Hey! What are you doing this weekend? Oh, you're not opening for St. Vincent?

Congratulations, you're inferior! (Don't worry, I am too.)

On the other hand, senior Rosie Newton is doing just fine considering she and her friends in The Red Lions are slated to open for St Vincent on the Ithaca stop of their nationwide tour. Nice.

I'm always reminded of why I love IC so much when I go to shows. Regardless of the fact that Cornell's got almost 4 times our student body, it's always the Ithaca College kids packing the front rows. Every time, without fail, we come the earliest, stay the latest, and sing the loudest. Last weekend's They Might Be Giant's show at the State Theater was no exception.

The John's put on a fantastic set of awkwardly awesome nerd-rock, complete with the best confetti cannons I've seen since last I saw the Flaming Lips. While they featured a lot of fabulous stuff off their new album "Science Is Real", they made sure to fit in their best loved songs as well. Istanbul (not Constantinople), Birdhouse In Your Soul, and Don't Let's Start were all definite crowd favorites, but nothing beat the explosion of geeky goodness when they closed with Ana Ng and confetti cannons streaming. Totally awesome.

Hit the gallery for a miasma of incandescent plasma (aka, pictures of the show).

The brief yet harsh cloudburst Wednesday night did nothing to deter the crowd of eager ticketholders at Castaways door from their goal: one of the most amazing shows in one of the smallest venues that Sufjan Stevens has played in years. Buzzing with anticipation, the crowds came early and eagerly to claim their front row spots for this uniquely amazing show.

Kicking off the show was Cryptacize, a band that's been personally nurtured from the beginning by Sufjan himself. Signed to his label Asthmatic Kittie, they've been accompanying him on this recent tour, and complimenting his music style perfectly. Playing a sunny and charmingly off-kilter pop rock, Cryptacize and lead singer Nedelle Torrisi set the tone perfectly for the evening. Highlights for me were a beautiful Beach Boys cover ("Because we're from California" Nedelle chimes in) and "Constant Sing-Along," their disarmingly charming set-closer.

Coming onstage to set up his impressive array of pedals, Sufjan took a minute to chat with the almost frighteningly enthusiastic fans in the front row before launching into a set front-loaded with brand new songs. Sporting a slightly electronic edge, Sufjan's new songs were alternately beautifully soothing and shockingly epic (the epicness mainly due to his horn player, one of the best I've seen lately) and though they weren't his most well-known songs by any stretch, proved just as enjoyable in a "You never know what kooky awesome hi-jinks Sufjan will get up to next" kind of way.

While these new songs were thoroughly entrancing, as Sufjan and his band launched into his best loved material the energy in the room definitely kicked up a notch.  "Casimir Pulaski Day," "The Dress Looks Nice On You," and "To Be Alone With You" were met with nothing short of a rapturous response from the audience, as Sufjan showed definitively the sunning strength that somehow comes through the fragility of his music. No one though, was prepared for the awesome that was "Chicago." Played in the worn wooden room of Castaways, the warmth of the song was amazing, and it truly seemed as if we were hearing it in a way that was very rarely heard, but was really the way it should be. Remarkable. Finishing off the night with two separate encores, The first new and the second "John Wayne Gacy Jr.," Sufjan left Ithaca dazed by his unique brand of amazing.
 

You'd think that after a year at Ithaca College, I'd stop being surprised at how much talent this campus holds. But whenever I go to something like SAB's Open Mic Night, I'm always amazed at what my fellow classmates can do.

Last night in the Pub, many of IC's students showcased their skills in front of their peers. I was thrilled to see a lot of fellow students struttin' their stuff on stage. I never have a problem with boys and guitars, and the "boys with guitars" demographic were out in full force on Thursday night. My favorite was a fellow from Sri Lanka, a junior named Oshan Gunawardana who graced us with my favorite John Mayer song, "Why Georgia." Dan Licata and Joe Pera offered up a short play called "A Captain's Desire: Yours Truly From Across the Sea" (also starring Katie Henly), the highly entertaining content of which I cannot describe in this parent-friendly blog. (Ed.: Aw, c'mon, parents are grown-ups too!) Musical groups Drinking Party, Passing Through, and the Jam Burgers also gave quite a show, but my favorite was a band of three freshman called Two Weeks In. This delightful trio did an acoustic version of the infamous 3Oh!3 song "Don't Trust Me," complete with (get this!) trumpet. Oh, Ithaca College, how I love you...

Check out pictures in the gallery to your right, and keep your eye out for SAB's next Open Mic Night for more talent and fun.

1. The set in Emerson Suites this past Friday was nothing short of a life-changing experience. Playing a solo show consisting mainly of "ancient s**t," (his words) John Darnielle managed to lull hundreds of normally boisterous college students to a haunting silence during one of the most beautiful, raw performances I've ever seen.

2. The new songs he played were amazing! He debuted at least two songs for the first time ever for us, and they met every expectation. "Deuteronomy 2:12" and "Genesis 30:3" were the most memorable for me, with the latter being a far-and-away favorite. Something about the simplicity of the chorus line -- "I will do what you ask me to do because of how I feel about you" -- just gave me shivers. Can't wait to hear them on the upcoming album The Life Of The World To Come.

3. John was wearing a Farm Sanctuary shirt! Supporting one of the greatest organizations in the Ithaca area is always a good thing. When I met him before the show he even had a pocketful of Farm Sanctuary flyers he was passing out. Check it!

4. Dude really and truly loves his fan base. The set was the definition of a "fans' set," with John playing the best, oddest selections from the whole breadth of his recording career. Tuning his guitar once, he prefaced the song with "I wrote this back when I didn't really know how to play guitar, so even if it still sounds like that, at least it'll be in tune!" In addition to these old, rough gems, he delivered the best and most loved songs from Zopilote Machine, Sunset Tree, and Heretic Pride, pleasing the old and new fans alike. I don't think anyone was left desiring anything after firey impassioned singalongs such as "Dance Music" and "This Year."

5. He closed with "Best Ever Death Metal Band Out Of Denton," complete with the whole crowd shouting along with a frightening ecstacy to the ending lines "Hail Satan! Hail Satan, tonight!" Geez, what a way to end a show. Amazing. (Ed.: I particularly like the contrast here with the whole Bible theme of his new stuff -- JD's got both sides of the equation covered.)

Hit the gallery for some delightfully snarly pics from the whole affair!

The IC Bureau of Concerts, along with the ubiquitous Dan Smalls, presents Mountain Goats tonight at 8 at Emerson Suites. Tickets cost something in advance, something more at the door (whaddya want from me, research?).

Here are five things you should probably know:

1. The name "Mountain Goats" remains plural whether or not core member John Darnielle is playing with a band or alone. One assumes this is because no one would pay good money to see "Mountain Goat," though it's also likely that Mr. Darnielle is continuing along the same American indie thread of names styled to befuddle audiences (Ted Leo/Pharmacists, Akron/Family, Al Roker Death Cult Wind Ensemble).

2. Mountain goats as we know them in the U.S. are called oreamnos americanus, and are unique to North America. They differ from the "true" goat species found elsewhere on the planet. The sort of real goat that might live on a mountain falls under capra aegagrus; in essence, wild goat. They live in packs of up to 500 and inhabit mountainous regions from southern Europe through central Asia and across the Indian subcontinent. Little is known about their taste in music.

3. John Darnielle at one time worked as a psychiatric nurse, which no doubt came in handy while on that Barenaked Ladies cruise ship gig a while back.

4. Mountain Goats love to create song cycles, the most robust of which is the "Going to" series of nearly 50 songs ("Going to Bangor," "Going to Bogota." etc.). Which I suppose kinda makes MG the Hope and Crosby of the musical underground.

5. Darnielle has written more English-language songs about the Mesoamerican deity Quetzalcoatal than anyone else ever has or will, unless Rush decide to crank up the concept album machine one last time.

 

Here's a clip of Mountain Goats doing "Woke Up New" -- enjoy the show!

It's official: I have a new favorite Ithaca tradition. It's Porchfest, a festival of musicians playing on porches and front lawns in Ithaca. I spent Sunday blissfully wandering around Ithaca, following the music. My first stop was to see The Small Kings, described as "Post-pop Funk-daddy rockers on Bluegrass" on the Porchfest website.

Members of the Small Kings.

I was instantly drawn in, not just to the music, but to the whole atmosphere of the event. It seemed like all of Ithaca was there, from college students like me to families with babies and couples galore. Already psyched to see who else was playing, I wandered away down the street. I ran into quite a few wonderful musicians in the next couple hours.

Johnny Zachman charmed audiences with music and a smile.

Nate, of folk pair Nate & Kate.

Members of the Fall Crikkers.

Not only were the bands wonderful, but the people watching was some of the best I've ever participated in.

My favorite pair of the day- learning to play ukulele with Ukuelelese as a Second Language.

A fan of the Yardvarks.

I even spotted two IC professors out enjoying the day! Yes, apparently they do have lives outside of the classroom. Who knew?

By the end of the day, I was exhausted but happy. Community events like these are some of my favorite parts of living in a town like Ithaca, and Porchfest was an example of a community gathering at its best. I walked away humming one of the many tunes I'd heard that day, already excited for next year.

If you were lucky enough to catch Ra Ra Riot's show at Castaways Thursday night (and so many people were! The place was packed to the gills) your head's probably still buzzing from the radiant indie-pop that was positively brimming from the venue. Hailing from Syracuse, they're easily one of the best bands to come out of the upstate area in recent memory, and they proved it with a passion at this show.

Following stellar and thoroughly groove-able sets from Princeton and Maps And Atlases, Ra Ra Riot took to the stage and treated the packed house to the soaring orchestral dance-pop that made their debut LP "The Rhumb Line" one of the best albums of 2008. Sawing away at their various instruments (violin and cello included) they energized that Thursday night like rocket engine strapped to a Buick, sounding something like a mix between the Arcade Fire, Passion Pit, and Vampire Weekend. The best part of the show, though, was that you could tell that the band was having just as fun a time as the audience. Singing along with the crowd to their own songs, it was a magical night for all involved.

The School of Music's "Recitalist Extraordinaire" series this year is, to put it mildly, a stellar lineup of musicians. Kicking off tomorrow in Ford Hall, the series boasts three performances featuring some of the most amazing internationally known artists in the classical sphere today.

Tomorrow starts off the concert series with performances by Zuill Bailey and Awadagin Pratt, playing cello and piano respectively. Bailey is an avid chamber musician, and has appeared in concert with many acclaimed musicians including Itzkah Perlman, Janos Starker, and the Juilliard String Quartet. Here, he and Awadagin Pratt will play side by side, delivering a performance that is sure to turn everyone's mind to strawberry Jell-O in the best way possible. Pratt, acclaimed for his intensely involving performances, is the only musician ever in the history of Peabody Conservatory Of Music to receive diplomas in three performance areas (piano, violin, and conducting). He's performed twice at the White House at the invitation of the president, and is a strong advocate of music education.

Look forward to the entire concert series. All shows start at 8:15 pm in Ford Hall, and prices are $26.50 for Ithaca College students, children, and senior citizens, and $53 for the general public.

In Ithaca this fall, the concert lineup is straight up absurd. Between St. Vincent, the Meat Puppets, Ra Ra Riot, Gov't Mule, Built to Spill, Sufjan Stevens at Castaways (Still. Can. Not. Believe. It.), and Dan Deacon and the Mountain Goats brought to us by our own Bureau of Concerts (BOC), I doubt there has ever been a fall before in which students and residents alike have had such plentiful opportunities to get so thoroughly up to the neck in the blissful sweatiness that is live music.

The Hold Steady

The icing, of course, on this cupcake of aural awesomeness has to be the Positive Jam. Aside from the fact that it's named after a Hold Steady song, this music fest on the shores of Stewart park (willow trees are SO rock 'n roll) can't NOT be a killer party considering the lineup. Starting off is Caution Children, an IC band that has been described as "Bruce Springsteen with bipolar disorder." They're followed by Deer Tick, the Rural Alberta Advantage, and the Felice Brothers, three bands whom I've had the total pleasure of seeing this year, and can say with complete conviction are amazing live.

Deer Tick

Topping off the festival lineup is the indisputably (I guess you could dispute it, but I would dispute it right back with a FERVOR) amazing Hold Steady. That's right; Craig Finn and the boys are back for the second time in three months because, apparently, they just love Ithaca that much. This July they came to Castaways (a nice underplay, after having opened for Dave Matthews Band all summer) and played a show that no one who was there will soon forget, as everyone's faces were rocked clean off.

Get ready for a set packed with stupendous sing-alongs, the best modern rock 'n roll out there, and one of the greatest mustaches in the music world.

The Hold Steady at Castaways this summer

The Jam starts at noon this Sunday -- a perfect Labor Day weekend treat. I'll be there from the very beginning, gathering concert photos, videos, and probably stories of failed attempts at socialization with the bands for your viewing pleasure here on Rattle! Come out for yourself, though, as you'll never find a better way to start out the new year.

As for the Hold Steady, don't be afraid to get up to the front during their set. Sometimes it hurts a little bit, but it's worth it.

There are so many concurrent FLEFF screenings and events this weekend, it’s almost hard for us to keep track of them all! We can’t possibly cover all of the worthy events here, but here goes nothing …

Saturday’s Highlights

1:00 p.m.: Ice Bears of the Beaufort -- This film shows the plight of polar bears near Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, who are in danger of losing a critical habit due to offshore oil drilling. This is the first feature film from director Arthur C. Smith III, who has contributed footage to National Geographic and Discovery Channel films. With directors Arthur and Jennifer Smith. (Cinemapolis, 55 minutes; with additional showing Sunday at 3:00 p.m.)
View the Trailer

2:30 p.m.: The Black Pirate -- In the second of three "Silent Films/Live Music" events, Fe Nunn and Friends and local poet Michelle Berry will perform during a screening of Albert Parker's 1926 swashbuckling classic. Will the Black Pirate (played by Douglas Fairbanks, who also wrote the story) save his love Isobel from certain doom? (Cinemapolis, 88 minutes)
FLEFF: Silent Films/Live Music

3:00 p.m.: A Class Apart -- This film, by Carlos Sandoval and Peter Miller, follows a team of unknown Mexican-American lawyer who took a 1951 Texas murder case all the way to the Supreme Court, and in the process challenged Jim Crow-style discrimination against Mexican-Americans. The panel discussion will include Tompkins County legislator Kathy Luz Herrera. (Fall Creek Pictures, 60 minutes) 

4:35 p.m.: Nuestros Desaparecidos (Our Disappeared) -- Filmmaker Juan Mandelbaum will be on hand for the screening of his documentary, which traces his efforts at discovering a long-lost girlfriend’s fate after the Argentine military’s 1976-1983 reign of terror. (Cinemapolis, 99 minutes; screens again at 9:00 p.m.)

8:30 p.m.: FLEFF After-party with Toivo and No Radio DJs (Lost Dog Lounge)

Sunday's Highlights

1:00 p.m.: At the Top of My Voice -- Set against the backdrop of the 2007 crackdown on democracy in the Republic of Georgia, the film follows activists Irakli Kakabadze and Anna Dolidze as they return to their native country to shine a light on the violence and corruption of President Saakashvili's regime and take part in monitoring his controversial reelection. The screening will feature live poetry readings and performances by activists Kakabadze and Dolidze. (Fall Creek Pictures, 60 minutes)

2:00 p.m.: Steve Tropiano reading -- Tropiano, IC television and radio professor and director of the College's program in Los Angeles, reads from and signs copies of his new book, Obscene, Indecent, Immoral, and Offensive: 100+ Years of Censored, Banned, and Controversial Films. Our guess is that nothing could shock Tropiano after writing this book. (The Bookery)
More on Tropiano's Indecent Book

7:00 p.m.: The Wildcat -- In an "exploration of cinematic and sexual spice" (spice being one of this year's programming streams), this 1921 silent film from Germany will be accompanied by live music from Robby Aceto on guitar, Peter Dodge on percussion and keyboards, and Chris White on cello. Considered to be one of Ernst Lubitsch's best films, this playfully subversive satire of military life is a forerunner of later films like M*A*S*H, Dr. Strangelove, and the work of Monty Python and Woody Allen. (Cinemapolis, 82 minutes)

8:30 p.m.: Korova After-party – Come toast the end of a long, busy week of FLEFF with staff, fans, and members of the local community. (Korova, on the Ithaca Commons)

Trailers and Clips

Clip from The Black Pirate

BostonLatino.tv Interview with Our Disappeared Director Juan Mandelbaum   

Dream Sequence from The Wildcat

 Today marks a day of FLEFF transition of sorts -- the last day of FLEFF events on IC's campus, and the first day things start to shift downtown. There's still tons more happening this weekend, so stay alert!

And remember -- why pay individually for each downtown screening when you can buy a festival pass? That you can share with your friends?? A five-screening pass is $40 (only $32.50 for students with ID) and can be purchased at Cinemapolis, Fall Creek, or the IC Bookstore. (As always, events on the IC campus are 100% free.)

Friday's Highlights: Ithaca College

10:30 a.m.: Toxin Lab -- "Brainjam" on Mexican and Latin American films with directors Juan Mandelbaum and Alexandra Halkin, facilitated by Cornell's Cecelia Lawless. No sign-ups are required for any of today's FLEFF Labs … just show up! Each lab is based on one of four FLEFF 2009 themes: toxins, spice, syncopation, and trade. (Park Hall soundstage, 90 minutes)

1:00 p.m.: Spice Lab -- Another "brainjam," this time regarding the Sticky Content online new media exhibition. With cocurator Dale Hudson. (Park Hall Studio A, 90 minutes)
More on "Sticky Content"

2:30 p.m.: Syncopation Lab -- This FLEFF Lab will investigate tactical media, sound design, and emergent technologies. With Nick Knouf, Claudia Pederson, and Arzu Ozkal Telhan. (Park Hall Studio A, 90 minutes)

2:30 p.m.: Trade Lab -- Get an inside look at the international art cinema business with Rodrigo Brandao. (Park Hall soundstage, 90 minutes)

4:00 p.m.: "How to Get Your Break" -- Moderator Steve Gordon is joined by screenwriter Julie Blumberg, agent Leslie Daniels, financier Steve Hays, producer and IC professor Mustapha Khan, and directors Juan Mandelbaum and John Valadez. Learn from the pros how to break through into the crowded world of independent film! (Park Auditorium)

Friday's Highlights: Downtown

7:00 p.m.: Nosferatu with live music -- In what could be one of the festival's most popular events, the 1922 German vampire silent classic will be accompanied by live music by Richard Faria, John Stetch, and Nicholas Walker. Get to this one early, folks! Use your festival; otherwise admission is $8.50 for each downtown screening. (Cinemapolis, 84 minutes)

7:00 p.m. Call and Response -- Justin Dillon's 2008 documentary goes deep undercover, from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of India, to reveal the dirtiest secrets behind the human slave trade. Celebrity interviews from the likes of Nicholas Kristof, Cornel West, and Ashley Judd are combined with performances by Moby, Cold War Kids, Imogen Heap, Talib Kweli, Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, and other musical luminaries. (Fall Creek Pictures, 86 minutes)
Read about Call and Response on the FLEFF Blog

7:00 p.m. Che -- Bring a friend, a comfy pillow, and some No-Doz … Steven Soderbergh's epic, two-part, four-hour-plus biography of the Argentinian revolutionary will screened in its entirety with one intermission. You can buy tickets for both parts for a reduced price of $12. If you can't make it tonight, Cinemapolis/Fall Creek will run Che through at least April 9. (Fall Creek Pictures, 257 [!] minutes)

And don't miss tonight's after-party at the Lost Dog Lounge at 8:30 p.m., with the Upson-Loveall Duo and DJ Tico!
Lost Dog Cafe Website
 

Trailers and Clips

The silent classic Nosferatu is in the public domain -- so check out the entire 1922 film and see how its music compares to tonight's live performance!

Call and Response trailer

Steven Soderbergh's Che

Some of you might have noticed that the power went off for about 15 minutes Wednesday afternoon. Let's just say it's going to take more than a temporary cut in electricity to slow down the FLEFF locomotive! Thursday ramps up the action with the usual broad assortment of screenings, plus several artists' events and an evening concert downtown. But get this -- the unbelievable amount of happenings this weekend is going to make Thursday's program look like Romper Room.

If you like what you're seeing at FLEFF this week -- or if you have suggestions for next year -- feel free to comment on this or any Rattle post using the comment section at bottom.

Thursday's Highlights

9:25 a.m.: Tulia, Texas -- Through its scrupulous investigation of a landmark legal case, Cassandra Herrman and Kelley Whalen's documentary convincingly shows how the "war on drugs" has become a war on due process, waged against African Americans. With faculty facilitator Todd Schack. (Park Hall 285, 54 minutes)

1:10 p.m.: The Route of the Chontaduro -- This film documents the life cycle of the chontaduro, an exotic and supposedly aphrodisiac fruit that is transported from deep to the jungle to the biggest cities in South America. Filmmaker Alexander Gonzalez Tascon and IC professor Stewart Auyash will be on hand to lead a discussion in this FLEFF Lab presentation. (Hill Center 57, 50 minutes)

2:35 p.m.: Health for Sale -- The 10 largest pharmaceutical companies in the world accumulate $205 billion in pretax profits -- more than the combined profits of the 490 other Fortune 500 companies. Are these companies, paradoxically, presenting a collective obstacle to global public health? With faculty facilitator Karen Edwards, assistant professor of health promotion and physical education. (Hill Center 53, 53 minutes)

2:35 p.m.: The Carbon Connection -- This film focuses on two locations on opposite sides of the world both suffering from side effects of the "emission trade." In Brazil, a company uses carbon credits to "outsource" their industrial pollution; while in Scotland, an oil refinery faces few constraints in its ecological plunder after paying its "carbon bill." (Park Hall 270, 40 minutes)

5:00 p.m.: FLEFF Artists' Reception -- Installation artists Ray Ghirardo and Megan Roberts, whose "Water Theory" exhibition runs at the Handwerker Gallery through April 5, will be present at this opening reception, as will Pamela Mei Leng See. (Roberts and Ghirardo will also host a talk earlier in the day at noon, also in the gallery.) (Handwerker Gallery, Gannett Center)
Read more about "Water Theory"
Handwerker Gallery Website

8:00 p.m.: Sheherazade Trio -- IC faculty members Jennifer Hayghe (piano), Elizabeth Simkin (cello), and Susan Waterbury (violin) named their trio after the mythical "Arabian Nights" storyteller who told 1,001 beguiling tales to save her own life. The trio takes on Paul Schoenfield's 1987 work, "Café Music," as well as Maurice Ravel's Trio for Piano, Violin, and Cello (1914) against a backdrop of ambient media projections from Microcinema International, mounted by Ann Michel, Phil Wilde, and Tom Nicholson. (Unitarian Church, corner of Buffalo and Aurora Streets, Ithaca)
Read More about the Concert

Trailers and Clips

Tulia, Texas

Health for Sale

The Carbon Connection

Greetings, FLEFF fans of all ages! You've done it ... you've made it through two brain-draining days of the best darn film festival around. Now you know why Ithaca College has approximately 57,000 coffee stands on campus!

Wednesday's Highlights

Noon: Breast Cancer: The Estrogen Connection -- Filmmakers Ann Michel and Phil Wilde join IC faculty member Julie Boles, coordinator of the preprofessional program at the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance, for a FLEFF Lab screening and discussion. The documentary examines how ingredients in a wide array of consumer products can mimic the hormone estrogen, thereby increasing cancer risk in women. (Center for Health Sciences 202, 11 minutes)

4:00 p.m.: New World Water -- Codirector William O'Marra will be on hand for a post-screening talk on his film, which uses colorful images and crisp narration to document how the nation of Madagascar is proactively coping with water-related issues. Stewart Auyash, associate professor of health promotion and physical education, will facilitate the discussion. (Hill Center 56, 40 minutes)

4:00 p.m.: Prometheus's Garden -- underground animator Bruce Bickford, perhaps best known for his collaborations with '70s prog-rock icon Frank Zappa, crafted this feature inspired by the Greek myth about Prometheus, the Titan who created the first mortals from clay. The medium for his film? Clay animation, naturally. (Park Hall 219, 58 minutes)

7:00 p.m.: Blood on the Flag: Local Civil Disobedience -- The living members of the "St. Patrick's Four" -- Clare Grady, Teresa Grady and Daniel Burns -- and other special guests will pay tribute to SP4 member Peter DeMott, who passed away earlier this year. IC writing professor Fred Wilcox and local activist Mary Anne Grady will also be in attendance, and IC politics professor Beth Harris will serve as moderator. (Friends Hall 309)
Read More about This Event

7:00 p.m.: High Stakes Testing -- Director John Valadez will appear to discuss his documentary, which is a examination of the far-reachign implications of the No Child Left Behind Act, one of the Bush administration's signature educational reforms. Professor of strategic communication Gordon Rowland will facilitate the discussion. Valadez continues his FLEFF appearances with a Spice Lab on Friday morning, a "How to Get Your Break" seminar Friday afternoon, and screenings of his Tejano music doc La Onda Chicana Saturday and Sunday at Cinemapolis and Fall Creek, respectively. (Location TBD, 60 minutes)

Well, you did it. Somehow you made through a long day of running between Williams Hall, CNS, CHS, Textor Hall, the business school, and the Park School to catch all those FLEFF screenings. Only six more glorious days to go!

Tuesday’s Highlights

9:25 a.m.: Made in L.A. -- Traces the efforts of three Latina garment workers who face an uphill battle in attempting to hold an American retailer accountable for poor labor conditions. (Smiddy Hall 325, 70 minutes)

12:05 p.m.: Children of the Amazon -- Follows Brazilian filmmaker Denise Zmekhol as she travels a modern highway deep into the Amazon in search of the indigenous Surui and Negarote children she photographed 15 years ago. (Friends Hall 210, 73 minutes) 

1:10 p.m.: Dispatches 4 -- A collection of short films reporting from Falluja, Umm Qasr, Sadr City, and other locations in Iraq that mainstream media dare not tread. (Park Hall 277) 

2:35 p.m.: She’s a Boy I Knew -- An "auto-ethnography" that traces Steven/Gwen Haworth's male-to-female gender transition, using archival family footage, interviews, phone messages, and hand-drawn animation. (Center for Health Sciences 208, 70 minutes) 

6:50 p.m.: We Feed the World -- A film about food and globalization, fishermen and farmers, the flow of goods and cash … about scarcity amid plenty. How is that close to a billion of Earth's 7 billion citizens go hungry? (Hill Center 56, 96 minutes)

Trailers and Clips

Children of the Amazon

Made in L.A.

She's a Boy I Knew

Happy Monday! Or, we should say … happy FLEFF-day! Today kicks off the annual Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival (FLEFF), which runs through Sunday, April 5.

For those not in the know, FLEFF is "a one-week multimedia interarts extravaganza that reboots the environment and sustainability into a larger global conversation." For those whose response might be "say huh?" let's just say that it's a week chock-full of excellent, thought-provoking movies, concerts, galas, workshops, and other events that you just can't find anywhere else. 

The festival spends most of its time on the Ithaca College campus now through Thursday, then mostly shifts to downtown with tons more screenings at Cinemapolis and Fall Creek Pictures. And did we mention that just about every screening and event is absolutely free?!

Monday's Highlights

10:00 a.m.: Gimme Green -- A humorous look at the American obsession with the residential lawn and the effects it has on our environment, our wallets, and our outlook on life. (Park Hall 281, 28 minutes)

4:00 p.m.: Blue Gold in the Garden of Eden -- As the world enters the 21st century, "progress" and "development" compete with the greater good in the cradle of Western civilization as countries and other groups clash over uses of the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers. (Friends Hall 309, 58 minutes)

4:00 p.m.: Traces of Trade: A Story from the Deep North -- Hear the story of how one woman uncovers her New England family's deep involvement in the Triangle Slave Trade and, in so doing, reveals the pivotal role slavery played in the growth of the whole American economy. (Williams Hall 218, 51 minutes)

4:30 p.m.: FLEFF Lab: Brown Cloud Paper Cutting -- Artist Pamela See is among Australia's foremost emergent talents in the visual arts. An Australian born from Chinese descent, See uses the traditional folk art of paper cutting to narrate the migrant experience. In the spirit of the ready-made, her application of paper cutting technique to found objects breaks with art and also crafts conventions. See returns for another FLEFF Lab at noon Tuesday in the Handwerker Gallery; she also gives a gallery talk with fellow new media artist Jolene Rickard Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Park Hall 279. (Handwerker Gallery)

8:15 p.m.: "Wood That Sings" live concert with film projection -- This FREE concert features the premiere of a new work for marimba, percussion, and violin by IC music professor Gordon Stout and explores "syncopation," one of FLEFF 2009's programming streams. The performers will play against a backdrop of projections of ambient media curated and DJ'ed by Ann Michel and Phil Wilde of Insights International.

More Info on "Wood That Sings"
Get the Full Schedule of Events
Capsule Descriptions of Each Film

And what is "syncopation," you ask? Perhaps our trailer can answer your question -- or at least tease your brain for a minute and five seconds:

The final performances of two French operas, Pauline Viardot's Cendrillon and Maurice Ravel's L'Enfant et les sortilèges, will be held at 8:00 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, in the Hoerner Theater. And yes, you should be there.

I'm the first to admit that the totality of my opera experience was shaped not by evenings at La Scala or the Met, but rather by those master thespians of the animated age, Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes ensemble. Surely Wagner himself never conjured a scene of such villainy as Elmer Fudd's chilling litany of doom: "Norf winds bwow! Souf winds bwow! Typhoons! Huwwicanes! Earfquakes! Smog!"

Anyway, if Elmer and Bugs taught me anything about opera, it's that tradition holds the spectacle of an ample soprano flying above the stage like a zeppelin in chiffon far outweighs whatever linguistic or cultural barriers might exist between 19th century European composer and 21st century schlub just there to appease his missus (even if only because it reminds him of '80s hair metal shows).

Luckily for me and the rest of the ignoratti, the immensely talented and fit non-cartoon players in our productions took lessons in aerial performance, which you can read about here (I'd show you a video, but stupid YouTube is being stupid).

The musical and theatrical folks responsible have done some excellent work to create a pretty special show, so if you haven't already checked it out make sure you get out to see this one. This is probably your only chance to see your friends sing at the top of their lungs while flying -- at least without earning a Homeland Security beat down.

Of course, that wouldn't be too out of place. To quote Bugs: "Well what did you expect from an opera? A happy ending?"

It's a funny ol' place, this Ithaca. One minute you're desperately trying to unstick your frozen tongue from the flagpole following a somewhat foolhardy stab at self-amusement; the next every single cool Canadian band in history is playing in town.

Tonight rock music's answer to chamomile tea, Cowboy Junkies, will be ensconced at the State Theater. Since they brought the glories of church acoustics to the most committed atheist, you can probably count on a mighty fine performance (though don't be surprised if they've kicked it up a notch or two from the old days -- Michael Timmins apparently believes age and feedback should advance in step).

Friday your very own IC Bureau of Concerts has helped to bring Montreal's Stars to the State, and this reporter is kinda thrilled. For the uninitiated, Stars are another of those semi-orchestral pop treats that have become the specialty of Canadian indie gods Arts&Crafts (Broken Social Scene, Feist, Constantines, Dears). They sing real purty-like, and their newer stuff just sounds BIG (though I remain a devotee of earlier tracks like "Elevator Love Letter"). With students from "that other school" also getting a deal on tickets, they may be going fast. Best get on it lest the cool kids think you...um...less cool.

And just in case your thirst for Canadiana remains unslaked, head (New) Pornographer A.C. Newman will be here March 10 to prove once and for all that red hair and power pop are not mutually exclusive. Dude's got more hooks than a one-handed pirates convention.

No matter where you end up this weekend (well, okay, I probably shouldn't leave that quite so open-ended), we want to hear about it, see pics, et cetera. Use that comments thingie, people.

And if you get backstage with Amy Millan from Stars, let her know I think she could kick Feist's ass any day of the week.

Rattle knows not everyone could make it home for break (for that matter, we also know some of you would rather chew off your own ears than ride an ever-ripening bus for six miserable hours to hear another chorus of "those pants are horrible -- what were you thinking?"). We feel your pain.

There's not much action on campus this weekend, but Billy Bragg will be at the State Theatre Saturday night, which pretty much makes up for missing out on a weekend spent having awkward moments at Starbucks with your high school ex.

We're pretty spoiled for choice here in Ithaca, with some of the best indie, soul, rock, and world music year-round. But Billy Bragg is special. He's the post-punk folky love child of Woody Guthrie and Joe Strummer, and for the last 25 years he's made some of the best music you'll ever hear. His Mermaid Avenue collaborations with Wilco were epic, and his solo records bite and snarl like two pitbulls in a bird cage. Countless pop-punk and emo bands would kill to sound this tough, and Billy tends to do most of it alone with just his guitar and his guts. The pre-Madonna Guy-Ritchie-thug-movie/soccer 'ooligan accent probably doesn't hurt.

There are so many killer songs, but if you don't know Billy's stuff, you should start at the beginning with "A New England." Just don't hold the 1983 haircut against him -- different times, me pups.

Get your tickets here. If you shoot any pics at the show, send us a link with your comments and we'll flaunt your shutterbug magic.

Marianne is a sophomore and a DJ at WICB.

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