2008 Woodie Awards
Anime Boston invaded Beantown's Hynes Convention Center over Easter weekend, and just like Christians flocking to midnight mass, anime fans from all over the East Coast made their yearly trek to this nerd-Mecca. While home in Massachusetts for Spring Break, I set out early Saturday morning, accompanied by my friend Al, to indulge in the prolific art form that is Japanese animation. Neither of us had attended an anime convention before, and unfortunately, neither of us will be attending Anime Boston again. Being super-negative isn't usually my bag, but taking part in Anime Boston was like waiting in line (for four hours!) to see a unicorn and then when it is your turn to finally see the mythical steed, it turns out to be a giant ugly horse.
Twelve students will perform in this year's honors recital, out of dozens who were nominated. The annual recital - in its 31st year - features the USM School of Music's most talented students in solo performance. They're nominated by faculty and then chosen by a panel of judges made up by faculty and outside guests.
On April 12, the USM School of Music will host their 31st annual honors recital. Each year, a jury of faculty and outside guest judges select six to twelve of the finest solo performers the school has to offer. "She or he can be a freshman, senior-it doesn't matter.
April 7 There will be a book-signing at USM with Suzanne Strempek Shea, winner of the New England Book Award for Fiction in 2000. Shea taught in the Stonecoast MFA program, and has written five novels. Check out her latest, "Sundays in America - A yearlong road trip in search of Christian faith," which was written after visiting churches all over the US.
Two under-the-radar, new-release DVDs engage in head-to-head combat. You don't have the time or money to go to the theater. Here's some help sorting through that daunting wall at the front of your friendly, local video store. The Amateurs Raygun Productions Starring Jeff Bridges, Tim Blake Nelson, Glenne Headly Andy Sargentee, a struggling divorcee and parent, comes to the conclusion that the only way to finally do something with his life is to get his entire small town to produce hardcore pornography.
After high school, most of my friends - scratch that, all of my friends - went off to college. I started a band. Didn't turn out to be much of a long-term commitment; we broke up after a highly tumultuous year of only a handful of concerts, a couple of demos and one radio session to show for it.
There is a buzz in the musically-inclined city of Portland, and it is one of pain. The city is hurting for a medium-sized music venue. Hurting badly. The State Theatre formerly served as the provider of quality entertainment to Portland. It wasn't as big as the Civic Center, but bigger than any club or bar.
I'm not a big fan of Shipyard to begin with, so I grabbed this six-pack with a bit of hesitation and low-expectations. Shipyard puts out a Brewer's Choice each year - a limited edition recipe from their in-house brew team. Typically, limited editions of anything tend to be a little better than their established counterparts, so I hoped this ale might be an improvement on some of Shipyard's more bland offerings (Prelude and their IPA come to mind).
