volume
6, number 14
thursday , may
the california aggie ’ s arts and entertainment magazine
The Native Sibling
Elizabeth Orpina
An introduction to a UCD student’s band
Pretty wild
A
s of last week, Alexis Neiers is married. The 20-year-old onetime reality star and “Bling Ring” member got hitched in Mexico to Evan Haines, a Canadian business owner. When I found this news out, not only did my jaw drop, but also my entire weekend turned into a marathon of her reality show. Now, if you didn’t spend March through May of 2010 watching “Pretty Wild” on E! then I highly suggest you log on to your Netflix account and watch all nine captivating 22-minute episodes right this minute. The 20-year-old onetime E! reality star and “Bling Ring” member serves as my spirit animal of sorts and has resurfaced into my life at the most pristine time. Not only am I living as a spoiled Hollywood brat abusing drugs and robbing celebrity homes, but I, too, aspire to be a centerfold in Playboy magazine. My reasoning for dedicating this column to this great celebutante is because I want to remind the world that this show existed. And I truly believe it was fate that I had already started re-watching the show days before the announcement of Alexis’ wedding appeared. The video of Alexis screaming at Vanity Fair’s Nancy Jo Sales via telephone while her mother encouraged this immature and ridiculous behavior has taken yet another viral route through the internet and prompted me to reintroduce myself to their lifestyle of fame. Another reason why this is the perfect time to talk about this Emmy-award-winning television show is that Emma Watson’s new movie Bling Ring is filming right now. As much as I glorify these upstanding women and their social lives, it even took me a while to put two and two together to realize that this movie is based on our very own Alexis Neiers. It makes me so happy that my favorite reality television show is being brought back to life in the form of one of my favorite actresses (and I’m not being sarcastic with this one). Hopefully the fame from this show will spark a second season … or a spin-off show. Hey, since Khloe and Lamar are taking time off from their show, why not give back this time slot to this dysfunctional family? I encourage everyone to watch this short-lived show — actually, I’m going to start a petition. I want a Season 2, goddamnit. I want to know what happened after Alexis Neiers spent a month in jail next to Lindsay Lohan for robbing Orlando Bloom’s home and proceeded to spend part of the next year in rehab. I want to know how to meet my future husband in Alcoholics Anonymous. I want to learn how to burglarize celebrities and basically get away with it. I want my own television show where I strut around naked, crying every five minutes because the journalist said I was wearing sixinch Louboutins instead of little brown kitten heels with my tweed outfit to court! I believe that all of us would be able to live positive, beneficial and successful lives if we were home-schooled and worked with a curriculum based on The Secret and the metaphysical concepts developed by Ernest Holmes in the early 20th century. We all need an ex-lingerie model as a mother who manages our careers and simultaneously directs us in nude photo shoots in our home bathroom with a Canon Powershot while our 16-yearold sister controls the lighting. I would like to conclude this column by quoting this inspirational mother of Alexis Neiers, Andrea Arlington: “And so it is.” Did ELIZABETH ORPINA steal your Gucci handbag and Louis Vuitton sunglasses? Too bad. She’s going to cash in on your loss by starring in her new reality television show — send in your suggestions for the name of the show to arts@theaggie.org.
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The Native Sibling
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By KARINA CONTRERAS Aggie Arts Writer
Kaylee Williams, 22, is a senior hydrology major at UC Davis. She and her brother Ryan, 24, make up the band The Native Sibling. Their
new EP, titled Follow Trees, is a soothing “folkAmericana” song. Williams studied abroad from August 2010 to July 2011 in Ireland and said that she found some type of identity while away from her home in Santa Cruz. It was in Ireland that she
learned about Irish music and about what she really values. “[The song ‘Follow Trees’] came from traveling in Ireland,” Williams said. “The concept is home and to not take home for granted.” Unlike her brother Ryan, who attended and graduated from the Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles, Kaylee didn’t know that she wanted to pursue music seriously until her Ireland trip. She says she has always loved piano and took lessons at UC Davis until her sophomore year, but stopped due to her heavy class load. “I want to get music out of my system,” said Williams about her future after Davis. At UC Davis, Williams started off as a civil engineering major because she thought it would suit her love of numbers, but after switching to hydrology, she realized that what she is most interested in is conservation and music. “I learn from both,” Williams said. “Hydrology and music work together for me [and] I feel that my major chose me.” Both Kaylee and Ryan came from a home where appreciation for music was instilled in them quite early. Their grandma played the piano, and their parents signed them up for music lessons. “It’s a joint effort for the writing of our songs,” Williams said. “We share ideas with each other.” The Native Sibling consists of Kaylee, Ryan, a drummer, a fiddle player and a mandolin player, but this band has no manager and is
See NATIVE, page 4
An Interview with Dave Nachmanoff Acclaimed Musician to perform at Whole Earth Festival in 1997 or 1998 soon after my first CD was released and several times in the years right after that. I’ve played on the kids stage, the acoustic stage, and then for a number of years I didn’t apply for the festival, as I was usually on the road somewhere when it was taking place. This will be the first time back on the quad stage in quite a few years, and I’m really looking forward to it.
MICHELLE RUAN Aggie Arts Writer
Dave Nachmanoff is a busy man. He’s a prolific singer-songwriter, the father of two, with a doctorate in philosophy from UC Davis who also tours with Al Stewart and plays a variety of instruments. In addition he has just released his new album Step Up, nearly five years after his previous release. Despite his busy schedule, Nachmanoff still somehow manages to find time to not only perform at the Whole Earth Festival (WEF) at 11 a.m. on the main stage on May 12 but to also play at Luigi’s on May 10 with Hardwater, a local band. The Aggie caught up with Nachmanoff to learn more about his new CD and upcoming performances. MUSE: Can you give a quick introduction about yourself? NACHMANOFF: I am a longtime Davis resident, a UCD alum and a professional musician. Most of my gigs are actually out-of-town, though, so I haven’t been as much a part of the local music scene as I’d like to be. I grew up in Virginia, but moved to London and New York City in my late teens. I had been a big fan of Al Stewart for years and through a mixture of luck and being prepared I became his lead guitarist and touring partner around 2001. I’ve toured as a solo acoustic artist, and have nine CDs out (plus nu-
Dave Nachmanoff
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merous side projects). But I really enjoy playing with a full band, and since my new CD, Step Up, is less folk and more rock/adult-contemporary, I’m starting to do more full-band shows, including the two Davis shows in May. How many times have you played at the Whole Earth Festival? This will be my fifth or sixth time over the years. I played a set on the quad stage back
Will you be performing with anybody else (because Hardwater is performing with you at Luigi’s)? This set (as well as the show at Luigi’s) will be a full-band show, with some wonderful musicians who are all longtime friends of mine. The guitarist, Martin Lewis, used to play with me in the late 80’s when we were students at Oxford University and then in New York City. Jeff Simons (bass) is pretty well-known both as one of the owners of Watermelon Music, but also as a phenomenally talented bassist and guitarist who has played with many different artists. The drummer, Graham Roggli, grew up in Davis and brings the average age of the band down considerably (yay Graham). We will also have my good friend Donna Lemongello (a.k.a. the “harmony machine”) joining us for some of the set on vocals. So, it should be a nice big sound.
See NACHMANOFF, page 4
Entertainment Council presents: The Spring Quad Shows Music will be in the air in May Oak Grove Cipher: May 8 Oak & Gorski: May 15 Souterrain: May 21 Plastic Villains: May 24 Marlene Marlene: May 30
By JAMES O’HARA Aggie Arts Writer
Throughout May, just outside the Coffee House, West Quad will be host to a series of performers as part of Entertainment Council’s spring “Quad Show” series. Music will be in the air through much of May, as roughly every week, a new
performer, including UC Davis students and alumni, will be gracing the stage. Kicking off the series will be Oak Grove Cipher, a local rap group from Davis, on May 8. “Oak Grove Cipher is a group who meet once a week in the courtyard of the Shields Library and freestyle over beats,” said Tim Chin, Entertainment Council assistant director. “They’re very cool and have a very chill vibe. They will also be asking members of the audience to come up and perform with them, so that should be fun.”
Monticello Seasonal Cuisine.
Following Oak Grove Cipher will be Oak and Gorski on May 15. Not to be confused with the former, Oak and Gorski are a selfdescribed “cello rock” duo with a soulful sound that resembles something like indie with a kick. After that, it will be Souterrain on May 21, a “lounge-folk” outfit with a soft, vocal-heavy vibe. Then it will be Plastic Villains on May 24, a rock group out of San Francisco. Lastly, Marlene Marlene will be performing on May 30. “We have a great line-up for our upcoming quad shows,” said Danielle Burnstein, Entertainment
Council production coordinator. “Many of the bands are local Davis artists, some of which are students and some of which are alumni. Quad shows are a great way to enjoy the great spring weather while listening to all different styles of music. It’s always a really fun time.” The Entertainment Council has lassoed together a potent string of performers that is nearly impossible to ignore, as they’ve been managing to get exceptional performers to come to Davis, the
Carlos Reyes
consultant and dancer, where you can learn steps and contribute choreography.
Tonight at 8 p.m., free John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 1 St.
Focus on the Figure April 27 - June 1 Pence Gallery, 212 D St. This show examines the work of nine California artists’ work in clay, graphite and oil paint. This exhibit is running concurrently with the 23rd Annual California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Art where both examine art from those who work from the human form in a personal manner.
Craft Fair by Davis Dollars Sunday, May 6 at 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., free G Street Shopping Center, 7th & G streets With DIY crafting activities for all ages, this event serves as an opportunity to spend locally while browsing unique and interesting crafts from vendors. Davis Dollars are accepted and food will be from
UC Davis Symphony Orchestra
The Poetry Night Reading series brings poet Carlos Reyes from Portland, Oregon. He’s been published in several notable journals and anthologies and is the author of five books of poetry. Reyes was also a finalist for the Oregon Book Award and has had fellowships across the world.
Sunday, May 6 at 7 p.m., $17(general)/$8(student) Jackson Hall, Mondavi Christian Baldini, music director and conductor leads this show put on by the UC Davis Department of Music.
Dance Dance Davis free classes Saturday, May 5 at 4 p.m. and May 6 at 1 p.m. Davis Art Center, 1919 F St. This community dance project invites you to join in on the preparations for a surprise dance performance on May 9. Take free classes from Shelly Gilbride, Ph.D, a UC Davis Theatre and Dance alumnus and local arts
See SPRING, page 4
Two Man Gentlemen Band Tonight at 9:30 p.m. (doors open at 9), $5 (ages 21+) Sophia’s Thai Kitchen, 129 E St. As former street performers, expert instrumentalists and songwriters, The Two Man Gentlemen Band have been traveling from coast to coast for half a decade already. These two men limit themselves to two instruments: a 4-string electric tenor guitar, played through a vintage 1937 Gibson amplifier, and an upright bass. They’ve developed a reputation as a must-see live act on the roots and retro-music circuits. ELIZABETH ORPINA can be reached at arts@theaggie. org.