The delightful twang of bluegrass and folk rang out from duo The Milk Carton Kids Thursday night at the band’s first headlining show at the legendary Bluebird Theater in Denver.

Kids rhythm guitarist Joey Ryan introduced openers, The Barefoot Movement, for their first show on the tour east of Memphis, Tenn. The quartet was very quiet and polite when addressing the crowd, but their music was powerful.

Although neither the fiddle, acoustic guitar, mandolin nor the stand-up bass were electric, and three of the four members sang at one time, only one mic was used for the entire set.

As unplugged as they were, The Barefoot Movement had perfect balance between instruments and vocals. Because they never had a set positions throughout the show, the band could move to feature fiddle and mandolin solos, then make a quick switch back to featuring vocals.

Even with four people and instruments surrounding the mic, they never needed to come closer than a foot or so. Whether that was due to their ability to balance with each other or the mic’s sensitivity, it was still impressive.

The Barefoot Movement was, in fact, barefoot onstage.

They played a diverse set of original music and traditional Americana songs. The traditional songs, including “Jim Along Josie” and one that guitarist Quentin Acres described as a rocking song about a chicken, drew the most hooting and hollering from the crowd through the night.

Acres and bassist Hasee Ciacco provided beautiful backup vocals that highlighted fiddler Noah Wall’s country heartache tones in the slower songs. On some of the more upbeat songs, Ciacco was front and center with the bass, alto tones and all.

The band was such a hit that the audience, which sat for the set, gave a standing ovation and demanded an encore. In the ten years I’ve been going to concerts in the Denver area, I’ve never seen an opener receive an encore. Regardless of conventions, the very talented yet very modest The Barefoot Movement deserved it.

They wrapped up their set with a bluegrass cover of Blind Melon’s “No Rain,” which included a killer mandolin solo in place of the usual guitar solo.

From left, Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale speak between songs at their set at the Bluebird Theatre in Denver on Thursday. (Patrick Fort/CU Independent)

When The Milk Carton Kids took the stage, Ryan joked that after that set, they would open for the Barefoot Movement for the rest of the tour. Because they built up for a raucous bluegrass show, and a quiet folk show was the followup act, this joke actually seemed like a sonically viable option.

The Kids had a much more subdued set compared to The Barefoot Movement. Although they didn’t have the high energy performance of their openers, The Milk Carton Kids were on par as far as musical talent is concerned.

Lead guitarist Kenneth Pattengale intricately picked in every song, but never overpowered the vocal harmonies or Ryan’s guitar. Although neither moved around much while playing, Pattingales swagger for feeling the rhythm was interesting to watch as it changed form song to song. The simple white lighting highlighted that this show was about the music, not about the light show – a difference from most other shows, which I appreciate.

Several songs stuck out in the set, including “Honey, Honey,” one of the duo’s more upbeat songs, and the title track off their newest album, “The Ash & Clay.” The stand-out song of the evening was “Charlie,” a song Pattengale wrote about his daughter. The song, however, is no ordinary father-to-daughter song.

“While she has a song written for her and a name assigned, she doesn’t have a due date or even a mother,” Ryan said as he introduced the song. Despite being written for a hypothetical person, “Charlie” is a beautiful and wise song that made the audience hope that Pattingale does get to sing it to his now-nonexistent daughter someday.

The most entertaining part of The Milk Carton Kids’ show was not the music, surprisingly, but how Ryan and Pattingale introduced the songs. Ryan went on tangents between each song on topics from comma use to the meaning of the duo’s songs to the history of the ampersand, and each one elicited at least one giant laugh from the entire crowd.

Meanwhile, Pattengale poked fun at Ryan’s choice of topics and jokingly called out members of the audience who shouted compliments or words of encouragement. Considering that most of their songs are sad, making the audience belly-laugh between each song was probably the best way to keep them from leaving the show completely depressed.

Both The Milk Carton Kids and The Barefoot Movement are coming back to Colorado this summer. From what I saw on Thursday, I think it’s safe to say that, regardless of who they play with, those shows are not to be missed.

Contact CU Independent News Budget Editor Avalon Jacka at Avalon.jacka@colorado.edu.

In typical Disney Pixar fashion, “Monsters University” is a coming-of-age story that shows how terrifying college is, especially when you’re surrounded by monsters that major in scaring.

Mike and Sulley in Monster’s University, the prequel to Monster’s, Inc. (Courtesy of Disney/Pixar)

The prequel to “Monsters, Inc.” looks at a little Mike Wazowski and how he decided to become a scarer. It all started on a school field trip to Monsters, Inc., where a tiny, bullied and ignored Wazowski sees scaring first-hand after sneaking onto the scare floor. From that day on, Wazowski works hard to prove that he can be a scarer. He thinks he can achieve that when he goes to school at Monsters University.

All of that goes into jeopardy when legacy scarer James P. Sullivan, or Sully, comes in to the same beginning scaring class. Under threat of expulsion from the scare school if they fail the beginning class, Wazowski studies every scare tactic he can find, while Sully relies on his family flair to get him through the class. Wazowski, a know-it-all, and Sully, a natural talent, compete for the class’s top rank through the semester, but to no avail. Both Wazowski and Sully are kicked out of the school by Dean Hardscrabble after getting caught trying to out-scare each other in the final, out of turn.

The only way Hardscrabble will consider allowing Wazowski and Sully back into the school is if they can create a team for the Scare Games – which could be a cooler, more death-defying Greek Week – and win. If they lose, Wazowski and Sully have to leave Monsters U. When Wazowski and Sully team up with the reject monster fraternity, Hardscrabble and the rest of the school think they’ll be rid of the rejects forever, but Wazowski and Sully won’t give up their hard work or legacy so easily.

Although the story of how Sully and Wazowski eventually become friends is the main focus on character development in “Monsters University,” the side characters are some of the most interesting in Disney and Pixar’s recent work, especially when looking at the monster fraternities and sororities.

Of course, there is a group of pretty-in-pink sorority monsters who seem sweet until they flash their laser eyes at their enemies. The No. 3 team is a stereotypically goth sorority, atypical of sororities but awesome nonetheless. The favorites to win the Scare Games are in-your-face frat stereotypes of the house ROR. Watching their moves in the games, it’s easy to see why these jocks are at the top.

But the most endearing and diverse team is Wazowski and Sully’s: Oozma Kappa. They’re OK. Well, maybe OK is giving them too much credit at first. The brothers of Oozma Kappa consist of an older squid-man who identifies as a sales associate, a two-headed creature who can’t seem to find his bravery, a monster with no legs who’d be better off slacklining than being in a frat and a squishy monster that you can’t see until he’s… right behind you! This ragtag team is what Wazowski and Sully have to rely on to get back into the scare school. The future does not seem hopeful, but what would a Disney movie be if it didn’t offer any hope for the end?

The all-star voice cast returns with original actors Billy Crystal, John Goodman and Steve Buscemi. New actors include Aubrey Plaza and John Krasinski as Scare Games MCs. Alfred Molina makes an appearance as a hardcore university professor, and Helen Mirren is the haunting winged Dean Hardscrabble, whose hundreds of legs click along as she paces in front of her scolding victims.

The jokes are a good mix of physical humor – for the younger kids – and word play – for the college kids who want to relate. Screenwriters Robert Baird, Daniel Gerson and Dan Scanlon have perfect timing, using each kind of humor in the appropriate settings.

“Monsters University” is one movie that could give you hope in the middle of finals. Too bad it won’t come out until June 21.

Contact CU Independent News Budget Editor Avalon Jacka at Avalon.jacka@colorado.edu.

Last week was a brutal week for America, and the 24-hour breaking news coverage didn’t help anything.

In the wake of the Boston bombings, the FBI were searching for suspects and the Internet and reporters were eager to help. This deed would not go unpunished, they said. But in the days following, three young men were falsely pinned as suspects and unfairly punished for a crime they didn’t commit.

This is a telling characteristic of the 24-hour news cycle. In order to beat the competition, news outlets have to break news first. But how can they beat the competition if the news they break is just a rumor?

Without confirming who these young male “suspects” were, news outlets cause irreparable harm to them. I won’t name these men, though the damage has already been done. One such “suspect” is a 17-year-old runner. Another was a 20-year-old student from the Boston area. The third has been missing for a month, and the accusations against him rose more pain for his family. Their families have been threatened, and they feel like they can’t leave their houses. When it was announced that these three weren’t actual suspects, the Internet continued to search for suspects, and many profiled for “dark-skinned” men, as if they were the only people who could have carried out the attack. The public might have carried out the discrimination, but the news outlets caused it.

One of the main issues with the various accusations was where the information about these “suspects” came from. Any respectable journalist should know by now that police scanners and Twitter are good sources for news tips, but you shouldn’t stop your reporting at a tip, like it is a proven fact. Follow up on information before you disseminate it. Considering how quickly the rumors of suspects arrested spread from news outlet to news outlet, these reporters obviously didn’t follow up with officials.

The news outlets that misreported that these men were suspects could be sued for libel, and honestly, I hope they are. These outlets have to be held accountable for their actions. Causing that kind of damage is unacceptable, regardless of whether you think someone fits a bombing suspect’s profile because they are “dark-skinned.”

Last week showed us that we in the news industry must be responsible when reporting. Journalists are supposed to do no harm. Yet when we report on three “suspects” without confirming with officials in one week, that is exactly what we do. To be fair, only a small percentage of the news that came out last week was reported poorly. If anything, the misreporting should be a lesson to reporters: even with your most trusted sources, verify what they say before you end up falsely accusing someone.

Contact CU Independent News Budget Editor Avalon Jacka at Avalon.jacka@colorado.edu.

The CU Independent has found the checkpoints on campus, so you don’t have to and have put all of our stories here.

View 2013 4/20 Checkpoints for CU Boulder in a larger map

Contact CU Independent News Budget Editor Avalon Jacka at Avalon.jacka@colorado.edu.

The opinions herein do not represent the staff of CU Independent or any of its sponsors.

Contact CU Independent News Editors Avalon Jacka at Avalon.jacka@colorado.edu.and Bethany Morris at Bethany.morris@colorado.edu.

The opinions herein do not represent the staff of CU Independent or any of its sponsors.

News Editor Avalon Jacka breaks down her first experience at the 65th annual Conference on World Affairs.

Contact CU Independent News Budget Editor Avalon Jacka at Avalon.jacka@colorado.edu.

The CWA panel “NCAA: National Cartels of Amateur Athletics” shed light on recent scandals in college athletics while questioning whether to pay student athletes for their work on the field or court.

Jefferson Dodge moderated the Friday morning panel. Panelists William Nack, Guy Benson, Robert George and Jurek Martin talked about how the NCAA makes millions of dollars each year from its athletes, yet those athletes make nothing from the entertainment they provide. While all of the panelists agreed that the difference in money making is unfairly balanced, their opinions differed on how to reimburse the students. There was also a hot debate on which comes first: being a student or being an athlete. Amid the laughs at jokes about not-so athletic schools and athletes, the serious question remained: how do we compensate the athletes who entertain us between classes? Below are the stand-out quotes and points made by the panelists.

Nack

On the NCAA making millions from CBS buying exclusive coverage of the March Madness tournament: “All of it’s on the backs of amateur athletes who did not get paid a thing.”

On the large amount of injuries and deaths from the early days of the NCAA: “Two large men can’t run into each other without equipment without some fatalities.”

About a student athlete from Georgia University who was suspended from basketball for selling his tournament jersey: “He literally sold the shirt off his back, and the NCAA said, ‘No.’ Meanwhile, the Georgia bookstore was selling the same number replica for $39.99.”

“There’s got to be some way that we can compensate these athletes who are throwing their bodies around [for our entertainment]. Look at the money we make off of poor black kids.”

Benson

“I hear the Buffs [basketball team] will make the Sweet 16 next year. I won’t say anything about the football program.”

On school keeping public lists of student athletes that graduate: “I think that’s a very good idea. I think that should be counted [when schools get funding].”

“Amateurism is a crux of college sports.”

“If [student athletes] want to go pro, they have a massive platform to perform.”

George

“[What it] comes down to: are they a student or are they semi-pro athletes? I would argue, they’re semi-pro.”

“The question is: are they [student athletes] compensated to the level of the value that they actually bring to the school?”

“Where college athletes do get certain privileges that other students don’t get, there are other opportunities that regular students can do that college athletes can’t do.”

“[The student athlete’s] life basically belongs to the NCAA. Not only his life, but his likeness.”

Martin

At the beginning of the NCAA, “He was a student first, athlete second. Those days are gone.”

On Tiger Woods leaving Standford after two years rather than graduating: “If he had stayed in school, maybe he would have gotten the wisdom to avoid certain problems he’s had in the last few years.”

“I’d like to think that we should have students over athletes rather than the other way around.”

In college basketball: “How long is on the clock? Forty minutes. How long did it take to show the game [on TV]? Two and a half hours. These are athletes that take two and a half hours to play 40 minutes. Those aren’t athletes.”

Contact CU Independent News Budget Editor Avalon Jacka at Avalon.jacka@colorado.edu.

A packed Boulder High School auditorium welcomed the a panel on the United States’ right to bear arms Thursday afternoon.

Boulder High’s Intervention Specialist Ainsley Cone moderated the controversial Conference on World Affairs panel. It was a well-rounded debate with liberal and conservative political perspectives, a change of pace from some other panels that have only presented one side of the story this week.

Margot Adler, a well-known liberal, admitted that in her days of activism in the 1960s, she sided with the Black Panthers and their view that if the police had guns, everyone should be able to have guns.

Boulder High School student asks a question of the Right to Bear Arms panel including moderator Ainsley Cone, left, and panelists Margot Adler, Guy Benson and Colin Goddard. (Avalon Jacka/CU Independent)

Conservative Guy Benson was the most adamant pro-gun panelist, but he acknowledged that with any gun legislation, regardless of the extent, lawmakers have to “be smart about it.”

Colin Goddard, a survivor of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, opened his segment on a lighter note, joking that he thought he was at a panel for sleeveless shirts.

He got serious on gun regulation, though, stating that while America can’t fully stop all gun violence, we have to take steps to prevent future tragedies form happening.

The panel was well-received by the audience of mostly high school students, with multiple points from each panelist spurring the full auditorium to applaud. Below are key points the panelists made on gun regulation and violence prevention.

Adler
“If the police have guns, I should have a gun… [But] do I have a right to a nuclear weapon because the government has a nuclear weapon?”

On gun regulation: “For many, way down deep, you’re afraid they [the government] will take your rights away.”

On having guns for protection from the government: “On some level, even in the world we live in now, an assault weapon with all the magazines in the world can’t go up against the greatest military might in the world.”

Benson
In response to the NRA defense that, “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”: “Ultimately, it’s human evil that kills people, but they [guns] certainly make it easier.”

“Pie in the sky [legislation] doesn’t cut it in Washington, you have to get the votes.”

“As an open-minded conservative, it does trouble me that the advocates for this control are so ignorant about guns.”

Goddard
“If we don’t make changes, we can’t be shocked the next time a mass shooting happens.”

“Of all the amendments, the second is the only one with the word ‘regulated’ in it.”

“We put limits on the amount of bullets you can hunt animals with, but we don’t have limits on the amount of bullets you can hunt human beings with.”

Contact CU Independent News Budget Editor Avalon Jacka at Avalon.jacka@colorado.edu.

Boulder’s vegan residents will relish in the Conference of World Affairs’ panel titled, “Veganism: We Have to Stop Meating Like This.” The panel will be from 3-4:20 p.m. on Wednesday in the University Memorial Center Gallery. Rose Pierro, founder a natural foods brokerage firm, Wild Rose Marketing, will moderate the panel, which is expected to shed light on the meat industry and vegan alternatives.

Piper Jackson-Sevy, student volunteer coordinator for the CWA, was a big proponent in the panel to take place this year after she saw multiple panelists and the Boulder community interested in veganism.

“I’ve been vegan for eight months and I think there’s a misconception on what it is,” Jackson-Sevy, a 21-year-old junior international affairs and economics major, said.

Panelist Gooding speaks while the other panelists listen during the CWA Panel “Beatles to Bassnectar: The (De)evolution of Music” Wednesday April 11, 2012.  This years Conference on World Affairs runs April 8-11. (Kai Casey/CU Independent File)

Participants in the panel include Robert Egger, Gooding, Alicia Robb and Keith Snow. Egger is the founder and president of L.A. Kitchen, a group that uses fresh fruits and vegetables to prepare healthy snacks, entrees and other products for the elderly. He used his experience as president at the DC Central Kitchen for inspiration for the L.A. Kitchen model, according to the conference website. Egger was the founding chair of Washington, D.C.’s Mayor’s Commission on Nutrition and currently serves on the board for the World Central Kitchen, among other organizations.

Gooding is a touring musician who advocates for Operation Hope and is an honorary committee member of the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, which promotes preventative medicine and medical ethical standards. Gooding has contributed songs to Forbes 500 commercials, hundred of movies and TV stations.

Robb is an expert in small-business financing and sits on the National Advisory Council for Minority Business Enterprises. She researches entrepreneurial finance and high-growth entrepreneurship at the University of California Santa Cruz. In 1995, Robb started the Foundation for Sustainable Development, which supports sustainable community development initiatives in Latin America, Africa and India.

Snow is a small organic farmer and activist, as well as writer, photographer, war correspondent and healer. Snow practices simple living while living under the poverty line and without a car. He is known for his political dissent.

For more CWA coverage, check the CU Independent’s previews and can’t-miss schedule.

Contact CU Independent News Budget Editor Avalon Jacka at Avalon.jacka@colorado.edu.

Three weeks after two CU students were arrested on suspicion of illegal sale of a prescription drug, the Conference on World Affairs panel “Addy, Oxy and Molly: College drug use” offered an extremely relevant discussion to the campus community, especially as finals approach.

On Tuesday, panelists Ross Haenfler and Howard Schultz talked about their personal experiences with drugs and interactions with drug users during college, while Sanho Tree gave the greater implications of drug use on people, especially students. Although all the they mentioned hard drugs, like heroin and cocaine, and other drugs, like marijuana, the panelists agreed that two main types of drugs are more detrimental, prescription drugs and alcohol.

“I thought it was interesting that all of them [the panelists] viewed alcohol as a drug,” senior accounting major Ellen Duchin, 21, said. “I think that’s something in our culture, especially in college, that we don’t think about.”

Although many of the panelists’ quips were met with laughter, the overall tone was serious. Our society has to rethink how we look at drugs, they said, prescription or otherwise. Since all of the panelists were decidedly anti-drug, some audience members were left desiring a counterpoint, which came in the questions portion.

Below are stand-out quotes from the “Addy, Oxy and Molly: College drug use” panel:

Moderator David Elm
Drug use, or, “as some people say on campus, better-living through chemistry.”

Haenfler
“We’re saying [prescription] drugs are the solution to everything, but we also have to be tough on [illegal] drugs. That’s not right.”

“I’m more concerned about the No. 1 drug on campus: alcohol.”

“Who do I want to deal with: someone who has the munchies and is giggling, or someone who’s… puking on my couch?”

Schultz
“I’m always asking why, when we’re in college, do we feel the need to do this? What are the pressures that kids are under today that they need drugs to do well in college?’”

“We’ve become accustomed to alchohol abuse in ways that we haven’t with drugs.”

“Enough of the platitudes like ‘Say no to drugs!’ We need a dialogue.”

Tree
“I always tell young people to get high on life, but some of them have built up a tolerance.”

“I wonder if self-medication isn’t a rational response to that insanity [in the world].”

“I would rather parents taught their kids to consume responsibly rather than fraternities.”

Contact CU Independent News Budget Editor Avalon Jacka at Avalon.jacka@colorado.edu.