Culture

Culture

Play review: Uncut 'Midsummer' drags

Graham Gentz | November 13

Albuquerque is really testing how much I like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Duke City Repertory Company produced the play this past March. The Vortex Theatre performed it in the plaza this summer, even after producing two other productions of it in the last four years. Even The Santa Fe Shakespeare Society performed a popular version of the play in 2012. “Midsummer” exists as two main plots that intersect: a group of lovers and a troupe of actors each escape to the seclusion of a forest, only to be both futzed with by nefarious fairies. Hijinks ensue.

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Culture

Celtic punk soon to invade Albuquerque

Mateo Rocha | November 13

For more than 18 years the Dropkick Murphys have composed and rattled audiences with their strong lyrics layered over a hybrid genre of Celtic punk. Despite the jovial sound of bagpipes, punk riffs and spirited chanting, the songs carry profound meanings that relate to the harsh realities of life. As Matt Kelly, drummer for the Murphys, puts it, “It is the dichotomy of Irish folk music.” The Murphys’ Celtic Punk Invasion tour is well on its way, invading North America, Latin America and Europe, and little ol’ Albuquerque has not been spared. The band will play at 8 p.m. today at the Sunshine Theatre with Blood or Whiskey and Bryan McPherson. Here is a Q&A session with Kelly on the band’s experiences and directives through the years:

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Culture

Sweater yourselves; winter is coming

Courtney Salinger | November 13

It’s the time of year when soft, warm, cozy fall sweaters take over most clothing stores. Their dark, smoldering and sometimes fun appeal attracts many fashion-savvy women. But what is it about fall sweaters that gets a fashionista’s heart racing? It’s all about the versatility. Fall sweaters are versatile in ways unimaginable. They can be worn over a dress, with a skirt and with leggings. The possibilities are endless; they are interchangeable. Fall sweaters usually consist of darker colors and thick, comfortable fabrics. They are great to wear because they keep one looking dashing and snug while adding a bit of class and flair to any ensemble.

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Culture

Flamenco group rebounds after fire guts studio

Moriah Carty | November 12

Not even a fire can put out the passion of New Mexico flamenco dancers.  The non-profit organization, National Institute of Flamenco, and dance company Yjastros held their biannual show at the National Hispanic Cultural Center last weekend after a fire of unknown cause destroyed the institute last December. Marisol Encinas, a fourth-generation flamenco dancer, said Yjastros performs “Vivimos” every spring and fall, but after the fire, the company was unable to hold their spring performance because they lost most of their costumes and practice space.

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Culture

Play review: Budding actors show promise in '¡Bocón!'

Graham Gentz | November 12

It’s easy to tell just by walking in that something different is happening in the theater space at Working Classroom. The actors stand frozen onstage, set amidst disquieting ambient music and a cityscape of newspapers permeating the background.

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Culture

Food column: Small kitchens demand the essential tools

Steve “Mo” Fye | November 12

Novice cooks dream of a kitchen stocked with high-end appliances, costly silverware and cooper-clad cookware, but few get the opportunity to use the tools. Is it possible to be a good cook without thousands of dollars of equipment? Cooks don’t need expensive gear to be able to cook good food.

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Culture

Salva rocks Red Party at the SUB

Meagen Twyeffort | November 11

Students raised their flashing glow sticks in the air and raved to the pulsing techno beat at the third annual Red Party. Hundreds gathered in the SUB ballroom on Thursday to enjoy music from internationally-known disc jockey Salva and local DJ Nathan New last Thursday.

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Culture

Breaking Bad fans flock to Albuquerque

Ana Jayme | November 11

With Walter White look-a-likes and hazmat suits galore, a pilgrimage of “Breaking Bad” fans made their way to Albuquerque for the inaugural Breaking Bad Fan Festival. Costume and trivia contests, panel discussion with the cast and crew along with a VIP-after party filled the two-day event held at the Albuquerque Convention Center, Tractor Brewery and Albuquerque Indoor Karting.

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Culture

Albuquerque boasts Chilean songwriter

Mateo Rocha | November 11

The spark of a passionate fire has been lit, and it yearns to ignite interest, emotion and cultural understanding through the power of music.

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Culture

Local planners aim to foster community

Mateo Rocha | November 6

Some may call it urban sprawl; others, urban development. But in Albuquerque there is a particular concept at the root of the growth of the city: social inclusion in community development. Urban ABQ is an online community discussion forum tackling the question of Albuquerque’s future. The forum created an online venue that publishes information and gives Albuquerque residents a voice in the development of their environment, including the UNM area. Urban planner Timothy Trujillo, founder of Urban ABQ, said he emphasizes the importance of considering the community in design plans for the city. There is rich cultural history in Albuquerque, and the integration of those concepts is imperative to the design and function of a growing community, he said.

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Culture

Student band shines bright in the nightlife

Mateo Rocha | November 6

It is the synchronization of vocals paired with the strum of guitar strings and the beat of a cajón, highlighted by the sharp yet measured tune of the brass that creates a Latin sound. Local music group Sol de La Noche embodies this very sound. The quintet is a Latin music combo composed of UNM students pursuing degrees in the College of Fine Arts. Senior music major Diego Manrique said he began the project independently with the prospect of growing artistically.

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Culture

Review: Martial arts, aesthetics in directorial debut

Graham Gentz | November 6

By Graham Gentz  Netflix exists as the embodiment of analysis paralysis: too many choices just leading to no decision at all.

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Culture

Five and Why: What Lobos love to read

Skylar Griego | November 6

Books are meant to tell stories, but we may choose to read those stories for different purposes. Thomas Zane Reeves, a professor in the School of Public Administration, said his favorite types of books are ones he can learn from.

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Culture

New group invites aspiring developers

Lauren Marvin | November 4

The creative process starts with a daunting blank screen and endless opportunities, but soon becomes an interactive video game with the help of local gamers.

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Culture

Ghosts on campus and where to find them

Mateo Rocha | October 30

Temperatures drop as the fall season progresses, leaving a sense of frigidness that gets stronger day after day at UNM, a climate for the supernatural to emerge.

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Culture

Five & Why with Jenna Crabb

Skylar Griego | October 30

There is a myriad of reasons to love Halloween. Candy, costumes and creepiness bombard us with the spirit of Halloween. There’s also an abundance of reason to get scared on Halloween. Jenna Crabb, career services director said she loves to be freaked out by what she calls “psychological thrillers.”

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Culture

New Mexico Philharmonic, audience get into Halloween spirit

Moriah Carty | October 30

With eerie sounds and low-lit lighting, the New Mexico Philharmonic brought some spooky holiday fun to its recent concert. The New Mexico Philharmonic brought Breaking Boo to Popejoy, Saturday night, and Concert goers and musicians were given the opportunity to dress up in their Halloween costumes.

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Culture

Inside the mind of a hungry zombie, a fictional account

Graham Gentz | October 30

There is an undying dark here.The wind curls over the corn, a hissing sea of empty black air.The moon gleams baleful, white light across the flow of autumn leaves.

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Culture

Hauntings, doughnuts at historic theater

Jonathan Baca | October 30

The Duke City is more than 300 years old, full of history and legend. One of the oddest and most enduring of these legends is the tragic tale of 6-year-old Bobby Darnall, who believers say still haunts the halls of Albuquerque’s oldest performing arts center, the downtown KiMo Theatre.On Friday, Halloween night, the city is hosting a sold-out tour of the KiMo, where they will discuss the history of the theater and of little Bobby’s death.

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Culture

Column: Easy illusion foods to freak out party-goers

Steve “Mo” Fye | October 29

If something looks like it was pulled out of a dark black hole, served on a fancy plate and called food – it must be time for Halloween. Weird or creepy appetizers and party foods are de rigueur for a successful Halloween party, but illusion food is by no means a new invention.In the middle ages, cooks would often show their skills through subtleties, or presentation foods. The rear half of a suckling pig might be stitched onto the front half of a goose and roasted, then presented as a cockatrice (a mythical beast).