APRIL 3-9, 2014 yOuR FortUNe aWAITS. 2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com ------------------------------------------------------------------April 3, 2014 whatzup APRIL 12, 2014 | 8PM Volume 18, Number 34 AUER PERFORMANCE HALL, IPFW s it over? Seems like it might be. Here at World Headquarters we’ve opened our windows and let the breeze in for the first time since last November. When you think about it, that makes five months of winter. OverI 40 percent of the past 365 days have been, if not officially winter, at least winter-like, and that’s just not right. But, like we said above, it appears the worst is over and we can look forward to warm weather and fun in the sun. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place: the Fort Wayne area’s one and only free entertainment weekly. How many things can you think of that are free and weekly? Yeah, we thought so. Inside this free weekly issue of whatzup (sorry, but we thought it bears repeat- ing) you’ll find feature stories on local artist Jim Merz and local metal band CARNIVAL OF ANDREW CONSTANTINE MUSIC DIRECTOR Demonwolf. You’ll also find a review of the Civic Theatre’s production of THE ANIMALS SUSIE PARK GUEST CONCERTMASTER , a restaurant review of The Friendly Fox, a number of res- JENNIFER REGAN VOLK FLUTE Grace and Glorie SponSored by The Mildred roeSe taurant and book reviews, some columns worth reading and the hands-down, and Gloria naSh ChariTable Fund CAMPBELL MACDONALD CLARINET without a doubt most extensive and complete art and entertainment calendars, APRIL 6, 2014 if not on the planet, well at least in northeast Indiana. TICKETS START AT $17 AUER PERFORMANCE HALL, IPFW So read on, find whatever it is that propels you out of the house and into the PRE CONCERT ACTIVITIES AT 1 PM warm Indiana spring and have yourself as much fun as you possibly can. CONCERT AT 2PM 481-0777 | FWPHIL.ORG While you’re doing that, tell the person next to you that whatzup sent you. And ADULTS $14 CHILDREN $7 CALL TODAY! tell them that it’s free, and if they’re smart, they’ll pick it up just like you did. Every week. STAR FAMILY • features CURTAIN CALL ............................... 19 MADGE ROTHSCHILD Grace and Glorie MASTERWORKS 260 481-0777 | FWPHIL.ORG THE GREEN ROOM ........................ 19 HUISKING FOUNDATION JIM MERZ .......................................................4 Performance made Performance made possible by support from: DINING OUT ................................... 22 possible by support from: Master of Art & Algorithms MADGE ROTHSCHILD The Friendly Fox FOUNDATION DEMONWOLF ..............................................5 Metal Now & Forever ON BOOKS ..................................... 23 Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy • columns & reviews • calendars SPINS ...............................................6 Porcupine, Sun Kil Moon, Beck, Nothing, The Pretty LIVE MUSIC & COMEDY ...................8 Reckless KARAOKE & DJS ...........................13 BACKTRACKS ..................................6 MUSIC/ON THE ROAD ...................14 Sonic Youth, Dirty (1992) ROAD TRIPZ ..................................15 OUT & ABOUT ...................................8 New DVD Features Downstait Tune MOVIE TIMES ................................16 ROAD NOTEZ ................................. 14 ART & ARTIFACTS .........................18 FLIX ................................................ 16 STAGE & DANCE ...........................19 The Grand Budapest Hotel THINGS TO DO ..............................20 SCREENTIME ................................ 18 Noah Floats to Top Cover design by Greg Locke April 3, 2014 -------------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------3 BROUGHT TO YOU BY: --------------------------------- Feature • Jim Merz -------------------------------- 3 Rivers Co-op Natural Grocery & Deli ........10 20 Past 4 and More ........................................23 Advanced Media Integration .........................11 The Alley Sports Bar/Pro Bowl West ..............3 All That Jazz .....................................................10 Master of Art & Algorithms Beamer’s Sports Grill ........................................8 By Heather Miller “Waves,” was disassembled and reconfig- the easy thing to solve.” Kat Bowser & the Band of Blues .....................9 ured to stand as a land sculpture. Merz trans- The difficult part is making the seamless C2G Live/The TV Show .......................................5 Local artist Jim Merz fills his workspace ported the piece to Zionsville, Indiana and connection between sculpture and comput- with materials and treasures that are not only set it up horizontally across a grassy corner erized movement, he says. C2G Music Hall....................................................6 unusual, but also intimidating to most artists. in a park where poets used his work as in- His attention to fine craftsmanship and Calhoun Street Soups, Salads & Spirits ....10 Strips of wood sorted by length and thick- spiration for a one-day writing blitz. Merz is the development of a meaningful relation- CLASSIFIEDS ...................................................23 ness stand in tall boxes around the garage not one to shy away from a challenge, even ship between art and technology is captured that no longer services a car. A few upright if it means his work will be shown for only by a particular sculpture displayed at his Columbia Street West .......................................9 power tools explain the need for such a home. A dark blue, nearly complete Dicky’s 21 Taps ................................................10 wide selection of wood. circle rocks gently from side to side. Its So far, there is nothing unusual to motion is propelled by the turning of Digitracks Recording Studio ............................3 see but an unusually large graveyard of two brightly colored horn-like shapes Dupont Bar & Grill ..............................................8 electronics – hints that something dif- that rotate, causing the entire structure ferent might be going on here. Metal to roll back and forth. The piece is quite Earthen Treasures Natural Food Market ....10 drawers with labels tagged with words mesmerizing and seems to move in ran- Embassy Theatre/38 Special ..........................3 like spudgers, scribers and hex bits re- dom order, although Merz explains that Fort Wayne Civic Theatre/Grace and Glorie ............19 veal that Merz is no typical brush-and- a specific algorithm that never repeats canvas artist. itself programs the motor. Fort Wayne Dance Collective .........................19 He speaks of algorithms and ref- Watching the piece, one is kept Fort Wayne Museum of Art ...........................18 erences laws of physics. He doesn’t wondering if the momentum will reach cower sheepishly from numbers and a point to cause the entire piece to roll Fort Wayne Musicians Association ..............23 exclaim, “I never understood math,” right off the shelf. Merz assures that Fort Wayne Philharmonic/Family Concert ......3 the way many artists do. He spurts out this will never happen. theories and math- “The basic physics are set,” he Fort Wayne Philharmonic/Masterworks .........3 ematical concepts says “that’s the big idea.” Latch String Bar & Grill ..................................10 quickly yet is care- Then he reveals the guts of the Mad Anthony Brewing Company ...................22 ful not to overwhelm sculpture. Under a tiny wooden lid his listener with geek hides a neat bundle of wire, a small Miller Fortune ......................................................2 speak. motor and other mysterious electrical NIGHTLIFE .................................................... 8-13 His muse is objects all tucked from view. Mertz movement, and he make the process look way too easy. s Northside Galleries .........................................18 plays with the laws “The process is really a balanc- PERFORMERS DIRECTORY ...........................12 of science through ing act,” he explains. “I spend so much the creation of sculp- time on the engineering but then have Skully’s Boneyard................................................9 ture and electronic to put that aside and focus on the de- Snickerz Comedy Bar .........................................8 media. Merz cre- sign.” Sweetwater Sound .....................................9, 24 ates contemporary, As with “Waves,” the rocking smooth-flowing ki- one day. His inquisitive piece has also gone through an evolution. whatzup Dining Club ..........................................21 netic sculptures. mind seems to jump at the “This is version 2 or 2.5,” says Merz. “I WBYR 98.9 The Bear......................................13 The attic above chance to solve a problem. don’t save old versions. I’m always revising his workshop holds One would assume the software.” Wooden Nickel Music Stores ............................7 boxes of disassem- Merz was a curious child. Constant revision keeps even his old WXKE Rock 104 .................................................5 bled pieces, each He describes himself as an ideas alive and interesting. For the past 25 with a unique histo- active kid who “built go- years Merz has been working on a piece of ry. Diamond-shaped karts and tree houses,” and software that combines music with visual wood pieces, painted vibrant orange, peek like so many inventors, he “liked