I did not know what to do after eighth blackbird’s performance, part of the Artist Series and New Music Series, in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel on Friday, Oct. 2. I mean, I had plans and everything, but I just did not know what to do with myself after two moving hours of new “classical” music.…
Deep listening experiment enlightens
Ice crackled, car horns blared, fireflies flew and jellyfish danced during a deep listening concert by ethnomusicologists Tomie Hahn and Sean Williams on Thursday, Sept. 17, in the Esch Hurvis studio. Organized loosely over the course of three days during classroom sessions, late night rehearsals and early morning experimentation, the six stories, called “memory-scapes” by…
Kronos Quartet presents thought-provoking repertoire
For a traditionally wordless ensemble, Kronos Quartet sure has a knack for making voices be heard. Going beyond their profound musicianship as string players, the quartet utilized spoken and recorded words to highlight the voices of many individuals and communities during their concert on Friday, May 15, in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. The quartet, made…
Babbitt, Wild Firth and Riverbug give concert at SLUG fire pit
Warmed not nearly enough by the fire and accompanied by a whispering paper mill, senior Alex Babbitt, Wild Firth and Riverbug performed short sets for a few dozen listeners at the SLUG fire pit on Thursday, April 30. Babbitt and Wild Firth mixed garden-appropriate acoustics with an electronic wash, and Riverbug appeared before an audience…
Album Review: Roomful of Teeth’s “Render”
On the cover of Roomful of Teeth’s sophomore album “Render,” a florid sketch glitches away into a black void. In the same way that this artwork, by DM Stith, mediates a traditional visual medium through a digital process, the vocal octet’s newest album, released April 28 by New Amsterdam Records, reimagines the human voice and…
“Bucky and the Squirrels” reimagines Lawrence campus
By Jon Hanrahan “Bucky and the Squirrels” premiered to Lawrence University students, faculty and staff, Appleton residents, and the film’s director, producers and actors last Friday, April 10. Audience members eager to view the film, shot primarily on the Lawrence campus and in Appleton, filled two theaters at the Marcus Appleton East Cinema. The film is…
Album Review: Mazzoli’s “Dark Age
On March 31, Amazon announced its newest innovation: Amazon Dash, a button allowing consumers to purchase basic household necessities — Tide detergent, Kraft mac and cheese, etc. — with just one press. Ian Crouch from The New Yorker responded to the unveiling by predicting “the real dystopia: not that our daily lives could be reduced…
Let’s Rush(-ssia) Delt, everyone
Hello, Trivia. What a great weekend. There were break-ins, rabbit deaths and voice cracks, but the 49th Great Midwest Trivia Contest undoubtedly succeeded. Big shout-out to this year’s winners, Porky’s Groove Machine. You guys inspire us. Now, let’s talk about that Action Question, that glorious, bombastic Communist Rally on Saturday night. You brought songs, posters,…
The new Washington syndrome
In case you did not know, some strange things have happened recently in Washington. The Republican Party’s stauncher members of Congress, led by House Speaker John Boehner, have refused to pass any budget that does not defund the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. Because neither side dared to compromise, no budget was passed…
Butts on campus
That enticed your eyes, did it not? Eyes do sometimes wander to the oddest of sights. Sometimes they fixate on the littlest, out-of-place things, whether we like it or not. For me, these include the variable collection of cigarette butts in front of Warch Campus Center. Although the size of this downtrodden community fluctuates, one…
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