The Retriever, Issue 2 Volume 39

THE RETRIEVER September 7, 2004 15 Features Merriment abounds at the Maryland Renaissance Festival LIZA WOODS a numbered tag to wear all weekend. The Retriever Weekly Guest Writer tag is color-coded by sexual preference: white is for the straight and yellow is for Don’t be fooled by any preconceptions gay/ bi-sexual. So as you browse for jewelry, about the Maryland Renaissance Festival eat soup from a bread bowl or sip ale from because it’s so much more. The name evokes a goblet in one of Revel Grove’s many pubs, visions of jousting knights and medieval you can also write down numbers of people actors quoting Shakespeare. You’ll see you find attractive and leave them a mes- women in tight corsets wearing chain mail sage on a message board (a decidedly mod- bras and men wearing tights beneath suits ern touch in an otherwise authentic of armor. Authentic-looking period garb is medieval setting). You don’t even have to available for rent or purchase at any of the stick around to retrieve the messages festival’s numerous shops. because the organizers will e-mail them to The Renaissance Festival (Renn Fest you and from personal experience the mes- for short) is part giant masquerade party, sages can range from a simple compliment part medieval carnival. Renn Fest features a like “you have a beautiful smile” to people fantastic variety of foods, music, theatre, seeking a further meeting. If you were look- and sports for young and old, all at a year- ing for love last weekend you could take it round faux 16th-century English town one step further and attend the singles min- named Revel Grove. gle party at the popular White Hart Tavern The festival is made all the more (a popular drinking hole where you can breathtaking by a 25-acre backdrop of hear the wonderful tunes of “The Rogues,” forested greenery that surrounds you, con- a Scottish band) to end your night. vincingly transporting you to a world ages Renn Fest is a breath of fresh air, espe- past. You can explore sadistic-looking tor- cially with politically incorrect but fun ture chambers, check out trolls, fairies and games like “Drench a Wench” or for the freaks in the “Museum of Unnatural [Retriever Staff] ladies,“Soak a Bloke,” which are 16th-cen- Wonders,” or watch performers swallow Drumming their own beat: Actors at Renn Fest entertain visitors from this century. tury versions of carnival dunking games swords and eat fire. You can see glass blow- with a lord or lady hurling occasionally R- ing firsthand, ride an elephant and play a rated insults at you to throw off your accu- game of human chess in front of King and chocolate mousse, Renn Fest’s got more end’s “Singles Weekend” (visit www.renn- racy. There are archery and axe-throwing Henry VIII all in the same day. food than you can shake a giant turkey leg fest.com/mrf/ for a complete list), a clever games to get excited about purchasing the By far, the most appealing aspect of at. Perhaps just as responsible for the droves twist on getting a date. real thing at one of many stands selling this festival is the food. With choices rang- of weekly and yearly visitors are a wide vari- “Singles Weekend” is a yearly event ing from meat pies to crab cakes to cobbler ety of specialty weekends, such as last week- that allows those 21 and over to register for see Renn Fest, page 16 Alter Bridge – Creed born again is much better than original NOAH ALBRO The real story is with drums and Marshall on Bass) mostly Retriever Weekly Staff Writer the former Creed band- because their new band format doesn’t mates, though. Mark focus so heavily on an ego-driven singer. Tremonti’s guitar abilities Even though Alter Bridge still sounds a Alter Bridge - One Day Remains (in truly shine on this album. little Creed-esque,m they have proved that stores now) He becomes the crucial cen- they are quite capable of divorcing those This album left me with one large terpiece in the band and roots. Even if you weren’t a fan of question… what happened to Creed suck- guides the listener’s ear Creed...or just hated Scott Stapp as many ing? Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips and throughout the songs. did, Alter Bridge surpasses any of Creed’s Brian Marshall of Creed revamp their Tracks such as “Find the meager musical attempts (sorry if you were musical styling, and with the help of new Real,” “Metalingus” and a fan but they broke up for a reason). Pick lead singer Myles Kennedy, re-emerge as a “Watch Your Words” really up this CD for a good “rock music” experi- pretty kick-ass band. show Tremonti returning to ence. Myles Kennedy, at first listen, isn’t that his harder rock roots. This impressive, but as the album progresses his is a notable change from the Taking Back Sunday - Where You Want skill and the subtle nuances that he adds to pop rock sound of his for- To Be (in stores now) the overall mix begin to stand out more mer band, and a good one. This album is intense and easily one of and more. Tracks such as “Open Your Phillips and Marshall also the best -produced albums of 2004. If any- Eyes” and “In Loving Memory” display the step up and, in a sense, are one recalls Taking Back Sunday’s debut CD Courtesy of takingbacksunday.com potential that Myles Kennedy has with The new album: polished to perfection released to play their instru- Alter Bridge. ments well (Phillips on see ALTER BRIDGE, page 17.

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