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Show 122 Friday, Sept. 12006'_ c Where's there's smoke, there's John Mayer's soul ^Professional ^Manicurist I Jk ^^ AJ 1 $3 OFF FOR STUDENTS Full Set or Spa Pedicure & Mankure Acrylic * Gel« Sculpture • Pink d White Manic tin*• Nail Art & Airbrush Tel: 435.753.2225 Cell: 714.249.5841 981 Sourii Main. Stu. B Lo^an. LTS4321 the phone Eric Danton and paraHartford Courant p h r a s e s the line to his publicist, before returning to an interview in advance of his tour with Sheryl Grade D Crow. ^ — _ _ "I'm "Sound of Thunder ^ ™ going to rip "Continuum/' when the words myself off and say that in suddenly come to him. every interview now," Mayer "You start out with fire," he says, laughing. That's not to say there's says, picking up speed as he talks. "More fire than you'll no fire on "Continuum" (due ever need, and that's cool. out Sept. 12 on Columbia). And the more fire you have, In fact, the Fairfield, Conn., the cooler you become. And native's third major-label stuthen as you get older, you start dio record features some of his to learn that there are more most passionate guitar playing things than fire out there, and yet, and includes a cover of smoke is pretty damn cool, the Jimi Hendrix song "Bold as Love," too." The album is a study in He's so delighted by the metaphor he leans away from restraint, as Mayer shifts from the sleepy-voiced come-ons of "Room for Squares" and "Heavier Things" to a sound rooted in vintage soul, with a pop edge. There's a deep scratchy funk groove on the opening track, "Waiting for the World to Change," while "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" bubbles over with John Mayer is on the phone, struggling to describe how he arrived at the soulful, almost understated sound of his forthcoming album, Walk-Ins Welcome Mon-Sat 10:00am-7:00pni Gift Certificates Available Music Review 1451 North 200 East Logan 787-0808 TANNING (Studio Did you know our 10-session passes never expire? Buy one now - use it anytime! Off any. 10-Session k-.-_.. i M-Th: 7am-Midnight • F-Sa: 7am-10pm As Always, $1 off before Noon Redeem prior to Sept. 30, 2006 Welcome Back Aggies! " is BACK! INCLUDES: deep blue soul. Mayer, 28, says the sound of the new album wouldn't have been possible without last year's diversion, the live record "Try!" he made with bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan. Together, they were the John Mayer Trio, and its front man says the experience was liberating. "It was never meant to be as big as my solo thing. I just had to do it," he says. "It was a vacation, actually. It was obligation-free music, you know? It was played in places so small that I didn't owe anybody anything, I didn't owe anybody a certain kind of a show. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to synthesize things as an artist that I couldn't when I played places with the capacity I played." Mayer has always shown impressive chops on guitar in concert, but his blues-soaked playing hadn't seeped into his records until "Continuum." "That's what the trio taught me," he says. "The trio gave me the confidence to play guitar, to just turn up and play." Taking on production duties for the new album was another confidence-building exer- cise. Mayer worked with John Alagia on 2002's "Room for Squares" and Jack Joseph Puig on 2004's "Heavier Things," but this time he wanted to do it himself. "Needed to know if I could or not," he says simply. He's pleased enough with the results to have said that "Continuum" is "the first endeavor in my entire life, music or otherwise, that I did not cop out for a second on." He elaborates. '"When you make a decision that something isn't good enough and pass on fixing it because you're aware of how hard it's going to be, that's copping out," he says. This time, he identified and fixed the "tiny sparks" of dissatisfaction that he had a hard time spotting on earlier albums. Thusthetitle of "Continuum," which Mayer says refers to the learning process he has undergone with every album he has made. "All we're talking about is natural progression and growth, kind ofshowing the way toward getting better," he says. Danton is rock critic for The Courant Telluride: A film festival that's actually about films BY JOHN HORN Los Angeles Times HOLLYWOOD - As soon as executives at Sony Pictures Classics saw a rough cut of "Capote," they decided to launch their film at a top film festival. But Sony wasn't focused on Cannes, didn't shoot for Sundance and hadn't singled out Toronto, Venice or Berlin. The company wanted the film to premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, a small Labor Day gathering that isn't exactly at the top of the industry food chain. "Because it's a holiday weekend, and because it's virtually impossible to get to — it's easier to get to Cannes than it is to Telluride — the people who go to Telluride are truly die-hard movie fans," says Michael Barker, co-president of Sony's specialized film unit. "Everyone is there to see movies. There is no other agenda, there are no deals. It's a place to discover movies." Sundance has swag, Cannes has yachts, Toronto stars. Telluride has class. "Capote" emerged from last year's Telluride festival with overwhelmingly positive buzz and not only went on to become a critical smash but also to win a best actor Oscar for Philip Seymour Hoffman. In addition to "Capote," the Colorado ski town festival has hosted world or domestic premieres of "Lost in Translation," "Bowling for Columbine," "Brokeback Mountain," "Cache" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." So what next great film will Telluride launch in this year's 33rd annual festival, running from Friday to Monday? Don't ask festival programmers, or even the makers or stars of the movies themselves. They're all sworn to secrecy. Unlike virtually every other festival, Telluride keeps the names of its 20 or so new films under wraps until opening day. What some people say is a precious affectation is part of the festival's idiosyncratic gestalt. Big studio films are rarely invited, but "Walk the Line" was. Christopher Nolan's remake of "Insomnia" didn't play in Telluride. But the original 1997 Norwegian thriller did. Where other film festivals welcome paparazzi, Telluride discourages them. At Sundance, a few thousand dollars buys you an all-access credential that allows you to cut lines as if you held a Disneyland Fast Pass. At Telluride, almost all pass holders are created equal, as top stars queue alongside lowly Predicting the Telluride Rocky Mountain Lineup: film geeks. And Like any good politician, while cellphones organizers of the Telluride Film chirp throughout Festival will neither confirm nor screenings at other deny what might be in this year's festivals, Telluride program. But here's our best guests will be escorted out of the guess at a few titles: - "Little Children."An adaptaauditorium should tion of the Tom Perrotta novel, their mobile phone starring Kate Winsiet and Patrick ring. "I've been to a lot Wilson. Directed by Todd Field. • "Infamous." The second of festivals over the years, and I think feature in as many years about Truman Capote writing In Cold Telluride has its Blood "Stars Toby Jones and own personality," Daniel Craig; directed by Douglas says Bill Pence, who directs the festival McGrath. • "Fur." Nicole Kidman stars as with Tom Luddy. "It's easygoing; the photojournaiist Diane Arbus. there is a lot of Directed by Steven Shainberg. intimate contact • "Babel."Cate Blanchett and between the people Brad Pitt top the cast in an epiwho make the films sodic drama directed by Alejandro and the people Gonzalez Inarritu. who see the films, • "The Last King of Scotland." and the entire Forest Whitaker plays IdiAmin town becomes the in an adaptation of Giles festival. I have Foden's novel. Directed by Kevin heard so many times that some of Macdonald. -"The Life of Others." A black the best talks are comedy about spying in 1980s between people waiting in line. East Germany. Directed by Florian Henckel-Donnersmarck. "We really • "Venus." Peter O'Toole heads designed the a cast in a story about two aging festival from the actors and a young interloper. get-go for the Directed by Roger Michell. pass holder. The • "Waitress."Keri Russell plays person attending a sad waitress looking for love. the movies is the mission. Not Directed by Adrienne Shelly. the press. Not • "Ghosts of Cite Soleii" A docthe chamber umentary about Haitian gangs. of commerce. Directed by Asger Leth and Milos Not to develop Loncarevk. filmmakers. It's the • "Severance." A slasher movie audience." directed by Britain's Christopher That audience Smith. can become a • "After the Wedding."A bellwether of a Danish drama directed by film's prospects. SusanneBier. While Telluride • "Deep Water." A documen- What's Hot ESTIVAL see page 23 Jniy about a catastrophic sailing race in 1968. Directed by Louise Osmond. FANTASY From page 21 Good for the first 2 weeks of Fall semester. Entrees on select menu. 2211N. North Login 752-3252 Free WiFi Full D.A.B.C License the advertising blitz.) Persson, who has used Yahoo for free fantasy sports gaming for years, is happy with the support he gets from the Web company, even though he realizes that there are plenty of advanced, pay sites that will offer more features and services for the hardcore fantasy players. For $25 for a team or $125 for a league, players on Yahoo's Fantasy Football Plus package get access to live online chats, league communication tools such as message boards and access to the league's progress from the player's cellphone. Paying customers can also customize point total and league rules to meet the needs of their players. Prizes such as T-shirts and trophies are available for the league winners. NFL.com, which also offers free fantasy football, has a $130 Field Pass option that delivers up-to-the-minute statistics and live play-by-play audio broadcasts for games outside your area. Interested in a soupedup experience but unwilling to cough up $130? Consider the NFL's $3.99-per-month Fantasy Companion, which allows you to use your cellphone to get updated scores or change your player lineup while on the go. Persson, who has enjoyed playing for free for years, likes what the pay sites offer, but isn't sure he's willing to shell out cash for something he enjoys forfreenow. "I may upgrade to a pay league next year, but I've had a great experience with Yahoo's free site over the last few years for football • and other sports," he said. |
