Show Review: EARTH @ Soda Bar San Diego

Show Review
EARTH
@ Soda Bar in San Diego, CA.

   I went out and saw Cloud Atlas in IMAX last week because 1) I figure it will be on the IMAX screen for about a week in most theaters 2) I really don't want to see Cloud Atlas in anything BUT IMAX, because, Jesus Christ, it's like 3 hours.  The major theme of Cloud Atlas book/movie is that we are bound together by fate/karma so watching that movie on IMAX is the spiritual equivalent of a 3 hour waterboarding session in terms of persuasiveness.

Is Halle Berry A-list or not?

  Other then that the only thing that sticks about Cloud Atlas is the presence of Halle Berry, who seems to have rebounded from Catwoman.  Just- wow- her performances- and since the actors all show up in every segment of the "nesting doll" style narrative format- you get six different Halle Berry roles: Native Woman / Jocasta Ayrs / Luisa Rey / Indian Party Guest / Ovid / Meronym.

  Luisa Rey- who is the "muckraking" journalist character from the 1970s portion of Cloud Atlas is particularly noteworthy.

Earth, the planet.

  So it was this theme of reincarnation and interconnected fate/karma that I was grappling with while watching EARTH at the Soda Bar.  Not a bad band for that kind of thematic subject matter, dark and philosophical (and at times unintentionally hilarious.)

  When I was previewing the show, I found that Pitchfork had actually reviewed the 2005 Arthurfest where I saw EARTH last time.  It's funny, because I'm quite sure I had never heard of Pitchfork in 2005- or was only peripherally aware of it's existence.   I'm also sure that Arthurfest was a direct inspiration for everything I did in local music between 2005-2008, and the 2011 shut-down of the magazine for financial reasons was proceeded by a period of two years where Arthur magazine ceased print publication:  Both events were equally distressing. 

  It's sad, because Arthur Magazine is an illustration of just how difficult DIY cultural institutions are to maintain.