Arts & Culture

Much like a romantic comedy - you know, that old standby you rely on to give you the warm fuzzies when you're feeling down - Jason Mraz did what he does best as he took the stage in Freeborn Hall on Nov. 3: deliver feel-good pop tunes.

Despite late night hours, research and writer's block, the time and effort poured into class papers and assignments is not always in vain.

The University Writing Program's 20th annual Prized Writing Student Authors Event will present three winners from its 2007-2008 competition. The free event will be held today in 126 Voorhies at 4:30 p.m.

The annual UC Davis theatre and dance department THIRDeYE Theatre Festival returns this year with three new plays written, directed, produced and performed by undergraduate students. This year's selected plays are The Readers by Joe Ferreira, When Marcelli Met the Dream Maker by Carolyn Duncan and A Piece of Water by Julie Friedrichsen.

In a world where irony and self-deprecation have become the norm for all things cool, singer-songwriter Jason Mraz has maintained his sunny position in the music industry.

Mraz will perform tonight at 7:30 in Freeborn Hall. Opening for Mraz is Irish singer Lisa Hannigan. Tickets to the show are sold out.

From his first album Waiting for My Rocket to Come to his latest release We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things., Mraz has carved a niche for himself with his signature upbeat tunes.

MUSIC

Thin Air Trio with Margriet Naber Tchicai

Today, 7:30 p.m.

Delta of Venus

Feeling a bit anti-brocial lately? Good food and some live jazz from Thin Air Trio and pianist Margriet Naber Tchicai should do the trick. Problem solved.

I don't know about you guys, but Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. Beautiful autumn weather, carving pumpkins, scary movie marathons, all the candy I could ever want (I'm a big fan of Smarties and Almond Joy, FYI). Of course, the best part about the holiday is that it allows me to indulge in my wardrobe fantasies via the Halloween costume.

Davisites looking for something a little more detailed than the traditional mass-produced Halloween costume are turning to the UC Davis theatre and dance department for help. For the entire year - including all of October - the department runs The Enchanted Cellar, a costume shop located on campus in 15 Wright Hall.

Last minute and environmentally conscious costume shoppers still have time to brainstorm before Friday night, and today they might find plenty of inspiration.

Lining the walls of the Memorial Union's Art Lounge are photographs of children, staring intently into the camera. Their beaming faces fill the canvas and command attention, even more so than the piles of filth that they are standing in.

Cool Patch Pumpkins

Open now until Nov. 9, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., $10

8850 Currey Road or 8700 Sievers Road in Dixon

Halloween block parties shut down early? Or maybe you've found yourself in a candy coma. Whatever the situation, MUSE offers some suggestions of scary movies to watch this frightening Friday.

MUSIC

Desolation Wilderness, Lake, Ellie Fortune

Today, 8 p.m., $5

Luigi's Fun Garden in Sacramento

Though I've always been more of an indoor girl, Washington band Desolation Wilderness riles up the dormant outdoorsman (outdoorswoman?) in me. Using the glockenspiel, vibraphone and electric guitar as their weapon of choice, the group creates the kind of synthy ambient pop perfect for a haze-induced camping trip. K Records label-mate Lake is also on the bill - for a look at their most recent album Oh, The Places We'll See, visit page 5!

Rating: 5

In the tradition of K Records, Lake's bubbly charm translates into a good time on Oh, The Places We'll Go.

The record could fall under many headings, such as pajama pop, sloppy pop, or it could be simply deemed adorable pop. Opening with the album's title track, a repetitive chant of "oh, the places we'll go/we don't actually know" best describes the happy-go-lucky,

Rating: 3

When I'm reviewing a record that's deliberately made with little to no effort, I don't see why I should put in the effort to punctuate or capitalize. In fact, m4by3 1 5h0u1d wryt3 l1k3 tihs. m30w.

When considering on-campus music venues, UC Davis students might think of the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts or perhaps Freeborn Hall. Few would venture to consider the ASUCD Coffee House among these places, but that's exactly the thought Campus Unions intends to encourage.