Arts & Culture

Port O’ Brien, a project that lasted three albums and various EPs, reached its fatal end in spring of 2010. But there is sweetness to this bitter news. Founding member and front man Pierszalowski took retreat in Oslo, Norway where he let the change in seasons and environment inspire new music. And from that, Waters was born. The album, Out in the Light, reflects Pierszalowski’s journey of musical renewal and rebirth as Waters.

With a slight stench of marijuana in the air, cliques of adults in their 40s and a single disco ball hanging above the stage, Freeborn Hall seemed to have taken on the role of a Thursday night entertainment venue for those who enroll their children at our school.

You walk into an art gallery and in the corner of the room, you see a can sitting on top of a pedestal. You walk up to it and see that the can states “Artist’s Shit. Contents 30 gr net. Freshly preserved. Produced and tinned in May 1961”. You stare at the can, trying to figure out if this is a joke or hoax of some sort. After a minute or so, your face begins to bunch up in disgust as if you have just seen roadkill smeared across the front bumper of your car. You think to yourself, ‘THIS IS ART?’

Cake; Random Abiladeze w/Bread Fam and DJ Professor K; Cosmos Cathedral Featuring work by Jose Di Gregorio; The 5th Annual Davis Jazz Festival: Beyond the Beat Generation.

Whatever happened to music that not only made powerful statements but also created an impact on its listeners? Obviously, it’s been in Sacramento this entire time.

“I want to hear Davis. I want to hear the voices that aren’t being expressed,” Corey La Rue said.

Who says Davis isn’t known for much more than its small-town vibes and bicycle-accident-prone college kids who inhabit it? On Tuesday night, one of the world’s most prominent and recognizable DJs took the stage at the UC Davis Pavilion and put Davis on the map and in music history. It is safe to say that DJ Tiësto’s aura still lingers in an aftermath of excitement that won’t leave the town anytime soon.

Watch the Throne was highly anticipated when it came out in August. It is a collaborative album by Jay-Z and Kanye West. After listening to it, it’s clear why the album made it to number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart in its first week.

Rebecca Taylor and Charles Watson of Slow Club make magic on their sophomore album aptly titled Paradise.

THIS WEEK IN DAVIS

Turning 22 is a momentous occasion for many people. It’s an age when most people graduate college, ready to embark on yet another chapter of the never-ending saga of life. Sadly, for the 22 year-old DAM Haus of 503 E. St., its 22nd year was anything but life changing. Rather, it was life ending. August 30 of this year marked the end of this legendary residential house-venue, which was a big staple of the local punk rock scene.

Matthew Weston Taylor just graduated from UC Davis’ MFA program at the end of last year. He studied art in a variety of places including UC Davis and attended the Accademia Di Belle Arti in Florence while getting his BFA in Pictorial Art from San Jose. His paintings are slightly abstract and use simple colors. During Taylor’s time at Davis, his work was featured at The Richard L. Nelson Gallery MFA show, The House of Others. He also received the Freemon P. Gadberry award from UC Davis in 2009 and 2010.