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6 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Monday, November 10, 2003 CONTACT US THEY SAID IT EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER: Story ideas? Questions? Comments? “Welcome back, my friends, to the E-mail us atgamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com show that never ends.” WmulmRfmmmam PHOTO BY MEG MOORE/THE GAMECOCK Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas gets into the music at Greenville’s Bl-Lo Center. BY JENNIFER SITKOWSKI THE GAMECOCK A great concert requires more than just a big-name band on stage; it takes an exciting atmo sphere, passionate musicians and an overflow of energy to make a performance unforgettable. “You can tell when a band is feeling it,” said Nick McDonald, a third-year media | arts student. When a band is up on stage ' having a good time and not just going through the mo tions, the audience can not help but let loose and have fun as well. When it comes to catching his favorite artists in concert, McDonald explained that he prefers smaller shows because they are more personal and eas ier to enjoy. McDonald said the dynamics of a 2,000 person show versus those of a 50,000 person show make a big difference in the level of intimacy. He also prefers the cheaper ticket prices and the feeling of being more connected with the band. “I like to support the local in dustry,” said McDonald. “It’s good to see your friends or peo ple from similar backgrounds as you.” At local shows, fans are able to support the bands that they hope to see get big one day. There is al ways that possibility that some where in the future, audience members will be able to say, “I saw them, back when...” Naturally, bigger bands tend to perform at larger arenas. For some, small venue shows that pack in the audience create an snergetic atmosphere that can’t be recreated at arena-size locations. “When you get like 400 people packed into 30 square feet, it gets pretty crazy, and it’s a lot more fun,” said Adam Turner, a third year computer science student. Although small venues are de signed for more intimate shows, some students prefer to see big name acts on an equally grandiose stage. “I like the really big venues as opposed to the closer, more per sonal ones, “said Noah Adams, a third-year criminal justice stu dent. He said he prefers going to large amphitheaters where popular bands play and tons of people go to see them. Adams explained that he prefers the acoustics at such larger-scale venues. He has seen several big-name bands, including Pearl Jam, Weezer and Counting Crows. The best show he has ever been to, however, was an Elton John and Billy Joel concert. “They’re, like, from the ’70s and they know how to rock,” said Adams, “They know how to put on a good show, and they’re definitely professional about it.” When an artist lacks enthusi asm during his or her perfor mance, the absence of onstage en ergy often results in an audience of disappointed concert-goers. “It’s almost like he (the per former) has to,” said Adams, ex pressing that when a musician does not put effort into his or her playing, it shows. He was let down when he went to see the Wallflowers and they only played for 45 minutes. “I think if you pay the money to see the Wallflowers and Counting Crows, then they should at least play for an hour,” said Adams. The second time Jennifer Ruff, an education graduate student, saw the Counting Crows, she said it was not as good as the first time. “I think he was drunk,” said Ruff of the Crows’ lead singer, Adam Duritz. Ruff explained that a show can come across as lackluster for a va riety of reasons — if the band is / not up-to-par musically, the artist makes rude comments, and if the audience just is not into the show, the overall effect can be less than energizing. Bands that lose control or act crazy during their performances also tend to distance themselves from their audiences. “When bands come and they get out of control or they think they’re better than the actual event, then it’s a really bad expe rience for the person watching it,” said Turner. He defines a good concert as one where the crowd seems excited to be there, the artist really gets into the performance and the sound equipment sufficiently supports the musicians’ playing. The bottom line is that whethe. 5* a group plays at a small club or storms the stage at a big arena, a good concert requires more than just well-amped guitars. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com MUMP - >.-1A -1 The Greatest Shows on Emh USC students sound off on the best of the best “Ben Folds. He’sawesome. He wasiieetNy interactive with the adult audience.” Suzanna Burguet, second-year French student , J&f,: iriv T.7S- CAROLINA CENTER “Rascal Flatts and Chris Cagle in Greenville. Rascal FiettswasAs terrible, but Cagle was awesome. Anyone who hasn’t experienced -p ‘Chicks Dig it’ liye need to -Ifs life changing.’‘ ^ephertfesteh'dif, first-y^engfie^fngstutfept^ A * 9 2882C?C38Pti| “A Seether, Our Lady Peace and 3 Doors Down concert in Atlanta. It J - was awes6rMe;plus^owa^Tr0e,”Braficidn Hewton, second-year business student. h/* %fe ... c$e9a r JV? “Matchbox Twenty. I thought thejr songs were OK on the radio, butyou have no idea - they are amazingliyej" Sarah Winford; third-year iA journalism student w ■ ' ** Jf fV a? - --■ —-8—— -ia-si -fg.: a A SHOW PREVIEW Day comes full circle on latest tour BY MEG MOORE THE GAMECOCK Just when the music world had all but declared the singer-song writer an extinct breed, guitar wielding songsmiths made a comeback in the mainstream. John Mayer, Josh Kelly, Jason Mraz — they have all enjoyed suc cess on popular radio and music television. For emerging songwriters such Howie Day, who is performing at the Russell House Ballroom tonight, now is an opportune time to be making music. In fact, it is the perfect time for Day’s new single, “Perfect Time of Day,” to be hitting the air waves. The romance-tinged tune receives regular play on MTV and VH1. Having spent time touring col lege campuses, Day feels like his decision to forgo further school ing after graduating from high school four years ago has proved not only profitable but ironic. “In a weird way, I’ve come full circle,” said Day in a press re lease. “After high school, I decid ed to skip college... four years lat er, I’m releasinga new record in stead of getting my degree.” rrru ~ nn ---- X 11V MU J V/Ml old singer-song writer recently released his first album on Epic Records, “Stop the World Now.” While re maining true to the musical roots he estab iished on ms 2000 independent re lease, “Australia,” Day has added dimension to the songs on his lat est CD. He wrote “End of Our Days” and “Trouble in Here” on piano and infused some tunes with the sounds of a 25-piece orchestra. During the past four years, Day honed his writing skills on the road opening for such artists as Sting and Tori Amos. The touring process proved to be a learning experience. Specifically, he cites Tori Amos as teaching him the ways of remaining true to one’s music: “Watching how hard Tori works UliU JVVIUg how she car ries herself as an artist was an education for me,” Day explained. “She said it is crucial to stay true to your artistic vision when you record, or you il regret it the rest of your life. She reaf firmed that the biggest mistake I could make would be to ignore my instincts.” This fall, Day has taken a full band out on tour for the first time, adding depth to his live sound. He is known for employ ing live sampling and looping within his sets and says that while he still plans on using such techniques, he hopes to expand his musical options. “I love playing solo, but I can only take the songs to a certain point,” Day said. He currently has shows sched uled through December, appear ing at colleges, clubs and festivals across the country. Day clearly hopes that the resurgence in popularity of the singer-songwriter will persist — and looks to be one of those artists still cranking out hits several al bums from now. “I wanted to create a timeless record that will hold up 10 years down the road,” Day said of his new release. Tonight, USC students have the chance to see Day in action. And if he has any say in it, he is just getting started. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Singer-songwriter Howie Day has made a musical name for himself through extensive touring and continual Innovation. Howie Day is cashing in on the current popularity of the singer-songwriter, capturing the thoughtful solo artist aesthetic with his intelligent pop tunes. CD Releases for Tuesday I “RESUR RECTION": Tupac I“SOULO": Nick Lachey “TRAIN OF THOUGHT”: Dream Theater “TRY THIS”: Pink “CLOSER": Josh Groban “LOST DOGS: RARITIES AND B-SIDES”: Pearl Jam “KID ROCK”: Kid Rock “THANK YOU”: Stone Temple Pilots “EP (EP)”: Matchbox Twenty “ANOTHER 700 MILES (EP)”: 3 Doors Down “LOVE ACTUALLY (SOUNDTRACK)": Various Artists “REALTALK": Dave Hollister “LIVE FROM THE ROAD”: Chevelle ‘Matrix Revolutions’ dominates, but falls short of ‘Reloaded’ debut at box office BY ANTHONY BREZNICAN TH^ ASSOCIATED PRESS LOS ANGELES — Which way do you spin “The Matrix Revolutions”? The third movie in the cyber punk trilogy earned $24.3 million at the domestic box office in its first day of release, Warner Bros, said Thursday. That’s a great one-day total for any other movie, but it comes in far below what “The Matrix Reloaded” collected in its nation wide debut last spring. In May, “Reloaded” opened with a few late-night screenings on Wednesday evening and earned about $5 million. Then it expanded to 3,600 theaters on Thursday and earned about $37.5 million, according to Brandon Gray, proprietor of BoxOfficeMojo.com. At the time, Warner Bros, lumped the Wednesday totals in with the Thursday figures and an nounced a total debut of $42.5 mil lion for “Reloaded.” Gray said there may have been less anticipation for “Revolutions” simply because of the rapid-fire release timing. “With the last one (‘Reloaded’) there was four years of pent-up demand and ‘Revolutions’ comes out after only six months,” he said. “It’s not quite the same event as the one that came out after a long drought.” Dan Fellman, Warner Bros, head of U.S. distribution, dis m’ssed the notion that some viewers may be less enthusiastic about the franchise after “Reloaded,” which scored poorly with critics and many fans. “These are staggering num bers,” Fellman said. “If you talk to any large theater operator they’re totally out of their minds with joy.” “Revolutions” also collected $18.8 million internationally af ter staging the widest simultane ous release for a single film by opening in an unprecedented 18,000 screens around the world at the same hour (9 a.m. ET), ac cording to Variety. “Revolutions” also ranked as the third best Wednesday debut for a movie, behind $28,5 million for 1999’s “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” and $26.1 million for last year’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.” Although hampered by critics who lambasted “Revolutions” ar a glorified video game, the Rear | Reeves sci-fi adventure could still come close to topping $100 million domestically by the end of the weekend. Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Exhibitor Relations Co., said he would wait until the weekend to judge how “Revolutions” compares to “Reloaded.” The critically acclaimed first film, “The Matrix,” earned $33.7 million in its first weekend in April 19^9 and went on to rak» in $171.5 million.