Urban Brings Country to the City

Urban opens the night with "Write You In A Song"

Walking into Staples Center, located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, and seeing cowboy hats, boots and floral dresses abounding on a Saturday night had an ironic “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore” twang. The last time I went to a concert arena was to see Muse and before that, Usher. Keith Urban gave an entirely different—given the country genre—but equally well-done performance as any rock or hip-hop concert.

There were some technical flaws. Urban’s voice could barely be distinguished from the music throughout most of the show. Echoes and too much volume on the guitar made it difficult to enjoy his distinct, smooth pop-meets-country vocal quality. Urban himself had a strong stage presence however, and it was easy to enjoy the overall experience.

His set list started strong, including fan favorites like “Put You In A Song” and “Long Hot Summer.” There was a good mix of his upbeat happy-go-lucky tunes (“Better Life,” “Jeans On,”) and his slower heartfelt hits (“Without You,” “Tonight I Wanna Cry.”) During his ballads, especially, Urban was able to croon and woo the audience, as the screams of fans died and the noise of drums and bass came to a halt and all that was left was a guitar and the rawness of a Keith Urban ballad.

Urban really knows how to bring his shows to a personal level. Fans jumped up and down, sat and swayed and clapped their hands in equal measure. “Kiss A Girl” was especially memorable as he brought three fans on stage to sing with him, and then gave them time to sing individually while he clapped and stood in the background.

From beginning to end Urban proved his showmanship, not only singing and interacting with the crowd but also showcasing his prowess on the guitar with several elaborate solos, particularly during “Sweet Thing,” when he grabbed his electric guitar and improvised various riffs during the chorus and bridge, much to the crowd’s delight. “Hot damn,” one audience member said. “Never knew he could play guitar like that.”

Sometimes a concert isn’t meant to show the world the talent an artist possesses. The audience already loves Urban, they know he’s good. Instead of focusing on performing an exact, perfect live rendition of his albums, he deviated a little. He jumped up and down, he talked to the crowd, he brought people on stage and let them take the lead. Jack Black made a guest appearance in the encore. Girls screamed, guys drank their beer and bobbed their heads and Urban catered to it all. He brought a quality, entertainment experience and fans ate it up.

Photograph by Heather Tanji

How PR and God come together.

I just came home from an amazing conference for public relations students (a blog re-cap coming soon.) It was inspiring, motivating and above all, eye-opening. I truly feel I can make a career out of what I have learned, and I feel it is what I am supposed to be doing for the next few years.

One thing I have learned: PR is a crazy busy, fast-paced career. You go-go-go all the time. There’s a reason your phone is never off. There isn’t a guaranteed off time. You are always on call. And I enjoy that.

However, I am a child of God. I have a relationship with Him (however faulty on my end) and it’s important that I spend time quieting down and making a space for Him to work and move in my life. I need Jesus. I need His guidance and strength.

And sometimes, between work, interning, school, working out, friends, PRSSA, family and my TV/food/shopping vices I forget to make that space. I don’t take the time to spend with my Savior.

I know that once I start working in PR full-time it’s going to be crazier and harder for me to make time for Him. PR is my passion and I love it… but what if it cancels out Jesus? What if I get so involved with working—campaigning, planning, creating and being a PR pro that I forget to center my life around Him?

Today I was re-reading a chapter on spiritual meditation from “Celebration of Discipline” by Richard J. Foster. Basically, he said this:

“If we are constantly being swept off our feet with frantic activity, we will be unable to be attentive at the moment of inward silence… [have] a sense of balance in the life, an ability to BE AT PEACE through the activities of the day, an ability to rest and take time to enjoy beauty… holy leisure.”

I’m a busy girl; I thrive on crazy. But I really want to try and make sure I have a sense of peace as I go through each day. I need to make sure that GOD is constantly a part of my actions and my life and that no matter how fast I’m moving, He’s there. I want to be at peace because I have made space for Him in each and every aspect of my life and I’m LISTENING and DWELLING in His teachings and love. His presence.

Easier said than done right? All my PR people know that our phones are connected to our very beings and that we don’t rest often. On top of that I’m still working through some things and attempting to be walking in God’s light and path and stop dancing with the world. I still dance with it quite a bit. Always a struggle.

But I’m learning and trying to quiet down, slow down, allow God to speak and to apply what He shows me to my fast-paced life. PR calls me to work with authenticity and to work for something I love and feel passionate about.

God calls me to LIVE with authenticity and to LIVE for something I love and feel passionate about. Career and calling… let’s merge.

Yes I am a PR student soon-to-be professional, yes I’m a college kid, yes I love living my life and trying new things and going crazy but I am first and foremost a child of God.

How often I forget that.

But to integrate my initial identity with the rest of my life is essential to living this life how God wants me to live it.

To live as God designed us to… it’s an endeavor worth pursuing.

Individual Project #3: Freshman Project

Freshman Project from Heather Tanji on Vimeo.

The Chili Peppers Are Still Spicy (Non-Biola Art Review 1)

Variety is the spice of life and the Red Hot Chili Peppers seem to agree. Their newest album “I’m With You” (2011) mixes unique sounds of funk, blues and rock from each of their albums and creates a hybrid of them all.

Marking their eighth best-selling album, the Grammy-award winning band manages to maintain the upbeat vibe from their first album mixed with the instrumental ease of
“Stadium Arcadium.” Gone are the days of continuously rapped out lyrics and repetitive chorus lines that gave them initial success with “Blood Sugar Sex Magic” (1985). Their new album presents a variety of ska, funk and alternative rock, easy on the ears of any surf or skate fan; a compilation of the best of their style.

The 14-track album gives proof that the band is slowly but surely refining their sound. Anthony Kiedis vocals have decidedly improved since the debut of their first album and the band has amped their instruments into rock machines.

Holding consistent with the sound of their last album, “Stadium Arcadium” (2006), the band continues with alternative rock chords but bring back fun-loving side of the past. There is no hint of the obnoxiousness of “Sir Psycho Sexy” (Blood Sugar Sex Magic) or the dull monotony of “The Other Side” (Californication.) What remains are the catchy beats and funky lyrics the fans fell in love with; a wonderful mixture of slow and fast songs, great riffs courtesy of guitarist Josh Klinghoffer and even some saxophone and piano thrown in, thanks to the many talents of bassist Michael “Flea” Balzary.

“Happiness Loves Company” and “Monarchy of Roses” are good for bobbing your head around as you get through the day. “Did I Let You Know” throws in some brass instruments, while “Ethiopia” brings back a taste of the hit single “Californication” (Californication) and that’s not a bad thing. The style is the same, the melody sounds the same, but it doesn’t make the song boring. “Even You Brutus?” is similar to the band Cold War Kids but there is no mistaking whose voice is on the track. Kiedis carries an undeniably unique sound. A new element to the artist’s style is the smoother, softer side of alternative rock, most apparent in “Dance Dance Dance” and “Meet Me At The Corner.” Think The Killers meet 311. It’s a welcome addition to their repertoire.

Although there are some tracks that don’t necessarily seem pure Peppers, Kiedis’ voice leaves no doubt that the band will always stay true to themselves. Change can be a positive thing. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have managed to stay true to their style while upgrading their music to a new level. It’s fun, it’s nice to listen to, it’s laidback. It’s them.

Hyatt Moore at Biola University

Moore's mural "Feeding the Three Thousand" on display at Biola University

The “Year of the Arts” has invaded Biola and the university library is not exempt. Dotted with sculptures, paintings and photographs, a building usually confined to the silver color of Macs and brown pages of books is splashed with color from top to bottom. Paintings by famous artist Thomas Kinkade line the stairwells and the Thomas Macklin Bible—the largest English Bible in the world—is displayed on the main level. Upon entering the upper level of the library, several large paintings grasp your attention. These are the work of painter Hyatt Moore.

Moore’s paintings focus on people of all races, backgrounds and time periods. Several of his paintings line the walls of the library, portraits and still life especially. His paintings are not intricate or particularly detailed. His art is not noticed because of its realism or minute brushstrokes, but for the bold colors and the vivid vision in each of his pieces. There is life in his work.

Moore's paintings can be seen on all levels of the library

One mural in particular stands out from the rest, titled “Feeding the Three Thousand.” Drawing from the Biblical account of Jesus feeding His many followers, the painting shows missionaries of many races giving Scripture rolls to the thousands. The “three-thousand” aspect of the mural is the number of peoples in the world who are without written words. The expressions on the faces of the people are vague, the details of location and time unknown, but Moore makes his message clear: those with the written word must venture to those who do not. The colors of his art grab your attention but it is the concept and symbolism of the art that make you appreciate the mural itself.

Another such art piece available in the library is “The Last Supper with Twelve Tribes.” Deriving off Leonardo DaVinci’s beautiful masterpiece, Moore’s interpretation replaces the 12 disciples with 12 nationalities with Jesus Christ as the center. Moore enhances the differences between races with detail to clothing, skin tone and facial features. The acrylic painting is a tribute to the diversity of the world, with no one man standing out above the rest, all eyes focused on Christ, the only figure in bold red. It is a mural that makes you look twice. It is a familiar scene with a different meaning. His art makes you ask why.

Moore’s murals and paintings aren’t just pretty things to admire. They make you pause, stare into the eyes of a portrait or stop and find the meaning in a mural. Though the humans in his portraits aren’t realistic they are lifelike. The eyes of the woman in “Happy Mother” draws you in, the bold brushstrokes of “Two Writers” gives one a sense of appreciation for the simplistic picture of learning. Moore’s artwork is beautiful because it captures the essence of a human soul: life.

How To Be A Sitcom: A Review of "How To Be A Gentleman"

A funny cast does not a hilarious sitcom make. The new CBS comedy (now airing on Saturdays, 8:30 p.m.) created by and starring David Hornsby (“It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia”) consists of a cheesy script, an outdated laugh track and not much else. “How To Be A Gentleman” revolves around the concept that courtesy and chivalry are outdated and tiresome. Ironically, the show itself mirrors slightly old and tiresome jokes and plotlines. The title is derived from the 1998 book by the same name, although unlike the sitcom, the non-fiction work genuinely strives to help men with their manners and attitudes.

Hornsby plays Andrew Carlson, an etiquette columnist who rigidly lives and breathes the advice he gives. As Carlson emphatically states at the beginning of the show, “I am a gentleman.” Berated by his sister Janet (Mary Lynn Rajskub, “24”) for his uptight behavior and pressured to re-work his column for a younger, hipper audience, Carlson seeks the help of former high school bully-turned-gym-owner Bert Lansing, played by Kevin Dillon (“Entourage”). What unfolds in the next 30 minutes is the beginning of a new, typically ironic friendship between Carlson and Lansing, supported by words of wisdom by the reckless one and a willingness to loosen up from other.

Hornsby and Dillon work well together, bantering and bickering the whole time. Mimicking the chemistry of Oscar and Felix in “The Odd Couple,” the pair makes good use of body language and facial expressions to compensate for the script. Unfortunately, despite the notoriously funny cast, the acting doesn’t completely hide the lack of originality in the rest of the show. A sitcom is a sitcom, but with shows like “Modern Family” and “The New Girl,”—programs rich with original lines and great actors—new television comedies can’t afford weak jokes and cliché plot lines. As it stands, a brother-in-law with a New Zealand accent and an apparent lack of individuality and a boss rocking a toupee just doesn’t cut it for humor. How often has the more daring of a duo coerced the other to ask the hot girl out on a date or push him into a comical dilemma? Too many times.

In an era where “The Office” and “Big Bang Theory” are spitting out new joke after new joke, “How To Be A Gentleman” doesn’t quite make the cut. There were too few laughs and too many weak lines to capture interest. As Kevin Dillon’s character points out, “Life’s a jerk, and you gotta fight back or it’ll knock you out.” The writers should take their own advice and punch up the originality and cut back on the standard sitcom batch of jokes if they hope to stay in the fighting ring.

Conv Prod: "You First" Opens at the OCCCA

Hidden in a corner of downtown Santa Ana is a neighborhood called the “Artist Village.” Galleries and street art abound and visitors spend quite a bit of time exploring the passageways and staircases of the various buildings. On the corner of 2nd Street and Sycamore Ave sits OCCCA—The Orange County Center of Contemporary Art. A new exhibition entitled “You First” debuted this Saturday with over 50 attractions on display.



Based on the concept of “Relational Aesthetics,” many art pieces are designed to be interactive. One display titled “Identity Tapestry” by Mary March fills an entire wall with over 150 statements such as “I am creative” or “I can’t trust people” tacked onto the wall. Viewers pick up a ball of yarn from a basket and loop the string around statements they identify with. Although there are over fifty yarns to choose from, no color is exactly the same. The result is a colorful mish-mash of links between statements, each piece of yarn unique in itself, yet united. “I wanted to take little parts of people’s lives and string them together,” March said.

A lyrical dance show, a disc jockey and the steady clinking of wine glasses promises an artsy, upbeat and casual evening. Artwork ranges from paintings to film documentaries, photojournalism to sculptures; diversity is not a problem. Like the pieces themselves, the artists come from around the world, expanding from local Orange County to London and other parts of the United Kingdom. An artist from the Ukraine demonstrates his artistry through a musical interactive piece. Still another man exhibits his love of dance and music through a Soul Train display.

A family friendly event, free to the public and right in the middle of quaint restaurants and other unique galleries, the OCCCA gallery is a great place to take a date, a group of friends or hit up for an art assignment.
More information on “You First” can be found on the OCCCA website www.occca.org.

Review of A Review: "Just Can’t Say Goodbye to Gotham by Claudia La Rocco"

Claudia La Rocco’s review of “The Love Letter You’ve Been Meaning To Write To New York” summarizes her opinion of the performance within the first three sentences of the article. Having spent the past four days reading scientific literature that takes at least five paragraphs to summarize a point, it was refreshing to read a piece so concise.

The first paragraph summarizes the quality of the show, the second is a brief description of what the show is about, or rather what makes the show unique. The play takes place outside the theater, while the audience sits inside the building watching the performance take place, literally, on the streets of New York. I understand a review needs to be about evaluation and analysis but given the set-up of the show, La Rocco could have used a bit more description in her article.

After her initial analysis at the beginning of the review, La Rocco fails to explain why she wrote what she did. She didn’t say why actors seemed “amateur” and failed to give examples of how the script was “hackneyed,” leaving her audience of art patrons feeling a bit vague on what made the show bad or if it was even bad at all.

Despite the lack of clarity in her statements, La Rocco’s voice is easy to read, mixing colorful descriptions with short and concise sentences. A little more insight would have been helpful but overall the review was well written. She made certain scenes come alive to the reader. The descriptions she gave sparked interest but the evaluation aspect was lacking detail.

In comparison to other theater reviews, such as New York Times writer Andrew Dinwiddle’s take on “Get Mad At Sin!” her details fall short. Dinwiddle writes a thorough analysis, giving just enough background and description before diving into his analysis of the actors and the director. That being said, La Rocco’s article is more alive than other articles I read. For example, Jason Zinoman’s review of “The Bilbao Effect” lacked some of the personality La Rocco has to offer. His voice isn’t as distinct and some of his wording seems to be passive. He doesn’t stand out as much as La Rocco did to me.

It is also important to note that La Rocco is a dance critic. Scripted theater isn’t what she reviews on a weekly basis. Many of her reviews are of tap shows, ballet numbers or contemporary dance. Her writing is consistent there too. Her style is personable, her thoughts well articulated and she explains herself better. While I didn’t enjoy her review of “The Love Letter I’ve Been Meaning To Write To New York,” I thoroughly enjoyed many of her dance reviews.

http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/theater/reviews/jonathan-solaris-love-letter-on-a-sidewalk-stage-review.html?ref=theater