The school year has started; you just moved in and are welcomed to the smiling face of your new roommate and the cold stare of a bare room. For many of the upperclassmen it has become second nature to know exactly how to decorate their rooms. But many new students are not ready for the intimidating task of making their home-away-from-home the coolest, best room on campus. This is where I can help.
Whether it be a void smothered in the stars' illumination, a hauntingly still pale blue canvas, or an ever-changing ballet between form and formlessness, few things have seized the imagination of mankind in such a firm vice as has the sky, and the concept of the great beyond. No matter how close we have come to discovering this beyond, that final destination has always managed to elude us. Every horizon we reach only exposes another horizon. Yet, as hopeless a cause as it may seem, it is the journey itself which has left the mark of humankind upon the world. Nowhere did this universal fascination with the beyond manifest itself as clearly as when I had the chance this summer to visit Greece and Istanbul.
The South Orange Performing Arts Center's first and only theatre company in residence, Midtown Direct Rep, will perform a staged reading of the musical "The Girl in the Frame" this Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m.
Along the coast of the Jersey Shore, Asbury Park's legendary Stone Pony hosted hometown heroes The Gaslight Anthem, still riding the momentum off their excellent summer release, "American Slang." Thanks to the perennial traffic that is the Garden State Parkway, I arrived just in time to see the headlining Gaslight on an outdoor stage, recalling the glory days of Skate and Surf.
We have all had images and ideas that seem so real in the moment. Yet as soon as we wake up, we can barely remember what they were altogether. The phenomenon of dreaming seems like such a difficult topic that it would be impossible to use as a film's premise. If that is the case, though, then it seems Christopher Nolan has done the impossible in his latest, "Inception."
After tragically losing a King, the Little Monsters of Cleveland, Ohio welcomed a new Queen with open claws. Reigning pop royalty Lady Gaga rocked the Quiken Loans Arena July 14th on the second leg of The Monster Ball tour, which will be touching down in Philadelphia on September 14th and 15th and circling back through Atlantic City and New York City February 2011.
In the modern music industry, longevity is a very rare feat. With constantly shifting opinions of what is classified as worthwhile music, new genres taking the popular spotlight, and individual band members often looking to take their music into new and different directions, it isn't uncommon for a band to release an album or two and then break up, leaving their fans yearning for more.
In the modern music industry, longevity is a very rare feat. With constantly shifting opinions of what is classified as worthwhile music, new genres taking the popular spotlight, and individual band members often looking to take their music into new and different directions, it isn't uncommon for a band to release an album or two and then break up, leaving their fans yearning for more.
Seton Hall's Theatre Council delivered its first performance of "Mystery Play" Friday evening in the intimate atmosphere of the University Center's Theatre in the Round. The show marked a unique occasion: not only were the cast and crew were comprised of both current SHU students and alumni, but this was it the first time in two years Theatre Council has produced a summer play.
In 1999, Laurence Fishburne indelibly changed the movie industry with just 3 simple words: "Free your mind." Fishburne's advice in "The Matrix" seemingly inspired directors, as cinema's special effects became more advanced and the makeup of films changed: stories became grounded in physical landscapes as well as the inner workings of the human mind. The latest edition to this trend in filmmaking is Christopher Nolan's sci-fi thriller, "Inception."
Summer films are typically filled with explosions, car chases, espionage thrillers – mostly action, not much thinking or talking. "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" fancies itself to be an action film, but cannot stray far from its intuitive roots. The film does a fine job as it searches to find middle ground between action and dialogue.
In 1999, Laurence Fishburne indelibly changed the movie industry with just 3 simple words: "Free your mind." Fishburne's advice in "The Matrix" seemingly inspired directors, as cinema's special effects became more advanced and the makeup of films changed: stories became grounded in physical landscapes as well as the inner workings of the human mind. The latest edition to this trend in filmmaking is Christopher Nolan's sci-fi thriller, "Inception."
In 1999, Laurence Fishburne indelibly changed the movie industry with just three simple words: "Free your mind."
Seton Hall's Theatre Council will present its first summer production, "Mystery Play," between July 9 and 18 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. in the Theatre-in-the-Round.
It is rare that one finds an exhibit as deeply personal and interactive as "Voices of Liberty" at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. "Voices of Liberty," an award-winning exhibit which is part of the Museum's Keeping History Center, utilizes modern technology and the Museum's close proximity to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to bring to life the stories of a diverse group of Holocaust survivors, refugees, and other individuals who made the life changing decision to make the United States their new home.
It is rare that one finds an exhibit as deeply personal and interactive as "Voices of Liberty" at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. "Voices of Liberty," an award-winning exhibit which is part of the Museum's Keeping History Center, utilizes modern technology and the Museum's close proximity to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to bring to life the stories of a diverse group of Holocaust survivors, refugees, and other individuals who made the life changing decision to make the United States their new home.
Band of Horses headlined a hipster's dream lineup with indie darlings Grizzly Bear this Sunday at the Williamsburg Waterfront. The show was met with sunny skies and a sold out crowd, with audience members ranging from your average teenage fan to the older dads jamming on their Father's Day.Band of Horses capped their three month long tour with a commendably balanced set, covering all three albums, including their newest, "Infinite Arms," while also fitting in two covers and a few impromptu songs. After opening with a cover, the band stormed into their most popular and pervasive song, the beautiful and elegiac "The Funeral," which was met with storming applause. After a booming performance of their most popular song, lead singer Ben Bridwell joked, "Goodnight everybody!"Now a six-piece, with Bridwell the only remaining member from their 2006 debut, Band of Horses' songs sound richer and more expansive than ever, although the band has most recently released their quietest album to date. The newer tracks were met with enthusiastic applause, as the lush strings of album opener "Factory" and jaunty chords on "NW Apt." were played almost suspiciously flawless.The highlights of an energetic and all-around excellent show were the exuberant "Weed Party," the slow-building "Monsters" and the more somber "No One's Gonna Love You." There was never a dull moment, though, in their hour and forty minute set, and the band lavished in the moment, displaying their road endurance without any signs of being worn down.The Beach Boys-influenced psychedelics of Grizzly Bear may not have been the most ideal soundtrack for Brooklyn's sunny, open-air venue, but the four members of the group sounded confident and made the Waterfront sound like a church hall's acoustics. Beginning with the opener off of their critically acclaimed 2009 album, "Veckatimest," "Southern Point" tested the venue's speakers with shifting dynamics and heavy bass, as singer Daniel Rossen repetitiously crooned, "In the end you'll never find me now."The group performs like a cooler, and a lot less sexier, boy band, with each member flaunting his vocal chords, often while playing another instrument. Whenever lead singer Ed Droste was not singing, he was embellishing another singer's vocals with his melodic hums, gasps, and moans. Newer hits like "While You Wait for the Others," "Cheerleader," and "Two Weeks" all received the vocal adornment, sounding brilliant on the "Veckatimest"-heavy set, which sported only "Knife" from their excellent album, "Yellow House."Opener Karen Elson, wife of The White Stripes frontman Jack White, also played her country-twanged folk with aplomb. Her short but captivating set did what few openers actually succeed in doing: holding an audience's attention and setting expectations for the following band. She definitely has potential to attract a large audience, especially in the south. In fact, all these bands could be bigger because they showed that they can back up their excellent studio albums live – a feat that is sometimes uncommon in the rock-n-roll arena.
The South Orange Performing Arts Center is holding "Small Town, Big Talent," an all-day benefit event this Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. Celebrities and artists such as Zach Braff, Max Weinberg (of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band), Lauryn Hill, and AJ Calloway highlight the event, with all the proceeds going to SOPAC. Scott Sullivan, SOPAC's Director of Marketing and Communications, describes the event as a celebration of local arts.
Making its way to theatres last Memorial Day Weekend, Disney's highly anticipated film "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" evoked various reactions from critics, game enthusiasts, and moviegoers. However, resonating from its ecliptic comparison to its video gaming franchise, it is no surprise mixed reactions were to follow. Contrastingly discredited in its premier with a two star rating according to Hollywood.com, "Prince of Persia" ironically did not disappoint as harsh critical reviews have indicated.
If you open up and flip through April's issue of GQ Magazine, you might notice a face that you've seen walking into Boland Hall from rugby practice or into the gym to practice with the girl's basketball team.
Solutions by The State News