The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
JIUSTL 01.
SAL A I/A Friday, January 27, 2012 - 5
'House' can't standup
Ryan Adams will be headlining the Ann Arbor Folk Festival tonight.
Fests diverse acts
to hit ill tonight
T
Fol
ai
he Ark's annual
k Festival features
n array of artists
By KATIE STEEN
DailyArts Writer
Throaty utterances ofheart-felt
lyrics. An abundance of banjos.
Perhaps, peasant skirts. But also,
"fire-breathing circus freaks"
who use kitchen utensils as
instruments. These are just a few
things attendees of the Ann Arbor
Folk Festival can expect.
This year's Folk Festival fea-
tures an impressive group of
headliners includingRyanAdams,
DeVotchKa, Emmylou Harris,
Nanci Griffith and Glen Campbell,
but also intermingles emerging
talents Elephant Revival, David
Wax Museum and Caravan of
Thieves (the self-titled circus
freaks). While The Ark as -the -
organization that runs Folk Fes-
tival, the event's expected atten-
dance of six to seven thousand
folk fans would be an amount sim-
ply impossible to jam into the cozy
setting of The Ark itself. Instead,
these musicians will share the
stage at the Hill Auditorium
tonight and tomorrow in an event
that has been played since 1977.
The Ark's Marketing Director,
Barb Chaffer-Authier elaborated
on the history of the Folk Festi-
val, emphasizing its importance
in maintaining The Ark's non-
profit mission. The event was
created with the goal of raising
money for the organization after
funding from the First Presby-
terian Church began to dwindle,
and started as a few friends and
performers of The Ark gather-
ing at the Power Center to make
music and money. While the Ark
was originally founded as a cof-
feehouse where youth of the 'U0s
could discuss Vietnam and Wood-
stock, it gradually began to focus
more on the music. By 1969, it was
the hub of Ann Arbor's folk music
scene, and while money was no
longer an issue, The Ark decided
to stay non-profit.
"We're really the longest-sur-
viving non-profit music venue of
our kind in the nation," Chaffer-
Authier said. "There was a time
where there were a lot of non-
profit music venues, but there
aren't a lot of those left."
However, the Ark isn't exactly
begging for change. The Folk Fes-
tival, as per usual, is sold out this
year. Part of what attracts such
large crowds to the two-night
concert is the diverse lineup.
While there are Folk Festival
devotees who attend every year,
there is also a substantial num-
ber of attendees drawn by a single
headliner.
"It's a great opportunity for
people to come to the festival to
see someone like Ryan Adams, in
which case they know the music
.and that's what brings them in,"
Chaffer-Authier said. "But they
might leave the festival knowing
someone new who might be their
future favorite."
To accommodate for such musi-
cal discoveries, The Ark invites
the non-headlining Folk Festival
performers to play a full show
in the spring. Chaffer-Authier
gave a particularly serendipitous
example of a Folk Festival artist
who achieved a more than solid
fan base in just two nights. Chi-
cago native Joe Pug had never
performed in Ann Arbor and
wasn't even on the Folk Festival
lineup, and when he performed as
a guest appearance, he only played
one song each night. But when he
returned to the Ark in the spring,
he sold out.
"I like when young perform-
ers get a boost," Chaffer-Authier
added. "We book headliners first
and then the headliners influence
who we pick to round out the bill
each year. We try to have a bal-
ance of different styles."
Sometimes, creating this
diversity means booking loud-
er, more energetic artists, like
2002's Melissa Ferrick. Some-
times it means booking a drum-
mer who wears nothing but a
loin cloth during performance,
as it was for 2007's Kiyoshi
Nagata Ensemble.
"A lot of our bands can be a
surprise to audience me'mbers.
depending on what they think of
when they think of folk music,"
Chaffer-Authier said. "No matter
what folk means to you, we'll have
it at the Folk Festival. There's a
different definition for everyone."
one band in particular, Ele-
phant Revival, encompasses a
multiplicity of genres in their
music. Multi-instrumentalist and
singer Dan Rodriguez explained
the band's label of "transcenden-
tal folke" was eoed -unon +he
nalist.
"From my understanding, folk
music is music created by the
people for the people," Rodri-
guez said. "You can't really define
music through labels. They're a
way to conceptualize or compart-
mentalize. But we are definitely
folk music."
But part of what distinguishes
Elephant Revival from the stereo-
typical folk band image of beard-
ed guitarists with a washboard
is its wide range of influences
and the malleability of its sound..
Rodriguez described the music of
Elephant Revival as a spectrum,
able to channel a variety of styles
- old-time, avant-garde jazz, pop
rock.
"We all have such different
influences," Rodriguez said, "And
it all comes together and creates
this tapestry. That's why we can
play for all audiences. It's all over
the map, in a good way. A broad
spectrum."
Given the band's eclectic
nature, Elephant Revival seems
like an obvious choice for the fes-
tival. Though Rodriguez was a bit
surprised at the invitation to per-
form, he expressed a contagious
enthusiasm.
"The lineup looks awesome so
we're excited to be on the same
stage as so many amazing, tal-
ented artists. We're grateful to
have this opportunity to play for
the folks of Michigan," Rodriguez
By SAM CENZHANG
Daily Arts Writer
At first glance, "House of Lies"
seems to be perfectly suited for
the zeitgeist. In the wake of the
Occupy move-
ment, a show * ,;..
skewering the
outlandish House
lives of the 1
percent was all o s
but inevitable. Pilot
But "House of
Lies" isn't really Sundays at 10 p.m.
that show - it's Showtime
about a wacky
team of management consultants
having zany adventures at a dif-
ferent struggling megacorpora-
tion everyweek - and this kind of
procedural storytelling isn't real-
ly conducive to making a socio-
economic point.
Not only that, but the show's
topicality is completely under-
minedbyitstone-deafness. Show-
time often disguises its comedies
with the form and tone of dramas,
as was the case with "Weeds" and
"The Big C." As satire, "House of
Lies" may have been better served
by the same treatment. Played
straight, it's just lifestyle porn in
the style of "Entourage" married
haphazardly to workplace com-
edy and then stapled to antihero
drama.
Just like the characters it por-
trays, "House of Lies" is way too
slick and self-satisfied. You could
think of it as a clever metatextual
technique intended to echo the
mocking characterization of ass-
holes with MBAs. But really, it's
just a show about assholes with
MBAs. A strip club scene is por-
trayed with completely unironic
glamour and thus speaks to the
show's lack of self-awareness.
The show's most irritating
conceit is borrowed from, of all
things, "Saved by the Bell": Don
Cheadle ("Hotel Rwanda") stops
time occasionallyto explain man-
agement consulting terms to the
audience. This is an unbelievably
clumsy way to convey informa-
tion. And when Cheadle explains
terms with obvious definitions,
it's just a meaningless waste of
the viewer's time and patience.
In the second episode, instead
of stop
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"Do I look like I care about Obama coming to campus?"
ping time to talk, Cheadle most promisingschtickis also the
ds up abunch of signs with one that gets the least airtime.
Ling rules on them while Cheadle's consulting team is a
kind of bored. It's a bit murderer's row of talented comic
irk, and it's good that the actors. Kristen Bell ("Veronica
oesn't take itself all that Mars"), Ben Schwartz ("Parks
ly. But the choppiness just and Recreation") and Josh Law-
"House of Lies" hard to sit son ("Home and Away") bounce
h. off each other and Cheadle, gen-
erating both on-point ensemble
comedy and funny one-liners.
Bell and Cheadle especially have
much irony, a deft interplay that could turn
ven for this romantic, but frankly shouldn't.
These actors are talented enough
l.ented cast" to make the mediocre material
they're given acceptable. The
best scene of the show so far, in
which Schwartz (let's be hon-
use of Lies" can be a lot of est, he'll always be Jean-Ralphio)
nt shows and it tries to be explains to Lawson how he
iem. There's the aforemen- would pick up a woman, works
smirking attempt at formal because all four characters are
tion, which is really just involved and because they all
First Breaking the Fourth come off as fairly likeable people
The show makes a mock- who enjoy each other's company.
premium cable; there isn't Sadly for the show, it's literally
gratuitous -and unneces- the only instance in the first two
x scene than the bathroom episodes for which this is true.
ter between Cheadle's It's too early to give up on
ripper spouse-du-jour and "House of Lies," if only because
lient's unsatisfied wife. you should watch whatever Don
of Lies" also aims for Cheadle is in. Kristen Bell is no
nal character develop- slouch either, and anyone who
ir Cheadle's character, and loved "Veronica Mars",(which
:he writing is unsubtle at should be everyone) will be
d occasionally hackneyed, pleased to see her on television.
:er than the hollow, almost Beyond the cast, though, there's
:ic message that would not much to latch onto other than
ise be the most prominent hope that the writing will get bet-
the show. ter, an iffy proposition given what
rtunately, the show's we've seen.
Don't just watch, interact
By MATT EASTON
Daily Film Editor
Two years ago at the State
Theater, I was convinced my
death was imminent. Huddled
in my cushioned seat, I watched
the final scene of "Paranormal
Activity" through crisscrossed
fingers (a special fear-reducing
technique I've developed). In the
packed rows of the theater, others
wailed and assumed similar posi-
tions: death-gripping the hands
of significant others (as if your
boyfriend could save you from
the demon) becoming suddenly
engrossed by the bucket of pop-
corn in their laps or - recogniz-
ing that escape was impossible
- simply staring at the screen,
wide-eyed.
This was not the isolated fear
oflyingin bed alone as a child, but
the shared terror that only mov-
ies and ghost-stories can produce.
My roommate Brian, one of those
special individuals immune to
paralyzing fear, was wrestling my
hands off of my face. "Watch it,
watch it, watch it!" he whispered
embarrassingly loudly.
My heart stopped as the ulti-
mate scene passed. I recall willing
it to beat again (I still had so much
to do and see!), as the man behind
us issued a high-school-girl-like
scream and Brian grinned widely.
The movie ended, and the air,
which
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had felt like lead, turned ple during "Paranormal," other
ughing gas. Like soldiers moments stick out in particular:
rvived storming an enemy the audience hissing whenever
e cheered and chuckled, "Snakes 'on a Plane" went into
n the fact that we had per- "snake-vision" (I could write an
d through our trial. As I sat entire article about how fun the
i started toward the exit, "Snakes" midnightpremiere was),
an elated, tired, runner- the 20 guys in Batman outfits for
gh. We, the audience, had "The Dark Knight" (my friend
I hard, squeezing every bit won the costume contest they
tional force out of "Para- had before the movie started) and
." The movie was good, but watching "Drag Me to Hell" alone
ergy brought it to another in a theater with about seven or
eight close buddies (never have
there been more jokes and jumps).
In less specific terms, it's safe
ms are better to say all comedies are funnier
if everyone else is laughing. I
'ith friends, recently talked about this with
a friend and she confirmed the
idea with an example of her own
- everyone loved "Bridesmaids,"
ere else does such an envi- so she decided to watch it on her
nt exist? What other type computer, only to find it unfun-
allows hollering mobs to ny because she was watching it
y our enjoyment of the alone, without the community of
roduct? In a theater pro- joy found in a theater. In many
n of the "finer" arts, one cases, it's the companionship that
have to be a cad to yell out makes movies so much fun.
to the actors on stage; yet It's still the beginning of the
fectly acceptable for one to semester, and while January may
"Don't go in there!" when feel like a dark time for lovers of
'acter in a horror movie good films, the cold weather pro-
into a basement alone. It's vides the perfect setting for get-
s openness to immediate. ting together with some buddies,
o that makes the audience renting a crappy horror movie
ortant. from Askwith and becoming lost
des sharing my moment of in the insanity of being an audi-
ith a hundred other peo- ence.
Glen Campbell will headline tomorrow night's show.
WANNA BE POP-UHU-LAR?
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Request an application at arts@michigandaily.com.
Audience members can hear a blend of styles in Elephant Revival's music.