Tag: Joe Clancy ’18
Remembering Dolores O’Riordan: Lead Singer of Irish Rock Band Dead at 46
by Kerry Torpey on January 25, 2018
Arts & Entertainment
by Joe Clancy ’18
A&E Staff
“This was just meant to be, this is coming back to me, cause pure love, cause this is pure love.” On Jan. 15, the music world lost Dolores O’Riordan, lead singer of Irish rock band and international sensation, The Cranberries. O’Riordan was known for her amazing vocal range and abilities that made her one of the most recognizable voices in music.
Some described her voice as definitive yet relatable. O’Riordan reached international fame as she and the albums she collaborated on saw worldwide success both critically and commercially. She was held in high regard in her native Ireland as well as across the globe. In fact, one of the first public mourners was President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins, and O’Riordan also received condolences from rock legends, like The Kinks guitarist, Dave Davies.
Born in 1971, O’Riordan was the youngest of nine children, hailing from a large Irish Catholic family in Limerick. From a young age, O’Riordan showed interest and passion in music, often describing singing as the true love of her life. Her big break came in 1990 when the young talent joined the band that she will always be associated with, The Cranberries.
The Cranberries were a band that never were, nor ever wanted to be, defined by a single music genre. The group formed in 1989 and incorporated various sounds like Irish folk, pop punk, and even hit pop rock music into their work. In 1990 the band decided to separate from their lead singer, Niall Quinn, and had open auditions for the position.
When O’Riordan decided to audition, she was able to blow the band mates and judges away, as there was no question that she deserved the spot with her powerful vocals. O’Riordan was ultimately awarded the title of lead singer and the rest was history.
The band went on to release a number of hit albums including Everybody Else is Doing It so Why Can’t We (1993) and To the Faithful Departed (1996), both of which were massive commercial successes, with the latter album reaching number two on the Billboard Top 200. The Cranberries even went on to receive the European Border Breakers Award as a top 10 breakout band, which is a massive milestone for any European band.
The Cranberries split up in 2003, citing creative differences and artistic ambitions. Following the band’s split, O’Riordan went on to launch her own successful solo career. Her first single following the breakup was featured on an album that included legendary artists such as Eric Clapton and Sheryl Crow.
O’Riordan went on to release her first full solo album Are You Listening? (2007)which has sold over 350,000 copies worldwide. She continued to release and perform concerts. The singer even had the privilege of performing in front of world leaders like Pope Francis and Princess Diana. Princess Diana said that O’Riordan’s singing was so beautiful it actually brought her to tears. O’Riordan also partnered with former The Smiths band member Andy Rourke in the 2010s to launch the band D.A.R.K.
Although her family is keeping details of her death private, fans around the world mourned alongside them at the late singer’s funeral on Jan. 22. Thousands of tributes from fans and celebrities prove the power and legendary effect O’Riordan had on the music industry.
A Little Taste of Providence
by The Cowl Editor on December 9, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Joe Clancy ’18
A&E Staff
It is often said that the best things in life are free, especially if you are a college student. Last Thursday, BOP brought a little bit of joy to campus by featuring an array of free food samples from staples of Providence’s food scene.
The event provided a nice break from the stress of classes winding down and finals starting to set in. Some of the samples included more well known places among Providence College students such as Anthony’s Deli, LaSalle Bakery, Caserta’s Pizzeria, and even samples from restaurants that PC students may not have been aware like: East Side Pockets, The Malted Barley, Knead Doughnuts, and Rebelle Artisan Bagels.
The event started at 5:30 p.m. and the excitement and anticipation for the event among the students was overwhelming seeing how fast the food went. An unfamilar bagel place, Rebelle Artisan Bagels recieved positive feedback on their bagels. Students who attended the event claimed the bagels were warm, freshly made, and tasty…as much as a bagel can be.
Caitlin Scuderi ‘18 expressed enthusiasm when asked about the event saying, “I was really happy when I heard that there was free food. I love eating, you may say I live to eat, so it was a nice break from all the studying to do what I do best. Personally, I loved the free Caserta’s Pizzeria, “I am what you call a pizza junkie. It was my first time having Caserta’s Pizza since I usually get someone to buy me cheap pizza, so it was a really nice change of pace to try something new.”
The BOP members that were involved in planning the event were thrilled with the outcome. Alana Dermody ’18 recalled that it was a fun time for all those involved and for her as well as the rest of the BOP members. Emily Borrello ’19 also commented on the event stating that she was “pleasantly surprised at how fast the food went.” All in all, BOP helped take the minds of worried students off school for a while with some much needed free food.
Are You Yeti For Holiday Films?
by The Cowl Editor on November 30, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Joe Clancy ’18
A&E Staff
It is that time of year again, the nights are long and harsh, and students feel the impending doom of finals looming closer. That being said, however, it is also the best time of year to seek refuge in bed with a cup of eggnog and just hibernate with some good old television. If you are looking for some classic movies to brighten your days and put you into the holiday spirit, check out the following films:
It’s a Wonderful Life: How can the list not start with the movie everyone’s grandmother makes them watch every December? One of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, Jimmy Stewart, plays George Bailey, who discovers the meaning of life at Christimas time with the help of an angel trying to gain his wings.
Lethal Weapon: Although it is not a typical holiday movie, it is set during the holiday season. By far the greatest buddy cop series of all time, it follows Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as they fight crime in the streets of Los Angeles. It is filled with laughter and suspense.
Eight Crazy Nights: Comedy legend Adam Sandler has made it a point in his music career to write songs about Hanukkah themed traditions. Christmas music lovers are guaranteed to hear “The Hanukkah Song” at least once every December, but Sandler also created the animated comedy Eight Crazy Nights. The movie follows a character based loosely on Sandler as he returns home for Hanukkah and all the hilarious events that ensue.
Home Alone: How could the hijinks of Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) not be on this list? It is Christmas time and what better way to celebrate than taking the family on vacation? “Where’s Kevin?” Watch as an eight year old left alone for the first time manages to outsmart professional criminals with booby-traps galore in this heart-warming tale about being alone on the holidays.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: With every family gathering, there is always the possibility of something going wrong. For the Griswolds, who are just trying to move past their disaster of a vacation to Wally World, everything goes wrong again. Watch as the Griswolds cannot get anything right as their hilarious family gathers for the holidays.
PC’s Talented Adam Hanna Draws Crowd to the Alchemy
by The Cowl Editor on November 16, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Joe Clancy ’18
A&E Staff
Last Thursday, Providence College musician Adam Hanna ’18 sold out his live concert at The Alchemy. A massive crowd of more than 350 fans turned out for the singer-songwriter.
The crowd was electric as they sang along and heard their fellow Friar perform their favorite hits as well as Hanna’s original work. Katie Sullivan ’18 said, “Adam put on a wonderful show as usual! The energy in the room was high and it was a great night with great music.” I recently sat back down with Hanna to discuss this rockin’ performance.
JC: So, Adam, first and foremost, what were you feeling when you got up on a soldout stage?
AH: It was an amazing feeling, you know. Obviously I am always a little nervous before I go up there, but it’s not a nervous like, “I am scared I won’t do well.” It’s more like a “get me up there” kind of feeling. Once I am up there I give it my 110 percent, you know. I mean, the set went for about an hour but it honestly felt like it was two minutes. This show was my first real big gig since May, so it felt great to be back up in front of a large crowd. Over the summer, I played about 60 to 70 smaller acoustic sets around Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Those sets really helped me practice and gain experience. I have the Bill Belichick mindset that after I finish a set it’s on to the next one. Thursday was by far my best live performance as all the practice paid off. The set felt really good and natural; I know I am going to carry that momentum going forward. I am focused on always getting better.
JC: You have been singing and producing music for a while now. Are you starting to develop your own unique style?
AH: Definitely. Like I have said, Bruce Springsteen has always been a huge influence on me and my music. That being said, being up on stage is different. Springsteen always tries to get his audience to sing along and be engaged. I also really try and incorporate a Freddie Mercury energy on stage. When I am up there I want to be energized and amped up. I want the crowd to feel that too; the best feeling is actually when I can step away from the mic and hear the crowd sing along. It’s really amazing knowing that I managed to get all of these people who may not even know each other singing along, not having to be worried with what is going on in their lives for a few minutes. They are the reason I am up there. I can always go and play some music and no one has to listen; they come out because they know it will be a good time.
JC: What does the future hold?
AH: I will be playing the MET in Providence on Friday, December 1. I hope the turnout will be even bigger than it was last time!
Harvey Weinstein: Recent Hollywood Allegations
by The Cowl Editor on October 19, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Joe Clancy ’18
A&E Staff
One of Hollywood’s leading directors and prominent stars, Harvey Weinstein, was exposed in a New York Times article for his alleged abuse of women. Weinstein is co-founder of the film company Miramax, which has brought the public a number of prolific movie hits such as Good Will Hunting, Pulp Fiction, and The English Patient.
Weinstein started Miramax with his brothers in the 1970’s. It began with great success allowing Weinstein to make himself a very powerful and influential individual in the Hollywood scene. Not only was Weinstein powerful in Hollywood, but he also had a great deal of influence in the realm of politics and American society because of the generous donations he made over the years.
Weinstein used his power and influential standing to abuse and exploit women who were aspiring actresses. Weinstein would make unwanted advances on these women and in some cases forcibly engaged with them. There have been dozens of women that have now spoken up about some of his lewd behaviors. Three women have now come forward with claims that Weinstein raped them.
Weinstein’s actions have been called an “open secret” in Hollywood life. For years some were assumed that Weinstein just had a lot of partners and he was generally assertive in his actions. After all, Weinstein was married twice and was well respected and an accomplished individual, so he did not necessarily fit the stereotype of a predator. Jokes were often made about his advances, including remarks from Seth MacFarlane at the Oscars in 2013 and references on the hit TV show 30 Rock.
In 2015 the New York Police Department followed up on some accusations about Weinstein raping a woman. They sent the woman back to Weinstein wearing a wire which recorded Weinstein admitting that his actions were wrong. However, the district attorney threw out the charges based on lack of evidence. The New York Times and NBC followed the story but did not follow up with it.
Over the last week, both The New York Times and The New Yorker exposed the abuse. Weinstein denied the allegations and gave a bizarre defense of his actions, citing workplace culture of the past and his activism. Those who associate with Weinstein have completely distanced themselves from him. Weinstein was released from the Weinstein Company and his wife has announced she is leaving him.
There have been numerous high-profile individuals that have come forward in light of the scandal with their experiences or condemning the acts. Famous actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale, and Gwyneth Paltrow have all come forward with their accounts of Weinstein’s advances and uncomfortable encounters. Other stars including Jennifer Lawrence, Reese Witherspoon, and even Terry Crews have come forward with similar experiences. President Trump, Hillary Clinton, and other high ranking individuals have also been vocal about their outrage toward Weinstein.
News networks, political pundits, and late night talk shows have all expressed the importance of speaking up when abuse happens. The story has brought the topic of workplace exploitation and abuse into the public discourse.
Rock Legend Tom Petty Dies at 66
by The Cowl Editor on October 5, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Joe Clancy ’18
A&E Staff
“I wanna free fall out into nothing/ gonna leave this world for a while,/ and I’m free falling.” The world of rock and roll lost another rock legend, Tom Petty, on Monday, October 2 after he suffered a heart attack. He was 66 years young.
Petty started playing music professionally at the age of 17 in 1967. He had always been a huge fan of rock and roll and realized that he wanted to make music his life after seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Petty came into the spotlight in the 1970s, specifically when he and his band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released the hit “Breakdown,” in 1976. Petty’s fame continued to grow through the late 1970s with hits like “Refugee” and “Don’t Do Me Like That.”
In the 1980s, Petty’s career really took off. In 1989, Petty released three massive hits: “Free Fallin’,” “I Won’t Back Down,” and “Running Down a Dream.” “Free Fallin’” went on to reach number seven on the Billboard charts. Petty then went on to join the Traveling Wilburys where he performed with his hero and former Beatle, George Harrison.
Petty also went on to record with drummer for The Beatles, Ringo Starr. In the past 20 years he had put out hits like “Learning to Fly” and even tried out acting. Petty played the Super Bowl halftime show in 2008 and was still touring up until the end—once his music career started, it never stopped. Petty will forever be remembered as, in the words of Rolling Stone, a “dynamic and iconoclastic” rock legend.
Falling in Love With Insomnia Cookies
by The Cowl Editor on October 5, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Joe’s Clancy ’18
A&E Staff
It is that time of year again, the days are slightly less warm, the nights much cooler and un-air-conditioned rooms both on and off campus are farther from Dante’s Inferno in temperature. It is finally fall, which means long weeknights, exciting football and baseball games, the stress of nailing your Halloween costume, and, of course, pumpkin spice courtesy of Insomnia Cookies.
Insomnia Cookies are perhaps the quintessential dorm room cookie. Founded in 2003 at the University of Pennsylvania by the Mark Zuckerberg of cookies, Seth Berkowitz, the chain delivers late night cookies to universities in the Providence area, although they do not deliver to Providence College. Located on Thayer Street, it is a short drive away from campus and provides students with a fun opportunity to explore off campus.
Offering delicious flavors including traditional chocolate chunk, sugar, peanut butter chip and, one of their best flavors, double chocolate mint chip. This fall, however, Insomnia is offering the new spiced pumpkin nut cookie. The cookie is not just the simple pumpkin spice fall treat.
Although it does offer that warm sweet flavor that is reminiscent of the changing weather and foliage, the cookie offers a nice nutty taste that complements the pumpkin tremendously. It is soft and filling for when the weather gets crisper. Go check out the new spiced pumpkin nut cookie today!
Adam Hanna ’18: PC’s Own Rock Star: Release of Adam Hanna’s first Music Video “Friday 5”
by The Cowl Editor on September 28, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Joe Clancy ’18
A&E Staff
Providence College finds its own rock star in Adam Hanna ’18. Down-to-earth and easy to talk to, Hanna has seen a massive amount of well-deserved success in his music career.
This past week I sat down with Hanna to discuss his new music video, “Friday 5,” which was released Sept. 25. Hanna explained, “I wrote my latest single “Friday 5” about the grind every week of getting to Friday [at] 5 p.m. Everystudent and worker of any age knows this feeling of total freedom when you have the whole weekend ahead of you [on] Friday [at] 5 p.m.”
He noted that when he originally wrote the song was titled “Sunday Night Blues,” but as he went on Hanna thought “it was better to write about what’s lifting us up rather than bringing us down.” Hanna’s sound is heavily influenced by Bruce Springsteen, who is one of his favorite musicians.
During his senior year at Providence College, Hanna plans to release four to five professionally produced songs and videos. “Friday 5” is the first of these releases.
Hanna believes there is a “definite learning curve as far as the marketing aspect goes—reaching out to the greatest number of people on the best platforms.” He explained, “Marketing is my major at PC, so it’s cool to apply some of the concepts I’ve learned in classes to growing my own brand in the real world.”
“I’m very grateful for the fan base I have at PC—the kids here are the reason I have the courage to put these videos out,” Hanna said. “There’s always a feeling of vulnerability when I put myself out there for everyone to see, whether it’s on stage or on a computer screen. You never quite know how it will be received, but through the support of PC I am learning to trust myself and who I want to be as an artist.”
Hanna is understanding that some people will enjoy his music while others will not. “Learning to cope with that idea,” he explained, “and being unapologetically myself [as an artist] is what I am learning right now, and may be one of the most important ideas I can wrap my head around as an artist going forward.” The process is a difficult one, but Hanna’s passion for making music encourages him to remember to “just keep swimming.”
With “Friday 5” released, Hanna’s next single will be a song called “Queen Bee.” He claimed that “Queen Bee” is “the closest thing [he has] to a love song,” and that he has “high hopes for that release and everything going forward.”
“Friday 5” is a fun and energetic song that will get you to think about the good times ahead this weekend. Be sure to look out for Hanna’s upcoming events all around the Providence area.
Bob Saget? No, Bob Seger!
by The Cowl Editor on September 21, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Joe Clancy ’18
A&E Staff
Though perhaps one of rock and roll’s most unrecognized superstars, Bob Seger kicked off his Runaway Train Tour across the United States last month. This past Thursday, Seger rocked the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston. The Garden, which fits nearly 20,000 people, was filled to the brim to see an artist most people confuse with Bob Saget. The 72 year old Detroit cowboy played for nearly three hours (of course he was wearing his Tigers hat).
Despite beginning his music career in 1961, Seger only really started to get attention and fame after he formed the Silver Bullet Band in 1973. The band had some initial hits like “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” and “Turn the Page.” “Turn the Page” is one of Seger’s most enduring songs, having been covered by bands like Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, and even Jason Aldean.
Seger and the Silver Bullet Band received widespread fame after the release of their Night Moves album, which was a blues and rock album that covered the themes of freedom and looseness of youth. The title song, “Night Moves,” was named by Rolling Stone as the Best Song of the Year of 1977. It has also been used in modern hit TV shows like 30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, That 70’s Show, and even Family Guy.
In 1978, Seger and the Silver Bullet Band released perhaps their most well known song of all time, “Old Time Rock and Roll.” Now every Halloween, you can be assured that at least one girl on campus will be dressed as Tom Cruise from the famous scene in Risky Business where he lip syncs to the song in a collared shirt and his underwear.
Over the next few years, they released songs like “Still the Same” and “Like a Rock,” which received a great deal of air time on the radio. One of their last famous albums, Against the Wind, was released in 1980. That title song was a tribute to Seger himself, who reflects on his days with his girlfriend and how he has grown older. The song can be heard in the scene in Forrest Gump where Forrest felt like running across the country.
With that much exposure and recognition, it is hard to believe that Seger is still not as well known as some one-hit wonders. That is because Seger was a long time hold out of having his music go digital. Originally, he wanted his music to slowly fade out with him. The producers stopped album production and started to crack down hard on unauthorized use. However, Seger reversed his stance and let the music go public. One thing is for sure, Bob Seger is the unsung cowboy of rock and roll.
Student Spotlight: Conor Holway
by The Cowl Editor on September 14, 2017
Arts & Entertainment
by Joe Clancy ’18
A&E Staff
It’s a pill, it’s a boy, it’s Adderall Boy! I recently sat down with Conor Holway ’18 to discuss his recent film, his YouTube success and his future plans. Adderall Boy will be released on Holoway’s Golden Deer Production website on Sept. 27th.
JC: So Conor, how did you get into film?
CH: Well I have always enjoyed movies and in high school I was in a number of student film projects that were similar to my YouTube videos. I always toyed with the idea of making films and [started] around the summer after freshman year…I was in Martha’s Vineyard and had a lot of free time, which was good because it gave me a lot of time to think of ideas. The week before I returned to Providence, I filmed my first video, Handshakes, which was kind of a hack, but it was a dope start.
JC: Your YouTube channel, “Coach Connie,” has been up for two years now. What do you think has been the channel’s biggest achievement?
CH: So when we started out we were using a $50 camera and we didn’t have any scripts or editing. I just wanted to get on camera saying crazy stuff. Over time, and over the grind, we kind of just picked stuff up along the way, and grew. Once I dropped the Cribs video [in which Holway toured Aquinas Hall], kids started to become invested, and from there I have tried my best to be as original as possible. But trust me, it hasn’t been a steady increase, there have definitely been some dips.
JC: How did you come up with the idea of Adderall Boy? How was he born?
CH: So I always knew that I wanted to create a superhero and after coming to college, I realized Adderall kind of gave college kids a certain set of superpowers; so Adderall Boy seemed like a pretty logical character. We just kind of worked at the idea for a little bit and drew from different superheroes, and other genius characters in film to try to create something pretty original.
JC: So how was the filming process?
CH: We ultimately got all the filming done in late March and I spent about a month going nuts on the edits. Two weeks before the little prescreening behind our house, I realized I really have to zone in so I locked myself away at MIT with all the real geniuses, to finish the project. So for about two weeks straight of 14-16 hour days, I finished the film with literally a few minutes to spare. After the initial screening in April, I went back and tweaked some things; and showed it at the PC Film Fest and then a bunch of bigger fests this summer.
JC: What is your favorite part of the film?
CH: My favorite part of the film is either my scene with Rudy O’Konis ’18 or the scene with Bombs (Tim Blouin ’18). Rudy is just a natural actor, like he just was on point. I still laugh at the scene. There is a specific scene where Adderall Boy overlooks the city, and last minute I decided to toss Bombs in there on a voiceover, which I think is hilarious. He has this really boyish voice that makes him sound like this huge boy-fan of Adderall Boy which was completely unintended.
JC: How did you react to the response to the film?
CH: It was amazing. For the first screening behind my house we had around 100 people, so it was good to feel the love. We then took the film to the Rhode Island Film Festival where it was the most buzzed film online and then we were fortunate enough to win the LA Shorts for Best Student Film (Sept. 2017).
JC: So what does the future hold?
CH: I am launching the Golden Deer Productions, which will be the new brand and we have some sweet swag for sale (wristbands, tee shirts, and more) and launching the website. I want to use the new brand for both my own work, and some of my friends’ work because I have a bunch of friends who do really awesome stuff but don’t necessarily have a platform to market their work. I’m also working on a new film which should be much better and much more concise than Adderall Boy, but very different. I don’t want to give too much away, but it is drawn primarily from personal experience. I just really want to try something different, but execute.
JC: Is there anyone you would like to thank for their help in producing Adderall Boy or other projects?
CH: I have to shout out my AD/cameraman/writer Jack Bigelow, SeaBass (Daniel Barton ’18) who handled a lot of the heavy production, and Stefan Puente ’17 who was cinematographer. And then all 15 actors on the project, everyone who came to that first screening behind the crib, and Father Gumbert. Also, I haven’t met him personally but I owe Austin Kulig a shirt for doing a bunch of graphic work for me. Someone track that kid down for me, please.