Just in time for Athens’ favorite annual holiday, a local filmmaker has released a twisted cinematic tale of Halloween.
“Halloweenies,” written, produced and directed by Dane McCarthy, tells the story of a “seriously dysfunctional” group of acquaintances, McCarthy said Wednesday.
Ohio University’s Aesthetics Technologies Lab is hosting an innovative group of musicians, The Rubber Tree Quartet, for a week of balloon twisting and musical fun.
The residency will present the talents of international artists Stan Wood, Fran Holland, Addi Somehk and Gabriel Rowland and showcase their creative way of bringing music to audiences. The group plays a wide-range of unique, self-made instruments created from latex balloons, such as a balloon bass, balloon drums and the vibraband.
Ohio University’s School of Music Hallowpalooza is a concert fit for ghouls, witches and zombies alike. The second annual Halloween-themed concert, which benefits student scholarships, will present a wide variety of the school’s instrumental and vocal ensembles at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Memorial Auditorium.
It’s been an excessively crazy week around here; it always is during the pre-election/pre-Halloween run-up, but hey, we always find time for Athens Ear Buds, right?.
As usually, you can order or buy most of this music at Haffa’s on West Union Street in Athens. I requested Halloween-themed submissions this time, though it doesn’t look like my contrary, chronically distracted AEB contributors paid much attention. Oh well.
You can find me Halloween night dressed up as the faceless Athens Ear Buds editor, compiler and all-round slave to the rhythm and the beat. Whatever the meaningless hell of abstracted stream of consciousness that means. — Terry Smith
Adagio was a pale, lanky man with waxy skin, slow and steady in his manner, except when he took his hay fever medicine, Allegro, which made him zip right along.
He never saw the sun; it bored the daylights out of him. That led him to become a musician, a singer/songwriter with a wide range of interests, from Count Basie to Count Dracula. It wasn’t his fluttery battiness that put people off; it was that he was a vampire. That’s right, he sucked.
Skeletonwitch is raw. So raw that they uprooted Uncle Kraker from his spot in the Billboard Top 200 last week with the success of their new album, “Breathing The Fire,” which dropped on Oct. 21.
In just a week, Athens’ biggest metal band sold 3,500 albums in the United States, enough to seat them at #151 on the Billboard 200 chart, which includes the highest-selling albums from music of all genres. And if that’s not enough, Skeletonwitch snagged the top of the Heatseekers chart at #2, which rates the best-selling albums from those bands who have never broken the 200 before.
Trace Hacquard is an English teacher at Logan High School. He’s also a graduate student in journalism at Ohio University. And he loves that old-time rock and roll.
He combined those last two aspects of his life in authoring a book, “Deadlines and Commitments,” available from www.lulu.com. The title is courtesy of a Bob Seger tune, and gives a hint of the book’s central fixation – the current state, and possible future, of what Hacquard considers mainstream rock music.
Collections Collected Friday 12-5pm, Saturday 1-5pm, Sunday 1-5pm The Kennedy Museum, The Ridges A collaborative project between The Kennedy Museum of Art and the School of Art, displaying collections of objects from selected Ohio University departmental collections and collections of miniatures and small objects from the Athens community.
Stories of Athens: A Walking Tour Start times: Friday at 4pm, Saturday at 1pm & 4pm, Sunday at 1pm Tours last for 1.5 to 2 hours Athens County Courthouse, 1 South Court Street
Friday & Saturday
Mark Dion: Collected Editions: 1992-2009 Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 10am-4pm Trisolini Gallery Free and open to the public Unique display of limited editions of prints and multiples created between the years 1992 - 2009. DeWitt Godfrey Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 10am-4pm Ohio University Art Gallery, 536 Seigfred Hall Best known for his architectural scale constructions in weathered steel, Godfrey explores the space between seriality and singularity, and between chance and artistic necessity. First American West, Interact with Local History, and Material Memories Friday 12-4pm, Saturday 12-4pm Athens County Historical Society and Museum, 65 North Court Street ART/Oberfest 132 West State Street, Athens A community celebration of the visual, performing and culinary arts. The Hostage 8:00pm The Forum Theater, RTV Building This is a bawdy, poignant, life-affirming tale of love, loss, and a good dose of Irish whiskey. The mainstage shows are suitable for general audience, although probably not for children under 13.
Friday
Halloween Costume Fundraiser 11:00am - 1:00pm Howard Park (between RTV and Hudson)
Faculty Research Forum presenter Craig Howley Noon - 1pm McCracken Hall 234
Pumpkin Carving 7:00 - 9:00pm Baker Center Multipurpose Room Sponsored by The Association for Cultural Exchange and the International Student Union. Coffee with the Folks 8:00pm The Donkey Coffee Cafe A fundraiser sponsored by Up ‘til Dawn
Planet Ping 9:00pm - 12:00am Ping Center Come enjoy hayrides, a bonfire, a hypnotist, pumpkin carving/painting, free food, and games and prizes.
Saturday
TailGreat Park Tailgates 7:00am TailGreat Park
Family Weekend 5K Walk/Run 8:00am (registration) 8:30am (race) Ping Center front lawn
Corn Hole Tournament 11:00am (registration) Noon (tournament) TailGreat Park Sponsored by Alpha Delta Pi
Zienzele Handmade Basket Sale 11:00am - 3:00pm Baker Center 4th Floor Old Man’s Cave Day Hike Trip 11:00am - 5:00pm Old Man’s Cave, Meet at the Rental Center at 11:00am ready to go! Join Outdoor Pursuits on a 7-mile day hike through the Old Mans Cave region of Hocking Hills State Park. Attire for Hire Noon - 4:00pm Baker Center 1st Floor Professional Clothing Drive
Skate for the Cure 1:00pm Bird Arena Sponsored by OU Synchronized Skating Ohio Football v. Kent State 2:00pm Peden Stadium
Ben Bailey of Cash Cab 8:00pm Memorial Auditorium Presented by the Ohio University Program Council (UPC) Bailey is the host of the highly successful shows “Cash Cab” and “Cash Cab: After Dark” on the Discovery Channel. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince 9:00pm Baker Center Theatre, 2nd Floor Baker Center
Today’s Athens Ear Buds requires no introduction… (conveniently, for me!) — Terry Smith, Athens Ear Buds counselor and adviser
Athens' biggest band has hit Billboard. Skeletonwitch, who in their genre, a particularly aggressive sort of metal (which is how it should be), have ample international respect and acclaim, recently hit No. #151 on the Billboard Top 200 and #2 on the magazine’s Heatseekers Chart. This was for their new album, "Breathing the Fire." Here's a video from the album.
Barry Wolfe, Athens ex-pat, KALX dj/producer, Berkeley, Calif., occasional music reviewer Blurt on-line mag, Ptolemaic Terrascope magazine: The Byrds, "The Notorious Byrd Brothers" (Columbia, 1986 CD and MP3s). Perhaps one of the more under-valued and over-looked albums by the Byrds, it's certainly one of their most beautiful and psychedelic efforts. I recently realized that I missed hearing it, as I only had an old, battered vinyl copy, so I went and bought the CD. I love how many of the songs flow together, the gorgeous harmonies, and how spacey an album it is, with occasional help from a synthesizer. It dips into what we call alt-country now and was an early contributor to the genre. Not as out-and-out country as “Sweetheart of the Rodeo,” it shows the band leaving the jingle-jangle behind and moving in an exploratory direction. It was the last album, besides the ’72 reunion album that David Crosby appeared on.
Paul Tescher, local music collector: November... Live... on the Swedish label, Mellotronen. It has excellent sound and includes material from various shows between spring 1970 and fall 1971. This is/was the first issue of these recordings. They made three studio LPs during '70-’72 on the Metronome label. Their music — all original with inventive arrangements — was energetic, exciting hard/heavy rock with plenty of melody, with an occasional more mellow moment or two. The guitarist, Rickard Rolf, obviously listened carefully to Eric Clapton and was a fluid and creative player. The rhythm section, Christer Stahlbrandt, bass/vocals, and Bjorn Inge, drum, was tight and powerful. Christer's singing was strong and expressive Think Cream mixed with early Budgie (another early ’70s English heavy hard-rock trio, should you not know them) and you'll get a "sound" picture; bluesy but not as bloozed as Cream. If you like early ’70s European hard rock on the heavy side, this will be a welcome addition to your pallet... guaranteed!
John McVicker teaches English as a Second Language at Ohio U; he likes music a whole lot: The Meters, “Rejuvenation” (Reprise 1974; reissued by Sundazed, 2000). “Rejuvenation” is a near-perfect funk album by a group of musicians more revered by their peers than successful in the marketplace. The Meters were the house band for Allen Toussaint, perhaps the foremost New Orleans producer. As a backing band, they graced the work of visitors such as Dr. John, Labelle, Robert Palmer and Paul McCartney, as well as NOLA mainstays such as Lee Dorsey, Chris Kenner, Earl King and Betty Harris. Their solo work in the late 1960s generated a couple of instrumental R&B hits, but none of their albums climbed higher than 108 on the Billboard charts. In the early ’70s, the band switched labels to Reprise, keeping Toussaint as their producer. They put out a series of remarkable albums that added vocals (keyboardist Art Neville is credited with the leads) to their usual instrumental fire. Though these Reprise albums were no more successful than earlier work, all are at least solid. Even if you've never heard this band you've heard them sampled (NWA, A Tribe Called Quest, LL Cool J and Public Enemy, among others) and covered (everyone from Jack Johnson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Les Claypool, Chris Duarte, Buckwheat Zydeco, to jazz guitarist Grant Green and even the Trinidad Steel Band) a gazillion times. “Rejuvenation,” their second on Reprise, is a personal favorite. The songs are strong, the rhythms dense, and the guitar work electrifying; the band is in primo form. There's an audio stream of Meters hits at their Web site, http://www.themetersonline.com/, or check out the string <Meters 1974> at your fave video archive and see a live medley of “Look-Ka Py Py,” an earlier hit, and “Jungle Man” from this album.
Dale Francis: electro acoustic dabbler, Long Run Audio, Athens: Now, I know he didn't write one of the songs here — “Red on Blonde,” Tim O'Brien (Sugar Hill, 1996). I have enjoyed this album and have to remind myself that these are not Tim's own Americana songs (he’s been a solo artist for many years, but first gained acclaim with Hot Rize). He sure has done a marvelous job of intertwining the composer’s genius and his own musical identity. He takes the songs of Bob Dylan and rearranges them into contemporary new grass. Tim has remained true to the composer, playing on the humor and jest that Bob applied in the original but playing some hot American folk jazz in the old-time/bluegrass sensibility. In the rearrangement, Mr. O'Brien has taken ownership of the song, and this album has 13 songs whose soul Tim has brought fresh life to. (Editor's note: We couldn't find a video with O'Brien doing the Dylan stuff, but here's a great clip -- Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers were the swinging honky-tonk alter-egos of O'Brien's hip bluegrass project Hot Rize.) Dave Alexander, Athens’ resident trainspotter and Dave Rave promoter: The xx, “xx” (Young Turks, 209). The xx is a foursome from South London who makes sexy indie music. Their innovative debut album is made up of dark, hushed male and female vocals intertwined over guitar, soft beats and baselines. The tracks blend together to make the perfect down-tempo soundtrack for a lazy weekend morning. The sound is somewhere between Mazzy Star and Tricky’s “Maxinquaye,” but with a smoother, stripped-down sound and hip-hop influences. For me, this is one of the best debut albums of 2009 and possibly one of the best albums of the year.
Dan Dreifort is working on new tracks with Martizatic! and Indelible Beancurd. He plays with Vellumn in Athens in November: Harvey Danger, “Little by Little” (Kill Rock Stars 2006). Hoppy melodic piano rock isn't exactly a new genre, but its principals don't seem to linger long in the limelight. Remember when Ben Folds was the successful piano pinup boy? That didn't last too long. Is Harvey Danger the heir apparent? Or does a band like Field Music take the piano rock throne? I prefer the latter's recent work more than this album, and apparently Harvey Danger broke up a few months ago so the point isn't exactly moot, huh? But “Little by Little” is a great collection nonetheless. Some songs (“Cream and Bastards,” “Cool James”) don't even feature piano-ish instruments in the forefront. And for what it's worth, these guys apparently got some serious airplay in 1998, albeit with a far less pianolicious sound. Color me previously oblivious.
The frost is on the pumpkin. The Japanese ladybugs are back, leaving their foul smell and taste wherever they may flutter and crawl. The persimmons are smooth and sweet, but mostly gone. The dogs are shedding (and wrestling), making room for their winter coats, still meager and thin as compared to the mighty Bobo’s phalanx of fur. Everyone seems to be eating (or drinking) more. Winter is close upon us.
The fruits of the season’s labors have been put up, stocking the larders; the chimneys are being swept, the wood collected, chopped and stacked. I continue to pester the local wildlife and our new neighbors with my outdoor musical pursuits when the days are fair. A conversation I had with a new friend the other day brought me around to one of my recurring themes: How my surroundings are reflected in my music.
Classic play of war-torn Ireland given a shot at OU
Written by Kristin A. Nehls
Thursday, 15 October 2009 09:51
The Ohio University School of Theater is bringing civil-war-ravaged 1950s Ireland to Athens this week with “The Hostage,” the school’s production that runs tonight through Saturday and Oct. 21-24.
Based on the conflicts between England and Ireland in the late 1950s, “The Hostage,” written by Brendan Behan, is the story of an eclectic group of characters who range from prostitutes to soldiers to self-proclaimed “queers,” and the odd circumstances that occur during the course of one day.
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