Trudeau and Shreveport: from dust they came; to dust they shall return: April 2005

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Artbreak at Expo Hall: Sunday, May 1, noon to 6

ArtBreak is color-drenched, laden with swirling images and awash in the sounds of delighted youth. Young musicians go hither and yon to their gigs. Painters wield the brush, actors declaim, tie-dyers wring cloth, pipe-cleaner sculptors twist.

It is hard to comprehend the amount of activity taking place.

Sunday you may have a free life-altering afternoon at ArtBreak, at Expo Hall. Parking was easy Saturday.

There are 2 casino garages and street parking, too. Find fun from noon to 6 pm.

Thanks, Carri Bollinger, Freda Powell, Sharon Bennett, Pam Atchison and the SRAC team.

BlueFest: 516 Texas St, Sunday, noon to 11 pm Blue Martin is a conga player, painter of murals in 516 Soundstage, organizer of benefit concerts and all-round downtown good woman.

Owing to an accident in Arkansas - where she's been taking care of her dad - she could use some aid. Thus Mark Goff, owner of Soundstage, and a group of have assembled a day of music. It is a benefit organized by Robin Beach for Ms.

Martin, the benefit-producer herself.

It's an all ages show and will be performed in Artisans' Court, the open space adjacent to 516 Texas. Begins at noon and will go to 11 pm.

Artbreak at Expo Hall: Saturday, 9 to 6, and Sunday, noon to 6 ArtBreak is an extremely joyous opportunity for families to come together via art. Saturday the hands-on fun goes from 9 to 6 pm. There will be music and color out the wazoo.

Sunday is a big day for art making and breaking, too. The show, housed in the Expo Hall, will be open noon to 6 pm. Free parking is available at the Sam's Town and Hollywood parking garages and on the lots behind and south of Convention Hall, says , sponsor of ArtBreak.

Bill Daniel film: Who is Bozo Texino? Lil Joes, Th, Ap 28 Bill Daniel is part of the new energy bar that local youths have been munching on the weekends. He's a rambling filmmaker and photographer whose last abode was Portland, OR.

Thursday, Ap 28, he will show a film in progress, a hobo documentary called Who is Bozo Texino?

The site is Lil Joes Tavern, says Rob Peterson (230-9740). Texino starts at 7:45.

When has this region ever had so much film activity?

Is there an apocalypse looming over Toledo Bend?

No-cost, easily-updatable web site: learn to blog at SMUG meet Th, Ap 28 Artists who need a no-cost website, arts organizations who need a site with photos that can be updated without technical expertise, please check out my demonstration Thursday night at LSUS.

The talk is the featured activity at the Th, Ap 28 meeting. The group is moving to the LSUS Science Lecture Auditorium for space, stadium-style seating, a/v equipment, lecture platform, and high-speed Internet, says organizer Thomas Avallone.

"The LSUS Science Lecture Auditorium is
our new venue," says Avallone. "Colin Davidson doggedly pursued the appropriate personnel at LSUS to make this happen for us."

Free blogging is the answer for those who need an easily updated site.

By the end of the brief session - it begins at 6:30 - most listeners will know exactly how to set up and maintain a blog site.

Hey God and Shakespeare Back in Action at Fairfield Studios Tues, Ap 27 and Wed, Ap 27 plays the All-knowing in the film Hey God, made by students Carter and Evan Falbaum. The short comedy won the 2004 Louisiana Film Festival student competition's LPB Award.

The (until recently the Louisiana Film center, once upon a time the RAFT, now the RFC) will air Hey God on Tues, Ap 26, at , 7 pm.

It will be followed by the acclaimed independent movie Garden State.

The RFC will present Evan Falbaum's new comedy Shakespeare Back in Action on Wed, Ap 27, to be followed by Robert Harling's movie Soapdish.

While admission is free, seating is limited.

Plan to arrive early, says the RFC's Chris Jay. More info: 424-9090.

Carter and Falbaum are students at Caddo Magnet High School.

The school's Mosaic Film Festival has been cancelled, according to sponsor Kay Gammill.

Mars Vegas at Lil Joes Grill Saturday, Ap 23 Chadwick Leger, Brett Roman and Josh Coker may be releasing their first CD at tonight, but they have managed to pump up the whole original music scene for some time with their high and voluble vibes. There will surely be a creative posse hanging at Lil Joes for the show.


See more at the .

Brett says he just added an mp3 of Pop Ice to the MV site. See above.

Also, see photos at .

Symphonic Superheroes concert Thursday, Ap 21, at 7:30 pm, Civic Theater Most of us went through something like this, if I'm not mistaken.

Black-hearted fun. Argh; where's Superman when you need him?

The soundtrack from the movie unreeling in these kids' heads was probably something from tonight's Shreveport Symphony Orchestra concert entitled .

Music from Raiders of the Lost Ark, from Spiderman, Batman, Zorro, Star Wars and Braveheart.

Lights, action and big sounds at the Civic Theater at 7:30 pm.

Mosaic Film Fest cancelled / Evan Falbaum's "Shakespeare: Back in Action" to be shown at Fairfield Studios Wed, Ap 27 "Shakespeare: Back in Action" is what Evan Falbaum calls his recent comedy. It was to be shown Ap 27 at the Mosaic Film Festival, Caddo Magnet High School.

The Mosaic Fest has been cancelled.

But the Robinson Film Center Retrospective is featuring “Hey God” and “Garden State” on Tuesday, April 26th and “Shakespeare: Back In Action” and “Soapdish” on Wednesday, April 27th. "Hey, God," was winner in the Louisiana Film Festival's student competition.

It was written and filmed by Hunter Carter and Evan Falbaum.

The RFC Retrospective takes place at Fairfield Studios at 7 pm. The event is free but seating is limited.

Early arrival is recommended, says Jay.

More info: Chris Jay, 424-9090. Email Chris@lafilmcenter.

org

SSO's Music of the Superheroes: Th, Ap 21, 7:30 pm, Civic Theater Grab hold of Spiderman's jersey as the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra takes a symphonic journey through the world of superheroes.

Under the direction of Kermit Poling the Symphonic Superheroes concert will feature music from some of Hollywood's kapow-kaboom movies, including Superman, Spiderman and Batman. Additional selections include music from The Mask of Zorro, Braveheart, Star Trek, Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Dramatic lighting will accompany the music, enhancing the audience experience, says Poling.

The concert is a special symphony fundraiser. Symphonic Superheroes might make a terrific intro to the orchestra for kids. No formal clothing needed.

More .

QuikieMart and friends hit Lil Joes Tavern Friday, Ap 15 Martin Arceneaux, aka Quikie Mart and Mr. Tibbs, is part of the congerie out of New Orleans. Martin has been building beats with a passion since high school at Caddo Magnet, where he was a poet and wag.

I've got recordings of his work going back to dark step sounds on cassette.

Catch his rap and his podnas at Lil Joes Tavern Friday, Ap 15.

Lil Joes now has a .

Quite helpful, Zach. Happily for Shrevetown, Zach and Benedict have put their not terribly large grill on the national indie band circuit.

A bit o' perspective from Sara Hebert's blog:

"There are those people who moan and complain that "Shreveport Sucks!

" I shake my head at them and say, you are a silly fool. Last night I realized that Joe's is actually on its way to being damn cool. I'm horribly proud of Benedict, whom the last I could remember was drinking a Daquiri, reading in a hammock stretched between two porch posts of 538 Dalzell.

The guy has mad passion for the place and doing cool sh*t. I'm proud to have him as a friend. I just wish he'd quit calling my cellphone.

"

Alta Boover: Young singer with the Shreveport Symphony's Judas Maccabaeus, Saturday, April 9 Alta Boover is a mezzo-soprano from the Eastman School of Music via a magna cum laude degree from Skidmore.

This year she is part of Shreveport Opera's Young Artist program. Saturday night she will sing with the .

The concert, , features 4 singers and a large orchestra.

But few of the artists involved will offer you the charm you will find on Ms. Boover's blog, . Imagine a Massachusetts girl having a ball with Mardi Gras, gators and a myriad of Bayou State attractions.

Also featured are singers Gale Odom, coloratura soprano; Randal Rushing, tenor, and Timothy Jones, bass-baritone. Chorus members include the Centenary Camerata, Dr. Julia Brasher Thorn, conductor; NSU Chamber Choir, Dr.

Burt Allen, conductor, and the Red River Children's Choir, Betty Adkins, director.

* 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 9, 2005
* Shreveport Civic Theatre, 600 Clyde Fant Parkway
* $7, $18, $30, and $36, with $5 student tickets for seating anywhere in the theatre.
* Call the Symphony box office at 227-TUNE (8863) between 9 a.m.

and 5 p.m.

* Limited valet parking is available for $3.

* One time shuttle from Uptown Shopping Center at 6:15 p.m.
* Shuttle will depart from the AmSouth parking garage (corner of Milam and Market Streets) at 5:30 p.

m. and every 10 minutes until concert time.


More on the concert from Times writer .

Yazzy Concert: Young jazz players bolstered by Brady Blade, Jr, and violinist Michael Ward at the Strand Theater, Friday, Ap 8 Theater of the Performing Arts, directed by Gloria Gibson, takes care of young jazz players Friday by inviting hometown hero , and electric violinist Michael Ward to join the teens onstage.

The show, featuring musicians, singers and string players from Caddo high schools, will begin at 7 pm at the Strand Theater. Tickets are $10, adults, and $5, students.

Brady, son of the Reverend Brady Blade, Sr.

, was born into a musical household in Shreveport, says the Mapex Drums site (he endorses and performs clinics for Mapex). He and his brother, Blue Note recording artist Brian, grew up playing in the church, listening to the same albums and sharing many of the same influences. Brady has performed and recorded with Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Jewel, Dave Matthews and the Indigo Girls.

Michael Ward developed his chops at Southern Univeristy, Baton Rouge, under teacher Alvin Batiste. Moving to New Orleans, Ward established himself as a Crescent City artist. Sample his music or buy his smooth jazz albums at .

For more info on the concert, the Third Annual Yazzy Young People's Jazz Concert, call Theater of the Performing Arts director Gloria Gibson at 525-0740.

Micah Alexander show opens at the Barnwell Center Friday, Ap 8 Austin-based artist will show work in downtown Shreveport at the Barnwell Center from Ap 8. There's a reception Friday, Ap 8, from 7 to 9 pm, at the Barnwell.

Alexander's web site is filled with high-quality commercial work.

As in the self-portrait, the work is at the Wow level of clean and cool. He works in oils, in digital mode and mixed media.

Alexander is a Caddo Magnet High School '97 who in '03 got a BS in illustration from the Ringling School of Art and Design.

He said, "This is my very first display of my work as a single exhibit. A major portion of my work to be shown are portraits (oil-paintings) with several 'still-life' pieces. A very important piece that will be shown is a memorial tribute to Michael Alan Simpson, Jr.

, who was originally from Shreveport. He was involved in a tragic car accident in Austin last April and his mom commissioned me to do a series in his honor. Michael was well known through the cycling circles in Shreveport.

"

Micah's parents are artists; father Don is a muralist - see the rose on the Holiday Inn Downtown - and mother Shirlene teaches top students at Caddo Magnet HS and is additionally the painter-producer of the Sportran art buses.

 

Shreveport band the Rock Popes Saturday night, Ap 9, at Sharpies Unlike me, the Shreveport band called the Rock Popes are not taking advantage of the passing of Karol Wojtyla, revered as il Pape, despite their terrific tie-in. In fact, has a warm commemoration and a commitment to observe the novem diales, the traditional 9 days of mourning. Their web site will be dark for the nonet, they say.

Teaching the raucous rock audience a bit of Latin/Italian is not the usual fare, is it?

Yet children must be fed and the show must go on, as all popes (means "father," right?) know.

So you can hear a performance, says their , on Saturday at Sharpies.

Hot jazz and furious tap: Savion Glover and group at the Strand, Tues, Ap 5 Skipgo group at Columbia Cafe; reception Sunday, Ap 3, 5:30 to 7 pm Photos, collage and paintings from the Skipgo artists, including Shannon Palmer, Rob Peterson, Katie Howell and Ruth Junto, will appear Sunday, April 3, at Columbia Cafe. The reception will take place from 5:30 to 7 pm, says swampland.

org in a correction of its earlier 7 to 9 announcement.


And please see Times writer Jennifer Flowers' with Palmer et al.

Guitars and Voices, too: Sacramento trio Call Me Ishmael Call Me Ishmael throws down some smart tunes - vocals with backup accents, uptown guitar riffs - at their , one embroidered with neo-psychedelia such as images of Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell.

Negotiaing their way from Sacramento to a gig at the temple, NYC's Knitting Factory (joining Odd Zero, Drew Isleib TigerBearWolf, Ap 12), this Friday, April Fool's, they sweat out a mid-continent trial at Lil Joes Tavern ($5).

will be opening the show around 10, says Mars Vegas bassist Brett Roman. With a whaler's zest he adds "Be sure to bring extra cash to buy the new Call Me Ishmael cd; from the 4 mp3s off the web site, its going to be freaking amazing."

Which is all very nice but staggers round the question of who is to play the noble, heavily-tatooed Queequeg.