Stories for October 2005

Covert Artist

For Andiy Sullivan, all's fair in multi-media art and coffee-house bathrooms

The dreadlocked girl behind the counter at Henry's coffee shop is sweet as a double-shot vanilla latte with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. Andiy Sullivan also happens to be an artist.

In Full Blood

Local hip-hop group Archetype discusses new album 'Bleed for Them'

Since arriving in Lawrence six years ago, Archetype has been among the most consistent purveyors of innovation and excellence in the local hip-hop scene. The group's sophomore album "Bleed for Them" is a deft 15-song collection of soulful beats, superior production and introspective lyrics that builds on the young-and-hungry appeal of 2002's "Freehand Formula." Producer/lyricist Jeremy "Nezbeat" Nesbitt and chief lyricist Isaac "ID" Diehl stopped by to discuss the new record, the art of self-producing records, the state of the Lawrence hip-hop scene and much more.

Health Care Access Clinic delivers health care to the uninsured

Our weekly reminder that people aren't all bastards

In a country where profit still drives the health care system, it's refreshing to know that Lawrence still offers its uninsured residents a helping hand.

Style Scout: Curtis McCoy and Rachel Berkley

Rachel Berkley and Curtis McCoy

Q&A with Digable Planets

Back together after a decade apart, Digable Planets may not have been the first to fuse the laid-back hipster elements of jazz with hip-hop, but they did it better than anyone before or since. Their debut album "Reachin'" rode the single "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)," and eventually landed them a Grammy for Best New Group.

Poet's showcase

Living with Humans

Elusive 'Moby-Dick' surfaces in Lawrence

Call him Ishmael. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - actor Chris Moore thought he would sail about a little and explore the writing part of the theater world.

Appetite for destruction

Review: 'Popcorn' cast deftly raises social queries

Ben Elton's "Popcorn," directed by Ron Willis, received a spirited production at KU's Crafton-Preyer Theatre Friday night. The audience had been warned of the sex, violence and blue language - two of these three lie at the heart of "Oedipus Rex" - and none were seen leaving at intermission.

Flights of fancy

Brothers throw caution to wind - and catch it

You could tell the Flying Karamazov Brothers were in town Thursday night from the juggling pins and balls, signs, rotten pumpkins and one very interesting gourd flying through the air above the Lied Center stage.

Provocative 'Popcorn'

Violent, sexy play dishes up kernels of truth

Rated R for sexual content, illicit drug use and graphic violence. No, it's not the latest Quentin Tarantino flick. It's Kansas University Theatre's production of Ben Elton's controversial play, "Popcorn."

'Weather Man' both bright and gloomy

Dave Spritz is at his best when standing in front of a green screen. The TV weatherman can expertly gesture to things that aren't actually there while putting on a happy, relaxed demeanor for his Chicago viewing audience.

'Saturday Night' fever

Kansan Jason Sudeikis establishes comedic footing on 'SNL'

"Live from New York, it's Saturday night!" The kick-off slogan is as much a part of American pop culture as "Gentlemen, start your engines" and "Are you ready to rumble?"

Two restaurants fined for code violations

The owner of a carnival that provided entertainment at the Douglas County Fair has been cited by state health officials for operating without a food service license.

Exhibit explores link between art, poetry

In Japanese, there is only one word for drawing and writing. On traditional scrolls from the country, paintings and poetry often occupy the same swath of silk. And the artists typically used the same brush to create both.

KU v. K-State 'Survivor' update: Tribes finally merge

Amy voted out of Yaxha tribe

"I have open, festering sores," said Brandon Bellinger. "It sucks. But you go into these challenges and you just forget it."

'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere'

Lawrence bands assemble concert tribute to Neil Young

Neil Young "has a way of taking something really simple that anybody could play and making that completely his own. I think the voice has a lot to do with it, just because nobody sounds like him. Lyrically, and the way he puts his songs together, he's completely unique," says Dead Girls Ruin Everything frontman Cameron Hawk.

Review: Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil - Xbox

Going back to hell

Resurrection of Evil isn't the standalone expansion it could have been with its lack of multiplayer breadth. The single player experience holds up to the improvements made from its PC counterpart, though. It's still a game that any FPS fan should play at least once.

Review: Merce Cunningham dance show reflects unique vision

Dance, just like life, happens. Choreographer Merce Cunningham has pioneered this principle, and it is shown through his art. With the roll of a die, he can create a new dance piece and prove that dance can truly happen by chance.

Artistic expressions

Review: Merce Cunningham leaves too much to chance

At first glance, the Merce Cunningham performance Tuesday night at the Lied Center had all the elements of what could have been an inclusive art experience, an evening of dance with a little something for everyone. The program boasted music by British rock gods Radiohead and the experimental rock group Sigur RÃ³s, a factor that promised a good turn-out from the indie rock crowd, particularly husbands and boyfriends who are normally reluctant to attend dance performances.

Review: The Warriors - PS2, Xbox

The cult classic receives justice in the game translation

While the main story can be completed in under ten hours, Rockstar manages to keep the gameplay fresh the entire way through. It never gets repetitive, and you'll always be doing something different. I actually found myself enjoying the game more as I progressed farther through it.

Review: DDR: Mario Mix - Gamecube

Silly veteran, "Mix" is for kids!

DDR MM doesn't provide much of a DDR challenge, but it still provides a bit of fun for the right mood and audience. Even as much as I disliked the game, this is still a gem for younger kids who are looking to get into DDR.

Getting 'Honest'

Josh Kelley heads into Lawrence on heels of success to promote his newest album

Josh Kelley is living the rock-star dream.

Review: Shadow of the Colossus - PS2

You've never played anything like it

Shadow of the Colossus is a winner out of the box due to its originality. The adventure consists merely of a vast, sprawling overworld where you ride on horseback to one of 16 colossi, engaging in memorable boss battle after memorable boss battle. That's right. There are no pesky enemies along the way. None.

Review: SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs - PS2

Yes, that's how to correctly spell SEALs

Even if you don't plan on going online, the single player is good enough to warrant a purchase if you are into military-type games or action games. Either way, SOCOM 3 is a well-rounded game both online and off.

Review: The Con - PSP

I'll bet you'll bet only once...or something

If you're bored, give it a rent and get your "oh that's sort of interesting" interjection out of it. Other than that, there's not much that's gonna stick to the ribs.

Review: SSX On Tour - PSP

A fine portable mountain shred

On the whole SSX On Tour gets the job done. It's lightweight and accessible enough for the casual gamer, but there's still enough complexity in the combo system and difficulty in the later challengers and On Tour series to keep the hardcore gamers happy too.

'The Witch of Lok Island' offers fun performance for kids, adults

The Seem-To-Be Players' weekend production of "The Witch of Lok Island" was a very nice family show. It is the story of a young girl named Bella (Amelia Weil) who is treated unfairly by her village.

Casting bolsters performance by Czech Opera Prague

The Czech Opera Prague, directed by Martin Otava, gave new meaning to the term "light opera" as it presented a lighter-than-air performance of Johann Strauss' "Die Fledermaus" Saturday evening at the Lied Center.

Show's humor a pleasant surprise

Opera is an old art form, dating back more than 500 years - older even than the printing press - but it doesn't have to show its age. It has endured the test of time and still entertains audiences in new ways.

Review: Total Overdose: PS2, Xbox

Go El Mariachi on 'em all

Had enough bullet time yet? Since The Matrix came out in 1999, we've seen it in a ridiculous amount of action films and videogames, and now we can add Total Overdose to the list. While it's heavily influenced by Max Payne and Grand Theft Auto, it adds enough of its own style to make it worth trying out.

Who you gonna call?

Paranormal investigators seek to explain the unexplainable

Unexplained changes in temperature; sudden drops in the energy of batteries; feelings of "heaviness" in the air - these are the tools of the paranormal investigator. Well, the low-budget paranormal investigator at least.

'Fog' more akin to torture than to movie

ohn Carpenter's name is synonymous with horror films. A few films were not well received, but he's gone on to develop a cult status. His movie "The Fog" was not considered a huge hit, but has become near and dear to many horror film lovers' bloody hearts.

It's good to be used

In a world where high-end jeans come pre-ripped and frayed, Lawrence's evolving second-hand scene blurs socioeconomic lines

Children of the '80s may be the last to remember a time when second-hand clothing was less than rad.

'Domino' falls down

When studio heads heard "rich chick who became a bounty hunter," I'm sure they jumped at the chance to own the rights. When Keira Knightley signed on the play the lead and cut her hair, people were shocked and intrigued. After Mickey Rourke and names like Christopher Walken and Delroy Lindo rounded out the cast, the movie screamed big hit.

Review :: Archetype, "Bleed For Them"

At first glance the title and artwork adorning "Bleed For Them" suggest anything but what's actually on the album - a multitude of soul-flooded beats and fluid, introspective couplets.

Review :: Blackout Gorgeous, "Tragic Logic"

Blackout Gorgeous gathers a diverse group of musical personalities from the Lawrence/KC area. Producer Nezbeat is known for his work with local lyricists including Id (with whom he forms Archetype), while bassist Chris Handley regularly gigs with a variety of jam/fusion acts (DOJO, Tanner Walle). The rest of the group includes vocalist Tim Wurtz, guitarist Ryan Wurtz, vocalist/keyboardist Erin Keller and drummer Nick Urbom.

Style Scout: Patrick Clendenin and Nicole Young

Nicole Young and Patrick Clendenin

AmeriCorps volunteer builds 'giving library' and organizes youth service projects

Our weekly reminder that people aren't all bastards

Children visiting the Douglas County Dental Clinic can thank for Mary Thompson for the free book they get to take home with them.

A closer walk with art

Weekend tour opens artists' studios, creative spaces to curious perusers

A tradition is something we expect - maybe eagerly await - to happen every year.

Poet's Showcase

New Yorker cartoons may hold insights about online interactions

A lot of people have to spend hours analyzing cartoons in The New Yorker magazine to figure out why they're funny.

Review: Metroid Prime Pinball - DS

Pinball + Combat + Metroid = Fun

Although it may sound a little ridiculous, the special twists and good use of the hardware makes Metroid Prime Pinball a worthy addition to the growing DS library.

Review: Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects - PSP

Even more imperfect

For those of you who haven't had the misfortune of playing EA's console version of Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects let me sum it up: a paper-thin 3D fighter featuring characters from the Marvel Comics universe as well as original properties, the Imperfects (Matt already gave the home version the beating it deserved).

A dance encounter

Chance linked area teen and N.Y. dance company for creative collaboration

Two years ago, Robert Heishman had never heard of Merce Cunningham. He was just a teenager who took a photography class at Blue Valley High School to see whether he liked shooting pictures.

Review: Black & White 2 - PC

Slightly more linear than the first, but still good god-fun

Peter Molyneux will tell you, as many developers might, that he does not really like making sequels. And it shows. But even this average sequel to the incredibly well designed Black & White will still manage to impress the masses.

Powerful "North Country" pleads the court's mercy

These days it is difficult to understand how ridiculously hard it was for a woman like Josey Aimes just to be able to do her work at the male-dominated mine so she could put food on the table at home. It may have only been fourteen years ago, but it seems like another planet in "North Country"

Review: Lunar: Dragon Song - DS

Odd design choices hamper the fun

The series is usually able to keep things respectably simple and yet still entertain us with its inspiring characters and epic story of saving the world. While Dragon Song does both of these, it's the awkward mechanics of the gameplay that will hinder your experience.

Country catches up with Green

For years, Pat Green was considered one of the best country singers nobody had heard of. Well, the word is out.

Afraid to look?

Check out the best horror movies in categories you might not expect

Everybody pretty much agrees that "The Exorcist" is the scariest movie ever made. Likewise, you don't need an expert to explain why the shower murder in "Psycho" is considered the greatest scene from any horror flick.

'Dreamer' a successful 'Seabiscuit' for tweens

"Dreamer" is a girl-and-her-horse tale that gets by on the crumbs of "Seabiscuit." It's a well-acted if unsurprising family drama that wears its "uplifting" label with pride. Of course this is kid-friendly. It's for kids.

'Doom' unleashes carnage and cliches

The 1993 video game "Doom" was among the forerunners of the "first-person shooter" styles that have since flooded the industry. Now the big-screen adaptation of "Doom" can be dubbed the original "first-person shooter movie."

Local daylong concert to drum up relief

What began as one Lawrence woman's idea to hold a small benefit concert to help raise money for hurricane relief has turned into a full-blown, daylong concert with a carnival atmosphere.

A family affair

'Witch of Lok Island' pairs fathers, daughters, brothers, sisters on Lawrence Arts Center stage

The time of year for spooks and ghouls is just around the corner, and the Lawrence Family Theatre has a treat planned especially for the occasion. The Seem-To-Be Players are presenting "The Witch of Lok Island," a play based on a Celtic fairy tale full of magic, nymphs, a hobgoblin, and of course, the witch herself.

Survivor: Nakum rolls over Yaxha in reward challenge

Both tribes go to tribal council

Day 15 of the 39-day competition began with a reward challenge that pitted Jayhawk Danni Boatwright and Wildcat Brandon Bellinger's Yaxha tribe against their rivals in a two-on-two game involving a giant ball.

Review: Trauma Center: Under the Knife - DS

Be the surgeon

Trauma Center is definitely a video game experience like none other and can actually entertain those who aren't even interested in the medical field. It takes superb hand-eye coordination and self control to reach the end. Some of the surgeries can become extremely tough and take maybe up to 10 tries or more to beat them.

'Hollywood & Politics' slated for November

Former Kansas congressman Dan Glickman, now president of the Motion Picture Association of America, and Hollywood producer Alex Graves will highlight the Dole Institute of Politics' "Hollywood & Politics" lecture series at the institute on Kansas University's campus.

Day of the Dead events continue

A Day of the Dead celebration kicked off Tuesday with a ceremony at Watkins Community Museum of History.

Sounds of silence

Devil Music Ensemble breathes sonic life into horror classic

In its original language, the full title of Germany's famed horror epic is "Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens." This translates to "Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror."

Reception scheduled for 'Convergence' show

As part of the international art event "Convergence: Work by Canadian and U.S. Women Artists," a grand opening reception will be from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Kansas University's Art and Design Gallery.

Virtuoso violinist returns to honor teacher

Brian Lewis is about to give Eleanor Allen a birthday gift she'll never forget. Lewis, a virtuoso violin player who grew up in Ottawa, is coming to Lawrence this weekend to play a concert in honor of Allen, his first violin teacher, who celebrated her 90th birthday in June.

Review: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow - DS

As good as Symphony of the Night?

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is the best game for the Nintendo DS and rivals Symphony of the Night for the title of best Castlevania ever. Yes, it's that good.

Review: Cold War - Xbox

Splinter Cell this is not

While I've never been a big fan of the Splinter Cell series, I always admired its technical excellence, solid controls and open-ended gameplay. Cold War is Splinter Cell, only with all three of those elements omitted.

Review: Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves - PS2

The solid franchise gets another fun entry

As the game progresses and additional characters join your team the missions incorporate more and more gameplay types. Rarely do you ever play a mission straight through without any kind of change in gameplay whether it be through character swapping or a shift in gameplay mechanic.

Review: NCAA March Madness 2006 - PS2, Xbox

EA keeps the ship sailing with another solid year

Many college teams make up for their lack of talent with a solid transition game. Getting such a dynamic to come alive is much easier in Madness '06 and improves the pace to a significant degree.

No place like home(grown)

Burger joint fed by local producers puts health, flavor first

Hilary Brown used to love croissants. But four years ago, she was diagnosed with an allergy to gluten, a mix of plant proteins found in wheat. She also learned she was allergic to dairy foods.

Review: SSX On Tour - PS2, Xbox, Gamecube

Not too much innovation this time around

If you've never played an SSX game before, you owe it to yourself to pick up SSX 3 in the bargain bin. It's essentially the same fun game at a fraction of the price.

Review: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - DS

It's a game about being a lawyer...no, really.

Your job is to collect and analyze the evidence that witnesses present in an effort to prove your client innocent. The prosecution will bring witnesses to the stand that claim to have evidence against your client, and it's your job to spot inconsistencies in their testimony.

No designs on the prize

An LHS grad who creates award-winning Web sites isn't in it for the recognition. But he's getting plenty of notice anyway.

JD Hooge is getting major recognition in the world of Web site design. It's sort of odd, considering his goal as a designer is to not be noticed at all.

Lawrence Chamber Orchestra season kicks off

The Lawrence Chamber Orchestra opened its season Sunday afternoon with a program described as "dance-inspired and dance-like chamber music" from the 19th through 21st centuries.

My Shameless Space

Self-promoters find social fabric at MySpace.com

It must be his e-pheromones. That's the only way that Michael Hendrickson can explain his burgeoning fan base on MySpace.com. Without so much as one live performance or one album, the 21-year-old KU junior is consistently among the top-ranked independent artists on the MySpace charts. His alter-ego "Sexy If You're Maladjusted" has about as many profile views (16,000) and "friends" (2,000) as The Appleseed Cast, an established Lawrence band that has toured the world over for nearly a decade.

Review :: OK Jones, "Push/Pull"

Richard Gintowt is surely best known to readers of this publication as a writer and reviewer. But outside of the day job, Gintowt is the frontman for reflective rock/country outfit OK Jones.

Style Scout: Jennifer Smith and Robert Eugene Dotson

Review :: Harvey Girls, "The Wild Farewell"

New York and Kansas don't necessarily have a lot in common. One state is home to the bustling financial and cultural capital of America, while the other is mostly made up of small towns, livestock and open spaces. "The Wild Farewell" is The Harvey Girls' willfully schizophrenic attempt to musically reconcile the two locales.

Res-erection

An interview with Victor Continental

The Victor Continental Show is a singular, irreplaceable part of Lawrence culture. This weekend marks the Lawrence troupe's 12th show since starting in 1998. In some ways, it's typical sketch comedy - everything from ancient history to U.S. politics, from Hollywood to Lawrence is fair game for VC's racy humor and predilection for double entendre.

Van Go volunteers get involved in the lives of at-risk teens

Our weekly reminder that people aren't all bastards

Of course no one wants to work. But why wouldn't you want to work if you can make money painting a handbag or a public bench?

Authority v. Minority

On eve of new law against racial profiling, Lawrencians share their stories

Sweet, blessed Massachusetts Street. Bastion of local business, historic buildings, buzzing nightlife and ... racial profiling?

Review: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - Gamecube

A solid first entry on the Cube for the celebrated GBA series

While it may not be very different than its portable brethren, Path of Radiance is still a great game that requires a lot of strategy and thought. If you can handle all the reading and some sub-par graphics, there's a good deal of deep gameplay to be found in this title.

Review: Devil Kings - PS2

Could it be King over "Warriors?"

If it were a college term paper, it would ensure a charge of academic misconduct for plagiarism. Yes, it really is that similar to Dynasty Warriors. Fortunately, it manages to take the formula and slightly improve every aspect of it to at least some degree.

Review: Mega Man Zero 4 - GBA

Does the lastest Mega Man improve the series?

It's obvious Capcom is trying to add a little more substance to the Mega Man series by adding in chip sets, weather effects and a deeper story, but it's still not quite enough to make up for its shortcomings.

Review: FIFA 2006 - PS2, Xbox, Gamecube

EA does the FIFA license true justice

Now whether FIFA has caught Konami's Winning Eleven series is another debate. Winning Eleven still boasts some gameplay and control features that top FIFA's, but if you're looking for licenses and more of an atmospheric game, FIFA is your choice.

Author to promote 'Big Wedding'

Author Sander Hicks will visit Lawrence on Oct. 27 as part of a national tour in support of his new book, "The Big Wedding: 9/11, The Whistle Blowers and the Cover-up."

Review: Tecmo Classic Arcade - Xbox

A couple fun ones, a few more not so much

There are a few games in the collection that is worth having for when you're bored with your buddies, but beyond that, there's no real reason to owning this.

Artist of Indigo Girls fame dances solo on 'Prom'

Amy Ray loves to break loose and speak her mind.

Poet's Showcase

Feather / Leaf

Orchestra offers mix of modern, traditional tunes

The Lawrence Chamber Orchestra plans to bring in the noise and the funk when it premieres a new work by local composer Bill Funk as part of its first concert of the season, "Dancing Around the World."

Crossing borders

Separated by 1,000 miles, Canadian, U.S. artists find common ground

A lot of superficial differences distinguish Lawrence from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. More than 1,000 miles and an international border separate the two cities. Ottawa is the national capital of our neighbor to the north; Lawrence isn't even the capital of Kansas.

If Serenity can't revive Firefly, nothing can

In the hallways of high schools, dorm rooms of colleges and the hearts of sci-fi fans around the world, Joss Whedon is a god. The man who created TV's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel" and "Firefly" finally took one to the big screen.

Do yourself a favor, let 'Elizabethtown' run ragged all over you

Flight attendants all over the country right now are up in arms about the new Jodie Foster thriller "Flight Plan" for portraying their profession as mean and uncaring, but they are going to have a lot to live up to when they see Kirsten Dunst in "Elizabethtown."

Lawrence native wins prestigious music prize

Cristi Catt was just a third-grader when she met Aaron Copland at Kansas University. The celebrated American composer was in Lawrence to oversee a KU production of his opera "The Tender Land," and the young Catt had a singing role. She remembers sitting on Copland's lap.

Kansans adjust to new tribe in 'Survivor: Guatemala'

Jayhawk Danni Boatwright and Wildcat Brandon Bellinger adjusted effectively to being switched to the new Yaxha tribe. Although Brandon didn't exactly appreciate the city folk and East Coasters in his new group.

Detours ruin trip to 'Elizabethtown'

Cameron Crowe is most effective when his movies are steeped in realism. His Oscar-winning script for "Almost Famous" attained a towering level of truth, partly due to it being based on Crowe's own experiences as a 15-year-old reporter for Rolling Stone in the early 1970s.

Invasion of the film fests

Contests challenge entrants to showcase cinematic skills, originality

"Alien" took 16 weeks to film. "The Exorcist" shoot lasted for seven months. "The Shining" persisted for nearly a year. But participants in the Wild West Film Fest: Scare Factor Edition will have just 48 hours to plan, shoot and edit their project.

'Domino' falls down

Tony Scott doesn't make movies. He makes grand mal seizures, loud, dizzy blizzards of music, violence and too many edits to count.

Unknown Stuntman doesn't hide love of punk music

Going "old school" brings to mind vintage Chuck Taylors, basketball jerseys and movies starring Will Ferrell. But for one Lawrence band, it means playing punk rock.

Review: Ninja Gaiden Black - Xbox

Reminding us how 3D action games can be incredible

Ninja Gaiden Black takes most of what made Ninja Gaiden great and improves it by leaps and bounds. There are more unlockables, the girls get more screen time, more enemies, harder difficulty settings, and more destructive ecstasy.

Review: Capcom Classics - PS2, Xbox

One of the best classic collections you can find

What old-school gamer didn't pump at least $20 in quarters into these machines back when they were at the arcade? While it has some stinkers, the inclusion of Street Fighter, Final Fight, 1942/1943, and Forgotten Worlds makes it easily worth it.

Review: S.L.A.I. - PS2

Super customization does not automatically equal fun

It would be easy to say that S.L.A.I. has a lot of replay value. The problem is, none of that matters if the actual gameplay is unoriginal and repetitive. Stay away from S.L.A.I. unless you've got an unhealthy obsession with customizing mechs.

Review: Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness

Wait, didn't we just play this?

If you're a Nintendo loyalist who's starving for more exclusive RPGs play Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles again. If you're a gamer trying to get younger siblings interested in RPGs pick another one because based on simplicity and repetition alone Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness could very well sour them to the entire genre.

Review: Legend of Kay - PS2

A basic Zelda-inspired action title fit for kids

If you're a parent who is looking for a completely innocent game for your child, Legend of Kay may be the one you're looking for. It's simple, bright, cutesy, and has some fairly solid gameplay. For gamers over the age of 12 or so, it would probably be better to go the Ratchet & Clank route if you're looking for a deeper action/adventure platformer.

Review: NBA Live 2006 - PS2, Xbox, Gamecube

Next verse - same as the first

EA has probably produced the best Live installment in the series, but that doesn't mean they've made the best basketball game or even touched the potential the series has. There are still some major kinks that could be addressed.

Review: Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects - PS2, Xbox, Gamecube

What an appropriate subtitle

Released among the respectable X-Men Legends II and Ultimate Spider-man, it's glaringly obvious EA's comic-come-game entry lacks passion, purpose and most unforgivably, inspiration.

Musical mirth

Bringing out child in everyone goal for ex-rocker

What do you get when you mix a dollop of folk music, a dash of rap, several cups of rock 'n' roll and a room full of kids? A dance party with Dan Zanes and Friends, and that's precisely the recipe that was served up to an enthusiastic Lied Center crowd Saturday morning.

Area band finds new audience, inspiration

In its first year, Kansas City-area band Jump Rope for Heart went from casually recording music in members' homes to touring Japan, recording two full-length albums along the way. The musicians just wish someone knew it.

'In Her Shoes' carries a slight "edge" over most chick flicks

From the poster and the ads on television, it's easy to see that the producers of "In Her Shoes" are going for some of that Julia Roberts feel-good breezy comedy cash. Usually, the movies that Hollywood marketers refer to as "chick flicks" follow three simple rules...

Queen of Heartbreak

Julia Peterson unveils new album and band

On the first autumn afternoon, a day cool, clear and blue, I listened three times to "What You Came For." It's a good thing there wasn't any whiskey in the house.

Alternative Flashback

KJHK celebrates 30 years of left-of-the-dial programming

Last week, another "alternative" radio station bit the dust. Low ratings signaled the death knell for 97.3FM The Planet, which switched its name to "Max FM" and its format to "Everything That Rocks" (translation: "Everything That Doesn't Rock The Boat").

OWL volunteers help rescue and rehabilitate wild animals

Do not cuddle the bobcats. Do not peek at the skunks.

'Mysterious Skin' :: Film inspired by former KU student's book debuts on screen in Lawrence

Tamara Heim has been waiting for sixth months to see the film adaptation of her brother Scott's novel, "Mysterious Skin." The film, which follows two Kansas teens' attempts to overcome the abuse they suffered as children, debuted on the coasts and overseas as early as April. This weekend, "Mysterious Skin" makes the long journey back to the land where it takes place.

30 years of KJHK: A tribute to Steve Greenwood

circa 1976-83, DJ and music director

At the age of 41, Steve Greenwood departed this life. I'm not sure he was ever totally comfortable here. But his life meant a great deal to many people, both those who cared about him and many who never knew him. I guess that's the purpose of this little remembrance; because if you listen to KJHK, you're still listening to Steve's legacy.

30 years of KJHK: Russ Ham

1978-80, DJ and news reporter, currently a lawyer living in Austin

I started KU in the fall of 1975, about when KJHK began. I was a long-haired physics and math double-major, and KJHK was playing ubiquitous, ordinary pop.

30 years of KJHK: Jacki Becker

Founder of Plow the Fields local music show, currently Lawrence live music promoter

i used to be one of those kids my freshman year in college who would call up and request music all the time (i was the girl that requested "negative creep" by nirvana over and over again).

30 years of KJHK: Justin Montag

Breakfast for Beatlovers cofounder, currently working at Project 2050 in New York

I made a number of great friends in Kansas and across the country while working at KJHK who have helped me become who I am today. Anyone out there interested in the entertainment/music industry should get involved with KJHK.

30 years of KJHK: Blake Gumprecht

1980-83, DJ and music staff reviewer

Anyone who has walked into the cozy KJHK studio and taken a little time to explore the station's LP library is already familiar with Blake Gumprecht. Gumprecht's insightful, thorough and artistic album reviews are affixed to many of KJHK's most treasured records. But the reason behind the colorful reviews went beyond visual aesthetics.

30 years of KJHK: Brandon Burke

When I can, I listen to KJ at my desk at work. The only time it trips me up is when a DJ mentions something like snow that we never see here in SF.

30 years of KJHK: Brooks Rice

I was really into Kansas City's KKFI shows starting in junior high, and I always wanted to be part of that world. I was able to hang out at KKFI with Pat Hopewell and the like during their shows once I started high school. I just hung around and occasionally got to play records. I loved it.

30 years of KJHK: Chris Shively

As far as defining moments go, it is hard to pinpoint a single time in a three-year working relationship and say "THAT was the most fun."

30 years of KJHK: Dave Grissom

Dave Grissom worked on KJHK from fall of 1978 to the spring of 1980, participating as a disc jockey, a news staff member and doing sports play-by-play.

30 years of KJHK: Redux by Jim Schwada

I was involved with KJHK from 1978 to 1981. I was approached by the then-music director who heard I had an interest in reggae music, and ended up doing a six-hour reggae and blues program, "The Soul Shakedown Party," as well as several shifts a week on "Good Morning And All That Jazz."

30 years of KJHK: Donovan Finn

Like many volunteer DJs at KJHK, Donovan Finn was primarily drawn to the station as by the progressive music bursting from the broadcast waves.

30 years of KJHK: Josh Powers

My time at KJHK was great. Where else does one get the opportunity to do a radio show for thousands of listeners while learning an industry as well as meeting really great people?

30 years of KJHK: Kris Gillespie

DJ and music director from 1989-92.

I'd grown up listening to the station through the '80s and loved it, so I started out DJing as soon as I could out of high school.

30 years of KJHK: Matt Dunehoo

I'd first heard KJ visiting Mike Walker when he was living in Hash, and I was still in high school. I remeber hearing the Dandy Warhols, and thinking: "Cool!" Then, I ran into Dave "Delicious" Lichius at an outdoor music festival as a freshman, signed up for promotions staff, and the rest is history.

30 years of KJHK: Meredith Vacek

KJHK station manager and production director, 2001-05

Former KJHK station manager and highly regarded DJ Meredith Vacek is living in Seattle and loving it.

30 years of KJHK: Redux by Nicole Vap

I have very fond memories of KJHK. I first worked as a writer/reporter for the news department during my junior year. The first story I actually went out of the building on -- I was attacked by the gym owner I was interviewing. He took my tape recorder, took the tape out, then threw the recorder back at me! It was crazy. I went back to the station and they were totally freaked. As you might imagine, that doesn't happen very often at KJ.

30 years of KJHK: Peter Granitz

Before Peter Granitz worked for KJHK, he was possibly best known as the guy from Wisconsin who played ice hockey or the guy with the long hair who saw Phish over 40 times in concert.

30 years of KJHK: Derek John

I remember anxiously awaiting to see if I'd been accepted as a Jazz in the Morning DJ, my first gig at the station.

'SNL' actors to perform at KU Homecoming

"Saturday Night Live" actors Kenan Thompson and Seth Meyers will perform as part of Kansas University's Homecoming festivities, Oct. 22 to 29.

Museum tangled in history of hair

Leila Cohoon is standing in the middle of a room, miles of human hair surrounding her.

Strands of meaning

Artist weaves hair, identity into culturally charged work

Long, black, flowing hair isn't just part of Hong Zhang's appearance. It's part of her persona.

Review: Strong casts, direction carry dark double bill

A well-filled house was on hand Friday night for the opening of "The Holocaust Kid" and "The Zoo Story," performed on the main stage of the Lawrence Arts Center by English Alternative Theatre.

Poet's showcase

Leave Talking By Susan Carman

Bud Light sales top 'King of Beers'

Budweiser may be Anheuser-Busch's flagship brand, but the "King of Beers" has a way to go before it can claim the throne as the area's top-selling company brand.

Sisters find comfortable fit in 'In Her Shoes'

There's a scene in "In Her Shoes" in which Cameron Diaz and Shirley MacLaine sit around a TV set with some neighbors at a Florida retirement community, watching "Sex and the City" and sipping that show's signature cocktail, the cosmopolitan.

Music history lost forever

An irreplaceable stockpile of the state's musical history went up in flames with Friday's apartment fire.

Controversial 'CSA' film snags theatrical release

Lawrence filmmaker Kevin Willmott has spent the last month barnstorming Southern states to promote - and occasionally defend - the upcoming release of "CSA: The Confederate States of America."

Famed author takes on Kansas

Rushdie bemoans role of religion in public life

Citizens of the world should be concerned about religious extremism whether it's in Iran or America, says author Salman Rushdie, who was once marked for death by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini.

Family album

Former rocker Dan Zanes turns to music the entire household can enjoy

If you don't know who Dan Zanes is, chances are your kids do. The former Del Fuegos frontman has undergone a career rebirth by immersing himself in "age-desegregated folk music." In layman's terms, that means songs that children love but adults can equally enjoy.

Tough act to follow

KU student to share stage with American theater giant

Among theater aficionados, Edward Albee is a hero. He's the rare contemporary American playwright who supports himself writing exclusively for the stage. And he sticks to his guns, creating surreal, avant-garde works in spite of sometimes skeptical critics.

'Wallace & Gromit' molded from uncommon clay

Forget Lassie or Benji or Toto. Gromit is the most reliable canine sidekick of all time. He can cook, do construction work, drive cars, pilot planes. And he's particularly good at rescuing his owner, Wallace, from tricky, possibly life-threatening jams.

'Two for the Money' makes bet it can't cover

"Two for the Money" offers up the perverse pleasure in watching that growling old cat Al Pacino toy with poor, overmatched mouse Matt McConaughey for two hours.

Review: The Suffering: Ties That Bind - PS2, Xbox

A solid psychological terror experience

Ties should definitely appeal to fans of ultra-disturbing psychological films, as well as fans of third-person action games in the Max Payne mold. There are 18 average-sized missions, and the multiple endings and abilities should give fans a reason to play through it again.

Review: Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes - Xbox

Not as smooth as before

It's too bad the gameplay is so awful, because the game is very impressive on the technical end. Battle scenes are certainly epic, and feature dozens of on-screen enemies. You get a true sense of chaotic war when you see huge forces clashing with little to no slowdown, even with tons of particle effects and magic flying around everywhere.

Review: Terrific cast brings Chekhov's 'Three Sisters' to life

Anton Chekhov's darkly complex "Three Sisters" requires a delicate touch. Its pathos can overwhelm, and its humor can become caricature if the two qualities get out of balance. But Jack Wright, who's directing University Theatre's production of the play, keeps a tight hold on its complicated emotions, allowing his actors to explore these intense characters as real people descending into despair.

KU art students to show off 'seats'

Kansas University art department's sculpture students will exhibit their "Seat for Two" projects Sunday in South Park.

Works sought for Washburn publication

Submissions of original fiction, poetry, personal essays and artwork that can be produced in black and white are now being accepted by The Washburn Arts Review for the 2006 issue of Inscape, Washburn University's literary arts magazine. Entries by non-students are welcome.

Photography added to Fields Gallery

Fields Gallery has included photographs by Deb Stavin to its exhibits.

Review: Ultimate Spider-man - PS2, Xbox, Gamecube

The best Spider-man game ever

Ultimate Spider-Man is not only one of the most faithful superhero games ever made, but one of the best in terms of graphics, style and execution.

Salman Rushdie, living and writing on epic scale

You know it's foolish, but you can't help flinching when the restaurant suddenly turns up the lights in the darkish corner you've settled into, shining what feels like a theater spot on the balding, blue-shirted international celebrity with whom you're trying to have a quiet lunch.

Mythical strings

Daedalus charms Lied Center audience

A young and spirited Daedalus Quartet opened the Swarthout Chamber Music Series at the Lied Center Sunday afternoon. Making its only stop between the East and West coasts, this ensemble, formed five years ago, showed why Carnegie Hall chose it for the "Rising Stars" program of the European Concert Hall Organization.

Review :: Minus Story, "No Rest for Ghosts"

One of Lawrence's most distinctive voices is Minus Story, a five-piece fronted by the rawboned voice and frame of Jordan Geiger (also the former keyboardist for The Appleseed Cast).

Compeer Program volunteer offers friendship and support to Bert Nash client

Our weekly reminder that people aren't all bastards

Chris Cullinan is a grad student, a teacher, a researcher, a practicum participant and a 24-year-old.

Tres Cool

The local art community gears up for "The Red Balloon To Do," part III

Saturday evening, hundreds of strangers will pass through Chelsea Rae's living room. The occasion promises to be a house party of the highest order, but it has nothing to do with beer, bands or booty. Well, perhaps booty - as in the hundred pieces of art that will be scattered across a four-block area for the third annual Red Balloon to Do.

Review: Evil Dead: Regeneration - PS2, Xbox

Better than you'd think

A straightforward action game, Regeneration never aspires to by anything more than fun, paying equal parts homage to the film series that spawned the games and to Campbell himself.

Review: Tiger Woods 2006 - PS2, Xbox, Gamecube

Tiger delivers what is expected

We all know that games need to evolve. They need to improve and change. Tiger delivers what is expected, but it's usually the unexpected that impresses.

Review: Urban Reign - PS2

Have a little good with your bad

If you have the patience to make it to the AI partner, Urban Reign becomes playable. It's just too bad that the story missions are set up the way they are, because the fragmented nature really takes away from the game.

Poet's showcase

Needle / Plow

Poetry submissions sought for I-70 Review

Editors of the I-70 Review are preparing the 2005-2006 issue, due out this winter, and are seeking poems for the publication.

Restaurants donating sales to help others

At least 17 restaurants in Lawrence are joining a daylong fundraiser for hurricane relief along the Gulf Coast.

Applications sought for choreography showcase

The Lawrence Arts Center is accepting applications for performances in the Choreographers Showcase 2005. Work for the show must be submitted no later than Oct. 10.

Bottled beauty

Texan sees art in preserved scientific specimens

In a fourth-floor room of the Kansas University Natural History Museum, in a space the public doesn't normally get to see, hides a menagerie of lifeless amphibians.

On the yellow brick road

KU prof finds common ground with author in play about value of home

"There's no place like home." The phrase isn't so warm and fuzzy when there's a $3 million bounty on your head and returning to your home country might help someone collect the dough.

'Grizzly Man' tracks death in the wild

Documentary reveals complexity of naturalist doomed by his work

Timothy Treadwell was many things: infinitely charismatic, infectiously enthusiastic, childish, foolish, delusional and probably manic-depressive. He was also doomed, something we know before walking into "Grizzly Man," Werner Herzog's extraordinary new documentary.