Gender: Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 4367 Status: User Location: Look where my hand was.
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 1:28 am Post subject: A Foray Into Journalism
I'm writing for the CNU paper, or the Captain's Log! My first story will be published with this week's issue. I'll just post them here so I can get your feedback, criticism, praise, money, and more.
This week, I reviewed Friday's at 5, our campus' concert series. The bands were campus bands, which you'll read more about. I also did pictures... I'll try to scan them when I get the paper later this week!
Review of Friday’s at 5 – By Mark Newton
Some people today say, myself included, that music today, that which is blasted at us from the radio and MTV, is, to put it bluntly, terrible. While I do enjoy some contemporary bands, I continue to find myself drifting further back in time in the record store, preferring bands like the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, or XTC over anything in the “What’s New” section. This is why I found the last Friday’s at 5 concert so refreshing. The two performers, first the solo Zach Briggs and then Momentary Prophets, showed me that perhaps there’s hope for the radio.
Briggs took the stage promptly and, being the first, bravely pronounced, “I’m Zach Briggs and here are some of my songs”. Influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan and the morn modern band “This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb,” he also attributes his folk talent to is dad, who was present during the concert. The strong guitar work was paired with strong lyrics: “at least an addict knows what he wants,” crooned Briggs.
Taking stage soon after, Momentary Prophets, the “progressive pop-noir world folk” creation of Jake Hull and Ted Packard, contrasted Briggs with a more performance-oriented show, complete with epic-length instrumentals and even a “Benediction for Pluto,” with spoken verses linking pieces together. Packard’s playing was so intense that he shredded his fingers, or “bleeding for art” as he put it. At one point, the pair invited the audience to come onstage and play. I was the only volunteer, and I improvised on a conga drum for the next five minutes, which wasn’t as disastrous as I thought it would be. As the Prophets closed the show, they assured us that by being a part of their performance made us “momentary prophets”. I felt that way, but for another reason: I could see hope for the country-obsessed, Paris Hilton-loving music industry on our own campus.
Next Friday, Jack’s House performs, a pop-and-jazz-influenced rock band from Alexandria, Virginia. Their debut album, The Skyline Parade, is available at their website, http://www.jackshouseband.com. _________________
Gender: Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 4367 Status: User Location: Look where my hand was.
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 1:37 am Post subject:
I read this last night, and I knew I had to rewrite it like a present... start it off nice, and bring it back to the beginning and wrap it up. I really love reviews like that. _________________
Gender: Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 1836 Status: Administrator Location: Twilite Zone
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 12:04 pm Post subject:
DJ The Stick wrote:
I'd only change the first sentence. It's too complex. Too many commas and stuff.
-DJ
Agreed. Otherwise, looks good. _________________ Homsars Girl n. a bagpipe bent on engulfing the world in a mix of pepper and ketchup.
Our IRC channel is here! :]
Married to DJ the d00d.
Gender: Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 1836 Status: Administrator Location: Twilite Zone
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:07 pm Post subject:
Hey, that looks awesome. Good job, Mark :] _________________ Homsars Girl n. a bagpipe bent on engulfing the world in a mix of pepper and ketchup.
Our IRC channel is here! :]
Married to DJ the d00d.
Gender: Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 4367 Status: User Location: Look where my hand was.
Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:30 am Post subject:
This week: Fridays at 5 with a crappy band, Reno Collier, and a quickie profile of my now-friend Meris' Girl Scout equivilent to the Eagle Scout project to spread the word about organ donation. This is the rough form, you'll see the full thing Wednesday!
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Fridays at 5/Reno Collier/Supershot Section about “York’s Got Talent”
All by Mark Newton
When I was at the concert for Fridays at 5 with Jack’s House, I noticed a very strange brown lump moving across the grass. As I ran over to see what it was, I had found that someone had brought his pet ferret to play outside. As he continued to play with it, I found myself becoming bored with the critter, so I walked back to continue taking notes. In many ways, Jack’s House is like that ferret – interesting at first but quickly becoming mundane.
While their website touts them as playing jazz- and progressive-influenced pop (which, incidentally, they never plugged, opting for their MySpace three times), it all seemed to sound the same by the middle of the third song, “Lost In Translation,” which actually showed promise with a blues/jazz opening. The problem with the five-piece band’s performance is that, while the group obviously has talent, they suffer from an incredible lack of variety. To fill the 90-minute show, Jack’s House threw in four covers from the Eagles, Wilco, and the Beatles. Their version of “Come Together,” sadly, was probably the most interesting thing they played. To improve their power pop, Jack’s House needs something new and different… maybe a ferret.
Next week, Borderline Crazy performs at Fridays at 5 as part of Fall Fest, which begins on the Great Lawn at 4 PM. Information about the rock/reggae/pop punk band from Hampton Road can be found at http://www.myspace.com/borderlinecrazyband.
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Late Friday night, stand-up comedian Reno Collier performed to a crowd that was packed to fire safety levels; many people were denied admission to the event. The West Virginian started his career as a physical education teacher, and while holding a second job as a bartender; he quit his day job to become a comedian after taking stage at an open mic night. He has since gained notoriety from programs on HBO, NBC, and Comedy Central. He recently performed at the USO Comedy Tour in Iraq. He was preceded by several sketches by CNU Tonight, all of which were very funny, from “Who Wants to Win a Dollar?” to the classic news piece.
While most of his material was culled from previous performances, most of his audiences had never heard of him. His jokes ranged from how not to have a baby to his church’s softball team that lost so much that they renamed it to “Off Constantly” so that the other team would rush the field screaming “we beat Off Constantly!” He also talked about his drinking and how one night, when he switched from tequila to goldschlager, he “pooed a Mexican coin”. Overall, it was a very good performance from both CNU Tonight and Reno Collier.
Pat Dixon and James Johann will join Collier on the All American Slackers Tour, a series of comedy shows from the producers of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour from September 2006 through February 2007.
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Who: Meris....
What: Girl Scout Gold Award Project – benefited organ donation, talent show to spread the word, “York’s Got Talent”
When: 9/15/06 – 7PM
Where: York River West Lobby
Why: Gold Award has to be a service project; bring activity to CNU, complete project, benefits everyone involved
How: with Adam Williams (hall director), Hall Council, set up in a month; benefited organ donation by raising awareness and raising number of organ donors; had to be a donor or get an organ donor card to attend _________________
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