Category: Music

REVIEW: Tree City & The Contraband

nina.j

Tree City & The Contraband

Last  Saturday night, Ann Arbor hip-hop group Tree City took the stage at The Blind Pig. First real night of spring break and what better to do than get down to some local sounds with some super funky musicians? The group performed to a crowd of happy college spring breakers freshly released from exams. The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable but hype enough to feel the spirit of freedom.

Tree City was formed in Ann Arbor in 2005 by 3 MC’s and a DJ/MC. By day, they are known as Evan Haywood, Kyle Hunter, and Jacoby Simmons. By night, as Clavius Crates, General Population, and DJ Cataclysmic respectively. The group originally included two others- Mike and Cheeks– but both have fled to the west coast, and then there were three. The trio supplies “eardrums with a  unique brand of hip-hop” via live shows around town (including last month’s Eighth Annual Midwest Hip-Hop Summit at The League) as well as through their recordings. The complete discography includes The TreE.P. (2007), Black Trees (2008), Say It Again (Single) (2010), and Thus Far (2010), and most recently Definement (2011). And luckily, you can hear samples of everything they’ve got to offer on their website!

The show at the Pig on Saturday opened with sounds from DJ Charles Trees, Thrills & Saul Good, Passalacqua, and Tunde Oliniran. And finally, headliner Tree City, as a combined act with The Contraband. The combo is an extension of other local artists that have been playing with Tree City as a group for a year. Musicians include UM students and grads Ben Rolston on bass, Julian Allen on drums, Yuma Yesaka on the saxophone and electronic wind instrument, Keaton Royer on the synthesizer and Michael Malis on synthesizers and keyboards.

The performance featured all original material. Definitely danceable; definitely a good time. The main act was worth the ticket, but the openers also warmed up the crowd nicely. Most original, in my opinion, was Tunde Oliniran, whose performance included some level of experimental/interpretative dance (click here to get a taste of what I’m talkin’ about).

A golden moment of the night, bass player Ben Rolston said, “was experiencing the audience interaction that is a major part of hip-hop. Evan or Kyle would start a chant and the crowd was right there with them, giving that energy back to us. Coming from mostly playing music where the audience connection is less direct its really wonderful to be a part of.”

I got to drop in on a rehearsal at The Neutral Zone a few nights prior to the show. It was exciting to be able to watch the evolution of the performance from practice to a complete work of art. Even in a trial run, without the lights and crowds, the group has really got it going on. Nothin’ like some good old fashioned local music to get down on over Spring Break.

Look out for more Tree City shows happening around town. In the meantime, get connected! Check out the Tree City: homepage, Facebook page, Twitter, and Soundcloud.

REVIEW: Pina

nina.j

The Oscars happened last Sunday and The Artist was a sweep. But this time next year, look out for the film Pina. See it in theaters now, remember it when awards season rolls around in a year. This spectacle is bound to be a hit.

Based on the life and work of German choreographer Pina Bausch, this 3-D film mixes an explosive combination of mediums: film, dance, choreography, set design, music, sound, lighting, language, graphics, special effects, cinematography. A sensational splendor.

Pina’s work in modern dance escalated in the 1970’s and continues to be influential today. Her role as a director is most prominent in Tanztheater, which translates to “dance theater.” She spearheaded a company in Germany by the same name, though throughout her career she worked with the gamut of cross-continental dance fame. In Tanztheater, Pina created celebrated pieces such as Rite of Spring (1975), and Café Müller (1978). Both are exemplary of her outrageous style: in the former, dancers move about on stage completely covered in soil and in the latter, they aggressively crash into chairs and tables on a café set. Both are reenacted beautifully in the film.

Image from Café Müller

Image from Rite of Spring

So thats the overview of who Pina is: a creative, expressive, and innovative movement artist. And now about this crazy movie that she inspired: Oscar-nominated film maker Wim Wenders has been a fan of Pina since the 80’s and decided to document her work in action. His crew followed hers long before the project took off, building artistic relationships between those in front and behind the camera. Unfortunately, days  before the shooting began, Pina died unexpectedly of a sudden cancer. The fim, therefore, began a tribute to her life more than just a portrayal or her work ethic.

The sets incorporated a wild combination of elements. Here, I mean earth elements: dirt, mountains, water, plant life. Some performances were filmed on a traditional stage, while others sought peculiar venues like rooftops, subway trains, swimming pool decks, or glass paneled houses in the woods.

The dance numbers were performed by professionals from Pina’s company. Their segments were separated by close- ups combined with voice overs in the variety of languages spoken by the worldly crew: Spanish, French, German, Portugese, Japanese, Chinese, English, and more. They talked of Pina as a guiding artist and all that her ingenuity and freedom of expression taught them about themselves, their bodies, and their work.

Counter to the common conception of dancers as always youthful, these workers ranged vastly in their ages. I found this point to be very curious. It spoke to the life long development of artists and how they become enriched as they ripen in their craft. Their ages may be have been evident on their skin, but the astounding strength and nimbleness of the dancer’s bodies far from gave them away. In fact, there was one piece in which dancers of various eras of life were dressed in identical outfits, confusing the audience about who was who. It was a number that could only have been performed for screen dance. I don’t see how this switching of characters could be performed live without the trickery of editing.

I asked my cousin, who works as a professional ballet dancer for the Boston City Ballet, his opinion on the work. “I thought it was beautiful,” he said. “She’s so unique in her choreography.”

And I agree! Watching Pina was one of the most visually pleasing experiences I have had in a long time.It was creative, stunning, marvelous, and inspirational beyond belief. I would feel badly for anyone who misses the opportunity to experience it.

Hurry up and see it! I’m serious, this was a very powerful artistic undertaking. The documentary has already swept up  The European Film Awards and German Film Awards, as well as receiving nominations or Official Selections from The Academy Awards, New York, Telluride, and Toronto Film Festivals. Pina is only playing at the Michigan Theater through this Sunday, March 4th. Check the Michigan Theater website for show times. Also, here’s and interview with director Wim Wenders from the New York Times. For more background on the production, check out the movie’s website .

REVIEW: Next to Normal

Kayla Silverstein

In an audience of musical theatre majors, my three friends and I sat to watch a small cast of six put on a musical we’d all hoped to see, called “Next to Normal.” There was very little publicity for the event, and it was pure chance that we found out they were even doing it. I’m so glad we did because it was yet another fantastic evening of musical-wonderfulness for me!

“Next to Normal” tells the story of a dysfunctional family dealing with the turmoil of everyday life. The mother of the family is a bipolar/schizophrenic character who struggles with coping, the father of the family is in denial of pretty much everything, and the sister has to deal with regular teenage angst while being raised by two struggling, and mostly absent, parental figures. The mother’s character was, as I’m sure you can tell by her description, a definite challenge, but Chelsea Wilson was absolutely amazing. She pulled off crazy so unbelievably well. Everyone was just cast so perfectly, like C.J. Eldred as the role of Gabe and Ted Stevenson as Dan, I could hardly believe it.

Complaints bring color to a review, but I’m seriously struggling here. It was long? Yeah, 2 and a half hours, I’d say, and a few of the songs dragged, like the saga “I miss the mountains.” Unfortunately, I couldn’t just press skip this time when it came on.

The passion of the show exploded off the stage for sure, and I felt the musical shift perspectives constantly, from mother, to son, to daughter, to father. The lighting would tilt and change its tone as the melodies would lift and fall. It’s one thing to hear the recording bajillions of times, and an absolute other thing to see it performed in front of you. I’ll never hear THAT recording the same way again.

It was such a great show, and I’m so so glad I have friends who are more informed than I to tell me what is going on in the distant woods of north campus. If you read this in time, go tomorrow night!

REVIEW: Take Six: New Jazz Compositions

nina.j

I learned about “Take Six” from a musician friend who plays piano for the ballet class following mine. After class last week, I asked  if he had any gigs coming up and he informed me of this innovative performance happening at the UMMA. On Saturday, February 17th, the museum held a musical progressive called “Take Six: New Jazz Compositions.” The museum was staged with six musical sets; six combinations of musicians played six original compositions inspired by six works of art in the University’s collection. The audience progressed from stage to stage at ten minute intervals, experiencing an hour’s worth of varied pieces. A kind of musical chairs, literally. Better yet, the set repeated itself four times throughout the afternoon. So if you missed any composition in the rotation, there was opportunity to catch it a second, third, or fourth time. Now that’s some repetitive Phillip Glass stuff right there.

I stayed for one full round of playing. Because of that, however, I think I missed the full affect of the progressive. The pieces remain the same, yet each iteration is unique in its rendition. The spaces the sets occupied included the Apse near the main entrance, the Forum near the gift shop, the Commons across from Angell Hall, and two floors of the Vertical Gallery near the DialogueTable. It would have been ideal to stage the performances beside the pieces that inspired them, but that would have been spatially challenging, especially since the last is no longer on display.

A progressive is a curious and interactive manner of experiencing artwork in its various forms. The performance format inspired dynamic conversation both between the audience and the musicians, as well as the musicians and the artists each chose as his muse. Instrumental reflections of brushstrokes and color pallets included drums, piano, bass, saxophone, clarinet, flute, trombone, and more. The combinations were written and performed by students and faculty from the School of Music’s Jazz Department.

The entire project was clearly a demonstration of strong talent and commitment. It seemed to be hard work to prepare, but a breeze to partake in. All the audience had to do was heed the shepherd’s call and meander with the flock. Easy following, easy listening. Personally, I truly enjoyed the event. Wandering about the art museum with the soundtrack to my visual experiences playing aloud for all to hear, what better way to spend a Saturday afternoon?

Below are images of the six auricular-visual pairings, to give you an idea of what you can’t see or hear from where you’re sitting.

Boyhood of Lincoln by Eastman Johnson

on view in the gallery of European & American Art

Inspired The Boy Lincoln by Keaton Royer

Shrine Figure (edjo) by Akpojivi of Orhokpko, Nigeria

on view in the gallery of African Art

Inspired The Spirit of the People by Alekos Syropoulos


Twilight by Dwight William Tryon

on view in the gallery of European & American Art

Inspired Something Hidden by Kevin McKinney

The Dead Soldier by Jospeh Wright of Derby

on view in the gallery of European Art (1650-1830)

Inspired The Mourning Widow by Demetrius Nabors

Smoke Rings June 14, 2001 by Donald Sultan

on view in the Vertical Gallery

Inspired Smoke Rings by Sam Crittenden

Sparrow on a Bamboo Branch by Kanô Gyokuraku

Japanese Art, currently not on view

Inspired Sparrows by Ryan Wolfe

REVIEW: Chiddy Bang’s “Breakfast”

Hannah Weiner 1 Comment

Chiddy Bang doesn’t need to “Mind [Their] Manners;” for a debut album, Breakfast is quite the start. Having already leaked “Mind Your Manners,” “Baby Roulette,” and “Ray Charles,” the rest of the songs on the album frame these pre-released tracks as the stars of the album, yet aren’t entirely outshined. The duo released their album online at midnight on Monday, and quickly reached the top 10 on iTunes.

Image courtesy of 5starhiphop.com
Image courtesy of 5starhiphop.com

Those who are acquainted with Chiddy Bang already understand their formula for catchy party songs – a sample of an artist with a cult-following and Chiddy’s insane flow. However, this album not only showcases the group’s talent, but also their musical intellectualism; listening to Breakfast is like changing radio stations quickly: we get a sense of American music through their variance in sampling different genres. Sampling Ray Charles is a risky feat to take on, but in the spirit of “Otis” by Kanye and Jay-Z, Chiddy Bang manages to take a retro song and make it their own.

“Mind Your Manners” is undoubtedly one of my favorite tracks from the album and also one that I’m familiar with since it was released in June of 2011. Yet listening to it merged with the rest of the songs in the album gives it a different meaning, and I appreciate the child-like, high-pitched sample of Icona Pop’s “Manners.” “Out 2 Space” gives a shout-out to Birmingham, Michigan’s elite private school, Cranbrook, so as a Michigander and a metro-Detroiter, I felt obligated to give this track a few more listens than usual.

Overall, Xaphoon and Chiddy have established their spot in American hip-hop with Breakfast, proving that they’re professionals when it comes to sampling any type of genre.

Chiddy Bang’s Breakfast is available on iTunes for $7.99!

REVIEW: Spring Awakening

Kayla Silverstein

There are those musicals that are frivolous; the ones that of course you still enjoy, but you leave saying, “Oh, that was cute!” Some leave you cross-eyed, uttering, “What did I just watch?” Then, there is Spring Awakening where you leave physically hurting, the tension of the show washing over you in waves, long after the final chords have faded away. A musical that can make you feel the magic of intimacy, the pain of betrayal, and the beauty of the human existence can be deemed unbelievable, I suppose, but even that is sort of vague and nonspecific. It was awesome, let’s call it that.

I’ve seen the show before and heard the music thousands of times; however, the School of Musical Theatre here produces and attracts such remarkable talent that I could honestly say that I’d never heard the show like those students performed it last night. Conor Ryan, as previously seen in Caberet last semester, was an extremely impressive male lead playing the character of Melchior, a “radical” who goes against the grain of the 1890s German society of restrictions, regulations, and rules against young adolescents. His acting and vocal talent is postively flawless. Erika Peterson played the female lead, Wendla, with remarkable flourish and a moving vocal performance. I would honestly say I’d rather see her play the role again than ever watch Lea Michele as Wendla, as made famous from the show Glee but previously debuted the role of Wendla on Broadway. Granted, I have only heard Michele sing the songs; however, I truly loved Peterson’s voice for the part and thought she was spectacular. Her body language when she performed was so timid yet powerful as she spent most of the show, shoulders hunched and hands laced over her stomach. It’s a hard thing to describe and I’m sort of struggling here, but just trust me when I say it worked; it just worked.

My favorite performer of the show, if I had to choose, would be Ryan Vasquez in the role of Moritz, another male lead playing side-by-side as best friend of Melchior (Conor Ryan). I loved him in the role so much and afterwards, I could not get his interpretation of the song “Don’t do Sadness” out of my head. If you haven’t seen the show, this is not going to make much sense, but he added a bunch of rifts to the song that gave it a newer and more desperate quality. I got chills. The torment of his character was evident in every movement of his body and the songs he sang. I cried at the beginning and the end for poor Moritz.

After the show ended, I wanted desperately to close my eyes, rewind time, and just watch the show over and over. It’d only been about four years since I’d first seen the show, but in no way was I numb to the passion of this show. I hope that everyone has the opportunity to see Spring Awakening at some point because it is just so phenomenal of a musical that everyone is bound to find something they adore within its contents.