The Rake Magazine

Month: June 2008

  • Warlocks Cover the Turf

    The music filled the room. Emanating from a trio of guitars, chords resonated with chords and dispersed throughout the Turf Club on Wednesday night, thick and palpable as the fog that periodically came out from the fog machines. Steady percussion from bass and drums crept under the noise to make it danceable (or at least head-nod-able). Though many were sitting stoic at the bar or in the venue’s booths, no one could ignore it: The Warlocks were playing.

    The band is touring this summer, often in tandem with The Black Angels, to promote their latest album, Heavy Deavy Skull Lover. The release is darker than their previous outputs, but as one astute concertgoer quipped, "You don’t have to be a depressed teenager to like it."

    A sizable group of fans, most of them tattooed and/or flannel’d and/or bandanna’d, huddled near the stage, alternately swaying, grooving, and jamming. Though the vocals were somewhat blurred (intentionally), many were able to sing along with vocalist Bobby Hecksher’s lyrics.

    Hecksher himself, more so than any of the other band members, had a commanding presence on stage. It really appeared as if the music were entering him through some aural version of osmosis. Despite the loud-but-mellow tone of the group, he rocked out as if covering only the loudest of Metallica’s canon.

    At times it seemed the group was not creating music so much as creating atmosphere, because the layering of distortion and ambient quality defined each song. Yet each song demanded attention, too. The result being that The Warlocks were at once in the foreground and the background of everyone’s ears. Which is kind of a strange sensation – at a concert, one can usually either keep an interior monologue going independent of what’s on stage, or else let the music serve merely as a backdrop for conversation, as jukebox music might. But at the Turf Club, there was no escape, no reprieve. Like drinking water in a swimming pool.

    The most common description I’ve seen of their music has been, ‘neo-psychedelic.’ I’m not sure I quite know what this means, but at the same time it feels like a very apt description. The music is reminiscent of The Doors, if one were to elongate and slur every note of a given Doors song. Maybe think of a hard rock group playing as loud as they possibly can in a tunnel that produces lots of echoes, and hearing the music from outside that tunnel.

    The downside was that there was a uniform feeling to the performance. While every song was no doubt engaging, about midway through the show, it began to feel repetitive. Each piece might have started out differently – now with a drumbeat, now with a solo guitar riff – but once all the instruments were inevitably added into the mix, homogeneity took over. While The Warlocks have an incredibly distinct style, their sound from song to song remained somewhat the same.

    Nevertheless, it was an appealing show. The Warlocks kept dialogue to a minimum between songs (I think Hecksher said, "Thanks for coming out," once, and that’s it), letting the music stand for itself. And even if the set sometimes sounded like one long piece, their style is original enough that one can listen to it for a straight hour or so, and it still does really seem fresh – most bands can’t keep that up for more than four minutes.

  • Oil Wrestling

    With consumers on the receiving end of an 87-octane enema
    for the last few months, it’s understandable that various politicians would be
    spewing forth bile-filled diatribes laying blame for the current situation
    squarely at the feet of the opposition. Democrats are accused of being so
    "unmoved by the plight of hard-working Americans, they are unwilling to do
    anything to alleviate the pain." Republicans, of course, are "in the pockets of
    oil companies" and just trying to help their cronies reap a windfall at the
    expense of honest, god-fearing, patriotic, SUV-driving Americans who want
    nothing more than to be left alone to mourn for the loss of American
    primacy in the penis wars    .

    Yesterday our Fearless Leader called for Congress to allow drilling
    in coastal waters     that oil companies are currently barred from exploring.
    To oil companies, America is like the girlfriend who considers the back door
    off-limits. To the callous and crass frat boys of our petroleum producers, any
    hole that may offer a payoff is one worth exploring – thus setting the stage
    for the battle
    between reduced gas prices and social benefits like stable ecosystems and
    unpolluted water.

    Of course, that’s a false dichotomy.

    Given that there are 68 million acres of land that are, as
    of yet, unexplored and undeveloped by oil companies despite those lands being
    opened for drilling in within the last seven years, it’s unlikely any oil would
    be pumped in from offshore rigs within the next decade. Not to mention the
    simple fact that the 2 million barrels of oil a day potentially drawn from
    those reserves would be the proverbial drop in the bucket by the time the crude
    starts a’flowin’. Bottom line – you’d be more likely to improve your economic
    position by filming your
    girlfriend playing Wii Fit in her underoos     and parlaying that into a TRL appearance
    than by encouraging oil companies to go spelunking in coastal waters.

    So ignoring the fact that Americans would be offering up
    their most pristine and unspoiled areas of wilderness in return for Jack and
    shit, in the end it’s not a choice between reducing gas prices and preserving
    the environment. It’s a question of wasting resources while we desperately
    grasp at a dying way of life. Even though we would prefer the approach taken by
    Luke Skywalker, fervently
    denying the truth as told by Lord Vader    , when James Earl Jones speaks the
    cold hard facts, we must listen. And the truth is, there is more economic
    benefit to be found in dedicating the money oil companies might spend to
    alternative power research, whether in cellulose biofuels, allowing food to be
    produced for eating, not fuel, renewable sources like solar or wind power, or
    cold fusion – thus
    providing us with the damn flying cars     we were promised oh so many years
    ago.

    And since Minnesota leads in cellulose ethanol
    research and has a thriving wind-power industry, this approach would allow us
    to offer a big "fuck you" to the gulf states, several of which suck down tax dollars like a
    crack-starved Tyrone
    Biggums    . And if there’s anything a Republican respects, it’s self-sufficiency.

  • Solstice Film Festival — It's a Killer

    Killer Movie, a tongue-in-cheek story of a reality television shoot in a
    northern border town that goes terrifyingly awry, will open the third
    annual Solstice Film Festival (June 19-21) at Galtier Plaza in downtown
    St. Paul. The movie premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival (founded
    by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal) in New York last month, but this
    will be its Minnesota premiere—a fitting start as it was shot almost
    entirely in Minnesota.

    "We’re
    excited to kick off this year’s festival with a hometown theme,"
    said event founder and executive director Devin Halden. The film follows
    a reality film crew as they profile a small town hockey team making
    it to the state finals for the first time ever. The film turns dark,
    in a deliberately campy way, when the crew begins to be stalked one
    by one. The film’s director, Jeff Fisher, calls it "a live action Scooby Doo episode."

    Killer Movie was one of hundreds screened that were narrowed to a selection
    of twenty for this three-day event. Submissions come from filmmakers
    across the country.

    Fisher—whose
    other directing credits include reality television shows The Simple
    Life, Making the Band     and Big Brother, as well as a few
    shorts—said Killer Movie (his first feature movie) is influenced
    by the slasher horror movies of the seventies and eighties that he grew
    up on, like Halloween and Friday the 13th, as
    well as some of Brian DePalma’s earlier works from the ’80s, most
    notably the 1981 John Travolta-led Blow Out (itself a remake of
    Michelango Antonioni’s 1966 film Blowup, with a sound technician
    recording a murder instead of a photographer capturing a murder).

    "Everyone
    always says write what you know. I love horror movies. They always scared
    me as a kid." He was inspired while working on remote locations, and
    wondered what would happen if a killer decided to off a reality TV crew
    one by one.

    According
    to Fisher, the audience for Killer Movie is reality TV fans (especially
    those interested in what happens behind the scenes of these programs)
    and fans of the HBO show Entourage. The movie is supposed to be
    tongue-in-cheek, he said. "It’s designed to give you a few thrills
    and also make you laugh."

    Jackson Bond, a 12-year-old actor of Lino Lakes, has a significant role
    in Killer Movie He appeared in last summer’s The Invasion
    starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. Bond will be in attendance
    for the premiere Thursday, walking the red carpet prior to the screening.

    Bond’s
    favorite part of the shoot was hanging out with the cast and working
    on his character with director Fisher. "He made my role more like
    me, and it was easier for me that way," he said.

    Fisher said of working with Jackson: "He’s a total pro, awesome. The cast and
    crew loved him. I was grateful to have him in the cast."

    Bond
    got the role through auditioning. He said Fisher immediately liked his
    audition. "Coming out of there knowing the director likes you is a
    good feeling." Bond says he loves old horror movies, citing Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th.
    He was a big fan of Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, and when
    he was in the theater watching it, he remembered everyone in the audience
    giving his mom dirty looks during some of the more intense scenes.

    Another
    movie screening at the festival (5 p.m. on Thursday) is Patsy,
    a darkly humored psychological farce, as well as a romantic comedy of
    the absurd, as seen through the eyes of Lenny Rose (Brett Golov). Lenny’s
    already delusional world spirals even more wildly out of control when Patsy
    (Christine Lakin) slips into his Palm Beach clothing store, and very
    quickly into his life. Craving more excitement, Lenny is intrigued
    by Patsy’s untraceable past, "little black box" and even being
    pursued by covert agents. They journey with a cast of colorful characters
    through reality to the unimaginable.

    Golov, who also produced the movie, said the movie has hints of One Flew
    Over the Cuckoo’s Nest    , with touches of Eternal Sunshine of
    the Spotless Mind     meets Memento.

    The
    closing film of the festival will be director Jake Rademacher’s directorial
    debut Brothers At War. It’s a very personal documentary about
    his family, mainly his two brothers serving in Iraq, and Jake going
    to see what their lives were like.

    "I
    wanted to do something positive for my brothers, and for all the soldiers
    serving in Iraq," he said. "The film is about my journey into the
    lives of my brothers, and to better understand that I literally go to
    Iraq for several weeks, then along the way the it really becomes about
    brotherhood and about an American family facing the crucible of war,
    rather than about any mission."

    Brothers
    at War     has been screening across the country, receiving a standing
    ovation at the G.I. Film Festival, where it won best feature documentary,
    for its premiere on May 16. He’s very excited for the film’s
    Solstice screening, its third public screening. Rademacher will be in
    attendance.

    Given
    the recent glut of Iraq-themed movies, especially documentaries, of
    late, Rademacher, who cited On The Waterfront and this year’s There Will Be Blood as favorites of his, said his film is different
    in four ways: It focuses on a family and their story; the filmmaker
    actually went to Iraq; he doesn’t impose a political viewpoint in
    to the story but instead lets the story unfold in front of the camera;
    and the soldiers serving in Iraq actually like the film.

    "I
    think soldiers and their families are above politics, so I felt the film
    should be the same," he said.

    Movie
    theaters will be constructed in Galtier Plaza for the festival, bringing
    theater back to Galtier after a 10-year reprieve. "We wanted a facility
    that could house all of the movies in a single location to make it more
    convenient for attendees," said Halden. "You can come watch a show,
    step out for a stroll in Mears Park, grab a bite at one of the great
    restaurants nearby, and enjoy the heart of downtown St. Paul."

    Halden
    created Solstice in 2006 and immediately won accolades for programming
    from such publications as Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Filmmaker
    Magazine    . His vision is twofold: to provide independent filmmakers and
    artists a platform and audience to premier their work; and to produce
    an event that spotlights the Twin Cities, Minnesota, and all that the
    area has to offer to encourage future studio and independent film productions.

    Single
    passes are $10 for opening and closing screenings (Thursday and Saturday
    night) and $5 for any daytime screening. An All Access Pass costs
    $20. It includes:

    • Entry into Opening
      Night Ceremony, Film, and After Party
    • Pass to all films
      selected to screen at the 2008 Solstice Film Festival
    • Admittance to the
      Spotlight Presentation and Film Saturday evening, June 21
    • Entry into the Closing
      Awards Ceremony and Film Presentation on June 21

    For more information on the
    festival and to order passes, visit www.solsticefilmfest.org.

    About Solstice Film Festival

    Solstice Film Festival is a
    non-profit organization committed to bringing the art of filmmaking
    to the Twin Cities. SFF will offer a varied slate of films, special
    events, and educational initiatives at the festival and throughout the
    year, presenting Minnesota with an engaging cultural event for both
    the local population and visitors to the Twin Cities.

    The following
    is an interview I had with Dean Halden, Executive Director of the Solstice
    Film Festival.


    The Rake:     How long has the Solstice Film Festival been going on?
    Whose idea was it? How did it begin? Why Minnesota?

    Dean Halden:
    2008 marks the third year of Solstice Film Festival. The idea to create
    SFF stemmed primarily from my own personal passion for film and my desire
    to help not only independent filmmakers but also the film industry in
    Minnesota as a whole.

    I worked on
    several local films and the biggest hurdle, besides actually completing
    a film on shoestring budgets, was getting the film in front of an audience
    and individuals and companies who could bring the film or their talents
    to the next level. SFF provides a platform and audience for talented
    films and filmmakers to showcase their talents to an audience and those
    influential people and companies. Our organization takes pride in the
    fact that we do not stop at simply screening a film at the festival
    then moving on. Throughout the years, we have developed many great relationships
    with studios, production and distribution companies, as well as private
    individuals who are able to get a film or filmmaker to the next level.
    We facilitate meetings between the two parties and foster relationships
    to help push that process along. Throughout the year, many studios call
    us for screeners from a film that was played at SFF to take a closer
    look at an actor’s performance, the talents of a cinematographer or director,
    or simply the movie as a whole.

    The other main
    reason for creating SFF, and an equally important one, is to produce
    an event that gives studio execs and production and distribution companies
    a reason to travel to Minnesota. Once we have them here for the event,
    we can educate them on our state’s tax incentives, and they are able
    to see first-hand the beautiful and amazing backdrop Minnesota has to
    offer future film productions.

    The Rake:
    What is the mission statement for the festival? What do you hope to
    achieve with it?

    DH:
    The Solstice Film Festival represents the spirit of our community and
    a celebration of filmmaking talent and the art of cinema from around
    the world. SF offers a varied slate of films, special events and educational
    initiatives, presenting Minnesota with an engaging cultural event for
    both the local population and visitors to the Twin Cities.

    We achieve
    this through producing a very balanced event that touches on all three
    aspects of what we offer. Each year the SFF organization as well as
    our large selection committee views and rates over 600 shorts, documentaries,
    animation and feature films, with every genre imaginable. Though it
    is incredibly hard work and often times tough to make decisions, we
    feel by the time we have finalized our program we have the best of the
    best, always keeping our audience in mind throughout the process.

    We also hold
    panels during the event as well as throughout the year. This year, we
    have several well-known film directors and actors on board for our online
    panels held through our Web site.

    And of course
    you can’t have a festival without parties. Our event planners are
    top notch and transform our gala venues into incredible party atmospheres.
    Our parties allow the festivalgoers to interact with the showcased filmmakers,
    local celebrities and perfect strangers who share their passion for
    cinema.

    The Rake:
    What type of films does the festival typically show?

    DH: The
    films that have screened at SFF have been truly across the board. However,
    we try to find films that one day could have, "Coming to a Theater
    Near You" attached to it. From the first year, we have won accolades
    for our programming, and we feel that is from our devotion to "uncovering"
    the next great talent in filmmaking. Our selection committee is made
    up of movie critics, actors, filmmakers, teachers, business professionals
    etc., so we pull feedback from a very eclectic audience.

    The Rake:
    Are you a film lover? What are some of your favorite movies of all time?
    Or anything you’ve enjoyed from the last few years?

    DH:
    I am definitely a film lover. I tend to annoy people when watching a
    movie because I find beautiful filmmaking in a film that others don’t.
    Though a compelling story is a must, I find that the way a filmmaker
    uses colors and a soundtrack can make or break a film. I also feel over-editing
    has made the actors’ job too easy. The constant camera shot of a Fred
    Astaire dance number or the impeccable timing and interaction of Danny
    Kay and Bing Crosby in "White Christmas" is just not seen anymore
    in today’s movies. And the simple slapstick of Chaplin and the genius
    use of props on set is a thing of the past.

    That said,
    innovation in film has given cinema and storytellers an endless world
    of possibility, and that is a great thing for the audience and the future
    of movies.

    The
    Rake:     How much work has gone in to putting on the festival? How many
    people are a part of the Solstice team?

    DH:
    It is a year-round job for our organization. We have already begun planning
    for 2009, making sure we stay ahead of the game and on the pulse of
    independent film. Throughout the year there are only 4 of us who work
    on SFF, then around May we bring on a much larger staff. Each member
    of SFF has a full-time job at other companies. I am a partner in a real
    estate firm, and the others work for a magazine, media company and professional
    sport team. It is truly the passion for film and what we have created
    that motivates us to produce SFF each year.

    The Rake:
    Is the plan to have the festival every year? Any hopes for its future?
    Where do you see it going from here?

    DH:
    SFF is an annual event. We are in negotiations right now to extend the
    event to Minneapolis as well; making it the true Twin Cities film festival.
    From here we just stay the course, make strategic and smart decisions,
    and keep growing the event.

    The Rake:
    What kind of audience are you hoping to draw to the festival?

    DH:
    Our audience grows every year, and it truly depends on what film is playing
    as to what audience demographic walks into the theater. The greatest
    thing about movies is there is one for everyone. Young, old, male, female,
    child or adult, there is something for everyone at Solstice Film Festival.


    CAPSULE
    REVIEWS: opening and closing films

    KILLER MOVIE
    dir. Jeff Fisher

    I
    need to preface this review by saying this: I love horror films. Along
    with science-fiction (and crime/gangster movies a close third) it’s
    my favorite film genre. Writer/director Jeff Fisher clearly isn’t
    trying to do anything different here, instead relying on tired clichés
    that felt dated 20 years ago. The movie is about a reality TV crew – covering
    the local high school hockey team – being stalked by a killer in a remote
    North Dakota town.

    I
    also hate reality television (if you can even call it reality) and
    have no interest in the lives of either celebrities or people wanting
    to be celebrities. I also played hockey for most of my life through
    high school. So this movie had a lot to prove to me from the beginning.
    Fair to say I was not impressed with this non-scary, unfunny attempt
    at slasher horror/comedy.

    The
    problems in the movie are evident from the beginning; clearly not much
    thought was put into the production: the setting is North Dakota during
    the high school hockey season, so that usually means lots and lots of
    snow and cold, but you wouldn’t know that by watching Killer Movie
    because, save for some of the wardrobe and a few throwaway lines, the
    movie was clearly shot in the summer or spring – you know, usually
    the leaves on the trees have fallen off by this time of year in the
    Midwest, so when the characters go into the woods and it’s as green
    as Al Gore’s greatest wet dream, the movie has some problems.

    Other
    mishaps include a really lame reveal of the killer in the end, an even
    lamer ending (sequel anyone? Sure hope not), a Paris Hilton-type lead
    character named, get this: Blanca Champion (a joke I’m sure, but it’s
    not funny), horrible dialogue ("she was decapitated, heart beat less"),
    clichéd characters and attitudes towards the Midwest (no cell phone
    service, are you kidding me? Someone still thinks that’s a quality
    plot device?), an irritating soundtrack complete with a bunch of teeny
    pop crap I’ve never heard of, and hockey action that is way too unrealistic
    (high school hockey players have to wear face masks. I hate when these
    details are missed in sports in movies).

    If
    you’re a true fan of horror movies, you will hate Killer Movie.
    If you’re a novice to the genre, you might have a bit of fun, though
    it is quite violent. These kinds of horror movies are better left in
    the $2 bin at Wal-Mart, and that’s way too much to spend on it if
    you ask me.

    BROTHERS
    AT WAR     dir. Jake Rademacher

    A
    completely different movie from Killer Movie in every way, Brothers
    at War     is an often touching and very personal look at a filmmaker’s
    family dealing with the consequences of the Iraq War. Director Rademacher
    focuses his lens mainly on brothers Isaac (Platoon leader in Afghanistan,
    Captain in Iraq) and Joe (sniper in Iraq), but also makes himself a
    character in the documentary.

    Through
    his narration and observant eye, Jake Rademacher gives an intimate portrait
    of soldiers serving in Iraq without any political baggage. It is to
    the film’s benefit that he avoids any kind of political context to
    the story. It’s completely unnecessary here and it’s been done a
    lot in the past few years. Rademacher claimed that his film is unique
    because the filmmaker actually goes to Iraq, but Morgan Spurlock’s
    (Super Size Me) latest doc Where in the World is Osama Bin
    Laden     did the same thing.

    All
    in all, Brothers is a good film. Rademacher is the only person
    in the world who could tell this
    story, so that makes it special. Things get a little melodramatic and
    manipulative (the score really wants to pull the audiences’ heartstrings,
    but comes off a bit obvious) towards the end, and it drags a bit in
    the third act as Rademacher goes back to Iraq on a mission with a separate
    unit.

    I
    was pleased to see some unflinching looks at war violence that was captured
    by Rademacher and his camera crew, as well as some much-needed, but
    unexpected, moments of humor (courtesy of some great brotherly banter
    that will make any one with a brother laugh). Rademacher also gets some
    good interviews and footage of Iraqis, many of which have a positive
    outlook on America’s involvement in their country. That certainly
    makes Brothers stand out amongst all the negative views of the
    war seen in the media every day. I’m against the war myself, but it’s
    good to see all perspectives.

  • Whedon vs. Shakespeare: A Midsummer Space Odyssey

    FILM

    Serenity

    If you are a sci-fi nerd like me you’ll definitely appreciate this. If you are a Joss Whedon fan (again, like me), you’ll appreciate this even more. The 2007 cult classic based on one of my fave short-lived series, Firefly,
    comes to the big screen at the Riverview for a special three-day stint
    starting today (9:30pm), and continuing through Friday and Saturday (11:30pm both days). You needn’t
    have watched the series to get the gist of this flick; it’s a dark yet
    clear cut space adventure with old west/Mad Max flavor and lots of super-sweet special effects.
    What got me hooked on the series in the first place, though, were the
    characters. They had just the right amount of Whedon camp but were
    lovable and tough at the same time. Anyhoo, I could go on for hours
    about Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer series alone (of which I own all seven seasons, btw), so you probably don’t want to get me started.

    In related news: this is one of THE best blogs in the Twin Cities; it blends sci-fi, fashion, and occasionally, drinking.

    9:30pm, The Riverview, 3800 42nd Ave. S, Minneapolis, $7

    THEATER

    Beer, Brats, and the Bard



    The Guthrie’s modern and dazzling version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream will
    come to a close this Sunday, so you better get in while the gettin’s
    good. This play weaves three stories of love, magic, and perception in
    a
    moonlit forest on a midsummer night; and it’s a must-see for any fan of sparkly things.
    Tonight is the perfect night to go; the Guthrie is offering a special
    ticket price of $25, which not only gets you into the show, but also
    entitles you to a pre-show party with free Brats and Beer on the patio
    at Cue, from 5:30-7:30pm.



    Call the Guthrie Box Office at 612-377-2224 and quote price code "AV" for the special deal.



    5:30 pre-show party, 7:30 show, Guthrie Theater, 818 2nd Ave. S, Minneapolis, $25

    DANCE
    TU Dance

    This local, critically acclaimed dance company
    has been around since 2004, jumping, twirling, and contorting for
    enraptured audiences far and wide. Tonight kicks off a run of eight
    physically stupendous performances at the Southern Theater. Be the
    first to see two world-premiere works by choreographer and co-founder Uri Sands
    , as well as repertory favorites by this exhilarating modern dance
    troupe. Runs Thursday-Sunday June 19th-22nd and June 26th-28th.

    8pm, Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis, $28

  • Champions with a Vengeance

    (AFP/File/Gabriel Bouys)

    NBA Finals Game #6: Los Angeles 92, Boston 131

    Series: Boston wins 4-2

    A 39-point margin in a championship-clinching game means that one team was relentlessly magnificent and the other quit early and never bothered to revive. Quite frankly, I’m shocked at how thoroughly the Celtics cut the heart out of this Lakers team, but a new champion has been crowned, so let’s stroll on the sunny side to start.

    Any coach or player will tell you that defense is a team concept and that the most important component of it is trusting all four of your teammates to make the right rotation or adjustment or decision within the prevailing scheme. The Celtics were blessed to have three perennial all-stars wholeheartedly buy into making defense the priority – how often do one, or even two, actually make that commitment? – and then piecing together rock-solid character guys like Posey and PJ Brown who know their roles off the bench. Add in a pair of young starters who both are far superior on defense than offense, and you have a team identity based around the most energy-intensive – and yet, if you achieve that critical mass of trust and effort, energy-effective – style of play. One of the hoariest cliches in all team sports is that defense wins championships. The Celtics epitomized that for the NBA this year. Of all the amazing stats in this series, the two that jump out are from last night’s first half, when the Celts so thoroughly throttled and out-hustled LA that Boston had more steals than the Lakers had field goals, and that LA missed 19 shots, going 8-27, and yet didn’t garner a single offensive rebound.

    Kevin Garnett deserves all sorts of credit for this defensive identity – he was the linchpin and the physical and emotional tone-setter. But stellar defensive play from KG is not surprising, nor is it surprising from Posey, or PJ, or, except for their youthful errors, Perkins and Rondo. But Paul Pierce and Ray Allen? Has either player put together a six-game stretch of defense even remotely as effective as these Finals? (The only answer I’ll accept is Pierce on LeBron two series earlier, and that still doesn’t come *that* close to topping his D vs. LA.) The Celts built their defensive identity on trust and grit, and then dug down for another notch of intensity and telepathy in the postseason. How many people, even among those who picked Boston to win, believed that Pierce and Allen with a big dollop of Posey would be able to shut down Kobe Bryant as a passer *and* a distributor for much of this series? I will never again regard either one as mediocre, never mind soft, on defense until age inevitably takes its toll.

    As much as this was a team-wide triumph, Pierce became a superstar in this series. By that I mean that he became whatever was required, like Tim Duncan hitting that trey to beat Phoenix about 8 weeks ago to begin these playoffs. Pierce was a point guard in the best sense of the description: He recognized and reacted to the opposing defense with acute versatility, decision-making and execution. Be it distribution, penetration, long-range shooting, pick-and-roll variation, tempo shifting (calming to catalytic and back to calming), even decoy – much more often than not, Pierce chose the right strategic option and then followed through brilliantly. I’d love to be inside his brain for just 24 hours, going over what I’d just done.

    Before this postseason, I always considered Allen primarily a catch-and-shoot player; against Detroit and LA, two long, quick teams, he expertly set up his jumper with dribble-drives and vice-versa. And what happened to his bad ankles 48 minutes in pivotal Game Four? Of all the Celtics, he was the most consistent.

    Posey has trailblazed one habit and reinforced another in today’s NBA. The innovation is realizing that when your opponent is striving for a continuation basket after being fouled, you can get a free lick in – how does that not get adopted by practically every defensive-oriented role player? The reinforcement is being money on the trey from the baseline, Bruce Bowen style. Every contender should have a guy with ice water in his veins for that spot-up corner trey, and yet the muscle and the moxie to drive baseline into the tall timber to foster some crucial hesitation on the close-outs. If I remember, Posey was more of a elbow-beyond-the-arc three point shooter in the past; these baseline treys are perfectly suited for his temperament and skill set. FWIW, I think Ryan Gomes has great potential to be a corner-trey shooter on the Wolves, continuing the franchise’s modest but noble tradition of Sam Mitchell, Malik Sealy, and back to Mitchell (and no, Tod Murphy doesn’t count).

    Of all the Big 3, Kevin Garnett elevated his game the least in the Finals. But then KG had the smallest distance to his ceiling, having finished third in the MVP voting and having already achieved MVP status four years ago. I made my feelings known about KG – my favorite current NBA player – in a three-pointer after Game Four. His shout-out to ‘Sota was meant for many readers of this blog, and you know who you are. As a player with a deserved rep for being amped to the max under pedestrian circumstances, it was a kick watching him trying to channel it all with Michelle Tafoya at the end of the game last night, and funny watching Stuart Scott nervously give him the once over on the awards podium after the game, then decide he didn’t want to risk a live interview. As much as I enjoyed the ‘Sota mention, the words that brought goosebumps were, "I’m certified! I’m certified! What you gonna say now?! We made it Mom!" He took that monkey off his back and tossed it in Kevin McHale’s direction.

    I won’t waste much time talking about the Lakers because it isn’t worth much time. I will concede that I overrated them *twice* – at the beginning of the series and then after Game Five, when Gasol and Odom showed a pulse in the paint and I thought they were gathering some momentum of the their own that might create some space for Kobe to operate on the perimeter for games six and (if necessary) seven. Speaking of burdens to bear, before this series there were whispers that Odom was flighty and Gasol was soft. After their shocking display of mutual enervation, people aren’t bothering to lower their voices when questioning their desire and grit now. These guys aren’t inexperienced like Perkins or Rondo; Odom is 28 and has been in the league 8 years; Gasol will turn 28 in three weeks and has 6 years in the NBA plus time in Europe. They’re not finished products, necessarily, but both fell into an ideal situation with the other plus Kobe sharing the court. They not only should be flourishing, they should be imposing their remarkable athletic skills on their opponents.

    Instead, in an elimination game last night, Odom had *zero field goals* after three quarters. Gasol had four turnovers in the *first quarter,* and, in the signature presaging moment of the night, was flattened by Garnett, who turned around and gently tossed it in the hoop with no whistle while Pau was prone. When KG is the more brutish player down low, it is time to go to your bench.

    Will Gasol and Odom recover f
    rom this stain? Too soon to tell. But their Finals will be defined by ugly memories of lackluster performances until and unless they ever get a chance to rewrite the crunchtime script.

    Let’s not sugarcoat it: The Lakers were a very unlikeable team in this series. I understand the venom emanating from Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy and Jon Barry, because, as one who picked LA to win this series, I felt it myself. They played stupid, selfish, uncaring basketball. Vlad Rad, Vujacic and Farmar were absolutely dreadful – they didn’t guard anybody worth a damn, they eschewed the extra pass (Vujacic and Farmar actually bickered over backcourt touches – in the NBA Finals!) exercised terrible shot selection, and pretended passion in a manner so blatantly superficial you wanted to get right in their faces and shout WTF?!

    On that score, Phil Jackson needed to caffeinate the zen with a little fire and brimstone. Normally I’d be a little shy about dispensing advice to a guy with nine rings, but I can’t imagine anything I’d suggest working less well than whatever it was Jackson was trying to instill in his crew the past six games.

    And Kobe Bryant? Let’s brand him the Dirk Nowitzki of 2008 and call it a season.

  • It's a Mystery

    Very
    occasionally, this critic can get it all wrong. Looking at the
    bespectacled electronic trio (black rectangular frames, black
    rectangular frames, and ’80s nerd chic frames) with their unobtrusive
    fashion (jeans, jeans, and khakis), I drew a few conclusions. Later, I
    asked keyboardist Ryan Olcott whether I had Mystery Palace figured out.

    Erin Roof: Are you vegans?

    Ryan Olcott: No. We’re conscientious about what we eat, but no.

    ER: Do you drive hybrid cars?

    RO:
    I wish we did. That’s a good goal. But, unfortunately not. I’m driving
    a mini van right now, and it gets OK mileage, but its a far cry from
    anything economically and environmentally sound.

    ER: Do you appreciate Moby for his technique?

    RO:
    I hope Moby doesn’t read this. I respect him, but I’m not a fan of Moby’s
    music. We were labelmates for a little bit, but no… I have a loose
    affiliation with Moby, very loose, he wouldn’t know who I am.

    In
    other words, no. I struck out. Then again, it’s difficult to fit
    Mystery Palace into the neatly manicured categories music writers love
    to use. The laid back electronica sounds a lot like Hot Chip if they
    took a night off from the club hits. The music blurs the line between
    ambient techno and pop, yet it’s not either. With live drums, a
    keyboard, and a bass, it’s an odd conglomeration to tack any label onto.

    "We’re
    kind of in between this experimental faction and pop," Olcott explains.
    "We’re just treading this fine line of what our audience is."

    This
    is the biggest problem, he says. Music lovers tend to like one genre or
    another. For a hybrid band like Mystery Palace, it can be difficult to
    find its footing.

    "[Our
    audience are] the experimental electronic kids that appreciate a pop
    song and really like it," Olcott says. "But for the most part, those
    kids don’t. They want to hear atonalities and dissonance and what not.
    Even though that’s where we come from, we’ve kind of alienated that
    crowd almost because we’re kind of a pop band. But the pop scene is
    still warming up to us because we’re not like a guitar band."

    If
    the band had to drag around a genre, it would be that catch all phrase
    "indie" because, as Olcott happily espouses, Mystery Palace has its
    main component: a lack of technique.

    "A
    key thing in indie music is that element of innocence I think that
    really connects with the indie crowd," he says. "That charming sense of
    ‘We’re just having a good time, but don’t know what the hell we’re
    doing.’ That’s the endearing quality of indie music. Me, personally, I
    lack a lot of keyboard technique. Ask me to sit down behind a piano and
    play an A tune and I’ll be like, ‘What?’ We lack the element of
    technique, but we also have a great amount of technique. I have a
    technique as a producer to create a sound, to envision a sound. As far
    as, like, playing, performance technique, I’m about as indie as it gets."

    One
    aspect that does define Mystery Palace is its penchant for
    experimentation. Olcott employs a method called circuit bending, which
    he describes as "the art of the creative malfunction." Much like
    classical composer John Cage plucked piano strings and discovered
    methods of playing instruments outside their intended uses, Olcott uses
    a rewired keyboard to elicit the strange "clicks and bleeps" that
    anchor his music. While Mystery Palace’s songs may be bleeping, they
    are not bleating. It’s music that could accompany listeners throughout
    the day– happy to be the soundtrack to morning cups of coffee,
    commutes, and lingering moments before sleep. It’s about enhancing life
    through layers of stark emotion. It’s not flashy, but it’s not to be
    ignored.

    It’s non-confrontational, just like the band’s approach to its performance.

    "I’m
    never the guy on stage who’s hyping the crowd or getting in people’s
    face. I’m just not into that. It’s cheesy," Olcott says. "I try to be
    as mellow as I possibly can on stage. The way I write is pretty abstract
    lyrically and musically, so any emotion I would portray on stage would
    definitely have an influence on how people connect to the music. I
    don’t want to do that. I want the music to kind of like evoke a
    response on a personal level. So the way I act on stage, the way we all
    act on stage, we downplay it all because we don’t want any of that to
    misrepresent the sound."

    Whatever genre-bending style Mystery Palace plays, it’s the music that matters.

  • Flame: Not the Usual Mall Restaurant

    photo by Denis Jeong

    I stopped by for lunch at Flame at the Rosedale Mall. I
    might be biased, because the owners – the same people who own Mission American
    Kitchen     , Atlas Grill, and Via – are friends of mine, but I liked it. It isn’t
    the place I would go if I were planning an intimate bistro dinner by
    candlelight, but then again, if I were in Roseville and looking for an intimate
    bistro dinner, I would be plain out of luck. There is a whole row of
    restaurants on the back end of Rosedale, and what stands out about Flame is
    that it is the only one that isn’t a chain restaurant — California Pizza
    Kitchen, Big Bowl, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Granite City, Chipotle, Potbelly.

    (Note to readers: I just previewed the published version of this blog post, and it looks like the odds are pretty good that you will be looking at this positive write-up of Flame side-by-side with an ad for Flame, which might lead you to conclude that there was some kind of connection between the two. There isn’t.)

    Flame does follow the mall restaurant formula, right down to
    the logos and uniforms, but it actually has more personality than its
    cookie-cutter neighbors. The theme is "cooking with fire," so I expected to see
    meat on spits, but instead the fire-roasting theme is
    symbolically represented by a row of roaring gas torches, mounted above the
    open kitchen. The fire-roasted meats are a legacy of the Atlas, where chef Abbas
    Shahbazi serves delicious Persian-inspired beef and lamb kabobs, as well as fish and
    chicken, fire-roasted over a 1200 degree grill.

    The menu is basically updated meat-and-potatoes, with a
    smattering of other flavors. The starters include a ceviche made with grilled
    shrimp and smoked scallops ($8.95), and a barbecued shrimp skillet in a creamy
    barbecue sauce with grilled baguette ($8.95). There are a couple of pasta
    entrees as well: pappardelle with smoked chicken and crimini mushrooms
    ($12.95), and penne marinara with bacon and fresh tomatoes ($10.95)

    Prices are very reasonable: On the dinner menu, except for
    the $21.95 filet mignon, everything is under $20, and there are a lot of
    choices for under $15, including the half rotisserie chicken ($12.95), broiled
    Alaskan cod ($13.95), and eight-hour pot roast ($14.95). The rotisserie
    chicken, roast beef and baby-back ribs are all offered as platters for four,
    six or eight ($49.95 / $77.95/ $99.95 for dinner; less for lunch) with 2-4 side
    dishes, which works out to less than $13 per person (or less than $11 per
    person for lunch). The lunch menu is similar, with lower prices, fewer steaks
    and an expanded list of burgers and sandwiches, most under $10.

    I enjoyed my
    lunchtime plate of rotisserie beef ($11.95 lunch / $13.95 dinner) – juicy
    slices of slow-roasted beef, served with a choice of two sides; I opted for
    the green beans and cheddar hashbrowns
    and took home enough for an ample lunch the next day.

    Flame is one of the few non-chain restaurants that will
    participate in the Rotary Club of Roseville’s first annual Taste of Rosefest on
    Thursday, June 26, in the Muriel Sahlin
    Arboretum. Other participants include Ol’ Mexico, Old Chicago, Axel’s
    Charhouse, Baker’s Square, Schroeder’s Bar & Grill, the Outback Steakhouse,
    and a bunch more. For a complete list and other details, visit www.taste-of-rosefest.com, or call
    651-204-9209.

  • Psychedelic Angels and Jazz Hands

    GALLERIES
    Twin Cities Jazz Festival Art Party

    Join The Rake, along with KBEM Jazz 88 and Artisan Vineyards, for a special edition of Gallery Grooves. Tonight the Twin Cities Jazz Festival kicks off with a snazzy art party featuring festival artist, Christopher E. Harrison.
    The poster design for the 10th Annual Festival will be revealed, and
    you’ll get plenty of visual stimulation via the artwork of Richard
    Simonson, Westy Copeland, and Leah Lundgaard. The actual
    festival kicks off Thursday at the Orpheum Theater and continues
    through the 29th at various locations throughout the Twin Cities. The
    perfect opportunity to rock a beret without seeming pretentious!

    7-9pm, Your Art’s Desire Gallery, 12928 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka, Free

    MUSIC

    The Black Angels

    Psychedelic cool cats The Black Angels
    land at the Turf Club this evening for a fuzz-fueled trip-out. Hailing
    from Austin, Texas, these boys are no strangers to rocking out the right way; add
    two awesome full-length albums, three 7" singles, and one
    soon-to-be-collectible EP, and you’ve got a recipe for very
    well-deserved buzz. Tonight’s show at the Turf will definitely be
    packed, so travel light and expect to get shaken up — rock ‘n’ roll
    style. Want to make an evening of it? Try dinner at nearby Taste of Thailand. I am mainly recommending this because I’ve been thinking about eating Pad Thai for about three days now.

    8pm, The Turf Club, 1601 University Ave, St. Paul, $12

    THEATER
    Skewed Visions presents JASPER JOHNS

    Have you ever looked at a painting hanging in a museum and thought I
    could make that?     Well, there’s often more than meets the eye. Renowned
    local theater company Skewed Visions presents Jasper Johns, an original study of the influential American contemporary artist by Charles Campbell, Gulgun Kayim, and Sean Kelley-Pegg. Selected Johns
    paintings will be centerpiece for this unusual performance, which uses
    the framed proscenium stage at the Ritz as its apt backdrop.

    8pm, The Ritz Theater, 345 13th Avenue NE, Northeast Minneapolis, $18

     

  • Sci Fi Nerds and Bee Gees' Love Children

    Forget what the press says. Devonte Hynes does not look like AIDS.

    "It’s
    pretty harsh," Hynes says about the cruelest comment published about
    him. "’You look like a terminal illness. You look like death. I don’t
    know what AIDS looks like."

    It
    definitely isn’t him. Decked out in cut-off short shorts, a faux fur
    hat, and white tube socks, Hynes looks more like a fashion misfit.
    Strumming a duct-tape adorned acoustic guitar with a Star Wars sticker,
    he also boldly professes his love of science fiction. But it’s OK. Some
    of the best music was written by misfits and nerds. Hynes’s new album,
    under the moniker Lightspeed Champion, is an easy favorite in the
    I’m-so-nerdy-I’m-hip category. Songs like "Galaxy of the Lost" and
    "Everyone I Know is Listening to Crunk" are as catchy as they are
    endearing. With a flutter of wind instruments, acoustic guitars, and
    effects kept to a minimum, Lightspeed Champion is a far cry from the
    out of control screamo act, Test Icicles, that brought Hynes notoriety
    among the UK’s indie elite.

    "I’ve
    kind of always been solo and occasionally I would play as a band,"
    Hynes says. "When I play with a band, it’s always one specific type of
    thing, and if [Test Icicles did] more than one record, it probably
    would have changed genre. I could have put out seven different albums
    of different genres. There was more of a dance based thing, like a Daft
    Punky thing, there was hip hop, there was stuff similar to Test
    Icicles. [Lightspeed Champion] was originally going to be more grunge
    based. As it took longer and longer to the point where I was going to
    record, I decided I wanted to challenge myself. I stripped away the
    guitars."

    Lightspeed Champion’s on-stage act draws closer its heavier origins. Some songs may stray from the acoustic versions on Falling Off the Lavender Bridge,
    yet there is also a violinist–one who performed a note-perfect
    rendition of the Star Wars theme. It strikes a balance between Hynes’s
    musical extremes. One part that doesn’t change is his charming allure.
    Hynes’s on-stage banter hops from subject to subject, including bowling,
    his preference for Michael Jackson over Prince, and a simple, "What
    have you been doing today." He has a natural comraderie with the
    audience, almost as if he could hop from the stage and sling his arms
    across the strangers amidst his artful crescendos and witticisms and
    his "too many solos."

    "I
    tend to do way too many guitar solos," Hynes says. "It’s something that
    gradually, gradually got worse throughout touring. They’re just so fun.
    They’re the best thing ever." But some may say there are never enough.

    The
    Explorers Club would probably disagree. They sunny Beach Boys-loving
    seven piece fits its multi-layered harmonies and composition so
    tightly, a solo would be nearly undiscernible in its wall of sound. The
    opening act boasts at times four guitars, two keyboards, drums, a
    mandolin, a tamborine and sleighbells. Can’t forget those sleighbells.
    With an early ’60s sound and a look like the love children of the Bee
    Gees and Lynyrd Skynyrd, the South Carolina band claims influences from
    The Beatles, The Zombies, the Beach Boys, and Chuck Berry.

    Most of them cite an early appreciation for oldies. For guitarist Jason Brewer, it was The Beatles.

    "I
    listened to The Beatles a lot as a kid, like all the time," he says. "I
    had like every Beatles album on cassette. If I was a good kid and did
    my chores, loaded the dishwasher, my mom and dad would give me a
    Beatles tape. Instead of giving me money, I said, ‘I want music.’ We
    listened to a lot of church music, too, because my parents were both
    choir directors."

    Gospel
    shows itself frequently in The Explorers Club’s music, as does the
    swinging rock of Elvis Presley. He was keyboardist Stefan Rogenmoser’s
    introduction to music.

    "When
    I was a kid, I had this Elvis tape," he says. "When we first bought it,
    my mom got it at WalMart or something, and they had these tape
    security cases, this plastic. The lady popped it open, it went flying up
    in the air, and I caught it just before it hit the ground. I played it
    so much the tape broke. All my friends were listening to Green Day’s Dookie. It was a couple years before I got into that stuff. I was just rocking out to Elvis."

    It’s
    this retro influence that sets The Explorers Club apart. In an era that
    finds bands strip mining New Wave and grunge, few go as far back as the
    early ’60s, relegating it to being their "parents’ music." The Explorers
    Club wants listeners to remember that even our parents were once hip.
    Likewise, the band rejects rock’s ultra-suave attitude.

    "We’re
    a very family friendly little band," Brewer says. "We’re not the kind
    of band where you walk in and you think, ‘Man, this makes me feel cool.’
    We just want to make you have fun."

    They’re
    the kind of band that appeals to people of all ages, or as guitarist
    Dave Ellis likes to put it, "zygotes and zombies, man." The Explorers
    Club’s first full length, Freedom Wind, dropped last month.
    It’s a sunny record best listened to in May through early September.
    Nothing says summer like cheery harmonies and jangly hand percussion.
    More sleighbells, please.

  • A Knight for a Day

    Giving a sharp sword to a hyper-ass eight-year-old boy goes against all parental logic. But
    that’s exactly what happened at the "Knight for a Day Camp," a place
    where kids are whole-heartedly encouraged to go completely medieval.

    The
    "Knight for a Day" summer camp was put on by The Oakeshott Institute, a
    Twin Cities foundation that promotes the interest of ancient arms,
    armor, and legends, through hands-on education. The Oakeshott Institute, nestled in a remodeled 1880s church, is a virtual Hogwarts Academy right in the middle of Dinkytown. Ever
    since Harry Potter rode in on his magic broomstick, whipping up a wand-waving fever, children of all ages have been looking for
    mythical activities to partake in. To accommodate all
    these eager Muggles, the Oakeshott faculty has put together a Viking
    and chivalry summer course as an alternative to the usual park-board fodder of hula hoops and endless games of tag-you’re-it.

    On
    a recent Friday morning, I watched weapons instructor Galan Poor, a
    wiry young man with a huge thicket of hair so wild it looked like it
    might come alive and talk, stand before a captivated classroom of
    children and teach them the art of war.

    "Get me a sword!" Mr. Poor told his assistant. A
    college intern then raced to a glass case housing a treasure chest
    of ancient killing devices that included a sword used in the First
    Crusade. Amongst the axes, spears, and daggers, a rusted Viking sword was chosen and handed to Mr. Poor. He
    demonstrated to the class how the Vikings used a chopping and hacking
    motion, and not the sharp-pointed fencing-style attack that has been
    made popular in movies. In long elaborate swoops, Poor gently brought the blade down on a dummy’s neck and wrists.

    "Hack here to cut off his hand!" explained Poor. "Hack it like a piece of tough meat. And swoop down to cut off his foot!"

    The blade made a slight ting as he connected with the metal rings of the chain mail draped over the dummy. The
    class sat still as crows on a wire, anxiously awaiting their turn to
    engage each other and pretend to have their own limbs hacked off. It wasn’t exactly a game of kickball.

    Mr. Poor then moved to a dry erase board, where he gave a detailed NFL style play-by-play of Friday’s lesson: The Shield Wall. The
    kids were going to reenact the legendary 1066 Battle of Hastings, where
    the Anglo-Saxons held off an entire Norman army by standing atop a hill
    and forming a tight barrier with their shields. The kids learned all about the war for England’s crown, the ancient art of defense, and the physics of the Shield Wall: If
    the shields were lined up correctly, even these little runts would be
    able to withstand the mightiest of blows (in this case, rubber dodge
    balls.) A dozen boys were so enthralled in the lesson
    about flaming arrows and knights on horseback that there was no mention
    of boobies, wieners, or farts, which is the holy trinity of discussion
    amongst pubescent boys.

    The
    campers had spent the entire week building helmets, shields, and chain
    mail and were finally ready to use their wares in action. Today was battle day.

    With
    the boom-boom base of low riders bumping down Como Avenue as a
    backdrop, Van Cleve Park near the University of Minnesota campus became
    the battleground for the thrown of England. On a small grassy knoll, the kids formed a Shield Wall using wooden replica shields that had authentic paint and art design. A tiny kid, who resembled Chicken Little in every way but the beak, pounded his shield and howled with rage. A big lunker of a ten year old stood in the middle and smirked, "This is soooooooo Brave Heart."

    Rubber balls flew through across the park and tagged the Shield Wall, filling the air with a sharp slapping sound. The
    inner city tuffs playing pick-up ball on the basketball court adjacent
    to the fields stopped their game to watch the mayhem exploding all
    around the children. A camper with shaggy, summer-streaked hair bent his knees and deflected the balls being thrown at him from the camp councilors. He yelled out in delight as the balls ricocheted off him and back down the hill. The big kid in the middle shouted out, "Hold the wall! Hold the wall!"

    After twenty minutes, the kids were spent and Battle of Hastings turned into a glorious massacre. The
    runts stationed at the corners of the Shield Wall grew tired and were
    picked off. The wall loosened and all the kids were bombarded with
    rubber balls. The history lesson was lost as one solitary Velcro shoe was shot into the summer sky as a sign for peace. The kids crumbled to the grass in theatrical mock death.

    But a lone girl kept the battle alive. She stood amongst the wiggling bodies of her fallen comrades and tried her best to soldier on. Seven balls came at her and she was comically peppered in the head, stomach, and leg. She wailed with sheer joy.

    "She
    would’ve cried for days if I had sent her to soccer camp like the rest
    of the kids," Maggie Swanson’s mom said about her courageous daughter. "But she loves this."

    The beleaguered campers took a break and sat in a shady grove of trees. Then
    a burly instructor laid out spears with tennis balls on the tips and
    boasted with a great Hail Caesar flair, "Let the Children play with
    spears!"

    The kids sprang up, grabbed spears, and bolted through the park. A gangly boy, who couldn’t throw a ball to save his life, chucked a spear and hit a target dead on. Congratulatory cheers rang out as chivalry was brought back to the Twin Cities.