The latest effort from Rod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers will compel any listener to dance and perhaps even grab a harmonica or guitar. Keepin' it Real combines great harmonica solos with equally well-crafted piano and guitar compositions. This dynamic blues quintet is driven by powerful drumming and ranges from walking bass lines to funk-style, slapping riffs on a few tracks.
A replica of the most visited war memorial in the United States is coming to Albuquerque. "The Wall that Heals," - a 250-foot replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. - will be at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial on Friday. The exhibit will be part of a larger symposium titled "Vietnam: Voices and Visions Unfiltered," which runs through January.
A group of die-hard fans are on a mission. They are clever in their tactics, and won't stop at no. Musician Weird Al Yankovic has yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and longtime fans say it is time. "Weird Al is rock 'n' roll's premier satirist," said Greg Method, head of the campaign.
by Sarah Fayad Daily Lobo Scott Carter took an audience from laughter to catharsis, from the porn industry to asthma over an hour and a half on Saturday. The former writer for Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect" and "Real Time" presented a comic solo performance to a packed crowd in Theatre X.
What would an era of scandal, war and political strife be without a soundtrack of protest and peace songs? Luckily, this generation has such albums as eMOTIVe, the new offering from A Perfect Circle, Tool singer Maynard James Keenan's side project. Unfortunately, rather than original protest music like much of Green Day's outstanding American Idiot, most of the tracks on eMOTIVe are covers of classics from the Vietnam War era to '80s punk anthems.
The Red Elvises have not lost the art of inspiring a conga line. Saturday at the Launchpad, some aloof hipsters found themselves putting their hands on the shoulders of complete strangers to form a fast-moving line that snaked its way through the audience.
It's hard to blame fans of Tony Hawk video games if they're beginning to feel a bit dejected - another year, another $50 for the latest version. In the case of "Tony Hawk's Underground 2," you'll get exactly what you expect - massive levels with a ton of goals, a little tweak or two to the gameplay, a few surprises, and a distinct sense of dÇjÖ vu.
Fontana DeVine is a dominant and powerful woman played by a soft-spoken and humble man. She is the drag character of 37-year-old P.J. Sedillo, co-president of Sinatra-DeVine Productions. This Saturday the company will put on "Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are," Albuquerque's fifth annual drag variety show.
Two poets will slam humor down your throat tonight at Higher Grounds in the SUB. Local slam poet Tony "The Champ" Santiago and nationally acclaimed poet "Mighty" Mike McGee will perform selections of their poetry this evening for UNM's slam team, Word Revolution.
R. Kelly and Jay-Z's new album is a compilation of unfinished business. Their second collaborative effort, Unfinished Business, is tired. Kelly and Jay-Z - Robert Kelly and Sean Carter - first teamed up on 2000's "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" from Carter's The Dynasty album.
If it weren't for Van Deren Coke, UNM wouldn't have the photography collection it does. Coke, who died July 11 at the age of 83, was a photographer, an educator, a curator and the founding director of the University of New Mexico Art Museum. "Van Deren Coke (1921-2004): His Life in Photography" celebrates his life and contributions to UNM.
by Amy Upah Daily Lobo The cello has been said to be the instrument closest to the human voice. Acclaimed cellist Kangho Lee came together with UNM students and professors Sunday in an all-cello performance that included pieces composed by, Bach and Duke Ellington.
Christmas is all about miracles and so are Christmas stories. Rudolfo Anaya's latest children's book published by UNM Press is called Santero's Miracle. Need I say more? The bilingual story is told from the point of view of Don Jacobo, a grandfather who has followed the family tradition of being a santero for generations.
Isidro Garcia has had the idea for a big annual benefit concert since he was young. This year, it's finally coming together. Garcia's band, Frostbite, is putting on its first Frostbit Food Drive on Friday at the Atomic Cantina. Garcia called Roadrunner Food Bank to see if they were interested, and when they gave him the green light, he began arranging bands, advertising and making all the other preparations necessary for the show.
With Jay-Z's semi-retirement from making rap albums this year, several Big Apple rappers are poised to crown themselves the new king of New York. Foremost among these is part-time actor and Brooklyn native Mos Def, whose classic 1999 album Black on Both Sides had many eagerly awaiting his follow-up.
by Darcy Burford Daily Lobo The musicians in the Toasters are the granddaddies of ska. The band has been making music to skank to since 1981, and apparently members have no intention of slowing down. The Toasters embarked on the international Ska Brawl Tour in September, which continues through early 2005.
UNM playwrights are once again at the epicenter of local theater. The Words Afire festival opened its fifth year last night at Theatre X with "Admissions," written by Lou Clark. "Admissions" is one of 16 world premieres featured during the festival, which will continue through Nov.
With retro and electroclash creeping into the Albuquerque music scene, indie rockers deserve a bit of knowledge about something that isn't a chart-topper. The Faint's new album, Wet From Birth, is one of these hidden gems. This is the Faint in a nutshell - indie meets '80s synth-rock meets electronica and dance.
Iraqi musician and composer Rahim AlHaj said no matter what the situation, music is an essential component of life. On Saturday, locals will have an opportunity to hear the essence of AlHaj's music played with a string quartet. AlHaj, a self-taught oud player, began playing when he was 9 years-old.
"Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" is ridiculous. There are more things to do in this one game than in your entire PS2 library at home. There are missions that progress the story - and we'll get to that - but first consider the endless options. Find a basketball court, and you can shoot some hoops.
Solutions by The State News
