Check out the new official WACTAC Myspace and Facebook profiles.

In early development, but looking promising as far as social networking.

Story Board will be hosting a table reading where professional actors from the Twin Cities will read aloud screenplays written by a select number of High School students. This is a great opportunity to have your work performed by professional actors, and to hear your characters come to life in front of a live audience.

Click here for more info.

The first time I saw Mike perform was the during the WACTAC sponsored Below the Belt prelims at Fifth Element. I clearly remember Mischa saying that it was Mike’s first MC battle. Honestly he held his own, but the other MC ended up winning - I think he that dropped something about Mike being an ogre.

Well that was five years ago, and a lot has changed.

Yesterday night I checked out Mike and Mischa’s (WACTAC alumni) band City on the Make at the Entry. It was good to see these two still playing music together. Here’s some flicks from the show.

City on the Make just put out an album - it’s awesome and you should go buy it.

While surfing the information superhighway, I came across this video from the FWY opening at SOOVAC. This was by far one of funnest openings in the Twin Cities in 2007.

If you haven’t seen it already, here’s a link to the artist talk that they gave at WACTAC’s Student Open House.

I came across this video while I was poking around trying find some info about Miguel Gutierrez’s Everyone (he will be performing at the Walker Thursday through Sunday). I love the simple use of loops.

We managed to grab a piece of History from a backward American corporation. It will be displayed in our upcoming collections project which is sure to be a smash success. I can’t tell you very much more about it seeing as it would disrupt the amazing suprise you’ll get, but hopefully that turns the burner on and gets your brains bubbling.

Other rumors:

It’s rumored that Cloverfield is causing young New York children to cry themselves to sleep every night.
It’s rumored that illegal peer to peer file sharing surpassed drug use amongst teens for the first time in history.
It’s rumored that no matter how much internet support you have, FOX news will still ridicule you incessantly.

Now, these are rumors, so you find the strings attached.

Watch the Patricks, Witt, Chantz, and Marina talk about WACTAC and the March of Madness event that they organized in March 2006.

This upcoming weekend at the Walker, Esther Robinson’s documentary A Walk into the Sea is playing. The documentary is a..”personal inquiry into the truth behind her Uncle Danny Williams’ mysterious 1966 disappearance. Virtually unknown today, Danny was Andy Warhol’s lover, and a promising young filmmaker. The discovery of 20 never-before-seen films Williams made during his time at the Factory– and whose many subjects include Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick, Paul Morrissey, Brigid Berlin, Billy Name and what may be the earliest known footage of the Velvet Underground-- reveals a luminous talent and a stark gap in the historical record. Combined with Robinson’s intimate interviews of surviving Factory members, the film gets beyond the icons and quietly dismantles the Warhol myth-making machine, allowing a deeper examination of the human fragility on which Andy Warhol’s empire was built.”

In addition to being able to see Esther’s new documentary (click here for the screening times and dates) - Sunday the Walker is playing all of Danny Williams’ films with live music by the Quavers.

Anyway, its $5 dollars for students something cool and cheap to do on a Sunday night.

Ant and Slug’s free 13 track fan-appreciation album, Strictly Leakage, is out now (it’s actually been out for a couple weeks I think, but in case you didn’t know). It’s hot fire, loud swinging beats- meant to be a “party album”. You be the judge- I have not established an official opinion yet and I’ll let Chantz go in to depth about Slug’s rapping. If anything else, get it for the song ‘Crewed Up‘ featuring a bunch of local cats. COP IT COUSINS- www.rhymesayers.com/atmosphere

So a couple weeks ago I was flipping through some vinyl at the St. Paul Cheapo on Snelling (who recently remodeled) absent-mindedly listening to music playing over the store speakers (which is usually crap). At first I thought it was just some electronica stuff- what with a fast paced pulsating drum beat, but it had a really hot female vocal sample. As the cd continued to play not straying from it’s path of tightness I started listening more intently attempting to solve the mystery of who the artist was. It wasn’t until the third song that played when I decided the artist was indeed hip-hop orientated and my friend and I convened,

“What is this fire playing?”

“Yeah it’s hot business, I think I’ll ask…”

I approached the Cheapo dude (I hate the St. Paul Cheapo employees by the way, but that’s another post) asking what was playing. He told me with a smug grin “Paper Tiger” adding condescendingly he’s like, “local twin cities hip-hop… yeah.” Ohhh thanks

I heard Paper Tiger, the Doomtree killabee, had released a new album recently but didn’t think much of it- I’m not a big fan of Doomtree. They had a few copies of the cd, False Hopes, in the hip hop section: 8 tracks for like 7 bucks. I already knew it was hott so i copppped it.

Best buy of Diciembre. Hands down. Paper Tiger gets down hard with his producing game- it’s a gem. There are 7 tracks of sample based instrumentals and the last track includes his commrade Dessa singing. A notable aspect of the album is the procussion. Either sampled and filtered to perfection or possible that he recorded each drum noise live- whatever the methodology for lack of a better word, they bang.

The songs inspire alot of moods and inisight into your life. In fact, a found the insight/mood level very high, possibly a nine, while driving alone in the car with the car heater heating up your icy winter fingers. You can really just get lost in this shit.

Notable tracks: “Cannonade”. “MAke-MAke.”

The samples- an array of vocal and instrumental, are catchy and heavy- chopped in unique and memorable way. A lot of the songs actually remind me of old school RJD2 and Shadow.

Although its not the album to bang at the winter house party on the weekend. It’s definitely the one you’ll want to play on the way back from that party, alone, late at night. Or on your ipod while crying yourself to sleep in a vengeful dramatic way….

Overall, I highly reccommend this cd, for the hip hop head, the indie rocker, the guy making music for an epic movie or the old middle class man, looking to support the “local music scene.” I ALSO requested that a couple of the songs be played on The Current buuut- suprise suprise nothing happened.

Yesterday night the Walker screened Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks , 2 Days a film portraying the harrowing story of a young woman living in Romania in 1987 and her story of undergoing and illegal abortion. Based on an actual story of a friend of Mungiu's the film is an in depth look at actual life under the Communist rule. "In 1966, a law than banned abortion was imposed in Romania. The effect was immediate: up to 1970 there were four huge generations of children, a few times more numerous that the generations before 1966. The number of children in a classroom increased from 28 to 36... By the end of communism sources say that more than 500,000 women had died because of ..." trying to receive illegal abortions.

4 Months, 3 Weeks , 2 Days is apart of the New Wave movement in Romania. The stylistic elements that are defining this movement are "long takes , fixed camera positions, a taste for plain lighting and everyday décor." Many of the stories have a tendency to follow everyday ordinary lives. If you are bummed you were unable to attend the film you still have time to go and see other Romanian new wave director Cristian Nemescu's film California Dreamin'(Endless) on Febuary 8th at 7:30 ( In "one of the best films about how America is perceived abroad ever made"--Washington Post and winner of Un Certain Regard at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, a Romanian bureaucrat delays an American NATO train on its way to Kosovo as a way to avenge the arrogance and neglect he feels the United States displayed toward Romanians after World War II) or Free Thursday, Febuary 7th at 7:30 you can see an early short by him called Marilena from P7 which follows a juvenile who befriends a prostitute. Make sure if you go to the free film on Thursday you reserve your tickets.

To continue with my dead people watch, here’s the top, but by no means definitive, Heath Ledger films to see while you mourn the dearly departed, in no particular order.

1. Ten Things I Hate About You–teenage classic, the outfits get funnier with age, Nigel with the Brie, and I watched it at every sleepover in like 7th grade. Its, like, totally great.

2. Brokeback Mountain–at first it seemed like a rumor that was too good to be true, and then turned out to be an actual movie that was actually good. I just watched it yesterday, and I’m still thinking about how I can’t quit you…visually stunning, and a storyline that will pull on your heart strings and make you thank Stonewall. Anyways, it also introduced Heath to ex-wife Michelle Williams (which makes it interesting to watch their love scenes) and godfather (of his daughter) Jake Gyllenhaal, aka my husband.

3. I’m Not There– as the people say, Bob Dylan biopic in the loosest sense of the term. Heath played the asshole movie star (literally, haha) Dylan, with a lovely love story. I liked the movie, even though it required a long attention span, and a good knowledge of Dylan’s life. Still, it was very enjoyable and didn’t play down to the audience. Righteous.

4. A Knight’s Tale — a classic, if you’re into all of that knights in shining armor business.

Ones that I haven’t to see, but are supposed to be good:
-Monster’s Ball
-Lords of Dogtown
-Candy
-The Patriot

And just to add some creepiness to the already creepy Joker, The Dark Knight comes out this summer, starring Heath Ledger as the Joker.

Also, if you can read one of the worst written bios (starts with “When a young, hunky 20 year old heart-throb Heath Ledger”).

and finally TRIVIA.

Was a men’s-fashion judge at the Melbourne Cup Carnival in November 2001.

He and his sister are named after the two main romantic characters of the Emily Brontë novel, “Wuthering Heights.”

Named one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in 2001.

Was selected in the State U17 squad in field hockey and was touted as one of the up and coming young stars, but chose to pack it in and try to make a career out of acting.

As the story goes, in junior high it was compulsory to do one of two electives, either cooking or drama, and as Heath could honestly not see himself in a cooking class, he tried his hand at drama.

I LOVE HEATH LEDGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are a photographer, you should take advantage of this incredible opportunity. Wing Young Huie has shown at the Walker several times, and is best known for Lake Street, USA, an exhibition of his photographs displayed in store fronts, abandoned buildings, and businesses that spanned Lake Street from Uptown to Saint Paul.

Wing’s Photo Salon:
Saturdays, 10 -1 pm
$20 per session, pay as you come

Are you stuck creatively or do you just need a clean, well-lighted place to talk about photography? Welcome to Wing's Photo Salons. Open to all photo enthusiasts, whatever your experience level, interests, biases or age. Cameras in all formats are welcome.

This is a communal gathering to get feedback on your past, current or…
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I’m not all into Indie Rock and whatever. Personally, it’s for losers. But since seeing their first show since the lead singer returned to Minnesota from studying abroad, I’m happy to know that the most attractive band in show business, Mouthful of Bees, has cut it out with the whole indie rock funny business and decided to take it to the next level.

Since the singers return, MoB have added a new, mysterious, and intriguing member (not in photo), who rocks the keyboard and plays guitar. In doing so, the Bees have

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The Minnesota Museum of American Art is looking for poets to perform on Thursday, February 21 at 7 PM. Click on the flyer for details.

Sat. Feb. 9, 2008, 12-4pm
U of M, West Bank, Regis Center For the Art, Mpls, MN

FREE ADMISSION
Presented by Girls in Motion and the MN Spoken Word Association

High School students interested in leadership, art & activism, or making a difference are invited to attend. Come meet other youth leaders, help create fun projects, and let yourself be heard! The summit’s theme is Justice Remix… exploring Justice and leadership through various genres of art. It seeks to push young people to think in new ways about the world and communities they live in.

Featured guests at the summit include Marc Bamuthi Joseph (HBO Def Poet, nationally recognized theater,dance, and spoken word artist- in- residence at the Walker Art Center), MN Congressman Keith Ellison, and State representative Neva Walker (The 1st African American woman to serve in the MN Legislature in the state's 150 yr history. MNSWA’s Youth Liberation Poets and mentors will facilitate interactive games, discussions, and art-shops. For more information, register now, or refer a youth in your school or community- contact the MN Spoken Word Association’s offices 612-288-9491 or email mnswa.mail@gmail.com.

This summit is presented in association with the Walker Art Center, The University of MN’s College of Liberal Arts (CLA), and Tru Ruts.