Aly Comingore

February 16, 2006

Thank You for Smoking | Go Ahead, Light Up

By Aly Comingore

After 10 days of back-to-back movie viewing, reviewing, discussing and disliking, one's appreciation for a sub-par trip to the cinema is all but shot. Lucky for us, Sunday night's closing film, "Thank You for Smoking," m...

February 16, 2006

And the Award Goes To…

By Aly Comingore

After nearly two weeks of non-stop moviegoing, we here at Artsweek would like to stop, recognize and congratulate the winners of the 2006 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The envelope please...

February 9, 2006

Bragging Rights

By Aly Comingore

It takes a certain type of guy to get on a stage in front of 2,000 people and wax poetical on himself for two-plus hours without coming across like a self-centered schmuck. And after Friday's Modern Master Award presenta...

February 2, 2006

Daddy Dearest

By Aly Comingore

With a tagline that reads, "But what about me?" one can't help but think that Christopher Jaymes' "In Memory of My Father" has a little less to do with pained mourning than your average tear-jerker about a dying parent. ...

February 2, 2006

Drinks, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll

By Aly Comingore

One of many standout films to grace the first half of the Santa Barbara Film Festival, John Scheinfeld's "Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why is Everybody Talkin' About Him?)" is rockumentary filmmaking at its finest.

January 26, 2006

Never Underestimate the Power of a Finely Tailored Suit

By Aly Comingore

Hailing from sunny, star-studded Los Angeles it's no wonder the buoyant pop rock hooks of the 88 found their way to television so easily. But outside their re-occurring role on Fox's "The O.C.," singer Keith Slettedahl a...

January 19, 2006

Stand by Your Man

By Aly Comingore

If you're looking to indulge yourself in a full sensory experience that is just slightly left of center, may we suggest to you Santa Barbara's own Contemporary Arts Forum (CAF).

January 19, 2006

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins | Rabbit Fur Coat | Team Love Records

By Aly Comingore

With Rabbit Fur Coat, Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis sets out to secure herself a spot alongside the Patsy Clines and Tammy Wynettes of decades past. The startling part of such a bold venture is that Lewis succeeds wi...

January 12, 2006

Winter Wonderland

By Aly Comingore

With the start of what looks to be the warmest winter Santa Barbara has seen in years, we here at Artsweek cannot help but get a little giddy at the thought of a new quarter. For us at least, the next few months promise ...

January 12, 2006

The Elected | Sun, Sun, Sun | Sub Pop

By Aly Comingore

Fans of older Rilo Kiley cuts like "August" and "Small Figures in a Vast Expanse" will remember Blake Sennett as Jenny Lewis' right-hand man and unlikely replacement at the mic stand.

January 12, 2006

Ryan Adams | 29 | Lost Highway

By Aly Comingore

At the rate that Ryan Adams has been penning tunes as of late, some cannot help but worry that his meticulous composition and artistic integrity may begin to suffer. Meanwhile, others are just fretting that the poor guy ...

November 17, 2005

Live: Death Cab for Cutie @ The Wiltern

By Aly Comingore

Sure, Ben Gibbard may appear the atypical tough guy, but after Saturday night, one cannot dispute the fact that the lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie had his game face on. Prone to wearing his heart on his sleeve, Death...

November 17, 2005

Moview Reveiw: The Ice Harvest | Lloyd Dobler Takes on the Mob

By Aly Comingore

Coming from someone who would like to think that John Cusack can do no wrong, it means a lot to say that the plot description for his latest venture, "The Ice Harvest," found me hesitant to see it at best. Presented with...

November 3, 2005

Arlo in Wonderland

By Aly Comingore

It's four decades later and renowned folk activist Arlo Guthrie is still humming the same tune. In conjunction with his concert performance later that evening in Campbell Hall, Guthrie took some time out Tuesday afternoo...

October 27, 2005

Live: Weezer on October 21, 2005

By Aly Comingore

Behind the guise of his nerdy recording artist persona, Rivers Cuomo gets labeled a lot of things: heartfelt songwriter, clever lyricist and unlikely rock hero, to name a few. Plug the poor guy into an amp in front of a ...

October 27, 2005

Live: Bright Eyes on October 22, 2005

By Aly Comingore

Like any good rock music wonder kid, Conor Oberst likes to write songs... lots of them. When you plunge into touring with such a substantial catalogue to choose from, boasting grand-scale, career-spanning performances to...