Arts & Culture

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.

Being a college student in 2011 at UC Davis means two things: 1) you've probably listened to or are at least aware of electronic music and 2) you know that Tiesto is coming to perform at the Pavilion on Tuesday.

As of January 1, 2011, Twitter had reached over 200 million registered accounts that post 110 million tweets per day, according to Forbes. With more than 800 million active users and over 900 million objects that people interact with, Facebook serves as the leading social networking site of today.

Why is that when you don't want to like a song, it gets stuck your head? When someone says "It's Friday", does the infamous tune of "It's fried-egg, fried-egg" (as Black pronounces it) suddenly resonate in your head?

Turn up the stereo and listen to the beats amplified a million times over and over again. Keep turning it up and watch the speakers thump and synchronize with the sound of your heart. Cheap wine, warm summer nights, J Dilla beats, splattered paint on walls and pavement - all remnants of a summer that's come and gone too quickly.

Known for hosting artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, speakers like Sarah Silverman and David Sedaris, performances by the New York Philharmonic and other notable events such as the Whitman/Brown 2010 Gubernatorial Debate, The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts keeps true to its mission of bringing shows that will not only attract but enlighten students with its 2011-12 lineup.

There are many things about the UC Davis campus that even seniors don't know about. For example, did you know the university funds three major museums, all located on campus? The three museums include the Design Museum, The C.N. Gorman Museum and the Richard L. Nelson Gallery.

THIS WEEK IN DAVIS

As one of the main organizations to bring entertainment to campus, the Entertainment Council, which is part of ASUCD, aims to supply the student body with accessible avenues to enjoy.

UC Davis houses the second largest record collection on the West Coast at KDVS, the local radio station on campus. This year KDVS, the independent radio station that broadcasts from the basement in lower Freeborn Hall on campus on channel 90.3 FM, plans to be better than ever.

The best movie I saw this summer was The Help, starring Emma Stone and Viola Davis. This movie had the audacity to lure me into the theater under the false pretenses of being a simple, dated chick flick. Once there, it proved to be an academy award-worthy, compelling film. It really should win every academy award, including a tie for all four best actresses.

My favorite book of the summer was Sisterhood Everlasting, the fifth book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. It jumps ahead 10 years so the characters are a lot older, so it was different than the other books. Although it wasn't as good as the last four books, I still enjoyed it.

You may have seen her performing at the MTV Music Awards in a bedazzled cast, or you've heard her song "Price Tag (feat. B.o.B)" on the radio this summer. Jessie J continues to get stuck in your head with her album Who You Are. Although it came out in April, this album was the perfect summer playlist for fans of British music, strong vocal ability and relatable lyrics. Who You Are stands as one of the few albums that I can listen to in full without skipping songs, with "Who's Laughing Now", "Do It Like a Dude" and "Who You Are" on repeat.