Arts

Eight points of view come together in “Vantage Point,” Jack Black remakes movies in “Be Kind Rewind,” and high school gets a psychiatrist in “Charlie Bartlett.”

Music professors Katherine Arthur and Susan Azaret Davies will fuse together two sets of artistic mediums – music and poetry – in Friday’s “American Song” concert.

For the past six years, Davies and Arthur have done yearly recitals together. The reason? They just work well together, Arthur said.

What do you get when you mate old world music with a jazzy back alley of Paris? You get the band 3 Leg Torso.

The quirky quintet will play at the San Luis Obispo Odd Fellows Lounge and promise to offer not only their eclectic catalog of music but to give the audience regular Oscar updates via their manager.

Anybody who has been to a reggae show at Downtown Brewing Co. can recognize the signs: A haze drifts over the audience carrying dubious smells throughout the venue, dancing is recognized as swaying back and forth or bouncing up and down, and positive vibes resonate.

As I entered ECHO Artspace, James Brown’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” blasted from the DJ booth outside the warehouse space.

The “Black History is American History” exhibit was small, but artwork covered all possible wall space. After taking a quick glance around the room, I noticed the extreme age range of those in attendance; young and old were together in one room, appreciating one thing – art.

There’s a movement happening on the Central Coast.

It’s not social, cultural or musical — it’s all of them combined, and it’s coming to The Graduate this Saturday night in the form of local hip-hop group Public Defendaz.

Consisting of five guys from very different walks of life, the group uses its unique and fresh blend of hip-hop as a means to spread “people music” to the masses.

With hopes of bringing clean, running water to those in need, the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) club on campus is sponsoring a benefit concert to raise funds for its work in Nicaragua. Sunday’s “Agua for Nicaragua” concert will feature four bands that have agreed to play free of charge.

A true genius of his trade, master pianist Michael Feinstein dazzled the crowd during his Thursday evening performance at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center.

Feinstein entered stage left to a warm round of appreciative applause, took his seat at a beautiful, satiny-black grand piano and proceeded to entice the audience with an impressive two-hour performance that evoked much laughter, called up fond memories and provided great entertainment for the eager crowd of musical theater patrons.

Legendary alternative rock band Fishbone will play at Downtown Brewing Co. tonight, one of five shows the band will play in the United States before beginning their European tour in France April 5.

“It’s been awhile since we’ve been (in San Luis Obispo), but we have some good memories of playing there and I’ve been to some good parties in San Luis Obispo,” said John Norwood Jones, bassist and founding member of Fishbone.

The transition from playing backyard keggers to headlining a concert is a stereotype that’s too typical to describe a band’s musical progression. But such a timeline roughly resembles the path San Luis Obispo-based band Still Time has followed on its journey to prominence.

This weekend, I attended what may have been my last ’80s-themed party – at least I hope so. Not that I didn’t totally dig the Paula Abdul dance videos, big teased hair and obnoxiously bright colors, it’s just that one can only endure inhaling Aquanet for so long.