Tuesday October 4, 2005 arts. michigandaily. com artseditor@michigandaily.com R TSe irligan ttly 11 . .. .. ........ TREVORCAMPBELL/Daily Claudio Sanchez plays at the State Theatre. Appeasing the Crowd By Amos Barshad Daily Arts Writer The high school kids were out in full force - Sunday night curfew be damned - to see their prog-rock emo heroes Coheed & Cambria make a triumphant return to the State Coheed & Theatre in Detroit. Cambria For the lip pierced, Sunday not yet tattooed State Theatre masses, the judg- _ ment had been cast before they even entered the building. Short of delivering a full set's worth of Enya covers, nothing Claudio Sanchez and the boys could have done would have let those kids down. Supporting Coheed as an opener was Seattle screamo outfit Blood Brothers, who got a fervent reception from the crowd. The fact is, most of the sixteen-year-olds were ready to blow from the get go. Blood Brothers can be extremely distasteful to some - two singers who screech with equal aplomb and one who reaches heights heretofore unknown to all but the eunuchs. While Jordan Blilie's fal- setto wasn't as high live as on the record, somehow, it managed to be more annoy- ing. While the band flailed with gusto, they seemed a step behind. Other than the midtempo "Crimes," which received a proper epic treatment and gave the band a chance to catch their breath, Blood Broth- ers' spastic acrobatics failed to compen- sate for a lackluster set. Coheed & Cambria came out com- pletely hidden behind clouds of smoke, as Sanchez's guitar drone built the antici- pation. Four years ago, this band was a supporting act playing in run-down night- clubs. Now they're on stage at the State, with 5,000 eager fans staring back at them. Clearly, they had to have an appro- priately over-the-top stage show. Smoke machines, rainbow lighting and a winged guillotine all had steady work thrdughout the night. Sanchez pulled out all the tricks of the Eddie Van Halen School of Guitar Shred- ding. Behind his gigantic puff of hair, he played the frontman role to a tee. "A Favor House Atlantic" inspired a rabid sing-along and "Everything Evil" brought screams of approval from the opening notes. When they pulled out the slow jams, the high school kids waved their lighters without irony. To be truthful, Coheed's poppy metal shtick is not overly gripping, with the same slow-intro-to-anthemic-chorus frame- work repeated in almost every song. And while Sanchez has oodles of energy, the rest of the band moved around as much as the stage props. Still, not one of those kids seemed to mind. By the time the band came back for an encore of "In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth," fans had gotten what they'd come for. Courtesy of Sony These jeans were made for sittin'. FRANZ CAN'T HAVE IT MUCH BETTERON SOPHOMORE DISC By Aaron Kaczander Daily Arts Writer Initial rumors suggested that Franz Ferdinand wanted to brand their second album with only their iconic Helvetica symbol - again. The boys scrapped this Fr in favor of an uncharacteristi- ranz cally lengthy, albeit telling, new Ferdinand record title. You Could Have It You Could So Much Better still has only Have It So the band name emblazoned on Much Better its cover, but now a woman of Sony Lichtenstein-esque Benday dots shouts out, "This is the Franz you long for." Or she should, at least. The return of the highly marketable Scottish lads Franz Ferdinand skip over the sopho- more slump, with the pace to lasting rock stability quickly hastening. After tirelessly sashaying their wiry brand of dance rock around the world in sup- port of their 2004 self-titled debut, Franz wasted no time in bringing the songwriting of the road back to the studio. You Could Have It So Much Better basically extends the mood and style of Franc Ferdinand.. For these four Glaswegians, this is clearly not a pattern they're interested in altering. If Franz can pump out danceable disco beats, slicing guitars and androgy- nous lyrics on a consistent basis, change ain't all that necessary. Singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos's 1970s lounge-lush vocals and bassist Bob Hardy's bouncy rhythmic touches make for a blazing, head nodding pace that doesn't stop for 41 minutes. No high-profile record should be criticized for sounding too much like what fans and critics want. The fact is, these guys are nearly faultless in what they do. This formula is by all means acceptable. They're gonna continue to wear their ascots and make kids who are all too often afraid to get on a dance floor leave the wall and embarrass them- selves in a fit of jerky movement. Still, for those looking for more introspective tunes and less of the usual hi-hat heavy shtick, there is more variety on You Could than their debut. The fiery numbers that recount the way Franz shot to the top of college as well as Top 40 charts last year dominate the front half of the album. The lead single, "Do You Want To," is a blustery recre- ation of "Take Me Out," complete with disco-beat chorus and cleverly unpredictable time signature. Yet, it is not "Take Me Out"; It's bouncy and fun, but it's unpredictability makes for an entirely new single. This is admittedly what makes the first half of You Could some of the better 25 minutes of music this year. The choruses keep switching, melodies are rearranged halfway through the songs and Kapranos and Co. keep finding a new way to make heads nod. Medium-tempo gems like "Walk Away" suggest that there is new sonic territory to be explored. "This Boy," the strongest track on the record, has a robotic guitar line and undeniably weird chorale yell that is so jarring it takes two lis- tens to fully appreciate its artistry. On the back end of the album, Franz takes plenty of opportunity to let their frantic rock gems breathe with a trio of slower tunes. "Fade Together" offers some light Scottish love fluff, but the strength lies within "Eleanor Put Your Boots On." This acoustic guitar and grand piano-driven track sans drums boasts a vintage production like something their pop rock pre- decessors might've recorded 35 years ago. What makes You Could Have It So Much Bet- ter so great is not its indelible resemblance to post- punk stalwarts Gang of Four or Wire. It's not the fact that Franz basically reconstructed their self- titled debut with a handful of mellowed tunes to blur the pace. It's obviously not the Benday dots on the cover. It's the fact that Franz is simply taking what they do best and reapplying it in ways that are simply impossible to resist. The buzz band may be back, but this album proves that Franz can beat the hype hump. New By Michelle Zelle For the Daily ii IIII R EVIEW After his Oscar in 2003, directo Roman Polansk returns to the screen with a remake o "Oliver Twist. Although his ver sion adds nothinl new, Polanski' talented cast an $60-million budge adaptation. Based on the nov "Oliver Twist" follo Oliver (newcomer] abusive living situa England. After ft orphanage, workho with a mortician, ( town and hikes 70 n he finds relief and pick-pocketing pre- learns he's not suite he struggles to esca Screenwriter Ro 'Twist of realism ers also worked with Polanski on "The Pia- nist") ignores a subplot about discovering Oliver's family identity, This omission, as 1'lI well as the deletion of a ghost from the novel, heightens the level of realism. win for "The Pianist" The result is astraightforward adapta- >r tion that will likely be forgotten among so i many others. But Polanski's uncommonly n Oliver Twist vivid images of Victorian London could f help the film distinguish itself over time. At Sho as1e6 The dreary alleys and dungeons re-created r- son set in Prague have detail and precision g Tristar that the older versions can't match. s The movie also finds unique inspiration d in its cast. Ben Kingsley ("House of Sand t amount to a worthy and Fog") as Fagin, leader of the pick- pocketing gang, captures the grotesque, vel by Charles Dickens, slightly insane qualities of the character. ws 10-year-old orphan Clark and a group of other child actors are Barney Clark) through charismatic and lively. And Kingsley's ations in 19th century murderous sidekick Bill (Jamie Foreman) unneling through an has a fear-inspiring grimace that makes use and apprenticeship him the perfect screen villain. Oliver finally flees his Really, Polanski's major setback is his niles to London. There dubious decision to retell such a familiar shelter with a band of tale. But it seems like the director wanted teens. But when Oliver to convey the enduring importance of d for a life of thievery, the story to a new generation, and as an pe the crime cycle. orphan himself, he is able to do it with 'Conunander' smart and strong, despite clich6s By Ben Megargel For the Daily TLVR** Under the always-rumored Hillary Clinton presidential candidacy in 2008 comes "Com- mander in Chief," a Rod Lurie-directed show that tackles the nation's pos- sible reaction to a female president. Despite clich6d Commander in Chief Tuesday at 9 P.M. ABC a firm, measured woman of great resolve. In the opening episode, the president suffers an aneurysm, and . despite the pleas of several detrac- tors, including the president him- self, Allen becomes the first female Commander in Chief. Her appearance is perfectly attuned to political fashion with conservative pantsuits and practical hairstyle that contrast to the fiery red hue of her locks. Instead of being an all powerful, Joan of Arc-style ultra-feminist, Davis shows shades of grey and feelings of doubt. On several occasions she concedes that a woman in the presidency might not be the most stable decision, espe- cially during war. A skilled ensemble cast is also introduced to complement Davis's central position. Donald Sutherland, ("M*A*S*H") plays House Speaker Nathan Templeton, Davis's key rival and opponent. Sutherland is deli- ciously evil in the role, attempting to sabotage Davis at all costs, even cut- ting the prompter for Davis's speech. He is direct, opinionated and cruel - the dramatic yin to Davis's yang. Davis's husband, Rod Allen (Kyle Secor, "St. Elsewhere"), provides the necessary comic relief through- out the serious debut. Demoted from a position with the Chief of Staff to First Husband, Rod is forced to choose the salad dressing and color scheme for his office like many of the First Ladies before him. The acting is not the show's only strong point. "Commander" resemr bles an expensive movie more than a typical TV show. The program's editing is flawless and the camera work engaging. The only sizeable drawback is that at times the writing seems contrived or forced. Often the actors spout cli- chad lines, and the dialogue screams for a touch of reality. However, if one is willing to give into the premise, "Commander In Chief" becomes highly entertaining and appealing. The possibilities for plotlines seem endless and "Com- mander" may prove to be the next ABC ratings hit. moments, a strong, experienced cast, high production value redeem the show from the "West Wing" rejec- tion box. "Commander" stars Academy Award-winner Geena Davis as Vice president Mackenzie Allen, nald Harwood (Who impressive poignancy. I COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS THE EARTH INSTITUTE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Earn your MPA in Environmental Science and Policy The Master of Public Administration Program in Environmental Science and Policy combines Columbia University's hands-on approach I/ to teaching public policy and administration with pioneering thinking about the environment. This twelve-month program takes ... place at Columbia University's.. . . New York campuses.