Oh, what a year for the entertainment world! Eminem was sentenced to two years probation, Puffy was acquitted and Madonna tied the knot again. Jennifer and Brad got married and Tom and Nicole split. A crouching tiger almost beat a gladiator while a sassy gal named Erin wasn’t too far behind. “Survivor” came back to the tube with more disgusting entrées of rare bugs while “Friends” competed with its Thursday prime-time nemesis by adding 10 minutes to the February shows. Excitement was everywhere an entertainment junkie looked.
Locally, there were a few big stories as well.
Phil Lesh and Friends, Xzibit and Buddies take on the ’Lair:
This year’s SpringFest on April 21 brought former Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh, and his friends Warren Haynes, Rob Barraco, John Molo and Jimmy Herring to the ’Lair plaza along with the X-ecutioners, Common and Xzibit to the ’Lair ballrooms. Students and guests in attendance were reported to total 15,064. While the crowd’s opinions of the performers varied, it did seem as if everyone had a good time. With all the marijuana blowing in the air, who wouldn’t?
Narcotics aside, WVU Arts & Entertainment offered a diverse lineup for students and guests to enjoy. Overall, it was well received.
MTV looked for a stranger:
Around 700 hopefuls reportedly showed up at Bent Willey’s on Saturday, Feb. 24, for MTV’s “Real World” open casting call.
This was a big deal to Morgantownians and WVU students because West Virginia has never been represented on the show that, with 10 seasons under its belt, is the longest-running show on MTV.
Applicants got to stand in the cold along Chestnut Street and wait for their shot at fame while Bent Willey’s employees peddled hot chocolate. Once inside the bar, hopefuls participated in 10-minute group interviews with MTV representatives. Questions that ranged from West Virginia stereotypes to sexual orientation were brought to the table.
A few of the students interviewed were asked to submit a video and fill out a longer application to send into the show’s casting department. One student who wished to remain anonymous said that she received a call from the show about a week after the casting call in Morgantown asking her to send in a tape. She has yet to hear back from MTV.
Live, Fuel, Virginia Coalition and Khiaro Scuro kicked off Fall 2000 semester:
FallFest 2000, held on Monday, Aug. 21, was much more well-received than its predecessor. Many remembered SpringFest 2000, a concert that showcased local talent, as being less than spectacular. Students and guests were glad to see Live, as well the other acts, grace the stage at the Mountainlair to start out the school year.
Virginia Coalition seemed to use this opportunity to get into the hearts of students and locals. Since its appearance at FallFest 2000, the band has been seen at 123 Pleasant St. numerous times. The band’s D.C. go-go influence must be the sound that music lovers in the area were looking for.
Easy access to movies:
Carmike Cinema at the Morgantown Mall received some competition this semester. Car-less students expelled squeals of joy when it was announced that the Warner Theatre at the end of High Street was to reopen.
Three Oscar contenders — Chocolat, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Traffic — revived the old cinema on Friday, Feb. 23. Since then, WVU students can see movies at discounted prices Monday through Thursday and enjoy films such as Blow that do not get a screen at Carmike.
Along with the Warner’s remodeling, the Gluck Theatre in the Mountainlair enjoyed some upgrades. The WVUp All Night! favorite was closed last semester and reopened recently to showcase its new movie screen and surround sound. Movies such as Snatch and Save the Last Dance were offered to students free of charge.
The summer looks to hold many fun things for the area. My personal favorite should be Aerosmith at the Post Gazette Pavilion. This is only because Jimmy Buffett won’t be in town until September. I’m sure there will be more to say on that later. Until then, have an awesome summer!