Student Life Archives

If you’re planning on seeing “Last Days,” Gus Van Sant’s eulogy of Kurt Cobain, do yourself a favor: bring an iPod, a six-pack, an easy date-anything to keep you occupied during its two hours of mumbling, glacier-like crawl. Okay, okay, so it’s not that bad-William Pitt basically is Kurt, right down to his stringy blond locks and thumb-cut sweaters. It’s just that its snail’s pace makes “My Dinner With Andre” seem like “Total Recall” by comparison. C-SPAN Books is roughly 14 times as exciting.

What Van Sant does manage to accomplish, however, is the further canonization of one of the greatest musical figures of the 20th century. Kurt Cobain, even before his tragic suicide and martyr-like apotheosis, was truly the bard of his times. His heartfelt lyrics and conflicted struggle with fame struck a chord with a whole generation of slackers and skeptic Gen X’ers. To this day there’s hardly a better summation of feeling than a line like “I am my own parasite, I don’t need a host to live / We feed off of each other, we can share our endorphins.” Though he died a “rock ‘n’ roll clich‚,” as Van Sant has Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon say in the film, he’s a clich‚ whose portrait fits nicely in the long line that runs through Dylan, Reed, Costello, Rotten, and Morrissey (ironically, none of which are dead).

Since 1994, Cobain has remained the last scion of that lineage. Sure, recognizable pop stars come a dime a dozen, and it’s quite possible (though shameful) that the average Rolling Stone reader could identify Fred Durst just as easily. But the ’90s and ’00s have yet to produce a legitimate heir to Cobain’s throne, the throne of the artist whose work is incalculably earth-shattering and genre-crossing, and whose genius would have shone through no matter who the band backing them up-no offense, Dave Grohl and Kris Novoselic.

I know where I’m at fault here. I’m giving too much merit to terms like “canon” and “genius” and “Fred Durst” (you can never not be giving Fred Durst too much merit), when in fact such thinking is outdated, chauvinistic, rock fanboy claptrap. Pop music isn’t made by exceptional people, it’s made by the various scenes and movements and environments that produce it. “It’s not made by great men,” as the Gang of Four might say.

As it happens, however, you really can document the number of artists that picked up a guitar because they heard Dylan singing “Like a Rolling Stone,” or Lou Reed doing “Heroin,” or Patti Smith playing “Gloria” at CBGB’s one night-just ask them. Kurt Cobain is no exception to this tradition, although I’m not sure whether to thank him or kidney-punch him for groups like Silverchair and Bush. (No wait, I’m sure.) The only comparable band since has been Radiohead, but notice I say band; nobody’s going to forget Thom Yorke’s pasty, lazy-eyed mug, but he’s simply not an individual force like Kurt. He’s the lead singer of the band Radiohead. (Where have they been for the past three years, anyway?)

Any other contenders? If you squint hard enough, Coldplay’s Chris Martin is Thom Yorke and Bono’s bastard love child, but Martin isn’t rock god material for the same reasons that Bono fails to be. You’re more likely to see him on the cover of “People,” kissing Gwyneth, than anywhere else, just as Bono is probably shaking hands with Desmond Tutu while simultaneously fundraising for the Chronic Bedwetters Fund as you read this. You can admire them for their art and philanthropy (and I do appreciate what Bono has done with his success), but they aren’t tortured, introspective geniuses.

As Van Sant’s tedious film shows, Kurt Cobain is such a genius, still worth thinking about, and probably the last. Will there be another like him? We’re still waiting.

movies.yahoo.com

After stealing the show in both “Bruce Almighty” and “Anchorman,” Steve Carell has finally been given the chance to see if he can successfully be the star of a movie. As Andy Stitzer, Carell plays a sweet, geeky electronics store worker who has a large collection of action figures, watches “Survivor” with his elderly neighbor, and has never had sex, despite the fact that he is 40 years old (if you were unable to figure that out from the almost riddle-like title). Andy is not a virgin for religious reasons but rather had a series of setbacks in his youth, and as time marched on he just gave up on all aspects of his love life. After being asked to join a poker game by some fellow employees (Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, and Seth Rogen), the guys discover that Andy is still a virgin and make it their goal in life to get him a girl and some action, although not necessarily in that order.

Fortunately for Steve Carell, the character he plays is both likeable and not a one note joke like his most recent forays, i.e. the smarmy anchor or the mentally handicapped weather man. Catherine Keener also puts in a good performance as she usually does. Seth Rogen is definitely the funniest member of Andy’s buddies, as Paul Rudd has a very middling performance playing a pretty uninteresting character.

The movie is sweet at times, but also manages to be one of the raunchiest movies since “There’s Something About Mary.” The ways in which the movie punishes the sincere, mild Andy are some of the most painful and yet funniest moments ever committed to film. The movie also has some of the most horribly awkward moments this side of the answering machine scene in “Swingers.” The movie vacillates between raunchy sex romp, buddy film, and romantic comedy with each part managing to do well, but it makes the film seem a bit disjointed at times.

“The 40 Year Old Virgin” is the funniest and possibly dirtiest movie of the year, narrowly edging out the also hilarious and coarse “Wedding Crashers,” but in the end, also manages to have a lot of heart.

Dan Daranciang

To listen to Henry Schvey talk about theater is to experience a true performance. The chair of the Performing Arts Department for 18 years, he talks about theater with the unashamed excitement of a scientist or a mathematician-as though he had just discovered it in a laboratory the previous evening and is now ready to unleash it upon humanity.

For Schvey, after all, theater is every bit as powerful and important as any scientist’s invention. When na‹ve Greeks began to transform ritual into what ultimately became ancient Western theater, they were unaware of themselves as historical figures. In today’s theater, the weight of the past bears down heavily on the present.

“Theater is a 2,500-year-old tradition of investigation,” he noted. “It’s important we don’t forget that.” Schvey, however, is not interested in cursory overviews of theatrical history for its own sake. Rather, he sees understanding the history of theater and its role in society as essential to preserving its delicate value, consistently under attack by people who wish to trivialize, if not emasculate it.

Enter the Performing Arts Department at Washington University. Unlike Broadway, the MUNY, or Division I football, the PAD has the ability to choose its works primarily for aesthetic rather than for commercial purposes. According to Schvey, this is not a minor distinction.

“I’m not interested in doing fluff,” he said. “We want to do theater that matters. Theater should affect people’s lives, and whatever we try to do, that is in the background.” The PAD’s 2005-2006 season seems to follow those guidelines. The first performance scheduled for the second week of October, to be directed by Jeffrey Matthews, is “Hair,” a musical set amidst the Vietnam War and the social protest movements of 1968. “Ipi Zombi,” scheduled for late January, to be directed by senior Pushkar Sharma, takes on superstitiously motivated lynching in modern day South Africa. Lastly is another musical, “Violet,” scheduled in April, to be directed by Annamaria Pileggi, is a story set in the racially charged American South of 1964. While some of the PAD’s previous musicals-“Guys and Dolls” and “Into the Woods”-are less known for their political commentary, Schvey promises that this year will be different. He anticipates “Hair” in particular, with an unpopular war as its subject, to have contemporary political significance. “There is a political strain” to this year’s season, he said. “Even ‘Much Ado [about Nothing],” the Shakespearian comedy he will direct in late February. “It’s one of the first feminist texts.”

Though a large part of the PAD’s success comes with the plays it chooses-the committee will start planning next year’s plays in one week-it never hurts to have great productions. Despite casts filled with busy underclassmen with demanding schedules, Schvey is pleased with this year’s crop of young actors, directors, designers, and technicians. “I feel great,” he said, as if he felt that he had to say what even his tone of voice could not fully convey. “We have an amazing faculty, and amazing students. I’m very excited.”

The days of thinking there’s nothing to see in St. Louis besides the Arch and the Anheuser-Busch brewery are over. And while the Loop, the Central West End, and other places within the Wash. U. shuttle limits offer hours of exploration and cultural “edutainment” (educational entertainment), the sprawling city is home to areas like Midtown and Tower Grove Park, to which the MetroLink and Metrobuses can accommodate adventurous transportation. St. Louis is teeming with inventive, underground, and eclectic concert venues, restaurants, parks, theatres, museums and activities waiting to be discovered and experienced.

Eldorado Cruise

If cheesy Mississippi riverfront cruises and mass bus tours aren’t your bag, why not try sight-seeing that’s more in tune with one’s grassroot inclinations? For those not wary of “stranger danger” (or those willing travel with at least one friend and a cell phone with 911 pre-dialed and a thumb hovering over the “talk” button), a more informal tour of the city may be in order. Imagine cruising the streets of St. Louis in a white 1972 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible while local celebrity Steven Fitzpatrick Smith perches behind the wheel recounting stories about the city’s music scene, historic neighborhoods, and even its seedier underbelly. Relish the thought? Well imagine no more, because all of these quirky details come included with the unique service Smith endearingly termed the River City Lowlife Tours. The tours are personalized and tailored to the interests of the customers. Call Steven at (314) 680-3955 or e-mail [email protected] for rates and times.

Spend-thrift

While titles such as the International Bowling Museum or a local wax museum may seem too kitschy to be fun, you may find yourself swept away into a whole day of amusement or edutainment for a student discount price, or even for free at some museums. Art galleries and artist bazaars produce some of the best free sights and sounds in several areas like the downtown Washington Ave. Also check out Cherokee St., fondly referred to as “antique row” by locals, where you can spot a gigantic wooden statue on the corner of Jefferson Ave. while thrifting at vintage stores for hand-knit treasures or bargaining with a store owner to lower the price on that bright orange rotary phone you simply cannot leave without.

Glass Factory

From 6-10 p.m. on every third Friday of every month, the Third Degree Glass Blowing Factory, founded by Wash. U. alum Jim McKelvey, provides free glass blowing demonstrations and live music in their spacious warehouse filled with colorful one of a kind glass pieces by professional and student artists alike. Located at 5200 Delmar Blvd., the Factory is open from 10 am to 5 pm Mondays through Saturdays and offers evening classes. For more details visit www.stlglass.com or call (314) 367-4527.

Dine-in

After a long day of combing the secret crevices of the Gateway to the West, head to the all night South City Diner on S. Grand for some decent food at decent prices and 1950s ambience. Be prepared for an impromptu dance party, as the patrons tend to have more energy at 3 a.m. than most St. Louisans. After spending time in the diner, you’re well on the way to becoming one of them.

Music Mania

The concert enthusiast in you may be looking for a place to listen to a couple of bands without having to deal with the stadium crowds and ticket prices of larger venues like the Savis Center. If you see a middle-aged man with dark, floppy hair, you may have spotted Beatle Bob, another local celebrity, who makes it his priority to attend independent concerts on an almost nightly basis. Venues like the Rocket Bar, the Creepy Crawl, and Mississippi Nights offer low-key settings with lesser-known, but much beloved bands. St. Louis also boasts a rich musical history, producing some of the first and finest blues, jazz, and rock artists of the 20th century. Scott Joplin’s house doubles as a historic landmark and music museum.

Other places to check out

Laumeier Sculpture Park
www.laumeier.com
– consists of wide meadows with a collection over 80 internationally created sculpture with indoor galleries and an indoor museum shop
– admission: free

International Bowling Museum and Baseball Hall of Fame
www.bowlingmuseum.com
– admission: $7.50

Black World History Wax Museum
– collection of murals and 16 wax exhibits that tell a story about the history of African Americans
– admission: $5 adults

Art Loft Theatre
www.geocities.com/artlofttheatre