Will
Hoge returns to Legends with Drifting Through
Ian Hutchinson
Entertainment Beat
As an aspiring
rock journalist, a standard question that one might ask would be
"What have you been listening to lately?" It's kind of
like asking a sports fanatic "How Ôbout them Braves?"
Leave it to
Will Hoge to give you an unconventional answer. So, what has Will
been listening to lately?
"To the
sound of the motor in the van."
Granted, it
may not be a normal source for musical inspiration, but when you're
in a band that has been almost everywhere in America in the last
few months, it might be.
Since their
Sept. 21 visit to Legends with Jump, Little Children, the Will Hoge
Band (WHB) has gotten to know the hum of its vanÕs engine intimately.
The band has
played countless venues including the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans
with headliners such as Counting Crows, Blues Traveler, Live, the
Wallflowers and Eminem.
"The Voodoo
Festival was complete and utter stardom. We were flabbergasted,"
said Hoge. "It was, karmically, a good thing to be a part of."
When the Will
Hoge Band has gotten the opportunity to do so, the all-American
rockers have made mixed tapes, listened to other bands and even
penned a few new songs here and there along the road.
Aside from the
van engine, Hoge has been listening the latest Radiohead album "Kid
A" and really appreciating the artistic direction of that CD.
"When you
get into this business, you hope to make your own artistic decisions,"
said Hoge. "I think (Radiohead) continues to make the records
they want to make." Those who were wowed by WHB's last performance
can look forward to a few new songs and an excellent show, which
will be tonight at Legends.
The opening
act will be another great band called Drifting Through. The Raleigh-based
band is touring in support of its album "Spell," which
has garnered a respectable amount of praise from critics and college
students alike.
The Southeast
Performer proclaims that there is "not one dud in the dozen"
of the songs that "Spell" has to offer.
The doors at
Legends open for tonight's show at 9 p.m. Tickets are $4 in advance
and $5 at the door. There is a BYOB 6-pack limit for the show and
an ID is required.
Tonight's show
is the last stop for great rock for at least the rest of fall semester,
so it is highly recommended that you check WHB and Drifting Through.
'Unbreakable'
proves to be a smash in box office
Ian Hutchinson
- Entertainment Beat
Warning: This
critic is about to reveal vital plot elements to the film "Unbreakable,"
so if you value the elements of suspense and surprise, please only
read the next five sentences and then stop reading this review.
For the benefit
of those who don't like their movies ruined, this critic will say
this: Four stars, two thumbs up and all that jazz. "Unbreakable"
is a riveting, well-crafted suspense thriller. Go see it. If you
liked director and writer M. Night Shyamalan's previous film, "The
Sixth Sense," youÕll enjoy "Unbreakable" as well.
Now, if you
love surprises, FOR PETEÕS SAKE, STOP READING NOW!
All right, for
the rest of you, fret not, we're not going to ruin everything. However,
like Elijah (Samuel L. Jackson) says in the film, "I hope you
can keep an open mind."
Let's start
with the basic plot. David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is a security guard
returning home from a job interview on a train. The train derails
like Amtrak and David awakes in a hospital to learn that he is the
sole survivor, and he doesn't have a fracture or a scratch to show
for it.
A while later,
Elijah, the owner of an art gallery, takes an interest in David's
survival and sees something more in David than even David does.
Now, here's
where you need to keep an open mind, if youÕre still reading and
like surprises, STOP.
One of the thematic
threads of "Unbreakable" is centered on comic books. This
is where you need to keep an open mind. If you see comic books as
childish or don't really understand the character dynamics within
them, you may have a hard time appreciating "Unbreakable."
However, if
you can appreciate those dynamics (i.e., good vs. evil, heroes and
villains) you will be amazed at the level of skill Shyamalan uses
them and still maintains the seriousness of the characters. On the
flipside, the overseriousness of the characters leads to some hilarious
scenes as well, which helps relieve some of the film's tension.
Like "The
Sixth Sense," the plot of "Unbreakable" unfolds slowly
for the benefit of suspense. If you thought "Sense" crawled
by slowly, then "Unbreakable" will be unbearable. However,
Shyamalan's choices of camera angles actually gives the scenes in
the film a unique perspective that helps move the plot a little
quicker.
As the film
progresses, David starts to learn more about himself and even then,
not everything is what it appears to be. Shyamalan will throw you
for a loop in "Unbreakable" just as he did in "Sense."
You will never
know what hit you. You will never even be able to figure out the
ending before it happens, because ShyamalanÕs story is airtight
and bulletproof. This critic isn't going to reveal anything else,
so stop reading and go see "Unbreakable," it is a must-see
film.
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