The annual South Asian a cappella competition, Anahat, was hosted by UC Berkeley Indus at Zellerbach Playhouse last night. Competitors included USC Asli Baat, UCSD Sitaare, UCLA Naya Zamaana, UCI Andaaz, UIUC Chai-Town, Stanford Raagapella, CWRU Dhamakapella, and UC Berkeley Dil Se. Out of these seven teams, USC Asli Baat placed first, followed by UIUC Chai-Town second and UC Berkeley Dil Se third. Aditya Prakash of UCLA won Best Soloist, and Best Arrangement went to USC Asli Baat’s arrangement of The Beatles’ “Blackbird/Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai”. UC Berkeley Dil Se won the audience vote for Best Costume, but, given the audience in Zellerbach Playhouse, that, at the very least, was to be expected.

After a playful prerecording introducing each group, every team performed three to four songs in English or Hindi (or both) to a panel of four judges (Harini Krishnan Vikas, Vasudha Ravi, Mark Sumner, and Robin Estrada) and an energetic audience of varying age and predominantly South Asian descent. (Click here to read more…)

“Of course there are people who think I’m an asshole,” Jonathan Safran Foer said, “but nobody thinks the argument is wrong.” The argument for ethical vegetarianism drives “Eating Animals,” the critically acclaimed author’s latest book, in which he explores the horrors of factory farming, the meals of his childhood, and the myths we use to justify what and why we eat. On Friday night, Foer stopped by the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union to give us a taste of his first non-fiction work. (Click here to read more…)

I agonized over a pun headline for this post–”Let’s Twit It On,” “You Only Twit Once,” “Tweet Home Alabama,” “Twit Up, Twit On Up” . . . you get the picture. The point is, the Daily Californian Arts Department has its very own twitter!!!!

Follow us, and you’ll find: (Click here to read more…)

Little-known fact: best-selling author Jonathan Lethem used to work at Moe’s Books. Now a celebrated novelist and noted Philip K. Dick fanatic, Lethem wrote his first novel while working at the beloved local shop, according to the Moe’s website.

Later this week, he’ll be returning to his old haunt for a reading (and maybe a signing?). Stop by the store on Thursday, October 29, at 7:30 to hear him read from his new novel “Chronic City.” This one’s set in New York, and he’s a New York writer by reputation, though his first couple of novels are set in NorCal. “Gun, With Occasional Music,” which I’ve been meaning to read for some time, takes place in SF and Oakland, according to Wikipedia.

I’ve seen Lethem speak before–on C-SPAN 2, oddly enough, not in person–and he’s engaging and clever, so this event should be fun. Besides, when was the last time you went to a reading?

More info on the Moe’s Readings & Events Page here.

Image source: Onion AV Club, photo by Peter Bellamy.

Every October Neil Young and his wife Pegi put on The Bridge School Benefit Concert at the Shoreline Amphitheatre to raise funds for the bay area Bridge School, which since its opening in 1986 has provided specialized education to severely disabled children. Young has invited various A-list entertainers to the mostly acoustic concert over the years, and this past weekend was no different. The bill this year ranged across genres, hosting Young himself, No Doubt, Chris Martin of Cold Play, Sheryl Crow, Adam Sandler, Monsters of Folk, Wolfmother and more.

The all-day show left the earlier acts with a little less support as concert goers drunkenly mingled throughout the large venue’s bars, food tents and recreational areas. But Monsters of Folk didn’t seem to care as they strummed and wailed away. The group played some original tracks and even a song from member Conor Oberst’s other band, Bright Eyes (a nice emo treat). (Click here to read more…)

On Monday night at Bottom of the Hill, indie-dream pop duo—along with a plus one on drums—Beach House played a sold out show. The opening group, Papercuts, is a band my friend deemed “the kind you’d want to do your homework to.” I can’t say I disagree but I enjoyed them nonetheless. Beach House followed—and delighted. (Click here to read more…)

So fashion may not be Berkeley residents’ primary creative interest, but I know there are some of you out there who love fashion, so I wanted to share my current favorite fashion/photography blog. The Sartorialist is Scott Schuman, who has worked in the fashion industry for over 15 years in sales and merchandising. He was also a long-time  photographer.

Now, unintentionally though very aptly,  he’s become an on the street fashion photographer. He photographs fashionable women and men on the streets of NY, Paris, Milan or wherever else he sees someone looking amazing. His photos are used for inspiration by normal folks in their day-to-day wardrobes and by designers themselves when conceptualizing their lines. He recently published a book of his favorite photos from the blog by the same name.  He is currently doing a book signing tour and will be in San Francisco tomorrow, Wed. 21st at Paul Smith from 7:30 pm to 8:30pm. Check it out!

Image, Link source: Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist

“Basra” begins with its protagonist, photographer Tariq (Bassem Samra), falling out of love in depressing fashion. “Don’t cry, ” he whispers gently to his inconsolable wife, moments after signing the final document. “By divorce, or by death, we separate.” Dismal as it is, the film’s opening sequence suggests not so much an end as it does a beginning, a gateway to a world of alienated individuals’ feelings sprouting from the seeds of political turmoil. Through Tariq’s unique perspective, director Ahmed Rashwan transforms modern-day Cairo into a place struggling to move from the past to the future, where dreams are born and destroyed and the fine line between time and space is indefinitely blurred. (Click here to read more…)

It was tough getting out of bed this morning.  My feet and legs were sore, and I felt like I had been hit by a train. A glorious, glorious train.

But the knowledge of another amazing day at Treasure Island got me going. Plus, I was going to get the perks of the press pass. And after it took only an hour and a half to get to the festival today, I was in a good mood.

Image of Tommy Guerrero by Anna Hiatt/Staff Photographer

12:40- I missed the opener again today (Sleepy Sun), but Tommy Guerrero’a diverse set of jazz, latin funk, and dynamic rock jams were a great start for day two. And though the crowd was noticeably more subdued today, it was upbeat enough to remind us that even without the turn-tables and drum machines that were pretty prominent yesterday, we don’t have to fall asleep.

Image of Thao by Emma Lantos/Staff Photographer

1:15- Thao & The Get Down Stay Down kept things going with some cute, quirky indie pop. And as a chilly wind blew in from the bay, Thao told the crowd, “When I first got here, I was cold like you guys.  Then I started to dance.  And now I am very comfortable.” Thao, a resident of San Francisco, said she hated every time she had to leave her hometown and was really excited to be back. In her words, Treasure Island was the “Bestival,” or best festial she had ever been to. It’s a little to early to tell for now, but she’s probably pretty close. (Click here to read more…)

2:33- I won’t say much now, as Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros just came on, and foot-tapping and finger-drumming just became irresistable. I think I’ll go jump in the crowd for a minute. Maybe I can benefit from some mass body heat while I’m at it, my fingers are so cold I can barely type. Woe is me! Back in a minute.

3:04- The crowd-warming experiment definitely worked. Or maybe that’s just the feeling of my soul being warmed by Edwarde Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. These guys rock. Pure fun. They’re up there right now doing a great teaser for Beirut (5:30) and the Decemberists (7:10), with their quirky instruments.

There’s no doubt about it: This is a day for horns, accordions and mandolins. It’s a day for disheveled hair and tambourines striking off-beats. The crowd is older and colder. There are more leather jackets, less flourescent spandex.

Image of Sleepy Sun’s frontman by Anna Hiatt/Staff Photographer

San Franciscan psychedelic rockers Sleepy Sun opened up the day with an energetic set featuring breathy, haunting, almost sexual vocals from frontman and woman Bret Constantino and Rachel Williams in tight harmony. Constantino’s harmonica added a bluesy folk element. Their slow, drawn-out rock set the tone for the rest of the day: chill. In both senses of the word. (Click here to read more…)