Review: Street Corner Holler brings the Delta sound up North: Street Corner Holler transforms Putnam Den; Skidmore band Diego Sandbox opens

Posted by Dale Obbie

"We're gonna go back to the old times now," says Mark Tolstrup, setting down his Fender Telecaster and picking up a National resonator guitar. He plugs the steel acoustic guitar into an amplifier and glides his glass slide down the strings, letting forth a sharp, twangy chord that resounds throughout the smoky bar. Surprised by the swampy sound, the people playing pool at the other end of the bar pause their game to look up and watch.

The band begins playing old-school, gospel-style blues that ring true to its name — one that brings to mind images of a Louisiana Delta bluesman sitting on the corner, singing and playing guitar for the passersby: Street Corner Holler.

Street Corner Holler's performance on Feb. 2 was the third in a series of shows presented by bassist Tony Markellis of the Trey Anastasio Band. A longtime Saratoga Springs resident, Markellis plays with a number of local musicians and once a month he plays with a different band at the Putnam Den.

Although Street Corner Holler's sound harkens back to early Delta blues, it is not a one-man act. Drummer and back-up vocalist Dale Haskell accompanies Tolstrup with his bullfrog voice and his understated yet reliable backbeat. Upright bassist Markellis completes the trio, providing the foundation for the group's groove-locked sound.

Between the amplified instruments and drums, the slide guitar and the wailing, gravelly vocals, Street Corner Holler sounds something like a mix between the Chicago and Delta blues traditions. The trio pays tribute to the blues in all its forms — a fact evident not only in their instrumentation, but also in their choice of songs. They played anything and everything, including a slow and gritty Muddy Waters-style blues, a danceable, boogie-woogie "Ray Charles number" and a Bob Dylan cover that, according to Tolstrup, they had "bluesified."

Opening for Street Corner Holler was a newly formed Skidmore band called Diego Sandbox. The band consisted of saxophonist Aaron Wallace '12, bassist Carlo D'Angelis '12, drummer Anthony Princi '12, guitarist Robin Shore '14 and keyboardist and vocalist Johnny Duennebier '13.

They played some well-executed covers, including Billy Cobham's funk classic "Red Baron," a funky rendition of the Miles Davis standard "So What" that transitioned into Traffic's "Low Spark of High-heeled Boys" and even Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing," for which they were joined by guest vocalist Kortney Sumner '12.

Although not many people attended the show, both bands played their hearts out. Diego Sandbox got things started with its high-energy funk and its mellow R&B, and Street Corner Holler played raw, heartfelt blues late into the night.

"Bringing King to China" to screen this Tuesday in Gannett

Posted by Sandy Zhang

This Tuesday, Feb. 7, "Bringing King to China," a film about an American teacher's struggle to stage a play about Martin Luther King Jr. in China, will screen in Gannett Auditorium.

Cáitrín McKiernan was inspired to produce the play – "Passages of Martin Luther King Jr." by Clayborne Carson – in China when her protests against the Iraq War failed. Her goal was to reveal a positive, nonviolent aspect of America to the Chinese.

McKiernan wanted the play's examination of King's life and beliefs to create a positive connection between Chinese society and American society.

"By talking about Martin Luther King, Chinese people maybe will see a different side of Americans and maybe Americans will also see a different side of Chinese people," said McKiernan in the film. "That's the beauty of it."

The film chronicles the process of winning government support, obtaining funding and recruiting professional Chinese stage actors as well as American gospel singers to participate in the production. Beyond that, the film examines how the teachings of King, whose "I Have a Dream" speech was extoled by Mao Zedong, resonate with a contemporary Chinese audience.

McKiernan hoped King's message of peaceful struggle and nonviolence protest would provide a means for the audience to examine the forms of discrimination that exist in Chinese society.

A discussion with Kevin McKiernan, Cáitrín McKiernan's father as well as producer and director of "Bringing King to China," will follow the screening. To learn more about the film, visit bringingkingtochina.com.

Soundtrack for a Revolution' screens Monday evening in Gannett: The documentary weaves together the narrative of the civil rights movement through music

Posted by Rebecca Workman

On Monday, Jan. 30, "Soundtrack for a Revolution," a documentary that reflects upon the civil rights movement through music and song, will be screening at 7 p.m. in Gannett Auditorium.

Sponsored by the Office of Student Diversity Programs and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, the film features musical performances by Joss Stone, Wyclef Jean, TV on the Radio and The Roots, as well as John Legend, who performed "Woke Up This Morning."

The documentary was written and directed by two-time Academy Award winner Bill Guttentag, the director of "Twin Towers" and "You Don't Have to Die," and Emmy Award winner Dan Sturman, who directed "The Hollywood Complex," as well as "Nanking" with Guttentag. 

Civil rights activists such as Congressman John Lewis, Harry Belafonte, Julian Bond, Ambassador Andrew Young and Coretta Scott King appear in the film to recall their lives during segregation and events from the movement.

A trailer of the documentary can be viewed here. 

Review: 'Duets to Decahedrons' showcased bold and quirky modern choreography: The performance featured works of guest artist Sydney Skybetter and the College's Dance Faculty

Posted by Olivia Powers

Last Friday, Dec. 2 marked the opening night of the College's annual Winter Dance Concert, "Duets to Decahedrons," which features works choreographed by four dance faculty members and guest artist Sydney Skybetter.

The performance showcased the College's commitment to equipping its students with a comprehensive dance education. Ranging from bold and provocative to lovely and lyrical, the pieces alternately inhabited worlds of combat, love and metropolitan funk.

The show opened with Mary Harney's quirky contemporary piece, "Square One." In a light-hearted exploration of their surroundings, the dancers interacted with a large grey box. The piece utilized this prop to creatively illustrate clichéd phrases such as "back to square one."

"[Harney] had us watch a piece that had the box in it that she had created earlier," said Katie Wilson '13, a dancer featured in "Square One." "We worked with all of these different [dance] phrases, a lot of which we ended up scrapping. It was really interesting to see how the process came together."

The show continued with "Deux," two classical ballet duets choreographed by associate professor Denise Limoli. Accompanied by two live musicians, the pieces demonstrated threefold the simple harmony achieved by a pair of artists complementing one another.

The classical elegance of "Deux" was contrasted by Rubén Graciani's aggressive group piece, "Unknown Adversaries." The dancers, sporting utility suits, charged through the bold choreography.

Following a short intermission, the show resumed with Skybetter's more temperate contemporary piece, "Halcyon," and transitioned into Graciani's duet "Afloat Beneath the Surface." Performed by Emily Pacilio '12 and Graciani, this poignant duet displayed the subtle power of the dancers to lift an audience by the heartstrings. The audience let out a collective sigh at its conclusion before breaking into boisterous applause.

The program concluded with a bang. Debra Fernandez's spunky "Heartbreaker" set dancers against a vibrant film projection by John Danison, creating the illusion of watching a comic book come to life. This colorful piece drew on the youthfulness of the dancers, creating a fun-filled piece that captured the vibrant energy of a college campus.

Though the works presented were diverse, the range of dance classes offered at the College was surprisingly underrepresented. The College boasts a unique variety of dance classes, including classical Indian dance, jazz and tap. However, these disciplines were absent from the modern-heavy program, to the disappointment of some audience members.

"I always really enjoy seeing the dance concerts," Netta Bob '14 said. "But I wish that there was more variety in the types of dance performed."

Despite this, audience members and performers alike were grateful for the experience.

"I love seeing what everyone at Skidmore can do," Bob added. "I'm always so impressed by how talented our student body is."

Kevin Smith's leftist horror flick "Red State" falls short of expectations

Posted by Eli Cohen

It's an age-old story, one that we have all heard a hundred times before: boy meets girl online, boy talks to girl for a couple weeks, girl offers boy and his two friends a foursome, boys end up getting captured and killed one by one.

This is how the trailer for Kevin Smith's "Red State" portrays the recently released-to-DVD horror flick. The trailer shows a gritty, terrifying, and nail-biting experience, coupled with religious fanaticism and brief interludes of gunfights. But alas, as we discover so many times in life, looks can be terribly deceiving, if not disappointing. What the audience actually ends up with is a condemnation of the religious ultra-conservative (often referred to as "red-stater"), who seem to become almost a caricature at times. In fact, nearly everyone in this film ends up appearing so over-the-top and exaggerated that there are few characters that I was even remotely interested in by the end.

Granted, horror movies have never been known as the most plot-heavy genre, tending to rely more on shock value, gore, and things jumping out from behind furniture. What is problematic is that the part of "Red State" that is truly scary - the part that contains the suspense, horror, and revulsion - lasts a mere twenty minutes. After that there is some more overacting, a firefight, and John Goodman.

The end of the movie is especially disappointing. With so many possibilities, including an alternative ending involving the rapture, a giant sword-wielding angel, and the general end of days ("Dogma," anyone?), this film decided it would go gently into the good night. The conclusion is timid, unambitious, and, like the rest of the film, generally uninteresting.

The acting was ultimately the biggest letdown. John Goodman, Oscar-winner Melissa Leo ("The Fighter"), and Stephen Root (unforgettable in the cult classic "Office Space"), joining forces with Kevin Smith, the beloved slacker hero responsible for the "Clerks" series, "Dogma" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" should have been unstoppable. Yet, thanks to Leo's unbearable overacting, Goodman's complete lack of effort, and Root's unbelievably exaggerated character, they end up not only falling short, but failing to even come close to making this movie work.

Review: Eleventh annual Beatlemore Skidmania enchants in Zankel

Posted by Dale Obbie

Last weekend marked the 11th annual Beatlemore Skidmania concert and the second held in Ladd Concert Hall of the Arthur Zankel Music Center. The popular concert showcased strong performances and unique renditions of The Beatles songs by new and old student bands.

The first show of the two-night run was on Friday, 11/11/11, and Professor Gordon Thompson, who organizes the event with the help of his Beatles seminar, reminded the audience of the show's significance: 10 years ago was the semester that Sept. 11 took place and that George Harrison died. The Beatles tribute concert began as a way to celebrate the uplifting power of the band's music in a time when we needed it most, and it continues stronger than ever.

The theme of this year's show encompassed all of The Beatles' music, as well as any songs written by members during their solo careers. It included a variety of strong performances from both underclassmen and senior bands. Members of Cousin Chuck and the Arkansas Woodchoppers took the stage in boots and overalls to complement their bluegrass rendition of "I've Just Seen a Face," which featured a foot-stompin' fiddle solo from Evan Nathan and a mandolin solo from Paul Gladstone. During their solos, the bandmates could hardly help themselves and began to jig.

Next came a funkified version of "Octopus's Garden" from Bo Peep and the Funk Sheep. Bassist Will Sacks sang the chorus while Andrew Koehler came in with his organ jabs. Trombonist Brandon Lomuto punctuated the gaps with his horn fills, giving the band's version of the fun song a tightly knit funky twist. The band went into a playful call and response between Sacks's bass and Lomuto's trombone, ending with a sweeping drum roll from drummer Dave Slitzky.

Another highlight was a Tracy Chapman-esque version of "Eight Days a Week" from Mary Leigh and Carolyn Bottelier, who combined their soulful voices with a catchy guitar riff, adding just a taste of bittersweet and heartfelt blues to the mix.

After the intermission, the Dan Papson Memorial Band (formerly known as the Papgwows) began the second half of the show with an otherworldly version of "Blue Jay Way," a song that performers do not often bring to the table. Senior saxophonist Aaron Wallace, who has performed at Beatlemore Skidmania every year during his time at Skidmore, explains that he chose "Blue Jay Way" because it is one of his favorite Beatles songs, but also because "the obscurity of the song was a bonus. Since Beatlemania is a concert that people attend year after year, it's always nice for the audience to hear a deep cut that hasn't been played in a while."

Wallace began "Blue Jay Way" by blowing into a didgeridoo and looping the sound to act as a drone, creating an eerie vibe while he and guitarist Sean Healton hinted at the original song by teasing the melody. Soon they launched into an energetic funk jam driven by drummer Anthony Princi and bassist Carlo D'Angelis. Wallace explains that they did so because "we were the start of the second set, so we needed to get the audience excited for the show to come, while still staying true to the beauty of George Harrison's original composition."

The rest of the second set was anything but a letdown after "Blue Jay Way." Dam Hot Jam played a memorable version of "Day Tripper," in which Leo Cancelmo went from playing funk chords into a psychedelic rock guitar solo truly reminiscent of the '60s. Los Elk played a reggae version of "Can't Buy Me Love," which segued seamlessly into a swinging blues guitar solo. Bailiwick brought back the folksiness with its version of Harrison's "The Inner Light," replete with foot stomping, sugary vocal harmonies and a damn good fiddle solo.

The show ended in accordance with tradition — a performance by The Rust Brothers, the Skidmore faculty band, who played George Harrison's "Handle with Care" and "Get Back." They were joined by a number of student performers, including a complete horn section, two keyboardists, backup singers, percussionists and Los Elk guitarist Amir Rivera-Lieberman, who played a slide guitar solo during "Handle with Care." Ending the night on a high note, they left the stage to the sound of a standing ovation from the sold-out auditorium.

Passion Play' by Sarah Ruhl premieres this weekend in the JKB Theater

Posted by Sandy Zhang

"Passion Play," written by award-winning contemporary writer Sarah Ruhl, will premiere in the Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater on Nov. 18. The play takes the audience to three communities, each living in different places and time periods, which attempt to stage the death of Jesus Christ.

"Passion Play" explores themes of spirituality and questions the values inherent in political systems and religion. The play features three acts, each in a different place in the world in a different era of time. The first act features villagers living in Elizabethan England. The second act depicts Germans living under Adolf Hitler's new regime and the third, South Dakotans visited by a campaigning Ronald Reagan.

"I am drawn to this work because of Sarah Ruhl's unique poetic voice and her ability to plunge into complex and controversial issues with simplicity, biting humor and poignancy. The actors have embraced the complexity of this epic work with a commitment to an ongoing exploration of the vast landscape Sarah Ruhl puts before us," Director Carolyn Anderson said.

Performances are Nov. 18, 19 and 20 and Dec. 1, 2, 3 and 4. All shows are in the Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater at 7:30 p.m. except Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 general admission and $8 for students and senior citizens. For reservations, call the Skidmore Theater Box Office at (518) 580-5439 or email boxoffice@skidmore.edu.

"A Gate at the Stairs" with Lorrie Moore: First-Year summer reading author talks about her latest novel

Posted by Julia Leef

Author Lorrie Moore spoke on Nov. 3 to students, faculty and community members about her novel "A Gate at the Stairs", which was assigned as summer reading for the Class of 2015, much to the author's surprise.

Although last year's summer reading-based event was a lecture by Neil Shubin on the scientific views and discoveries expressed in his novel "Your Inner Fish," this year's was a question-and-answer session moderated by Linda Hall, associate professor of English. The audience was not involved in this discussion.

"I feel so sorry for all of you having to read this book," Moore said, adding that she didn't like summer reading and didn't feel her book was a good choice because she thinks it is difficult for people under age 20 to read, although she is grateful that the college chose her book.

Moore teaches literature and writing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She won a fiction contest for Seventeen Magazine at age 19, and, for two years after graduating from St. Lawrence University, she worked as a paralegal in New York City, summarizing testimonies for lawyers. She published her first novel, "Anagrams," at age 28.

"Fiction is not really in the business of finding solutions," Moore said, explaining that it is more an organization of questions and problems that interests the author.

 Moore has family history with the College as the granddaughter of a former president, although this was her first visit to the campus.

"After we announced this year's selection, Mary Lynn, professor of American Studies, called our office to let us know that Moore is related to Henry T. Moore, Skidmore's second president," said Marla Melito, interim director of First-Year Experience. "We also found out that she is originally from Glens Falls, NY."

When Hall asked Moore if people who are not very good readers might have trouble understanding the book's politics, Moore answered with an anecdote about people who wanted to toilet paper her house because they believed that her characters' political views reflected upon her own. This is not the case, however, and readers must make that distinction between the author and her characters, she said.

Recommendations for summer reading material come from a variety of resources, including students, faculty, alumni, administrators and parents. The First-Year Experience narrows these choices down based on the topics that are considered priorities for the campus community by other offices and departments.

Melito said the two main goals of the summer reading program are to celebrate the ongoing educational experience and to provide first-year students with a common intellectual experience. "A Gate at the Stairs" was chosen because it fulfills these requirements, she said.

"It highlights several of the College's institutional and intellectual priorities - the book looks at issues of race, inclusion, class, religion and identity," Melito said. "While we know that assigning one book cannot fulfill the college's goal of a more inclusive and tolerant community, our hope was that this book would become common ground for first-year students to start talking about these issues."

Review: 'Roots, Dub, Reggae' - John Brown's Body at Putnam Den

Posted by Dale Obbie

Last Thursday night, Boston-based reggae band John Brown's Body performed a dub-heavy set at Putnam Den. The New Hampshire-based band Roots of Creation opened for them, drawing a dreadlocked crowd for a fun start to the Halloween weekend.

John Brown's Body's music often receives the label "contemporary roots reggae," and with a sound reminiscent of '70s-era reggae legends such as Burning Spear and Lee Perry, the band definitely earn the "roots" distinction. But there's more to the band than that. The band members play just as much dub — an instrumental, effect-laden, drum and bass-driven twist on reggae — as they do traditional reggae. What's more, they play dub at live shows, despite the fact that the style lends itself more to studio recordings than to the live setting.

The show on Thursday was no exception. They opened with a slow-burning dub song full of echoing horn bursts and wah-wahing rhythm guitar scratches. With his eyes closed, vocalist Elliott Martin shook a tambourine, nodding his head while his waist-length dreads swung back and forth in rhythm to the slack drumbeat and the Den-shaking bass line.

During the sunshiny tune "Be At Peace," trombone player Scott Flynn and keyboardist Matt Goodwin joined Martin in a beautiful vocal harmony that reverberated throughout the bar and into the street. The three voices urged the audience to "be at peace and perceive deeper love," ending with a warning to not "put your life in the hands of those who terrorize by taking life away from the song that we sing everyday."

The energetic "Zion Triad" snapped the audience members out of their trance and got them dancing with a drum and bass breakdown. Bassist Nate Edgar played deep-reaching riddims over the echoing snare drum, ending his groove with fast-fingered flourishes. Meanwhile, the smiling horn section danced in unison while Goodwin sipped a beer. The lively song ended with jazzy horn solos alternating between Flynn, trumpet player Sam Dechenne and saxophonist Drew Sayers.

The heavy-hitting righteousness of "Speak of the Devil" turned Martin from a happy-go-lucky reggae singer into a heated political spokesman, red-faced and shouting for the audience to "speak only truth and let your words be clear to defeat all those who seek to rule with fire and fear." Pounding his clavinet, Goodwin synchronized with Edgar, playing a thunderous bass line under the high-reaching horn shrieks.

After a couple of heady dub songs, the band slid into the mellow "Blazing Love," which ended with a smooth trumpet solo from Dechenne. In response to explosive applause from the crowd of dedicated fans, the band played two encores, ending the night with "The Gold" from its 2008 album "Amplify."

It was without a doubt one of this year's best Putnam Den shows. Despite the fact that the bar wasn't entirely full of people, John Brown's Body nevertheless delivered its authentic reggae in full force, evidently enjoying the experience as much as the enthusiastic audience.

Ensemble ACJW performs at Zankel

Posted by Sandy Zhang

Last week, Ensemble ACJW, composed of fellows of Carnegie Hall's The Academy, visited the college for its eighth residency. In the duration of three days, the Ensemble informally performed around campus, instructed music students, and concluded their residency with a concert in Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall of the Arthur Zankel Music Center.

Review: the many shades of bluegrass - Greensky Bluegrass's "Handguns": The Michigan quintet releases a memorable new album that features homegrown bluegrass and more

Posted by Dale Obbie

Greensky Bluegrass, an acoustic string band quickly gaining critical acclaim for its boundary-blurring brand of homegrown bluegrass, released "Handguns" on Oct. 4. Throughout its fourth and most mature album to date, the five-person band finds a stable balance between their dedication to pureblooded bluegrass and their ongoing search for a new sound.

Some people might expect jangling barnyard noises when they hear the word "bluegrass," but Greensky Bluegrass defies this narrow sketch. The band members draw heavily upon the rootsy side of the Grateful Dead, an influence that becomes clear when their songs' instrumental jams reach the 14-minute mark during live performances.

Already a mainstay in the jam band scene, they have been performing some of the songs from "Handguns" for several years at some of the largest music festivals across the country, including the All Good Festival and the Electric Forest Festival this past summer.

The psychedelic landscape depicted by the band's name accurately represents its efforts to expand the limits of its beloved genre, while still remaining true to an authentic bluegrass sound. In "Handguns," there's as much green sky as there is bluegrass. For instance, "Bring Out Your Dead" is a grungy, blues-laden song that experiments with distortion effects — an interesting concept for an acoustic band — giving the mandolin, guitar and dobro a gritty edge.

Fan favorite "I'd Probably Kill You" is equally adventurous with its novel use of a horn section. It is playful, swinging and rich with vocal harmonies. It features a jazzy mandolin solo from Paul Hoffman, a slip-sliding dobro solo from Anders Beck and, keeping with its party spirit, ends with a New Orleans-style group improvisation between the horns.

"No Idea" and "Beauty and Pain" give the album a melancholy side, but it is a lull in the mood that reassures rather than depresses the listener. Even the band's most gloomy songs bring with them a promise to uplift: "Cold Feet" brings you to a wintry mountainside with its wistful lyrics, but its brisk, banjo-driven energy will warm your blood and revitalize your mood.

Likewise, "All Four," a staple of the band's live shows, is at first pensive and regretful, but starts to brighten toward the end of the song. Hoffman sings, "I've been weary at the wheel so long / think of all that I've passed up / wonder how I've come this far," but then resolves to keep his "head above the ground" and "all four wheels on the road." To a similar effect, the eight-minute instrumental jam shifts seamlessly from fretful tension to the most relaxed and cheerful six minutes of the album, ending the album on a high note.

Without a doubt, Greensky Bluegrass has given us its best yet with "Handguns" — music that will appeal to diehard bluegrass fans and newcomers alike.

"Real Steel" is a Disney World ride, minus the surprises: The futuristic action drama comforts but fails to impress

Posted by Eli Cohen

A perfect example of what a typical Hollywood movie offers these days, "Real Steel" features a predictable plot, quality acting, somewhat believable special effects and the usual fare.

Directed by Shawn Levy, the Hugh Jackman blockbuster follows Charlie Keaton, a former boxer trying to make it in the futuristic sport of robot boxing, which pits robots controlled by humans against each other. Along the way, he tries to reconnect with his estranged 11-year-old son, Max.

The plot is comforting and easy to anticipate, and it brings me back to my childhood. Let's be honest: who among us has not been instilled with the desire to see a giant boxing robot match since playing Rock'em Sock'em Robots for the first time?

The idea behind the production of "Real Steel" is to give everyone in the audience what they know they like, because they have already seen it a hundred times. Perhaps that may not apply to the fighting robots, but it does for just about every other aspect of the film.

There was not a single chance taken in this movie. It is a generic underdog story that is saved by the fight scenes and the acting of Jackman and 11-year-old Justin Bieber look-alike Dakota Goyo. Even the stunning Evangeline Lilly (Kate from "Lost") could not make me forget that this movie rivals "Avatar" for most predictable plot in the history of cinema.

Despite all of the above, I cannot say in good conscience that I fully disliked "Real Steel." It is undeniably entertaining, and there is nothing actively bad about the film. It is a feel-good drama that actually succeeds in making you feel good, if only fleetingly.

But therein lies the main problem with this movie – it is completely middle of the road. If it were any worse, it would get attention for being terrible. If it were better, it would be praised as a great film in a year of disappointments. But its complete grey oatmeal-like blandness makes it uninteresting and unmemorable.

That may almost be a triumph for director Shawn Levy, who always manages to fall short of success (he brought us "Cheaper by the Dozen" and the horrific "Pink Panther" remake). Considering that his biggest financial hit was "Night at the Museum," and his highest-regarded film was the Steve Carell and Tina Fey flop "Date Night," perhaps this level of mediocrity should be expected. It definitely should have been after watching the "Real Steel" trailer, yet I remained hopeful. I remained hopeful that the man who can make a piece of trash like "Van Helsing" bearable can pull out a win with this one.

In regards to the acting, Jackman does a very good job. However, turning Charlie Kenton, a washed-up boxer and deadbeat father given a second chance, into someone the audience hasn't seen before is a near-Sisyphean task.

Goyo also gives a very strong performance as the sometimes cute, sometimes annoyingly precocious estranged son. Nonetheless, when he gives the same not-quite-tear-jerking line to his father as he gives to his robot, you have to say enough is enough.

That is the feeling I came away with after watching this movie. Enough of the same plot over and over again. Enough of the down-and-out boxer who is given a second chance. Mark Whalberg and Christian Bale knocked the role out collectively. Russell Crowe almost got there. Hugh Jackman? Enough is enough.

Flip Phillips works toward the resolution of the arts and sciences

Posted by Jake Mitchell

Flip Phillips's presented his research on visual perception for "The Resolution of Art and Science, lecture series" on Oct. 4.

His presentation consisted of an overview of his research, the significance of his findings and the impressive technology he uses. The research connects artistic ability to the research of science.

As an undergraduate, Phillips was an architecture student, which Phillips said "was a nice melding of art and engineering." He didn't finish architecture school and instead earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in computer graphics in 1986. "Back in the day, Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator were still 10 years away. We had to make our own tools or find people to help us," Phillips said. To make interesting forms using computer graphics you also had to have some sophistication in engineering.

Also as an undergraduate, Phillips pursued brain-imaging research. He worked with psychiatrists and neuroscientists on taking pictures of the brain and putting them together in 3D. The research was performed at the same time that the first MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) was developed. "I was working with science guys on engineering problems in the art school," Phillips said. He also worked seven years at Pixar Animation Studios, where he developed and used his wealth of computer knowledge. After Pixar, Phillips went on to graduate school for psychology to continue his education.

So how does art help science? "We're trying to understand how the generic human mind works. Artists are able to depict the visual world in a specific way that we can interpret. We have to take advantage of these people who are good at that and try to figure out what information they are depicting and use it to help understand the generic problem of seeing," Phillips said.

Phillips is interested in how an artist transcribes his or her visual perception to art. How do artists have different visual perceptions than non-artists? "They [artists] know how to apply visual perceptions to depicting the world; people are different at figuring these kind of things out," Phillips said.

"Painting isn't necessarily optically correct - there's a lot of cheating and slop going on. How much slop can they get away with? That depends on what your brain is doing with the information. If your brain is tolerant to slop, then the artist can get away with not depicting things correctly," Phillips said.

In other words, an artist can get away with an unrealistic depiction of an object if the viewer can still understand what he or she is looking at. People judge distance differently but not enough to make a difference in art work.

Scales, such as measurements of distances, speeds, etc., have been made so that there is a consistent and universal understanding. Without scales, there would be no mutual agreement of distance because people perceive the world differently. When people see more or less depth it is called a scaling error. Phillips said that scaling error is not completely random; when we see a painting we can distinguish what's in the background and what's not, or what's light and what's dark. Humans perceive the visual world similarly enough so that we can function as a society.

When we see a painting, "we make up the 3D visuals space, it doesn't exist" Phillips said. "You can go to the other side and see it. You're making it up and it turns out we're reasonably consistent in what we make up in terms of that depth, otherwise art wouldn't work." Our vision is consistent enough so that we basically see the same features.

To help himself and his students' research, Phillips has a 3D scanning system as well as a 3D printer. The scanner reads objects as if it were a MRI. The machine sends red horizontal and vertical lines all over the object to perceive its height, width and depth, and transcribes that to the computer.

On the computer you can manipulate the object any way that you want, testing your visual ability. The 3D printer prints objects made out of plastic and glue. Phillips uses these objects to see people's ability to remake the model out of clay, and see how close they come to the original object. Artists strive for this ability. They perceive and transcribe the visionary world as closely as possible, which is the meaning of "The Resolution of Art and Science."

The Big Show: TV On The Radio impresses students and Saratogians alike: Brooklyn band's art rock brings crowd to their feet

Posted by Dale Obbie

Starting the first weekend of October on a high note, Brooklyn-based art rock band TV on The Radio performed one of the most well attended Big Shows of the past few years at the College. Austra, a dance rock band from Canada, opened the much-anticipated show in the Sports Center's big gym.

The opportunity cost of the act was beyond the check Student Government Association wrote for the Student Entertainment Committee, the club responsible for organizing the show, because there will be no Big Show spring semester. Ticket prices for Skidmore students were $8 and $25 for non-Skidmore students.

Despite the higher price, students were not the only members of the audience. There seemed to be just as many Saratoga residents dancing, clapping and singing along.

One of the highlights of the night was "Golden Age," for which Kyp Malone stepped up to sing the playful staccato lyrics. Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe joined Malone during the choruses in uplifting harmonies, and both of them smiled as they sang about "the joy resounding." When they sang "clap your hands if you think you're in the right place," the crowd's immediate response made it clear that they were right where they belonged.

As a pleasant surprise, the band played an energetic cover of Fugazi's "Waiting Room," showing the band members' love for punk rock. The crowd seemed to share the love. People thrashed around, and at one point, several began crowd surfing.

Another highlight was the closer "Wolf Like Me," one of the band's most well known songs. Adebimpe paced back and forth on the stage and let loose howling vocals, while David Sitek's thin guitar tone echoed his tormented singing.

As soon as the song ended, the crowd burst into applause and began chanting for "one more song." Not long after, the band returned to the stage – smiling and gracious – and played a final two songs, ending the night with the spacey "Satellite."

"The Trip," the summer's hidden gem, will soon be on DVD: British comedy delights despite absence of plot and drama

Posted by Eli Cohen

In light of the summer film season — a season dominated by the likes of Michael Bay and Ryan Reynolds — "The Trip,'' a hilarious, quasi-documentary film starring British comics Steve Coogan (from ‘The Other Guys," "Tropic Thunder") and Rob Brydon, best known to American audiences as the traffic warden in "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels," received meager attention.

However, that's not to say it was not well received. The comedic styles of the two actors are perfectly in sync, both with each other and with director Michael Winterbottom. This chemistry likely resulted from the trio's working together in the similarly hilarious "Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story."

‘‘The Trip'' follows two comedians as they tour the finest restaurants of England. Initially meant as a get-away trip for Coogan and his girlfriend, Coogan is forced to invite Brydon when his romantic relationship fails. The two men share a like-despise relationship. Coogan chases after women and flaunts his success, while the less well-regarded Brydon spends the trip doing impressions and pissing Coogan the hell off. And yet, for every socially inappropriate, over the top Michael Caine, Al Pacino or Bond villain impression that Brydon does (brilliantly), Coogan feels the need to one-up him, or at least match him.

The insecurities of Coogan's character (a vastly exaggerated view of himself) shine through constantly. This is especially true when Brydon is recognized at a small hotel and Coogan, most egregiously, is not.

And of course, when the trip is over, Brydon goes back to his loving family, while Coogan is left to listlessly float around his impressively large city flat in what turns out to be a surprisingly gentle and touching ending.

"The Trip" is to posh British food what "Sideways" was to California wine snobs. Like Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, it soon becomes clear that neither Coogan nor Brydon has any idea what they're talking about when it comes to food. The most astute observation made about the cuisine is that the tomato soup is, in fact, quite tomato-y. But the actors seem to care about the food they're eating about as much as they care about the audience (which does not exist). Instead, the real focus of the film is on celebrity, success, friendship and, of course, how to pull off the perfect Michael Caine impression.

Adapted from a six-part BBC miniseries, "The Trip" does not have the action and excitement of American summer movies. It has no drama or suspense (except the occasional possibility of Coogan actually murdering his companion), and very little plot of which to speak. Yet, it is the perfect hidden gem of the summer. The performances are spot on: witty and profound, annoying and endearing. And, of course, the impressions are fantastic, as is the competition to see who can sound the most like a Bond villain while simultaneously sipping Cognac. This is a must-see movie — a true delight in a season of recycled storylines and plot-replacing visual effects.

"Celebration of the New" flute and piano concert showcases Artists-in-Residence talents: Jan Vinci and Pola Baytelman combine unique skills to present original works in Zankel

Posted by Olivia Powers

On Oct. 2 the college's Senior Artist-in-Residence Jan Vinci and Distinguished Artist-in-Residence Pola Baytelman combined their talent to enliven Ladd Concert Hall of the Arthur Zankel Music Center.

With Vinci on flute and Baytelman on piano the aptly named "Celebration of the New" concert featured six works from a variety of American composers. This concert was the second stop in a three-part series, which the duo is performing at three venues in the Capital Region.

The concert began with a playful piano piece composed by Joseph Fennimore, who attended the show. "An Old Soft Shoe" harkened back to the lively tap dancing of the previous century. One almost expects Fred Astaire to shuffle onto stage, called from the grave by the spirited notes.

The music took an experimental turn as Vinci took the stage in a black evening gown to perform "Crow's Nest," a flute solo composed by professor of music Mark Vinci, who is also her husband. The audience was instructed to imagine a shipmate perched above the water and the view that met his eyes as he looked out over the ocean.

"I asked [him] to write something more upbeat as flute solos are often very somber," said Vinci to the audience.

The concert continued with pieces by Katherine Hoover, Lowell Lieberman, George Crumb and Jennifer Higdon. The performers carried on, demonstrating their expertise by employing extended techniques that enhanced their instruments.

Vinci sang into her flute while she played and Baytelman reached into the piano to pluck at the strings. These skills added to the unique performance.

However, this experimental music style may have been the reason that few Skidmore students were in attendance. The concert was free and open to the public, something of which elder Saratogians took advantage. While the audience was dominated by the 60 and over crowd, the Skidmore music students in attendance were appreciative of the opportunity to see such acclaimed artists perform.

"As a developing flautist I found the concert inspirational," Filene Scholar Katie Murphy '14 said. "As a contemporary concert, it featured a lot of extended technique, skills that I am learning."

The two musicians showed an undeniable chemistry as they took the stage together and wove the notes of their respective instruments seamlessly into a rich tapestry of sound. The aspiring professional musicians in the audience admired their craft.

"I think that it's excellent that [Skidmore] provides students with the opportunity to see what being a professional musician is like," Filene Scholar Laura Pendleton '14 said. "It opens our eyes to the fact that being a musician is not easy. It takes a lot of practice, perfection and hard work, and we see that through watching [Vinci and Baytelman] perform so elegantly."

The concert concluded with Jennifer Higdon's "Flute Poetic" (2010), which the duo presented the world premiere of last fall. Higdon, a Pulitzer Prize winner, composed the first movement of the three-part sonata specifically for Vinci and Baytelman.

"The concert gave students an opportunity to hear music that they might not have otherwise been familiar with," Murphy said.

The college is attempting to carry this education beyond Sunday's performance. Katherine Hoover, composer of the Medieval Suite performed by Vinci and Baytelman, is scheduled to return to campus to guest teach the college's flute students.

"Drive" is the must-see, piss-your-pants good action movie of the year: Ryan Gosling impresses as venomous stunt driver in new action flick

Posted by Eli Cohen

"Why don't you shut your mouth, or I'll kick your teeth down your throat and I'll shut it in for you."

OK, it may not win an award for best tough-guy line any time soon. It lacks the provocative sass of Mr. Blonde's classic line: "Are you going to bark all day, little doggie, or are you going to bite?" from Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs," or the unruffled coolness of Michael Corleone making his enemy an offer he cannot refuse. But still, coming from "The Notebook" heartthrob Ryan Gosling, the message manages to come across crystal clear: do not mess with this pretty-boy.

"Drive" centers on an (almost comically) brooding, nameless stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver for various smalltime crooks. With his monosyllabic dialogue, scorpion-embossed driving jacket and perpetual toothpick hanging from the side of his mouth, the man we see kicking an evil henchman's face in until there is nothing left but pulp is a major departure from anything audiences think they know about Gosling.

In the supporting roles are: a hyper-emotional waitress named Irene (Carey Mulligan, who broke out in 2009s "An Education"), a boisterous, flashy Jewish mobster played by Ron Perlman ("Sons of Anarchy," "Hellboy") and a psychotic, eyebrow-less Albert Brooks. "Drive" takes its audience through a burglary/double-cross/payback gone awry. Brooks, known for his ‘70s and ‘80s comedies (and for the voice of Marlin in "Finding Nemo"), shows a hugely different side of his acting ability as Perlman's partner in crime, but manages to bring some levity to an otherwise dark and gruesome film ("My partner is a belligerent asshole, but he's a belligerent asshole with his back up against the wall, and, now, so am I).

Bryan Cranston, better known as Walter White from AMC's "Breaking Bad" (or as the Dad from "Malcolm in the Middle), also makes an appearance and Cranston fans will be astonished to see that this is one character who does not find himself onscreen in the patented Cranston tighty-whities.

The feel of this film is one of wild extremes. Director Nicolas Winding Refn, who directed the bio-pick "Bronson," which looked at the most violent inmate in Britain's history (played by Tom Hardy), is not known for his restraint. Consequently, the violence in "Drive" is gratuitous, Gosling's quietness is almost disconcerting and the gangsters are…well, pretty much how you would expect gangsters led by the shark tooth-grinned Perlman to be.

It's true that flashes of the Gosling teenage girls know and swoon over still come through from time to time, like the shy smile that plays around the corners of his mouth, like everything is a big joke and he's the only one privileged enough to be in on it. But this sense is immediately countered by his crippling awkwardness and almost annoyingly precious interactions with Irene (the most charming he gets is when he awkwardly offers Irene's son, Benicio, a toothpick).

While this movie began as a "Fast and the Furious" rip-off for Hugh Jackman, it is clear that Gosling brings a dark edginess that Jackman would have failed to deliver (although people probably said the same of Gosling when he signed on). This movie offers no tearful reunions, only the bare Hollywood minimum happily-ever-after and scarcely the slightest hint of redemption. "Drive" is pure testosterone—gut-wrenching, ball-punching action that somehow manages to hold on to a vague sense of control amidst the chaos. This probably will not be the best movie you watch this year overall, but it will almost certainly be the best action movie. And be thankful that Gosling isn't coming after you with a hammer, a bullet and a pair of weird leather gloves.

A little night music: Kristian Bezuidenhout and the Graf Fortepiano dazzle at Zankel

Posted by Kristin Travagline

On Sunday Sept. 18 renowned pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout brought the nineteenth century to Skidmore College during the unveiling of a ca. 1826 original Graf Fortepiano. The special concert took place at the Arthur Zankel Music Center.

Ms. Brooke Allen, whose family has been in possession of the instrument for nearly 200 years, has recently loaned the piano to the college. Edward Swenson, emeritus professor of music at Ithaca College, gave a pre-performance talk on Conrad Graf, the foremost fortepiano builder in Vienna during the early nineteenth century.

Swenson himself is a fortepiano builder and expert of Graf pianos and recognizes their distinctiveness. "Anybody who works on pianos, the minute you get inside one of these instruments you see the absolutely uncompromising excellence of the workmanship and the materials. There's not a smudge of glue anywhere, there's not anything that offends the eye when you look inside. Hammers are perfectly made. It takes your breath away," he said.

Immediately after, the concert was underway. The first half of the performance featured Mozart's Sonata in F Major and Sonata in B-flat Major on an Anton Walter Fortepiano restored by Richard Hester, appropriately, as Mozart is one of Bezuidenhout's favorite composers. "His writing for the piano is so perfect, so incredibly refined and subtle, I find it my favorite," he said.

Bezuidenhout began his studies in Australia, completed them at the Eastman School of Music, and now lives in London. He is a guest professor at the Schola Cantorum in Basel and the Eastman School of Music. In 2007 he was awarded the Erwin Bodky Prize and the Deutschlandfunk Forderpreis. He is Artistic Advisor for the Constelation Center, Cambridge, MA.

Before playing the first note, Bezuidenhout's hands lingered steady just above the keys in a reverential manner. From the instant he began, Bezuidenhout's demeanor physically embodied of the music. His eyebrows pulsed up and down. At rapid moments in the score, he held his face close to the keyboard. During slower moments, his head fell back into the air, as though luxuriating. He did not even seem to look at the score.

Bezuidenhout's control over Mozart's multifaceted material was quite apparent in the Allegro Asai of Sonata in F Major. The piece began with a playful exchange between fast playing and light high notes, which seemed to exemplify the difference between prancing and running.

The second half of the show began with a short introduction of Schubert's Four Impromptus played on the Graf piano. Bezuidenhout explained how the following pieces functioned as four essays in piano sound and texture. He then asked the audience to take note of the plumy base tones, woody tenor tones, and the glittering, crystalline passagework. By all accounts, Bezuidenhout's performance gave Schubert's pieces their due.

Restaurant Review: Max London's: Suave and sleek, this week's establishment lives up to its reputation

Posted by Tegan O'Neill

If Max London's were personified, it would be a confident and experienced businessman. The establishment is aware of its polished reputation and thus leaves no small detail ignored. The dining room is dressed to impress in golden brown; varying shades of pizza dough and pasta, butterscotch and coffee give subdued warmth to the space. The room is furnished with copper and wood and a mirror runs the entire length of one wall. The look blends the modern with the vintage rather seamlessly.

Whereas in the business world, a firm handshake sets the meeting off on a strong note, in the realm of dining out, it's the bread before the meal which sets the tone for courses to come. If dining establishments are going to set bread on the table, it better be good. It should not go overlooked that Max London's nails this first impression, with the help of Mrs. London's next door. Freshly baked, both of the breads (one Italian, the other a French baguette) were both crusty and chewy and possessed the vaguely earthy flavor that is the mark of dependable bread.

And so one is prepared for an equally delectable meal. The menu follows a minimalist approach in that each dish highlights just a few simple ingredients, but the result is sophisticated and polished. Ingredients are not disguised behind masks of other ingredients and thus quality and careful preparation are ensured.

In lieu of ordering from the selection of bigger pasta and meat plates, we opted for ordering three appetizers plus one of "The Pizzas," the rationale being that the appetizers offered more creative, mouthwatering pizzazz. Put simply, the word on the street is that the pizzas are standout.

For a divine experience, bite slowly into the Piggy Back Dates (Serrano ham, walnuts, and goat cheese). The intensity of flavor and complexity of tastes is surely meant to be savored. Taste the sweetness of date, then honey, then maple. Then let those sensations give way to the saltiness of ham and lastly, the slight bitterness of walnut.

The Peach and Prosciutto (peach, prosciutto, and aged balsamic) looked spectacular on the plate but, disappointingly, its taste and texture proved to be less sensational. The taste of prosciutto was lost on the juiciness of the peach and the texture mix of thinly sliced meat and fleshy fruit was not particularly pleasant. The aged balsamic, though, was intensely full-flavored and quite nearly good enough to redeem the plate as a whole.

The Garlic Shrimp (rock shrimp, olive oil, garlic and smoked paprika) offered a robust bite of smoky flavor considering its rather unassuming amalgam of ingredients. It was an appetizer reminiscent of Cajun cooking and thus a refreshing change of pace from the more Italian-influenced menu.

The BLT pizza (bacon, leeks, roasted cherry tomatoes + Coach Farm goat cheese) was served to our table still steaming from the oven. The smell wafting upwards was positively tantalizing. At first glance, the ratio of crust to toppings seemed off, but we soon came to understand that it was a wise decision to load the pizza sparingly with bacon, leeks, and goat cheese. Otherwise, the combination would be too heavy to handle. With the help of tomato to balance out the pizza, each bite was luxuriously and satisfyingly rich.

Max London's is the type of place where you feel obliged to finish out the meal with something sweet, dessert being the proverbial icing on the cake for such a well-put together evening. The Butterscotch Budino (dark chocolate, butterscotch pudding, soft caramel, fluer de sel, and whipped cream) sounded excellent but proves to be too sweet and at the same time not too flavorful. However, the Chocolate Maximus, (creamy flourless chocolate cake) warms the soul in its smoothness and richness. The dollop of vanilla ice cream on top provides the perfect contrast to the mousse-like chocolate of the cake. Finally coffee served in a french press proved to be a delightful coda to the meal.

The prices at Max London's require a bit of a splurge but by ordering a few appetizers and a pizza the bill is fairly reasonable. Appetizer prices hover in the $6 to $9 range and most of the pizzas are $14.

From beginning to end, the Max London's experience is suave; service is pleasant and respectful, the atmosphere is clean and refined, and the food is delightful and satisfying. The restaurant accepts the challenge of high expectations and does not disappoint.

Read more of Tegan O'Neill's outings at her blog.

Skidmore alum lends vocals to a new stage: Kyle Carey delivers her own brand of Gaelic concert music

Posted by Sarah Barry

On Sept. 12 Kyle Carey '08 returned to Skidmore to present a program of Gaelic music entitled "Gaelic Americana." Carey performed in a trio with Rosie MacKenzie on fiddle and Neil Fitzgibbon on guitar in the Ladd Concert Hall of Arthur Zankel Music Center.

The music, much of it from Carey‘s new album Monongah, varied from lively upbeat fiddle tunes to slower laments. One such piece was "Resting Chair," performed by Mackenzie and Fitzgibbon.

"While learning, I didn't want to play the slow ones. I only like the fast songs, but ‘Resting Chair' was my mom's favorite. I kept playing it and it ended up on the album," Mackenzie said.

Many of Carey's songs draw inspiration from other music and written work. Carey explains her inspiration for each song and her descriptions show the detailed research she has conducted in the areas she is interested in.

Carey traveled to Cape Breton in Nova Scotia on her Fulbright Fellowship and the fiddle style, as well as traditional Gaelic, influenced her music. Carey sang her final song in Gaelic. Many songs also drew upon a southern style with names like "Devil at Your Back," which is about bad luck and "Resurrection."

Speaking to the Skidmore News, Carey reflected on her time as a student and the difference between her surroundings then and now.

"I'm so delighted to play in this hall because I didn't get to play it as a student. I spent many an hour in the old practice rooms. They were kind of my haunt, but this new hall has a beautiful sound," Carey said.

Throughout the show, Carey and MacKenzie spoke about Ireland; the entire class of the first year seminar, "Ireland: Myth, Reality," attended the show. Giving a nod to her own beginnings in music and Gaelic culture, Mackenzie noted of the group, "Good things come from little places."

More information about Carey is available at her website: www.kyleannecarey.com.