Friday January 13, 2006 arts. michigandaily. com artspage@michigandaily.com R TeStn Btilg 5 Courtesy o f A "I'm a Phoenix, bitch." Gritty cop show still the best on television Courtesy of No Fun The Hard Lessons will perform at the Half- ass tonight at 9:30 p.m. By Adam Rottenberg Daily Arts Editor MICHIGAN BAND BRINGS ROCK'N'ROLL TO THE HALFASS By Kimberly Chou Daily Arts Writer As the guitarist and vocalist for raucous garage band the Hard Lessons, Agostino Visoc- chi has lived through a variety of shows and venues: His band has fit- ted bills alongside fellow Detroiters the White Stripes and the Von Bon- dies, played sold-out clubs across the country and opened last June's annual anniversary fete for popular The Hard Lessons Tonight at 9:30 p.m. At the Halfass alt-rock radio station 89X. "The 89X Birthday Bash was the biggest crowd we'd ever played for - just thousands and thousands of kids," Visocchi said. "The gig went perfectly." But they haven't played the Halfass. The Hard Lessons will headline tonight at East Quad Residence Hall's peculiarly dubbed basement venue. This will be the rock trio's first time at the Halfass, although the band frequents Ann Arbor's Blind Pig and the Elbow Room in Ypsilanti. "We'd heard about it," Visocchi said. "When I went to Michigan State there was Common Ground (MSU's Halfass equivalent) and I played there with my old band." The members of the Hard Lessons met at MSU. Along with Visocchi, drummer Christophe "The Anvil" Zajac-Denek and multi-instrumentalist Korin "Koko Louise" Cox round out the group. After eight hours of recording in Detroit followed by several more rehearsing with side-project Mood Elevator- "I'm filling in for Brendan Benson," Visoc- chi said - he was affable and excited over the phone. The frontman champions all-ages shows at student- run venues like the Halfass. "It's awesome," Visocchi said. "We play a place in Flint - all-ages shows, they sell candy bars and soda pop. The kids come out and they want to see live rock'n'roll." He loves that young crowds show up for the music, not just to get trashed and mess around. Visocchi - who usually goes by Augie, and occa- sionally Gin - uses the phrase "rock'n'roll" often. Not just "rock," or "rock music," but the full term - it's a precious comment that smells faintly of garage-grunge overachievement (or perhaps just enthusiasm). "We're proud to play rock'n'roll music," Visocchi said. "We're influenced by everything. A lot of bands say that, but with us, I really feel that it's true." For the record, he counts Staxx, Volt and Motown records as primary influences. "We're also really influenced by (the classics)," Visocchi said. "We do a cover of Neil Young's 'Hey Hey My My' in our set. It's really fitting because (of the line) 'Rock'n'roll will never die.'" The Hard Lessons hit the stage with a raw, sandpaper- tough attitude, accentuated by Zajac-Denek's animalis- tic drumming and sweetened by Cox's vocals. Their style plays on the retro-rock revival of the early 2000s, with imprints of their aforementioned R&B and classic rock influences. Though the band is a trio, Visocchi said people always In their everyday patrols, the police straddle the thin line between right and wrong. Countless coP The Shield dramas have explored this trope, FX but none more suc- cessfully and grippingly than FX's "The Shield."In season four, embattled detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis, "Fantastic Four") must finally face the consequences of his brutal brand of justice. At the start of the season, Mackey finds his career in shambles. His pre- cious Strike Team has been disassem- bled and he's under orders to dispense justice by the book. Captain David Acev- eda (Benito Martinez, "Million Dollar Baby") has finally moved on to his post at Los Angeles City Council, leaving a gaping hole at the top of the Barn. While Mackey isn't exactly sad to see Aceveda go, his life is turned upside down by the arrival of the new captain - and it's not who everyone expects. By going against the grain and shaking up the status quo, season four challenges viewers' preconceived notions about the show and its characters. Detective Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder, "Face/Off") could easily have been selected as the new captain, since she was Aceveda and the Chief's hand- picked successor, and, as a plot device, it might have provided enough of a spark for most series. But "The Shield" took a different route. The creators brought in Glenn Close ("The Stepford Wives") to play Monica Rawling, the new captain - and she nearly steals the show from Chiklis, which is no small feat. The giant shake-up plays out well. All the officers that viewers have come to know and love must adjust to new roles and relationships. But playing nice has never been Mackey's strong suit, and it's not long before he and Rawling come into conflict. As bad as the internal struggles of the Barn may be, they pale in compari- son to the growing tensions in its patrol- ling district of Farmington. Another new cast member, Anthony Anderson ("Hustle & Flow"), plays the "reformed" gang member Antwon Mitch- ell. Anderson turns in a surprisingly strong performance as a man whose actions are far less noble than they initially appear. Season four takes the series and tips it onto its head. Most of the friendships and alliances in the Barn are completely inverted. Mackey and his trusted partner, Shane Vendrell (Walton Goggins, "The Bourne Identity"), find themselves at odds over Shane's connections to Antwon. Even the partnership between Claudette and Dutch (Jay Karnes, "The Next Best Thing") is put to the test when she thinks he has an illicit agreement with the D.A. There's a reason for the abundance of buzz surrounding "The Shield." It's sim- ply the most captivating cop show on tele- vision. In fact, it's the best police drama since "Homicide: Life On the Street" ended its run in 1998. The DVD set does this remarkable season justice by providing insightful epi- sode commentaries and riveting deleted scenes. These extra features only augment a show that's done what few other series have accomplished: keeping a good thing fresh and constantly improving. comment on the amount of sound they produce for such a stripped-down band. The Hard Lessons played their first gig at a MSU Bat- tle of the Bands three years ago - then billed as the Boll Weevils - and they've played more than 200 shows since. Even if you're not from metro Detroit, Visocchi said, "Chances are we've played (your) state." Between setting spring tour dates and recording their upcoming album, the Hard Lessons check another venue off their list tonight at the Halfass. Show: ****1 Special Features: *** Virtuoso brings Mo zart to Hill1 Aud. By Jack Russo Daily Arts Writer Leif Ove Andsnes first came to Ann Arbor in January 1997, collaborating with the Detroit Symphony Orches- tra. Back in town Leif Ove tomorrow at 8 p.m. Andsnes at Hill Audito- and the rium, he is excited Norwegian to arrive with the Chamber Norwegian Cham- ber Orchestra to Orchestra bring what he calls Saturday at 8 p.m. "the greatest trea- Tickets $10-$65 sure" - that is, the At Hill Auditorium sounds of Mozart's piano concertos. Andsnes, age 35, is a piano virtuoso who works both as a soloist and with ensembles around the world. Besides the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, this season brings Andsnes in contact with the Philharmonic orchestras of Tokyo, Berlin and Los Ange- les, Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Vienna's Musikverein. Since his inaugural University Music Society appearance in '97, he has worked Innovative student musical 'Green Eyes' mixes media at Duderstadt By Aaron Kaczander Daily Arts Writer Courtesy of UMS Leif Ove Andsnes will perform Saturday at 8 p.m. at Hili Auditorium. primarily with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. He favors the NCO because it is a project orchestra. "This is not ... full-time," Andsnes said. "Some members are freelance musi- cians or have other jobs. We get together eight times a year, so this is a highlight for all the players." Andsnes will direct and play in the opening and ending pieces of the pro- gram. The first, his personal favorite, is Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 14 in E flat Major, K. 449. Despite the piece's short phrases, Andsnes said there are "still so many things happening." He also said that the last work of the program, Mozart's piano concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466, was Beethoven's favorite. "It is the most dramatic concerto by Mozart," he said. "Absolutely wonderful. Restlessness and fright and innocent and beautiful." The program also includes Mozart's Serenade in G Major, "Eine kleine Nach- tmusik" and Beethoven's String Quartet, Op. 135, arranged by Terje Tonnesen. Andsnes has been recognized with many prestigious awards, including three Gramophone Awards. Recently, Vanity Fair magazine included Andsnes as one of its "Best of the Best" in January 2005. Andsnes revels in the opportunity to conduct and play simultaneously, both for personal enjoyment and a sense of historical nostalgia. "(It's) so fun playing and leading at the same time," he said. "The communication is so direct. This is the way Mozart did ... he conducted from the piano; there was no conductor back then." With Mozart's music to ignite their per- formance, Andsnes and the spirited Nor- wegian Chamber Orchestra should erupt powerfully tomorrow at Hill. "I hope the audience will experience what I experi- ence playing with them (the NCO)," he said. "There is so much energy and vital- ity ... We smile when we're done." The cast and crew of "Green Eyes" have plenty to celebrate. The original show, conceived and writ- ten by musical theater senior Brian Maz- zaferri, culminates months of laboring Green Eyes into a two-night stand of song, dance and Tonight and technical wizardry. Tondgy and There are soaring voices, impeccable Saturday at 7 dance routines, stunning special effects and 10 p.m. and a troop of trained performers. Free Everything that the Musical Theater and At the Dance programs at the University strive Duderstadt Center to teach is on display this weekend in the Duderstadt Center Video and Performance Studio on North Campus - and it's all done from the pockets and hearts of the most dedicated people in the program. This show was created, funded and produced entirely by School of Music students. The production, though supported by School of Music faculty, was funded by the small crew and relies on volunteers, friends and former collaborators who* together help Mazzaferri make his songs more tangible for a live audience. "Green Eyes," a unique combination of two vocalists and two dancers, follows the rise and fall of two young lovers' romance. "It really hits the emotional high points over the course of the relationship," Mazzaferri said. In addition to dance routines and vocal duets, some previ- ously recorded dance numbers are projected onto the three screens in the video studio, creating a visceral exercise in per- formance artistry. The performers include senior vocalist Nick Blaemire, senior dancer Melissa Bloch, sophomore vocalist Caitlin Smith and sophomore dancer Alex Springer. "The show's a real genre-crosser; it borrows elements of dance, musical theater and pop music," Mazzaferri said. "It's been really rewarding. The creative team, the performers, just an amazing experience." Mazzaferri has been a songwriter for four years and wrote the "Green Eyes" melodies entirely on guitar. The challenge in making the musical come to life was coordinating the nearly 15 Music students, since the show's rehearsals and planning had to be implemented into many already-stuffed schedules. Music senior and dance major Lizzie Leopold directed "Green Eyes" and choreographed the dance-and-video projec- tion routines. "We had to rent an industrial fogger and cross our fingers," Leopold said. The fog machines are integrated with the video projections to create an effect of lucid memory, and, ultimately, undying love and devotion. "The reason this is going to work is because everyone who jumped into it totally owned what they're doing. These are the best people in each field," Leopold said. The song-and-dance routines are accompanied by a full five-piece orchestra, arranged by senior musical theater student Eli Zoller. Zoller helped Mazzaferri transition the music and concepts a into full-blown show. "You're worried about staying true to the songwriter's inten- tions, but once Brian gave me the green light, his trust was the most gratifying feeling," Zoller said. "Here we are, a bunch of college students doing it on our own - that's the scariest thing - but we're having a lot of fun." "Green Eyes" stands as a testament to the School of Music's dedication to cultivating performers, and most importantly, exemplifies the way a persistent group of friends can create a show that's artistically original. "It's a new, fresh work that delivers a message and has a very clear artistic intent. Nowadays in the arts that's rare, and I believe it's what should be valued," Zoller said. Socially conscious Kweli mix-tape masters lyrics and beat By Anthony Babw TlS1__ A -- AI7 Sa.... ferences in today's hip hop, I th 0 po o;11t~roo 4Po TaliihKweli I commercial enough to sell millions. 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