The Wake

I find that our relationships often parallel other aspects of our lives. Just as teenagers and early twenty-somethings change rapidly as people, their romantic needs are apt to change as well.A student myself on the cusp of graduation, I feel glad I had a largely single college experience. As I now reflect, snow falling and John Coltrane playing, I realize the single life kept me free to grow personally and socially during these four years. A single graduate is not tied down and will travel when offered that perfect job in some random part of the country.Some college students …

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Quickly approaching a close to my college career, I know what typical Holiday tradition I’ll see evidence of in January: engagement rings. If you haven’t heard it already from the class a year ahead of us, proposals are the trendy holiday gift for your college girlfriend. And in the wake of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and the war in Iraq, when people tend to become closer in crisis, engagements are to be expected. The conundrum is why these engagements continue to increase for younger people.For our mother’s and more specifically our grandmother’s generation, becoming engaged or getting married …

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When investment and consumer spending is not strong, the only way to create the essential growth needed for a healthy economy is through tax cuts. Reagan and Kennedy implemented this strategy and the effect was prosperity for all. With President Bush’s tax cuts, America will again be reaffirmed that trickle-down economics works. When people get to keep more of their own money, they spend it. This increases sales and profits for businesses. With increased sales and profits, businesses expand, create jobs, and create wealth for investors. This cycle ends with the people who become better off because their investments …

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Where’s the party? Apparently, not on campus during break. During last year’s intersession, Stub and Herb’s atmosphere was much different than a typical Friday or Saturday during the fall and spring semesters. Two winters ago, my group of friends and I hit up Stub’s for a monumental 21st birthday extravaganza. While we made it a good time, there was a clear shift in the age and attitudes of other patrons. The following winter break, the same scene: adults in their late-20s and men over 40; much less binge drinking and more sports fans. Stub’s is always a great place to …

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OOH YEAH-A! The Macho Man Randy Savage has signed with Big 3 Records, and has just dropped a 13-track rap album which proves to be as hot, or hotter than, um…uh…the last one from Lil’ Jon & the Eastside Boyz. With the help of Da Raskulls – the production team from Big 3 Records (the latest venture between BAT, R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris, I think) - Macho Man declares: “I get the crowd crazy cause they’re feelin’ the beat/ You see I got mad flows/ That’s why I’m hot on the streets.” And oh how the streets are watching …

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President George W. Bush has inspired larger protests than any other person in history. On the University of Minnesota campus, he’s also inspired artistic reactions to his personality and policies. Four artists shared their presidential work with me, and they all had one thing in common: When I asked each of them what our commander in chief would think of their artwork, I invariably got some version of the phrase, “He wouldn’t get it.”Colleen Mullins Although most of her recent artwork has been large-scale, a leather-bound handmade book by Colleen Mullins is just about the size of a tic-tac dispenser. It …

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It seems that Halle Berry, topic of speculation for her dragged on and overdramatic acceptance speech for winning best actress at the 2001 Academy Awards for Monster’s Ball, was all but a twist of luck.In her latest film Gothika, Berry once again takes on a common role that has epitomized her career with such stellar choices as Swordfish and Die Another Day – can you feel the sarcasm? Berry actually takes a step backwards in her chances of winning another Academy Award, being nothing more than a distressed heroine, which could have been suited for anyone from The Texas Chainsaw …

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In 1983, Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas (no, not the Wendy’s guy!) unleashed upon the world one of history’s funniest movies, Strange Brew. This is a Hamlet-based tale of intrigue, love, murder, vengeance from beyond the grave and most importantly Canada, beer, donuts and hockey! As the film begins, the MGM lion is too plastered to growl and only manages a belch, setting the tone for the film. From here, the brothers Bob (Moranis) and Doug McKenzie (Thomas) screen for the audience their film The Mutants of 2051 AD, a ridiculous post-apocalyptic piece in which Bob must defend the earth from …

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Tupac is dead, but pardon his posthumous poetry. Ever since the death of rapper Tupac Shakur, countless rumors have surfaced that he is still alive. The biggest argument for this is the fact that Tupac has been more prolific than ever as a recording artist since he was gunned down in Las Vegas in 1996. The myth has just been perpetuated with the release of Tupac: Resurrection. The combination documentary film, soundtrack and book acts as the eulogy that many people were never able to speak. Among these people is his mother Afeni Shakur who gave her blessing for the whole …

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On Monday, November 11th, I had the privilege of witnessing one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll shows imaginable. Present at the Target Center were two of the greatest bands in rock ‘n’ roll history: KISS and Aerosmith. The evening began at 7pm with Automatic Black. This band was only successful in making me even more anxious to see KISS take the stage. They probably did well with the 93X crowd (which is saying very little). By 7:30, they were off the stage. The fifteen minutes before KISS took the stage were some of the most anxious in …

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If I were to be booked on a trip to my own musical hell, the itinerary may look something like this: “Come hear backporch bumpkin-bluegrass and the overtly-emotional musings of a young singer-songwriter in one evening of pure torture!” As one can imagine, given my unbridled enthusiasm for bluegrass and neo-folk, I jumped at the chance to cover such an abysmal musical manifestation . . . right. Nonetheless, I decided to make the trek to Coffman Union on November 22nd to check out the latest and greatest in the way of bluegrass (The Schwillbillies) and rising easy-listening stars (Howie Day) …

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On some frozen stretch of highway in a purple and turquoise tour bus, Howie Day is plotting his next career move. Lately, it seems the 22 year-old from Maine can’t go wrong. In the span of a few short years, Day’s career has blossomed from occasional coffee house gigs to headlining national tours. The young singer-songwriter has adjusted remarkably well. “In a weird way I’ve come full circle,” says Day. “After high school, I decided to skip college, but wound up spending a lot of time touring college campuses. Four years later, I’m releasing a new record instead of getting my …

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It’s not easy being the preacher’s kid, especially when you’ve got a healthy dose of rock ‘n’ roll flowing through your bloodstream. Mark Curtis Anderson knows this all too well. As the son of a Baptist minister, Anderson was confronted at an early age with such an imponderable juxtaposition. Now, in his literary debut, Jesus Sound Explosion, the part-time writer and University instructor recounts his own quest for peaceful coexistence among rockers and reverends. The memoir is a fascinating trip through the annals of spirituality, teen-angst and music that delivers zany justification for the lives of preachers’ kids everywhere. Recently, …

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Satisfaction. The Rolling Stones can’t get it, and now they won’t give it, either. Thousands of record stores that have carried the Stones’ music for years are being denied distribution rights to the hottest new Stones release in years. The band has decided to release a new DVD box set exclusively to Best Buy for the first four months it’s available. As a retaliatory response, many stores across North America are pulling all Rolling Stones merchandise from their shelves. These exclusive alliances between distributors and retailers are making for a very uneven playing field, many retail analysts say, and are …

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The Greek columns that frame the historic stage at the Pantages theatre were given an epic sound to accompany its epic appearance on November 15th when Martin Sexton brought a guitar and his voice to Minneapolis. Two microphones, an acoustic six-string, and an extraordinarily dynamic and affecting voice have brought this soulful troubadour to the Cities many times. This was his first time playing in a Minneapolis theatre, however, and he welcomed it by often stepping away from the microphone and inviting the acoustics of the stage to carry his majestic falsetto throughout the golden theatre. There it fell on the …

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