REINVENTING THE SHOE
Nike+
7/10
by Jack Niejadlik
Let’s face it: the world is far from perfect. Our cars don’t drive by themselves, our jackets don’t crawl onto our arms unassisted, and our hats certainly do not cook us breakfast. Thanks to Nike and Mac, we now live in a world where our shoes will happily analyze our footsteps more than any footstep ever should be analyzed. Runners and walkers, rejoice.
Introducing Nike+, an innovative technology that ushers the iPod Nano into a whole new level of functionality. Thanks to creative, collaborative marketing efforts, the average pedestrian can now be armed with sneakers with a pedometer in the sole, transmitting recorded information to the iPod wirelessly. What does this mean to the common exerciser? You can dump the information off your iPod and onto your computer and then use it to calibrate more effective workouts, chart your progress, and better achieve your fitness goals.
The transmitter kit can be purchased for a retail price of $29. It is about the size of a quarter, and slips into the sole underneath the shoe—it’s that simple. Think “plug and play” (or, if I may, “slip and step.” May I?) If all this excitement doesn’t put some pep into your step, rest assured that the comfort level of the Nike sneakers themselves will. To put it bluntly, imagine walking on clouds. Now, imagine that while you are stepping, those same clouds are performing oral sex on you (obviously the mysterious, humid type of oral sex that only anthropomorphic clouds can perform).
Next holiday season, tell your Special K-eating mother to pack away her pedometer and, instead, equip her with Nike+. Upon unwrapping her confusing shoes with the hole in the bottom, mother dearest will without a doubt be befuddled beyond recognition and probably disown you. That is, until she realizes that you bought her an iPod nano as well! She will immediately find joy in the glorious harmony of shoe, of technology, and of a playlist full of what we can only hope will include a little ABBA (she’s a mom), a little Aguilera (she’s a girl), and a whole shitload of awesome workout music.
STILL SITTIN’ ON THAT FLAGPOLE
Preview: Harvey Danger
by Andrew Blake
Sean Nelson remembers one of his last times in Buffalo as a great one, saying, “I remember the radio festival we did. We played hundreds of those and I remember that one being really fun. The last couple of times we played Buffalo, it stuck in our mind as one of the best times we’ve had on stage, and I don’t really know why.” That was six years ago. Sean was singing for Harvey Danger, still riding the coattails of their smash hit of a few summers earlier, “Flagpole Sitta.” Their first album, Where Have All The Merry Makers Gone, flew off the shelves, and it was predicted that Nelson’s Seattle group was going to be the next big thing in rock music. This was not the case.
Harvey Danger’s follow up album, King James Version, sold a mere 25,000 copies and is now out of print. The turmoil surrounding their sophomore release took such a toll on the band that they called it quits in 2001. Nelson says, “We broke up because we were miserable and didn’t enjoy anything. The circumstances surrounding our second record were really brutal, real painful, and it was stuff we couldn’t control, and so by the time it happened, it was such a bitter experience and so sad that we just couldn’t stand to do it anymore.” While KJV may not have spawned a single as radio-friendly as “Flagpole Sitta,” it did yield to a cult following over the past half a decade.
Five years later, Nelson is in Seattle and preparing for another tour on the road with Harvey Danger, who will be appearing in Buffalo this month for the first time since 2000. One year ago this week, Harvey Danger made headlines for releasing their first album in years, Little by Little, for free over the Internet.
In the years since they dominated MTV and alternative radio, Nelson has had a full palette, doing everything from writing a book to teaching a class on songwriting. He has toured with The Long Winters, wrote for the publication The Stranger, and has lent his voice to the last three Death Cab for Cutie records. Now it is time to see what Harvey Danger is capable of once more.
With the album generating downloads and sales world-wide, Nelson has all the reason to be optimistic, even if he is still plagued by the phrase that has lingered over his band since their first album: “Obviously, you make music because you want it to be listened to, and so it’s an act of faith in our own music…We don’t care if the world thinks of us as a one-hit wonder. That’s fine—we know that we have a lot more to offer than that.”
Harvey Danger performs with So Many Dynamos and Czech Mates on October 2 at Mohawk Place. They may even play that song.
NEW DAY...LUPE
Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor
9.5/10
by Abel Germosen
Lupe Fiasco’s highly anticipated debut album, Food & Liquor, is a beautiful tapestry of society’s pros and cons presented with the bravado of Jay-Z and the moral consciousness of an artist like Common. With production from Kanye West on the track “Cool” and from the Neptunes on “I Gotcha,” Lupe provides a flashback to hip-hop’s golden era, when artists were not just concerned with having fun, but more importantly, writing meaningful lyrics. This album is a welcome departure from the sex, cars, and guns-themed albums of many mainstream hip-hop artists.
One of the emotionally charged conceptual songs on the album is “He Say She Say.” On this track, Lupe raps about an absentee father from two different points of view—the abandoned son and the single mother. Lupe uses the lyrics to indicate character changes in either verse. He raps, “I want you to be a father / he’s ya little boy / and you don’t even bother / like brother without R,” and on the next verse, he uses, “I’m ya little boy.” His versatility is just one of the aspects that keep this album fresh and interesting from beginning to end.
Lupe also looks inward on songs like “Real” and “Hurt Me Soul” where he discusses his influences and the problems with society. On “Hurt Me Soul,” Lupe talks about the hypocritical nature of our society and does not spare himself from his criticism. He says, “I ain’t tryna be the greatest / used to hate hip-hop / because the women degraded / but Too $hort made laugh / like a hypocrite I played it.” Lupe also talks about the legitimacy he hopes to bring to the music industry on “Real.”
“American Terrorist” is the most political and controversial track on the album.
He raps about Islam’s truths and misconceptions, while talking about the plight black people face in America. Lupe says, “The books that take you to heaven and you meet the lord there / have become misinterpreted reasons for warfare / we read them with blind eyes / I guarantee you there’s more there,” delivering with skill the message of this song. He poses the question of who the real terrorists are. They could be Al-Qaeda, or people who are prejudiced and commit social atrocities right here in the United States.
Food & Liquor is an exhilarating journey through the psyche of an artist who pulls inspiration from such a broad spectrum of influences that it is sure to strike a key with most people who are fans of music—just music. He released not only an excellent album, but a breath of fresh air into a genre that has become saturated with repetitive and superficial material.
A SCANDALOUS “FRING”
Cheeburger Cheeburger
9/10
by Melanie Bailey
Eating a cheeseburger in the same place where you went mattress hunting two years ago is a little weird, but c’est la vie! Sealy Sleep Center is out like Lance Bass, and Cheeburger Cheeburger is movin’ on in at the little plaza on Niagara Falls Boulevard across from Barnes and Noble.
Cheeburger Cheeburger is the newest chain restaurant added to Buffalo’s collection. It serves nostalgic 1950s-esque diner grub in a kitschy atmosphere full of Betty Boop cutouts and salmon-pink walls. Cheeburger’s menu boasts build-your-own hamburgers with free toppings ranging from American cheese to artichoke hearts, feta to sun-dried tomatoes. Cheeburger has a baffling 58 shakes in every fruit and candy bar flavor you could dream up, served in old-fashioned metal cups. They also have healthier options like chicken and vegetarian sandwiches, along with salads of the same build-your-own variety.
Now, Cheeburger is not your average burger and fries joint. This seemingly innocent “sipping a milkshake with two straws” kind of place has not gone without its share of scandal. It hails from Sanibel Island, Florida, and dates back to the 1980s. In 2003, the franchise tried to open its doors in Glenview, a suburb of Chicago, when a major lawsuit broke out between its founders and the owners of the Billy Goat Tavern, a local bar.
You may remember the 1970s SNL skit with John Belushi as a greek waiter, which made the catch phrase “cheezborger, cheezborger” famous. It just so happens that the Billy Goat was the restaurant that inspired the whole skit. By the time they filed a trademark infringement suit, 33 Cheeburger chains had already opened. The problem seemed to be Cheeburger’s moving in on Billy Goat’s territory. Eventually, Cheeburger was able to keep its name, but never opened a restaurant in Glenview.
Cheeburger’s “Famous Pounder” is a 20-ounce piece of meat on a bun for $10.65. If you finish this one and a quarter pound monster, not only does your pride explode, along with the top button of your pants, but you get your picture up on the “Wall of Famers” board.
This is definitely a cool place to grab something really tasty to eat, and the pink walls and scandalous past only add to the fun. Options like all-you-can-eat free toppings and the option to “fring” your fries (half fries and half onion rings) keep your stomach and your wallet full. My only suggestion is that they should bring back the pillow-top mattresses from Sealy’s so you can take a nap after conquering that “Pounder” with chee.
ROCKIN’ AT DARIEN
Journey & Def Leppard
8/10
by Jenn Custard-Jarosz
The majority of us are all too familiar with old school legends Journey and Def Leppard, and probably not by choice. Hysteria was probably spinning in your mother’s record player while you were still in diapers. Journey’s power ballads are either overplayed by jukebox-loving drunkards or belted out by your friends after a few rounds on Karaoke night. With both of these acts on the same bill, I was bound to be singing along to dozens of songs I’ve never intentionally listened to alone.
After preparing myself in the parking lot for the blast from the past I was about to subject myself to, I wormed my way into the enthusiastic crowd. It was much larger than I had anticipated. The air was prematurely frigid for September while the Darien Lake ground was oozing with mud. At first, Journey’s placement as the opening act of the show seemed a sound choice. Not only is Jeff Scott Soto the second replacement to the preferred vocalist Steve Perry, but the band’s drum technician was filling in for under-the-weather Deen Castronovo as well. It didn’t help that the visuals on the back screen looked like they were appropriated from Windows Media Player, either.
My doubts quickly dispersed. Soto’s strong vocals and performance were on par with those of his predecessors without mimicking them. Journey stole the limelight from the performance of their pop-metal tour mates. The rock veterans emanated both energy and skill, and tested their audience’s endurance by playing “Open Arms,” “Don’t Stop Believing,” and “Any Way You Want It” consecutively. Try wholeheartedly singing and dancing to all three in a row—it’s harder than you’d think.
Def Leppard was predictably flashier, revving the crowd with “Ready to Rock.” Feathered hair, animal print coats, bling, and leather pants were all present while the typical Union Jack motif flashed around them. Middle-aged women were screaming like it was 1987. The band ripped through fan favorites, incessantly using the word “rock” more than our beloved president says “terrorism.” “Foolin’” was the highlight of their set for me, probably due to my fondness for stuttering and the lack of the aforementioned R-word. The show dragged a bit at times, but watching drummer Rick Allen playing with one arm was a quick remedy. It didn’t take much to figure out they were going to play their notorious hit “Pour Some Sugar on Me” as the encore, but playing the ever-so-cheesy “Love Bites” right before it was something of a letdown. It mellowed out the crowd a bit too much before the big finale.
Regardless, both these bands sprung from the late ‘70s but proved they aren’t ready to be has-beens just yet. Although they’ve lost everything from lead vocalists to limbs over the last few decades, they still have the oomph to do onstage what you can’t even pull off in your basement.
CLEAN, DIRTY, & FABULOUS
Two Can’t-Miss Shops on Elmwood
9/10
by Tara Sullivan
Clothes shopping in Buffalo can be a nightmare, especially when you’re hunting for something unique. The campus is so flooded with Abercrombie hoodies and Hollister polos, it’s hard to even spot your friends. If you’re willing to spend a little extra cash for some threads that will definitely set you apart from the crowd, venture down to artsy Elmwood village.
Sweet and Dirty on 585 Potomac Drive, off Elmwood, is a quirky boutique/candy shop that will please even the pickiest hipster fashionista. The store itself is incredibly inviting. Candy jars line the counter, while beautiful (and reasonably priced) handbags are draped around the room. The shop strives to import many up-and-coming designers while incorporating some more popular ones as well.
J.Brand, Salt, and Yanuk brand jeans occupy an entire wall, indicating that the pricey denim craze has hit Buffalo. Funky skirts, edgy blazers, and sexy dresses litter the racks in various colors, styles, and prices. Unfortunately, the store is tiny so they run out of sizes fairly quickly. So, if that perfect Marc Jacobs-like tunic is calling your name, snatch it up quick! A definite bonus to Sweet and Dirty is their array of whimsical jewelry, nicely priced between $16-$30. Where else can you get a pair of sterling silver Pac-Man earrings ($30)? If your closet is in need of some spice, Sweet and Dirty will get the job done right.
For those of you who have a more classically minded sense of style, Anna Grace at 818 Elmwood may be more your speed. Shelves are lined with simple, yet elegant tees and dresses. The décor is subdued, letting the clothes speak for themselves. Minimalism rules here, and almost everything is a solid muted color, a stark contrast to from Sweet and Dirty’s vibrancy.
Anna Grace’s clothes come in a range of prices so that anyone can find not only something they love, but something they can afford. You can pick up a sharp, sleek tee for around $25 or a flirty cocktail dress from about $150. They also carry some great beauty products from Cake and Lucy B., a change of pace from traditional drug store brands. In the expensive jeans department, the shop carries Tag jeans, a brand loved by celebrities such as Jessica Simpson and Eva Longoria. For all your sexy basics, Anna Grace has got you covered.
Stop and think before you trek over to the mall to get that “oh-so-hot” shirt that half of the kids in the Student Union will be wearing. You could be supporting some great local boutiques while scoring fashion finds that will make you the envy of the crowd instead of just another face in it.
SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN LED ZEPPELIN IV
Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People & Dangerous Ideas
8/10
by Joe Speranza
Chuck Klosterman has always been a challenge for me. I really, really want to love his writing, but there is always something that prevents me from doing so. For example, his debut novel, Fargo Rock City, was funny and perceptive, but I simply couldn’t relate to the subject matter, as I am not crazy about hair-metal nor am I from rural North Dakota.
Fortunately, Klosterman’s fourth book, aptly titled Chuck Klosterman IV, is a bit more relevant. I’m not dismissing his previous work, I’m merely suggesting that his newest book is applicable to people with shorter haircuts. CK IV explores a variety of topics, and though I will probably never realize what makes Morrissey so important or why everyone is supposed to like Radiohead, there are many juicy nuggets of information one can take from the book.
CK IV is written in three parts. The first section is a collection of previously published non-fiction character profiles, the second is a collection of previously published semi-fiction columns, and the third is a fictional, semi-autobiographical account of Klosterman’s early years in the newspaper business.
The book will never bore you, but it can be easy to miss his messages. For example, when he profiles NBA player Steve Nash, he writes about how Nash is his second favorite Canadian and about what makes him a truly great basketball player. He goes about this description in an interesting, clever way. Then, when you think you understand what he’s saying, he will knock you off balance by suggesting that Steve Nash just might be a communist.
This is the core of Klosterman’s writing. He thinks outside the box. He will explain in depth why Goths love Disneyland and why Britney Spears bears a resemblance to German sociologist Max Weber. You might miss what he is trying to say, but you will, in all likelihood, enjoy it anyway.
Perhaps the highlight of the book is the ethical and moral inquiries he imparts to the reader. Before each semi-fictional column, he poses a question that will test most of the fibers of your being. If you’ve read Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, you will know exactly what I’m talking about. He asked me if I would prevent a bear from attacking my friend on the condition that it would, after that point, always be raining wherever I am. He asked if I would take a pill that would immediately make me ten percent smarter, although the rest of the world would perceive me as 20 percent dumber. He gives the reader the impression that he has a lot of time on his hands.
Read this book. You might feel stupid while reading it, but, if it’s at all possible, you will also feel smarter. That’s what Chuck Klosterman’s books do.
WHY MODELS ARE STEREOTYPED
America’s Next Top Model
1/10
by Erin McCarthy
“You gave me so many different types of dumb.” These words uttered by Tyra Banks, host of America’s Next Top Model, were definitely the theme of the show’s two-hour season premiere. The program is dumb, and Tyra is dumb. Most of the judges are dumb (exceptions being Nigel Barker and Twiggy). But the girls? Oh, they’re each dumb in their own unique, little ways.
The rib-cage baring bonanza opened with 33 girls having their photographs taken before being interviewed by a panel of judges consisting of Tyra, catwalk aficionado J. Alexander, and makeup artist Jay Manuel. Twelve finalists would be selected by the panel. My favorite one was the hillbilly stripper. She didn’t believe that she was a stripper, though she worked in a strip club and took her clothes off for money. Somehow, she felt she was just modeling. This didn’t go over well with Tyra, and the non-stripper was sent back home to model the latest in sequined g-strings for crowds of middle-aged men. It was a shame. She would have done well in the second challenge.
The second contest involved the girls posing in the nude. This proved to be difficult for some, especially Ginger, the choir girl from Kansas who didn’t believe in taking her clothes off for the camera. Doesn’t she know anything about the fashion world? Janice “I’ve nailed everyone and ingested every drug” Dickinson, the self-proclaimed world’s first supermodel used to be a judge on the show! Seriously, Ginger could learn a thing or two from Dickinson. If she wins, nudity is going to be the least of her moral concerns.
The final challenge of the show required the girls to be photographed portraying different model stereotypes (drug addict model, “I won’t get out of bed for less than $10,000” model, dumb model, etc.). Obnoxious twins Michelle and Amanda had the most disturbing shots. Both respectively posed as the anorexic and the bulimic model—not exactly what I wanted to see after eating a box of chocolate chip cookies.
The final cut came down to the boring Christian and the egotistical Melrose. After winning the first challenge, Melrose behaved like a complete diva and arrived late at the final photo shoot, which held up production. This resulted in a verbal bitch slap from Jay Manuel. Melrose then proceeded to grin throughout her shoot, even though Jay barked orders at her to look horrified. That’s exactly what I’d do if I’d put myself in a position of being canned on a reality TV show for acting like a tool. In the end, she stayed, but not without a warning from Tyra.
This show isn’t bad; it’s just boring as hell. Let’s hope that as the season progresses, some of these girls will develop into full-blown, coked-out, tear-stained model stereotypes and liven up this utterly vapid production.
¡VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!
Immortal Technique Concert
9/10
by Jason Smith
When a lot of you hear Immortal Technique you probably say, “Isn’t that the guy who raps about raping his own mother?” Well, you’re right, but Immortal Technique is about a lot more than just violent incest. Technique, as he calls himself, is quickly ushering in a new era of rap music that’s not based on how much bling you rock or how fly your bitch is. This is a new kind of hip-hop, based on reality. His work deals with exposing government hypocrisy and social injustice, and his social consciousness is gaining him a huge underground following. Blending radical ideas, insanely disrespectful insults, and twisted humor, Technique creates a new kind of revolutionary rap. His talent is raw yet polished, as he says, “AIDS-infested child molesters aren’t sicker than me.”
I saw this modern day revolutionary at the 9/11 Truth Breakthrough weekend in NYC. As the headliner of the event, Immortal Technique came out in his signature camouflage, brimmed hat, and a shirt with the Statue of Liberty packing heat, carrying a handgun instead of a torch. He came out spitting “No Mercy,” a popular cut off his first album, with nothing to back him but his crew of five big guys and his DJ, G.I. Joe. Technique dropped murderous lines like, “I’ll fake your parent’s suicide and kill you in the orphanage,” working up the crowd. He did a few songs off his upcoming release that had the same brutally truthful style that we’ve come to expect from Technique.
He also went into a few classics that played into the crowd’s energy like, “Industrial Revolution,” “Cause of Death,” and “The Fourth Branch,” which candidly discuss social taboos like the funding the United States gave to Al-Qaeda, the chemical weapons given to Iraq, depleted Uranium, and media censorship. The crowd, primarily consisting of 9/11 “conspiracy theorists,” ate it up. At one point in the show, someone tripped over a wire and the beat cut out. This did not even faze Technique—he just kept going a cappella like a true professional and started free styling, “spitting off the top of the brain.”
As the finale, after the song “One,” Technique told the crowd to raise their fists in the air, in a revolutionary salute. Surprisingly, he told everyone not to face him, but to turn around towards the door, because “it’s not about me, it’s about what’s going on out there.” The crowd then joined him in a chant of “¡Viva la Revolución!” which echoed through the Great Hall at Cooper Union followed by riotous applause. The show was brilliant and inspiring. It was great to be around people who really care about what goes on in the world and want to do something about it. Viva la Revolución.
SMILE! YOU’RE ON SANYO CAMERA!
Sanyo VPC-C5
9/10
by Melanie Bailey
Many of you might be wondering if you should bother reading about such an expensive product, as the Sanyo VPC-C5 weighs in at $499.95 and many of us are clinging on to that last 20 dollars in our pockets. Well, I wanted to help out a former roommate.
She used to leave her webcam on by accident when she left the room, so I thought it would be nice if I did some research to ensure that next time she decides to accidentally record her unsuspecting roommates she would get the best in picture quality. Here’s a tip: no matter how much your roommate or boyfriend may insist, the red light doesn’t mean the webcam is off.
The Sanyo VPC-C5 is the one of the sleekest, sexiest digital media cameras on the market. This little wallet-draining gem offers some of the latest in digital technology, including a two-inch LCD screen, video, photo, and webcam capabilities, and features that would make even an experienced photographer swoon.
Possibly the best feature of this high quality VPC-C5 is its MPEG-4 digital video, which records at 30 frames per second. It’s virtually perfect. After all, who would want fuzzy, choppy footage? Peepers everywhere, my ex-roommate included, agree grainy visuals are simply unacceptable. The Sanyo will give your Internet stalkers the super sharp images and fluid video streams they need to feel like they are right there in the room changing their clothes with you.
The still-frame capability is also perfect for narcissistic camera-lovers who feel the need to have a little screen time themselves. Sanyo is ready for any photo-op, whether it is borderline amateur porn for the World Wide Web, or capturing drunken moments shared with buddies.
Of course, the stereo recording cannot go unmentioned. For those times when you’re too busy framing the two drunken girls kissing at a party and miss out on the conversation, the sound of the Sanyo VPC-C5 is not only impeccable, but handy. It will also allow your roommate to relay every detail of your private conversations to their eager friends so that all of your personal tidbits can be heard by everyone. After all, isn’t sharing private information the new black?
The Sanyo VPC-C5 is a high-quality product that gives great results and clear pictures to photographers of every caliber, from picky tourists to sleazy roommates. Watch out, though, because some people might not be as understanding as I am, and could get someone to spank it into your shampoo bottle the next time you feel the creative urge to do some independent filmmaking. That surprising lift you’ll get won’t be from your Pantene.
