Buzz Magazine: December 18, 2015

Champaign-Urbana’s community magazine FREE

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WeeK OF December 18, 2015

December Delghts

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Keeping Urbana strang

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Q&a: spanDrels

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mOre On readbuzz.com

buzz

VOL13 NO47

DECEMBER 18, 2015

weekly

IN THIS IS SU E

Collin and Bob sit at the helm of Royse & Brinkmeyer, and bring with them 35 years of collective experience. They work tirelessly to insure that the foundation of our company, built through hard work and experience, remains strong. Through their persistent efforts, Royse and Brinkmeyer has remained a leader in apartment rentals, providing exemplary homes, and unmatched customer service!

“At Royse & Brinkmeyer we’ve built a great reputation on hard work and experience”

Over 40 years of experience bringing you clean, affordable apartments.

Office: 211 W. SPRINGFIELD AVE., CHAMPAIGN, IL

Phone: (217) 352-1129

WWW.ROYSEBRINKMEYER.COM

EDITOR’S NOTE

OUR STAR WARS WISHLIST

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KEEPING URBANA "STRANG"

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04

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LOCAL HOLIDAY FOOD GUIDE

Q&A: SPANDRELS

Buzz talks with Casey and Carrick of Spandrels!

CALENDAR

O N READ BUZZ .COM

Share your thoughts!

Ipek Firat

“The Carole King Musical” Syd Slobodnik

SEND A LETTER TO THE EDITOR : OPINIONS@ DAILYILLINI.COM

2 buzz December 18, 2016-January 14, 2016

DIY: Edible Christmas Gifts Savia Gordon

Favorite TV Episodes buzz Movies & TV Staff

Q&A: We Have Ghosts Elani Kaufman

In my editorial last week, I wrote about my obsessive love for year-end lists. As is standard in such conversations, I focused on the widely-circulated “Best of 2015” lists, which involve nationally-released movies, records and videos. In doing this, however, I ignored dozens of important events and accomplishments that happened locally, which I now realize was a major oversight. Locally (and nationally) 2015 wasn't always an easy year; we felt tension and anger - among many joys, struggles and pains - in our community, but responded powerfully and productively to them. With that in mind, here’s a different kind of year-end list, featuring a few of the Best Moments in C-U (both serious and lighthearted) from this past year.

1 – The prevalence of protests and rallies (both on and off campus)

Your guide to this week's events in CU

Beautified

ANWEN PARROTT

COMMUNITY Check out Ipek Firat’s column, Beautified, to find DIY skincare recipes!

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Carole King’s musical is consists of her biography along with her compositions, and is currently showing at the Chicago Ford’s Oriental Theatre.

FOOD & DRINK SLet’s be real, Mariah Carey. All we want for Christmas is food.

MOVIES & TV The Movies & TV staff lay out their favorite TV episodes of 2015 on the table. See what did and didn’t make the cut.

MUSIC Get to know the local two-piece ahead of their show this Friday at Mike N Molly’s.

Though it may be cumbersome to have a protest shut down a street, it’s incredibly empowering to see grassroots action and advocacy come to life. Throughout these past few months in Champaign-Urbana, tension and social unrest has been met with action, with the uplifting of voices that aren’t heard enough and the centralizing of underrepresented communities. We have a long way to go – but this is an affirming step to take.

2 – The expansion (and reopening) of great C-U establishments On a much less serious note, the long-awaited expansions of many local favorites FINALLY came to fruition this year. Black Dog opened a shop in Champaign, Strawberry Fields and V Picasso reopened, Common Ground’s second location was announced and the Blind Pig nearly doubled in size – all very happy and welcome additions.

3 – (Another) good year for music Another year in C-U, another fantastic 12 months of tunes. Aside from our developing and passionate local scene, 2015 brought with it diverse talents, spanning from two sold-out shows by Young the Giant, Of Montreal, SZA, The Pygmalion Fest…the list goes on. Keep it up, C-U.

HEADS UP!

LIKES, GRIPES & YIKES

YIKES

ALYSSA SPARACINO Art Director

»A FINALS NIGHTMARE

IT’S A SMALL- HOLIDAY WONDERLAND- AFTER ALL ABBY RUMMAGE With winter quickly on its way and Jack Frost nipping at noses, Lincoln Square in Urbana introduces Holiday Wonderland. Families, students and visitors alike are invited to explore the intricate display of 500 decorated miniature houses, making Holiday World one of the largest holiday village displays in the nation.

Each bite-size home has been carefully crafted, loaded with dancing lights and artificial snow, while horse-drawn carriages line the streets with laughing plastic figurines. The constructed village encapsulates the warmth of the holidays in one beautiful and artistic scene for all wintertime lovers to enjoy and celebrate.

But that’s not all; Holiday World offers an interactive village for children where they are encouraged to play with specific displays and to even let their imagination run wild, creating a display of their own. Light refreshments and snacks will also be offered to any and all.

Continue reading at readbuzz.com

BUZZ STAFF COVER DESIGN Gracie Sullivan EDITOR IN CHIEF Anwen Parrott MANAGING EDITOR Sean Neumann ART DIRECTOR Alyssa Sparacino COPY CHIEF Ali Lowery PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Alyssa Abay IMAGE EDITOR Sean Neumann PHOTOGRAPHERS Alyssa Abay DESIGNERS Alyssa Sparacino, Gracie Sullivan, Eric Pryor MUSIC EDITOR Christine Pallon FOOD & DRINK EDITOR Shruti Srikumar MOVIES & TV EDITOR Josh Peterson ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Melisa Puthenmadom COMMUNITY EDITOR Lauren Eiden ONLINE EDITOR Sean Neumann DISTRIBUTION Brandi and Steve Wills ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Nick Langlois PUBLISHER & GENERAL MANAGER Lilyan J. Levant

So I set many alarms for around 6:30a.m. for my 8 a.m. final but ended up waking up eight minutes before my final...

I ran out the door in basically my PJs and gave my lungs the run of a lifetime. I got to the room halfway across campus only one minute late and was able to take my exam. That run left me panting for air and the taste of blood in my mouth for some reason... Worst experience ever.

Lesson learned: put phone alarm on the other side of the room.

GRIPES

SEAN NEUMANN

FM 107.1

Managing Editor

»ALYSSA SHUT OFF THE COMPUTERS (AGAIN) While we all sit peacefully and check in all of our work for the week, Alyssa Sparacino (former buzz art director...) decided finals and cold, dark weather weren't enough for us this week and decided to shut off all the computers while we were quietly working. Buzz would like to wish Alyssa all the best in her future endeavors. SEE YA.

GRIPES

ERIC PRYOR Designer

»BEING WOKEN UP BY MY LANDLORD .. Who decides to be bringing tours into my room every morning. Also theres nothing in the lease about having to keep my room clean, so no, I won't clean it.

LIKES

JAMIE HAHN Asst. Moveis Editor

» THIS HUGGING SLOTH LAPTOP STICKER

85

$

TALK TO BUZZ

ON THE WEB www.readbuzz.com EMAIL buzz@readbuzz.com WRITE 512 E. Green St., Champaign, IL 61820 CALL 217.337.3801

We reserve the right to edit submissions. buzz will not publish a letter without the verbal consent of the writer prior to publication date. buzz Magazine is a student-run publication of Illini Media Company and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the University of Illinois administration, faculty or students. © ILLINI MEDIA COMPANY 2015

Order your yearbook online at

illioyearbook.com or call

217-337-8314 December 18, 2015-January 14, 2016 buzz 3

FOOD & DRINK

C-U HOLIDAY FOOD GUIDE

Take advantage of Champaign-Urbana’s seasonal eats with buzz’s holiday specials guide SHRUTI SRIKUMAR Cream & Flutter: Downtown Champaign’s Cream & Flutter will be offering an array of holiday gifts, including their signature cupcakes and round cakes available for pre-order, snowflake sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, mini red-and-green Christmas macarons, candy canes and more. In addition, if you missed them at the Japan House Bazaar, Cream & Flutter will still be offering their pre-order holiday pies until December 23.

Each pie costs $35, of which $5 is donated to support the Japan House internship program.

Flavors include Japanese Whiskey Pecan, French Apple and Pear Blueberry. To place an order call (217) 355-5400 or stop by during walk-in hours.

Flying Machine Coffee: Flying Machine Coffee in Urbana has a couple of holiday inspired drinks during December including the “Krampus” peppermint mocha topped with crushed candy cane and the “Belsnickel” mocha served with red hots candy syrup. Both of the holiday drinks will be topped

with a large, fluffy marshmallow from Hopscotch Cakes.

Pekara Bakery: No matter what time of year, Pekara usually has a fair amount of delectable seasonal and daily specials to enjoy. Currently Pekara’s Bakehouse is cranking out tons of holiday goodies including gingerbread cookies, peppermint macarons, decadent chocolate peppermint cake, hand decorated Christmas cookies and more. Just stop by during walk-in hours to see what festive confection you can find.

Milo’s Restaurant: Milo’s restaurant in Urbana will be open for Christmas from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Look forward to traditional menu items and a vast selection of entrees including turkey with trimmings, prime rib, lamb chops and more. To make a reservation call (217) 344-8946.

Silvercreek: This year, Silvercreek in Urbana will be open for

both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The Christmas Eve menu will feature starters, soups and several entrees, including fall vegetable risotto, lobster mac n’ cheese, filet mignon, pan-roasted chicken, lamb chops, seared diver scallops and more. Silvercreek’s New Years Eve menu will include three different courses at a fixed price of $60. The first course will feature soups and salads such as lobster bisque and roasted beet salad, while the second course will feature six entrees ranging from grilled pork tenderloin to duck confit. Silvercreek’s final dessert course will feature four mouthwatering sweet treats including chocolate cake, salted caramels, crème brulee and poached pear pavlova. To make a reservation for either dinner call (217) 328-3402, and to view complete menus please visit Silvercreek’s Facebook page.

Black Dog Smoke & Ale House: Black Dog’s Urbana location will be hosting a New Years Eve dinner from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at a fixed cost of $55 per person. The menu will feature an appetizer course, smoked prime rib,

lobster tail, various sides and desserts. To make a reservation for either the 5:30 or 8 p.m. seating please visit the Urbana location in person at 201 N. Broadway Ave. Destihl: Downtown Champaign’s Destihl will have several New Years specials running from December 31 through January 2. Featured dishes will include a seafood ciopinno with mussles, clams and shrimp served in a tomato broth, as well as a 30-ounce grilled Tomahawk ribeye served with fingerling potatoes, zucchini and squash.

Destihl’s dessert special will be a refreshing chocolate panna cotta topped with vanilla bean mascarpone and pomegranate seeds. Destihl will also be open on Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with their regular menu. For more information about Destihl’s holiday and catering specials please view the December newsletter located on their Facebook page.

Used with permission from Cream & Flutter

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TALKING "NUNSENSE" WITH TWIN CITY SQUARED New theatre company lights up the Parkland stage with plans for more MELISA PUTHENMADOM

Used with permission from Twin City Squared

TWIN

City Squared is the newest theatre company on the block, yet their first production of the musical comedy "Nunsense"

by Dan Goggin has been a smashing success.

With a few more performances December 18 and 19 at 7 p.m., and December 20 at 2 p.m. at the Second Stage Theatre at Parkland College, their energy and investment in the community should not be missed. Picking a well-loved and hilarious musical to kick off their first season certainly served them well—the original was one of off-Broadway’s biggest commercial successes, and Goggin penned six sequels as a result.

What kinds of talent are coming together behind Twin City Squared? Founding member and producer of Nunsense Michael Galloway chats with buzz about the group, their current work and where they hope to be in the near future. »buzz: How and when did the founding members come together to form Twin City Squared?

How many productions have you done so far?

»Michael Galloway: The founding members - John Tilford, Angela Marcum, Garth Gersten and I - started talking in September and came together in October when the opportunity to [stage] "Nunsense" at Parkland College presented itself. Once we made the decision to form the company, things happened rather quickly. However, we all are fairly experienced with presenting and producing theatre, so we were able to jump in. "Nunsense" is our first production. Our second production will be "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf" on January 21-24.

That show has been cast and rehearsals have begun. »buzz: How have performances of "Nunsense" gone so far? What do you think is the appeal to this show, and how have your cast and crew taken to the material? »MG: The performances have been beyond our expectations. This cast and crew really took

to each other and have been unbelievably supportive in the rehearsal and production periods—which included a Thanksgiving break. You would be shocked at how tight our rehearsal and production schedule was. »buzz: What goes into picking a show for your company? Do you have a rather steady group of actors or backstage staff? »MG: We are in the process of picking shows.

Some of the elements we are looking for are: shows that will present opportunities for actors who don’t always get major opportunities. For example, there are few shows with more than one or two major female parts. We hope to present shows with larger female roles. Even with colorblind casting, the opportunities for minority performers are few. Similarly, we are looking to produce shows that expand the theatre audience by appealing to people who don’t normally come to the theatre. We also are focused on presenting shows that have not been produced in Champaign-Urbana ever or for quite some time. »buzz: What are some of the difficulties of pulling together a production as an independent company? »MG: The biggest difficulty is finding rehearsal space. Set building and costuming is not that difficult, as we know people with those skills who have offered help and space. Garages are wonderful places. The second biggest difficulty is finding performance venues. The Virginia Theatre is too large for many productions. The two stages at Parkland are booked with Parkland productions for much of the year and other groups. We are exploring other options, but can’t really discuss them at this time. »buzz: What’s the philosophy behind paying your staff and actors?

»MG: The philosophy is that staff and actors put a lot of time in to their performances. Staff members at several venues in Champaign-Urbana are paid, but not the actors. We felt that actors give as much as staff people and deserve some financial compensation. We also wanted actors to have a stake in the success of each show—so that a company can be built. »buzz: What do you find important about having a theatre company formed by and open to members of the community? »MG: We all are strong believers in the value of theatre as part of a community’s identity.

Neighboring communities of similar size actually have more theatre opportunities than Champaign-Urbana, even with the two universities in town. Theatre is a way to bring together people of differing socio-economic backgrounds. Theatre can inform, invigorate and entertain. »buzz: What are some future plans for Twin City Squared? »MG: We are producing "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf," for January 21-24 at Second Stage at Parkland.

We are working on raising funds to put on a larger musical at the end of May, a couple more shows (one more play & another musical), We are hoping to produce regular cabaret performances as well.

For more information on Twin City Squared, visit their website at twincitysquared.com. Tickets for "Nunsense" are $15 per adult and $12 for students and seniors.

December 18, 2015-January 14, 2016 buzz 5

MOVIES & TV

COUNTDOWN TO "STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS" Buzz Movies & TV editor Josh Peterson’s hopes for the latest Star Wars installment JOSH PETERSON

STAR

Wars is one of those pieces of pop culture that has permeated your life regardless of who you are, what you do or what you like. In terms of the biggest, most universal cultural icons, it goes Michael Jordan>Kanye West>Star Wars. And yes, while I may have ranked those based on the totally arbitrary measure of “how strong of an opinion does my grandma have about this thing?” that’s also somewhat the point: There are a lot of people that care about this. That DEEPLY care about this. That remember the brilliant joyful awe of seeing a Star Destroyer crawl across the screen for the first time. People who have worried that they were having heart palpitations, only to realize that somewhere in the background, the work of John Williams was playing. People who were tricked into blindly loving a series of prequels as a child, only to watch them as grown people and realize that they had all the life of a plank of wood - one that was rotten after being bloated with dorky CGI creatures, intergalactic tax law and Natalie Portman falling in love with a nine-year-old.

That’s the thing that has to be remembered when talking about this – Star Wars, for the better part of the last 10 years, has been labeled damaged goods. It’s not that the shitty prequel trilogy was overshadowed by the accomplishments of it’s beloved counterpart – more that it left a taste behind so unpleasant that the idea of consuming anything else Star Wars-related at the time was completely unappetizing.

Thankfully in 2015, we collectively seem ready to love again. By the time you’re reading this, "The Force Awakens" will have been seen by an army of rabid fans, the Twitter raving will have begun, and the collective public will be talking about how this, yes, THIS is the Star Wars movie that we deserved, the one that brings balance to the franchise, the one that is better than all the others. Because let’s face it: regardless of the actual quality of this movie, it’s pretty clear that the fans have been won over before ever even sitting down in a theatre.

The chills these trailers have been inducing, with their sunken Star Destroyers and grizzled Han, are formidable, a weaponized nostalgia that even the most powerful cynicism must submit to. J.J. Abrams, shepherd of intellectual property, king of expanded universes, was not the perfect choice but truly the only choice; there is no other director that could’ve won fans’ trust. He has helped to craft the perfect hype machine, one driven by wonder and mystery instead of connect-the-dots media games

6 buzz December 18, 2015-January 14, 2016

that lead to articles reporting the contents of movies before they screen, ruining the experience entirely. This movie is a seismic experience that will shake pop culture with strength that will quite likely be greater than anything that has come before. And we shall emerge from the rubble of our doubts and our fears and sing songs of the greatest science fiction movie we have ever seen, telling all who will hear that we were there to witness the rebirth of the original franchise, using the singular voice of our group-think chorus to silence anyone that dares to mutter anything to the contrary.

Make no mistake; I’m so unbelievably in on this movie. It’s going to be perfect; I can feel it, I know it already. I just know that once the tide of public opinion swells, it will rush over us all and sweep us up into the idea that Abrams has crafted the greatest Star Wars film ever. And you know what, I hope he has. But what would that even mean? What do I hope this film does?

Well, I’m glad you asked, because I have a few thoughts. I submit, humbly, and in the spirit of the holidays, my wish list for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

12 minutes of exposition You know what’s great about "A New Hope" (other than everything of course)? It takes its time. We just chill with Luke on Tatooine for kinda a really long time before anything even happens. The prequels are jarring messes of start-and-stop action with no real formula or overarching plan. I’d like some quiet time with our new heroes before we get to see them being galaxy savers, please. That’s a little thing called pacing.

11 examples of poor marksmanship from stormtroopers Some things you can’t change.

10 one-liners from Oscar Isaac In case you didn’t know, Oscar Isaac is a thespian of the highest quality, and I’m stoked for him to become a household name between this and next year’s 32nd X-Men movie. He’s snarky, charming and ready to become a star.

Therefore, he seems perfect to take over the Han Solo-esque role from the original movies: general badassery and cynical comments.

9 one-liners from Harrison Ford BECAUSE YOU CAN PRY THESE QUIPS FROM HARRISON’S COLD DEAD HANDS, OSCAR.

8 examples of Daisy Ridley being super cool and kicking ass She just looks like a ninja, and I really want her to be a ninja, and being super cool and kicking ass is just what ninjas do.

7 people in line that are all in on the “Darth Jar Jar” Theory Because people that trust George Lucas enough to believe that there was a real purpose to Jar Jar Binks are truly the best of us.

6 ways that Kylo Ren is different than Darth Vadar This is obviously arbitrary, but is also important. In order for this film and the ones that come after to build a legacy of their own, they have to be able to have a villain that is worthy, but not a derivative, of Darth Vadar. This baddie has to stand on his own accord. Unlike Darth Maul. Who has no legs.

5 or less Jedi I like an underdog story.

4 minute long tracking shot of the Millennium Falcon doing dope stuff I know this is asking a lot, but I would watch this every morning in lieu of drinking coffee if it existed.

3 bladed lightsaber (in excessive amounts) This is kind of cheating since we’ve already seen it so many times, but holy crap I’m in love with that thing, if that’s what all Dark Side dudes get then sign me up, I’ll be evil if I get to look that cool.

2 awesome lightsaber battles This is a good number. I don’t need an entire

arena of weird aliens and enough lightsabers to make it look like a damn glow stick rave. Just two really good ones.

And no after-the-credits scene Because those things suck, and I don’t trust them. Also, I’ll for sure have to pee.

COMMUNITY

KEEPING URBANA "STRANG"

Local artist displays work at various venues for charity DANIEL BAKER

CREATING

a bucket list is often a popular agenda of those nearing their mid sixtis and getting ready to retire, often filled with aspirations yet to be experienced. For Phil Strang, a local artist in Urbana, his bucket may as well be filled with art supplies and tufts of flyers.

He is currently promoting an art exhibition of his called "Keeping Urbana Strang," comprised of 55 art pieces shown in 28 venues around Urbana, which has been taking place since November 2 and will end December 31. Each venue handpicked pieces to display at their location. Each piece is on sale and 30 percent of all proceeds goes to a charity the venue picks.

Strang said that making money as an artist is hard, and there are a shortage of art galleries where artists make the majority of their money.

“So, I decided—alright—I’m going to make the entire town of Urbana, where I live, my art gallery,” Strang said.

In July, he made a list of venues to discuss his project with. He put together a book of 80 pieces of art work. Each piece has a full page picture and details that include the size and medium of the piece. In August, he pitched his idea to roughly 30 local businesses in the area to display his artwork, 28 of which decided to participate. He said this is a win-win situation for everyone. For the venues, it draws customers while also generating goodwill from donations from the sale of his artwork; and for Strang, people will see his artwork and some pieces may sell.

The hardest part, he said, was spending all of October hanging 55 pieces of artwork around town. He will have to take down the artwork once the exhibition is complete in late December or early January. Strang said that while he does not know how to measure his success, he gets great feedback - so much so that people have actually stolen his artwork in the past.

“I know that seven - six, seven years ago I did a display at The Blind Pig and sold one piece, had two stolen. And at least twice bartenders told me they caught people trying to walk out with other pieces; and the good thing was I didn’t put anything expensive or fragile in there because I know how it works,” Strang said.

Strang started painting seriously in 2003 when the music store he used to work at, called the Record Service, closed down due to the decline of the music industry. The store was going to trash a series of glass dividers, which he decided to salvage. He used a French craft paint made for glasswork, called Pebeo, to decorate the dividers.

He tries to incorporate traditional forms of

glass painting used in Japan and Belgium, painting on the backside to give his pieces depth.

He also uses a technique similar to that used in stained glass, using solid black lines as outlines for pieces and then filling in the space with paint. His style he says is a cross between Vincent Van Gogh’s work and a comic book artist.

“I was doing this painting on glass, which I really love. But a couple years ago - it was actually almost three years ago now - I had two eye surgeries because I had a tumor behind my left eye.

And in order to kill it, they had to do some laser work and some radiation work and I’m about 75-percent blind in my left eye now,” Strang said.

It may now take 24-to-40 hours to complete some of the glasswork he used to produce.

Rather than let his circumstances hold him back, Strang said he has used this opportunity to paint in a different medium and style. He started doing more abstract work on textured canvases with a splatter and wash.

“It’s weird because when you’re an artist, it’s kind of a lonely world,” Strang said. “On a painting, you’re stuck in a world with a bunch of other lonely crazy artists—eccentric is the right word,” said Strang. In an attempt to build an artistic community, Strang turned to a new medium for his artistic connections.

“I got into Second Life because a friend said—actually a friend’s son told her that, ‘it’s really a great place to show your art work. They have galleries and it doesn’t cost anything.’ And I’m thinking, really? I’m going to be spending my time on a computer with people who I can’t see, that are little cartoon characters?" Strang said. "But what you realize is after a while is they’re all real people, all over the world."

Second Life is an online virtual community, much like a video game. You can create a character, interact with other characters and travel throughout the virtual world which the community creates. Strang uses the online community to showcase his artwork while networking with other artists.

While he said he enjoys painting, his ventures have not made as much money as he would like.

“Of all the arts, the artist gets the least respect and the least amount of money,” Strang said.

People often said they would buy his artwork, but their offers were not enough.

“I’d be really happy if one piece sells. I’ll be ecstatic if two pieces sell; so we’ll see what happens,” Strang said in regards to "Keeping Urbana Strang."

He said he is looking forward to retiring next year.

Used with permission from Phil Strang

December 18, 2015-January 14, 2016 buzz 7

MUSIC

Q&A: SPANDRELS

Indianapolis experimental rock band Spandrels return to C-U tonight with a show at Mike N Molly’s SAMI TOAL

SPANDRELS

is an experimental rock duo based out of an Indianapolis. Most recently, the band came to Champaign in September to play the You Are Not Alone benefit show at Institute 4 Creativity. Tonight, Spandrels make their way back to Champaign-Urbana to play a show with local acts Motes, Windmills and We Have Ghosts. Ahead of tonight’s show, buzz caught up with guitarist Casey Noonan and bassist Carrick McDonald to see what they’ve been up to. »buzz: So far you’ve released your EP. Is there anything else in the works? »Casey Noonan: Well, we have a song for a split that’s going to come out with a band from Evansville (Ind.) called Fatal Position. We don’t know when that’s going to come out yet because I hate everything I put on records, so I’m probably going to redo everything a million times. The track is about 75-percent done. buzz: How recently did you guys move to Indianapolis? » CN: I moved here in September and then Carrick moved here about a month after. »buzz Why did you move there?

8 buzz December 18, 2015-January 14, 2016

»Carrick McDonald: I think we went out with the pioneer spirit. We were going to go stake our claim somewhere new. »CN: I had a lot of negative feelings about being in Evansville. I was there for about five years. I came there to be with one of my ex-boyfriends.

I was living in my car; I had been living in my car for three months. I met my boyfriend through a friend and he moved to Evansville so I was like, “Well, fuck, I guess I’ll move to Evansville.” I lived there for two-and-a-half years and then Carrick moved there as well. »CM: I think I came to Evansville under kind of similar circumstances. At that time, I was living with an ex-girlfriend and I had pretty much run all my money and resources into the ground and Casey sort of took me in at the time because I had nowhere else to go. buzz: How did you guys meet? »CN: Carrick and I have been best friends for like 12 years now. We had a mutual friend who was my best friend in grade school. Then, that friend moved away and I went to go visit him. And then, somehow, I heard about Carrick through our mutual friend and we started talking through Yahoo Messenger in the mid-2000s. We talked

Used with permission from Spandrels

for a year before we got to hangout. But ever since then, I feel like we’re brothers now. »buzz Have you always been involved in music? »CM: I had been, off-and-on. I was in the concert band and my first instrument was the alto sax. I only really started taking music seriously when we started this band. »CN: My father was a musician and he was in all kinds of grunge bands and shit when I was growing up in the 90s. So I grew up in that environment. When you’re small and there’s a rock band playing in your living room it feels like an earthquake. It was loud and crazy and I just fell in love with it. It was a very formative experience for me because I grew to want that. »buzz When did you guys start up the band? »CN: We started out two years ago, in January, in the basement. We were a duo for a very long time and then there were four of us. That incarnation of the band lasted a long time, we did a Midwestern tour but then things kind of fell apart with the guitarist. She had a lot going on and wasn’t able to commit. The drummer was already in three other bands so we just reached an impasse where we were like, “I think Carrick and I are going to continue on as a duo.” So that’s what we did and we were like, “well what the hell are we going to do, how do we make drums?” But we got our laptop and just started figuring it out. »CM: It kind of got us back to our roots. When we were originally a duo it was very freeform and uncategorizable and there was basically no

structure to the music and we kind of went back to that but now as stronger musicians. It was kind of like a reset. »buzz How is the music scene in Indianapolis and how is your group being received? »CM: Supposedly there are people like us up here but we just haven’t met them yet. »CN: It seems like there’s lots of garage-rock bands and a lot of folk music. I’m not particularly found of either of those styles but we’ve just been received very well everywhere else except for Indianapolis. Part of the reason is because we are so new here and the music scene is very insular and I guess you have to know the right people. And part of the reason is yeah, we are just different than the kinds of bands that play here. »buzzYou guys are coming to Champaign on Friday.

What are you most excited for with that show? »CM: Champaign has been really receptive. »CN: Yeah. Oh my God, I love Champaign. Everybody is so open and the venues are great. It’s very warm. »CM: People want you to succeed in Champaign. »CN: We've never play at Mike N Molly’s, so we’re pretty excited to play there. We have a couple of new songs that we’ll be debuting. It’s precarious when you write songs from a place of hurt because performing it is like ripping off the Band-Aid and pouring a little bit of salt into your wound.

But once you’re done, it’s like performing a little miniature exorcism.

Anwen is done with CS 105 #BLESS

»buzz: Would you guys say you get pretty into or emotional during your performances? »CM: I think so. I’m not an overly emotional person most of the time so I try to put emotion in it.

Usually the meaning of a song comes out during it. If I had to categorize the songs I write right now, I would call them confessions. »buzz Why the name "Spandrels"? »CN: A spandrel is an architectural feature when you create a pointed arch. Come with me on this visual journey inside your mind. So think of a pointed arch on the side of a building: The columns go up the side and then the arch meets in a point and it joins the ceiling. What you’re left with is a triangular space. It’s negative space that doesn’t serve any purpose, it doesn’t bear any weight, it’s just the byproduct of the other features of the design. So artists and architects would use spandrels to beautify the architecture.

They would put paintings and statues in this negatives space. The idea of that, putting beauty into emptiness to beautify something, to make it better, to make it more enjoyable, was the concept that was really attractive to me and I had been thinking about it for a year. I was obsessed with the concept. Carrick and I started this band and didn’t have a name and we were just stumped. We were like, “What the fuck do we call this band?”

So then eventually I just turned to look at Carrick, and then look at the wall and I was like “Spandrels.” And he was just like, “YES.” »CM: It was born out of a long period of emptiness and searching on both of our parts. »buzz How do you guys write your songs? »CN: We both write the songs, we both sing, we both play the guitar and bass and we both program drums. At least on my end, my songs always come from a place of pain or anxiety or emotional trauma. I’m just compelled to write the songs, it kind of feels like it’s out of my control. I’ll just sit down with my cell phone and my notes and then I’ll vomit out all these lyrics. I wish the music would come out that easily but it doesn’t. The music is hard. Every song is a struggle in its own way. Because it’s coming from a place of pain or because it’s hard for me to find the right songs to describe it. »buzz How would you describe your sound? »CN: I don’t play in standard tuning on guitar. I made up my own tuning and I only play five strings on my guitar and two of the strings are tuned to the same note. When it comes to the sounds of the guitar, they are very droning and it’s very open sounding as well as dissonant. The drum sounds we like to use are stark, tribalistic and industrial.

Photo by Carter Henricks

I think our sound is very cold. It’s not pretty but it can be. When we play live, we improvise a lot. The songs will have sections where we can do what we want and then it’ll flow into the next song. We’re working a lot with electronic sounds right now.

For our song “Gun” we layered organ tracks over and over and over each other until we just got this big, blurry drone. Then we put two big drum beats that I improvised lyrics over top of it. »CM: I know that going into it, we were both at the time interested in amorphous sounds that would disintegrate into each other in a seamless way that would make a flowing a piece of music that was also stationary and artificial. There’s no way we could replicate that song with live

instrumentation. It was interesting to use our newfound status as a duo to create something that was knowingly artificial and impossible but also beautiful and uplifting in a way.

Spandrels will perform at Mike N Molly’s on Friday, December 18 with Motes, Windmills and We Have Ghosts. Doors at 8 p.m. $7. Ages 19+.

December 18, 2015-January 14, 2016 buzz 9

What's more exciting: the new Star Wars or Anwen being done with her CS class? We all know the answer.

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Across 1 Widescreen medium 5 DJ Kool ___ (hip-hop pioneer born Clive Campbell) 9 College football coach Amos Alonzo ___ 14 Blarney Stone land 15 Like much family history 16 Spanish citrus fruit 17 “Author unknown” byline 18 City south of Tel Aviv 19 Adult insect stage 20 Tribal carving depicting the audience for a kids’ show street?

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MOVIES & TV

MUSIC NEW SOULS, DESHAWN Saturday, December 19; show at 9:30 p.m.; Ages 19+; Cowboy Monkey; $7

MOTES, SPANDRELS, WINDMILLS, WE HAVE GHOSTS Friday, December 18; doors at 8 p.m.; Mike N Molly’s; $7 cover; Ages 19+

Friday night’s show at Mike N Molly’s features a lineup of local bands Motes, Windmills and We Have Ghosts, joined by Indiana’s Spandrels.

ODE VINTER, ISLE NINE ASYLUM, ARBORIS, NETHERSPHERE Saturday, December 19; doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m.; The Canopy Club; $5; Ages 18+

The original 1988 Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis as New York cop John McClaine who stops a thief from terrorizing an office Christmas party and robbing the company.

RENTAL: HOLLY (MOVIE PREMIERE)

MATT POSS BAND

Sunday, December 20; 10 p.m.; The Art Theater Co-op; $5

Friday, December 18; show at 9:30 p.m.; Cowboy Monkey; $7; Ages 19+

SISTERS Friday, December 18; 7 p.m.; Carmike 13; $10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

URBANA’S HOLIDAY MARKET AT THE SQUARE Saturday, December 19; 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.; Corner of Illinois & Vine Streets, Urbana

Saturday, December 19; 2-3 p.m.; Japan House (2000 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana); $8 per person. Reserve in advance.

Saturday, December 19; 10 p.m.; The Art Theater Co-op; $9.75

Friday, December 18; 8 p.m.

Thee Death Tower; $5 All-Ages

FOOD & DRINK

JAPAN HOUSE TEA CEREMONY

DIE HARD

THE INHERITANCE, HUSH, LA LOUVE, BATH NAPS

COMMON GROUND FOOD CO-OP GINGERBREAD COOKIE EVENT Saturday, December 19; 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.; Flatlander Classroom (300 S. Broadway, Urbana);

COMMON GROUND FOOD CO-OP ROUND UP FOR GOOD TABLING WITH CRISIS NURSERY

Come out to the Flatlander classroom and enjoy a gingerbread cookie party.

Saturday, December 19; 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.; Common Ground (300 S. Broadway, Urbana)

Monday, December 21; 5-10 p.m.; bacaro (113 N. Walnut St., Champaign); $50.

BACARO MARKET MONADAY

THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON MAN-INTHE-MOONMARIGOLDS Friday, December 18 – Saturday December 19; 8 p.m.; Station Theatre; $15

NUNSENSE Friday, December 18Sunday, 20; 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Parkland Theatre; $12 - $15

TEA CEREMONY

MACBETH

Saturday December 19; Friday, December 18; 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.; Art Theatre 2 p.m.; Japan House; $6 - 8 Co-op; Free

JAZZ JAM

Director Justin Kurzel and actors Marion Cotillard

Wednesday, December 23; and Michael Fassbender transform Shakespeare’s Macbeth, in this new adaptation.

10 p.m.; Iron Post; Free

FEATURED

COMMUNITY WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)- BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER Friday Dec. 18; 7-9 p.m. ; Virginia Theater (Champaign) $4

CHEAP LUNCH TIME SKATE AT U OF I ICE ARENA Friday, Dec. 18; 11:15 a.m.- 12:45 p.m.; U of I Ice Arena (Champaign)

CHEAP LUNCH TIME SKATE AT U OF I ICE ARENA Friday, Dec. 18; 11:15 a.m.12:45 p.m.; U of I Ice Arena (Champaign)

CENTER CITY TROLLEY RIDES Saturday Dec. 19; 3-5 p.m.

Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church (102 North State St., Champaign)

12 buzz December 18, 2015-January 14, 2016

POLAR XPRESS PAINTING PARTY! Sunday, Dec. 20; 11:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.; Jupiters at the Crossing, 2nd floor (2511 Village Green Place-Champaign; $40 for 1 adult and 1 child. (includes painting gear, pizza, drinks, cookies, and a visit from santa)

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Monday, December 21; 7 p.m.; Carmike 13; $14

The long-anticipated continuation of the Star Wars universe, in which the iconic Han Solo and his allies face a new threat from the Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers.