You would think a band with Weezer’s international popularity wouldn’t have to promote their latest release, Ratitude, as much as they are. The eighteen-year-old band has released seven studio albums and many of their singles such as “Hash Pipe,” “Island in the Sun,” “Undone (The Sweater Song),” brought them to indie-nerd superstar status over the past years.

Apparently that isn’t enough for them. In addition to collaborating with Snuggie to create customized Weezer Snuggies (a Snuggie and Ratitude are going for $30 at weezersnuggie.com), the band is now officially a part of T-Mobile’s Motorola CLIQ Challenge, which will give the college with the most votes on the T-Mobile Facebook page a free Weezer concert on or nearby the winning campus.

The CLIQ Challenge began on Nov. 2, and since then, UC Davis Entertainment Council has been mustering up publicity for the event. After their next volunteer meeting this Thursday night, the council plans to pass out flyers on campus and chalking lecture hall boards – in addition to promoting the challenge on their Facebook event page.

“I hope students aren’t discouraged because we aren’t ranked in the top ten,” said Entertainment Council Director Thongxy Phansopha. “We have such a huge student population, so I think we can get into at least the top five. I think we can win it if we keep trying [to get] students to vote everyday.”

Weezer tends to bring out the often-negative “selling out” aspect of producing music. However, a recent Billboard publication “Whitepaper” said “the stigma of using music in corporate marketing – the pejorative of “selling out” – has diminished in the last 10 or 15 years.” Brand managers and marketers are discovering that the music industry is “eager for money, awareness and a competitive advantage,” and even established bands like Weezer are using corporate sponsorship to compensate for lost record sale revenues.

By teaming up, Weezer and T-Mobile’s marketing campaign is essentially the perfect fit, aimed at promoting their individual products in a more successful and effective method than without the other.

“I think what Weezer is doing right now represents the way information is spread and processed so rapidly among our generation, where there’s not really boundaries between types of media anymore,” said junior genetics major Mike Dorrity.

Students voiced mixed opinions on the band and its marketing efforts. Some, such as junior history major Trevor Neeley, had positive remarks about the effort.

“Weezer is a cool band with a mastermind of a leader named Rivers Cuomo and I would love to see them at UC Davis,” Neeley said. “I would hope that they would play any song from The Blue Album or Pinkterton.”

Others, like junior communication major Arjun Srivatsa, are less excited about the band’s new direction.

“I think it’s terrible that [Weezer] went on tour with Fall Out Boy and Blink 182! When I first heard ‘Buddy Holly,’ they seemed really nerdy-cool. But after that song [featuring] Lil’ Wayne, they seem like a Warped Tour band,” Srivatsa said.

Regardless of your opinion on Weezer, it’s beneficial to know what “selling out” means in this day and age. Most bands make most of their revenues from touring – not from digital or hard copy record sales. Support the music scene, whether big or small!

Make sure to vote before the polls close on Nov. 30 at 11:59 p.m. For more information, visit the T-Mobile Facebook fan page.

SIMONE WAHNG can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

You may have heard of them before. No, not as the phototrophic zygomycetes – otherwise known as sun-loving fungi that tend to grow in pastures. Pilobolus is the modern and experimental Connecticut-based dance company that will be taking center stage at Jackson Hall tonight.

The acclaimed dance company originated nearly 40 years ago at Dartmouth College between a few classmates who wanted to take the norms of dance to new heights.

“Our performances differ from most traditional modern dances,” said artistic director Robby Barnett. “This isn’t like ballet, where there’s a specific set of vocabulary in our dance – our choreography is invented in a form of organized free play.”

Pilobolus represents a collaborative choreographic process that is created specifically through teamwork and shared inspirations, Barnett said. They use acrobatics and athleticism to provide an artistic expression of the human form and movement.

“If we’re working in the middle of February and we’re colder, then we have a different set of expectations,” Barnett said. “The performance becomes inspired by the weather, the music and the various ideas that we all connect with.”

The show consists of five separate performance pieces that create a balance between the theatrical and physical aspects of dance. It will explore themes such as nature, sex and death.

“These are all very common themes,” said rehearsal and artistic director Renée Jaworski. “Humanity is what you see on the stage, and what’s interesting about Pilobolus is that you see the interaction and relationships.” Jaworski said within every relationship there is sexual tension, and then there is the threat of death.

“There is no set rule to the dance and choreography of Pilobolus,” Jaworski said. It’s no surprise either, since the four founding members of the company had no dance training prior to their new creative movement. “When we go into the studio, we go into a completely blank slate – as if we don’t know how to dance. The dance then becomes more accessible and relatable to the audience,” Jaworski said.

Known for pushing the boundaries of motion and innovation, Pilobolus truly reaches the peaks of success. The company has been featured on programs such as “The Conan O’Brien Show” and the 79th Annual Academy Awards. They even made commercial appearances for popular brands like Ford and Toyota.

In 1997, Pilobolus won a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding achievement in cultural programming, and was later honored to be the featured profile on CBS’ “60 Minutes.”

“I’m proud of everything we’ve done,” said artistic director and co-founder of the company Jonathan Wolken. “It’s been 40 years of hard work, talent and good fortune. The ground was well fertilized for the appearance of creatures like us.”

So what exactly can you expect to see onstage tonight – besides a whimsical spectrum of raw entertainment?

“The interesting part of any performing art is that it interacts with the audience,” Wolken said. “We don’t have a meaning that a piece wishes to express, but we hope for people to see into it themselves and make their own meanings.”

Who knows exactly what they’ve got up their sleeves? Whatever it is, it will be immersed in creative theatrics, mind-bending body movement, pop culture and a ton of dance. More information about the event can be found at pilobolus.com.

VANNA LE can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Something wicked is brewing within the cold concrete walls of the Death Star at UC Davis. You may have caught snippets of them rehearsing sword fights or inadvertently smearing stage blood over the walls while passing your way through the Social Sciences and Humanities building for class. One thing’s for sure, though – Studio 301 Productions will be presenting an unforgettable theatrical spectacle of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth like you’ve never seen it before.

As an entirely undergraduate-run organization, Studio 301 Productions draws inspiration from the Davis community, which university students and faculty can associate with through theater. Likewise, this season’s production of Macbeth takes place in the familiar Social Sciences and Humanities setting.

“This [isn’t just a] place to sit … and talk to friends, [study] or just [walk] through to class,” said Steph Hankinson, a UC Davis alumna and co-director of Macbeth. “Now we’re changing it to a theater space where art can be performed. This play [is] in this space, [and] it’s never going to be done again.”

The architectural complexity of the Social Sciences and Humanities building not only serves as a major component to the visual aesthetics, but also to the tone and character development of William Shakespeare’s tragic heroes.

“[The Social Sciences and Humanities Building] looks like a modern day castle; concrete and hard,” said Cody Messick, the Production Manager of Studio 301 Productions who plays Lady Macbeth. “Macbeth is so much about corruption and evil but also a balance of love … between the Macbeths, the children and their parents. It’s about soft versus hard.”

Studio 301 Production presents a post-modern and stylistic adaptation to Macbeth through experimental and cross-cultural forms of dance, martial arts and music.

“The witches are inspired from Butoh style created after WWII; a way to express drama through your body and showing trauma of the body,” Hankinson said. “[We’re] taking a post-modern twist, so it’s interesting how these different Asian influences have been creeping in.”

In addition to Japanese Butoh style of dance, music played by Sam Shirley contributes to the post-modern take on Macbeth. Sound is implemented with props like a bicycle wheel, wine bottles and cooking pots. Hitting a guitar with drumsticks, for example, adds an experimental raw quality to the scenes.

There is no shortage of action in this interpretation of Macbeth either. Studio 301 Productions inserts several intensely choreographed action scenes inspired by the Korean martial art form Hapkido.

According to co-director Gia Battista, a junior English major, the production crew had to power-wash the stage after each rehearsal due to the large amounts of stage blood resulting from the sword and fighting sequences.

These bloody action-filled scenes make Studio 301 Production’s Macbeth, as Cody Messick describes, “a modern day horror movie and spectacle.” Still, Macbeth offers the classic Shakespearean themes on morality and the human soul.

“We live in a time that is difficult and there’s a constant struggle that all of us go through to see how powerful we can be (how we should be or not be),” Hankinson said. “The play tests those boundaries. How far will you go to get what you want?”

Even if you are not a big fan of Shakespearean plays, Studio 301 Production’s interpretation of Macbeth offers a unique spectacle for the UC Davis campus. So bring your friends, a blanket and tons of layers to keep warm, and let Studio 301 Productions take care of the rest.

Macbeth is scheduled to play today through Sunday, with more performances following on Nov. 18 through Nov. 22. All shows start at 8 p.m. except for the Sunday shows, which start at 6 p.m. Reservations are made by emailing Macbethreservations09@gmail.com. A minimum donation of $10 for adults and $9 for students upon entrance is required. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

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

Traditional meets avant-garde and the body meets fluxus art in the Granada Artists-in-Residence Program.

The program allows professional theater artists to work closely with UC Davis students, faculty and the larger Davis community each academic quarter to collaborate and showcase a production featuring the artists’ style and forte.

For more than 20 years, the Granada program – co-founded by UC Davis Professor Dan Snyder and former British director Sir Denis Forman – has brought choreographers, directors, playwrights and filmmakers to Wright Hall and exhibited many artistic pioneers such as Gordon McDougall, Frank Hauser, William Gaskill and Anabelle Arden.

“I’ve heard about the Granada artists before I even came here and I knew that this program brought prominent artists to Davis,” said UC Davis graduate student John Zibell, who is also a theatre director, actor and award-winning filmmaker.

In this fall 2009-2010 season, performance artists Sara Shelton Mann and Guillermo-Gómez-Peña, will stage both dance and performance art in Tribes: the unified field and Corpo Ilicito: The Post Post-Human Society 6.9.

In a two-part performance, the production will open from Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Main Theatre and Sunday at 2 p.m. For students, tickets can be purchased for $11 in advance or $13 at the door.

Mann, a choreographer and touring artist, explores the connection between people through non-verbal and verbal language of different cultures in Tribes: the unified field.

“I’m very interested in the conversations between two people and their different belief systems as well as cultures,” Mann said. “The group becomes the tribe as I aim to create community and conversation that will be put on stage.”

Mann’s efforts to transform dance’s protean resistance in becoming a fixed object are seen in the exploration of movement and the feedback of the human body.

“My material really comes from being with the people and giving them skills so they can articulate my language. It is a collaboration,” Mann said.

In performance art, which explores time, space and the human body in relation to the audience and other fellow artists, different creative mediums are applied to the human body to create a living art piece on stage.

Gómez-Peña, performance artist and director of the art collective La Pocha Nostra in San Francisco, takes Corpo Ilicito: The Post-Human Society 6.9 into a beautiful yet stark look into the past and future of society by examining the current state of our culture.

“I’m just trying to understand the times we are living in, the despair we’re experiencing as a society and a sense of hope and I want to do it in dialogue through a group of young artists,” Gómez-Peña said. “What is most political about this project is the possibility of artists from different departments working together in the making of an artwork. It is a form of radical democracy.”

The artists’ world created on-stage allows audiences to look deeper into the messages and images conveyed through the body. Gómez-Peña hopes the audience will ultimately be moved and transformed.

“Essentially, I create total environments where the audience has to be active and often is invited to interact with the performances,” Gómez-Peña said. “[These] are very unconventional performances.”

Utilizing the Main Theater in a unique way, the main stage will be rearranged for the second half so audience members can interact, journey and connect with the performers on the same level.

“The audience can get as close to the performers as they want or far away as they wish and at any moment,” Gómez-Peña said. “It is a kind of exercise [of] the human body as a side for artistic reinvention and activism and prognosis. The images have been developed collectively through my residency.”

Creativity redefined and the human body transformed, both productions are expected to widen the spectrum of art.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit mondaviarts.org.

KAREN SONG can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Most students on this campus would probably agree that Davis isn’t as boring as it’s typically made out to be by those around us. There are plenty of things to do on and off campus throughout the year, and if you’re actually bored, it’s most likely your own problem.

In Davis, finding parties is never a daunting task, and when parties fail (which they often do), downtown Davis nightlife is an acceptable alternative. And to be quite honest, these alternatives aren’t all that bad – as a relatively seldom bar-hopper who usually prefers a few beers at a friends’ apartment to a night on the “town,” the Davis night scene is usually more exciting than my average Thursday or Friday night indoors.

But the Davis-is-boring image nonetheless resonates throughout other campuses and high schools to a point where people choose not to attend Davis because of it. In high school, it doesn’t take much speculative nonsense during application season to sense this fear of ennui. This idiocy filled my graduating class, many of whom now attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, plan to graduate from community college or are married with children.

However, the Jesus-loving, scrapbook-making fans of my hometown aren’t entirely wrong. Though credit should be given where credit’s due, criticism should also be cast upon some of Davis’ infamous nightlife bastions which, for all intents and purposes, make Davis night life feel like a road trip to Utah.

Granted, Davis is often dead during midterm and finals season – being on the quarter system, this pretty much means Davis is dead most of the time. Last Friday, the new Noodle Bar had more employees than guests; Agave begged people to come in; G St. Pub was dirty; Uncle Vito’s was a waste of time; Sophia’s Thai Kitchen was empty and KetMoRee was stale.

KetMoRee, in particular, excels at kicking around the sickly Davis-is-boring image to keep it breathing every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. I’m referring, of course, to their weekly dance events. That’s where this mediocre Thai restaurant on 3rd and G St. turns into a “club” after 10 p.m., blaring top-40 hits to a fun-seeking, ingenuous crowd.

For the most part, they make their customers happy – KetMoRee’s typical clientele loves what they play, and Davis in general can’t stand anything other than rap and hip-hop at local shindigs. But in a town where snobbish individualism prevails over the mainstream, this really shouldn’t fly.

Walking by KetMoRee and hearing the same semi-mixed radio hits every weekend is disconcerting, if not depressing – and for electronic fans like myself, there really is nothing to do besides sit at home and whine about it. Sure, a hip-hop club has its place in Davis, but when hip-hop is the only thing playing all weekend, you begin to wonder what all the indie KDVS kids are up to.

Then there’s Little Prague – a pretty little establishment where diluted gin & tonics are kind of worth it when they’re $2.50 on Thursdays. They’re also completely necessary in order to avoid the awkwardness of an empty dance floor, even amidst the blaring, potent soundwaves of their Thursday house mixes. If KetMoRee is stale, Little Prague is flaccid.

Don’t take my word on those $2.50 gin and tonics, though – Little Prague’s drinks seem to change prices every week.

DJs: Play anything besides radio rap on a Friday night and play it consistently to dramatically improve this town’s image and appeal. Please. Top-40 dance nights at KetMoRee are the last thing Davis should be known for, especially when your alternatives are places like G St. and Froggy’s.

JUSTIN T. HO thinks either more people should go to Little Prague on Thursdays or to electro nights at Delta of Venus, because KetMoRee’s electronic nights are just as stale. E-mail links to good house and minimal mixes at arts@theaggie.org.

Julian Casablancas

Phrazes for the Young

RCA

Rating: 3

After The Strokes went on an unofficial hiatus after the release of First Impressions of Earth, fans shook with anticipation for singer-songwriter Julian Casablancas’ own solo work to hit the shelves. So when Phrazes for the Young was officially released, Casablancas couldn’t have taken a smaller side step from The Strokes.

With only eight tracks, Phrazes for the Young offers a melodic cacophony that only Casablancas could make appealing. Rich in harmony and strong lyrics, the songs explore themes of lost lovers, childhood memories and heavy regret.

However, this record could have done a lot more – it felt safe, as if Casablancas wanted to break out of The Strokes’ chains and only managed to loosen the bolts. Even so, it does make clear that Casablancas has the ability to stand on his own, and listeners might be pleasantly surprised in future releases.

Give these tracks a listen: “Ludlow St.,” “Glass”

For Fans Of: Kings of Leon, Rogue Wave

– Anastasia Zhuravleva

Michael Bublé

Crazy Love

Reprise Records

Rating: 4

Although the Rat Pack reigned in the famous ’50s, Michael Bublé should be given the title of “honorary member” today. His new CD, Crazy Love, takes on the classics crooned many decades ago with a new modern-edged sound.

While belting out classics such as “Georgia On My Mind,” Bublé sways in a new direction by combining the sweet melodies of the oldies with newer rhythms and edgier harmonies.

Without a doubt, this album maintains Bublé’s impeccable record as a remarkably talented singer. He’s not a fantastic songwriter, but his voice carries a poignant tone that reminds listeners of softer and gentler times. He is the epitome of “easy listening.”

It’s true that Bublé rarely deviates from his highly successful formula of renovating older hits and adding one or two new ones, but why mess with success? Chances are that if listeners loved his previous albums, this one will not disappoint.

Give these tracks a listen: “Haven’t Met You Yet”

For Fans Of: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin

– Brittany Pearlman

Pregnant

Ike Wimin

KDVS Recordings

Rating: 5

Forsaken Animal Collective fans rejoice. If you are like me and felt betrayed by the over-digitalized poppiness of Merriweather Post Pavilion, I have found you a savior: 23-year-old Sacramento native Pregnant is the one you seek.

It is not to say that Pregnant’s debut, Ike Wimin, is a direct rip-off of Animal Collective, but similarities in aesthetic are irrefutable. Like Animal Collective, Pregnant recontextualizes folk, tribal and aboriginal music into a digital mode. The music is a juxtaposition of nature and technology: Drum machines meet the sounds of birds and water. Crisp acoustic instruments are accompanied by synthy glitches.

Ike Wimin will hit record stores in the upcoming two weeks. Until then, the album can be ordered from KDVSrecordings.org or purchased directly from the KDVS radio station, located in Lower Freeborn. For now, it is only available on vinyl.

Give these tracks a listen: Any of them

For Fans Of: YACHT, Lucky Dragons

– Boris Freyman

Wild Beasts

Two Dancers

Domino Records

Rating: 5

Some melodies are so serene and creepy that you’re slightly disturbed, but they make you feel so good. A quartet hailing from England, Wild Beasts, throws tribal howling, shrieking falsettos and overtly sly sexually perverse lyrics in with truly fantastic and impressive music. This mad and bizarre combination allows them to stand on a level of their own.

The alternation between lead singer Hayden Thorpe’s crooning falsetto and bassist Tom Flemming’s deep, mesmerizing voice on several of the tracks is both surprising and deeply satisfying. No two songs on the album really sound alike and the music behind the unique lyrics could stand on its own. The album boils down to a mix of ethereal feeling strains, guttural tribal yells and jazzy beats that make your body tingle and your brain struggle as it tries to wrap itself around lyrics like “This is a booty call / my boot my boot my boot my boot up your asshole.”

Give these tracks a listen: “All the King’s Men,” “We Still Got the Taste Dancin’ On our Tongues”

For fans of: David Bowie, The Stranglers

– Elena Buckley

MUSIC

Marilyn Nonken

Today, 12:05 p.m., free

Music Building, room 115

Today’s free noon concert will feature Marilyn Nonken on piano, performing works by David Rakowski, Richard Beaudoin, Elizabeth Hoffman and Richard Festinger.

Sleepy Beach; Aerosols; G.Green

Saturday, 8 pm., free (donations encouraged)

2309 L St.

If you like that lo-fi indie recording feel, you might like Sleepy Beach. Aerosols, a trio from San Francisco, is a twangy trip. G.Green are Davis regulars, so check them out on Saturday if you’re feeling out of the Davis indie loop, or if you don’t have any friends.

Elizabeth Busch

Sunday, 5 p.m., free (donations encouraged)

Davis Art Center

Elizabeth Busch is a classical guitarist who will be featured in a classical guitar recital this Sunday at the Davis Art Center. The solo recital will feature pieces by Isaac Albéniz, Carlo Domeniconi, Astor Piazzolla and more.

Ally Hasche; Shannon Harney; Brad P

Tuesday, 7 p.m., free

John Natsoulas Gallery

Acoustic vocalist Ally Hasche is coming back to the Natsoulas Gallery, reminding me of why I should actually give folkish singer-songwriters a shot. Shannon Harney, an equally impressive vocalist, will also take the stage. Brad P’s retro stylings will have you wondering why you didn’t come up with his lyrics first – check this man out on Myspace for some honest, down to earth tracks.

Half-Handed Cloud; Yolo County

Tuesday, 8 p.m., free

633 M St.

KDVS presents Half-Handed Cloud, a Berkeley-based creation of John Ringhofer on the tail end of a state spanning tour. Check this guy out on Myspace for an audiolicious sample. Joining him will be Yolo County, an appropriately named three-piece from Davis High.

AT THE MOVIES

Pane Amaro

Saturday, 7:30 p.m., $10

6821 Fair Oaks Blvd.

Drive on out to Carmichael this weekend for featured Italian film Pane Amaro, an Italian-American documentary. Film director Gianfranco Norelli will present the film, along with co-producer Suma Kurien. For more information, visit italiancenter.net.

Bondu Saved From Drowning

Monday, 6 p.m., $5

Mondavi Center, Vanderhoef Studio Theater

Wild Ocean

Monday, 7 p.m., free

2 Wellman

Your loyal and trustworthy ASUCD Entertainment Council is presenting Wild Ocean on Monday – and fer free, wouldn’t you know it? Sure, this nature film about sardines might not be shown on an IMAX screen, but 2 Wellman is at least relaxing, right? Visit the event’s Facebook page for more information.

THEATER / MONDAVI

Pilobolus

Today, 8 p.m., $17.50

Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall

Tonight’s performance at the Mondavi Center will feature Pilobolus, a clever and exotic group of dancers. Check out our article in Muse for a preview of the performance.

Paul Dresher Ensemble Production of Schick Machine

Thursday through Saturday, 8 p.m., $15

Mondavi Center, Vanderhoef Studio Theater

Composer Paul Dresher is performing at the Mondavi Center for a show experimental sound designers and audiophiles won’t want to miss. His solo work features dynamic, stage-spanning and unexpected instrumentation – check this guy out on Youtube for a glimpse at what he can do.

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

Saturday, 8 p.m., $17.50

Mondavi Center, Jackson Hall

Conductor Nicholas McGegan along with Susan Graham will lead this entirely Purcell performance, featuring pieces from The Tempest, Chacony in G Minor, Suite from Abdelazer and Dido and Aeneas. Visit mondaviarts.org for more information.

Empyrean Ensemble

Sunday, 7 p.m., $9

Mondavi Center, Vanderhoef Studio Theater

Sunday marks the season opener for this UC Davis “ensemble-in-residence,” the Empyrean Ensemble. The performance will feature pieces by Steve Blumberg, Ross Bauer, Aaron Copland, Ed Jacobs and Seung-Ah Oh. Visit music.ucdavis.edu for more information.

Tribes; Corpo Ilicito

Wednesday through Nov. 22, 8 p.m., $13

Main Theater

Two performances, featuring the years’ first Granada Artists-in-Residence, will be held at the Main Theater next week. A Sunday performance at 2 p.m. will also follow. Read Muse’s preview today for a glimpse at the performance, and check out the paper next Thursday for an interview with the cast.

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

Musicians and recording artists everywhere know that a great performance often depends on great acoustics. The sounds made by instruments and voices should often reverberate and echo around the room to create a blend of sound that lingers in the air even after the music has stopped.

For example, the Mondavi Center is famous for its gorgeous acoustics that give even the most amateur of musicians a nearly perfect sound, but it is not the only place on campus where musicians can go to experiment with exceptional acoustics. Here are a few locations to check out the next time you’re looking for a prime space to practice, record, or just have fun with music and sounds.

Social Sciences and Humanities (The Death Star)

As if we need another reason to marvel at the awesome architecture of that colossal concrete structure known by some as the Death Star, you can also find dozens of spots hidden among its covered walkways and staircases that have good acoustics. The covered staircase next to rooms 70, 80 and 90 on the lowest level of the compound provides a nice, deep reverberation for musical instruments.

Pete Nowlen, UC Davis concert band director, recommends a reverberation of about two seconds. In other words, the sound should continue to echo about two seconds after you’ve stopped playing.

“The ‘warmth’ or ’roundness’ of an acoustic comes from the sound bouncing and arriving at the ear of the listener at slightly different times,” Nowlen said in an e-mail interview.

When exploring the Death Star, look for places surrounded fully or partially by walls or ceilings. These areas provide the sound places to bounce for optimum effect.

Lower Freeborn Hall

The hallways of Lower Freeborn have long been famous for their wacky acoustics – campus radio station KDVS 90.3 FM regularly records live broadcasts using the hallway’s renowned reverb.

“KDVS uses Lower Freeborn Hall as a reverb chamber whenever a live band comes into the studio and requests reverb,” said KDVS general manager Kevin Corrigan in an e-mail interview.

A speaker blasting the band’s music is placed in the hall and a microphone records the echo, which is then broadcast on air.

“Many bands have released their recordings from KDVS’ ‘Live in Studio A’ because the sound is so good,” Corrigan said.

The relatively narrow hallways and low ceilings provide sound ample opportunity to bounce around and continue to echo long after the music stops.

Shields Library

When entering the main entrance of the building, look for the stairwell next to the bathrooms on the right, between the computer lab and the reserves desk. Its high, sloped ceilings and concrete floors provide a fantastic, near-perfect echo and extra-long reverb. Of course, it is a library, so you’ll want to be careful with your noise level if you experiment here. But if you need a study break, slip into the stairwell and stomp your feet, clap your hands, or even hum softly to hear a cool echo and long reverberation.

It’s great for relieving stress, too.

Thompson Hall

This newly built Segundo North residence hall is home to one of the nicest practice rooms on campus. The Music Practice Room is located inside the ballroom on Thompson’s first floor and even has a piano for students to use. Music and voices sound crisp and clear, with a slight reverberation that isn’t overpowering. The room’s heavy door keeps out unwanted sounds from the ballroom and Thompson’s busy lobby area and provides great privacy for maximum concentration. If you want to make a recording or play an amplified instrument, this is the place to do it.

Nowlen said recordings should generally have little echo or reverberation so that these effects can be added later in engineering.

“For amplified music, you really want a very dry (not ringing or reverberating) acoustic. Otherwise you can get feedback,” he said.

For recordings, Nowlen said, the same conditions generally apply – although each performer must decide what sound is desirable.

A few downsides, however: Thompson is only accessible to residents of Segundo North, so if you’re not a freshman you’ll have to befriend one to use the music room. It’s also very popular, so be prepared to wait your turn.

Wyatt Deck Bathroom

OK, so this isn’t the most glamorous of music venues, but brave the ick-factor of the public restroom on Wyatt Deck and you’ll be rewarded with a symphony of echoes and reverb. Look for the little wood-shingled building behind the Music Building across the nearby Arboretum bridge. Due to the narrow space and high, octagonal ceiling, the restroom has loud, ringing acoustics which make for some great sounds.

But do use common sense if you venture out there and wait until the restroom is empty before you start wailing away. The other patrons will thank you.

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