Last night I saw “the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club”. On Saturday, I saw the Features. Also on Saturday, I beat Super Paper Mario for the Wii. Here are a few quick reviews.
***
What I loved most about the RPG (role-playing game) Super Paper Mario for the [Nintendo] Wii is that it serves up a steady dose of game play mechanics (which you not only need to become better at throughout the game, but that you also have to figure out which ones to use) as solutions to an equally constant stream of creative puzzles that leave you thinking but (for me, anyway) not frustrated.
As you play you swap between four different characters (Mario, Luigi, Bowzer, or Peach) – with each character having different skills that are capable of solving different puzzles. Additionally, you get “pixls” (support characters – like little fairies or sprites) who provide additional ways with which to solve puzzles and advance through the game. One pixl might grant you the ability to see invisible objects. Another pixl lets you shrink in size. Aside from the character and pixl you swap in, there is the ability to swap between 2D and 3D to change perspective, and frequent use of the Wii controller – the trademark of Wii games. At times you’ll need to shake the controller, tilt the controller in sync with actions on screen, or even point the controller at the screen.
It all adds up to a huge variety of ways with which to solve puzzles, and the game throws some really great ones at you (some will really leave you stumped). Combined with the role playing mechanics (gaining items, experience, and power as you defeat monsters and adventure onward) and storyline (quite the “epic” adventure of saving the universe from being erased), it all adds up to a really fun game that I spent a good 27 or so hours on. And the title has re-playability in the form of being able to go back to older levels, levels you passed through before you gained a specific character or pixl, and see what new secrets you can now unlock. If you have a Wii, this is a game you need to get.
***
On Saturday night, Candice and I went to see the Features at the Double Door. I was kind of excited to hit the club but it really wasn’t anything too special in terms of appearance. It’s basically a bar with a big open floor, not too different from the look of the place where we saw the Cliks.
There were two openers, one of whom I really liked: White Light Riot. But we went for the Features and they played a nice set. I don’t know how to describe them other than to say that they’re an indy rock band that I used to listen to when I went for runs at the gym – aka fun and pretty high energy.
On Monday night, while the Redskins were whipping the Eagles (I recorded it on the DVR), we (Candice, Mychelle and I) hopped on a train loaded down with people (I felt like I was on the Edmonton LRT just before an Edmonton/Calgary CFL match) to the Metro, a club maybe a block away from Wrigley Field (where the Cubs were playing, thus explaining the mass of people on the train) to catch Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
The opener, Simple Kid, came out. Alone. And I started to wonder how antsy I would get during his set – but to the contrary, this guy was incredible. Described as Ireland’s response to Beck (and I honestly think that description is about as perfect as it gets), or Beck mixed with Neil Young, this guy came out and had the crowd going.
His set-up was a Mac notebook hooked up to a projector which played video clips and song lyrics (as well as providing the background music – drums, bass, etc.), while he played his banjo or guitar – slipping back and forth between what he described as “heavy metal” (“fun songs”) and “hippy shit” (“lyrical”). One song was accompanied by clips of wrestler “Big Daddy” Shirley Crabtree while a brief interlude between songs was filled by a power point presentation of pictures of Simple Kid playing tenis with his banjo. The moment of his set, though, for most people I’d guess, came when he played a song called Seratonin [YouTube video]. The lyrics were just about perfect and I think the crowd pretty much got lost in thought for a few minutes there.
After Simple Kid left, BRMC came out and played a 2-1/2 hour set. I don’t have as much to say about them as Simple Kid because, well, BRMC is straight rock with not much flash. But they’re passionate about their music and listening to them play was a highlight of the night. It was the first time I had seen them, but about everyone around me had seen them before – some as many as 10 times, some as many as 30 times! What a following.
Anyway, they played a ton of songs (20 during their set and maybe another 5 or 6 for the encore) and I was definitely happy afterward as we walked and trained back across downtown to our car. They’re playing Indy next month and Mychelle (who thinks she’s seen then 9 or 10 times – as well as having met them, interviewed them, and gone out to eat with them!) was already talking about making that show just minutes after this show ended. We just may have to join her.
"
"
"
"
"