Amos Lee survives Westcott
By Erin Carson
October 29, 2011 - 2:19pm
Review: A rowdy crowd filled The Westcott Theater Friday night to see the folk singer.

Only so many artists can say “the last time I was here, was in ‘07 with the Bob Dylan tour.” And one of those artists is Philadelphia soul/folk singer Amos Lee.

After four years, Lee returned to Syracuse Friday night at The Westcott Theater, this time with singer/songwriter Pieta Brown.

Rachael Yamagata strolls through Ithaca
By Chris Baker
October 28, 2011 - 3:35pm
Review: The singer/songwriter returns to the stage after a three-year absence.

As the year’s first snow fell in Ithaca Thursday night, Rachael Yamagata stood on the sidewalk outside Delilah’s Lounge smoking a cigarette.

“Is it always this cold up here?” she asked. “It’s cold inside, it’s cold outside. It’s cold everywhere.”

A bittersweet evening at The Lost Horizon
By Sam Napolitan
October 16, 2011 - 10:21am
Polar Bear Club bids farewell to touring comrades, says hello to hometown stage

“Take care of yourselves. Take care of each other,” said Jimmy Stadt, Polar Bear Club’s ebullient lead singer, as he stood before zealous moshers exploding into the air like human-sized kernels of popcorn. Although warnings regarding unruly tattooed appendages were duly warranted, Stadt was undoubtedly referring to the overwhelming sense of kinship emanating from The Lost Horizon main stage on Friday Oct. 14.

One man and his 20-digit orchestra
By Isaac Budmen
October 8, 2011 - 2:00pm
Review: Keller Williams put on a show Friday, literally. His creative and diverse one-man jam band had the crowd on their feet, craving for more.

Remember that kid in elementary school who was the first one to figure out that he could make a farting noise with his armpit? He was probably the same kid who was figuring out how to make strange sounds with his mouth and imitate animal calls instead of learning his multiplication tables.

Keller Williams was, with almost no shadow of a doubt, that kid and he has perfected making it work to his advantage.

Janelle Monae charges up at Campus Consciousness Tour
By Katrina Tulloch
October 3, 2011 - 9:29am
Review: Campus Consciousness Tour headliner Janelle Monae electrifies Cornell University on a rainy Sunday night.

Janelle Monae wants everyone to shut up.

Street art moves indoors
By Elizabeth Carey
September 25, 2011 - 9:12pm
Painters bring West Coast graffiti-style art to The Warehouse Gallery.

As Jet Martinez worked 12-hour days on street art mural at The Warehouse Gallery, he heard talk about crime and graffiti.

“We heard a dialogue about bad and good graffiti artists—not a judgment about artists’ skill, but about criminals,” he said.

The Turnt Up Tour gets loud
By Chris Baker
September 24, 2011 - 1:04pm
Review: The tour, featuring DJ Paper Diamond, hit Westcott Theater Friday night.

When Paper Diamond last played The Westcott Theater back in April, he blew the roof off the place.

Literally.

His booming bass caused chunks of the 82-year-old theater’s ceiling to rain down on the unsuspecting crowd. The DJ loved every second of it.

“I love playing in Syracuse, especially The Westcott,” said Alex Botwin, the 27-year-old better known as Paper Diamond. “Every time I’ve been here it’s been insane.”

'A Few Good Men' overcomes opening night jitters
By Mary Gibble
September 23, 2011 - 2:42pm
Review: Aaron Sorkin's play, performed by Not Another Theater Company, lives up to its name.

It's hard to shake first night jitters. The anxiety of having an audience for the first time brings about strange phenomenon. Lines stick to the roof of your mouth like peanut butter. You race through the first scenes, sprinting towards intermission. Jokes that have lost their punch after endless rehearsals illicit comforting laughs, causing the corners of your mouth to curl up in pride.

The Jam must go on
By Chris Ballard
September 12, 2011 - 10:40am
University Union partners with Better Together for 9/11 Juice Jam show featuring B.o.B, Avicii and Chiddy Bang. Annual concert rakes in highest numbers yet.

It was a day of constant motion, fist pumping and, ultimately, remembrance at Juice Jam, Syracuse University's annual back-to-school fall concert Sunday at Skytop Field.

About 7,000 students, some adorned in hues of plastic fluorescent glasses and loose fitting clothing suitable for dancing, packed the field to see co-headlining acts B.o.B and Avicii. The size of Juice Jam continues to grow, as approximately 2,000 more students attended this year and capacity for the event nearly doubled to 8,500, University Union president Rob Dekker said.

'The Lion King' comes to life in Syracuse
By Danielle Hinckley
September 10, 2011 - 2:32pm
Review: The hit Broadway musical stages a four-week run at the Crouse Hinds Theater in Syracuse.

Since its Broadway debut in 1997, “The Lion King” has been entrancing audiences around the world. Now, Syracuse is joining the roar of approval.

Opening night elephants, gazelles, birds, giraffes and lions processed to the impressive Pride Rock on the stage of the Crouse Hinds Theater, as the African chants recognizable as the beginning of “Circle of Life” fill the auditorium.