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The Exies show off their star power at The Warehouse

By Stephanie Orr - Assistant Editor

If you missed the concert at the W

arehouse on March 29, you missed out on a lot.

Specifically you missed the opportunity to see The Exies, an up and coming band currently on tour with Breaking Benjamin and Theory of a Dead Man.

The Exies' Scott Steves, lead vocals, and Dennis Wolfe, drums, performs for the sold out crowd during their set at The Warehouse on March 29.

Luckily, The Journal was there and able to score an interview with The Exies' bassist Freddy Herrera and drummer Dennis Wolfe.

Picture it, two-and-a-half hours before the doors open there are already people lined up to get inside the Warehouse for the sold out show. I met up with Herrera and Wolfe on The Exies' tour bus, which was parked next to the building.

Now, I could have asked them stock questions, like how did the band form and who are your influences, but since I could get that information on their website (www.theexies.com) I decided to skip ahead.

Instead I asked them about their least favorite tour date so far. Herrera barely had to think before telling me about a show in Buffalo , NY .

Herrera said the band was “scrambling to get there” during the first snow, only to find just about 13 people had showed up. But Herrera was quick to point out that The Exies had just been back to the area for a great show.

Herrera and Wolfe also identified their favorite tour date for me, which was their first concert in Little Rock , Ark. It was the Exies' first tour as a headline act, and they were number one on the radio there.

“It was the first big draw,” Wolfe said about the Little Rock show where they played for 800 people.

Next I asked them what they were most proud of accomplishing as a band so far. Herrera said that making their second album, “Head for the Door,” was what he was most proud of and Wolfe said his would have to be making it to the top 10 with their current single, “Ugly.”

The Exies from left to right: drummer Dennis Wolfe, lead singer Scott Stevens, guitarist David Walsh and bassist Freddy Herrera. Check them out at www.theexies.com

Then I simply had to know what it was like to be on tour, and their response was very honest.

“It's hard, really hard,” Herrera said, noting that being on tour meant being away from friends and family. The band has been touring almost constantly since October of 2004, and hopes to tour throughout the rest of 2005.

And the schedules sounded pretty exhausting.

“The whole up all night, sleep all day thing is kind of true,” Wolfe said, explaining that the guys are busy for most of the time.

For example, the guys mentioned having a photo shoot after our interview and that they would be leaving for Kansas City , Mo. , right after the concert in order to be at a radio interview at 8 a.m. the next morning.

Days off, they said, are usually spent sleeping, though sometimes the work spills over.

But both of the guys wanted to point out that they were not complaining. They reestablished their love of the fans and their love of making music.

“I play the gig for free, I get paid to travel,” Wolfe said.

Awkward but overall good performance of 'Fifth of July'

By Gabrielle Wiegand - Feature Writer

Fifth of July April 8th and 9th at 8 P.M. April 10th at 2 P.M. Studio Theatre

The UIS production of Langford Wilson's play, “Fifth of July,” was, in a word, awkward.  The performance started off slow and a bit clumsily; however, the final scene was beautifully done.  The play came together in a very poignant and well-acted ending. 

The “Fifth of July” is set in rural Missouri in 1977.  It is about a group of college friends in their early thirties who meet at an old farmhouse over July 4-5.  They are confronted with some unfinished business and must resolve some lingering issues. 

But at its heart, the play is about personal growth and accepting who you have become and who you want to be. Being together with those who knew them best during their formative years allows the characters to grow as human beings. 

“Fifth of July” is a play full of emotional extremes.  One moment the characters are guffawing over a story involving flatulence and caribou meat, and in the next moment they are soberly discussing the Vietnam War. 

There were some incredibly funny parts to the play, many the result of Christopher Wyant's character, Wes, an enthusiastic musician who reads too much.  While Wes did provide most of the comic relief, there were also some very clever, dry remarks woven through the play that made the audience chuckle. 

When asked if he had taken his pills, Ken, the legless Vietnam veteran played very movingly by John McAdams, replied, “I took my vitamins, my minerals, my birth control pill.” 

On the whole, I found some inconsistencies with the actors' performances.  Several of the actors failed to bring depth and dimension to their characters, while others were able to portray the nuances of their characters dead on. 

Molly Sullivan, one of the four UIS students in “Fifth of July,” did a very believable job as Shirley, the 13-year-old daughter of one of the main characters.  She did an excellent job depicting the annoying brat the play called for. 

Aunt Sally, the matriarch of the Talley family and ex-Sunday school teacher, was also well portrayed by Shirley McConnaughay, as was Brad Hammond's portrayal of Jed, Ken's lover and a garden enthusiast.  Of all the performances, I found Hammond's and McAdams' to be the most realistic.

Wilson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who is known for creating characters who sound “real.”  However, I thought the dialogue seemed to lag here and there. 

The use of props was very well done throughout the play, as was the set, which looked very realistic.  A nice complement to the play was the period music (and when I say period music, I mean classic Elton John) that played before each act.  It helped to set the tone and mood of the play.  

There was very poor attendance at Saturday night's performance of “Fifth of July;” however, it was understandable seeing that the Illini were on, kicking Cardinal butt. 

Three more performances of “Fifth of July” can be seen on campus April 8, 9 and 10.  The Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m. and the Sunday show is at 2 p.m.  I would encourage everyone to try and make it to a performance, because “Fifth of July” is a very commendable production for a theater program that is still in its infancy. 

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Awkward but overall good performance of 'Fifth of July'