Artsweek

Slumber Party

November 13, 2008 by

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

November 13, 2008 by

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 funn...
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The Lineup

November 13, 2008 by

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 Saturda...
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California Girls

November 6, 2008 by

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 Or...
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Jack’s Mannequin Delivers a Lively Performance in the Hub

November 6, 2008 by

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 conc...
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Missing Pieces **

November 6, 2008 by

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...
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Porntastic ****

November 6, 2008 by

"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 cor...
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From the Heart ***

November 6, 2008 by

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 ...
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Solar Meltdown ***

November 6, 2008 by

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 senti...
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Lupe Fiasco To Raise Havoc Monday

November 6, 2008 by

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

November 6, 2008 by

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, Out...
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The Boner Killers

October 30, 2008 by , , and

More likely than not, your first sex ed lesson didn't come from mommy and daddy or from your wrinkly fourth-grade teacher. Your parents sat you down in front of the boob tube and popped in a VHS while...
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Great Mutations ***

October 30, 2008 by

The futuristic "Repo! The Genetic Opera" hits some good notes, but never quite assembles itself into a coherent melody. I viewed "Repo!" during its advance screening at I.V. Theater last Wednesday. Th...
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A Worn-Out Story *

October 30, 2008 by

The limp, generic police drama "Pride and Glory" can be seen as a second-rate sequel to James Gray's 2007 film, "We Own the Night." Despite the film's considerably talented cast, this overcooked thril...
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Funny Business

October 30, 2008 by

Upon entering the stage at the Arlington Theatre last Sunday evening, writer David Sedaris' sense of humor was instantly palpable; he is a short man, probably barely 5'6'', with a distinct, nuanced v...
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