Are you Shostaphobic?

Some people have an irrational fear of Shostakovich. We can call them Shostaphobics.

During the Las Vegas Philharmonic's second Masterworks concert, Shostakovich was in full frolic. Ballet Suite no. 1 is playful and lyrical. The orchestra spritely danced around the piece. It was almost carnival-esque. But that was last concert.

Watching Ilya Yakushev's fingers scamper across the piano keyboard brought back memories of music school crushes. There's something about the lightness of the touch and fluid strokes that get my juices going. I'm sure it gets yours. It didn't help that Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major is a solidly romantic, jazzy piece. It plays on your heartstrings and other things.

I skipped out on the Schubert, having listened to it early on. I can do a whole lieder cycle of Schubert, don't know if I could last through a symphony.

My friends and I arrived early to Sidebar/Triple George. This bar is suppose to be a throwback to old school Vegas - you know, Mafiosos and swingers. On four TV screens were two different movies: Casino and Swingers. There was lots of sex. And violence. I guess that's what Vegas is? But if you ever are at the Sidebar, try the "Inspiration." It's delicious. It tastes like Bath&Body Works (my friend's words).

Didn't really meet any new people. Like, at all. Just averted crises as usual.

Crowd Control

This article was featured in the Huffington Post.

Vegas audience acts as back-up in Dem debate

Las Vegas political activists aren't known for polite listening and conservative behavior. Two days before the presidential debate on Nov. 15, UNLV students gathered to watch a mock debate between college Democrats and Republicans. It was a blood bath. Question and answer time with the audience showed no mercy.

With baited breath, we waited outside of the Cox Pavilion Thursday afternoon for similarly provocative discussions. As a UNLV alum, I was eager to see the media circus and if we would turn up the heat.

Inside, big wigs in Nevada politics meandered along the blue carpet. State Senator, Dina Titus chatted with students. Lou Dobbs strolled on-stage for a brief segment. We were apparently in the "Situation Room." It's kind of cramped in the situation room.

Howard Dean smiled broadly at the incoming crowds. Nobel Peace Laureate and advisor for the new UNLV Black Mountain Institute Wole Soyinka was one of 100 chosen to sit in the "red zone." Wolf Blitzer sat at his clear plastic podium, looking grumpy and serious.

The 800 of us campus representatives climbed into our seats all along the right side of the stage. The other 26,200 students strolling across campus were wholly unaware that UNLV was making history.

The university and CNN kept the whole affair mum. Students and faculty were picked out of a lottery to win seats. There was little to no press presence on the campus itself – it was split between chaos and oblivion. Those lucky few took advantage of the opportunity.

Once the debate began, it was evident that the crowd would be the second moderator. John Roberts second question on the attacks on Hilary Clinton received loud jeers. "Get to the issues!" shouted someone across the hall.

In the middle of the debate, Obama was booed for criticizing Clinton. Some think the audience was stacked with Clinton supporters, but the attacks went on for way too long. It may be uncivil, but it's a message to other candidates to move on and actually answer some questions. Albeit, loaded questions.

Driver's licenses for illegal immigrants – yes or no? Human rights or national security? Merit-based pay for better teachers – yes or no? Litmus test for Supreme Court justices – yes or no? Senator Chris Dodd was right about having debates solely on education – and maybe all other issues too.

William S. Boyd Law School professor, Scott Burnham, was against the yes or no format. "It's a matter of balance. " But he did feel this debate was a good opportunity to get to know the candidates personality.

Senator Joseph Biden seemed to be a crowd favorite. He showed humor without being rehearsed. He gave insightful answers without digressing. Kucinich couldn't get a word in edgewise. Governor Bill Richardson's Latino thunder got stolen by Dodd's shout out to his service in the Dominican Republic with the Peace Corps.

Questions from the audience didn't have the bite we were looking for either. Normally, long, drawn-out questions referring to very specific legislation passed and injustices incurred would be thrown at speakers. CNN chose softball questions from Iraq veterans and mild-mannered citizens. Where was the usual fire lit under asses?

A collective groan could be heard from the UNLV side of the Pavilion after the last question, asked by a student, to Clinton –"Diamonds or pearls?" Way to represent!

Many students were undecided on who they supported. Senior anthropology major, Angeline Caballero, is one of them. At the end of the debate she was still unsure. "No, I still don' t know. But it gives you a lot to think about."

Jaw dropping - UNLV's mock debate

Tonight, UNLV held a mock debate between one democrat and one republican on the issues du jour, moderated by TV debate show host of Face to Face, Jon Ralston.

For the Dems, Awais Khaleel, vice president of the National College Democrats, came all the way from University of Wisconsin to debate. For the Republicans, Ciara Turns, president of the UNLV College Republicans, showed up as a last minute replacement.

The crowd was mostly filled with Democrats: only one Republican party representative stumped for Ron Paul during the pre-debate shout outs. Students from the Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Biden and Kucinich campaign hyped their candidates and various pre-Democratic Presidential debate tail gate parties. Clearly, the Dems like to party.

All the action came from on stage however, once Ralston finally arrived.

Khaleel opened with a very energetic, talking point filled speech which Ralston described as "bringing the fire and brimstone." Turns only gave a half-hearted intro. But she would turn on Khaleel later on.

Turns didn't hold back on the ad hominem. She patronized Khaleel by acting like a mother trying to explain to a very distressed 4-year-old that 2+2=50.

"Let me state this as simply as possible so you can understand," was uttered more than once throughout the debate.

As for the issues, there was a lot of back and forth on Iraq. Turns' main point was that the war in Iraq is already over, and that the Democrats are conflating the war in Iraq with the war on terror. Khaleel retorted that if this were the war on terror, then the government should be going after Bin Laden.

When the healthcare issue was brought up, Turns advocated illegally purchasing drugs from Canada because they are cheaper, wholly missing the point that our own government should provide inexpensive prescription drugs. I wonder why they are so cheap? Oh yeah, because Canadians have "socialized medicine."

But the piece de resistance came when the issue of gay marriage was brought up. Turns speculates that anti-sodomy laws prevent gay marriage. Without anti-sodomy laws, then gays can get married. She then pointedly says to Khaleel, "You know what sodomy is right? It's something you are very familiar with."

[Let me digress one moment to point out the flawed logic. Laws are not (or should not) be enacted to prevent fringe consequences. We do not have drunk driving laws to prevent alcoholism, for example. Secondly, at best, it’s speculation that sodomy has anything to do with gay marriage or homosexuality in general. Do lesbians necessarily have anal sex? What about the countless HETERO couples who have anal sex? I think I recall some research on virginity pledgers who had anal sex because it wasn’t “real sex”. Back to your regular programming…]

Little gems like that littered the debate. But she got speechless at the very end when faced with an immigration question.

Ralston: "If you were 4 years old when you were smuggled in here by your parents. You go to school now, you're college age. Should you be booted back to your country?"
Turns: [long pause] [paper shuffling] "Yes. Yes. Sure."

Khaleel didn't do spectacularly well either, but he at least refrained from calling Turns a blonde bimbo while she kept throwing out every Democratic stereotype known to man. Khaleel kept going a bit off tangent (although not as off tangent as Turns, going from poverty to abortion to global warming in a single breath) and spoke very passionately. It was a bit odd considering the other two spoke very calmly.

Both were essentially reduced to either talking points or sound bites. I don't know if I learned anything at all about either party or felt more assured about my own. But at least the university is hosting events like this to keep the channels of communication open. Rather than, say, appointing free speech zones.

For those in the neighborhood, contact your local party or campaign office to find out about any pre-Democratic Presidential debate tail gate parties. I know I totally want in on the festivities.

By Invitation Only

Last week, UNLV notified me that I was selected to attend the Democratic Presidential Debate this Thursday!

It's very exciting to bare witness to the clusterf@#k to the White House, as the Daily Show puts it. There will be a distinct chaos associated with news cameras, broadcasters, enterprising journalists, and Las Vegas's finest flocking to the event. And I will be in the middle of it all.

Additionally, I'll be writing an article about it for my journalism class and will surely post it here, grade or no grade. As the Daily Show and Colbert Report are currently MIA due to the writer's strike (which I am covering too, so stay tuned), perhaps I can provide the comical commentary for my readers.

To whet your appetite via Crooks & Liars:

How did opening night go?

Las Vegas Weekly: The maestro takes over
New Philharmonic director delivers a commanding opening performance - K.W. Jeter

Las Vegas Sun: Philharmonic Convergence
Ovation after ovation greets Itkin's quest for excellence - Kristen Peterson

Review-Journal: Philharmonic conductor off to a promising start
Julia Osborne

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Go to this concert!

The Las Vegas Philharmonic is opening its 9th annual concert season on September 29 at 8 p.m. at the Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall on UNLV (that's a lot of prepositions!). Tickets are $29-73; students get 50% one hour before curtain.

David Itkin is our new conductor so this will be his inaugural season. Kiril Laskarov will be the guest artist on violin. These two will definitely be dynamic performers. Plus, the orchestra are really cool too ;).

On the menu for the evening is Berlioz's Roman Carnival, Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor and Brahms' Symphony No. 2. These are all pretty much romantic composers but not in the "bring your sweetheart" way. It's the "LOUD soft soft soft Louder Louder LOUD soft LOUD soft" kind of romantic music.

So bring your friend or worst enemy. I'll be there. But I won't be square!