Fashion Conscious is currently on display at the Design Museum in Walker Hall. The symposium Designing With Conscience will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Technocultural Studies building. For more information and to register for the symposium, visit designmuseum.ucdavis.edu. The exhibit’s blog is also available at sustainablefashion.blogspot.com

Proving that there is more to environmentally friendly clothing than the stereotypical image of hippie granola fashion and dresses resembling burlap sacks is the exhibit Fashion Conscious at the UC Davis Design Museum in Walker Hall.

The exhibit opens today at the Design Museum. Accompanying the exhibition will be Designing With Conscience: A Sustainable Fashion Symposium on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Technocultural Studies building, which is located behind the Art building. Attendance is free with registration at designmuseum.ucdavis.edu.

As part of the Design Museum’s ongoing 2007-2008 season of Eco-exhibitions, Fashion Conscious showcases garments made from environmentally sustainable material. Some of these materials include recycled and reused fabrics, organic cotton and Ingeo, a bio-polymer fabric made from corn.

“There are fabrics and materials that are better alternatives than what exists in the mainstream fashions right now,” said design professor Susan Taber Avila, who is also a curator of the exhibit. “It’s rethinking how design is.“

Works on display at the exhibit come from a wide scope of independent and commercial designers. UC Davis alumna and exhibit curator Julia Schwartz said the designers contributing to Fashion Conscious will range from the more accessible consumer market to high-end clothing lines, like Oakland-based denim label Del Forte and the “luxury eco” line Linda Loudermilk. The exhibit will also feature one-of-a-kind “art to wear” pieces, including a naturally dyed Ingeo dress made by “Project Runway“ Season 4 contestant Elisa Jimenez, who gained notoriety on the show for her unconventional fabric marking techniques.

“[Jimenez] was very out there and more on the art side than the fashion side,” Schwartz said. “[The UC Davis design department] does a lot more dying and working with manipulating textiles … than some of the arts colleges. Some of the art schools focus more on the fashion and business end of things.“

One unlikely contributor to the exhibit as well as a surprising part of the sustainable design movement is the Wal-Mart Corporation, who will have T-shirts made from organic cotton on display. According to Avila, Wal-Mart is the largest purchaser of organic cotton in the world. The company buys what is called “transitional cotton,” which is cotton purchased from farmers who are shifting over from conventional growing procedures to organic, a change that can take up to years.

When asked whether or not she thinks “going green” is more than just a trend, Avila felt that having companies like Wal-Mart involved takes the concept past a fad into being ingrained in the minds of consumers.

“I think nowadays, there are more and more designers incorporating new [sustainable] materials and new ways of thinking about design – trying to make it more accessible to mainstream audiences.“

The exhibit will also display a swatch wall that will consist of different eco-textiles, such as bamboo, lyocell (a fiber made of wood pulp) and hemp.

The use of eco-friendly textiles has mushroomed in the commercial fashion market over the past couple of years, especially with the growing trend of “going green” – a development that the exhibit curators hope will be more than just a fad. Though green design practices have a long way before they can be considered mainstream, Schwartz said that eco-design has become less of a niche market and more variety is available to both consumers and designers.

“When you look at the whole range of stuff, [sustainable design] is just a tiny [part] of what’s out there,” Schwartz said.

When textile designer Harmony Susalla first made the transition from commercial textile design to her own company, printed or organic textiles were not available to the general public. Susalla is the founder and creative director of Harmony Art, an organic textile design company. Her organic cotton designs will be on display at the exhibit.

“My fabrics are all inspired by nature, and my business is design to protect nature,” Susalla said. “I started learning about how damaging conventional cotton is.… My main mission is to show that organic fabrics don’t just have to be shades of oatmeal and granola, that it can have color and design as well.“

Conflicts and compromises such as Susalla’s are just a couple of the challenges for designers who want to break out into the eco-fashion market. Designers are forced to consider marketability and profit in addition to environmental costs. Since green design involves factors outside of the design process itself, such as the impact of their carbon footprint in terms of a product’s manufacturing, shipping and advertising, Avila said that there was no clear-cut answer for the question of what is sustainable design.

“It’s all a gray area – or shades of green, you’d say – in terms of where [designers and consumers] compromise,” she said.

This ambiguity, Schwartz said, has caused a bit of hesitancy for some in the industry to call themselves “sustainable designers.“

“But a lot of these companies are really focusing on improving their all-around business practices to become more sustainable, and that’s what we’re really sharing with people.“

“Fashion Conscious” is currently on display at the Design Museum in Walker Hall. The symposium “Designing With Conscience” will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Technocultural Studies building. For more information and to register for the symposium, visit designmuseum.ucdavis.edu. The exhibit’s blog is also available at sustainablefashion.blogspot.com.

RACHEL FILIPINAS can be reached at arts@californiaaggie.com. 

Death Cab for Cutie

Narrow Stairs

Atlantic Record

Rating: 5

There‘s really no way around it – Narrow Stairs is a depressing record.

In essence, Death Cab for Cutie‘s seventh studio album is a 45-minute requiem for dead relationships and paths in life regrettably taken.

But who said depressing can‘t also be great? The four-piece from Seattle prove with their sophomore major label effort that great pain really does give way to great art.

“Bixby Canyon Bridge,“ begins the walk down Narrow Stairs with nothing other than a descent. Accompanied by a haze of trills from guitarist Chris Walla, Death Cab frontman Ben Gibbard recalls his Kerouac-inspired pilgrimage to Big Sur, “I descended a dusty gravel ridge / Beneath the Bixby Canyon Bridge / Until I eventually arrived / At the place where your soul had died.“

Among the curveballs thrown on the May 13 release is “You Can Do Better Than Me,“ a quick, two-minute exhalation of jangly tambourines and timpani rolls that accompany the most honest words of a defeated soul.

The lead single from the album, “I Will Possess Your Heart,“ is the most polarizing song the band has ever written – it either alienates listeners or pulls them in deeper to the sound of Narrow Stairs. A lyrically disturbing song about a stalker‘s unrequited love, the epic eight-minute track is also one of the clearest examples of the organic “jamming live to tape” method used in recording the album.

The result is a piece of work that is – to take a line out of “Possess Your Heart” – like a “book, elegantly bound,” with each chapter seamlessly segueing to the next from closing chord to opening melody.

Narrow Stairs possesses impeccable cohesion despite some songs have been recorded with all instruments at once. This approach may be attributed to Walla, who has come into his own as a producer after also working his magic on albums by Tegan and Sara, The Decemberists, Nada Surf and Hot Hot Heat among others.

With their new album, Death Cab takes an adventurous leap from their major label debut, Plans. Lyrically, Gibbard ventures into more corners of despair than he ever has. Musically, the band ambitiously wades into previously uncharted waters with great risk of abandoning many long-time fans in the process.

And yet, this is still Death Cab For Cutie.

In a day and age where many indie bands going to a major label fall into the corporate black hole, Death Cab masterfully continues to do what few other bands can. They make great records while carrying as much of a rock ego as would a venerable college professor, maintaining a level of continuity without becoming anachronistic, and evolving without losing any genes.

–Ray Lin

For fans of: The Postal Service, The Decemberists

Listen to these: “Bixby Canyon Bridge,” “Your New Twin Sized Bed“

Lyrics to “Bixby Canyon Bridge“

I descended a dusty gravel ridgeBeneath the Bixby Canyon BridgeUntil I eventually arrivedAt the place where your soul had diedBarefoot in the shallow creekI grabbed some stones from underneathAnd waited for you to speak to meAnd the silence, it became so very clearThat you had long ago disappearedI cursed myself for being surprisedThat this didn‘t play like it did in my mindAll the way from San FranciscoAs I chased the end of your road’cause I‘ve still got miles to goI want to know my fate if I keep up this wayIt‘s hard to want to stay awayAnd everyone you meet they all seem to be asleepYou wonder if you‘re missing your dreamYou can‘t see your dreamYou just can‘t see your dreamThen it started getting darkAnd I trudged back to where the car was parkedNo closer to any kind of truthAs I must assume was the case with you

The Forbidden Kingdom

Directed by Rob Minkoff

Casey Silver Production

Rating: 1

When I saw The Forbidden Kingdom advertised as a martial arts action film starring both Jackie Chan and Jet Li, I couldn’t help but feel that it was too good to be true, despite its all-star casting and such behind-the-scenes names as action choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping and composer Harry Gregson-Williams.

Directed by Rob Minkoff, The Forbidden Kingdom attempts to present itself as a magical martial arts journey, full of complicated fighting, scenic landscapes and a compelling storyline. Instead, it comes off as a trip through a 12-year-old video game enthusiast’s Asian dreamland, packed with flashy staff wielding and airbrush-attractive female warriors. Minkoff, whose other works include The Haunted Mansion, Stuart Little and The Lion King, effectively turned what could have been a serious martial arts film (as it was advertised) into a Disney-esque adventure that could have just as easily starred a bunch of pirates, Nicolas Cage or a fuzzy CGI panda.

The film begins with Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano), a teenage kung-fu movie enthusiast from Boston with a cracking prepubescent voice, deep in a dream about the fabled Monkey King (Jet Li) and his magical golden staff. He wakes up and soon finds himself in an ancient Chinese kingdom, complete with the painfully expected set of helpless peasants, an evil warlord and a wise drunken kung-fu master (Jackie Chan). As you can probably guess, Tripitikas must fulfill a prophecy, save the kingdom, have awkward romantic moments with his female counterpart and eventually close his journey with an annoying whine of “I just want to go home.“

Nothing is left to the imagination in The Forbidden Kingdom, which sets it apart from other recent martial arts movies like Hero or House of Flying Daggers. Scenic wide-angle shots of wilderness are impressive, but the movie’s extravagant imagery ends up more predictable than picturesque.

The fantasy element of the film is shoved through with deadly energy balls and lightning, which dilutes even Chan and Li’s carefully choreographed fight scenes that come and go in a rigid and formulaic pattern. Choreographer Woo-Ping, who has worked on The Matrix trilogy, Kill Bill and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, somehow managed to make the fight scenes so uninteresting that each character felt the need to name the title of their fighting technique before actually using it.

Wu Cheng’en’s famous novel Journey to the West, from which Li’s character slightly references, is almost nearly disregarded, save Li’s monkey-like flamboyant giggling. Chan’s character, a stumbling drunken master and “Daoist immortal” that requires a steady flow of wine, avoids any sort of meaningful dialogue. His lines are almost entirely composed of ancient proverbial one-liners, which apparently teach Jason the fundamentals of kung-fu in a matter of days.

Watch out for flailing staffs as pasty gamers leave the theater. In fact, just avoid the theater entirely, to be safe.

–Justin Ho

The Ellen Hansen Memorial Prize is awarded annually to a UC Davis female student whose original creative project – using any medium, from painting to poetry or dance – best presents the theme of bravery and independence in women. A reception announcing the winner and honorable mentions was held Tuesday.

Emily Barker, a senior art studio major, won the grand prize for her painting “True Love,“ a tribute to her opera singer mother.

“I wanted to show her when she’s truly in her element,“ Barker said. “With her portrait, I tried to capture her passion for singing, using my passion for painting.“

The $1,000 prize is named for the former UC Davis student, Ellen Hansen, who was killed in 1981 while hiking in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Hansen‘s resistance to her attacker allowed her companion to escape and survive. Her murderer was later dubbed the “Trailside Killer.“

Ellen‘s father, Robert J. Hansen, an emeritus UC Davis professor of veterinary medicine established the annual award in 1986 to encourage the creative endeavors of other female students. Ellen was a talented artist, musician and poet.

“Ellen was a very courageous young woman who was interested in art in all its forms,“ said Peg Swain, co-director of the Women’s Resources and Research Center and judging coordinator of the memorial prize. “Her father felt that she embodied bravery and independence in the way she lived her life as well as in her death – so he took this tragic situation to promote and celebrate her life and character.“

Barker said that in the context of her painting, bravery and independence means being willing to take the path less traveled.

“As [an] artist, people are always sort of looking down on you for pursuing your passion – there is no one path that guarantees success, like say, if you were to study to be a doctor,“ Barker said. “My mother is a creative person who has always pursued what she loves doing and has encouraged me to do the same.“

All UC Davis female students – undergraduate, graduate and professional school students – who are in enrolled and in good academic standing in both winter and spring quarters, are eligible to apply for the annual award.

Around 40 entries were put on display in a special exhibit in the MU Gallery on May 6, which continues until today. The judging committee consisted of a group of faculty members, comprising all areas of art, who were required to agree on one piece for their grand prize selection.

“It always impresses me every year that a consensus is reached,“ said Adrienne Wonhof, event coordinator for the memorial prize and assistant director at the WRRC. “As much as they look for overall excellence, they really take seriously that the message is evident in the art.“

There were three honorable mentions: A comic book by Anna Hamilton, titled Invisibly Ill: Toward a Feminist Theory of Invisible Illness and Disability, an untitled series of music selections by Jessica Benjano and a dance performance piece by Randee Paufve, “Spasm: as you perceive the edge of yourself at the moment of desire.“

“Of all the events we do every year, this one is my favorite – it is very moving and touching,“ Wonhof said. “It‘s amazing that [Robert Hansen] continues to encourage and inspire women even more than 20 years later.“

SONIA PARECADAN can be reached at arts@californiaaggie.com.

The collaborations of San Francisco’s Epiphany Productions Sonic Dance Theater and Shanghai’s Reckless Moments will be Speaking Chinese through dance at 4 p.m. Sunday in Mondavi’s Studio Theater.

UC Davis is hosting the world premier of Speaking Chinese with the traditional and orchestral music of Shanghai composer Jian’er Zhu. The production will then travel to San Francisco, where it will open the Fifth Annual International Arts Festival on Wednesday.

Executive director of the festival Andrew Wood said, “Artists have always been critical thinkers as well as cultural ambassadors. When they collaborate they allow one culture to better understand another.“

Kim Epifano, a 2006 UC Davis graduate school alumna and choreographer of the production, based dance movements and plot upon the writings of Ailing Zhang’s Love in a Fallen City.

Epifano said the title of the production portrays how people communicate when they are from two different places socially and emotionally.

Speaking Chinese stars C. Derrick Jones, an established theatrical performer in Los Angeles, and Honglan Hou, a principal soloist prima ballerina in the National Ballet of China. Both Jones and Hou are experienced actors.

“From a Chinese point of view, this kind of production is quite radical – a Chinese person and a Black American dancing on stage together,“ said Lynette Hunter, professor of the history of rhetoric and performance.

Epifano describes the show as telling a story with abstract ballet. It is a challenge for the actors to translate these characters without words. Jones and Hou come from different artistic backgrounds that benefit how the story translates and becomes something new.

Set in the 1940s, the novelette follows the life of a girl (Hou) in Shanghai who does not want to become a concubine. The man (Jones) chosen for her sister by a matchmaker falls for her instead. In a land of warfare, the two find comfort and love in one another. However, she forever questions whether their love emerged because of the fear and violence around them, making it impure.

Zhang’s story of love and struggle inspires a journey that can be told through movements of the body rather than just words on paper.

Many of Zhang’s works have been transferred onto the big screen and onto the stage, including Lust, Caution which was recently released on DVD.

“Her writing is sexually and emotionally explicit about emotional love, grief and death,” Hunter said.

While earning her Master of Fine Arts degree at UC Davis, Epifano enrolled in Hunter’s graduate course in traditional and contemporary Chinese movement. To Hunter, Epifano’s experience with cross-cultural productions made her a clear candidate for choreographing a Chinese/American fusion show.

This past fall, Hunter set Epifano up with dramaturge Barry Plews from Reckless Moments. Epifano said they corresponded through Skype – an online program that allows users to make calls over the Internet – for the entire initial process. Epifano and Jones then traveled to Shanghai for three weeks to meet and rehearse with the China team. They recently just returned from practicing in Beijing.

The two teams sparked a much hoped-for synergy.

“It is a genuine collaboration between two completely different cultures trying to make it exciting for everyone to see,“ Hunter said.

Performing in the United States this week will be Reckless Moments‘ first time working on Speaking Chinese across the Pacific Ocean. The company plans for shows in China, the U.S. and eventually further international travel.

Three events of discussion and a dance workshop by Epifano are open to the public in days preceding the premiere of Speaking Chinese. For more information, go to theatredance.ucdavis.edu.

Tickets are available at the Mondavi Center Box Office. Ticket prices are $10 general and $5 for students and youth.

JUNE QUAN can be reached at arts@californiaaggie.com.

The Whole Earth Festival came and went last weekend with both grunts and squeals. “Mending Our Web” included a plethora of enjoyment. Personally, I eat up all the free-spirited vibes in the air, love the wide variety of handmade goods for sale and of course the ethnic concession stands and the zero waste mission. But for some, Whole Earth is not so enjoyable, as they resent the high concentration of hippies.

What’s with the hippie hate coming from all sides of the social spectrum? I’ve heard conservatives, punk rockers and all kinds of social liberals alike bear a disapproving view of the hippie demographic. But when it comes to subcultures or strains of ideology, I find the hippie scene the least invasive or outwardly bothersome to the general public.

Let’s just go down the list of stereotypical attributes and stop at the first sign of absolute intolerability. That will prove that there’s nothing “so bad” about hippies.

First, hippies don’t shower. Big deal, a lot of people choose to not shower as much as they should, or shower and still emit a rather unpleasant odor. Next time you take your second daily shower or turn on your dishwasher, remember that hippies are making up for how much water you’re wasting.

Hippies enjoy being in touch with nature and other spiritual elements. On one note, I think there is a little we can all learn from hippies in this aspect, as we continue to slap down pavement and jump into our automobiles. But honestly, how does this “nature connection” even begin to impact the hippie hater, especially when they’re all out of your (cleaner) hair, not near your suburbs and rather out in the middle of nowhere? Once a year, they come out of the woodwork (literally) and celebrate WEF. One weekend a year of longhaired barefooted folks isn’t going to kill you.

And lastly, the ideology of hippies is a touchy subject. Many people disagree with the views of hippies, which is inevitable in any situation, as debate is a normal process. But a lot of hippies simply dress the part and don’t practice or advocate any certain ideology. And especially in the modern era, the “hippie” demographic has calmed down substantially.

Going on this point, the peak of the hippie era was in the ‘60s and ‘70s when young people were acting out against the government’s choices to go to war or to repress certain alternative social groups. Women were burning bras, people were talking in front of military tanks and everyone was using LSD to find a fourth dimension.

Do modern day hippies embrace the sexual revolution or outwardly impose their countercultural ideas on other people? Not so much. Not that it’s bad to do any of these things, because actually expressing your opinion is pretty commendable. However, what doesn’t match up is why people would hate on the modern day hippie, who does very little to bother you or try to change your mind about current events. (Which is ironic enough, since this era doubles the ‘60 and ‘70s in the aspect that we too are in a war in 2008).

Maybe it’s because the hippie look is in right now that this comes to so many people’s attention. “The look” was running rampant across WEF this weekend, most definitely.

As with any fashion trend or subculture, there is the activity end of “being,” and there is the image end of “being.” Does that not apply to subcultures across the board? Modern fashion always seeks out subculture and exploits it. Right now, Urban Outfitters is doing it, but when we move on to the gothic look, Hot Topic will expand to the scale of Walmart.

Though I feel like WEF is one of Davis‘ most impressive activities and one that all the community should be proud to share, not everyone holds the same opinion, and that’s fine. I am sure if haters got over the fact that a ton of hippies would be in full force during the three days, they‘d find something they would like about the festival.

But honestly, why all the hate on a very unobtrusive “people” that is marked by unity and love? Because when you look at it that way, we should all have a little hippie in us.

You may say NICOLE L. BROWNER is a dreamer, but she’s not the only one. She hopes someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one. She can be contacted at nlbrowner@ucdavis.edu.

LIVE MUSIC

Underworld Productions: Take Over

Today, 9 p.m., $15

The Empire in Sacramento

It’s a massively Greek event – Kappa Delta Phi, Pi Alpha Phi, Chi Rho Omicron and Kappa Psi Epsilon have all teamed up to overthrow the Empire’s regime for one night only. There are a lot of rules for admission, including a long list of dress code requirements, so I suggest you check the Facebook event for more detailed information.

Boat, Unit Panic, Elamenos

Friday, 8 p.m.

The Firehouse

The Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade probably rubbed off on these Seattle kids, who get a little synth-happy in their indie pop ballads. They’ll be joined by two student acts, Unit Panic and Elamenos. Also, hear Boat before the show live on KDVS 90.3 FM hosted by the Cool as Folk show from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Spokes, The Afterglow

Friday, 8 p.m.

1100 Social Sciences

The bubbly gum pink ladies have their windpipes all warmed up for their spring concert, which will be co-hosted by another student a cappella group The Afterglow. Watch out, they’re craaaaazy!

The Pinche Hueros, Shakedown

Friday, 10 p.m., $3-5, 21

The G St. Pub

Not often does a band emerge from the beautiful coastal region of Half Moon Bay, lodged between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. The Pinche Hueros bring to you an eclectic mix of all genres of fun: everything from hillbilly country to ska and reggae. Adding to the reggae vibe with a little more hip hop than other genres is Sacramento’s Shakedown. Heck, they’ll even throw in some turntable mastery for those who miss the Limp Bizkit days.

The Ian McFeron Band, Nicki Bluhm

Friday, 10 p.m., $3-5, 21

Sophia’s Thai Kitchen

More important than Nicki’s charm is her ability to project that quality in song and in stage presence. The San Franciscan’s style is a throwback to the ‘70s for anyone who enjoyed Linda Ronstadt, and Bluhm invites Tim Bluhm, her husband who spends his time with The Mother Hips, to add to her recordings. Be prepared for a nostalgic and memorable evening.

Davis Bike Church Benefit Dance Party

Friday, 7 p.m.

Delta of Venus

We all know and love the DIY bike spot on campus, where endless amounts of tools and peer expertise don’t come overcharged. So why not dance in support of this fine, holy institution? Music spun by Mr. Glass, Dog Tones and Deacon Morgan will lead this fundraising event. Also, enter the raffle to win a bike!

Standard Tribesman, Parts of Speech, Startropics, Sati

Saturday, 8 p.m.

The Firehouse

Come support some of this year’s most fun and fresh student bands. You’ll know everyone on the stage, plus everyone in the crowd. As you walk in the door with a cup of free chocolate soymilk, a hundred people will call your name. Then you’ll know all the words to every song, and hopefully every cover song, too.

Crazy Ballhead, Retrograde Revolution, Righteous Movement, Jeffrey Valentine

Saturday, 9 p.m., $8, 21

Old Ironsides in Sacramento

Crazy Ballhead has been holding down the hip hop tunes for years, and he’s performing on this evening to celebrate his newest release, The Children of Hope. He’ll be joined by the solid and amusing group Righteous Movement, who some might remember opened up for Lyrics Born and Saul Williams earlier this school year.

Leslie and the Badgers, Band of Annuals, The Botticellis,

Saturday, 10 p.m., $3-5, 21

Sophia’s Thai Kitchen

Though every band on this bill is deserving of your Saturday evening, may I highlight for you the Botticellis of the overcast Outer Richmond district. They’ve opened for Grizzly Bear, and being a firsthand witness, I can assure you that they performed just as impressively. They’re sitting on a new recording, Old Home Movies, which they’d like to share with you this weekend. See page __ for an exclusive questionnaire.

Mochipet, Preshish Moments, Build 128, DJ Jon Droll

Sunday, 9 p.m., $3, 21

The Press Club in Sacramento

Daly City Records presents Mochipet, the funky electronic project of David Y. Wang which mixes hip hop and club music for a non-stop party. Like any innovative mash-up DJ, he throws together unheard of genre combinations, such as Tom Petty with Nelly. He will be joined by labelmate and Jerkeley resident Preshish Moments, and other DJs that guarantee you won’t leave the dance floor.

The French Kicks, The Weather Underground

Monday, 9 p.m., $12, 21

The Blue Lamp in Sacramento

Holy cow, The French Kicks are back in action with phenomenal new tunes. Already released on iTunes but enters stores on May 20, Swimming embodies older conventions of dance rock with a softer, shoe-gazey edge that almost blows The Walkmen out of the water. Get a sneak preview of Swimming just days before its official release.

GALLERY

Fashion Conscious

Today

Design Museum in Walker Hall

Come witness a “Project Runway“ dress from Elisa Jimenez as well as other innovative new green designs in all colors! See the front page for more details.

From Spoke to Sprocket: A Look at Bike Culture

Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

MU patio

Bike culture is so rampant in Davis that you might not notice it, even if it crashes into you or cuts you off as you cross the street. A reception will take place to show some of the cyclist artifacts unearthed over the years, and this outdoor student exhibit is part of the Sustainable Transportation Fair and the California Bicycle Museum.

MONDAVI / THEATRE

Measure for Measure

Today through Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.

Main Theatre

Shakespearean drama takes the stage for Measure for Measure’s opening weekend, directed by MFA Candidate Randy Symank. The play explores ethics, sexual misconduct and other hard topics in contemporary Vienna. And for those looking for a discounted price, go on preview night!

“Symphonie fantastique“

Sunday, 8 p.m., $13 for non-students and $6.50 for students

Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

Go see the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra perform works by Berlioz, Mussorgsky and various portions of Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger.” Graduate student Jessican Bejarano will conduct the Mussorgsky piece as part of her thesis on Russian secular art music.

Speaking Chinese

The department of theatre and dance has put together a bundle of activities centered on Chinese art. For the full schedule of workshops and performances, see page ___.

COMEDY / READING

Curtain Call at City Hall

Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.

Bistro 33

This week’s headliner is Chicago Steve Barkley, unfortunately probably unrelated to Charles. But hey, he’s hit up Showtime and HBO with his comedy bit. Also taking the mic on this fine evening will be Alex Koll and host DJ Mervin, both of whom have made Comedy Central appearances.

Birdstrike

Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Griffin Lounge, Memorial Union

It’s time for more laughs, more crowd volunteers and more fish-related skits, as Birdstrike has their second monthly performance. Get your weekend started on the right foot, burning enough calories to justify all the more you will consume before Sunday.

Expression Redefined

Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Griffin Lounge, Memorial Union

The student-run literary and arts publication Nameless Magazine is holding its quarterly performance to include students of music, fiction, poetry, visual art, comedy and so on to take the stage. This time around, they’ve also opened the invitation to faculty and graduate students, so it’s fair to expect at least one of your favorite classroom leaders at the mic.

AT THE MOVIES

Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna)

Opens Friday at the Varsity Theatre on Second Street.

La Misma Luna is such a heart wrenching film that even the trailer will make you bawl. When it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last year, it got a standing ovation. Telling the story of a young boy dangerously crossing the border to find his mother working to keep him safe, this film is one all of us should see.

Tie a Yellow Ribbon

Today, 8 p.m.

Chemistry 194

This has little to no correlation with an ol‘ oak tree. Rather, the 2007 film directed by Joy Dietrich shows the path a Korean adopted woman takes to discovering what it means to be Asian American.

American Past Time

Friday, 8 p.m.

Chemistry 194

Some experiences should never be relived, yet should also never be forgotten. This film follows a group of Japanese Americans through their imprisonment in holding campus during World War II. For those especially interested in Pearl Harbor events, this film will offer you a very unique perspective.

Editor’s picks:

Standard Tribesman, Parts of Speech, Startropics, Sati

Saturday at the Firehouse

Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna)

Opens Friday at the Varsity

Editor‘s note: MUSE offers a monthly feature to highlight artists in and out of Davis that impact our community. This month‘s “Five Questions” is with Alexi Glickman, the lead singer and guitarist of the San Francisco-based band The Botticellis. They will be performing Saturday at Sophia‘s Thai Kitchen, along with Band of Annuals and Leslie and the Badgers. For more information on the band, go to thebotticellis.com.

1. How‘d you settle on this name for your band?

Botticelli means little barrel.… It was a term [from] childhood. Since the sound of the band is definitely a lot more of a surf sound than our previous projects, we thought it‘d be perfect.

2. I see you‘ve played with some pretty big bands (Feist, Grizzly Bear, Cake). Who was your favorite and why?

One of my favorites was Papercuts; we‘ve played with him. He‘d helped us with a couple of songs on our record. I think what he does is really some of the best stuff in the Bay Area and in music right now. It was also really great to see Grizzly Bear when we played with them. And we got to do a little tour with Mates of State a little while ago, and seeing them, I think it was sort of a special thing that happens when you see the same band at different venues night after night. You get an angle on how they work. It‘s different if you just see them once. I guess those three bands are definitely the best shows we‘ve played.

3. What would you be doing if you didn‘t do music?

Well I had a job at Jamba Juice when I was 16. I was only there for a month before they fired me. So I feel like I would be pretty down on my luck if I wasn‘t able to do music.

4. Do you fold or crumple?

You‘re referring to toilet paper? I don‘t have a toilet. I don‘t go to the bathroom. I‘m an android.

5. Describe the band‘s sound in 3 words.

Huge, Tiny, Toyota.

Chris Rue can be reached at arts@californiaaggie.com.