If you haven’t heard already, Band of Horses is playing at Freeborn Hall on May 27. Students can purchase pre-sale tickets at the Freeborn Ticket Office for $25.50 with a student ID tomorrow beginning at 10 a.m.

That’s pretty cool. This is all in addition to the upcoming Passion Pit show, which is still scheduled for April. 14. Tickets for that show are $15 (go figure). Let’s see if they pull a Crepeville-and-run like Bloc Party did last year.

I wholeheartedly support any major on-campus show, no matter how outlandishly boring it might be. When a show is in the dead center of campus – literally a minute walk from Wellman, Olson and Shields library – it’s hard to find a reason not to go. It’s a little like tuning in to 107.9 FM just to hear what’s popular. I mean, why the hell not?

On-campus shows won’t gouge your wallet, either – even if they’re only available through tickets.com. If you’re really that bothered with your selection of on-campus performances, you could always just see Jay-Z at the HP Pavilion for $144.

On that note, it’s strange seeing the amount of outsiders that come for these shows. I remember plenty of Hot Topic-plastered women in their late 20s waiting outside Freeborn before AFI performed back in 2007. How did they find the hall? Was it weird being on a college campus?

But while typical Freeborn acts are usually relatively well-known, it seems like it’s still hard to escape an underlying feeling of mediocrity. Past campus performers like 311, Death Cab for Cutie, Muse and Bright Eyes result in a resounding “whatever” from probably most of the campus, or at least myself. Except maybe Muse, which seemingly never stops playing at the ASUCD Coffee House.

Freeborn Hall itself, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is by far a less-than-perfect venue for larger shows. The sound isn’t great and you often feel like you’re at a high school rally. Imagine what concerts must have been like before the Mondavi Center.

It’s also hard to say whether or not the Freeborn venue itself is a drawing factor. I happen to work at Freeborn, and if I’m not watching one of the major concerts, I’m usually counting tickets, cleaning up vomit and telling people not to sit on the rails.

In this sense, concerts are a nice break from the usual set of Freeborn events. Big shows are few and far between, especially since academic symposiums and luncheons make up the bulk of our event calendar.

My first shift put me on the takedown after the AFI show back in 2007. Years later, I watched Jason Mraz perform the fading hit “I’m Yours” to a packed Freeborn Hall while an obese middle-aged gentleman to my left flipped him off every time he looked in his direction. A woman who I presume was his wife stood next to him, ashamedly mouthing along to the lyrics.

Pre-sale tickets for that concert were $20. The fat guy probably paid for the full $35 ticket, but it was clearly still worth it to see the show – even if all he did was yell, “Fuck you.” He definitely enjoyed himself.

I can’t say I haven’t felt such ambivalence when it comes to previous Pavilion concerts – the Relient K/Switchfoot concert seemed like a waste of spirituality, and I remember sleeping through the Muse/The Strokes concert my freshman year. In my bed.

But really, it’s all we’ve got. On campus shows won’t break your bank. At least bike by Freeborn when the bands are performing.

JUSTIN T. HO is excited to see both Band of Horses and Passion Pit perform next quarter, even though he couldn’t really care less about either band. More importantly, Search Party is in the works. E-mail any questions you might have about the upcoming music competition to arts@theaggie.org.

Album: The Hateful Eye EP

Label: Labrador

Rating: 5

Not much is known about Little Big Adventure, a.k.a. Vladimir Vasilyevich Markovnikov, except that all of his songs are about hate and that he loves his Casio keyboard. Throughout The Hateful Eye, Markovnikov skillfully combines many modern soundscapes and inserts anamorphic transitions from one to the other in an original and unconventional manner.

Though the EP consists of only five tracks (and was released May of last year), it nicely captures LBA’s eccentric pop sound of past releases and evokes feelings of self-pity, shame and melancholia – very fitting for the transition from winter into spring. The Hateful Eye is worth a revisit or two.

Give these tracks a listen: “Happiest Times” “The Hateful Eye”

For fans of: Grasscut, Nathan Fake

-Simone Wahng

Album: Tourist History

Label: Glassnote

Rating: 3

Two Door Cinema Club’s debut LP, Tourist History, is a neat and tidy collection of their past Kitsuné singles and a handful of new ones. Simple lyrics are tacked onto simple pop melodies, which clasp onto even more simple rhythms and beats. The album mainly consists of unornamented and straightforward compositions, but the sincere and charming lyrics seem to pick up the slack.

If Tourist History were milk, it would probably be non-fat – in the sense that extra sugar was added to make up for the lack of nourishing substance. Listening to the entire album is like eating a $1 microwave dinner from Safeway. Sure, it gets the job done, but there are definitely better things out there.

Give these tracks a listen: “Eat That Up, It’s Good For You”

For fans of: Kowalski, Delphic

-Simone Wahng

Album: Have One on Me

Label: Drag City

Rating: 5

It’s hard to imagine a concept behind a triple album as anything other than abstract and inaccessible, but at just over two hours, Joanna Newsom accomplishes just that on Have One On Me. Framed by the trills of her harp and the eloquence of her lyrics, Have One On Me chronicles romance and heartbreak in a way that is tempestuous, whimsical and painfully honest.

Newsom’s delicate voice glides along the changing tone of the album, swelling with the rise and fall of her dense melodies. On the first disc, she trades her harp for pop melodies and the warm accompaniment of a piano, demonstrated by “Good Intentions Paving Company” where Newsom sings “I’ll get this joy off of my chest at last/And I will love you since the noise has since long passed.” But Have One on Me isn’t all joyful pop songs and tenderness: the second and third discs are a testament to the demise of a relationship. They are vulnerable and elegiac, in both language and intricacy of her harp playing.

Give these tracks a listen: “Good Intentions Paving Company,” “In California,” “Go Long”

For fans of: Joni Mitchell, Cat Power, Feist

– Amber Yan

Album: Chocolat EP

Label: Semprini Records

Rating: 4

In their debut, Montreal-based alt-rock group Chocolat produces a creative and alluring soundscape that integrates hints of folk, pop and blues into psychedelic garage rock. Singer Jimmy Hunt’s Dylan-esque croon sails over feverish guitar riffs, strains of intricate bass lines and a frenzy of walloping drums.

Chocolat EP is clearly indebted to many of Chocolat’s influences, such as the Kinks, the Yardbirds, the Pretty Things and Jacques Dutronc. The content of the seven songs are centered around the rock ‘n roll lifestyle – that is to say the songs are generally about sleeping with your best friend’s girlfriend, funding a party with your girlfriend’s paycheck, Johnny Depp, groupies and watching the one you love get fat.

Give these tracks a listen: “Charlotte,” “Le Monde Est Vert”

For fans of: Pas Chic Chic

-Simone Wahng

When most people go to a garage sale or thrift store, they see practical items sold for bargain prices. But sculptor and UC Davis Master of Fine Arts Ron Baron looks at those castoff objects and sees a work of art.

Today, artists, aspiring artists and fans of art alike are invited to attend a free lecture given by Baron as part of the Art Studio Lecture Series. The lecture will be held in the main room of the Technocultural Studies Building from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

In his lecture, Baron aims to provide a glimpse into his creative process and discuss how he arrives from inspiration to the installation sculptures made of everyday, “found” objects he has become known for.

“I started making ceramics when I was about 16sixteen years old. I fell in love with the potter’s wheel,” Baron said. “My work changed tremendously as I entered graduate school in Davis. I started [adding] found objects that I had collected in thrift stores and garage sales into ceramic sculptures, so that it became a composite of the added, wet clay and those existing objects.”

Baron said that after he graduated from Davis, he did not have access to a kiln, or the oven used to fire ceramics. As a result, he began working exclusively with objects he found at garage sales and thrift stores to create his pieces.

“I started to make these vessels, these constructions that looked like pieces of pottery, that were actually made of stacks of different diameters of dishes. If you stack one dish on top of another, and each one is smaller or larger than the one below it, by stacking them up you create this silhouetted form,” Baron said. “It actually looks like classical pottery, like these gorgeous pots that I love to throw on the pottery wheel, but in fact they were actually made of junk store and thrift store and garage sale finds.”

Now, Baron said, his sculptures are representations of the objects that make up our culture. He compares his work to artifacts found at archaeological digs, which provide a glimpse into a society’s culture and values.

“In the same way that an archaeologist would reconstruct a piece of pottery from broken shards that he might find in the earth at an excavation site, I think of my work in that way. They’re not just objects that I buy from a store brand-new, but they’re objects that someone owned, and each one of these objects contains their own personal story,” he said.

The often personal, meaningful objects that Baron finds cast-off in secondhand sales inspire him to think critically about what experiences and memories our society truly finds valuable.

“At the moment that we own these objects, this object in that moment is so precious,” he said. “But then when someone like myself is buying it for 50 cents at a garage sale, it begins to raise questions about how valuable those experiences and those moments really are.”

Art Studio graduate student Alek Bohnak is organizing the Art Studio Lecture series. He said students and faculty recommended that Baron participate in the series.

“I think what is unique about Mr. Baron is his focus on public art projects. Much of his recent work is in public spaces in permanent installations.  This contrasts with many artists who show mostly in commercial galleries.  It is unique for myself, as an artist and student, to hear about the myriad of ways art can be shown,” Bohnak said in an e-mail interview.

Baron’s sculpture installations are displayed in New York City, airports and other public spaces. He said his installations are very different from works displayed in museums or galleries.

“The audience changes tremendously. The work that you’re creating has to be able to have a dialogue with the community that the work is going to be placed in, the kind of viewer that might not necessarily go into a gallery or museum. Many times that means creating a work that has a certain amount of accessibility to it,” he said.

Baron is currently working on his largest commission to date, a bronze sculpture for a new public library in San Jose.

Art studio Professor Lucy Puls worked with Baron when he was a student at UC Davis. She believes his success as a working artist will be inspirational for the art students who attend his lecture.

“It’s really good for students to see that this strong artist was at Davis, got his education here and has gone off and been a successful working artist,” Puls said. “[Students] will get a sense of what’s involved in that. [Baron] has done well, and it’s not easy to maintain an art career. There’s a component to it that’s just a lot of hard work, dedication, and a lot of determination.”

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

MUSIC

Student Chamber Ensembles

Today, 12:05 p.m. and 4:10 pm, free

Room 115, Music Building

Head on over to the music building today at noon for a free concert by student chamber ensembles. For more information, visit music.ucdavis.edu.

Happy Thursday: Black Cat Bone

Today, 4:00 p.m., free

Rominger West Winery, 4602 2nd St., Suite 4

If you love the blues and live music, you’ll love the Black Cat Bone. This four-piece combo consists of a harmonica, bass, guitars and drums. All that music might make you hungry, so order a glass of wine and some appetizers while you’re at it.

Hefty Thigh: Fem Fest DJs and Bands

Friday, 7 p.m., $5 general, all ages

TCS Building (formerly the Art Annex)

Come party and spread the fem-love with KDVS 90.3 FM and the Davis Feminist Film Festival ’til two in the morning! Enjoy performances from Inca Ore to A Sunny Day in Glasgow, along with some great DJs. Check out the KDVS Events Facebook page for more information about the bands.

West Nile Ramblers & Aesthetic Cling Jug Band

Saturday, 6:30 p.m., $10 students and $15 general

Odd Fellows Hall, 415 2nd St.

Support your community radio, KDRT 95.7 FM and check out their winter benefit concert. The event, hosted by Davis Media Access and the Davis Odd Fellows, will feature performances from The West Nile Ramblers. It’s great Western swing and jazz music that everyone can enjoy. Get your tickets and get on board at kdrt.org.

UC Davis Gospel Choir

Saturday, 7 p.m., $6 student and $12 adult

Freeborn Hall

The UCD Gospel Choir draws on the best voices in Davis, so if you love great vocals and gospel, come out to this event. For more information, go to music.ucdavis.edu/events.

KDVS presents Twin Crystals; Buk Buk Bigups, Burglars, Repressive Proteins

Saturday, 8:30 p.m., $5 all ages

The Hub, 1819 23rd St., Sacramento, CA 95816

Do you like the Buk Buk Bigups? Me too. Well, not really, but you might like them. Come out to The Hub to check out the post-punk Twin Crystals, or the Repressive Proteins. You just can’t go wrong with awesome names like these. Check out the KDVS Events Facebook page for more information about the bands.

GALACTIC GROOVE Disco Funk Party

Saturday, 8:30 p.m., $4 ages 18+

Delta of Venus

Yeah, that’s right; it’s a disco funk party. Get sexy/sweaty/boogie-licious at the Delta of Venus. Why not? Featured performances include DJ Tiny, Megatron Man and Dogtones. Don’t forget to dress up. Check out the KDVS Events Facebook page for more information about the bands.

ART / GALLERY

2nd Friday ArtAbout

Friday, 5:30 p.m., free

Downtown Davis

Need a break from studying for finals? Enjoy Davis’ bustling art scene and come out to the John Natsoulas Gallery to check out “The Art of Painting in the 21st Century,” or the Rominger West Winery to see some oil paintings and do some wine tasting. The monthly event includes art viewing and artist receptions all throughout Downtown Davis. For more information, visit davisdowntown.com.

THEATER / MONDAVI

The Seagull

Today through Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m., $11 advance, $13 at door

Main Theater

The Seagull, directed by Granada Artist-in-Residence Katya Kamotskaia, began yesterday and will show through Sunday. Read Brittany Pearlman’s review online tomorrow at theaggie.org. For more information about the performance, read last week’s article in Muse or visit theatredance.ucdavis.edu.

University Chorus; Alumni Chorus; UC Davis Symphony Orchestra: Bruckner & Rossini

Sunday, 8 p.m., $5

Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall

Conductor Jeffrey Thomas will lead the University Chorus, Alumni Chorus and the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra for a performance of Bruckner’s Te Deum and Rossini’s Stabat Mater. For more information, visit chorus.ucdavis.edu.

The Del McCoury Band

Tuesday, 8 p.m., $12.50

Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall

This Grammy-award winning bluegrass band will take the main stage at the Mondavi this Tuesday. A pre-performance lecture will begin the show. For more information and tickets, visit mondaviarts.org.

Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra

March 19, 8 p.m., $22.50

Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall

Finish up finals with a night of Russian compositions and musicians, performed by the Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra. Pieces by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Sergei Rachmaninov will be performed. For more information, visit mondaviarts.org.

JUSTIN T. HO and VANNA LE can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

A jester on a pig. Aerial views of rivers, grassy fields, countryside. The Davis Amtrak Station, depicted in brushstrokes. Wetlands. Step foot into Davis’s Aioli Bodega tapas restaurant on 2nd Street, and an ambiance of refined dining, wining and scenic art awaits you.

Aziz Bellarbi-Salah, waiter at Aioli Bodega and family member of the restaurant owners, said that the owners of Aioli have a good partnership with the John Natsoulas Gallery. As a result, they display many of the paintings from his art gallery collection.

“We do try to pick pieces that match our color scheme though,” Bellarbi-Salah said. “Landscape paintings often go well with the subtle orange shade of the walls.”

Although the owners try to change the artwork periodically, Phil Gross’s scenic paintings have been on display at Aioli Bodega since last spring.

Phil Gross

He enjoys a good port and brandy and can often be seen cruising around town in his funky old van. In his off time, he hitches rides with pilot friends to snap pictures while he’s up in the sky. You might also find him culling through rocks.

“Phil Gross has really taken the world of scenery to a whole new level,” said Bellarbi-Salah, an acquaintance of Gross’s.

Gross’s paintings placate diners at the Aioli Bodega, complementing the wine barrels, orange walls and candles hanging from the ceiling while making for a refined night on the town – much like a winery or a restaurant you’d expect to find in Napa.

“I’m often oil painting till the crows fly home,” Gross said. “I am drawn to unique high angle and low angle perspectives, strong contrast in lighting, and compressed telescopic viewpoints.”

A self-taught painter, Gross received his bachelor’s in geology from UC Davis. It was working as an investigative geologist in the late ’70s and early ’80s that gave Gross the opportunity to explore his natural surroundings.

He said that, over the years, he has grown to appreciate the valley and the countryside more, scenery that is abundant in Davis and much of Yolo County.

“Being a geologist and all, I’d mostly leave for the mountains or the coast,” Gross said. “But once I started painting I found that the valley is a fascinating place, and not as commonly portrayed.”

Gross describes his artwork as nostalgic and familiar, portraying the unchanging landscape as a permanent comfort that remains static no matter how much change the individual undergoes.

In addition to painting with both feet on the ground, Gross said he has gotten to know a few local pilots over the last few years, who take him flying over the Sacramento River and down the valley so that he can take pictures for future painting inspiration. Many of his aerial paintings are derived from these trips.

Perhaps his most prominent painting depicts Road 27 (the road from Davis to Winters) and is on display above three tables close to the entrance of Aioli. Gross said he did two versions at separate times of day for different lighting effects.

“There’s an element to it where I think I captured the stillness and the vastness,” Gross said. “There was also this heavenly feeling to it that I think the valley can carry in mid afternoon in the summer. It’s quite spectacular in a quiet way.”

In addition to his scenery paintings, Gross has depicted desserts and animals, drawing inspiration from the renowned UC Davis artist Wayne Thiebaud. Among his animal artwork is a beautiful rendition of a grazing Yolo Cow.

Apart from Aioli, he has had work on display at The Artery in Davis, the Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento, John Natsoulas Gallery and the Yolo County Library’s traveling exhibition – among others.

Currently, Gross’s work can be found at a couple of group shows, one of which is at the Sacramento Airport, the other which will take place at the John Natsoulas Gallery later this month. Visit his website philgross.net for information about purchasing.

Roxanne O’Brien and Elizabeth Solomon

A smattering of both O’Brien’s and Solomon’s artwork can be found in the main dining area of Aioli Bodega. The majority of their work, however, lies in the special reservations room that small parties can book for their own festive gatherings.

O’Brien started as a lettering artist and calligrapher before making the leap to fine art.  She said her inspiration is typically drawn from these mediums but has recently developed to more figurative abstractions. Some of her most notable artwork on display at Aioli includes a sculptural rendition of Venus and what look to be watercolor paintings of human faces. O’Brien now works full-time as a chef and professor of culinary arts at American River College in Sacramento.

Elizabeth Solomon of Sacramento can be credited for her portrait of a jester riding a pig, on display in the reservations room. Typical of her artwork is the use of acrylics, oil pastels and mixed media to portray large, vibrant subjects ranging from many-colored clowns, birds with accented plumage and well-fed pigs.

For more information about any of these artists and for information about purchasing, visit Aioli Bodega.

ELENI STEPHANIDES can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.