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Oxford Town #916 • March 3-9, 2011
inside
[email protected]
EDITOR
AD SALES
AD PRODUCTION
PUBLISHER EMERITUS
CO-PUBLISHERS
Jeff McVay
Sarah Brooke Gober
Charlotte Dicus
Brian Roy
Kathy Wile
Wade Griffin
Jesse P. Phillips
Tim Phillips
Rita Vasilyev
Letters and columns printed do not necessarily reflect
the views of OXFORD TOWN.
OXFORD TOWN was
established August 19, 1993.
OXFORD TOWN is published every Thursday by
The Oxford EAGLE at 916 Jackson Avenue,
P.O. Box 866, Oxford MS 38655.
Phone: 662-234-4331
Fax: 662-234-4351
E-mail:
[email protected]
FORD CENTER’S “SWAN LAKE” SELLS OUT
5
The Russian National Ballet is bringing its acclaimed production of “Swan Lake” to the University of Mississippi’s Gertrude C. Ford
Center for the Performing Arts for one show on Friday, March 4. With an expected sellout for the performance, the Ford Center
recently announced that anyone with tickets that will not be used can turn the tickets into the UM Box Ofﬁce. The ticket holder will
be credited for a donation to support Ford Center programming and receive a charitable donation tax receipt for the amount of the
tickets. Turn to Page 5 for complete details.
• USPS 416-400 •
For a subscription to OXFORD TOWN, call 662-234-2222. We
welcome letters of comment. The opinions expressed by contributors in OXFORD TOWN are their own and do not necessarily reﬂect
those of this publication or The Oxford EAGLE. The letter from
the editor (if included) is the opinion of the editor only and does not
reﬂect the views of the publishers. All material is ©2010. OXFORD
TOWN is a member of the Mississippi Press Association.
also in this issue ...
on the cover
THE GODFREY SHOW
Megan Huddleston (Mister Baby) rounds out a whirlwind tour of Lafayette County tonight (Thursday, Feb.
3) at Parrish’s. Check out Oxford Town music writer Stu Kelly’s coverage of the popular rocker and honorary
Oxonian on Page 3 as she completes her two week tour.
—Cover photo by Mike Stanton / Cover design by Jeff McVay
SATIATE YOUR RAP NEEDS AT PROUD LARRY’S
5
Proud Larry’s branches out this week by featuring three popular rap artists. Catch Yelawolf with fellow-rappers CyHi da Prynce and DJ Quickie Mart tonight (Thursday, March 3). Doors open at 7 and the music begins
at 8. Turn to Page 5 for more information about a rare night of Oxford rap being hosted by Proud Larry’s.
8
Never at a loss for words (or an opinion), Oxford Town Sporst Columnist Steven Godfrey dissects the Rebel
basketball team’s chances for a post season tournament bid, whether it be NIT or NCAA. Turn to Page 8 to
catch up on your Andy Kennedy and Rebel basketball team coverage.
BUSY PIG
7
The Blind Pig releases a busy schedule this week featuring Ironwood Bluff. The Tupelo band is set for The
Blind Pig stage tomorrow night (Friday, March 4) with Wooden Finger scheduled to open the show. Turn to
Page 7 for information on the popular regional band and others being hosted by The Blind Pig this weekend.
OxfordTownQ&A
Oxford Town #916 • March 3-9, 2011
What are you spring cleaning this year?
John McCay
Noah Pillault
William Coleman
“My Drake Jacket to get ready for next
year’s duck hunting season.”
“I’m spring cleaning the dangers of my
neighborhood.”
“I’m spring cleaning my 12 gauge shotgun to
shoot some skeet.”
Jeff McVay, Editor
[email protected]
Brian Roy, Advertising Director
[email protected]
“My attitude toward black bears, mediocre Rebel football and
clueless citizens circling the Square at 3 miles per hour.”
“Gonna try to get the bats
out of my belfry.”
3
Mister Baby
Huddleston to rock Parrish’s
BY STU KELLY
M
Oxford Town Music Beat
egan Huddleston has been a whirlwind of activity in
Oxford and Lafayette County over the past few years
— but never so much as the past two weeks. She
rounds out that storm tonight (Thursday, Feb. 3) at
Parrish’s for her final show — at least for the foreseeable future.
However, last Tuesday night, there was a mellow vibe flowing
through the cool southern air at Main Squeeze as Huddleston sat
down for an intimate acoustic set to a diverse group of appreciative
fans.
Hailing from Crozet,
Va., a small town outside of Charlottesville,
Mister Baby has paid
her dues as a touring
musician developing a
devoted fan base across
the country, particularly here in Oxford.
Sitting alone with her
acoustic guitar and no
microphone at Main
Squeeze, Huddleston
showed the ability to
reach out to every
member of the audience on an emotional
level through her powerful voice and meaningful lyrics.
PHOTO BY MIKE STANTON
See BABY on Page 9
Russian National Ballet
to Perform ‘Swan Lake’
Sarah Brooke Gober, ad sales
[email protected]
Charlotte Dicus, ad sales
[email protected]
Bruce Newman, photographer
[email protected]
“My sister’s Bridezilla-like episodes.”
“The back yard in case a pool
arrives.”
“Spring”
Kathy Wile, graphic designer
[email protected]
Wade Grifﬁn, graphic designer
[email protected]
“Whatever is the dirtiest.”
“I won’t have time this year. I’ll be too busy spring relaxing.”
EXPECTED
SELLOUT
With an expected sellout
for the “Swan Lake” performance on Friday, March
4, the Ford Center recently
announced that anyone
with tickets that will not be
used can turn them into the
UM Box Office. The ticket
holder will be credited for
a donation to support Ford
Center programming and
receive a charitable donation tax receipt for the
amount of the tickets.
Visit www.fordcenter.org or
call 662-915-7411 for more
information.
Oxford Town #916 • March 3-9, 2011
4
Thursday, March 3
Friday, March 4
Saturday, March 5
Town Sounds
Town Sounds
• Parrish’s: Mister Baby, Ian Thomas, and Paul Lee Kupfer
• Rooster’s Blues House: Brandon Lay
• Blind Pig: Elemovements
• Proud Larry’s: Yelawolf with Cyhi Da Prynce and DJ
Quickie Mart
• Two Stick: Watching the Moon
• Parrish’s: The Silverbacks
• Blind Pig: The Minor Adjustments
• Rooster’s Blues House: Down 2 Five (Classic Rock)
• Two Stick: DJ Gordo
• Proud Larry’s: Sic Alps and Flight
Other Events
• Off Square Books – Thacker Mountain Radio – 6
p.m. – Author Randy Wayne White will read from and sign his
new book “Night Vision.” Musical guests: Ian Thomas and Paul
Lee Kupfer
• Rowan Oak – William Faulkner’s Rowan Oak IS OPEN – 10
a.m.- 4 p.m. – Tuesday through Saturday and 1-4 p.m. every
Sunday. The property will be closed every Monday.
• The University Museum – “The Civil Rights Struggle: African American G.I.s in Germany” – On exhibit
through March 12. Located at 5th & University Ave., Museum
hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Closed Sunday, Monday
and most university holidays. For more information, E-mail
[email protected] or call 662-915-7073.
• Faulkner Room, JD Williams Library Exhibition: “This
Fiery Trial” Civil War exhibit open Monday–Friday during regular
library hours. For more information, e-mail [email protected].
Sunday, March 6
• Rowan Oak – William Faulkner’s Rowan Oak IS OPEN – 1-4
p.m. today – The property is closed every Monday.
Monday, March 7
Town Sounds
• Rooster’s Blues House: Karaoke
• Proud Larry’s/Lyric Theater: Animal Shelter Beneﬁt
featuring tons of local musicians and bands. Proud Larry’s music
begins at 5 p.m. and the Lyric’s music begins at 7.
Other Events
• Ford Center – 11:30 a.m. – L-O-U Symphony’s
Children’s Concert – 8 p.m. Soloists Concert: The
Department of Music at the University of Mississippi is presenting
its second concert of the 2010-2011 season today at 11:30 a.m.
at the Ford Center. Admission is free but space is limited. RSVP
to Dr. Ronald Vernon at w or 662-816-3417 – (See Page 5). At
8 p.m., the L-O-U Symphony Orchestra will present its Student
Soloists Concert at the Ford Center. The winners of the Student
Soloists Concert this year are Dairuo Feng who will perform the
ﬁrst movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No.
1” in C major; Lindsey Mask Langley, a senior music education
major from Corinth who will perform Carl Maria von Weber’s
“Clarinet Concertino” in C minor; and Jesse Martin, a junior music
education major from Batesville who will perform the ﬁrst movement of Henri Tomasi’s “Concerto” for saxophone. Tickets are
$10 and $6 for students with ID. They may be ordered at the UM
Box Ofﬁce at www.olemiss.edu/depts/tickets/.
Town Sounds
• Blind Pig: Ironwood Bluff with Wooden Finger
• Rooster’s Blues House: – Blind Mississippi Morris
• Proud Larry’s: Jimbo Mathus and The Tri-State Coalition
• Two Stick: T-Model Ford
• Parrish’s: The Paranormals
Other Events
• Rowan Oak – William Faulkner’s Rowan Oak IS OPEN – 10
a.m.- 4 p.m. – Tuesday through Saturday and 1-4 p.m. every Sunday. The property will be closed every Monday.
• Ford Center – 8 p.m. – The Russian National Ballet is
bringing its acclaimed production of “Swan Lake” to the University of Mississippi’s Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing
Arts for one show tonight at 8 p.m. Turn to Page 5 for details.
• University Museum – All Day Event – Gee’s Bend
Family Activity Day – Join The University Museum for a
come-and-go day of crafts and quilts with your family. Explore
the current exhibition, A Survey of Gee’s Bend Quilts, with your
family and create a unique craft to take home. The event is $5 for
non-members and free for museum members at the family level
and above. To reserve a spot, call 662-915-7073.
• Bozarts Gallery – 403 Main Street, Water Valley
– 6-9 p.m. Bozarts Gallery presents work by artists Aynslee
Moon, David Race and new gourd scuptures and art dolls by
Gabriella Delawey. The exhibit last through tomorrow. Gallery
hours are Friday and Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Call 662-473-2484 for
more information.
• Bozarts Gallery – ENDS TODAY – 403 Main Street,
Water Valley – 6-9 p.m. Bozarts Gallery presents work by
artists Aynslee Moon, David Race and new gourd scuptures and
art dolls by Gabriella Delawey. The exhibit last through March 5.
Gallery hours are Friday and Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Call 662-4732484 for more information.
• The University Museum – “The Civil Rights Struggle: African American G.I.s in Germany” – On exhibit
through March 12. Located at 5th & University Ave., Museum
hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Closed Sunday, Monday
and most university holidays. For more information, E-mail
[email protected] or call 662-915-7073.
• The University Museum – “The Civil Rights Struggle: African American G.I.s in Germany” – On exhibit
through March 12. Located at 5th & University Ave., Museum
hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Closed Sunday, Monday
and most university holidays. For more information, E-mail
[email protected] or call 662-915-7073.
Other Events
Tuesday, March 8
Wednesday, March 9
Town Sounds
Town Sounds
• Rooster’s Blues House: Open Mic Night
• Rooster’s Blues House Oxford: Karaoke
• Two Stick: Two Stick Trivia
• Snackbar – Wednesday Night Music Series: Garry
Burnside
Other Events
• The University Museum – A Survey of Gee’s Bend
Quilts – On exhibit through April 2. Located at 5th & University
Ave., Museum hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Closed
Sunday, Monday and most university holidays. For more information, E-mail [email protected] or call 662-915-7073.
• Special Collections/Archives, JD Williams Library,
Art Exhibit: “Walter Anderson and World Literature,” Library
hours: 1 p.m.-2 a.m. Sunday, 7 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday through
Thursday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday.
• The University Museum – “The Civil Rights Struggle: African American G.I.s in Germany” – On exhibit
through March 12. Located at 5th & University Ave., Museum
hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Closed Sunday, Monday
and most university holidays. For more information, E-mail
[email protected] or call 662-915-7073.
Other Events
• Off Square Books – 5 p.m. – Author Yann Martel discusses,
reads from and signs his new book “Beatrice And Virgil: A Novel”
at 5 p.m. at Off Square Books.
• The University Museum – “The Civil Rights
Struggle: African American G.I.s in Germany”
– On exhibit through March 12. For more information, E-mail
[email protected] or call 662-915-7073.
• Special Collections/Archives, JD Williams Library,
Art Exhibit: “Walter Anderson and World Literature,” Library
hours: 1 p.m.-2 a.m. Sunday, 7 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday through
Thursday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday.
Submissions for placement consideration in Oxford Town’s Community Calendar should be received by Tuesday at 5
p.m. Events will be placed on a first-come, first-serve basis as space permits. Submit your information and images to;
[email protected] or [email protected]. You may also drop off your photos and information for Jeff
McVay at The Oxford EAGLE office located at 916 Jackson Ave., just off the Square.
Yelawolf
Get a serious dose of rap tonight as Yelawolf, CyHi da
Prynce and DJ Quickie Mart join forces to light up the Proud
Larry’s stage.
Yelawolf signed with Columbia Records in 2007, but was
released from the label the same year. In 2010, he made a
guest appearance on Bizarre’s Friday Night at St. Andrews,
as well as albums by Big Boi, Paul Wall and Juelz Santana.
His mixtape, “Trunk Muzik 0-60,” was his first project with
a major label, and was released in November of 2010 under
Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment and Interscope Records.
Yelawolf was featured on the cover of XXL’s March
2011 issue, alongside Eminem and fellow Shady Records
mates, Slaughterhouse. His first studio album in six years,
“Radioactive,” is scheduled for release this summer.
Catch Yelawolf with fellow-rappers CyHi da Prynce and DJ
Quickie Mart tonight (Thursday, March 3). Doors open at
7 and the music begins at 8. Tickets for the 18+ show are
$12 and can be purchased online at www.proudlarrys.com or
tonight at the door.
DJ Quickie Mart
CyHi da Prynce
Oxford Town #916 • March 3-9, 2011
L-O-U Symphony
Student Concert
5
The Department of Music at the University of Mississippi is presenting its second concert
of the 2010-2011 season on Monday, March 7, at 11:30 a.m at the Ford Center. The concert is titled L-O-U Symphony Student Soloists Concert.
The concert is held especially for students in elementary grades and is under the direction of Dr. Ronald Vernon. Admission to the concert is free, however, participants would be
responsible for transportation. Ample bus parking is available.
Organizers ask teachers and administrators to RSVP with their estimated number of students so that they can better prepare. Reservations are required and space is limited.
For more information about the concert or any of the compositions, contact Vernon at
[email protected] or 662-816-3417.
6
Oxford Town #916 • March 3-9, 2011
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Rock Star From Mars
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Loose lips sink sense
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vocative ruling by the Supreme Court. This
week the Court upheld the free speech
rights of the Westboro Baptist Church of
Topeka, Kan. You may recall these folks as
the ones who picket the funerals of dead
soldiers in the name of anti-homosexuality. They hold up signs saying “Thank God
For Dead Soldiers,” and “God Hates Your
Tears,” and the highest court in our land,
a pretty conservative bunch, held up their
right to do it.
“Speech is powerful,” Chief Justice
Roberts Jr. wrote for the majority. “It can
stir people to action, move them to tears
of both joy and sorrow, and — as it did
here — inflict great pain.” And yet, having said that, the court rules that the right
of free speech is more powerful than any
hateful words that might be uttered. We
live in a country where you can even burn
our national flag and you won’t be arrested
because that is considered free speech.
Like the man said, speech is powerful.
BY JIM DEES
Nothing but a big bunch of nothing,
driving me insane. But there ain’t no
voice that’s louder than the one inside
my brain.
—John Prine, “Quit Hollerin’
at Me” (1995)
M
aybe free speech isn’t such
a good idea. Last week saw
that precious right abused
more than in recent memory.
Wherever one looked — on TV, Internet,
newspapers, magazines — there was talk,
talk and more talk, much of it pure madness. It started with the Academy Awards,
a show that is still probably going on somewhere. Here we had people dressed to kill
and just itchin’ to spew. They talked on
the red carpet, they talked in the hall, they
talked in the aisle and they talked in the
car. And they thanked and they kissed up.
The music would start playing which only
made them talk faster. The next morning
there was Charlie Shun, uh, Sheen. He
gives free speech a whole new, well, sheen.
Man, can he talk! His wild words are ricocheting around the Internet, turning the
rantings of a sweaty coke fiend into catch
phrases: “Winning! Duh.” “I am on a drug
— it’s called Charlie Sheen,” he told ABC.
“It’s not available because if you try it once,
you will die. Your face will melt off, and
your children will weep over your exploded
body. Too much?” He also allowed that,
“My brain fires in a way that is — I don’t
know, maybe not from this particular terrestrial realm.”
True dat. Makes one feel sorry for Lindsay
Lohan. She seems down right boring at this
point.
The New York Times likened Good
Time Charlie to Moammar Gadhafi. Seems
ole Moammar does more than murmur;
he can’t stop talking either. His gibberish
almost makes the Snark of Sheen sound
sane. The paper cited the dictator telling
CNN that the Libyan people “love him.”
He insisted there was no trouble in the
streets. If there are any demonstrators, they
are “on drugs,” he said.
As the Times’ Alessandra Stanley wrote:
“Self-delusion has no borders.”
•
Buzz Off: Travails with Charlie
Changing the channel, I found more selfdelusion in the corpulent visage of our sitting governor, who seems to be doing more
running than sitting — and talking. He’ll go
to Iowa to talk. He’ll go to New Hampshire
to talk. He’ll answer any question, at any
time, in any time zone. Call him Haley’s
Comment. For all his talk he has to know
he’ll never be president. Perhaps he is simply positioning himself so he’ll have the
next president’s ear… in which to talk some
more.
The street action in Libya and elsewhere
across the Middle East takes free speech to
exhilarating heights. Here in America we
talk a good game about freedom, but how
many of us would risk our lives for it? After
a generation of autocrats laying down the
law and giving lip service to free speech,
the people of the Middle East acquired
cell phones, and thus, a closed window to
the world was thrown open. The result has
been more than cheap talk.
It all points up the power of words. This
power was further underscored by a pro-
These liars warn’t no kings nor dukes, at all,
but just low-down humbugs and frauds.
—Mark Twain, “Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn” (1884)
Last month a publisher in Alabama
released a new version of “The Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn.” The publication
became noteworthy when it was revealed
the publisher had excised the “N-word”
every time it appeared (219 times) and
replaced it with the word “slave.” As one
pundit noted, “Not exactly a promotion.”
One wonders what would happen if someone sued the publisher and took the case
to the Supreme Court. Speech is powerful
and the dreaded “N-word,” is more powerful than most. The publisher says it made
the changes to help put the book back on
high school reading lists. This is free speech
overkill. Most high schoolers don’t need
protection from harsh words (too late) or
from literature for that matter. Let them
read Huck Finn and Faulkner and Barry
Hannah. Let them hear Snoop Dog and yes,
let them hear Charlie Sheen.
Free speech is beautiful … even when it’s
ugly.
Oxford Town #916 • March 3-9, 2011
Ironwood Bluff
Blind Pig – March 4
7
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Ironwood Bluff is a mixed
breed ... a mutt. The band is
familiar, but you can’t quite
put your finger on what that
is. They look like an ordinary
band, but deep down you
know there is something
else. Similar to how a street
dog shows up, stays by your
side, and grows to be a great
friend — such is Ironwood
Bluff. When describing the
Tupelo band’s music, it’s
tough to pick out a distinguishing factor. Much like a
mutt, there is a little bit of
a lot of things in this band.
Be it the bluegrass twang
that flows in and out of songs
like a meandering stream, a
country tune that makes you
stomp your foot, a southern
rock jam that makes you
want to eat a peach or a little
bit of pop that wails like the
baying of a hound — when
it’s all jammed together,
Ironwood Bluff create merry
music that you never want to
leave.
Ironwood Bluff, brought
together by random coincidence, pile on the sound
heavy with a feel good feeling. They push the envelope
of music as we know it. These
men have grown to become
excellent stage performers
in a tight and harmonious
fashion. With each song that
arises, new energy and soggy
stories evolve into an experience you don’t want to miss.
Catch Ironwood Bluff
at The Blind Pig tomorrow night (Friday, March
4). Wooden Finger is set to
open the show. And, be sure
to clear your schedule for
the Elemovements tonight
(Thursday, March 3) and
local rockers The Minor
Adjustments on Saturday,
March 5.
—Michael Addison
open on
sundays
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 at 5 p.m.
Off Square Books
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THURSDAY, MARCH 10 at 6 p.m.
THACKER MOUNTAIN RADIO
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ON THE SQUARE IN OXFORD
All events are held at Off Square Books unless noted
Call 236-2262 for details or to reserve signed copies.
www.squarebooks.com
8
Oxford Town #916 • March 3-9, 2011
No need to reserve judgment on A.K.: This season’s burnt
T
BY STEVEN GODFREY
his Ole Miss basketball season is
absolutely over.
That’s one of those fancy,
short, single sentence leads that
newspaper columnists use to emphasize
a dramatic point. Something about the
stark declaration — creating an entire
paragraph for a single thought — really
jazzes up the ink-stained wretches. It’s
because, when seen in print, such declarations seem more important, whether
they deserve to be or not. Watch:
Even Tad Smith Coliseum can’t shelter Ole Miss basketball from the coming
storm.
Or:
I love steak burritos.
Newspaper columnists abhor traditional
paragraphs because much like the complicated microwave boxes all those young
persons are using to complain about
newspapers and watch pornography, paragraphs are far too “busy.”
I’m hesitant to employ such a device,
but you can’t argue with its simplicity, and
that’s the level of assurance I’ve got that
Ole Miss will in no possible way upset
their way to an NCAA Tournament bid.
You can give up now without the slightest pang of remorse, and do so with a 100
percent certainty that Andy Kennedy’s
squad has absolutely no chance of winning the SEC Tournament in Atlanta
next week.
In the previous four seasons the Rebels
have gone 1-4 in conference tournament play. Ole Miss hasn’t won a SEC
Tournament game since March 9, 2007.
Since that win against LSU, the Rebels
have been run right off the floor of
whatever neutral site they’ve duped the
hardest of hardcore Ole Miss fans into
showing up at.
The lone exception might be the ’08
overtime loss to eventual Cinderella tourney champ Georgia,
who tore the
fabric of college
basketball’s continuum of logic,
evidenced by a
tornado trying to
eat the Georgia
Dome. If the
Rebels are able
to close out the
regular season
with wins against
Auburn and
Arkansas, the
argument will
surface that this
current squad
has far more
talent than
that Cinderella
UGA team.
If we’re
handing out
the poison, I
like a reliably
portioned
grape KoolAid: Kennedy has never coached this
team through four quality conference
opponents, ever. During his five seasons
at Ole Miss, Kennedy has only run a fourgame winning streak against conference
foes twice, in the middle of 2007 (beating Mississippi State, Auburn, Alabama
and LSU) and to close out last season
(beating Auburn, Alabama, LSU and
Arkansas).
Those two runs were as consistent as
Kennedy’s ever been in SEC play, and
seven of those eight wins were against
teams that finished the season under
.500. Kennedy won’t have the luxury
of facing four
inferior teams
no matter how
the bracket
plays out, and
a handful of
likely opponents (Florida,
Vanderbilt,
Mississippi
State) are automatic losses.
Five weeks ago
I listed the eight
teams in the
Big Six conferences who share
or surpass Ole
Miss’ streak of
March Madness
no-shows, and
of the seven
other schools
that haven’t
made the NCAA
Tournament since
2002 (Oregon
State, Nebraska,
St. John’s, Penn State, South Florida,
Rutgers, Northwestern), that list is
guaranteed to shrink in two weeks: The
Johnnies are red-hot, and both Nebraska
and Penn State are sitting on the bubble,
albeit the south side.
Start asking these questions. This sea-
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Thursday 3.3 - Yelawolf with special guests CyHi da Prynce
and DJ Quickie Mart
Saturday 3.5 - Sic Alps and Flight
Thursday 3.10 - Futurebirds
Friday 3.11 - Young Buffalo with Holiday Shores and Idiot Glee
Saturday 3.12 - Amy Lavere with Cheyenne Marie Mize
Tickets On Sale at www.proudlarrys.com
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son is absolutely over, barring yet another
NIT bid, which, despite a decade of
Shreveport-style conditioning to Ole Miss
fans, I still consider the end of a season.
Measure the worth of SportsCenter worthy wins over Kentucky and Alabama
against the acclaim, prestige and financial
windfall that even a single one-and-done
appearance in the NCAA Tournament
could’ve brought this program in the last
five years.
The debate over Kennedy’s future at
Ole Miss should be held, and it should be
a serious one. I haven’t made a concrete
decision one way or the other, but that’s
exactly why the fan base should employ
that tacky tactical maneuver of the newspaper columnist.
At what point is it more of an insult to
the program to not fire a coach who can’t
create any kind of consistency in conference play?
Is the lack of funding a bigger insult?
Has there ever been a more embarrassing facilities gaffe in Division 1 basketball
than the “rainout” at the women’s game
vs. Tennessee last week?
Does Kennedy have a pass because
hoops is the distant third of the “Big 3”
Ole Miss sports in terms of popularity?
Moreover, are fans and journalists (and
“journo-tainers” such as myself) hesitant
to call for a change because we’re smitten
with Kennedy’s quotable, affable nature?
Almost a decade’s worth of students
have passed through Oxford without
experiencing March Madness. Do Ole
Miss fans even care any more?
(Editor’s note: Steven Godfrey is a freelance writer based in Nashville. He can be
reached at [email protected] or on Twitter,
@IACGodfrey).
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Oxford Town #916 • March 3-9, 2011
9
Baby: Va. rocker wraps up Oxford saturation tonight
Continued from Page 3
Huddleston warmed up the evening
with a short acoustic set as people
began arriving. Highlights from her set
included her signature original “Dream
On” which set the tone for the rest of
the evening. Huddleston has the ability of keeping listeners intrested and
intrigued as she opens up her heart
over catchy acoustic rhythms and pristine guitar rifts.
After a short set, Paul Lee Kupfer
and Ian Thomas (who are currently
touring with Mister Baby) took the
stage as Huddleston casually mingled
throughout the crowd talking to her
friends and fans. Kupfer and Thomas,
an amazing acoustic duo, flawlessly
switched off between guitar and drums.
Both musicians had opportunities to
show off their vocal range, harmoniz-
ing perfectly together. Their songs are
nothing short of catchy, toe-tapping
love songs that inspire an overall positive mentality.
When it seemed it couldn’t possibly get any better, the duo broke out
kazoos and laid down improvisational
solos over their music. It was an absolute pleasure to hear something so
unique and refreshing.
Huddleston took the spotlight one
final time as she graced the audience
with a final acoustic set. Keeping the
atmosphere as laid-back as possible,
she took requests and explained the
inspiration for her songs after she was
done playing. Highlights included
“Lawn Chair” and “One Eye Open” as
Mister Baby closed out the evening of
improvised folk/rock. Huddleston has
truly found a home away from home
right here in our beautiful town.
“It’s so great to come back to
Oxford, I absolutely love it here. The
fact I can come down and play some
live music is nothing short of a blessing
and it’s such a pleasure to play for such
great people,” Huddleston said, sporting a smile and a glow in her eyes.
Huddleston has a full LP release
titled “Lucky You!” that was independently recorded in Richmond,
Va. She just finished a new EP titled
“Toothpick Town” with four new songs,
padding her already vast repertoire.
Some advice from a new fan: Cancel
whatever plans you have tonight and
catch Huddleston’s final Oxford gig
– at least her last one for a while — at
Parrish’s just off the Square on Jackson
Ave. Tour mates Kupfer and Thomas;
catch them this evening at at Thacker
Mountain Radio at Off Square Books
at 6.
MIKE STANTON
So you think you can dance?
I
t was in middle school I believe. Gym class is
where I and 65 other Buster Brown-wearing
kids learned social dance. It covered all the
dances that a well rounded person of age 12
needed to know; the Virginia
Reel, Square Dancing and the
wedding necessary Hustle (or
as it is referred to now as the
Electric Slide). I asked why we
did not have to learn the origins
and cultural roots of the chicken dance only to be rewarded
with the pleasure of dancing
with the tallest girl in the class.
WAYNE
Twelve may not have been
ANDREWS
the best age for me to learn to
appreciate dance but it is someYAC Director
thing that lingers on. I may only
be able to recall the “allemande
left” but the three weeks of dance class in public
school introduced us to dance and that it could be
enjoyable, graceful and a nice break from getting
checked in floor hockey.
Three weeks may not seem enough time to make
an impression, but just gaining the insight that
dance can be interesting, opens the possibility that
artistic dance may be more interesting than anything learned on a gym floor between social studies
and lunch.
Mississippi has a strong tradition in dance.
Jackson is home to the ballet competition. Oxford
has a leading position in Mississippi’s dance culture. The University of Mississippi has an award
winning dance troupe in its theatre program. The
Ford Center brings internationally recognized
performers and programs. Now, the Powerhouse
Community Arts Center will be adding dance to a
regular schedule of programs. Jimmyle Listenbee,
a board member of the Arts Council and a strong
figure in the dance community, has been working
to encourage local dance troupes to look beyond
the limitations of the building.
She encouraged groups that if the space was
used for dance, the equipment and tools needed
to present dance would follow. She demonstrated
this by creating programs through her group (Leda
Swan, Inc.) and offering dance classes for all ages,
concerts and performances. Her efforts helped to
generate donations, matched by other arts groups
and the Arts Council, to purchase equipment.
Then other groups started using The Powerhouse
to teach ballroom dance, hold sock hops and, most
recently, a swing dance contest.
Oxford, for the next two months, not only will
be the focal point of dance in Mississippi but for
the Southeast. It started with Mississippi — a
Dance Company presented a multi-media concert
entitled “Uganda: Come & See — Go & Tell.”
The Arts Council will begin ballroom dance
classes on March 3, while the Ford Center will
present “Swan Lake” on March 4. Front Porch
Dance ensemble will perform on March 26 at the
Powerhouse.
And, most anticipated, will be the performance
by the dance troupe Hinge which started as a
student-created dance company in the University
of Mississippi’s Department of Theatre Arts. The
company, now lead by graduates of the university,
has reformed as an independent dance company
and is set to perform at the Powerhouse. Their first
production, titled “Bittersweet,” is set for April
8-9. This celebration of dance culminates with
Leda Swan, Inc’s final planned production, “Etta
and Nina at the Crossroads” at the Powerhouse on
April 15-16.
The visionary who encourages everyone to
dance has ensured that Oxford will be a focal point
in dance in the Mid-South.
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10
etc......
Oxford Town #916 • March 3-9, 2011
BZAR
By Jeff Curtis
Sudoku
Puzzles courtesy of American Proﬁle Hometown Content
— Answers on page 11 —
Puzzel solutions
from Page 10
MEGAN HUDDLESTON PHOTOS BY MIKE STANTON
Oxford Town #916 • March 3-9, 2011
MORE MISTER BABY
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