10 I WEDNESDAY, March 16, 2005
Roustabout!
The Philadelphia-based
band is back for the first
time since last March,
while The Bonapartes
make their first showing.
By Kathryn Stevens
and Jessica Horton
FOR THE COLLEGIAN
Roustabout! is back in full force
tonight with returning favorites
The A-Sides, while The Bona
partes make their State College
debut
The show kicks off tonight at
10:30 at The Darkhorse Tavern,
128 E. College Ave.
"The bands really complement
each other," said Jeff Van Fbssan,
Roustabout! organizer. "The A-
Sides have more of a pop-feel,
while The Bonapartes are more
post-punk. I'm excited to get
them to play the same date."
The A-Sides played
Roustabout! last March to an
enthusiastic crowd.
"They're one of my personal
favorite bands," Van Fbssan said.
"Their set went over really well."
Matisyahu combines reggae, Jewish ideologies
By Kate Detwiler
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
kedsoo6@psu.edu
Bob Marley and Hasidic
Judaism.
The two had little in common
until the arrival of Matisyahu, the
highly unique, self-proclaimed
Hasidic reggae superstar who
combines traditional dancehall
reggae with lyrics that express
the fundamental ideologies of
Orthodox Judaism.
Matisyahu, brought here for
the second time by the Chabad
Jewish Student Center of Penn
State, will be playing at 9:30
tonight at Crowbar, 420 E. College
Ave.
"We wanted to bring him back
because he's an amazing per
former and because of the mes
sage in his lyrics," said Rabbi
Nosson Meretsky, Chabad execu
tive director.
"A lot of his lyrics are based on
Jewish mystical concepts and
improving oneself and the world,"
he said.
"The themes are similar to
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Fbr those of you who missed
out last spring, The A-Sides are
an up-and-coming band from
Philadelphia made up of four col
lege-aged guys living the dream
of any aspiring musician. The
band members met at Drexel
University with absolutely no
intention of becoming a serious
band.
"That's actually where our
name came from," said Jon
Barthmus, lead singer and gui
tarist of The A-Sides. "I showed
some stuff I was working on to
our drummer, and he said, Man,
we won't even have enough mate
rial to make it to the B-side of the
record."
Obviously, the drummer was
mistaken. The A-Sides are signed
to the start-up label Prison Jazz,
based in Scranton, which is also
the label of previous Roustabout!
act Okay Paddy.
The A-Sides' music has a defi
nite Beatles-feel, which is exactly
its goal. In fact, the band mem
bers admit their original aim was
to "be the Beatles," Barthmus
said, but they certainly have other
influences.
The band lists James Bond
themes in traditional reggae
music, such as redemption from
exile," Meretsky added.
Despite the strongly religious
content of his original lyrics,
Matisyahu's fan base tends to
transcend boundaries between
specific denominations and faiths.
"My music is not for Hasidic
Jews," Matisyahu said. "It is
aimed for people that listen to
that type of music, and it's gener
ally not Orthodox people. There
are a ton of Jews that are into my
music, but it tends to be more
secular?'
Though the event is presented
by Chabad, the performance is by
no means directed primarily to
those with a Jewish heritage.
"It's definitely not limited to the
Jewish student population," said
Chabad President Jennifer Put
terman. "They might find it
unique to their culture, but any
one can enjoy the music."
Though his lyrics are often
derived from mystical texts,
Matisyahu leaves his ideas open
for personal interpretation.
"Some of his lyrics are fairly
If you care, complain about the air.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
features returning A-Sides
movies and the smell of warm
blueberry pie as key motivations,
but musically speaking, they
draw from The Shins, The
Ramones and Velvet Under
ground, to name a few.
"There's been a definite pro
gression in our music," Barthmus
said.
The band is getting ready to
release its debut album, Hello,
Hello on March 29, and State Col
lege is the last stop before its
record release show March 26 at
The Khyber in Philadelphia.
They're sharing the stage
tonight with The Bonapartes,
another group of indie-rock per
suasion.
The band was born about eight
months ago in Washington, D.C.,
when various members of other
bands, including Roustabout!
favorite The Shake Downs came
together.
Despite being young, the band
is ready to take on State College.
"This is the first time we have
played a show out of the D.C. area
and we're hoping it will lead to big
things," said Ben Griggs, gui
tarist for The Bonapartes. "We
are very serious about it."
If you go
What: Matisyahu
Time: Door opens at 8 p.m.
Date: tonight
Place: Crowbar, 420 E. College
Ave.
Details: Admission is $7 in
advance, $lO day of show
general, focusing more on gener
al spirituality" Meretsky said.
"He tries to break it down in a
way that people can relate to."
Matisyahu's fame has been
steadily rising since the 2004
release of his debut album, Shake
Off the Dust ... Arise, which has
made various top 10 lists.
"The main theme of the album
is trying to see through the world
to see the spiritual dimension,
and trying to become sensitive to
godliness and less connected to
materialism," Matisyahu said.
"Everything in this world is not
fragmented as it seems, but is all
connected, ... is all a part of God."
If you go
What Roustabout!
Time: 10:30
Date: tonight
Place: The Darkhorse Tavern,
128 E. College Ave.
Details: 21 and over, $3 cover
Griggs describes the band's
sound as reminiscent of The Fall,
The Replacements and Guided
by Voices, with a definite rock 'n'
roll vibe.
Van Fbssan expects The Bona
partes' sound to go over well in
State College's music scene.
"I've heard some really good
recommendations about them
from other venues down in D.C., "
Van Fbssan said.
The Bonapartes are shopping
around a demo and gearing up for
upcoming shows in the D.C. area,
but tonight, the band's focus is
State College.
"We are really looking forward
to playing with The A-Sides,"
Griggs said. "We've heard that
they are really good."
Overall, though Matisyahu
sings about deeply religious con
cepts, his game plan is not to con
vert his listeners.
"My goal for making music is to
try and uplift and be a positive
voice that people can relate to,"
Matisyahu said.
Crowbar Operations Director
Dave Wells worked with Chabad
again after Matisyahu's success
ful performance last spring.
"If you take a look at the Crow
bar, it has a wide diversity of
music," Wells said.
"So this is just more of that
diversity ... but the music and
what this guy brings to the table
is just incredible," he added.
Despite the recognition he's
been receiving in the past year,
Matisyahu remains rooted in his
spirituality
"Fame is not that big of a deal
... it's not that noticeable,"
Matisyahu said. "It's real, and
everything that happens in life is
real. Nothing is fantasy, even if
it's something you've been look
ing forward to. It feels good, but
life is life."
DESIGNER NEW ARRIVALS
ARTS IN BRIEF
Charges dropped against Dawson
NEW YORK (AP) A Manhattan judge dismissed charges
against Rosario Dawson and two others who were arrested
while filming movie scenes near the location of last year's
Republican National Convention.
Charges of disorderly conduct and obstructing government
administration were dismissed yesterday by Criminal Court
Judge Melissa Jackson. The charges were filed against Daw
son, director Stephen Marshall and Viaja Grosgalves follow
ing their arrest near Madison Square Garden, site of the 2004
GOP convention.
THE SCENE
Allen Street Grill, 100 W. College Ave., will feature The Twinz at
10 p.m. and Magic Hat beer. Specials include $3.50 Bacardi fla
vor and mixers, and happy hour from 10 p.m. to midnight fea
turing half-priced well liquor (231-4745).
Bar Bleu, 114 S. Garner St, will feature the dance music of
Release. Specials include half-priced happy hour from 9 to 11
p.m. and $2.25 Captain and Cokes until midnight (237-0374).
Café 210 West, 210 W. College Ave., will feature Hip Hop Nite
at 10 p.m. Specials include $2 10 oz. and $2.50 16 oz. Bacardi
and mixers from 11 a.m. to midnight, $5 32 oz. liquor pitchers
from 11 a.m. to midnight and happy hour starting at 10 p.m.
(237-3449).
Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., will feature the Underground
Metal Fest at 8:30 p.m. Specials include half-priced everything
from 8 to 10 p.m. and $5 Molson Canadian pitchers from 8 p.m.
to midnight (237-0426).
Uon's Den, 118 S. Garner St., will feature Dennis Fallon at
10:30 p.m. Specials include $2 Guinness pints and half-priced
mixed drinks from 10 p.m. to midnight (237-5081).
The All American Rathskeller, 108 S. Pugh St., will feature Jeff
& Seth at 10:30 p.m. Specials include $2 Jack and colas and
happy hour from 10 p.m. to midnight (237-3858).
The Arena, 1521 Martin St., will feature karaoke with DJ 3D.
Specials include $3.50 Yuengling Lager pitchers and happy hour
from 8 to 10 p.m. (237-8833).
The Brewery, 233 E. Beaver Ave., will feature Tokyo Vertigo.
Specials include $4.50 Coors Light pitchers until midnight,
$1.75 shots and mixed drinks and $2 white Russians from 10 to
11 p.m. (237-2892).
The Darkhorse Tavern, 128 E. College Ave., will feature
Roustabout! at 10 p.m. Specials include half-priced happies
from 10 p.m. to midnight and $3.75 Labatt Blue pitchers from
5 p.m. to midnight (237-0490).
The Dell's z-Bar, 113 Hiester St., will feature half-priced happies
from 9 to 11 p.m. (237-5710).
The Gingerbread Man, 130 Hiester St., will feature G-TV with VJ
Boner at 11 p.m. Specials include $2.50 Icehouse pitchers,
$2.75 Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada pints, $4 Saranac Lager,
Michelob Ultra and Bud Light pitchers, $2 Dr. McGillicuddy's
Mentholmints, $2.50 cherry busters and Smirnoff cocktails,
$5.50 32 oz. Bacardi Hurricanes and happies from 10 p.m. to
midnight (237-0361).
The Saloon, 101 Hiester St., will feature Emily's Toybox. Specials
include happy hour from 9 to 11 p.m. and $4.75 Miller Lite
pitchers until midnight (234-4590).
Zeno's, 100 W. College Ave., will feature half-priced import bot
tles from 10 p.m. to midnight, $2.50 Sierra Nevada pints and
happy hour from 10 p.m. to midnight (237-2857).
To have an arts and entertainment event listed here, e-mail Arts
Editor Ann Doyle at aedlss@psu.edu two days in advance of the
event.
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN