Finding clarity in slams, jams and silence

First his voice booms, "Cancel the apocalypse!" With growing fervor and speaking savvy speed he continues, "Cartons of the Milky Way with pictures of a missing planet. In search of an American dream. This fool actually thinks he could drive his hummer to the moon blasting DMX off the soundtrack of a South Park cartoon."

The drums start up, then the hip-hop track powerfully evolves into a big sound with full lyrics, played and spoken with piercing conviction. [Read article]

Face it, dating on a budget isn't easy and it usually isn't fun. But all too often poor college students just don't have a choice.

The "Student Discount Handbook," those little blue and white books that were all over campus at the beginning of the semester, are actually not a bad way to go, as far as dating for cheap is concerned. They contain coupons for discounts, buy-one-get-one-frees and complimentary stuff near campus for everything from books, to body piercing and everything in between. [Read article]

In a town the size of Tucson, you'd think there'd be plenty to do to keep us UA kids entertained and out of trouble. Well, I've found a few things to take up my time. There's Fourth Avenue, there are nightclubs, there are a few malls, and there's Casa Video. There's cable TV, and additional stations like Cinemax (for cheap porn) and HBO (for some of the only decent series on TV). Ummm, there's eating, and · bowling, and · Deer Hunter. [Read article]

Inside the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre

Remember the eighties, when dance was huge? There was "Fame," "Footloose," "Flashdance"÷ all sorts of movies beginning with "F". Well, dance is back, in pop-culture with TV shows like the new Fame, and MTV's Wade Robson Project, movies like "Chicago" and "Save the Last Dance," and even here on campus with The Stevie Eller Dance Theatre.

Perhaps you've already seen the new dance building on campus. Then again, perhaps you haven't. The Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, located on the far-eastern end of the mall, isn't easy to overlook. It's just so far out of the way ö many of us have no reason to travel to the east side of Cherry ö that unless you're enrolled in a class there already, you may have missed it. Too bad for you, if that's the case. The Stevie Eller Dance Theatre is as much a work of architectural art as it is a lodging for classrooms, a 300-seat theatre with orchestra pit, an outdoor stage, a scene and costume shop, and most notably at night, a glass-fronted studio on the second story that illuminates the night sky and showcases those inside to those below. [Read article]

Dive! Dive! Dive!

This week, Bar Wars salutes some of the fine establishments that might not have made your top ten lists, but they should have.

The Buffet
538 E. Ninth Street

Rating: 4.6 of 5

A classic blue-collar watering hole, the Buffet is a relic of 1930s Tucson andthe spot for some sweet deals on drinks.

Seeking to sink our teeth into one of the best-kept secrets of the Fourth Avenue area bar scene, my buddies and I ventured into the smoky and well-worn confines of the Buffet at a quarter to 11. [Read article]

Blu CafŽ
972 E. University Blvd.
792-8585

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Tatami blinds at Blu CafŽ, even if drawn completely, could not prevent the room from being bright, airy and uplifting. A few pieces of large, colorful artwork by local artists hang on alternating blue and red walls, sparse enough that they don't detract from the Kandinsky poster, trendy Todd Oldham clock or the mosaic-framed mirror. The fact that only one or two other people were in the cafŽ throughout my entire lunch added to the minimalist vibe. [Read article]

The Fox Tucson Theatre has been a part of downtown Tucson lore since its grand opening on April 11, 1930.The grand opening was so big, Congress St. was waxed and turned into a giant dance floor for celebrity locals.

This Saturday, from 6 p.m.-10 p.m., attendees at the 4th Annual Open House and Block Party will get the chance to relive some of the old charm of the opening night as Congress Street will be closed and the event will feature entertainment, food vendors and a beer garden. There will also be attractions for children including an obstacle course and jumping castle. [Read article]

If "Pass the Cavassier" becomes "Pass the course with As" and "Shake your ass" becomes "Shake your math," it's been flipped funkamental style, deems Funkamentals co-founder Wade Colwell.

Funkamentals takes the "School House Rock" concept up a few notches, playing live sets for primarily adolescent audiences, with up to 13 people on stage at a time, hip-hopping through grammar, geography, science and even test-taking skills. [Read article]

Going on around Town

Dafydd Ieuan is hurting.The Welsh drummer for Brit band Super Furry Animal had a long night before the Wildcat's scheduled August interview and is paying for it.

"I've got a blinding hangover today," Ieuan said. "It was my girlfriend's birthday yesterday. We're both very, very fragile today. Thinking about drinking pints makes me want to wretch."

The 34-year-old is speaking from Britain about the band's new album Phantom Power, their joint U.S. tour with California band Grandaddy, current events, and the pressing issues they've been tending to in the mean time. [Read article]

Mogwai is a band that makes instrumental music. That doesn't mean it makes background music, or music for you to clean the house to, or music to have sex to. In fact, Mogwai doesn't make the kind of quiet instrumentals to put on the stereo to ignore and let fade into the environment. The band's music is brooding and angry, but at other moments, it's achingly quiet and beautiful. More often than not, though, it oscillates between all those points with startling speed. [Read article]