Dwight Hobbes – Twin Cities Daily Planet archives

Sometimes you catch a good show at a good place, and then sometimes you have a night you wish you could bottle and put on the shelf so whenever you’re having a lousy time you can pour it over ice and get some instant feel-good. My night at the Varsity Theater last week was definitely well-worth bottling.

You really have to work on it not to enjoy yourself at the Varsity, purely on the basis of the atmosphere. As soon as you walk in the door, you have the comforts of home. The lights are low in a gorgeously appointed lobby with chairs and couches so cushy you could sit down and happily wait for hell to freeze over. After you’re greeted at the reception stand by someone who understands courteous professionalism, you glide on into the theater and may as well be in a gigantic living room. It’s exactly like the lobby, intimate to a tee, except a whole lot bigger. You sidle up to the bar and, guess what, that courteous greeting you got a minute ago turns out to be contagious. The bartender, instead of looking at you like you’re begging for spare change, is cordial, promptly efficient and, wonder of wonders, serves you a decent drink. (Anybody who’s ever been handed one of those ice-filled glasses of colored water can appreciate sipping on something strong enough to kick a mule’s ass.)

[removed][removed] [removed][removed] All that is before the music even gets started. This particular night, I wasn’t much interested in sitting through an opening act, having looked forward a good two months to seeing headliner Alicia Wiley. And there were three—count ‘em, three—openers. God is good. The Zmo Trio  threw down with some of the sweetest, tight-as-the-crack-of-dawn sounds I’ve ever heard, jazz-drenched pop showcasing incredibly haunting vocals. The lineup: Zachary Miles Ojeda (bass, vocals), Andrew Thornbrough (drums), and Shawn Vaughan (piano). Look for these guys on the horizon and, when they blow up big as Fat Albert, remember I told you so. Also on the bill was Dan Rodriguez  (who looks so much like Freddie Prinze it’s a bit scary), doing soul and R&B. He opened and closed strong as sulfuric acid. In between, he was serviceable—which is more than can be said of hip-hop heavy Carnage. Carnage’s set was so lame I sat there wondering how in the blue bloody blazes he got his widely spread reputation as a master of the artform. On the bright side: what the heck, you’ve got to go outside and take a cigarette break sometime.

As a real plus to the evening, I bumped into two area celebs. Standing on the sidewalk, I bummed a Benson & Hedges off premier prose-poet (go ahead, say that five times fast) Sol Testimony , who, pretty as ten peacocks, referred me to someone who could braid my bushy locks. Inside, I run into hip-hop siren Desdamona and, after she gave me a hug, had to sit down. Between the two of those lovelies, it was a wee bit more than an old man could stand without reaching for blood pressure medicine.

Not having any blood pressure medicine on hand, I settled for sipping my drink—which, being distracted by the sight of a lady whose acquaintance I’d to this day like to make, I managed to spill. Great, just great. So, I went to the bar tender, looking for a rag. When I told her I spilled my drink, before I could ask for the rag, she politely poured me a refill. Politely and sensibly: the fresh round was appreciably low-octane (how was she to know it was a legitimate mistake). I thanked her, left the drink on the bar, and grabbed a fistful of napkins.

All things being equal, I counted myself ahead of the game, went to sit back down and catch me some Alicia Wiley.

Alicia Wiley, short and simple, could blow a hurricane back out to sea. That’s the kind of chops she got. She played tasty keys and sang like an angel, seducing with her trademark sardonic melodies. It being the release gig for her new CD, Halfway Home, she anchored the set with material from that album. And killed. In cold blood. When she was recording the disc, Alicia advised me it would depart from her characteristic melancholy, getting off more on the sweetly sentimental tip. Well, don’t tell her I said so, but, sweet sentiment and the whole nine, Wiley’s stark sensibility remains evident on Halfway Home, angst heartrending enough to make Sylvia Plath seem optimistic.

This is good a time as any to throw in a conflict-of-interest disclaimer. I’ve been an Alicia Wiley fanatic since I first caught her, years ago, opening for Willie Walker & The Butanes at the Cabooze. And I rave about her every chance I get. When I heard her waxing sultry as summer heat on “Halfway Home” off Pachyderm’s So Large We Ran Out Room compilation, I had to ask (actually, I begged) whether she’d sing with me in the studio. I’m still pinching myself that she agreed. Further, for the Varsity gig, Alicia had Yohannes Tona on hand, killing bass so bad he need to be arrested for murder. As with Wiley, I begged and he too agreed to record with me. Let it not be said top-flight Twin Cities musicians have no charity in their hearts.

It was one hell of a night. Varsity Theater management should conduct a clinic in customer service and half the Twin Cities clubs should be made to attend on pain of losing their license to serve the public. I found out about the Zmo Trio and got to see Alicia Wiley. Like I said, too bad some experiences can’t be stowed away for a rainy day.

Dwight Hobbes is a writer based in the Twin Cities. He contributes regularly to the Daily Planet.

Copyright: (c)2009 Dwight Hobbes

Apples iTunes transfers music to the devices. The iPod is a veritable music library. From a CD it can play, burn and rip music as well as transfer photos, games, videos and calendars. The best thing is that the gadget is extremely user friendly and can be operated by young and old. The technical excellence does not surface and complicate matters for the ordinary user. It is the best selling audio player in digital history.

Apple surprised the world of sight and sound with the iPod in 2001. It is a player with the fantastic storage power of 5 GN (gigabytes). After a few generations of iPods there came the one with 160 G.

Both Mac and Windows are operable in iPod, although the latter belongs to the Apple family. What is it that makes iPod peerless? Firstly is the light form – the iPod 80 GB classic is less than 1 inch in depth and feather light – 4.9 ounces. In comparison one of the others in the market are 1.06 inch and 12 ounces with 20GB. Secondly is the extremely sensitive click wheel, which the thumb can easily operate. There are not enough rooms for any buttons. The latest models are dispensing with the wheel and going for multi-touch sensory system.

Apart from the iTunes integration and auto sync, the click wheel and the slim figure, the iPod has other notable features. Up to 40,000 songs can be stored in some models. The song details like name and artist can be typed in the search function. The click wheel helps to locate the number. The songs can be listened to at various speeds – slow, fast and medium without causing distortion. Through a jack it can be connected to the home stereo. There is a preset device for diverse music styles.

The 80-GB can store 100 hours of video and double the number of hours in 160-GB. It can be connected to the home theatre TV to view with sound slides or video on a large screen. The model is able to hold a maximum number of 25,000 photographs. The iPod can operate as a portable hard drive carrying all types of computer files. There is calendar contact syncing and pre-loaded games also. It can be integrated to the car with slight rearrangements, which the car mechanic will not find difficult to handle. New cars support this integration so much so that the device is controlled through a headgear or the controls of the steering wheel.

The story of iPod will be incomplete without mentioning the accessories. This is often referred to as the iPod eco-system. These accessories add extra features like sound recorders, FM radio tuners and cables) that connect to the television. There are also wireless remote controls and earphones.

Despite expensive repairs and early battery deaths people are hooked to it like never before. The 2007 wonder iPod model is the classic marvel that is fitted with audio and video players, photo viewers as well as portable hard-drive. Thus is it is a complete handy media center. The customer can pick either the 80 GB or 160 GB models with colour LSD display. To know, see and hear about tomorrow pick up an iPod today.

The good news is that with the vast technology available, it is possible to find a set of headphones for whatever device that you may have. That’s great news for you! You’re able to take full advantage of the features offered by your particular electronic device. It’s not that one particular headphone can’t be used amongst several devices. Rather, it simply means that certain headphones are optimized for certain devices, such as your iPod. As such, there are different kinds of headphones available on the market. Some of these include stereo headphones, noise reduction headphones, DJ headphones, wireless headphones, surround sound headphones and earbuds.

Stereo headphones are designed for listening to portable music. They are best for use with your Zune or your iPod. If your mobile phone has a good sound quality on its own with an equalizer and has a 3.5mm audio jack, then you can use stereo headphones for that as well. Noise reduction headphones are those that help minimize or even eliminate background sound altogether. If you are walking down a busy street and you want to listen to some music, then these would be the perfect choice as you would hear nothing but the music. The noise cancellation feature makes noise reduction possible.

DJ headphones are meant for actual DJ’ing, at a club for instance. These are known to give powerful bass and the ear pieces often have a built in swivel mechanism making it possible to listen to them with just one ear. Wireless headphones are on the cutting edge of headphone technology and they are good, basic headphones, but without the cables. They are perfect for gaming or watching a movie. In most cases, these headphones usually have Bluetooth capabilities to aid in their functionality. There is nothing like wireless listening. It gives you the freedom to relax in your favorite chair as you watch a movie without the worries of getting tangled up in cables.

Surround sound headphones are designed to give you surround sound comparable to that of a home theater system. They too are perfect for watching a movie. The surprising thing is that they do manage to deliver on the actual surround sound quality though they are simply headphones.

Finally we have what are termed as earbuds which are the ones most commonly used for portable media devices. They manage to give a decent sound output despite the small size though they lack some of the sound quality of typical headphones. They are portable and compact, easily fit into your pocket and are great for this type of device.

Regardless of the device you need headphones for, you are sure to find a set that’s suitable for just about any application you desire!

Future Media Concepts conducts a session on Introduction to Sound Editing in Final Cut Studio on the Apple Macintosh, in Washington, D.C. The course focuses on practical, professional techniques used to add professional music and sound effects to video and multimedia projects. Kids First! Film Festival, a showcase for children’s films, TV shows and DVDs from major studios and independent filmmakers, builds on its kid-interactive program by partnering with more than 150 venues worldwide who host more than 10,000 screenings of Kids First! films year-round to an audience of more than one million, with youth given a true voice – as curators, as audience members, as film critics, as volunteer staff and as filmmakers showing their work in the July 15 Santa Fe event. Asian CineVision, Inc. is a not-for-profit national media arts organization dedicated to the development, promotion and preservation of film and video arts by and about people of Asian descent, stages the Asian American International Film Festival in Manhattan’s Chelsea district, July 15-24, presenting 23 features and 71 shorts from international and national filmmakers, in addition to presenting Asian and Asian American films, the festival will host workshops, panels and after parties featuring live music. The final installment of a three-part series examining the business of music, songwriters, and music publishing, will be conducted from a New York venue on July 17, and explores the interplay between songwriting, publishing deals, and recording contracts – examining the differences in copyright protection between musical compositions (songs) and sound recordings (masters).

The annual Casual Connect Seattle, from July 20-22, brings together knowledgeable experts in the casual gaming field to further the casual games industry through networking and learning. For instance, a Pre-Funk Party sponsored by ChaYoWo Games happens at Triple Door on July 19; the Games For Gamers mingle happens July 20 in the Founders Room for people interested in console, indie, and game studio start-ups; the Official Casual Connect Party sponsored by Samsung will be held at the Seattle Art Museum, July 20; the July 21 Mobile Mingle in the Founders Room is for people interested in the Mobile space; and the Official Casual Connect Speaker Dinner sponsored By Plimus will be July 21 at a local restaurant. An Opening Gala for the Okanagan International Film Festival will be held in Kelowna Community Theatre, and a separate VIP Party will be July 24 in the Mon Reposa Luxury Penthouse. The force behind the festival, which runs July 21-25, the Okanagan Film Festival Society, founded in 1998, is a not for profit charitable organization, whose mission is to educate and promote the Canadian and International film industry through film screenings, competitions and professional industry workshops and forums. Hollywood’s LA Shorts Fest is accredited by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, and reportedly, in past years, 33 participants have earned Academy Award nominations, with 11 filmmakers taking home the Oscar. This year, the NXT Stage Conference will be held in conjunction with LA Shorts Fest on July 27. LA Shorts Fest will run July 22-30. NXT STAGE is where content producers, media executives and digital entrepreneurs meet to develop key business relationships.

Expresión en Corto is a state-sponsored, non-profit, cultural event that does not charge admission to its viewing audience and is made possible in large part thanks to: the State Government of Guanajuato, and other institutions. From July 23 through August 1, more than 300 films are screened from 10 am until 4 am each day in 18 venues, which include such unusual locations as: the Jardín Principal (main square) of San Miguel de Allende; the classical open-air staircase of the University of Guanajuato; the subterranean streets and tunnels beneath Guanajuato Capital (where gay, lesbian, erotic and underground films are projected); as well as horror films that are screened in the municipal graveyards (panteónes). The festival hosts an annual International Pitching Market as well. BMI is a sponsor of the Kauai Music Festival, a four-day immersion into the art of songwriting taking place on the island of Kauai. At the Conference, participants can consult, one-on-one, with award winning songwriters, Grammy-winning producers, A&R, and other music industry professionals. In addition, any music submitted can be heard in small group seminars by established songwriters, as well as be placed in the songwriting competition. The Independent Television Festival (ITVFest) is a Los Angeles festival for independently produced, original and innovative television pilots and web-series. The focus is on TV pilots at this festival happening July 30 through August 5. Now in its fifth year, the festival maintains support from institutions like Comcast, Current TV, Brightcove and FX, and the talent of pilotmakers from all over the world.

The above events are only a sample of what is fully listed. Complete details are on the “Media, Entertainment and Performing Arts Industry News and Events” page. Video and podcast versions of this news summary are also available at popular video sites around the Web like MySpace, YouTube, Daily Motion, as well as on The Actor’s Checklist podcast blog. Last month the video news summary featured Grey Duck Production’s ‘The Telephone Game’, Matt Oakey of Toronto based music and film producers, Padded Cell Productions with ‘Little Noise’, Indian Slap Bass master out of Kerala, India, Jayen Varma, Parisian film director Vince Bosco with latest work, ‘Beyond Love’, Pop Rock  band out of  São Paulo, MegaRex. Follow the posting of the news summary on Twitter searching on “actorschecklist”. Streaming video can now be played directly into your Real Media Player and your Windows Media Player on The Actor’s Checklist. Past video from the monthly video news summary is archived on the Free Home Video Showcase which now serves as an archive for all past video presentations but without the audio news narration.

Sony has brought this wonderful gadget for its infinite fans. Fans can carry this gadget wherever they go. Picnic on a beach or going out to a secret party then this gadget is a must on your truck. The sound waves send by this smart gadget will increase the temperature of party and there is no doubt that the experience will be unforgettable.

The dimensions of the STR da2400es are 16.9 x 15 x 6.2 in and the weight is 26.9 lbs. So it has the perfect dimensions which will look more fashionable when dudes and gals will carry it. Sony has installed the latest digital technology in this ideal gadget whose pride will be felt by all its users. Moreover, this gizmo is not going to consume more power. Users of this gadget need not to worry about it as the power consumption of this excellent entertainment gadget is 350 watt only.

If music lovers who do not like to play music in a loud volume and prefer to play it in the comfortable volume then the STR da2400es lets them the facility of a headphone jack through which they can enjoy songs without disturbing their neighbours. Furthermore, this Sony smart entertainment tool is compatible with a home theatre system. Next time when folks watch a movie on their home theatre system this gadget will accelerate the height of their enjoyment.