SIMPLE

KEEPING IT

REAL

VOXM A G A Z I N E

T H E V O I C E O F C O L U M B I A

03.29.12

» SEE HILDE SEEVERS’ LIVING DESIGN EXPERIMENT ON PAGE 7

EDITOR’S LETTER

2 03.29.12

W H E N T H E G R E A T D E P R E S S I O N hit, my Dad’s parents were just younger than I am now. I remember sitting at their dining room table when I was 7 or 8 and watching with puzzlement as my grandma poured two dozen leftover peas into a mustard yellow Tupperware container, which was probably 25 years old.

Why save three bites of peas? “Grandma grew up during the Depression,” my Dad would later tell me. “She doesn’t waste anything.”

Some have been calling the past four years the Great Recession. I understand that unemployment, more than any other factor, has a ected and is a ecting millions of people. I know some of them. I’ve been one. But still, the black and white 1930s photos of ragged Dust Bowl families and soup kitchen lines that snake through city streets stand in contrast to the full-color images of smiling celebrities and dazzling product launches with which we’re de ning this era. While my grandma responded to her era’s problems by watching each pea

safely to the refrigerator, too often we show that we haven’t learned the same lessons.

Hilde Seevers (Page 7) didn’t grow up during the Great Depression, but she acts as if she did. Deliberately, she lives with few possessions. She calls what she’s doing a “design experiment.”

Good design usually seeks to achieve something or solve a problem. In Seever’s case, she’s out to achieve a certain kind of freedom.

Perhaps she’s onto a piece of a solution to a problem, too. Drinking only out of a single champagne ute (Seever doesn’t own any cups or mugs) won’t x a bad economy, but learning to live with less might help lessen the sting.

on the cover DESIGN BY

Jordin RuthsteinPH OT O BY

Gan Yi

3You can now scan a product with your smartphone and learn everything (good and bad) about how that product was made.

5Work up a sweat, and keep the change. Join local football players, church members and even a 7-year-old for some free !tness.

M U S I C 6The White Rabbits moved directly to Brooklyn after attending MU. The band returns to Columbia with an indie-pop makeover.

A R T S 11Dan Hemmelgarn’s photos, combining art, farmers and food hang on the walls of Main Squeeze.

B O O K S 12Frank Langella provides readers with stories about his famous acquaintances. Nixon not included.

13Meg Phillips takes the stage and acts out against bullying as the director of The Secret Life of Girls.

C A LE N D A R 14FILM F A R E 15

K U R T W O O C KEDITOR

A LIFE O F SIM P LICIT Y 7

Hilde Seevers tossed her material things and trekked to Columbia. A backpack holds her only possessions, and a yoga mat is her bed.

Photo courtesy of R

AN

DY

MC

DER

MIT

Photograph by G

AN

YI

DEPARTMENTS

VOXMAGAZINE.COM

O N LI N E E X C L U S I V E S

W H E R E T O W O R K O U TTake your !tness around town. Vox provides even more options to change up your routine such as pilates, cardio, spinning and even day care for the kids.

A R T A B O U T T O W N >Randy McDermit’s colorful charcoal artwork bedecks the SoCo Club with !gures and faces that almost glow in the dark.

P L AY LI S T: S IM P LI C I T YFollow us into the dark with this calm and cool playlist to clear out your busy day.

EDITOR Kur t WoockDEPUTY EDITOR Tony F lesorMANAGING EDITOR A manda DahlingART DIRECTORSCa it lin MillerRachel KrauseONLINE EDITOR Emily BeckerPHOTO EDITORTimmy HuynhMULTIMEDIA EDITORBarbara Maninga tCREATIVE DIRECTORTheresa Berens

ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITORSK ayla Miller, Sarah Sont agFEATURE EDITORA lecia LassingFEATURE DESIGNERK a t ie WoodINSIGHT EDITORSK a tr ina Ba ll, Sydney Berry,Ren B ishop,Trevor E ischenSCENE/FILM FARE EDITORSSamantha H igh ll, Melanie Loth,Chr ist iana N ielson, Sarah Sont agMUSIC EDITORSA lecia Lassing, Darren Or fARTS EDITORSTaylor Combs, Jessica SchusterBOOKS/ENDNOTES EDITORSK a t ie Bevan, K acie F lynn, K ayla MillerDESIGNERSKelsey Carroll, Lee A nn E lias, Whitney Fenzel, Will F loyd, B la ir WeaverCONTRIBUTING WRITERSJesse B ishop, N ina Bolka, Ca it lin Car ter, Ted Har t, Gabr ielle Lipton, K aylen Ra lph, Mitch Rya ls, Ma t t Schur, K a it lin Steinberg, Just in Wha ley

EDITORIAL DIRECTORJennifer RoweONLINE EXECUTIVE EDITOR Rhonda PrastOFFICE MANAGER K im Townla inWRITING COACHJohn Fennell

CONTACT | vox@missour i.edu(Phone) 884.6432 (Fax) 884.1870

320 Lee H ills Ha ll | Columbia, MO 65211ADVERTISING | 882.5714

March 29, 2012 | Volume 15, Issue 11Published by the COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN

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SIMPLE

KEEPING IT

REAL

VOXM A G A Z I N E

T H E V O I C E O F C O L U M B I A

03.29.12

» SEE HILDE SEEVERS’ LIVING DESIGN EXPERIMENT ON PAGE 7

thursday 29JANIVA MAGNESSWHERE: Mojo’sWHEN: 8:30 p.m.COST: $10CALL: 874-1944Magness strives to provide the audience with what she calls real music. She will perform blues and R&B at Mojo’s Thursday night. She is an award-winning singer who has received awards such as Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year in 2006 and 2007.

MIDDLE CLASS FASHIONWHERE: The BridgeWHEN: 8 p.m.COST: $5, $2 minor surchargeCALL: 442-9627This pop-centric band was formed in St. Louis in early 2010 as a side-project only.

With an EP and LP under its belt, Middle Class Fashion makes its debut on the Columbia music scene.

friday 30

MARY & THE GIANT/ CINDY WOOLF AND MOLLY HEALY/ TOM SAUKWHERE: The BridgeWHEN: 8 p.m.COST: $5, $2 minor surchargeCALL: 442-9627Cindy Woolf was born in Arkansas band now lives in southwestern Missouri. She started playing music at the age of 4 and her folky sound and youthful voice offer a great combination with Mary & The Giant and Tom Sauk.

WE LIVE IN PUBLICWHERE: The Blue NoteWHEN: 9 p.m.COST: $5-7CALL: 442-9627Formed at the end of 2010 in a storage unit just outside downtown Columbia, We Live in Public features hints of rock, funk, pop and blues. Join the local band for a night !lled with powerful and danceable songs.

R.K. GUN AND KNIFE SHOWWHERE: Boone County FairgroundsWHEN: 5 p.m.COST: $10CALL: 563-927-8176Welcome to the gun show at the Boone County Fairgrounds. The R.K. Gun Show will stop in Columbia on its 20-city tour featuring a wide variety of guns.

saturday 31EASTER ACTIVITIESWHERE: Bass Pro ShopWHEN: 11 a.m.COST: FreeCALL: 227-7776Venture out to Bass Pro Shop for a day of Easter-!lled activities, including an old-fashioned Easter egg hunt.

MU SOFTBALL VS. BAYLORWHERE: University Field, MU campusWHEN: 3:30 p.m.COST: $5CALL: 884-7297The MU Tigers take the diamond against Big 12 rivals Baylor University Bears at University Field. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Network and is free for MU students to attend.

BE A HERO 5K RUN/WALKWHERE: Memorial AirportWHEN: 8:30 a.m.COST: $25CALL: 353-3403Walk or run, and raise money for March of

Dimes to help increase the number of full-term pregnancies and healthy newborns.

SMOOTH DOWN UNDER WHERE: Pem’s PlaceWHEN: 8 p.m.COST: $5CALL: 424-9055This roadhouse blues band hails from the Ozarks. Smooth Down Under pays tribute to great blues artists but keeps a sound of their own. Come at 6 p.m. for a cookout.

sunday 1

19TH ANNUAL SALUTE TO LIFE WALK AND RUNWHERE: Boone County Government CenterWHEN: 7:30 a.m.COST: $25CALL: 875-8687Bene!tting Rain-Central Missouri Inc., the day includes a 10K run, 5K run, 5K walk and a memorial walk for beginning to experienced runners.

ASPCA MEGA MATCH-A-THON PET ADOPTION EVENTWHERE: Old Mid-City LumbarWHEN: 10 a.m.COST: FreeNo Kill Columbia presents Mid-Missouri’s largest pet adoption event featuring more than 200 cats and dogs. Adoption fees are $75 for dogs and $45 for cats, and all animals come spayed/neutered with vaccinations.

10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE UNITY SOLAR ART GALLERYWHERE: Unity CenterWHEN: 10 a.m.COST: FreeUnity of Columbia presents the work of 15 artists from Unity and Columbia at-large. The artwork in the show includes oils, watercolors, acrylics, ceramics, ironworks and photography.

CALENDAR | MARCH 29-APRIL 4

14 03.29.12

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIK MYERS

MY DARKEST DAYSWHERE: The Blue NoteWHEN: 9 p.m.COST: $15, $2 surchargeCALL: 874-1944My Darkest Days exploded onto the rock scene with its sexually charged hit “Porn Star Dancing,” featuring Ludacris. The group recently released “Casual Sex,” its newest single. “We don’t have to go on dates; you don’t have to like my friends.”

OPENING RECEPTION: RANDY MCDERMITWHERE: Tellers Gallery and BarWHEN: 6 p.m.COST: FreeCALL: 441-8355The faces in Randy McDermit’s art stare back from the canvas, their eyes outlined in thick black charcoal. McDermit’s expressive and colorful pastel, charcoal and acrylic !gures will be on display at Tellers throughout April as part of the restaurant’s rotating display of local art. McDermit has been creating art for 20 years.

MARTIN SEXTONWHERE: The Blue NoteWHEN: 8 p.m.COST: $20, $2 surchargeCALL: 874-1944Simplistic and expressive, Martin Sexton’s acoustic and easygoing tracks will provide for a relaxing evening. Many of his songs, such as “Happy Anniversary (Six Years),” are about experiences the audience can relate to and apply to their lives.

WHERE: Déjà VuWHEN: Thurs. and Fri., 9:30 p.m.; Sat., 9 p.m.COST: $8CALL: 443-3216Erik Myers’ Myspace name is Dopeless Romantic. Described as a “hilarious young act,” Myers has performed at the NYC Underground Comedy Festival and does his show regularly at clubs in Las Vegas. Columbia is not necessarily the gambling capital, but let’s hope he gives us the same laughs.

weekend

ERIK MYERS

MONDAY

Looking for more events?Check VOXMAGAZINE.COM/EVENTS daily for things to do in Columbia.!

TUESDAY