Arts & Culture

On May16,First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a commencement speech at UC Merced.After noticing the campuswide effort that motivated the first lady to speak,two UC Davis students were inspired to get a different inspirational woman to speak at UCD. Operation DeGeneres is a movement on campus with the main purposeof wooing Ellen DeGeneres to the UCD campus to speak.Many of those behind the project believe DeGeneres‘ appearancewould be a great way to attract more attention to the often-overlooked UC Davis.

It’s time to add another business to the list of things lost in the Sacramento area due to the faltering economy. Alternative rock music listeners will have to go somewhere else to get their radio fix as KWOD106.5FM “Everything Alternative” shut down after18years on the dial.At9a.m.on May22,KWOD played their last song – “Short Skirt Long Jacket” by Cake – and switched over to KBZC106.5FM “The Buzz“,a station set to play exclusively90s music.

The UC Davis Multimedia Ensemble is not dishing up your everyday traditional orchestral performance.They are instead presenting a musical explosion,melding together sounds from horns,drums,bottles,water and even laptops. Under the coaching ofSam Nichols,a lecturer in the department of music,this group of12students from the music and technocultural studies departments has been working to create a soundtrack for the1934silent filmA Story of Floating Weeds by Yasujiro Ozu.

In today’s world, career advice for anyone interested in the arts is usually less than optimistic – simply glancing atany front page of the New York Times will likely offer such conclusions. MUSE interviewed three representatives in the three broad fields of visual arts, film and creative writing to lay down the basics of preparing for an art career in and after college.

MUSIC Relient K, Owl City, Runner Runner Today, 8 p.m., $18 in advance, $20 day of show The Boardwalk in Orangevale I was born secular, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate the agreeable, if not catchy, pop punk of Ohio group Relient K, even if they make the occasional illusion to the man upstairs. They certainlyare sneaky about it, those ones. UNITY Today, 8 p.m., $10 in advance Freeborn Hall Other than the Wellman Pit during Whole Earth Festival, I don’t see electronic music getting its fair share of attention on campus. This scarcity changes with UNITY, a rave presented by newly formed student group Electronic Music for Change. All proceeds go to the UC Davis Children’s Hospital. Any UC Davis ticketholder can bring one guest; tickets will not be sold at the door.

Although he graduated from UC Davis in 1983 with a degree in physics, award-winning writer and cartoonist Brian Fies has found himself using his knowledge of science to make art. Fies’ second graphic novel, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, will be released in mid-June. Examining the 20th century, the novel explores the bygone golden age of technology and puzzles over its disappearance.

If a band could personify a season, Shayna and the Bulldog would be summer. This four-member Davis band is bluegrass meets rock n’ roll, bringing the kind of energy and catchy lyrics to their songs that make you want to get out and enjoy the sunny weather. They will be performing this Friday at Sophia’s Thai Kitchen at 10 p.m. The bar area is open only to the 21-and-over crowd, but underage visitors can attend the show for free on Balcony B across from the restaurant’s patio.

If you’ve got that urge to create, you have more options for expression than those art studio classes that you can’t really fit in your schedule. Co/Lab is a loosely organized club made up of mostly UC Davis students whose mission is simple: to create art in a fun, collaborative way. Works from the Co/Lab will be on display today through June 12 in the Art Lounge, located on the second floor of the Memorial Union. A reception will be held today at 5 p.m. in the Art Lounge.

I’ve been writing for The Aggie for a little over two years now, and I have a confession to make: I’ve always wanted to be the weather(wo)man. Really, though, Aggie weatherman Jon Gold’s got a pretty sweet deal. He gets his own space every Monday through Thursday to comment on anything he wants – and on the front page, to boot! Having my own column, I suppose I get the same perks. But they say that brevity is the soul of wit, so 20 column inches of “well-focused” text sometimes makes writing feel like a burden more than a blessing.

The Imaginary Zebra (TIZ) was born out of a mixture of graffiti and modern art, freedom of expression and imagination. Founded in 2006 by junior managerial economics major Benson Chou, TIZ specializes in custom designed clothing – currently, T-shirts with an aim to expand – and creative performances at events. TIZ began as Chou’s graffiti crew in high school. Upon graduation, he transformed the crew into the professional company that it is today.

From introducing the public to Feist’s “1234” to popularizing Chairlift’s “Bruises,” Apple Inc.advertisers are certified professionals when it comes to discovering hip,up-and-coming artists and sharing their music with the rest of the world. The Submarines,whose single “You Me& the Bourgeoisie” was featured in an iPhone commercial late last year,will be performing with Red Cortez tonight at theASUCD Coffee House.The show takes place at7:30p.m.Tickets are$10general admission and$5with a student ID.

MUSIC One for the Team, Zach Harju Today, 8 p.m., $3 general admission, free with a UC Davis ID UC Davis Coffee House The last weeks between midterms and the start of finals is a trying time for all. When you’re in mental overdrive, there’s nothing better than some physical distraction, so I suggest that you dance your stresses away. Perfect solution: One for the Team, whose upbeat tunes brings to mind equally cutesy, equally poppy acts like Mates of State.