The DA 10-03-2011 by The Daily Athenaeum

THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

Monday October 3, 2011

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 3

Mountaineer Idol, Make-A-Wish give back by ashley hite

a&e correspondent

Friday’s Mountaineer Idol round was a night of hopes, chances and dreams. The Mountainlair Ballrooms were filled with students cheering on their favorite contestants and special guests from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The foundation set up a table where they sold cupcakes donated by Morgantown’s Cupcakerie and offered MakeA-Wish stars. Proceeds went to the MakeA-Wish Foundation, to help make a child’s wish come true. The Make-A-Wish Foundation had a brief video at the beginning of Mountaineer Idol that showed the stories of two children and their families. “It’s for children who have their lives altered by a disease they can’t control,” said Rickie Huffman, vice presi-

dent of West Virginia University’s Wishmakers on Campus. Students who are a part of Wishmakers on Campus can work and gain community service hours while helping to make a child’s wish come true. Matt Boczanowski and Amanda Hughart hosted the show again, alongside special Make-A-Wish guest Lauren Musgrove. Musgrove attends East Fairmont Junior High and was a recipient of a Disney cruise. Continuing with the night’s theme, Hughart announced that they will be collecting stuffed animals for the WVU Children’s Hospital in front of the administration offices in the Mountainlair. Each contestant got to share a story of charity work they had done in the past. For some participants these stories included building homes for hurricane Katrina victims, and others volunteered at the Special

Olympics. Judges for the night included rock ‘n’ roll celebrity Al Anderson and 10-year-old Haley, who had met singer and actress Miley Cyrus as part of her wish. Anderson did a special performance of “Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown” while the judges tabulated the final scores. The night continued on with the elimination round in which each contestant performed a classic song matching the oldies theme. Last week three contestants were eliminated, and the top 10 continued on to Friday’s round. From this third elimination round, two contestants said goodbye. The Moutaineer Idol Facebook contest guaranteed that one contestant had immunity and would automatically go on to the next round. With six hundred and fortyfour votes, Alyssa Fazzini won

immunity. Fazzini shocked the crowd when she walked off stage during her rendition of “Stand By Me” and joined her friends in the back of the ballrooms so they could sing the song with her. “My friends love to sing it on the PRT before games,” Fazzini said. “I had immunity, so I knew no matter what I did it wouldn’t matter.” The remaining eight who will be in the fourth elimination round in two weeks are Alyssa Fazzini, Farah Famouri, Patrick Garcia, Jilsel Harris, Ellis Lambert, Scott Link, Chelsea Malone and Amy Schriner. The theme of the next round is country and will be held in the Mountainlair Ballrooms on October 13 at 8:30 p.m. This will be the second-tolast elimination round before the final competition. daa&e@mail.wvu.edu

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Chelsea Malone sang a version of ‘At Last,’ by Etta James Friday night.

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Gilsel Harris performed a version of ‘Dancing in the Street,’ by Martha and the Vandellas Friday night.

Mountaineer Idol Schedule: Friday, Oct. 14, 8:30 p.m. Mountainlair Ballroom “Country” Friday, Oct. 21, 9:00 p.m. Mountainlair Ballroom “Broadway and Motown” Sunday, Nov. 6, 3:00 p.m. Downtown Met Theatre, Final Competition Ellis Lambert sang a version of ‘Always and Forever,’ by Luther Vandross Friday night.

Cassia King/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

Latest release from metal monsters Mastodon surpasses previous work Hunter Homistek a&e Writer

Atlanta, Ga., progressive metal quartet Mastodon has released its fifth studio album, “The Hunter” under Reprise Records. Hailed as the “saviors of modern metal music,” Mastodon is not unfamiliar with the spotlight and the responsibilities and duties such an honor entails. What is fun to watch about them, though, is how they react and respond to such a position. Following their 2009 release “Crack the Skye,” an al-

bum that was met with incredibly high reviews and was ubiquitously considered a definitive metal album of the year, many were wondering how Mastodon could possibly top such a masterpiece. As they have done so many times in the past, the grizzlylooking guys of Mastodon proved they are up for any challenge in recording “The Hunter.” This album has it all for me – it is the perfect blend of technicality and melody, the ideal amount of jawdropping technical passages combined with just enough hooks and catchy riffs and choruses. Refusing to be confined to

a single genre, “The Hunter” combines elements of sludge metal, progressive metal, classic rock, and straightforward, pure heavy metal. This is what defines the album for me, and it is what keeps the album fresh from start to finish. Songs like “Curl of the Burl” remind me of old school Black Label Society “Sonic Brew” era. It is a masterpiece defined by fuzzy, low-tuned guitars and vocalist Brett Hind’s keen sense of melody. This is the song you jam with the windows down and bang your head to start to finish. On the other hand, opening track “Black Tongue,” which is also the new sin-

gle from the album, showcases their progressive roots more than other offerings. This song almost belongs in “Crack the Skye” stylistically, but Mastodon has employed a song structure in “The Hunter” which deviates from their usual style of long, multiple-passage epics. “Black Tongue” is a concise offering which sums up Mastodon well in its three and a half minute span. It is progressive but still melodic, technical but still catchy. The main riff is simple, but it is layered with such a technical drum beat that their talents musically are not lost. Mastodon is, in this way,

one of the few bands in today’s metal scene to truly understand the line between a casual fan and a hard-core musician, and their understanding of this needed balance has led (and continues to lead) to their success as a group. “The Hunter” is a fine offering that raises the already high bar for Atlanta metal monsters Mastodon. A supreme offering of technicality and melody, this is the defining metal album of 2011 for me thus far.

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Mastadon The Hunter “The Hunter,” the latest from Atlanta, Ga., metal group Mastodon, raises the bar and surpasses their previous releases.

daa&e@mail.wvu.edu

Chaang Thai spices up dining on High Street Emily meadows a&e correspondent

If you’re looking for a new spicy, ethnic flavor around Morgantown, look no further than the new Chaang Thai restaurant. Located at 361 High St., the new downtown spot, which opened just last week, offers a vast array of authentic Thai cuisine at an affordable price. The beautifully decorated restaurant, adorned with pleasingly dimmed lighting, is quite large in size. After being greeted by the host at the door, diners have options to sit at the full-size bar, in comfortable booths,at center tables or even catch a window seat to look out onto High Street while enjoying their meal. In addition, the restaurant offers a full-size carry-out menu if there isn’t time for a sit-down meal. No need to feel worrisome if you aren’t familiar with the typical Thai cuisine. The menu breaks down your choices between curry-, noo-

dle- and rice-based dishes, and you’re provided with detailed descriptions and pictures of each. While the food is delicious, those who do not like spicy food will need to read the menu a little more carefully, as Thai cuisine is known for its unique spicy flavor. The menu also breaks down dishes by category of mild, medium and hot, so the distinction between flavors is made clear. However, you can also ask to have any food selection prepared milder or spicier, depending on your taste. For the mild eater, choices include the rice-based Chaang Pineapple Delight, which includes a choice of chicken, pork or beef sauteed with tomatoes, onions, pineapples, cucumber, peppers and tomato sauce. Also the simple and delicious Pattaya Kee Meo, a ricebased entree with a choice of meat on wide rice noodles, sauteed with chili, garlic, basil leaves, bell pepper, onion and tomato, offers For the spicy food lover, it seems the sky is the limit. From the hot menu, you

can order Crazy Spicy Noodles, a dish of wide rice noodles sauteed with chili, garlic, basil leaves, bell peppers, onion and tomatoes. If you really want to kick the heat up a notch, try a dish from the Chaang Thai hot section, guaranteed to satisfy your spice needs. The Honey Beef, flank steak marinated in sesame oil and exotic spices, is panfried and sure to bring ultimate heat to your entree. Chaang salads and soups

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Morgantown’s Original Halloween Store Costumes, Special Effects, Wigs, Makeup & More!

Mon-Thur: Lunch 11-2 Dinner 5-10

Fri-Sat:

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can also be ordered as entrees, and a salad or soup of the day is always free with any entree. If you decide to take a seat at the bar, try one of the five exotic Thai drinks they offer, including Coconut Moonshine, Lychee Nectar or a new twist on an old favorite, a Chaang Cream Soda. Chaang Thai restaurant is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Lunch 11-12:30 Dinner 5-11

Sun: 12-9

Two Locations: Morgantown Mountaineer i ineer Mall M ll 1314 Morgant Ave Next to Woman’s Fairmont, WV Fitness Center 304-363-4785 304-284-9150