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6 THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2004 Obscene Offspring ages without grace BY NICK PARKER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR At this point, it’s getting a little old. - The Offspring has been making drummed-up punk rock for more than 19 years now. Most people who make it to the age of 19 have moved away from silly irreverence and potty-mouth appeal. Most bands that have been around for 19 years have grown up a bit, or at least tried something new. The Rolling Stones diverged from raw garage rock when they experimented with strange psy chedelia. Beck stopped rapping to don the smoky singer/songwriter hat. Bob Dylan shifted his focus from political postulating to per sonal proclamations. But The Offspring still is pour ing out the same pop-punk of “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)” and “Come Out and Play.” It used to be funny. It used to be cute. It used to be great. Of course, that was in the early ’9os, when Nirvana and Green Day made flannel shirts and teen angst hip. The Offspring sounds hara-core and cusses a lot so it must be cool, right? But after 19 years and seven full-length releases, The Offspring just can’t cut it anymore. It’s hard to believe in teen angst when vocalist Dexter Holland is approaching the crest of the hill. It’s hard to giggle at lines written about baby daddies on the album’s first single, “Hit That,” when Noodle’s infamous hair is going gray at the temples. After all those albums and all those goofy pop ditties, The Offspring has lost all its hip, rough-around-the-edges appeal. Instead of being a cool older brother who smokes and isn’t afraid to cuss in front of kids, Holland has turned into a sad, aging hipster. He still drinks too much and cusses too much and makes jokes that would fit better in a middle school lunchroom. RESTAURANT Now Hiring Dining Room Team Members Apply at 115 S. Elliott Road Applications accepted Monday-Saturday 2:00-4:30pm: Allow time for Ist interview S/ DIRECT FROM lg§' BROADV^ AYI , is Mrs. Robinson m \ SPECIAL STUDENT H I TICKET S2O Lorraine Bracco Graduate # Broadway’s #1 Comedy January 20 - 25 Raleigh Memorial Auditorium pp BTI Center Box Office 9am - s:3opm All Ticketmaster Outlets contains nudity presented tyy Broadway Series South for mature authencn only ; T ANARUS, „ . . , ‘some restrictions apply www The Graduate info r r ’ piL | MUSIC! VIEW THE OFFSPRING SPLINTER irk Die-hard fans will love this album because it is more of the same crunchy, heavily produced pop-punk that won the band attention in the late ’Bos and car ried it through the early ’9os, and the mid-’9os —and the late ’9os. See a trend emerging? The Offspring does know what works for it, at least. The alcohol inspired “The Worst Hangover Ever” is the frat boy mentality poured over power chords, singing “It hurts so bad/I’m never going to drink again/... At least not till next weekend.” In the same vein, Holland offers advice on how to dodge anal marauders in the slammer on “When You’re in Prison.” It might not be the best songwriting. In fact, the songwriting is awful. But The Offspring has managed to turn up the volume and intensi ty of its work once again, proved on tracks such as “Da Hui,” “Lightning Rod” and “The Noose.” Apparently, growing up for The Offspring isn’t about maturing but about picking out louder, faster, stronger riffs. It’s a California thing. If the shoe fits, wear it. Just don’t expect all the same old fans to join the mosh pit. Or maybe we’re just getting too old for this. Contact the AESE Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu. Diversions Moore left ‘Chasing’ classic BY KATE LORD STAFF WRITER “Chasing Liberty” should be named more aptly: “Chasing Familiarity.” Movies often are remade suc cessfully with a modern twist. Garry Marshall’s 1990 classic, “Pretty Woman,” kept the spirit of 1964’s “My Fair Lady” but remained its own entity, becoming popular in its own right. “Chasing Liberty” is a blatant remake of another Audrey Hepburn film, “Roman Holiday.” This film, unlike “Pretty Woman,” has negligible staying power. In the 1953 classic, Anya is a princess who escapes her hum drum life and travels around an Italian city with a charming for eign stranger who sticks with her for reasons other than romance. Even though neither is being entirely truthful about his or her identity, they find love during their short stint together. In “Chasing Liberty,” Anna (Mandy Moore) is the president’s daughter, who also escapes her overly scheduled life and travels around an Italian city with a charming foreign stranger who sticks with her for reasons other than romance. What happens next is hardly a surprise. Anna meets Ben Calder (Matthew Goode) outside a club Phantom roams darker realms BY JACKIE RANDELL STAFF WRITER Phantom Planet’s self-titled third album is a marked diver gence from its sophomore album, The Guest Conspicuously missing is Jason Schwartzman, the band’s former celebrity drummer, most recog nized for his part in “Rushmore.” Perhaps his absence is part of the band’s makeover an attempt to avoid the disdain afforded most “celebrity bands” like Keanu Reeves’ Dogstar. And with Phantom Planet’s new drummer, Jeff Conrad, emerges the band’s new, “harder” sound. The first single on The Guest banked on a poppy appeal, which was mildly successful. “California” made it to prime time as the theme CARPE CONDO! Sf)n \.)(l i.ho u (}f(i to \ (///. inffjf. * (.ulv ifiH or i:u\ in \ Dill /'/:-( PI Mill House iff! p r o p e r t i e s lot mine mu)• m,!!iiin r ,i|i 968-7226, or go, lo wwvy.millh()useproperties.com! Zero to terror in record time! NtVtRMORt Horror, Oothic and fantasy flint festival Friday, Saturday and Sunday, January 23,24 and 25 The Ghosts of Edendale HEEf. Octane Don Cosarelli’s Suspended Animation BUBBAHO-TEP Ultradlriil! Tickets $7.50 Individual • $32 Five-Pack for details go to www.carolinatheatre.org/nevermore THE CAROLINA THEATRE. NEVER ORDINARY. (919) 560-3030 • 309 West Morgan St. Downtown Durham Five-Pack Discount available until 1/22/04 MOVIEREVIEW “CHASING LIBERTY" ★★ during an escape from the Secret Service. He whisks her away on his Vespa, and their whirlwind trip through Europe begins. While Anna thinks that she cunningly has escaped her bodyguards, she doesn’t know that Ben also is asso ciated with the Secret Service. Therein lies the ultimate con flict of the film: Ben has to choose between his new love for Anna and his duty to the president. For what it is, “Chasing Liberty” is a decent teen romance. The cheesy lines are kept to a minimum, but the musical score can be over whelming. Moore is believable as an 18-year-old searching for herself, and Goode is a solid leading man whose fall for Anna is plausible. For her performance in “Roman Holiday,” Hepburn won an Academy Award for best actress. The only award in Mandy Moore’s sights is a Teen Choice Award. A subplot involving Anna’s main Secret Service agents (Jeremy Piven and Annabella Sciorra) is moderately amusing, but the film could have survived without it. Some of the most humorous points in the film revolve around McGruff (Martin Hancock), a hug- Musicmiiiw PHANTOM PLANET PHANTOM PLANET ★★★ song for Fox’s wildly popular teen soap opera “The OC,” but (the band’s second release wasn’t a crit ical success. o This time around, the band’s first release, “Big Brat,” is more rock than pop which isn’t to say it’s not catchy. The refrain of “Stand back/Stand back” is addictive. “The Meantime” is reminiscent of the Clash’s “London Calling.” With tracks such as “The Happy Ending,” the band jumps on the synth-pop bandwagon headed up by bands such as The Postal Service and combines it with the ,P| SR COURTESY OF DAUGHTER PICTURES Mandy Moore is a freedom-seeking first daughter on a European romp with a hunky undercover agent (Matthew Goode) in "Chasing Liberty." loving, “Six Million Dollar Man” sticker-toting hippie who meets the couple on a train to Venice. His brand of physical comedy makes up for the picture’s some what ponderous beginning. Director Andy Cadiff might have been trying to liberate himself from the teen movie pattern by placing Anna and Ben in a foreign setting as opposed to a local high school, but the model still fits the mold. It will be adored by the 14- garage sound revamped by The White Stripes in recent years. Vocalist Alex Greenwald is a blend of Elvis Costello and Blur frontman Damon Albam. On previous albums, the vocals have been Phantom Planet’s strong point, and the band wisely caters more to Greenwald’s vocal style on this album than it has in the past, though his clarity in speech decreases with the band’s descent into darker thematic explorations. Lyrically, the album explores love, breakups, heartbreak and the ensuing disillusionment. On the aptly titled track “You’re Not Welcome Here,” Greenwald belts, “You’re not welcome here any more,” and his pain and confusion are distinguishable undertones. Rounding out the band’s attempt at validity in the rock genre is producer Dave Fridmann, M " lllllllllil Take 15/501 South towards Pittsboro Exit Main St./Southern Village SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE EHS 1:30-(4:15)7:00-9:40 LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING EaSl2:oo-(4:00)-8:00 CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN IBS' 12:30-2:45-(S:00)-7:15-9:30 PETER PAN B3 12:l5-2:30-(4:45)-7:10-9:35 Matinees £TA^ Sb.oo Idioi ta l | SEATinc ( MOVIES AT TIMBERLYNE Weaver Dairy at Airport Rd. \ 533-8600 2 CHASING LIBERTY* m Daily 2:40,5:00,7:25,9:50 LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING El Daily 3:45, 7:30 COLD MOUNTAIN I Daily 2:00,5:00,8:00 SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE® baity 2:20,4:50,7:15,945 PETER m m Daily 2:25,4:45,7:10,940 PAYCHECK ® Daily 2:30,4:55,7:20,950 Err BE Q amoaiN/iffß COLD MOUNTAIN 6:45, 9:35, SAT-SUN 1:10, 4:00 'ONE W'mnH^iuts 7:00, 9:30, SAT-SUN 2:00. 4:30 CALENDAR GIRLS 7:10, 9:20. SAT-SUN 2:10, 4:20 7:15. 9:30, SAT-SUN 2:IS, 4:40 “ONE OF THE TOP TEN FILMS OF THE YEAR!” -NFW YORK MAGAZINE, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. YORK DAILY NEWV BOSTON CiOM Ifr SAT-SUN 2 QO, 4:30 IN AMERICA 7:10, 9:20, SAT-SUN 2:10, 4:20 21 GRAMS nightly 9:25 (Bljp laily (Bar Mrrl year-old set toward whom the film is geared, but anyone who can drive could take it or leave it. “Chasing Liberty” is by no means horrible. It’s a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon, but that’s about it. Given the choice between the two, “Roman Holiday” is the hands-down winner. Contact the AESE Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu. who has produced albums for the Flaming Lips, among others. Though the album centers more on the band members’ instrumen tal prowess than on appealing to the masses, it doesn’t make a last ing impression. Phantom Planet marks an important progression in the band’s career as it fiddles with its identity and attempts to fine tune its strong points. And all in all, Phantom Planet’s third album is solid, but its collec tive identity is still spectral. Contact theAESE Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu. STARSirSTUM ★ POOR ★★ FAIR ★★★ GOOD kkkk EXCELLENT kkkkk CLASSIC 300LMaioSMLCanhoro 16FR Reggae Party: DIBIASI, SONJA, RAS MELLON USA Acoustic Syndicate** (Sl2/Sl4) 21 WE MY MORNING JACKET w/ Dr. Dog" (SlO/Sl2) 22 TH Planned Parenthood Benefit: Shannon OConnof, Regina Hexaphone 24 SA WEEKEND EXCURSION 25 SU BELOVED, Comeback Kid, Evergreen Terrace, Boxbomb" (SB/S10) 30 FR PIETASTERSw/ Murphy's Law & the Antagonizes 31 SA Thad Cockerell w/ Roman Candle 2MO TAJ MAHAL TRIO w/ Corey Harris" 4 WE GAVIN DeGRAW w/ Virginia Coalition" (SlO/Sl2) 7 SA Bob Motley Borthday Celebration: Mickey Mills and Steel, Dub Addis, Jam Rock. DSF 11 WE Sage Francis (sl2) 12 TH ROBERT EARL KEEN 13 FR SUPER FURRY ANIMALS w/ Papa M 14 SA Neil Diamond AH Stars w/David Spencer 19TH Seven Nations" 20 FR LAMBCHOP" (Sl2/Sl4) 21 SA MATES OF SIATE** (SlO/Sl2) 22 SU HANK WILLIAMS 111** (Sl3/Sls) 23 MO SAMPLES 27 FR ABBEY ROAD UVEI Performing the Beatles' Abbey Road LIVE In its entirety 29 SU George Thorogood & the Destroyers" 4TU DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND BMO Grant Lee Phillips" 12 FR Tooth & Nail Tour (Further Seems Forever, Anberlin, Emery, Me Without You WatashlWa)"slo/sl3 17 WE GET UP KIDS w/Recovet" (sls) 23 TU MEUSSAFERRICK" 24 WE ZOSOaed Zeppelin Tribute) SHOWS e 001 Room 4 (100F Brewer In., Carrboro • 919969-1400) 1/17: Rosebuds, Betafea, Schooner, Cahoots; 1/21: Nod Craft Hip Hop show: 1/22: AUDUBON PARK, RAZZLE, NEW DAWN FADES: 1/23: COID SIDES, SORRY ABOUT DRESDEN w/ DJ NASTY BOOTS; 1/24: Two Dollar Pistols w/ Randy Whitt; 1/25: Makeshffi 1/28: Dtugmoney; 1/29: PERMANENT DARUNG; HURRY UP OFFENSE, OH MY GOD, ARMY OF ME: 1/20: Unicorns, the Strgglers; 2/1: Senses Fall, Moneen, The Beautiful Mistake, Boys Night Out; 2/3: Him w. Mice Parade; 2/4; Engine Down, Statistics; 2/16: Mountain Goats; 3/12: Mofro; 3/27; The Sleepy Jackson gCarrboro Arts Center 3/15 Richard Thompson The BEST Ive music- 18 & over admitted “Advance ticket sales at SchoolKids in Chapel Hill and Raleigh and Radio Free Records in Durham www.catscradle.com
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Jan. 15, 2004, edition 1
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