Sunday, November 22, 2009
There's still some debate over the Ethel and Julius Rosenberg case, as well as the final, damning testimony of Ethel's brother, David Greenglass. Robert Meeropol, the Rosenberg's son, and his daughter Jenn, put their energies toward turning the family tragedy around; at the Rosenberg Fund For Children, they support the offspring of any social justice worker who has lost his or her livelihood due to their politics. The Meeropols will come to the Jewish Community Center of Rhode Island, 401 Elmgrove Avenue, Providence, to explain their ongoing work and to screen The Brother Who Sent His Sister To The Electric Chair, a French doc about the 1953 execution. David will also speak about and sign his memoir of the tragedy at 1:30 pm | 401.861.8800
Filed under:
FILM
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Enjoying the greenest buds, searching for his inner Captain (Morgan), flaunting his Mario Kart skills and making out with baby sitters - Asher Roth doesn't waste much time explaining himself on the giggle-inducing Asleep In the Bread Aisle (SRC), a CD that helped kick off the summer of '09 in a big way but scurried off into the shadows rather quickly. Maybe the vivid rhymes of the much-ballyhooed "I Love College" weren't enough to keep the ball rolling. Flaunting the party boy persona of digging Thirsty Thursdays, naked girls, and non-stop beer pong, Roth avoided academia and stressed the social scene. This twentysomething from the Philly burbs just loves to fight for his right to party. I bet he has a few fans that can flow along to the entire set when he gets to the University of Rhode Island's Edwards Auditorium, Upper College Road, Kingston, at 8 pm | $17 | ticketmaster.com
Filed under:
MUSIC
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Karan Casey made the right move with last year's Ships In the Forest. The Irish singer, whose star has been on the rise since leaving Solas several years ago, put her voice up front on a number of ballads. The result was stark, but rich - Casey's quiver is chock-full with sentiment, and her lilting emotions were made quite obvious with the program's minimal instrumental background. She is unitingn with an ensemble called Buille for a handful of US dates; her stop at the Blackstone River Theatre, 549 Broad Street, Cumberland, is her only New England date on this tour | 8 pm | $24 | 401.725.9272 | riverfolk.org
Filed under:
MUSIC
Monday, November 23, 2009
Pop music fiends know that Girl Talk, aka radical remix specialist Gregg Gillis, has not only brought pleasure to innumerable sets of headphones, but controversy to the sampling conversation. Deconstructing various tracks to build a new one is not only the Girl Talk signature, but a process scrutinized by filmmaker Brett Gaylor in his film RiP: a remix manifesto. The celebrated doc looks into the issue of copyright infringement, and wonders whether "the copyright law has become an outdated model that profits big entertainment businesses that own the art rather than to the artists themselves," according to the University of Rhode Island. RiP uses Gillis's provocative art as one of its talking points. "The film is both fun and provocative for anyone interested in music, cinema, contemporary culture, copyright law, and larger issues of who owns cultural history or intellectual property," says Jean Walton, a URI professor of English who teaches a course on movie manifestos. The director, who urges participants to remix the film itself (head to opensourcecinema.org for the specifics), will screen the doc and speak about his work at Swan Hall, 60 Upper College Road, Kingston, at 7 pm | Free | uri.edu/news
Filed under:
FILM
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
You might recall him as Cactus Jack or Dude Love. Some fans surely regard him as "The Hardcore Legend." Mick Foley is known to wear many hats. Several larger-than-life guys have that going for 'em; that's how their reputations grow so extensively. The famed ex-wrestler and best-selling author is a witty jamoke who designed stunt after stunt to make a mark in the sweaty world of TV rasslin'. Perhaps you recall his commercial for Chef Boyardee or his slot on the celeb run of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? He's an expounder who happens to be an ex-pounder, and when he and his sock puppet pal arrive at the Comedy Connection, 39 Warren Ave, East Providence, silliness will be in the air for sure. Shows are at 8 and 10:15 pm | $50 | 401.438.8383 | ricomedyconnection.com
Filed under:
THEATER
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A wealth of golden wishbones hanging together as if their cumulative power could fulfill one massive request. A blackboard filled with an artist's name, as if the answers to any problem could be found by merely declaring one's existence. Claudia Flynn readjusts common items to help them resonate anew. "Transforming their use and meaning into a broader context" is how the Community College of Rhode Island's Knight Campus Art Gallery puts it. Flynn's recent work hangs in an exhibit titled "Mythos + Pathos," which includes portraits made with nail polish and an array of mixed-media sculptures. "Making art comes from a primal need for creative expression in a modern world, the integration of self in a fractured society, and a need for a resurgence of storytelling," she says. The show runs through the 28th in Room 3500, 400 East Avenue, Warwick | ccri.edu
Filed under:
ART
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Like many other interested parties, I've been roaming through the new Beatles collections, trying to see where the differences between the original LPs and the latest remasters lie. There are many OMG moments - the clarity and presence of a John lead vocal or a George and Paul background harmony can generate a jaw drop or two. No question: there's a rich payoff when you take the Beatles ultra-seriously. Tribute shows like Rain have been doing this for years. Hit their Web site and you'll hear that from "Can't Buy Me Love" to "When I'm Sixty Four," their echoes are damned close to the real deal. All hopped up on Beatlemania part deux? Here's an intriguing way to dive in deeper. Spin Sgt. Pepper's on Turkey Day to get psyched for their performances at the Providence Performing Arts Center, 220 Weybosset Street, from November 27-29 | $60-$33 | 401.421.ARTS | ppacri.org
Filed under:
MUSIC
