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Syndicate Monthly Archives Entertainment and Enlightenment
Karen Newton
February 05, 2008 10:09 AM
So much going on in rva lately...where to start? Saturday night: The Italian Film Fest at the Firehouse Theater. The sold-out 8:00 showing of “Divorce Italian Style” with Marcello Mastroianni. Dry wit, sly wit, wry wit and an actor who totally owns the camera. Endless food from Mama Zu’s, Edo’s Squid and 8 1/2 and a look at the swinging ‘60s through the Italian looking glass. Perfection. Sunday afternoon: For non-sports lovers like me, Chop Suey hosted “Super Poetry Sunday” with hard hitting poet Julie Carr vs. the wild card from Nebraska, Anthony Hawley; both of whom teach and publish. The nearly capacity crowd was treated to everything a reading should be: poets reading their own words, with their distinctive cadences, on 21st century topics. Kudos to Ward Teft of Chop Suey for keeping Richmond in the loop. Monday night:Ghostprint Gallery on Broad Street presented an evening of experimental music (note: best new trend: art galleries putting on music shows on non-First Friday evenings). Charity Chan, Robert Bryant and Anduin showed the audience what experimental music in rva is: harmonics, long, pregnant silent pauses, electronica and accordion feedback. Different, challenging, interesting. Bravo! Three random days/nights in Richmond. The only reason to be bored here is if you choose to be.... Mmmm…Cake!
Brigitte Petrine
February 04, 2008 11:35 AM
Oh, there was cake!
Karen Newton
February 04, 2008 9:39 AM
MashUp made the scene at WRIR’s birthday party Friday night and, yes, there were many, many cakes. Some people in the MashUp crew were even seen licking frosting off of said cakes (no names, please). We talked to lots of interesting people while waiting in line for libations and, with only one exception, everyone was pretty cool. A shout out to Mr. Jamiraquoi Hat guy for best head dressing of the evening and to the two young ladies who were dancing on either side of the stage during the Dead Goats performance. Go-go girls rock! No BS Brass Band were definitely happening and since trombonist Reggie has already been mashed up (as part of Fight the Big Bull’s in-studio interview here), we were feeling pretty pleased with ourselves. Some of the best beards in Richmond were at this party...too bad for you if you weren’t. Happy birthday and many more, WRIR!
Will there be cake?
Andrew Cothern
February 01, 2008 5:37 PM
And we’ll be celebrating by taking WRIR on a bar crawl followed by lots rowdy music. We’re gonna party so hard the cops may have to be called by our ignorant neighbors who obviously don’t know anything about parties. Jerks. The entire MashUp crew will be there to enjoy all the festivities. If you see us, come up and say hi. If you hate us, Corey said you can punch him in the face. Seriously, he did. Dodgeballs flying at my face…and yes Corey…I have done that
Brigitte Petrine
February 01, 2008 4:18 PM
First of all...a response to Corey’s posted video “its friday randomness” Yes...I have done that. But, in my defense only with Converse! Why are they so freakishly white when you first get them? It is blinding! Secondly, the madness JC refers to can only be explained by what Andrew and I and about 1400 other Richmonders recently signed up for through River City Sports & Social Club. Good old fashioned dodgeball. And while I understand Andrew & Cameron’s point of view that dodgeball gives us flash backs to middle school gym class, I can’t help but enjoy it. We’ve played kickball and wiffleball through RCSSC and dodgeball is the current offering. Yet, unlike like kickball and wiffleball, dodgeball is a game of non-stop intensity. Did I mention I love intense competitive sports? Yes, I have to admit, I do. Well, except for the first couple of seconds after getting hit in the face with a ball. Of course the best part of the evening is getting together at the sponsor bars. (This is the attack JC was referring to…) It is the only time you can go out wearing t-shirts and work out clothes and be the majority of the bar scene.
Although again I must confess, you can usually find our team in the back at the “Big Buck Hunter” game. You know…getting more intense competition in before we call it a night.
its friday randomness.
Corey Amado
February 01, 2008 4:06 PM
You’ve known people who’ve done this. Don’t lie.
Attack of the Social Sports Club
J.C. Polk
February 01, 2008 1:26 PM
Ok, so picture this - Master of Weejun in disguise at a foreign local watering hole. One that is on a main strip, or should I say Main St. in a town named Richmond. From the outside you would find a non-suspecting transplanted west-end bar with an abandoned seasonal patio embellished by out of season Christmas Lights on the railing. Inside offers a much more less excitement. The Bastard, being a fan of the 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champions, aka UNC, chose this watering hole with the anticipation of feeling right at Home. Granted, the plasmas, the libations, food, and abbreviated restroom definetly gave the feel of being at Home, the time that it remained in this state was brief. 3:15 after the tip, a hoard of creatures began to file in doning like shirts (orange in color) with call letters that I made out to be R-C-S-S-C. After great observation and notetaking (and a couple Legend Ales) I was able to conclude this was a varied species. In all shapes and sizes their behavior was very similar. Petite as 5’3”, 115lbs to as grand as 6’3” 275lbs they weren’t strangers to this place. From the door they move rapidly to the bar located in the rear and converge upon the barkeep reciting a religious ritual that begins with PBR and concludes with “Leave it Open”. Shortly after, they began activities resembling a true native born bar fly. As they repeat the ritual, the volume of their conversations increase. Laughter becomes more prevalent. The perspiration that was wet upon their entrance, now has dried to a nasty white stain on their colorful (red, blue, black, yellow) shirts. This does not affect their physical interaction. The scent that they emit, they are immune to. It doesn’t prevent the male species from embracing the female. To watch this group is entertaining and captivating. They scurry about back and forth to the restroom and then to the bar. As the trips increase and become more frequent, they become more friendly, or maybe brave. It is only after a series of these rituals did I find them to accept me into their own subclasses. After interacting with them and investigating, i find that they all are members of a cult 1400 people strong that participates in weekly contest for supremacy masked in DodgeBall. Which immediately explained the several young ladies who had permanent facial imprints of a pelted ball. Although my initial feeling was apprehension as they attacked my surrogate Home, I was able to grow less fearful of the breed. Ironicially, they made me feel right at Home and apart of the Team. It took some ’Grill‘-ing from my company to come to this level of comfort. Although I felt all alone in a room full of people, I must say that this Attack surely sends me back to my native habitat. The Land of Popkin. Heels won in a blowout! M.O.W.B.O.B. NOTE: all facts, statistics, and information can be verified by Andrew Cothern! Wristcutters: A Love Story
Karen Newton
January 29, 2008 1:01 PM
I’ll be the first to admit that I prefer offbeat, independent movies, though they don’t always make it to Richmond often enough (yet). That’s how I justified a trip to Williamsburg last night to see Wristcutters: a Love Story. Yes, everyone in the movie had committed suicide and now lives in a purgatory-like place where everyone who’s offed themself resides. This is a place where no one smiles, it’s hot and desolate and life (well, death) is a lot like their real life, only worse. You’ll see what I mean. The movie begins with a young man named Zia zealously cleaning his room, slitting his wrists and dying on the bathroom floor...but not before noticing a hairball on the floor that he somehow missed while cleaning. The tone of the movie is set. What follows is a road trip movie. Huh? Once Zia finds out that his former girlfriend has also offed herself, he sets off to find her, accompanied by Eugene, a two-bit Russian rocker who killed himself by pouring a Dead Guy beer into his guitar onstage to get the uninterested crowd’s attention. And did I mention that Eugene’s mom, dad and brother also committed suicide, so they all reside together in this odd place? Along the way, Zia and Eugene pick up a hitchhiker, Mikal, who insists that she’s been sent there by mistake. The three take off on a road trip to find Zia’s old girlfriend and the People in Charge, hoping they will return Zia to life. Along the way, they meet plenty of other suicide victims and the audience is treated to flashbacks to explain how they offed themselves. Eventually they meet Keller, played by Tom Waits (which says it all), a man who has a camp full of disgruntled suicides and the ability to perform minor miracles. Great stuff. That’s enough of the story to whet your appetite, but be assured that the movie is full of surprises. Clearly people who take their own lives are odd ducks, so the story is full of strange people and happenings. Just sit back and let the weirdness wash over you. And be glad that people besides Hollywood make movies.
MashUp - The State of the Union
J.C. Polk
January 29, 2008 11:09 AM
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Master of the Weejun. (applause/ovation) I say to you today my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, a union exist. We stand at a momentous time in history. A demand and a request of a couple has manifest into a vision and passion of a unique sextet. Playing their instruments of choice they have injected their yeast into a culture that has allowed a mighty rise to occur. (applause/ovation) MashUp exists out of the pure desire to bring to the people, Richmond through the eyes that are often hidden due to oversized ‘blockers’. Eyes that see more than just the obvious, convenient sight in plain view. Those eyes that envision more than just a dive bar with value-priced PBR’s, but a sanctuary from the trials and tribulations of a weekend and week beginning. Optical lenses that aren’t scratched and skewed by the jaded point of view of traditional journalism but polished by the gift of an appreciation for the ‘other’. (applause/ovation) It is imperative that at this juncture we freeze frame. For if we don’t we stand to miss the good ole days. As with any successful innovation, alterations and knock-offs soon follow. MashUp with its artistic liberty, has been able capture rare elements in a barren land that will contribute to the chemical catalyst for a RVA renaissance. It is our responsibility to ensure that this discovery of precious treasures is not exploited. We must stand vilgilent in the face of monetization and stolid to the truth of what we do. (applause/ovation) In the pieces that we deliver each Tuesday and Friday we have felt the Velocity of the comical value of life, Toad’s Place hosting of the art Wu-Tang shows that it Can Be So Simple, Baby. Socially, the oasis at the Camel has given to Richmonders a refuge. Capital Ale is not only a House of Brews but provides a place for the Blues. We all Dream of a Richmond, whether transplanted or local, where it is Manchester ‘and’ the Fan not ‘either or’. We must assure that the Infusion of ice bars and D-lux brunches at Godfrey’s don’t mask the gorilla warfare of the institution to mainstream us all in the name of commercialism. (applause/ovation) Yes, We Know Plato, but we must also continue to Fight the Big Bull, not with Cool Cheap Eats but with true Focus and Cirrus Sessions that will Cary us to a Town of Galleries, Artwalks, Enlightenment, and at the end laughter. A retrospective look at our blunders, bloopers if you will, that help us to take stock of whether we need Mo Books, Mo Bikes, or just mo Tattoos. As our constituencies grow, mature and experience more, the onus is on us not be informative, entertaining, and revealing only. But to be all things Richmond! All things Richmond that thinks of the slip as an addition to. All things Richmond where RIR with a W is for the rest of us. All things Richmond where the Fan is more than just, ‘where those kids are’ or where the marathon passes. All things Richmond where Broad Street is not just free wine on 1st Friday but one day the 1st stop on every Friday for more than just wine. All things Richmond where Art works in Manchester and Scotts has a new ‘addition’ every month. (applause/ovation) In closing, or just beginning depending on you view. MashUp is just that. Must stay that in order to be ‘like that’. Will you join us? “All aboard” on a ride that has an unexpected journey each week but one definite destination...your one stop for all things Richmond! May the Rocker of the Kasbah bless you and may the Rocker of the Kasbah bless MashUp! (applause/ovation) (After these messages Please stand-by for the response of the ‘top blogger’)
Why bloggers blog part 2
Andrew Cothern
January 29, 2008 9:55 AM
More on blogging from Fan District Hub
Why does your site have a blog?
Ross Catrow (West of the Blvd. News and RVANews) built the Hub, based on my notions and sketched design for the site. If you look at the other community blogs, you’ll see mine is somewhat different, as I go for original content more than some. Clearly, though, Murden and Catrow are the guys behind this trend.
What do you hope to accomplish for the community with your blog?
People in the Fan have been reading/suffering my take on politics and popular culture for a long time, so I like to think there is still a following for such. So, for me, it’s to stay involved in alternative media, as it evolves; that’s what I’ve always done, going back over 35 years (oops, I sound like Hillary Clinton). Next, it’s to stay busy with writing and editing. And, naturally, it’s to get filthy rich off the Internet.
How long did it take to for your blog to get populated?
What affects the topics you blog about?
Eventually, I suspect the term “community blog” will morph into a better way of saying what Church Hill People’s News, West of the Blvd. News, the Hub, etc., are doing. The definition of the word “blog” has been rather stretched thin by all the variations. |
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