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Saturday, July 19, 2025

The Avenue

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  LIFESTYLE

Band success story starts at the top and continues

By ZACH SEYMOUR | Nov. 19, 2008

Braxton Adamson and his band, 3 Story Fall, are doing things backward. Adamson's played at Gator Growl in front of 40,000 people. The band has played in front of enormous crowds, opening for legendary acts such as Kansas and the Doobie Brothers, and it has sponsorships that provide members with free instruments, clothing and equipment. These are all privileges usually only enjoyed by major acts, but this band doesn't even have a record deal.

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  MOVIES AND TV

Trend rises from the dead

By ALISON SCHWARTZ | Nov. 19, 2008

The latest trend in pop culture may never die out - that is, if vampires are really immortal. Pushing pirates and wizards aside, the release of books such as "Twilight" and television shows such as "True Blood" shows that vampires have seemingly reclaimed their spot in the entertainment industry.

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  MOVIES AND TV

New Bond movie offers solace but needs more quantum

By DAVID STUZIN | Nov. 19, 2008

There's a new Bond in town, and "Quantum of Solace" doesn't hesitate to showcase this fact. Making a distinct move from the Pierce Brosnan era, "Quantum of Solace" has a more realistic James Bond, quick-moving action sequences and, to the disappointment of almost every guy in the theater, no sex scenes with the lead actress (Olga Kurylenko).

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  MOVIES AND TV

'Role Models' is a model comedy

By DAVID STUZIN | Nov. 12, 2008

From "Zach and Miri Make a Porno" to "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," there seems to be a lot of coming-of-age movies playing this fall. Though they all span different ages on the 18 to 39 range and have individual takes on the genre, they boil down to basically the same struggles, general plot points and quirky romantic involvements, which can get boring. But "Role Models" takes the conventions of the genre and somewhat reinvents them in a way that is both original and hysterical.

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Album review: Lady GaGa – "The Fame"

By ROBERT HILSON | Nov. 12, 2008

The CD spine says Lady GaGa, but music for "The Fame" was actually co-written by Bilal Hajji, Josh Schwartz and a handful of other less attractive, more talented songwriters who churn out star-making cuts for the likes of Britney Spears and Nick Carter. You won't see the funnily-named song writer Brian Kierulf on "The Hills," but GaGa, a Factory Girl in training, hit up an Audrina party on said program thanks in large part to catchy, beat-heavy club cuts like "Paparazzi" and "Money Honey." Don't equate GaGa with fluff. She flourishes lyrically - "Let's have some fun, this beat is sick." And she pulls her weight in marketing: Rob Fusari can't rock jet-black spandex, and Martin Kierszenbaum doesn't sell records.

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Album review: The 88 – "Not Only … But Also"

By ROBERT HILSON | Nov. 12, 2008

Alert the accent authorities. Joining a long list of faux pond-hoppers - Madonna, Johnny Ramone - On "Not Only … But Also," The 88 take their sunny, So-Cal pop tunes and cake them with a heavy layer of English inflection. You can't blame these lads for wanting to sound like the Beatles, but fact is, their talents lie elsewhere. For instance, Keith Slettedahl manages some Blind Melon-esque notes on uptempo ballad "Sons and Daughters." "Save Your Breath" fits the heart-on-sleeve, crooner mold, though impressively displays powers of ESP with the line "I don't want this anymore." Mind reader! Still, bogus Brit-pop influences undercut melodies like, "I'm gonna run through the door/ talk to the floor/ it must be true." A word of advice: Lock the door. The British are coming, sort of.

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  LIFESTYLE

How to crash class

By ERIK VOSS | Nov. 12, 2008

In a university that relies on massive, lecture-based classes to educate a herd of students, it's easy to feel neglected and forgotten. However, I recently found that being another face in the crowd has its benefits.

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  NIGHTLIFE

Just a couple things

By GABRIELLE FALCONEIRI | Nov. 12, 2008

One of the perks of bartending is that I get to people-watch during lulls. People-watching in a bar gives you insight into relationships that no psychology class could accomplish. Couples who come into the bar generally fit into a few types, and I have found they are by far the most entertaining people to watch.

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  FASHION

Black Friday not so bleak

By REGINA STUZIN | Nov. 12, 2008

Do you know what my favorite part about Thanksgiving is? It's not the food or the good company or even the days off of school. It's Black Friday. For the fashion unaware, Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving when almost everything goes on sale. Electronics, clothing, you name it. Chances are, there is something seriously discounted. Black Friday is a vicious battle, and it is every man, woman and child for himself or herself.

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  FASHION

Scarves are a cool accessory for the chill season

By REGINA STUZIN | Nov. 5, 2008

Last week I think everyone had a WTF moment. Cold? In October? In Florida? No way! It was definitely a surprise to wake up and have it be 30 degrees outside. I mean come on, Mother Nature, we're not North Carolina. We're Florida - it shouldn't get cold here. Thankfully, it seems to have warmed up for now, but the cold weather got me thinking: Winter is approaching. And what better way to celebrate the upcoming winter season than discussing one of my favorite accessories: scarves.

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  MOVIES AND TV

'Zac and Miri' make a porno and many laughs

By DAVID STUZIN | Nov. 5, 2008

In "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," lifelong friends Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) find themselves on the verge of bankruptcy and can't seem to make the awkward newly adult years work for them. Barely able to keep a roof over their heads, the two find themselves working minimum wage jobs just to cover expenses. Left without any other option, they decide to make, as the title would suggest, a porno. With the help of a strangely assorted cast and crew assembled from the bottom tier of society, the two set to work, finding out along the way that they might have feelings for each other beyond friendship.

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Album review: Land of Talk – "Some Are Lakes"

By ROBERT HILSON | Nov. 5, 2008

Lots of chatter coming out of Montreal these days. With Arcade Fire on hiatus and Of Montreal not actually of Montreal, Land of Talk now generate the most noise in this ice-cold indie hotbed with dense, groove-oriented music evocative of Neil Young in all his "Ragged Glory." On "Some Are Lakes," atop layers of distortion and heavy-handed drumming, Elizabeth Powell offers up cryptic poetry about the perils of darkness in a gentle, inflection-free tone. Perhaps her singing lacks emotional resonance, or maybe the pounding rhythms simply drown her out. In this case, it lacks volume, though she does speak up on "Young Bridge." Chiming guitars and harmony galore give way to the line "There's no light underneath you," another mystery phrase that deserves a follow-up question: Is Land of Talk in fact saying anything?

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Q&A with Danny Boone from Rehab

By ROBERT HILSON | Nov. 5, 2008

Earlier this year, Rehab's "Bartender Song (Sittin' At a Bar)" made the leap from jukebox phenomenon to Hot 100 entry. Now Danny Boone, mastermind of the honky hip-hoppers, finds himself on the cusp of fame. On Nov. 8, Rehab will play alongside bands such as Hinder and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at the Planetfest, a music festival in Jacksonville. Has life changed? How could it not? Says Boone, "We've got more beer than we've ever had in our life."

Florida Alligator
THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Album review: AC/DC – "Black Ice"

By ROBERT HILSON | Nov. 5, 2008

Via a lucrative contract, "Black Ice" sells exclusively through Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. No big deal - we already knew AC/DC was in tight with Satan. Of more importance, after an eight-year sabbatical, the Australian metal titans still rest their laurels on a time-tested principle as fundamental to rock 'n' roll as the band itself: play three chords and let the truth do the rest. "Rock 'N Roll Train" sounds like the classic here, aiming for and achieving a big thrills, no frills anthem best played loud. Likewise, the power-chord manifestos "War Machine" and "Rock N Roll Dream" reaffirm the Young brothers' status atop the riff-rock hierarchy. There are no variations, no pointless detours and, really, no need. The Highway to Hell is a one-way street.

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