Newspaper Page Text
WI DM SDAY, ( )CT< >bl K 10, 2007
PAGE 7
Dashboard Confessional release The Shade of Poison Trees
By Grant Wallace
Staff Writer
grannntS7@yahoo.com
______ ——
Photo courtesy Wikimedia.or^
Barely a year
since Dashboard
Confessional's last album
Dusk and Summer was
released, Chris and Cos.
have already recorded
and released the newest
installment in the lengthy
Dashboard disco. Five
albums in, Chris Carrabba
has returned to his roots,
going for his patented
acoustics-only approach.
The Shade of Poison Trees
should please everyone
from The Swiss Army
Experience creativity at
Mia Bella's Free Verse
By Fontez Brooks
Staff Writer
Falridg / @My. westga. edit
On Tuesday night
at 10 p.m. Mia Bella's
welcomed back the
Soul Star crew for
another installment
of the Free Verse
Experience.
Hosted by Estrelle
Young, a.k.a Just
E., the Free Verse
Experience is, just as
the name suggests, an
evening of free artistic
expression for the
students here at West
Georgia.
The event opens
the floor for students
Your Collegiate Readership Program
is back and better than ever!
University of
West Georgia
v Pick U P y° urC °P^
mm The New York lines,
#V rii'JsL and the ■
Times-Georgian
19 ’Z*3s£l! I at the following
r locations: -mm
jap
v Technology Learning Center,
“Z-6” Cafeteria and the
University Community Center.
1 Sponsored by the
%’ i VP of Academic Affairs,
your SGA and the
4* Black Student Alliance
News happens! Keep up!
Inspiring Thought
Sljc iNcUt JJork Simcs
Knowledge Network
Romance die-hard fan to
their more recent A Mark.
A Mission. A Brand. A
Scar era. For a lot
of fans, DC’s earlier
work will always
be their favorite,
and for me, MMBS
will be mine, but
Poison Trees shows
that even though
Dashboard’s best
years have come
and gone, there's a
reason why we can
call these albums
our favorite, and
this is why.
The man has been
at it since 1999, and
at 32 years old, he’s
still going strong.
DC's latest. Dusk and
Summer, was the band's
loudest record, utilizing
all of the members, not
just focusing on Chris.
Despite being their least
lik • record (generally
sp, wing), it sold a
respectable 440.000
records: that showed they
still had something in
to perform their
poetry, singing
abilities, instrumental
skill and a variety of
other talents. With a
crowd just as diverse
as its performances.
Free Verse is a haven
for talented people
searching for an
audience that will
listen.
The crowd did
listen as Marcus
Adkins performed
the song “I Will” to
a welcoming crowd,
and West Georgia's
own trumpeter Justin
Thomas debuted his
newest song “School
is in Session.”
them. The decision to
release anew album so
soon after this raised
a bit of hesitation in
me, but 1 was ready to
move on. Poison Trees
is all Chris but the
band backs him up on
half of the album’s 12
songs. Clocking in at
just half an hour, each
song barely scrapes
the three-minute mark;
musicianship at it's
best. This is the first
time in awhile that 1
can make it through an
entire album without
having gotten bored
halfway through. And
although 1 prefer the
acoustic-only songs,
the full-band tracks make
for great variation. The
only complaint would
be Chris's choice to try
to take back the word
gold digger in “Where
There's G01d..." Pardon
me for being naive, but
1 believe Kanye West
coined this phrase and 1
think that’s how it should
The night was.
according to the
members of Sou! Star,
the most successful
night of the year,
drawing a crowd that
pushed Mia Bella's to
standing room only.
The Free Verse
Experience, states
vice president Asahei
Barnes, is the perfect
middle-of-the -w eek
entertainment for
students. Running
every other Tuesday
at Mia Bella's in the
Square at 10 p.m.
sharp, The free Verse
Experience is always
looking for new
talented performers.
•USA
TODAY
Education
#
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wifi:, ‘SKT •* ~
stay. Ami despite my
plea for the “heavier”
tracks (drummer Mike
Marsh only opens his hi
hats maybe three times
throughout the record),
"The Kush” secures its
spot as my favorite. I
could see this being their
next single, but I might
be biased as it could have
UWG Theatre tames crowd with
entertaining production
By kevon Marshall
Staff Writer
The University of West
Georgia gathers its finest
actors u igetlter to ft >n n tlte cast
for William Shakespeare's
The Tuning of the Shrew.
Gist week, the West Georgia
Theatre Company presented
one of the 16th century's
most popular comedic plays.
1 Tie play was directed by
Amy Cuomo, who added
some clever twists to the
over-.ill plot that allowed it
to better appeal to a more
contemporary audience.
Though the underlying satire
found in Shakespeare's
work might not have Ivon
easily understood by today 's
viewers. West Georgia's
production was full of
comedic references that could
be grasped by everyone
The play was lfee for
students, and was well worth
seeing. The thought and
effort that was put into its
production was more than
evident in the craft w itli which
it was presented, flic actors
emanated a chemistry that
seemed the result of brilliant
directing. Cuomo obviously
took into consideration
the fact that Shakespeare's
humor could not be soundly
appreciated without a
proper exaggeration of the
characters as well as various
well-placed, and funny,
interjections. A middle finger
here, and a punch to the groin
there, along w itii a lew sexual
innuendos by Senora Baptista
(Jenny Lyle), subtly added to
the play's over-all comedic
value.
Phntn h\ Tprt*ni •/> Hmhm
Tl II WI ST .IAN A&l
very well passed off as a
b-side for MMBS. And it
should go without saying
but Chris can sing. The
man has pipes like an
organ. Crisp. clear,
and strong as ever. He
transcends effortlessly
from quiet singing to
his unmistakable yells
that can only be fully
The play follows the
pursuits of various men out
to win the heart of Senora
Baptism's younger daughter.
Before they can court her
however, they must find the
elder daughter a husband.
Because Bianca (Amanda
Smallwood) cannot he
courted before her elder sister
Katherine (Tangela Large),
the men after her affection
must deceiv e every one if they
hope to have a chance at her.
Hortencio (Alex Turbyfield)
and Gremto (Daniel Barnes)
convince an old friend,
I’eUnchio (Matthew Liner),
to ask for Katherine's hand
in mamage so that they can
attempt to woo Bianca with* >ut
inteiierence from her mother.
Petmchio agrees, despite the
assurance by those around him
that she has one of the most
unpleasant temperaments
in Padua. Meanwhile a
new comer to Padua, Lucentio
(Casey Sheahan) eyes Bianca
and falls in love with her as
well. He then hatches a plan
to disguise himself as a tutor
that could enter Baptista’s
house aid pursue Bianca in
secret. He trades clothes and
status with his servant Tranio
(Andrew Chance) aid sets
into motion an intricate plai
to w in Bianca’s love.
The plot follows into a
series of schemes aid deceits
that serv e as the basis for the
plays witty representation of
the trials of love. The manner
in w hich tire characters handle
themselves is purposely
inflated to emphasize the
comedic aspect that it
is famous for. This is all
performed skillfully by the
Photo ( ourtrw My span' < om
appreciated in a live
sett ing.
Two tracks are
streaming now over at
the band's myspace,
and I would strongly
suggest a good listen
or two. Or three,
ww w. myspace.com/
dashboardconfessional
actors w itliout cheapening the
general theme of the play . The
supporting character’s not
only add to a certain comic
relief at times, but also serve
as essential assets t( > the flow
of the story line. It was hard
not to laugh at the antics of
Grumio (Chris Ringkamp).
and Biondello (Hope
Mullinax). The eiatx .rate webs
spun by the characters, such as
the acquisition of numerous
identities, challenged the
actors to conform to different
personalities. The trading
of identities between Tranio
and Lucentio allowed for
a hilarious interaction with
Lucentio’s father, Vmcentio
(Matt Williams), involving
nearly the entire cast.
It was impressive to
wiuiess how highly structured
the set was. and how smoothly
scenes transitioned from one
to the other. The production
staff is to be commended for
the effort put forth to make
The Taming of the Shrew such
a success. As for the acting
itself, a better venture could
not have been taken on by
the cast, each actor performed
effortlessly and w ith charming
talent. Tangela Large left a
stirring impression as she
issued Katherine’s mi .noli >gue
toward the end of the play, but
all the perfonnances were
equally memorable.
The Tuning of the Shrew
alluded to the misconceptions
many people have about what
it means to be married, and
even more so, what it means
to love. Its direction under
Amy Cuomo along with its
vibrant cast led to its inevitable
success.