ry

 

She & Him & Me

 

A.recap of an evening spent with She & Him

By Jacey Gibb

n October 24th, the majestic
Oo Theatre was

brought to a whole new level
as it was invaded by the powerful
combination known as She &
Him. Comprised of actress Zooey
Deschanel and folk-rocker M. Ward,
their act combines catchy melodies
with beautiful vocals to create a
simple, addictive sound. I’d describe
listening to their albums (Volume One
and more recently, Volume Two) as
the feeling you get when you spend
a sunny afternoon outside in a field,
while also falling in love. Feels good,
doesn’t it?

Opening for them was a pair of
siblings, the Chapin Sisters, who just
happened to be the backing vocals for
the headliners. It may have been my
eagerness to bypass the appetizer and
proceed directly to the main course,
but I found their set to be sluggish
and ultimately forgettable. Not to
say the sisters aren’t talented; it just
seemed like them opening was the

result of what was convenient. The
highlight came when Zooey emerged
from offstage to help with the last
couple of numbers, giving a glimpse
of what was to come.

A seemingly endless intermission
followed and then the lights dimmed.
She & Him were about to be
unleashed.

I challenge you to find anyone
that hasn’t developed a crush on this
rising star. Yet, as the performers
jumped into their set (starting
with Made for You), an element
seemed to be missing. Zooey barely
remembered to acknowledge the
audience except for the odd “thank
you’ in-between numbers. I sat in my
seat in horror, wondering “Oh god is
the love of my life actually stuck-up?
Please, let her just be on her period or
something.” Lucky for us, all that was
needed was some momentum and the
game-changer came when she pulled
out a ukulele and began reciting a
cover of “Wouldn’t it Be Nice.”

It seemed the night had finally
begun and the singer warmed to the

crowd, emerging from her shell.
Zooey then invited everyone to sing
along and dance to their next number,
“Tn the Sun”, which resulted in a large
part of the audience rushing to stand
in front of the stage. From this more
intimate proximity, I enjoyed the rest
of the show, dancing with fellow She
& Him enthusiasts. I might be biased
because of how close I was to the
stage, but this seemed like the turning
point in the evening. Every song felt
fuller and move alive when you were
standing mere feet away from the
band. The more engaging numbers
came when the band/backing vocals
left the stage, leaving just Zooey and
M.Ward to entertain us. Near the end
of the night, one brave soul did one
of the boldest things I’ve ever seen.
They threw a mixed tape on stage.
“Sweet Darlin” was the final song
and the performers vacated the stage,
leaving us wanting more.

I always fear for the day when a
band actually DOESN’T come back
for an encore but, thankfully, She &
Him didn’t break the pattern. The

 

   

final three songs were covers: “Rave
On”, “Beethoven” and “I Put a Spell
on You.” All of the above were very
enjoyable but it was during the climax
of “Spell” that Zooey really came into
her own, blowing away everyone in
the audience with her surprising range
of vocals. The show came to an end
and they said they would return soon.
I can only hope they hold true to their
word.

Though the first portion of the
evening could almost be deemed
disappointing, the last half more
than made up for it and I left the
theatre more infatuated with Zooey
Deschanel than ever before. I give the
concert a rating of eight and a half
homemade mixed tapes out of ten.
8/10

 

Super Meat Boy is sure to satisfy gamers’ appetite

Team Meat unlock an achievement in the worid of indie games

By Cody Klyne and
Angela Espinoza

i ‘ eeping the tradition of
unapologetic, downright
punishing, skill-based

platformers alive, Super Meat Boy

on XBLA is guaranteed to have you
squealing with glee between fits of

childish fury. Here’s our take:

Cody Klyne: Love is a powerful
thing. The love between a sentient boy
made of meat and a girl constructed
out of pink bandage is no exception.
Our story begins with our two love
birds, titular Meat Boy and his honey,
Bandage Girl, enjoying a tender
moment. That is until Doctor Fetus—
an ill-tempered, monocle -wearing
fetus in a glass jar and clad ina
dapper suit—socks our dear hero in
the kisser and steals his lady. With this
altercation as the premise and crux of
the story, the remainder of the game

is dedicated to Meat Boy’s search for
Bandage Girl ala Mario and Princess
Peach.

What began as a flash game,
Meat Boy, first released on www.
newgrounds.com--which, I should
mention, is still available to play for
free online for those looking for a
taste of what we’re talking about—has
evolved into much more. Team Meat,
Edmund McMillen and Tommy
Refenes, have managed to create a
game that is not only entirely unique
in design and style, but one that
celebrates and pays respect to games
as a medium.

Referencing milestone titles the
likes of Mega Man 2, Castlevania,
and Street Fighter, long-time gamers
will find a lot to appreciate in this
jam-packed gem of an XBLA game:
With a consistently pleasing aesthetic
style that permeates the game from
start to finish, Super Meat Boy
simply oozes charm. Complimented
by a downright fantastic soundtrack
throughout, which has just been
released online by composer Danny
Baranowsky at www.dbsoundworks.
bandcamp.com, though the juicy
trails and squishy meat sounds left

behind and made by Meat Boy might
discourage those PETA pushers
among us, this is one high-protein
game guaranteed to have you going
back for seconds.

Angela Espinoza: With well over
300 levels currently available (and
more to come), Super Meat Boy never
ceases to slow down. Depending on
structural designs and collectable
objects within, each level features
game play that is built for — or can be
improved by — a different character.
Another plus for Super Meat Boy is
the number of alternate characters
available — the majority from fellow
indie games. By playing certain mini
games or by collecting a number

of hidden band-aids, unlockable
characters range from Tim of Braid
(2008), who can rewind time by three
seconds, all the way to the legendary
Pink Knight, something of an urban
legend amongst the Castle Crashers
(2008) fan base. Where your highest
jumper (and how they jump) may be
necessary in one level, speed may

be a factor in another; the variety is
endless.

Back to the level designs, Team
Meat has managed to create some
immensely difficult levels, yet most
take under thirty seconds to complete.
Time limits in any game are a
nightmare; they strike panic and the
use of grades often gives OCD players
something to cry about. As creator
Edmund McMillen has said before,
these factors all add up to the player’s
skill. In Super Meat Boy, we can no
longer blame the game for glitches
or otherwise — there’s no life limit
(save for mini games), thus we put
the pressure on ourselves. Of course,
that says how flawlessly designed
this game really is. Just as. well, the
replay value is through the roof;
beating yours or your friends’ best
times, playing updated and previously
locked levels, or even just trying for
one hundred per cent completion!

Rating: 5/5