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PageS Monday, February 28, 2005 -harry potter and the sorcerer s stone" THE ONLY CATCH TO THE PARTY: you have to BRING YOUR OWN BAND By SHANATILL THE GAMECOCK While B.Y.O.B. sounds like the tag line to last weekend’s party on Greene Street, it’s actually a battle of the bands taking stage tonight at the Russell House. Created three years ago by USC’s Carolina Productions, Bring Your Own Band lets local acts deliver their best stuff for the chance to be best in show. Chuck Davis, Carolina Productions concert commissioner and fifth-year accounting and management student, said 11 bands submitted demos for the B.Y.O.B. contest. “The Carolina Productions Concert Commission listened to all of the demos and narrowed it down to seven bands to play the show,” he said. All Good Citizens; Josh Bowers; 1711- • T C M.. former Carolina Productions concert commissioner.” Davis and Salley said the seven bands should bring a variety of sounds to the contest, ranging from the singer/songwriter talents of Josh Bowers to the screamo-punk sound of If Not, Winter. For indie-rock lovers, there is The Silver Screens, and frat rock fans can revel in the rhythms of Kilcoy. While some of the bands can be classified in the same college-rock genre, each will present some of the best talent in the regional scene. Salley points out, however, that Carolina Production’s B.Y.O.B. is different from other college battles of the bands. “Basically, what makes B.Y.O.B. different is that while the aim is to entertain USC students, none of the featured band members have to be students here,” he said. “This allows i • Winter; Kilcoy; Smokey Jazzbah; and The Silver Screens will perform. Thomas Salley, Carolina Productions member and second-year public relations student, said a panel of judges will select the winning band. “The bands will “We want to give the students a good show—a free show that showcases music they can find at most venues in the region on any given weekend.” CHUCK DAVIS CAROLINA PRODUCTIONS CONCERT COMMISSIONER <v_> a i kj i i ii Productions to draw local talent that isn’t necessarily in the redlm of USC.” Davis said he hopes B.Y.O.B. will not only give great regional acts more exposure but give USC students a glimpse of the music scene that lies just beyond Columbia and rbe be judged by a panel assembled by people in the local music scene — but not anyone with select biases,” he said. “They will be judged on their sound, how well they play together, how the crowd receives them — how the crowd responds to the band.” Davis said some judges might be familiar names to those knowledgeable on the local scene. “One of the judges will be Dave Britt, booking agent for Columbia’s music venue Headliners,” he said. “Charles Wilkie, another booking agent from Headliners, will return for his second year of judging B.Y.O.B. Also, a former Clear Channel agent will judge along with Justin Kukns, Russell House. “We want to give the students a good show — a free show that showcases music they can find at most venues in the region on any given weekend. Not to mention it’s great entertainment for a Monday night, and there’s free food,” Davis said. To come out and decide for yourself who rocks the crowd the most, doors at the Russell House Ballroom open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. The show is free, and there will be free food from Domino’s Pizza, Beezers and Jimmy John’s. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu Above, Ellipsis, All Good Citizens and If Not, Winter are three of seven bands playing tonight in the B.Y.O.B. battle of the * bands. photos special to the gamecock CD REVIEW Particle takes off on ‘Launchpad? “Launchpad” Particle ★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ By MATTHEW HINSON THE GAMECOCK eclectic (adj.) Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems or styles. One is very hard pressed to find a better word to describe the music of Particle. Drawing from influences such as U2, Spiritualized, Kruder and Dorfmeister and Talking Heads, the band’s March 2004 debut, “Launchpad,” blends a wealth of styles into its 10-track entirety. The album launches with the apdy named and wonderful sounding track “Launchpad” and continues to take the listener on a ride through mystical musical worlds with tracks including the energetic “The Elevator,” the funk-inspired “The Banker” and the 10-minute odyssey “Sun Mar 11." Every song pulses with an ambiguously raw yet polished precision that is complemented by a sound that is far from rnuiu brtWAL iu i lit <jAMtxui_;K Particle will continue its winter tour at Headliners in the Vista at 9 p.m. Tuesday. Cyro Baptista and Beat the Donkey will open. hackneyed even in the modern music world. Whoever said brevity is the soul of wit has yet to hear the calculated rhythms and seemingly flawless instrument work utilized by Particle. Although seven of their 10 songs hit at least the five-minute mark, this album is clearly not for everyone. That is not to say casual music fans will not find themselves quickly immersed in the deceptively addicting bass/drum grooves and keyboard/guitar work featured throughout. While the band does not like to stick a label to itself when defining what kind of music it plays, the term “space porn” seems to be closest because it fits and has even been used by the band while describing itself. This space-porn genre does a lot to encapsulate the funk/electronica/rock sounds produced by these relative newcomers in the music scene. Since forming in Los Angeles in 2000, bassist Eric Gould, guitarist Charlie Hitchcock, keyboardist Steve Molitz and drummer Darren Pujalet have seen a steady rise on the national music scene. Without an album, the group began its climb with spectacular live shows, one including a five hour-plus performance after the Flaming Lips at the 2002 Bonnaroo Festival, which got the band featured on CNN. The band was also aided on Launchpad by the talents of producer Tom Rothrock, who has worked with exceedingly popular artists such as Coldplay, Beck and the Beta Band. Particle plans to bring its winter ♦ Pleas* see PARTICLE, page 6 Series offers professors chance for final message By MEGAN SINCLAIR THE GAMECOCK What would you say if it were your last opportunity to give a lecture? Would you lecture on a topic you wanted to educate others in or simply on a matter close to your heart? USC’s Last Lecture Series asks professors this question. Students are given the opportunity to nominate professors whom they wish to hear speak. The professors give the lectures throughout the school year on a monthly basis. “It’s a place where we take student nominations for proiessors, saia iviattnew Wilkinson, a fourth-year student. “Then professors come give a lecture on a topic of interest to them, or the kind of lecture that if it were the last they could give, what would they talk about?” The Last Lecture Series is an opportunity for students to get to know their professors outside class, while professors are given the opportunity to give a lecture on any topic important to them. The lectures’ sponsors said they hope students will see it as a chance to learn what their professors are interested in outside of the subject they teach, and to get to know professors on a more personal level. “We just hope the students realize it’s a good way to get to know their professors outside of class,” Wilkinson said. “It’s a “We just hope the students realize it’s a good way to get to know their professors outside of class.” MATTHEW WILKINSON FOURTH-YEAR INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES STUDENT good way to see professors and what they’re interested in.” The Carolina Scholars Association organized the Last Lecture Series. The program was started five years ago between the Carolina Scholars Association and Carolina Productions. Student Government funds the Last Lecture Series. SG funding is used to pay for the lecture room and student refreshments. It s completely free, and we have refreshments,” Wilkinson said. “The professors don’t get paid, they want to do it. The funding goes to getting the room and providing the refreshments.” Lectures are given the first Wednesday of most months in the school year. So far this year, speakers have included Chris Robinson of the Department of Art and Preston College, Jim Roberts of the Department of Mathematics, Leslie Sargent Jones of the S.C. Honors College and Med School, and Carol Harrison of the Department of History. “We’ve had all sorts of speakers,” Wilkinson said. “This coming week is Dr. Leon Jackson from the English department, and he’s talking about Harry Potter.” The next lecture will be Wednesday by Jackson, an assistant professor in the English department. Jackson’s JACKSON upcoming lecture is titled “Harry Potter: the Overnight Classic Book Series.” Last Lecture Series’ sponsors said they feel they typically have good student turnout for the lectures. wen nave aa many a5 students that will come,” Wilkinson said. They hope to continue to draw a large crowd of students for this semester’s last two lectures. Students can continue to nominate their favorite professors for the series on the Carolina Scholars Association’s Web site. The staff adviser for the Last Lecture Series is Jan Smoke. For more information, visit www.sc.edu/ofsp/last_lecture_ser ies.html. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu