Category > Interviews
Electronic games are big business. Sixty-five percent of current American households play some sort of electronic video game (console or computer), and the financial stakes are huge. These days, the creative output of the game companies rivals any action movie coming out of a Hollywood studio. With the release of Saints Row the Third, local entertainment software/game company Volition is taking the players of the SR franchise further than ever before; giving them game play like never before and making …
"We ain't got no pride, really. We just haul in on an ol' truck and kick ass." -- Billy Joe Shaver Billy Joe Shaver, perhaps the most underappreciated songwriter in the history of outlaw country, will take the stage at the Historic Rose Bowl Tavern in Urbana at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. It's great to see a WWHP-sponsored show back at the Rose Bowl; tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Shaver, with whom I spoke on the …
Under the dim glow of far-off streetlights on the concrete steps of the Krannert Center ampitheatre on Sunday night, 15 or so members of the C-U Collective put the finishing touches on their plans for last night's benefit show at Mike 'N Molly's. The group also discussed t-shirt designs, bake sales, album distribution, house show publicity, and other ephemera that go along with their wide-ranging goals. According to their website, the C-U Collective "is a group of Champaign-Urbana residents involved …
Honey & Glue | Iron Post | Sunday | 3-6 p.m. This Sunday, from 3-6pm, the Iron Post in downtown Urbana will host the first-ever “Honey and Glue” show. “Honey and Glue” is a collection of eleven local and nationally based lyricists and composers collaborating to write multiple songs using the same set of lyrics. I had the opportunity to speak with project founder, Steve Davenport. Here’s what he had to say. Smile Politely: What inspired the creation of the …
God-Des & She have been a hip-hop duo since they met in Madison, Wisconsin in 1999. Since then, they've moved to New York and become known all over the world due to being featured in the documentary Hip Hop Homos and their appearance on The L Word (where they sang their irreverent and thrillingly sexy song "Lick It"). Their song "Love You Better" held the number one spot on MTV LOGO for fifteen consecutive weeks. And this month, they were …
Nashville sweethearts Those Darlins have quite a reputation. The southern quartet ― a trio of fiery females and their lone male counterpart, drummer Linwood Regensburg — emerged out of Murfreesboro, Tennessee nearly five years ago, playing rough-edged rock with a country twang. Since then they've released two albums and toured extensively, lighting up crowds with grit and gristle, leaving stages in sweaty disarray. They're loud, they're uncouth, they're sometimes off-key and off-kilter, but there's no doubting their authenticity.
My first exposure to Gang Gang Dance was at this year's Pitchfork Festival, where I happened past their stage on my way to another show. I stuck around for a bit simply based on the fact that any band with as many percussion instruments as Gang Gang Dance has to be worth watching. I was pleasantly surprised when they went into a slow-building synthesizer jam, gradually adding more and more instruments and echoed-out vocals until they hit a huge, booming …
Washed Out comes to Canopy Club Friday night in the midst of an "exhausting" worldwide tour that's spanned about the past two months. Perhaps more importantly though, Ernest Greene comes to town in a constantly evolving state, thinking about what he can do to make things sound better and how he can change things up the next time around. He's really just starting and we get to see some of the early stages of his growth. Greene, 28, has taken …
Since starting their tour in March, The Dodos have made several appearances at festivals throughout the country, including Stern Grove Festival in San Francisco, NXNE in Toronto, and, most recently, MidPoint Music Festival in Cincinnati. On their way to Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh, NC, percussionist Logan Kroeber took a few moments to check in with Smile Politely and talk about Pygmalion, the band's new live lineup, and some musical gems hidden away on the internets. Smile Politely: How often do …
Ivan and Alyosha are a four piece folk rock band hailing from the Pacific Northwest. Their music is similar to many of the great folk bands to come out of that area in recent years, but they also incorporate lush harmonies and solid hooks to create a more poppy brand of folk than other acts. Though the band is named after characters in the Dostoyevsky novel Brothers Karamazov, the group creates music that is much more sunny than the topics …
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An Acoustic Café Evening Tour always promises satisfaction, and with the talent Carrie brings, it will be more than worth the price of admission! Be sure to listen to deliradio.com/carrie-rodriguez to hear more!
yes. hipsters and corporations.
hipsters are people, too.
Start the clock on when ward’s comment is deleted. Poking fun at the “hipsters” here is blasphemy, you know. At another site, someone—perhaps from here—was playing the usual card of “That band is well-known, so it must suck!” The resulting comment said: “Yeah, I remember the days…
No fair. SP should get a buncha shit for listing The Duke Of Uke as… The Duke Of Yuke, Just like when all the hipsters cry foul and whine like hell if The Buzz make the same error (ie honest mistake). Put it back to YUKE ol’ Seth McFeinstein =)
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Saturday night—Soul Feud, Faster Forward, & The Great Divide at Bentley’s: http://www.facebook.com/events/268739666523864/
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I’ve been posting videos from the cover up on the Electric Bitters youtube page. Here’s a link to the playlist if anyone is interested: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL31FBC811FFC6DCFD&feature=plcp
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Pamela - Are the roasteries in Seattle as clean as CSR? It always disturbs me a little that it is so clean in there.
Now you will be able to munch on pizza and shrimp cocktails in downtown Urbana (whilst a DJ spins?) after your dissolution of marriage http://www.news-gazette.com/news/business/features/its-your-business/2012-02-05/its-your-business-new-pizza-place-downtown-urban Is this a franchise of a Reno pizza joint, or just a coincidence of name? http://www.blackrockpizza.com
Signs someone is “fishing” for a factual anchor: 1. Starts call to radio with: “I’ve been an Illini fan for (XX) years” or “I’m a diehard fan,” as if somehow that unverifiable claim will justify the 5 minutes of B.S. that follows. 2. Makes reference to KenPom…
That’s what she said.
Black dog and Siam terrace is where I always go after my divorces.
Love CSR. Apart from making my way through the regular roasts in 1/2 pound increments, I also like to pick up some of the little sample packets of the flavored stuff for when the lady and I feel like getting crazy. Sticky Bun is pretty nice.
If you happen to be getting a divorce, or fighting a DUI prosecution, downtown Urbana is a great place to eat.
HUUUUUUGE fan of their Black Velvet roast…It makes up about 75% of my coffee intake. LOL CSR is definitely one of those Champaign institutions that I brag about to people not from here. :-)
We like CSR too! We french press at home and I leave the lid off while it steeps—letting the ground beans bloom. Then, like in your tasting, I scoop off the top layer before pressing. We really need to invest in a burr grinder though, as I…
Confidential? In this state? Hahahahahahahhahahaha
just confirmed: there will be white russians served. the art abides.
big lebowski at the art. mark it, dude.
There’s a great video promo out for “Company” too: http://vimeo.com/36077847
Wow, His Majesty took the time to answer your polite plea. It’s been a while since I spoke fluent arrogance, but allow this attempt at a translation: “I deeply regret the embarrassment…” = I wish we hadn’t got caught and it wasn’t a big deal really. “...and…
I love the Guitars
I had their tea at the Urbana Farmer’s Market when they first started out and it was great! Their tins recently caught my eye at Walnut Street Tea Company and my guests used it all up before I could even try it! Way to go Tiesta, stay…
Im fine with missing ingredients and of course they fixed things what restaurant fights with the customer over things like that anymore. ( the way social media could affect them) My problem is that I am visiting you place of business within the first week of opening.…
Thanks for that, Louis CK.
Your call to stay pissed is precisely why global warming fanatics will fail. Emotion has no place in hard science. The problem with the issue of global warming is that is has been pumped full of emotion and politics, and the science is becoming a by-product. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577171531838421366.html?KEYWORDS=global+warming
Clearly the Postal Officials in favor of this cannot make an economic argument, as this saves the post office $0. What is their rationale?
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UPDATE: Evil Tents have regrettably had to cancel their appearance at tonight’s show. Closing out this evening’s festivities at Mike N Molly’s will be the ambient noise drone project, Urbana’s own Marathon. Thanks for understanding folks; Evil Tents will be back at MnM’s later this month. Raincheck. Cool? Cool.