Catherine Stahl 
Arts and Entertainment Editor
The Xavier Newswire 3800 Victory Parkway Cincinnati, Ohio 45207-2129 On-campus location: The Publications House, 3739 Ledgewood Dr. Telephone: 513.745.3607 Advertising: 513.745.3561 Fax: 513.745.2898 Email: Kathryn Rosenbaum
Editor-in-Chief Nathan Sergio
Advertising Manager Full list of staff contacts www.xu.edu/newswire
And all that Jazz (ensemble)
By Ralph Fritz
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Xavier.edu
The Jazz Ensemble took over Ryan’s Pub for an enthralling Friday night of class and brass.
This past Friday, the Xavier University Jazz Ensemble performed at Ryan’s Pub and Eatery as part of a series aiming to imitate jazz club atmosphere of old.
At first, the performance at Ryan’s was nothing worth writing about in the Newswire, and some Ryan’s patrons even seemed annoyed that the event was interfering with watching ESPN.
But as the performance went on, there was an influx of audience members.
Amidst the applauding and hooting mass there were a few costumed individuals from the Run Like Hell Marathon who may have been drawn in by the music drifting across the greenspace. Absent from the audience was a large number of Xavier students coming out to support their peers, but I in part blame a scheduling mistake on the Portal that gave an incorrect start time for the show.
After a several-year hiatus from Ryan’s, the Jazz Ensemble returned to what its director and conductor John DeFoor described as the place where they belong.
Under DeFoor’s direction, the musicians performed wonderfully on the uncharacteristically warm autumn night.
Showing no need for a stage, the band stood in a cluttered half-circle, lining the far wall of the pub and dominating the room.
The intimate setup made every seat feel like the best one in the house as the music overtook the crowd, but there was some difficulty understanding the vocals over the swell of all the instruments.
The students demonstrated spirit and enthusiasm from start to finish, whether they were playing one of the many solos that punctuated various songs or maintaining the steady toe-tapping beat.
The solos were often lavish and high energy pieces that conjured up the jazz club feeling as musicians seemingly gave it all to the audience.
Overall it seemed that each song in the set afforded almost every member of the band an opportunity to shine musically or lyrically at some point.
The entire performance was entertaining, but I particularly enjoyed the band’s renditions of “Amazing Grace” and “Make Me Smile” as well as cover of “Schizophrenic Voices.”
I am no expert on the jazz genre, jazz venues or the history of jazz, but all of my reservations about attending the performance were dispelled when the band began to play.
You only have three more chances to hear the Jazz Ensemble attempt to recapture the charm and allure of the genre’s origins.
On Nov. 8th and 22nd, there will be free performances in the Edgecliff recital hall, and on Dec. 4th the music will fill (the formerly silent movie theater–turned concert hall) Lyric (8907 Reading Road) for a $5 cover, which also includes snacks and soft drinks.
Whether you are a jazz aficionado or a person that can’t tell a saxophone from a trombone, the Xavier University Jazz Ensemble is definitely worth a listen.
If you are unable to make these performances, be sure to pick up a copy of the group’s soon to be released CD “Make Me Smile.”
‘Urinetown’ hits Xavier this weekend
By Des Dale
Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
Photo courtesy of LaMar Ford
The cast and crew of “Urinetown” built their set in one day.
"Urinetown" the musical is set to hit the stage of the Gallagher Student Center Theater this weekend.
The musical tells the story of a town where strict public urination regulations have been created because of a long-running drought in the area.
Citizens in this town are policed day and night by sadistic, yet charismatic, officers who find joy in others’ discomfort.
The townspeople are rather peculiar themselves, but that’s what happens when people must scrape up money just to relieve themselves of bodily fluids.
“There’s a little something for everyone [in “Urinetown”]—a love story, a revolution, and a kidnapping,” director Stephen Skiles said.
The play employs a variety of modern music genres to move the plot along. The musical also features a live orchestra which fills the theater with warm sound.
Skiles shows an impressive attention to detail making sure each moment in the musical is as effective as possible.
Skiles has worked with the cast to extrapolate every drop of campiness from “Urinetown’s” plot, adding numerous gestures and mannerisms into the play’s dialogue.
His work doesn’t just stop there; he along with members of the cast and crew worked to put up the set last Friday.
“Urinetown” will grace Gallagher’s main stage this Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 5 – Nov. 8. at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 with a student ID and $15 for all others.
Gordo’s shakes up burger scene
BY Andrew Chestnut
Managing Editor
Newswire Photo by Danielle Meiners
Gordo’s Pub and Grill features a broad menu of dinner entrees, designer sandwiches and gourmet burgers.
If one could say Cincinnati has a “burger scene,” then one could say it was shaken up when Norwood native Raymond Gordo opened his eponymous burger establishment on Montgomery Avenue, just north of campus.
Gordo’s Pub and Grill features a broad menu of dinner entrees, designer sandwiches and gourmet burgers that strongly evince its owner’s 16-year culinary career. Essentially, it offers bar food with a fantastic, creative twist in a relaxed, contemporary environment.
I ordered the “Gordo’s burger,” a perfectly balanced, half-pound masterpiece that begins by mixing lean ground beef with bacon, onion and herbs, cooking it to order, then topping it with roasted poblanos, onions, mushrooms, bacon and boursin cheese.
It was, unquestionably, the best burger I have had in Cincinnati—better than Zip’s Café in Mt. Lookout, better than Arthur’s in Hyde Park—by a wide margin. I finished it in roughly 3.4 seconds.
Aside from Hurculean, potentially life-altering burgers, Gordo’s has a variety of appetizers, sandwiches and sides that are equally satisfying. Steak fries are a good option, but the macaroni and cheese or the braised red cabbage is worth the upgrade.
The smoked salmon platter, baked mixed mushrooms and chicken cordon blue sandwich are also excellent choices. Although they are loaded with meats, cheeses and other toppings, salads are the only menu items that don’t exactly stand out; I would opt for a burger or one of the many appetizers.
The range and quality of Gordo’s cuisine is rivaled by that of its bar, which offers 49 beers, 12 wines, and an impressive array of whiskeys and scotches—if you’re into that sort of thing. This well-stocked bar makes Gordo’s a great drinking destination, rather than just a restaurant that happens to serve alcohol.
Several other factors place Gordo’s in a category somewhere between “awesome” and “epic.” First, the restaurant is within walking distance from Xavier’s campus and Southern Norwood, so getting a cab back is unnecessary if you happen to take full advantage of the restaurant’s versatle drink menu.
Second, Gordo’s dimmed-lighting, contemporary design and laid-back rock music contribute to an atmosphere that is equal parts trendy, comforting and fun. It is highly conducive to good conversation and makes you want to stay for hours—a sure sign of a succesful restaurant.
Finally, eating at Gordo’s is quite affordable, especially considering the mass and quality of foodstuffs in each order.
With most burgers, sandwiches and appetizers under $10, dinner and drinks here will cost you around the same as, say, Buffalo Wild Wings (and obviously, there’s a lot more bang for your buck).
Gordo’s is located at 4328 Montgomery Road.
The kitchen is open Monday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Gordo’s bar is open Monday-Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 2 a.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. - 12 a.m.
Tech readers square off
BY Kathryn Rosenbaum
BY Kathryn Rosenbaum
Photo courtesy of wordpress.com
Amazon’s Kindle currently dominates the electronic book market.
At first, I was opposed to electronic readers. They seemed expensive and I didn’t want to lose the chance to go to a bookstore to buy a book to place on my bookshelf. I also didn’t think I wanted to read novels on a screen—I spend enough time at a computer.
However, after I started researching electronic readers—specifically Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook, these readers intrigued me. Their screens are not like a computer screen—they use electronic ink and don’t use backlighting. Thus it is more like reading a page from a book than a page on a computer.
I have yet to purchase a electronic reader, but have seriously considered buying one in the future.
Kindle
The Kindle, Amazon’s electronic reader, has dominated the electronic book market since its release in 2007. The newest version, the Kindle 2, is available for $259. Readers can buy books from Amazon.com, and most of the newest bestsellers are available for $9.99.
Amazon.com says readers can choose from 360,000 titles. Readers can also subscribe to magazines and newspapers on the Kindle. Kindle readers can access free books via Googlebooks after they download the books into a format compatible for Kindle.
Books, magazines and newspapers are downloaded automatically onto the Kindle so no computer connection is needed. The Kindle can store 1,500 books.
The Kindle also uses 3G wireless, similar to the iPhone and the Blackberry. People can access the Internet to download books or use a simple internet broswer, which allows readers to use Google or Wikipedia without a Wi-Fi hot spot.
The battery lasts for four days with wireless feature turned on and two weeks with the wireless turned off.
The only drawback of the Kindle is a significant one: With no sharing option available, kindlers are forced to keep all the great works they find to themselves.
Nook
Barnes and Noble will release its challenge to the Kindle this November for $279. The Nook has not been tested by critics yet, but has received positive reviews so far.
Nook readers will be able to download over one million books, newspapers and magazines. Prices will be comparable to the Kindle at $9.99. Furthermore, Nook readers will have access to free books through Google Books without having to change the format. Readers will also have access to read works for free inside Barnes and Noble stores.
Nook users can lend texts to friends with Nooks, iPods and Blackberries for up to 14 days. This is a simple feature, but used as one of the main selling points for the Nook.
Like the Kindle, the Nook can store approximately 1,500 books, but also features a memory card slot for more storage.
The Nook’s design is different than the Kindle’s. It has a reading screen and then a color touch screen below to navigate through works. With the wireless turned off, the battery lasts 10 days, which is less than the Kindle.
There are a few drawbacks to the Nook. Readers can only use the Internet to download books–there is no google or wikipedia access.
One must keep in mind that this is first generation of the Nook. It has not been tested by readers and it’s unknown if the device has a major flaw or how big of a seller it will be.