8D - Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Michigan Daily - michigandaityco
80 - Tuesday, September 8, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michiciandailv.com
ANN ARBOR BANDS
From Page 3D
album's selling power - their faith
in the bands themselves is all the
assurance they need.
Thisgrassrootssupportisunique
to these smaller, more homegrown
shops, creating a sense of hospital-
ity that larger retailers can't offer.
"They love what they do," says
Caleb Dillon of Starling Electric,
a vibrant quartet which released
its stunning Clouded Staircase
last year, and will be playing at the
Blind Pig Friday night with Light-
ning Love. "Just like us, when they
hear something they really love,
they go out and tell people about
it."
Despite so much support from
all involved in the local scene, the
student crowd as a whole doesn't
always reflect their enthusiasm.
It's hard to blame them, consider-
ing the array of parties and clubs
that decorate Ann Arbor nightlife,
though many would say students
just have too much going on.
"It seems like (students) are
pulled in a lot of directions at once.
They're involved with too many
things to take the time to come
out to shows all the time," Caleb
said. "And ina city as active as Ann
Arbor, it's difficult to know every-
thing that's going on atonce."
But behind the cynicism and
unimportance typically placed
around local music, there's always
the hope that someone will take a
chance. Someone will walk over to
Wazoo or Underground Sounds or
stop by the Blind Pig and be pleas-
antly surprised by that one band
that had all those posters. With the
constant influx of students, there
are always people willing to take
that chance. In a local scene as sto-
ried, dynamic and eclectic as Ann
Arbor's, there's no doubt people
will continue to find music worth
sharing with the world.
UMMA
From Page 4D
Seniors may have vague memo-
ries of UMMA's pop art or history
of photography exhibitions or of
the great black wing of Charles
Ginnever's "Daedalus" draped
over the front lawn. (The sculpture
has been moved to the South Uni-
versity side of the building, with
"Orion" taking its original place.)
UMMA closed in June 2006, giv-
ing them some time to pack up the
collections before breaking ground
in September of that year.
"We've really been pushing
to get this open because another
class graduates," Steward said.
"Two and a half years is more than
half the average student's (under-
graduate career)."
The corridor that connects the
old and new buildings, with tall
glass lenses opening onto views
of campus, seamlessly blends old
and new, interior and exterior.
The weathered sandstone of the
old exterior, rosy from 101 years
of oxidization, is paired with new
sandstone from the same quarry,
framing the passageway. A few
steps further, you can see the
Wisconsin limestone of the new
addition. The clear glass windows
allow for another degree of "out-
side-in."
"Art isn't just something you
experience when you're inside this
building," Steward said.
So many aspects of the renewed
UMMA, in form and purpose,
feed into the belief that art can be
part of the everyday experience.
While there's sometimes the con-
ception that art museums are a
place of exclusivity, of high culture
and pretension and a ban on cell-
phones, it doesn't have to be that
way - and the new UMMA will
work to encourage the idea that
an art museum is for everyone and
anyone.
FILMS OF 2008
From Page 5D
"Burn After Reading"
It's the Coen brothers at their
most bizarre yet, so of course it's
hilarious. "Burn After Reading"
stars Brad Pitt, George Clooney
(that's enough right there) and Fran-
ces McDormand. Pitt is a meathead
who believes he has uncovered FBI
secrets, McDormand is a physical
trainer who just wants some plas-
tic surgery and Clooney keeps a sex
machine in hisbasement. Through a
series of unusual coincidences, their
lives become entangled in one of the
biggestgovernmentmisunderstand-
ings imaginable.
EMILYBOUDREAU
"Beyond Our Ken"
If you stumble upon this cult
documentary, you'll find yourself
quoting it for a lifetime. But that
shouldn't be the only reason to
see this superb observation of the
Australian cult Kenja, named for
founders Ken Dyers and Jan Ham- S
ilton. Half-shocking, half-hilarious,
you'll want to transfer energy, put
on a play and grapple your niece
right after. Seriously, that's all in
there. It'shighly obscure,buttotally
worthwhile. Ina good year for docs,
this was the most unique.
BLAKE GOBLE
"The Wrestler"
Ifamanis definedbywhathe does,
what becomes of him when he is no
longer needed? "The Wrestler" is a
beautiful movie that chronicles the
aftermath of a noteworthy profes-
sionalcareerandafailed personallife.
Mickey Rourke is brilliant as Randy
"TheRamn"Robinson.ThisisRourke's
most important and memorable per-
formancetodate,and while themovie
is extraordinarily directed by Darren
Aronofsky, the spotlight remains
firmly fixed on Mickey Rourke.
HANS YADAV
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