With the chaos that comes with putting on a show is the thought "What did I get myself into?" Days before the event, as I was flyering on bruin walk, I let my mind wander to a time before marketing for Janelle Monae--a time when I had time to spare. Did I even remember what having free time was like? And of course my biggest concern centered on putting on a show that did Royce Hall justice. Standing backstage the night of the concert I can say without a doubt that my concerns were put to rest: the show was amazing.

Adam Stern had the crowd on their feet with his eclectic mash-up of pop, funk, and reggae and hearts fluttering with every hip thrust to the baseline.

Not to be outdone, The Elevaters had the audience pressed up against the stage, waving their hands in the air. The live performance is truly their fortay.

The culmination of the night was Ms. Monae herself, whose short stature belies her gigantic stage presence. She threw herself from one side of the stage to the other, stopping only to fix her pompadour backstage, which naturally came undone from her high impact stage style. One of my favorite moments of the night was Janelle's Beatle's cover--bested only by her stage dive. I still can't believe she was crowd surfing in Royce (and neither could the UCLAlive reps who attended the concert).

From the side of the stage I was able to take a few pictures but photographer Eric Chen, who was in the crowd, took the most amazing photographs. Below are some of his and my best but for more, check out the SCA fan page on facebook and Eric's blog athttp://www.erichchen.com/Home.html

Also, check out the backstage interview with Janelle at http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2009/05/18/janelle-monae-xiu-tv-interview-video

Thank you all who came and high-five SCA! Can't wait for the next Royce show.

-Kate Stimac

Something is to be said about the state of rock n roll if Lil Wayne’s forthcoming album and Blink 182’s reunion warrant excitement. I, however, am satisfied with the current music scene. Quality is out there; you just need to listen to the lower end of the dial.

With SoCal x SCA, the Student Committee of the Arts wants to showcase local, lesser-known artists who are sure to renew your faith in rock n roll. I believe Thursday’s performers Dolphin City can do just that. But I’m not sure if rock n roll is the right genre for their style of music. Their sound is so complex and multi-layered that I lack the music know-how to explain it. The enjoyable, listen-ability belies their intricacy but remains true to their eclectic list of influences, including Tom Waits, Michael Jackson, and Brian Eno. It’s almost surprising that such a sophisticated band was born from the red-cup culture of Newport Beach.

And for all that I’m building them up to be, Dolphin City remains humble with simple aspirations: “to write quality songs, to record those songs well, and to perform a live show that is exciting and engaging.”

Be sure to come see Dolphin City and Bodies of Water this Thursday in DeNeve Auditorium.

-Kate Stimac

By Melissa Liu

Visiting New York City during spring break made me wonder whether the Big Apple was the ultimate city for the arts in America, or if it was rivaled by the artistic offerings found in Los Angeles. Both LA and NYC are known as great cultural centers and repositories for the arts in the US. However, some might argue that New Yorkers are more cultured than the artistically-apathetic Angelenos in So Cal, while other will argue that Los Angeles has more authentic ethnic diversity in regards to culture? So how can we determine which city is more artsy? Perhaps we can answer this question by comparing the two cities in different categories of “art”…

Art Museums:

NYC: MOMA, Met, Whitney, Frick Collection, Guggenheim, Cooper-Hewitt, and Brooklyn Museum are just a few and the list goes on…

LA: the Hammer, Norton Simon, MOCA, LACMA, Getty Museum and Villa are noteworthy ones

Conclusion: NYC has more museums per sq. mile and more paintings and sculptures per capital. Los Angeles is still behind in terms of the number of Picasso and Van Gogh paintings it owns, not to mention a lack of monetary support from museum donors (read about MOCA’s recent financial troubles).

Professional Theater:

NYC: Has at over 30 theaters in its Broadway Theater district, not to mention noteworthy off-Broadway shows… a theater enthusiast’s paradise

LA: Is upping the ante on its theater scene, featuring Broadway shows at many theaters throughout LA and is also home to some great cultural finds and grassroots theater projects

Conclusion: NYC… LA still has a long way to go before it can top Broadway but it does deserve credit for premiering it own shows (find out about LA’s world premier of Minsky’s the musical at the Ahmanson, and other theater shows).

Dance:

NYC: Home to dance companies of Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, American Ballet Theater, and the world famous Radio City Rockettes

LA: LA Contemporary Dance Company and shows like America’s Next Best Dance Crew and So You Think You Dance… its hard not to run into a dance crew in LA, while ballerinas might be more of a rarity

Conclusion: NYC seems to be more classical friendly while LA has embraced more of the street dance scene.

Architecture:

NYC: Empire State Building, art deco styled Chrysler Building, international style Seagram Building and historical residential buildings, such as Manhattan’s Dakota and the multimillion brownstones found in Brooklyn.

LA: Features many prized designs by Frank Gehry and Frank Lloyd Wright (Hollyhock House, Ennis House, and Disney Concert Hall) not to mention historical architecture found at the Huntington Gardens. And don’t forget the McMansions!

Conclusion: NYC has a richer architectural history, while LA has attracted more contemporary deconstructionist architects, while also being the birthplace of the suburban tract home.

Movies and Television:

NYC: Not really known for movie studios… but does have various television studios, mostly news related (ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN)... and isn’t Gossip Girl filmed in NY??

LA: Paramount, Disney, Universal, Dreamworks, and 21st Century Fox are based in LA, not to mention countless television studios.

Conclusion: Los Angeles has always been the home of the silver screen, no doubt about it! Movies and celebrity gossip are one of LA’s top exports.

So, which city is more artistic? Los Angeles and New York have equal footing in some aspects of the arts but comparing each city’s art scene is like comparing apples to oranges (sorry if this leaves you hanging for a more concrete answer). You’ll just have decide for yourself which city is more artistic… check out The LA Times Culture Monster and The New York Times Arts Beat to come up with your own decision. And most importantly, don’t forget to go out into the city and experience the arts!

What Manner of Person Art Thou? Review

By Mary Collins

Hammer Museum, Los Angeles

Exhibition ends March 15

Our Comedy Event last Wednesday was another success for the committee and another sold out show. SCA members stood up in the back to make room for the swarm of students who attended. The crowd was high energy from beginning to end--equally responsive for Ultimate Improv as they were for Bobby and Anjelah. Highlights of the night include Anjelah's Radierette jokes, reprisal of Bon Qui Qui, and the photo she took with the committee at the end of the night. Be sure to keep an eye out for our second comedy show this spring.