Thrills and spills from the Black Hills: the entertainment scene in Rapid City, South Dakota, and beyond
Thrills and spills from the Black Hills: the entertainment scene in Rapid City, South Dakota, and beyondThrills and spills from the Black Hills: the entertainment scene in Rapid City, South Dakota, and beyondThrills and spills from the Black Hills: the entertainment scene in Rapid City, South Dakota, and beyondThrills and spills from the Black Hills: the entertainment scene in Rapid City, South Dakota, and beyond
The Offspring will perform tonight, May 26, at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City; at this time tickets are still available at www.gotmine.com.
Although initial press releases listed the concert as taking place in the ice arena, the event has been moved to the civic center’s Don Barnett stadium/arena. I called the civic center and spoke with Tammy Egermeier, who said that the change was for better seating; once they started setup, they realized the Barnett arena would just be a much better concert location than the ice arena.
Tickets cost $29.50-$39.50, and The Offspring will be joined by Street Dogs and the Alkaline Trio. I won’t be attending, but a good friend will; if by the end of the night he remembers what songs were played, he will report back to me and I’ll update here.
Local rock band Sonic Future isn’t the headlining act at this Wednesday’s show, but they’re always a highlight no matter where they are in the lineup. Sonic Future’s music is sophisticated and compelling, and the songwriting is stellar.
Other bands set to play include Union Pulse, an alt-grunge-folk band from Milwaukee playing mellow songs with a tinge of Tom Petty-meets-Pearl Jam, and Fairbanks Blue. $5 all ages, 8 p.m., The Retired Enlisted Association.
The fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community.
But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis.
The Garden follows the plight of the farmers, from the tilled soil of this urban farm to the polished marble of City Hall. Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight back, and demand answers:
Why was the land sold to a wealthy developer for millions less than fair-market value? Why was the transaction done in a closed-door session of the LA City Council? Why has it never been made public?
And the powers-that-be have the same response: “The garden is wonderful, but there is nothing more we can do.”
If everyone told you nothing more could be done, would you give up?
The Oscar-nominated film will be presented at 6:30 p.m. tonight (that’s Monday, May 25) at the Elks Theatre. Voices of the Heartland Independent Film Society is presenting the movie in conjunction with Dakota Rural Action’s Small Farms Committee. The discussion after the screening will focus both on the film and the local-foods movement in this area.
Canadian pop band Article One (grownup website, MySpace page) will bring their mild sound and perky Christian lyrics to Rapid City’s Elks Theatre at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, May 23. Tickets are $5 in advance, $7 day of show.
What pretty hair! And they look so moody. That’s how you can tell a band is good.
According to a MySpace bulletin last week by lead guitarist Ryan, Morbid Serenity will not perform at this Saturday’s Hot Topic show after all:
Source of Solace will still perform at this event. Morbid Serenity however will not be able to play this concert. Recent events with Natalie Stone’s absences due to her father’s health situation have made this show impossible. I will not perform as the vocalist of Morbid Serenity in the future shows. I can’t sing, you all know this. And having to cover vocal duties are compromising my ability to play guitar on the songs properly. Until the situation with Natalie becomes more stable, we will be on hold. Gaddy Entertainment will still continue to promote and host events, however Morbid Serenity will not be part of the lineup.
[emphasis mine]
Source of Solace is still playing, if you enjoy that sort of thing. The show is free and starts at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 23, at the Rushmore Mall, and although I have no legitimate excuse to avoid this show (it’s within my price range, starts while I’m still awake, and probably won’t be hit by a tornado and/or tsunami) I still won’t be there. Why won’t you be attending? Swine flu? Have to wash your hair? World of Warcraft? Herpes outbreak? Can’t stop browsing Sorry I Missed Your Party?
The annual bicycle-fest that is the Fat Tire Festival starts this Friday, May 22; it’s primarily focused on mountain biking but includes mountain climbing, races, pleasure rides, a triathlon, a film festival, vendors and demos.
Saturday’s barbecue at the Executive Golf Course will feature live music by The Outlaws of Poker Flat. If you’re into dusty Americana music, grilled meat, and people talking about bicycles with a machismo typically reserved for motorcycles, this is the event for you.
This Wednesday, May 20, Ifrits Hookah Lounge in Rapid City presents Point Juncture, WA, which is a band that actually hails from Portland, Oregon — not from any part of Washington at all. Wherever they’re from, they play bright, sparkling indie pop with distortion and horns. The style and mood reminds me of Tilly and the Wall.
In addition to the acts listed on the flyer above (Point Juncture, WA; Cabinet of Natural Curiosities; Sun Cats), I understand that local rock band Beast Mode is also planning to perform.
Admission is $8, and the show is only open to those 18 and older. Music starts at 8 p.m.
Their epic, shuddering songs aren’t constructed like ordinary rock songs. The only comparison I can think of is that it has movements, like classical music, instead of a familiar verse-chorus-verse-etc. structure. And the rhythms are just as unexpected; no 4-4 beats here, not by a long shot. When Woman Is the Earth is onstage, it’s intense. These guys could rattle the teeth out of your head.
Not only did Jon drum so fast his hands were a blur, he also simultaneously controlled the lights and fog machine. It was AWESOME. And kind of scary.
The show was a CD release event for Woman Is the Earth’s debut album.
Here’s what the band had to say on their MySpace blog about the project:
“The four songs were recorded in our basement by mixing our live guitar cabs, drums, and vocals. We did this, instead of directly inputting, to make it sound as natural and accurate as possible with the resources we had. The songs were mixed via computer, but no digital or computer post-effects were added to the mix. All sounds heard on the recordings are the results of analog effects. We are pleased with the outcome of this because we think it represents our live sound very well whilst complying with our DIY ethics. Hope you enjoy.”
The album’s presentation is interesting — a handmade poster that appears to be a woodcut image is folded origami-style around the CD itself, using no tape or other packaging materials. Available in several different colors.
So much for the exterior of the CD. I’ll let you know about the inside shortly.
The demented, sludgy metal of Corundum (still not a typo for conundrum) inspired no dancing; instead, attendees stood in a semi-circle around the stage and nodded along slowly to the massive, plodding rhythm.
Setlist, and so many drumsticks! A half-dozen more were tucked about the drumset.
The reason for the extra sticks was quickly obvious: He beats the drum slowly… but with great force.
This dude with a skateboard was a little too into the music. A good night’s sleep and a pot of coffee or two probably would have helped him.
Only one more band to go — and it’s the one everybody came to see: Woman Is the Earth, releasing their debut CD. Stay tuned.
Entries (RSS)