Air out your craziest, wildest costumes of the ’80s. It’s time to go to the showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show this Friday, May 14 at 8 p.m. in the east quad.

This is UC Davis’s second annual showing of one of the most mysterious cult classics of our time.

Laura Kroeger, a junior film major and the Campus Cinema chair on the Entertainment Council, said the Entertainment Council realized they needed to make this an annual event after the success of last year’s screening.

“We got outdoor screening equipment, which is a great way to make it a bigger and better experience than before,” she said.

Kroeger said that even though the new equipment would be a lot of work and money, they decided it would be well worth their time to provide a higher quality showing for UC Davis students.

“We aim to please and everything we do is what we think will benefit the UC Davis campus the most through cinema,” Kroeger said.

The E.C. has little doubt that the new screen and the spring night will provide for an exciting night, but the film is an event in itself.

“It is actually more of an event than your average movie screening,” said Keith Denatale, a junior art studio and English major who is the Promotions Coordinator for the E.C.

Denatale said that even though the film did horribly in theaters when it was released, it’s a perfect kind of culture-inspiring midnight movie.

“It’s the only one that’s done everywhere and has the most rituals of any cult film,” Denatale said. “It’s just huge.”

This cult phenomenon, Denatale said, will be a big part of the showing on Friday.

“There will be no real professionals, but a lot of people knew all the rituals last year,” Denatale said. “It just happens – pretty soon you’re the only one sitting down and everyone else is up and dancing.”

Even though audience participation is highly encouraged and welcomed at the event, this will not be as intimidating as professional screenings of the film.

“There’s a lot of preconceived ideas about it – this will be a lot less hard core, a nice start for someone who hasn’t attended one before,” Denatale said.

Despite its softer approach, there will be a costume contest for those who want to dress up in their fan garb. The audience will choose a winner by cheering for their favorite outfit. According to Kroeger, the winner will receive an audience participation kit, which will include several mysterious items.

“There’s going to be a lot of sequined bustiers, lingerie and red lipstick,” Denatale said.

The E.C. expects an estimated 200 people to show up for the film screening, which is no problem considering their spacious venue.

“The great thing about the quad is you don’t see empty seats. No matter how many people show up we’re going to have fun,” Kroeger said.

Other UC Davis students commented on the appeal of the film screening.

“I think it will be really fun to see the movie on the quad with my friends and experience the weirdness with them,” said Rebecca Walker, a sophomore genetics major.

“I think the atmosphere of the show itself is really fun and bizarre, and crazy,” said Monica McCann, a sophomore animal science major. “It’s creepy in a horror movie type of way. Fascinating, but creepy.”

These students, along with many others, will join in the cult madness of the Rocky Horror Picture Show this Friday.

Kroeger said this student interaction is what makes this particular film sensation so special.

“Audience participation can be a powerful thing.”

BRITTANY PEARLMAN can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Some kids want to be firefighters or superheroes when they grow up. Paul McHugh wanted to be a storyteller.

On Tuesday, May 18, at 4 p.m. in 126 Voorhies, McHugh will give a free lecture as the last speaker in the University Writing Program’s Conversations with Writers series. The lecture is titled “Challenge in Modern Media: Visions of an Ink-Stained Wretch,” and will address challenges facing the art of journalism and McHugh’s career as a writer.

“Human consciousness is mostly composed of stories and a relationship to stories,” McHugh said. “To me, storytelling is a way both to understand and to be empowered in the environment. If we are just passive consumers of stories, then we’re not running our minds and running our lives.”

McHugh is no passive consumer of stories. As a journalist, he has written for the San Francisco Chronicle’s Outdoors section for over 15 years and has contributed to The New York Times and other publications. He is also an accomplished novelist, and has recently published his second novel – a murder mystery entitled Deadlines.

“I had been used, throughout my youth, to being told how things were – getting yourself filled up with other people’s stories. By the time I reached my late teens and early ’20s, I had had enough of that,” McHugh said.

Inspired by his love of the outdoors, McHugh focused his journalism and fiction on the environment to introduce others to the power of the natural world.

“To have adventures in the outdoors, to make touch with the environment, to open our sense to it, is to absorb the purest story of our lives,” he said. “I wanted to experience that for myself, which made me an outdoorsman, and I wanted other people to experience it, which made me a storyteller about the outdoors.”

Deadlines, McHugh’s latest novel, combines his passion for the Northern California landscape and the investigative journalism he conducted at The San Francisco Chronicle. Centered around the murder of an environmental activist on the California shoreline, the story is inspired by a real investigation McHugh conducted in 1995 of embezzlement and exploitation of workers at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove.

“That series of crime became exaggerated for Deadlines, but the basic principle carried through was that you have a basic resource being shamelessly exploited with a lack of oversight,” McHugh said. “I wanted to show that on the somewhat grander scale in Deadlines as a possibility. People say, ‘Well, I don’t think that can happen,’ and actually I’m demonstrating that it’s already happened, and that it could keep happening unless we pay attention.”

Dr. Don Johns, UWP lecturer and member of the Community and Professional Development Committee, invited McHugh to speak at UC Davis. A long time follower of McHugh’s writing, Johns said McHugh’s work is impressive and exemplary of good journalism.

“He has imagination and the ability to find interesting stories, and he has the initiative and stamina to go where the story is – it’s participatory journalism,” Johns said. “He brings in general knowledge to historical events without being heavy-handed. And as a prose stylist, he has a very evocative style.”

UWP lecturer Sasha Abramsky is the chair of the Community and Professional Development Committee. He said the purpose of the lecture series is to introduce students to contemporary writers of all styles.

“At the university level, students tend to be smart in some areas but not very well-read, and the consequence is that you forget the value of writing,” Abramsky said. “In white-collar jobs, you need the ability to write to really thrive. It gives you the ability to communicate.”

McHugh agreed that students can improve their writing by learning to love the power of words.

“If anyone wants to become a writer and they look at that task as being overwhelming, the first thing I would say to them is, ‘Don’t try to be a writer first.’ Try to be a good user of language first. Try to tell small stories. Try to speak in good sentences. Try to adhere to word power and make it your own.”

Ultimately, McHugh said that becoming a good writer depends on appreciating the work of other great writers and infusing their technique with your own unique point of view.

“As a student, you want to be shamelessly imitative. But the other parallel course you do at the same time is develop your own voice. Eventually those streams will converge. All of the acquired skill that you gained from appreciation and imitation, you take that and you pour your own voice into it and then you’ve really got something.”

ROBIN MIGDOL can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

If you knew you were about to be reunited with an old lover, what meal would you make them? What meal would you make if you knew today was your last day on this planet?

Exploring the intimate nature and social connections arising from our experiences with food, UC Davis department of theatre and dance presents The Matter of Taste – directed by Granada Artist-in-Residence Anna Fenemore.

The Matter of Taste takes on cultural and social complexities of food and how it brings people together through a multitude of senses such as taste, smell, sight, sound and touch. Preparing and consuming food is not merely a physical act, but rather the beginning of a multidimensional process of interactions we experience with other people.

Fenemore’s interest in taste first originated when she served as artistic director for a piece called The Housekeeper, presented by the U.K.-based physical theatre company Pigeon Theatre. The piece aspired to bridge the gap between the performer and spectator, utilizing food.

“Conceptually, working with food is something I’ve played with in the past 10 years,” Fenemore said. “It was the gesture of giving – the moment you give food to people, people begin to talk and contribute stories.”

Fenemore is interested in how food has become a vehicle for triggering specific memories and experiences with those around us – both those present and those who are no longer with us.

“People begin talking about their mother or grandmother and people they’ve fallen in love with – all over dinner,” Fenemore said. “We talk about absent people and people who might be long dead. It is a way to connect the absent and the present together.”

All 16 performers will be cooking, eating, talking and interacting on a single stage. A long linear dining table and kitchen equipped with working stoves and refrigerators will compose the main stage design. The audience will be experiencing the performance with all of their senses as the food is prepared live. Music will also be a major component of the production.

“We are actually cooking on stage with a working stove. It’s an actual kitchen,” said Daniel Jordan, a performer and senior dramatic arts major. “We will be giving out food to the audience as well. Also, a lot of the music experiences are about how we celebrate with food – like dancing in the kitchen. Music is a big part of festivities and food.”

Along with the arboretum, the UC Davis food management and campus catering company, Sodexo, will be co-sponsoring the production and selling food. After the show, Fenemore and the entire cast continues the “dinner party” and invites the audience to join them on the Wyatt Deck where they can eat, dance and interact with the cast members.

“How we interact and how we love is a big part of what food does to us. If you think about it, most of the time we interact with people is over food,” Jordan said. “Food in general is a big part of who we are.”

UYEN CAO can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

In January, campaign finance reform stepped away from any real reform at all. The Supreme Court’s contentious decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission enforced the idea that corporate donations to political campaigns may not be banned, blurring the distinction between business and personal campaign donations.

So with the California June ballot approaching, it seems like the newfound freedom for big businesses and interest groups to contribute to campaigns would, at the very least, improve the quality of campaign advertisements. Since no such improvement has occurred, there’s every reason to complain.

It’s not surprising, really. I’m aware that this unfavorable description has always been an unwritten requirement in campaign advertisement code. Without access to TV or cable, it’s also easy to avoid the mess of campaign ads during election season since the Internet makes filtering through the muck a whole lot easier.

But it’s still no excuse. Political ads remain as strong indicators of our lax and distorted campaign regulations. It also reminds us that our forerunner politicians and their campaign teams lack creative talent to match their funding. Whether conveyed in commercials, books, rhetorical documentaries or anything else, money can’t help these advertisements.

And these ads aren’t just deceptive. They’re terribly put together. Take California Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina’s recent “Demon Sheep Ad” on YouTube, which falls somewhere between a high school video project and a PowerPoint presentation. Without going into too much detail, the commercial whines and complains about rival Tom Campbell’s record, inserting random images of sheep and pigs in between low-resolution shots of Campbell. In the end, someone in a sheep costume and a cardboard mask crawls around with red eyes – most likely trying to think of more cheap metaphors for future ads.

The California campaign for governor has seen its fair share of ridiculousness, too. Republican candidates Steve Poizner and Meg Whitman have recently provided the media with a buffet of questionable material and investigative leads. A recent Los Angeles Times article highlighted the exaggerated distortions in both candidates’ ads in their attempts to portray each other as too liberal – and overall, it’s pretty safe to say both candidates are terrible.

Whitman, the former eBay CEO, recently released an autobiography that opened the door for further scrutiny. A later L.A. Times article printed Tuesday found her tied to “lucrative” arrangements with Goldman Sachs, among other unsavory findings.

Poizner himself isn’t new to distortions and exaggerations. NPR’s “This American Life” reported that Poizner had severely misrepresented a San Jose high school he briefly taught at in his book, titled Mount Pleasant: What Happened When I Traded a Silicon Valley Board Room for an Inner City Classroom. As faculty from the high school and other locals reveal, Poizner used his book to dramatize student apathy, misreport local violence statistics and plainly insult the school’s character. It’s almost as if he, say, completely lied about his experience in order to benefit his campaign.

In the end, the fact that these advertisements so severely distort the truth is a major problem. The fact that corporations are allowed to continually find these advertisements only makes it seem like the problem will never end. Our campaign finance laws are desperately in need of repair, to say the least.

And really, this all only goes to show that none of these above-mentioned candidates are nearly as great as they say. No surprises here.

JUSTIN T. HO knows it’s a pretty big stretch to consider terrible political ads and corny books creative. He also finds it hard to keep up with the political ads without cable, since it’s hard to consciously decide to watch something as terrible as a local car dealership commercial via the Internet. E-mail him at arts@theaggie.org.

She & Him

Volume Two

Merge Records

Rating: 4

OK, I’ll admit it: I’ve got a major girl crush on Zooey Deschanel. With her charming vocals laced with folksy sing-a-longs and bouncy piano melodies, who wouldn’t?

Combining M. Ward’s vision and production with Deschanel’s vintage sound, She & Him makes a notable sequel to their previous album Volume One.

The songs are deceivingly simple, with Deschanel and M. Ward’s “oohh”s and “lalala”s serving as their own instrumental in some aspects. There is a timeless quality that M. Ward and Deschanel borrow from a previous era. Listening to Volume Two is a lot like looking at a pastoral impressionist painting – both evoking a delicate yet charismatic appeal. The album definitely puts you in a cheerful, “fa la la” mood.

Give these tracks a listen: “In the Sun,” “Thieves” “Brand New Shoes”

For Fans Of: M. Ward, The Charlatans

– Uyen Cao

The Fall

Your Future Our Clutter

Domino

Rating: 5

If it’s really better to burn out than fade away, what can be said about fading from view long enough to release an album strong enough to put your peers to shame?

Your Future Our Clutter marks The Fall’s 28th studio release since their formation in 1976. In addition to pushing the 1970s British punk scene and influencing the shape of post-punk and indie rock to come, The Fall have had remarkable staying power and continue to put out solid releases like clockwork.

Your Future Our Clutter is no exception – founder and lead singer Mark E. Smith’s lyrics are sharper and drier than ever, dripping with discomfort and disaffected sangfroid that frames the group’s sludgy Euro-toned sound. Forget reunion tours and special edition reissues, Your Future Our Clutter is an album with enough disdain and swagger to stand on its own.

Give these tracks a listen: “O.F.Y.C. Showcase” through “Weather Report 2”

For Fans of: Pavement, The Birthday Party, Bauhaus

– Amber Yan

Jónsi

Go

XL Recordings

Rating: 4

Sigur Rós front man has redefined what pop music can be with his debut solo album, Go.

Jónsi layers the ethereal, orchestral style of Sigur Rós with playful optimism, in compact, four minute long pop songs. They are experimental but accessible, climactic yet melodic.

For the first time, Jónsi sings primarily in English – lyrics are simple and upbeat, endearing but largely unaffecting. However, his gorgeous vocals and fragile falsettos play off the over-the-top symphonies to create brilliant, epic bliss.

“Go Do,” the album’s opener, feels like a fairy tale. Teetering on sickeningly sweet, the album’s message becomes clear in the song’s lyrics, excited woodwinds and rhythmic swells. “You always know we can do anything,” he triumphantly beckons.

Jónsi is relentless in delivering euphoria. And if happiness is contagious, then considering yourself warned of infection.

Give these tracks a listen: “Grow Till Tall,” “Boy Lilikoi”

For fans of: Sigur Rós, múm

– Janelle Bitker

MUSIC

Diego’s Umbrella

Today, 10 p.m., $3

Sophia’s Thai Kitchen, 129 E St.

Describing their sound as “Mexi-cali Gypsy Pirate Polka,” Diego’s Umbrella is sure to give a memorable performance at Sophia’s tonight. The group of six has all the trappings of a traditional Mexi-Cali band, yet deliver music that is anything but ordinary.

Kelley James; Starting Six; Loggy Live

Friday, 8 p.m., $7 presale, $12 at door

Theta Xi House at 515 1st Street

Check out the Theta Xi house tomorrow for a philanthropy concert featuring Davis’ own Starting Six and returning act Kelley James.

Sea of Bees

Friday, 5 p.m., free

Armadillo Records, 205 F St.

Sea of Bees’ Julia Baenzinger joins her unique singing voice with mellow acoustics, creating a sound that is retro but still fresh. It’s appropriate, then, that she lists “gypsies” as one of her influences. Visit Sea of Bees’ Myspace for a preview before catching the performance at Armadillo Records.

Urban Sherpas with Uncle Tony

Saturday, 6:30 p.m., free

Delta of Venus Café, 122 B St.

Enjoy a free performance by contemporary jazz group Urban Sherpas while you dine at Delta of Venus this Saturday. The group says their emphasis is on “groove and melody” and they also play cover tunes.

Boca do Rio, Techno Bus, Katharina and Friends

Sunday, 4 p.m., $10

Plainfield Station, 23944 Country Road 98 (Woodland)

All proceeds from this concert by local artists will go towards supporting conservation efforts in Bolivia. Plus, it gives you the chance to venture out to Plainfield Station bar and grill, a sleepy establishment that has served Davis locals and travelers for nearly 75 years.

AT THE MOVIES

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Friday, 8 p.m., free

UC Davis East Quad

The Entertainment Council will offer a free screening of the ultimate cult classic for the second year in a row in our own East Quad. Wear costumes, bring props and get ready to experience movie-watching in a whole new way. If you’ve never been to a Rocky Horror screening, check out rockyhorror.com/participation/virgins.php to get the lowdown on how it works.

Sacramento Bicycle Film Festival

Friday through Sunday, 9 p.m., free

Fremont Park, Sacramento

We all bike everywhere we go; now, relax while watching films about bicycling in downtown Sacramento’s Fremont Park. In addition to the movies, there will be DJs, food, drinks and the opportunity to watch the Tour of California cycling race when it goes through Sacramento on Sunday.

THEATRE/MONDAVI

UC Davis Symphony Orchestra

Sunday, 8 p.m., $5

Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall

The Symphony Orchestra is made up of some of Davis’ best musicians, so it’s no surprise that the group puts on some of the most impressive concerts every year. Don’t miss their performance on Sunday of Beethoven’s Egmont, featuring Susannah Biller, soprano, and Bella Merlin as narrator. The orchestra will also perform Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 in E Minor.

Sonny Rollins, Tenor Saxophone

Sunday, 8 p.m., $17.50

Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall

Continuing Wednesday’s night of jazz is world-renowned tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, who has been impressing audiences with his masterful jazz style for more than 50 years. Move over, kids – Sonny’s here to show you how it’s done.

UC Davis Jazz Bands: Organ and Big Band

Wednesday, 7 p.m., $6

Mondavi Center, Vanderhoef Studio Theater

University jazz bands, joined by the organ, groove on tunes by director Delbert Bump. If you love jazz music, this is the concert for you.

The Matter of Taste

Wednesday through Saturday, May 22, 8 p.m., Sunday, May 23, 2 p.m., $11

Wyatt Pavilion Theater

The Department of Theatre and Dance presents a unique event directed by Granada Artist-in-Residence Anna Fenemore. Combining storytelling, music, and cooking demonstrations, The Matter of Taste explores what it means to have “good taste” and why this is so subjective.

ART/GALLERY

“Eight From ACGA”

Friday, 7 p.m., free

Davis Art Center, 1919 F St.

Artists from The Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California will display some of their expertly-crafted sculptures at the Davis Art Center.

“Carol Bernard: If You See It,” “Not So Common Clay – Three Artists,” “Mug It Up!”

Friday, 6 p.m., free

Pence Gallery, 212 D St.

View art in three diverse mediums: pen and ink drawings, ceramic sculptures, and mugs. Local musician Steve Geller will perform as well.

ROBIN MIGDOL can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.