The Superbowl’s coming — what else do I know?
The Sun has had a major storm, and it is causing spectacular Auroras over both poles, but it is overcast where I live, so I can’t see them, even if they showed up over these latitudes. The deer are ranging away from their normal cover to graze, so it is easy to see them in the early evenings.
Redigitized NFL cheerleaders in Patriots' colors -- The Giants have no cheerleaders.
In two weeks the New England Patriots will meet the New York Giants in Indianapolis for the Superbowl XLVI (That means forty-six — love those Roman Numerals). I followed last year’s playoffs more closely because of those amazing games by the ever-underdog Green Bay Packers, and although they only lost ONE game in the regular season, and had two weeks off before hosting their next game, with home-field advantage throughout the tournament — they lost their first playoff game this year. The Packers were likely banged-up and exhausted after all those previous victories. The NFL playoff games I’ve seen so far were marked by viscous and effective defensive playing. Both New York and New England have teams who are made up of veterans with Superbowl rings — especially their quarterbacks, who’ll try to survive in the bulls-eye of each defensive squad.
Enchanted Baroque Opera
The Metropolitan Opera broadcast this week was The Enchanted Island (2012), a new work created from pastiches of Baroque operas. Pastiche comes from the same root word as Paste, as in Cut and Paste, which makes the idea very appropriate for our digital age. Music by Jean-Philippe Rameau, George Fredrick Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, André Campra, Henry Purcell, Giovanni Battista Ferrandini, and Jean-Féry Rebel, with William Christie as the conductor. Jeremy Sams is librettist, from an idea by Peter Gelb. The plot builds on an old melding of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Nights Dream and The Tempest by John Dryden in the XVIII Century.
Redigitalized David Daniels as Prospero, Joyce DiDonato as Sycorax, and sexy Danielle de Niese as the stuff dreams are made of in the new/old opera "Enchanted Island."
David Daniels, Luca Pisaroni, Joyce DiDonato, Danielle de Niese, Lisette Oropesa, and great-hearted Placido Domingo all have tuneful roles in this patchwork piece, which was first presented on New Year’s Day of 2012. The English lyrics and ridiculously intricate scenario didn’t get in the way of dozens of beautiful melodies by some of the finest composers of the Baroque Period.
What Hath SLUG Wrought?
Who REALLY has the cheapest drinks in town? Does anybody really REMEMBER who had the cheapest drinks in town?
I received the snail-mail SLUG, and was immediately struck by how much BETTER most of the articles looked when they were laid-out in magazine form, compared to the admittedly clean and functional Internet version. The income-producing ads and reader-producing features visually played as formidable team-mates on every page.
I’m going to throw down MY impressions on some double-pagers that caught my eye: Suited lawyers and tattoo artists; An Ethiopian Restaurant and “Local First” beers; Princess Kennedy playing around with Bond Girl imagery, but trying to deliver some very sober facts about owning handguns — contrasted with Roller Derby and a creative venue calendar; Fanciful cartoons of columnist Mike Brown, along with busted skateboarders in a bail bonds advertisement; The excellent interview with Paul Rachman covers two pages in print, with pictures from his Lost Rockers project; Outlaw filmmaker Damon Russell’s relatively short interview looks great framed with gritty B&W photos and facing a colorful full-page gallery ad; Turn the page for a great read about Lynn Hershman Leeson and the Women Art Revolution, which looks equally good online; A wintery photo on one page — a cartoon illustrating bike-riding through snow on the other page; Another snowy skateboard photo as image and essay, along with the laugh-inducing Dawn of the Shread full-pager;
Illustration: Ryan Perkins -- for the excellent article about winter bike-riding by Esther Merono. She recommends plastic bags, several pairs of cheap gloves, and great care. Snow has challenges, but riding on ice-covered roads is NEVER a good idea IMHO.
The cover story about “Bones Brigade” is well-integrated with related full-page graphics by major sponsors; Most compelling of all is the inspirational two-page spread about graffiti artist Tempt One, stricken by MS, but experimenting with his eye-writer; Blue Boutique wishes everyone A Sexy New Year with a blonde model in a “Lingerie Barbie Doll” / “Mirror Ball” image — ironically she faces a great rundown about a Horror-Art collective called Zero Friends; A gallery stroll mixes well with SLUG Mag staff picks of new/used CDs from the venerable Graywhale chain of local stores; Now THIS looks like SLUG — Beer making supplies, a head shop, booze reviews, Ask A Cop, a sexy realtor, tattoos, and Brad Collins’ Raunch Records/Clothes/Etc.
The online SLUG is superb at posting current reviews from the film festivals that are drawing crowds in and around Park City, though! CHECK OUT SLUG’S FESTIVAL COVERAGE .
The second installment in the Craft Lake Artist Workshop Series — held at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in the UMOCA Studio:
Partial image from http://www.slugmag.com/events.php?id=469
Holly Jones will be teaching us how to make cut-out chandeliers. Each participant will be painting, decorating, and wiring their own chadelier to take home. The workshop begins with a short tour of the UMOCA Exhibits. $5 materials fee — first 5 people craft free — we always encourage using Trax, the Temple Square stop drops you off just a few steps away. For more information: info@craftlakecity.com
If you think it is high time, and that THAT is the long and short of it, if you believe that the game is up and that truth will out … (You’re quoting Elizabethan Theatre.)
Shaunna Hall’s Elecrofunkadelica — just let it play while you read!
Johnny Melville and Jango Edwards continue to fool around the cinema.
Check out Parade of Fools for the latest on their movie!
Read my very personal review of 004’s CD State of Affairs: HERE
— Then buy one from SLOWTRAIN!
Check Out the Dance Histories Section !
