James Madison University - Bluestone Schoolmaam Yearbook (Harrisonburg, VA)

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Performing logelher for a packed Godwin Hall, members of Living Legends entertain the crowd. Other than music, students could enjoy break dancing, political documentaries and other Independent films. Photo by staff photographer 9:30 p.m., four bands brought their talent to the heart of Harrisonburg. Captain Tee ' s also got into the act, staging performances from the early evening until well into the night. Although little profit was made from ticket sales, MACRoCk ' s presence provided local restaurants and businesses with a greater pool of customers. If concert-goers wanted a change of pace, MAC- RoCk ' s newest event, the independent film festival, was shown on both days of the event. Supporters could watch a film either in Transitions or Grafton-Stovall Theater. Mardi Gras Made in China, which played at Tran- sitions on April 1, depicted the contrast in lives between Chinese factory workers and American Mardi Gras cel- ebrants. Viewers could also see The Take. a politically and economically charged film about unemployed auto factory workers in Buenos Aires. Graduate Leah Larson said, I think it ' s nice to get out of the mainstream. Too often we ' re bombarded with the same stuff and it ' s nice to step out of It every once in a while. 6ye ifsr War an: liiec da satu fiBOfures

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( , 1 1 r k k| B| .J ' ■!■!■ ill -,vl KJ - fe ' iP i ii m 3F ki « tiiii Being serenaded by one of the many bands, audience members enjoy the performance. Bands performed at vari- ous locations around campus, including Godwin Hall and the PC Bollroom. Photo by staff photographer Display- ing the names of bands, T-shirts fiang outside the concert halls. Students could purchase the shirts and other merchan- dise to support the bands. Photo by staff photographer AWAY Music enthusiasts and the university join to hear the sounds of MACRoCk. by Stephen brown Independent music stormed Harrisonburg during the weekend of April I as the Mid-Atlantic College Ra- dio Conference (MACRoCk) paid its annual visit. DJs, bands from independent record labels and concert-goers flocked to the area for a weekend of independent music and thought. MACRoCk was held by the university ' s student-run radio station, WXJM. The event had at- tracted hundreds of bands over the years and this year was no exception. Along with the musical performanc- es, MACRoCk also featured roundtable discussions, a label exposition and College Radio personnel from East Coast colleges. This year, the event expanded its hori- zons with the introduction of the MACRoCk film fest. MACRoCk provided students with an escape from the commercialized music industry, staging dozens of performances in several locations around campus and Harrisonburg. Admission cost $15 for Friday, $18 for Saturday or $25 for the whole weekend, but it was a non-profit event so all money raised went toward fund- ing the massive affair. MACRoCk was put together for love of music, as evidenced by the fact that organizers and staffers received zero wages for their many hours of hard work. The event got underway Friday evening as several locations around campus hosted different styles of music. In the PC Ballroom, Rapider than Horsepower took the stage at 8:30 p.m. and performed for the large, energized crowd of fans. Best defined as a pop rock group, the band played their unique style of music, characterized by their absence of lyrics. The music seemed to appeal to many members of the crowd as they danced in sync v ith the beat. In Godwin Hall, concert-goers heard some of the best hip-hop the independent music industry had to of- fer. Doujah Raze took the stage at 9 p.m. and addressed the crowd. I walked up here and I was a little worried when no one was up in here, said Raze. The crowd at this performance was noticeably smaller, but exuberant. Break-dancers cut loose with their skills as the music ' s beat pulsated through the gym. Raze ' s high energy per- formance left him breathless afterward, but the crowd was fired up. Graduate Julia Redden said, I liked the hip-hop. He really communicated his message. Local venues also held performances. The Little Grill, located on North Mam Street, featured the Americana Showcase on Saturday evening. Starting at £

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On Saturday, political documentaries took the screen as The Fourth World War and The Weather Underground played at Grafton-Stovall Theater. The Corporation, based on the book by Joel Bakan, offered a psychological examination of the business corporation organizational model. Capping off the day was the Lost Film Festival, a show hosted in Transitions that featured a combination of live performance and videos of pranks played against society ' s authority figures. Also at MACRoCk, panel discussions were held by experts in various fields. Included in the price of admission, those interested could sit in on a panel of their choice at several locations around campus. At the War Speak panel, guests listened in as faculty, students and members of the community spoke about their perspectives on recent wars. Those who attended had the opportunity to voice their own opinions at the con- clusion of the panel ' s discussion. Other discussions on the music industry featured topics on promoting and booking shows for bands, the independent music movement status or even the label and record promotions process. Visitors could even learn the art of the DJ from experi- Adding harmony lo tfie music, a keyboardist for one of tfie bonds plays for ttie crowd. Thougfi students paid to attend tine events, oil money raised went toward funding tfie event, ' ' mi i , luff ' I f Strumming his guitar, tfie lead singer of one of tfie bands performs on original piece. Bands of many genres performed tfirougfiout tfie weekend, including fiip-fiop, punk, pop rock and otfier forms of independent music. Pfioto by staff ph,- 1.- r ■ -i|. ;- ,- enced DJs themselves. A plethora of independent record labels came to town, setting up shop at the label expo. Each label sent representatives who spoke to interested fans about various topics. Representatives also handed out free Safe and Sewn merchandise, including t-shirts, stickers and buttons. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals was also in attendance, a presence that only reinforced MACRoCk ' s goal of being about more than just business. Organizing MACRoCk was a monumental task, but the MACRoCk and WXJM staffs were up to the challenge. They put in hours of work, culminating into a frenzy of activity the week before the event. Independent music ' s descent upon Harrisonburg gave many music listeners the opportunity to break off from the mainstream. Listeners were treated to songs performed by bands whose top priority was music, not goods or profit. The debut of independent films at MACRoCk complemented the weekend ' s theme of unique and visionary expression. The conference was undoubtedly a success, leaving high expectations for the future of MACRoCk. ■ iH S