Dane Cook makes light of the dark
By Kaitlin Santanna
October 27, 2010 - 11:03am
Review: The popular comedian performs to a sold-out Syracuse crowd Tuesday, showcasing his talent to transform dark situations into hilarious anecdotes.

The night of comedy uncommonly began with AC/DC’s “Back in Black” and ended with an audience sing-along.

Syracuse joins the club ahead of the curve
By Shawn Arrajj
October 20, 2010 - 11:09am
Review: Irish up-and-comers Two Door Cinema Club played Schine Underground last night, but could be playing major venues within the year.

Two Door Cinema Club aren’t a household name, but they could be – and soon. This up-and-coming Irish trio have already amassed a considerable following across the ocean and could very well become the next big indie-pop outfit to hit the States.

Phoenix rising
By Nathan Mattise
October 18, 2010 - 9:01pm
Review: France's indie darlings conquer the rock scene in Central New York and around the world.

A friend had a question for me right before Phoenix took the stage last night at Cornell University. The show was sold out for a few weeks and we were packed tightly about 40 rows deep from the stage – this despite getting to the show 45 minutes early.

“So, you think they’re the most relevant rock band in the world?”

A mixed 'Chorus Line'
By Diep Tran
October 13, 2010 - 12:50am
Review: Uneven performances keep 'A Chorus Line' from great heights at the Crouse Hinds Theater.

Difficulties in the Tuesday performance of A Chorus Line, presented by the Famous Artist Broadway Theater Series and playing at the Oncenter, proved that a chorus line is only as strong as the performers within it.

Pop provocateur moves crowd, but not to action
By Caitlin Dewey
October 4, 2010 - 11:43am
Review: M.I.A. proved that politics and dance parties don't mix well at Sunday's Cornell show.

Say what you will of M.I.A.’s taste in French fries, child-rearing practices or Sri Lankan political parties – the pop provocateur keeps a crowd entertained.

“If they think I’m f------ bad, I’m gonna be f------ bad,” she spouts, inexplicably, from the stage of Cornell University’s Barton Hall. “And my bad’s not just putting out some f------ s--- hit or something.”

Hamilton 'gets innocuous!'
By Darren Bleckner
October 2, 2010 - 11:05am
Review: Sleigh Bells and LCD Soundsystem made a riotous impression in Clinton on Friday night.

There are a few ways for concertgoers to evaluate a set. Did the audience hear all the radio singles it wanted? Did the band throw in some fan favorites and rarities? Or did the band play a mixture of its whole discography in an order that allowed for the momentous highs while never bottoming out so low that the crowd stands still?

Whichever your answer, LCD Soundsystem has perfected a set list so epic, so powerful and so emotional, that the audience is never allowed to come down from its musical high.

Goo Goo Dolls celebrate 24 years of Syracuse memories
By Daniel Bortz
September 28, 2010 - 10:29pm
The upstate heroes played a lighthearted, often nostalgic show at the OnCenter Tuesday night.

John Rzeznik pointed to a girl in the crowd as the music died down and the lights dimmed. He waved his hand toward his chest, brushing his large golden necklace, signaling for the girl to pass up her big, blinking sign. “Let me see that,” he said. The crowd parted and formed an assembly line across the rows, sending the white sign Rzeznik’s way. It read “biggest fan” in large, blue letters with a row of blinking white swirls underneath. “This is a technological marvel,” he said, gawking at the flashing poster. “Do you want it back?”

Branford Marsalis jazzes up parents weekend
By Ana Barbu
September 26, 2010 - 10:11pm
Review: Marsalis' classic quartet played jazz, swing and bebop to a full house on Sunday.

The Branford Marsalis Quartet brought the swanky vibes of good old-fashioned Harlem jazz clubs to nearly 1,500 Syracuse University parents and students in the Schine Student Center on Sunday.

The Quartet set the tone of their performance with a track composed the night before the show. The four musicians had been jamming on the hotel piano, then grabbed a taxi to campus and sneaked into one of the music practice rooms. There, they developed a track composed by pianist Joey Calderazzo.

Washed up, but not washed out
By Caitlin Dewey
September 26, 2010 - 12:35pm
Review: Several years after their heyday, Rogue Wave attempt relevancy at the Westcott.

It’s nearing 11 p.m. at the Westcott Theater and Rogue Wave frontman Zach Schwartz is starting to look sheepish.

“Play – what?” He says languidly, squinting into the blue-toned stage lights. “Play the entire soundtrack?”

There’s a high-pitched, feminine cry from the front of the tiny crowd.

“The O.C.?” Schwartz grumbles again. “Is that show still on?”

"No Child..." teaches inspired lessons at Syracuse Stage
By Diep Tran
September 26, 2010 - 1:44am
Review: Reenah L. Golden smoothly transitions between 16 characters in this one-woman play about the deficiencies in American education.

There is a moment in No Child…, the first play of Syracuse Stage’s 38th season, when main character Nilaja sits alone in a chair, lit by a single spotlight. She ponders the deficiencies of the American education system, which has led to apathetic, unqualified teachers and uninspired, underachieving and even cruel students.