The University News

Percussionists hit St. Louis

Will Holston • April 16, 2009

The stage of The Fabulous Fox Theatre got one hell of a beating two weeks ago. It also hosted musical numbers made up of Zippo lighters, plastic bags and flotation tubes and got a good sweeping by an army of push brooms. "Stomp," the worldwide success and percussion-based performance arts show, came to St.

New comedy delivers laughs, squirms

Landon Burris • April 16, 2009

Director Jody Hill's second movie after the independent comedy The Foot Fist Way, Observe and Report, is not your typical comedy. Though the film is about a mall security guard, it's miles away from this year's surprise hit, Paul Blart: Mall Cop. In fact, it has much more in common with Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver.

Windmills of My Mind: Welcome to my world

Brigid Kinsella • April 16, 2009

As I was trying to rack my exhausted brain for what exactly to write about in the entertainment world, I realized my life is too consumed by TV, movies, music and the Internet to choose just one thing for this column. I previously wrote about the fabulous life of Barbie and the harsh truths of TLC's "What Not To Wear.

Dancers rock SLU

Will Holston • April 2, 2009

Last summer, incoming Saint Louis University sophomores Moumita Das and Tanie Chackumkal found themselves plotting the launch of something new. "SLU has never had a fusion dance team," Das said. "I knew other schools had fusion dance teams. I just thought that it would be a great opportunity for ISA and students from all over campus.

Windmills of My Mind: ‘Friday Night Lights’ is just damn near faultless

ADAM TAMBURIN • April 2, 2009

I hate football. I'm suspicious of anything that could be described as "sporty." When I was little, my father eschewed father-son ball-throwing pastime and instead bonded with us over repeat viewings of "The Golden Girls." So, naturally, it took a while for me to acclimate myself to "Friday Night Lights," a televised drama that, at least on the surface, deals directly with a small Texas town's obsession with gridiron politics.

Sister act changes up its sound

Will Holston • April 2, 2009

Meg and Dia Frampton were latecomers to the music game, but they've been making up for lost time with their band, the aptly named Meg & Dia. "We're in a really good place right now," Meg Frampton said in a telephone interview. "We just play our music, and we love it.

Broadway smash comes to St. Louis

Will Holston • April 2, 2009

In 2002, when Brad Holland joined the New York cast of "Stomp," the percussionist dance troupe using everyday objects as instruments and theatrical props, his life-long education in the theater and the arts didn't fully prepared him for something quite like it.

‘Sunshine Cleaning’ needs a good scrubbing

Landon Burris • April 2, 2009

Sunshine Cleaning (Overture Pictures) has finally been released theatrically after a year in limbo since its appearance in 2008's Sundance film festival, and most of it should have stayed there. The film, from director Christine Jeffs, revolves around a single mother, Rose (Amy Adams, Doubt), who begins a crime scene clean-up service to try to put her son through private school.

Pearl Jam celebrates 20th anniversary of ‘Ten’ early

Matt Wilhelm • April 2, 2009

Almost 20 years after Pearl Jam first released their debut album, Ten, the band has rereleased the genre-defining album with both a pre-mastering of the original album, a directors-cut like remix and a full video of their previously unleashed performance on MTV's "Unplugged.

Burr brings twisted humor

Gina Cassaro • March 26, 2009

Comedian Bill Burr is no stranger to success . . . or St. Louis. "I've been having the best shows of my career lately," he said. "I've been to St. Louis a number of times. The arch was terrifying. You are lying down and looking out. I felt like it was about to tip over.

Museum is mix of hits and misses

Bonnie Rosenberg • March 26, 2009

Within walking distance of Saint Louis University's campus is a hotbed of artistic activity: the Grand Center arts district. Beyond the art on display on SLU's campus at the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, the Saint Louis University Museum of Art or even the posters that line the walls of the typical collegiate dorm room, there is significant and accessible art to see.

Green River Ordinance sets out to sweep the nation with their bluesy, classic sound

[email protected] • March 26, 2009

Green River Ordinance hasn't exactly been true to its namesake. This Texas band is made of five friends from high school who just enjoy playing music together. The band consists of Josh Jenkins (vocals/guitar/piano), Geoff Ice (bass), Jamey Ice (guitar), Joshua Wilkerson (guitar) and Denton Hunker (drums).