Local musicians will be recording albums throughout the summer which will release late summer and early fall.

Trouble Lights

Album Title: To be determined

Anticipated Release: Aug. 25

Trouble Lights’ album will feature all dance music, according to vocalist Adrien Daller.  “It features elements from my past and Phil’s (Rabalais) past,” Daller said.  Rabalais adds a DIY underground electro feel to the music while Daller brings experience in musical theater to the vocals.  “It’s going to be fun and bring something different to Iowa,” Daller said of the album.  “It’s exciting to bring pop music to the scene.”

Hollow Point

Album Title: To be determined

Anticipated Release:  Late Summer/Early Fall 2012

“We are all writing about things we enjoy and different influences of our everyday lives,” said Erek Wright, lead guitarist of Hollowpoint. The album features a wide range rock influences according to Wright and will possess a dominant modern hard rock sound. Wright said listeners can expect songs about good times spent with friends and about experiences everyone encounters. Hollowpoint aims to give listeners what they want to hear and keep the party going with songs they wrote for the album, according to Wright.

H. Dustin Harmeson

Album Title: Papoose

Anticipated Release: October

Papoose will be Harmeson’s first solo album.  “It’s exciting because for the first time I have the final seal of approval on everything on the album,” Harmeson said.   A mix of a rock band, jazz band, string quartet and people screaming can be heard throughout the 15 tracks on Papoose according to Harmeson.  “There’s a lot of stuff on the album and some acoustic elements as well,” Harmeson said of the various aspects.

Mumford’s

Album Title: “Immediate Family”

Anticipated Release: First week in October

“I think these are the best songs we’ve recorded so far,” Mumford’s front man Nate Logsdon said.  Logsdon said “Immediate Family” will be nine tracks of ballads with Mumford’s rock sound.  A full choir, horn section and string section can be heard on the album in addition to Mumford’s.  There will be a surprise element that Mumford’s will unveil upon the release according to Logsdon.

Lesbian Poetry

Album Title: To be determined

Anticipated Release: Fall

“I’m really excited to get new music out there and work with other musicians,” Elliot Burke of Lesbian Poetry said. He stated he has not worked much with other musicians in the past. The sound on the album will feature more of a rock feel similar to Derek Lambert and the Prairie Fires, according Burke.

Ames247 Staff Writer

The Iowa State Center has unveiled the new 2012-2013 Performing arts series for Stephens Auditorium. Beginning in September, the lineup for performances will be as follows:

• Masters of Illusion, a world famous magic act, perform on Sept. 20.
• Ballet Folklorico de Mexico show off the music, dance and costumes of rich mexican folklore on Oct. 10.
• The National Symphony of Cuba performs music by Gershwin and Schubert on Oct. 18.
• “Pride and Prejudice” will be performed by LA Theater Works on Nov. 8.
• Branford Marsalis and the Branford Marsalis Quartet will perform Jazz music on Nov. 11.
• The Vienna Boys Choir will be performing choral music from the Renaissance to Today on Nov. 14.
• Lorie Line performs on Nov. 18.
• Musicians, Dailey and Vincent will perform their Bluegrass Christmas on Dec. 11.
• Zoo Zoo, put on by masters of mime, acrobatics and dance on Feb. 3.
• The musical “West Side Story” will be performed on Feb. 4.
• “Shrek, The Musical” will be arriving from Broadway on Feb. 13.
• Neil Simon’s “Biloxi Blues” will be performed by the Montana Repertory Theatre on Feb. 15.
• Voca People the “Intergalactic Musical Theater Event” will perform on Feb. 21.
• The China National Symphony Orchestra will perform on March 2.
• Traces, a show fusing the traditions of circus with the energy of street performance, will be on Feb. 3
• Monty Python’s “Spamalot” will be performed on March 5.
• The award winning musical “Dreamgirls” will be performed on March 13.
• The Blue Man Group will perform their show on March 25.
• Arrival, a musical group singing the songs of ABBA will be performing on April 3.
• The Montreal Guitar Trio and the California Guitar Trio will be performing on April 18.

Ames247 Staff Writer

“Rock and Roll is not a genre of music,” said lead singer of Shinedown Brent Smith, as he addressed the audience during his show. “It’s a way of life.”

Spread throughout the grounds were many stands selling food and drinks, everything from funnel cakes to whole turkey legs. Audience members mingled in groups of varying sizes, some talking, some playing hacky-sack.

“I love LAZERfest,” said Jason Graye, of Ankeny. “I come to this show every year, and it beings such a sense of community — it’s almost like meeting with an extended family.”

Not everything was peaceful though. Ten people waiting in line for beer started screaming cuss words at each other, and fists were thrown.

“I don’t have any idea what the fight was about,” said Karen Smith, another audience member. ” A couple chicks starting screaming at each other and calling each other bitches, and then the guys started throwing punches.”

The event staff arrived shortly after the fight broke out, and escorted all involved out of the concert grounds.

As the night wore on, more and more people funneled to the stages for some of the bigger bands. The crowd erupted when Buckcherry stepped on stage, and people started crowd surfing almost immediately. The audience got very involved in his show, singing along and yelling louder and louder.

When the first co-headliner came up, Five Finger Death Punch, the crowds erupted again, this time in a different way. Mosh pits began springing up throughout the crowd, and the people who were crowd surfing were thrown around violently.

“I hear  people say that we have the most violent fans in the world,” said Ivan Moody, lead singer of Five Finger Death Punch. “And my rebuttal? We just like to have a good fucking time!”

The second co-headliner, Shinedown, played the last performance of the night. The crowds held up lighters and cellphones during the performance and sang along with their songs.

“LAZERfest is the best part of my summer,” said Tom Randall, of Boone. “Rock music, beer, and tits — what’s not to love?”

Big acts rock LAZERfest 2012

LAZERfest 2012, a music festival sponsored by Kum & Go, was held on Sunday, May 13, 2012 at the Central Iowa Expo in Boone, Iowa. Bands that performed at LAZERFest 2012 included: Sebastian Bach, Buckcherry, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators, Shinedown and several others.

Storified by iowastatedaily · Mon, May 14 2012 12:01:26

Ames247 Staff writer

LAZERfest, the hard-rock festival hosted by LAZER 103.3, will be changing venues this year and will be at the Central Iowa Expo in Boone on Sunday. The show has been held at the Indianola Balloon Grounds since 2008, but with audience size reaching over 20,000, they had to find a bigger area. This new location in Boone offers a much larger space for the audience as well as a larger area to park. The flat land will allow audience members to better see the shows and improved drainage will allow for up to five inches of rain without issue.

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The parking lots will open at 9 a.m., with the doors for the show opening at 11:30 a.m. There will be two main stages, with bands alternating between them; the lineup will be as follows:

• Dead Horse Trauma — 1 p.m.
• Art of Dying — 1:25 p.m.
• Black Stone Cherry — 1:55 p.m.
• Adelitas Way — 2:25 p.m.
• P.O.D — 3 p.m.
• Sebastian Bach — 3:40 p.m.
• Volbeat — 4:25 p.m.
• Buckcherry — 5:10 p.m.
• Theory of a Deadman — 5:55 p.m.
• Chevelle — 6:40 p.m.
• Slash, featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators — 7:30 p.m.
• Five Finger Death Punch — 8:35 p.m.
• Shinedown — 10 p.m.

The annual Burning Man Studio offers skills that are learned in class and can be applied to life outside.

The Iowa State course is taught by Samantha Krukowski, assistant professor of architecture, who has only been teaching the class for three years, but has participated in the Burning Man experience for five years.

During the Burning Man Festival, students bring art pieces they have created to showcase, then disassemble on the last day of the event.

“It is on the list of 12 things to do before you die,” Krukowski said of the festival. “It’s amazing, 65,000 people on the land and they just leave. Things disappear after seven days.”

Krukowski said the course is the only one in the world currently and is supported by Iowa State.

When it began, the course was originally titled “Shifting Sands: Transient Architectures in the Desert” and it later changed to “Burning Man Studio”, alluding to the purpose of the second half of the course where students take a week long trip to Black Rock City, Nevada in which the students get to experience the building of a town that ceases to exist after the week is over.

The course is divided into two sections throughout the summer.  The first section is between May 16 and July 8, where the students are to develop and produce their projects for the playa. The studio is held in the Armory building where the students have 24 hour access to work on their art and store their supplies.  The second section is between August 29 and September 5, when the students take a trip to the Burning Man Festival.

Jason Parry, senior in English, described the Burning Man experience as a community.

“It’s community- oriented. Everybody works and helps out, participating in washing dishes and doing choirs,” Parry said.

These details are part of the core learning in the class, and are even stated in the syllabus by Krukowski.

“What it means to be in a community, to participate in it will be redefined; expected to work with intensity and dedication, experiment, make magical things, teach, and help each other,” Krukowski wrote.

Along with the idea of working together as a community, Burning Man Studio also sets the bar for students to learn about themselves. The syllabus states the student artist must know that the “understanding of the nature of creativity and self-expression will change along with the way you look at yourself and define who you are as a maker.”

The course starts out with the students learning about the history of Burning Man by purchasing books and viewing films.  This then leads to the 10 Burning Man Principles, including self-reliance, self-expression, communal effort and civic responsibility.

Krukowski described the occasion as being “not like an art exhibit where name and promotion are of importance.”

Aside from learning all of the principles and then being able to create something with them, the course allows the students to experience an opportunity where all the skills they have been building up throughout the course get to be displayed at Burning Man.

To discuss information or any questions about the course with past students check out the Burning Man Studio‘s Facebook page
For pictures, view the Flickr page for Burning Man Studios 
For additional information on the course, visit Design Studies 345X

Though Ames’ population declines heavily during the summer, plenty of outdoor music festivals in the area still draw students and residents alike. Anyone looking for live entertainment this summer season will have no difficulty finding a wide variety of events.

Ames Main Street Farmer’s Market
The 2012 Ames Main Street Farmer’s Market will run each Saturday morning for six months beginning May 5th. While plenty of produce is sold by local farmers, the Main Street Cultural District and the Ames Chamber of Commerce work to provide live local entertainment as well.

When: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, May 5 to Oct. 27
Where:  400 Block of Main St. in Ames
Cost: Free

LAZERfest
Des Moines’ rock station LAZER 103.3 hosts this year’s annual heavy rock festival LAZERfest in Boone at the Central Iowa Expo. Famous national rockers Shinedown and Five Finger Death Punch will headline, with many other big names from the rock scene taking one of two stages throughout the day.

When: Sunday, May 13
Where: Central Iowa Expo, Boone
Cost: $30 – $50

Nitefall on the River
Veridian Credit Union presents Nitefall on the River, an annual summer concert series hosted in downtown Des Moines at the Simon Estes Amphitheater. The initial lineup announcement includes dates from Minneapolis band Hairbal as early as late May and The BoDeans in late July.

When: May 26 to July 26
Where: Simon Estes Amphitheater, Des Moines
Cost: $15 – $35

Ames on the Half Shell
The 10th annual season of Ames on the Half Shell begins June 1 and runs for eight consecutive Fridays in Bandshell Park. It costs $4 to get in to the park during any of the concerts, and Olde Main brews are only $3 during the show. Anyone under 21 needs to be with a parent, spouse, or guardian.

When: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, June 1 to July 20
Where: Bandshell Park, Ames
Cost: $4

Ankeny Unplugged
This four Saturday concert series doubles as a fundraiser for the nonprofit volunteer organization, the Ankeny Junior Chamber. Local artists like Parlours, Christopher the Conquered, Patrick Tape Fleming and many more will perform in the Ankeny Bandshell throughout June. Concessions are sold onsite and help support the event, and it runs rain or shine.

When: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 2 to 23
Where: Wagner Park, Ankeny
Cost: $3 single event, $10 pass to all 4 shows

Roosevelt Summer Sundays
Ames families and artists gather at Roosevelt Elementary School in the middle of town for live music on summer Sunday evenings. The shows already announced are varied in genre between local artists; soul, indie pop, rock, jazz, rockabilly, bluegrass and more. Bring a chair, your family, and friends for a free show in the heart of Ames.

When: 7 p.m. Sunday, June 3 to Aug. 12
Where: 9th Street and Roosevelt Ave, Ames
Cost: Free

Summerfest in Campustown
Businesses in the Campustown Action Association will work together to bring a day of activities and live music this June. Summerfest in Campustown will feature activities in front of many businesses on Welch and Chamberlain, as well as live music from local artists like Leslie and the Lys, Ladysoal, Pennyhawk and more.

When: 12 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 9
Where: Campustown, Ames
Cost: Free

80/35
VIP tickets have already sold out for 80/35, arguably the largest music festival in Iowa this summer. During the two-day festival, big names like Death Cab For Cutie, The Avett Brothers, Dinosaur Jr. and more will play Western Gateway Park with local groups like Leslie and the Lys and Mumford’s. Day- of tickets are more expensive, so order in advance to ensure you get to see a local favorite or national idol.

When: July 6 and 7
Where: Western Gateway Park, Des Moines
Cost: $30 – $65 (http://80-35.com/tickets/)

Finals week is finally upon us, and while most students are doing last minute cram sessions and pulling all-nighters to study for their exams, students in the theater department are preparing in a slightly different way.

This week, students taking Brad Dell’s Directing 2 and musical theatre classes will be presenting their final projects for audiences at the One Act Play Festival, and the Musical Theatre Cabaret.

The two classes have been hard at work all semester, and now that work will be displayed for everyone to see. However, these performances won’t be for entertainment purposes only, because they will also serve as the students’ final exams.

In Directing 2, students have been spending most of the semester preparing for this final project. Their assignment was to choose, cast and direct their own one act play.

A one act play is a production that contains a complete plot structure, but is significantly shorter than a full length play.

Although one act plays are shorter than regular plays, they still require just as much work. Diana Wohl, an open option freshman, is one of the actresses cast in a one act play this year. She knows, first hand, the amount of work that goes into putting a production like this together.

“We have normally been rehearsing at least two or three times a week, but since this week is the final stretch, we have been rehearsing every day,” Wohl said. “ I was expecting to put in a lot of work, but the amount of hours that go into making a good and captivating production are a lot different than the hours it takes to simply memorize something.”

The extra hours they put into perfecting their productions and solidifying their visions are what will earn these student directors an “A” when it comes to performance time.

The directors are not the only ones doing hard work this semester. For the actors, there is an added pressure on top of memorizing pages of lines and blocking.

“There’s a sense of accountability,” said Scot Renz, sophomore in performing arts. He was cast in a one act play, and has felt the pressure to work his hardest to not let his director down, because the directors are counting on the actors to make their one act plays come to life.

Meanwhile, in musical theatre, students are preparing their final projects as well. Over the course of the semester, the students have been perfecting songs from musicals in hopes of putting their best work into the final showcase. Danielle Levings, senior in psychology, has been working hard on her music for the class.

“Our final is a Cabaret, where we each perform two individual songs and some group numbers,” Levings said. “We have been learning the music in class, and practicing the harmony parts on our own. We also work on songs we’ve learned throughout the semester, and the goal is to have our best performances at the final.”

Kelsie Hardison, junior in liberal studies, has also been working hard to prepare for the musical theatre final. She says that she enjoys the class, because she feels comfortable with her fellow performers.

“The support from our classmates is great,” Hardison said. “It’s not just Brad, but everyone who contributes, and we are all helping each other and giving feedback from different perspectives.”

Much like Directing 2, the students in musical theatre put in a lot of hours outside of class to perfect their final projects.

“We have to set our own schedule and pace of learning these songs, like finding time to meet outside of class with our accompanist, and run through it a few times before performing it in class,” Hardison said.

With the festival and cabaret approaching, it is time for the students to show off all their hard work. They have not had to memorize any key terms, take notes or make numerous flashcards, but they have been working countless hours to put together a “performance ready” piece that will determine their final grade.

“I think the most exciting part will be when everyone finally gets to see what we’ve been working on,” Wohl said. “I think it will be really fun to see what everyone else has been doing, because there are so many talented people participating in these showcases.”

The Musical Theatre Cabaret will take place Monday night in the M-Shop, and the One Act Play Festival will take place Wednesday and Thursday nights in the M-Shop at 6:00 p.m.

Occasionally, there are those moments when you cannot for the life of you explain why you like something. I could say it was the oddly perfect casting, the surprisingly clever writing (amongst the guy humor of course), or the fact it genuinely made me laugh out loud. However I do not think I could pinpoint it exactly, other than that I had fun. And fun is the best way I can describe “21 Jump Street.”

I have not seen the original television show, despite being a fan of Johnny Depp for the last nine years, which makes me unable to see whether the film followed closely or loosely. Thus I can only offer an opinion on the film itself and not the concept of “21 Jump Street” as a whole. That being said, I saw the film due to a friend bringing it up one day and talking about how almost no one would go see it with her. After a brief explanation of the plot and a guarantee that Depp would make a cameo, I was sold. Imagining Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum coming face to face with Depp on screen was enough for me.

The film opens with a throwback to high school in the 90s, where Schmidt (Hill) is quickly characterized as the smart kid that never got in with the ‘in’ crowd and Jenko (Tatum) is the athletic bully that enjoyed beating him down. Somehow, they both decide to become police officers and during a ridiculously fun montage (there are quite a few of these and each is great), the two mutually decide to be friends, because they can pool their talents together. As these sorts of films go, they graduate the police academy only to have the glamorous honor of patrolling the local park on police issued bikes. Insert another wacky montage and we understand how extremely boring their patrol is. As predicted, a break falls into their laps and long story short, the two find themselves working undercover back in high school in an effort to overthrow a drug ring.

One of the best parts about this film is that it does not try to be more than entertainment; it knows what it is and it is smart about it. Many consider Tatum to be quite attractive, but dumber than a blender in a bathtub. The film has no qualms about using this knowledge to its advantage, but because Tatum is such a good sport, the film repays him with some sympathetic moments. Hill can be easily construed as the nerdy type who also lacks street smarts, and with his weight loss, he seems to stand a little taller next to lookers like Tatum. He’s also not afraid to do more physical humor, in which he holds himself well. Putting both together is an unexpected duo of comedy that creates a splendid bromance that will no doubt leave you cracking up whether you want to or not.

I found the stereotyping of high school in this present day and age hysterical, especially when juxtaposed with the flashback at the beginning. I would like to say that it seems mildly accurate, but seeing as I am not a high school student, I can only guess. In my overactive opinion however, I believe it to be a great version of what I could expect to see if I were to muck down my high school halls again, with jokes at things like backpacks, sustainability, and the new music scene. The shenanigans that Hill and Tatum run into while convincing their classmates and teachers that they are indeed high school students, brings together some interesting elements, from shout-outs to “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” type animations to “Freaks and Geeks” type situations. It all runs together pretty solid and brings the entertainment value in all the more.

Thus the stellar acting from Hill, Tatum, and the rest of the wise-cracking cast, combined with the witty writing and execution, it is easy to laugh off the excessive guy humor jokes, because this film is worth your time and it will put a smile on your face.

The Masterworks concert is an annual event which allows the choirs and orchestra at Iowa State to work together and collaborate. This year, masterwork “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff will be the featured piece. The song will combine all of the men and women choirs, along with ISU Symphony Orchestra, in a composition of 25 different movements.

“It’s one of the most widely performed or most popular large choral orchestral works,” said James Rodde, director of Iowa State Singers and Iowa Statesmen.

The orchestra will play music with more piano and wind instrument involvement. Because it is easy for them to play loudly, it is important for them to be mindful of balance with the singers, said Jacob Harrison, director of the orchestra.

Rodde will be the director of the concert. Because Rodde is already in tune with the choirs and has his own styles of tempo and conducting patterns.

“It’s kind of [the orchestra’s] job to adapt to what he’s already planned,” said Rachel Petsche, senior in music and bassist in the orchestra.

Being a musician in Masterworks is a very “communal” experience, said Joseph Leon, junior in music and member of Iowa State Singers and Iowa Statesmen. Unlike some smaller choir environments, the Masterworks concert allows singers to feel part of an even bigger whole, said Leon.

Themes vary throughout the movements in “Carmina Burana” and include ideas of spring, romance and passion. Although the work will be sung in Latin, Leon said it is still important for the audience to gain an understanding of feelings in the music.

“I think the spirit is there in how [‘Carmina Burana’] is sung and how it is performed,” said Leon. He said the choir will use volume and emphasis to communicate with the audience.

The different movements are meant to fit together well in a cohesive style. Benjamin Friedrich, senior in advertising and member of Iowa Statesmen, said it takes more work in the choir to polish and prepare music for a large concert.

“It’s interesting to learn the different styles in the context of this huge piece,” said Friedrich. “When you learn a style in the context of a bigger work, you get familiar with it.”

Before “Carmina Burana,” Iowa State Singers will perform a brief preview concert. This will include “Dark Night of the Soul,” which will feature a string quartet with faculty members Jodi Goble, Jonathan Sturm and George Work.

“I would recommend to anybody, if they want to hear a great concert, the Masterworks concert would be the one to go to,” said Leon. “That’s really what I think music is all about. Getting a group of people together with different skills and creating a beautiful final product.”

Where: Stephens Auditorium
When: April 29 at 3 p.m.
Cost: $5 students, $10 adults

“Godzilla Eats Las Vegas,” a band composition by Eric Whitacre, will put Wind Ensemble musicians on a new level of musical storytelling. As the audience shuffles through scripts outlining the classic tale of Godzilla, the ensemble will play music meant to represent the story line.

“It’s a really cool piece to be in the audience for, and I think it will be fun to play,” said Rachel Petsche, senior in music and bass player in the Wind Ensemble.

Petsche said the musicians become an even more integral part in the Godzilla story when they take on extra actions such as yelling and stomping. The audience will need to use their imaginations and scripts in order to help them fully understand the music, she added.

“[‘Godzilla Eats Las Vegas’] features pretty much everybody in the group, and it is a lot of fun. It is just a riot,” said Michael Golemo, Wind Ensemble director.

The concert will take another unusual turn when it reveals “Glass House Concerto,” a premiere piece by composer Andrew Ardizzoia that will feature Matthew Coley, lecturer of percussion at Iowa State, while Wind Ensemble will play in the background. Coley will play the concerto on “a variety of nontraditional percussion instruments,” said Golemo, including glass bottles and glass and stone xylophones.

“I have had a passionate interest for some time in utilizing glass as a percussion instrument, as well as assembling many sounds from one material, whether found or manufactured,” Coley wrote about the concerto on his website.

Coley also utilized glass instruments when he collaborated on the “CLEARLY” installation displayed in Brunnier Art Museum in December 2011.

Even with all the unusual instrumentation, “Glass House Concerto” sounds surprisingly similar to other concertos, said Lee Plummer, senior in music and percussionist in the Wind Ensemble. Pieces like this one allow percussionists to learn about a wider variety of instruments and techniques, Plummer said.

Ardizzoia has planned to be present at ensemble rehearsals and at the Wind Ensemble’s performance Sunday. Ardizzoia will have the opportunity to give feedback to the group about “Glass House Concerto” before its premiere.

“I think he might end up changing some things once he’s in there and hears what it sounds like coming from a real band,” Petsche said.

She said he might clarify or alter parts because he will be hearing the music for the first time from the ensemble.

“It’s always neat to have the composer there. It brings another level to the performance. The goal of any group, any performer, is to convey the intent of the composer, and when the composer is with you it’s great,” Golemo said.