Thursday, January 9, 2025

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

Features

FEATURES

Festival to take place in Old Town

The annual Festival of the Moon and Festival of the Sun will take place from 6-11 p.m. Friday and from 2-10 p.m. Saturday at Turner Street and Grand River Avenue in Lansing’s Old Town. The festivals include beer tasting with Bell’s Brewery, Inc. on Friday, wine tasting from a variety of award-winning wines and an array of local food vendors on Saturday.

FEATURES

Summer Circle Theater to perform ‘Alice’

The Summer Circle Theater will be presenting a version of “Alice in Wonderland” at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday at the Outdoor Theater on the banks of the Red Cedar River. The play is based off the Lewis Carroll novel and a script made by Andre Gregory’s “experimental theatre troupe,” and is directed by Mary Job.

FEATURES

'Five Ghosts' remains true to Stars' roots

For those who enjoy The Postal Service songs that include a female singer, but were always left wishing they were a little less electronically enhanced, Stars’ new release “The Five Ghosts” is the album you’ve been waiting for.

FEATURES

Drake surpasses hopes on first album

There’s just something about Drake. The 23-year-old Toronto native’s June 15 release of “Thank Me Later” is a little bit of everything I wanted, and when he raps about how the game needed life and he put his heart into it, he’s not just being cocky.

FEATURES

T-shirt company fights water shortages

Last May, history senior Ben Lutz began to mull over ways he could put his aspirations into action, and by August he had developed an idea to begin what has now become DIPSAO, a T-shirt company where all the proceeds go to globalwater.org, a global water relief fund.

FEATURES

Leaked Eminem album vulgar, entertaining

Eminem seems to have done a total 360º from his previous album, which left fans underwhelmed to say the least. He has returned to his roots as a hard-core rapper with no agenda except to say exactly what’s on his mind. But this time, in a much more honest and personal way.

FEATURES

The Melvins show different sides, sound of metal music

I don’t especially enjoy metal music. I generally feel as though I am being verbally assaulted when I hear it, and I think it is mostly pointless. However, “The Bride Screamed Murder,” a new release by longtime band The Melvins, was a breath of fresh metal air for someone who was ready to write it off before I had given it a chance.

FEATURES

Children's photos display at MSU

On one of his many trips to Mackinac Island, 11-year-old Connor Hoffman decided to take out his camera and start snapping pictures of the historical Michigan destination. After submitting a photo of the Mackinac Bridge to the 2009 Michigan Week Youth Photo Contest, and winning, Hoffman, now 13 years old, gets to enjoy the bridge in a new way — seeing it tour all over the state.

FEATURES

'Infinite Arms' fails to stand up to expectations

I’m more than a little thrown by the new Band Of Horses album “Infinite Arms.” I just don’t get it — and I really, really wanted to. The album is the third release from the indie rock group. They have built themselves a large following in a relatively short span of time, but despite the pedestal on which I had them before listening to the new album, I must say — I’m very rarely so wrong and disappointed at the same time.

FEATURES

More behind 'Phantom' than meets the eye

After 17 years, the antics of the Phantom terrorizing opera houses in theaters across the country are soon coming to an end. However, there is more than just rehearsals and theatrics that allow the star of the show to carry on his performance.

FEATURES

The National sticks to its roots in latest album

There are only a handful of things in life you can really depend on. Driving somewhere always takes longer than driving back, drinking beer before liquor will give you a hangover, puppies will always be cute and The National will always release a stellar album.

FEATURES

Bret Michaels to play at Common Ground

Bret Michaels has been booked to perform at Common Ground Music Festival July 15 at Adado Riverfront Park in Lansing. Michaels is best known for his involvement with the’80s rock band Poison and his appearance on the reality dating show “Rock of Love” on VH1.

FEATURES

Showdown to highlight Lansing concert

Lansing Live will present Showdown with opening act Matt Foresman beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday in Washington Square in Lansing. Showdown is a four-member band that has been performing throughout the Midwest for more than 30 years.

FEATURES

Conan O'Brien delivers laughs at 'Legally Prohibited' show

Only Conan O’Brien can tell a stadium full of Spartans they had a drinking problem and their mascot should be a “Spartan vomiting into his own helmet,” and be met by hysterical laughter. Friday night at Breslin Center, O’Brien took the stage brandishing an MSU T-shirt and his full late-night band behind him for his “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour.”

FEATURES

Annual show to return to Union

The 46th annual MSU Spring Arts & Crafts Show will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday on the grounds of the Union, on the corner of Grand River Avenue and Abbot Road.

FEATURES

Lansing-based band to host CD release party

A CD release party is being held for Lansing-based band As Bound With Them at 5 p.m. Friday at Mac’s Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing. The show is for all ages and will feature live performances from the band as well as guests Wilson, Of Virtue and Dagon.