Europe for a month. And this was coming after only being home for two days. I was not prepared. I wasn’t trying to be, and I didn’t pretend to be, but by then we were all used to being on the road together. It was an old hat. We just took it off for a few days, put it in the wash and put it back on before it was dry.
Category: Arts & Culture
Restaurant Review: Yosaku
If you’re ever wandering around the Old Port craving sushi, head down to Yosaku for some excellent Japanese cuisine. Yosaku is located at 1 Danforth Street, just outside the Old Port. In less complicated terms, it’s just a walk to the far end of Fore Street to Gorham’s Corner.
Book Reviews
A friend of mine explained, “it’s like ‘Harry Potter’ except with Greek Gods,” which turned out to be an apt description of “The Lightning Thief,” the first in a five book series by Rick Riordan. Perseus “Percy” Jackson is a “troubled” kid. He’s an aggressive, sarcastic, ADHD dyslexic with terrible grades, who gets into fights on a daily basis. Percy’s been to five boarding schools in six years and is about to get kicked out of his sixth. When his pre-algebra teacher morphs into a Fury, right out of Greek mythology, and tries to kill him, a chain of events is set in motion leading him to Camp Half-Blood, a safe haven for children of divine parentage. It turns out that Percy is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas and is suspected of a supernatural theft. Percy, his satyr friend Grover, and Annabeth – daughter of Athena and wholly unimpressed with Percy – are sent on a cross-country divine quest to the underworld to retrieve Zeus’ thunderbolt from the fiery depths of Hades and prevent Olympian war.
Movie Review: It’s Complicated
Ladies, are you looking for a girls’ night out movie? Tired of the same old chick flicks? You know, the ones with a really obvious plot line and poorly written jokes? Despite the fact that this film is aimed at a middle-aged female audience, “It’s Complicated” is the type of movie that will make you laugh until you cry.
Don’t underestimate the openers
The anticipation radiated from everyone in front of the stage before the band came on. As the lights went down, the chatter stopped and hands went up as the band ran in front of eager fans. They picked up their instruments and played the first chord as the fans’ hands flew into the air and they got ready to rock.
Spicing up Thursday Nights
On a recent Thursday night, a woman in light-colored jeans and spiky high heels floated across the wooden floor of the Multi-Purpose Room of the Sullivan Gym in Portland. Her agile movements were carefully syncopated with the fast rhythmic beat emanating from the small boombox, and the twenty-four students watching her were struck, clearly amazed.
Book Reviews
Originally a novella written by Neil Gaiman in 2002, Coraline was adapted into the graphic novel format in 2008 and into a stop-motion animated film the same year. This is an urban fantasy featuring 10-year-old Coraline, whose family has just moved into a mysterious old house in the English countryside. With only her elderly neighbors and busy parents for company, Coraline is often alone and bored. One rainy day, she explores the house and discovers a bricked up door that becomes a portal to a parallel world. It is the home of her “other mother” a spirit who will do anything to keep Coraline with her.
Movie Review: The Book of Eli
Have you ever gotten deja vu while sitting in a movie theater? If you haven’t, go see “The Book of Eli,” and you may find yourself wondering why this particular film makes you feel like you’ve seen it before. Then it will come to you: it’s “Mad Max” with religious overtones.
The Flaming Lips to head Maine Festival
To the surprise of many music fans last Friday, The Flaming Lips was announced as one of the featured bands for the first annual Nateva Music & Camping Festival happening from July 2nd to the 4th in Oxford, Maine.
Heard and Seen
Local independent record label Eternal Otter hosted their vinyl release party at Space Gallery on Friday night. The event was held to promote the release of the label’s three new series of 7-inch singles, titled “Death, Rebirth and Transformation.
Portland: Five Days a Week
With a vibrant local music scene, untold numbers of bars, and art galleries every 15 feet, Portland is the cultural nexus of Maine. With bars, clubs, and cafe’s all vying for your attendance with a variety of events, offering “nights” for everyone from the bar-stool academic (see RiRa’s trivia night) to the the sweaty retro buff (80’s nights galore!), it can be difficult to sort through the melange.
USM art students show their stuff in new SPACE Gallery show
Congress Streets non-profit arts and music venue SPACE Gallery kicked off their unjurried show of local artwork last Friday, providing a few USM art students and employees with their first opportunity to show in a gallery outside of campus.
The show, titled “Free For All 2” is the second unjurried show that SPACE has hosted.
Restaurant Review: Silly’s
As a college student in Portland, it can be hard to find a restaurant that fits your budget. With books to buy and student loans to pay off, who has the money? If you’re looking for affordability, good service and great food, Silly’s Restaurant, at 40 Washington Ave.
Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes
“Sherlock Holmes” is a film of both wit and action, with a plot line that is gripping right up to the credits, and one-liners you’ll be quoting for days. Holmes, played by Robert Downing Jr. “Iron Man, The Soloist”, reopens a case, as the sorcerer Lord Blackwood, played by Mark Strong “Body of Lies”, appears to have come back to life to destroy England after Dr.
Offensive’ hypnotist shocks students
An adult-themed hypnotist performed some shockingly lewd mind games on a group of student volunteers in the Brooks Student Center last Thursday. The show, which was attended by a rather large audience, was last week’s installment of the Gorham Events Board’s weekly event series, Thirsty Thursday.
Portland artist reissues caveman comic
Portland resident Ben Bishop is living out every 12-year-old boy’s dream – drawing comic books, designing action figures and making his living doing it.
Bishop celebrated the reissue of his first graphic novel, “Nathan the Caveman,” at Coast City Comics during last week’s First Friday Art Walk.
Concert Review: MMW at Port City Music Hall
Medeski, Martin & Wood, a jazz-fusion trio from Brooklyn, brought some hot funk jams to the Port City Music Hall on the first snowy evening of the year, last Saturday, Dec. 5. The band played without an opener, grooving almost nonstop for three hours with only a twenty minute break in between their two sets.
Movie Review: 2012
Memo to humanity: the world is not going to end.? Do not be alarmed by the hype that has surrounded the new action-pack from Roland Emmerich, the man that brought us such explosive blockbusters as “Independence Day” and “The Day After Tomorrow.”? Please calmly remain seated and remember, this is not a documentary.
Exhibit Review: Capturing two centuries of affection for the Maine woods
The majestic pine trees and graceful waterways of the forests of Maine have inspired and captivated American writers and artists for centuries. The exhibit currently on display in the Woodbury Campus Center in Portland traces that captivation back through the last two centuries, bringing together work from four different moments throughout the last 145 years.
Where to shop in Portland for: CLOTHES
If the over-crowded, Christmas song infused Mall scene is too much for you this season, but you still want some trendy clothing to compliment your winter wardrobe, there is still hope. Here are three shops in downtown Portland that can meet your vintage style clothing needs without making you take out another loan.
Review: John Mayer “Battle Studies”
Everybody knows John Mayer’s 2001 bubblegum sex-pop ditty, “Your Body is a Wonderland” and its endearing combination of quiet guitar strumming and sweetly graphic lyrics.
Somewhat less well-known is that Mayer may be one of the best guitarists alive today. He’s won every major music award (including 13 Grammys) and jammed with blues and jazz giants like Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King and John Scofield. He was even named one of the “New Guitar Gods” by Rolling Stone in 2007, placing him alongside Derek Trucks of the Allman Brothers and John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
His fourth solo album “Battle Studies,” which came out two weeks ago, isn’t as good as some of his earlier work, but it still delivers 45 great minutes of music. Personally, I hadn’t been so excited to pick up a record since Dave Matthews Band released Big Whiskey & The GrooGrux King this past summer. After practically running out of Bull Moose with “Battle Studies” in my hand, I immediately threw it in my car’s CD player and began my listen.
Restaurant Review: Shima – Stylishly Scrumptious
For years now, Yosaku, that Japanese place on Danforth St. near Brian Boru, has been my favorite place in town to go for sushi. But I’m starting to reconsider. After two delicious meals last week at Shima, the new French / Japanese fusion restaurant that just opened on Fore St. across the street from Rosie’s, I think my loyalties are beginning to shift.
To begin with, Shima has a menu vast enough that I may never become familiar with it all as well as a constantly shifting set of specials. I opted for a special – the tempura-fried, fish-wrapped spinach – since it didn’t sound like anything I’d ever had before, and I figured it’d be wonderful to try. Indeed, it was. Served on a plate full of a sauce which tasted distinctly French, it was a flavorful dish far surpassing my simplistic prior experiences with sushi.
Device Review: MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot
The MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot is the size of 10 stacked credit cards, and it works wonders. Simply turn it on wherever you are and BANG! You have a wi-fi network that you can connect to on your laptop or other device to surf the Web.
During one afternoon drive between Lewiston and Brunswick, my fiance was able to stream video from her Web cam and browse the Web at the same time – all at a relatively fast speed. As I write this review, I am using the MiFi card to connect to the Internet where I normally wouldn’t be able to – in Rumford, Maine at my grandparents’ house.
Movie Review: Amelia Earhart
Almost everyone has heard the story of Amelia Earhart. She attempts to fly around the world and goes missing somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. Don’t be alarmed by the overdone subject matter, however, this film is nothing like that paper you wrote on her in sixth grade.