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Concert Review: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

April 25, 2013 By 1 Comment
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club played brand new songs off of their latest album in San Diego this week

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club played brand new songs off of their latest album in San Diego this week

By Kayleen Fulton

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
House of Blues, San Diego
April 23, 2013

 

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club began in 1998, which would put their most loyal fans in their mid-thirties, and damn it if those thirty-year-olds didn’t remember what a great crowd was like at the House of Blues this past Tuesday. The band drew a crowd of good-natured people (Strangers hugging strangers at the end of songs? What a great site…) of all different age groups and played a diverse set list composed of old songs from their Howl era and songs from their brand spankin’ new album Specter at the Feast. Songs alternated between ambient psychedelics like “Fire Walker” and old favorites like “Ain’t No Easy Way” and the three members were just as enthusiastic as the audience, who were dancing and singing along. I have to say, it’s difficult to play a psychedelic song right, especially in a bigger venue like the House of Blues; but Robert Levon Been executed his slower songs absolutely beautifully and captivated the entire audience with his clean sound.

I wouldn’t recommend passing this band up when they come back through San Diego!

Filed Under: Concerts, USD Radio Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Album Review: Migrant by The Dear Hunter

April 1, 2013 By 2 Comments
Dear Hunter's complex new album is one of the most anticipated records of 2013

Dear Hunter’s complex new album is one of the most anticipated records of 2013

By Clarisse Hansard

Migrant
Dear Hunter
Cave & Canary Goods
Release Date: April 2, 2013

There has never been any denial that Dear Hunter lead vocalist and songwriter Casey Crescenzo is a masterful musician. For years now, The Dear Hunter has released quality albums that transcend the music world and become true works of art instead. It’s hard to imagine how they could possibly follow a release like The Color Spectrum: a collection of EPs that each reflect a different color in the rainbow. Admittedly, the same question was posed about how they could possibly top a masterpiece so grandiose as their three-part album series Acts. It’s become a pattern, evidently, to wonder “how could they possibly out do this last album?” Yet again, The Dear Hunter has proven with their latest release, Migrant, that there is absolutely no ceiling to the quality of their work.

Migrant is by no means the same as any previous LP. Previously marked by boisterous orchestral sounds and layered instrumentation, The Dear Hunter has take a different direction with this latest LP. Migrant is characterized by a softness that comes with having mastered an art form. There are few tracks reminiscent of the various ways in which Acts unceasingly challenged its own intensity. In fact, Migrant displays a new delicateness that suggests a significant progression in what were previously huge trademarks of The Dear Hunter’s sound.

Don’t get me wrong, Migrant is not simple by any standard. Actually, when the album opens with “Bring You Down” there is a precisely opposite interpretation: immediately you’re aware of all the various players that were necessary in order to make a release like this possible.  The beauty of this record, and what this band never lets their listener forget, is that music is only possible if there is an emphasis and awareness of even the smallest instrumental details in a song. From the soft strumming in the background of “Shame” to the delicacy of chimes in “This Vicious Place,” there is an ever-present realization that each track would not be the same were it not for the collective effort of every detail.

Be aware that Migrant is very much the kind of album you would expect The Dear Hunter to release. It’s intricate in all the right places and has immense standout tracks such as “The Kiss of Life” and “Sweet Naiveté” that are bound to be replayed countless times. These two tracks in particular are full of the signature orchestration that listeners have come to love this band for. They are all-encompassing and strong. Simultaneously, tracks like “Sweet Naiveté” and the closing piece, “Don’t Look Back” have jazz influences that suggest a progression in The Dear Hunter’s musical character. These songs, particularly in the latter half of the album, are striking and make bold statements about the kind of musicians Casey and his bandmates are. “Don’t Look Back” eases the listener out of the album with Casey’s cooing and beautifully gentle instrumentation. There is nothing left to be desired of the album when it ends because it has already given you everything.

There is a freshness to Migrant that serves to refine the edges of The Dear Hunter’s already tremendous sound. As shown by this album, there’s no longer a need to make songs that fill your senses to the brim like with Acts and the Red EP off of The Color Spectrum. These sensory details come far more naturally with Migrant. The overall flow and direction this album takes are a product of The Dear Hunter having been seasoned in the art of musical creation. Sit back and take Migrant as an art piece. Allow this record to consume you, your senses, and your surroundings for its duration. Like all good art, it will move you to no end.

Filed Under: Album Reviews, USD Radio Tagged With: , , ,

Interview: The Black Lips

March 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment

 

Black Lips played a two night stint at the Casbah in San Diego

Black Lips played a two night stint at the Casbah in San Diego

By Kayleen Fulton

It’s 7 PM on March 24 and Black Lips have just finished their soundcheck for their second night at the Casbah in San Diego. Everyone’s a little groggy from a long evening the night before (minus Cole Alexander, whose ever-present enthusiasm is hard to match), but the band is gearing up for another night flush with a shit-ton of ruckus, as is usual with this raucous flower punk band.

 

Kayleen Fulton: So you got kicked out from your last stint here at the Hard Rock on your birthday last year?

Jared Swilley: Yeah. It was weird because they didn’t really kick us out. Like, they shut down the show, but we were staying in the hotel and they still let us stay in the rooms. They even sent a cake up to my room afterwards.

 

KF: Do you often get kicked out of venues?

JS: A few times, but it’s not a regular thing that happens. It’s definitely happened before.

Cole Alexander: It’s not totally surprising, sometimes, but it’s every once in a while.

JS: It used to happen a lot when we were first starting out cause we were underage. A lot of shows got shut down because of that. We’d be on tour and we’d get there and they wouldn’t let us play. But that’s not for anything we did – it was just for existing.

CA: Sometimes for the mayhem, like, we were in Portland and everyone started throwing bottles at us. Glass broke over my head. We had to fight people off. Sometimes it’s not a hateful thing, it’s just out of love. Just going HAM.

JS: Actually, we’ve played the Hard Rock Hotel twice, once in Las Vegas and once in San Diego and both of those shows got shut down. The one in Vegas got shut down after one song.

CA: My amp broke at the one in Las Vegas and I mooned the crowd because I didn’t know what to do and the giant security guard was like, “You can stop now” and he was just so big we were actually like, “Okay”.

JS: Well, he didn’t really do anything, he just pulled his pants down and played the song with his pants down.

CA: Some girl in LA pulled her pants down and had spelled Black Lips on her butt – she got the take down by security.

JS: (Laughs) Security got her well-acquainted with the pavement.

CA: I was always raised not to hit a woman, but the rules are all out the window sometimes with that security – they feel threatened.

 

KF: Are you planning on releasing anything soon?

JS: We have a 7” coming out in a few days. That’s just one song – split with our friends from Omaha, called Icky Blossoms. That’s not even one of our songs – it’s just a cover of a Waylon Jennings/Willie Nelson song. But we’re working on a new album now.

 

KF: Any idea what you’ll be titling it?

JS: No clue. We don’t even have names for the songs. But we’ve been playing a lot of new songs. It’ll hopefully be out in 2013.

 

KF: Will you be taking it in any new directions?

CA: I’m sure we will, we always experiment and dabble with new things.

 

KF: Do you guys have any intimate songs that maybe haven’t fit on any records that you’ve wanted to put out?

CA: Sappy songs?

 

KF: Sure.

CA: I have one song for the new record that I could do but I was kind of embarrassed because it’s too sappy. I’ll guess we’ll try it but if it doesn’t fit… (shrugs). We’ve had some tongue in cheek sappy songs before.

 

KF: Would you consider anything you have right now ‘sappy’?

CA: Dirty hands might be a little intentionally sappy.

JS: There are a few. Sometimes. I like sappy songs. I listen to a lot of doo-wop and 50s kind of stuff.

 

KF: It’s great that you guys are playing the Casbah twice in a row. Why do that?

CA: It’s good because I feel like we’re growing. We haven’t had an album out in two years, so we’re worried that people forgot about us.

 

KF: You guys are fairly hard to forget – your shows can get pretty rowdy.

JS: We like to give people good memories, scars… but not painful scars.

CA: We’d rather be bad than forgettable.

 

KF: What’s the craziest stunt you guys have pulled on stage?

JS: Uh, probably something that I can’t remember… Me and Cole got in a fight one time. We used to not make a lot of money and so we had to be ‘budget’ about things and we bought this guitar from Ian but we split it ’cause neither one of us could afford the whole thing and we were playing this show in Italy and he was playing out of tune or playing the song wrong… we were just sucking… so I went and, I don’t even remember why I did it, I did it without thinking, like b**** slapped him.

CA: And defensively, with the guitar, I swung it at him.

JS: He smashed my face with it.

CA: It had a little point thing and it cut him open. And everyone starting freaking out. And then I felt really bad, so I smashed the guitar, but that made me feel even worse ’cause we had split it. Everybody started wrestling for the guitar pieces… we never saw that guitar again.

 

Despite the Lips’ raucous attitude on stage, Swilley encourages fans to stay safe in the crowd – good advice for a crowd that apparently can’t be handled by the Hard Rock in any state.

Filed Under: Interviews, USD Radio Tagged With: , , , ,

Concert Preview: Allah-Las, Tomorrow’s Tulips, New Mexico and Barbarian

February 23, 2013 By 1 Comment
Courtesy of RVCA

Four surf-rock bands hit the Casbah on Feb. 23

By Eden Frost

Allah-Las, Tomorrow’s Tulips, New Mexico, Barbarian
The Casbah
February 23

Don’t miss the Allah-Las, Tomorrow’s Tulips, New Mexico and Barbarian all at The Casbah this Saturday, February 23.

This Saturday night at The Casbah some of the surf scene’s raddest bands are hitting the circuit. The Allah-Las, Tomorrow’s Tulips, New Mexico and Barbarian make up the set list for Saturday’s tunes and this isn’t a show you will want to miss. Surf-punk and psychedelic sounds permeate the room wherever these bands play. You can feel the music, like you’re riding a wave.

The Allah-Las have a complete throwback sound.  Their music, recording aesthetic and music videos are all reminiscent of the beatnik era. From a very 60s fitted suits and rock and roll vibe in their song “Tell Me (What’s On Your Mind)” to mellow surf scenes present throughout their tracks, the Allah-Las are a beacon of musical hope and groovy tunes in a time of over produced and synthesized music. The Los Angeles band came together in 2008 after three of its four members met working at the legendary Amoeba records. The crew knew what it took to achieve a real sounds and didn’t cut any corners on the production of their record released on vinyl. After all, what they say is true…everything does sound better on vinyl. The band’s EP released in April of last year, Tell Me (What’s On Your Mind) kills it with four addicting tracks you can listen to over and over again. (“Catamaran”, “Long Journey”, “Sacred Sands” and “Tell Me (What’s On Your Mind)”) And their self-titled album “Allah-Lahs” released this past September adds 8 new songs to become addicted to. You can hear a likeness to The Byrds coming through on the instrumentals on some tracks such as “Vis-A-Vis” off their debut album. While I pick up a bit of The Zombies with their style, this band is 100% unique, doing things the right way and working hard to achieve their sound of sorrowful, hypnotic and body swaying music.

The surfer element is heavy in Tomorrow’s Tulips with professional surfers Alex Knost (vocals and guitar) and Ford Archbold (bassist) fronting the band. Heads of long blonde locks shake like crazy when the band isn’t sporting some of their more festive headgear of sunshine and smile cut outs, and watching them play makes you feel like you’ve left land for a little while. They, too, have a sound from the past, a little Velvet Underground meets a surf-heavy garage punk. Their female vocalist Christina Kee definitely carries that Nico-esque vibe and it is rad to see a girl hold her own in a band of guys, dominating on the drums as well. Their two albums, Tired released in 2010 and Eternally Teenage capture the bands live sound, but seeing them play is half the fun of experiencing the band.

San Diego bands New Mexico and Barbarian keep with the surf-vibes and raw, garage-band sounds of the night while adding a bit more of a punk element. Barbarian recently released their debut 7” vinyl, Daze of Youth, with Manimal Vinyl. They describe their sound as “coldwave” which mixes varying levels of punk and pop with garage rock overtones. Both sides of this album showcase a different sound to the band. The raw instrumentals are met by lead singer Andrew Mills’ alarming vocals. New Mexico is described in a similar vein as Barbarian with this garage band punk dominating their sound.

All four bands compliment each other perfectly and build off of each other’s sounds. Saturday’s crowd in guaranteed to have a great time, submersed in the culture and sounds of some of the sweetest surf and garage bands SoCal has to offer.

For more information on the band’s and getting tickets check out these links.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/events/2013/feb/23/55600/
http://www.casbahmusic.com/event/4023/

Filed Under: Concerts, Upcoming Shows, USD Radio Tagged With: , , ,

Concert Review: El Ten Eleven

November 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Songs from El Ten Eleven's latest album, Transitions, were featured during the duo's recent show in San Diego

By Drew Parrish

El Ten Eleven
The Irenic
November 17, 2012

Welcome to the Irenic, a small converted church in residential San Diego and home to the last stop on the latest El Ten Eleven tour. Where hard copy tickets are unnecessary, and drinks are sold out of a cooler. It was here, under stained glass windows, that I finally got to experience the brilliance of El Ten Eleven.

 

When I first discovered their music, about a year and a half ago, I binged. Hard. Every time I opened my computer or turned on my iPod, it was as if my fingers were out of my control and immediately played a selection from El Ten Eleven. I craved their distinct brand of instrumental post-rock, and only more El Ten could satisfy me. So when I walked into the Irenic on Saturday night it was not without plenty of anticipation, and I did not leave disappointed.

 

El Ten Eleven consists of two members, Kristian Dunn and Tim Fogarty. At first listen, their music may sound like these guys spend a lot of time with their laptops. With electronic sounds, exact layering of loops and precise drums the music has all the makings of an innovative computer artist. However, when these two men walked out on stage, Fogarty sat behind a drum set and Dunn strapped on a double-neck guitar/bass and they proceeded to jam out all their instrumental music live. They brought an incredible amount of energy considering the abilities and tasks required to perform their music; it was quite the display of multi-tasking. Loop pedals for repeating melodies, effects pedals, timing in and out of loops, and playing their instruments all in front of a light set up of flashing colored squares cannot be easy, but they did it masterfully. I could not stop dancing, grooving, and swaying to the succinct precision of El Ten Eleven. Their musicianship was extraordinary; at one point during the set Dunn used a cello bow on the bass half of his guitar creating atmospheric sound to accompany the detailed plucking he would do on the other half. At another point he was able to play both guitars at the same time. It was the kind of performance that has the potential of instilling a certain sense of inferiority in the viewer.

 

With no lyrics in their music, the band did not say much, however at one point Dunn spoke into the microphone and said that the next song is about being in love. The song “The Sycophants Are Coming! The Sycophants Are Coming!” was a journey through an upbeat soundscape that rocked with huge bass lines, and acoustic drumming, yet was not without those atmospheric low fi tones. It occurred to me at some point in the night that the music of El Ten Eleven just feels good. That point may have been when they played their crowd favorite masterpiece “My Only Swerving.” After they played it, Dunn asked the audience jokingly, “Could we ever not play that song?” Probably not, the song might just be perfect.

 

Before the guys played “Yellow Bridges” (a song from their recently released album Transitions) Dunn said that it felt good to be home in San Diego, and that the next song was written about the city. When a band plays in the place they call home, something special seems to permeate the venue; it generates excellent atmosphere and connection between audience and performer. It was certainly a special show, the kind of show where the best parts may be when you closed your eyes and it was just mind and music. El Ten Eleven is doing something incredible for the music scene, and they proved it Saturday night at the Irenic.

Filed Under: Concerts, USD Radio Tagged With: , , , , ,

Academic freedom forum produces calls for President Lyons’ resignation

November 8, 2012 By 7 Comments

Students and faculty alike participated in the forum, which addressed concerns of academic freedom in a Catholic university setting

By Sarah Jorgensen

Calls for the resignation of University of San Diego President Dr. Mary Lyons and questions about administrative authority and academic freedom have reached a fever pitch among students and faculty. Tonight’s “Authority and Academic Freedom in Catholic Universities” forum in Warren Auditorium featured speakers from a variety of disciplines, including philosophy, sociology, and theology, to contextualize and analyze the recent events surrounding Dr. Lyons’ decision to rescind an invitation to British theologian Dr. Tina Beattie.

Dr. Beattie was to speak at the university on a fellowship from the Center for Catholic Thought and Culture (CCTC) this week, but Dr. Lyons rescinded that invitation in a letter to Dr. Beattie last week. The decision, allegedly made without the input of the CCTC, has sparked debate among students, faculty, alumni, and others, and has led to an on-campus protest this past Tuesday and coverage from national media outlets, including the Washington Post and ABC News.

The nearly full auditorium, with a balanced mix of faculty and students, listened attentively to the panel members, which included Director of the CCTC Dr. Gerard Mannion, Associate Professor of Sociology Dr. Tom Reifer, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Gender Studies Dr. Lori Watson, and Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Studies Dr. Mary Doak. The panel was moderated by Chair of the Philosophy Department and Professor of Philosophy, Dr. Mary Grier.

The panel began with a statement from Dr. Beattie read by Dr. Reifer. In the statement, Dr. Beattie explained that she felt it would be inappropriate to be directly involved in the forum due to her rescinded invitation, but stated that “dissent has a long and noble history” in the study of theology, and that this exchange of ideas should be embraced.

The following panel speakers echoed this sentiment. Dr. Doak spoke about the critical engagement that occurs within theology as an academic study, and Dr. Mannion also emphasized this point. ““Call dissent for what it is; don’t use it in pejorative terms,” he said.

Concerns were raised about the role of the administration in academic freedom and pursuits. “If anyone tells me that these events have nothing to do with academic freedom, I will laugh or cry,” Dr. Mannion said.

The concerns extended, too, to potential alumni and donor pressure that the panelists thought may have been at the root of this decision. Conservative donors have threatened to rescind funding from the university in the past based on similar events.

Dr. Watson noted that alumni and donor uproar, especially those represented by the unofficial group Alumni for a Catholic USD, has often been linked to events or speakers in support of same sex marriage and other issues of homosexuality, although Dr. Beattie was not scheduled to discuss homosexuality in her talks. “I fear that religion is being used as a shield for bigotry,” Dr. Watson said.

Dr. Lyons has explicitly denied that donor pressure was a part of her decision, noting instead in her original letter to Dr. Beattie that “[Dr. Beattie’s views were not] consistent with the intentions of those who have financially supported the Center.”

It was also revealed that Dr. Lyons sent a letter to the faculty late this afternoon in response to a letter sent by the Academic Assembly, a gathering of all tenured and junior professors of the College of Arts and Sciences, to her earlier this week.  In the letter, Dr. Lyons wrote that Dr. Beattie was “not invited to the university by one of our academic departments,” whose visit, therefore, was not protected by academic freedom policy. Dr. Mannion rebutted this point in the forum. “The fact that the CCTC is an academic unit has been underlined time and time again,” he said.

In light of today’s response from Dr. Lyons, which Dr. Reifer called “the most egregious attack on academic freedom in the name of academic freedom that I have ever seen,” Dr. Reifer revealed that the Academic Assembly will be reconvening on Tuesday. He stated that he believed a vote of no confidence would occur – a measure that indicates complete disagreement between the faculty and the president. “It is my belief that no president can survive a vote of no confidence,” Dr. Reifer said, indicating a call for Dr. Lyons to resign.

Voting is also occurring within Associated Students (AS). AS President Morgan Schwanke and AS Vice President Yasi Mahallaty stated during the forum that the AS Senate’s meeting today produced a unanimous vote to create a resolution regarding academic freedom at an emergency meeting next Thursday, Nov. 15 at 12:15 PM in Solomon Hall. “I encourage you, the students, to come to the next Senate meeting with your voices,” Schwanke said.

Dr. Reifer also spoke about other consequences of Dr. Lyons’ decision, including the resignation of Mike Davis, renowned writer and political activist, from his position as Knapp Chair of Liberal Arts in solidarity with Dr. Beattie’s rescinded invitation.

Dr. Doak spoke about how the dis-invitation of a visiting scholar is rare in academia and how the university was becoming known for a pattern of such events in past years, including the rescinded invitation of Dr. Rosemary Ruther to act as the Monsignor John R. Portman Chair in Roman Catholic Theology in 2009. A new academic freedom policy arose out of that event. Dr. Grier also spoke about a letter from the American Association of University Professors, a 47,000 member organization, that was written to Dr. Lyons last week in light of this trend.

Dr. Lyons claimed in a letter to Dr. Beattie on Oct. 27 that her beliefs “dissent publicly” from official Church teachings. This claim stemmed from a letter that Dr. Beattie had signed in August with 27 other U.K. theologians that supported an open dialogue regarding the possibility of Catholics’ support of civil unions for homosexual couples.  Dr. Lyons has indicated that she has no plans to reconsider her decision.  “I hope that we can move forward constructively and focus on the important work before us on behalf of our students,” Dr. Lyons wrote in the letter released to faculty today.

Filed Under: Campus Beat, USD Radio Tagged With: , , , , ,

Hundreds Show Support for Internationally Acclaimed Professor

November 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Students and faculty congregated by the Colachis fountain before proceeding into Hughes Administration Center

By Juan Barragan

Location: Colachis Plaza, USD
November 6, 2012

Usually, students and visitors associate Colachis plaza as a peaceful and quiet place that many use to study or eat lunch with friends while soaking in the rays of the sun. Yesterday, that tranquility was replaced by hundreds of students and professors combined, coming together in an act of solidarity to peacefully protest a decision made by Mary Lyons, the president of the University of San Diego. The decision was rescinding the internationally acclaimed theology professor, Tina Beattie, an invitation given to her by the Center for Catholic Thought and Culture. Lyons claimed in a letter that Beattie publicly dissents from the Catholic moral teaching based on Beattie’s signature on letter signed by 27 other British theologians that supports open discussion regarding the possibility of civil unions.

 

As people gathered in Colachis Plaza, professors were asked what they thought about the situation. Many showed concerned about basic fundamental elements of higher education, such as academic freedom. Associate Professor of Anthropology Jerome Hall said, “I think it is a tremendous insult to the concept of academic freedom across the entire university. I think the administration is setting up a double standard, as it always does; except this time I think they got caught.”

 

Students alike showed their concern about this situation. The governing student body at the university, Associated Students, was not included by the administration in this very important matter. Associated Students Vice President, Yasi Mahallaty said, “From what I know, I feel very disappointed because I have a lot of faith in this university and I think we do a good job of promoting different types of thoughts and views with the purpose of having our students critically think about the decisions we are making and what we are learning about.” Concerning the administration making decisions on the student’s behalf without student input, Mahallaty said, “It is really alarming. It’s very difficult for us when we hear about these decisions to back the administration on that, when they didn’t ask for our opinion or our voice in the matter.”

 

Eventually, the leaders of the protest took Colachis fountain as the stage and addressed the members in the audience. It was here that students and professors who attended the protest got to voice their opinion in an effective manner which resulted in applause and cheering in support of the issued statements. Senior student Charlie Daly said, “President Lyons, I’ll start by saying that I am sympathetic to the LGBT community who has been alienated by the university’s decision to blackball an advocate who supports their right to marry; as you and I are free to enjoy it, assuming you identify as heterosexual. My primary concern is with the issue of academic freedom. This decision is a betrayal of the university’s goals of diversity and inclusion. USD falls pitifully short of the basic criteria for an intellectual environment. If this is a matter of towing the church’s line, then you are a coward and champion of inequality and ignorance. If this is a matter of appeasing donors, which I suspect it is, then you are morally reprehensible, a fraud! You embarrass me, the students you serve, and yourself!”

 

The director for USD’s Center for Catholic Thought and Culture, Gerard Mannion was also in attendance, which was the individual who invited Tina Beattie. He addressed the audience, giving them details about what happened from his point of view.  He said, “I want to mention the official teaching of the Catholic Church. The Church teaches that you must follow your conscience, in all circumstances, even when it is wrong. Tina Beattie signed a letter in the Times of London, telling Catholics that they should follow their conscience, and helping them to inform their conscience on deciding about what to do about the impending legislation concerning same-sex civil unions in the United Kingdom. She was standing up for church teaching. Tina’s work and career has stood up for people oppressed and marginalized. She writes on human rights, on marginalization, on oppression, on women’s issues, on feminism. USD should not be banning Tina Beattie; they should be giving her an honorary doctorate.” He mentioned how he received a letter from a parent in support of Tina Beattie that also showed concern for the administration’s handling of the case. He says the letter said, “We do not pay our tuition fees to have our children prevented from being exposed to challenging and different points of view.” Mannion added, “Solidarity is a fundamental teaching of the Catholic Church. With it you can move mountains. It is never too late to say, ‘Hey, I might have gotten that one wrong, I might have been misinformed,’ that is a sign of maturity. None of the official statements put out justify this on any grounds whatsoever. Tina Beattie was not guilty, and even if she was, she should have still been invited and protected under academic freedom. People think that because they have money they can shut people up. A couple of years ago the university had an event, exploring inclusion and diversity with regards to the LGBT community, and I was asked to be on the panel of that as the director for the Center for Catholic Thought and Culture. On that panel I said that the social teaching of the church is consistent across centuries and indeed a couple of millennia. There are current disagreements in certain schools and methods of moral theology. It is better to stick with what is consistent: the human dignity of all persons regardless of their background, orientation, and gender. Thank you for your solidarity and keep fighting for a good cause!”

 

The demonstration ended when students silently walked towards the Hughes Administration Center, home to the office of the President. No one responded upon reaching her door. The crowd dispersed when Public Safety arrived and instructed the crowd to keep the volume to a minimum.

 

As of the publication of this article, the USD administration has not reversed their decision to allow Tina Beattie to visit the campus to talk about Visions of Paradise: Women, Sin, and Redemption of Christian Art.

Filed Under: Campus Beat, News, USD Radio Tagged With: , , , ,

Interview: Diarrhea Planet

November 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment


By Kayleen Fulton

On January 28, 1969, a little known band on their first American tour played a Boston venue and shook the crowd. When Led Zeppelin tried to walk off stage that night, the crowd was in such a frenzy that they came back and ended up playing for four hours straight, until they had run out of songs, and played every cover that they could. Just two weeks before that, Led Zeppelin had played in San Diego, a ticket that sold for a whopping $5.

There are few bands who can induce that raw animalistic frenzy in a crowd, when everyone dances and screams for more, but when you know that feeling, you become addicted to it. San Diego is a prime venue for a search for this frenzy and if you know where to look, every once in a while you’ll find a band that can’t help but trap the crowd in their sound waves.

Diarrhea Planet played with Jeff the Brotherhood at the Casbah and stole the crowd. Jeff the Brotherhood played well and the crowd danced, but if crowd involvement was an indicator of that night, it’s safe to say that Diarrhea Planet lubricated the crowd for them.

A six-piece rock-and-roll band from Nashville, Tennessee, with a three history, their sound and delightfully offensive name has been spreading underground quickly. On their first West Coast tour, after a flat tire on their way over, they barely made it to the Casbah in time but shook the venue when they did. They stayed after the show, while the crowd calmed down from that animalistic frenzy, and I talked to guitarist Evan Bird for a bit.

 

Kayleen Fulton: What’s the origin of the name? …guessing you had trouble spelling your own band name for a while?

Evan Bird: When the band started, it wasn’t really supposed to be taken very seriously. Jordan and Evan Donohue (no longer in the band) wanted a name that would make them laugh, but that would also be stupid as well as offensive. So far as I know, all of us have had a hiccup with the spelling.

 

KF: How are you liking your first west coast tour?!

EB: We have been loving this tour! Every city we’ve been to – particularly in California- has been a blast and the crowds have been receptive. We’ve all been fans of Jeff The Brotherhood since before we signed to Infinity Cat or knew them personally, so being able to do this with them has truly been a privilege.

 

KF: I’m sorry you blew out a tire on the way to San Diego, it’s a bummer to miss exploring this city. Any plans to be back anytime soon?

EB: We can’t wait to return to San Diego! We decided immediately after our set in San Diego that we have come back as soon as we can and we have build a few extra day’s to explore and hang out. The city itself is beautiful and the people we met were so kind and generous to us that it set the bar pretty high for the rest of our California shows.

 

KF: How do you describe your music? I don’t know if power-pop-punk-rock covers it.

EB: We all still struggle to describe our sound, but we’ve been saying things like “Ramones with a team of Eddie Van Halens” or “arena punk” or even simply “steroids.” Power-pop-punk-rock is pretty good though. I like that.

 

KF: What song are you most proud of so far?

EB: I can’t speak for the band, but I am most proud of Mutt Feast. I really love how the recording turned out, and I love playing it live. I think that song covers all the bases dynamically and has a few spots where the guitars can really lock horns.

 

Filed Under: Interviews, USD Radio Tagged With: , , , ,

Concert Review: FUN. and Walk the Moon

November 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Walk The Moon opened for FUN. on tour in Madrid

FUN. played many of their hits during their show in Madrid, including "We Are Young"

By Tyler Sivero

FUN., Walk The Moon
Sala Marco Aldany, Madrid, Spain
October 21, 2012

 

Recently, I had the pleasure of being able to attend a sold out show for FUN. with Walk The Moon as the opener. As if this isn’t a feat in itself, I was able to see them abroad in Madrid, Spain. As a student studying abroad in Madrid it’s great to be able to see a show in a foreign country. Especially when the bands are from America. It helps to give you a little taste of home; even if you are thousands of miles away.

As I arrived to the show it became apparent I wasn’t the only American there. For as big as FUN. is in America, and for however many times they did play “We Are Young” on the radio, the band’s popularity did not fully transfer to Spain. It seemed there were about 60% Americans and 40% Spanish. Both bands still made an effort to recognize where they were and give their best shot at recalling what little Spanish they learned in high school. The amount of Americans was not the only thing I first noticed upon arrival. Once I was inside I was blown away by how small the venue was. FUN. had sold out large arenas in southern California just a few months ago. Lawn seats sold for $60 and up at these shows. I had bought a ticket for less than half of that and was standing five people from the front. I knew I was in for a treat before the show even began.

Walk The Moon started soon after I entered and definitely got the crowds energy up for being so little known, especially in Spain. Their hit song “Anna Sun” was played largely on the radios over the summer and has boosted them to a widely recognized and famous band. Their backdrop featured their recent album cover which is something similar to a watercolor painting. It also matched their MGMT-style face paint. They dressed in short-sleeve collared shirts while the bassist preferred leopard pants and a tank top. I was getting a very hipster look and indie-rock sound. I had nothing to complain about. Most of their songs had a quick tempo and classic indie-rock much like Two Door Cinema Club. Most songs fast and featured heavy drums with a release of distorted and high electric guitar notes. Overall, I got a real lively and energetic feel that left me wanting to listen to more even in anticipation of FUN.. Towards the end of the set the band even offered to meet with the audience after the show. This is something that definitely goes a long ways today since many bands seem to have a real loose connection with their fans.

After a short waiting period FUN. came out with a grand welcome. The small venue once again provided a real connection to the band as band members looked up to the balcony and back to the fans at their feet. Each band member seemed to display their own style in dress whether it be a jean jacket worn by Nate Ruess (lead singer) or the drooping tank of guitarist Jack Antonoff. FUN. itself is a collaboration of members from different bands. Many know that Ruess is the former lead singer of The Format but few know that Jack Antonoff is from Steel Train and Andrew Dost (pianist and horns) is from Anathallo. This diversity and combination of these different bands provided for a great array of different talents and definitely contributed to the depth of the show. It was evident that they all were uniquely talented and their different talents showed. For example during slower ballads Dost pulled out a trumpet and various horns where in other songs Antonoff broke off into improvised solos.

In general, the band and especially Ruess put out an incredible amount of energy. Ruess would belt out high notes, jump around and put his whole body into the song. It seemed there was never a dull moment. The small venue seemed to contribute to the impact on the show for the band members as well. Constantly, Ruess would stop, look up and smile at the crowd or have to pause in between songs to make comment at how taken aback he was. It turns out the show was special for them indeed, as Ruess’s parents were in attendance, all the way from Iowa. These factors combined made for a once in a lifetime show thousands of miles from home. But the night didn’t end there.

I ended up getting a chance to speak with some of the members of Walk The Moon after the show. Lead singer Nicholas Petricca and guitarist Eli Maiman were kind enough to sign autographs, take pictures, and talk with their fans. I even had the chance to sit down and talk with both of them after the signing for a little while. After asking about the explosion of their hit song “Anna Sun” and their reactions I got a different answer than I was expecting. Maiman explained that even with that huge boost into fame it doesn’t mean that they stop promoting themselves. This went along with the fact that once you’ve had a hit song things don’t necessarily go the direction you think they will and it’s definitely not easier. Regardless, being a smaller band from Ohio they are stoked to be climbing up in the music world and to be doing European tours with such a big name as FUN. Petricca told me that one of his favorite things of the European tour is getting to go see and experience different places even if for a short time. He expressed his short but amazing time in Germany and how he hopes to return one day. Overall, the guys were overly nice and really care about their fans. They are also undoubtedly working in every aspect to make a name for themselves in the music industry. Definitely qualities that many of today’s artist have lost sight of.

Walk the Moon will be playing a show at the House of Blues San Diego on November 14. I strongly recommend going to see a great show with a group of guys that really care about music and their fans. You won’t regret it.

Filed Under: Concerts, Upcoming Shows, USD Radio Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Concert Review: Escape From Wonderland

October 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Escape From Wonderland delighted guests with spooky haunted houses and excellent electronic music

By Aidan Meehan and Will Jernigan

Escape From Wonderland
October 27, 2012
NOS Event Center
San Bernardino, CA

 

In only its second year, Insomniac Events brought nearly 50,000 people to their Halloween-themed festival Escape From Wonderland, which has sold out both its years of occurrence. After attending, we can see why this member of the Wonderland family is by far the most popular. Electronic music enthusiasts love one thing more than dancing the night away, and that is doing so in bizarre, carefully constructed costumes. Halloween presents the ultimate opportunity for outlandish wear, and festival-goers did not disappoint at Escape, sporting the dress of historical figures, Alice and her Wonderland friends (fittingly), and cult movie icons of past and present.

Escape From Wonderland offered attendees much more than just another chance to dress up and party. State-of-the-art production, a mind-blowing line-up and revolting décor all contributed to one of the most unique and memorable Halloween experiences possible.

Upon entering through the ghastly gates of the festival, we scouted out the haunted stages, ending up at the Ghoul’s Graveyard stage, hosted by Steve Angello’s own Size Matters Records. Rising progressive house stars Third Party had just begun their set, mixing with a Dutch House style that included tracks such as Afrojack’s new anthem “Rock the House”, and even mixing in Zedd’s heavy-hitting remix of Skrillex’s “Breaking A Sweat”.  Continuing into a more progressive sound later in the set, they dropped some of their own productions, playing “Feel”, their famous remix of Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Otherside”, and finally put the crowd into a frenzy with their new collaboration with Steve Angello “Lights” .

After Third Party finished, we found a small window of opportunity between artists to wander the festival and check out the haunted houses. The first stop was The Looking Glass 3-D Maze, where chainsaw-toting zombies and unearthly demons were hidden among twisted neon 3D landscapes. The house’s ‘victims’ held back screams of terror as the most gruesome of wonderland’s inhabitants appeared almost out of the walls to horrify the unsuspecting. Five minutes of recovery time and we launched into the pleasantly short and quick-moving line of the next house, Alice’s House of Horror. In Alice’s House lurked insane doctors, a room of hanging clowns and pitch-black hallways that created an atmosphere all more nauseating than the previous house. After escaping the clutches of the monsters inside, we left the haunted houses thoroughly impressed with their quality and presentation.

We quickly stopped at the Chopping Block Dubstep Stage to have our eardrums pounded by Crizzly’s bass-heavy set, which featured a hype man and full-sized teddy bear bouncing around on stage. We then headed to the main stage, Slaughter House, to see the Australian twin female sensations Nervo. Miriam and Olivia came out in police uniforms, with enthusiasm double that of most DJ’s and mixed a set to remember. The sisters played many of their famous songs, including “The Way We See the World”, “You’re Gonna Love Again”, and their latest release “Reason”. Our personal favorite was Nervo’s hit “We’re All No One” sung over Hook N’ Sling’s club jam “Take You Higher”. The light show at the Slaughter House added to the already memorable set, complete with seven LED backboards that went through everything from a live fan/DJ cam to a realistic thrill ride, twin lasers, ghosts and spider webs floating from the top of the tent, smoke, strobe lights, flood lights, and confetti and streamer cannons.

Back at the Size Matters stage, progressive house legend Steve Angello stole the show with an epic hour and a half-long set full of EDM classics and freshly released hits. He opened with his #1 track “KNAS” and segued into Alesso’s track “Clash”. Frequently pausing the mix to talk to the crowd, Angello spoke about the upcoming Swedish House Mafia tour while playing the supergroup’s hits “One”, “Greyhound”, and “Leave The World Behind”. Every vocal hook of the set was sung along to and every drop evoked zeal from the crowd. Closing with the latest SHM single, “Don’t You Worry Child”, Angello left Escape From Wonderland fired up for the rest of the evening.

We hung around after Angello’s set to catch German mastermind Thomas Gold.  He surprised us by entering the stage with a full 8-piece drum line of evil clowns, who stayed on stage with him throughout the first two songs, performing live percussions along with his mixing of heavy progressive house beats. He played many of his signature tracks, including “Alive”, “Eyes Wide Open”, and “Walking Alone”.  From there we briefly stopped at Calvin Harris’ set, which was engaging, but quite crowded, and finally headed back to the Chopping Block Bass Stage to close out our night with the infamous dubstep heavyweight Borgore.

Borgore surprised no one with a particularly raunchy set, full of heavy, grimy bass lines, and images of scantily clad women and junk food (comical floating ice cream cones and cakes).  He pleased the crowd with Flux Pavilion’s well-known “I Can’t Stop”, and surprised us with a bit of Knife Party’s new track “Centipede”.  He also played many of his own famous songs, including “Ice Cream”, “Love”, and ended the night with his latest major release, “Decisions”.  During the final track, hundreds of girls flooded the stage and danced along with him, with security being unable to hold back the onslaught.  Borgore’s set was a powerful and unique experience, and a great way to end the night at Escape from Wonderland.

In conclusion, the Wonderland series of events is continuously impressive. Both Nocturnal and Escape From Wonderland have offered incredible experiences in a relatively small and safe festival setting. Insomniac continues to deliver musically and logistically, setting the standard for music festivals across the country. I highly recommend trying out one of the Insomniac festivals in the near future, either this New Year’s at White Wonderland or at any of the Electric Daisy Carnival events. Escape From Wonderland’s haunting melodies and brutal drops brought out Alice’s evil side, even if just for one frightening night.

 

 

5-5:30 Schoolboy

5:30-6:30 Third Party

6:30-7 Explore and Stuff

7-7:45 Crizzly

8-9 Nervo

9-9:30 Haunted House

9:30-10:45 Steven Angello

10:45-11:15 Armin van Buuren

11:15-12:15 Thomas Gold

12:15-12:40 Laidback Luke

12:40-1 Calvin Harris

1-2 Borgore

Filed Under: Concerts, Music Festivals, USD Radio Tagged With: , , , , ,
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