Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
The Heartbeat of Entertainment: Endless Artlessness: Marion Arts Festival
Citation preview
in good taste8 a legend
speaks18silver screen10 pulse
hit list15 wu-tang clan16
MAY 2013
� PULSE
TWINS?!
Whoa! You need a bigger car.Minivan Under $15,000
Growing Family? Growing Business? Going to the coast? Going green?
Minivan New Truck Convertible Hybrid
Your search engine for all engines™
Find it fast at CarSoup.com. What are you searching for? Just type it in.
“ ”
Experience the fastest, easiest way to shop for cars from top local dealers and private sellers. With more than 1.5 million vehicles, CarSoup.com is sure to have your dream car (or minivan).
Find your next car the easy way at CarSoup.com.
®
Print Online iPad Mobile
PULSE �
TWINS?!
Whoa! You need a bigger car.Minivan Under $15,000
Growing Family? Growing Business? Going to the coast? Going green?
Minivan New Truck Convertible Hybrid
Your search engine for all engines™
Find it fast at CarSoup.com. What are you searching for? Just type it in.
“ ”
Experience the fastest, easiest way to shop for cars from top local dealers and private sellers. With more than 1.5 million vehicles, CarSoup.com is sure to have your dream car (or minivan).
Find your next car the easy way at CarSoup.com.
®
Print Online iPad Mobile
Issue No. 104
in this ISSUE
contents
10
dubuque waterloo cedar falls cedar rapids iowa city 0513May 2013
126
9An award-winning product of Courier Communications, P.O. Box 540, 100 E. Fourth St., Waterloo, IA 50703.
shout [email protected]
LIKefacebook.com/PulseMag
tweet @CVPulse
GooGLe BoXCVPulse.Com
THAT'S WHAT'S UP
Here at Pulse, we like to rub elbows with the rich and famous.
We like to, but it doesn’t mean we always get to.
Don’t get us wrong, we’ve talked to some big names — Joan River, T-Pain and Larry the Cable Guy, to name a few. Sometimes, though, it’s difficult to nail down even the briefest of phone interviews with a celebrity. (Are you listening, Daniel Tosh?)
But we hit the big time in this issue. Pulse writer Pat Kinney scored an interview with Mary Chapin Carpenter. That’s right. THE Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Carpenter is coming to Waterloo’s RiverLoop Amphitheatre in May, along with Shawn Colvin of Sunny Came Home fame, and she gave our writer an earful on live performances; her latest album, Ashes and Roses; and her lifelong friendship with Colvin.
She’s a deep thinker with plenty to say. Settle in on page 18 for some downright cozy conversation with a music legend.
MAGAZINE
smrt Phone
Wanna know more about this awesome magazine? Get in touch.
Editor
PANORAMIC VIEWAt this year’s DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival, artist Tim Olson will shoot the world’s longest panoramic portrait at the three-day event.
6
50 SHADES OF NAUGHTYSPANK!, a musical parody of Fifty Shades of Grey, heats things up at Dubuque’s Diamond Jo Casino. You’ll have to provide your own cold shower.
22COME WIND AND HIGH WATERIn 2008, the Cedar Valley saw unparalleled devastation. A Grout Museum exhibit chronicles the aftermath of that year’s flooding and tornado damage.
9
MONkEYING AROUNDEveryone’s favorite tie-sport-ing gorilla, Donkey Kong, features in two new games this month. Plus reviews of the new BioShock, Age of Wushu and HarmoKnight.
12 THE BOYS NEXT DOORIt’s always good to meet your neighbors. Waterloo band Dylan Sires and Neighbors are counting the days to their summer album release.
25
MEDIEVAl MADNESSPulse reviewer and dragon slayer Jared Molstead finds a lot to love in the third sea-son of HBO’s smash series Game of Thrones.
20
David Hemenway Chris Koop
weB GuRu
Angie Dark
CReAtIVe CRew
Alan Simmer319.291.1487
AssoCIAte eDItoR
Sheila Kerns319.291.1448
ADVeRtIsING
PEEPSMeta Hemenway-Forbes
eDItoR
� PULSE MAR
ION
ARTS
FEST
IVAL
It’s about the artExperience collaborative, creative merrymak-
ing at its finest at the 21st annual Marion Arts Fes-tival. Consistently named among the top tier of juried art events nationwide, the Marion Arts Fes-tival presents 50 artists offering fine art and crafts to an audience of 16,000.
Founded in 1992, the annual festival offers art
of exceptional quality, dishing up a singular and highly anticipated event. The 2012 MAF was named one of the top 25 festivals in the country, the No. 1 show featuring 100 artists or fewer and the best one-day event in the nation by Art Fair SourceBook, “The Definitive Guide to the Best Ju-ried Arts and Craft Fairs in the United States.”
Marion Arts Festival Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. City Square Park, Marion marionartsfestival.com
Sarah Kargol, mixed media
Aletha Jones, painting
ON THE COVER
PULSE �
ON
E DAY • FIFTY ARTISTS • EXCEPTION
AL ART
Zach LeBeau, fiber
John Chehak, painting
Jodi Perry, painting Marjolyn van der Hart, mixed media
Tom Bloyd, glass
Debra Ehmann, digital
� PULSE
OK. This is going to be cool. At the DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival, artist Tim Olson will shoot the world’s longest panoramic portrait of a three-day outdoor arts festival. If you’re there, you can be a part of it.
Olson will use a 1935 vintage studio camera to create a hundred-foot-long portrait of DubuqueFest. During the festival, Olson will roll his camera along a path that winds through Washington Park and, at intervals of approximately 10 minutes in time and 10 feet in distance, he will stop and make a single exposure. The 250+ photos will be stitched together to create a detailed panoramic portrait of the festival.
It’s part of DubuqueFest’s juried fine art fair, which features the work of 70 artists. The weekend also includes free children’s hands-on art activities, interactive art for all ages, a community art project, an annual book release and reading by the Dubuque Area Writers Guild and an evening reception honoring fair artists.
DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival May 17-19 Washington Park, Dubuque dubuquefest.org
Picture Perfect
Jessica McCarty-Kelly PhotograPhy anD Design
Jim and Juile VermeerhoUseWares, sCULPtUre
Edward ObermuellerPainting & DraWing
Daron KreugerPhotograPhy & Design
Matt RossPhotograPhy & Design
Dan & Frances HedlomsCULPtUre
Heidi PettittFiBer
DubuqueFest fine arts festival
PULSE �
Winners will be selected the day following the deadline to enter and contacted by e-mail and phone. No purchase necessary to play.
Must be 18 years or older to participate.
TICKET GIVEAWAY
REGISTER TO WIN AT: WWW.CVPULSE.COM
DEADLINE TO ENTER: THURSDAY, MAY 16
THURSDAY, MAY 23 @ 8 PMRiverLoop Amphitheatre, Waterloo
WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS!
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER & SHAWN COLVIN
3291 N Avenue (2 miles east of Tama on Highway 30)For more information call 641.484.8048
www.johnernestv ineyard.com
ENTERTAINMENT
HOURS:Tues.-Sun.10am-6pm
www.facebook.com/JohnErnestVineyard
Sun. 5/12 Ben Hagen Trio 3-6 p.m.
Sun. 5/19 Red Line 3-6 p.m.
Sun. 5/26 Loose Neutral 7-10 p.m.(Labor Day weekend)
All entertainment is FREE.No BEER allowed on the premises.
Buy a bottle of wine and enjoy the music.
*Dates and events subject to change without notice.
For a complete gallery of featured works and event entertainment schedule, visit dubuquefest.org/art-fair.
James JohnsonPottery
Rick FiliperFiBer/JeWeLry
Michael AndersonsCULPtUre
Paul CorbinsCULPtUre
Eileen McDanielsCULPtUre
Abagail ButcherPainting
fine arts festival
Courtesy photos
� PULSE
Rudy’s Tacos, along with Lava Lounge and The Beer Hall, offers the Cedar Valley good food and drink, all under the same roof. With so much to offer, these establishments don’t just represent an enjoyable time, but a genuine destination.
“We want everyone to have a great overall experience when they walk through the door,” says Barry Eastman, the owner and operator of the tasty trio. “We have everything covered.”
Eastman started with Rudy’s 25 years ago. He has watched as Rudy’s, along with Lava Lounge and The Beer Hall later on, became fixtures in the community, beloved by locals and visitors alike. The names have all become synonymous with life’s pleasures— dinners with family, conversations with close friends, satisfying meals and refreshing drinks.
Customers come from far and wide to enjoy Rudy’s famed Mexican soul food. The staples are all there: flavorful tacos, tasty enchiladas, hearty burritos and nacho platters, glorious helpings of cheese, beef and fresh vegetables atop a mountain of crispy chips. Customers can kick back with a cold drink, a bowl of chips and Rudy’s own house salsa, or have a taco salad served in an edible bowl.
Eastman says the secret to Rudy’s quality is hard work and dedication from his staff, many of whom have been there for nearly as long as the restaurant has been open.
“We make our food from scratch every morning, use fresh local ingredients, and the end result is something you can taste,” he says.
Rudy’s features a menu that also caters to vegetarians, offering a myriad of classic meatless items including black bean quesadilla, made with Mexican herbs that date back to the Aztecs. That item, like all others at Rudy’s, pairs great with a beer, such as an Ambush IPA, a strong, sweet, semi-tart beer with a spicy, bitter aftertaste.
The restaurant’s décor is dazzlingly vibrant, featuring hundreds of marionettes suspended from the ceiling that lend the dining room a marvelously fun, quirky feel. Just
glance around and you know you’re somewhere special. Whether you yearn for heat or just want to give your meal
a little kick, Rudy’s offers the best sauces in the area. At each table is a diverse array of sauces, including Rudy’s own brand of five distinct condiments that lend a cornucopia of flavors to any dish. And if you love the sauces, visit Volcanic Panic, Rudy’s own hot sauce shop, to take some home.
Rudy’s proudly uses local ingredients — produce from local farms, meat from the Gilbertville locker and ice cream from Hansen’s Dairy in Hudson.
In addition, Guerilla Brewing Co. is located in building, supplying the restaurant and bars with delectable new beers literally brewed mere feet away. Every Thursday at 5 p.m. a brand new keg of Guerilla beer is tapped, one that begs to be experienced, as it isn’t available anywhere else.
Whether following a great meal at Rudy’s or just relaxing with friends, Lava Lounge and The Beer Hall are the area’s premier spots for spirits. You can order a fine cocktail in the comforts of Lava Lounge’s delightfully offbeat furnishings or get acquainted with a new beer from The Beer Hall’s mind-bogglingly diverse selection. Beers ranging from award-winning imports to classic domestics are available, as is a great selection of whiskeys and other liquors for those seeking a drink with a bit of bite. The well-informed staff can point patrons toward a drink sure to tingle their palate. Each bar contains a free jukebox loaded with music ranging from soothing jazz to classic rock hits, ensuring that, as with the food and drinks, the taste of any customer can be accommodated.
For all the success of his businesses, Eastman says what’s most rewarding is being part of the community for 25 years and building relationships with loyal customers.
“Being here for 25 years I’ve watched kids grow up, get married, have kids and then a new generation of customers comes in,” he said. “Parents will tell me that the kids picked Rudy’s, out of all places they could go. That’s really cool.”
2401 Falls Avenue Waterloo, IA 50701
HOURS Monday - Saturday: 11AM-9PM
JAMES FRAZIER | for pulse NOTHING SAYS LOCAL LIKE RUDY’S
the dishbRAndon pollock
PULSE �
CeDAr fAlls WATerloo
PRICING GUIDE (per entrée) | $10 $20 $30 $40+
Ginger Thai Cuisine | Authentic Thai Food111 W. 2nd Street, Cedar Falls 319-266-2150Hours: Monday - Saturday 11 am - 3 pm, 5 - 9 pm; Sunday 10 am - 4 pm facebook.com/ginger-thai-cuisineAuthentic thai cuisine offering lunch and din-ner options. Appetizers, entrees, desserts and express menu for a quick lunch. A variety of flavors from coconut, fresh lemongrass, ginger, tofu and vegetables. Take-out and delivery available.
Bourbon Street | American, Cajun and Creole119 Main St., Cedar Falls319-266-5285Hours: Monday - Saturday 4 - 10 pmwww.barmuda.com
Bourbon Street is a step off of Main Street into the French Quarter featuring Certified Black Angus steaks and delicious seafood compli-mented by an extensive wine list.
Guerilla Brewing/Lava Lounge | Microbrewery and Bar2401 Falls Ave., Waterloo319-234-5686Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 am - 9 pm
A double brown ale and an imperial American pale ale were the first two to debut; other variet-ies will follow depending on the season. None of the brews will be less than 7% alcohol.
Southtown Bar & Restaurant | American2026 Bopp St., Waterloo319-236-9112Hours: 7 am - 10:30 pm, bar open laterwww.southtownwaterloo.com
Located next to Witham Ford behind Golf Headquarters. Stop in for the great broasted chicken or fresh-made pork tenderloin.
Ferrari’s Ristorante | American and Italian1521 Technology Pkwy., Cedar Falls 319-277-1385Hours: Monday - Friday 11 am - 10 pm, Saturday 4 - 10 pmwww.barmuda.com
Ferrari's features only the finest steaks, freshest seafood and authentic Italian fare. Offering light, quick lunch options along with an exten-sive dinner menu and wine list.
Rudy’s Tacos | Mexican2401 Falls Ave., Waterloo319-234-5686Hours: Monday - Saturday 11 am - 9 pmwww.rudystacos.com
Rudy’s uses local ingredients through the Northern Iowa Food and Farm Partnership’s Buy Fresh/Buy Local program.
Beck’s Sports Brewery | American, Microbrewery3295 University Ave., Waterloo 319-234-4333Hours: Open daily at 11 am www.barmuda.com
One of the area’s only microbreweries! Voted best burger, locally owned restaurant and sports bar in the Cedar Valley. Featuring steaks, pastas, seafood, sandwiches and our famous chicken tortilla soup.
Soho Sushi Bar & DeliThe Stuffed Olive | Deli, Sushi, Tapas, Martinis119 Main St., Cedar Falls 319-266-9995Hours: Monday - Saturday at 11 amwww.barmuda.com
Fresh made sushi and deli sandwiches, salads and paninis combined with globally inspired tapas dishes and over 100 different martinis. Homemade cookies made from scratch daily!
Beck’s Sports Grill | American, Sports Bar2210 College St., Cedar Falls 319-277-2646Hours: Open daily at 11 amwww.barmuda.com
Featuring Beck's homemade microbrews, voted best burger, locally owned restaurant, sports bar and place to play pool in the Cedar Valley. The Lone Wolf |
Bar, Restaurant7777 Isle of Capri Blvd., Waterloo 319-833-2241Hours: Open daily 11 am - 2 am Kitchen open all hours www.waterloo.isleofcapricasinos.com
Whether you feel like getting food to go or plan to stay a while, The Lone Wolf is sure to please. We have mouth-watering food and thirst-quenching drinks with an atmosphere unlike any other.
Otis and Henry’s® Bar and Grill | Bar and Grill7777 Isle of Capri Blvd., Waterloo 319-833-2241Hours: Sunday - Thursday 5 - 10 pmFriday - Saturday 5 pm - 11 pm www.waterloo.isleofcapricasinos.com
Combines the comfort of a neighborhood bar and grill with the favorites of a steakhouse. Choose from the delicious pastas, sandwiches, salads, steaks, fish and more.
in good
At 4:46 p.m. on May 25, 2008, the Na-tional Weather Service in Des Moines issued a tornado warning for Northern Grundy County in Central Iowa. Within a half-hour, Parkersburg, New Hartford and the surrounding areas were hit with a category 5 tornado, which devastated the communities.
Two weeks later a pattern of heavy
rains during an already wet spring caused the Cedar River and connecting waterways to overflow to record crests. The Cedar Valley was in for another weather-related catastrophe that would be of historic proportions.
Through October, the Grout Museum and the Bluedorn Science Imaginarium in Waterloo will feature a two-part ex-
hibit, Come Wind and High Water. At the Grout Museum visitors will learn the story of the disasters of 2008. Using pho-tographs, artifacts and video, the events of the historic stormy spring will unfold. Stories focusing on the resilience of Io-wans, their character and the ability to bounce back when disaster hits will be evident.
Centered in the KWWL Weather Room, at the Bluedorn Science Imagina-rium, the exhibit will focus on the science behind the disaster. It will include hands-on displays and videos that explain the science behind the catastrophes.
GroutMuseumDistrict.org
Come Wind and high Water
Courier file photos
10 PULSE
may.moviES.in.may.moviES.in.may.moviES.
The GreaT GaTsby Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire
A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor. Let’s see how Leo pulls off this classic.
The IcemanStarring James Franco, Chris Evans, Winona Ryder, Michael Shannon
The Iceman is the true story of Richard Kuklinski, a husband, father, sociopath and killer. When he was finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife nor daughters had any clue about his real profession. Didn’t his mama ever tell him that secrets don’t make friends?
5.10PeePles Starring Kerry Washington, Craig Robinson, David Alan Grier, S. Epatha Merkerson
Director Tina Gordon Chism gets some mentoring from the family-drama-loving Tyler Perry. And so we have a story in which sparks fly when Wade Walker crashes the Peeples annual reunion in the Hamptons to ask for Grace’s hand in marriage.
sTar Trek InTo DarknessStarring Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto
Directed by THE J..J. Abrams, this film is the most anticipated sequel of the year. After the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.
5.31
Meta HeMenway-Forbes | Pulse editor
Iron man 3 Starring Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle
We’re a little stoked for this one. Tony Stark is one cool dude, and he’s even cooler saving the world as Iron Man. In this installment, when Stark’s world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he embarks on an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.
5.17
PULSE 11
may.moviES.in.may.moviES.in.may.moviES.
Lionsgate, summit, Paramount, Warner Bros., Disney, 20th Century Fox, universaL images
5.24
5.31
FasT & FurIous 6 Starring Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez
No film franchise deserves six installments. Yeah, we said it. Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis, we’re talking to you. And now you, too, Dwayne Johnson. In the sixth (sixth!) film of the Fast & Furious borefest, agent Hobbs enlists the aid of Dom and team to help bring a rival gang, led by Owen Shaw, to justice. In exchange for clear records, they must put an end to their schemes, no matter how personal the cost.
The hanGover ParT IIIStarring Bradley Cooper, Melissa McCarthy, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms
There’s been only two years between the last Hangover grossout and this one. This time, there’s no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.
ePIc Starring Amanda Seyfried, Beyoncé Knowles, Josh Hutcherson, Colin Farrell
This animated offering is gonna be epic. In it, a teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group of characters to save their world and ours.
The PurGe Starring Lena Headey, Ethan Hawke, Max Burkholder, Tony Oller
If on one night every year, you could commit any crime without facing consequences, what would you do? Over the course of a single night, a family will be tested to see how far they will go to protect themselves when the vicious outside world breaks into their home. You can find us in theaters on opening day for this one.
now you see meStarring Morgan Freeman, Jesse Eisenberg, Michael Caine, Woody Harrelson
FBI agents track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money. We last saw Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg teamed up in Zombieland, which we loved. We think this one’s going to be a treat with big box office returns.
12 PULSE
FuseSwitch between a fighter, a stealth master, a sniper and a healer at will during combat as you fight to retrieve the titular alien energy source of colossal power. Use the Fuse to upgrade weapons as well.
PS3, X360; May 28.
GRID 2TrueFeel Handling makes it seem like you’re really behind the wheel! Except for the fact that you’re really sitting on the living room couch in your underwear. Don’t lie.
PS3, X360; May 28.
Resident Evil: RevelationsThe original 3DS version of this is routinely lauded as one of the system’s best games. Now it’s in HD with extra enemies and difficulty modes.
PS3, Wii U, X360; May 21.
Leisure Suit Larry: ReloadedLarry is lonely. Real lonely, if you get my drift. Experience his original innuendo-filled adventure as the series relaunches with hand-drawn art and voice acting.
Android, iOS, Mac, PC; May.
LEGO Legends of ChimaExplore the world of LEGO Chima in Laval’s Journey. Laval must figure out the secret behind the triple-Chi armor before it’s too late.
3DS; June 1.
ALAN SIMMER | PULSE WritEr
May 9
FoR: 3DS
If you missed out on Donkey Kong Country Returns when it hit the Wii, here’s your second chance.
Featuring a handful of extra levels (and hopefully some much-needed
control changes), this handheld version adds 3-D graphics and new difficulty options for people who found the original to be a little too frustrating. Still lots of bananas, though.
May 24
FoR: 3DS
Remember Pipe Dream, that old Windows game? Whet your DK appetite a few weeks early with this downloadable title in the Mario and Donkey Kong series that puts a Nintendo spin on the tile-arranging madness.
May 14
FoR: PC, PS3, X360
The sequel to Metro 2033 has arrived. Artyom must brave the
ravages of post-apocalyptic Moscow to fight against other
sects in a bloody civil war. That’s if he can get past the poisoned
surface air and, of course, the mutants. Stay on your toes or it’ll be do svidaniya, comrade.
PULSE 13
W hen it comes to crowning the best achievement in gaming from the last 10
years, few games get named dropped as often as BioShock.
So how does famed developer Ken Levine top the art-deco inspired en-
vironments of his underwater dystopia from that game? By building a floating uto-pia among the clouds, of
course. Welcome to Columbia,
a city built upon neoclas-sical design and reeking of American exceptionalism.
Welcome to the best game in recent memory, BioShock Infinite.
Players jump into the shoes of Booker DeWitt, a private eye and for-mer Pinkerton agent whose gambling debts have finally caught up to him.
DeWitt’s benefactors have provided him enough coin to make his way to Columbia, where he must retrieve the mysterious Elizabeth in order to re-coup his losses. Upon arrival, the play-er is greeted by one of the most wholly original and breathtaking gaming en-vironments ever conceived.
Everything seems at ease in Co-lumbia. Looming skyscrapers are sus-
pended in the air, fireworks ignite over the skyline and citizens are celebrating the annual arrival of the raffle lottery. That is when the first of many moral conundrums is presented to the play-er: strike an innocent woman with a baseball or throw it at her tormentors instead?
Bubbling under the surface of Co-lumbia is a landscape dominated by capitalism and religious zealotry. It is all overseen by Comstock, a violent maniac with a serious God complex. The racial intolerance and ultra-na-tionalism that engulfs the denizens of Columbia makes for much more de-spicable foes than those of BioShock.
And you will be fighting a whole lot of foes. As the “false prophet” who has infiltrated Columbia’s ranks, you will be hunted by Comstock at every turn. The combat is tight and frenetic.
That is, until you find Elizabeth. It is from that point onward that Infinite’s sky-high ambition comes full circle. Elizabeth single-handedly elevates the role of A.I. companion to new heights and brings gaming boldly into the next generation.
Elizabeth, the combined product of four female developers determined to finally present a feminine character correctly, brings characters closer to the story and the action. Elizabeth can open tears in the game world, pulling in objects from both the past and fu-ture.
Infinite’s dynamic, often philosophi-cal storyline traces some weighty themes, including racism, bigotry, religion and the advent of science. As Levine promised, it is quite unlike anything ever presented in the video game format.
Infinite’s closing moments are a rev-elation. Do yourself a favor and avoid spoilers. Rarely has a product of any artistic medium dreamed this big or soared to these literal heights.
JAREd MoLStEAd | PULSE WritEr
BioShock Infinite an instant classic
PROS: One of the best characters in gaming history; deep storyline.
CONS: Graphics engine doesn’t always stand up to the amazing artwork.
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games have plateaued. For years, gamers have been
playing variants of the same formula, with fantasy and sci-fi titles dominating the digital landscape.
Enter Snail Games’ Age of Wushu, an MMO set in China’s Ming Dynasty that switches out swords and sorcery for fists of fury and sorcery (though swords are there, too).
Players can only choose one race, human, and one of four backgrounds. Most inventively, there are no character classes restricting what can and can’t be learned. Instead, characters earn cultivation points that allow them to improve the combat powers they choose, a welcome change from the standard set skill tree.
Careful decision-making when character building is key and a great part of the game’s appeal. Different skills have distinctly different effects, with abilities both common and rare. Unlike most MMOs, the game doesn’t allow players to create a myriad of characters, so you must think carefully before making important choices.
Characters move through a world filled with enemies, quests and other players, battling away while progressing through their own storyline. Travel proceeds with a helpful pathfinding system that takes you where you need to be with a simple click.
The combat is one of the game’s selling points, using a rock-paper-scissors system when players engage the enemy. Players in the heat of battle can choose between Overt attacks, defusing Parry moves and defense-shattering Feints. The system makes combat, especially against other players, a nerve-wracking game of wits
that requires excellent timing.
Also important to the fighting is the game’s Rage system, which allows the player to unleash a deadly combo attack.
Players can also join one of eight schools that allow for painless acquisition of certain skills. Joining a school isn’t required but could aid players of a certain style, particularly by offering unique missions.
Outside of combat, characters can learn trades such as fishing or painting and then build a customized shop from which to peddle one’s products.
Age of Wushu, still rather new, suffers from many of the kinks common to newer MMOs. The interface is often cluttered, and clipping problems pop up frequently. But those problems can be smoothed out.
In the meantime, for players looking for something with new ideas and a spark of originality, Age of Wushu is a prayer answered.
JAMES FRAzIER | PULSE WritEr
Wushu MMo a breath of fresh air
For: 3DS | Price: $14.99
Imagine a cute little world where everything is designed around music, and you’ve got the setting of HarmoKnight,
a neat rhythm action game from Pokemon creators Game Freak.
It stars rabbit helper Tappy and eighth-note-haired hero Tempo, who wields a magical staff against the forces of discord. Tempo runs on his own, so gameplay is a matter of pressing A to strike and B to jump to the beat.
Levels come in two types. The more common have the actions follow the rhythm of a jaunty song. The others are fighting levels that use a call-and-response setup.
The sprints are the more fun of the two and are more forgiving when it comes time to get a rating at the end. Fight levels must be done perfectly for a gold rating, while the others require collecting a certain number of music notes.
Those are gathered as Tempo runs and jumps, and he gets a note from bashing enemies — and, quite cleverly, flowers in the shape of various percussion instruments that also add a little something extra to the song.
If you’ve got good rhythm, most levels can be cleared on the first go, though some are trickier. (Curse you, tempo-changing clock tower!) Getting a gold rating may take a few more tries. And each level has a much faster variation, unlocked after beating the original, that can really up the challenge.
There are a few bonus songs from the Pokemon series, though that’s a rather minor selling point in my book. The original tunes are plenty chipper, coming in genres like rock, metal, jazz and hip-shaking calypso.
The cute art style matches the upbeat songs well, and the button-pressing feels satisfying and well-timed.
Hopefully Game Freak ventures outside the world of Pokemon a little more often.
ALAN SIMMER | PULSE WritEr
HarmoKnight finds a groove
For: PC, PS3, X360 | Price: $59.99 Rated: Mature
Snail, THQ/Deep Silver, ninTenDo, irraTional, SHuTTerSTock imageS
For: PC | Price: Free to play | Rated: Mature
PROS: Innovative combat system; interesting setting; deep crafting.
CONS: Learning curve is higher than it needs to be; clipping issues.
The TerrorThe Flaming lips
Jared MolsTead | pulse WriTer definitelydownload
thebottomline: a-
It’s easy to see The Terror, a tensed-up, teeth-grinding, inner-looking record, as a counterpoint to the arena-sized psychedelic explorations of the Flaming Lips’ last proper record, Embryonic. The better contrast, though, may come in remembering the cut-loose, often fascinating collaborations that comprised the Heady Fwends collection. This record, The Terror is — as has been often touted in the run up to its release — a more personal set about isolation and disconnection, even loneliness. These are more individual worries than what we saw in Embryonic, and far more serious material than we saw in Heady Fwends.
— Matthew Fiander, McClatchy News Service
After almost three years, Charli XCX has finally graced us with the much promised and much anticipated major label debut. The Brit Goth-pop princess who brought us the explosively infectious and wonderful Nuclear Seasons has donned enough material to warrant an entire full-length album as opposed to the many singular EP-like releases she’s been teasing us with over the past two years. She’s the fun pop you don’t have to be embarrassed about listening to, and she’s definitely worth focusing your attention. True Romance is certainly the true beginning of an illustrious career.
— Enio Chiola, McClatchy News Service
With its attention-grabbing cover art and incendiary lead single, Mosquito seemed well poised to be the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ big compromise: a fluid mix of their pop-song instincts and their undeniable rock chops that haven’t been seen since the days of Fever to Tell. The result, however, isn’t anything like that. In fact, Mosquito is without question the single worst album the band has ever released. Mosquito’s flaws are numerous, but the root of the band’s problem is actually quite simple: amidst the Yeahs’ excessive exploration of color and texture — no doubt wanting this album to have just as unique and distinctive an aural palette as all their previous full-lengths have — they neglected to tie any of these discoveries into any cohesive forms.
— Evan Sawdey, McClatchy News Service
Save Rock and Roll (ahem) is cap-doffingly full on, rambunctiously loud and subtlety is clearly a dish not on today’s menu. At its best, Save Rock and Roll is more than a Pop Tart; it’s a musical anti-aging pill. A smart, let’s-get-ready-to-rumble, “In your face ’n’ bouncing on your bed” ballroom blitz of top-notch “pop rocky.” With the emphasis, ironically, more on pop than rock, it’s not as dynamic with contrast as the more accomplished Folie à Deux, yet it’s a charming, convincing and much welcome comeback. Consider Fall Out Boy rebooted.
— Matt James, McClatchy News Service
True roManceCharli XCX
MosquiToYeah Yeah Yeahs
save rock and rollFall OuT BOY
It certainly isn’t the place to begin your Hendrix fix, but diehard and casual fans would be foolish to pass up newly minted material this much fun.
People, Hell & Angelsby Jimi HendrixGenre: Blues rock, psychedelic
Sounds like: Cream, Led Zeppelin
N ever put it past the morally gray mu-sic industry to go to
questionable lengths to make a buck. Even if that dollar comes from the back pockets of de-ceased music legends long past their expiration date in the cul-tural zeitgeist.
Reissues, remixes, anniversa-ry editions, most of these are ex-ercises in petty exploitation and no doubt arouse continually diminished returns. Except the latest from gone-too-soon Jimi Hendrix, the greatest axeman to ever wield a six string.
The stream of finger-lickin’ blues rock goodness that has continually surged from the vaults of Hendrix over the past few years has been nothing short of inspired. Not only has it peeled
back and chis-eled away at the shroud of mysticism that has engulfed the man since his un-timely passing, it has raised a key question: Where was Hendrix heading?
People, Hell & Angels is the fi-nal framing lens on the Hen-drix legend. How would Jimi’s genius have progressed had he been given more time? Angels provides plenty of cryptic an-swers for those willing to in-vest the time. It sounds out its beacon with plenty of finger-flinging riffage from the master, steeled with a progressive blues backbone.
The tracks on board Angels are all unreleased recordings from
the ’68 and ’69 Electric Lady-land era and were originally
meant to comprise a follow-up to that watershed record. The mixing, vocals and instrumenta-tion all sound great, and seldom does the disc reek of a corporate cash-in.
Listen to the vortices con-jured up by Jimi’s Stratocaster on album standout Hear My Train A Comin’ to get the message. He is — and was — a guitarist without equal. Further proof marches into town with the rip-roaring Izabella, as Jimi spits hot fire and ignites every inch of the fretboard with a dive-bombing solo.
Jimi’s expansive, colossal riffs
are driven home by a pounding rhythm section comprised of bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles, who helped round out Hendrix’s own Band of Gyp-sys side project.
That these tracks survived long enough to meet fans’ ears is a testament to producer Ed-die Kramer’s tireless work in introducing a whole new era of fans to the forefather of the six string.
It plays a bit with the classic blues-meets-psychedelic for-mula, but Angels is pure Hen-drix. It may be the last piece of unreleased material we hear from the master, but what a way to send him out.
4 Hear My Train A Comin’4 Easy Blues
4 Izabella4 Inside Out
pulse 15
ENTERTAINMENT PROUDLYWELCOMESCedar Valley’s Concert Company
BDEntertainmentGroup.com
EASTON CORBIN
MAY 23MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER
& SHAWN COLVIN
JUNE 14
RiverLoop AmphitheatreDowntownWaterloo
www.metrotix.com1.800.293.5949
Someone you’d like to see in concert?WeWILL try to make it happen, tell us who at...
Don’t worry, we’ve done the work for you. Look for our playlist on our Facebook page, facebook.com/PulseMag, or hit up CVPulse.com.
CATCH US ON SPOTIFY
Gunwalk by Lil WayneThis tough-talkin’ track hits the sweet spot on the bat of Weezy’s new homerun album, I Am Not a Human Being II. Now, if he could just lay off the purple drank ...
— Meta H., editor
Happiness by Big Giant Circles feat. DisasterpeaceI am READY for summer, man. And this song makes me want to run around in circles on my lawn, basking in the golden rays of the sun.
— Alan S., associate editor
She’s So Mean by Matchbox 20It’s Rob Thomas. ’Nuff said.
— Melody P., writer
Come Dancing by The KinksThis song has been in my head recently, though I’ve not heard it in years. It reminds me of being a care-free 12-year-old in 1982.
— David H., designer
I Should Watch TV by David Byrne and St. VincentThis week’s tracks are devoted to two headliners at this year’s 80/35 festival. The first features Talking Heads’ founder David Byrne and female vocalist St. Vincent getting funky with a brass band.
— Chris E., online
Land of Confusion by GenesisI love the video for this song. It has a scary Nancy Reagan puppet floating in a water-logged bed and a nuclear explosion. What more do you need?
— David H., designer
Waterfall by Dwight YoakamFrom his Three Pears album, this cut is sly, humorous and down-right sweet.
— Melody P., writer
Hannah by Freelance WhalesFor those soon-to-be days when all I do is lie around on the couch with the warm breeze wafting in the windows.
— Alan S., associate editor
On and On by Stephen BishopThis ’70s track about island life and a cheating girlfriend is easy on the ears and puts a tear in my pina colada.
— Meta H., editor
OUR PICKS YOUR CLICKS
PULSEHIT LIST
Da Mystery of Chessboxin by Wu-Tang ClanCan I add the entire 36 Chambers album? No? OK, I’ll pick one of my favorite tracks off this album, which still bangs as hard as it did when it dropped 20 years ago.
— Chris E., online
16 PULSE
Wu-Tang ClanDavid Byrne & St. VincentDeerhunterYeasayerUmphrey’s McGeeWavvesTea Leaf GreenKitty PrydeRoster McCabeJon Wayne & the PainHouse of Large SizesDustin Smith & The Sunday SilosTiresTrouble LightsThe River MonksAnnaliberaMumford’sMr. Baber’s NeighborsEuforquestra
College Hill Arts Festival
NEW DATESJune 14-15, 2013������ � ���� � ���
�������� � ���� � �������� ������ ���� � ���� ���� ��� �������
find us on
����������������
The sixth annual 80/35 will take place Friday and Saturday, July 5 and 6, at Western Gateway Park in downtown Des Moines. The indie and jam music festival will feature more than 40 acts on three stages in paid and free areas.
As summer festivals grow in popularity, fans are learning that smaller music festivals like 80/35 are the hidden gems. With more grass space and closer access to the stages, fans benefit from a more intimate experience.
Plus, smaller crowds equals shorter lines, cleaner bathrooms and better views. All good things. 80-35.com
PULSE 17
Presenting Sponsor Major Sponsors
SHUTTERSTOCK, COURTESY IMAGES
18 PULSE
To write and make music about the subjects and personal challenges she has faced — love and loss, life
and loneliness, passion, purpose and per-severance — requires an inner reserve of courage and strength as deep and as well-forged as her creative abilities. “I’m as tough as nails,” Mary Chapin Carpenter said. She has to be.
Longtime devoted fans would agree that, over the years, her character and tal-ents have been “burnished and seared” and turned to gold, as she puts it in Old Love, a selection from her latest album, Ashes and Roses.
But a conversation with Carpenter is far from a serious, somber task. Quite the con-trary. In an telephone interview from her Virginia home, she was gracious, charm-ing, engaging and light-hearted as she talked about her life, her album, her tour with Shawn Colvin and their upcoming performance May 23 at Waterloo’s River-
Loop Amphitheatre. Expect the unexpected, Carpenter said,
because she and Colvin have as much fun in concert as if they were trading tunes and teasing each other around a living room coffee table.
“She and I have been friends for almost 30 years. We have intersected in each oth-er’s lives for a long time,” Carpenter said of Colvin. “We’ve done a lot of different things together. We’ve toured the world together. We’ve opened each other’s shows, we’ve been in each others’ videos, we’ve played on each other’s records. But it occurred to us almost two years ago that we had never formally done a two-person tour.
“And when we get together, we like to sit around and play,” Carpenter said. ‘“I mean, I’ve never met a song I didn’t want to harmonize to. I’m a total harmony slut. I love singing with Shawn. And she has the knack for finding songs from other people
that I realized that I grew up listening to and I love. So we sit around our living rooms and that’s what we do, hanging out together.”
Carpenter enjoys and appreciates the fun times. She’s emerging from a rough period in her life: a life-threatening pul-monary embolism, from which she has re-covered; the end of her marriage; and the death of her beloved father, Life magazine executive Chapin Carpenter. It’s provided a lot of the grist for Ashes and Roses.
“It was just life I was writing about,” she said.
And it has resulted in affirmation from her audience. “The thing that sort of came about — I certainly didn’t consider in the beginning, but in reflection — it has just felt like this gift. If I could show you all the letters and communiques and postings, things that people have written that basi-cally said, ‘This journey, these experiences, are familiar to me too.’ It’s that connection,
whether in a live audience setting, or social media or whatever, people have conveyed this sense of recognition and connection to these experiences I write about. That’s been this incredible gift after the fact. I’m just grateful for that kind of understand-ing and recognition that I think has taken place. Because it’s helped that isolation for me,” through the rough days she still en-dures.
In conveying those feelings, Carpenter sings straight to her audience on an almost conversational level. “I think of myself as somewhat, you know, kind of a meat-and-potatoes kind of writer,” she said. “I’m not relying on enigma or atmosphere or met-aphors.”
For example, a song on Ashes and Roses called What to Keep and What to Throw Away, is “a moment-to-moment count of a day I had when I had to clear out all the belong-ings of my former spouse. It’s very literal. I didn’t know how else to do it.”
PAT KINNEY | PULSE WritEr
“See your life as a gift from the great unknown. And your task is to receive it.” — The Long Way Home, Mary Chapin Carpenter
WWW.THEREVERB.NET
WHISKEY AND WOE
3555 University AveWaterloo287-5747
WED, MAY 08TH POP EVIL TBA $15 ADVANCE
SAT, MAY 18TH TRAPT
8:00 PM $15
FRI, MAY 24TH CORNSTOCK WITH THE NEW BLACK 7, SCOTT
LUCAS AND THE MARRIED MEN, WHISKEY AND
WOE, MINITALLICA
TBA
SAT, MAY 25TH CORNSTOCK WITH THE GOODYEAR PIMPS (FULL
ORIGINAL LINEUP), BOBAFLEX, OTHERWISE,
8 FOUNDEAD, MY GOD, THE HEAT, HAZER, THE
PORCELAIN GODS
TBA
SUN, MAY 26TH CORNSTOCK
WITH THE DREAMING (STABBING WESTWARD),
ILLEGAL SMILE, THE MELISMATICS , MY LIFE FOR
CHANGE, SUITE LITTLE SISTER, LYIN’ HEART
TBA
PULSE 19
While Ashes and Roses obviously is the result of more re-cent experiences in her life, its compositions reflect stan-dards Carpenter has always tried live up to in her career. “As far as wanting to be that direct, sort of forthright about writing — that’s to me what I always wanted to be,” she said. “I’d like to think that each album goes by, you get bet-ter and better at what you do, hopefully. I would at least like to feel that I’ve grown as a writer. That’s what I hope. It’s really not for me to say, but that’s what my ambition is.”
Carpenter devotes much attention to sequencing the songs on her albums to create “a journey for the listener,” she said. “I try not to take into account that people cherry-pick songs off of iTunes or whatever,” she said. “I will al-ways be old school in believing in the value of an album — a collection of songs that have a relationship to each other.”
Such is the case with Ashes and Roses. “There’s a before and an after, ” the personal crises, she said. “And the after is not all darkness.”
She still enjoys her older songs from the early ’90s. Her 1992 quadruple-platinum album Come On, Come On, pro-duced several popular country singles like I Feel Lucky. But
she’s never been one for formulaic writing. “You write the song you write,” she said. “You don’t
sort of say, ‘I haven’t written an irreverent, sassy song in a while; I better do that,” she said. “I write what I write. It’s not like those songs are going anywhere. I still play them. I still love them and I love inhabiting them. I have a great time and they mean everything to me. But we all grow older and we all become who we become.
“It’s like someone who wears clothes that belong on a 20-year-old and they’re 50, and you know they don’t look age appropriate. Maybe we could say I’m trying to be age appropriate in my songwriting,” she said, laughing. “Some people really take it hard, like ‘You’ve lost your sense of humor.’ Nooooo,” she said. “If anything, I’ve gained one.”
Mary Chapin Carpenter with Shawn Colvin Thursday, May 23 @ 8 PM RiverLoop Amphitheatre, Waterloo Tickets: Waterloo Center for the Arts, Metrotix.com, 800.293.5949 VIP package opportunities available on the artists’ websites
“See your life as a gift from the great unknown. And your task is to receive it.” — The Long Way Home, Mary Chapin Carpenter
Read Pulse’s interview with Shawn Colvin at CVPulse.com.
20 PULSE
Upcoming shows at
The HuB
* = ADVANCE TIXAVAILABLE
27APRIL 8PM: VIC FERRARI BAND
(TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE)
28APRIL 7PM: EUFORQUESTRA
W/ ARIES RISING
29APRIL 8PM: DEAD NIGHT
30APRIL 6PM: FREE KEG & KARAOKE
2MAY 9PM: JUSTIN ADAMS
3MAY 6PM: HARPER & MIDWEST KIND
9:30 PM: SUBFIX
10MAY 6PM: BOB DORR AND THE BLUE BAND
9:30PM: THE END: BEATLES TRIBUTEFEATURING MEMBERS OF THE ENVYCORPS
BOB DORR AND THE BLUE BAND
G ame of Thrones, now launching into its third sea-son on HBO, may very well be the grandest and most ambitious production in the his-
tory of television.And while bigger doesn’t always equal better, it most
certainly does in this case. The immense budget and colossal scale established by series creators David Be-nioff and D.B. Weiss help provide the only tools befit-ting of an adaptation of the suitably epic tomes in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series.
N a m e l y : awe- insp ir-ing set-pieces,
Emmy Award-winning visual effects and costume de-sign, and the largest, most diverse and most inspired ensemble cast on television. And while many would admit blind fanboyism with their adoration of this critically acclaimed series, it would be doing a great dis-service to the trailblazing masterwork HBO appears to be weaving here.
Thrones, which gets its moniker from the title of Mar-tin’s first novel, dials in on the fictional land of Westeros and
chronicles the dynastic
Jared Molstead | PULSE WritEr
PULSE 21
NO ONE DELIVERSQUALITY NEWSQUITE LIKE US.
OF ADULTS READ OR USED THE COURIER OR WCFCOURIER.COM OVER THE PAST WEEK!85%*
Every day The Courier’s print products reach over 77,000 readers. Add to that an online audience that accounts for over 3 million page views per month and our audience is larger than any time in our 150-year history.
Contact your Courier multi-media marketing specialist or call 319-291-1497 for details about reaching a large and engaged audience.
UP-TO-THE-MINUTE INFORMATION WHEN YOU WANT IT. WHERE YOU WANT IT.
REACHING THE CEDAR VALLEY WITH PRINT ONLINE, TABLET AND SMART PHONE.
TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 319-291-1444
*Thoroughbred Research, 2011
www.WCFCourier.com
Game of Thrones8 p.m. Sundays, HBO
Title: “Game of Thrones”
Network: HBO Rating: 5/5
power struggle for its Seven Kingdoms, all of which are vying for the ultimate idol of power: the Iron Throne.
And while the first few episodes in the newest season’s pecking order have suf-fered the fate of establishing exposition and character motives, they have done a crackerjack job at foreshadowing the blood-soaked and unforgettable mo-ments soon to come.
And yes, that does include dragons. Those dazzling, wonderfully animated dragons. Across the Narrow Sea, we get our first glimpse at the sun-bleached hair of Daenerys Targaryen, played by the stunning Emilia Clarke, who seeks to recruit an army with the aid of her three aforementioned dragons, the likes of which haven’t been seen in years.
In Westeros, Robb Stark finds himself on the losing end of a bloody civil rebel-lion that began with the wrongful ex-ecution of his father, Ned Stark, by the
petulant and cruel King Joffrey Lan-
nister, one of the most despicable char-acters in any artistic medium, ever.
Speaking of Lannisters, Peter Din-klage is still revelatory as the silver-tongued dwarf Tyrion Lannister. With a cool wink in his eye, Dinklage is infi-nitely likeable.
Jaime Lannister, whose character arc appears to be completing a 180-degree turn, still finds himself a prisoner of Robb Stark’s civil war. The rest of those Lannisters? You can’t help but root for the opportunity to see them meet a graphic demise.
Which helps explain why Martin’s series carries such dramatic weight and narrative genius: Anyone, absolutely anyone, can be killed at a moment’s notice.
Bold and endlessly complex, HBO has crafted yet another gem to garnish its unrivaled crown. Winter is most def-initely coming, and we can’t wait to see what it brings.
Emilia ClarkE as DaEnErys
riCharD maDDEn, lEft, as robb
HBO, SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGES
SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody, the hilarious musical that brings all the naughty fun of the best-selling book to life, sidles up to the Diamond Jo Casino in May.
Your inner goddess (or god, for the man with his own 50 Shades guilty pleasure) will LOL at this clever re-imagining of characters.
Get there early (doors open one hour prior to show time) for pre-show drinks including a specialty SPANK! cocktail. Then, stay after the show for a photo with the seductive star himself and meet and greet the entire cast.
SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody Saturday, May 11 @ 4 and 7 PM Sunday, May 12 @ 2 PM Diamond Jo Casino, Dubuque $29.75/$39.75 | diamondjo.com
22 PULSE
MAY 11
COURTESY PHOTO
PULSE 23
205 East 18th St. • Cedar Falls • 319-277-367111am–2am • 7 days a week
www.mulligansbrickoven.com
CATCHALLYOURFAVORITEMLBACTIONATMULLIGAN’S
MLBEXTRAINNINGS
2013Enjoy theseBeerSpecialsAllSeasonLong
• St. Louis Cardinals - $3 Schlafly APA
• Minnesota Twins - $3 Summit EPA
• Chicago Cubs - $3 Goose Island 312
Milwaukee Brewers - $2 Miller Lite
*during televised games
This festival has it all. Six stages of professional entertainment, a jousting arena, an artisan merchants bazaar, living history encamp-ments, games of skill, demonstrations and exhibits, a food court, beer garden, wine shop, hands-on activities and 200 costumed village characters.
Iowa Renaissance Festival & Gathering o’/Celts May 25-27 Middle Amana Park, Amana $10 adults, $6 kids, tots free Two-day pass, $16; three-day pass, $20 iowarenfest.com
MAY 25-27
SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO
24 PULSE
Teaming up in the steaming city of Saigon, Vietnam, the multi-national members of Brett Newski & the Corruption have recently been making inroads into the South East Asian indie scene. The band has been featured on MTV Asia, Hard Rock Cafe Live and high profile South East Asian festivals after tours in the USA and South Africa in 2012.
With a penchant for catchy tunes, sharp turns
of phrase and stripped-down arrangements, BNATC are on an extensive tour of the United States in support of their new full-length record, Tiny Victories.
Brett Newski & The CorruptionSaturday, June 1 @ 9 PM The Mill, Iowa City
Be corrupted
I t’s a rainy April night in downtown Waterloo, and the spring gusts are shaken by occasional thunder. Inside 220 East, however, the mood is something else entirely.
There’s a party going on.Dylan Sires and Neighbors are playing their second show in seven
days. They are surrounded in this small art space by a couple dozen friends and family members. People are spilling into the adjoining art gallery and onto the sidewalk outside. Someone in the audience is cel-ebrating a birthday, and the band pauses mid-set to send him birthday greetings. Soon, the entire audience is shouting “Happy Birthday!” and applauding.
Sires is in his element, and launches into a power-pop riff on his Rick-enbaker guitar. The rest of the trio — Ross Klemz on drums and Graham Howland on bass — jumps in as though there’d been no pause. The three are obviously friends, are obviously enjoying themselves and obviously have the audience in their hands. In seconds, several people are dancing.
The band holds down a classic ’60s sound that surprises with frequent surges and pauses, breaking down to quiet moments and escalating to a Neil Young noise in certain acmes. It’s hummable music, easy to sing along to — but never boring. The band itself is lively and animated, ever-engaged in an intensity and passion that rivals any professional act.
It’s a big year for Neighbors. Tonight’s show is one of many the band is playing in preparation for their album release in June — just one of three albums they’ll release by next year. The first is No One, which drops this summer, followed by Some One in the fall. A live-recorded album will follow.
Neighbors have been together in several incarnations since the 20-somethings were sixth-graders. The group’s moniker was a no-brainer — the friends were literally neighbors when they began to play as a trio. The three school buddies have been in several bands together and play
Good neighbors
PULSE 25
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | MOVIES | LIVE MUSIC | VIDEO
AROUND TOWN & AROUND THE CLOCK.
cvpulse.com
aaron mcnally | PULSE writEr
regularly with a host of other friends.The band’s goal is to tour in support of the records and to eventually grow a ca-
reer as touring musicians.“We don’t work that hard on those songs to just be weekend warriors and go play
’em down the street from our house,” says Sires.But Waterloo is their home base and where they’ll continue to hang their hats.“That’s the one thing about the Internet that’s good — you don’t have to go to
the coasts to follow your dreams,” Sires said. Klemz seconds that sentiment.“I’ve been here my whole life, so it’s what I know,” he said. “Whenever you leave
Waterloo, you always want to get back home.”Waterloo inspires the Neighbors with its diversity and deep live music scene.“You might cross a thousand towns before you get a scene as good as the one
we’ve got here,” Sires said. “It’s a competition thing. Bands want to be the best band. We compete with our brother band, Twins. We try to write the best songs with the catchiest words.”
As the guys spend every spare moment mixing and mastering their first release, they also continue to play shows around town to keep up the spirit and earn much-needed cash to fund the project. The record is being produced by Al Eacret at Jeal-ous Dog studios in Cedar Falls.
Because they’re playing and recording so much, the group doesn’t have much time for formal rehearsals. They use live performances to hone their sound.
“That’s just kind of the goal with life — continuing to progress and continuing to reinvent yourself and try to be better and better all the time,” said Klemz.
Play datesMay 4, College Hill Musical Festival, Cedar Falls May 30 @ 2 PM, My Waterloo Days June 1, 220 East, Waterloo
26 PULSE
Where You Can Find Me | ShEri JoSEPhThree years after his disappearance from his hometown of Atlanta at age 11, Caleb Vincent
is found attending school and living with a doctor who claims to have rescued the boy from a pedophile ring. Sheri Joseph takes a darker than dark scenario and transforms it into a searching, layered investigation of the aftermath of abduction and childhood sexual trauma. Now 14, Caleb is reunited with his family. For the rest of the book, Joseph proceeds to quietly dismantle the idea of normal. How can a broken child like Caleb return to his traditional role as brother and son? Joseph stresses the inadequacy of words to describe grief and trauma and resists easy interpretation of what Caleb has been through. The strength of her novel lies in this generosity and grace, a willingness to turn their strange prism of experience a hundred ways until, unexpectedly, it reveals a glimmer of hope.
— Gina Webb, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
theword
PULSEPiCK
JulY 1914: CountdoWn to War | SEan McMEEkin A Sarajevo chauffeur took a wrong turn, and Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip had his
chance to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. In the resulting inferno of World War I, 9 million others died. The conventional wisdom of the last 100 years holds that Germany’s desire for empire and cultural hegemony turned Princip’s deed into an excuse for war. Barbara Tuchman’s famed history, The Guns of August, makes the most of this case. Sean McMeekin, an assistant history professor at Turkey’s Koç University, argues that ambitions in Russia and France were at least as responsible and traces the foibles of Europe’s major powers in a month that launched a disaster for them all. McMeekin praises Tuchman’s 1962 epic for inspiring him to write July 1914. What he’s delivered is a strong challenge to it.
— Jim Landers, The Dallas Morning News
liFe aFter liFe | katE atkinSon In Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life, Ursula Todd is born in the British countryside in 1910
— and dies almost immediately, umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. No matter. She’s born again — and again and again and again. Each time, snow falls. Each time, she adjusts to avoid death for a little while, or maybe life adjusts itself around this second (or third or fourth or fifth) chance. Two things are implicit in such a setup: a warning (some repetition lies ahead) and a promise (don’t worry, I know what I’m doing, and you won’t be bored). The gifted Atkinson, best known for the excellent suspense series that began with Case Histories, is clever and talented enough to build on this shifting foundation, and she tells the story of Ursula’s odd existence with enough twists and revelations to keep the reader guessing.
— Connie Ogle, The Miami Herald
the interestings | MEg WoLitzEr When we first meet the Interestings on the night of their ironic self-naming, the six teens
gathered in a teepee at a summer camp for artistic types are impressed and amused by themselves, confident and full of promise. “Just by being here in this teepee at the designated hour, they all seduced one another with greatness, or with the assumption of eventual greatness,” Meg Wolitzer’s all-knowing narrator tells us. “Greatness-in-waiting.” Wolitzer spends the rest of her masterful, sweeping new novel filling in the details of lives drawn together and separated over the decades. The end result is a story that feels real and true and more than fulfills the promise of the title. It is interesting, yes, but also moving, compelling, fascinating and rewarding.
— Hannah Sampson, The Miami Herald
rage against the dYing | BEcky MaStErMan Our youth-oriented society also applies to mystery fiction in which, with a few exceptions,
the average age of most detectives barely reaches 40. Becky Masterman’s Rage Against the Dying would be an astounding debut based on the solid plot, the intriguing characters and the pulse-racing, pervasive sense of danger that permeate the story. But Masterman further elevates her first novel by making her heroine Brigid Quinn, a 59-year-old retired FBI agent who put her work above her personal life. Then she became the scapegoat of office politics and bad press after she shot a serial killer who, for that one moment, happened to be unarmed. Rage Against the Dying works well as an intense police procedural, a testament in favor of older workers and a tale about learning the true meaning of unconditional love.
— Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel
PULSE 27
365TWENTY-FOUR
SEVEN
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTART GALLERIES, EVENTSMUSEUMS AND EXHIBITS
MOVIESNEWS & REVIEWS,RELEASES & TRAILERS
LIVE MUSICSOUNDBITES, NEWSINTERVIEWS, CD RELEASESAND LIVE MUSIC VENUES
WO-030212008
GROU
NDS&SO
UNDS&
GRO
UNDS
&
SOUN
DSGROUNDS&SOUNDS&GRO
UNDS&
SOUNDS&GROUNDS &
UNDSGROUNDS
S&
CUP OF JOE1 0 2 M A I N S T . C E D A R FA L L S | 3 1 9 . 2 7 7 . 1 5 9 61 01 01 0 21 0 22 M A2 M AM AM A I NM A I NI NI N S TI N S TS T .S T . C E DS T . C E DC E DC E DC E D A RC E D A RC E D A RA RA R FAFAFA L LF A L LF A L L SL L SL L S |S || 3 13 13 1 9 .3 1 9 .9 . 2 79 . 2 72 7 7 .2 7 7 .2 7 7 . 1 57 . 1 51 5 9 61 5 9 61 5 9 6
UND
DS &
8PM-10PM
LIVE JAZZ BY “HANDS OF TIME”EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT
FROM 8-9:30 PM.
MAY
MAY 4: AUSTIN TASTMAY 10: NATASTHA MEYERSMAY 11: DAVE MALAMMAY 17: OPEN MICMAY 18: CRYSTAL WEBERMAY 25: BANASH MISFORTUNEPULSE
PiCK
anSWErSno PEEking!
Crossword
TAKE A BREATHER
Fun&gaMes
CHUCK SHEPHERDq Police in Knoxville, Tenn., confiscated five venomous snakes during a February traffic stop, and Pastor Jamie Coots of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name (of Middlesboro, Ky.) is demanding them back. Coots said he possesses them openly during his services in Kentucky, but Knoxville police said they are illegal to own in Tennessee. Said Coots, “If I don’t have them, then I’m not obeying the word of God.”
q In March, Washington state Rep. Ed Orcutt, apparently upset that bicyclists use the state’s roads without paying the state gasoline tax for highway maintenance, proposed a 5 percent tax on bicycles that cost more than $500, pointing out that bicyclists impose environmental costs as well. Since carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas, he wrote one constituent, bike riders’ “increased heart rate and respiration” creates additional pollution. Days later, he apologized for the suggestion that bicyclists were worse for the environment than cars.
EVEN MORE EXCITEMENTNeed a distraction at your desk?
Head to CVPulse.com!
28 PULSE
JOINFriendsof the gallagh
er-bluedorn!
GALLAGHER-BL
UEDORN
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
University of N
orthernIowa
Why join friends of Gallagher-Bluedorn?
For more information or to receive a form,call Dianne Campbell at 319-273-3672
Sign up online at www.gbpac.org/support
Get the best seatspark in the closest lotFriends lounge access
Early ticket purchaseand much more!
