PREVIOUS ISSUES : CULTURE Last Updated: April 23, 2008 - 9:54 AM   SFR Picks: March 19-25 By SFR Staff Published: March 19, 2008   Email this article   Printer friendly page   WEDNESDAY  Recovering Politician Elective politics can be an affliction as virulent and pathogenic as any medical illness. Only this affliction infects the social, rather than the biological, body. Keeping with this analogy, one can only suppose that politicians must be the germs. But what happens when a germ quits the business of infection and begins to work toward a cure? No, it’s not the latest Steven Spielberg foray into feel-good, sci-fi Hollywood blockbusters. It’s an (unfair, perhaps) allegory of the career of David Boren, former state legislator, governor and US senator. Boren is on tour to promote his book, A Letter to America, in which he offers his prescriptions for the ailing US empire. Currently president of the University of Oklahoma, Boren warns us that we will not be the world’s sole superpower forever; we will soon make decisions that will determine if we advance into the age of multiple superpowers as a still-great nation or as just another fallen empire. Addressing cynicism, world perceptions of the United States, the need for a new paradigm in foreign policy, bipartisanship, campaign reform and more, Boren’s message is optimistic but sobering, severe but informed. After all, who would better know a disease than an ex-germ? (Daniel McNichol) SATURDAY  It’s the Little Things The tiny courtyard gardens of France are dense, compact and supernaturally green. Retablos the size of a matchbox contain the whole nativity scene, including cows. From the Ukraine come eggs painted with individual hairs, so Humans have always treasured the beauty in small things; there’s something definitively nice about being able to fit a piece of artwork in a suitcase or on a half-bathroom wall. The New Mexico artists who have submitted work to this year’s Collect 8 show indulge the pint-sized artist inside all of us and create an array of works in mediums that range from forged metal to acrylic on canvas. The catch? Everything has to fit into an 8-inch cube. These creations are transportable, imaginative and will fit easily in even the tiniest studio apartment. (Charlotte Jusinski) SATURDAY  Hear the Roar Some musical lineups have a thread that sews the music together, while others rip the seams of expectation wide apart. From the Mr. Bungle-inspired rock of Capillary Action to the singer-songwriter charm of Elefrera, this show runs the gamut. Philly’s Capillary Action is currently rocking its way through the West before forgoing the states for more exotic European audiences in support of its newest album, Embarrassing. Elefrera, from Brooklyn, and homegrown talents Jake Trujillo and Flamingo Pink tie together mismatched shoestrings of folk. Elefrera focuses on strong lyrical content that is complemented by unobtrusive guitar. Trujillo tosses a little electronica into the folk stew and gives the genre a much-needed stir. But it’s Flamingo Pink who separates herself most from this pack of merry musicians by perfecting the folk sound and upping the ante with buttery smooth vocals. Their paths may diverge as artists but their mission to sew together an eclectic night of music that’s constantly in flux. (Patricia Sauthoff) SUNDAY  Folk You The mellow folk music that emanates from Rio en Medio, Kacey Johansing and honey.moon.tree. bursts with unobstructed originality. Rio En Medio’s colorful style spans the musical spectrum and is splattered with traditional folk and classical and techno influences. Colorado-native Kacey Johansing’s sound is littered with beautiful piano chords and a shockingly soothing voice, while honey.moon.tree. is clearly the result of repeated listens to The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Halston Bruce, photographer and conceptual performance artist, ties the event together with her haunting images and enticing subjects. The promise of a night of captivating music and innovative art undoubtedly satisfies the thirst for creative genius. (Kyle Eustice) © Copyright 2000-2008 by the Santa Fe Reporter Save This Page to del.icio.us Top of Page