The Rice Thresher, Vol. 96, No. 23, Ed. 1 Friday, March 20, 2009 Page: 17 of 28
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Friday, March 20,2009
the Rice Thresher
A&E 17
(
0 KWELLER
FROM PAGE 14
time. One of my favorite books is a book
called Natural Healing — no, hold on,
Native Healing? Well, it's a book that I
have that's really badass. It helps guide
you to find your power animal because
it can't be a dog or a cat. It's gotta be
something a little more. ... Someone
once told me I have a lot of whale in me.
1 guess that's Eskimo power animal shit.
I've been searching, I'm still searching.
I know I have a lot of dog in me. I'm very
loyal. I might be wolf.
RT: That's your son's middle name,
right?
bk: Yeah, yeah. It's Zev [which
means wolf in Hebrew],
RT: What about [your son] Dorian?
Is he on tour with you right now?
bk: Well, he's in Austin right now.
I just got done with a tour with [Dorian
and wife Liz]. We try to tour together as
much as we can. I'm about to go to Aus-
tralia and Japan and they're not gonna
go because of all the flying. But I try to
take them out as much as possible.
RT: How old is Dorian?
BK: He's two-and-a-half. He'll be
three in May, actually. He's such a good
boy. So fun and cool.
RT: What would you do if you
weren't a musician?
BK: Well, it's the only thing 1 know.
It's the only thing I'm really great at. 1
would love to be a professional bass
fisherman, take people out on the
lake where all the bass are. Be a tour
guide or a pro bass fisherman like on
ESPN 2, have my own bass show. That
would be fun as [anything]. To fish for a
living would be really fun.
RT: So, you fish a lot?
BK: As much as I can. It's one of my
favorite activities.
RT: When you were 13, you were in
Radish. What was it like being in a band
so young?
BK: Well, you know, just like any kid
in a band. [I was] just having fun play-
ing music and meeting other kids who
play music. When we got a record deal
it felt like a really big deal for us, so that
was a big life-changer for us because
we left high school to pursue music.
I've been doing it ever since. There's
nothing better than playing music with
other friends.
RT: Are there any groups out right
now that you really love? That you're re-
ally listening to?
bk: Yeah, I'm not up on a lot of
new bands but I'm friends with a lot
so I listen to them a lot. My new favor-
ite record right now is the new Conor
Oberst record.
RT: When I was listening to your
new record, it seems to have a really
similar vibe...
bk: Yeah, well, we've been friends
for a while. We tour together so we're
definitely similar. We love the same
stuff, me and Conor. Also, Kings of Leon,
The Strokes, I still love their records.
White Stripes. The Raconteurs. Mason
Jennings is one of my favorite artists.
There's a guy named Nils Lofgren who's
been around since the 1960s. He was a
badass. His old records are really good.
What other new stuff? There's an artist
from Australia named Whitley who's re-
ally good. I can't really think of anybody
else. Willy Mason is really good, too.
RT: A lot of those guys seem to
have real folk vibes. Have you been
listening to them closely with the new
sound of this record?
BK: Well, see, that's just it. I've
always been into folk and country
since I grew up in Texas, and that's
just always been there. Like, Garth
Brooks' Ropin' the Wind was my fa-
vorite as a kid. I don't listen to music
very much actually, especially when
I'm recording. I never try to listen to
a lot of other people's music. 1 don't
try to take inspiration from other mu-
sic. The bands I love, I love listening
to recreationally but I don't really try
to draw from them. I draw from life.
I think when I was 15, 16 I'd listen to
Nirvana and try to be like Kurt Co-
bain, but when you start trying to be
an artist you start trying to make your
own [music].
RT: Your new album has the same
name as a great Dan Fogelberg song.
Is that a coincidence?
bk: Hmm ... I didn't know that. I
got it from a Mark Twain short story.
RT: What's your favorite song off
this album?
bk: I love 'em all. I love "Old Hat"
and I love "Sawdust Man." I really
love 'em all. They're all new and fresh
to me.
RT: What's your favorite
one to play?
bk: I love playing "Gypsy Rose"
live. It's really fun. Really dramatic.
And I love "Fight." It's really fun to
sing.
RT: So, living in Austin, being in
Austin, did that change the sound of
the record?
BK: Well, I moved to Austin after
I wrote all the songs. I wrote them
there or on the road or before. I just
love being in Austin. It's paradise. It's
great. I love it.
RT: So I guess if you could just ex-
pand a little more on this new album.
Stories behind some of the songs. The
direction you saw it going.
BK: The album is something I've
been writing over the past few years.
One of the songs, "The Ballad of Wen-
dy Baker," goes back to when I was 16.
A friend of mine, Wendy, died in a car
crash. I wrote that song back then for
her. Saved it through the years for the
right album. Whenever I wrote a song
over the years that was really country,
like "Fight," I would save them. I al-
ways knew I wanted to make a record
like this. 1 was just kind of waiting for
all the songs to appear. Most people
ask, "Why did you all of a sudden
want to make a country record?" but 1
didn't just wake up and want to make
a country record. It's been many years
in the making.
The Department of Art History
is happy to announce a new track in
architectural history, the creation of a new
honors program, and a revamping of the
requirements for the regular major in art
history. Please see www.arthistory.rice.
edu and click on "undergraduates" and then
"requirements." Inquiries about these options
for majors can be made to the undergraduate
advisor in art history. Prof. Graham Bader, at
graham.p.bader@rice.edu.
All prospective majors are invited to join us
for a discussion of these new tracks, careers in
Art History, and paid fellowships available in
the department. This event will be held in the
courtyard of Herring Hall on
March 25th at 5pm.
Refreshments will be served.
(VI
\
Prospero 0- Cameron Cooper, Baker *03), right, chastises Ariel (Baker senior
Cat Coombes), raised, in Act 1 Scence 2 of Baker's production of The Tempest.
O TEMPEST
FROM PAGE 14
Baker junior David Meyer is at once
spare and resourceful. The direction
provides careful insight into Prospero's
complex nature, since this seemingly
kind old magician uses his powers to
menace those around him and even
keeps a slave, the half-man, half-beast
Caliban (Baker junior Will Parell).
What makes this production espe-
cially rewarding is that almost the en-
tire cast has a strong understanding of
the nature of Shakespearean speech.
Too many other stagings offer actors
who believe that a British accent is an
acceptable substitute for a strong vo-
cal presence, but this Tempest happily
avoids the silly accents.
Instead its performers speak with
the kind of clarity and diction that
makes the audience feel as if not a year
has passed since Shakespeare wrote
these lines. There are a couple excep-
tions among the minor roles, and in
their first scene together Prospero and
Miranda have a tendency to rush their
dialogue, apparently under the impres-
sion that talking quickly is the only way
to keep the audience's interest. Luckily
they both show considerable improve-
ment as the play progresses.
Unlike last year's staging of Richard
III, The Tempest features an exception-
ally strong supporting cast. Parell is a
fiery, furious Caliban whose occasional
manic outbursts remind us of the de-
formed fellow's dubious humanity.
Anderson, as Antonio, is a delightfully
wicked schemer, and Will Rice College
O KTRU
FROM PAGE 16
he works on expanding his style from
the stable base of blues. Regardless of
the toned-down experimentation, there
is no reason to curb your enthusiasm as
his solo works shine and, at times, can
make you feel as though you want to get
up and dance.
But if you really want to move,
perhaps the best track on the album
is Rose's rendition of the "St. Louis
Blues," which carries a nostalgic aura.
When the album is not giving a fluid,
get-up-and-dance feel, it waxes intro-
spective and ponders meaning as Rose
O NATURE
FROM PAGE l6
"I think the world needs more
multi-culturality," Liu said. "Just
like we have Chinese, Japanese,
Italian or fast food ... it just makes
the world more rich. If everyone
uses the same thing, all hamburg-
ers with no other choice, 1 think
that is quite boring."
Liu has shown his art in places
such as Spain. China, Taiwan and the
United States. While coming to Rice
seemed like an interesting choice for
freshman Hannah Thalenberg brings
a zany chattiness to the comic role
of overly-talkative adviser Gonzalo,
though her speech can sometimes be-
come a touch too hurried. Lafferriere is
especially affecting in the more serious
role of Miranda's lover Ferdinand, and
Bryce Eakin (Brown '08) brings a sur-
prising melancholy to the role of Alon-
so, Antonio's main political ally.
But the real scene-stealers are Baker
seniors Cat Coombes, as the magical
spirit Ariel, who taunts and teases Pros-
pero's old enemies with hilarious aban-
don, and Barron Stone, as Stephano, a
raging drunk who arrives on the island
in a stupor and somehow convinces
Caliban to worship him. Stephano has
arguably the most imposing presence
in the play, but this could be because
he is unintentionally contrasted with
his drinking buddy Trinculo (Brown
College sophomore Jane Labyer), who
is much too timid and indeed appears
completely sober.
"This is as strange a thing as e'er I
look'd on," Alonso muses in the play's
final act, as we watch every thread of
the perplexing plot neatly resolve it-
self before our eyes. And The Tempest
is indeed full of strange sights: The
characters include magical spirits, a
chatterbox sage and a hyperactive man-
beast, to name but a few. But the spec-
tacular world of this mysterious island
is brought vividly to life before our eyes,
and for that reason, The Tempest and
all its quirks are quite a joy.
effortlessly plucks away at his guitar.
From his humble beginnings in
the drone and scrabble group Pelt
to his recent blues-focused offer-
ings, Rose has certainly grown and
incorporated much into his musical
style. His excellent handle on the
material works well not only with
the cover of a group but also when
he strikes out on his own. Overall.
Rose's album proves to be a worthy
listen, and an appropriate addition
to the KTRU stacks.
Liu, his wife, Shirley, works in the
same lab that developed BioBeer.
"I just moved from Chicago
to Houston three years ago, so I
thought, "Why not have a show at
Rice University so students, profes-
sors and also my wife can take a
look at my work?"' Liu said.
There will be a reception for the
exhibit in Famsworth on Monday
from 5-7 p.m., where Liu will be
available to speak about his work.
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Michel, Casey. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 96, No. 23, Ed. 1 Friday, March 20, 2009, newspaper, March 20, 2009; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443137/m1/17/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.