He said, she said

By Gabrielle Wiegand and Ron Felten - Feature Writers

If I hear one more person say there is nothing to do in Springfield , I am going to pitch a lil' arts and entertainment hissyfit, which (as I am sure you have already guessed) is much worse then your typical hissyfit. So if you are unsure what to do on a Saturday night, I am going to break it down and tell you exactly what is going on, around town.

Even if you have never been there, just about everyone has heard of Chatham , that exotic locale just down Route 4. Well, this weekend just might be the time to take that first trek to Chatham to attend the Fine Arts Fair on the Square. On Saturday, over 40 juried artists will be on the town square from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. along with performing artists and food concessions.

There will be a variety of art for sale including sculptures, fabric, glass, jewelry, paintings (acrylics, oil, pastels, & watercolor) photography and mixed media. Admission is free, which makes this an inexpensive way to spend a Saturday afternoon. For more information call 483-4471.

After the Fine Arts Fair (or instead of) there is nothing nicer then a free outdoor concert on a brisk fall evening. At 7 p.m. Saturday the Illinois Symphony Orchestra will perform their second annual “Pops in the Park” concert at Douglas Park ( 400 N. MacArthur Blvd ).

Starting at 6 p.m. there will be a “Symphony Sweet Treats Bake Sale” because nothing goes along with live music like pie! The concert will be held at the bandshell of the park, so grab your lawn chairs and your nonalcoholic beverages (park rules) and come on down. For more information visit www.ilsymphony.org or call 522-2838.

Another occasion to leave campus and actually go downtown (gasp) is to visit the Springfield Art Association free opening reception of “The Modern Landscape” at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. “The Modern Landscape” is a juried exhibition of 36 Illinois artists on display through Nov. 5 whose work explores the impact of man (man in the general sense, they care about women, too) on the American terrain.

If you are worried that there will be too many snooty art people at the opening, you can peruse the Springfield Art Association Gallery ( 700 N. 4 th St. ) at your leisure Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 523-2631 for more information.

Few people realize all the free outdoor concerts there are in Springfield . Every summer, AmerenCILCO sponsors Summer Serenades on Washington Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets. The last concert of the season will be held at 7 p.m. next Thursday, when American English, the world's best Beatles tribute band (or so they say), will celebrate the 40 th anniversary of the Beatles' first American tour.

So bring your lawn chairs and join John, Paul, George and Ringo “Lite” for an evening of music. For more information, visit www.ameren.com or call 535-5111.

Okay, so you are not wild about art and you would rather sit through a three-and-a-half hour lecture on political philosophy rather then go to a free concert (what is wrong with you!?). But, I bet you are WILD about people in tights and tutus! You are in luck -- next Saturday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. the Springfield Ballet Company is performing their annual “Rockballet.”

As you would expect, “Rockballet” mixes traditional ballet with more modern rock music. Because Dave Matthews definitely knows what he is doing better then that Tchaikovsky guy. For more information call 206-6160.

My final recommendation to you this week is to take advantage of Knight's Action Park/Caribbean Water Adventure/Route 66 Drive In while the weather is still nice. Located on Chatham Road and Recreation Drive , the Water Park will only be open through Labor Day Weekend. It offers “The Devil Ray” thrill ride, as well as a wave pool, waterslides, and action river ride.

The dry area of the park is open March through October and has such fun offerings as a golf practice range, miniature golf courses, batting cages, go karts, and their newest attraction, “The Big Wheel” (Ferris wheel). For more information call 546-8881 or visit www.knightsactionpark.com .

On with the show

By Gabrielle Wiegand - Feature Writer

Back in 1909, Gus Kerasotes opened his first nickelodeon here in Springfield . Almost a hundred years later, Kerasotes Theatres owns 76 movie theaters, four right here in Springfield . Moviegoing, one of our nation's most beloved pastimes, in particular one of the favorites of my generation, is alive and well in Springfield . And with Hollywood gearing up to release their Oscar offerings, fall is the perfect time to go to the movies!

Showplace 12 West ( 3141 Mercantile Drive , right off Wabash) is the newest movie theater in the Springfield area. Boasting stadium seating and always the newest movies, Showplace 12 is probably the nicest place to see a film in town. However, it is not always your cheapest option. All shows starting before 6 p.m. are $6 and after 6 p.m. children (12 and under) are $6, students (with ID) are $6.75, seniors are $7, and adults are $8. Frequently you can find the same shows across town at Showplace 8 for cheaper.

The closest movie theater to the UIS campus is Showplace 8 East ( 2945 S. Dirksen Pkwy. ). It is a little darker, a little less impressive then Showplace 12, but all shows starting before 6 p.m. are $4.50 and after 6 p.m., children (12 and under) are $4.50, students and seniors are $5, and adults are $6. Combine that with the money you will save on gas and Showplace 8 ain't all that bad.

The most economical movie theater in Springfield is White Oaks Cinema located within White Oaks Mall. Yes, the movies showing are older ones that have been out for awhile, but if you have not seen them yet they are new to you! All shows starting before 6 p.m. at White Oaks are $1.50 and after 6 p.m. they are $2.50.

Rounding out the list of movie theatres is Parkway Pointe ( 3025 Lindbergh Blvd- just off Veterans Pkwy ). Ticket prices are the same here as Showplace 12, however Parkway cannot boast the newness and stadium seating that Showplace can.

We could have the Taj Mahal of movie theatres but what good would it do us without films to watch? This Friday, several interesting films will be opening, beginning with “Flight Plan,” the much anticipated Jodie Foster thriller.

I am personally on pins and needles waiting to see the new version of “Pride and Prejudice,” with Keira Knightley. However, I am a little worried because I do not think the tumultuous love of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy can be fully realized with only a rating of PG.

On Sept. 30 a remake of “Oliver Twist” is opening from the famed director Roman Polanski. I just hope there were not any unsupervised young actresses playing orphans on the set.

That same week, Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello can be seen in “A History of Violence.” Mortensen plays a small town family man whose life turns upside down when he accidentally becomes a hero. Ed Harris plays the villain and looks super scary in the previews!

I am majorly anticipating the weekend of Oct. 7 and not just because “Wallace and Gromit” is coming out. Cameron Crowe's “Elizabethtown,” a very cute looking romantic comedy with Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom will be appearing in theaters as well as “Waiting.” Ryan Reynolds stars, as does super hot comic Dane Cook, in this story of a group of young employees who wile away their time creating mischief at the restaurant where they work.

I am most excited about “In Her Shoes.” Starring Toni Collette and Cameron Diaz, this heartwarming story of two sisters is based on the novel of the same title by one of my all-time favorite authors, Jennifer Weiner.

So mark your calendars and be prepared to set aside studying for a couple of hours of unadulterated movie watching pleasure.

Obviously, not ALL the movies, just ones to look out for:

New to DVD Tuesday

“The Longest Yard” (2005) PG-13

“Robots” (2005) PG

“The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl” (2005) PG

“Jack O' Lantern” (2004) R

“Mindhunters” (2005) R

“Inside Deep Throat” (2005) NC-17

Movies Opening Friday

“Flight Plan” PG-13

“The Greatest Game Ever Played” PG

“Pride and Prejudice” PG

“Roll Bounce” PG-13

“Corpse Bride” PG

“Weather Man” R

‘In Your Honor' establishes the goodness of Foo Fighters

By Stephanie Orr - Assistant Editor

Some records, like The Beatles' “White Album,” are destined to define a band as great musicians. “In Your Honor,” the fifth studio release from Foo Fighters is one of those records.

The double CD set was released in June to the biggest sales in the band's history and debuted on the charts at number two, according to the RCA Records web site. After listening to the set for myself I can understand why.

Foo Fighters have been around for more than a decade, but In Your Honor was my fist serious encounter with the band. And what an experience it was.

Disc one is one revved up track after another that makes you want to move. Nearly all of the songs have an edgy, angry tone to the vocals which is backed with perfectly mixed instrumentals.

The quality of the music makes it obvious that this is a band that knows what it is doing. Disc one is defining rock according to Foo Fighters, and it is good.

There are a lot of good songs to be discovered on disc one. From “The Last Song,” which would make an awesome breakup song (for anyone looking for a way out of a relationship), to the somewhat chill sound of “The Deepest Blues Are Black” and “DOA” which is simply fantastic.

The title track, “In Your Honor,” is the first thing you hear when you pop disc one into a player. This track pairs a true rock sound with beautiful lyrics about being willing to die for someone and sets the tone for the rest of the disc perfectly.

Basically disc one makes me want to see Foo Fighters on stage rocking out. The CD makes it easy to believe the entire crowed would be jumping and singing right along with the band. You can just tell it would be a good time.

If the first CD is good then the only way to describe the second disc is amazing.

Comparing the two is impossible because the sounds are night and day. While the first CD is bursting with high energy, edgy tracks the second is composed of chill acoustic numbers.

This is the CD you want to play at the end of a stressful day if you want to relax because everything is so mellow.

The lyrics on disc two run toward melancholy, but they're well written and performed flawlessly. And a number of them are incredibly romantic.

“Miracle,” one of the more romantic ones, is definitely worth a listen. So are “Another Round” and “What If I Do.” Actually, all of the songs on this disc are worth a listen.

What it comes down to is this: “In Your Honor” one of the greatest albums I have ever heard. The two discs cover you no matter what mood you're in, and the combined 20 tracks are sure to become favorites. It's worth the money to add it to your music collection.

So why haven't you run off to buy it yet?

Grade: A+

He said, she said

On with the show

'In Your Honor' establishes the goodness of Foo Fighters