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Artvoice Weekly Edition » Issue v5n48 (11/30/2006) » Section: See You There


Ghostface Killah/Redman/Raekwon

In the canon of Wu-Tang Clan solo artists, I guess Ghostface Killah is the George Harrison, the underappreciated yet consistently brilliant MC. (Ol’ Dirty Bastard was a tortured genius who died young, so he’s the John Lennon, and RZA’s a revolutionary talent that spreads himself too thin on his solo work, so he’s the Paul McCartney.) When Ghostface released his debut solo record, Ironman, in 1996, the rapper proved that he had the stamina, wit and writing ability to carry an album on his own. But when compared to other Wu-Tang debuts like Method Man’s Tical and ODB’s Return to the 36 Chambers, it seemed lacking in the explosive personality department. Ten years later, it’s a different story. Fishscale, Ghostface’s fifth record, is a remarkable return to form and a front-runner for the best hip-hop release of 2006. (It’s neck and neck with the Roots’ Game Theory, as far as I’m concerned.) It’s also a glaring reminder that Ghostface is the only Wu-Tang member doing anything worthwhile these days. Full of raw asphalt beats, crackling soul samples and the rapper’s fiery, emotional rhyming, it’s a rare example of an approaching-40 MC actually using his life experience to his own advantage. Don’t miss him headline an incredible lineup at the Town Ballroom, featuring Redman and fellow Wu-Tang member Raekwon (who isn’t the Wu Ringo, by the way. That title belongs to that lovable underdog, U-God.)



The Nutcracker

The Western world’s favorite holiday production is returning for another performance this weekend. Pictured left is The Nutcracker’s star dancer, Sterling Hyltin, as the sugar plum fairy. Hyltin began her dancing career at the age of six at the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet, then continued her career at the official school of American Ballet in New York City in 2000. After only two years she became an apprentice with the New York City Ballet and in 2003 became a member of the corps de ballet. Finally, in 2006, Hyltin was promoted to a soloist and was honored as the Janice Levin Dancer for 2005-2006. Joining Hyltin is fellow soloist Daniel Ulbricht, as her cavalier. The performance is designed, as always, to appeal to all ages—the youngest audience members will be on the edges of their seats. Come early and visit the Victorian Village set up in the atrium at UB’s Center for the Arts, complete with fun holiday muisic. You can also visit Mrs. Clause, who will be there to read holiday stories to children.



Exene Cervenka

In founding Los Angeles’ primal punk band X in 1977, Exene Cervenka became the West Coast’s de facto punk poetess. Well before that, she’d been crafting poems and stories since her youth. With $80 and little else, she escaped Florida for Southern California and wound up working at a literary arts center, Beyond Baroque, that was becoming a central meeting spot for LA’s arts community. It was there she hooked up with guitarist Billy Zoom, drummer DJ Bonebrake and bassist/singer John Doe to form X. Cervenka and Doe’s perfectly off-kilter clashing harmonies made them stand out among punk’s snarling and screaming. Though X was broken up for years, the band reformed and has sporadically toured in the last decade. Cervenka has never had a moment of downtime as she has continued to write poetry and journals and to construct mixed-media collages, which yielded a one-person exhibition that had shows in Santa Monica and New York City called America the Beautiful. She also hasn’t stopped making music. Her other band, Exene and the Original Sinners, issued their second album, Se7en, this year. It’s a clutch of punked-up jump blues and rockabilly songs largely written by Cervenka and her husband, Original Sinners guitarist Jason Edge.



Wintergreen

As we wave goodbye to last week’s unseasonably warm weather, Buffalo Museum of Science hosts a new exhibit praising Buffalo’s bane, its blessing, its national claim to notoriety: snow. The exhibit is entitled just that, Snow, and it runs through February, culminating on the weekend of February 27 & 28 with a 30th-anniversary celebration of the Blizzard of ’77. Between now and then the museum will explore winter and all its glory through an array of exhibits and activities. This weekend features a family event called WinterGREEN, with exhibits on recycling, holiday music, an environmental game show for kids and decorative craftmaking using recycled materials. Bring in recyclable paper or textiles or old cellphones and receive $1 off the museum’s admission price.





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