Page 18 / Wednesday, November 12, 2008
STYLE
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CONCERT REVIEW it it ir -k
Lotus’ beats transform Cat’s Cradle
Sophie Duensing
Reviewer
The hide-away music
venue Cat’s Cradle was
transformed into an
ethereal galaxy Nov. 6 by
the electronic beats of
Philadelphia-based jam
band Lotus. Unlike other
electronic music bands,
there are no laptops —
the band plays as a full-
instrument rock band.
Twirling lights mirrored
the rhythm of the thumping
bass played by Jesse Miller,
while the audience danced
with glow sticks in hand.
The effect was otherworldly,
a psychedelic light show
beautifully in sync with the
completely instrumental set.
The audience was
diverse, from the Lotus
groupies who follow the
band around the coast to
Raleigh hippies adorned
with feather headdresses,
and from young ravers
carrying light up wands to
hipsters in skinny pants
and vests discreetly bobbing
their heads.
About 20 Elon students
were in the crowd, escaping
from the mundane
weeknight West End bar
scene for an experience far
more unearthly.
Lotus is on tour
promoting its newest album,
“Hammerstrike," which is
the band’s sixth album since
its debut “Germination”
in 2003. Hammerstrike
was released in stores Oct.
21, but the serious Lotus
fans in the audience were
already familiar with the
entire album, rocking along
with the band to new songs
PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.LOTUSVIBES.COM
such as the high-energy,
techno-laced “Bellwether”
and swaying to the calmer,
melodic “Disappear in a
Red-Blood Sky."
One could memorize
every album released by
Lotus and still be unable
to predict the direction the
band’s set will take. The
band members feed off each
other’s energy, extending
five-minute tracks to
15-minute jam sessions.
Perhaps it is this element of
surprise in their shows that
has developed such a strong
following.
While some bands
sound better recorded and
disappoint live, Lotus’
musical talents thrive on
stage, suggesting its style
and skill isn’t meant to be
confined to the recording
studio.
Even those who have
never listened to Lotus
before were enthralled by
the music during the entire
set, transformed into devout
fans by the time the show
ended.
The band is headed by
lead guitarist Mike Rempel,
whose sounds intertwined
and bounced off of
accompanying guitarist
Luke Miller. Miller also
mixed samplers and synchs
into the organic guitar
chords. Steve Clemens and
Chuck Morris on drums beat
out energized backbeats
that completed the hypnotic
set of the five-member
band.
After giving an already
entirely soul-satisfying
show and clearing the stage,
Lotus returned for an epic
encore that turned out to be
the climax of the night.
They ended their
performance with an
extended jam session of
“Spiritualized,” one of their
hits off the album “Nomad.”
Tiny flashing white lights
danced off disco balls and
transformed the venue
into a sparkling galaxy
of positive energy, a truly
spiritualized experience,
proving people don’t have
to venture far from Elon for
one long, strange trip.
A&e in brief
Film screening: “Darwin’s
Nightmare”
The Human Rights Film
Festival continues this week
with “Darwin’s Nightmare,”
the fifth film in the series
started by Safia Swimelar,
assistant professor of
political science, and her
POL 389 International
Human Rights class.
The documentary by
Hubert Sauper focuses
on poverty, AIDS, the
arms trade, civil war,
environmental damage
and other issues facing
Tanzanian relations with
the Western world. The
movie won a European Film
Award in 2004 for Best
Documentary.
“Darwin’s Nightmare"
will screen at 7 p.m. in
McEwen Oil.
Hip-hop artist DeLon to
perform as part of Sri
Lanka Week
Rapper DeLon is the first
Sri Lankan to ever land a
spot on the U.S. Billboard
charts.
The award-winning and
internationally acclaimed
hip-hop artist will be
performing as part of Elon’s
Sri Lanka Week at 8:45 p.m.
Thursday in McKinnon Hall.
Tickets are $5 or 2
meal swipes in Moseley.
All proceeds from DeLon’s
show will benefit the
Periclean Scholars class of
2011. For more on DeLon,
visit:
http://delonmusic.com.
Elon’s Electronic Ensemble
makes debut performance
Saturday
Elon’s new Electronic
Ensemble will perform
popular music from the
1980s during its premiere V
performance this week.
The group is under the '
direction of Todd Coleman
assistant professor of
music. The Electronic
Ensemble will perform
at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in
McCrary Theatre.
Movie on the Lawn: "The
Dark Knight”
Postponed from Oct.
25, SUB’s Movie on the *
Lawn w'ill show “The
Dark Knight” this week.
Christopher Nolan’s comic
book adaptation was a
critical and commercial
success, grossing $158.4
million in its opening '
weekend alone.
The movie's all-star cast
includes Christian Bale,
Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman,
Michael Caine, Morgan
Freeman, .Aaron Eckhart
and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
“The Dark Knight” will ^
screen at 9 p.m. Saturday in
LaRose Digital Theatre.
Senior Seminar Series
presents “Boeing-Boeing”
The senior BF.V acting
class will present the
comedic farce “Boeing-
Boeing” early next week. ^
The play follows a
wealthy bachelor who is
dating three female flight
attendants at once, and
complications arise when
they are all scheduled to *
return home sooner than
expected.
“Boeing-Boeing" will be
performed at 2 and 7:30
p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday in
the Black Box Theatre. No
tickets are required but
seating is limited.
Music theatre major Chris Wood pushes the iimits
Kate Austin
Reporter
He wanted to be a surgeon and an
actor. “A ‘Broadway actor’ I called it,"
he said. In second grade the surgical
dream faded and a decision was made:
actor.
With an older sister who
participated in the local children’s
theater in Dublin, Ohio, junior Chris
Wood was anxious to join in the fun.
“I was 5 years old and wanted to do
[children’s theater] too, but I was too
young,” he said. “I think you had to
be 7. So when 1 was 7,1 did ‘Pied Piper’
with her."
From then on, he was hooked. Wood
was lucky enough to attend high school
in a place that was prolific in its theater
department. Dublin Coffman High
School performed about six shows a
year, two of which were musicals. It
was early on in his journey that Wood
got a taste of the spotlight.
“My first lead role was Ren in
‘Footloose’ sophomore year,” he said.
“It wasn’t a big challenging part, but it’s
one of my greatest memories because
it was the first time that I was the most
important part of the show. Up until
then I had been little characters or
ensemble.”
From then on the roles kept coming.
A production of “A Midsummer Night’s
Dream” transformed Wood into a
donkey in the role of Bottom, and he
played bad-boy T-Bird, Danny Zuko in
the school’s production of “Grease.”
“In high school 1 played all these
parts that I probably shouldn’t have
played for my voice type because I’m
not really a tenor,” Wood said. “They
were kind of the opposite of ‘Sweeney
Todd’ or any other part I should be
playing.”
One wouldn’t think that “Sweeney
Todd” would be the ideal character for
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Chris Wood’s most recent role was the title character in “Sweeney Todd.” “It’s easy to get
caught up in the fact that you know so much about the characters,” he said. “You just have
to know what you know, but sort of forget it so that you can just be the character”
Wood to portray. With his personable
nature and friendly smile, he’s the
last person one would picture on a
deranged killing spree. But it is Wood's
hardworking demeanor that makes him
perfect for the part.
“I know that he put months of
preparation into his portrayal of
Sweeney Todd,” said Tal Fish, senior
musical theatre major and Wood’s
mentor and close friend. “But don’t let
that dark demeanor fool you. The first
time we shared the stage he was doing
a spot-on Groucho Marx in ‘A Day in
Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine.’”
Not only was Wood selected to play
the lead in Elon University’s production
of Sondheim’s acclaimed musical
“Sweeney Todd,” but he had been
dreaming of this opportunity for a long
time.
“It has been my favorite musical
for so long,” he said. “It’s my dream
role. It's my favorite show. It's my
favorite composer. It's great that 1 got
the chance this early in my life to play
the part. Most people don't have the
opportunity to play parts like this until
they're the typical age range.”
Wood isn't most people. He has
worked hard to take advantage of every
acting opportunity, throwing himself
into parts outside of his comfort zone.
“I was in the ensemble of Chicago,
so I danced, which is something you'll
never see me do — at least not well,” he
said.
Another role that pushed the line of
normality for Wood was playing Frank
N. Furter in the “Rocky Horror Picture
Show.”
“I had to wear four and a half-inch
heels and a corset,” he said. “[The heels]
hurt my feet so bad!”
This summer pushed Wood in a
different way. Working in Kentucky for
three different shows simultaneously,
his voice took “the biggest beating it
ever has."
“I only had Mondays off, and I did
that for three months straight," Wood
said. “It was hard to push through
because I was busy, I was tired and 1
was grumpy because I didn't have any
free time."
One tool that Elon has given Wood
is the “Meisner technique." It seems to
come through in his everyday nature,
as well as his acting.
“The technique teaches being open
and ready to do anything,” he said. To
listen and respond with another actor
on stage, and just breathe through eac
moment."
With so many successful well-
known actors associated with the par
of Sweeney, Wood had a lot to live uP
to. The expectations concerned him
a little, but he knows he doesn *
the character the same as they do. i
portrayal of Sweeney is younger an ,
oddly alluring. ,.
“There are all these comparisons w
the part," Wood said. "I mean, Johnny
Depp, George Hearn and Len Canou,
the original Sweeney. Some people'*
like [my portrayal] better and soine
people may not like it, but that s
same with every part."
Fish swears that when he firs
met Wood he was “a shy, soft-spo
freshman." But he quickly became
dominating force in the departme
Wood is far from shy wh®n ne
sweeps across the stage in
Todd." He sends chills through
audience with resonating bass o
and a frighteningly charismatic
portrayal of the crazed killer.
“He is not only a j
actor, he is also a man of faith a ^
integrity," Fish said. “As his men
look up to him just as mucn a
up to me."
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