I Wednesday, Oct. 20,2010 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
, V
Courtesy of tTueerMjeavofsWog.com
David Vandervelde said his live performances are different from his
album recordings. The pop-punk artist will play tonight at Chronic Town.
Show to embrace
pop-rock classics
By David Strader and Chris
Dilenno
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Chronic Town is doing its best
to bring dynamic music to State
College.
David Vandervelde and Juston
Stens and the Get Real Gang will
play with local opener The
Surgical Staff at 8 tonight at the
hookah lounge, 224 W College
Ave.
The show is open to ages 18
and up, and tickets are $7 at the
door.
Jesse Ruegg, co-owner and
manager of Chronic Town, said
he booked Vandervelde to expand
the musical diversity in State
College.
"We’re trying to bring some
thing different to the college
town,” he said. “[David
Vandervelde] is ’6os-influenced
pop-punk in the vein of Marc
Bolan or The Beatles.”
Vandervelde described his
music as "embracing the clas
sics,” though his newest EP is
more geared towards power-pop.
He said his live performances
are a far cry from his album
recordings.
"I try to do things differently
every time I tour,” he said. “We
have a very spontaneous style on
stage.”
Ruegg said Juston Stens and
the Get Real Gang is a band
whose style is loosely similar to
70s artists like Paul McCartney.
“They’re a different kind of ani
mal," Ruegg said. “It’s very liter
ate guitar rock.”
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If you go
What: David Vandervelde,
Juston Stens and the Get Real
Gang and The Surgical Staff
When: 8 tonight
Where: Chronic Town
Details: Tickets are $7, ages
18 and up
Stens, former drummer for Dr.
Dog, said his new project has
given him a chance to express his
otherwise suppressed musical
creativity.
“My songs never really saw the
light of day with that band,” Stens
said. “I spent so much time
behind the drum kit that no one
even knew about the songs I had
written.”
Stens said he is excited to play
at Chronic Town, as he is fond of
college town shows.
Joe Beeney, (graduate-psy
chology) lead guitarist and vocal
ist for The Surgical Staff, said he
is a huge fan of Chronic Town.
“It’s wonderful, and we love
playing there,” he said. “It’s the
best venue in town.”
Beeney said the success of
Chronic Town can be attributed
to its owners.
“Jeff [Van FossanJ and Jesse
[Ruegg] should win some sort of
community reward, because
what they’ve done with that place
is amazing,” Beeney said. “They
do so much just for the love of it.”
To e-mail reporter: dass46l@psu.edu
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Fans request artist’s visit
By Brittany Hom
FOR THE COLLEGIAN
If swing, jazz and rock were
combined, it would sound like the
music of Martin Sexton, fan Paul
Rutter said.
“He can take a song that every
one knows and cover it in a way
you would never imagine,” Rutter
(graduate-adult education) said.
Taking the stage at 8 p.m.
Wednesday at the State Theatre,
130 W College Ave., Martin
Sexton will showcase that unique
sound as part of his Solo
Sugarcoating Tour.
Tickets for the show are $2O ,
and Rutter said between the low
ticket cost and the quality of
Sexton’s live performances, it
would be “inexcusable” for some
one not to go.
“There are so many unexpect
ed pleasures that you find when
you see him live,” Rutter said.
“He doesn’t cater to the whims of
a record company.”
Sexton originates from the hills
of Syracuse, New York, where he
began playing music in the 80s.
Since 1992, Sexton has released
nine albums, including his latest
project and touring album,
“Sugarcoating,” according to his
website.
Sexton has been praised for his
live work by fans and colleagues
alike John Mayer calls him one
of his “favorite artists of all time”
Club’s show to boast female talent
By David Strader
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
In an effort to bring female per
formers into the spotlight, the
Penn State Songwriters Club is
hosting an open mic Ladies’
Night tonight.
Women wishing to perform can
sign up at 7 p.m., and perform
ances will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the
West Halls study lounge.
Maura Westerlund, vice presi
dent of the Songwriters Club, said
the event is not an exclusively
musical presentation unlike a
standard open mic night.
“We’re open to anything,” she
said.
“We want everyone to knows
that it’s open to not only songs,
but also lyrics, poetry and even
acting.”
Westurland said the open mic
was an idea to promote female
talent in the organization.
Courtesy of myspace.com
Martin Sexton will play at the State Theatre tonight at 8 as part of his
Solo Sugarcoating Tour. 18-year-old Cara Salimando will open the show.
If you go
What Martin Sexton concert
When: 8 tonight; doors open
at 7
Where: The State Theatre, 130
W. College Ave.
Details: Tickets are $2O.
in a You Tube video posted in
February 2008. While Sexton has
not played the State Theatre late
ly, Facebook and e-mail recom
mendations gave fans the oppor
tunity to bring Sexton to the
downtown venue.
“He’s definitely been suggested
If you go
What: Songwriters Club Ladies'
Night
When: Performance sign-ups
start at 7 tonight, show starts
at 7:30
Where: West Halls study
lounge
“Originally, there were a lot
more guys in the group than girls,
but we found a lot more girls join
ing this semester,” Westerlund
(sophomore-business) said.
“We wanted to think of a cre
ative way to get our ladies head
lining.”
Westerlund added that the
stage is also open to all students.
She’ll be singing and playing
guitar at the event.
“I like to say that I’m a jazzy,
acoustic pop style,” Westerlund
The Daily Collegian
by enough members of the com
munity to warrant us bringing
him here,” said Kristy Cyone, Jthe
theater’s marketing director.
Zach Zimbler (junior-supply
chain management and informa
tion sciences and technology)
said Sexton is “one of the better
songwriters of our time.” Zimbler
is the president and general man
ager of The Lion 90.7 FM, the
show’s media sponsor.
As for turnout, Cyone said she
expects a diverse audience.
“We expect to see a mix of
young and old, but there will defi
nitely be a lot of college students,”
Cyone said.
Cara Salimando, an 18-year-old
from New Jersey, will open.
said. "But someone told me I'm
soulful, so that’s kind of cool."
Lauren Wheeler (senior-jour
nalism and English) said the
Ladies' Night will be her first per
formance at a Songwriters Club
open mic event.
“I think because it’s specifically
for females, there wont be as
much pressure," she said.
“The audience will be different,
and I won’t have to compete with
a bunch of guys.”
Men who attend are encour
aged to wear pink to support the
female performers.
“I’m expecting good music,
good people, and also a good pur
pose,” Mike Callas (junior-film
and video) said.
Callas added that the West
Halls Study Lounge will be an
ideal location to host the open
mic.
To e-mail reporter: dass46l@psu.edus