REVIEW: Lily Talmers at The Ark

bellaaa 1 Comment

Classic folk music venue, The Ark, welcomed Lily Talmers and friends to the stage this past Sunday for a performance that was all I expected it to be and more. Their Midwest tour had three earlier shows in Michigan before landing here in Ann Arbor, and will continue on with six more shows, eventually ending in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Opener John Cushing started the night off beautifully, gathering the larger band, including Talmers, on stage in just his second song. Not only was this a group of talented musicians, but also clearly a group of friends who loved and supported one another. Together, the band cultivated a space of comfort and familiarity that the audience easily leaned into.

Talmers and Cushing brought along with them from Brooklyn Aidan Scrimgeour on the keys and Aiden Cafferty on bass. With them joined Ann Arbor’s David Ward (drums), Ben Green (trumpet), and string quartet of Lauren Pulcipher (violin), Julia Knowles (Cello), Courtney Lubin (violin), and Madeline Warner (viola). The group was in constant conversation with each other and the audience, both in words and in the music they played. Talmers’s voice floated through the space in that haunting and clear tone that we know and love about her, making sure to give space and credit where it was due to each one of her bandmates. Her family, old classmates, students, and some people who she had never met had come together to cultivate this space; it is not an overstatement to say each person felt essential to the experience. 

As someone who loves Talmers’s music, I had to bring something physical home with me — a double CD with her latest two albums: Hope is the Whore I Go To and My Mortal Wound. I feel so fortunate to have seen this group live; as much as I love listening to her music on Spotify, there is something so grand about seeing Talmers and the full band of strings and horns all in the same space. Each instrument seem to transform the music in a new way. The simplicity of just Talmers and her guitar felt extremely vulnerable and delicate; as more instruments joined, there was a soothing strength in the culmination of sound.

It would be a mistake not to go listen to Talmers if given the chance — her kindness, passion, and love is as breathtaking as her music. I also highly recommend going to see a show at The Ark — it is an intimate space here in Ann Arbor and completely non-profit. Words do not do either justice so, please please please, go immerse yourself in this experience in any way you can.

Picture of Lily Talmers

PREVIEW: Lily Talmers at The Ark

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University of Michigan Alumnus Lily Talmers is coming to local music venue, The Ark, on January 8th at 7:30 PM. Tickets are available for purchase on The Ark’s website for $20 each. The Ark never fails to host the most intimate and beautiful performances, and so I am beyond excited to return for this show in particular. Talmers will be joined by trombonist, singer, and composer John Cushing and others on this tour. 

Talmers just released her second full length album, “Hope is the Whore I Go To”, on July 29th of this year and it has been an absolute joy to listen to. It was followed up by “My Mortal Wound,” what Talmers has described on her Instagram page as an “inseparable” piece to the former album. The music is both haunting and healing, creating a unique atmosphere worth diving headfirst into. If you haven’t already, go listen to this music; better yet, go see her perform live at The Ark. I have no doubt it will be an experience you won’t regret having.

REVIEW: AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Ruth Leave a comment

At last! The long awaited return of Avatar has arrived.

I’ve always been excited to view any project produced by James Cameron and Avatar holds a very special place in my heart. I have to say that it might just be my favorite James Cameron film on account of the lengths taken to create the world of Pandora. Computer-generated imagery (CGI) and visual effects technology in the film industry has made leaps and bounds over the years. Part of Avatar’s original 2009 success was due to the use of revolutionary CGI methods so I was excited to see how far the technology had come in the last 13 years. I was also looking forward to seeing how the film would explore Pandora further, especially since the film was centered around the moon’s oceans.

The film did not disappoint!

As Darryn King describes in his New York Times article: “How ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Solved the Problem of Computer-Generated H2O” (article link included below), James Cameron developed the next leap forward in visual effects technology; creating a way to capture the performance of an actor underneath the waves. Cameron accomplished this by simulating an ocean environment through a 90000 gallon tank, outfitted to produce waves and currents just like a mini ocean.  The effort to create these visual effects paid off. The imagery of the film is stunning. Watching the performance of the actors as they spin amongst glowing minnows and frolic amongst the coral is just beautiful. The Na’vi have been brought to life in a whole new light!

The story line is complex and entertaining. I wasn’t sure how the sequel could do anything other than copy the same premise of its predecessor (humans trying to destroy Pandora and the Na’vi defending it). In some respects, the sequel does follow the same premise. Humans have returned, but they’ve grown far more fearsome, using new scientific methods to create the perfect soldiers. This new danger is the storm that spurs  Jake Sully and his family to seek shelter with the Na’vi clan called the Metkayina; a semi aquatic group that inhabits the remote island villages of Pandora.

The attention to detail of the Metkayina clan is beautiful. As they are semi aquatic, they have wider forearms and tails in order to help them cut through the water with ease. The aquamarine sheen of their skin matches the ocean water perfectly and their eyes have an inner lid to protect them from the water. Jake Sully and his family have to learn to adapt to this semi aquatic lifestyle, protect themselves from their new enemies, and navigate the inner struggles of family. It’s a compelling story that’s reminiscent of it’s predecessor in all the right ways.

 

If you haven’t seen it already, I would highly recommend it!

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/16/movies/avatar-2-fx-cgi-.html

REVIEW: The Muppet Christmas Carol

Sappy Leave a comment

I hope everybody is having a wonderful break and a happy holiday season! This past Sunday, December 18th, the Michigan Theater was overflowing with Christmas joy. Although the showing of The Muppet Christmas Carol began at 1:30 pm, at 12:30 there was already a line at the door! The theater had planned a variety of surprise events, such as free hot chocolate from Sweetwaters, a free piggy bank, Santa Claus, and carolers that performed both outside and inside on stage. It was so much fun to see how excited everybody was, and the workers even dressed up with Christmas headbands and sweatshirts. It’s lovely to see how hard the community has worked together to put on this event!

For those curious about the movie, The Muppet Christmas Carol reminded me a bit of The Grinch, since both involve a protagonist that’s initially unwilling to celebrate Christmas before coming around. I didn’t know that the movie was based on A Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens until Gonzo poses as the author himself; alongside Gonzo (in the film ‘Charles’) is Rizzo, and these two muppets act as the narrator for the film. Although I didn’t read the book, they made a powerful comedic duo that added a voice unique to the film.

Since most of the audience was children, parents, and the elderly, I was shocked by how different the viewing experience was; the laughter was a lot more boisterous and there were a lot more questions and comments; in addition to the muffled voices of the muppets, it was hard for me to hear the lines in the movie, so without subtitles, I struggled to understand the plot at times.

Something that impressed me was how well the directors incorporated both muppets and humans into the film. I knew the film was old, but the interactions between the muppets and humans were natural. It didn’t occur to me how old the film was until I saw the visual effects, though; it’s been thirty years since it was released!

To be completely honest, I didn’t enjoy the film as much as I hoped. Although it’s a children’s movie, I wish there was more background information given, and the character and plot development seemed rushed: the loud audience definitely made the event less enjoyable as well. Still, I can see how this film would be adored by muppet fans and those who watched it when it released or while growing up.

Merry Christmas everybody and have a happy new year!

REVIEW: Tokyo Godfathers

Sappy Leave a comment

I loved Tokyo Godfathers. Contrary to my expectations, it was not a tear-jerker movie, which was refreshing and much-needed for this stressful finals season. The comedic timing had the whole audience laughing, and the directors did an excellent job of turning an initial dark introduction and setting into a lighthearted movie. There were a lot of plot twists that was both funny and dramatic, and while I wouldn’t describe it as a heartwarming film, it had a perfect balance of sweet and dark humor.

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but if you’re interested in hearing a brief description, the story revolves around three main characters, each with their own unique background. They’re all homeless and have been living together for an indefinite amount of time (at least six months?). Despite knowing one another for that long, they don’t know how each of them became homeless or how they lived beforehand. Their daily routine suddenly changes on Christmas after finding an abandoned baby in the dumpsters. They embark on a journey to find the mother of the abandoned baby. The concept of ‘family’ is seen all throughout the film and is the driving point of the plot. The importance of family extends to side characters as well, which is what develops important character growth for the main characters too.

My favorite character is Hana, who is the motherly figure in the trio. I love how caring and passionate she is, and she really brings energy and life to the other characters through her enthusiasm. As someone who likes poetry, her intermittent haikus are also fun and give a special perspective to what traditional Japanese haikus are like. A lot more can be conveyed from the standard five, seven, and five-syllable phrases in Japanese compared to English. In a different context, I think Hana’s haikus would be appreciated more for their beauty, but it certainly served to heighten the comedic sense of Tokyo Godfathers.

Of course, the voice actors contributed largely to how vibrant the film is too. I also appreciated that the color palette of the film was rather subdued and mundane because it still showcased the darker aspects of the story, which highlighted the funny aspects even more.

For those uninterested in anime as a genre, I still think this movie would be worth it. Even though it is a family-based film, it’s not the most child-friendly though, so keep in mind who you want to watch it with. I’d definitely watch Tokyo Godfathers again, and I highly recommend you guys watch it too!

REVIEW: The Heart of Robin Hood

Ella Larsen Leave a comment

8:00pm • Saturday, December 10, 2022 • Power Center

I spent a lovely evening this Saturday enjoying The Heart of Robin Hood, produced by the U-M Department of Theatre and Drama and directed by Geoff Packard. I have been seeing a lot of student-produced performances lately, so it was interesting to observe the differences in scale and execution between student productions like Musket’s Little Shop of Horrors, In the Round’s Spring Awakening, or Rude Mechanicals’ Indecent, and SMTD productions like this one. The biggest difference I noticed was the extensive list of collaborators who participated in developing the performance–spanning 8-or-so pages in the program!–the majority of whom were not students. It seems that they made it a point to include and credit as many roles as possible, being a University production with more direct access to funding.

One of the highlights of the show for me was the cute relationship developed between Marion, the protagonist played by Stefania Gonzalez, and her “buffoon”/friend, Pierre, played by Nathan Goldberg (who also had some funny moments of breaking the fourth wall and audience-participation). I also admired the unbridled evil captured in the character of Alice, Marion’s sister, played by Charlotte B. Um. For the Harry Potter fans who read this post, Alice was to the actual antagonist, Prince John (played by Pete Dickey), as Professor Umbridge was to Voldemort. Somehow, you just hate her more.

The set for the play was impressive, featuring a massive ramp which rose from the floor diagonally across the stage, surrounded by ethereal vine-wrapped trunks representing the trees of Sherwood Forest. I read that the set was designed to reflect how a child might interpret a story as it is read to them, rendered in broad strokes by their imagination. True to their intention, the setting reminded me of dreams where somehow I’m in several recognizable places at once. When the story transitioned from forest to castle, giant walls topped with gothic arches or cathedral-style cut-outs were lowered from above the stage to hover over the actors, giving one the sense that the space beyond and above the stage extended on forever. One could peak through the trees to see a platform where a band (local “chambergrass” band Westbound Situation) played the soundtrack for the play.

I look forward to seeing more of SMTD’s performances next semester, including The Importance of Being Earnest, Everybody (a modern take on Everyman), and Rent (previews forthcoming!). I hope everyone gets the opportunity to enjoy some art as this semester comes to a close and we move into winter break. As this will be my last post before I return to Ann Arbor in January, here’s to a new year full of wonderful performances!