CARISSA MARSH
A&E Editor
While Malibu is conveniently located just a few miles from the nation’s entertainment capital, there is little need for students to trek to Los Angeles to find something entertaining to do.
Each year, Pepperdine offers a whole host of on-campus events sure to pique anyone’s interest and this semester’s lineup is no exception. From music to movies, comedy to coffeehouses, plays to paintings, Pepperdine has it all and then some.
For those craving live music, students should be sure to check out the scores of big and small name acts scheduled to grace campus this semester. On Sept. 15 to 16, SPB will be hosting a free Double Shot Weekend, at 7:30 p.m. in the Sandbar, featuring the delish drinks of the Coffee Bean Express with equally satisfying live music. Pete Francis of the Dispatch will be performing Friday night and folk rock vocalist Alli Rogers will take the stage Saturday.
“This year we are trying to make weekend events bigger and better than last year,” said senior Trent Allen, a weekend event’s coordinator.
Double Shot is similar to Coffeehouse, a popular student pastime that also features java and tunes. Both SPB and the Black Student Union hold coffeehouses throughout the year and Allen said it is one of his favorite events.
“You get a chance to actually see some of the talent at Pepperdine,” he said.
SPB is also hosting two large concerts this fall. On Friday, Sept. 22, Bebo Norman along with Aaron Shust and Brandon Heath will perform in Smothers Theater at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $8.
Student Activities Coordinator Dustin Vyers said Norman, who has performed on-campus multiple times, called Pepperdine and wanted to come back.
“It’s nice to bring someone back who’s been here before,” Vyers said. “I think the students like him.”
On Saturday, Nov. 4, Christian rock mega-group Jars of Clay will take over Alumni Park just one month after their new CD, Good Monsters, is released. The concert, also featuring Matt Wertz and Leigh Nash, will start at 6:30 p.m. and tickets cost $12.
Getting Jars of Clay to play was similarly as easy, and Vyers said Student Activities could not resist the offer. He said plans are in the works to make the concert an even bigger event by setting up a peer stage where students can display their own musical talent and having In-N-Out served before the concert.
SPB also got Derek Webb, a former member of Caedmon’s Call who will be speaking at Convo on Oct. 11, to perform that night in the Sandbar at 8. According to senior Matt Wallace, director of weekend events, Student Activities is also working on more exciting events, such as holding a club night in the Fireside Room.
Jazz and standards lovers will feel at home at the Center for the Arts. Steve Tyrell will perform on Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. The Dave Brubeck Quartet follows on Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. and the Pepperdine Jazz Ensemble will show off on Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Of course it is never too early to start thinking about the holidays. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will rock out at their Wild and Swingin’ Holiday Party on Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. and the university choirs and orchestras will put on their annual music celebration on Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
The list of concerts goes on and on, so look out for more professional and student performances from the Center for the Arts and SPB.
The Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art is the perfect place for those who enjoy strolling in an intimate art gallery. Currently on display is On Location in Malibu 2006: Paintings by the California Art Club. The exhibit, which closes Sept. 3, offers fresh and varied perspectives on the coastal community as painted by members of the California Art Club, the oldest art association in the state.
Starting Sept. 16, the museum will feature “Photos and Phantasy: Selections from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation,” which will showcase a variety of contemporary artists. The exhibit will highlight the diverse ways that fantasy and photographic technology influence contemporary art, including photography, painting, sculpture and installations from the 1950s to the present.
Prominent artists on display in “Photos and Phantasy” include Andy Warhol, John Baldessari, David Hockney and Thomas Ruff.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Pepperdine is also a place of drama. No, not the Peppervine – the theater department. Student productions this semester include “As it is in Heaven,” a play that explores the issues of faith through the eyes of nine women in a Shaker village in 1830, and “Damn Yankees,” which cleverly tells the story of a baseball fanatic who sells his soul to lead his favorite team to victory against the New York Yankees. “As it is in Heaven” runs Oct. 10 through 14 and “Damn Yankees” runs Nov. 9 to 12 and 16 to 18.
Three acts will dance their way across Pepperdine’s stage this semester as well. On Sept. 27, at 8 p.m. the acclaimed Bayanihan Philippine National Dance Company will perform native dances and music in traditional costumes. The company has danced all over the world for nearly half a century.
Estampas Portenas, a tango company from Buenos Aires, Argentina, will present their passionate show, “Tango Fire,” on Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. A quartet of musicians and dancers, “Tango Fire” features the precise movements and raw energy of the tango. And the fast feet of Tap Kids will click, clack and shake the floor on Oct. 22. The eight rhythm-tap dancers range in age from 13 to 21.
For a barrel of laughs, look no farther than your own backyard. A campus staple, the Pepperdine Improv Troupe performs once a month in the HAWC on Fridays or Saturdays.
“It’s hilarious and it’s free,” said Kari Miller, president of PIT. “There is not many times that you can get quality comedy this accessibly.”
Miller said the PIT will be trying out a new format with a more professional feel and a reworked scoring system. “I don’t want to give to give away too much, but expect some different stuff thrown in there,” she said.
Team competition, outrageous games and audience participation is still a huge part of the group’s shows and they plan to spice things up even more by bringing in outside people from the Los Angeles improv community as special guests or judges.
Senior Carolyn Simpson, also a weekend events coordinator, said that after years of missing out she has grown to love the PIT.
“I’ve become a PIT follower myself. I’m stuck on it now,” she said. “They’re amazing. It’s a good night of laughter.”
The first PIT show is coming up on Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. in the HAWC.
For more belly laughs, SPB will present three comedians in the Sandbar on Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. Top comic Rita Rudner will yuck it up in Smothers on Sept. 30 at 8 p.m.
Because it is early in the semester, Vyers said not everything is set in stone yet so people should make sure to use pencil when planning out their fall fun. But one thing is certain: entertainment is only a hop, skip and maybe a few stairs away.
08-28-2006
