Mount Hood

Turn the music up

By: Alyssa James
Staff Writer

As the weather begins to warm up, students may be wondering what to do in their free time. For music fans, the answer is simple: go to concerts. Seeing a band or artist live may require some planning and cost, but the memories can last a lifetime. Over the next few months, a variety of different artists will travel to Oregon to play their music.

Based originally out of Seattle, Fleet Foxes is an indie folk band who made their way onto the music scene in 2006. After taking a break in 2103, they came back in 2016 and now have a new album, “Crack-Up,” planned to release on June 16. They will be performing at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland on May 18 and at Edgefield in Troutdale on Sept. 16.

For a concert that is more local, The Sleep Millennium, an indie space-rock band, will be playing at The Space Concert Club in Salem for their debut performance on May 21. This event is 21-plus and will cost $15. More information will be provided at spaceconcertclub.com. To experience a fresh new sound, this concert is worth checking out.

From a small town in the United Kingdom, Ed Sheeran pursued music vigorously. Last month, he released his third album “Divide.” With that new album, he is also on tour and will be coming to the United States. For the pop-lovers, he will be at the Moda Center in Portland on July 30. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster.com from 39.50 to $89.50 depending on seats.

A throwback band for many, Rooney started up in 1999 and is still performing today. Categorized as alternative and indie rock, their latest album, “Washed Away,” came out last year. They planned to come to Portland last December but rescheduled their concert for this upcoming July 26 at the Doug Fir Lounge. The show is 21-plus and tickets for this show cost $16 and went on sale April 7 on ticketfly.com.

A British rock band, Catfish and the Bottlemen, will be playing at the Roseland Theater in Portland on May 27 and at the Moda Center on August 2. Although they started the band in 2007, they began to be more noticed with the releases of their first three singles followed by their debut album “The Balcony.” Following that, in 2016 they put out another album entitled “The Ride.” Tickets for the Roseland show are $25 and can be purchased through Roseland Theater’s website.

For those who enjoy spending time at music festivals, Musicfest Northwest’s Project Pabst will be happening on Aug. 26 and 27. Project Pabst is a two-day musical festival taking place in Portland. Beck, who broke into the scene in 1985 and has been present ever since, will be performing on the 27th during the festival; this event is 21-plus. Tickets are available at ticketfly.com and range from $65 for a one-day pass to $99 for a weekend pass.

No matter the preference of genre, there are concerts happening locally for all to enjoy.

Contact the author at ajames16@mail.wou.edu

Artist spotlight: Kristie Martinez

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

For Western student Kristie Martinez, senior dance major, following her passion is what college is all about. Dancing since she was three, Martinez says that she has always known that she wanted to dance.

“For the most part I just always thought that I would be a dancer, so education is now something I’m tackling because I want consistency in my career,” said Martinez.

Martinez moved to Oregon from the California Bay Area with her daughter to attend Western’s dance program.

“I moved up here to pursue the academic end of dance, I decided randomly that I wanted to be a professor of dance,” said Martinez. “I’d been doing a lot of the small companies in the Bay Area and a lot of modern companies, and pay isn’t always great and rarely do you get health benefits. There really is no assurance.”

“I randomly said teaching makes sense for me now, so I just went for it. Someone told me about Western and I applied and got it and moved my daughter and I up here. Immediately I was notified through the dance department here that one of the professors, Darryll Thomas, that him and his wife run a company and that if you wanted any possible teaching jobs to get your resume in immediately.”

Through that, Martinez was connected to the Rainbow Dance Company, who she has been with ever since.

“I joined the company and I’ve been with them for three years. I’m going to continue with them for a fourth year before I go to grad school,” said Martinez. “It’s a touring company, we perform in the spring dance concert, we go to Canada a lot. I love it, it allows for a lot of creative freedom. I can continue my performance and then pursue the academic end. It’s been a good blend.”

Martinez says that her biggest accomplishment of a dancer has been finding her voice.

“When I found a style of dance called “release technique,” it’s an anti-movement to the formatted Graham and Limon, it’s all about freedom and releasing, using organic movement. When I found that it was like ‘yeah, that’s me, that’s what I want.”

When she’s not dancing, Martinez also loves cooking and reading about mythology. Martinez loves that many rituals can be shown and told about through dance, which has helped to influence some of her dancing at Western.

“I’m actually a mythology nut. I love mythology and cultural anthropology. I love to read books on myth and my overall goal of dance is to merge the two. I’ve done two pieces here at Western, one was based on voodoo ritual and the second was based on the Native American process possession and their beliefs on that.”

Martinez’s goal is the be a dance professor and have a resident company.

“I want to leave some sort of teaching philosophy. I have one mentor here, Les Wantanabe. To me, he’s one of those teachers whose lessons will be repeating in my mind for the rest of my life. I want to be that teacher, if I could be that one day, that’d be awesome.”

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “Norse Mythology”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Fans of comics and superhero movies are well aware of the lives of Thor, Loki and Odin. This is exactly what pulled author Neil Gaiman into the world of Norse mythology and began his inspiration for his narrative collection of Norse myths.

“Norse Mythology” is Neil Gaiman bringing his narrative style to ancient Norse myths and, for the most part, it makes for an incredible experience.

Initially, I was very put off by the book. The first few chapters are a very dense, mundane read that feel more like a textbook than a collection of stories. The chapters are short, but are packed full with names, attributes and brief histories of many different gods.
It’s not the best way to start, but it’s necessary to understand the characters in the stories that follow.

The stories themselves are great. Gaiman makes Norse mythology accessible and fun for newcomers and his focus on Thor, Loki and Odin give fans of those characters a deeper look at their origins and roots.

Gaiman uses his knowledge of mythology from “American Gods” and “Anansi Boys” to breathe new life into these old tales. The characters seem very alive; their feelings and emotions jump off the page.

The book begins with the creation of the world, then moves into stories about the gods and their adventures and origins and ends with Ragnarok, the end of everything.

Some of the stories end up feeling weak, however. “The Master Builder,” for example, finds the gods dealing with a man who is wagering Freya the sun and the moon on whether or not he can build them a wall in one season. This story feels long and drawn out, the tension of whether the gods will prevail disappears and is replaced by hope that the story will end soon.

Other stories are entertaining throughout. “The Death of Baldur” is easily the most heartfelt and compelling story in the book. The side characters feel as alive as the main characters and I found myself not wanting the story to end.

My biggest criticism of “Norse Mythology” is that it’s too short. The book ends way too quickly, especially considering that it deals with such a rich mythology. Four or five more stories could easily fit into the book and further add to the depth of the characters.

There are times when the characters do feel really weak. Gaiman has a habit of writing dialogue as Gaiman, rather than the characters that he is writing. This isn’t as much of an issue with the characters of Thor, Loki and Odin, since the book’s main focus is on them. Characters like Balder, Frey and Heimdall don’t get enough enough time in most stories to form their own voices, so Gaiman takes over.

“Norse Mythology” is a fantastic look into the world of Norse myth. The characters are more alive than ever before and Gaiman brings his masterful writing to these narratives, breathing new life into these old tales. Though the book is short and some stories are a bit boring, “Norse Mythology” is a great read for anyone interested in Norse myths.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Community spotlight: The Elsinore Theatre

By:Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

With the start of spring term, school and work are starting to pick and up finding fun things to do is getting harder. Not too far from Western though, there’s a fun and affordable activity for all ages.

Salem’s Elsinore Theatre is only a 20 minute drive from Western, in the heart of downtown Salem. The theatre has been around for over 90 years.
It’s a beautiful and historic place to check out, not to mention there are a ton of fun events there, too.

The Elsinore Theatre is currently in the middle of its Wednesday film series. Each Wednesday, a different classic movie is shown. The films are shown each Wednesday at 7 p.m. for only $6, the next, “The Wizard of Oz” being on April 5.

For those over 21, some of these films also have wine pairings. There are two upcoming films with wine pairings: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” on April 19 and “Singin’ in the Rain” on May 17. The times and prices for these events are the same and are still open to those under 21.

On April 28, LaserSpectacular will have a live concert laser show to the music of Pink Floyd. The show will feature “Dark Side of the Moon” and “The Best of Pink Floyd.” Tickets are $15-$30 for students, depending on seating, and the doors open at 7 p.m.

The Elsinore Theatre also features a plethora of locally produced theatre events. With frequent high school drama festivals and shows from Theatreworks, the Elsinore never goes too long without an opportunity to see a show. The next show from Theatreworks is “Junie B Jones” on May 11. There are two showtimes: 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Tickets for this show are $14.

For a slightly higher price, the Elsinore also regularly has famous musicians and comedians do shows as well. Gordon Lightfoot will be playing a concert on June 12. Tickets for this are between $49-$69. Country singer Ned Ledoux is playing a show on June 30 for only $20-$30.

There’s a little something for everyone at the Elsinore Theatre. Tickets to these events and more information about these and upcoming events can be found online at elsinoretheatre.com.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “Heartworms”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

The Shins’ fourth album, “Heartworms,” was announced with the release of the song “Name For You,” an upbeat, groovy tune that felt very Shins.
“Name for You” is poppy, but delightfully unique addition to the album.

Unfortunately, “Name For You” is a rarity in “Heartworms,” many songs sound much like The Shins’ previous music but fail to be anything memorable. “Painting a Hole,” “Cherry Hearts” and “Fantasy Island” all fall into this category. They’re not bad songs, but they just zoom by and don’t catch my attention in any way. Neither the lyrics or the music stood out in any particular way.

The highlight of “Heartworms” is the song “Mildenhall.” This folky song tells an entertaining story with catchy lyrics and mellow music.
“Mildenhall” goes down for me as the best song on the album and one of the best songs that The Shins have ever released.

“Heartworms” lacks a song that will be remembered for a long time. Each Shins album prior has a song or multiple that has gone down as a classic, but “Heartworms” songs are just not memorable. The album doesn’t catch attention like some of the best Shins-songs.

That’s not to say that “Heartworms” isn’t a great album. The music is enjoyable, just not on the same level of The Shins’ previous albums.

Another great song off the album is the title song, “Heartworms.” The song really stands out from the other songs in the album with a unique sound which is almost Beatles-eque. The upbeat music is matched with very meaningful lyrics, making for an enjoyable yet engaging listening experience.

“Dead Alive” is the song I’d recommend to people looking for a song that matches the sound of previous Shins music the most. The lyrics are simple and catchy and the song is similar to songs in albums prior. If already a Shins fan, “Dead Alive” is the perfect new addition to their musical lineup.

Overall, “Heartworms” is a good album. There is nothing horribly wrong with the album, but it fails to be memorable, most of the music just blends together rather than being a continuous enjoyable listen. With a few songs that catch the ear and some that don’t, The Shins new album is worth the listen, but it’s nothing that will be mindblowing.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Editor’s Picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s recommendation:
With popular games like “Tiny Tower” and “Pocket Planes,” NimbleBit has become one of the most recognizable and influential mobile gaming studios around, so it’s always a big deal when they release a new game.

“Bit City” has been out for a couple weeks now and is absolutely spectacular. Not only is it an in-depth city building game, it’s one that can be played with one hand.

The goal of the game is to build a city and reach a certain population level before moving onto the next city. Players click to build new buildings to make more money, while spending money on new vehicles and upgrades.

“Bit City” is available now for free on iPhone and Android.

Editor’s disparagement:
The fourth TV show in Netflix’s continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Iron Fist,” fails to match the quality of the shows before it.

The main character, Danny Rand, returns to New York after being presumed dead for 15 years with a mysterious superpower and lots of enemies.

One of the best parts of the other Marvel shows was the character development of both the heroes and villains, which “Iron Fist” lacks. Viewers are thrown into the world with a naïve protagonist and many unlikeable side characters.

“Iron Fist” is not a bad show, but it isn’t nearly on the same level as the shows that came before it.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “Ghost in the Shell”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

“Ghost in the Shell” has been the center of some controversy over Hollywood whitewashing, after casting Scarlett Johansson as the main character, Major Mira Killian. Due to this, the film already had a bad public view, but despite the whitewashing, “Ghost in the Shell” is a beautiful, though poorly written, action movie.

From director Rupert Sanders, “Ghost in the Shell” is an adaptation of the manga by the same name. The story follows Mira Killian, who is trained as a cyborg counter terrorist after she almost dies in a cyber terrorist attack.

The highlight of the film is the unique artistic style. Bright colors and futuristic settings bring a unique feeling to the film. I never found myself bored of the visuals. Whether it was seeing a building through the lens of heat-sensing binoculars or seeing the advertisement-filled city streets, “Ghost in the Shell” is bursting with color from start to finish.

Another highlight of the film was Johansson’s compelling performance. She grapples with the humanity left inside her. “Ghost in the Shell” is easily one of Johansson’s most compelling performances in recent years.

The biggest drawback of “Ghost in the Shell” is the writing. Were it not for Johansson’s acting, the film would feel like a total mess.
Conversations between characters feel bland and boring, making me feel impatient toward the next action scene.

“Ghost in the Shell” definitely looks the part of a good sci-fi action movie. The stunts, the costumes and the setting feel very much tied to a different and exotic world. Even the society is completely alien toward our own, people getting cybernetic enhancements like it’s plastic surgery. One character enhances his liver so he can drink more.

These cybernetic enhancements raise big moral questions about humanity, questions that Major struggles with throughout the film. The film tries to make the viewer grapple with how they’d respond to the options of enhancements and raises questions about what it means to be human.

This would have a much stronger effect though if these questions were paired with better writing and a better performance by the supporting cast. It felt like Johansson was the only one putting 100 percent into her acting.

“Ghost in the Shell” is a mediocre film at best. The beautiful visuals and great performance from Scarlett Johansson aren’t enough to save the film from its bland writing and poor supporting cast.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

2/4
+ Incredible visuals
– Bland writing

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