Arun Chaudhary answers this question and more as the first official White House videographer on the second day of the Witching Hour festival at the Englert in Iowa City.

Chaudhary began his speech joking that although now he’s “the most artsy guy in the White House,” he used to be “the most political guy in art school.” He then dived right into the content of his Power Point, explaining that because the digital age we live in is so different from what people have ever seen before, the way we present politics should change, too.

And he has a point – following President Barack Obama, who hired him in the very beginning of his 2008 campaign, the filmmaker has had a chance to see how storytelling works in today’s politics, and has aimed to focus less on the “sleek,” finished look of political photography and more on the backstage, personal, and human aspects of a politician. The main point with which Chaudhary led his talk was the fact that today, with all this instant access of information, people first have to care about something before they look it up. He says, “we need to make politics compelling.”

Chaudhary broke the rest of his speech into two parts, (and this is where the talk’s title begins to make more sense): Authenticity and Authorship.

The filmmaker explained that authenticity had quite a bit to do with narrative. “Put facts into an emotional framework,” he said, as he talked about the narrative he found in our president. He talked about how in order to be authentic and grab attention, he focuses not on what is happening, but about how the character reacts and changes as a response, how the narrative of a politician shows a hero’s journey.

Chaudhary also showed us his recent work as creative director of Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, calling him “the time stamp of authenticity.” For this campaign he basically took the message Sanders was trying to relate to the American people, that “someone gives a shit about you,” (in Chaudhary’s own words), and applied this narrative for everything media. He showed us a “404 Page Not Found” video featuring the senator standing against a brick wall, telling us to “scoot” to the bottom of the page to get back to the homepage. This video is a perfect example of the narrative in authenticity Chaudhary was explaining – this nice old man cares to personally guide us back to “home,” which follows Sanders’ initial message, and there is nothing staged or fake about it.

Authorship was the next step. Chaudhary’s style is very “hand-painted,” as he said. He wanted to be sure to be as real and gritty with the public and show as much truth and “behind-the-scenes” of Obama and Sanders’ personalities as possible, and we audience members were lucky enough to learn how he did just that. As a cinema major at the University of Iowa, I took avid notes that I am going to share with you now in points:

• A bit of humor makes the dark things seem more okay.

• Authorship in an editing timeline: Cutting audio and video together without overlap reminds a viewer that he or she is watching something from real life.

• “Editing is the ruthless suppression of being insignificant.”

• Be gritty, not glossy. Don’t stage, capture.

• Videos do not educate! Film is art, which represents ideas and points, but words educate. Represent to capture attention, then explain.

• Before you can have an idea, you need a notion.

• Match form to content, not content to form. Chaudhary showed a good example of this in a video comparing George Allen to a prescription drug. The video could be no longer than 15 seconds, which forced the creative way they showcased the content.

• Connect to the people and today’s culture.

• “The medium is the message” (Marshall McLuhan)

• Facts can be superfluous

• Propaganda is making the mundane seem extraordinary. Chaudhary’s grit comes from making the extraordinary seem mundane.

All this takes part in Chaudhary’s definition of authorship.

I feel really grateful to have been able to experience this talk – Arun Chaudhary is a very talented filmmaker as well as a funny, charming speaker who gave me a real look at a type political media most have never seen before. I do believe that soon politics will catch up to the rest of the rapidly evolving world, and it was very exciting to see the man who did it first.

If you’re curious to see what else Arun Chaudhary has done, check out Revolution Messaging or his Tumblr page. To keep up otherwise, follow him on Twitter!

The post Witching Hour: Authenticity and Authorship: Political Storytelling in the Digital Age @ The Englert 11/05/2016 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

They began the night by saying that their set would be “ALL NEW MUSIC”. Which I thought was a very bold and creative move. I have been to many shows and that was the first time I have seen a band perform only new music. At the beginning of one of their songs Drew even stated “This song is so new that it doesn’t even have a name yet!”

This was all in typical Jack Lion fashion as they are known for sampling things on stage and making up new renditions to their songs on the fly. This creates a very spontaneous atmosphere and keeps the audience interested as every show is different than the last.

The one thing that was instantly obvious to me was how talented Brian, Drew and Justin all were on their instruments. They all seemed very comfortable on stage and were all quite engrossed in their instrument. I think this passion is what makes the trio work so well together and enables them to continue making new sounds.

Undoubtedly the most impressive factor about Jack Lion is their fusion of jazz and electronic. Two genres that could not be much more different from one another. Jazz is a genre rooted in improvisation and spontaneity while electronic is based on the ability to pinpoint and control every aspect of the song. Smith has described this process as “trying to marry two worlds even though they are very disparate.” The blend of these genres makes for an fascinating and inspiring sound and also brings out an interesting audience as there are fans from both sides of the spectrum.

I felt like the music of Jack Lion and the venue itself were made for each other. The combination of electronic and jazz music mixed with plenty of down tempo beats played off of the dark/grunge feel of the upstairs at Gabe’s perfectly (this may be bias as Gabe’s is one of my favorite venues). Not to mention the sparkling lights that cover the ceiling enhanced the atmospheric feel of Jack Lion’s sound.

Overall, this show was admittedly a difficult show to write about for several reasons. One, the whole set itself was about forty minutes long which didn’t leave me with an ample amount of content to cover. Two, all the songs were new and completely instrumental which made it a bit more difficult to discuss the content of the music. And three, the stage presence of the band was somewhat uneventful with minimal movement of the members and only a small amount of interaction with the crowd.

With all that being said I am incredibly happy I chose to review Jack Lion and looking back I would not have picked a different show if given the opportunity. The music they create is truly its own thing that does not to be combined with any extra factors to make for a moving show. I have never been to a show that is more, for lack of a better word, inspiring. Jack Lion demonstrates that the possibilities in music are only limited by you, arguably the most beautiful aspect of music. They are an incredible band to see live, and I encourage everyone to attend a Jack Lion show.

For more on Jack Lion check out their Soundcloud, Facebook and Twitter.

The post Witching Hour: Jack Lion @ Gabe’s 11/05/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I had heard of Jen Kirkman for the first time about a year ago through a friend. We watched her Netflix special, I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine), and laughed almost every thirty seconds. She thought the way I thought but she said what she was thinking out loud and that was fantastic.

Before Kirkman arrived on stage, an opener named Fran Hoepfner gave a short 15-minute-long show for the audience. I thought that she was a good warm up for the audience to see what Jen Kirkman would be like. She focused on stories about stalking exes on social media and coming up with new titles for the movie Now You See Me 2 because what an uncreative title! She has the same type of comedic voice that Kirkman has, which made her a really great choice for an opener.

I knew ahead of the show that there would most likely be jokes about the election in her show, and I was nervous to see how that would blow over. There are so many things that comedians joke about (race, sexuality, politics, etc.) that are hard to balance between hilarious and offensive, especially in a town as liberal as Iowa City.

She explained that either Trump or Hillary winning the election could be scary because we’d either be stuck with even more systemized racism or a nation full of women-haters. She made a point that voting is vital for every single person of voting age. She talked about her family in Massachusetts that believe Muslims are taking over London. She jokes about the number of lesbians roaming around Iowa City and catcalling and periods and explains why women can be crazy and men can refuse to listen.

Kirkman executed her jokes about these things in a very unbiased way, and she did it hilariously. I’m the type to notice when something possibly could be construed as offensive, and I didn’t see any cracks in her performance.

Outside of these risky topics, Jen Kirkman is relatable. She empowers me and inspires me in the oddest way, by allowing myself to say “I react to things irrationally that way too! I am crazy! It’s fantastic!” She makes observations about society that make sense while also recognizing that she, too, is just one person and doesn’t have authority to tell people how to live their lives.

I went into this experience knowing that it is very difficult to get me to physically laugh at these kinds of things. TV shows, movies, comedy shows, I never laugh out loud for any of them. I can find something extremely funny and not even crack a smile because that’s how I am. I ended up laughing a few times during Jen Kirkman’s show when I wasn’t even ready for it.

If you haven’t heard of Jen Kirkman or watched one of her shows, I recommend that you watch her Netflix special or listen to it on Spotify below. I promise you (most likely, almost one hundred percent) won’t be disappointed.

The post Witching Hour: Jen Kirkman @ Englert Theatre 11/5/2016 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I sat secluded in a corner booth at the Mill, sipping on water and ready for the event to start. The lights dimmed, and hostess Maria Vorhis took the stage. She introduced the event, and then the first speaker, Philip Earl Johnson.

Johnson spoke about a story where his 16 year old self told his father that he wanted to pursue acting. His father was skeptical, but figured that Johnson would learn life lessons for himself. Johnson got off of a train before realizing that he couldn’t find his wallet anywhere in his duffel bag.

He dashed back to the train, gets trapped in the train, and eventually has to jump out of the train before it takes off to an unknown destination. Once he goes back to his friend, he finds his wallet tucked in his duffel bag. “In spite of the risk, you just gotta jump.”

Up next was Ann Marie Nest, a woman who talked about a woman in New York who basically helped house theater kids who were just starting off. The woman was known as Mama, and she treated everyone in ways that made them feel special. Mama told Ann Marie, “You keep doin and sayin what you gotta say because it’s always gonna come out right”. She taught all of her babies (as they called themselves) to never second guess yourself.

Maria Vorhis was next herself, and she indulged into a story that started with her sitting in a coffee shop writing when she heard an older woman ask her friend, “How do you know if your dream is big enough to follow?” (forgive me if I quoted this wrong as I didn’t quite catch the beginning). The woman then continued, “If your palms aren’t sweating, you’re dreams aren’t big enough.”

Maria then talks about a silent writing retreat that she goes on, where speaking is prohibited and they must only write. “What if I have nothing to say?” Maria thought. In the final days of the retreat, she found the her words spilling onto the paper, and when she was done writing, she looked down to find her palms sweaty.

After Maria came a dark story told by Christopher Okiishi. Christopher says blankly that you can tell a lot about people just by their mailboxes. He’s sitting at his brother’s house, staring at the mailbox, dreading going inside. He then recalls to an event that took place before that: his brother took their three firearms that they owned, drove to a Marriott hotel, and committed suicide. Christopher is an expert in suicide prevention, which he deemed useless at this point.

The brother left behind videos for his family; a video for his wife, a video for Christopher, and videos for his three children to see some day. Christopher recalled that there was such kindness in his voice, however in pain and suffering, his eyes were already dead. We go back to the scene outside of his brother’s house, and Christopher really just wants to run over all of the mailboxes in the neighborhood and just start over. He ended his story by saying, “It’s really not a metaphor, it’s just a mailbox.”

Reba Meshulam took the stage next to talk about back in college when she changed her major from theater to Geology. Her geology professor inspired her, and she fell in love with rocks the way that he did.

She got to go over to London to study some more geology, however it wasn’t glamourous like she thought it would be: she was studying their sewage treatment. Her theater friends were also abroad in Europe, doing things that Reba wished she could do. The real reason she went to England, besides the experience, was because her old high school boyfriend Steve moved out to England with his family.

He agreed to meet up, and Reba was thrilled. Once she finally met up with him, everything had turned platonic and it took all she had to plaster a smile on her face for the next 24 hours. After, she met up with her girlfriends from the trip and cried her eyes out. On her last day of sewage work, she refused to go down into the sewer. As soon as she got back home, she changed her major back to theater, and at the end of the day, everything was okay.

Next up was Nestor Gomez. Nestor talked about his first love when he was a freshman in high school. He had a stutter and was shy, so he was too afraid to talk to the girl and tell her that he liked her.

Since he had such a hard time expressing himself verbally, he became a really good writer. He would always write love letters for his friends to give to their girlfriends. So one day, he decided to write one. He had his sister review it to make sure it was good. The sister said that wasn’t what girls like, and she was able to score a double date with the girl of his dreams and a guy that had a crush on her.

Nestor told the girl that he likes her, and she told him she didn’t like him at all and that the only reason that she came was because her cousin (the one on a date with the sister) begged her to come with, as that was the only way the sister would go out with him. The girl even made fun of his stutter. The sister overheard, and came over to comfort Nestor. She told him that the girl doesn’t deserve a young man like Nestor. The story ends with Nestor’s sister giving the girl a bird before they go back home.

Last up was Megan Gogerty (who might I add was one of my favorite professors I’ve had for a class thus far). She talked about the day she realized she wasn’t an actor.

Megan was in grad school as a playwright, and she found all of the other playwrights to be jerks, especially this girl Karissa Mills. She like to hang around the actors, because while they could sometimes be showoffs they were cool, fun to be around, and not snobbish like the other playwrights.

One day, her friends invite her to go cliff diving. Megan’s story included a lot of humor, saying that cliff diving is insane and was the plot of every Bugs Bunny and Wile E Coyote episode. The drive was an hour out (“Because people make their cities far from cliffs!!”) and the entire way she was nervous. Her actor friend Ellie got out of the car and waltzed off of the cliff as if it were nothing.

Megan was last to go when she anxiously thought, “I have got to throw myself off of this cliff.” She realized that actors weren’t showoffs; they were incredibly brave. In other words, crazy. Megan’s issue was that as a writer, she was thinking three steps ahead (“My neck is going to snap!”) and that actors just do things. The thing that finally urges Megan off of the cliff is the thought, “If Karissa Mills were here she would have jumped already.”

The coolest part about this event was how different all of the stories were, but how they were all ultimately about believing in yourself when you really doubted yourself. It was a nice pick-me-up, and I definitely recommend checking out these speakers if they are in the area doing something similar to this again.

The post Witching Hour: Failing or Flying @ The Mill 11/5/2016 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Scary movies? Check. Candy that you don’t plan on sharing? Check. Costume? Check. But wait, what about a Halloween Playlist?! Not to worry, I got you.

1.) Thriller by Michael Jackson

Okay, I had to. This song has been a classic spooky song since 1983. Thriller is considered a pop/post-disco/funk song. Some creepy elements of this song include a creaking door, thunder, howling dogs, and let us not forget the famous voice of Vincent Price, an American actor known for his performances in horror movies.

2.) Monster Mash by Bobby “Boris” Pickett

Monster Mash as been a “graveyard smash” for over 50 years now. This one is a cult classic, and no Halloween playlist is complete without it.

3.) This Is Halloween by Disney Characters

There’s not much to say about this one — the lyrics say it all. This classic comes from the Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. If you don’t bump this every year while you’re getting all jazzed up for Halloween, you’re doing it wrong.

4.) Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr.

I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost! I guarantee if you go outside and yell “WHO YOU GONNA CALL?!”, someone will yell back “GHOSTBUSTERS!”. The Ray Parker Jr. version is definitely iconic, but some decent covers have been made by Fall Out Boy and This Wild Life.

5.) Somebody’s Watching Me by Rockwell

Let’s be real, this song just has creepy vibes all around. I think we all get paranoid that somebody is watching our every move, and this song just reinforces those creepy vibes.

6.) Heathens by Twenty One Pilots

This song, released earlier in 2016 on the Suicide Squad soundtrack, is definitely one of Twenty One Pilot’s creepier songs. Lead vocalists Tyler Joseph said in an interview that he wanted the song to sound like TOP first; the themes inspired the song that now sends shivers down our spines.

7.) Mama by My Chemical Romance

Okay, was I the only person that thought this song had some creepy elements to it? Granted, I was only about 9 years old when The Black Parade came out, but with the creepy guitars and Gerard’s distinctive voice and lyrics (“Mama, we all go to hell”) I’d go as far as to say that this song would give some people the creeps.

8.) Emperor’s New Clothes by Panic! At The Disco

The song itself, off of Panic! At The Disco’s latest release Death of a Bachelor, isn’t too creepy, but watching the music video definitely sends some scary Halloween vibes. In a nutshell, lead singer Brendon Urie ends up in a stormy graveyard with dug-up skeletons where he pretty much transforms into a creepy demon. If you haven’t seen this one, you definitely need to — the cinematography and special effects used to make this are top of the line.

9.) I’m Gonna Put a Spell On You by The Hex Girls (from Scooby Doo and the Witch’s Ghost)

Growing up, I was a huge Scooby Doo fan. I have vivid memories of my sister and I jamming out to this song when we watched our VHS copy of this movie. The Hex Girls were my absolute #goals and I think I even went as the lead singer for Halloween one year. This one definitely gives me Halloween vibes from my childhood.

Check out this playlist on Spotify as well!

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr where I upload concert pictures and you can be up-to-date on where I’ll be next.

Happy Halloween!

The post 9 Essential Songs for Halloween appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Summer movie season: that time of year when big budget studios throw all of their money behind the next generic, bland, product-pushing mega tentpole movie. Even with all the cynicism I treat blockbuster season, I must admit I love it.

Or maybe it is more of a love-hate relationship. Past Summers have given us Oscar winners such as Gladiator, pitch-perfect comic book adaptations including Spider-Man 1 and 2 and X2, as well as many Pixar favorites that if you don’t love, you obviously have no soul. With the good however, comes the bad. For each Dark Knight, there is a Battlefield Earth. All the Toy Story movies in the world can’t make up for any amount of Superbabies movies. So let’s see how 2016 stacks up.

Unsurprisingly, there is no shortage of action-driven “family friendly” movies that have hit theaters this Summer. While I love a solid popcorn movie more than most, it pains me to say there are not many diamonds to find this year in a sea of turds. Still, Captain America: Civil War was a perfectly crafted and solid piece of entertainment, and not without a certain level of emotional heft. Marvel finally realized that they can’t craft villains that are worth the shiny CGI they are made out of so they pitted our two favorite action heroes against each other. The result was a fast and fun film with kinetic action sequences with a physical sensibility reminiscent of a Paul Greengrass film. It succeeds where Avengers 2 failed in terms of giving its characters actual stakes. The whole world isn’t going to be destroyed, but the relationship between Cap and Iron Man takes a rather dark turn that gets viewers’ attention and actually makes us care.

X-men Apocalypse, alternately, is a hollow shell of a movie that makes me sad that I was ever so pumped for its release in the first place. Cards on the table, I love the X-men movies. It is easily my favorite comic book franchise and if anyone was going to enjoy Apocalypse it was going to be me. On a surface level, sure, it hit some of the right beats. Fassbender and McAvoy make a great leading pair and the Quicksilver showcase, much like the segment in Days of Future Past, never ceases to amaze.

However, there are too many boring characters, the plot meanders way too slowly, and the film has a huge villain problem. I’m not even sure what Apocalypse’s powers are supposed to be. I know it’s definitely not picking good henchmen. If you think an alcoholic teenager with bird wings is one of the strongest mutants in the world, you are going to have some crappy horsemen helping you usher in the end of days.

And speaking of Horsemen! The film no one was waiting for (and no one really asked for), Now You See Me 2.

If I ever meet someone who was rabidly anticipating this sequel, I will let Chris Angel levitate me in front of a bus. I see myself as a just-go-with-it kind of movie goer. When everyone is asking “Did the top keep spinning?”, or “Was Deckard actually a repilicant?”, I find myself saying “Who cares that movie was awesome!” That being said, there is only so much I’m willing to forgive.

Now You See Me 2 maybe works on a surface level of pure visual entertainment if you like crappy sight gags. Not much else is worthy of your attention. The movie is like a big ugly Christmas sweater: fun to laugh at for a bit, but once you pull at one thread, the whole thing falls apart. The slickest sequence in the film, where the Horsemen throw around a playing card with a valuable computer chip attached to it, loses its audience once you realize the entire sequence had no purpose in the plot of the film. Director Jon Chu hopes to literally distract his audience with slight of hand and tired card tricks. Sorry Jon, no one thinks magicians are cool.

2016’s blockbusters are mainly just busts, it seems. While it may be difficult to single out many bright spots in the lackluster tentpole films, there is some smaller budget fare that makes the season much more bearable. Even though it had a very brief run in theaters, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping was easily one of the most entertaining, if under-watched films of the summer. Popstar functions as a Spinal Tap for today’s generation of pop mega-star obsessed fans. Or it works for people like me who love making fun of such folks. Being mean-spirited is fun!

Popstar is not for everyone. Its delightfully foul-mouthed and gleefully inappropriate approach to comedy may find some viewers out of their comfort zone . Andy Samberg is locked in as the Bieberesque protagonist who just wrote and produced his second album with tracks that range from how humble he his to a song made up entirely of catch phrases. The music alone is worth the watch.

Finally, Summer was good for my favorite movie of the year so far, The Nice Guys. Shane Black shows off his expertise as a buddy cop filmmaker who excels at showing off different sides of Los Angeles. I love when movies are able to show unique sides of settings we have seen many times before, and The Nice Guys runs from Beverly Hills-style L.A. to grimy urban alleyways to classy Hollywood parties. The film is anchored by Russell Crow doing his best tough guy with a heart, but the star is Ryan Gosling.

Most people have come to expect a lot of good looks and charm with some sly talk from Gosling, but the man has serious comic acting chops. His delivery, timing, and especially physical acting went well above what many comic actors are capable of. Some might say the movie suffers from plot issues, mainly in that its plot really doesn’t matter. Sure, but when it’s so damn enjoyable to watch the two leads play off each other in a delightfully dark setting, who cares?

So, would Commodus give this Summer a thumbs up or down? Probably more like a “Meh…”. While there are certainly films to enjoy I’m finding a lot more movies that really shouldn’t have seen the light of day. Maybe I’m just spoiled from last years smorgasbord of Mad Max: Fury Road, Inside Out, Trainwreck, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, and way too many other fantastic films. Or maybe I just expect too much from summer movies. All I want to do is be excited and eat popcorn. “Are you not entertained?” No Marcus Aurelius, not so much this year.

Watch and Talk is an alternative look at film. It is a column that discusses movies from all different genres. Movies are not necessarily reviewed, they are simply talked about. Watch and Talk looks at not only the entertainment value of various films, but also the cultural impacts and aspects that films can have.

The post Watch and Talk: Block Bustin’ appeared first on KRUI Radio.

day of Mission Creek. They played at Gabe’s, one of my favorite venues here in Iowa City. The show got started about forty minutes after it was supposed to, so while we were waiting for Phat Kat to come on, two DJs whose names I didn’t catch entertained the crowd in the meantime. They were really fun guys that kept the fairly large crowd at that point from getting too impatient. I automatically liked them because they yelled “F**k Donald Trump” in the middle of one of their songs and the whole crowd went crazy. Another interesting thing that happened was one of the DJs even took the time to ask the girl in front of me for her number because she was freaking out so much over him. It was actually pretty cute.

Finally, Phat Kat, a small time rapper from Detroit came on stage. After a little research on the artists beforehand it did not take me long to realize that they all hail from Detroit, Michigan. I am surprised Phat Kat is not more popular than he is. He has an

old-school rap sound that is almost non-existent in today’s hip-hop community. He had a demanding presence on stage and really knew how to get the crowd going. Everyone was jamming along with him and the atmosphere in the place at this point was fantastic.

Up next was Guilty Simpson. He had a very imposing presence and a hard posture, but his rhymes were smooth and flowed with ease. “Hip hop is in the house” was the first thing he announced when he walked onto the stage, before him and Phat Kat rapped together as he closed out his set. He talked a little about how all of the artists that played last night were from Detroit and how we as the crowd were “part of hip-hop history.” Guilty Simpson made it hard for you not to watch him because his sheer size demanded your

attention. He kept the crowd rolling until the next act.

After Guilty Simpson was Black Milk, whose beats are notorious. He was even discovered by Slum Village and produced a track on their 2002 mixtape “Dirty District.” Black Milk is an excellent artist. I do understand why his beats are so famous because he had the crowd moving around the whole time during his set. I don’t think I saw one person standing still, which was a pretty

big accomplishment because the crowd was almost doubled in size by the time he came on. I couldn’t even get a decent picture of him performing because I kept getting bumped into every time I tried to take one. He kept everyone’s attention, especially mine, and he was pretty cute which helped.

Lastly, Slum Village closed down the party with their old-school, hip-hop funk sound. Pretty much everyone in the crowd was rapping along with them to every song. They definitely brought the biggest crowd. They were constantly moving all around the stage and like all the other acts, brought the party atmosphere in the room to an all-time high. It was pretty late at this point; the show went till about 2 am but I wasn’t 100% sure because my phone died after Black Milk’s set. They still kept the ball rolling and ended it on a high note leaving the crowd satisfied.

Overall this was a fantastic show. I was a little apprehensive at first because I don’t listen to much hip-hop/rap but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would definitely see any of the artists again if I got the chance.

The post Mission Creek: Kings Court Tour @ Gabes 4/9/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I arrived at the Yacht Club far too early, as I descended into a strangely lit and smoky basement. There was an arrangement of pale yellow light bulbs along the walls and ceiling that I had never before seen in all my nights spent in that cavern. It was part of the show; a light specialist was present (who apparently has programmed lights for Prince!). The room was mostly empty, and a few poets were gathered around a table. On my way in, I recognized a few members of Yonatan Gat hanging around their van and hauling gear into the venue.

Tonight’s show was an exciting mixture of music and poetry. The event celebrated the 10th anniversary of Black Ocean, a press who printed the works of poets Zachary Schomburg and Kelly Schirmann, and soon too include Anais Duplan, the first poet to read tonight.

Janaka Stucky, the man behind Black Ocean, was first to approach the mic.

“How’s everyone doing tonight?” was met with a few claps.

“I’m not gonna start the show with that kind of response. We have writers from all over here tonight!” Before he could fully finish his statement the cheering had picked up and drowned him out. The sparse crowd approached the front of the stage, gathering around (some sitting, some standing) in anticipation for Anais to read.

Anais was the type of person that emanated originality. Although she started by reading someone else’s poem, she used it as a jumping off point to dive into her own beautifully dark version of history. Her poems were bursting at the seams; her voice was commanding and poetic, but always felt as if she was holding something back from us, something she has known forever, but something we won’t ever know. She read two new poems first, then a few from her book. She has a book coming out in 2018 with Black Ocean. Janaka referred to her as “The Ghost of Black Ocean Future”.

Her work was at some points academic and rife with historical references, but at other points inventive both in language and in imagery, something that is sort of a trend with the work put out through this press. She finished her last poem with a relaxed “Cool. I’ll stop there,” before the next poet took the stage.

The next poet was Kelly Schirmann, whose first book with Black Ocean is coming out soon. They had copies for sale, though, along with the books of a few other poets involved. The poems she read were very revealing. They felt raw, naked, coming at you in a no-bullshit way along with a pleasant musical grace. She writes the type of poem you always feel was “written just for you,” giving you a feeling much like that of hearing your favorite song from childhood. Although her work is strangely relatable, she also had a very unique voicing in her poems.

Throughout her reading, the guitarist from Yonatan Gat was walking around the back of the crowd, tenderly plucking some strings on his unplugged guitar. I guess it added texture.

The last line she read had to be written down in my notebook immediately: “I love you so entirely, I forget how to talk.” But writing it in my notebook couldn’t replicate the way she said it. It was just one honest, suspended moment–then it was gone.

Kelly is also the founder of Black Cake Records, a web-based label that mixes music and poetry. “All of the music is free, and Zachary even has an album up on there,” said Kelly. “Mixing music and poetry really amplifies whatever emotion is present. It makes it more enjoyable for everybody,” said Zachary Schomburg, when I asked him about the intersections of music and poetry. “There are new waves of art always coming.”

The last poet to read was Zachary Schomburg. Zach was the only poet whose work I was familiar with before coming to the event tonight. He didn’t bring any of his books with him, the ones that I had read, but rather read one from memory and a few from what appeared to be his phone. As I expected, it was a great reading. I had always considered his work in some ways very dark. Ask anyone who knows his poems, and they’ll tell you about his mind-bendingly surreal imagery and dark humor. He brought that dark humor to the stage tonight, even asking the crowd if the Yacht Club was actually an “easy bake oven.” His poems are filled with endlessly creative imagery and wit.

I asked Zachary, after the show, how he used such strange images to convey how he was feeling. “Scary, No Scary (a book of his on Black Ocean) was written at a very dark time for me. I can hardly read those poems at readings.” He explained to me the process in which a poets can discover themselves through organic writing, while also creating engaging art for others.

Once the poets were all finished, Yonatan Gat began to set up. They were visible the whole night; the way they dressed and carried themselves gave off the travelling musician vibe. They walked around the venue for a bit, reforming the shape of the table-and-chair setup to better suit their needs. Yonatan Gat makes a point to play on the floor of venues, with the crowd surrounding them, as opposed to getting up on stage and removing yourself from the audience.  This made for a strikingly intimate performance.

As they were setting up their almost-drumset (it consisted of a floor tom, snare, bass drum, and a singular ride cymbal) and warming up the tubes in their amps, the members were also turning off every single light bulb, one by one, along with stage lights, back lights, and anything that emitted light. This made it rather difficult for me to take notes, so I put my note book away and enjoyed the show up front.

Each band member had a light fixture pointed at them: red for the guitar player, a pale blue for bass, and green for the drummer. As each band member entered or exited a song, they would turn their light on or off in quick succession. It was a really awesome idea and it definitely added to the set.

The show was just what I expected. The songs were at times jazzy and sparse, until the next moment when we were thrown into a whirlwind of thrash-punk. The absolute speed never faltered, though the mood would. The drummer was playing so hard and so fast that his perspiration was thrown around the set area. I even think the closest six audience members got sweaty just watching him.

Yonatan Gat’s music often escapes words, which is why I found it so fascinating that it was paired with such wonderful wordsmith action by some very talented poets. The music had that sort of pseudo-rhythm we hear in some poetry, and I couldn’t help wondering what it would sound like with poetry spoken over it. I asked Kelly about reading over music, which is the type of music her label consists of: “Before I got here I was like ‘Yeah, I’m definitely gonna ask the guitar player if he’ll play behind me while I read!’ I guess I just changed my mind.” Oh, the ache of what could have been.

After Yonatan Gat, a DJ closed out the night. A few people were gathered around a Mac Book, dancing with the poets and musicians who had so gracefully curated an amazing night of words and sound. While packing my things up, Anais caught my eye and said “What, no dancing?” before smiling and running off into the crowd. And that’s how I ended up dancing awkwardly next to some poets I truly admire.

You can check out Yonatan Gat’s music below, in the Spotify playlist, or get it straight from their website. Also, I would suggest browsing the collection of works for sale over at Black Ocean.

The post Mission Creek: Black Ocean 10th Anniversary @ The Yacht Club 4/7/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Adia Victoria, who performed at The Yacht Club on Wednesday night, was born and raised in South Carolina and discussed the effects of growing up around white people. She explained that she creates art to “fight against the narrative pushed on me” and how she used to associated blackness with only shame. Growing up around white kids led her to constantly compare herself to them, which created a “deficit” in her mind.

She explained that after realizing this in her 20’s, she has spent a lot of time “unpacking my internalized racism” which is an issue that many people of color share when they grow up with the indoctrination of Eurocentric ideas.

Victoria describes her feelings about blackness now to be “a liberation” from her previous ideas. She hesitantly confessed to a crowd of mostly nonwhite people that she “feels blessed” she wasn’t born white, because of the vantage point that has helped her to understand the world better.

After her answer, the audience looked back at Martin, lead singer of PHOX, whose eyes brimmed with tears. Adigweme asked her about her feelings, and Martin disclosed an important moment in the decolonization process: “I feel behind in many ways.” She elaborated, saying that because she hadn’t critically examined her blackness the way that Victoria has, she feels that it’s not her place to comment on black experiences until she has “thoroughly educated” herself.

This represents a feeling that I have definitely experienced, earlier in the learning process. I felt like my friends had so much more knowledge than me, and they had read theoretical arguments and feminist literature that I hadn’t heard of, and I invalidated my own position as a brown woman living in a white space.

However, Adigweme responded with my exact thoughts. “It is your place, though.” As a black woman living in America, as a musician creating art in a white space–her experiences are just as valid and she deserves a voice.

The panel continued, as Martin brought up issues of colorism in the black community. Victoria spoke against the limiting definitions of blackness. Both artists discussed their frustrations with wanting to create art meaningful to them, but the white music industry expecting them to make pandering music that appealed to “the NPR crowd” (otherwise known as white hipsters).

Victoria explained how she has learned to deal with those people: learning to say no. When people try to change her creative process or her political activism, or tell her she isolates herself by creating a certain kind of art, she reminds them, “you work for me.” She finished her answer by defiantly declaring “I’m not going to take a position of subservience in my art.”

Black Art/White Space Pt. II was the most powerful Mission Creek event I have attended so far, and I applaud the organizers for including this in the festival.

Check out my review of Adia Victoria’s show here, and PHOX’s show here!

Keep updated on Mission Creek events at missionfreak.com.

The post Mission Creek: Black Art / White Space pt. 2 @ ICPL 4/7/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

*Disclaimer: This article includes language that may be deemed unsuitable for minors*

The first day of Mission Creek Festival is finally here! The next five days will be filled with concerts, lectures, literary events, etc. all around Iowa City. The Mill kicked off their series of Mission Creek concerts with Caroline Smith, joined by openers Karen Meat and Quilt. Doors opened at seven, and the festivities began.

When I got to the Mill fifteen minutes before doors opened, there was only a very nice middle-aged couple before me that were there to see Quilt. When we got inside, they grabbed the booth closest to the stage and invited me to sit with them since they had no one else coming. For the remainder of the hour waiting for the first opener, Karen Meat, we talked about music and about what we knew of the bands performing. The rest of the audience seemed to be college-aged/twenty-somethings with a few older people scattered around.  The restaurant and bar held around 30-40 people at this point, and it was pretty quiet. (Tip: If you ever go to the Mill, for a concert or otherwise, order their coffee. It was unexpectedly very good.)

When Karen Meat took the stage at eight, the only thing I knew about them is that they were from Des Moines. Within the first thirty seconds, it was easy to tell that the band had chemistry. They were goofy in the way that they played and collaborated with each other’s energy, but I noticed that it took them a few songs to really get into their music and performance. They reminded me a lot of the sound that The Frights have (which I’ve started to get more into recently), but Karen Meat had cooler lyrics, a unique female voice, and more electronic elements. Those electronic aspects of the music were translated really well live. One of the musicians had some kind of digital, touch screen guitar that was used to make synth elements come alive on stage.

You can definitely tell that the group genuinely has fun performing together, and as their set continued, they drew people onto the floor in front of them to have fun as well. They laughed on stage as they silently shared inside jokes with each other, and they then gave that joy to the audience as well. I probably would not continue to listen to this band’s music if the performance hadn’t gotten so entertaining. If Karen Meat is playing anywhere near you (here’s their website), I would highly recommend going and seeing them.

Next up was Quilt at nine, and I was instantly interested in their sound because of the members of the band themselves. Each member had A+ fashion sense, and each seemed to hold their own stories and their own secrets. I was excited to see how those personalities would transfer over to their music. The transition from the tuning at the very beginning of the set and the first song was super interesting. It was like they were trying to draw you in just from the sound of their instruments and then turned that fiddling into a song. Those transitions between songs continued throughout the entire set. I don’t think there was any point in the set where an instrument wasn’t being played.

Quilt was clearly very well-rehearsed. When the tempos in their songs changed immediately from slow to fast, there wasn’t a flaw in the beat of the music. That is something that can be really hard to accomplish (or at least it was in high school orchestra). Their vocal harmonies were absolutely perfect. For the first half of the set, I thought that they were using a synthesizer for the second or third harmonies, but found out that they were all happening live.

The band had several exchanges with the audience that made the connection between musician and viewer seem more real. Once, the guy standing next to me yelled to the band after they said this was their first time in Iowa City. He shouted, “The weather doesn’t make sense, but you guys rock!” The lead singer then replied, “The weather doesn’t make sense? Why, because it’s April and it’s cold as fuck outside?” It was a small exchange, but everyone laughed. Those interactions can make a huge difference in the quality of a concert experience. Overall, I don’t know if I would continue listening to the band’s music because it isn’t perfect for my taste, but their set was well worth attending.

It was finally the time that everyone had been waiting for: Caroline Smith, the headliner of the show. From the time that Quilt’s set ended and Caroline got on stage, the floor had filled up so much that I was pushed from further back to the very front of the stage, right in the middle. (I’m not complaining.)

As the stage was being set up, the band’s chemistry and love for each other and what they were doing was evident. They were laughing together, talking and telling stories, and they were excited to get started. Caroline Smith had this light to her immediately. When she got on stage, she went straight to the microphone and started the set with the most powerful pose and the nicest smile. Her voice sounded exactly like it does on her album; it has the same jazz and R&B feel to it. Her backup singer had the exact same level of talent as well. A few songs in, she told the audience “I promise to give you everything I’ve got tonight if you promise that you’re going to feel good.” The entire band had such a life to them along with so much pure enthusiasm, and they truly wanted everyone that was there to have the time of their life. Their cover of Alanis Morissette’s You Oughta Know also didn’t harm anything. (Early 2000’s me was screaming.)

What made the performance so meaningful was that, as a human being, Caroline Smith was so strong. It exuded from her and her music so openly. During the performance, she kept talking about gender equality in ways relevant to her music, and she kept making sure that everyone knew that they should be happy, during the concert and for the rest of their lives. When she sang her second to last song, Walking Off Strong, she handed her mic to different people so that they could sing along with her. As she handed that mic to me and let me sing part of the song that she wrote, it was the most empowering thing that I’ve experienced in a long time. I know that everyone else in that room could feel that confidence that Caroline had and could feel it in themselves.

Let’s just say that I’ve heard the phrase “post concert depression” multiple times in my life, but have never understood or felt it until I attended this concert. There was amazing music, amazing people, and an amazing vibe flowing through everyone that was there. I will think about last night for a long time, and I know that the other amazing performances during Mission Creek will have the same amount of passion in them.

Listen to Caroline Simon’s album below:

The post Mission Creek: Caroline Smith @ The Mill 4/5/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.