A side pony is more than a fashion statement

Over 11 years ago, four college freshmen at the New England Conservatory of Music birthed a not-so-novel concept for a band: playing jazz music at local dive bars. It wasn’t until the group piled into a minivan for their very first tour, passing around a mix CD with anonymous contributions made by each member, that they realized the error of their ways. As the CD was anxiously jammed into the stereo, they noticed something interesting: they were adding the exact same songs. The failed road trip playlist, which only varied by about three Beatles songs, was indicative of the music they should really be making: pop.

Years later, drummer Mike Calabrese would laugh at the memory of their “dive bar” attempt and acknowledge just how far their career landed from its original launch site. Though the original idea didn’t stick, the name at least did. Meet the band that epitomizes quirk and soulful blues: Lake Street Dive.

The band began their transition by covering classic pop tunes like “Rich Girl” by Hall and Oates and “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5. Even as they gained a following on the East Coast, the band remained relatively underground, producing a few EP’s and full-length albums until they signed with Signature Sound and released their eponymous full-length album in 2011. After their 2014 album release — Bad Self Portraits — the group spent the year on an extensive tour throughout the U.S., even making a stop at our very own Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts for both a jaw-dropping performance and a meet-and-greet in the lobby that, embarrassingly for me, also involved jaw-dropping.

After an introduction by lead vocalist Rachael Price, who expressed the band’s tentativeness to perform at such a “fancy” venue (they were accustomed to local bars and smaller shows), she then announced the upcoming release of the group’s third album: Side Pony. This would mark the first of the night’s many jaw-drops.

The album kicks off with “Godawful Things,” a tune whose harmonized backup vocals and distinctly rock sound is reminiscent of the band’s origins. This song is a casual reminder of “Hey, remember why you fell in love with us?”

The third track, and also the first single released from the album in mid-November, “Call Off Your Dogs,” boasts a catchy melody that incorporates the notorious jams of talented bassist Bridget Kearney and disco synths that may instigate dance moves comparable to John Travolta on Saturday Night Fever.

The album doesn’t fail to exploit Price’s boundless range and pure vocals, of course, in tracks “So Long” and “Mistakes,” pairing them with nothing better than the warmth and depth of, once again, Kearney’s bass. One of the strongest tracks, “Mistakes” was written by Price herself. So it’s no surprise that her vocals shine through in this melancholic song that features jazzy trumpets by McDuck and a chorus that deplores, “I ignore what my heart tells me / and I break it every time.”

The eponymous song “Side Pony” boasts the group’s evolution with a message that transcends a surface level moral. For a group that releases annual Halloween covers (note the glory that is their 2015 edition: “Bohemian Rhapsody”), wears blue socks under their heels and literally rocks side ponies on stage, their message extends beyond individuality. Price declares that a side pony is more than a fashion statement; it’s “anything you’re doing for the sheer joy of it. We have always ‘rocked our side pony.’ Now we have a convenient phrase for it.”

Lake Street Dive began with jazz, borrowed from country, evolved with pop and immersed themselves in blues and soul. Their rainbow of sounds mimics their outfit choices, and their side ponies swing with a contagious confidence that both inspires and assures.

It’s worth listening to because it’s easy to fall in love with a sound after you fall in love with the people who make it.

WRITTEN BY: Ally Overbay – arts@theaggie.org

Sensual Daydreams Shadowcast bring you the Rocky Horror Picture Show brought to life

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with a live shadowcast by performance group Sensual Daydreams, is coming to the Davis Graduate at 8 p.m. on Feb. 28. Prepare to shiver with antici…pation.

For those who don’t know, a shadowcast performance is typically where the movie plays, with sound, on a big screen and the actors will mimic the parts onscreen, “unless we have something funnier to do,” said Ceili Wasson, a second-year veterinary medicine student.

Wasson, who plays RiffRaff and Trixy, has been involved with the shadowcast since its inception five years ago.

“The guy who originally organised it was just a huge fan and thought there needed to be a shadowcast in Davis,” Wasson said.

Shawn Witte, a third-year graduate student in mathematics, who played Janet last year and will be playing Rocky this year, said that he loves the atmosphere and ridiculousness of the movie.

“I watched it for the first time with my then-girlfriend, a super sweet tiny girl, but when the movie was on, she was absolutely screaming lines, and some of the things that came out of her mouth…,” Witte said.

Afton Geil, a fifth-year graduate student in electrical and computer engineering, is the  president and director of Sensual Daydreams. This year, Geil will be playing Columbia and says she only really enjoys the movie when it’s shadowcasted.

“Some people love the movie for itself, but I love the atmosphere of the live performance, and the interaction,” Geil said. “The Portland group is one of my favorites, and are the longest running showing.”

Some of the interactions in question are quite filthy. Both Witte and Geil listed some of their favourite added lines as being “Where’s Santa Claus?” followed by the characters on-screen saying “burning in the fireplace.” Wasson added that in one scene, where the characters are describing storm clouds, she likes to shout “Describe Obama’s balls!” before they start, which the characters follow with “heavy, black and pendulous.” The group also has the Virgins — those who have never been to a shadowcast performance — come up to the stage for the Virgin games.

“The really standout people are those who contribute to the Virgin Games. We play a little game called Who’s Your Daddy,” Wasson said. “First we ask them what their dad’s name is, then their favourite cartoon character is, then we tell them the game…”

Geil encourages anyone who is nervous about attending to find a Virgin guide online. These guides are also useful reminders for the more experienced attendees, as some of the actions are a little obscure, and most of them are even physically impossible.

“The Grad has less rules than we have personally,” Wasson said. “They said people could throw meatloaf, but I don’t want to be slipping around in six-inch heels in meatloaf…”

Sensual Daydreams is constantly recruiting, and don’t take themselves too seriously. Geil rightly points out that you join the group for the love of it, not for your resume. They meet for rehearsals once a week and watch the movie every time.

“Anyone who is interested should come to any of our rehearsals, or contact me, but we are always accepting cast members,” Geil said. “We encourage people who are more shy to come hang out with us, even if they don’t end up being in the show.”

There are absolutely no requirements for membership. Most cast members have little to no theater experience, and all you need is the ability to put yourself out there.

“It’s more fun when you have no talent,” Witte said.

Geil added that a certain percentage of the cast should be willing and enthusiastic about taking their clothes off due to so many characters having such revealing costumes.

“It’s not a must, but it helps!” Geil said.

However, if you’re only interested in watching the performance, that shouldn’t stop you from embracing your inner Rocky (or Frank or Brad or Janet). Sensual Daydreams encourages everyone to dress up in costumes that they feel comfortable in, although they do list very very sparkly drag as one of their favorites.

When asked if they had any warnings for Virgins, Witte said that knowing what they were going to should be warning enough, while Wasson emphasized the good nature of the show, and how everyone in the cast is poking fun at themselves.

“I really enjoy the shock factor for new people, so we often open with a strip show,” Geil said. “It’s good to come with no expectations, and to embrace the show!”

Tickets are $8 presale at the Sensual Daydreams Silo table Wednesday through Friday, or $10 at the door. Check out the Facebook event for more details, and contact Sensual Daydreams through their Facebook page.

WRITTEN BY: Kate Snowdon – arts@theaggie.org

Spoken word auditions to be held at CCC

Today, Feb. 24, the Cross Cultural Center (CCC) will be holding spoken word auditions for pieces to be performed at an event hosted by the Radical Artistic Decolonization (R.A.D.), a student-initiated space that focuses on fighting oppression through artistic mediums. Their event, “R.A.D. 2016: Resistance through Expression,” will take place on March 30.

The goal of the event is to provide students with a space to voice their opinions through art and to show the effectiveness of certain art forms in addressing social issues. The auditions are not restricted to spoken word; students who are interested in singing, acting and reciting poetry are also encouraged to audition.

Vannalee Cayabyab, a first-year political science major and a campus climate coordinator volunteer intern at the CCC, explains that she wants to incorporate as many students in the auditions as possible.

“I came up with the idea to hold auditions because I thought it was important to obtain as much student involvement for the event because students should have the ability to freely express themselves at the university about the social issues concerning the student body everyday,” Cayabyab said.

Students have a lot to say about to current events. Tina Yang, third-year human development and psychology double major, believes there are a plethora of issues going on that most people tend to ignore or forget.

“Everyone went crazy when the terrorist attacks in Paris happened, but no one seems to care about the recent Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria that killed a ton of innocent women and children,” Yang said. “We even had instances on campus with swastikas being graffitied on frat houses and cars, but people seem to forget too easily. [It is] nice to have [auditions] like this where people can discuss these issues and remind others of their impact.”

These auditions will not only bring to light various issues faced by students, but will also showcase the talent many students possess. Elly Oltersdorf, a Campus Climate and Community Outreach coordinator at the CCC and a third-year history major, explains that this audition will provide a space for fellow artists to meet and collaborate.

“We want this to not only be an intersectional space for activists, but a networking space for artists focusing on social justice,” Oltersdorf said.  

Like Yang, Oltersdorf believes there are many issues on campus that are not particularly visible. Issues happening on-campus and abroad are the driving force behind much student artwork.

“We are looking for performances that address systems of oppression not only in a broad sense, but here in UC Davis,” Oltersdorf said. “We are often sold [to] the idea that Davis is an incredibly inclusive and diverse space when our personal experience can reveal otherwise.”

If you are interested in attending the spoken word auditions, they will be at the CCC today at 6 p.m. For more information, please visit the “R.A.D. 2016: Resistance through Expression” Facebook page.   

WRITTEN BY: Krishan Mithal – arts@theaggie.org

A romantic love story, a comedy full of sexual innuendos, a gory horror and a stereotypical action movie — all in one fantastic package

From the “skull emoji poop emoji L” billboard and the promo photos of Deadpool holding a gun at his crotch, I knew I would have a lot of good things to say about the movie before it was even released. From the first opening credits, my speculations were confirmed: I loved this movie.

Deadpool isn’t just a stereotypical action movie. It’s a romantic love story, a comedy full of sexual innuendos, a gory horror and a stereotypical action movie. It contains every action flick cliché — the slow-motion cars flipping, explosions left and right, unreal fight scenes and that one-handed superhero landing that’s gotta be hell on the knees — and it’s aware of that. It’s a conventional action movie that makes fun of that fact. The movie’s self-awareness is especially showcased in the breaking of the fourth wall scenes, a characteristic that anyone who has read the comics knows Deadpool is notorious for.

But the best thing about the movie was that I could completely relate to Wade Wilson more than any other hero or anti-hero that Marvel has given us a movie about; he’s someone that the average Joe can identify with. He gets bored during taxi rides, forgets whether he left the stove on, screams the F-word repeatedly during stressful situations and understands that pizza makes everything better. With Deadpool, we no longer have to relate to superheroes who are invincible (I’m looking at you, Superman).

The only reservation I have about recommending this movie is its R rating. I wouldn’t recommend Deadpool if you’ve got hang-ups about a few sex scenes, some bloody gore and cursing — especially cursing. This film earns a well-deserved R rating for foul language — even a sailor could learn a few creative curses.

But, other than that, I would recommend this movie to anyone and everyone. Marvel pro tip: stay till the very end of the credits. Trust me — everyone will judge you if you walk out before the lights turn on.

WRITTEN BY: Sofie Bates – arts@theaggie.org