Campus Circle Newspaper Vol. 21 Issue 9 by Campus Circle

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UC Riverside Summer Study Abroad Program

inside campus circle

campus circle March 2 - March 8, 2011 Vol. 21 Issue 9

Spain England

Editor-in-Chief Jessica Koslow editor.chief@campuscircle.net

Managing Editor Yuri Shimoda managing.editor@campuscircle.net

04 BLOGS D-DAY 05 BLOGS BARFLY

All UC and Visiting Students are Welcome to Apply! Deadline to apply: May 9, 2011 Challenge your senses and open your imagination while you explore and discover the far-reaching influences of Spain’s Past and Present, or spend five weeks walking in Shakespeare’s World in England.

Madrid, Spain: June 20 – July 23, 2011 London, England: July 25 – August 27, 2011 (Check with your campus Financial Aid Office for program assistance and Scholarship opportunities. A non-refundable $300 application fee is required with submission.) Students earn 8 units of UC credit by taking two classes during the five week program. Check out the website for more information and to download your application today!

www.summerstudyabroad.ucr.edu

14 BLOGS TREND BLENDER 06 FILM TV TIME

Film Editor Jessica Koslow film.editor@campuscircle.net Cover Designer Sean Michael Editorial Interns Dana Jeong, Cindy KyungAh Lee

06 FILM MOVIE REVIEWS 07 FILM DVD DISH

Contributing Writers Tamea Agle, Priscilla Andrade, Mary Broadbent, Erica Carter, Richard Castañeda, Deepthi

08 FILM TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT

Cauligi, Amanda D’Egidio, Natasha Desianto,

Teresa Palmer and Topher Grace

Gaitan, Denise Guerra, Elisa Hernandez, Zach

flashback to the ’80s.

Sean Fitz-Gerald, Stephanie Forshee, Jacob Hines, Da Ron Jackson, Alexandre Johnson, Mike Matusiewicz, Stephanie Nolasco, Samantha Ofole, Brien Overly, Ariel Paredes,

08 FILM RANGO

Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski reunite

and get animated.

Sasha Perl-Raver, Eva Recinos, Mike Sebastian, Doug Simpson, John Stapleton IV, David Tobin, Drew Vaeth, James Violette, Kevin Wierzbicki, The Wing Girls, Candice Winters

Contributing Artists

16 MUSIC NOTES

MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD

17 MUSIC CD REVIEWS

& Photographers Tamea Agle, Jacob Gaitan, Castulo Hernandez ADVERTISING Sean Bello

18 MUSIC KATIE COSTELLO

Steps into the Light

18 MUSIC LIVE SHOW REVIEWS

sean.bello@campuscircle.net Joy Calisoff joy.calisoff@campuscircle.net Jon Bookatz Music Sales Manager

19 MUSIC ALEXANDER EBERT EDMUND WELLES: THE BASS CLARINET QUARTET

march 11 » el rey theatre

MARIACHI EL BRONX • HANDS march 12 » the music box

Makes His Solo Debut with Alexander

21 MUSIC REPORT 04 CULTURE GAMES & GADGETS 20 CULTURE L.A. MOVES

jon.bookatz@campuscircle.net Ronit Guedalia ronit.guedalia@campuscircle.net

Calendar Editor Frederick Mintchell

Campus Circle newspaper is published 49 times a year and is available free at 35 schools and over 500 retail locations

20 CULTURE ON THE MENU 22 CULTURE JET SETTER

throughout Los Angeles. Circulation: 30,000. Readership: 90,000. PUBLISHED BY CAMPUS CIRCLE, INC.

19 EVENTS THE 10 SPOT

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DONNIS • BLACK CARDS • XV • BAD RABBITS

march 18 » the music box

march 30 » el rey theatre

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Cover: Topher Grace in TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT Photo courtesy of Relativity Media

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CULTURE EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Barfly Colors of Culture D-Day Games & Gadgets The Greener Side Trend Blender The Wing Girls

D-DAY

MESS WITH STUDENTS, FACE A REVOLUTION by denise guerra

With the historic events happening around the Middle East, there is one thing many have in common: young people, especially students, leading the charge. Students from universities are taking their frustration and activism to the streets using the latest technology as their weapon; and this new weapon, you guessed it, was Facebook and Twitter. What is happening in the Middle East right now continues to be one of the most cataclysmic lessons of our time about the power of students to create social change. Even though we saw massive student protests over rising tuition fees at UCLA last year, the general public isn’t aware of the rich history of student activism and highly controversial events that have taken place at UCLA’s campus. Since the 1960s, historic moments have included the controversial firing of Professor Angela Davis, a radical feminist with associations to the Black Panther Party and whose membership in the Communist Party had her barred from teaching at any university. There were also the

Campus Circle > Blogs > D-Day murders of two Black Panther members and UCLA students Alprentice “Bunchy” Carter and John Jerome Huggins Jr. on the steps of Campbell Hall, which has attracted major news attention till this day (most recently, an effort to memorialize the event with a plaque that was barred by the University). In the 1980s, students at UCLA erected large tent cities across the north side of the campus in protest against Apartheid in South Africa, calling for divestment of UC funds from companies that did business there. By 1985, about 55 universities had fully or partially divested from the Apartheid regime. UC Berkeley sent a particularly large message divesting $3 billion in stock holdings, one of the largest public institutions to make the message clear. This prompted Nelson Mandela, upon his release from prison, to recognize the event as a major catalyst to end white-minority rule in Africa. By 1993, an old struggle with new direction began to circulate around UCLA’s Chicano Studies program. After organizational efforts by students to recognize Chicano Studies as its own department failed with the administration, students began a sit-in demonstration with over 200 students walking across Westwood to the Faculty Center. Protests began to turn violent, and 99 students were arrested. Fueled by the recent death of workers’ rights leader Cesar Chavez, the most dramatic form of activism came when eight students and one UCLA professor went on a hunger strike. This was highly publicized and attracted support from government representatives. The event became one of the largest student and community mobilizations in UCLA’s history and brought to fruition a compromise with the administration to create the Cesar Chavez Center for Interdisciplinary Instruction in Chicana and Chicano Studies. Even though I have described social movements anchored

GAMES&GADGETS by mike sebastian Whirl Mini Notebook Laser Mouse Nothing gets more annoying (or tiring) on a laptop than mousing around with your index finger on the trackpad. There are a lot of mini notebook mice out there, but the Whirl (getsmartfish.com) is the most innovative. The first great thing about it is the ErgoMotion design. The revolutionary pivot motion completely reinvents the mouse, doing away with the need for a flat, smooth surface to put the mouse on, greatly increasing your mobility on your laptop. The Whirl remains stationary, stabilized by a small platform at the bottom. Instead of tracking, you pivot the mouse forward and back or laterally to move your cursor. It takes some getting used to, but once you do, you’ll find it infinitely more comfortable than a regular mouse. That’s because the ErgoMotion design is calibrated to adjust to your natural hand and wrist position. Another great perk of this wireless mouse is the Nano transceiver. Once it plugs into a USB port it’s barely visible. No chords, no bulky accessories. The mouse has a four-way scroll wheel, ambidextrous design, 800dpi, 2.4 GHz wireless and an average battery life of 10 months. It is Mac and PC compatible and comes in several sleek colors: black, silver, white, blue, red and carbon.

GuitarToolkit/TabToolkit Agile Partners (agilepartners.com) has created a pair of incredibly handy, ingenious apps for musicians. GuitarToolkit can be a lifesaver for anyone playing a fretted instrument, from guitar to bass, mandolin, banjo or ukulele. Whether you need a tuner or quick chord guide you can slip

Campus Circle 3.2.11 - 3.8.11

Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/MCT

NEWS

UCLA students staged a sit-in to protest cuts last year. by students at UCLA throughout history, this does not mean that any of these social movements is comparable to the ones happening in the Middle East. All social movements come from different places, and the tactics and stakeholders are all different. But students have an exceptional role in the ways progressive, even revolutionary ideas are spread, and that is they are able to access untapped resources and collectively gather with like-minded people in their universities. I remember it was at UCLA that I learned the loud chants of “The people united will never be defeated” and “Ain’t no power like the power of the people and the power of the people won’t stop.” I participated with other students from various universities and Cal States, even high school students, in a fight to recognize Filipino World War II veterans as American citizens for fighting with the United States during the war. As we marched across Los Angeles’ city streets, there was a sense of nationalism and pride that I’d never felt before. A flood of emotion of both anger and excitement hung in the air as I marched with other supporters. I believe that sense of purpose and anger, on a large or small scale, has been proven time and again to be a force to be reckoned with.

Campus Circle > Blogs > Games & Gadgets into your pocket, this app is for you. This little app has hidden depths to it that even seasoned musicians will really appreciate. After selecting your instrument, you can choose from dozens of alternate tunings. Tune up using the incredibly accurate automatic tuner. Then head over to the chord library to learn a chord fingering, from the most basic major chord to an m7b5 chord. Don’t like that fingering? Choose from 20 inversions up and down the fretboard. Strum the virtual strings to hear what it should sound like. Alternately, say you stumble on a really pretty chord on your own and want to know what you’re playing. Key in the fingering on Chord Finder’s interactive fretboard and presto! GuitarToolkit also includes a metronome and scales for countless modes, so you can bone up on your music theory and work on your improvising. Great for taking along to rehearsals, learning a new instrument or sharpening your existing skills, this multifaceted app is a steal at $9.99. Anyone who has tried reading music in a digital format knows it can be a bit of a hassle. Trying to scroll down a webpage while playing is pretty near impossible. Even turning pages in a book will break your stride. Enter TabToolkit. Reading Guitar Pro, Power Tab, PDF and Text formats, TabToolkit is a great way to learn a song. It automatically scrolls as you play while providing a multitrack rhythm section with customizable midi voices. You can play along with a guide track or mute your part and jam with the backing band. TabToolkit displays both tablature and standard musical notation, as well as a graphic of a guitar neck or keyboard showing the location of notes as they are played. TabToolkit is much cheaper than Guitar Pro software,

TabToolkit is a great way to learn a song. and contains all the key features. One such feature is the tempo control, which is pretty much essential in learning a lead guitar part. Sometimes while you’re busy trying to nail a solo’s correct fingering, the rhythm can become lost. By slowing down the tempo on the guide track, it’s like having your own teacher right there with you keeping you in time while you learn the song. Gradually increase the speed as you grow more confident. TabToolkit comes loaded with some classical song arrangements as well as practice exercises, a nice touch. To add your own song files, you need a wireless Internet connection. You can then upload files from your computer to the app. TabToolkit also has a built-in Web browser so you can download files directly to your device.

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522 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica by john stapleton IV

Brian White

RENEE’S COURTYARD CAFE Usually when I tell my friends I’m going to a bar full of dolls it means I’m going to a bar full of beautiful women (and that I’m once again spearheading the crusade to bring back ’50s slang). But this week the dolls were of the creepy puppet variety, and are just one of many diverse elements that combine to create Santa Monica’s epitome of alcoholic amalgam: Renee’s Courtyard Cafe. Located on 6th Street and Wilshire Boulevard, Renee’s looks and feels like the setting of a Tim Burton wet dream, replete with the aforementioned marionettes, a labyrinthine floor plan and just barely enough lighting. But the cast is just as divergent as the setting, packing this people-sized camera obscura with Gen Y hipsters, romantic trysters, wedding parties, geriatrics and a veritable potpourri of SaMo nightlife drifters all looking for respite from normalcy. The bar is just a short walk from anything you’ve been doing on the Third Street Promenade, but is worlds away from anything you’d expect to find there. Boasting three full bars and a hearty menu that’s available until 10 p.m., Renee’s also plays host to weeklong happy hours from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and a Two-fer Tuesday special where drinks are two-for-one from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. But Renee’s wouldn’t be a 30-year-old Santa Monica institution if all it offered were drinks and drink specials. Most of its patrons attribute Renee’s allure to the environment, which they describe using words like “dungeon,” “maze” and “creepy,” but only through mischievous grins – as if it were everyone’s secret hiding spot in a citywide game of hide-and-seek. In fact, the bar is lit almost entirely by a dim kaleidoscope of Christmas lights and has so many nooks and crannies that it would feel like the ruins of a ghost town funhouse even if its exposed stone walls weren’t adorned with an overabundance of full-length mirrors and myriads of watching dolls. And yet, the diverse clusters of unique individuals tucked into hidden pockets throughout the bar exude a collective ambiance that is more cheery than eerie, with every single group I talk to professing that they frequent Renee’s “because my friends love it here.” According to veteran manager Darian Parcley, this unique atmosphere is exactly why the bar stays packed seven days a week. “We’re laid-back,” he says. “We’re not trying to be anything. Shorts, suits, dressed all crazy – it’s just a crazy mix of people.” In other words, Renee’s is fat city, daddy-o. For more information, visit reneescourtyardcafe.com.

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EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS DVD Dish Interviews Movie Reviews Projections Screen Shots Special Features TV Time

TVTIME

yara Martinez “Breakout” Queen by drew vaeth Armed with a good education and powered by sheer drive to make it, Yara Martinez has put herself on the map in popular TV shows like “Chase,” “CSI: NY,” “Southland” and now, “Breakout Kings.” Cuban by blood (She was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Miami.), Martinez grew up by the beach and attended a traditional Catholic girls’ school. During the summers, she traveled to New York to study theater. After graduating, she moved to Manhattan and earned her acting chops the hard way: doing theater while doubling as a cocktail waitress in a bar catering to Wall Street businessmen. Martinez has no fond memories of waiting tables for New York’s banking elite, but does admit it had its benefits. “I hated waiting tables! But it was good for the money,” she admits. “It was good because it definitely gave me a thick skin for [the film] industry. I feel like going to New York was good for that, plus I got to do theater, so that was really cool.” Martinez literally pounded the pavement, some days strapping on a backpack full of different looks and hiking throughout the city to various auditions. Feeling her way around the acting world and auditioning in New York eventually brought her to Los Angeles.

Campus Circle > Film > TV Time “I was trying to get an agent and a manager, and in the midst of all that, I was able to get into some pretty good auditions. I got to audition for James L. Brooks, and he was really complimentary of my skills, even though I didn’t get the part. And then I was actually flown out to test for this pilot in Los Angeles, and when I was here I just realized how much more work was out here, and how much faster it moved along. I just moved here, and it felt right.” Once on the West Coast, sans an agent or manager, Martinez busied herself knocking on the door of L.A.’s TV industry. She had heard accounts of how actors typically got their starts out here, but decided to do things a little differently. “Instead of doing this mass mail-out [of headshots and resumes], I looked up on IMDbPro, even though people say not to do this, it actually worked for me! I looked up certain actors that I liked. Their managers had their e-mail address for contacting them, so I e-mailed their managers.” Martinez also dropped some names on the 10 or so managers she had picked and let them know she was here and ready to work. She was surprised to receive some callbacks shortly after. “That’s how I got my manager,” she states, “and through her, I started auditioning.” After that, Martinez auditioned for a pilot with Sean Bean. The pilot was ultimately unsuccessful, but her career began to take off. “It went really well and because of that, I was lucky enough,” she starts. “You know once someone takes the risk with you, then everyone else won’t be as apprehensive to do so. You kind of need a few people to just take that chance.” Martinez has found a few of the right people to take a risk on her, because she’s found success on TNT’s police

MOVIEREVIEWS

drama “Southland.” In the series, she plays Mariella Moretta, wife of Detective Nate Moretta (played by Kevin Alejandro). Martinez has worked with Alejandro and Shawn Hatosy, who plays Detective Sammy Bryant, on previous productions. She’s a fan of both actors’ work and attributes this to their great dynamic when working together. “When I work with [Shawn], he lifts it to another level. I was really happy to go to ‘Southland’ and be able to work with Kevin again and Shawn, because they’re honestly two of my favorite actors.” Although “Southland” has a reputation of being a very technical production, Martinez says it’s actually more of an improvised show. “Which is what I love about it,” she says. “They let the actors kind of just be free.” “Breakout Kings” premieres March 6 at 10 p.m. on A&E.

Campus Circle > Film > Movie Reviews

I Saw the Devil

Grade: B

(Magnet Releasing) Perhaps it’s the softly fluttering snow and chilling feeling of impending doom at the start of I Saw the Devil that calls to mind the great horror movie, Let the Right One In. Then, before you can settle into your popcorn and Whoppers, any flicker of that tale of unlikely preteen friendship is blown away as the story twists into a disturbing portrait that shares more in common with The Killer Inside Me and Se7en. But when those are the films you’re reminded of, you know you’re in good horror hands. If you’re an aspiring filmmaker, go ahead and bump Citizen Kane from the top of your Netflix queue and replace it with everything Kim Ji-woon has ever directed. A master of genre pictures that range from family dramas like A Tale of Two Sisters to his brilliant slapstick spaghetti western, The Good, the Bad, the Weird, the Korean director’s latest film is visceral, blood splattered and pulse quickening, but still gloriously shot and an exceptional example of what can be done with classic horror/thriller elements like murder, torture and revenge. The film follows a special government agent (Byung-hun Lee, known to American audiences as Storm Shadow from G.I. Joe) as he exacts vigilante justice and revenge on the serial killer (Oldboy star Choi Min-sik returning to the big screen after a self-imposed hiatus) who viciously murdered his wife. But this isn’t a cat-and-mouse game that spins along until the last 10 minutes. Both men are the hunters and the prey, equally hell-bent on a campaign of retribution. I Saw the Devil is shockingly violent, drawing gasps from the audience and quickly alienating any viewers who are faint of heart, but the magnitude of depravity is what makes it nailbiting, heart-pounding experiential cinema.

—Sasha Perl-Raver I Saw the Devil releases in select theaters March 4.

Campus Circle 3.2.11 - 3.8.11

Peter Svenson

NEWS

Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune (First Run Features) In Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune, folk music legend Pete Seeger calls Phil Ochs one of the two best songwriters in America along with Bob Dylan. Director Kenneth Bowser (Easy Riders, Raging Bulls) enlists a number of Ochs’ friends, including Joan Baez, Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul & Mary) and Christopher Hitchens, to attest to the claim. Speaking of the perceived rivalry between Ochs and Dylan, one talking head remarks that “Blowin’ in the Wind” is much more vague (and therefore inferior) to Ochs’ protest songs. What this critic forgets is that Dylan was speaking of the spirit of the age, not writing a diatribe. Of course, Dylan also had his mouthpiece songs, but he quickly outgrew them after a couple albums. Ochs, however, remained dedicated to the protest song form. It’s hard not to attribute at least some of the glowing praise from Ochs’ Greenwich cohorts to this fact. While Dylan evolved and grew as an artist, turning his back on the folk scene, Ochs’ own progress was apparently limited to adorning his songs with orchestral arrangements. This adherence to the protest form speaks of Ochs’ rigid commitment to the spirit of the ’60s, at least as told by Bowser, who is intent on casting Ochs as the personification of the decade. Unfortunately for the film, it’s a story we’ve already heard countless times. In depicting the road from Kennedy’s galvanizing inaugural speech to the disillusionment of the ’70s, all the usual points are touched on: the assassinations, the ’68 convention, Vietnam, Nixon.

One of America’s great songwriters: Phil Ochs Bowser’s devotion to this rehashed meta-narrative means Ochs never really comes into focus as a person or artist. Folk music is about telling stories, but Ochs’ songs aren’t allowed to speak for themselves. The viewer barely gets a sense of them. Archival footage shows Ochs as an affable, well-meaning man, while those who knew him make vague allusions to his ego. By the end of the film, Ochs, apparently meant to be seen as a casualty of innocence, seems more a causality of his own self-importance, drinking to excess, suicidal, a would-be messiah who has been rudely slapped with reality. Grade: C+ —Mike Sebastian Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune releases in select theaters March 4.

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PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN”

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SPECIAL FEATURES by mike sebastian

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF

“ “THIS YEAR’’S BEST

“JOHNNY DEPP IS ” ” ” .. ..

FAMILY FILM ARTISTDIRECT.COM RICK FLORINO

BRILLIANT SHEKNOWS.COM JOEL AMOS

Awards Season: James Franco is having a career year in part to his Oscar-nominated performance in 127 Hours, directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire). Franco single-handedly carries the film as real-life adventure junkie Aron Ralston who was trapped under a boulder in the Utah wilderness and had to cut off his own arm. Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway rekindle their on-screen chemistry in Love & Other Drugs. Edward Zwick (Defiance) directs this tale of a commitment-shy free spirit (Hathaway) and the charming pharmaceutical salesman who wins her heart. Christina Aguilera and Cher fight to keep alive a modern-day L.A. burlesque lounge in Burlesque. Kristen Bell and Eric Dane co-star. Action! Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson finally returns to what he does best in Faster, a high-octane revenge flick. After getting out of prison, Johnson sets out to get justice from the men responsible for his brother’s death. But a veteran cop (Billy Bob Thornton) and a hit man aren’t making matters easy. Also available: Bollywood thriller Kites: The Remix, vampire hunting flick The Bleeding with Vinnie Jones and Michael Madsen The Idiotbox: The first computer-animated TV series, ReBoot: Seasons 1 & 2 comes to DVD. The beloved Saturday morning cartoon follows the residents of Mainframe, personified versions of computer software that fend off malicious virus villains bent on destruction. When the seal between Earth and Hell is breached, professional exorcists have to do battle with the forces of evil in Chrono Crusade: The Complete Series, from the creators of “Afro Samurai.” Also available: The Guild: Season Four Blu Notes:

Jim Carrey caught audiences off guard in 1996 with the pitch-black comedy The Cable Guy. Ben Stiller directed the film about a lonely, disturbed cable repairman who latches onto one of his customers (Matthew Broderick). But things turn dark when he is rejected. The 15th Anniversary Blu-ray includes new commentary by Carrey, Stiller and producer Judd Apatow. Michael Jordan is one of the most dominant athletes to ever play professional sports. Michael Jordan to the Max captured the master on and off the court for IMAX in his pre-comeback final season leading the Bulls to their sixth championship. Weighing in are Phil Jackson, Doug Collins and Bob Costas.

Under the Radar:

Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda (After Life) crafted his most personal film yet with Still Walking (Criterion), a closely observed, naturalistic look at family. Taking place over a single day, the film follows a brother and sister, now with their own families, who reunite with their parents to commemorate the drowning of their brother. Also available: Road, Movie

Stranger Than Fiction: Eyes of the Mothman examines the 45-year-old mystery surrounding an event in which several eye witnesses claim to have seen a huge, winged man in West Virginia, just prior to a series of bizarre occurrences and deaths. Along the way, the documentary filmmakers find that they themselves might be falling victim to “The Cornstalk Curse.” Waiting for Hockney is a portrait of Maryland artist Billy Pappas, who developed a new, microscopic approach to art, spending five months on a single Marilyn Monroe portrait. He attempts to contact well-known artist David Hockney for validation. Tilda Swinton narrates Climate of Change, a poetic and inspiring look at individuals around the globe who are acting locally to fight climate change. Also available: “Last Comic Standing” winner Alonzo Bodden’s first stand-up special Who’s Paying Attention?

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TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT Topher Grace’s Excellent Adventure by sasha perl-raver Hiking up Castle Place, a nearly vertical hill in Beverly Hills studded with multimillion-dollar estates, I stop to catch my breath outside of the modern mansion housing the Take Me Home Tonight press day, promised to be the “Best. Junket. Ever.” After four years in cold storage, it seems the filmmakers were ready to celebrate their movie’s long-delayed release. Starring Topher Grace, I am Number Four’s Teresa Palmer, Anna Faris and Dan Fogler (Fanboys), the film, previously titled Kids in America, follows the foursome on one wild night over Labor Day weekend in 1988. Conceived by Grace and penned by Jeff and Jackie Filgo, who wrote Grace’s starmaking sitcom, “That 70’s Show,” the film was shot in 2007 but shelved by Universal who, Grace believes, didn’t know how to handle a young adult comedy that heavily features drug use and partial nudity. It wasn’t until Relativity stepped in to distribute that it was given a second life. Sitting down with Grace, who also served as an executive producer, it seems logical to ask; how important is it to have boobies and cocaine in a comedy looking to emulate the ’80s?

“Literally imperative,” Grace replies. “It’s like oxygen. It was really important to us because we wanted to go for a really hard R [rating], mostly because that’s what real life feels like. It’s one thing if you’re making Up and you’re experiencing it through that kid’s point of view. That’s the right rating for that movie. But for something like this, if you’re in your 20s in the mid-1980s, it wouldn’t be realistic [to leave those things out.] We can’t do the Prohibition without showing people drinking.” Rather than ape the ’80s, Grace wanted Take Me Home Tonight to pay homage to an era that’s easily caricaturized. “We wanted to make sure we didn’t spoof it,” Grace explains. “That means the first couple of things that have to go are saying, ‘Check out this tiny cell phone!’ or ‘The CD will never take off!’” Instead, the film is liberally sprinkled with pop culture references lifted from films from the decade, ones you can see in the background at the start of the movie when Grace is shown working as a clerk at a Suncoast video store, something he was very familiar with. “I worked at the Stanford Mall Suncoast for two summers,” he cringes. “My theory was that I would watch movies all summer long. That’s what I was going to do anyway; I wasn’t that social at that time. Then I got there and they played one movie all day long: Space Jam. Space Jam, as you know, is one of the finest films ever made, so I was lucky to be able to watch that over 3,000 times,” he deadpans. Playing Grace’s high school crush, the ultimate ’80s dream girl, is Palmer, who admits her allure wasn’t always as potent as it appears on screen (or off – the Aussie actress dated Grace for several years after filming wrapped). “I had a crush on a boy – it started pretty young – I was crushing on him in grade two, and I had a crush on him

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Take Me Home Tonight releases in theaters March 4.

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den y a H . re.. oT m n o m R g rB ag an Pen w and WSE illy s Se Yarro H BO B aez itchen Peter NNET B oan her H eger y KE J : ring ristop te Se Film b u t A Pe Fea Ch

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throughout my entire life, pretty much until I was 15,” she reveals. “His name was Hugh Gilchrist, and he ended up being the first boy that I ever kissed, and he ignored me throughout the whole of primary school because I was such a loser. I was a socks-and-sandals girl, and I got teased awfully.” “Wait, that’s not Australian for something? You just wore socks and sandals?” Grace asks. “Yes. I just wore socks and sandals. That’s what people would chant at me when I was in primary school. Kind of embarrassing,” she blushes. “After I came to America and started working in film I saw him again, and he said, ‘I always knew [you’d be famous].’” “Yeah, that’s why he ignored you for all those years,” Grace scoffs. But what about Grace? Did he have any longstanding unrequited loves? “Oh, I had many, and I did not kiss any of them. But I did get a sitcom around when I was 19, so that changed the playing field a little bit,” he smirks.

Johnny Depp is a chameleon.

-PAPER MAGAZINE

1332 2nd St. • (310) 478-3836

Topher Grace and Teresa Palmer in Take Me Home Tonight

RANGO

“TERRIFIC.” “A MUST-SEE.”

-THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Ron Batzdorff/SMPSP

Campus Circle > Film > Interviews

Johnny Depp is an actor so talented, Rango (Johnny Depp) he’s as believable playing a lovestruck, lonely scissorhanded teenager as he is a wily pirate. Perhaps that’s why he slips so effortlessly into the role of Rango, a chameleon in the midst of an existential crisis when his terrarium home is shattered and he finds himself in an old western town called Dirt. Directed by Gore Verbinski, whom Depp previously collaborated with on the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, it’s a more mature animated comedy that earned a PG rating from the MPAA. With a tip of the 10-gallon hat to Sergio Leone and a brief appearance by Hunter S. Thompson, this isn’t your usual kids’ flick, which makes sense given Depp and Verbinski’s creative point of view. “Early on, some of the talks that Gore and I had about the character – I mean, two grown, middle-aged men discussing the possibility of one of them being a lizard – it starts off on a surreal kind of note,” Depp laughs. Having worked together on four projects, the actor and director joke that their working relationship is based on the simplest things. “I like the way he smells,” Verbinski kids. “I’ve been told I smell good; I don’t look like I smell good, but I do,” Depp riffs. Joking aside, both agree they have a shorthand that allows them to speak primarily in “sound effects and unfinished sentences,” which makes direction like “more fuzz” or “more stink” make sense. Depp feels that working with Verbinski allows him to “arrive at some [creative] place that no one has ever been to before. And Gore welcomes it and creates an atmosphere that allows you to just essentially go ape. It’s a blast.” Although he will admit that when strapped into a motion-capture suit on the sets Verbinski created to give Rango and more organic feel, at times things were “really, truly ludicrous; I mean, just ridiculous. It was like just regional theater at its worst.” Rango releases in theaters March 4.

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WARNER BROS. PICTURES PRESENTS AN APPIAN WAY PRODUCTION A CATHERINE HARDWICKE FILM AMANDA SEYFRIED GARY OLDMAN “RED RIDING HOOD” MUSIC BRIAN REITZELL MUSICBY BRIAN REITZELL AND ALEX HEFFES BILLY BURKE SHILOH FERNANDEZ MAX IRONS AND JULIE CHRISTIE SUPERVISOR DIRECTOR OF COSTUMES EDITED PRODUCTION BY NANCY RICHARDSON, A.C.E. JULIA WONG DESIGNER TOM SANDERS PHOTOGRAPHY MANDY WALKER, ACS DESIGNED BY CINDY EVANS WRITTEN EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS JIM ROWE MICHAEL IRELAND CATHERINE HARDWICKE BY DAVID LESLIE JOHNSON PRODUCED DIRECTED BY CATHERINE HARDWICKE BY JENNIFER DAVISSON KILLORAN LEONARDO DICAPRIO JULIE YORN

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IN THEATERS FRIDAY, M ARCH 11 BW CAMPUS CIRCLE PROMO AD

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INVITE YOU AND A GUEST TO AN ADVANCE SCREENING OF

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LUXX IN LOS ANGELES ON TUESDAY, MARCH 8 AT 7:30 PM

Register for tickets at: CampusCircle.com/ screening/ ElektraLuxx This film is rated R. Restricted. No one under 17 admitted without accompanying parent or adult guardian. Must be 17 years of age or older to enter. No purchase necessary. While supplies last. No phone calls, please. Screening is overbooked to ensure capacity. Please arrive early. Ticket does not guarantee admission. All seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Employees of Samuel Goldwyn Films, Destination Films, Campus Circle and their affiliated agencies are not eligible.

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The Grammy museum® At L.A. Live

exhibit includes: Original guitars from John Lennon, Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly Lennon’s signature round, wire-framed glasses Lennon’s typewriter Original drawings Original handwritten song lyrics including “Instant Karma” and the Beatles’ hit “We Can Work It Out” Rare video footage “In The Studio with John Lennon” interactive Early Beatles photographs and original posters Original Quarry Men business card Album of the Year GRAMMY® Award for Double Fantasy Sgt. Pepper costume (replica) Early albums Exclusive interview with Yoko Ono

on exhibit now thru march 31, 2011

Based on the coffee table book www.hiphopculturebook.com

Visitors will learn about the history of hip-hop through interactive mixing and listening stations, video footage, rare photographs and original artifacts, including: • Original, handwritten song lyrics by Tupac Shakur • LL Cool J TROOP suit and Kangol hat • Run DMC leather jacket and pants worn during “Walk This Way” performance with Aerosmith • DJ Jazzy Jeff Homebase Tour jacket • Grandmaster Flash turntables • Hip-Hop sneaker gallery from the private collection of Everlast • and much, much more from Hip-Hop legends

on exhibit now thru may 4, 2011 tickets Available at the Museum Box Office, Ticketmaster,® Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 1.800.745.3000.

visit us now Olympic Blvd. & Figueroa St. in Downtown Los Angeles Mon–Fri 11:30am - 7:30pm Sat–Sun 10am - 7:30pm

book a group tour Contact our Group Sales Department at 213.765.6800, ext.3 or submit your group tour request online. For Educational Programs, please call 213.765.6800, ext.6.

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GRAMMY Museum Corporate Sponsors PROFESSIONAL

John Lennon is a trademark of Yoko Ono Lennon. Imagine Face Icon © Yoko Ono Lennon. Licensed exclusively through Bag One Arts, Inc. GRAMMY Museum® and the Museum logo are registered trademarks of The Recording Academy® and are used under license. pd140-251-0211

Campus Circle 3.2.11 - 3.8.11

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CULTURE EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Barfly Colors of Culture D-Day Games & Gadgets The Greener Side Trend Blender The Wing Girls

TRENDBLENDER

SHOE-GASM

What’s new, what’s in and what’s hot on young L.A.’s fashion scene. by dana jeong I strongly believe that all women have a certain soft spot for shoes. Heels, flats, wedges, platforms, they come in all kinds of shapes and colors to seduce our eyes and tickle our emotional desires until we finally groan, “Oh, baby, I need you, I want you!” Thus the collecting begins – first from a petite two-tier shoe rack to a 30-pair, then 50-pair, until we achieve the ever-so-delightful “wall of shoes” that we only see in movies. It is OK to buy shoes you would probably never wear; the thrill of owning something so beautiful is simply worth the price. Men always buy workout equipment they only use for collecting dust, so why can’t we let shoes be our secret porn?

Special Guest Speakers

general admission:

for all three days

John Gray

Mariel Hemingway

Dick Gregory

Dr. Sherri Tenpenny

Daryl Hannah

George Noory

Dr. Theresa Dale

Jeffrey Smith

special event

George Noory Luncheon• Saturday, March 26 — 12:00PM Catered Luncheon Reception with Coast-to-Coast AM host George Noory. Register in advance for $45. Tickets at the door are $65. General admission also required. Ready for more? Visit our website and find information about: • Purchase Tickets Online • Our Complete Speaker schedule

Online

• List of Exhibitors and Sponsors • Directions and Hotel Info

Toll-Free

HealthFreedomExpo.com 888-658-3976 14

Campus Circle 3.2.11 - 3.8.11

The Booties These babies are the definition of “hot,” as you can guess from their suggestive name. Covering just enough to keep your feet warm but letting your sexy lines stay alive, booties are the perfect choice for winter. Slip into these booties in sequin or metallic colors to spice up your mundane sweater-and-skinnyjeans combo. You can turn it around and match neutralcolored ones with party dresses.

The Lace-ups If you think plain oxfords are boring, try lace-up ankle boots with heels. They are formal enough to complement your menswear-inspired or workappropriate outfits without losing the trendiness. Pick the ones with hidden heels like the ones shown here, and you will be as confident as you would be in high pumps, all the while staying super comfy. Add funky tights for extra flavor and extra warmth.

The Platforms Who said heels have to be painful? Platform shoes make wearing heels just as easy as walking around in flats. Believe me, I went shopping up and down Melrose in these tan platform sandals, and I was just fine three hours later carrying four shopping bags. When you try them on, make sure the heels are sturdy and the back part does not dig into your skin. Once you have met your soulmate pair, you will want to take it everywhere!

Cindy Lee

The Health Freedom Expo is a dynamic three-day event featuring the most prominent keynote speakers, 90+ informative lectures and interactive workshops and 200+ exhibitors showcasing the finest in health care products and introducing cutting-edge discoveries in natural health.

NEWS FILM MUSIC CULTURE EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS BSP-LACC-030211-MURPHY.pdf 1 2/28/11 9:33 AM CD Reviews Frequency Interviews Live Show Reviews Music Notes Music Report Special Features

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MUSICNOTES

ARCADE FIRE Breaks Mainstream Barrier by eva recinos Every awards ceremony has its moments. This year, there was no Kanye West-like interruption to watch over and over on YouTube, but other surprises unfolded on the screen at the Grammys. Much uproar ensued when Album of the Year was announced. When Justin Bieber lost to Esperanza Spalding for Best New Artist, the feelings were similar. Who? Those drooling at the over-the-top antics of Lady Gaga (who showed up in an egg that night) and the twinkling eyes of Katy Perry were shocked to see their nominated starlets miss the Album of the Year prize. Even well-known rapper Eminem was left to sit in the audience and watch as indie band Arcade Fire made its way to the stage to receive its award for the album The Suburbs. For many Top 40 fans and Tweeters, the idea of someone besides their usually adored musicians taking such a big award was nothing short of heartbreaking and angering. Yet the point of the Grammy awards, as many seem to forget, is not to yield awards to those artists with the biggest following, but those with the best musical chops. This is no high school prom election, and in their most genuine, these categories should be followed according to their original intent. That’s not to say the Grammys are always accurate – but the hard part is that this accuracy is in the eye of the beholder. Arcade Fire is the first band to win a Grammy that produced its album with an indie label attached to it, something that breaks through the mainstream barrier in which music fans know all the greatest producers’ names. Gaga’s tracks paid big bucks to Akon, who first signed her on as a young musician. Now she’s strutting around in strange but expensive clothing from any and every designer, and that gets her even more attention. But what Arcade Fire can present in its lack of elite clothing and fancy producing is a raw identity. The band recently even had an intimate show for 500 lucky fans in Los Angeles; something it is difficult to see Gaga or Perry doing. For alternative music fans, the win means not only that an underdog got to rise to the top, but that the rock world is not as forgotten as it might seem. When a band like Arcade Fire trumps the highly produced, effects-happy work of other mainstream artists, it goes to prove that sometimes all you need for good music is a lot less than what others expect. So who is the band? They are a group of seven musicians from Montreal who stand up for Haiti and have no problem using their own means to get the word out about who they are. What might have gotten them the Grammy could have been their commitment to their music and also their ability to step back from the mainstream and construct something novel. The band is elusive at times, difficult to fully understand and has no glitter strewn over the covers of its albums. Their obsession with the suburbs and their childhoods only adds to the feeling that they are attempting to analyze what has happened to them in the past, and what is going on in the world, which transcends the recycled pop messages of most mainstream songs today. Yet, the win cannot be boiled down to a mainstream versus indie tiff. The talent of the other nominees cannot be denied. There is something distinctly representative of each musician who took over the minds of music fans and made them type angry questions and hurl digital insults at both Spalding and Arcade Fire – and which navigated those same individuals to the Arcade Fire Web site. For those not invested in hardcore fanaticism, curiosity might, and Arcade Fire might, garner new fans. The music scene as a whole, however, will not change with one win, though it might momentarily point music fans in a new direction. But what those new fans will find is a band very unlike their more mainstream contemporaries, something that can either change a music fan’s view of the music world or just turn them back to the more wellknown names they were initially comfortable with. The Grammy committee has a tough decision in its hands – they need the hot musicians performing for the sake of ratings to keep the audience pleased but also have the responsibility of making the correct decisions about winners. It seems this time they took the risk of pleasing a distinctly different group. For those who listened to Spalding and Arcade Fire years before this win, the right decision might have finally come.

Campus Circle 3.2.11 - 3.8.11

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle CDREVIEWS Dropkick Murphys Going Out In Style (Born & Bred) The force behind Boston’s most notorious band has just been doubled with this new CD hitting stores just in time for St. Patty’s Day. The songs on this album tell stories that some of us can relate to and others that just make you want to slam a Guinness and jump in the pit. Musically, the use of accordion and banjo has never had a more harmonious marriage than on this album. Each song really pulls together the Murphys’ use of nontraditional instrumentation. Take the track “Memorial Day” – it’s still a driving one, but its use of flute and high-strung instruments really gives it a rare musical feel. Don’t think that the lyrics have taken a softer side since the distortion has been turned down on this album. The vocals are still as poignant as ever, and the feel is very reminiscent of an old pub basement in Ireland. As far as what this band has done in the past, this album seems like it might just be that one that stands out from the rest. Grade: A —David Tobin Going Out In Style is currently available.

Easter Island Better Things (Self-released) Easter Island offers a new album that is very somber and moody entitled Better Things. A follow-up to their Sneaking EP, the disc captures beautiful piano, guitar, bass, drums and lyrics, creating a delicately balanced collection of songs. Produced by Five-Eight drummer Patrick Ferguson, straight from Athens, Ga.’s 1093 Boulevard Studio, the album sounds very stripped and raw, only demonstrating exactly what you’d expect from the band on stage, which is something very live and pure. Check out “Proud,” “Into Bedrooms” and the title track for a taste of what they’ve dished up for this year. Grade: B —Mary Broadbent Better Things is currently available.

Rachel Goodrich Self-titled (Yellow Bear) Rachel Goodrich’s self-titled second album has a childlike nature with a mature overtone. While the lyrics contain depth, the instrumentals and vocals are exceptionally playful. “Na Na Na” is the best example of this Miami native’s eclectic spirit. This track and “Morning Light” and “Walk Away” are not to be skipped. Her sophomore effort proves to be enjoyable and an extremely fun album for listeners. It will definitely have you singing – and likely even dancing – along. Goodrich’s voice is rich, and while it’s not her vocal range that is necessarily impressive, her offbeat stylings will impress you. Goodrich’s songs are reminiscent of Zooey Deschanel’s unique style paired with Lily Allen’s sass, minus the vulgarity. Grade: B+ —Stephanie Forshee Rachel Goodrich is currently available.

PJ Harvey Let England Shake (Vagrant) Murders, hangings and sad circuses. There’s no doubt that England is the dark mistress of melancholy

Campus Circle > Music > CD Reviews poets, but in the case of 40-year-old Polly Jean “PJ” Harvey, it’s also the delightful muse behind one of the most celebrated releases to date. Harvey’s eighth studio album, Let England Shake, isn’t the familiar, furious sounds of a singer ready to explode from angst. Harvey does channel her dark side, but in this case, she takes cue from the current troubling times. “Take me back to beautiful England,” she chants in “The Last Living Rose,” as if she’s crying out for salvation among the ruins of a once glorious kingdom. Let England Shake plays like a Victorian funeral march filled with grand organ ballads, battle trumpets and heavy autoharps, creating a rich, melodious soundtrack for a grim present. “Hanging in the Wire” reveals a doomed solider waiting for his bloody fate, whereas “Bitter Branches” fires thunderous drums as Harvey howls for the poor young wives waving goodbye to their fallen men. Let England Shake is a haunting marriage of modern folk and welcoming rage. There is no one else who can make carnage sound so sweet. Grade: A —Stephanie Nolasco Let England Shake is currently available.

Middle Brother Self-titled (Partisan) In Nashville, 2009, the super trio Middle Brother – composed of John McCauley (Deer Tick), Matt Vasquez (Delta Spirit) and Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) – came together to record 12 songs. These 12 songs are now being released on Middle Brother’s eponymous debut album. The album is an adroit collaboration of the three songwriters that engenders nostalgic musical sounds and styles, like honky-tonk piano, soulful guitar riffs and coarse Dylan-esque vocals. In Middle Brother, McCauley, Vasquez and Goldsmith show off their respective songwriting, instrumental and vocal talents, highlighted by songs like “Daydreaming,” “Middle Brother” and “Million Dollar Bill.” The last mentioned is the grand finale of the record, and an exemplary track that could serve as the synopsis of the album – as it has each member of the trio singing genuinely passionate, sentimental lyrics, supported by their retro-rock sound. Middle Brother is an album that will take the listener back with the super trio’s retrospective creativity and homage, but is nonetheless a relevant journey to be enjoyed by all. Grade: A—Sean Fitz-Gerald Middle Brother is currently available.

Lucinda Williams Blessed (Lost Highway) Lucinda Williams has put together a collection of songs that is perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Put this album on and just sit back and enjoy. The first track, “But–tercup,” is probably as lively as things are going to get and really, that’s just fine. The opening song showcases a really nice use of guitar. The rest of the songs slide down and keep things mellow with that jazzy, bluesy sound that Williams has been known to make all her own. The fifth track, “Seeing Black,” is a nice turn on things. It gets a bit darker and the pace picks up, but still keeps things in a very palatable place. The song is a little angry, but offers some really nice spots for the band to come alive again and not just back up her classic vocals. Grade: B —David Tobin Blessed is currently available.

Campus Circle 3.2.11 - 3.8.11

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

MUSICINTERVIEWS

Shines a Lamplight

by pricilla andrade In a world where young adult icons are caught up in a whirlwind of drug rehab, salvia mishaps and nude photo scandals, it is a relief to hear how grounded Katie Costello is. She is dedicated to creating quality music. She isn’t caught up in the hype of Auto-tune, an overpowering bass or trying to guise a lack of talent with over-the-top sex appeal. Instead, she understands music from a human perspective and believes that, “records should change people’s lives.” (Some of her life-changing albums include Fiona Apple’s Tidal and the Beatles’ White Album.) This very mature insight is coming from a girl who grew up not knowing anything about music; a girl who is actually the first musician in her family. “I don’t think I’m a natural musician. I didn’t grow up being exposed to music. I’ve always been a natural writer. When I found music, it gave me the best platform to write the things I wanted to write,” says Costello. Costello actually had no idea she wanted to sing until she was 13, when a friend begged her to go to a performing arts camp and dance. Knowing there was no way she could ever be a dancer, Costello tried singing and began taking singing lessons soon after. She then began learning to play the piano because “I wanted to practice songs we were learning

by myself. I enjoy being independent, and even at that age, I wanted to be self-sufficient. I started writing immediately after that.” As a result, she became very disciplined, making sure to constantly practice the piano, which means she “writes a song nearly everyday.” She dropped out of high school at 17 and moved to New York so she could write and play music full time. “I ended up finishing high school online, which is about the creepiest thing anyone could do,” jokes Costello. At 18, she caught her big break when she won Sennheiser’s first songwriting competition, and six months later she released her first album, Kaleidoscope Machine. Now that Costello is releasing her second full-length album, Lamplight (following last year’s EP release The City in Me), she has become more accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the music business. Her songs have been featured in shows like “Private Practice,” “One Tree Hill” and “90210,” and she performed at NAMM on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus stage. Any other young adult might find the increasing momentum of success overwhelming, but Costello guides all those negative emotions straight into her music. Lamplight is filled with vocal harmonies that create an eclectic sense of time and instruments that keep true to their oaky sound. It’s bluesy, it’s honest, it’s playful and fresh. It doesn’t stray too far from her first album, but we are able to get to know her better and watch her grow as a writer. Songwriting is her therapy, and Lamplight is an album that communicates her very private emotions about loneliness in a strange city, her attempts at finding herself and her struggle with feeling inadequate. “There were definitely times when I didn’t feel good enough. Listen to ‘Ashes Ashes.’ That’s what that song’s about.

LIVESHOWREVIEWS Generationals Feb. 16 @ Hotel Café It was a rainy night as the Hotel Café welcomed Generationals to the stage. Hailing from the lovely city of New Orleans, and composed of Ted Joyner, Grand Widmer, Brett Jones, Michael Libramento and Juston Stens, the band upped the ante with electric grooves and synth beats that kept all eyes, and ears, on them. They performed songs from their new record, Actor-Caster (out March 29 on Park the Van Records), a mix of echoing vocals, militant drumbeats and time-warped sounds of the ’60s. The five-piece band kept up an energetic vibe while cooing to the audience with their sound and witty banter to add charm and character, cheering up the cold and rainy evening. —Mary Broadbent

Vanessa Paradis Feb. 18 @ The Orpheum Walking into the Orpheum was like walking into a theater in France. The atmosphere and the audience itself were transformative, and the vibe was amazing. Vanessa Paradis commanded the stage with a very sensual and confident presence. Along with her accompanying band, Paradis played music beautifully and made sure each of her band members had their moment to shine. While I only wish I spoke enough French to have been able to sing along, the feel and the mood of the music was universal. Language barrier or not, the messages of the songs were clear. She did cover some classics in English, including “Wonderful World” and one of my favorites, Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah.” Her cover of the song was a quietly somber part of the night, but with the help of not one but two encores, the mood was lifted as the show ended. For the people who have not had the pleasure of hearing Paradis play but know

Campus Circle 3.2.11 - 3.8.11

But I didn’t want that feeling to limit myself. I took that feeling and used it to challenge myself.” Costello is not afraid to be open and vulnerable with people who listen to her music. It’s the best way anyone can get to know her. What is so refreshing about talking to Costello is how enthusiastic and self-assured she is and how determined she is to never take any negative thought too seriously. She’s someone who had a dream and is thankful for every moment she’s living it. “I get to play my music live and travel around and have music be my priority, which was the goal, which was my dream,” shares Costello. She still hopes to continue her education one day, stating, “I actually love school. It was really heartbreaking to leave school and pursue music.” Does that mean she’ll be studying music in the future? “I don’t like music in an educational environment. It just takes the creativity and fun out of it.”

Deborah Lopez

KATIE COSTELLO

Campus Circle > Music > Interviews

Lamplight is currently available. Katie Costello performs March 8 at Hotel Café. For more information, visit katiecostellomusic.com.

Campus Circle > Music > Live Show Reviews her for her connection to Johnny Depp (Yes, he was there and seemed to be having a great time watching her hold the spotlight.), anyone would feel lucky to have the opportunity to see her live. —Tamea Agle

Vanity Theft Feb. 19 @ The Roxy Indie pop rock band Vanity Theft energized the Roxy as they promoted their album Get What You Came For. Based in Dayton, Ohio, these four girls played with intensity and passion that electrified the crowd across the floor. While beginning their setlist, a wave of cheers flooded the venue as they embraced the reactions. Lead singer and keyboardist Alicia Grodecki bounced around the stage while screaming her lungs out. Although she appeared shy and timid with her hair covering her face, Grodecki made the night her own by stomping across the floor and facing off with drummer Elyse Driskill and guitarist Brittany Hill. Bassist Lalaine Paras performed with a plastered smile as she fed off the live energy. Hill showcased her talents as a guitarist multiple times throughout the night by adding addicting riffs and switching the rhythms with each song. Vanity Theft’s flirtatious attitude worked well with the audience as they won everyone over. Their lyrics described personal experiences about past relationships that revealed giggles and smiles. Still, the young group played with talent and heart that earned respect. Expect these tough girls to explode across the indie pop scene. —Jacob Gaitan

Sick of Sarah Feb. 22 @ The Roxy From Minneapolis, power rock group Sick of Sarah continue their national tour in support of 2205, their sophomore record.

Jacob Gaitan

NEWS

Sick of Sarah were a strong force at the Roxy. The all-girl quintet received loud screams of excitement as everyone pressed towards the stage upon arrival. Lead singer Abisha Uhl quickly delivered vocals that caused the audience to melt. Their pop rock beats made everyone in attendance dance and shake left and right on the floor. Uhl appeared confident and secure on stage as she released screams into the audience. Guitarists Jessie Farmer and Katie Murphy stood at opposite ends providing backup vocals throughout the evening. Jamie Holm danced about the stage with her bass while often visiting Uhl and Murphy for musical face-offs. Besides being a talented group, Sick of Sarah also revealed a hysterical side as they joked with the audience. Their wild and quirky attitude perfectly showcased their charisma. Uhl repeatedly passed the microphone to fans standing up front as they nervously sang the words. The five-piece is much more than their stunning looks, they are a strong force that perform at an awesome level. —Jacob Gaitan

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CALENDARTHE10SPOT

MUSICINTERVIEWS

BY FREDERICK MINTCHELL SUNDAYMARCH 6

Claudia Kay

TruckIt Fest Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St., Downtown; truckitfest.com This new monthly event features 40 of Los Angeles’ best food trucks, 200 local designers and artisans and live bands and DJs. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $5, $4 with valid metro pass.

WEDNESDAYMARCH 2 Pac-10 Men’s Swimming Cham– pionship Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool, 4000 E. Olympic Plaza, Long Beach; pac-10.org Can anyone stop Stanford’s run of 29 consecutive conference championships? Runs through Saturday.

THURSDAYMARCH 3 College Night at Mountain High

SATURDAYMARCH 5 The Edwardian Ball The Music Box, 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles; edwardianball.com An elegant, turn-of-the-century cele– bration of music, theater, circus arts, DJs, ballroom dance, fashion, technology and the ominous art and stories of beloved author Edward Gorey, noted for his macabre illustrated books such as The Doubtful Guest. 8 p.m. Tix start at $28.

Mountain High Resort, 24510 State Hwy 2, Wrightwood; mthigh.com Ride for only $20 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. with a college ID, plus live demos from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tent city at the Bullwheel from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and party at the Bullwheel from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. with DJs, Monster drink specials, $1 hot dogs, 1/2 off draft beer and more.

Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica; americancinematheque.com The original movie, Tron, screens with a panel to follow featuring the filmmakers and VFX technicians . 7:30 p.m. $11, $9 w/ student ID.

THURSDAYMARCH 3 “Tosh.0” Live Taping

MONDAYMARCH 7 Toshiba Classic

Hayden Studios, 3555 Hayden Ave., Culver City; danieltosh.com Daniel Tosh stars in Comedy Central’s topical weekly series that takes on everything the Internet has to offer and is currently one of the most requested headliners in the country. He has quickly evolved into one of the most popular and successful college acts, having performed at more than 700 campuses in his career. Also March 10.

Newport Beach Country Club, 1600 East Coast Highway; toshibaclassic.com Some of the biggest legends in golf are competing, including Paul Azinger, Mark Calcavecchia, Fred Couples, Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Mark O’Meara, Nick Price, Curtis Strange, Tom Watson and many more. Runs through March 13.

FRIDAYMARCH 4 Bootleg Dance Festival Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; bootlegtheater.org The work of seven exciting choreographers from all parts of L.A. County features a full range of styles, cultures and approaches that represent contemporary dance in the world today. Runs through Sunday.

FRIDAYMARCH 4 PaleyFest 2011 Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills; paleycenter.org “True Blood,” “Community,” “The Walking Dead” and “Parks and Recreation” are just a few of the programs that are represented with screenings and panel discussions from cast and crew members of 12 hit television shows. Runs through March 17. Tix start at $15.

SATURDAYMARCH 5 Tron (1982)

TUESDAYMARCH 8 Big West Men’s & Women’s Basketball Honda Center, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim; bigwest.org Cal Poly, CSU Fullerton, CSU Northridge, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and Pacific will hit the boards to see who goes to the NCAA tournaments. The women’s first round plays today on campus sites, with the rest of the games being played at the Honda Center March 10-12.

For more events, visit campuscircle.com/calendar. To submit an event for consideration, e-mail calendar@campuscircle.net.

ALEXANDER

Edward Sharpe’s Alexander Ebert releases solo album. by james violette The free-spirited, foot-stomping, fun-loving frontman of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Ima Robot has returned; this time with a solo album, and Alexander Ebert is taking chances. “Taking chances and doing what you feel is correct and right is so rewarding even if outside people are saying it’s the wrong choice or you’re going to get in trouble for it. The rewards of doing what you feel is right are so giant,” says Ebert. Ebert’s music just feels right. This time around Ebert does without an alter ego and assume the moniker ‘Alexander’ for his appropriately self-titled album that releases this week. Alexander is replete with a thematic polarity that offers listeners both serious messages and serious fun. In his lyrics, Ebert explores night versus day, love versus hate and up versus down; the only constant throughout the album seems simply to be great music. “For me, these ups and downs are the ride of the album. If someone is going to listen to the album in its entirety, I would expect that some of these ups and downs are experienced in their own way and that the resounding quality that anyone leaves with from listening to it is a can-do attitude and a heightened feeling of elation,” says Ebert. The album opens with an upbeat sing-along track titled “Let’s Win!” where Ebert is searching for the key to life. “I think that you’re winning regardless if your learning while you’re losing or if you’re learning while you’re winning. If you’re learning I think that you’re winning in any case. Ideally you somehow relax enough or tap in enough [to yourself] or have the courage to do what you deep down know is the thing to do.” The album only gets better as it progresses. “Awake My Body” is a prayer while “Truth” is a dose of reality: the second and third tracks respectively. “[Hip-hop has] maintained a thread for me throughout all this time even though I’ve taken major departures from it. A song like ‘Truth’ on the Alexander album is me basically rapping. I think it qualifies. The track is basically a backpack hip-hop experimental pop track,” says Ebert. The fourth track of the album, “In the Twilight” is undeniably catchy and sure to be replayed. “‘In the Twilight’ is just the notion of, what if it’s neither really day or night? It’s all sort of bleeding into each other. Day doesn’t just switch to night and the night doesn’t just switch to day. Einstein was really trying to figure out the theory of everything. He was calling it the M-theory. Scientists have been desperately trying to figure out the theory of everything, the one formula for everything in the world, but they haven’t been able to find it yet. That’s the point of the song,” says Ebert. Ebert is wholly invested in self-discovery with Alexander, an aspect of life he feels he has improved on since the release of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros’ freshman LP. “When I started Edward Sharpe, I was coming back to myself. It’s not that I feel like I’ve reached the summit, I just feel like I’m on the mountain. With Edward Sharpe I was sort of envisioning the mountain. I wasn’t quite even on it yet when I started writing the music. It was sort of hopeful. It was hopeful for myself and for everything. I wasn’t necessarily speaking from experience; I was speaking from a will to go there,” says Ebert. Ebert is definitely on his way to the summit with Alexander, and it will be interesting to see what happens when he gets there. “It’s just fun to do, is the bottom line. But as it progressed, some of these songs I was really falling in love with. I just felt like it was time to have my own avenue … and an album started developing. It was very fun, but it was very hard work.” Whether you’re looking for something profound or just something good for the ears, you won’t be disappointed by Alexander. Alexander is currently available. For more information, visit alexanderebert.com.

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EVENTS DVD GAMING SPORTS MEDIA BLOGS Art Beauty Books Fashion Food Gaming L.A. Moves Special Features Theater Travel

L.A.MOVES

CELEBRATE DANCE 2011 March 12 @ Alex Theatre BY cindy kyungah lee Have you ever wondered how dancers choreograph those pieces that so amaze an audience? I remember when I took ballet lessons at school as a child. It was always fun, but I never really liked the work that it required. So, I quit. But now I regret it, because whenever I see photographs, movies or performances related to dance, it drives me crazy – how much have I missed out by quitting? Celebrate Dance is one extraordinary stage of dance filled with vitality and passion that reminds us of how dance not only requires great physicality, but also passion and intense work. Having previously won the Lester Horton Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement for Festival for the performances in 2007, 2008 and 2009, this year’s Celebrate Dance will be its sixth annual, reminding us of how dance is truly a form of art that has the power to influence the audience and leave them with a feeling of warm energy and a series of questions, long after the show has ended. On March 12, for one night only (as always), Celebrate Dance will seduce us into the world of modern contemporary ballet and jazz dance through its storytelling and the dancers’ technique. In this year’s Celebrate Dance, eight dance companies come together with pieces, very different from each other, to

Campus Circle > Culture > L.A. Moves explore a variety of subjects. Two dance companies outside of California that have been applauded for their outstanding pieces join the program this year: Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn, directed by Jamel Gaines, who also has choreographed for the hit TV show, “So You Think You Can Dance,” and Malashock Dance from San Diego, directed by John Malashock, who is finally making his comeback to Los Angeles after several years of abscence. Six other companies will also contribute to this dreamy experience: BARE Dance Company, Deborah Rosen and Dancers, Monat Dance, Regina Klenjoski Dance Company, Terri Best Dance and Visions Dance Theatre. Fortunately, I was able to connect with the artistic director of Deborah Rosen and Dancers and Regina Klenjoski Dance Company for a sneak peak into their pieces. The piece by Deborah Rosen, titled “The Space Between, Before & After,” is specifically structured to explore and “create a sense of place, emotion, arrival, searching and coming together” that is moved by a need for recognition and connection. Rosen employs the use of negative space and movements hugging into and pulling away from areas of space to establish the sense of avoidance, while incorporating movements folding into space to communicate a sense of connection to one another. Very different, yet a bit similar in the themes they explore, is a piece by the Regina Klenjoski Dance Compnay, directed by Regina Klenjoski. Her piece comments on our fast advancement in technology, providing us with a reflection on whether it hampers or enables our ability to connect with each other. She builds the piece with movements not only from her creative genius, but also with some of the movements individual dancers came up with during a reactionary improvisation to a piece of music. Both pieces will for sure, like all the others, tap into our emotional senses and leave us

ONTHEMENU

aunt rosa lee’s mississippi soul food

2781 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles by erica carter I wasn’t sure if many college students think of a soul food joint when it comes to deciding what to eat on a regular basis, but from the looks of the crowd in Aunt Rosa Lee’s Mississippi Soul Food, quite a few do! I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised because of its proximity to USC. This area is also prime for finding soul food cuisine. What make Aunt Rosa Lee’s better than the rest is the friendly service, the good-for-groups atmosphere and the menu. Just like the name states, this is Mississippi cooking. You’ve got the obligatory sides and entrees like creamy mac and cheese, barbecued slathered ribs and fried chicken. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about soul food, the dishes may all look the same, but they certainly don’t taste that way. Georgia soul food has a different flavor, as does North

Campus Circle 3.2.11 - 3.8.11

Joe Lambie

NEWS

Terri Best Dance will take the stage for Celebrate Dance 2011. with something to ponder. Overseeing this vivid experience of dance is Jamie Nichols (executive producer), a former dancer who meticulously and single-handedly organizes the event, from the selection of companies all the way to marketing. As always, she is more than excited to introduce to the public a brand new collection of amazing dramatic pieces of choreography. Jamie Nichols is truly a woman of passion. She pours her energy into the annual nonprofit event to see the positive reactions of her audience. She knows her job is successfully done when she sees that the audience has enjoyed the event and is moved by it in some way. I’m pretty sure, after having the opportunity to talk with the executive director and two of the artistic directors, this year’s Celebrate Dance will be another successful event in the history of dance. I don’t think Jamie Nichols will be the only person feeling the joy and excitement when the doors close and the theater goes dark. Alex Theatre is located at 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. For more information, visit alextheatre.org or celebratedance.org.

Campus Circle > Culture > Food Carolina’s, Tennessee’s, etc., and Western Avenue’s soul food joints follow similarly. I find Aunt Rosa Lee’s dishes to be slightly more approachable for first-timers to soul food. Think of them as the gateway, where the spices are lighter and the sauces slightly sweeter than the more heavy-handed approaches of some of the nearby restaurants. The first item that comes to the table is a plate of corn muffins. This staple of Southern cuisine is eaten with everything. Sometimes it feels like if the cornbread is missing, you’re not having an authentic Southern soul food meal. And no soul food place should be without it, nor should they be missing fried catfish. Across the board, fried catfish should always be uniformly breaded and quickly fried so that it’s crispy, pepper flavored and light. It should never be greasy, as that means it has sat in the batter too long or the oil is not hot enough. Aunt Rosa Lee’s version excels in its rendition, served alongside tart collard greens and black-eyed peas. I can’t say the same about fried chicken. I think the point is chicken should be greasy and finger-lickin’ good. I haven’t tried the chicken here, but I will say the pieces were huge and the fried coating nice and thick. I can only hope that when biting into the breast, it bursts with tender juices. You can interchange the sides, including French fries, mashed potatoes, corn and green beans amongst others. One of my favorite meals is a hunk of corn served alongside a spicy hot link with cornbread. I tried the pork spareribs, and sadly, I was kind of disappointed. The meat was a little too soft for my taste. Usually soft, completely falling off the bone ribs signal that they have been overcooked. A small tug on a bone should yield a small amount of meat, not the entire section. I also found the sauce to be a little too tangy, but I think that’s because I prefer the heavy smokiness that surrounds my own

Dig into Aunt Rosa Lee’s Mississippi Soul Food. version of ribs. Decidedly, I may be a little biased on the ribs discussion. Nevertheless, the cheddar macaroni and cheese next to the hearty portion of ribs matched well against the barbecue flavor. Ribs aside, I enjoy almost everything else they serve up. Aunt Rosa Lee’s service is top-notch. My glass of delicious sweet tea was never empty, the condiments always readily available and the genuine smiles from the staff endless. Customer service is a huge part of going out; it can decide whether you will overlook a few missteps in food or walk out feeling disappointed. Aunt Rosa Lee’s is definitely a well-rounded dining experience. For more information, call (323) 733-8586.

Follow CAMPUS CIRCLE on Twitter @CampusCircle MUSICREPORT by kevin wierzbicki The Doggumentary

Cheryl Fox

Snoop Dogg has continuously proven why he remains King of West Coast hip-hop. In a genre where age can come as a disadvantage and sound and fashion rapidly changes, Snoop without a doubt remains relevant. Eighteen years deep in the game, Snoop is releasing his 11th album, Doggumentary, March 29. We had the privilege to attend Snoop’s listening party for the new album at Capital Records. In an orchestra-style recording studio Snoop is still king of the West Coast. stood Snoop on a stage with his entourage. There he sat lighting a marathon of blunts while answering questions and flipping between tracks from his new album. It was a great event full of eccentric tunes and chill vibes. From banging 808s to acoustic guitar riffs, Doggumentary is guaranteed be a classic. —Da Ron Jackson

Lamb of God Hits the Wall If you’ve recently purchased Lamb of God’s Hourglass anthology you probably think you have all of the band’s output. You do, with one exception, and that would be the track “Hit the Wall,” which has previously only been available on the “Iron Man 2” video game. Now you can download the full version of the song, with vocals, at lamb-of-god.com. And if you want to keep your LOG collection completely current, you’ll need to pick up a copy of the April edition of Decibel Magazine, on stands now, where “Hit the Wall” is featured on the issue’s included Flexidisc.

Slash For Sale Julien’s Auctions has announced the sale of exclusive property from legendary guitarist and musician Slash. Included in the auction sale are some of the iconic, Grammy-winning artist’s guitars, vehicles, personal furniture and décor from his Hollywood Hills home. Guitars are expected to go in the thousands of dollars but some of the home furnishing items and things like sunglasses and performance-worn T-shirts are expected to command amounts in the low hundreds. Fans and potential buyers can view the items free of charge March 7 to 25 at Julien’s (9665 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 150). If you intend to bid on an item, you must register on the auction house’s Web site or call (310) 836-1818. Slash will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Los Angeles Youth Network.

Mayhem Festival Lineup The lineup for the local stop of the Fourth Annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival has been announced. Disturbed, Godsmack and Dethklok headline the main stage, where rotating slots have also been allocated to Testament, Machine Head and Trivium. The event’s Jägermeister stage hosts Unearth, Kingdom of Sorrow, Red Fang and the still-tobe-announced winners of Jäger’s battle of the bands. The Extreme stage spotlights Suicide Silence, All Shall Perish and Straight Line Stitch. This lineup is for the festival’s opening day, July 9, at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino only. rockstarmayhemfest. com

One Bite at a Time for Umphrey’s McGee Umphrey’s McGee plan to release a collection of new music soon, but not as an album. Instead, the band will offer up the new material via a series of digital EPs. Visit umphreys. com for news of the bite-size music portions from the band’s perspective as well as full details of the upcoming releases and a free mp3 download of the new song “Wellwishers.” Umphrey’s will be in town March 17; their St. Patrick’s Day show takes place at the Hollywood House of Blues.

Uh Huh Her: Nocturnes Leisha Hailey and Camila Grey, aka L.A. duo Uh Huh Her, have opted to eschew glossy production and tap into old rock influences instead for their new release, Nocturnes. “Back then, the music I gravitated towards had a pulse and was mysterious and seductive,” says Grey. “I wanted to bring some of that to the table because I feel these days everyone has their cards on the table.” The electro-indie act’s “Same High” appeared in the film The Kids Are All Right and is included on Nocturnes, which is set to drop in late spring. In the meantime, Uh Huh Her appear at the El Rey April 1.

Against All Will Climbing the Charts Los Angeles-based Against All Will has rocketed into the Top 15 of Sirius XM’s Octane chart with their hit single “The Drug I Need.” From the band’s current album A Rhyme & Reason, “The Drug I Need” was written by AAW’s guitarist Jimmy Allen, who knows a little bit about writing hits. Allen is the former lead guitarist for Puddle of Mudd, for whom he co-wrote biggies “Blurry,” “She Hates Me” and “Drift and Die.”

Campus Circle • Beauty and the Beast/Pantages Theatre 4.875” x 5.9” • BW Pub Date: 3.2.201

Campus Circle 3.2.11 - 3.8.11

NEWS

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CULTURE

EVENTS

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

JETSETTER

FROM MARDI GRAS TO MEXICO (By Sea!)

by kevin wierzbicki If you’d like to party with, oh, say a quar– ter million of your closest friends, then New Orleans during Mardi Gras is the place to be. Moderation and bashfulness seem to go right out the window in the city’s French Quarter and particularly on Bourbon Street as big-ass beers are guzzled in the middle of the closed-off street, girls flash and otherwise go wild and everyone scrambles for the ubiquitous trinket bead necklaces that are tossed from parade floats. Mix in nonstop music of all sorts being played on the street and in dozens of bars, Cajun food to die for and oh yeah, the costumes, and it’s no wonder that people come from all over the world to let their hair down for this unique event. There’s such a whirlwind of activity during Mardi Gras that it’s a little mind-boggling, but eventually the celebration wraps up and people start heading home. That doesn’t mean the fun has to end though; keep the good times rolling all the way to Mexico! Aboard the Fun Ship: Extending a Mardi Gras visit to New

Campus Circle > Culture > Travel Orleans into a cruise to Mexico is easier than you might think. Carnival Cruises offer a five-day jaunt that departs the Saturday after Mardi Gras from a pier that’s only minutes away from the French Quarter and Bourbon Street and returns there on Wednesday. The ship then sails for Progreso, on the very northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, and later to the party-hardy island of Cozumel. But first there’s a full day at sea, and that gives you time to enjoy all the amenities of what Carnival calls their “fun ship.” Slosh down the giant Twister water slide a few times before heading to an awesome all-youcan-eat buffet lunch, sip on a Coco Loco Monkey Head or two and stop by the sushi bar on the way to the casino. When it gets late the disco opens, and it won’t close until you’ve worn yourself out dancing. Just make sure you save a little energy for Mexico! Progreso: Progreso is one of the lesser-visited ports in Mexico, and because of that you can find whatever type of beach experience you might desire, from active to quiet. A full range of diving, snorkeling and other water activities are on tap, or if you’d like to do a more touristy thing, there’s a good excursion that combines a visit to the Mayan ruins at Dzibilchaltún with a Mexican buffet and Charros show at the Tierra Bonita Ranch. At Dzibilchaltún you can actually climb on the ancient pyramids, and the show and lunch at Tierra Bonita features lots of traditional singing and dancing and horseback riding and roping demonstrations from Mexican cowboys. Lunch includes a free margarita, and additional liquor purchases afterward are very cheap. Cozumel: The entire island of Cozumel is geared toward tourism, and that means there are endless opportunities for fun. Here, it is easy to get around and impossible to get

You can climb the ancient pyramids at Dzibilchaltún. lost, so if exploration is your thing, just get off the ship and see where the day leads you. Right near the pier there’s a shopping area loaded with places to drink and eat, you will find colorful characters here too in full Mayan garb who will pose for pictures for just a small tip. If you want to stay on land you can rent a bike, scooter or ATV and head out as part of a group or on your own, and if you want to play in the water all the common options are available, as are more unusual adventures like riding underwater scooters, riding in a submarine or putting on a space-age diving helmet for a walk on the ocean floor. Swim with rays, go deep-sea fishing, kayak, snuba or just attend the Corona beach party. Then it’s back on the ship and a return to New Orleans and Bourbon Street – I’m beginning to see a pattern here! These short cruises are not expensive, and your favorite travel agent can generally get you the best deal. For more information, visit carnival.com.

LAKERS ARE ON FIRE by marvin vasquez

Four games. Four wins. The Lakers are back on track after a much-needed All-Star Pau Gasol and the Lakers win four. break. Los Angeles’ current four-game winning streak has been no easy task, however, especially with their respective victories at Portland (106-101) and Sunday’s win over the Thunder in Oklahoma City (90-87). “The rest did the guys some good. It was a chance to kind of recover, regroup and focus on the opportunity that we have ahead of ourselves,” Kobe Bryant tells reporters after L.A.’s big win in Oklahoma. Bryant collected 17 points on a poor day’s work of shooting eight-of-22 field goals, but dished out seven assists and a critical fade-away shot in the closing seconds. Also, he moved past Elvin Hayes for seventh on the NBA All-Time scoring list. Led by Pau Gasol’s double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, the Lakers managed to penetrate the paint a lot against the Thunder. Center Andrew Bynum also recorded a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with his five blocked shots. Ron Artest added 10 points, while Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown each had nine. Artest also shut down the NBA’s leading scorer Kevin Durant, who only posted 21 points on eight-of-20 shooting. Both Durant and James Harden had open three-pointer looks to send the game into overtime, but both attempts did not go through. “We were fortunate to come away with that win,” head coach Phil Jackson remarks. “Two shots like they had at the end of the game were good looks. But we did the job in the second half defensively.” The Lakers (42-19) face the Bobcats March 4 at home before heading out on a fourgame road trip beginning March 6 in San Antonio.

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