October 2011
10 posts
4 tags
Clowning around at the circus
For many, circus clowns are a living nightmare — a childhood trauma linked with garishly overdrawn features and zany balloon animals. Stanislav Knyazkov is no such clown. Though he’s performing as part of the duo Stas and Vas at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey “Fully Charged” circus this weekend, the Russian native opts for a minimalist costume. He sports makeup that’s more Ziggy...
4 tags
Dirty Girl Talk
This article was originally published in the UCSD Guardian. For two days, female musical comedy duo Garfunkel & Oates brainstormed what a penis looks like. The girls, actresses Riki Lindhome (Garfunkel, 32) and Kate Micucci (Oates, 30), were writing the lyrics for “I Don’t Understand Job” — a little ditty about uncovering the mysteries of third base. Their mission: A clever way of...
6 tags
Bobcat Goldthwait comes to Ramona
This article was originally published in the Night & Day section of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Those familiar with stand-up comedian Bobcat Goldthwait’s yelping shtick from the ’80s and ’90s (made famous in movies like “Police Academy 2”) may plan on bringing earplugs to his show Saturday at Ramona Main Stage.
But even though his brand of black humor has inspired countless others —...
5 tags
The weird world of Weezer
This article was originally published in the Night & Day section of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Is there any alt-rock band as absurd as Weezer? After its self-titled debut was released in 1994, the members of the band were bespectacled heroes, but after the 1996 follow-up “Pinkerton,” the group plunged into voluntary obscurity — even as the commercial failure became a cult classic for a...
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The kids just want to dance
This article was originally published online at signonsandiego.com
Last month Ryan Raddon — otherwise known as electronic dance music (EDM) artist Kaskade — sent an innocent tweet to his followers, inviting them to the Hollywood premiere of the documentary film “Electric Daisy Carnival Experience,” where he promised a free DJ set to fans on the street.
But there would be no party: His...
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Hacking Into the Past
This interview was originally published in the UCSD Guardian — unfortunately, the online link has since been removed.
For some of us, the bips and beeps of the Game Boy are the soundtrack to childhood. The little ditty it played as you mastered Pokémon got stuck in your head for days. And nothing could encapsulate the frustration of stacking ill-shaped boxes more than the Tetris theme. Kids once...
3 tags
Drake Concert Preview
This review was originally published in the UCSD Guardian — unfortunately, the online link has since been removed.
It wouldn’t be entirely out of character for Drake to show up to Sun God in a wheelchair; after all, the world was first introduced to Aubrey Drake Graham as the paralyzed ex-b-baller Jimmy on “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” Since then, the Canadian has graduated the ...
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MGMT Album Review
This review was originally published in the UCSD Guardian — unfortunately, the online link has since been removed.
Stumbling awkwardly on the red carpet at the Grammys last January, the members of MGMT slid right into the unfortunate, disgruntled indie-band stereotype they seemed destined for since the day “Time to Pretend” began infiltrating deejay playlists. During the band’s ...
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Sample of Dodging the Horizon Column
This installment of my column, “Dodging the Horizon” — entitled “I Could Never Whip My Hair” — was originally published in the UCSD Guardian. You can find more of “Dodging the Horizon” here.
Like most girls, when I was 10 years old I wanted to be a star. After dragging my parents to *NSYNC and Christina Aguilera concerts, and wearing out my copies of Spice...
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Volumes try to put Sept. 11 tragedy in perspective
This article was originally published in the Weekend Books section of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Revisiting 9/11 is never easy, but for the 10th anniversary of the tragedy, the publishing world has released a quiet stream of commemorative nonfiction. Though the discourse surrounding the terrorist attacks eventually turned toward politics and war, this selection of books brings the focus...