All photos by Elizabeth Brown/Foghorn

Stellar Cassidy, Sophomore, English Major

The weather was cold on the first day of spring semester, so Stellar stayed warm and stylish in a faux fur jacket that cost her only $20 from Goodwill.  “I was walking down Valencia and was called a murderer by these hipsters in leather jackets,” she said.  The jacket originally came with tacky buttons, but she replaced them and had her boyfriend sew on new ones using dental floss.  In addition to wearing a fabulous coat, Stellar knows how to accessorize with plenty of jewelry – my personal favorite is her Spider poison ring.

All photos by Elizabeth Brown/Foghorn

James Barela, 21, Senior, Design Major

After spending fall semester in London, James returned to USF showing fellow students his London-inspired style.  With black skinny jeans from Topman and his black-framed glasses, James had a first day style that was fashionable without trying too hard.  James said, “People are pretty sloppy here [in San Francisco.] In London men care more about their appearance.”

Heather Spellacy embraces her beloved DVR, without which she would miss out on some of the best shows on TV. Photo by Melissa Stihl/Foghorn

With seemingly unlimited cable channels and programming online, it can be challenging finding television shows deserving of your time. These are some shows that are wothy of Tivo-ing (or Hulu-ing).

Modern Family

I didn’t start watching Modern Family until very recently. Frankly, I didn’t even know the show existed. Though, after endless friends told me I needed to watch, I caved and added the show to my list. So, in those glorious days before the start of the semester (you know, when your day consisted of only sleeping, eating, television and facebook) I watched the pilot episode Tivo had so graciously recorded for me.

Verdict: amazing. The show follows three different families. One consists of a mother, father and three kids; one is a gay couple with a newly adopted Vietnamese baby; and the last is a retired man, his new Latin wife and her kid. You later find out that they are all related, thus allowing for many inter-family conflicts. Every character has a drastically different personality and quirk, but each one is equally as funny. It’s rare that a show can actually make me laugh out loud, but this one definitely does the trick.

For fans of: The Office, Arrested Development

Channel: ABC, Wednesdays @ 9/8c

Archer

Upon my return home for the holidays my mother repeatedly hounded me to set up the Tivo to record “The Devil Wears Prada.” Apparently the learning curve for DVDs far surpasses that of Tivo… who knew? Though, I suppose I should be thanking my mom’s and her antics for introducing me to the wonders of FX. So many amazing shows come from this one little channel, including my newest addition, Archer. After seeing a few short promos I immediately set my own Tivo in anticipation for the show’s first season.

First off, I should mention that the show is a cartoon, but is definitely meant for an adult audience. The show follows Archer, a secret agent, who works for his mother at an intelligence agency. He’s your classic ladies man, well-dressed and hunky, and he keeps a gun in his underwear… just in case. He’s both childish and selfish, but for some reason, it’s nearly impossible to dislike him. The rest of the cast includes his pill-popping mother, his ex-girlfriend/fellow spy, and his loyal servant, Woodhouse. The show is crude, sexist, and completely unnecessary, but undeniably smart and witty.

For fans of: Metalocalypse, Sealab 2021, Frisky Dingo

Channel: FX, Wednesdays @ 10/9c

Project Runway

Ok. If you don’t know about this show’s premise then you are either living under a rock or are a guy (and I even know some guys who like this show). I’ve been watching the show since its inception in 2004. Six seasons later, and with season seven beginning just a few weeks ago, I am still on the Project Runway bandwagon.

The show serves as a competition to find the next big fashion designer. Heidi Klum, one of Victoria Secrets most popular models, hosts the show along with judges Michael Kors and Ninna Garcia. Of course there is the ever-loveable Tim Gunn, who serves as a mentor to the show’s designers.  The contestants have a day or two to design and create an outfit based on the week’s specific challenge. While it may sound like your run of the mill reality show, the talent continuously blows me away. Though, it is not only the talent and fashion that keep me watching; the different personalities make for a number of entertaining quarrels. It’s like Jersey Shore, but with better clothes.

For fans of: Fashion related reality TV

Channel: Lifetime, Thursday @ 10/9c

Mad Men

I don’t care who you are (okay, maybe I do… just a little) you must watch this show. Nine Emmys and five Golden Globes don’t lie… this series is amazing. First let’s chat about the wardrobe. Maybe I’m biased because I love styles from the 50s and 60s, but it’s hard to deny the amazing fashions seen on the show. The men look scrumptious with their gray suits and slicked back hair, and the women look absolutely stunning.

The show takes place in the early 60s and follows a group of Manhattan-based advertising executives and their families. While the exteriors of each character lead many to believe their lives are near perfection, it is soon realized that none are free from some serious flaws. From secret pasts, to questions of sexuality, the show’s multiple storylines are able to keep my interest without leaving me confused.

For fans of: any HBO drama, Jon Hamm in a suit

Channel: AMC, Season 4 should start sometime near the end of July

For a few brief hours the rain stopped on a dreary Thursday night as many young San Franciscans and I headed into the Tenderloin for the Black Lips at The Great American Music Hall co-presented by KUSF. The line in front of the venue had a mix of twenty something hipsters, yuppies, forty year olds and teens all waiting to see what antics the Lips would pull on stage. The band is known for not just their music, but also their performance which historically involved onstage vomiting, kissing, peeing, racing slot cars and even bringing live chickens to their shows.

Many fans heard about The Black Lip’s last tour to India (during which the band was kicked out of the country after singer Cole Alexander pulled down his pants and started grinding on his guitar in front of a young Indian audience) and were excited to see how much more extreme the band could get back in the US. Unfortunately for those waiting to see barf and blood cover the stage, the Lips played a PG rated set of old favorites and newer material from their latest release “200 Million Thousand” that was released last year on Vice records.

Aside from one brief lip locking kiss between guitarist Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley, the show was an average rock show with a mosh pit, dance tunes and a sing a long of the band’s popular track “Bad Kids.” When the band asked what the sold out crowd wanted to hear there were shouts for their indie radio hit “Veni Vidi Veci.” “We don’t know how to play that one!” said Alexander. Then he drove straight into the shows finale with their old favorite “Bow Down and Die.”

Outside of the Great American Music Hall kids said that the band had played a good show, but it just didn’t have the magic that older Lips shows had. They missed the chaos where you could barley make out what song was being played but you would be too busy laughing or crying to care.

Although the nude and lewd antics of The Black Lips’ set lists may be gone, the band is back with a new outlook on live performance and a newfound focus on their music.

But after walking off the stage in front of a sold out room of roars and applause at The Fillmore this week it is hard to believe Green is anything but comfortable.

City & Colour has become a hard ticket to come by with sell out success attributed to Green’s commanding stage excellence in a live setting. Throughout the long set list Green performs half the concert acoustic by himself and the other half with a live band creating an intimacy at certain points  with the audience while at other times showing his ability to rock producing unison claps and foot stomps from the crowd. 

The first half of the band’s set seems to serve as a confession that City & Colour is still finding its’ identity amongst varying sub genres of indie and folk. The band was praised for their second and most recent album 2008’s “Bring Me Your Love” because of its’ mature musical progression towards folk.

As Green strummed through the opener “Coming Home” a slow and dark song about the hardships of his constant traveling Green cemented the sincerity of the night while exposing his toned yet raw live vocal quality. The cold and rain-soaked crowd swooned to Green as he played songs from his 2005 strictly acoustic guitar - piano debut album “Sometimes” which won him a JUNO award for “Alternative Album of the Year” in 2007.

Throughout the night Green and the band consistently engaged with the audience in comical stories from the road including a problem in customs that had his guitarist and bassist detained and held for nearly an hour while crossing the U.S border from they’re homeland Canada.

In the next song “The Girl” a fan favorite off of “Bring Me Your Love” Green screwed up the order of verses citing “fucking customs honestly” later admitting that he could not remove the story from his thoughts the entire song.The crowds laughed and it was one of the band’s best of the night.

Some other songs played throughout  the night included older fan favorites such as “Sam Malone” and “Sometimes( I Wish)” while playing newer more popular hits such as “Sleeping Sickness” and “Waiting.”

But it was the encore where Green showed his true musicianship.

Coming out alone for an encore Green gave a brief sincere thank you to the audience for their continued support before starting a gritty and soulful clap and and stomp acapella cover of blues legend Son House’s “Grinnin’ in Your Face.”

As some filed down the stairs, a large crowd stayed hoping that despite the lights being turned on their cheers would bring City & Colour on for one more song.

As the crowd began to pour onto the raining San Francisco streets just before 12:30  it was obvious that impressions were made, fans were pleased, and  newcomers were intrigued, a show worth remembering and seeing again, or for the first time.

USF style guru Addysen Trumper travels in high fashion on her adventures studying in Paris. Photo by Addysen Trumper/Foghorn

Everywhere we turn in the world of fashion, it seems a new concept hits us between the hangers. At times this can feel a tad annoying. Frequently we run into new, expensive trends that cancel our current investment piece, we long over new body parts on magazine cover models, or face new economical hardships that prevent us from obtaining our desired “new” view. Well my friends (old and new), we are shooting this Style File from a different angle. Let’s consider ourselves renewed. We have just entered a brand new year, a spanking new decade, a restored semester and a fresh take on cutting edge clothing from fashion around the world.

Speaking of around the world, I will be reporting to you from a new location this semester. Fabulous style is about diversity so I thought I would freshen my point-of-view while spending this semester studying in Paris, dotted with various European adventures of course.  While I may be an American girl in Paris, I will observe and note the French way of style everyday. I will have many opportunities to gush over the classically styled Parisian women and coiffed French men. But in this edition, let’s size up moving to a new country code.

At some point in your college career, many of you will choose to study abroad, travel for a long period of time, or simply find yourself living out of a suitcase. Before heading to Paris, I am nested in Cannes, France with 35 new classmates for a language program to prepare me for classes at La Sorbonne and daily Parisian life. Even though I am now familiar with the salt from the clear Mediterranean lingering on my skin and the smell of the macaroon shop tempting me to venture near, it is the fur dress-coats on the local elders bobbing down the street causing my style spirit to sag with my limited wardrobe resources available.

Nevertheless, USF friends I have now mastered the art of neatly living out of two suitcases in a petit room with two other roommates while looking chic and “French fresh” every day. These are my tips on limited resource dressing and suitcase digging for your study abroad experiences or early spring break planning.

Style Passport

Take a moment to reflect about your style. Individual mode is like the human body: everybody initially works with the same stuff but in different sizes and proportions and with different attitudes. We all have something about our look that sets up apart from everyone else. Before you pack a bag to live out of for five months, figure out your style. For some of us, fashion defines us and leaving our closets full of our unique pieces makes us want to seek therapy. No matter what, you cannot bring your whole wardrobe.

The key to success is planning. When you understand yours, you can strip down to choosing the basics that suit your individual look. For your everyday street wear, only pack pieces that you know you can wear with more than one outfit. Rule of thumb: every piece of clothing that you bring must be able to meld into three different outfits. The only exception to this rule is the one or two party pieces that you bring for special nights out. Also consider comfort, since each item will get a lot of wear in the upcoming months.

Step two of your packing project is to be a savvy accessorizer. American travelers benefit by blending into their home on loan. Sooth the culture clash with your get-up. Challenge yourself in wearing your grey cords three times this week and changing it up every time with a new accessory. Change your outfit with a scarf, next drape a fur across your shoulders and lastly hang massive chains around your neck. Or consider this, one day wear your boots with your jeans with your hair in a knot then disguise them by wearing a long top over them with a funky hat the next day to change up proportions.

While it may not be as easy as having the option of grabbing anything from your closet (or your roommate’s closet) this is a new chance to see how creative you can be. Let your passport be your excuse to change up your looks and experiment with your style.

“Space Case”

When I arrived in France with my two suitcases loudly rolling behind me on the cobblestones, I looked around to see that many girls were hurling their one piece of luggage with great difficulty. Don’t let a number fool you. While one suitcase might seem like it is less to handle, I found that two gave me the opportunity to organize my outfit choices with greater ease. This is the one time that I am proud to say that I was a woman with some serious “baggage.”

Suitcase # 1: Clothes and shoes. Don’t try to get anything else in there. After I placed my carefully chosen six pairs of shoes on the bottom of the suitcase, I only filled the rest up with my dresses, pants, skirts and tops. I have a different place for each category so I know where everything is located.

Suitcase #2: Accessories, bathroom gear and books. After picking out my basics from my other suitcase, I just turn around to my other one to find what makes my ensemble unique in suitcase #2.

This system has not failed me yet. While some days I will start with suitcase #1 to pick my functional clothing, I will change it up from time to time to start with suitcase #2 to begin my day with a little color and inspiration. The way your clothes are organized affects the way you look on a day to day basis. If the home of your clothes is chaos then your style will reflect that. Just remember that these are the days that you will remember the most as you will have pictures to document your travel threads.

One of the perks of traveling is everyday you are greeted with something new.  I would encourage you to embrace any opportunity that you have to create a vogue voyage with style experimentation and no inhibitions.

I am not quite sure where this odyssey will take me and my fashion, but I welcome you to follow my journey at my fashion/travel blog: http://lamodeinadifferentzipcode.blogspot.com.

Jim Taugher listens ecstatically to the great, new tunes he’s found to listen to this year so far. Photo by Cass Krughoff/Foghorn

This year started off with a bang. Between the Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien fiasco and the iPad, this new decade has already proven to be an exciting one for pop culture, including the music industry. In main stream music, Ke$ha stole the spotlight with her promiscuous ways shoving underdog audience pleaser Susan Boyle aside. Indie favorites Vampire Weekend still managed to hold strong with their follow-up album, “Contra.” Here are the best songs of 2010 so far, of course some of the best are yet to come (and if you’re resourceful, some of them have already leaked – watch out for Harlem’s new LP “Hippies” in April, it’s amazing).

“Yellow Wings” by Keepaway – Animal Collective fans, rejoice! This recent release from the little known unsigned trio, from Brooklyn, Keepaway combines vocal samples, heavy naturalistic drums sequences and big reverb-y guitar licks to create a beautiful atmosphere for a stunning song. It starts off like it could pass for an M.I.A. song and then ventures into Animal Collective territory, especially in the quick yelps during the chorus. The lyrics explore the progress of desire and wanting: “to be in two places at once.”

“Giving up the Gun” by Vampire Weekend – This is probably the most likeable song off these prepsters’ second release. Vampire Weekend consistently creates catchy, quirky vocal melodies and this song exemplifies their skill. Filled with guitar effects, a bumping snare beat, crying bass and lots and lots of bells, it all ends with a clap beat that could easily be found in most top 40 songs these days. It’s a happy reminder that Ezra Koenig, VW’s lead singer, “sees you shine in your way.” Fun, fun, fun.

“Ambling Alp” by Yeasayer – These guys are insane. If you get a minute, check out the very weird drug-induced music video for this one. It’s a trip. Yeasayer had one of the best tracks on last year’s benefit compilation, Dark Was the Night, so this release was much anticipated. Unfortunately, many of the songs on this album are too bizarre for me to entirely grasp, but this song will please most. Some have issues with the vocalist, but others love the desperation in his voice. The chorus offers a bit of encouragement, “stick up for yourself son / never mind what anybody else done.” The song starts with a burst of drums and sounds that bounce off each other with precision and the bridge comes out of left field with a horn section and vocal harmonies that are reminiscent of Prince. Remember: stick up for yourself.

“Norway” by Beach House – Beach House keeps pumping out quality make-out music. The verses are filled with wavering notes that modulate in and out of key just slightly, creating an unnervingly dream-like world. Victoria Legrand’s “Norway” chorus slides in over her beautiful vocal movements that seem to hug the rolling guitar riffs without letting go. Then all of a sudden the song is over and you find that you have a strange desire to be in Norway.

“Take it Easy” by Surfer Blood – This track sounds like it could be straight from Vampire Weekend’s “Contra,” but it’s not. It’s from newcomers Surfer Blood, a group of goofy looking youngsters from Florida who make really rad music. The rest of this album sounds like they’ve taken the 90’s alternative sound and re-vamped it in a new way; incorporating the sounds of African roots music and a bit of 60’s pop. It slowly melts away with looped guitars, catchy shaker and  high hat beat that only remind you of why you like this song so much. I’m excited to see what these guys will do in the future.

Last week classic 20^th century American novelist and short story writer Jerome David (J.D.) Salinger passed away. Often dismal and unresolved, his most famous works assail the superficial and unscrupulous nature of structures and systems.

Franny and Zooey, published in 1961, started as short stories in “The New Yorker.” Split into two parts, it tells the story of a sister (Franny) and brother (Zooey) from the Glass family commonly used in Salinger’s works. In part one Franny grows discontent with her seemingly artificial and shallow world and attempts use of prayer as a remedy leading her to a nervous breakdown. Zooey works to alleviate her suffering.

The most famous works from Nine Stories are “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” and “For Esme – with Love & Squalor.” “Bananafish” introduces a member of the Glass family for the first time in Salinger’s work. It tells the story of a husband and wife, Seymour and Muriel, on their second honeymoon. Both figures are quirky and strange – Seymour insists that he has a tattoo, though he doesn’t, and out of fear of others seeing it he wears a bathrobe on the beach.  In “For Esme,” a deployed army sergeant forms a relationship with a young girl over tea as she tells him about her family, hopes and dreams. This connection provides him with the necessary friendship to alleviate some of the suffering of war.

The Catcher in the Rye, likely Salinger’s most famous novel, tells the story of angsty protagonist/antihero Holden Caulfield. Away at Pency Prep he feels disgruntled with all the “phony” boys around them. After he fails out of school he leaves for New York City. He spends three days in the city, much of them spent intoxicated. He has a coming of age experience with a prostitute named Sunny (ultimately he just wants to talk and she becomes aggravated), visits his little sister Phoebe (the only person in his family and life he has a meaningful relationship with) and evaluates his world. “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”

1) “D.I.A.L.O.” by John Vanderslice off of “Romanian Names”

2) “She Just Likes to Fight” by Four Tet off of “There is Love in You”

3) “The Capitol” by Visqueen off of “Message to Garcia”

4) “Pushing and Shoving” by Man/Miracle off of “Pushing and Shoving”

5) “I Don’t Believe You” by the Magnetic Fields off of “I”

6) “Must be the Moon” by !!! off of “Myth Takes”

7) “Disneyland” by Harlem off of “Free Drugs ;-)”

8) “It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning” by We Were Promised Jetpacks off of “These Four Walls”

9) “The World is Falling” by Mirah off of “(A)spera”

10) “Walkabout (with Noah Lennox) by Atlas Sound off of “Logos”

This festival is constructed very differently than the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, the Treasure Island Music Festival or the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. Noise Pop requires no camping, full days off of work or long days using porta potties in a myriad of challenging climates. Instead they book special shows in venues around the city including the Great American Music Hall, the Bottom of the Hill, Café Du Nord, Bimbos 365 Club, the Independent and Slims. The film festival shows at the Roxie and the Artist’s Television Access (ATA) in the Mission and Viz Cinema in Pac Heights.

Noise Pop consistently brings an interesting mix of artists to the festival. Major indie rock acts like Modest Mouse, the Flaming Lips, the White Stripes, Sleater Kinney, Death Cab for Cutie, X, the Shins and St. Vincent have all played the festival. The lineup is equally impressive this year featuring two nights with the Magnetic Fields in addition to performances from the Dodos, John Vanderslice, !!!, Deerhoof, Visqueen, the Watson Twins, Atlas Sound, Mirah, Four Tet and more.

There two ways to get into Noise Pop shows: for $150 you can purchase a badge that gets you into all of the general admission shows (keep in mind there are a few shows that aren’t GA), events and films during the festival and there are special badges available to get you into one of the Magnetic Fields shows. If you don’t want to invest $150 to just see one or two shows; tickets for each show are for sale as well. Check out http://www.noisepop.com/main for more information.

Kate Greenspan/Foghorn Did she inhale? West Seegmiller and Deidre Doyle star in USF’s poduction of the popular musical Reefer Madness.

USF’s fall play, Reefer Madness, drew packed audiences to its seven performances this November. The College Players, USF’s on campus performing arts association, sponsored the production, a satirical musical about marijuana use in the early 1930’s. The melodrama follows the relationship of teenage sweethearts Jimmy and Mary, whose relationship is compromised when Jimmy is seduced by a drug-dealing clan of society’s “undesirables.” The story unfolds under the direction of the Lecturer, who narrates the story.

The production was directed by Joey Price and starred exclusively USF students. Senior James Godbolt gave an exceptional performance as the Lecturer, as well as playing several other minor roles and appearing in nearly every scene. Lauren Bellenie, a freshman performing for the first time at USF, portrayed Sally, a marijuana-addicted harlot. Her witty performance, as well as her singing ability, both amused and impressed the audience. Deidre Doyle gave a riveting performance as Mae, the victim of drug-induced domestic violence, who suffers from an emotional breakdown in the second act of the performance.

The cast as a whole performed well together, creating an entertaining and comical show. Reefer Madness combined dance, song, and drama in a provocative spin on reality that kept the audience laughing and intrigued. The set design, which included a two-story structure, was bare but effective and costumes were creative and easily identifiable. The biggest flaw of the performance was the problems with microphones, several of which cut out frequently or produced distorted sound. By the end of the show, microphone problems did not take away from the show’s entertainment value or the cast’s talent.

1) “The Chipmunks Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” by Alvin and the Chipmunks off of “Merry Christmas from the Chipmunks”

2) “The Chanukah Song” by Adam Sandler off of “What the Hell Happened to Me?” (the cover by Neil Diamond off of “A Cheery Cheery Christmas” deserves some attention as well)

3) “The Chanukah Song, Pt 2 (Live Version)” off of “Stan and Judy’s Kid”

4) “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Christina Aguilera off of “My Kind of Christmas”

5) “I Wish Every Day Could be like Christmas” by Bon Jovi off of “A Very Special Christmas”

6) “Jingle Bell Rock” by Daryl Hall & John Oates off of “Home for Christmas”

7) “Merry Christmas Baby” by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band off of “A Very Special Christmas”

8) “The Night Santa Went Crazy” by “Weird Al” Yankovic off of “Bad Hair Day”

9) “Santa Claus is Coming to Down” by Dolly Parton off of “Home for Christmas”

10) “The Christmas Song” by N’SYNC off of “Home for Christmas”

11) “Chanukah’s da Bomb” by Chutzpah off of “Chutzpah Eponymous”

12) “Little Saint Nick” by the Beach Boys off of “Christmas With the Beach Boys”

13) “Christmas in Hollis” by Run-DMC off of “Tougher Than Leather”

14) “The Little Drummer Band” by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band off of “A Very Special Christmas”

15) “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey off of “Merry Christmas”

2.  Do whatever you can to take at least one class with Professor Moore, Professor Green, Professor Goodwin, Professor Zeigler and/or Professor Pizutto.

3.  Make friends with someone who works in the Media Lab and during a dead shift watch a film like “Funny Games,” “Death Proof,” “Sunshine,” “Libertine,” “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” “Das Boot,” “Water Lilies,” “Reprise,” “Let The Right One In” or any other film that is meant to be watched on a screen bigger than your laptop.

4.  Kiss a boy, kiss a girl.

5.  Change your major until your head feels screwed on just right and you’ve come to know what it means to have a constant challenging and seemingly endless pricking of the conscience that gives you daily satisfaction and hunger, simultaneously.

6.  Read “Rules of Attraction” by Bret Easton Ellis each summer that lies between each year.  Compare and your life with the page, with the transgressional fiction.  Perhaps gauge whether or not you are a Bateman (heaven forbid!), a Denton or a Hynde.  “Define crazy.”

7.  Start a bedroom band with other people who don’t know how to play any instruments.  Learn how to create and shape sound within space and time this way.  You might have fun.

8. Find a primary care doctor.  And fast.

9. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do (which isn’t saying much).

10.  Dance.

Illustration by Elizabeth Brown/Foghorn

I reserve the term “musical genius” for a very limited selection of musicians like George Gershwin, Chuck D and Bruce Springsteen. I add “Weird Al” Yankovic to this list without hesitation. Easily one of the most significant satirists of our generation, Weird Al takes advantage of intellectual property law’s fair use guidelines and converts our beloved pop songs into brilliant, tongue in cheek commentaries. The Essential “Weird Al” Yankovic from the Legacy Essential Series released this fall presents 38 of his career greatest hits.

A true Renaissance song writer, Weird Al spans genres from ska to hip hop to metal and topics from obesity to Star Wars to Santa (little known fact, he also has a degree in Architecture from Cal Poly). Between the release of his 1983 self titled album and 2006’s Straight Outta Lynwood Weird Al has transformed popular music as we know it. Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” became “Amish Paradise,” the first person narrative of a pleased Pennsylvania Amish on the 1996 album Bad Hair Day. “And I’ve been milkin’ and plowin’ so long that/Even Ezekiel thinks that my mind is gone/I’m a man of the land, I’m into discipline/Got a Bible in my hand and a beard on my chin/But if I finish all of my chores and you finish thine/Then tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 1699.”

In “The Saga Begins” off of 1999’s Running with Scissors, Don McLean’s “American Pie” becomes the tune for a vivid retelling of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. Weird Al croons, “Did you know this junkyard slave/Isn’t even old enough to shave/But he can use the Force, they say/Ah, do you see him hitting on the queen/Though he’s just nine and she’s fourteen/Yeah, he’s probably gonna marry her someday.”

Some of Weird Al’s songs are less obvious. “Pancreas” off of 2006’s Straight Outta Lynwood discusses the functions and beauty of the pancreas to a medley of Brian Wilson songs including the Beach Boys’ “Our Prayer,” “God Only Knows,” “Heroes and Villains,” “Good Vibrations,” “I Just Wasn’t made for These Times” and Brian Wilson’s solo songs “Roll Plymouth Rock” and “Wind Chimes” from Smile. It’s both informative and charming: “My spleen just doesn’t matter/Don’t really care about my bladder/But I don’t leave home without/My pancreas/My pancreas is always/There for me/Secreting those enzymes/Secreting those hormones too/Metabolizing carbohydrates/Just for me.”

Other incredible metamorphoses include Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” into “Another One Rides the Bus,” Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” into “Eat It,” “Smells like Teen Spirit” into “Smells like Nirvana,” Backstreet Boys’ “I Want it that Way” into “eBay” and my personal favorite, “Ridin’” by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone into “White & Nerdy” (how can I not adore a song with references to comic books, editing Wikipedia, Star Trek, Ren Faires, fanny packs and Dungeons & Dragons?).

A multi instrumentalist, Weird Al usually sticks to accordion. Standing 6’0’’ tall and weighing 175 pounds, the lanky singer song writer is famous for his long, dense, curly locks and his impeccable ability to transform into various characters for music videos and performances.

Three Grammy wins (nine nominations), six platinum records and four gold records in addition to a collection of Billboard hits speak to the impact Weird Al has had on music and the world. The Essential “Weird Al” Yankovic is not to be missed. Buy it for yourself or a loved one as soon as humanly possible. It’s available on CD and digitally.

Old school punk rockers Cock Sparrer get fans moshing at the Great American Music Hall for two sold out shows on their American Tour. Photo by Heather Spellacy/Foghorn

There are some shows you’d like to see, and others you’d travel hundreds of miles to witness. Luckily for me, I only had to walk to the Geary bus stop and share a few awkward conversations on my trip to the Great American Music Hall just past Van Ness. My horrible habit of listening in on others’ conversations, however, proved that many had indeed come from all over the country to throw up their fists with oi’s* finest, Cock Sparrer.

I had been gushing with excitement the minute my press pass was confirmed months before the show was even scheduled to occur, telling anyone who would listen that in a few months time I’d be screaming some of my favorite lyrics with one of the best bands oi has to offer. While most I told had neither heard of the genre or the band, both one-day and two-day passes sold out quickly, making it obvious the band could easily pack a show.

It was the 5^th Anniversary of Pirates Press, a local record manufacturing company, that brought all these bands together for two nights of great music. “All the bands who played are on our label, they’re part of the Pirates Press family,” Chunk Kelly, a company employee, told The Foghorn.

It had been nine years since Cock Sparrer had graced our city of San Francisco, and they were playing the same venue as on their last trip across the pond. The place was packed with more Fred Perrys and shaved heads than my little heart could handle. I had dressed in my oi finest, meaning I could wear my Doc Martens and still be attractive to the opposite sex. Score.

While most of the first night’s festivities remain a bit hazy in my mind, I do clearly remember throwing up my fists and singing along to each word with Colin McFaull, the band’s frontman. Being shoved up against the metal barrier meant to keep the crowd off the stage didn’t faze me once. Nothing could ruin my night, not the fights that broke out or even the fat, middle-aged guy that kept elbowing me in the ribs. I was witnessing history, singing along with a band that changed the face of music as we know it today.

With the ecstasy of Friday’s show still buzzing in my head (not to be confused with the ringing in my ears), four hours of sleep and way too many Red Bulls, I geared up for Saturday’s show.  I switched out my skirt and suspenders for a shift dress, put on a fresh Fred Perry polo and my faithful Docs. Once again I trekked to the bus stop, though this time alone.

The show was just as packed and full of lovely boys for my personal viewing pleasure. I vowed to spend more time making note of my surroundings this time around. The crowd was definitely varied, and played host to music lovers from across the board. Gutter punks shared beers with greasers and metal heads raised fists with skinheads.

The music started and I decided to stay back and watch the crowd rather than pushing my way to the front. This lasted about five minutes, ending with me, once again, shoved up against my dear friend, the metal barrier.

The band played all the classics, with the exception of my personal favorite “Platinum Blonde.” However, the rest of the set list quickly quelled my disappointment, especially when the beginnings of “Where Are They Now?” started playing through the speakers. The band, motioning to the crowd to belt out the lyrics, took a seat on the stage, letting the mob of fans sing to them. After applauding our efforts, the band took the stage again and finished the song.

A new addition to the evening came during “Sunday Stripper,” when McFaull asked if anyone wanted to get naked. A bra was hurled through the air at Daryl Smith, the band’s guitarist, and soon thereafter a young girl took the stage. She stood in front of the crowd, both excited and horrified. No clothing came off, and it was clear she didn’t know any lyrics of the song except for the most heavily repeated line. This unsatisfactory showing was quickly forgotten when Smith quickly put on the abandoned bra and strutted across the stage.

The show went on and with it came “Take ‘Em All” one of Cock Sparrer’s rowdiest and most popular songs. Apparently one of the biggest fans of this song was the fat, middle-aged man from the previous night. For some reason, I just couldn’t write off his elbowing this time around, and after repeatedly telling his to calm down (though in not such nice words) I decided an elbow to the face was warranted, or many. While I am not advocating violence, or maybe I am, this approach worked quite well.

The band finished the show with “We’re Coming Back” vowing that they’re “never going away again.” Here’s hoping their lyrics are backed by truth. Regardless, those two days will be stored in my memory banks for years to come. Thanks Pirates Press and Cock Sparrer for putting on one of the most unforgettable shows to date. Oi!

*The genre “Oi”, if you are unaware, is a subgenre of punk rock that originated in the UK in the late 70s. Lyrics are generally related to the daily lives of the working class. Think early Dropkick Murphys.

The Girl Who Has It All

Donate to her favorite charity in her honor and you will never be a goner.

A pampered treatment gift certificate can go a long way; it would even be better if you joined her for this day of play.

Ask her and a guest over for a home cooked meal, friendship in the kitchen will seal the deal.

A box of goodies with a themed message: 5 small things that start with the first letter of her name will be sure to satisfy the dame.

Parental Presents

A date night is a sweet thought, send them to dinner and a movie self-bought.

A worldly crate of wine would certainly be received divine.

If your home is far away, purchase cheap plane tickets to San Fran for mom and dad to come and stay.

Make a pottery creation to share: Terra Mia on Castro Street and your gift could not be beat.

For those of you with little dough, create a meaningful frame with a picture to go with the flow.

Do It Yourself

Your buddy will think of you year round if you create a customized calendar of memories of you two hanging around.

Let your friend’s beauty shine through with a personalized hand-held mirror with an encouraging word or two.

Take a week to save interesting trash and create a recycled mosaic message that will be a smash.

For your friends that don’t live near the coast, go to Ocean Beach to pick a seashell that reminds you of them the most. Make an ornament that will boast.

Fashionistas one and all, embellish a scarf for your friend that will enthrall.

Photo by Melissa Stihl/foghorn

I am wearing Sky Madden’s clothes right now. The outfit consists of a pair of Cheap Monday skinny jeans that Sky purchased when the brand was first manufactured from the store Rivetts in Seattle.  Around the jeans is a leather belt with a large silver square buckle by Guess.  I am wearing Sky’s bright orange scoop neck T-shirt that has an image of two women kissing on it.  “My dad bought it for me as a way to show he accepts my sexuality,” Sky said.  Over the shirt I am wearing Sky’s pleather/nylon/we-are-not-quite-sure-what-this-material-is black zip-up hoodie.  Sky mumbles with great restraint that the jacket is from American Apparel. Pinned to the shirt is a small button of a kitten exposing her vagina.  It’s part of Jess Labrador’s Zine “Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Sex Between Cats and Dogs.” Around my neck is Sky’s necklace that she found in a theatre where she projects movies back home.  It has some sort of religious figure.  She wears it whenever she flies.  On my finger is a silver band that was a previous engagement ring.  What makes this outfit complete and most uncomfortable for me to wear are the Air Force Nike’s.  They are big chunks of Marty McFly madness inspired by the Yelle video “A Cause de Garcon.”

These jeans are burning my hips and the fly won’t even zip up all the way.  When I was first putting them on I told Sky, “These are never going to zip.”  She reassured me that once you button the top, the zipper will find its way up.  I hate the shirt I am wearing.  I don’t look good in orange and I’m not keen on wearing shirts that require wearing bras.  I usually opt for loose fitting v-necks or huge sweaters.  I feel entirely exposed in this tight shirt, especially considering I am pairing it with tight jeans.  These pants are squeezing my stomach over the edge and I feel like my stomach rolls are prominently on display.  These jeans aren’t even high-waisted.  Oh lord. And the shoes.  I can’t get over how Marty McFly these shoes are.  I run into my Feature Writing class dancing and singing Huey Lewis and the News, it can’t be helped.

I feel ugly in this outfit.  I walk into Kalmanovitz and see a guy I sit next to in my Modern African History course.  He smiles politely and I immediately say, “It’s an experiment!” I don’t even think he realized I was wearing anything out of the ordinary, but I didn’t want him or anyone to think for one second that I would willingly choose to dress this way. I walk by the library and run into my roommate, Catherine Connor-Moore.  “You’re wearing pants!” she yells at me.  Then she runs off to class before I can fully explain myself.

My mom also stopped by school today, but she didn’t even comment on my outfit.  She just pointed out the hickey on my neck (Yeah, I know, it’s embarrassing) but I explained that I was just trying to fully immerse myself in the Sky character.  Sky herself admits that hickeys are accessories she wears often.

I can’t wait to remove this outfit and it makes me realize why I dress the ultra-feminine, often just plain crazy, way I do.  It’s because I am an entirely self-conscious person.  I depend on clothes as a mask in many ways.  My clothes will distract people from my true self that I am not entirely secure with exposing.  I won’t get too deep on this subject because I do have a Foghorn word limit that I am well over at this point, but I will say that wearing pretty dresses makes me feel confident, and in Sky’s outfit (which by the way she wears with such attitude and grace) I feel wretched.

Photo by Melissa Stihl/Foghorn

Mary Roach is the highly-acclaimed Bay Area author whose recent work “BONK: The Curious Coupling of Sex and Science” is the cornerstone literary piece for a journalism class I am taking. The class is with creator of the Foghorn’s Campus Chic, Chloe Schildhause. Roach is also the unexpected inspiration for embarking on an enlightening experiment in fashion at USF.

Before beginning the assigned “BONK” reading I studied the tidy, sexy cover depicting a faceless couple clad in business suit and secretary skirt.  The man and woman intertwined, are making out on a larger than life microscope specimen stage.  The phallic eye-piece of the microscope is stuffed inside the ‘O’ of the book cover title cleverly.  I considered the image and prompted the question rhetorically to my classmates and professor, “Is this exclusively about heterosexual sex?”

My professor had earnestly relayed my inquisition to Mary Roach via email.  Roach responded gracefully, assuring that the content of her book focused more on the physiological investigation of sexual situations rather than orientation.  She also disclosed that the book did in fact delve into homosexuality to an extent.  In realizing my quintessential homosexual concern that I was about to read an entire book detailing heteronormative sex behavior, I decided to experiment. Roach, scheduled to guest speak in our Monday night class, would be receiving me in drag.  This way she could not detect the homosexual in question of her work.  She would not be able to pick me out so easily, I thought.  Being a boí I rarely sport anything other than a graphic-T and painted on-tight denim.  The enigmatic fashionista on campus Chloe Schildhause was my obvious candidate for closet rummaging.  Having Miss Schildhause wear my clothes would also further divert Roach’s ability to anticipate any of my homocentric quintessence and would subsequently in theory create a disorienting classroom discussion.

To my dismay Mary Roach could not come to our class discussion; however spending the day in anticipation — cloaked in Chloe’s select garb — lent itself to fascinating results.  For example, I am very much in love with my girlfriend, but when she visited me in the media lab after Chloe and I had changed clothes I felt strange and that maybe if we were to hug it would be somehow more gay but also more adventurous.

As depicted, Chloe’s Repetto shoes were a cheap find (compared to their inherent value) inside a friend’s shop in New York City.  Her tights felt similar to my jeans but differed in terms of breeziness.  They are from H & M.  “I need tights!” exclaimed Miss Schildhause plainly when expecting a negative reaction from myself.  She shamelessly admitted to purchasing her tights from a non-designer retail venue –  a trend in itself amongst this year’s Campus Chic candidates who justified purchasing fabrics from H&M, Forever 21 and Hanes,  proclaiming these companies as cheaper and more durable as well as more pill-resistant to the expensive leading brand, American Apparel.  Chloe’s inviting knit-dress as well as her jacket are by the trusty, popular Anthropologie.  Chloe uses one of the better-looking bags made by Marc Jacobs.  [I find that most bags I see in Marc Jacobs when I’m waiting for my girlfriend while she’s in the dressing room are grossly oversized and paunchy in form, even without items inside.]

Oddly, Chloe does not have an emotional attachment to this outfit.

Never fail to challenge your perceived personal discomfort, especially when in public and never judge a book by its cover.

Season’s greetings! The holidays are in full force and, as previous years have shown, it’s a great time to be a gamer. Developers have been known to save many of their top titles for the end-of-the-year shopping splurges brought on thanks to holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever else you happen to celebrate, and this year is no exception. So for this final edition of Geek Squad for the year, let’s delve into five games that have come out in the past few months that will act as the perfect stocking stuffers for any gamer you give them to.

Borderlands (360, PS3, PC)

If you’re a fan of the “Diablo” series or any other dungeon crawler for that matter, “Borderlands” is right up your alley. A hybrid of sorts, “Borderlands” is a first-person shooter that incorporates many role-playing game elements, which should already get you interested. You take control of one of four different characters, each with his or her own unique abilities and strengths to aid you as you explore the barren planet of Pandora, completing quests, shooting down enemies, collecting loot, and searching for a cache of valuable alien artifacts known as “The Vault.” Completing quests and defeating enemies reward you experience to level up, which makes your character stronger and gives you skill points to allocate between three different skill trees, augmenting the abilities of your character and specializing them even further. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the game are the items you can acquire – “Borderlands” contains a system that procedurally generates the attributes of all obtainable weapons, resulting in a total of over 17 million possible weapon variations. And with a level cap of 50 that will span you through roughly two playthroughs, “Borderlands” has enough going for it to keep you glued to the screen this holiday season.

Assassin’s Creed 2 (360, PS3, PC)

The original “Assassin’s Creed” made splashes when it hit the scene in November of 2007, and its sequel is seemingly doing the same two years later. I won’t go too deep into the story for the sake of spoiling the original, but “Assassin’s Creed 2” primarily puts you in the role of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, an Italian man in the 15^th century who resorts to the ways of the assassin in order to get revenge on those who sent his family to their death. While the original was a great game, various flaws held it back from realizing its full potential. “Assassin’s Creed 2” pretty much takes all these flaws and does away with them while adding on enough to make the game more than a worthy successor. Remember how falling into water used to be instant death? Well, this time around you can swim. Repetitive combat? New moves and new weapons. Same old boring missions? Much more variety in missions, and a whole lot of them to go through. An upgradeable villa that serves as your base of operations, hidden locations to explore, a fame system, and so much more – “Assassin’s Creed 2” is sure to give you your fill of raw, unfiltered stealth action.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)

It’s been more than just a while since we’ve seen the last 2D “Mario” platformer grace a home console, and “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” serves as a welcome reminder to what we’ve been missing out on. The sequel to “New Super Mario Bros.” on the DS, “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” represents a return to form for the series and stands as a testament to the fact that the same old formula is just as captivating as it used to be since the days of the NES. Nintendo has spiced things up, however, with a few new additions. First-time powerups include an ice suit that lets Mario shoot ice balls to freeze enemies, a propeller suit that launches Mario into the sky when you shake the Wii remote, and a penguin suit that allows you to slide on surfaces, shoot ice balls, and maneuver effortlessly through the water. Collecting star coins hidden within each level gives you the option of unlocking videos that reveal secrets, teach tricks, or show off some serious skills. Oh, and then there’s the best part of the game – multiplayer. For the first time ever, up to four players can go through the game either cooperatively or competitively. I personally prefer the latter due to how frantic it gets, but both options are brilliant additions. Bottom line, if you’ve got a Wii, “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” is the way to go.

The Beatles: Rock Band (360, PS3, Wii)

I’m not going to bother reciting the same sappy speech that’s been heard a million times about how great The Beatles are and how their music transcends generations - I’m simply going to say that “The Beatles: Rock Band” is the perfect purchase for any fan of their music. The game features 45 playable tracks by The Beatles featured in a story mode that takes you through their career, stopping at all the big venues along the way. High scores unlock pictures and videos from the band’s past, adding into the historical aspect of the game. Unlike other games in the series, “The Beatles: Rock Band” features the ability to have three separate inputs for vocalists as opposed to the usual one, allowing for three-part harmonies. And with downloadable songs to expand on the game’s already hefty library, “The Beatles: Rock Band” is both a worthwhile party game and an exemplary chronicle to one of the historic bands of our time.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (360, PS3, PC)

Once upon a time, Infinity Ward created a game within the “Call of Duty” series known as “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.” Little did they know just how popular the game would become, and it was soon decided a sequel would be made, cutting the game off from the original series and setting it up as the first of a new spin-off series. Now, after much anticipation, the sequel is out and it seems to have lived up to the hype. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” is divided into three sections: Special Ops, Campaign, and Multiplayer. As you would expect, Campaign is the game’s single-player story mode, which definitely kicks things up a notch compared to the original. New to this version is Special Ops, which contains 23 independent missions that can be completed by yourself or with a friend, each with three varying difficulty levels. But the mode that most people have their eyes on is Multiplayer – going online, gunning down other players, and gaining upgrades. “Modern Warfare 2’s” multiplayer mode features more game types than the original, more perks, more weapons, more levels, more everything. A new system is in place that rewards players for getting certain kinds of kills – headshots, revenge kills, and more. Players are also now able to edit what kinds of rewards they can get through kill streaks, leading up end-all-be-all: a nuclear missile that ends the game and awards your team a victory, obtainable at 25 consecutive kills. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” is the game that everyone is talking about, and for good reason.

No matter what kind of game you’re into, there’s sure to be something that will tickle your fancy this holiday season. In closing, happy holidays, have a great winter break, and game on!

Courtesy of Indie-Mart

After living in London, what I miss most is the insanely fabulous markets:  Brick Lane with its vintage and independent designers, Spitalfields with its decadent desserts and used books, and Portobello with its vinyl and old issues of Mad magazine.  Without markets, one begins to feel deprived.  But not to worry, for here in San Francisco we have Indie Mart! (http://www.indie-mart.com)

It may not happen weekly - if it did we might become too spoiled - but the monthly Indie Mart is definitely worth a visit and should be a tradition for those who have good taste and an eye for unique style.  Thanks to Indie Mart’s organizer Kelly Malone, a self described “tattooed hipster chick,” a splendid gathering of independent designers, artists, bakers and musicians has become a Mission tradition.

Typically taking place in the Mission, or Portrero Hill at Thee Parkside, the next IndieMart will be held at The Independent.  At the last IndieMart one could find one of my favorite local designers Ally Dutra from Kittinhawk (who I am obsessed with and have written about for three different publications, one being The Foghorn!) and a slew of other exciting stores and designers all sharing their goods with the fashionably happy San Franciscans.  Check out my favorites:

Sea Pony – Fatima is a noticeable Indie Mart figure with a fabulous Mohawk and bejeweled teeth. Her accessories are chunky and fabulous and not for the faint of heart. On my last visit to her booth I ended up with a long chain earring with metal feathers and a fresh crisp apple (the apple was a free gift from the lovely Fatima.) In addition to her accessories, Fatima collaborates with artist Kevin Hailey in designing a collection of leggings and t-shirts.  I own a pair of those soft leggings, a grey tie-dyed pair with a native screen print, and want to live in them.

Coma and Cotton –  Artist Kevin Hailey sells the softest t-shirts depicting his own illustrations that lean on the native, nature loving vibe (can’t you tell by the models frolicking in the grass on his website?) A few IndieMarts back, Kevin was kind enough to recommend the perfect shirt for my complexion, a light brown v-neck with a feather design, but by the time I had made it to his clothing rack I had run out of cash.  That is an important lesson for Indie Mart – make sure you’re well equipped with cash, or if you don’t want to spend too much save yourself by only taking a couple of twenties!

Still Life – The badass switchblade knife necklaces are all sold out!  I knew I should have purchased one when I had the chance.  This amazing necklace, which I should have purchased a year ago, was one of the many treasures one can find from the Still Life booth at Indie Mart.  On my last visit to Indie Mart I walked away with a high-waisted brown leather skirt and a pair of black ankle booties with a gold clasp.

Pretty Little Thing N.Y.C. – Violent sharp objects are apparently the new owls when it comes to jewelry.  New York based designer Lirany Vasquez has a whole collection of petite dainty chopping knife charms on her necklaces as well as more peaceful accessories like space men, antelope, mushrooms and tulips.

Don’t miss the next Indie Mart!  In the words of Ally Dutra, “Imported mass-produced clothes are OUT and now is the time for change!!!! Rock and support local independent designers, making a conscious effort toward fashion revolution, come out babies! Even if you don’t have money, check out my stuff.  It’s art, it’s magic, it was made by my little hands!!!!!!! Independent is the future of fashion, so pony up!!”

Next Indie Mart is Dec. 5 at The Independent.  21+

Campus trendsetter Addysen Trumper shows off her winter party style at the ice rink downtown. Photo by Melissa Stihl/Foghorn

There is one time a year when I feel like my style is skating on thin ice. Going home for the holidays brings festive joy and comfort to my heart, but my closet seems to dry up during this plentiful season.  Now that all that remains of Thanksgiving are turkey-sandwich leftovers and an extra-full stomach, I want the holiday season to arrive as I’m looking my most fabulous and, somehow, refreshed after finals. Leaving school chums and returning to veteran comrades presents many festive opportunities to dress to impress with winter cheer. Whether you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the festival of lights, winter’s solstice, or school’s six-week recess, this is the time for jubilees.

While this is the season for giving, I encourage you to keep it that way.  Your pocket books will thank you if you wait until after Auld Lang Syne to make your purchases for the new year. Freshen your look with pieces that produce old memories for your holiday soirees to maximize your charitable givings. There are many ways to celebrate this “most wonderful time of the year,” so here are my suggestions to help your style stay standing in the ice rink.

Family Festivity

Food galore, sibling rivalry, hugs and kisses from Aunt Honey and Grandpa’s snores blaring from the couch at 3 p.m. Yep! That sounds like a typical family gathering with holiday motive. But what to wear to impress all the cousins and be comfortable enough to stay cozy? I would advise you to stay away from sweatpants as the spirit of the holiday deserves more thought and glamour. A outfit worth of family feasts, present circles, candle lighting, and traditions must be functional, easy to move in and photo-ready. Combine your desire to wear your sweat pants with a functionally fabulous get-up. 

Women in the House: Try for a legging with scrunched socks and flat, slouchy boots. This will permit you to cross your legs Indian-style if you are stuck with the floor position while opening gifts. Wear a short mini-dress for a feminine touch, with a blazer or your favorite slouchy sweater to dress it down. Don’t forget a little holiday bling around your neck to give you a little North Star sparkle.

Men in the House: Don’t be afraid to share your preppy side with your family. No matter how your finals turned out, your family will see you as a grade-A student. I suggest a dark denim pant paired with a comfortable dress shoe or Top Siders. Top it off with a chunky sweater and polo peeking from underneath. Going to school in San Francisco allows you to come home with a little style sense.

Yuletide Ball

The sugar plum fairy was good to you this season! A fancy holiday party is just what every fashionista needs to top off the year’s sociably fashionable events with a pow. However, don’t fret because you do not need to run to the department store to get a typical black dress to wear to the party. Cocktail dresses are common every other day of the season, but this is a chance for you to jingle your bells.

Twinklettes: Pull that dress out from the back of your closet that you have always wanted to wear and don’t be afraid to wear a color not typical of the season, like a hot pink. If the color is rare for the holiday time you will be sure to shine. This is a season of textures - so pick one: feathers, sequins, beads, ruffles. This is the time to be bold!

Rudolphs: I have three words for you: colored bow tie! A velvet red, dark green or sea blue bow tie with jacket or no jacket is charming for the season. Even if your bow tie is the only color you have on your body for the night, you will be sure to bring old tradition to the table.

Bosom Buddy Bash

While your friends are well aware of your everyday style, come back from San Francisco life looking fashionably rejuvenated and style savvy. Now is the perfect time to try a bold look. Most of your friends have not seen you for a few months so, naturally, style ideas are formulated and processed over time. Top off your normal gear with that fedora that you have always wanted to rock but just haven’t found the perfect time or try those neon tights laying in your drawer waiting to explore.

Suggest for your comrades an activity outside of the house so you have a reason to bring your best style game to a different environment. Try a friendly ice skating date, gift wrapping party or holiday cookie exchange (the ideal time to bust out your Anthropologie apron). No matter what you do, make sure you mature from your high school dressing habits and show off what going to school at USF can do to a stylish closet.

The Season on Stage

One of the most precious things of the season is attending the theatre to see fanciful images flow across the stage, so I encourage you to match those fanciful images in your theatre attire. Whether you are gazing at beautiful ballerinas, an inspiring nativity scene, a charming concert, or comical comedians, treat the theatre as your stage. Don’t be afraid to not blend into the crowd, but into the show. If viewing a ballet like the Nutcracker, bring your own interpretation of the sugar plum fairy, or the prestigious nutcracker for you men (try to steer clear of resembling the rats). If attending the Christmas Carol, give your outfit a Victorian spin (without the “bah humbug”).  If the mood strikes, go to the theatre in posh style complete with hand gloves and a swing coat that you can stylishly check at the coat check.  This is a great opportunity to be gallantly glamourous.

Some people say that the holidays are the best and the worst of times. With happening style, feeling good about yourself and a bit of holiday cheer, you will be sure to sing joy to the world! So spin your dreidels, decorate your trees, but through it all, do it in style! Just remember to focus on dressing rather than stuffing and, hallelujah, your holidays will be sparkling with style.

The electronic rock group Infected Mushroom is currently on tour playing their latest album Legend of the Black Shawarma and will perform on Friday October 30 at Live 105’s Subsonic Halloween Spookfest at the Cow Palace in Daly City, CA.

Their new album includes 11 songs. Amit “Duvdev” Duvedani and Erez Eisen make up the group but several songs feature guest artists: Jonathan Davis (Korn) and Perry Farrell (Janes Addiction). Duvdev explains that the name of their band, Infected Mushroom, was a name that he really liked because it was a name of a band that broke up in Israel and because it captures the essence of their electronic music. Now they are internationally recognized. Duvdev explains when he and Erez were thinking about a new album, Legend of the Black Shawarma, “We had a batch of songs celebrating our favorite places to eat around the world. Then we got into more intense subject matter, but as the title suggest, there’s still a lot of material about getting your grub on.”

They have been on tour internationally promoting this latest album. An electronic music concert is an exciting experience. There is more technology and new sounds but there is also improvisation and original work. Duvdev explained that, “You should expect that if you come to an electronic show you will experience something different at every Infected Mushroom concert”. This concert is one you will remember and enjoy regardless if you are a diehard Infected Mushroom fan or if you have never heard of the name Infected Mushroom before. This is a super awesome group you do not want to miss.

If you’ve never heard Ladino music, you’re not alone. Today fewer than 200,000 people world-wide know the ancient form of Spanish spoken by the Jewish people that resettled throughout the Ottoman Empire after being expelled from Spain during the infamous Inquisition. Levy’s performance showcased compositions from her first CD to be released in the U.S., “Mano Suave,” co-produced by Lucy Duran and Jerry Boys of the Buena Vista Social Club. “Mano Suave’s” title track is a Bedouin song featuring a duet with Egyptian singer Natacha Atlas, which Levy recorded as a deliberate political statement. “Our duet is a message of hope,” said Levy to the press. “I want people to pay attention that a Jew and an Arab can make music together that comes from a place of mutual love and respect…Mano Suave is what Jerusalem sounds like. That mixture of sadness, the past, the sorrow; the smells of food; the three religions in the Old City, where you have a church, a mosque and a synagogue all together.” Levy’s music as a whole is an equally diverse mixture. In addition to traditional Ladino songs, multilingual Levy also sings her own original compositions in modern-day Spanish. She has managed to interweave flamenco and jazz rhythms into songs laid thick with Arabic and Turkish instrumental influence without overcomplicating the melody. The result is the uniquely evocative style that has earned her nominations for BBC Radio’s Award for World Music three years in a row.

But if despite her ever mounting success Levy is ever in search of a new career path, I suggest she try her hand at being a stand-up comedian. In between each number Levy told antidotes about the songs, explaining their history, their inspiration, and their meaning. She even poked fun at the blatant sexuality of the traditional lyrics and her own compositions’ eclectic mash-up style. “The Sephardi community of Israel does not like this version,” she said in preface to one Ladino song she gave a “Yasmin” twist. “They think I am destroying the tradition. And I understand that and I respect that. But with all do respect…I’m going to do it now.” The audience laughed out loud. When she paused at one point in the show, mid-antidote, to ask the audience “Are you sick of my stories?” The crowd responded with a knee-jerk: “No!” It was this uncensored, interactive quality of the concert that allowed Levy to do what I have never seen any other artist do before. Between sets she asked for the lights to be placed on the audience. Next she told us that we were going to sing a Ladino song. She demonstrated a few lines. The audience laughed nervously. Then the band began to play. Levy spoon-fed her audience the lyrics, line by line. “No quierdo…” And the American audience of mixed ethnicity with presumably little to no knowledge of Ladino, began to sing. The unbarred intimacy of Levy’s performance allowed her to realize her dream that night. “If I can manage in some small way to help keep these beautiful Ladino songs alive, I will be the happiest musician imaginable.”

Skimming over production notes and jotting down ideas, I called to check in with the college conference mediator last week.  Once the human robot facilitating the telephone interview confirmed that Cameron Diaz, James Marsden and Richard Kelly were on the line the following conversation took place before any students began inquiry:

Female (Cameron Diaz):              Hello.

James Marsden:              Hello.

Richard Kelly:              Hello.

James Marsden:              Is that Richard?

Richard Kelly:              Who’s there?

James Marsden:              Richard Kelly?

Richard Kelly:              Yes.

James Marsden:              James and Cameron.

Richard Kelly:              This is James?

James Marsden:              Yes.  I have employees everywhere.  Is this Richard?

Richard Kelly:              Where are you guys?

James Marsden:              How are we?  Or where are we?

Richard Kelly:              Where are you guys?

Cameron Diaz:              We’re in some studio in Manhattan.  Where are you at?

James Marsden:              We’re partying.

Richard Kelly:              I’m in my hotel room.

Cameron Diaz:              (inaudible) come meet us here.

Richard Kelly:              I’m watching Rachel Ray.

Cameron Diaz:              Awesome.  Getting more inspiration?

Richard Kelly:              Yes.  Wait, so Cameron, you’re in – are you – you’re in Manhattan already?

Cameron Diaz:              I got in last night.

Richard Kelly:              Oh, OK.

Cameron Diaz:              I got in last night.  I came in after (inaudible) and I got up this morning and you know worked it out, buddy.

Richard Kelly:              Nice.

Cameron Diaz:              Yes.   We’re here and we just did a bunch of satellite interviews.

Richard Kelly:              Excellent.  Is it just the three of us on the phone right now?

Cameron Diaz:              I guess so.

James Marsden:              It is – well, we’re on speaking phone in a room full of people, but apparently we’re being patched through to a college moderator that is going out to 20 different colleges or something.

Richard Kelly:              OK.

James Marsden:              I didn’t describe that very well.  College radio press conference.

Richard Kelly:              OK.  So we’re waiting for that person to then come on the line?

Cameron Diaz:              Correct.

James Marsden:              I believe so, yes.

Richard Kelly:              OK.

James Marsden:              You did not get your information from me.  Last night …

Richard Kelly:              (inaudible) we just went to dinner and just – I can’t remember the place that we went to…

James Marsden:              (inaudible)?

Richard Kelly:              I honestly can’t – the name is escaping me.  But (Poster) – (Steven Poster) was there.

James Marsden:              Really.

Richard Kelly:              He is in town.

James Marsden:              Nice.  He’s going to be there tonight, I’m assuming.

Richard Kelly:              It was fun.  Yes.  Yes.

James Marsden:              Yes.  Good.

The conference call began with a student from St. Mary’s School.  Relaxed, I flicked on my tape recorder.  Flashes of Cameron Diaz thwarting Leonardo DiCaprio’s kiss in “Gangs of New York” (2002) with a carnivorous bite occupied my sensory receivers.  The radio textured voices on speaker phone faded while I waited for the operator to come on and open up the lines.  Diaz’s threat, “Don’t you know that when you sleep with someone, your body makes a promise whether you do or not?” aimed at Tom Cruise’s character just before she drives him off a bridge in “Vanilla Sky” (2001) as Julie Jianni seemed to be coming ominously from my San Francisco apartment walls.

Operator:  Your next question comes from (Sky Madden) from University of San Francisco.

This unexpected prompt brought on physiological unrest.

Blood exited my head.  I felt my cheeks become cold.  My mouth opened in vain.  In that moment I realized Kelly and certainly Diaz were not a part of common reality.  It was until they anticipated a question coming from myself that Diaz was only fleshy fiction, and Richard Kelly, the prodigious USC grad, existing as a film student parable.  They simply were not a part of what I considered real.

The waiting silence in New York on the other end seemed to melt away the wax of fame and fiction.  Diaz, the subject of pixel paintings accompanied by unnaturally recorded rehearsed audio, and Kelly, a mythical figure of rare autonomy in the American film industry, became warm things.  The two betided me with quiet anxiety.  My unprepared reach for a stock question I had successfully resorted to during a Jessica Alba interview in September of 2007 failed to restore my self-possession.

(Sky Madden):              Hi.  I’m wondering – this is specific for Cameron, actually.  I’m wondering if you can recall during shooting, what you were listening to specifically music wise?

Cameron Diaz:              Oh, gosh.  It’s been two years.  I can’t remember.  What was I listening to specifically?  I don’t think I was listening to anything specifically at that time.

Richard Kelly:              Well, I remember I called you to make you listen to that Derrick and the Dominoes song.  That was one song you were listening to I know that.

Cameron Diaz:              Yes.  I don’t – yes.  I can’t remember, to tell you the truth.  I think that I didn’t incorporate, often times I do incorporate music and different bands sort of in the you know preparation of my character, but often times, when I’m working it’s just so sort of nose down that I – culture kind of goes by the wayside for me, popular culture.

(Sky Madden):              What about now?

Cameron Diaz:              What about now?

James Marsden:              You’re going to answer a music question.

Cameron Diaz:              Yes.  I’m going to answer a music question.  I’m doing a film right now and I’m listening to a little bit of Kings of Leon at the moment.

(Sky Madden):              Very well.  Thank you.

Cameron Diaz:              Thank you.

Blank. Listless. Repentant.

Why could I have asked something like , ”Did you learn anything from starring in the “Mask” (1994) that you’ve kept with you since its completion?”

*1!  *1!  *1!

I punched the sequence over and over again into my cell phone with fierce hope if getting another chance to speak with substance.

A bruised ego never lets you forget.

Official transcript produced by Terry Hines & Associates was referenced for this article.  Interview took place Wednesday, November 4^{th 2009.}

Campus trendsetter Chris Moore shows off his simple and hip ensemble.

Chris Moore is fabulous.  He’s like the male Twiggy.  I spotted Chris the other day fashionably dressed in a black peacoat belonged to his friend Isabel Taylor. “She went to Italy and bought this coat,” Chris said. “I told her I wanted it, so she gave it to me.”

Chris revealed a tag inside the coat that said Moda International. and a gaping hole in the lining of the pocket.  Underneath the coat is a red and white striped shirt from Urban Outfitters, and his jeans are Levis from Wasteland. His white tube socks are from “Sears or something” and his brown sturdy shoes are from DSW.

Chris’s look exudes intelligence. He got his tortoiseshell glasses “at some eye place in the Westfield mall.”  They used to be sunglasses, he explains. Chris’s briefcase, decorated with a variety of stickers, is from the Billens Crowe collection.

Moore’s Ray Bans were originally sunglasses, but he had them converted into normal glasses.

Chris’s right hand man, Chet Bentley, said of Chris’s style, “The clothes have to be a little dirty.” And Chris agreed, saying, “I get up and wear dirty clothes.” Chris’s favorite article of clothing is a purple polo shirt from Express.  “It’s not the typical Ralph Lauren material,” he said. “I’ve had it since 8th grade and just held onto it.”

Sturdy boots are a must-own for the winter in San Francisco.

I brought a few friends along to 360 Ritch Street, an alley of sorts, inhabited by Little Skillet (a grand chicken and waffles joint) and a slew of street food venders. We taste tested the whole menagerie.

Soul Cocina rocked my world with a healthful and incredibly flavor-packed risotto ($6). The dish was made complete with morel mushrooms, blue corn, edible flowers (presumably of a zucchini plant), red walnuts, pesto, and a bit of parmesan he grated fresh for every bowl. The mix of ingredients posed as exotic fare in comparison to my oatmeal breakfast.

Also delightful were the mini cupcakes ($1.50) from Sweet Constructions. Such flavors as coffee and sweet potato struck an intriguing note. Consuming them both, in the spirit of Halloween, was quite satisfying. These bite-sized beasts were elegantly slathered in frosting and were flavorful, moist, rich, and decadent to the max.

The Crème Brulee Man (8,615 followers!) sold out before I could get a chance to discover his new flavors. I did acquire a decently filled tin of custardy goodness ($4), of the vanilla bean variety, a few weeks prior at Fabric 8. I was familiar with his choices of coffee, lemon lavender, and vanilla bean. Yet Twitter revealed his exploratory nature in such additions as frosted flakes, smores, and baileys. Before the Crème Brulee Man’s disappearing act, I spied the remnants of some Berry Cap’n Crunch resting on his cart…I am comforted in the fact that he frequents the mission district quite often.

Evil Jerk Cart made its debut. A veggie stew was served atop coconut-rice-n-beans and skewers of chicken and pork. The meal ($8) was a bit lacking. Dry pork doesn’t pair well with salty chicken. The stew made up of carrots, sweet peppers, and squash was a coherent blahh; it looked pretty though.

I still look forward to experiencing the wonder of cardamom, ginger, masala, chocolate or malt chai from The Chai Cart. I patiently await her next location update!  Find these vendors on twitter.com.

Virginia’s N.E.R.D put on a high energy concert for students at the fall homecoming concert in War Memorial Gym on November 6. Photo by Nina Sasson/Foghorn

Friday night’s concert in the War Memorial Gym featuring N.E.R.D and B.o.B. went off without a hitch. Both acts brought high energy into the crowd, and got students to their feet dancing, jumping, crowd surfing, and grinding till the house lights came back on.

Altanta native Bobby Ray, who on stage goes by the acronym B.o.B. opened the show with a high energy set featuring a full band playing tracks from his mix tape B.o.b. Vs Bobby Ray. After his set he gave an interview to the foghorn.

San Francisco Foghorn: How did you feel about the show tonight?

B.o.B.: It was a stellar show with a good crowd that made for a good show!

SFF: What does B.o.B. Stand for?

B.o.B.: B.o.B. Came to me three years ago and stood for different and pretty much any acronym I could thing of such as books over bullets or anything I could think of that was a party or political acronym.

SFF: How did it (B.o.B.) Come about then?

B.o.B.: Everybody used to call me Bobby Ray and I hated it so much and someone finally called me B.o.B. And that was it and I decided to go by that.

SFF: How did your career start out?

B.o.B.: I started rapping at 14 and I dedicated my life to rapping ever since. Between 14 and 15 recorded my first ep and ever since have been picking up instruments and since then it’s been a fairy tale Cinderella story.

SFF: So you’re 20 years old, do you have anything special planned for your 21st birthday coming up next week?

B.o.B.: Well nothing that I haven’t done already and to be honest I’ll probably be working.

Shortly after B.o.B.’s half hour set N.E.R.D Took to the stage playing tracks from their first three albums and a new song that got the entire crowd moving to the beat. Marijuana smoke could be seen and smelled rising to the ceiling as the drum beat to their track “Spaz” when suddenly a crowd surfer could be seen in the midst who singer Pharrel Williams yelled, “That’s how you enjoy an N.E.R.D. Show” followed by cheers of fans.

For the set’s climax with Star Trek signs in the air Williams blurted out the lyrics “all the girls standing in the line for the bathroom” to their track “Everyone Nose” that definitely made the concert well worth it.

The band also invited one lucky fan on stage telling the crowd, “She was singing every single word to every song” and then serenaded her to the track “She Wants to Move.”

For the finale, the band played a cover of the Snoop Dogg track “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” that had the gym popping their mouths to William’s accompaniment.

Outside the War Memorial Gym students gathered in clusters critiquing the show’s set list. Many said they felt it was a perfect N.E.R.D show.

It doesn’t take an expert analyst, or even a hardcore gamer, to see that Nintendo’s latest system, the Wii, has been selling like hotcakes. But as we all know, popularity doesn’t always directly correlate to quality. Wii basically turned the gaming world upside down by integrating motion sensing as a core component to a system, but it has missed the mark in a few regards. This begged the question – if I could design Nintendo’s next system, what would I change? Well, here’s a few things that I believe would make the Wii’s successor a dream machine.

High-definition output (or, “Please make your system more powerful!”)

Gotta start off with what is quite possibly the biggest complaint with the Wii - its graphics. Take a look at any screenshot from a Wii game and compare it to its 360/PS3 counterpart and you’ll find that there’s a world of difference. The Wii isn’t powerful enough to compete on the same level. And while the technical specifications show that the Wii is about 1.5x as powerful as the GameCube, a good portion of this processing power is devoted to the system’s motion-sensing technology and its overarching operating system (the main menu and the little menu that pops up when you hit the ‘Home’ button on your Wii remote). When all is said and done, developers aren’t left with much to work with. In order to ensure that a game runs smoothly, the visuals department takes the biggest hit. The Wii is only capable of outputting a maximum resolution of 480p, which is only a minor step up from standard definition. With its competitors able to output at full 1080p, Wii doesn’t cut it, especially in the next generation. There are examples of great-looking games with beautiful art on the Wii, but there are just as many titles that fell short due to the Wii’s lack of processing power.

Blu-ray playback (or, “Hell, DVD playback will do”)

What year is this? 2009? And a video game system that uses a disc-based medium still can’t play standard DVD movies? For shame, Nintendo. Sony and Microsoft managed to pull off DVD playback last generation. Unlike the first point, this one isn’t a hardware issue – in fact, the Wii uses DVDs as its storage medium. Any gamer knowledgeable in the Wii’s homebrew scene can tell you that the Wii can play DVDs through the proper methods. Wii uses DVD storage at a medium. For the general public, however, this isn’t the case – why? In order to cut costs, Nintendo decided to not obtain the license required to play DVDs on its system. This isn’t actually a problem when you think about how cheap and easy it is to obtain a DVD player of some sort, but next generation I’d like to see Nintendo go the extra mile. Now that the dust has settled from the format war and Blu-ray is the clear winner, why not allow the ability to play Blu-ray movies on the system? And if they were to use Blu-ray discs as the official storage medium for the system, it would also allow more data to be crammed onto a game disc, which goes hand-in-hand with all the extra processing power the system would be getting.

Better online infrastructure (or, “You want me to put in how many numbers?”)

When it comes to online play, Nintendo’s a tad behind the curve. It’s somewhat understandable if you think about how console online play didn’t really pop up until last generation, but Nintendo had a chance to rectify its problems before the Wii. After the release of the Nintendo DS, the company created an online system for it known as “Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection,” allowing you to either play random people online or play with your friends through the use of ‘friend codes’. A friend code is a 12-digit code that your game gives you to give to other people so that they may register you onto their friend list. Having to input a 12-digit code for each of your friends would only be a minor annoyance if not for the fact that every game requires a different code. So let’s say that you have 5 different friends all with the 5 same DS games that you want to play online with – you’d have to input 25 different codes (300 characters) just to do so. That’s only just a basic example, and it only gets worse the more friends and games you have. The Wii could have put a stop to this by instituting either universal friend codes or even a username system, but such is not the case. Next generation, I’d like to see Nintendo utilize a system like Xbox Live, which ties all data to a specific username.

Hard drive for storage (or, “I’d buy more games but I ran out of space”)

This one’s fairly straightforward. The Wii contains 512 megabytes of on-board storage, paltry in comparison to the storage options of its competitors, which top out somewhere around 250 gigabytes. Such storage for the Wii goes to save data and downloadable games, but a greater amount could enable so much more. Combined with a better online infrastructure, more hard drive space would allow players to download and watch trailers, try out new games in the form of downloadable demos, and purchase downloadable content for already-owned games, which is practically nonexistent on the Wii. Taking a page from the 360, a bigger hard drive opens up the possibility of ripping the data from a game’s DVD and placing it on the system, resulting in faster load times and better performance. It’s a simple request, and with the low prices for storage these days, it’s pretty much guaranteed for the next generation.

Less peripherals (or, “I don’t have enough closet or wallet space for all this crap”)

The standard Wii remote is $40. It’s nice, but if you want analog stick functionality and a couple of extra buttons, you’re going to need a nunchuk attachment ($20). But wait, if you want to take advantage of some of the newer games’ more advanced motion-sensing features, you’ll also need a Wii Motion Plus attachment ($25). And if you’re hankering to play some SNES games off the Virtual Console, you’ll need either a GameCube controller or a Classic Controller attachment ($20). The Wii Speak attachment ($30) for voice chat capabilities, the Wii Balance Board (~$50) for foot integration, the Wii Wheel ($15) and Wii Zapper ($25) attachments that merely serve as encasements for the actual controller… and all of these are first-party products created and licensed by Nintendo. All of a sudden the $250 (now $200) price tag of the Wii doesn’t seem so measly. What’s worse is that I didn’t even bother mentioning all the third-party peripherals – the cases, the mats, the plastic instruments and sports equipment look-alikes. It would be wrong to say that Nintendo started this recent peripheral craze, but I’m dead right in saying that they’re not helping. Shouldn’t some of these features be already included with the system itself? The Wii comes with one remote and one nunchuk, but after that you’re on your own. Stuff like Wii Speak and the Classic Controller should have been included from the get-go, and stuff like the Wii Wheel and Wii Zapper shouldn’t even exist. Next generation, I’d like to see more functionality with less extras.

Of course, these are not what I believe to be the steps Nintendo should take to succeed next generation – they seem to be doing well enough with what they’ve got right now. This is all simply what I would like to see out of Nintendo in a perfect world. But alas, profit too often gets in the way of logic, and all a gamer can do in the end is hope for the best.

1) “Leaves Do Fall” by the Rosebuds off of “Birds Make Good Neighbors”

2) “Odalisque” by the Decemberists off of “Castaways and Cutouts”

3) “So. Central Rain” by R.E.M. off of “Eponymous”

4) “Mt. St. Helens” by Mirah off of “Advisory Committee”

5) “Harvest” by Neil Young off of “Harvest”

6) “The Greatest” by Cat Power off of “The Greatest”

7) “There is a Town” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds off of “Nocturama”

8) “A Passing Feeling” by Elliott Smith off of “From a Basement on a Hill”

9) “Which Will” by Nick Drake off of “Pink Moon”

10) “Wild Sage” by the Mountain Goats off of “Get Lonely”

In coming months, this attractive should-be-model-turned-musician is hoping to get a college tour together. Don’t worry, I slyly plugged for a show at USF.

In an interview with him, I got a look into what it was like being in a hot boy band in the peak of boy band mania and what to expect from him as a solo artist.

San Francisco Foghorn: What is your fondest memory on stage with 98?

Jeff Timmons: Well we were around for a pretty long time, so there are a lot to choose from. But some of the highlights were performing for Michael Jackson (at the 30^th Anniversary Celebration) and on The Tonight Show with Stevie Wonder.

SFF: The music video “Because of You” was filmed in San Francisco and partly on top of the Golden Gate Bridge. What is your favorite memory of San Francisco?

JT: Being on the bridge was definitely scary, a heck of a memory though. Before I was in 98, I used to drop the hat and sing for cash with my Ohio boys at the Wharf and Pier 39. We weren’t doing it for the money, just for the fun of singing some songs. Then people genuinely began liking the music and would invite us to play at different places around the city.

SFF: Looking back on yourselves now, were there any fashion trend choices you wish had never happened?

JT: How about the entire time we were out? I mean we had some pretty crazy outfits: silver suits, overalls without shirts. In 98, we were all jeans and T-shirt kind of guys so we didn’t trust our own wardrobe judgments. I blame it on the stylists.

SFF: If you could relive any moment from the 98 days, what would it be?

JT: When we went multiplatinum, and the Teen Choice Awards, that was pretty great. But there was a girl who was sick and with Make A Wish Foundation. Her wish was to hang with us at the Teen Choice Awards. A real friendship with her grew out of it and we both benefited. We were able to add excitement to her life, and she lived much longer than her doctors expected. That’s the thing about music; it transcends language, culture, race, and any other situation a person is in. Her being there made everything worth it.

SFF: What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?

JT: There are so many to choose from. Once in Philadelphia, we were playing a show on an outdoor stage in late fall and I completely slipped on the ice and fell a foot off the stage. Or another time, I was sitting in front of Jerry Rice, who I am a huge fan of. The guys were telling me to calm down and be cool. But I turned around anyway and took a step forward and fell into the hole between the risers. That was embarrassing and no one would let me hide behind them.

SFF: What have you been doing since 98?

JT: Mostly I’ve been working on my own music: writing songs, producing, mixing. I’ve gotten a lot more involved with every aspect of producing music than I ever was in 98. It’s great because now I have control over the songs I want to sing and not worry or think about what other people want to hear. I also wrote some comedy scripts about the music industry and there is a possibility that it will become a TV show.

SFF: What can you tell me about your new album?

JT: It’s full of R&B, pop, and dance tracks. But more importantly, it’s completely free on my website, the whole album. I know that major labels are struggling, so I figure if I get the music out for free and build a strong fan base, it will re-energize excitement for music a little. It’s the ultimate risk, but I feel really good about it. From there, I’m hoping to do some college tours. I want to give back to the fans what they’ve given to me.

SFF: What inspired the album? Are there any boy band influences in it?

JT: The album doesn’t sound like the group. But there are strong Prince, Brian McKnight, and Michael Jackson vibes on it. I’m not trying to sound like them; it’s more of a dedication. With this album, I grew more confident in myself.

SFF: How is it different working by yourself? Do you miss the group?

JT: The people part, yes, but not the creative part. I miss the camaraderie of having them around, but working with a major label in a group is hard because you have to tailor each song to 4 guys. Often the important parts get left out because it won’t sell. I have much more creative control now.

SFF: A message to your fans?

JT: Thank you for your support in the past. It has enabled me to live the dream life. I hope you enjoy the combination of songs.

Campus Chic style guru Chloe Schildhause chats with Kyle Sirell, a 21-year-old politics major, about his fashion choices (though apparently he finds talking about his style quite self indulgant). Photo by Sky Madden/Foghorn

It’s strange, but over  my three years at USF I have never seen Kyle before.  How did such a stylish individual go unnoticed?  I am unsure.  I saw Kyle walking by Cowell on his way to class Tuesday afternoon wearing: a sturdy coat he purchased in Buenos Aires, where he studied abroad; a simple grey long sleeve shirt with a button, from American Apparel; a brown leather belt with a golden belt buckle, from Argentina; WeSC jeans, he purchased at American Rag; and brown lace up shoes, by Paul Smith.

Kyle accessorized with a meteorite necklace from Wasteland, foldable Ray Ban sunglasses that he took from his 18-year-old brother Sam, and a vintage light brown leather bag from Decades of Fashion on Haight.

A small and natural-looking necklace provides an interesting and intriguing detail in a simple outfit. Photo by Sky Madden/Foghorn

“I feel like a (expletive) vain person right now.” Kyle said as Sky Madden snapped away, taking photos of him at every angle.  Kyle was carrying an old coffee cup filled with trash, which he felt did not add to the outfit and wanted to discard.

As someone who used to work at Held Over, Kyle said he enjoys shopping there for the discount as well as other vintage clothing stores.  The first thing he thinks about in the morning is French toast, which he makes using two eggs, sourdough bread and a splash of vanilla extract.

Ray Bans and a structured coat channel the essence of 60s Bob Dylan. Photo by Sky Madden/Foghorn