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DEC. 31, 2003
And the winners are ...By MASON ADAMS
Best band StarCity WildCats, who play Roanoke rockabilly. They ruled every single time I saw them play. Honorable mention goes to Stations, who also rocked every time I saw them. Unfortunately for them, I got to see the WildCats a few more times, so that's the difference. Not quality, but quantity. I didn't get to see metal outfit Doom Syndicate at all, but I hear they're good too. Best show Tough decision here. SkateCore Õ03, in Lexington, was a great time with cool bands. Every time I've seen the StarCity WildCats I've had a blast, and I almost chose their show at the Green Dolphin with Jimmy and the Teasers. But the winner is this summer's UglyFest in Highland Park. It showcased Roanoke's punk and metal bands, as well as punk and metal fans. Plus it was free. I could stay only for a little while but had a great time. Best bar to rock out Tie: Kara O'Caen's and the Green Dolphin. I've seen awesome shows at both places. In many ways they're similar: Good beer selection, fairly tight quarters and they both book the StarCity WildCats fairly often. And when a good band gets going, there's no better place to be. Best bar, conversation category The Tavern on the Market. I haven't been in Roanoke long, and there are lots of bars I've yet to check out. But on Saturday nights, amidst a bundle of loud, crowded bars, the Tavern is one place you can still hear the person next to you. Plus, its central location provides prime people-watching. Best newcomer No Shame Theatre. No doubt here. It's an open-mic, but more tightly controlled and the overall quality is much higher than most open-mics. Good crowd, too. Best album OutKast was good. The White Stripes were OK but sounded exactly the same as in past records. My favorite two new albums were "Desert Sessions Volumes 9 & 10" and Erase Errata's "Crystal Palace." "Desert Sessions" is a Queens of the Stone Age side project, with guest appearances from Dean Ween, P.J. Harvey and Twiggy. Erase Errata's second album is punky art-rock in the vein of the Raincoats, Slits and Sleater-Kinney. Honorable mentions: Pretty Girls Make Graves, "The New Romance"; DS-13, "Killed by the Kids"; Ween, "Quebec"; Tomahawk, "Mit Gas"; Strike Anywhere, "Exit English." Best movie Always a tough choice. I haven't seen "Return of the King" yet. "X2: X-Men United" was good but could have been better (see Best Comic). "Finding Nemo" had its moments, and Ellen DeGeneres' brain-addled fish almost won me over. But I'm picking "School of Rock," which is not a perfect movie, but the most fun I've had in movies in a long time. If I were 12 years old, it would have been even better. Jack Black gave a great performance and there were good characters for the kids. Director Richard Linklater knows that sappy moments are like syrup on pancakes: A little is fine, but too much can easily turn breakfast into a gooey mess. He makes the appropriate adjustments and keeps those parts trim, tight and short enough. Best film on video/DVD that I found used "Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser." ItÕs a black-and-white documentary which includes a line ripped by Benicio Del Toro for the lineup scene in "The Usual Suspects." A steal at $3. Best rented film "The War Room." A documentary about the Clinton/Gore presidential campaign in 1992. James Carville is the best. Character. Ever. Best scene in a film Nominees include the tractor-trailer fight in "Matrix: Reloaded," the 'kiss' in "A Mighty Wind," that part in "Kill Bill" where the bride steps from a blood-stained restaurant into a pure, snow-white setting for a showdown, and Jean Grey's sacrifice in "X2" (especially if you've read the "Dark Phoenix" saga). And from reading the book I could think of four or five good scenes from "Return of the King," but again, I haven't seen the film yet. But instead of the obvious, I'm going with a scene from "Lost in Translation," involving Bill Murray in commercials. Murray's character works with a Japanese director on a whiskey commercial and, in doing so, invokes half a dozen impressions of various 20th century movie stars. It's the comedic highlight of an understated film, and one that recalls some of Murray's best moments from his "Saturday Night Live" stint. Best political moment In a blowout win, George Bush walking in to surprise troops in Iraq on Thanksgiving Day. A political move? Sure, but who cares? It was awesome! And it offset the worst political moment, which was the flight-suit-on-the-aircraft-carrier incident. Political trend in 2003 A power shift, as politicians move from wooing soccer moms to courting NASCAR dads. Trend I'd most like to see continue in 2004 Political involvement by 20somethings and even teens. They're organizing for national politics and running for local office. I don't care how political ideologies and leanings shake out, just as long as more young people get involved. The more voices the better. Best ongoing comic "New X-Men," by Grant Morrison. I'm not a huge fan of your standard superhero comics, but Morrison's blend of appealing characters, Philip K. Dick-style plot twists and William Burroughs style surrealism made this a kick to read. The overall story genre is closest to science-fiction, I guess, but this year Morrison wrote story arcs about a riot, a murder mystery, conspiracy theory and world domination, complete with a plot twist two years in the making. Honorable mention goes to Nick Bertozzi's "Rubber Necker." Best comic strip I know "Get Fuzzy" would get a lot of votes from my friends and peers. I didn't like "Frazz" at first but it's growing on me. "Mutts" is the most well-drawn strip around these days. Tom Tomorrow's "This Modern World" is probably the sharpest comic going. But my personal fave is "Slowpoke," by Charlottesville artist Jen Sorensen. She's political without being overtly so, her characters are good and the gags are hilariously smart. Best book, nonfiction Eric Schlosser's "Reefer Madness." Divided into three sections, on marijuana, illegal immigrants and pornography, "Reefer Madness" is an extremely readable account of America's large underground economy. Honorable mention: "Tokyo Underworld," by Robert Whiting, which looks at the parallel between gangsters and the economy in post-war Japan. Any book that mixes big business, crime and pro wrestling is fine by me. Optimistic prediction for 2004 Music subcultures in Roanoke will thrive. Between the Downtown Music Lab and Tru ÕNoke Records, we've got the rumblings of a hip-hop scene. Here's hoping local radio and fans will get behind it. The punk and metal scenes are further along, but both face a major challenge. Factory 324, which serves as an aboveground, all-ages venue for both genres, may close after the new year, apparently because it has so far been unable to secure a permit to sell beer and wine. Here's hoping the venue remains open for bands and for all-ages customers or, if it does close, something else springs up to fill the gap.
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Roanokers. Keep up with these reports from our staff of Mason Adams, Ryan Basen and Laurie Borslien.|
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