As usual, it started with a doll and a dream. But this version of the "Nutcracker" rocked much harder than your average Christmas production. Keshet Dance Company presents Shira Greenberg's "Nutcracker on the Rocks," a flashy production that takes the classic version and puts a modern spin on it - Harley Davidson and all.
by Emily Myer Daily Lobo After six years and two albums, members of All That Remains have finally hit a high point. All That Remains is known as a metalcore band, although lead singer Philip Labonte doesn't care what people see it as. "I really don't sweat what people are going to call us," he said.
It's the people's music. That's percussionist Jiro Yamaguchi's answer to what Ozomatli is. "Categories are always a little tough," he said. "It's music to dance to." Writers across the globe have tried unsuccessfully to classify the 10-piece cacophony that is Ozomatli.
by Emily Myer Daily Lobo Pop music has hit an all-time low. With marginally talented pop princesses ruling the charts, Simple Plan fits right in. Considering the band writes its own lyrics, it may be a bit of an improvement. Yet its new album, Still Not Getting Any... is remarkably similar to its last album, No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls.
by John Bear Daily Lobo It's going to be a long winter - nuclear winter, that is. Two films, "The Atomic Filmmakers" and "Half-Life: A Parable for the Nuclear Age," present cold glimpses into the dark realm of early nuclear-weapons testing by the United States.
by Aaron Salas Daily Lobo The rapper Nas has grown up. On his eighth solo release, gone is the young and wild thug with street stories about gun battles and partying all night. He's become a man, husband and father. Nas has blessed the world with street poetry for more than a decade.
Fair warning: This is one of those reviews that makes people hate movie reviews. Many - maybe most - of those who see "Closer" will find it shocking, boring, vulgar, confusing or blasphemous, and will never understand why anybody would enjoy the experience.
According to potter Mel Jacobson, truth and trust outweigh curriculum when teaching a student art. At 70, Jacobson is one of the country's most famous potters. He studied art in Japan, taught art in public schools for many years and still found time to write a few books.
Hollywood just isn't what it used to be. Fortunately, with film-editing software and digital video cameras, a new breed of filmmakers is rising up armed with ideas far riskier than anything Hollywood would ever dream of. Enter Kids on Coffee, an acting, producing and directing trio hailing from New Mexico with a passion for making films a bit on the bizarre side.
Lying in a hospital room gave Allie Shaw plenty of time to think. While alone in the dark, waiting for her next procedure, she was inspired to change her life. Shaw, a restaurant manager, decided to start a music magazine that would cover local and national bands.
Alan Clements is in on some kind of cosmic joke. He calls his one-man show an existential comedy. "I must participate in the harm of other creatures for my existence, and that's the existential comedy," he said. Funny. But really, he promised, Friday's show at the KiMo Theater will be funny.
In a town where everyone wants to be an MC, I am hard pressed to find noteworthy hip-hop in Albuquerque. Much to my surprise, I was at Ned's Downtown - not known for great hip-hop acts - and saw a show that made me stop in my tracks. They are called Weathered Hands, and they are good.
Space bugs are boring. In "Metroid Prime 2: Echoes," the objective is to explore - deep, gravelly voice here - the decaying planet of Aether, a world ravaged by civil war between the forces of light and dark. This means the character runs around intricately designed environments, some brightly lit with greens and browns, others darkly bathed in black and purple, and shoots at different kinds of bug monsters who have presumably nothing better to do than sit in waiting for heavily armored space marines.
Most people would use picket signs to protest the World Trade Organization. A couple of guys who call themselves the Yes Men, had a different plan. They set up a faux WTO Web site, and when people started believing it was the real thing, the Yes Men went along with it.
by Rami Mallis Daily Lobo Rapper BeKay is torn between two worlds. He's got the skill of an underground MC but wants to be mainstream. The Future of Hip Hop is Now, the second album by the white rapper, bursts out of the streets of Brooklyn with 16 furious tracks filled with attitude and genuine skill.
by Emily Meyer Daily Lobo Musician Jacob Michael Decimus merges his Haitian roots with Western flavor on his debut album Love is a Mystery. The UNM student moved to New Mexico in 1999. He said because he hasn't been in the United States for long, he didn't want to deal with the hassle of a record label.
Other people's trash is Found Magazine's treasure. Davy Rothbart, creator of the magazine, shared his treasure trove of other people's lost notes, writings and letters Wednesday night at the Guild to an audience of about 130. Rothbart came to the stage, beer in hand, bling-bling around his neck and opened a green briefcase full of lost papers - papers that would entertain the audience for an hour and a half.
Andru Bemis has spent the last year or so on a train. He's not making a political statement or engaging in a semi-masochistic form of performance art - it's just cheaper to tour that way. "I used to strap my guitar to my back and tour on my motorcycle, but when it got cold, that got old real fast," he said.
In 2001, RuPaul stepped out of the spotlight. The country's iconic drag queen saw the conservative turn society was taking and decided it was time for a break. "Rather than trying to fight all that, I thought I had better sit this one out," he said.
by Sarah Fayad Daily Lobo It may be the annual faculty dance show, but UNM students will be the ones performing an array of ensembles. "Dancer Dancing Dance" runs in Rodey Theatre Friday to Sunday. It will feature the talents of UNM dance students as they perform pieces by European choreographer Esther Balfe.
Solutions by The State News
