Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE MIX Friday, Feb. 24, 2006 ■ J 1— I ^ ■_ -^L m Page 5 Nick Esares / THE GAMECOCK Charlotte musicians Kenny Carr and the Tigers bring their instruments and unique flavor of shout music to the Russell House ballroom on Sunday, Feb. 26. ‘CELEBRATIVE’ BAND TO LEAD CAROLINA SHOUT Russell House event gives students 0 chance to !‘shout out’ to professors Tim Manus STAFF WRITER Students looking for a new musical experience may want to make their way to the Russell House ballroom Sunday as Charlotte band Kenny Carr and the Tigers will be performing their unique brand of shout music for an event called Carolina Shout: A Celebration of a Teachers. * Carolina Shout is an event that is intended to show appreciation for USC’s many teachers. Kenny Carr, who plays lead trombone for the Tigers, said shout music grew out of church music from the United House of Prayer. He said the term “shout” originated from “when they get to the close of the sermon, the band will start up and people will dance and shout to the music.” 0 While Carr identifies nimself as a Christian, he said a Kenny Carr and the Tigers performance is not necessarily a religious experience. “I believe in Christ, (but) my performance, it may turn into anything,” he said. “It may turn into a party or a jam.” He calls his music “fun, good-time music.” Carr said the best word to describe a show with the Tigers is “celebrative.” Kenny Carr and the Tigers are made up of Carr, a tuba player, a sousaphone player, a baritone player and a chorus of trombones. Craig Kridel, USC’s director of the museum of education and a longtime fan of Kenny Carr and the Tigers, is responsible for organizing Carolina Shout and bringing the Tigers to Carolina. Kridel describes shout music as a “cross between jazz and gospel” that originated in the ‘20s. Carr said right now the shout is a “big-time movement” in the United States, with “bands from New York to California,” but there’s only one Kenny Carr and the Tigers. “We cross genres, more so than other bands that are just strictly shout bands,” Carr said. “We transcend jazz, neo-soul — our style of shout band is totally different.” Kridel first saw the Tigers in 1993. “The moment I heard them, I thought, ‘This was one of the greatest gifts,”’ Kridel said. Douglas Yeo, bass trombonist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has a lot to say about Carr and the Tigers as well. Yeo is quoted on the band’s Web site calling Carr and the Tigers “unforgettable.” “Kenny Carr and the Tigers greet jaded ears with a hurricane of joy. SHOUT • 1 —........ ... Mixed genres, vocals enhance ‘Avalanche’ “I Am The Avalanche" I Am The Avalanche ★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ Chad Henderson THE GAMECOCK Have you ever been camping and listening to rock and the music was so good that bears came out of the woods and started to dance? And then when the music was over they ate your pot roast and mauled your grandmother? Oh, right, of course you haven’t. Speaking of pot roast, it’s time to talk about one of Drive-Thru Records’ most savory new bands: I Am The Avalanche. Drive-Thru has been releasing CDs by a lot of bands over the last few years that have gone nowhere, save for a few like HelloGoodbye and Houston Calls. However, this band toured with Finch this summer and put on great shows all over the country. I Am The Avalanche is fronted by ex-Movielife frontman Vinnie Caruana. While his vocal style hasn’t changed, he still writes cool dramatic lyrics. Caruana certainly wouldn’t be a contender on “American Idol,” but he does have a lot of passion and frustration flUUCHC • 6 Special to THE GAMECOCK The four-year-old “jam band" opens for Phish cover group Phix at Headliners on Saturday. Doors open at 9 p.m. Band brings diverse blend - ofimprov, 'rock I dance’ - energy to Columbia Devon Ulceh THE GAMECOCK For Astral Projection, simply accepting the jam band label would be restrictive to the band’s willingness to try fresh musical concepts. “We’ve always been open to new ideas and new types of music instead of labeling ourselves as a ‘jam band’ just because we do a lot of improvising,” guitarist George Fetner said. The band was formed in the summer of 2002 when all of the members were juniors in high school. Fetner and bassist Tommy McDonald had been an acoustic duo since the eighth grade. Thomas McElwee then joined as the second guitarist and the band found a temporary drummer to play their first show. The original drummer moved after this performance, and the band asked Mike Hanf to fill in. With the current lineup completed, Astral Projection played its first gig, winning a battle of the bands. The band writes rock music filled with improvisation and diversity. “Astral Projection is an energetic rock/dance band that places high importance on experimental and communicative improvisation while maintaining a high respect for compositionally challenging pieces,” Fetner said. Hanf said he feels that the energy is an important spice in their music, along with being able to compose unique songs. Astral Projection’s music is more diverse than many jam acts. Heavy ‘60s and ‘70s rock influences like Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd can be heard along with the more contemporary influence of Radiohead. “There aren’t really any group influences, because we all listen to a lot of different things,” Fetner said. Each member cites everything from caffeine to the Beatles as strong influences, and Hanf insists the band is not on drugs. “I compare us mostly to the exact opposite of Celine Dion, McEIwee said. The band’s eclectic compositions are also the result of the different sounds coming from each person. “I think there’s a bit of a pull between those of us who want to make it the most abrasive, avant-garde rock band, and those of us who want to keep it more real and to the people,” Hanf said. Constricting gigs can be somewhat limiting for a band that likes to improvise as much as Astral Projection. When given a longer time to play, the band is able to showcase a wide range of material. “We tend to like longer shows because we have more time to relax and to include more ideas to make the show original,” Fetner said. “Sometimes we play entire sets without stopping.” . ASTRAL • 6 Special to THE GAMECOCK Astral Projection’s sets have been known to flow for hours on end with eclectic improvisations from each member. Tonight At The Movies “Date Movie” ★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ ITIarjorie Biddle THE GAMECOCK “Date Movie” satirizes popular romantic comedies with tasteless crudity and nauseating grossness. One of the film’s selling points is that two of the six writers from “Scary Movie” wrote “Date Movie,” and while “Scary Movie” is actually humorous in parts, “Date Movie” smothers its humor with its extreme vulgarity. Julia Jones wants to fall in love and live happily ever after, but her lack of social skills and rotund appearance prevent her from finding her soul mate. She enlists help from date doctor Hitch, and he enlists friends to make her over. Her makeover is supposedly a cross between shows like “Pimp My Ride” and “Extreme Makeover.” Julia drastically changes and goes on a show similar to “The Bachelor.” She is chosen by her dream man, Grant Funkyerdoder. Coincidentally, Grant and Julia met previously in Julia’s father’s Greek restaurant when Julia was still overweight and awkward. Julia and Grant fall in love and get engaged. They mouic • 6 Special to THE GAMECOCK John Cusack’s classic scene in 1989's “Say Anything” is parodied in the romantic comedy satire “Date Movie.”