Key Club crowd for an energentic and raw hometown show.

Pac Div April 7 @ Key Club Extensive cross-country tours can eventually turn into routines for performing artists.

Arrive in a new city, run through sound check, hang out backstage, rock the show, hit the after party, get on the tour bus and repeat. There are particular tour dates, though, that can capture the artists’ attention and motivate them to give their best performances: the hometown show. April 7 at the Key Club, Los Angeles bred hip-hop trio, Pac Div, owned the home stage and spotlight.

The group was on the sixth stop of the Grind N’ Hustle Tour with Young Dro, Killer Mike and Dee-1. Previously they were on their Underdogs Tour and doing various shows all over the country, so this was Pac Div’s first concert in Los Angeles in over a year, and expectations were high.

As the venue’s lights dimmed, signaling the start of Pac Div’s set, the piano intro to “The Mirror” began, igniting the anticipation. “Los Angeles, y’all ready?” asked the voice of Like. The raucous crowd responded with a boisterous roar. Like, Mibbs, and BeYoung then stormed the stage, and chaos ensued.

Pac Div started with songs from their newest mixtape Mania!, such as “Take Me High,” “Chief Rocka” and “Anti-Freeze,” and fans recited the lyrics word for word. All three members fed off the extreme love and energy, frenetically bouncing around stage and frequently interacting with the “knuckleheads,” their nickname for their fans.

Pac Div also performed selections from Church League Champion, like the popular “Mayor,” which drew one of the biggest responses of the night.

It was an energetic and raw hip-hop show, and the crowd was in full support their homegrown talent. For a group who has always claimed to be the underdogs, Pac Div seemed like the favorites that night. Home sweet home.

—Rex Pham

All Time Low April 12 @ Club Nokia It was a deafening scream that erupted from the Club Nokia crowd as the venue lights dimmed to signal the start of All Time Low’s set. Someone nearby jokingly likened it to an ’N Sync show circa the mid-‘90s. Hopefully jokingly. Not that was a terribly inaccurate comparison, though.

Really, who would’ve thought that the small band playing opening slots of largely unnoticed pop-punk tours five years ago, or the band playing mid-day on Warped Tour’s tiny Ernie Ball stage four years ago would turn into this? A headliner band selling out large sized theater venues – quite a difference a few years makes.

At the very least, while their musicianship has matured and their fan base evolved, it’s comforting to know that the Baltimore foursome’s collective stage persona remains as charmingly immature as ever. Schoolyard humor abounds, both in their lyrics and their between-song banter, the band is something of a walking paradox. While they somehow have managed to lyrically devolve with each album they release into blatant talk of excessive partying, the instrumentation backing the words has become more intricate and even more infectious over the years. Accordingly, the band’s live show has continued to step up with each outing, with all four members looking like seasoned pros when they took stage for this show, working their audience from every angle.

Playing fan favorites from across their body of work, including selections from new album Dirty Work, the band showed that underneath all the snarky posturing and pandering to teen fangirls are four dudes who are actually really good at their instruments.

It’s just a shame that it gets forgotten sometimes for the sake of being crass.

—Brien Overly

AVAILABLE AT:

CDREVIEWS Bob Schneider A Perfect Day (Kirtland) Bob Schneider picks up the story from his previous albums with the collection of songs featured on A Perfect Day. This mellow and well-crafted album tells blunt stories and observes the world around us. Not crooning or sounding sad for himself, Schneider takes the songs to a place that actually gives listeners some strength.

Taking a head-on approach to the issues in life with a “I don’t care” attitude is what you’ll find hidden deep in the songs meanings. There is a little reprieve with fun songs like “Penelope Cruz,” where he talks about the woman whom everyone wants but can’t have.

Musically, the songs are arranged extremely well. His use of piano and various guitars to fill up the background match his voice just as good as when he plays live. The use of some back-up vocals also pops up and really fills the room. Schneider succeeds in making this album something of a start-to-finish piece instead of an album where you go looking for the best tracks.

Grade: B —David Tobin A Perfect Day is currently available.

Foo Fighters Wasting Light (Roswell/RCA) There’s a moment of pure alt-rock bliss about halfway through “White Limo” when Dave Grohl lets loose a true, throat-ripping shriek over a thunderous, incessant metal-guitar assault. That’s when you know Wasting Light, the Foo Fighters’ seventh studio album, is for real. Though they get help from some pals from the ’90s – Nevermind producer Butch Vig, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and once-and-future Foo Pat Smear – this is no nostalgia trip. Even “Dear Rosemary,” which features Hüsker Dü hero Bob Mould, sounds forwardlooking, thanks to Vig’s crisp production and the cool, clipped guitar riffs. “Arlandria” takes the power-pop sensibilities of the Foos’ early work and gives it new depth.

Grade: A —Glenn Gamboa, Newsday, MCT © 2011 Newsday; Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. Wasting Light is currently available.

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COMEDY

BEAUTYBEAT

Mike Birbiglia Sleepwalk With Me Live (Comedy Central) With an unusual voice that carries in it an indescribable charm, Mike Birbiglia is coming to iTunes and a record store near you.

He did the off-Broadway thing a couple years ago with his own show produced by Nathan Lane called “Sleepwalk With Me.” Now, that same show has been recorded and segmented into “Sleepwalk With Me Live.”

In a set of off-kilter stories that are simultaneously heartbreaking and hilarious, the 32-year-old is slowly making a name for himself as the comedian of youth culture. You shouldn’t be expecting Kathy Griffin’s rants on celebrities or Chris Rock’s generalization of gender roles. Birbiglia pulls comedy from what he knows. And damn, is his life a riot.

Topics range from issues he has with his parents to the bumps he’s experienced in his relationship with a girlfriend. The best, however, the crème of this comedic crop is the sleepwalking story itself. Told delicately, but fiercely nonetheless, the tale of how he learned he sleepwalks, and why he finally decided to do something about it, is too good not to hear directly from his mouth only.

Of course, listening to jokes recorded live isn’t the same as seeing it on the stage, but there is a calming effect that comes with enjoying the comedy from the comfort of your iPod. You can catch just as much animation and physicality in his voice as you can by watching him stomp back and forth across the stage. Birbiglia’s talent lies in his voice and in his ability to tell amazing stories about nothing. The writing is so tight and succinct that he doesn’t tell an anecdote that doesn’t somehow relate back to another part of the narrative.

Birbiglia admits in “Sleepwalk With Me Live” that he gets Google Alerts to his phone. Hopefully he gets this one: He’s one funny son of a gun. And good luck with the sleepwalking.

Grade: A —Candice Winters Sleepwalk With Me Live is currently available.

SKEEM Candles

by erica carter

In this world of sustainability, products that are beneficial to the mind, body and soul as well as the environment are becoming much easier to find.

Candles are supposed to serve a purpose, be it therapeutic or ambient. For students, they can provide calm comfort, especially when they have soothing aromas.

I have always opted for the more commercial candles, such as the Yankee variety. But one day while shopping in Anthropologie I came across a tall glass candle with a beautiful stencil wrapped around it. I was drawn to it not only because of the design, but the deep, rich amber color the candle possessed. Enter SKEEM candles, a husband and wife owned company that manufactures these silk-screened pillars.

The wax is soy based but has been customized to ensure a uniform, long-lasting burn. With scents like Sweet Pea and Vanilla, Blood Orange and Gardenia Nectar, SKEEM candles provide a scent for whatever mood you may be in. I use the spicy tinged Midnight Orchid to provide a backdrop for when I study. While the scent is not overpowering, it permeated the room and actually helped me focus. I will be sad when it’s gone, but at least the clever designers made sure the glass could be reused. I can use the pillar for many things, like a vase for flowers or even a drinking glass. The other containers SKEEM produces are in the same vein and can be used as a toiletry holder or to hold school supplies, like paper clips or pens.

SKEEM’s products include matches and compact mirrors with beautiful artwork. I read that most of the designs are inspired by the husband and wife’s travels across the world. For instance, the mirrors have Japanese dragons, koi and geisha. Nothing is over $25, and the candles pay for themselves … my Midnight Orchid candle lasted for well over two months.

For more information, visit skeemshop.com.

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EVERYONE LOVES YOU WHEN YOU’RE DEAD Author Neil Strauss strips celebrities bare.

by Mari fong ‘I used to think I was the homeliest, most unlovable guy in school,” reveals best-selling author Neil Strauss. “I just saw myself as this big nose, scrawny, misfit guy who nobody could possibly like.”

So when Strauss decided to write his infamous bestseller, The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists, he painfully admitted the book was really to improve his own sex life more than anything else. That being said, his new book Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead turns the tables on celebrities and reveals the most honest, awkward and often shocking moments while interviewing artists such as Lady Gaga, Brian Wilson, Justin Timberlake, Prince, Ozzy Osbourne, Snoop Dogg, Trent Reznor and Britney Spears.

Having written Mötley Crüe’s scandalous memoir, The

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Campus Circle > Culture > Pages Dirt, and the trippy Marilyn Manson bio, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, Strauss is a rock biographer extraordinaire.

He takes the best snippets from thousands of interviews, weaves them into a seductive story and spills the secrets of those who live within the walls of the entertainment world.

book where she shows me Kurt Cobain’s ashes and suggests we snort them. She wasn’t upset about that though, she was upset that I didn’t make it clear in the story that she did not do cocaine. I don’t logically understand that, because I don’t think it even implied that she did cocaine.

With six bestselling books under your belt, which is your personal favorite?

Strauss: I have a special place in my heart for The Dirt; I keep hearing stories about those guys! I was talking with someone today who said Nikki Sixx left a friend of hers for dead on Sunset Boulevard. He was racing around in the car, she fell out of the passenger seat onto the street and he just keeps going. It takes a special kind of person to do that [laughs].

That’s why rock stars are so much more interesting than actors like Charlie Sheen. He’s interesting for an actor but boring for a rock star.

So, you could have had Kurt Cobain’s ashes up your nose?

If I said, “Let’s do it,” she would have done it, but I felt like, even though it probably means nothing, his essence doesn’t belong in my body. Maybe Courtney’s, maybe his daughter’s, maybe his mom’s, but not mine! I would feel weird and probably get haunted at night by some flannel-wearing ghost.

Do you believe being a writer was your destiny?

I did write a book proposal when I was like 11 years old. I wrote the entire thing on a typewriter with drawings; it even had a little author bio in the back. I sent it to book publishers and agents with a letter that said, “Dear Publisher, My name is Neil Strauss. I wrote this book, please send a copy of the published book and all royalties to…” No one ever responded to me, they were so mean. But I rediscovered that, I had 100 percent forgotten about it! It’s funny but kind of strange; somehow I subconsciously knew, but didn’t consciously know.

Since the book’s release, what has been the best or worst feedback you’ve received from the celebrities interviewed?

I sent copies to a few people, and they’ve all been positive, except one from Courtney Love. There’s this scene in the

What is it about your personality that allows famous people to open up to you?

I think being non-judgmental. I’m not really going to judge someone for their views or point of view. It’s being empathic, trying to see life as they see life and understand what they’re thinking. I often ask questions from a natural place of curiosity. I really want to get to know the person; I want to understand how they feel and what they think. My opinion doesn’t matter, what matters is finding out. I just find people fascinating. I think I could have written another story, hopefully just as interesting, about a random person on the street, you know?

What advice would you give a teenage Neil Strauss?

You’re not as ugly as you think you are! [laughs]. And if you enjoy something, say yes to it. A good survival strategy for life is to just say, “Yes.” Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead is currently available.

For more information, visit neilstrauss.com.

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403 W. 12th St., Downtown

CELEBRATION!

by erica carter How many of you have gone on wine-tasting or pairing adven– tures? It can be fun to order food and try to decide what goes with what you’re eating. It’s like a Match Game. And with all of the new spots that have opened up across Los Angeles, it’s not difficult to find a place that will help you increase your wine terminology and have lots of fun doing it.

There’s a place right by Staples Center that offers wine tasting along with great food pairings called Corkbar. The eclectic list features varietals grown in California and seasonal ingredients from farmers’ market. Featuring more than 30 wines by the glass, finding one that’s “just right” for your tastes can be daunting. But if you narrow down what notes you’re looking for, like a smoky, crisp, dry or sweet finish on your palate, then you’re off to a great start.

If it’s a sunny day like it was when I visited, opt to grab a seat out on the patio. I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing better than having a glass in hand and people watching. Corkbar’s location is prime real estate on the corner of 12th and Grand, a few blocks from L.A. Live. It’s away from the loudness that L.A. Live brings, but not too far off that you miss the action.

Corkbar has a very minimalist design, the interior consisting of large shelves of bottles of wine (of course). The patio is more conducive to bigger parties, with simple stainless steel tables and chairs to house you and your friends.

I think Corkbar is at it’s best during Happy Hour, not only because of the daily selection of Taco Trio, but also you can sample some of the best wines for about $8. Santa Barbara’s Hitching Post is one of my favorite wines, and Corkbar offers the “Generation Red” blend that has blueberry undertones. Pair that with the slightly spicy Pork Bruschetta and you’ve got a tangy, sweet and slightly salty experience. The bruschetta, like a mock pulled-pork sandwich, is topped with a citrus tinged coleslaw that is not too powerful in flavors, but adds great texture to the shredded pork.

Corkbar has a hidden feature in that they also offer artisan beers on tap. Infuse another layer of flavor with a dry finish to the bruschetta with an on-tap, medium-bodied pale ale of Alesmith Brewing Company.

Corkbar is known for its Gougères – an airy puffball of pastry dough that is filled with creamy cheddar cheese. Wine pairing for this delicious snack comes easy, like a medium-bodied Pinot Noir to cut the richness of the cheese. Ask your server which one has a dominant sour cherry body and you’ve got yet another successful pairing.

My only issue: I really couldn’t find a proper beer pairing! That had more to do with my lack of knowledge on beers, but that’s what makes food and beverage pairings fun.

Next time, I think I’ll try one of the 12-ounce bottles as Corkbar serves the caramelundertoned Jamaican Red Ale from Humboldt County.

What I didn’t have a problem with was choosing which wine to enjoy my dessert with because they had a Chocolate Cake and a Chocolate Board to die for. The board features the self proclaimed “Truffle Fudge” from John Kelly. Another local vendor by way of Hollywood, Kelly’s chocolates are served alongside seasonal fresh and dried fruits.

I immediately knew that the Lang & Reed varietals from Napa Valley were the perfect choice to complement the chocolates. That particular Cabernet Franc has a floral tone to it, and that paired with the fruits, is very satisfying to my stomach and palate.

Corkbar certainly has a lot to choose from, and definitely requires at least two to three visits to get the full scope of what they have to offer. Be prepared to visit Corkbar with an empty stomach!

For more information, call (213) 746-0050 or visit corkbar.com.

Antonio’s will celebrate in large, with mariachis!

As always, this is the celebration of Mexico defeating the French at the “Batalla de Puebla” with less men and less artillery, what better way to celebrate with pride then to serve the meal that was celebrated with, “Chiles en Nogada” that shows the colors of the Mexican flag, Mole Negro, which is the cubed beef in the rich mole sauce and Beef Tamales.

There will be mariachi music performing at 7 p.m., and to top it off we are celebrating with our exclusive tequilas Antonio’s, reposado, plata and anejo! There will be goodies given out throughout the evening. Come celebrate and toast with everyone “Que viva Mexico!”

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Campus Circle 4.20.11 - 4.26.11

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FILM

MUSIC

CULTURE

EVENTS

DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Art Beauty Books Fashion Food Gaming Special Features Theater Travel

CURTAINCALL “Burn This” Now-May 1 @ Mark Taper Forum Robbie, a young gay dancer, and his lover Dom die in a freak boating incident. His two roommates are left with grief, longing and anger: sadness for the light-spirited friend they will no longer cook meals or pal around with, longing for the hard-working talent they will no longer collaborate with and anger that his family had no idea he was gay.

“Burn This” is a powerful drama that pulls you into the living room and lives of two distraught personalities. Anna is a beautiful female ex-dancer-turned-choreographer and her other roommate is a flamboyantly male gay ex-dancer. The two are reeling from the loss of Robbie, alternately smoking, drinking, crying and recounting memories.

The atmosphere livens up when Pale, Robbie’s older brother, shows up. This is when things start to get interesting.

Pale is rough around the edges, uneducated, smoking and drinking at 5 a.m., carrying a gun in his pocket, and when asked what he does for a living, he replies that he “puts out fires.” Alone with Anna in the living room, contrary to common sense, passion comes into play. A fiery fling occurs, and when he leaves, Pale leaves the house in more turmoil than when he arrives. And thus the stage is set for act two.

“Burn This” is an engaging story, peppered with bits of humor. The most outlandish of them all is Pale (Adam Rothenberg). His brutish quality charms the audience as much as it does Anna.

—Jessica Koslow Mark Taper Forum is located at 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

For more information, visit centertheatregroup.org.

“The Cripple of Inishmaan” Now-May 1 @ Kirk Douglas Theatre

Campus Circle > Culture > Theater “The Cripple of Inishmaan,” presented by Druid and Atlantic Theater Company, tells the story of a young crippled lad named Billy, endearingly portrayed by Tadhg Murphy, who lives with two older women, Kate and Eileen, who run a small grocery store.

One day, the gossip of their small town Johnny Pateen Mike, wonderfully played by Dermot Crowley, stops by with three rumors (his gossip always comes in threes). The most important being that Hollywood has taken over Inishmaan to shoot a film. This not only excites Billy, but other youths around town, including the troublemaker, Slippy Helen played fearlessly by Clare Dunne and Bartley (Laurence Kinlan). They convince Bobby (Liam Carney) in their own ways to give them a boat ride to Inishmaan because they want to try and get a part in this American film being produced.

Add the newsmonger’s alcoholic 90-year-old mother to the mix and you get one fiercely hysterical play.

The best part of this experience is the fully Irish cast.

It was so great hearing real accents! Theirs is the longest touring Irish cast in decades, performing throughout the United States and Ireland, giving their final performance this summer on the island of Inis Meain (titled Inishmaan in the play) and part of the Aran Islands, where the play will be performed for the first time ever. Don’t miss it! This is the best theatre in Los Angeles right now.

—Ximena Herschberg Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City. For more information, visit centertheatregroup.org.

“DaddyO Dies Well” Now-May 22 @ Electric Lodge Playwright Murray Mednick is not one to pander to an audience. Having written for the professional stage for over

JETSETTER by kevin wierzbicki Take a Sip of the Jack Trail If you’re thinking of heading to Manchester, Tenn. for Bonnaroo this June, you should know that you’ll be just a stone’s throw from Lynchburg, home of the Jack Daniels Distillery, and on the route of Tennessee’s latest self-guided driving tour, the Jack Trail. There’s an emphasis on music all along the Jack Trail, which begins appropriately enough amongst the honky-tonks of downtown Nashville.

All in all, there’s something for everyone along the trail where more than 300 tourism sites include places like the nationally-recognized Martin’s BBQ Joint in Nolensville, historic homes in Murfreesboro, sites connected to the famous high-stepping Tennessee Walking Horses and of course along the way you can find out all you need to know about whiskey making.

There are four distilleries on the trail that offer tours and sample sipping, but by all means don’t miss the oldest registered distillery in the United States and the place that lends its name to the Jack Trail, the Jack Daniels Distillery.

Find everything you need to plan your route at jacktrail.com.

Guidebooks Lead to Grunge, Hendrix Roaring Forties Press has published a couple of unique guidebooks for adventurous music fans. Grunge fans who want to make a pilgrimage to Seattle will like Grunge: Seattle

by Justin Henderson; the book tells the story of the grunge era and points out places of historical significance throughout the city. Want to see the bars where Green River and Soundgarden played in their early days or the studio where Nirvana made their last recordings? The maps and info here will get you to about 30 sites.

20

Campus Circle 4.20.11 - 4.26.11

Craig Schwartz

NEWS

Zabryna Guevara and Adam Rothenberg in “Burn This” 40 years, his body of work is decidedly avant-garde and unapologetically cerebral. For his latest work, “DaddyO Dies Well,” Mednick returns to the director’s chair.

It is the fifth installment in the ongoing “Gary Plays,” a project which first hit the stage in 2004. Taking many different approaches, from stream-of-conscious theater of the absurd to straight narrative, the plays have told the story of Gary, a middle-aged actor coping with the shooting death of his teenage son and the collapse of his marriages. The stories have introduced numerous characters who are often shot into tangential scenarios. Such vagaries have served to illuminate the inner world of a character trying to make sense of the senseless and find peace in a hostile world.

With “DaddyO Dies Well,” the scene shifts to an Ayahuasca tea-drinking ceremony. The tea brewed from a root grown in the Amazon is used in shamanistic rituals for CONTINUED ON PAGE 21 >>>

Campus Circle > Culture > Travel Jimi Hendrix: London by William Saunders offers a similar experience for fans of the late guitar god; follow the stories and the map to find some of Jimi’s preferred hangouts like one of the apartments he lived in, Ringo Starr’s old house, the infamous Ronnie Scott’s nightclub and a place with the tantalizing moniker World Psychedelic Centre. A guidebook about Bob Dylan is the next in the series.

50th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall Building of the infamous Berlin Wall began in August of 1961 and the city of Berlin has many special events planned this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Cold War bulwark that for 28 years separated Soviet-dominated East Berlin from the west and freedom. An extensive photo exhibit will run through early October at the German Historical Museum and a “Wall Images” art installation will be in place all along the trail of the wall; that exhibit will feature oversized photographs showing what each particular spot looked like on either side of the wall in 1961. Roger Waters will perform Pink Floyd’s The Wall at the O2 Arena on June 15 and 16, and a memorial for victims of the Berlin Wall will be held on Aug. 13. The Berlin Wall was torn down in 1989 and very little evidence of the actual wall remains today. visitberlin.com

Rick Steves’ Audio Europe Famed European travel expert Rick Steves has released a free app called Rick Steve’s Audio Europe for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. At the heart of the app is Steve’s series of 25 self-guided audio tours through Europe’s most important museums, sights and historic walks in places like Athens, London, Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome.

“The app thrills the tour guide in me,” says Steves. “The combination of hearing about the art as you see it heightens

A drive along the Jack Trail is a must for whiskey lovers. your ability to really appreciate it. It all sinks in more deeply and fluidly than the disconnectedness of the experience when your eyes jump back and forth from book to masterpiece again and again. It frees you up to maximize your focus and be in the artistic moment.”

The free app can potentially save the traveler hundreds of dollars in guided tour expenses. ricksteves.com

Music Voyager The second season of the music-oriented travelogue Music Voyager has arrived. The first three episodes this year are filmed in Louisiana and feature music from Galactic, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Kermit Ruffins and others. Six episodes from Colombia follow featuring Aterciopelados, Systema Solar, Joe Arroyo, Bomba Estereo and more. In the L.A. area Music Voyager is viewable on KCET and KLCS.

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insight into the Spirit World. Mednick finds rich ground to allow his characters mighty riffs of dialogue on subjects profound and profane. It is great fun to watch, even if the throughline of Gary’s story gets obscured in the process and flights of fancy seem a little bit just that, unnecessary. Yet when dealing Gabriel Sunday and Maggie Siff in “The Escort” with a master of the avante-garde such as Mednick, it is probably ill-advised to question his choices and say only that an evening at “DaddyO Dies Well” will require a tolerance for not “getting” everything.

—Dov Rudnick Electric Lodge is located at 1416 Electric Ave., Venice. For more information, visit plays411.com/DaddyO.

Michael Lamont

CURTAINCALL-CONTINUED

“The Escort” Now-May 8 @ Geffen Playhouse “The Escort” starts with the curtains down and Charlotte, unabashedly performed by Maggie Siff, walks center stage wearing a cotton robe. She explains to the audience in a very funny way that there have been changes made to the nudity part of the show. She removes her robe and flashes the crowd with a body suit complete with large breasts and pubic hair. Apparently, the part called for a larger breasted actress and this would have significantly limited casting options. Plus, according to her, the audience would have a harder time taking in real nudity therefore paying less attention to the actors’ dialogue.

Once you get past this joke, you are escorted by Charlotte throughout the play and along the way meet the other characters: her gynecologist Rhona (Polly Draper); Rhona’s teenage son Mathew, played so convincingly by Gabriel Sunday, who also plays Lewis the gigolo; and Rhona’s ex-husband Howard played flawlessly by James Eckhouse (best known as Mr. Jim Walsh from the originial “90210”) who played others characters as well.

The energy is great throughout with very funny punch lines. This was definitely a fun production worthy of checking out.

—Ximena Herschberg Geffen Playhouse is located at 10886 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles. For more information, visit geffeplayhouse.com.

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CAMPUS CIRCLE/Burn The Floor 4.875” X 5.9” • BW DATE: 4/20/2011

Campus Circle 4.20.11 - 4.26.11

21

NEWS

FILM

MUSIC

CULTURE

EVENTS

DVD

GAMING

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/MCT

PIGSKINBLITZ

USC SPRING PRACTICE by elisa hernandez

MEDIA BLOGS Baseball Basketball Football Soccer

THECOLLEGEPITCH

USC, UCLA CONTINUE PAC-10 QUEST by marvin vasquez

Marc Tyler is poised for stardom.

USC looks to gain control of the newly established Pac-12 Conference and once again establish their dominance in college football. The Trojans are back on the field training for the upcoming season waking up as early as 6 a.m. for meetings and practice. Although both offense and defense are determined to prove themselves, injuries might prevent them from doing so.

The Trojans currently have 20 players who are sidelined due to injury. Star players include tailback Marc Tyler, offensive tackle Matt Kalil and wide receiver Kyle Prater. One player in particular got some practice time coming off a hamstring injury: Sophomore wide receiver Robert Woods showed that although injured he can still be a great threat.

“He still isn’t 100 percent ... but it’s good to have him back,” says quarterback Matt Barkley. “He’s consistent, a good route runner [and] he seems to catch everything.”

Woods was 2010 Pac-10 Offensive Freshman of the Year and his 1,817 all-purpose yards is a USC freshman season record. Wearing No. 13 Woods was USC’s secret weapon that most teams in the Pac-10 weren’t ready for. Although No. 13 was good, No. 2 will be better as Woods will wear that number this upcoming season.

“Teams [now] know who I am, but my biggest thing is just get stronger, don’t go down on easy tackles [and] try to be a game-changing receiver,” he says.

It seems lack of defense and tackling caused the Trojans to lose close games, but upcoming stars like cornerback Patrick Hall are determined to change that.

“Players need to have chemistry on the field,” Hall says. “If we know our assignment and where our help is on the field, we can play faster and capitalize on defense.”

Focused on improving their 8-5 record from last year, head coach Lane Kiffin says it best: “We got a lot of work to do.”

The Trojans continue early morning practice, which ends with the annual Spring Game on April 23 at the Coliseum.

USC: The USC Trojans gained two wins in three contests while they hosted the University of Oregon. USC is now 15-20 overall and 6-6 in the conference, while keeping their hopes alive in the middle of the conference’s strong pack.

USC took the last game of the series by a score of 3-1 Sunday. Logan Odom pitched 7.2 solid innings, giving up just one earned run on seven hits and fanning five Ducks.

Odom did not receive the win, but helped the Trojans in the collective effort.

On Saturday, the Trojan offense blasted nine runs in their 9-2 win. Junior right-hander Austin Wood (3-5) tossed 6.1 innings, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out five hitters. James Roberts three-for-five and three RBI-day highlighted the USC offense.

USC heads to Washington for a three-game set over the weekend.

DODGERS411

L.A.HOOPLA

KEMP HITS WALK-OFF HOMER

LAKERS LOSE GAME 1

Matt Kemp is balling … on the diamond for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kemp’s ninth inning walk-off two-run Matt Kemp reacts after hitting a twohome run lifted the Dodgers over the St. run homer against the Cardinals Louis Cardinals Sunday afternoon to a 2-1 victory, ending the team’s five-game slide.

“It’s one way to turn the page,” manager Don Mattingly states. “You talk about getting that rock rolling in a different direction. It’s got to start somewhere, and that’s a pretty good start right there.”

The Dodgers (7-9) needed this victory after losing the first three games to the Cardinals in their four-game set at Dodger Stadium. Kemp delivered in his final at-bat after Chris Carpenter’s pitching display of seven innings left no signs of offensive sparks for Los Angeles. After Andrew Ethier connected for a lead-off double, Kemp stepped into the batter’s box. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa decided to pitch to him, and Kemp made La Russa pay with his third homer and 11th and 12th RBIs of the season.

“I was just trying to tie the game up. Do whatever it takes to help the team at least go into extra innings or help us win the game,” Kemp says.

Totaling 12 runs scored and eight stolen bases, Kemp now sports a batting average of 474. He has turned into a Dodgers leader in almost every category.

Kemp’s performance did not let starting pitcher Chad Billingsley’s overpowering eight innings of work go to waste. Billingsley’s line featured eight scoreless innings, while fanning a season-high 11 batters, allowing a season-low two hits and walking none.

Campus Circle 4.20.11 - 4.26.11

by marvin vasquez

New Orleans came into Staples Center with no fear and ready to play. The Lakers did not, Pau Gasol has to step it up. thus suffering a 109-100 defeat in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs’ first round Sunday afternoon.

“Our defense, I thought, was late. I think we were late on everything. They were the aggressors, and they stayed aggressive,” head coach Phil Jackson argues. “I think they respect the Hornets. I just don’t think they were keyed in on what they have to do.”

The Hornets’ point guard Chris Paul completely dominated the affair, scoring 33 points, dishing out 14 assists, making four steals and posting seven boards. Forward Carl Landry added 17 points, and Jarrett Jack scored 15.

“A lot of people counted us out from the beginning. A lot of people probably still count us out. That’s cool,” Landry confesses. “A lot of people might think this game might have been lucky, but we play as a team. We play as a collective unit. We’re without David West, but we’ve still got dudes on this team that can step up.”

For the Lakers, an overpowering Kobe Bryant was not enough. Bryant compiled a game-high 34 points, five assists and four rebounds in 42 minutes of play. Ron Artest contributed a double-double of 16 points and 11 assists, while center Andrew Bynum added 13 points and nine rebounds.

Lamar Odom, one of the leading candidates for Sixth Man of the Year, recorded 10 points off the bench.

“To lose on our home court in the playoffs, probably against a team that people think we should handle easy, I think it’s good for us,” Odom recognizes.

Pau Gasol did not make his presence felt with just eight points, six rebounds and six assists. Bryant believes he will be ready for game two (April 20).

“Pau is our guy. He’s next in line. He’ll be ready to go,” he says.

Michael Goulding/Orange County Register/MCT

UCLA: In a matchup between two of the nations top programs, the No. 23 ranked Bruins outlasted the No. 20 ranked Arizona Wildcats in two of three games. Although the Bruins suffered a 5-4 defeat in Friday night’s game, they captured the next two to win the threegame set. The Bruins are now 19-12 overall and 9-2 in the Pac-10, good enough for third place behind Oregon State and California.

Saturday’s game featured a pitching gem from Trevor Bauer (7-1), shooting a complete game, no runs, allowing four hits and striking out 13 opponents. With the victory, Bauer became UCLA’s all-time wins leader (28). The 4-0 win came with RBIs from three different players, as both Beau Amaral and Steve Rodriguez went 3-for4. Cody Regis added two hits, including an RBI single in the fifth inning that pushed UCLA’s lead to 3-0.

Amaral was the spark in the 8-5 Bruin win on Sunday. Amaral went 3-for-4 with a home run, one double and six RBI as three pitchers saw action to collect the victory.

The Bruins travel to NorCal to face Stanford for three games.

Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/MCT

by marvin vasquez

22

SPORTS

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle

BY FREDERICK MINTCHELL TUESDAYAPRIL 26 Knotty Pine Derby Bigfoot Lodge East, 3172 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles; bigfootlodge.com Bigfoot Lodge will be awarding trophies, Boy Scout Patches and drink tokens for winning cars and participants. Spectators are welcome to come early and vote for their favorites. Bigfoot’s Knotty Pine Derby happens on the last Tuesday of every month.

WEDNESDAYAPRIL 20 420 at the Greek The Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles; greektheatrela.com Slightly Stoopid hosts their annual 420 celebration along with Bad Brains, Barrington Levy and special guests Karl Denson, Don Carlos and Del Tha Funky Homosapien. The band is also donating their proceeds to Music for Relief to benefit Japan aid. 7 p.m.

THURSDAYAPRIL 21 Half-Price Food & Drink Afternoon Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., Los Angeles; losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com All food and drinks (excluding alcohol) are half off when the Dodgers take on the Braves. 12:10 p.m. Tickets start at $10.

THURSDAYAPRIL 21 Swimsuit Edition Finals Sangria, 68 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach; calendargirlround2-eorg.eventbrite.com The 12 gorgeous finalists compete to land the coveted cover on SWOOP magazine’s calendar. 7 p.m.-midnight.

FRIDAYAPRIL 22 John Waters Double Feature Drink-Along and Beer Pong Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St., Downtown; downtownindependent.com Is there a better way to watch Pink Flamingos and Cry-Baby than with drinking games and beer pong? Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $10.

FRIDAYAPRIL 22 UCLA Men’s Tennis vs. USC Los Angeles Tennis Center, 555 Westwood Plaza; pac-10.org The regular season finale for both teams before they head to postseason play as two of the top 20 teams in the country.

The two schools have combined to win 34 national championships, with USC winning the last two. 3 p.m.

SATURDAYAPRIL 23 The Bantamweight Tournament Final: Winner Takes All Nokia Theatre, 777 Chick Hearn Court, Downtown; nokiatheatrelalive.com Joseph Agbeko defends his IBF

bantamweight crown against undefeated rising star Abner Mares, who defends his WBC Silver title. In the co-feature, former two-division world champion Vic Darchinyan and former IBF bantamweight world champion Yonnhy Perez clash in the tournament consolation bout. 5 p.m.

Tickets start at $25.

SATURDAYAPRIL 23 Jurassic Park Trilogy Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; americancinematheque.com Remember when cloning animals only happened in sci-fi movies? See all three films back to back for a night of dinomadness. 5 p.m. $11, $9 w/student ID.

SUNDAYAPRIL 24 Adult Easter Egg Hunt Malibu Café at Calamigos Ranch, 327 S. Latigo Canyon Road, Malibu; themalibucafe. com Do you wish you were a kid again so you could hunt for Easter eggs? Well, wish no more: Malibu Café at Calamigos Ranch is not only having a hunt for the kids but a separate one for adults where you can win prizes like gift cards. Take advantage of their special deals too, including endless mimosas with any egg dish or sandwich plus live music until 3 p.m. Noon-1 p.m.

FREE for the egg hunt.

MONDAYAPRIL 25 NHL Western Conference Quarterfinals Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., Downtown; kings.nhl.com The Los Angeles Kings could play the San Jose Sharks at home if the series goes to Game 6. This season, the Kings tied a club record with 46 wins and had the highest average attendance in club history.

For more events, visit campuscircle.com/calendar.

To submit an event for consideration, e-mail calendar@campuscircle.net.

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Chad Barrett of the L.A. Galaxy

No Beckham, No Donovan, No problem. The Galaxy concluded a three-game road trip with a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire Sunday.

“It was a good win. I thought that they played very well for large portions of the game,” head coach Bruce Arena says. “Obviously, the game got a little hectic during the last 10 minutes of the match, but it’s good to walk out of here with three points.”

With the win, the Galaxy is now 2-1-2 with eight points, good enough for a momentary third place in the west. Chicago, on the other hand, is 1-1-1 with four points.

Due to accumulation of yellow cards, David Beckham served a one game suspension.

Meanwhile, Landon Donovan is still recuperating from knee injury.

“We didn’t have a lot of guys eligible to play today,” Arena adds. “Guys stepped up today that haven’t been playing regularly like Paolo Cardozo, Miguel Lopez, Mike Stephens and Frankie Hejduk.”

Los Angeles took a 1-0 edge by the 42nd minute on a Chad Barrett score. Lopez registered the assist. “The whole plan was to stay high because Miguel likes to float underneath. He got out wide, and I was able to get near the box. I didn’t think I could get near post, so I made sure I got in a spot where he could hit me,” Barrett says.

In the 72nd minute, defender Omar Gonzalez connected for his first goal of the season. Lopez gained his second assist of the match.“To get a game-winning goal is great, especially getting it off a header,” Gonzalez says. “It’s good to get the game winner because it’s been a long road trip and we’ve scooped up nine points in five games.”

The Galaxy return home to play the Portland Timbers Saturday, April 23, at the Home Depot Center. Kick off is at 8 p.m.

Campus Circle 4.20.11 - 4.26.11

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What’s up?

OMG! Friday night was a blast.

You should have seen the crowd.

The people were going nuts, and so did we. My best friend was sooo excited – she nearly fainted. LOL. Saturday night was “GIRLS” night. We were looking fine and feeling good. Where were you? XOXO

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