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What makes America great

2009-07-04T17:42:02Z

Sure, this country has some pretty big problems. Today, however, is the one day when you forget all that noise and reflect on why you haven't made good on that threat to move to Canada yet.

Enjoy the following 4th of July themed videos that illustrate what makes America great.

Patriotic puppets.

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Slightly unnerving, but inspirational robots.

Movie presidents who almost make you wish aliens would invade, just so we could band together and stop them.

Eating competitions treated as a legitimate sport.

Gross-out comedy in the name of pride.

And finally, people shooting rockets out of their butts for the enjoyment of others. (This one is slightly NSFW, but you have the day off, so who cares, right?)

Happy 4th, folks. Be safe, and never forget these important words: Stop, drop and roll.

Happy Fourth of July

2009-07-04T14:00:00Z

Fresno's various tributes to Michael Jackson

2009-07-03T19:12:12Z

It's been more than a week since Michael Jackson's passing -- and the tributes are still rolling in, including here in Fresno. Here are four Fresno MJ tributes that caught my eye:

1. Here's the Drag Kings, the Fresno Grizzlies' dancing groundskeepers, doing their best MJ impression over the weekend:

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2. As seen in the Beehive comments, here's local DJ Marc M. doing a cool MJ blend, camera centered on the the turntables so you can see his hands at work.

3. Here's a early heads-up on a cool Michael Jackson tribute event coming up at Palomino's on ~~July 11~~ July 10. You might remember the other day that I was sketchy on too many MJ tributes. This one gets a pass from me because it's a Devoya Mayo event.

4. Finally, DJ Kay Rich (of B95) put together a 45-minute MJ tribute mix that you can download free over here.

Win tickets to Summer Arts

2009-07-03T17:30:58Z

I have tickets to give away to several of next week's Summer Arts events. I'm hoping that those on a budget might be able to take advantage of this opportunity to see one of Fresno's best cultural offerings. Here's what I have available for Monday:

Michelle Lewis, Music Lecture, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Wahlberg Recital Hall, Fresno State
General Seating $10

Lewis is a songwriter with an extremely diverse writing ability. She is presently writing top lines for pop/RB producer JR (Rihanna, Jean Paul), having her songs covered by pop-opera singer Josh Groban and working on a children's record with singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb.

William Bennett and Jonathan Leathwood, Flute and Guitar Concert, 8 p.m. Monday, Concert Hall, Fresno State
General Seating $20

William Bennett is one of the most inspiring performers and teachers of the last 40 years. A student of Jean-Pierre Rampal, Marcel Moyse, and Geoffrey Gilbert, he has embodied the best of these three great masters thereby continuing their legacy with his inspiring masterclasses.

I have six tickets available to each event. Here's how the giveaway works: I'll give two tickets to the first three commenters who request each event. If you want to go to both, let me know in your comment, and you'll be eligible. Again, a pair of tickets will go to the first three commenters who request each event -- and with this giveaway only, you can ask for both events if you want. Winners will be notified Monday morning. Tickets will be available at Will Call. Rules are on the jump.

]]> GIVEAWAY RULES
Only readers who submit approved comments on the Beehive are eligible. Recipients will be notified by e-mail at the end of each giveaway period. The first three readers to comment requesting the event of their choice will receive two tickets. Readers are allowed to request both events. No substitutions or transfer of winners/prizes. Prizes are not redeemable for cash. Some prizes may have dues dates for redemption/use. Employees and immediate family of The Fresno Bee, fresnobee.com and any/all of the participating giveaway sponsors, are not eligible to win. By accepting a giveaway, recipient consents to allow the use of his/her name and/or photograph for advertising or similar promotions without further compensation. Winner releases all sponsors of liability regarding use and enjoyment of the prizes. Tax liabilities and insurance, if any, are sole responsibility of the winner. No purchase necessary to win.

Summer Arts Bulletin Board

2009-07-03T16:45:11Z

As the California State University Summer Arts program continues at Fresno State, I envision this rolling Beehive post as a place for the day's schedule, news, recommendations, reader reviews, gripes, background information -- anything related to the program. You can leave a comment here or send an email. (Special thanks to Jackie Doumanian at Summer Arts for helping us keep track of the calendar.)

FRIDAY July 3

Tonight's public performance showcases flutist Gary Schocker and guitarist Jason Vieaux for the first half of the evening and flutist Christina Jennings and guitarist Jonathan Leathwood for the second half. Schocker is a world renowned flutist as well as an award-winning composer who has composed more pieces (over 100) for flute than any other living composer. Vieaux has a devoted international fan base and enjoys the reputation for making a "single guitar seem like a body of instruments...". Jennings is praised for her virtuoso technique and has won numerous competition awards. Leathwood has enjoyed recent recitals in Europe and is a guitar instructor at the University of Northern Colorado and at Denver University. This could prove to be an evening of incredible musicianship. Concert begins at 7 p.m., Concert Hall.

Coming Monday: After going dark Saturday and Sunday for the Independence Day holiday, Summer Arts on Monday offers two public events: a music lecture by Michelle Lewis (6:30 p.m., Wahlberg Recital Hall) and another flute/guitar concert (8 p.m., Concert Hall), this one featuring William Bennett and Jonathan Leathwood.

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Previous bulletin-board entries:

THURSDAY July 2

Last night I attended the Oregon Shakespeare Festival event, and I was disappointed. Here's my Beehive review.

Tonight's public event: Chuck Harvey began his life as an animator beginning with being recruited by Walt Disney Studios right out of art school, to working for over two dozen studios over the course of his career. This lecture/slide lecture will be a great peek inside the amazing world of animation. 7 p.m. Wahlberg Recital Hall. (Note: This event was listed as occurring at the John Wright Theatre in yesterday's Bulletin Board; it's at Wahlberg.)

WEDNESDAY July 1

Tonight's public performance brings the Tony Award-winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival to the John Wright Theatre for a 7 p.m. performance. Founded in 1935, OSF is one of the oldest, largest, and most renowned Shakespeare festivals in the United States.

TUESDAY June 30

I completely fell in love last night with the sounds of AlmaNova, the flute-guitar duo of Jessica Pierce and Almer Imamovic, who performed on a double program with James Smith and James Walker. They're all part of the "Flute and Guitar: Alone and in Concert" workshop, which is certainly turning out to be a boon for fans of those two instruments. Here's my enthusiastic (well, half enthusiastic) review.

Tonight's public performance is The Refugees. Accomplished solo artists Cindy Bullens, Deborah Holland, and Wendy Waldman formed the group in 2007 and have been a driving force on the music scene ever since. Individually, The Refugees have more than three decades in the industry with nineteen solo albums and multiple Grammy Award nominations featuring musical styles that blend country, rock, folk and Americana. Their unforgettably humorous stage style and exquisite musicianship will make them a popular event. Concert begins at 7 p.m., Concert Hall. Here's a sample of two of the group's songs:

LISTEN: Stickin' With My Baby's Love.mp3

LISTEN: Unbound.mp3

MONDAY June 29

The festival got off to a strong start last night with a stunning show by the Joe Goode Performance Group. You can read my review here. The concert was sold out, as befits the international reputation of this company. Anybody else catch this strong performance and care to comment?

Tonight's public performance celebrates the talents of two guitar and flute collaborations. Guitarist James Smith and flutist James Walker combine their talents for the first half of the evening, and the duo Alma Nova will captivate with their eclectic mix of classical and traditional folk melodies for the other half. These four concert musicians will blend their individual talents to present the best of classical and contemporary compositions for flute and guitar. Concert begins at 7 p.m., Concert Hall.

Post No Bills: Fresno Fliers for 7/3

2009-07-03T16:11:18Z

Welcome to another week of Post No Bills. Below you'll find the biggest collection of Fresno event fliers and posters anywhere on the whole entire Internets Concerts, clubs, community events -- it's all right here.

Give your browser a second to load, grab your calendar and start planning. As always, we welcome contributions from bands, artists, venues, promoters and regular joes. Send links to mosegueda@fresnobee.com.

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TODAY

FOURTH OF JULY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

NEXT WEEKEND

REST OF JULY

AFTER THAT

THEATER REVIEW: 'As You Like It'

2009-07-03T15:34:11Z

UPDATE 7/3: A condensed version of this review appears in today's 7 section. Plus: Wet Towel, who kicked off an energetic debate about the review among Beehive readers, sees the show and offers his opinion. Read what he thinks in the comments section.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Community-theater Shakespeare can be a hit or a miss. The current production of "As You Like It," which opens the Woodward Shakespeare Festival's fifth summer season, belongs in the miss column.

I don't have anything against director Michael Peterson's wacky concept for the show -- which involves setting Shakespeare's frothy pastoral comedy in the late 1960s on the southern California coast during the "Summer of Love." Nor is the purist in me much bothered by Peterson's liberties with the script, which includes rather cheekily inserting "surfer dude" into the Shakespearean lexicon.

In fact, I kind of like Peterson's rationale for getting all hippie-groovy on us. In the play, Shakespeare lathers attention on the "simple" countryside, giving us sort of a "noble savage" approach to the superiority of nature, and I like the way that Peterson sees laidback beach culture on one end of a spectrum and uptight L.A. culture on the other.

But the acting in this "As You Like It" is very uneven. And though the direction might seem brisk -- at least the words seem to motor by at a healthy clip -- in the end it comes across as unshaped and aimless.

]]> Set designer Jarred Clowes actually gives us a real beach. (Well, it's at least a healthy stretch of shoreline in front of the stage involving a dump-truck load of sand, and that's impressive.) The most memorable set piece is a thatched-roof bar called Big Willie's, which is the heart of "Arden Beach" (transformed from the Forest of Arden). Throughout the show, of course, are mod outfits (costumes by Jennifer Hurd-Peterson) ranging from mini-skirts to cut-off jean shorts, and such expected Summer of Love accoutrements as peace necklaces and hand-rolled cigarettes.

All this is atmospheric enough, but it's hard as an audience member to get caught up in what should be the giddy, fantastical frenzy of the play. The two strongest lead performers, Gabriela Lawson as Rosalind and Lisi Drioane as Celia (pictured), come closest to drawing us into this entrancing world. Their characters shed the trappings of respectability as they escape from under the thumb of their imposing parental figure, Judge Frederick (a nicely played Jeff Meacham), and leave home behind for lust and adventure in the no-holds-barred playland of the forest, um beach.

"As You Like It" is chock full of all sorts of Shakespearean comic devices, including cross-dressing lovers, mistaken identities and oodles of couples itching to be married. As this production moves along, however, it gets weighed down by the complexity of the material. What should be light becomes heavy. Billy Whitehurst, as the alpha-male lover, Orlando, has an endearing grin, and at Friday night's performance last opening weekend he worked hard to own a large and complex role, but he struggles to find the range and depth of his character and connect with the lyricism of the text.

Others had similar struggles connecting with the text, including Chris Livermore as Silvius, Mitchell Perez as Jaques, Charles West as "Judge" Senior, Pat Smith as Adam and Alissa Cummings as Audrey. Each performer in the show certainly has some high points to share with the audience, and I don't want to deny their dedication. And there is potential in the setting and direction. But even at a community-theater level, this production left much to be desired.

SYTYCD Week 4 results: Jason and Caitlin avoid the Bottom 3

2009-07-03T05:13:38Z

Talk about a shocker: When Fresno's Jason Glover learned that he and partner Caitlin Kinney were "safe" on Thursday night's "So You Think You Can Dance" results show, he actually gasped. And who can blame him? After all, Jason and Caitlin had just scored higher in the nationwide phone vote than crowd favorites Phillip Chbeeb and Jeanine Mason, who had turned in a highly praised hip-hop performance AND had managed to avoid the Bottom 3 even in weeks that they'd been panned by the judges.

Add to that the fact that Jason and Caitlin had been saddled during this week's competition with a bizarre piece of "pop jazz" choreography that involved an alien, a space suit that looked like a tinfoil-swathed condom and a submissive male getting impregnated. (Ah, those wacky choreographers.) Sure, they danced the number well, but the judges spent most of the time panning the concept and the costumes.

It just goes to show that voters on this show are unpredictable. And, just maybe, they took pity on the rotten luck that Jason and Caitlin have experienced the past few weeks by getting stuck with one problematic routine after.

The men in the Bottom 3 were Kupono Aweau, Vitolio Jeune and Phillip. The Bottom 3 women were Karla Garcia, Kayla Radomski and Jeanine.

Karla and Vitolio got kicked off the show.

Suddenly, Jason's prospects for making the Top 10 are looking way up. Just one more week to go!

Five Things You Should Do This Weekend ...

2009-07-03T00:55:33Z

A little bit early, because I'm off tomorrow

1. DON'T GET TICKED: My big music pick of the weekend is Deer Tick, recently picked as the No. 1 breakout band at South By Southwest by Rolling Stone. They're also really, really good. You can see them at 9:30 p.m. Friday at The Cellar Door in Visalia for a mere $5. Here's a sample:

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2. BE A SOLDIER: My Fresno music pick of the weekend is at Tokyo Garden on Friday, as Tin Soldier plays with Justin Richey's jazz quartet. With Richey's group, you get some great young jazz players. Tin Soldier, meanwhile, is a group of Berklee College of Music students who play alt-rock that would appeal to fans of both Radiohead and Yes. (p.s. they're really good)

3. LAUGH IT UP: Thai Palms' "Knights of Comedy" series continues with Geoff Brown, who comes with a big credentials, including being a finalist on "Last Comic Standing."

4. BRUSH YOUR TEETH AFTER: The Met opens its "I Want Candy" exhibit on Friday with a free reception. The museum is closed on Saturday, but the sweet stuff is back on Sunday. Yum.

5. GET LIKKERED UP: Roger Alan Wade, the foul-mouthed, country-singing cousin of Johnny Knoxville, brings his hilarious songs to Audie's on Sunday.

What are you doing this weekend?
Leave your recommendations in the comments.

A day in the life

2009-07-03T00:00:44Z

Q: What's the one thing that makes a David Beckham underwear ad less hot?
A: Victoria Beckham (via A Socialite's Life)

]]> Kim Kardashian works those curves on a waterslide in Maui (via People)

Lord help me, I love a man with a beard. Does anyone else totally miss Denny on "Grey's Anatomy"? I even miss that stupid Denny hallucination. (via A Socialite's Life)

Rihanna -- the girl who has a misspelled Sanskrit tattoo -- has been busted for applying ink without a license in New York. Thank goodness. (via People)

Tori Spelling and Guy Who Married Tori Spelling do their best to look like the biggest idiots in Malibu, achieving an astounding degree of success (via People)

Jessica Alba tries out a mattress by rolling around on it in the store. Stars: they're just like us! Only I've had the same mattress for 14 years because I'm broke, so eff you and your new mattress, Jessica Alba (via Just Jared)

And finally, for your listening pleasure, just in time for the 4th of July, here's Jessica Simpson belting out the Star Spangled Banner, then getting lost trying to walk off stage. Enjoy. (via Dlisted)

Summer Arts review: Oregon Shakespeare Festival

2009-07-02T23:43:10Z

Sometimes you walk into an event with a different concept in mind than what actually unfolds. Such an experience can be enlightening. It can also be annoying. When it comes to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's "performance" Wednesday at the John Wright Theatre, I was annoyed.

The evening started off with a so-so documentary film promoting the highly regarded festival. It was followed by a presentation from six Summer Arts instructors affiliated with OSF. They shared memories, plugged their employer (or, as in a couple of cases, their former employer) and acted out a couple of short scenes from such productions as "Our Town" and "Romeo and Juliet."

I'm not faulting the quality of the information or the engaging manner in which it was presented. There was, in fact, an emotional component to the evening, with veteran actress Kimberly Scott offering several heartfelt moments. Actress Stephanie Beatriz gave a haunting soliloquy as Juliet.

]]> But those theatrical moments turned out to be a very small part of the evening. Much of the presentation seemed geared more to the interests of the students enrolled in the acting workshop, not the general public. The program had a thrown-together-at-the-last-minute feel.

Here's my concern: This event was billed in the program as a "theatre performance." Not a lecture, not a group panel, not a discussion. Tickets were priced accordingly, with a top price of $25. I can understand calling the event a lecture or a reading and charging $10. But if you're going to advertise a performance by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, don't be surprised if people are disappointed when they get something much more low-key.

Big Fresno Fair concert lineup taking shape

2009-07-02T23:28:57Z

We got more news about The Big Fresno Fair's concert schedule -- which now includes Dwight Yoakam, Barenaked Ladies and a few more. (We're still most excited about MC Hammer!)

Tickets will go on sale starting at 9 a.m. July 15. There are still a few dates open and I'm holding out for at least name that will wow me. For now, Fresno, what do you think?

]]> BIG FRESNO FAIR CONCERTS
Oct. 7: Barenaked Ladies ($20-$25)
Oct. 8: The Beach Boys ($15-$20)
Oct. 9: TBA
Oct. 10 (afternoon): The Naked Brothers Band ($10-$15)
Oct. 10: TBA
Oct. 11: TBA
Oct. 12: MC Hammer ($10-$15)
Oct. 13: Michael W. Smith ($15-$20)
Oct. 14: Los Lobos ($15-$20)
Oct. 15: TBA
Oct. 16: Dwight Yoakam ($20-$25)

Win tickets to see 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'

2009-07-02T22:15:00Z

Want to see "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" before anyone else?

Enter to win tickets to meet your favorite Beehive bloggers at a special screening of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" at 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 13. We'll pack the theater with nothing but Beehive readers.

Starting Monday, we'll randomly pick commenters from this post to give tickets. Just tell us about your favorite characters from "Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince." You can comment as many times as you wish. Winners will be notified by e-mail about how to get tickets, so don't use a fake e-mail.

Contest rules are below.

]]> GIVEAWAY RULES
Only readers who submit approved comments on the Beehive are eligible. Recipients will be notified by e-mail at the end of each giveaway period. Winner will be selected by random selection of all approved comments. No substitutions or transfer of winners/prizes. Prizes are not redeemable for cash. Some prizes may have dues dates for redemption/use. Employees and immediate family of The Fresno Bee, fresnobee.com and any/all of the participating giveaway sponsors, are not eligible to win. By accepting a giveaway, recipient consents to allow the use of his/her name and/or photograph for advertising or similar promotions without further compensation. Winner releases all sponsors of liability regarding use and enjoyment of the prizes. Tax liabilities and insurance, if any, are sole responsibility of the winner. No purchase necessary to win.

YouTube Battle: I am disturbed

2009-07-02T21:30:03Z

After seeing a number of unsettling videos on the Internets lately, I decided what was needed was a good old-fashioned YouTube Battle betwixt me and my partner in blogging crime, Mike Oz. Unfortunately, Mike Oz doesn't have time to play with me today, so I am battling myself. The category: Most Disturbing Video of the Day.

HMac: Babies in general are kind of creepy, but fairly harmless. However, babies that are engaged in activities far beyond their physical capabilities are downright terrifying. I give you: rollerskating babies.

]]> Heather: Wrong, HMac. Nice nickname, by the way -- was JLo already taken? Babies are always going to be cute; you'd know that if you weren't dead inside. You know what's not cute, though? Vomit. Vomit is always, always disturbing, which you know from engaging in too many six-martini nights, I'm sure. Observe:

So you tell us, readers, which is the more disturbing video: babies on skates or browser barf-o-rama? Perhaps the most disturbing thing of all is a blogger battling herself and her demons for all the world to see...

Nope. Gotta be those freak-show babies.

Donald's to-do list: a grand homecoming

2009-07-02T21:01:48Z

Mike Oz beat me to the punch with his Thursday checklist, but I just wanted to add a couple of interesting options for tonight:

FREE CONCERT: David Skinner was kind of a music nerd when he graduated from McLane High School in the early 1980s. And no one from his family had gone to college. So it probably would have surprised people back then to think that 25 years later he'd be a professor at Cambridge, the holder of a doctorate from Oxford, one of the top early-music scholars in the world and the founder of a prominent musical group with a recording career. Oh, and that he's even picked up an English accent and hangs out with the Duke of Norfolk. I have a story in Thursday's Life section.

Skinner conducts the Choir of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, which is on a West Coast tour. It'll perform 7 p.m. tonight at the Shrine of St. Therese Catholic Church, 855 E. Floradora Ave., in the Tower District. And it's free!

ARTHOP OPTIONS: Mike tipped you off to some good ArtHop possibilities. There are some interesting shows at some of the other usual suspects, including Gallery 25, Corridor 2122 and Fig Tree Gallery. I wrote about them in my Sunday Spotlight column (second item).