The Wake Issue 2 Fall 2010

Food Dumpstering

12

Fall TV

16

Cheap reads & more!

12 october – 25 october 2010

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Editorial

Business

Editor-in-Chief Maggie Foucault

Business Manager Katie Kolberg

Managing Editor Sophie Frank

Advisory Board James DeLong, Kevin Dunn, Courtney Lewis, Eric Price, Morgan Mae Schultz, Gary Schwitzer, Kay Steiger, Mark Wisser

Section Editors Andrew Larkin, Zach McCormick

Production Production Manager Tarin Gessert

Graphic Designers Tarin Gessert, Steph Mertes, Ryan Webert

Photography Editor Matt Miranda

Art Director Keit Osadchuk

This Issue Illustrators Angie Frisk, Daniel Hess, Collin Klug, Steph Mertes, Rachel Mosey

Contributing Writers Eric Brew, Kelsey Carlson , Adam Friedman, Carter Haaland, Karl Keynes, Joseph Kleinschmidt, Collin Klug, Franny Larson, Matt Miranda, Eric Murphy, Joe Scott, Leigh Anne Stein, Mike Trost

Copy Editors Brady Nyhus, Agnes Rzepecki

happy october everyone. how about this weather, am i right?

i know you’re in the middle of studying for midterms (or at least updating your facebook status about it), planning your halloween costumes, and trying to forget that soon it will be too painful to go outside. but there are other cool things going on too; zombie pub crawls, awesome shows, autumn food (oh hai pumpkin pie i missed you), and the wake. so here’s the deal. the wake is back, in the midst of a rebirth of epic proportions. and i mean epic before it got cliche. we want you to be a part of this, to voice your opinions and tell your stories. what i mean is, you’re invited to our meetings every other monday in that big old office building in dinkytown. bring ideas (or we’ll bring some for you) and a friend. get ready to get your hands dirty. if you can’t make it you can check out our website (www. wakemag.org) and shoot one of us an email.

xoxo,

Sophie Frank

Managing Editor

10:2 ©2010 The Wake Student Magazine. All rights reserved.

Established in 2002, The Wake is a fortnightly independent magazine and registered student organization produced by and for the students of the University of Minnesota.

The Wake Student Magazine 1313 5th St. SE #331 Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 379-5952 • www.wakemag.org The Wake was founded by Chris Ruen and James DeLong.

The Wake is published with support from Campus Progress/Center for American Progress (online at www.campusprogress.org).

disclaimer The purpose of The Wake is to provide a forum in which students can voice their opinions. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not representative of the publication or university as a whole. To join the conversation email ebrew@wakemag.org.

voices

Taxes: A Debate Sales Tax

By Adam Friedman A politician not railing against the current incomprehensible tax system of the United States is hard to find. There is of course, as simplification is the objective, a perfectly simple response. The United Sates should abolish the income tax and switch entirely to a fairly high sales tax.

The reasons are fairly simple. Let’s look at the effects of such a change in taxation policy. People without a sufficient income to contribute much to our current graduated income tax would see their income tax expenses drop from little to less, while their tax expenses on consumption—and poor people pretty much only consume since they can’t afford to save—would skyrocket. However, according to an economist at the Brookings Institute, the richest 1 percent of people would see their taxes drop by an average of about $75,000 as a result of only having, say, a 23 percent sales tax in the US.

daniel hess

Now, for many readers, it won’t be self–evident that this is a good thing. The standard argument goes that we have some sort of humanitarian obligation toward the useless members of our society, even though they aren’t doing and largely can’t do anything particularly useful. The wealthy can afford to spend

Income Tax

By Karl Keynes In the wake of the recession, millions remain jobless, homeless and destitute. Our state government is no exception. with a $5 billion deficit, gubernatorial candidates are hotly debating tax reform policies this election season. Currently, two of the candidates have proposed an increase in the sales tax and a decrease of income tax; this will encourage the wealthy to stay in the state and bring in more revenue.

This could not be a more dire situation to many residents of the state. With rising food costs increasing grocery store prices, the poorest citizens of this state would be the most affected. That is why I propose the abolition of sales tax and the creation of a rich–only tax. This would be the easiest way to balance the budget and rid ourselves of the selfish citizens of this state unwilling to help.

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a bit more in taxes. If you see this line of reasoning for the nonsense that it is you presumably don’t need to keep reading, but for the rest of the bleeding hearts let me explain.

Let’s talk about what poor people do. They are the dregs of culture. They don’t invest, don’t contribute to innovation or capital for new businesses promising greater efficiency. They don’t increase demand for the latest technology because they can’t afford it. But they can afford time to watch TV, which, since it has a captive market, has become a huge industry and a cesspool of talent in the United States. Just think about the fact that reality shows exist. They watch the news but since these are people who’ve found that a GED has been sufficient to allow them to buy a house, they don’t value thinking about things, and so they contribute to the growth of FOX News and the decay of standards for intelligence for the American public.

The truth is, the argument that freeing up money for the rich to invest with, to donate, is well rehearsed and obviously legitimate. But so few people see the merits of denying money to the poor, an equally valid undertaking. The beauty of the sales tax is that, under the mantra of simplifying a complex system and abolishing the much–hated income tax, we can rally enthusiasm and political capital for doing what this country really needs: taking from the poor to give to the rich.

People make money for one reason: to live. However, there are many who make money simply to make money. They spend money and somehow make money off of this, and then spend more money. These are the people who get up from their seats in the waiting area of the airport when the clerks announce boarding for “business class” while the rest of us get ready to be herded through the cattle pen that is economy. These are the people driving their fancy cars made after 2005, while the rest of us cruise around in our 1992 Geos. It couldn’t hurt for them to have a little less money in order to help others.

To those who say a higher income tax will send residents to other states, I say “good riddance.” These people are no better than the poor that these same rich people accuse of abusing the welfare system, namely using services without giving enough back.

voices

Supressing Dessent or Protecting Americans What FBI raids tell us about the war on terror at home.

Keit Osadchuk

By Matt Miranda You’d think the RNC was back in town; on Sept. 24, six Twin Cities activists (four with ties to the U of M) and two in Chicago awoke to find FBI agents with search warrants at their doors. Some were also issued subpoenas to appear before a grand jury in Chicago. Agents carted away travel documents, address books, notes, cameras, computers, and phones belonging to the residents. Warrants mentioned the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, a group actively involved in organizing against U.S. imperialism.

FBI spokespeople said there was no immediate threat, and that the raids concerned “material support of terrorism.” The manner of support is unclear, but warrants listed Hezbollah, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and specifically demanded documents concerning travel to Colombia, Palestine, and Lebanon.

Recently the Supreme Court upheld a ban on providing any sort of support to terrorist organizations, even peaceful and legal activities including providing legal aid, services, training, or expert advice to groups designated “Foreign Terrorist Groups” by the federal government. 150 Americans have been charged with this offense since 2001, according to Justice Department documents.

The PATRIOT act’s definition of terrorism is strikingly broad, and includes almost any destructive act against people or property that is designed to sway policy or public opinion.

In theory, an individual who destroys a fence or smashes a window during a protest could be charged with terrorism.

Animal rights activists have been charged with terrorism for breaking into animal testing facilities. While certainly illegal,

it’s hard to see how this could truly constitute terrorism and not lesser crimes such as vandalism or breaking and entering.

Under the material support ruling, anyone who has supported these individuals in any way, including simply expressing approval of their actions, could be criminally charged.

The ruling could even be applied to respected groups such as the ACLU, who provide legal support to those accused of terrorism.

Our convictions and our commitment to freedom of speech and association is measured by how we apply it to the most radical and unpopular among us.

It’s easy to see how the material support ruling, coupled with the Obama administration’s new emphasis on domestic counter-terror operations, could lead to some rather frightening scenarios. Defining even rhetorical support for alleged terrorist groups as material support provides a legal means to suppress freedom of speech and criminalize dissent.

The grand jury summonses are another worrying aspect of the raids. The formal purpose of grand juries is to determine whether there is enough evidence to charge a suspect; in practice, they are often used to bypass legal due process.

Many of the legal protections granted during a regular trial do not exist during grand juries; suspects may not have a lawyer present, may not call their own witnesses, and are not protected from self–incrimination. Grand jurors are not screened for bias, and are not given any guidance by the judge

on the law. In fact, judges are oftentimes not even present during grand juries; the prosecutor is in charge, and is not required to establish probable cause. Additionally, grand jury proceedings are secret and are not entered into public record, although they may be used in future criminal cases.

Grand juries fly in the face of our system of justice. If the FBI has a case against Freedom Road, they should be required to present that case in a real court, before the eyes of the public and under the rules of the law. Otherwise, the FBI’s actions must be viewed as an unlawful attempt to disrupt the activities of a group that inconveniently challenges U.S. policies and interests.

The entire affair is eerily reminiscent of COINTELPRO, a secret and illegal FBI program conducted during the sixties and seventies to discredit, infiltrate, and disrupt radical political groups. Targets included socialist and civil rights groups and leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and the NAACP. The program even resulted in the assassination of Black Panther spokesman Fred Hampton by the Chicago Police Department, with support from the FBI. Ultimately, it is unclear whether Freedom Road is truly guilty of supporting violence, or whether they are simply a peaceful, if radical, group with questionable alliances; frankly, the answer to that question isn’t important, since our strength in our convictions and our commitment to freedom of speech and association is measured by how we apply it to the most unconventional and unpopular among us. We must look past surface appearances, a culture of fear, and charged rhetoric to ask a deeper question: are we losing, bit by bit, our most cherished freedoms?

www.wakemag.org

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voices

steph mertes

The Social Network Review

By Leigh Anne Stein To the joy of Facebook fans, Friday October 1 marked the opening night of the film The Social Network. Full of quickwitted dialogue and energetic film sequences, the film sweeps the viewer along with its characters as they embrace the challenging task of founding the now world–wide website, Facebook, while navigating fame, friendships, and a legal battle that put the entire cultural phenomenon into debate.

There is drama, humor, obvious bad guys and subtle good guys, a distinct moral overtone, sex, greed, and enough emotional angst to rival the hormonal output of a junior high school. And it’s made all the better through compelling performances from a great cast and a sharp director. Did you notice Winklevoss Two was a body double? It seems David Fincher found the CG techniques from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button worthy of another go-around.

As with most films, the characters and scenes are surely a heightened representation of reality. I can’t say I’ve ever been to a frat party quite like those in the film, and the real Zuckerberg is actually smiling in his profile picture on his Facebook page, so his face must not be made of stone. However, of all

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the potential misrepresentations of real life in The Social Network, I’d say Sean Parker should worry most. Justin Timberlake plays a neurotic partier pretty well. Still, I suggest viewing any minor details like these with a grain of salt. This is entertainment after all.

The real star in this film is the wordplay. All the sarcastic quips you’d love to say out loud but don’t are a staple in the script for The Social Network. I heard audience members shouting, “Winklevi” and laughing about, “Oops, I just broke your 350–year–old door handle,” long after I’d crossed the parking lot from the theatre entrance.

Courtesy of scriptwriter Aaron Sorkin of The West Wing, the witty dialogue in the film makes sure the viewer’s intelligence isn’t left wanting. Sorkin has brought the competitive conversation of twenties’ and thirties’ films back to the silver screen. The first seconds of dialogue in the opening scene set the pace for the entire film’s conversations. Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg verbally barrages the audience as it’s thrown into the hyperactive argument playing out between Zuckerberg and his girlfriend Erica Albright.

As my fellow theatre goers remarked in unison, “Whoa.”

If you want to keep up, this film is going to require your attention.

Beginning to end, The Social Network is an enjoying piece of entertainment. Escalating drama, a snappy dialogue, and an intriguing flash back and forth between legal meetings and the story of Facebook’s founding function well in a plotline that could have easily been bogged down by jargon and slow moving boardroom sequences.

So the real question is what has this film left me with?

Cultural products have a lot of power in our society. They spark debate; they fill conversational voids; they build relationships and can define societal groups; they even teach lessons and morals. The Social Network is a cultural product, about a cultural product. As such, the film can be used to examine everything from the impact of online social networks on communication in today’s society to the dangers of unbridled ambition. I won’t go as far as calling The Social Network my generation’s Citizen Kane, but it’s true there are overt messages about the loneliness of fame and the fall of those consumed by greed and power.

I could expand any of these topics, but what most sparked my interest while watching this film was the imaginary line drawn around intellectual property. For Mark Zuckerberg, toeing this line led to million dollar lawsuits over a simple idea.

Protecting intellectual property has frequently been something in the forefront of my mind as both an artist and journalist. The two facets have sometimes found themselves at odds with each other in my experience. Plagiarism is quite easy to find, and to punish. But theft of intellectual property?

It’s simply not as easy to define. During my journalistic education, I’ve been taught the basics. Don’t copy. Cite sources.

Search for accuracy. End of story. In an art department, the same rules don’t strictly apply. Artists borrow ideas and techniques from each other, dead or alive, all the time. So when is it appropriate, or not, to share recognition with someone from whom you’ve gained inspiration or shared in a brainstorming session? How far can borrowing an idea go before it’s no longer yours? For me, The Social Network brings to life one of the greatest cautionary tales today of sharing and owning creative ideas.

voices

New Student Group: Face The Static

By Carter Haaland Static. Fuzz. That antsy, pestering grayish color that coats your T.V. screen. That seemingly endless drone of un–constructed noise that floods your ears and clogs your senses.

Most of the time, you can alleviate these minor nuisances with one click of your remote control, or if you’re old school, by properly adjusting the needle on your classic phonograph.

It’s that simple. However, the seemingly endless, pestering static that exists on our planet is not as easily remedied.

Face the Static is a newly formed student group here at the U of M. The group is working to raise awareness of issues surrounding our community by organizing concerts, panels, and other events that will grab people’s attention. FTS is also collaborating with local non-profit organizations and other student groups. Their goal is to not only promote awareness of social issues, but to also provide options for students to get involved and do something about them. Although only weeks from conception, this newly planted seed has its roots placed firmly in the ground, with nowhere to go but up. The FTS team is composed of motivated, like–minded individuals—that are determined to make noise in the Golden Gopher community.

The first FTS event will be in the Loft at Barfly on Oct. 22. The concert includes Toki Wright, of Rhymesayers Entertainment, Mike Mictlan of Doomtree, The Obtuse Crew, Duenday, Niles Miller, and more. The theme of the concert will be

“VOTE!” Artists and fans will gather around fresh hip-hop, live art, and breakdancing, urging members of the community to educate themselves and vote in the upcoming state elections on Nov. 2, 2010. At the door, tickets will be $8 for those 21+ folk and $10 for those over 18. Snag a flyer and present it at the doors to receive $2 off the price of admission, or e–mail Jacob.nostatic@gmail with your full name to receive the $2 discount.

music video, a remake of Public Enemy’s “By the Time I Get to Arizona,” in response to the new Arizona immigration laws.

This Rhymesayers veteran is sure to illuminate the stage with his socially conscious lyrics, backed by the kind of passion that seems to be lacking amongst today’s mainstream egocentric hip–hop stars. The performance will leave the audience with the rare feeling of being simultaneously entertained and informed.

As an integral member of the local hip–hop collective Doomtree, Mike Mictlan has been spreading his voice throughout the Twin Cities independent hip–hop scene for several years. Though lacking a national following, Mictlan’s music, as well as his presence, embodies a love of hip-hop as an art form. The grassroots, do-it-yourself means of production, distribution and exhibition are represented in his lyrical content, and also add a spark to his live performances—that ignite the audience and will surely set the loft ablaze.

Get Up Minnesota will also have a presence at the show.

GUM is another U of M student group that is focused on promoting voter education and high voter turnout rates. With chapters dispersed among colleges throughout Minnesota, Get Up has been covering a lot of territory and making noise for years now. The organization works not to sway students left or right, but to encourage active participation in the U.S. democracy by our youth, who account for a good chunk of the population of the United States. Get Up Minnesota serves as a rallying cry, assembling students all across the state, in order to make our values and opinions a political reality.

Headlining artist, Toki Wright, is no stranger to social activism. Wright has worked in many non-profit sectors, ranging from youth organizing in North Minneapolis, to working with war-affected children in Northern Uganda. Music seems to be simply another canvas on which Wright can work toward the betterment of the world. This September, Wright performed at Face Forward’s “Eyes Open” show at First Ave. The concert’s proceeds benefited the Global Fund for Women, a non-profit foundation that works to advance the rights of women worldwide. Wright also recently released a non-profit

With football games, frat parties, and nomadic Dinkytownwandering hogging the social spotlight here at the U, Face the Static is organizing events that provide a productive escape from the drunken redundancy of college. On Oct. 22, come out to Barfly and gravitate toward good music, good people and a good cause. Don’t change the channel. Don’t adjust your needle and play a happy tune. Don’t turn away.

Face the Static.

www.wakemag.org

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Cheap Eats and Low Cost Health Care

1/2 Price Books

by maggie foucault

by Sarah Arnett

Everyone knows that during college, your available funds drop drastically, no matter what background you come from. In order to keep from working during every free moment outside of class, it’s important to make the most of the free and nearly-free things around you, and The Wake is here to help.

The English language has been historically forgiving of nouns becoming verbs, friending and unfriending being the latest additions, but an increasingly common verbification is dumpstering. People who prefer free to cheap can, with a little digging (literally), find everything from food to furniture to electronics to books. Dumpstering doesn’t necessarily mean trolling the student neighborhoods around move–out day or raccooning your way to week–old burritos and moth–eaten lampshades in the back alley trash cans. Most grocery stores and coops throw out food, usually just past the expiration date, and while many have been clamping down on scavengers looking for a free meal—either by constructing tall fences around their dumpsters or installing video cameras as a deterrent—it’s still possible to pick up some after-hours groceries for free. This makes sense—food goes bad, or bad enough that you can’t sell it. What doesn’t make sense are other things that get tossed in the dumpster, namely, books. I don’t mean people in a hurry to move tossing one or two paperbacks in their trashcan (or hopefully recycling them). I’m talking about dumpsters overflowing with books—smutty romance novels and ancient Greek philosophy alike. I’m talking about the parking lot behind Half Price Books.

Clinics and Health Services

$ Hoan Tien Yi

Everyone knows that during college, your available funds drop drastically, no matter what background you come from.

In order to keep from working during every free moment outside of class, it’s important to make the most of the free and nearly free things around you, and The Wake is here to help.

Tucked in a strip mall off of Nicollet Avenue and 28th Street, Hoan Tien Yi is worth the trek. Bahn mi, vietnamese sandwiches, are the specialty, and at $3.50 per full–sized baguette, one could live off bahn mi alone. The dining area is usually filled with the sounds of Vietnamese tele–dramas and fresh tea, hot or iced, depending on the season, is complementary.

While it is a good distance from campus, the huge portions make $3.50 stretch over two meals.

While everyone is required to have health insurance to attend the U, that doesn’t mean that the insurance plan makes health care affordable: high co–pays and long waiting lists for appointments are still huge problems for many students.

Boynton Health Service is one resource on campus to consider; from primary care to mental health to urgent care visits, Boynton does it all (as long as you’ve paid your student services fees).

Another service on campus is the University Counseling and Consulting Service. The UCCS offers individual, group, and urgent counseling resources. The UCCS is not only for students experiencing mental health difficulties, but also includes career and academic counseling. Again, these services are included with tuition.

Planned Parenthood is a classic choice for the uninsured or underpaid. With many locations around the city, service fees are charged on a sliding scale. One major plus about PP: free condoms. Red Door Clinic is another clinic in Minneapolis, focusing on HIV awareness in all communities. Red Door operates on donations, and while there are price recommendations for services, no one is turned away if they are unable to pay.

While there are many clinics near campus offering free pregnancy testing (including the coupon offered in the Campus Special coupon book), it is important to be wary of the motives behind the organization: many of these clinics will attempt to persuade women to keep their child or choose adoption, and while these are both valid choices, they will discourage others.

Food Most importantly, food is required to fuel studying (and partying). But food prices have continued to rise in the past few years, making eating cheap a difficult feat.

$ Mesa Pizza Mesa Pizza is a no–brainer for quick, cheap, food around campus. Though they recently raised their price per slice by 25 cents, Mesa still beats most of the competition when it comes to price and creativity. Plus, they are open after bar close on weekends.

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$ Taco Taxi Open until 2 a.m. weeknights, and 3 a.m. on weekends, this hole–in–the–wall taco joint is what it would look like if Mesa did Mexican. Individual tacos are a mere $1.75, regardless of filling (they even offer tongue and tripe for that authentic flavor), and delivery is available. When you get sick of pizza, Taco Taxi is the place to call. Be sure to know whether you want your tacos American style (smothered in sour cream and cheese) or Mexican style (classic cilantro and onions only).

$ Wally’s While Dinkytown is filled with falafel and gyro options, Wally’s is the best choice of them all. Deluxe falafel sandwiches run under $5 and are stuffed full of falafel, cauliflower, tahini, eggplant and onions. The shawirma and chicken roast on electric spits in the front window, a sure sign that this is the place for gyros. The service is friendly and the music sounds as if it is the Arabic language version of reggatone. Don’t forget the baklava!

$ Mayday Looking for somewhere to study, but Espresso Royale too full of Ugg boots and U of M hoodies? Sick of dirty looks from the Hard Times baristas? Mayday is a neighborhood cafe staffed by friendly baristas and talented bakers. A small coffee runs exactly $1, and a huge, cheesy, black bean burrito with chips and salsa is under $5. Get ready to share your table during busy hours; seating is intensely communal. The one drawback: hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., which doesn’t leave much room for late–night studying.

I first noticed this phenomenon walking to my car with an armful of books I’d purchased at the bookstore. There was a dumpster with its lid off in which a few lone childrens books were visible. Having been blessed with a healthy sized curiosity i poked my head in and began flipping through titles. A Half Price Book employee noticed my interest and gruffly told me that I was intruding on private property. Excuse me? You want to throw away hundreds of books in perfectly good condition, and I’m not allowed to save a few from their fate? Let’s just have a public book burning; the sentiment may not be the same but the disregard for literature is equally abominable.

I returned at the witching hour to browse the discarded books at my leisure. But there was already someone there, rifling through the contents of the garbage can. It was dark, it was eerie, but I had a fire in my belly so I poked my head in. After awkward introductions with the softspoken man knee–deep in books who introduced himself as Tom Clancy, I was welcomed to join in the veritable free–for–all. He explained that he comes every once in awhile to browse this free version of a bookstore, to add to his growing collection, all the while naming out titles he thought might interest me. I walked away with an armful of abandoned literature, though Tom Clancy was still busy, seemingly determined to make it to the bottom of the dumpster before trash collection.

The problem with this scenario is not that there are books being discarded, but that they are going to waste and not to bookshelves in bedrooms or libraries. Not that there are free books for the taking, but that it is made illegal to scrounge for literature. What’s up Half Price? We just want to love your abandoned books.

cities

“Are You Sure $60 Million is Enough?” by mike trost Earlier last month, the University’s Board of Regents approved a plan that would allocate $60 million to construct an expansion on the East Bank recreational center. As claimed in the proposal, the project has been on the University’s mind for some time now, reminding us that the Rec Center “opened in March 1993 with a reduced capacity due to legislative cuts.”

The expansion will be a 140,000 square foot, four-story addition on the massive structure near the McNamara Alumni Center and the proposed Physics and Nanotechnology building, which is yet to receive sufficient funding to begin construction. The Board approved the project less than one year after the opening of the TCF stadium.

The major push for completion of the project seems to come from a sense that the center is not fulfilling its purpose of being social grounds for the community. Research conducted by the U found that people who use the facilities have a higher level of social integration than, assumedly, those who do not.

As such, the new facility will not only include space for exercise, but also a café, a social lounge, and public toilets.

ise that the facility will bring the University a higher head count that we would not have without it.

According to the proposal presented by Vice President Kathleen O’Brien, the new facility will be a closer vision of what “U of M students, staff, and faculty desire and deserve”.

For those of you keeping a running total, this means that the University is hoping for approval or beginning construction on, at minimum: The Rec Center, Folwell Hall, the light rail on Washington Avenue, the Oak Street parking ramp, The Physics and Nanotechnology building, Northrop auditorium, the Weismann, and Coffman Union.

During the same Board of Regents meeting on Wednesday, September 8, O’Brien presented a proposal for the transformation of the Oak Street parking ramp into a campus Bike Center. The board is planning on transforming a current structure rather than building a new one because they are “prioritizing projects that decrease the amount of space and optimizing the use of existing space”.

Another hope for the project is that it will also play a key role in drawing more students to the U, claiming that the addition will be an investment that will “leverage unique regional assets”. One of these unique regional assets, you could say, is the constant construction that happens both on and around campus year round. The scheme dwells heavily on the prom-

Funding for the project will be paid for by a capital enhancement fee assessed to the current students. You can expect to see construction trucks adjacent to the as early as spring 2011 lasting until the end of spring 2013 Opponents of the Rec Center project should be happy to hear that Board is not blind to protests. The edifice will use natural lighting and ventilation to reduce energy consumption and will use pre-existing voltage switchgear to receive its power.

MATT MIRANDA

www.wakemag.org

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Cheap Lit

by Eric Murphy Literary fiction, essays, and poetry are usually several hurdles away from the mainstream. A significant portion is produced and published through universities (although this does not necessarily mean that the writing has no mass appeal). Television has consumed much of the cultural space that once belonged to reading. But one important hurdle keeping literature from the masses, and perhaps the easiest cleared, is price.

Hardback books usually cost around $25, paperbacks around $15. But even $15 can be a lot for working–class readers (or students) to risk on the recommendation of a friend or review—what if you hate the book? The Internet has offered some encouraging solutions. For example, pop–culture essayist Chuck Klosterman has begun offering his essays for download at 99 cents each, mirroring iTunes’ price structure for music. When someone wants to sample Klosterman’s work, he or she can spend 99 cents instead of $15.

Why not apply this price structure to short story and poetry collections? You, the reader, will be more inclined to sample an author’s work on a recommendation; if you like it, you

could “complete the book” for the rest of the $9.99. An author might lose whole–book sales at first, but they will be from readers who didn’t actually like her work anyway. To compensate, the author would certainly get more readers to try her work—readers that will pay 99 cents (or more) instead of not buying anything at all and letting the recommendation pass—and as a result may get many “completed book” sales and greater word–of–mouth promotion.

These prices make sense for now: a $9.99 e-book has a similar profit margin to a $25 hardcover book and a much higher potential sales volume. 99 cent stories or essays (and poems around 49 cents, since the typical poetry collection has about twice as many “pieces” as a short story collection) would be much more accessible to casual and less–wealthy readers.

One literary magazine, Electric Literature, is making a similar push for more accessible literature. A subscription to the physical magazine costs $32 per year, or $8 per issue—a typical price for a literary magazine, but a psychological barrier for someone who wants to “try” literary fiction or read it ca-

Homecoming 2010: A Memoir

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sually. However, Electric Literature offers an electronic subscription (as a downloadable PDF file or via e–reader) for half that price. $4 per issue is much more affordable to casual and working–class readers.

The bottom line is that cheaper fiction will reach more readers. If, through wider distribution, literary fiction and poetry could take back some cultural space (and the increased sales that come with it), making a living off one’s writing could become realistic for many more writers. More people who want to write would be able to, and more people who want to read and think would be able to. And maybe, just maybe, a kid somewhere in America, right in the middle of a Jersey Shore marathon, will turn off his TV, go to a computer or e–reader, find a George Saunders story that a friend recommended, and read that instead.

by Zach McCormick There’s a long line of cars stretching all the way down and around the brownstones on University and Tenth. Many of these cars have been festooned with a variety of streamers, banners, glitter, paper mache animals, or swaying college students. Two blocks behind me is what appears to be a giant model of a mouse, heading up a flatbed truck packed to the brim with dancing coeds. Top 40 radio blares somewhere in the deep recesses of the mouse, giving it the bizarre illusion of speech. In front of them is a U of M mobility bus with a decidedly older, and more responsible, cadre of revelers.

In front of us, squad of twenty–or–so students on NiceRide bikes do slow circles while we wait for the action to begin.

The parade marshals seem mildly confused and wander haphazardly, giving instructions to move forward and fill up gaps. Somehow, we manage to fall in at the proper place, between floats number 65 and 67. Our float begins its slow, jerking roll into the parade proper after a bit of finagling for position. Our driver’s more–than–a–bit miffed that some of our float’s walk–behind crew ended up walking directly in front of the float, causing some hasty braking. But there’s no time for that, we’re off and quickly subsumed by the surprising amount of adoration from our school’s student body. The level of genuine excitement and spirit showed by the families and students of the University was so strong that even this cynical journalist managed to get swept up in it. A couple of scary moments, where our precious speakers shut down in the middle of the parade threatened to derail the festivities, but a little bit of Homecoming magic and cord jiggling got us all the way to the end of the concourse. As someone who can’t even be bothered to check the Gopher’s score online most weekends, it was a fascinating experience to take a journey into the beating, maroon and gold–bleeding heart of our college. And you know what? I kind of liked it.

cities

University Building Construction: Upheaving Insufficiencies

By Eric Brew Buildings contribute to nearly 40 percent of the energy use and 70 percent of the electricity use in the United States according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Every year a nonprofit group called the Sustainable Endowments Institute publishes the College Sustainability Report Card, or Green Report Card, for more than 300 schools around North America. The report card evaluates a university’s sustainability according to publicly available reports as well as surveys sent to schools to measure further the policies and practices of the university with respect to the environment.

In the University of Minnesota’s 2010 Green Report Card, the University scored lowest in the Green Building category, with a grade of a C. The average grade of the 300 schools surveyed was a C+. The University, despite active efforts at green campaigning, falls below the curve in this respect. If the concern of the University is reducing their carbon footprint, Green Building is the category in which to perform, not to slack off.

According to the report card, “The State of Minnesota has set specific green building guidelines for public institutions that are approximately equivalent to LEED Silver certification criteria. The university is awaiting LEED certification on its new stadium. Over 160 new efficient washers were installed in residence halls, saving 3.5 million gallons of water each year.”

The State of Minnesota building guidelines referred to here are the B3 guidelines, which were most recently updated in February of 2009.

To many readers, the aforementioned actions may seem like acceptable steps taken by the University. However, the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system (similarly, the B3 guidelines), is an outdated and insufficient tool in sustainable building.

People just beginning in LEED design are unfortunately late to discoveri that LEED—even its highest building designation of “Platinum”—is just a good starting point (or it was, several years ago). LEED is considered little more than a good marketing tool for corporations like universities.

Today, more radical systems are needed to offset the five billion square feet of new building space constructed every year in the United States.

As a result of this growth, three–quarters of United States floorspace will be new or renovated by 2035.

Some sustainable design firms, such as Rocky Mountain Institute, the nonprofit, self-proclaimed “think–tank,” assert the use of modern technologies in commercial buildings to replace the predominate and obsolete design processes and tools.

Modern technology may or may not be the solution, but it is clear that what is happening now with construction methods is insufficient and even destructive.

What do new buildings and new developments offer the University of Minnesota? The University consistently puts forth the goal of becoming a top research university, but has that goal been selfishly manifested in our building practices?

For example, the new Science Teaching and Student Services building on campus has been certified at the LEED Gold level (below the program’s climatic pinnacle: Platinum). The University claims “LEED standards help to ensure that buildings can be designed, constructed, and operated sustainably.”

LEED standards only ensure the basics of a building’s sustainability. Even a Zero–Energy Building (ZEB)—whose definition itself is diversely, almost humorously, interpreted in the building industry­— does not ensure sustainability; a building’s operations are always to be considered, such as the high energy consumption of the University’s many laboratories, which will include the a new, 155,000-square-foot Physics and Nanotechnology Building in the fall of 2011.

And while the University boasts renovations of existing buildings­—such as the current gutting of Fowell Hall—and the reuse of materials in buildings such as Nicholson Hall, major destructions, such as the recent tear–down of the East Bank’s historic Music Education Building, are quietly completed over a single summer day.

The Music Education Building was the third building ever constructed at the University. The University bypassed an estimated $2.8 million rehab for a $500,000 demolition, a figure that does not include the high environmental cost.

Perhaps a large part of the University’s ill–performance in building stems from the University of Minnesota Board of Regents’ definition of sustainability: “Balanced integration of environmental, social and economic interests in such a way as to meet the needs of today without compromising the ability to meet the needs of tomorrow.”

What exactly are the needs of today? What is the purpose of this University? When it was founded in 1851, it wasn’t to become a top research institution. There is no trace of competition nor a drive to discover in the school’s motto, omnibus artibus commune vinculum, or “a common bond for all the arts.”

These arts are indicated by the regents seal: the metaphysical sciences, physical sciences, industrial arts and fine arts.

The University is here to unify the arts, from scientific to artistic. Sustainability, fundamentally, is the capacity to endure. To endure in our tradition of unifying the arts, what is the need for expansion and reconstruction? What is the need behind segregating our classrooms and buildings for (economic) simplicity?

At the outset of sustainability and building construction concerns, all members of the University and Board of Regents should consider the University’s ability to share and reuse its resources. photos by matt miranda

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a Photo by Mat t Mir and

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feature

Eating Free: A Reflection

By Joe Scott

We ate fresh basil, pre–cut pineapple, hummus and pita chips, artisinal organic breads, the bougiest brands of full–fat yogurt—all absolutely free. I was living in a house with more than double the number of legal occupants. In the event of one city housing inspection, my desk and most of my belongings were moved across the hall, and my floor littered with Natty Ice cans to create the impression of a “hang–out” room. Even though most of us were in college or had graduated already, no more than half were typically employed in the entry–level fast-food or office temp job sector at a time. The rent collection process was protracted and messy. Which is all to say, we were pretty poor.

In the final months of our lease in the summer of this year, we subsisted mostly on food from the local food bank (supplemented by raids on the Bruegger’s dumpster and produce from an organic farm where I occasionally worked).

And we ate a wholesome and tasty, if often repetitive diet. We didn’t sign up for the weekly grocery bags they offered, though we were well within the economic qualifications. There was no incentive to sign up for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps) either, even though most of us would have qualified for that as well. Instead we made frequent trips to the front room of the food bank, where anyone could pick up perishables donated by local grocery stores immediately after reaching their arbitrary sell–by dates.

It all struck me as strangely and excitingly easy. I was hopping from job to job, deciding whether 11th graders in Virginia would pass high school as a standardized test grader one month, counting heads for Uncle Sam the next. I was living comfortably on $300 a month. Naturally I began to wonder what anybody had to complain about. Even the dumpster at the food bank was full of good finds. It certainly seemed like it would be hard to starve in modern America.

It’s evident by the continuing rise of co–ops and farmers markets, and even the availability of organic produce at Wal–Mart, that the food system in the United States is in flux. Many of its juiciest ironies have been pointed out: the poor used to eat brown bread, while the rich ate bread made with refined flour—the poor now eat dirt–cheap, puffy, bleached Wonderbread, while the wealthy eat whole–wheat bread with an ever–expanding array of exotic grains mixed in or sprinkled on top. But it seems to me the biggest difference between our food system today and those of old is the sheer amount of waste.

In a 2009 study, researchers at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland, found that food waste in the United States had increased approximately 54% from 1974 to 2003. The study compared food production data for the U.S. from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with the amount of food needed to sustain the U.S. population, calculated with metabolic models. Despite accounting for rising obesity and the attendant increase in per capita calorie consumption, the authors concluded that the number of calories wasted per person, per day, had increased from 900 kcal in 1974 to 1400 kcal in 2003.

And yet, in a massive 430-page report issued this year by the hunger–relief charity Feeding America, formerly known as America’s Second Harvest, the organization found that hunger continues to increase in America. Among the highlights of the study were that the number of people served by the charity increased 46% since 2005, and of its clients, 39% reported being in the position of having to choose between food and other necessities, such as rent—up from 35% five years ago.

There are organizations attempting to bridge the gap between wasted food and hungry people. On September 30th, I rode along with Sister’s Camelot, a local 501(c3) that distributes produce deemed imperfect from organic warehouses to unannounced locations around town in a repurposed schoolbus. Eric the Busdriver (who was reluctant to give a last name, citing the collective nature of the organization) explained that the warehouses had taken some convincing, but eventually an arrangement was worked out whereby Sister’s Camelot would pick up a busload of produce that would otherwise go to waste twice a week. At one point, one of the warehouses, “tried to sell it for pennies on the pound to hog farmers,” but after some convincing, dropped the plan.

On the Tuesday I rode along, Sister’s Camelot was distributing fresh grapes, daikon radishes, dill, cauliflower, bananas, and bread. After tossing a bag of grapes out the window to a man on the street, the rest of the food was delivered to a children’s art program and the Calgary food shelf. Food shelves, in my naive experience, seemed like an obvious and elegant solution the problem of hungry people and wasted food. But, as Eric explained, it’s often difficult for them to carry the healthiest foods, like fresh produce, because their short shelf life makes it difficult. Not to mention the fact that Sister’s Camelot gets all their produce from the smaller warehouses. “I can only imagine what goes on at Cub,” Eric said. Most of the larger chain grocery stores like Cub Foods and Rainbow use Star Wars–style trash compactors behind their stores to dispose of past-peak produce and expired food.

As Tristram Stuart notes in Waste, his exhaustive global study of wasted food, “if the rich world cut its food losses to 20 percent, the annual savings would be equivalent to at least 100 million tonnes of grain, which would be enough to satisfy the hunger of all the malnourishd people in the world nearly four times over.”

At 1400 calories per person per day wasted in the United States, it should be well within the realm of possibility to feed every homeless or poor person, with plenty to spare for the lazy, middle–class post-college roustabouts.

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sound & vision

Mr. Colbert Goes to Washington

by Mike Trost Recently, Stephen Colbert was asked to testify in front of congress as an expert witness on the issue of immigration reform and migrant workers. He obliged and, to the horror of many congressional representatives, showed up to the hearings… completely in character.

Those unfamiliar with Colbert’s work need only watch the first ten minutes of his show, “The Colbert Report,” to understand that he is a walking parody of an overzealous and completely biased “news”-caster. More often than not, his portrayal is spot on and damn funny.

He has also starred in some of the biggest controversies a basic cable star could hope to create. His segment known as “Better Know a District” aims to systematically poke fun at every representative in the nation, which caused the former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to urge his fellow democrats not to speak with Colbert. And his address at George W. Bush’s White House Correspondence dinner, while hilarious, was undeniably awkward to watch as he mocked the president while standing less than five feet away from him.

With all his notoriety for stepping on politicians’ toes, why would anyone be surprised to see him going for laughs in the halls of Washington? Well, apparently some people view the congressional floor as sacred grounds of law and order, a place to be respected. You can disagree with everything that goes on there, but once you step foot on its grand marble floors, it is not to be ridiculed.

This to me implies that everyone has forgotten other calamities that have appeared before Congress, including Roger Clemons, Elmo, and Alberto Gonzales.

Now, I won’t lie, when I watched the proceedings, I cringed.

Who wouldn’t? It was probably the most uncomfortable five minutes on television that week, and C-SPAN is uncomfortable enough as it is. And I’ll concede that politicians probably have a better way to spend their time than listening to some comedian create a spectacle.

Yet, in spite of the embarrassment I might feel watching it, I must say that Colbert’s testimony was absolutely brilliant.

First off, it’s an impressive attempt of publicity. The constant

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news coverage on his “ridiculous” appearance does nothing to hurt his ratings or approval. Those who thought he was obscene still believe that, and those who loved him love him even more. Those who knew nothing about him may now be converted to “The Colbert Nation”.

It also doesn’t hurt that, on October 30th, he and Jon Stewart will be holding dual “rallies” on the Washington Mall. After all the exposure and derision his hearing sustained on cable news channels, I have no doubt that his Rally to Keep Fear Alive’s attendance will rise by a few more numbers Most importantly, his cause gains some well-deserved attention. Anyone who actually watched the entire hearing— including the others’ testimony and Colbert’s Q&A— rather than watching two second sound bites of his satirical testimony will find that the topic was treated with the utmost respect. All comedy aside, it is obvious that Colbert understands and appreciates the gravity of the issue, and that it was no mistake to bring him in.

Another reason his appearance was more than a cheap laugh is that he is showing off how much his character is expand-

ing. No longer does he just resemble the Bill O’Rieleys and the Keith Olbermanns of television. His act now bears an uncanny resemblance to congressional representatives, activists, and lobbyists all over Washington. I can point to quite a few examples of more ludicrous statements made by representatives of our own fair state. My favorite Colbert quote: “Maybe this Ag Jobs bill would help, I don’t know. Like most members of Congress, I haven’t read it.”

Let’s remember; this is satire, people. It’s comedy with intentions. If he had gone in there and thrown a pie in the face of Chairman Conyers, perhaps that would have been more of a call to arms against his presence. However, Colbert was there to make a point: that many people without a voice are being mistreated.

“It seems like one of the least powerful people in the United States are migrant workers who come in and do our work, but don’t have any rights as a result. And yet, we still ask them to come here, and at the same time, ask them to leave. And that’s an interesting contradiction to me” Personally, this time, I think there is more truth in satire.

sound & vision

Roma di Luna/ Dark Dark Dark CD Release

by Sophie Frank Minneapolis is a hotbed for stellar local acts, a phenomenon I like to attribute to our long winters with nothing to do but noodle around on guitars and belt out tunes to stay warm.

Saturday night Dark Dark Dark and Roma Di Luna, two of Minneapolis’ cutest-couple bands (Lookbook now being out of the picture) teamed up for a full–evening affair at First Avenue. Both bands were celebrating CD releases­—Roma Di Luna debuted its third full–length album, Then The Morning Came, while Dark Dark Dark just released Wild Go, a full length follow–up to their early 2010 EP—and they filled–out First Avenue with loyal fans for a beautiful early show on Saturday, finishing with plenty of time for early college co–eds to dance their hearts out at “Too Much Love.”

Dark Dark Dark’s new album, Wild Go, features cover art consisting of the attractive sextet’s backsides. A bit less lively than their Bright Bright Bright EP, out early this year, Wild Go, tends more toward slower, heartbreaking ballads, while maintaining its free–flowing, gypsy feel. Most of the record-

ing consists of songs the group has been playing live all year, with “Celebrate” and “Daydreaming” standing out for their ethereal quality that is both sad and sleepy. While concerts following Bright Bright Bright inevitably got the audience’s feet moving, the Wild Go debut invoked more of a swaying, head tilting, mesmerized zombie feel in the audience. This is not to say that Dark Dark Dark has gotten boring, but they seem a little more somber, a little less happy–go–lucky.

Accustomed to more intimate venues like 7th Street or The Cedar, Dark Dark Dark rose to the occasion and grew to fill out the Mainroom quite well. Nona and Marshall acted as the crux couple of the group which, as my accompanying friend pointed out, was slightly strange to behold. The two have remarkable similarities, in facial qualities and glasses choice, though Nona towers over the stage with her accordion at the ready. The band features an accordion, piano, cello, bass, clarinet, banjo, and when the concert space allows, a fourpiece chorus to flesh out Nona’s haunted vocals. The band

plays circles around the enchanting songstress like a band of ragtag peddlers that alternates between beautifully enchanting, slowly haunting, light, and danceable. It is hard not to be mesmerized by Nona’s voice, which toes the line between affected and natural, a feat that lends an other-world quality to Dark Dark Dark’s songs.

Roma Di Luna took the stage next and, as a very casual listener of the husband–wife based band, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot more than pretty, snoozable songs. Boy did I get a kick in the pants. The couple, known individually for their other acts (Alexei as the MC Crescent Moon, and member of Kill the Vultures, Channy as a member of super–group Gayngs and longtime local busker) evokes a 1920s elegance, mixed with a Bonny and Clyde charm, that makes them seem like they might still be busking on a Minneapolis street corner. Channy Casselle may be unassuming and soft–spoken when she talks, but when she sings that woman can belt it out. Sassy and compelling in her blue velvet dress and pixie haircut, Channy glided around the stage, exchanging private looks with her band, bending and undulating as she crooned secret truths at the top of her voice.

The band members shifted with each song. There were guitars, drums, tambourines, sometimes a small brass section.

Often a singer or two joined Channy, but even as the band grew and shrunk, fluctuating along with the feeling of the tune, there was a magnetism between Channy and Alexei that added a depth to their music that does not always translate in their recordings. Sometimes this is tangible—she bends over to adjust his microphone or they share a drawn–out glance— but just as often it is something that can’t quite be pinned down; Channy explained that all the songs she writes are based, at least in some small way, on her husband, and when they are on stage together this is glaringly obvious.

At the end of the show it was hard to leave. Everyone held still, just for a moment, stuck in the magic that these local musicians had conjured, whipped up to fill the whole Mainroom. Often when partners, or relatives, or best friends forever form a band it is alienating, as if their connection separates them somehow from the audience. Dark Dark Dark and Roma Di Luna are both able to escape such alienation, and their shows explode with the tension and emotion, cocooning the entire audience in their intensely personal music.

MATT MIRANDA

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sound & vision

All Too Familiar: The Wake’s Fall TV Preview

by Kelsey Carlson Good news and bad news for anyone sick and tired of Grey’s Anatomy, CSI, and The Big Bang theory. The good news is that new fall T.V. is here and ripe for viewing! The bad news is that most of the new shows are only slight variations of the ones listed above. Network television holds on tight to three basic genres (lawyer/doctor, action/adventure, and comedy), and doesn’t fail to cater to each this year in television. Here’s hoping that a show listed below offers enough fresh material to hook you anyway.

One is hard pressed to find more tears and drama than in the ER or courtroom, which is probably why networks keep cranking out doctor and lawyer related television.

The Defenders on CBS and Law & Order: Los Angeles on NBC join the extensive list of law television. Follow leads Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell of The Defenders as they participate in over the top courtroom antics that may or may not lead to trouble. Law & Order promises everything you know and love about Law & Order except this year, there’s a twist!

(Spoiler alert: the twist is that the show is now placed in Los Angeles instead of New York). Get your medical fix by watching Off the Map on ABC, a show about doctors who must adapt to treating people in a small town located in a South American jungle. If Off the Map is anything like its creators’ previous work (Grey’s Anatomy) then prepare yourself for at least one

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tearful monologue and/or supply room sex scene per episode (which hints at possible plot conflict: are there available supply rooms in South American Jungles?).

Out of all genres, new detective/adventure series dominate the market this fall.

To the list of new action dramas, NBC contributes Undercovers and Chase. Undercovers, a show about married CIA agents out of retirement was created by J.J. Abrams and is reminiscent of Alias, but with occasional witty banter. Chase offers an hour of generic, fast moving chase scenes as glamorous leading woman Kelli Giddish hunts down fugitives. Overall, both will satisfy action needs with scantily dressed escapes and slow motion explosions, but neither will deliver much surprise.

CBS gets in the action via Hawaii 5-0 and Blue Bloods. Remake skepticism is common, but Hawaii 5-0 has generated good buzz with both critics and ratings and promises to uphold the integrity (theme song/catch phrases/location) of its 70’s original. Bluebloods, starring Tom Selleck, blends police and familial drama while following the story of (you guessed it) a family of police officers. Equipped with a talented cast and intriguing concept, Bluebloods has big potential for future episodes.

If scheming lawyers and moody cops aren’t your cup of tea, a few new comedies are up for viewing this fall. NBC’s Outsourced is already stirring controversy. The quite possibly racist show is bold for network television comedy as it pokes fun at the vast cultural differences between America and

India. The show takes place in Mumbai and follows Todd Anderson (played by Josh Hamilton) in his task of overseeing a novelties call-center. The show has faced heavy criticism for stereotyping and weak, “easy” writing.

Fox brings multiples comedies to the fall lineup this season.

The most notable addition, Raising Hope, focuses on the story of Jimmy Chance, a young boy who unexpectedly becomes a father. Although Hope, created by the same people behind My Name is Earl, indulges in broad comedy (lots of Earl reminiscent trailer park gags), it also surprises with sharp writing and intelligent jokes and has received refreshingly positive reviews from critics.

Staying true to its sitcom base, CBS premiered Mike and Molly and $#*! My Dad Says. Both shows stay true to sitcom form in that they feature spunky, mis-fitting, and sometimes-overweight-but-in-a-loveable-kind-of-way families. $#*! My Dad Says, based on the popular twitter feed, clumsily incorporates twitter quotes into lukewarm story line that not even leading man William Shatner can salvage. Mike and Molly, a show about an overweight married couple has received positive reviews in that it hasn’t exactly gotten overly negative reviews. Only so many self-deprecating fat jokes can fit comfortably into 22 minutes of television…Mike and Molly pushes that limit but stays sweet while doing so.

This has only been a slight glimpse at the expansive collection of television premiering this fall, Unimpressed? Don’t fret. Undoubtedly someone somewhere is already pitching bigger and better ideas for next season.

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events

Saturday LCD Soundsystem / Hot Chip —Roy Wilkins 8 pm

Friday

Saturday

Phantogram / Josiah Wolf of WHY? —Fine Line 8 pm

Sufjan Stevens—Orpheum Theater 7 pm

Tuesday Guided By Voices—First Avenue 7 pm

Thursday Avi Buffalo / Total Babe —7th Street Entry 8 pm

Sunday Peelander Z / Birthday Suits—Turf Club 9 pm

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Tuesday Social Distorition / Lucero / Frank Turner—First Avenue 7 pm

Monday Joe Pug / Vandaveer —The Cedar Cultural Center 8 pm

Monday Sleigh Bells —Triple Rock Social Club 8 pm

Friday A Place to Bury Strangers / To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie / Artifact Shore—The Whole Music Club 8 pm www.wakemag.org

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Fitz and the Tantrums: Picking Up the Pieces

by Zach McCormick

The Town, (aka Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season)

by Maggie Foucault

Roma di Luna: Then the Morning Came

by Zach McCormick

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With the afro–funk revival in full swing and Daptone Records holding court over all things east–coast Soul, it’s refreshing to see another contender throw their hat into the blue–eyed Soul revival ring (after all, Mayer Hawthorne gets awfully lonely). Led by Los Angeles songwriter Micheal Fitzpatrick, the Tantrums are a crack team of musicians that manage to buck the common criticism of neo–soul (namely, that it’s neo–soul and apparently incapable of originality) with an old– meets–new sound and a knack for imbuing songs with a genuine sense of joy. “Dear Mr. President” is an incisive message– record that puts one in mind of the Temptations early stabs at social commentary, with a pounding beat and Rock ‘n’ Roll Part 2 chants. The title track is a thoroughly charming little

bit of songcraft that gets a major boost from the Tantrums’ excellent backing singer Noelle Scaggs who’s done work with fellow cracker-soul artist Quantic. “MoneyGrabber” might just give Cee–Lo a challenge for best gold–digger kiss–off of the year, pairing a sparse verse with a Daryl Hall feel and a monster hook with some real anger underneath. Other standouts include the decidedly, delightfully old–school “Rich Girls” where the protagonist laments his treatment by women on both sides of the tracks and “Winds of Change.” The latter’s crunching drum track and unexpected profanity belies this record’s post– hip–hop production. While Picking Up the Pieces may be short on surprises, it’s still a very well crafted album by a Songwriter that deserves his capital letter.

The Town, which opened last month and stars Ben Affleck, Blake Lively, Rebecca Hall, and Don Draper, to name a few, is an action-packed crime drama expressed in thick Bostonian accents and a plethora of fuck you’s. The story, also written

by Ben Affleck, follows a crew of bank robbers from the notorious Boston neighborhood of Charlestown, a crime–ridden, trailer–park–without–the–trailers kind of neighborhood. In the opening sequence the viewer tags along on the first of many bank robberies in the movie. During this robbery, however, our masked crew is forced to take the coincidentally young, hot, bank manager hostage. In order to keep her from cooperating with the FBI, Ben Affleck begins following her. Of

course, this begins a somewhat creepy relationship between an unknowing hostage and her kidnapper. Creepyness of the scenario aside, the rest of the movie is intensely action filled: police chases with multiple car switches through winding Boston side streets, shoot outs with automatic weapons, and lots and lots of money. While the main characters are Affleck and Hall, Lively steals the entire show as a drug addicted, smeared makeup wearing, townie resident of Charlestown that cannot get over Affleck, her townie love. With a violently mind-blowing ending and a tolerable love story that is kept to a minimum, The Town is definitely worth $8.

The Roma di Luna work ethic is certainly not one to be questioned. The recording process for their most recent effort was reportedly a tumultuous one, with four newborns between the group members. Far from mellowing out into parenthood however, Then the Morning Came showcases a fiery soulful side never before seen from the beloved local act. With an ever–expanding full band lineup complimenting the original duo, Roma di Luna sounds more ready for the bigtime than for white picket fence country. There’s a real warm, organic blues sound to this record, with a drooping B.B. King style guitar transforming “Miss You Too” into Chicago blues stomper and Channy relishing in the newfound territory to show off a spine tingling growl. The pristine folk

beauty we expect from the group is still there on tracks like the “Starling” and “Below our Feet,” but it’s hard to ignore such an unexpected (and thoroughly welcomed) development like “When I Die.” The group brings in the horns and spot on backing vocals for a soulful blues that wouldn’t sound out of place on the next Sharon Jones record. About halfway through, a banging drum sample comes in so strong that you almost expect Alexi to deliver one of his Kill the Vultures verses. It’s a pleasant surprise on a record that could be described in similar terms; Then the Morning Came was destined for local stardom, but Roma di Luna have really gone the extra mile to ensure it’s lasting appeal.

sound & vision

3 Bands We Hope You Like

By Jon Schober

GAMES If you haven’t heard “Shadows In Bloom” by this (what else?) Brooklyn-based duo, do yourself a favor and break away from this article to give it a listen. It contains what is probably one the best samples of the year behind M.I.A.’s Suicide riff in “Born Free,” and utilizes Secret Service’s 1980s track “Flash in the Night,” which is not only totally obscure since they are a Swedish new-wave band who no doubt have their catalogue mostly on cassette, but also totally genius because Games basically just re–splices the song hundreds of times in the course of 2 ½ minutes. Yes, they are one of those blog buzzworthy bands, but it’s well deserved. After all, these guys have known each other for 16 years and have been making music for about three quarters of that time. They know what they’re doing.

GLASSER And speaking of an act which exploded out of nowhere, let’s talk about this onewoman project fronted by Cameron Mesirow. She employs the same tribal drums of bands like Prince Rama or new material from School of Seven Bells and that voice is totally haunting — it doesn’t even matter that no one knows what the hell she is singing about.­The rhythms are so entrancing that you quickly lose focus; instead you begin to wonder what Mesirow is crooning about… what is she trying to make you understand? Unfortunately, we Twin Cities folk didn’t get a chance to see her a few months back. Glasser is on tour now with local megagroup GAYNGS and probably contributing some vocals to their mix if the new City of Music video on City Pages is any indication.

FOOD PYRAMID Food pyramid is perhaps the most underrated band in Minneapolis. Getting your hands on their album I is a little tricky. It’s only out on cassette via Moon Glyph, which has released local albums from Velvet Davenport and Buffalo Moon this year. If you don’t have a tape deck in any capacity whether it be physical or within your car, you have to rely on songs leaking onto the internet, which lemme tell ya: aren’t around. This band apparently has enough material currently in the works for 5 more albums, and thank goodness: the first 18 minute track on this album, “The Sundance Kid,” is a totally glorious sax and horn permeating, space-infused hook which flies by in no time, the mark of a truly awesome composition. It’s only a matter of time before they start getting a massive amount of recognition for their instrumental prowess

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humanities

I i love you like i love banana bread fresh out of the oven with two pads of butter banana bread—holy shit!

—oh god.

II the sun burns brightly you are a candle the wax is dripping oh god

III cupcakes on a sunday morning your jelly doughnut forehead and frosting on your lips oh god

– Franny Larson

20

12 october – 25 october

humanities

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Extinction by joseph kleinschmidt Destruction reigned supreme on earth. Fiery corpses dotted the ground, selecting and sparing few from death. Massive debris rained down. Trees and grasslands were ablaze.

Life was about to become microscopic.

Two were left. But they were again focused on performing an impromptu play.

Act 3. Scene 1.

The world was about to end…

“I quite think that I should fancy you, Arthur.”

“Indeed, we certainly share many fascinations, albeit the recent surge in volc— ” “Can we say it is love, dear?” …

“Okaayy. You’re stepping all over my lines now,” Arthur interrupted. “I mean, the love is the hope in this apocalyptic nightmare. First, though, I have to establish the overall despair we are experiencing. Without that, we lose the heart and soul a this thing.” His giant neck swooping down closer, he muttered, “ Can’t you see how beautiful this all is?”

She twisted her plated body quizzically, “Sorry, but did—apocalyptic nightmare? Despair?” Her heavy panting started to quake the soil beneath her.

“Art. Don’t you see? If we must die in reality, surely we can live on indefinitely through theatre,” reasoned Arthur, cockily.

“Tell me, Arthur, who’s going to see your ‘masterpiece?’”

“Shut up, I have the title. ‘Dual-platonic-souls-grasping-with-the-idea-of-certain-cessation,” he said while forming an upright fist.

“Cessation?”

“Alliteration. It means death.”

“Concise.”

The two wandered the coniferous forest, putting their current project on hold while in search of shelter. This last sentence is grammatically confusing- they are accepting their ultimate fate, not the rock.They slowly accepted their ultimate fate as rock plummeted to the earth around them.

“As long as we’re on the subject of death,” she pondered, “how do you think we’re going to the grave, Arthur?”

“Probably volcanoes. Uh, disease. Climate change. No wait—asteroids colliding with us.

Yeah…” he smiled, not seriously considering the idea. “Just theories.”

Amused at the idea of “climate change,” the pair came across another survivor. With an

earthy authoritative vision, his speech reached them profoundly.

“No one knows whether death, which people fear to be the greatest evil, may not be the greatest good,” the newcomer croaked. He was lean, it was apparent that his words reflected his hard-earned experience. Coarse wrinkles ran deep throughout his naked body.

“Plato, right?” Arthur asked.

“That’s right. We’re all about to change for the better. I believe our collective will slowly develop into the ‘greatest good.’ Many changes acting upon changes.”

Sarcastically, Arthur responded, “When we fly.”

Without any verbal welcome, she gravitated towards this philosopher, Charles. His words rephraseput her in a hypnotic trance, and so assumed truth immediately?.

Arthur, threatened by the man’s presence, could not think of anymore smart-ass remarks. He trotted away looking for water.

In Arthur’s absence, Charles upon his wisdom. He shared his ideas regarding the cruelty of nature. His solution for coping with the end of the world was to physically multiply himself many many times. This way, he thought, he could be immortal. At least, in some regards.

In an instant, he would try once more as he fell in love with his own words. And her.

“Get the fuck off me,” she asserted.

She caught up with Arthur, choosing not to share(not to share) what just took place.

“Get sick of the old timer?”

“Yeah…Yeah…Hey, why don’t we finish our drama?”

Arthur’s eyes flashed with excitement, reflecting(they reflected?) another volcanic eruption in the distance.

Act 3. Scene 4.

The lovers prepare for the cruel fate that nature presents.

“I want to believe that we can outlast these tumultuous events.”

“We can’t, Arthur. I think we may have to accept the time we’ve had.”

“But Love. Isn’t that everlasting?” …

Name burst out, “No. Stop. Seriously? I have to die in reality while acting out this garbage? All right, you’re no Bill Shakespeare. But you couldn’t even propose a story without a theme involving star-crossed lovers fated for death? You didn’t even change your name.”

“I…” “If you wanted to say you loved me, why can’t you just tell me without a script?”

“I love you.”

A falling asteroid the size of Vermont killed the two dinosaurs.

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21

humanities

collin klug

Coffee House Woman

By Collin Klug

so i guess i’ll look you in the eyes and say “surprise?”

and my attitude towards the world like the song i wrote is fine now. it is fixed. it is lovely. and so is the woman i’d love to marry. she loves to change her hair and she has tattoos and i will never really figure her out completely

and i hate all of these things,

but it won’t matter.

22

12 october – 25 october

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THE WAKE NEEDS YOU! WRITERS, CONTRIBUTORS, & IDEAS WANTED

8:30 PM @ 1313 5TH ST SE #331 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55414 8:30 PM • SEPT 27 • OCT 11 • OCT 25 • NOV 8 • NOV 29 •