Each Thursday, the Avenue is serving up the best in entertainment, pop culture and everything in between. From the big screen to the radio waves, check out this week’s picks.
Hear: We R Who We R
Some may hate on Ke$ha for her sloppy party-girl lyrics and her — ahem — excessive use of glitter, but let’s give the girl who wakes up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy some credit. Even those who don’t care for the messy-haired songstress can’t deny she knows how to belt out silly, catchy pop tunes. In “We R Who We R,” the first single off her upcoming EP “Cannibal,” the dirty-blonde rebel growls out her usual brand of lyrical gems — “And no you don’t wanna mess with us, got Jesus on my necklace” — creating a club jam you can’t help but dance to (or at least laugh at).
Listen: Downtown Festival and Art Show
This weekend, head downtown to the Bo Diddley Community Plaza to see work created by more than 250 different artists, hear music from local bands and solo artists, watch performances by different dance groups and chow down on food from more than 20 vendors. The 29th annual festival, which is hosted by the City of Gainesville Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, will be held Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
See: Megamind
Like history, Hollywood likes to repeat itself — which means a lot of movies are produced about superheroes and blue aliens. Yet despite the redundancy (“Avatar” and “The Incredibles,” for starters), audiences seem to eat it up — especially when megastar voiceovers are involved. With all of the above, including said megastars Brad Pitt (who mans the voice of a Mr. Incredible look-alike), Will Ferrell (a villain-gone-good with a bulging forehead — a “mega”-mind, get it?), Tina Fey and Jonah Hill, “Megamind” should prove to be no different. Throw in some 3-D action, “Toy Story”-like humor and DreamWorks’ style, and you’ve got a film that’ll appeal as much to your little brother as to your grandmother.
Click: Runaway
After just one week of being online, Kanye West’s nearly 35-minute, epic short film has more than 3 million views on YouTube. Following in the footsteps of the late Michael Jackson, whose “Thriller” video is said to have influenced “Runaway,” West shows off his artistic side with this elaborate depiction of a phoenix fallen from earth (an environmentalist promo?), a gargantuan flaming ball that crashes into earth (the apocalypse?) and other miscellaneous, WTF moments. Regardless of the cryptic metaphors, West is at the top of his game lyrically and musically, trying his hand at singing and getting some help along the way from Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Pusha T and Bon Iver.
