61 Behrend Beacon 1
August 28,2009 I |1 I •
| www.thebehrendbeacon.com V4.A
STAND-UP COMEDY
Big man brings big laughs to orientation weekend
BY HEATHER MCGOVERN
news editor
Ronnie Jordan, a well-off co
median awarded “Rookie of the
Year” in 2001 after only a year
into comedy by Atlanta’s Up
town Comedy Club, made a
quick pit-stop at Penn State
Behrend’s campus last Friday
night.
One of the sophomore stu
dents helping with Freshman
Orientation happened to be
previously acquainted with
Ronnie Jordan and excitedly
accounted her previous use of
his popular saying, “I hate you
a lot.” Sonia Rosales shared,
"My roommates and 1 used to
quote him every day and when
ever we were frustrated.”
As a widely known come
dian, Jordan proved to be a
very humorous break in be
tween the many informational
sessions taking place during
Freshman Orientation Week
end. Ronnie Jordan was an ex
cellent choice due to his recent
popular appeal. According to
his website, Jordan was “the
crowd favorite on the Miller
Lite King and Queens of Com
edy Search Tour,” aided in in
troducing the Crown Royal
Comedy Soul Fest, “and head
lined the RJE Comedy Cabaret
Tour 2003.” His recent success
can only be attributed to his
comedic talent.
Jordan’s performance ini
tially focused on those identifi
able “favorites” of high school
nostalgia. Exuberantly describ
ing his overall view of high
school bathrooms, awkward
classroom entrances, and nu
merous other embarrassing
personal accounts. Jordan
seemed to successfully warm
up the majority of the crowd as
spurts of laughter gradually
started filling the room.
Jordan continued by comi
cally identifying with his race,
weight, and self-satisfying
habits. The freshmen present in
McGarvey only responded with
o "p pv ~
A look at the world of music, from the obscure to the
obscene, the new and the old
THE VON BONDIES
Way earlier this year, the Von Bondies performed a fantastic
show. Having nothing to expect other than some rock-n-roll, one
realizes that half of the band is women, and they are pretty. How
ever, these skinny girls were not there for everyone to look at, they
were there to melt face with hypnotizing bass lines and angry gui
tars.
Ok, so who cares about the concert? Who really are the Von
Bondies? They rode the initial wave of garage rock revival in the
early 2000 s. Thanks to bands like the White Stripes and the
Strokes, the Von Bondies are somewhat popular. They get a lot of
heat over their new album “Love, Hate and Then There’s You,” re
leased in February of this year, so it’s necessary to avoid that and
say it’s more radio friendly and accessible.
On the other hand, their older tunes are extremely bluesy and
moody and worth more discussion. The first album, “Lack Of
Communication,” starts with a pulsing bass line and quickly gains
momentum. However, at that point, the opening turns into the
typical grunge laden style most are used to. It continues to drive
through some moderately interesting hard blues rock covered in
dark lyrical overtones.
By the third track, things slow down unexpectedly. “Cass and
Henry" is almost spoken-word narrative of a nocturnal encounter
with a tall stranger due to a past love. It’s impossibly satisfying to
listen to, consisting of a chilled-out blues layer, twanging with gui
tar riffs and short solos.
The rest of the album continues a dark garage-rock atmosphere
and becomes mostly unmemorable - aside from the riffs. However,
the last song, “Rock and Roll Nurse” brings back what should
thoroughly be enjoyed about the Von Bondies: guitar riffs that are
contagious as hell with that unrelenting blues tone to it. It comes
to an intense climax, then the track goes silent for something like
two minutes when there is a bonus cover of the soul song “Bring
It On Home To Me” by Sam Cook. It’s a surprising end to such an
angry and frustrated album.
The Von Bondies second album, Pawn Shoppe Heart, comes
with quality production and more accessible tunes with the same
thing that brings me back to them. More staple garage rock riffs
to consume. In this album, you will also find the ever-popular
“C’mon C’mon,” which - after being on the radio and various other
places - solidly rests as downloadable content for Rock Band 1 and
2.
The album brings two more of the longer, and much more
angsty blues tunes continually pleasing anyone that is into blues
rock. “Mairead” comes off as a wailing song about a cheating
woman, blanketed with tons of satisfying guitar solos. And again
the title track Pawn Shoppe Heart can only be describes as this, it
rocks. It’s extremely satisfying and is totally a garage rock classic.
Ideally, they couldn’t pass up a hidden cover so after a few minutes
of silence afterwards begins a cover of another classic soul song
“Try a Little Tenderness.”
It’s hard to draw a good conclusion on the Von Bondies, espe
cially with their streak of hidden covers being oddly ironic com
pared to the rest of the material. The best advice is simply this: if
you enjoy blues or garage rock, by any means skip The Von
Bondies’ most recent effort and try their older albums and don’t
be afraid to enjoy it.
Ronnie Jordan not only joked about his size frequently, but issues dealing with race as well. All new students were welcomed to Behrend with comedic messages of diversity.
more outbursts of laughter as Jeff McCarthy, a first semes- into college.” Catering specifi- Rebecca Edwards, freshman numerous other music, com-
Jordan made a spectacle of ter freshman majoring in busi- cally to any given crowd’s pre- orientation leader, chose to edy, and miscellaneous acts,
himself on stage. ness, praised Ronnie Jordan’s ferred type of humor is often book Ronnie Jordan for his “I think he was geared more
One of the highlight skits Jor- comedic skit after the show, the most difficult task for co- ability to cater to the college- towards college students,” re
dan performed entails the “He had me laughing from start medians. aged audience. Edwards at- marked Edwards in reply to my
many stages of an amusing en- to finish.” Jordan continually made out- tended a programming questioning of her comedian
counter between himself and a Ronnie Jordan had equally standing accommodations dur- conference sponsored by the selection. She added that “he
cinnabon with musical accom- positive remarks about his ing his performance by National Association for Cam- treated his acts like he would
paniment. Jordan continued overall performance. “Tonight smoothly switching focus from pus Activities (NACA) in want to listen to it.”
heavily commenting on his was cool,” he said. “The fresh- ill-favored topics to more Nashville, TN during the previ
weight and race, as well as, his man shows are kind of cool be- crowd-pleasing subjects or ac- ous spring semester where she Visit his website at:
current marital life. cause everyone is still adjusting counts. found Ronnie Jordan among www.ronniejordan.net
BY JUSTIN PEKULAR
contributing writer
jjpsoBs@psu.edu
ture