We're not...in Kansas...anymore?

House Masters are resigning, the weather is going bat-shit, and the singer Peaches became an Honorary Member of the Harvard Lampoon tonight. Is the world ending? Probably. Peaches, decked out as a glammed up Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, rocked out with karaoke in front of the Harvard Lampoon at 7PM tonight, and was inducted later at a “private induction ceremony” inside the Lampoon Castle.

Peaches albums include gems like Impeach My Bush and I Feel Cream. She sang her hit single “Fuck The Pain Away” twice.

From Peaches’ blog:

In honor of her prodigious achievements as an entertainer and musician, the Harvard Lampoon has selected the electro shock-rocker PEACHES to be inducted as a special Honorary Member of The Harvard Lampoon. The members of the Lampoon staff are huge admirers of her career and will celebrate with her on December 7th at their Annual Canadian Synthpunk/Glam Rock Awards Dinner. The event will kick off with a public karaoke party on the steps of the Castle followed with a private induction ceremony inside the Castle to follow.

Photos by Emily Xie ‘12

Club Passim is located underground at 47 Palmer St.

If you’re taking “Sound, Noise, and Music” as your Expos class you have learned a little bit about Club Passim and the important role it has played in the history of American music.  If not, you may not be aware that one of folk’s most legendary venues is less than 200 yards from the Yard.  The club, opened in 1958, was first known as Club 47 and was located at 47 Mt. Auburn St. (currently Daedalus Restaurant).  It moved to its current location at 47 Palmer St. in 1963 and eventually changed its name to Club Passim.

In the 1960s, the venue was a starting point for many folk stars including Joan Baez who began playing the club as an unknown seventeen year-old singer.  She also convinced relatively unknown Bob Dylan to play shows at the club.  Dylan played songs between others’ sets, but never had his own headlining show.  Others who played at Club Passim, many of whom had their starts at club, include Muddy Waters, Tom Rush, Jackie Washington, Peter Wolf, Taj Mahal, Patty Larkin, Geoff & Maria Muldaur, Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega, Nanci Griffith, and Judy Collins (though not Bruce Springsteen who was refused the opportunity to play at Club Passim).

Though the club rarely attracts artists of that level today, it still offers an opportunity to see some of folk’s greatest acts in an intimate environment.  When we say intimate, we mean intimate.  The club is a mere 30 feet by 40 feet and seats only 125 concertgoers.  Good luck finagling yourself into your chair.  You’ll be getting to know your neighbors very well, especially if you choose dining seating. (Read more…)

Brett Dennen with Forro in the Dark

A friend at a music festival, hearing Brett Dennen for the first time, remarked that he was “the hipsters’ answer to the bros’ Jack Johnson”.  Indeed, the analogy between the two singer-songwriters makes sense.  Dennen, like Johnson, is easy to listen to and hard to not like.  Both sing light, guitar-focused songs in major keys, but achieve depth through their biting, soulful lyrics addressing issues of people, poverty, and society.

Dennen’s 2004 album, So Much More, was his first breakthrough on the music scene, reaching Number One on eMusic, but Dennen truly burst on the scene in 2008.  He played at festivals such as Bonnaroo, Rothbury, Austin City Limits, and the Newport Folk Festival and toured with O.A.R. and then with Jason Mraz.  His album, Hope for the Hopeless, achieved mainstream success, especially the single “Make You Crazy,” which was recorded with Nigerian star Femi Kuti and featured Mandy Moore in the music video.  Recently, he re-released one of the songs from Hope for the Hopeless, “Heaven,” as a duet with Natalie Merchant.

Now, Dennen has continued exploring the possibilities of “world music” begun with his collaboration with Femi Kuti by recording an iTunes live session with the Brazilian band, Forro in the Dark.  Forro in the Dark has previously worked with David Byrne, the Brazilian Girls, and Thom Yorke. (Read more…)

Hasn’t this month of folk been awesome?  You’ve been going to lots of concerts in and around the square, right?  Attending the discussion groups, speeches and workshops?  You’ve at least been noticing the photos in shops all over the square?

Okay, maybe not.  Noice hadn’t realized either until recently, but it turns out that the entire month of November marks the celebration of “Forever Young: Folk Music History Month in Harvard Square,” an effort co-organized by the New England Folk Music Archives and the Harvard Square Business Association.  More information on the concerts and other events happening in the Square all month long can be found here.  To name a few, the legendary Club Passim has folk concerts every night, Tommy Doyle’s has a few special events planned, and the Brattle Theatre is showing “Festival!,” a documentary on the Newport Folk Festival.

The most exciting part of the History Month is that businesses all over the Square from J.P. Licks to The Tannery have exhibits on folk history set up.  At each business, photographs are set up in the window and a page of history about an influential photographer, club owner, concert promoter, band manager, musician, or artist is displayed.  The full list can be viewed here.  This blogger recommends not walking the distance to the Irving House because he couldn’t find any set-up there, but the rest of the businesses have some great photographs displayed in the window.  Examples follow after the jump. (Read more…)

Recently there has been much hubbub on the sightings of major stars filming in the Square. These soon to be films will be joining in a long line of films set at our famous institution. In case your ego doesn’t feel bloated enough, here is a list of some of the most well known movies that use Harvard as a plot subject and some fun facts about them!

Legally Blonde (2001) – Everyone’s favorite Harvard-centered movie (or just mine). We are all well versed in the story of Elle Woods and her unlikely acceptance to Harvard Law School through which she plans to win back her ex, Waner Huntington III.

Fun Fact 1: Reese Witherspoon spent two weeks spending time with and studying actual sorority girls for the project. She also attended law school for a day. Now that’s what I call dedication to a role.

Fun Fact 2: The final graduation scene was shot in the Great Hall of Dulwich College in London because it was not included in the original script. When it was added to the movie, Witherspoon was already filming “The Importance of Being Earnest” in England.

Fun Fact 3: Witherspoon got to keep every piece of clothing from the movie, as per her contract. That’s a whole lot of pink.

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Last night I tried to explain the production of Sleep No More to someone at Harvard who had yet to hear anything about it. “Well you see, it’s an adaptation of Macbeth… but there are no words….and there isn’t a stage… and it’s actually in this big old school building… and you wear this weird mask… and you have to follow characters around to figure out what is going on…but you never actually know what is going on.” I realized about halfway through my explanation that not only was I not doing the production the justice it deserved, but also I myself was not entirely sure how to explain the experience that was Sleep No More.  The production, created by a London based group called Punchdrunk Theatricals known for their installation immersive theater in Europe, was brought to Boston this year by the A.R.T.. in an attempt to bring this new experience of theater to America. It certainly was an experience, and by far the most interesting one I have had in a while.

On Saturday night, I ventured out of Harvard Square with three friends to a place Harvard students would not journey to if it weren’t for the prospect of free theater required by one of our classes. Two subway lines and one hour later we arrived in what felt like the middle of nowhere, Massachusetts, otherwise known as Brookline. I’m sure in the light of day Brookline is just another respectable and well-to-do suburb of Boston. However, on a cold night when you are holding a small slip of directions that more or less ends with, “Follow the small hard-to-find path up to the looming school building on your right. ” you are more than willing to huddle closer to those with whom you came. Once you finally find the Old Lincoln School Building (which is the name of the venue on your ticket), Cambridge already feels very far away. But incase you are not entirely out of your comfort zone yet, you are ushered through a black corridor and are forced to navigate your way to the Manderlay Bar, a night club signaling the other influence of the production, Alfred Hitchcocks 1940 film Rebecca. There are servants to greet you, music, and other patrons waiting with drinks in hand for their turn to enter the “show” portion of the night. About twenty minutes later my group was called and we finally entered into the world we had come to see. (Read more…)

Guys, gals, tourists, and Dins alike were greeted with a pleasant pelvic-thrusting, slicked-hair sporting, and tight-pants wearing surprise this Thursday afternoon.

GREASE the Harvard student musical gave a teaser performance this afternoon featuring the entire GREASE cast. They serenaded and scintillated the massive crowd with favorites “Summer Nights” and “Grease Lightning.”

Senior Tali Friedman (“Sandy”) and freshman Ben Moss (“Danny”) embodied the sweet and innocent good girl and suave softie-inside tough guy that made this a classic story of boy re-meets girl for the ages.

And if this preview was any indication, this musical’s gearing to be one hell of a good time.

Enjoy!

PS -- You know the saying “lightning never strikes twice?” False. You’ll be able to catch the performance again today on the Science Center lawn @ 12 pm.

you know you need to see them

With Freshman Parents’ Weekend looming in the near future, some of you might be looking for one final excursion out of Cambridge before Mom and Dad enthusiastically fill the role of the Proud Harvard Parent. As you’re currently scrambling to finish that paper, we understand that you might not have the time to look up awesomely fantastic omgz-that-was-so-amazing concerts. No worries, Harvard, we got your back.

This Thursday at 8pm, Playing for Change, “a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music” will be performing at Boston’s Orpheum Theater. Playing for Change has gained international fame with their YouTube slam dunk, “Stand by Me” which featured street musicians from across the world. In addition to “Stand by Me,” the group has produced several other videos including “One Love,” “Don’t Worry,” and “War, No More Trouble.” What’s amazing is that these videos were produced without the performers ever physically interacting. Not to be too melodramatic, but seriously man, this music is intense. What’s even more amazing though is the fact that on Thursday night we’ll be able to see international world class musicians only a few T-stops away. When you’re considering that performers, Titi Tsira and Louisa Mhlanga will be coming all the way from Guguutu, South Africa and Harare, Zimbabwe respectively the ride to Park Street just doesn’t seem that bad…

Check the clip to see how incredible Thursday night will be sure to be!

Photo and Video Courtesy of PlayingforChange.com

Artists Nancy Brooks Brody and Carrie Yamaoko assemble the fierce pussy installation.

With the flu season upon us, dear old UHS has been constantly urging Harvard students to wash wash wash our hands. But the next time you want to de-germify, head over to the bathrooms in the Carpenter Center or the Sackler Museum where you’ll get not only a dollop of soap but the chance to experience powerful activist art works.  fierce pussy, an artist collective focusing “around lesbian identity and visibility”  has transformed sets of Harvard bathrooms into installation pieces. Formed in New York City during the early 1990’s, fierce pussy has used wheat pasting, a type of postering technique, and text as their chosen medium to reclaim derogatory words used towards lesbian women.

We dropped by the exhibit while the some of the group’s founding members, Joy Episalla, Carrie Yamaoko, Zoe Leonard, and Nancy Brooks Brody, were in the process of gluing posters along the bathroom walls. They Harvard students were also involved in the construction through out the day. With our formal art background consisting of only elementary school paint fights, the application processed seemed a little random. However, these awesome women freed us from our ignorance and showed us how the different layers of the paper was representative of the different layers of identity and sexuality within individuals.

Keep reading to find out more about this work.

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Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise must be feeling a bit neglected lately. With HarvardFML.com launching Harvard students to fame almost daily, students just don’t get excited anymore by the so-called celebrities frequenting our campus. Rather, our attention has been captured by the likes of red scarf Polish girl, Wigg A girl, or — most recently – K-pop Loving Turk.

The last person — Mr. Turk, let’s call him — is perhaps the most obscure of all. Sure, we know where Wigg A is, and what red scarves are, and hopefully where Poland is, but what’s all this about a K-pop loving Turk? Is K-pop a type of soda? Should we stock up, so that we can sip it conspicuously during Gov20 in the hopes that we’ll capture the attention of some tanned Turkish hottie?

Noice knows such questions are running through the minds of Harvard students everywhere, so we’re here to unravel a bit of the mystery surrounding Mr. Turk. Thus, Noice presents A Guide to K-pop. Because how else are you going to impress this famed personage without versing yourself in his interests?

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Parading through Cambridge!

Like most students here at Harvard, I find myself rationalizing my procrastination. But this morning has allowed me to resort to a novel excuse. “Sorry Professor, there was a parade outside of my window.”

A part of the Honk! and Harvard Square Oktoberfest celebrations, the eclectic Honk! Parade worked its way along Mass Ave to the cheers of enthusiastic crowds. As advertised on its website, the event featured activist street performers as well as other organizations with the intention:

“…to create a spectacular processional theater piece with striking visual images and plenty of brass band music in order to show by example how our streets and public spaces can function as places for community celebration and fun, as well as for their everyday practical purposes…”

The parade kicked off from Davis Square and hit Harvard Square just as I opened up my Expos reading (read: around 1:00 pm). Considering how Straus is a habitable sound barrier for the rest of the Yard, I decided to grab my camera and hit the streets. Keep reading to learn about today’s events along with a video.

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