Just moments after Wilco’s enigmatic guitarist Nels Cline had peeled the paint off the walls inside UC Davis' Mondavi Center with a little psychedelic freakout on "Impossible Germany," front man Jeff Tweedy pulled out the line of the night: "You know, something just occurred to me - the guy yelling 'Free Bird!' might help explain the pepper spray incident." Ohhh, too soon? Tweedy asked that too, amidst the smattering of "ohhh's" and groans that were peppered (zing!) in with the laughter and the applause - although there seemed to be a resounding agreement that a little aerosol Tabasco to the face would be an appropriate response for a guy who apparently still thinks it's cool or funny t

DAVIS, Calif. — It has now been two months since the infamous pepper-spraying incident that made UC Davis an international house-hold name occurred. Even after Thanksgiving weekend, only the remnants of the incident remained. Although a bounty of tents could still be found on the quad, a mere handful of protestors could be found in them. Then the Monday morning after Thanksgiving break arrived. Once again, one by one, news vans crept back onto campus as if waiting for blood to be shed. The vans have now let the campus in peace. Almost all protestors and non-protestors alike felt strongly that the pepper spraying incident was nothing but unacceptable. “The extraordinary reaction of the pep

Now that an autism diagnosis is 10 times more common than it was in the 1980s, more children than ever before are undergoing effective early interventions and treatment plans. However, one aspect of the disorder that has yet to garner attention is the scarcity of support for young adults transitioning out of high school and into adulthood. “There is a severe lack of knowledge for educators and parents regarding available options after the public K-12 system,” says Rodger Stein, M.A., an instructor at UC Davis Extension and professor of psychology with the Los Rios Community College District who specializes in behavior supports for youth with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome. “

Tom Stoppard's 1960s play Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead finishes its run at the UC Davis Department of Theatre & Dance tonight through Saturday at the Main Theatre in Wright Hall. Michael Barakiva, Granada Artist-in-Residence at UC Davis, directs the absurdist comedy that elevates two minor characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet to central roles. The play features witty fast-paced dialogue and philosophical ponderings that involve meaning, being, and knowing. “There are times when things make sense and there are times when you’re transported from one space to another and reality bends to accommodate desire or fear,” Barakiva notes. “We're using Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Lorca

Sacramento State hosted the 58th annual Causeway Classic football game, its rivalry game against UC Davis Saturday at Hornet Stadium. The Hornets were hoping to win its third Causeway Classic game in four years, but unfortunately the Aggies did not let that happen as Davis defeated Sac State 23-19. Sac State did not score until the second quarter when freshman defensive lineman Ben Cowger sacked Davis quarterback Randy Wright, causing Wright to fumble the ball into Davis’ end zone allowing Cowger to recover the ball for a Hornet touchdown. Davis however would answer back with a touchdown of its own when freshman running back Austin Edmondson rushed to the end zone from the 8-yard line

The fantastical world of Clayton Bailey will transform the Crocker Art Museum for Art Mix: Funk Lab on Thursday, November 10, from 5 to 9 p.m. Inspired by Bailey’s robot sculptures and pop ray guns fashioned from discarded aluminum, the evening features a pop ray gun shooting range, dancing to sci-fi film soundtracks, a series of live-action trailers by Scavenger Theatre, and robotic inventions from the University of California, Davis, including iMobot. “Clayton Bailey’s World of Wonders,” the first career-spanning retrospective featuring the work of the ceramist, sculptor, and self-proclaimed “mad scientist,” is currently on view at the Museum through January 15, 2012. Tickets for Funk

After studying for hours learning the computer language of electrical engineering, coding and programming during his freshman year at UC Davis, Benson Chou traded in his seat in the computer lab of Kemper Hall to turn his passion for art and graphic design into a growing business and clothing brand known as The Imaginary Zebra. Chou has created more than 50 T-shirt designs, and he said he has sold about 2,000 T-shirts since his freshman year when he and a few of his friends personally designed, screen-printed, packaged and shipped hundreds of T-shirts. As the demand rose, Chou moved to selling all of his T-shirts online exclusively through his website, which he designed and created. He g

Who gives a shout out to the Central Valley? Well, someone from the Central Valley. This week, Cake played twice for eager Central Valley crowds. The local band performed for happy Cakesters at Freeborn Hall on the UC Davis campus on both Thursday and Friday nights. Friday night, the Memorial Union hall was at capacity, 1,775 people deep. On Thursday, nearly 1,300 people came out to sway and nod with Cake. An hour before the show on Thursday night, fans were already lined up outside, ready to vie for a good spot in the community center hall. Thursday night drew a devoted crowd with one (especially) veteran fan who declared she’s been to over 20 Cake spectaculars over the years. The alt

Cake. Simple, home-baked, yet such a delicacy. The five member band will start the academic year off right for UC Davis students. The local favorite will perform at University of California, Davis’ Freeborn Hall this Thursday and Friday, October 6 and 7. While the band's tunes are so rollicking and varying that they are essentially without genre, Cake is known for a number of hits including, "The Distance" and "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle." "Never There" and "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" also function effectively as cult classics for the current twenty-something generation. (Even if some have now reached their thirties.) The band's newest album, "Showroom of Compassion," was released in Januar

About 150 people marched through Oak Park Thursday in a “unity march” to fight against the City Council’s proposed redistricting map that would move the UC Davis Med Center out of Oak Park’s council district. “The purpose for tonight is to try to find a hero in this whole controversy, and by that I mean someone who will find a real compromise,” said Michael Boyd, president of the Oak Park Neighborhood Association. The marchers Thursday night walked from the intersection of 34th Street and Second Avenue to the Med Center, chanting slogans and carrying signs along the way as police blocked the streets and kept a clear path. Residents of Oak Park have repeatedly made their voices heard at

A few basics should be mentioned first. It does not matter where UCD Med is as far as balancing populations. Also, look on a map and you will see that UCD and the Medical buildings running down Stockton Blvd. have an impact on several neighborhoods not only Oak Park or Elmhurst. UCD has been in District 5 since the start of redistricting. Oak Park has also always been in District 5. So, for 40 years UCD and Oak Park enjoyed the same representative on the City Council. There are benefits that come with being a Council member representing such a large economic and community asset and with the relationships that are formed. Otherwise, it would not have been prized so highly by the players.

Although UC Davis discontinued four of its intercollegiate sports last year, the university has partnered with Sudwerk Restaurant and Brewery to create a $25,000 athletic scholarship fund. The two brewed up the idea of a beer – the Aggie Lager – which would benefit UC Davis athletes. The folks at Sudwerk Brewery created the golden, malted barley beer. Local Davis eateries such as Woodstock’s Pizza, The Graduate Restaurant and Sports Bar, and The Hallmark Inn began selling the beer earlier this month. UC Davis officials thought this would be a good way to raise money for UC Davis intercollegiate athletes. For now, there is a one year licensing agreement on the beer. “The licensing agreem

On sporadic Sundays an audience gathers in the cosy Geary Theater in Midtown for an evening of songs performed by some of Sacramento’s best actor/singers at a cabaret event known as Graham-A-Rama, named after its’ founder and musical director Graham Sobelman. In June Graham-A-Rama did something different. They devoted a weekend to three performances of William Finn’s one act musical play “In Trousers” in concert. “In Trousers” which Finn wrote the book, lyrics and music is the first of what became trilogy of three one act plays. Finn joined with James Lapine to create two more one act plays “March of the Falsettos” and “Falsettoland.” The second two shows were combined to create a two act

These aren't the kind of shows you necessarily have to be "in the know" to know about. Most of Cake's hometown shows here in Sacramento over the past couple of years have been centered around their occasional surprise shows at the relatively tiny Blue Lamp, with announcements for the gigs usually coming the day before or day of - or not at all. You may now consider yourself "in the know." Cake will perform a pair of concerts on Thursday, October 6 and Friday, October 7 at Freeborn Hall on the University of California Davis campus. Tickets are $37 in advance and $42 the day of the show. Tickets are currently in pre-sale, and will be on sale to the general public on Friday, July 22 beginn

Patrons of the arts had the chance of a lifetime on Wednesday to experience one of the greats, singer Tony Bennett. UC Davis Mondavi Center executive director Don Roth welcomed spectators, who were dressed in their best, and the blue velvet curtain rose as if revealing royalty. The show began with Antonia Bennett, a jazzy redhead who was so vibrant and whose voice was so rich, I can only expect that we will see more of Tony Bennett’s vivacious daughter in the future. Antonia began her set with “You’re a Lucky Guy,” and dedicated it to her father, standing in the wing. Following the short opening set, the four-piece band of piano, guitar, bass and trap set transitioned seamlessly to the m

Tony Bennett, the 84-year-old award-winning singer, will be performing at the UC Davis Mondavi Center on Wednesday, May 25. Bennett has been performing for more than 60 years, and, through the ups and downs of a musical career, has continued to record and perform. Still more astonishing is his upcoming album release, set for Sept. 20 of this year. “Tony Bennett: Duets II” is an astounding collection of duets, including collaborations with Amy Winehouse, Faith Hill, Willie Nelson, Josh Groban, Mariah Carey, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones and Alejandro Sanz, among others. Bennett's set, scheduled for 8 p.m. in Jackson Hall, will likely include hits from his more recent albums, as well as old fa

Woodland, Calif. gave SXSW, Coachella and the Treasure Island Music Festival a run for their money this weekend. Local dive bar Plainfield Station, located on County Road 98, was host to the 11th edition of Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom, a 12-band music festival put on by Davis radio station KDVS 90.3 FM. The UC Davis Samba School, Produce Produce, Kites Sail High, Alak, Moon Pearl, Gaarth, Charles Albrigt, Nobunny, Ellie Fortune, Appetite, Zach Hill and headliner R. Stevie Moore all graced the bar’s backyard stage. With KDVS at the helm, O:RMF was brought to fruition back in 2005 as an outlet for “new, creative music of the most sincere artistic scruples,” and has been held twice a

The Mondavi Center at UC Davis will host renowned performer and choreographer Lucinda Childs’ 2009 revival of her 1979 production of “DANCE,” the widely known and controversial score she created with composer Philip Glass and filmmaker Sol LeWitt. It will be shown on Tuesday in Jackson Hall at 8 p.m.. The original premiere of “DANCE” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in ‘79, and its revival in 2009 are two memorable experiences. According to Childs, that’s for two very different reasons, both having to do with audience reception. “The reaction to the revival of the tour has been quite different than that of the premiere,” said Ruth Rosenberg, artist engagement coordinator of the Mondavi C

Saturday marked UC Davis' annual Picnic Day, a free, family-friendly community event, celebrating the achievements UC Davis has in areas of research, teaching, service and campus life. This year’s Picnic Day was themed " Rewind" in hopes of reviving the spirit of the first Picnic Day in 1909. All day crowds of students celebrate their Aggie pride with groups of alumni, family, faculty and staff, children and pets. Events begin at 7:30 a.m. with the pancake breakfast and parade. Festivities last throughout the day and into the night, ending after the last marching band performs at the Battle of the Bands event at Spafford Lake in the Arboretum. Picnic Day is one of the largest student-run

Max Raabe & Palast Orchester performed at the Mondavi Center at UC Davis last Wednesday night. Raabe is the German singer and band leader of the Palast Orchester, a 12-piece ensemble that performs German dance and film music of the 1920s and 1930s, theatrical songs and big band jazz. Raabe also recreates modern pop songs from the likes of Britney Spears into a 1920s and ‘30s band style. Their instrumentation consists of violins, clarinet, bass, piano, trumpet, saxophone, flutes and drums. The band was chosen to perform at the reception of popular rock musician Marilyn Manson and burlesque star Dita Von Teese's wedding. All 13 band members were dressed to perfection, with the 12 men in fi