The Bidwells perform in Laxson Auditorium for virtual audience
Sophia Pearson, Reporter
October 21, 2020
Ben Ruttenburg and Samantha Francis, members of the musical duo The Bidwells, performed Friday night inside Chico State’s Laxson Auditorium for a virtual audience. The performance was intimate despite the physical distance between the artists and their viewers. Chico Performances offered the presentation...
Chico State students, faculty, staff work to keep local music scene vibrant amid pandemic
September 14, 2020
School of the Arts Productions and Chico Performances are each working on projects that will help music and arts thrive during the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Paul Young, a music industry professor who runs SOTA Productions, said the faculty and students across the music and theater department are...
Student musicians and employees of SOTA continue to struggle with quarantine
Melissa Joseph, Staff Writer
May 6, 2020
With citizens forced to quarantine and almost all events in the city cancelled, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the Chico State School of the Arts to cancel all productions. SOTA and Laxson Auditorium student employees were not initially informed about the cancellation of all events. Employees re...
Chico State arts programs are planning for a semester online
Danielle Kessler and Kati Morris
May 4, 2020
With the university’s shift to online instruction, many arts programs have found new ways to adapt. With in-person classes already canceled and potentially next semester, events are being reimagined for a digital audience. Companies like School of the Arts and Chico Performances that host...
Fetch the Bolt Cutters is Fiona Apple, untethered
Kati Morris, Staff Writer
April 22, 2020
Singer-songwriter and pianist Fiona Apple released her first album, “Tidal” in 1996 when she was only 19, earning the award for Best New Artist at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. After a controversial acceptance speech, in which she referred to the music industry as “bullshit,” Apple made herself the ...
Songs from the Sofa keeps live music alive in Chico
Kati Morris, Staff Writer
April 16, 2020
In the midst of California’s statewide shelter-in-place order, all scheduled concerts and music festivals have been put on hold. With the season of live music having essentially been wiped out, one local project, known as Songs from the Sofa, has given musicians the opportunity to perform again. ...
The Strokes can’t revive the ’ 80s
Kati Morris, Staff Writer
April 16, 2020
The late April weekend of Indio, California’s famed music festival was graced with the buzz band of the decade. The Strokes had just released their debut album, “Is This It.” They were set to play Coachella’s main stage on Sunday. Beside bands like Oasis, The Strokes got their first taste o...
Playlist: Simpin’ in the Rain
December 9, 2019
1. Fool in the Rain - Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin’s genius riffs and lyrics in “Fool in the Rain” make it a unique and charming song that’ll make you want to dance in the rain. The bridge alone will have you air drumming on the steering wheel of your car. 2. November Rain - Guns n...
Pianist Leeya Shaw shares her experience post Camp Fire
November 12, 2019
Leeya Shaw, a music student at Chico State, was living with her mother in her childhood home in Paradise when the Camp Fire started a year ago. When evacuations began, Shaw was staying with a friend and was forced to leave everything behind. Among her clothing and mementos, she left behind all of her inst...
Paradise Symphony Orchestra offers a ‘new world’ to the town of Paradise
November 5, 2019
Music is often comforting and therapeutic to those in emotional distress. The Paradise Symphony Orchestra held this in mind as they prepared for the Paradise Performing Arts Center’s 61st Annual Opening: "Our New World."The opening for the 61st season was coined "Our New World" because it signif...
2nd annual Halloween silent disco: good, spooky vibes
October 31, 2019
Chico State’s 2nd annual Halloween silent disco made for some good old-fashioned spooky fun. Presented by Associated Students, the night was a chance for students to relax, eat snacks and jam to music through their headphones.Brandon Aure, the student outreach and marketing coordinator for Assoc...
Big Thief releases second great album this year
October 21, 2019
Having only been together for about four years now, Big Thief has quickly become a revered group in indie circles. Their 2017 album, “Capacity” was a landmark for the genre; an intricate and intimate folk album that tackled dark subjects with gentle attention.When Big Thief released "U.F.O....
