'Undead,' like the band's entire oeuvre, merely exists, and that's not really worth bragging about. by Brad Sanders Six Feet UnderUndeadMetal Blade Records When people who aren't familiar with death metal derogatorily refer to the genre's vocals as "Cookie Monster noises," they're referring to Chris Barnes. Partly because he was the voice of Cannibal Corpse's Ace Ventura-fueled sorta-hit "Hammer Smashed Face" and partly because he's been tirelessly appearing on albums almost constantly since, the Six Feet Under mainman has become synonymous with the grunting vocal style.…

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The country star's performance at Klipsch Music Center was fun and engaging and highlighted his serious star power. by Jon R. LaFollette "Welcome to the Virtual Reality Tour," Brad Paisley said to the nearly sold out Klipsch Music Center Saturday night. "This is an escape from reality in the real world."…

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Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington, is Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg's running mate in the governor's race. by The Statehouse File By Tim Grimes Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington, is Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg's running mate in the governor's race.…

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With this revue of songs about the women in Edgar Allan Poe's life, Acting Up Productions demonstrates once again why it's a company not to be overlooked. by Katelyn Coyne Staged in the intimate cabaret setting of Theatre on the Square's Stage II, Nevermore is a chilling musical revue about Poe's life and work that focuses on the writer's dysfunctional relationships with women. As Poe, Paul Nicely paints a vivid picture of a troubled artist under the constant influence of female voices.…

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Jenni White elicits compelling performances from the cast, working from a script that beautifully blends (Keatsian) poetry with pain. by Elizabeth Audet The best tragedies remove walls for just long enough to reveal the raw, trembling humanity that lives behind them. Johanna Adams's Sans Merci takes on this task with intelligence and sensitivity.…

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Antigone's brilliance comes in its choreography, with the dead pulling the strings of the living, and the living swirling in a dance of death. by Scott Shoger The original, and still the best. NoExit Performance first staged Antigone on the Indianapolis Museum of Art grounds back in 2008.…

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A play about the struggle of ex-offenders to reintegrate into society was the most impressive entry in an inaugural festival for African-American playwrights. by Scott Shoger The inaugural Onyx Fest, billed as the city's first and only festival dedicated to the work of African-American playwrights, opened last weekend at the IndyFringe Basile Theatre with a slate of three plays. The lineup was selected by Nicole Kearney, a professor of English and drama at Martin University, whose play, re-entry, was one of the three on the bill.…

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Merriam-Webster says a "curse" is an "evil or misfortune that comes as if in response to imprecation or as retribution" - a definition with which the Andrettis would no doubt agree. After all, they've contended with their own eponymous curse, the Andretti Curse, since 1969, when team owner Andy Granatelli kissed young driver Mario Andretti after he won the race.…

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On Sunday, hundreds of walkers raised awareness and funds for cystic fibrosis. The walk began in White River State Park and looped through Downtown's Canal area. by Katherine Coplen On Sunday, May 20, hundreds of walkers raised awareness and funds for cystic fibrosis. The walk began in White River State Park and looped through Downtown's Canal area.

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As Brian Gropp of the Dead Hearts said during his set, "American rock is out there" — at house parties and in basements; it's just harder to find." by Rob Nichols The Wake The Earth House Friday, May 18 Dubbed "The Wake," the four-band bill at The Earth House in downtown Indianapolis on Friday night was a well-paced night of throwback Midwestern heartland rock, updated for the times. That it was in an old church (with the gospel influence that brings) was most certainly a good thing in rock and roll.…

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