Artsweek

November 20, 2008

C’mon, Get Happy ****

By Steven Morris

Poppy (played in a beautifully nuanced performance by newcomer Sally Hawkins) is an optimistic person. She is a 30-year-old elementary school teacher and lives a somewhat carefree life in London with her friend Zoe and h...

November 20, 2008

Art Imitates Life ****

By Virginia Yapp

Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's characters have always been insanely neurotic and self-obsessed, but his directorial debut, "Synecdoche, New York," takes the unrelenting self-examination to new heights.

November 13, 2008

Out and About

By Staff

One of the first films screened at OUTrageous! was "20 Straws: Growing Up Gay," directed by Liv Gjestvang and the Youth Video OUTreach Collective. The short film documents the experiences of nine gay and lesbian teenager...

November 13, 2008

Dance Dance Revolution

By Artsweek Editor

To the throng that waited outside the Thunderdome at 6 p.m. to be let into the concert, I tip my hat and shake my head. The doors opened at 6:30 p.m., but Lupe Fiasco didn't take the stage until around 10 p.m., leaving t...

November 13, 2008

Ronstadt Brings Retro Charm to State Street

By Amy Silverstein

Linda Ronstadt's performance at the Arlington Theatre last Tuesday was shamelessly cheesy, but it was more on par with aged, quality Swiss than with Kraft Mac in a box.

November 13, 2008

Slumber Party

By Steven Morris

Oklahoma synthpop, electroclash, electronica-rock band Shiny Toy Guns attempted to rock the stylish - if a bit too small - club Velvet Jones on State Street, but Sunday night is no match for even the most danceable bands...

November 13, 2008

Theater & Dance’s ‘Reckless’ Isn’t Your Typical Holiday Play

By Stephanie Talavera

Murder, suicide by champagne, and insanity... doesn't exactly sound like the average Christmas-themed play. Unlike most holiday plays, which tend to be unusually sappy, Craig Lucas' "Reckless" is funny and entertaining.

November 13, 2008

The Lineup

By Staff

As part of its annual fund drive, KCSB-91.9 will present the Santa Barbara premiere of the Flaming Lips' 2008 feature film, "Christmas on Mars." The screening will be held in I.V. Theater this Saturday at 7 p.m., and adm...

November 6, 2008

California Girls

By Stephanie Leong

On Oct. 29, the University of Art Museum here at UCSB opened its doors on its most recent exhibition, California Biennal 2008, which will run through Mar. 1, 2009. The exhibition was mounted by the Orange County Museum o...

November 6, 2008

Jack’s Mannequin Delivers a Lively Performance in the Hub

By Sara Weitz

I always imagined Jack's Mannequin's fans to be just like the music: calm, cool and relaxed. I never would envision that they would be so intense that during the course of last Thursday evening's concert in the Hub I wou...

November 6, 2008

Missing Pieces **

By Darek Cioch Reporter

Clint Eastwood, the minimalist director who last brought us 2007's harrowing set of films, "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters From Iwo Jima," is a master at portraying the desperate individual caught in an unfortunate s...

November 6, 2008

Porntastic ****

By Artsweek Editor

"Zack and Miri Make a Porno" sees Kevin Smith doing lots of things that he has never done before -- moving out of his favored New Jersey locale and into a slightly different but equally industrial corner of the northeast...

November 6, 2008

From the Heart ***

By Steven Morris

Solo albums are a tricky thing. How does an artist "do their own thing" and manage to make a relevant and enjoyable record without sounding like an ego gone awry? Luckily for lead singer Tom Gabel of Against Me!, he's on...

November 6, 2008

Solar Meltdown ***

By Steven Morris

Irish rock group Snow Patrol is too often unfairly compared to Coldplay, but both bands are cut from the same cloth. Sensitive lead singer? Check. Striving for universal truths? Check. Over-done sentimentality and romant...

November 6, 2008

Lupe Fiasco To Raise Havoc Monday

By Artsweek Staff

It's an event many UCSB students have been waiting for: One of hip hop's most popular commercial artists infecting radio today, Lupe Fiasco, will be playing at UCSB's Thunderdome on Monday evening, in a concert sponsored...

November 6, 2008

They’re Here, They’re Queer: Outrageous!

By Artsweek Staff

Prop 8 might not have passed (thanks a lot, Central California), but Santa Barbara still knows how to have a gay old time. Tonight at UCSB's Multicultural Center, SB's annual LGBTQ film festival, Outrageous!, kicks off ...