Summer Concert Review - Pink Martini at the Arvada Center of the Arts

Pink Martini Concert Review

by Addie Callahan

The Arvada Center for the Arts left nothing to be desired from their concert headlining Pink Martini on Sunday, July 7th. The concert was part of an ongoing outdoor summer concert series at the Center. Thus, the concert-goers came out with their picnic baskets, blankets and fold up chairs for a wonderful evening of instrumental music.

Pink Martini w/ Storm Large

This orchestral group started off with a Spanish/Latin vibe playing music that transported you to the sunny beaches of Latin America. After a few songs of this style, the head of the ensemble introduced the vocalist Storm Large, who had only recently debuted at Carnegie Hall. She kicked things up a notch when she started to improvise dance moves along with the music.

This group works together like a well oiled machine, playing off of each other’s energy and remaining constantly on point and in time with the music. One of the most surprising treats of Pink Martini’s performance is that almost all of the musicians are as equally vocally talented as they are instrumentally. I found this to be a refreshing surprise after seeing many orchestral groups who only have one or two vocalists in their group. 

Before each song, Pink Martini would elaborate on how the next part of the set came to be created. The band explained how some songs were inspired by a famous musician of the past, and other songs pulled inspiration from an old ‘Life’ magazine advertisement for Hunts Ketchup. Having background information on how the songs were devised really added a unique level of connect between the audience and the music itself. 

Pink Martini

Pink Martini also has a wide variety of languages in which it’s songs were composed: Spanish, Japanese and Creole to name only a few. Having a diverse number of languages kept the set list brimming with variety and surprises that captivated the audience. It was clear to the audience, if not simply by the way musicians introduced each other, that the members of Pink Martini weren't just band-mates, but also dear and long time friends. They applauded their colleagues after their respective solos and some songs featured specific band members.

Above all, Pink Martini was personable and loved to interact with the audience. During two songs they invited the crowd to join them on stage and dance along to the numbers. In addition, they also did a meet and greet after the show, at which point you could talk to the musicians as well as get a piece of their work signed.

This was one of the best organized and executed concerts that I have ever attended. I have tremendous appreciation for the Arvada Center for the Arts, who kept a very clean and beautiful venue. The venue staff which consisted primarily of volunteers was welcoming, helpful and courteous. I would highly recommend attending one of their remaining concerts in this series.

Click here to visit the Arvada Center of the Arts website for ticketing and event information.

Imagine Dragons: Flying To The Top

The band, Imagine Dragons

By Jon Schulte



It's no secret that in today's music scene, you need to have something explosive, something groundbreaking, and something catchy to snag someone's ear, and their wallet. And on Valentines Day, 2012, one band did just that. The release of Imagine Dragons' "Continued Silence EP", their first major label EP shocked listeners, as this six track EP shattered the idea of indie and alternative music, combining intense and berating beats with songs such as "Radioactive" and "Demons", along with a mellow and emotional sound, seen clearly in songs like "Look How Far We've Come", "Round and Round", and the popular "It's Time", the band struck gold, gaining fans world-wide, and success for them after a hard-fought rise to the top.

Beginning in 2009, the band, made up of four reckless, fearless individuals, started recording self-released EPs at Battle Born Studios in Las Vegas, Nevada, hometown of the band's front-runner, Dan Reynolds. From there, Grammy winning producer Alex da Kid picked up the band in 2011, working tirelessly to get the band an audience and to send that audience a message; that they were there to stay, and that they were there to rock. "Continued Silence" broke the rules in every way, gaining a respectable crowd, as well as a new meaning to their music. The songs, with compelling lyrics that only come from the heart, have touched fans, which is seen clearly at their live performances, where the emotion and passion behind every word the band sings is clear, and very touching. The band also really shows off their passion, to the point where Dan once passed out into the drums during a concert finale. Events like this show that Imagine Dragons is unlike what we've seen recently from the indie and alternative songbooks. They aren't just music, they are a message. The band supplies a soundtrack to any underdog, and has faced and conquered challenges to get them this far.

The band's new album, "Night Visions", which is released on September 4th.

The unique sound of the band, using obscure instruments such as a mandolin in "It's Time", which has been nominated in the MTV Video Music Awards "Best Rock Music Video" category, and the bubbly, rocking keyboard tracks in "Look How Far We've Come", has gotten them the push they needed to release their first album, "Night Visions", scheduled to hit record stores, iTunes, Spotify, and other vendors on September 4th with all sorts of specific vendor bonuses on top of the included 11 tracks. The album, comprised of songs from "Continued Silence" and new tracks yet to be heard, is expected to go far.

In this time, the band is also having their new track "On Top of the World" featured on the new FIFA13 video game soundtrack, along with various other places in pop culture, including "It's Time" being used in the commercials for "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", as well as to be covered by Darren Criss on the Season 4 premiere of the hit TV show, Glee. Nobody can really argue that the band has already made an impression, with a long road ahead.

The release of "Night Visions" is expected to gain a huge amount of popularity, as well as their current fall tour with AWOLNATION, another popular rocker. The tour comes to the Summit Music Hall in Denver on September 27th and 28th, with shows sold out months in advance. Along with the tour, the band will make stops all over the nation, spreading their sound as well as showing off their talent and love of music. As a music lover, I couldn't, and wouldn't speak poorly of this band. They worked hard, and made something truly amazing. I recommend them to everyone I know, and also try and publicize their older EPs, Hell and Silence, and the self titled Imagine Dragons EP. Give them a listen, as well as any work done by the band, I promise they will not disappoint.

Total Recall - A re-make that was actually good!!

by Brian Heissenbuttel

            Most great films are hard to re-make. The Star Trek franchise was massive in the 60’s and 70’s, but the 2009 re-make made long-time trekkies want to club J.J. Abrams with a Vulcan mallet. Letting George Lucas into the Indiana Jones franchise was a fatal mistake, and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was looked upon with shame by fans of the original three movies. Now Total Recall, from 1990, has been given the same makeover. Thankfully, it had better results.

            First of all, let me get one thing clear. Colin Farrell has nothing on Arnold Schwarzenegger. Come to think of it, nobody does. But he still put on a strong showing as Hauser, a spy from Australia. (Known as “The Colony” in the film)       

            Unfortunately, a lot of the characters aren’t defined well, and the movie ends with several characters identified by only their name and whose side they were fighting for. The reason for this is very simple; Hauser’s story is so confusing that a large part of the movie is dedicated to clarifying who Hauser is and what happened to him in the past.

            Despite the problems with the characters, this movie has an excellent storyline. Unlike most movies, this one has few events that severely twist the plot, but if you look down to check a text message, you will have missed something interesting. I guarantee it.

            The one area where the 2012 remake tops the 1990 original is in visual effects (obviously). With the plot taking place in the 22^nd century, anybody who didn’t consider flying cars and robot armies shouldn’t be working on the movie.

            Overall, I think this new movie is just as good as the original. That is very rare with films that are re-made. I would recommend this film to people who haven’t seen the original and to people who have. I think this will be popular when it is released on DVD. And thanks to the stunning visual effects and sounds, I would definitely get it on Blu-Ray.

Review: Burger King Bacon Sundae induces vomit

Bacon Sundae used to trap teenagers into bad buy

by Joe Redmond

This thing exists and is in regular circulation.

“Thick, hardwood smoked bacon” and “velvety vanilla soft serve” never tasted so bad. That’s because they’re served together. And it sucks. It bewilders me that anyone could completely deface ice cream or bacon in such a way.

It was clear that some eccentric, skinny-tied big wig at Burger King was having breakfast and ordered his secretary Marge to get him some ice cream. He then absentmindedly grabbed for his spoon, and instead grabbed a bacon, scooped up some ice cream, and took a bite all while harassing Marge on his Bluetooth. He then realized what he was eating, and that it tasted horrible, and that kids would totally eat it as a dare. Thus, the wretched Burger King Bacon Sundae was born.

I like ice cream and I like bacon. However, these are two things that should never be combined, like toothpaste and orange juice.

People need to realize that just because two things are good does not mean that they will taste good together. What really gets me is that this Frankenstein of a desert is toted next to its fully-acceptable cousins, the caramel sundae, the strawberry sundae, and the chocolate fudge sundae. Was this some kind of joke? When asked who actually buys this stuff, the cashier responded, “Mostly kids like you.” Makes sense. Burger King won.

I give this "treat" two cows out of twelve, simply because the ice cream was pretty good once I removed the bacon.

The Dark Knight Rises Review

Deep action and shallow plot

by Joe Redmond

The Dark Knight trilogy persists as a cultural icon.

The Dark Knight Rises gave the audience all that we expected: action and Batman. What else can we ask? Well, a lot actually.

It is clear that Christopher Nolan was given a huge wad of cash and was told to make the most kick-ass movie this generation. He is no novice to doing this, having written Inception and the previous two Batman movies in the now-completed trilogy. Money shots included a burning bridge with the Batman symbol imprinted on it and a football game falling into the depths below. These shots were flawlessly executed, and yet, it leaves the viewer wanting a reason for all of this destruction. Christian Bale plays a recluse Bruce Wayne to a T, and Anne Hathaway portrays a wonderfully two-faced Catwoman, as the part was intended.

Then comes Bane. Tom Hardy is a wonderful actor, being able to portray anger, intelligence, and sorrow using only his eyes, which is a notable feat. Unfortunately, the character Bane remains ultimately one-dimensional, as the plot robs him of some of his most interesting elements to his personality and power. The story never clearly gives Bane a reason for wanting to go nuclear on Gotham with himself inside. He is not the psychopath that was Joker or the crook that was Scarecrow. Ultimately, his established lore is mutilated with a poorly executed twist at the end. Personally, I was left wondering by the end why the writers didn’t chose a different villain… Riddler, anyone? Or, at the very least, I wondered why they decided to emasculate Bane, robbing him of some of his most interesting powers.

The movie ends up feeling longer than it actually is because there are never natural breaks in action. The movie was all explosions, fist fights, car chases, and more explosions. The only relative down time was the token sex scene, bookended by gunfights and yelling. Granted, many people will find this exciting, but it leaves personal connections to the movie distant, and ultimately shallow.

As a summer blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises delivers. People want action, and they get action. The movie alone was great entertainment; however, the movie will not be looked upon as a classic or anything better than the other two. In fact, the second still stands out in my mind. Maybe I just prefer smart and creepy villains to burly Caribbean prison mates who speak like monocled English gentlemen.

Recap: London's Opening Ceremonies

By Brett Stewart

This evening the Olympic flame finished it's long 70 day journey into the Olympic Arena in East London. London's opening ceremonies were a Cirque Du Soleil style extravaganza that featured some of the country's most notable figures. How did it stack up to 2008?

Sir Paul McCartney this evening 

I think that London did exactly what they needed to do. They put Paul McCartney on stage. Nothing could have topped that. The Beatles are one constant throughout the entire global community. Their music unites us and brings us together; it was absolutely beautiful to see the entire world sing along with Paul to 'Hey Jude.' Having recently turned 70, Paul looked absolutely fantastic and his performance alone made the ceremonies spectacular.

More so to the theatrics and build up to Sir Paul: They were great. London started with a stunning walk through of their country's history moving into the industrial age, and eventually, the digital age. Once they hit the digital age, they went through four decades worth of their music. I thought the idea of going 60's-90's was great, but at the same time, I feel like the 80's and 90's were a time when America shined in popular music, not so much with Britain. I was actually a bit surprised they didn't break out into "Pour Some Sugar On Me" for their 80's segment. Def Leppard was probably one of their largest 80's bands. Regardless, the musical segment was fantastic.

London made sure to keep it close to home with relevant people and subjects to fill the event with. J.K Rowling made her appearance, as did Mr. Bean and the London Symphony Orchestra. A spark blasting, 100 ft. tall Voldemort haunted children's nightmares before Mary Poppins saved the day. London understood exactly what they were known for, and utilized it.

Overall, it was a masterful and memorable performance. Was it better than 2008? No. Was it worse? No. It was different. You cannot compare these ceremonies year to year because each country has something different to work with. London did beautifully with what they had to offer the world. Let the games begin!


Strike Magazine will be attempting to cover as much important Olympic Games news as possible. We are not a timely publication, (You don't read Strike for the news,) but we do specialize in feature stories. So every bit of our Olympic Games coverage will be much different than any other network or news source and will be worth a read! 

Prometheus Movie Review

By Brett Stewart

Prometheus is the highly anticipated prequel to Ridley Scott’s “Alien” franchise. After over three decades, does the series still deliver?

So everyone gets stuck on a spaceship, the lights go out, evil little critters kill each crew member gruesomely, and their robot friend betrays them. That’s the 1979 film, Alien. Wait… it’s also Prometheus. The film is a skeleton of previous films in the series set in a different environment with minor plot twists in attempt to keep the story fresh. It’s quickly apparent that this is the film Scott wanted to make thirty-three years ago, had he had the technology at the time.

What Prometheus has going for it is the minor plot twists that it did make. The film introduces a new alien species in the human’s attempt to discover their divine creator. Instead they find an abandoned test ground planet where this race was testing their ultimate WMD before they had to desert all of the facilities.

Being the stereotypical, cocky, and naïve group of weary travelers that this type of film usually employs, the humans naturally stumble into the middle of this factory, turn on the weapons, (in a sense) and chaos ensues as the aliens begin to pick them off one by one. Just as you think it’s about to be over, it’s not. You’ll find yourself half getting up out of your seat multiple times when you think the credit roll is seconds away.

While Prometheus a newly recycled Alien, it does have its moments. The entire movie is visually spectacular, and seeing it in 3D or IMAX is a fantastic investment. The film does a remarkably well job of taking ideas and creatures that made the series known for being frightening and disturbing, and bringing them to an entirely new level. From landing on the foreign world to the many attempts in trying to leave, the film does do a nice job of keeping you entertained despite the run time being a bit too lengthy for the film.

The Alien franchise’s time is over. The low level of hype for Prometheus proved that. While the film will tie up some loose ends, (even though you probably never questioned them in the first place) the Alien plot itself doesn’t meet modern standards. The original film is unique in the fact that it will remain ever engraved in the history of science fiction film making; Prometheus doesn’t have that luxury. Go see it. It’ll amuse you and it’s something to do on a hot day. Just don’t expect the return of the series to bring anything new to the table. 

"Avengers" Critical Review

Marvel's "The Avengers": A Real SMASH!

 

By Jon Schulte

On May 4th, 2012, box office history in the United States was shattered, with a newcomer that packed a punch, a smash, and priceless entertainment. The release of "The Avengers" rocked record books everywhere, reaching a whopping $500 million mark after only 23 days of being in theaters, beating out 2009's Avatar by a whole 9 day margin as the fastest film ever to reach a $500 million gross. Though it raised $47 million over Memorial Day weekend alone, it's overall domestic gross rose only to $523.6 million, placing 4th in all time in theater gross for a film, behind only 3 films, the Batman saga's The Dark Knight ($533.3 million), and James Cameron's captivating films Titanic ($658.5 million) and Avatar ($760.5 million). In just a matter of days, The Avengers will surpass Dark Knight, and will take the bronze in overall US box office grossing films. Likewise, the same merit will be earned in the worldwide numbers. At $1.31 billion worldwide, Avengers is bound to surpass Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 ($1.32 billion) by the coming weekend, and take third again amongst Titanic ($2.2 billion) and Avatar ($2.8 billion). Though it is making leaps and bounds in success, The Avengers is not suspected to get anywhere near to the top two spots, for it soon will have the competition of other summer films, like The Dark Knight Rises (July 20th) and The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3rd).

With it's popularity and gross based purely off the film's fantastic fan base and vast publicity, this grand spectacle was what people have been waiting for from the American cinemas. Entertainment to talk about. Rounding my 4th time actually seeing the film, I am left each time with a new experience, because the film has so much to it, you can come back and back again and never get tired of it. As a long time Marvel fan, I take my hat off to the film's director Joss Whedon, who's screenplay brought these famous characters from the pages of comic books to the big screen in a way that has changed the history of film as we know it. Avengers executive producer Jon Favreau says if anything, the film was meant to set the new standard. Favreau was quoted in saying, "It (The Avengers) sets a new level for what people can expect from franchises, a lot of work went into making this pay off, and there was a lot of buildup. But we still had to stick the landing. I think this shows what the payoff can be when you put the time in to do it right." (Courtesy of USA Today). And not just a lot of work, but by the end of post-production, the film had become a $220 million project, which, as Favreau would put it, is the price to do it right.

After my experience with film, analyzing what makes a good film, and who to go to for great entertainment, I have a very long list. But, after all the analyzing and research, one film stands in my mind as not just entertainment, but a real experience, is none other than The Avengers. Combining the perfect amounts from it's series of prequels since 2008, Marvel's Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor,  and Captain America, which all hinted towards the next or towards their union in The Avengers, the film itself is said to be the end, but is really just the beginning. With Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Captain America 2 on the horizon, we can expect to see more from Marvel, and more from our heroes in The Avengers.

In ways of films, this one sets the bar for them. In ways of entertainment, this film is a winner in all ways. In ways of creating an epic tale that has made it's mark in history, The Avengers does just that. I usually can recommend films to people, and they will enjoy them, or they won't. But if you ask me about this film, I will tell you, no matter what, see it, eat some Shawarma, see it again, buy it on DVD, watch it more, and then buy your tickets in advance for Iron Man 3.

Schulte Says? See this film, stay until the VERY end (trust me on that one), and you will not regret it. It is well worth the money, and will leave you wanting more. Mark your calendars for the next installment in the Marvel franchise, Iron Man 3, scheduled to hit theaters May 3rd, 2013.

The Black Keys North American El Camino Tour is Here!

   
By Brett Stewart

The Keys will hit on a lot of Deep Tracks

  The Black Keys embarked on their “El Camino” tour back a few months ago, taking the Arctic Monkeys along for the ride. The hype surrounding the tour is clear, but can the Keys really stack up to it?
    Having waited in line for about two hours, it felt amazing to rush the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colorado, to try to get as close as possible to the stage; we had to claim our territory. Promptly at 7:30, a surprisingly sober Alex Turner graced the stage, opening with the Monkey’s “Brianstorm,” their famous song about really hating a guy named Brian. With good reason too, I mean, come on, he wears t-shirts and ties. Upon the first note of “Brianstorm”, it was clear this was going to be a rock concert to remember. Likely having little regard for the audience, the Monkeys insisted on as many strobes as the center could muster, so it was quite the experience as Turner bolted around the stage with his showman antics. The Arctic Monkeys were actually a highlight of the show for me, being a huge fan, they performed their hits beautifully. They made sure to touch on newer content from “Suck it and See,” but they also jammed to much of “Humbug” and songs like “Crying Lightning” and “Pretty Visitors” were pleasant surprises. To the crowd’s pleasure, the band also makes sure to touch on their mega-hits, “R U Mine” and “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor.” The experience will be memorable for Arctic Monkeys fans.
    An hour and a half later, The Black Keys entered behind a large white curtain, illuminated by halogen lights to display their shadows as they walked from behind the stage to their positions. Being a two person band, the Keys put Patrick’s drums parallel to Dan’s center stage setup, instead of the traditional back stage drum setup. Patrick is probably one of the best drummers you will see live. He’s mind blowing, I’m shocked he didn’t pass out half way through the concert.
    The Keys will touch on most of “El Camino,” and much to my surprise, they actually eliminated popular songs like “Gold on the Ceiling” very early in the show. After “El Camino” they get into a lot of deep tracks. It’s probably fair to say that half of the concert is actually deep tracks, as Dan blasts out his blues riffs from one of many Fender Jaguars he seems to take to. It’s fantastic the Keys are actually getting into these tracks, they never got their time in the limelight like songs from “Brothers” and “El Camino” did.
    An hour and a half after they took the stage, the Keys promptly hopped off. The next fifteen minutes were the longest and loudest encore call I’ve ever heard. This made the encore call for Paul McCartney seem like a busy grocery store. Eventually after fifteen minutes of chanting, and me half wishing I had worn earplugs like my friends had, the Keys finally got back onto the stage to finish with their two or three encore songs. Most notable was the final song, “Everlasting Light,” in which two giant disco balls come down from the rafters to shoot colored dots around the entire room. It was visually spectacular, and a phenomenal encore.
    It’s amazing the Keys went from recording in a basement to filling stadiums within a decade. This tour is not something to miss, whether you be a Keys fan, Monkeys fan, or a blues rock fan. In fact, I can’t think of anything negative to say about the show, aside from the Monkeys maybe including major tracks like “Suck it and See” and “Fluorescent Adolescent” in favor for deep tracks. Regardless, that didn’t detract, both bands played their hearts out and the concert was a memorable experience. See this tour.

Blueberry Fever

by Brian Heissenbuttel

            The Nissan Juke, a.k.a. the “Blueberry,” is one of the best cars available for purchase today. I mean, Nissan is practically the Lamborghini of Japan, meaning you will never be embarrassed in a drag race against a skimpy Corvette.

            In comparison to several other vehicles, the Juke is one of the most fantastic machines ever made by man. The fuel economy is staggering. 27 miles per gallon doesn’t sound like much, but compare it to a M1 Abrams tank and you’ll go 36 times further on every gallon! What a bargain! And don’t think it ends there; the Juke is insanely agile. The standard Nimitz class aircraft carrier has a turning radius of one mile, almost 5240 feet larger than that of the Juke. Not even a mouse could turn tighter! The final figure that should sway all readers in favor of the Juke is the price. The base model, the Juke S, costs $19,990. Sure, that may be a lot for a car, but any customer could buy 1,650 Jukes for the price of one Wally118 yacht. I would rather have 1,650 Nissans. Customers could still get 1,396 of the most expensive model with satellite navigation, and … that’s about it. Huh.

            Even without comparison, the Nissan is one thoroughly brilliant automobile. The mind-blowing 1.4 Litre Nissan HR inline-4 engine, combined with a brilliant and not at all unnecessary turbocharger produces a fantastic 112 horsepower maximum. Not even a Ferrari Enzo has that much horsepower! And that’s not a lie at all! Okay, maybe it is, but you get my point.

            The Juke is also safe, and not in a satirical way. The Juke was an IIHS top safety pick in 2011. This means that if you hit a tree REALLY hard, you won’t even get a bloody nose! Why else would you have a seatbelt? Sadly, your car will be totally trashed, and if you didn’t know that already then find a doctor.

            Not only that, it is also very roomy in there. It’s a high-riding vehicle, which means there is a lot of headroom. It has five seats, so…yeah. Good car.

            So all you big wigs look away from the Porsches, Mercedes, and Audis. And all you youthful drivers ignore the used dealerships that try to sell you anything else. Go to your local Nissan dealership and get on the bandwagon with this revolutionary line of automobiles.