In the 21^st century, however, it seems unlikely that any TV series could attract the huge following that M*A*S*H, I Love Lucy, Bonanza, The Cosby Show and other network shows did in 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

One reason for this is the hundreds of channels and viewing options now available via cable and satellite. In addition, many of today’s shows target only a portion of the viewing audience instead of trying to attract all ages and interests. Finally, many people feel they’re too busy to watch much TV, or they prefer to devote their spare time to social networking.

While shows like Jersey Shore, Pawn Stars, Gossip Girl and Myth Busters have their avid followers, television may, in fact, have less of a grip on Americans and the American family than it once did.

TV’s golden years

Fairmont math teacher Ken Pifer recalls the earliest days of TV. “I remember back in the early ‘50s, when we first got a TV. It was black and white and only had three channels,” he said. “Back then, there were a very limited amount of shows, and they were pretty specific.” Pifer’s early days of television were often limited in television watching as well. “I was only allowed an hour of television, Monday through Thursday. Sometimes, my family and I would watch a show called The Fugitive together.”

Like Pifer, Fairmont English Department Chair Penni Meyer recalls watching television when she was young. “I watched all kinds of sitcoms … shows like All in the Family and M*A*S*H,” she said. “Most of the time, I was watching with my parents.”

Fairmont English teacher Emily Bruzzese also watched TV with her parents when she was a teenager. “We’d watch The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Roseanne – pretty much all sitcoms that centered around a family,” she said.

Diff’rent strokes for different generations

Although past generations of teenagers often watched TV with their parents, students now say that they often don’t. Sophomore Chloe Beaman doesn’t feel TV does anything to bring her and her parents together. “I watch CSI and Ghost Whisperer, but never with my parents,” she said.

Junior Charlie Friend agrees that watching TV with his parents isn’t a common occurrence. “I watch a lot of SpongeBob Squarepants and Jackass,” he said. “My parents and I rarely ever watch TV together – a half-hour a night at most, and not many nights out of the week.”

Both students and staff think this shift in viewership results from TV being more specific in its audiences. “I used to watch The Ed Sullivan Show with my parents,” said Meyer. “But it seems now that TV shows are a lot more divided. A lot of shows are aimed at specific age groups – you have your SpongeBob aimed at the younger generation and reality TV aimed more at the teenagers and young adults.”

Friend concurs with Meyer’s view. “Since I watch a lot of shows like SpongeBob, I don’t really have much to watch in common TV-wise with my parents.”

Fairmont English teacher Josh Oliver also believes that television does more target marketing. “It’s absolutely more specific,” he said. “It’s more made for niches. Teenagers and tweens are pretty much the biggest market these days, and it shows.”

Bruzzese agrees that families don’t spend as much time together around the TV. “Shows used to be a lot more conducive to the family setting,” she said. “But I think students are simply too busy to watch TV. With Facebook and homework taking up a lot of their time, it would take a bit of effort from families to have TV time.”

Does Facebook time replace TV time?

In fact, Nielsen Company research shows that Americans spent 53.5 billion minutes on Facebook in May 2011, the most recent month for which data was collected. That amounts to about 101,720 years of viewing in just one month. (It doesn’t sound quite as bad when you look at how many hours the average visitor in May spent on the site: 6.4 hours per month.)

Facebook has 206.2 million users in the U.S. alone, and many see the social-networking site as time-consuming without the benefit of the family unification that TV once brought. “I don’t really think that Facebook is really a unifier,” Beaman said. “It really seems pretty mindless to me.”

Bruzzese agrees, but only partially. “I don’t really think it’s brought us together as much as TV did,” she said about the website. “It really only brings us together electronically, but not really that much in terms of families.”

Oliver thinks Facebook is a unifier, but in a different way. “Facebook and other social media do allow connections, but not in the same way as television,” he said. “They’re meant more for connections over distance – not necessarily for parents and students in the same room. Television still fills the role as the thing that draws us together.”

Oliver agrees that today’s teenagers have much less time on their hands. “If students have a show they really want to see, they’ll make time for it,” he said. “But a lot more students have jobs and are involved in extracurriculars. That’s certainly changed things.”

Finally, Meyer offers another reason why TV is less of a unifying force than it was for previous generations. “Back when I was younger, families only really owned one TV. Families that had more than one were rare,” she said. “But now it seems like almost every family owns at least a few televisions – one in the living room, one in the kids’ room, etcetera.

“I don’t necessarily think that people watch much less TV,” Meyer said. “It’s more that they just don’t watch it together.”

At Kings Island, however, the traditional haunted mansion is only the beginning of the spookiness and horror that thrill-seekers going to Halloween Haunt so enjoy.

Each fall, hundreds of people visit Kings Island in search of eerie shows and frightening attractions at Halloween Haunt (formerly known as Fear Fest). Part of the park undergoes a metamorphosis and a new haunted section emerges.

The fear-filled atmosphere of Halloween Haunt is hardly conducive for those under 13, but the park does welcome families during the day for normal park rides before 7 p.m. Once nighttime comes upon the park, however, the once seemingly benign environment gives way to a variety of haunted attractions. These include indoor mazes like Carnevil (where the dream of joining the circus turns into awful nightmares) and the newly added Mysteria (where nothing is what it appears to be), as well as thrill-filled shows like Hot Blooded or Half Pint Brawlers.

The park also goes all out with its special effects, making sure that the atmosphere is as spooky as possible. “I remember there being lots of fog, so much fog at times, you couldn’t see what was coming,” said Kevin Johnson, a 2010 Fairmont graduate.

Not wanting to miss an opportunity to scare their guests, park employees also lurk about throughout the park. “I saw people hiding behind benches and in the woods by the Racer, just waiting to scare people,” said senior Edward Fleitz, who went to Halloween Haunt last autumn.

Those who have gone in the past, however, shouldn’t be expecting all the same attractions this year. The park has made an effort to diversify its horror-filled rides.

One new attraction is Nightmare Alley, a haunted outdoor maze filled with foggy twists and turns with Kings Island staff members, dressed up as haunted creatures, waiting behind every shadow. Another new addition to the park is Holiday Horror in which visitors’ favorite holidays are transformed, turning them into fearsome and horrific scenes. “The mazes were always set up really nicely with their themes,” said Megan Weyrauch, another 2010 Fairmont graduate. “Park officials really went all out.”

Despite the eerie transformation of the park, the regular rides are still open for visitors’ enjoyment. Although many go to Halloween Haunt for the fear, they may still enjoy taking a ride on the more traditional rides. “I liked how Kings Island left their roller coasters open during the event,” said Johnson. “It was fun to ride them at night.”

Halloween Haunt isn’t all about the fear, though. At the heart of it, it’s still just an addition to an amusement park, meant for fun. “It was great because I hate scary things, but this didn’t bother me much,” said Weyrauch. “Overall, it was fun and was just a really good bonding experience.”

Amusement park fans can buy their tickets for Halloween Haunt online. Tickets for Friday nights (7 p.m. to 1 a.m.) in October are $24.99, and tickets for all day on Saturdays (11 a.m. to 1 a.m.) are $29.99.

These days, anything can be matched up with a song, whether it’s the crazy things you did last Friday night, a national tragedy or just a Sunday drive. As long as music has been around, artists have used their talents to create songs that mesh with all moods and situations that people experience every day. Staff writer Brian Cassidy invited junior Brandi Fielek  to find songs that best fit common situations students encounter from sunrise to sunset.

ALSO:  Check out Kids in the Hall to see what some of YOUR Friday night theme songs are!

Alarm Clock

Brian:  Boston by Augustana is a brilliant choice to set as your alarm clock wake-up song. The opening piano riff is a soothing way to slowly regain consciousness. If there is anything more agonizing than waking up in the early morning, it’s having a rude awakening. The opening piano riff continues until the second verse when the song adds the instrumentals, giving a suitable amount of time to let your body start functioning again after a night’s rest.

Brandi:  Anything to do with alarms, mellow or not, is a rude awakening in the morning. Why not do it with a bang? Everybody by the Backstreet Boys lets you know the day is back, and it’s time to get out of bed. It makes sure you’re up and ready to go, getting you excited for your day with its dance mood and party beats.

Driving

Brian:  Captain Kirk by Bob Schneider is a song to jam out to while driving. It’s not a fast song, so it relaxes the mind to allow for more focused driving. Schneider has an Indie Rock style that gives the inspiration to roll down the windows and cruise.

Brandi:  Ah, those days when all the windows are rolled down, the sky is that perfect shade of blue, and there isn’t a cloud in sight. Your best friend is hanging out the sunroof, the sun is reflecting off your dash, and you feel like it’s an excellent montage moment. You just need that perfect song, and Windows are Rolled Down by Amos Lee hits the nail on the head. The lyrics themselves may not be the most chipper in the world, but the song’s acoustics make for easy listening. Lee’s voice has that rustic kind of relaxing tone to complete your late afternoon cruise.

Workout

Brian:  Joe Esposito and his track You’re the Best Around make for such a great stereotypical workout song. The chorus consists of the words, “You’re the best around, nothing’s gonna ever keep you down.” Speaks for itself, doesn’t it? Esposito provides words of encouragement to get the body going.

Brandi:  Sure this song may sound like it was pulled straight off a Kids’ Bop CD, but it’s still hard not to get up and “move it like that” when it comes on. The Baha Men’s Move It Like This has a pace that’s quick and fun, and oh-so upbeat to get you gung-ho for your workout session.

Falling in Love

Brian:  T-Pain and Chris Brown’s single Best Love Song offers a modern way to confess one’s love to a special someone. It uses a combination of rock and hip-hop to convey how a man feels for a woman. The song contends that Pain and Brown’s way of saying “I love you” should be the biggest and best. Best Love Song can definitely be considered a great song to listen to when you’ve fallen head over heels.

Brandi:  Falling in love with someone is such a happy thing. It’s hard to be down in the dumps when you know someone cares for you. You’re delighted to see them, ecstatic when you have a chat, and it even just makes you smile just to think about them. With its upbeat tempo and harmonica, All I Want is You by Barry Louis Polisar portrays that feeling of love. Polisar really makes you believe he wants you to “take [him] by the hand and stand by [his] side.” The song and its darling lyrics could make even a hermit get that fuzzy feeling.

Breakups

Brian:  Taylor Swift, the pop star of love songs, was a must for the breakup song list. Her song Mean tells the story of the most perfect, stereotypical bad break-up. Though written by a female artist, the song can still serve a purpose for both genders, depending on who initiated the separation. Why does this song fit the break-up mood so perfectly? Sometimes after a couple splits up, tensions are high and emotions run wild. Blasting songs to vent anger or sadness is an essential part of the process, and Swift’s Mean fits perfectly into the post-break-up puzzle.

Brandi:  So your boyfriend cheated on you? Your girlfriend left you in the dumps? For some reason, you still want to like that evil ex, but now you, and all your friends, have seen the true side of this used-to-be significant other, and now it’s time to end it all and forget. The rock sounds of Done With You by Papa Roach portray the anger of a breakup without being too hard on the ears. With the chorus repeating the message “I’m done with you,” and lyrics stating “I finally realize you’re tearing me apart” and “You’ve made my life completely miserable,” it’s a great choice in song to tune out all their fake apologies. For an equally angry break-up anthem, check out Plain White T’s Hate (I Really Don’t Like You) below.

Sport Pump-Up

Brian:  When it comes to getting psyched for a match, game, or race, student athletes have their favorite song or songs that get them focused and ready to go for the gold. Kanye West’s song Stronger defines the pump-up song. The central theme of the song, “That that don’t kill me can only make me stronger,” provides the words of encouragement an athlete needs to get the adrenaline flowing. Using the tune of Daft Punk’s Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger in his song, West creates an aura of swagger that gives the listener the mindset of a winner.

Brandi:  All I Do is Win by DJ Khaled has an unusual pump-up power. For some reason, when DJ Khaled sings “And every time I step up in this building, everybody’s hands go UP!” someone is sure to throw their extremities in the air.  It’s the kind of song that gets people into the occasion at hand, whether it’s a scrimmage, dance or wedding. There’s nothing better than going to that Friday night game with a great mood and a winning mentality.

Falling Asleep

Brian:  Music helps soothe the mind right before a night’s slumber, and So Long, So Long by Dashboard Confessional is the ideal song to drift away to. The majority of the song combines the light singing of lead singer Chris Carrabba with soothing piano. The combo creates a dreamy atmosphere that makes transitioning from conscious to unconscious much easier. The mp3 sample for So Long, So Long was not available online, but Dashboard Confessional’s Screaming Infidelities is an equally good tune to drift away to.

 Brandi:  With the combination of soft guitar chords and lead singer Justin Vernon’s easy voice, Bon Iver’s Skinny Love seems as though it should pick you up and rock you to sleep. Since the words are easy enough to hear, you won’t be up extra hours trying to decipher Vernon’s lyrics. The blend of calmness and effortless melody make for a great lullaby into any snooze.

Contagion

Horror (released Sept. 9)

Feeding on the horrific world of viruses and disease, Contagion is the first of many horror movies coming this fall. Starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Winslet, the film focuses on a community stricken by a lethal disease that kills its sufferers in days. As the Centers for Disease Control fights against both the virus and the panic of the town, the question soon becomes: How will the townspeople survive? This movie is shaping up to be a decent movie to go enjoy – if you’re into those types of movies. Of course, you should expect to find yourself washing your hands a lot more after seeing this flick.

Footloose

Musical (Oct. 14) 

A remake of the classic 1984 film and 1998 premiere on Broadway, Footloose is the story of a young man from Boston named Ren MacCormack who moves into a small town that has forbidden loud music and dancing after a tragic incident that was thought to have been caused by such things. However, Ren decides not to bow to the status quo and challenges the ban, leading to a multitude of musical numbers. Starring Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid, Andie MacDowell and Miles Teller, this new remake of Footloose will be perfect for musical lovers.

The Thing

Horror (Oct. 14)

A prequel to the 1982 film by John Carpenter of the same name, The Thing takes place three days before the events of the first film, in which an alien is discovered in the far regions of Antarctica. Horror ensues as the alien is discovered to be evil, and the crew must work together to stay alive and survive the monster’s deceptions and attacks. This film stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Dr. Kate Lloyd, a character similar to the 1982 film’s protagonist, R.J. MacReady. Also in the film are Joel Edgarton, Ulrich Thomsen and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. For anyone who is a fan of the original film, or simply a fan of extraterrestrial horror, The Thing is not a film to miss.

Paranormal Activity 3

Horror (Oct. 21)

Just in time for Halloween, Paranormal Activity 3 is a prequel to the first two films, Paranormal Activity and Paranormal Activity 2. The film is speculated to be set 18 years before the events of both films, focusing on the female leads of the first two movies and their childhoods, when they were stalked by the demon that terrifies them in the first two Paranormal Activity films. The film is closely guarded by its producers, and no stars are announced yet. For anyone looking for a very big scare before Halloween this year, Paranormal Activity 3 is a must-see.

11-11-11

Horror (Nov. 11)

Keeping with the horror theme of the fall movie season, 11-11-11 focuses on the horrors of an extraterrestrial presence breaking through the barriers between its world and Earth on the title date of the film – Nov. 11, 2011. The film’s director, Darren Lynn Bousman, has not yet revealed its starring cast, yet it is sure to provide another thrill ride of horror for any and all who choose to buy a ticket.

Breaking Dawn, Part One

Romance (Nov. 18)

Author Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series continues with the movie adaption of her final book in the series, Breaking Dawn. The movie stars the returning Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner and will cover the events in the first half of the popular novel. While this film offers a story of dark love, it may still serve as a break to those who are simply exhausted by the horror films flooding the box office this fall. For those who are in love with the series or simply want to see a romantic film, Breaking Dawn, Part One is a perfect fit.

This annual music festival, hosted by radio station WXEG-FM, returns to Dayton on Sept. 18 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds.  

For Fairmont fans, the anticipation is growing as the date gets closer. “I’ve gone the past three years and I’m looking forward to this year. Every year just gets better and better,” said junior Sammy Stephens.

Headliners at this year’s event include Staind, Theory of a Deadman, Five Finger Death Punch and Alter Bridge. Also performing are Skillet, Adelitas Way, Kopek, Black Stone Cherry, Emphatic and Downplay. “I’m really looking forward to this year’s line-up; I can’t decide which one I’m more excited for,” said Stephens.

Stained, a metal rock band that formed in 1995, has produced six albums and is most known for the hit song Everything Changes in 2005. Theory of a Deadman had hits with Lowlife (2011) and Bad Girlfriend (2008). This post-grunge, hard-rock band formed in 2001 and has had six top 10 hits.

Five Finger Death Punch formed in 2005, and the band’s heavy-metal, hard-rock sound has made it successful. The band’s biggest hit is The Bleeding (2007). Another hard-rock, heavy-metal band, Alter Bridge, formed in 2004 and the group had a No. 1 hit with Metalingus in 2004.

While X-Fest offers a great music line-up, many fans agree that the festival can get a little out of control – especially in the mosh pit. “It gets pretty crazy.  Depending on where you’re standing, you have to watch out for your life,” said Stephens. “One year a crowd surfer fell on my friend and knocked her unconscious; we ended up going to the hospital.”

But Stephens and many other X-Fest enthusiasts won’t let that bother them. Fairmont sophomore Jade Allen agrees that it’s much more fun being in the mosh pit. “I love how the music is so loud you can’t hear yourself screaming,” said Allen, who went a couple of years ago and hopes to go again this year.

Allen also offers advice to anybody who’s thinking of attending. “Dress for the weather. You never know what it’s going to be like,” she said. “Also, go with a group of friends. It’s more fun. And girls: have at least one guy in your group of friends, so creeps will leave you alone.”

General admission tickets (standing room only) for X-Fest are $35, plus the $12.35 fee charged by Ticketmaster. The gates open at 11 a.m. and the music starts at noon. For more information, visit www.xfestdayton.com.

“The Secret Garden is an all-time great musical,” said Director Brody McDonald. “The music is complex but accessible to all listeners. There are elements of humor mixed in with a dramatic story that will captivate the audience.”

McDonald is confident the audience will enjoy the show, and he hopes they will appreciate the hard work put forth by the nearly 100 students in the orchestra, stage cast, and technical crew involved this year’s production. “They are so professional,” said McDonald. “We have had the smoothest, most productive rehearsals of any musical to date.”

Senior Alli Kneubuehl, who has participated in theatrical productions through both Fairmont and The Kettering Children’s Choir, knows last year’s production of Sweeney Todd brought in everyone, and she hopes The Secret Garden will keep those numbers up. “The story in The Secret Garden is completely opposite from Sweeney Todd,” said Kneubuehl. “Sweeney Todd had a decent beginning and quickly spiraled downward, while The Secret Garden has an uplifting story.”

Sophomore A.J Breslin also loves the story of The Secret Garden. “The music is simply gorgeous, fantastic,” he said. “I’d say more but I really can’t.” Breslin wants the audience to see the talent that Fairmont has to offer, and he doesn’t want to spoil it for them.

Like the cast, Pit Orchestra Director Michael Berning likes The Secret Garden for many different reasons; however, one reason sticks out above the rest. “Music, music, music. Lucy Simon wrote some very wonderful music for this production,” said Berning. He also likes the choice because of “the beautiful story line. Also, the show fits the kids we have this year very well,” he said. “It has fantastic music and is a show for the whole family.”

McDonald agrees with Berning’s view on the musical and has only has positive things to say about the music. “This music never gets old,” he said. “I have been listening to its music for approaching 20 years, and it still makes me smile, laugh and cry.”

Both the students and staff are looking forward to the musical, and are hoping Fairmont students and staff and the Kettering community will come out and see it. The Secret Garden will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on May 4, 5, 6 and 7 in the Fairmont Auditorium. Tickets are $6 for students and seniors and $8 for adults, with group discounts available.

“The production this year will be great,” said Kneubuehl. “With the cast we have, you can’t help but to almost be brought to tears by the end.”

Many bored movie-goers bemoan the slew of sequels and ask why so many come out. There’s more than one possible answer to this question. Movie producers could be running out of story ideas, or maybe they want to rake in gobs of money from the huge fan base of the original movie. Or maybe sequels are a response to the huge amount of fan feedback calling for a sequel. From what I’ve observed, it’s a mix of all of these reasons.

With so many movies produced each year, it’s extremely challenging to come up with a completely original idea that isn’t similar to another movie or full of the standard movie plot clichés. This makes the movie producers turn to sequels, which take away the work on their part of developing the characters because it has already been done for them. The plot must still be original in ways, but some of the pieces have already been prepackaged for the producers.

Let’s face it, not all sequels live up to the standards set by their predecessors. Usually after a sequel to a popular movie comes out, fans are either extremely disappointed or ecstatic. In many cases if the original movie is good, then the chances are far greater that the sequel will be bad and vice versa. This is generally true because if an original movie hits a home run with audiences, then the sequel will have to be fantastic to impress the demanding crowd.

An example of this is the original Pirates of the Caribbean, which is to this day one of my favorite movies. It combined witty humor, action and a solid plot line. On the other hand, Dead Man’s Chest, the sequel, did nothing for me. It was decent and held my interest for the whole movie, but it didn’t live up to the original nearly as much as I hoped it would. Following Dead Man’s Chest was At World’s End, which also didn’t impress me. I was even more disappointed with it than I was with Dead Man’s Chest. With some movie series, the quality starts out at the beginning and can only go down from there.

However, this isn’t always true and some good movies can rise up even further with sequels. As a child, I grew up watching the animated cartoon version of Transformers on VHS tapes, so it thrilled me when Michael Bay released a movie version in 2007 with my favorite Transformers characters and crazy special effects. I was a little skeptical of Revenge of the Fallen at first because I didn’t want to be disappointed with it. After seeing it, though, I can say Revenge of the Fallen lived up to the first Transformers and may have even surpassed it. Both movies, even four and two years later, are still great to watch and can be watched multiple times, proving a sequel doesn’t always have to be bad.

But the folks in Hollywood know that fans hate an unfinished story, so they purposefully leave us hanging at the end of some movies to guarantee an audience for the sequel. And I have to admit, it works on me. Personally, I’d rather be disappointed with a movie sequel than be disappointed that one never came out and having to wonder how it would have been.

I would much rather see a bad sequel than have that thought lingering in my head.

Columbus

Plain White T’s will be making a stop at Newport Music Hall on May 5, 2011. Plain White T’s is a pop rock band that originated in 1997 in Chicago, Ill., and is best known for the song Hey There Delilah, which reached No. 1 in the United States. Other popular songs include Hate (I Really Don’t Like You), which peaked at 68; 1,2,3,4 at 34; and Rhythm of Love, which charted at 38. In 2008, Hey There Delilah also won the band a Grammy nomination. Click here for more information.

Nationwide Arena in Columbus will welcome a mix of country and pop when Taylor Swift performs on June 7. Swift has received widespread success after the release of her multi-platinum self-titled album. Swift was nominated for best new artist at the 2008 Grammy Awards, while her second album Fearless earned Swift four Grammy Awards. In 2008, Fearless and Taylor Swift were charted at No. 3 and No. 6, respectively, and Fearless topped the Billboard 200 for 11 non-consecutive weeks. Click here for more information.

Ray LaMontagne is an American singer/songwriter who quit his job to pursue a career in music after hearing a Stephen Stills song. LaMontagne has now released four albums, including Till the Sun turns Black, which peaked at No. 28 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Various songs by LaMontagne have been featured in television series and movies, such as Till the Sun Turns Black on the show ER, Lesson Learned on One Tree Hill and Empty on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. LaMontagne will be performing June 11 at the LC Pavilion. Click here for more information.

Cincinnati

CAKE, originally formed in Sacramento, Calif., is an alternative rock band that will be making a stop at Procter and Gamble Hall in Cincinnati on May 19. CAKE’s music is strongly based on John McCrea and his vocal creativity. McCrea uses a half-sung, half-spoken approach that’s combined with lyrical wordplay.

CAKE is a five-man band that had their breakthrough in the late 1990s with the album Fashion Nugget, which produced the band’s highest charted single, The Distance.  The band’s sixth and most recently released album, Showroom of Compassion, was released on Jan. 11, 2011, and was also the band’s first album to make it to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Click here for more information.

Iron & Wine will be performing in Cincinnati the month after Cake. Iron & Wine features singer songwriter Samuel Beam, who does vocals, guitar and banjo for his one-man band. On certain occasions, however, Beam will take a full band to his performances.

Iron & Wine has four released studio albums; the most recent one, titled Kiss Each Other Clean, was released on Jan. 25, 2011. Kiss Each Other Clean is Beam’s most popular album, hitting No. 2 in the United States and No. 32 in the United Kingdom. Iron & Wine will perform at Madison Theater across the Ohio River in Kentucky on June 11. Click here for more information.

US Bank Arena in Cincinnati will be hosting Josh Grobanon July 15. Groban is a singer/songwriter who has released four solo albums ranging from pop and vocal to pop rock. Groban originally had studied to be an actor, but as his voice began to change, he realized he could be a successful musician. In 2007, Groban was charted as the best-selling artist in the United States with more than 21 million records sold and more than 24 million records worldwide. Groban’s most recent album, Illuminations, peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 charts. The album has sold more than 1 million copies and is certified as platinum.  Click here for more information.

Journey is going to rock Riverbend Music Center on Aug. 3. Journey was formed in 1973 in San Francisco, Calif. Journey’s most successful period was 1973-1987, before the band temporarily disbanded. The hit Don’t Stop Believin’ made history as the top-selling catalog track in iTunes history. The band has racked up two gold albums, eight multi-platinum albums and one diamond album. They had 19 Top 40 singles, and six of the 19 reached the top 10 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. To top it all off, USA Today named Journey as the fifth-best American rock band in history. Click here for more information.

Kettering

If you’re unable to travel out of town this summer, that doesn’t mean you have to miss the outdoor music experience. Fraze Pavilion in Kettering is hosting two bands, .38 Special and Steve Miller Band, that will be a blast from the past.

Steve Miller Band was formed in 1967 in San Francisco, Calif. Miller, the band’s front man, not only is the band’s vocalist and plays guitar, but he is also the band’s manager. Steve Miller Band broke onto the popular scene with the release of Space Cowboy and My Dark Hour, which was co-written with Paul McCartney. Steve Miller Band is mostly known for a string of singles in the 1970s that today serve as a paragon of classic rock.

The band has grown such a following over the years that they have their own Hollywood Walk of Fame star and won the Golden Note Award in 2008 from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Steve Miller Band will be performing at the Fraze Pavilion on June 15.

.38 Special, another classic rock band, was formed in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1975 by a group of neighborhood friends. .38 Special’s music throughout the years has transformed into many varieties of genres, including hard rock, Southern rock and country rock. Many of the band’s breakthrough songs came in the early 1980s with Hold On Loosely (1981), Caught Up in You (1982) and If I’d Been the One (1983).

The band has released 12 studio albums; one has gone gold and three have gone platinum. Three of their album releases have also reached the top 20 chart in the United States. .38 Special will be performing on July 30 at the Fraze.

Visit The Fraze website for more information on both Steve Miller Band and .38 Special.

The Section Quartet, the abnormal rock band, uses violins, violas and cellos instead of guitars, drums and bass guitars. Barrage combines their fiddle fest of violins, a drum, a bass guitar and a guitar with choreography to make one exciting show.

The Section Quartet

Formed in 1998 and based in Los Angeles, The Section Quartet generally takes popular rock songs and turns them into classical quartet pieces. TSQ has produced remakes of songs by artists spanning a wide variety of genres and has been featured in several movies, including Whip It, released on Oct 2, 2009.

Sophomore Cameron Neiheisel enjoys the variety of music that TSQ plays. “The Section Quartet plays a lot of songs that I really like, but they put a nice classical twist on it. I’m pretty excited to go see them live,” said Neiheisel.

TSQ’s fan gathering has become so widespread that their music can be found on iTunes, and they have been featured with artists that include Silversun Pickups, Dr. Dre, Snow Patrol, Christina Aguilera, Maroon 5, Foo Fighters, James Blunt, Kelly Clarkson, Kanye West, the Jonas Brothers and Daniel Powter.

TSQ will perform in the Fairmont High School auditorium from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 23. All tickets to the show are $10. Call 499-2647 for more information or to purchase tickets.

Barrage

The other group coming to Fairmont takes a variety of instruments to make a wide variety of original songs.

Barrage is a violin-based ensemble that was created in Calgary, Canada, in 1997. Barrage is composed of five violinists, a drummer, an electric bassist and a guitarist who play a variety of genres, including Celtic, swing, bluegrass, jazz and rock. In addition to playing instruments, each member of the group also sings sometime during the performance.

Barrage is also known for the energy, movement and choreography of their shows. Sophomore Nathan Bare has seen Barrage before and looks forward to attending another one of their shows. “I think Barrage will be amazing. The last time I saw them, it sounded awesome. They were very entertaining because there was a lot of movement and energy; they weren’t just stationary.”

Barrage will perform in the Kettering Fairmont High School auditorium on Tuesday, April 12, from 7 to 10 p.m. The tickets to Barrage’s show are $10 for students and $15 for adults. Call 499-2647 for more information or to purchase tickets.

Play On demonstrates the hardships of putting on a play: how it all comes together, the drama and the endless time and effort put forth in a short period of time. Play On is play that gives a behind-the-scenes look at all the steps in putting on a play — the many things that go wrong, as well as the things that go right.

Fairmont sophomore Caroline Grogan has been a part of many plays at Fairmont and other theater companies and especially enjoys the format of Play On. “This play shows all of the backstage drama, the background rehearsals, preparation and an actual completed play,” Grogan said. “There is so much going on in this play, it ends up being a hilarious mystery.”

Not only is the play a comedy, but the winter play cast members are having a fun time working on it, too. But they know when it’s time to stay focused and get to work. “I believe we all have a lot of talent. We all love McGarvey, we have a great time, but at the same time, we can buckle down and work hard,” said Grogan.

Buckling down involves rehearsing. “Rehearsals are a crucial part to this play coming together,” said senior T.J. Klopfstein, someone who understands the work ethic needed because of his involvement with other plays at Fairmont. “The biggest difficulty and struggle with this play is the scenes,” he said. “We repeat many scenes, but we change them up sometimes in the most minor way to keep the comedic tone going.”

Klopfstein’s fellow cast member Cassidy Fink agrees with him profusely. “Play On is a play within a play, which makes it a bit difficult in its own right – plus there’s all the direction and advice that the director gives,” she said. “However, it is a really fun time. You get to make friends that you wouldn’t normally get to make. And it’s so fun to be on stage.”

The cast members realize that in order for the play to be successful, they also need to draw big audiences. The cast members of Play On don’t intend to have any problems on that front, though. Fink believes the play will not only be humorous for adults, but also a kid-friendly play as well. “Kids will like it because this one has more of an outrageous humor rather than a dry humor that kids don’t quite understand,” she said.

In addition to the satisfaction the actors get from performing, they find another benefit to being involved in a school play. “I love the people in this play,” Klopfstein said. “We have all become really close and have a good time when we are together.”

Fink agrees. “My definite favorite part is being with everyone. We are like a production family outside of school.”

Play On will be performed in the auditorium at Fairmont High School on Feb. 3, 4 and 5. Each of these performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and senior citizens and $7 for adults. Senior citizens with the “Seniors are Special” card can get in free.

“This play is very creative and really allows us to make it our own,” said McGarvey. “It gets hectic at times, but it really is a good feeling to have the liberty to put on a good production.”