One of the things so intriguing, original and thought-provoking about the Stuart Art Collection is its manipulation of space and environment through the medium of art. The exhibit on display at the La Jolla branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego is a far cry from these principles of quality. In fact, the pieces on exhibit are neither intriguing nor original. They do not manipulate space, nor do they even consider environment, and they fall horribly short of thought-provoking.

These collective parameters, which can be seen in all of the pieces on the UCSD campus, are what make the Stuart Collection so great. As we walk through our ""Enchanted Forest"" and hear songs and poetry from trees, or as we pass Charles Lee Powell Laboratory in Warren and see ""Vices and Virtues"" in neon at the top, we are prone to think -- or at the very least take notice.

We, as members of UCSD, embrace the Stuart Collection and have even adopted ""Sun God"" (a piece belonging to the Stuart Collection) as a second mascot.

The Stuart Collection embodies well-thought-out placement of the pieces, stringent acceptance standards and meticulous commissions of the art pieces for the UCSD campus. The pieces on display at the MCA truly fail to fill these parameters.

These pieces, though they are spawned from the same artists of the collection on campus, look as if they've been thrown together in the hopes of living up to the Stuart Collection while falling extremely short of such a standard. These pieces also leave one wondering why these ""things"" on display are considered art. They smack of the very thing for which contemporary art is so quietly criticized in today's society -- art not really being art.

While the Stuart Collection on campus is inventive, site-specific, purposely integrated with the university's buildings, and inviting of innovative artists, the MCA exhibit invites the backslide of these artists' creations.

However, among the conglomeration of art pieces on exhibit are two pieces that stand out as slightly thought-provoking. Such pieces are ""Windows""-- a window of the museum itself (demonstrating manipulation of environment) with cutout squares indicating a window within a window -- and another aluminum slab art piece with the inscription, ""With all the holes in you already, there's no reason to define the outside environment as alien.""

If you do plan on visiting this exhibit, have a stiff drink beforehand, because only then will the ""art"" actually seem like art. You will undoubtedly be left wondering how these pieces came from the same artists who livened our campus with the Stuart Collection.

Cross References:

Celebrating the Stuart Collection

Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla

Talking about art is like trying to french kiss over the telephone,"" said artist Terry Allen, contributor to the Stuart Art Collection.

Yet in ""Landmarks,"" talking about art is exactly what the artists and curators of the Stuart Art Collection do. Nearly two decades after ""Sun God"" settled onto its perch, a book has been published documenting the creative process that brought us UCSD's world-renowned art collection.

First to capture the reader's attention is the beautiful cover photography of ""Landmarks."" From there, readers are sucked into the ultra-modern layout of the book and into the history of Stuart Art. As we read the detailed introductory commentary of the collection by Robert Storr, director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, it becomes apparent just how extensive the artistic interpretations of the collection are.

""Landmarks"" focuses chronologically on each piece of the Stuart Collection, from ""Sun God"" to the then-most-recent, ""Standing"" (""Read/Write/Think/Dream"" has since been created). For each piece, Stuart Art Collection Director Mary Livingston Beebe details both the mental and physical processes that took place for each contribution to the collection. Accompanying the short histories are the artists' preliminary sketches as well as photos taken during the creation and installation of each piece. Each artist also gives personal insight about his or her work through interviews.

While all of us have walked beneath the neon lights of ""Vices and Virtues,"" few of us know that the flashing colors were originally planned to twinkle from the Mandel Weiss Theatre. We also didn't realize that ""Sun God"" is not, in fact, a ""big chicken"" but an eagle meant to symbolize Native American culture. These and other little-known facts are an exceptional aspect of ""Landmarks.""

Through ""Landmarks,"" we also discover the various pranks that have been incorporated into the Stuart Collection, including leaving a large badminton shuttlecock on the ground by Robert Irwin's ""Two Running Violet V Forms"" and dressing up ""Sun God"" in a cap and gown for graduation. In addition, we learn that the musings emitted from the ""Talking Tree"" include Navajo chants, Aztec poems and duck calls.

As Beebe chronicles the process of each piece, it is difficult to overlook the tremendous amount of work that has been undertaken to make each piece of art possible. From the initial artistic epiphany of ""neon research"" in Las Vegas for ""Vices and Virtues"" to discussions with the UCSD planning committees, Beebe helps the reader appreciate the endeavors that were undertaken to reach the final products.

While ""Landmarks"" does a good job encapsulating the Stuart Collection, the interviews with the artists leave something to be desired. It is valuable to gain insight through the artists' own perspective, but the question-and-answer layout of the interviews has the potential to lose a reader's interest.

The Stuart Collection serves as a cultural cornerstone for UCSD. The mere sight of ""Sun God"" instigates thoughts of freedom, goodwill and euphoria, but until now, the enigmatic bird has been confined to the campus. ""Landmarks"" provides the UCSD community with the opportunity to share all aspects of the Stuart Collection, which artist Elizabeth Murray calls, ""one of the most interesting sculpture collections -- or whatever it is.""

Landmarks

****

With essays by Mary Livingstone Beebe and Joan Simon

264 pages

Available at the UCSD Bookstore

It's absolutely pervasive on campus, yet many students draw a blank when asked about it and what it means to their daily lives.

Lyon Liew
Guardian

The creators and curators of the Stuart Art Collection state that their intent is to ""enrich the cultural, intellectual and scholarly life of the UCSD campus"" and consider the art pieces ""additions to the fabric of campus life."" Some students seem to barely give the pieces a second thought, while others are passionate about the flashing lights, distorted figures and juxtaposed objects.

Muir junior Candace Barfoot pulls no punches when giving her opinion of the collection.

""I think it's kind of ridiculous,"" she said. ""What is it -- the seven vices and virtues? I don't really think that's art. It's just, like, neon tubes. It's kind of silly-looking.

""Some of them are okay,"" she added, ""but they don't really, like ... they just seem kind of weird.""

Among the pieces she likes are ""Green Table"" -- ""It's all right; it's got some strange things written on it"" -- and the new ""Read, Write, Think, Dream,"" which she enjoys because it's ""colorful.""

But Barfoot remains resolute in her distaste for the majority of the works.

""Mostly, I think those things are just a joke. It doesn't seem like real art.""

A Revelle senior who wished only to be identified by her first name, Marie, said she finds most of the art ""ugly.""

""Untitled,"" the water fountain on Myers Drive, perplexes her.

She said, ""I kept looking, thinking, 'Is that it?' I couldn't tell that was really art.""

However, she enjoys ""La Jolla Project.""

""The first time I saw it,"" she said, ""I attended a mass there, and I thought that was really a good idea.

""And I'm probably the only one on campus who hates the 'Sun God,'"" she said, laughing. But her critique of the piece was serious.

""I'm used to seeing, when some culture thinks about a sculpture to honor their gods, that they take it seriously. ['Sungod'] is kind of a joke.

""It's colorful,"" she offered. ""I like that it's colorful. But it's ugly, and it's called a god, and I don't like it.""

""Sun God"" tends to draw a reaction from everyone.

""It's neat,"" Roosevelt senior Rebecca Young said. She believes the art collection makes the campus look ""a bit more modern.""

""The 'Sun God'?"" Revelle freshman John Gorospe reflected. ""I don't know. It's just there.""

Jonathon Perlman, a Warren freshman, found it interesting that ""Sun God"" serves a ""utilitarian"" purpose for most students rather than an artistic one.

""It's sort of meant as a center for student collection,"" he said. ""They can come and meet there as a point of reference. I would say that most people don't have sort of an extra meaning for it, besides the fact that it's just a place to meet. I'm sure it was meant for more, but most students don't realize it.""

Perlman was, on the other hand, moved by ""La Jolla Project.""

""I really enjoy it,"" he said, pointing out its resemblance to Stonehenge in Great Britain. ""It makes us feel that we're more than just a separated piece of the outside world at college. All the things that have been going on since Sept. 11 -- we're separated from it unless we want to read about it or get a paper sent to us or watch it on television, so [""La Jolla Project""] just makes it seem like we are still connected to the outside world.""

John Bently, a Marshall freshman, also saw positive aspects of the collection.

""It adds more to the atmosphere,"" he said, ""it's friendly, warm, something nice.""

""Vices and Virtues"" is one of the pieces he enjoys most.

He explained, ""I'll be sitting in the library studying, and I can look out the window and see the lights flashing and it keeps me on track. Especially the 'sloth' one.

""I think my favorite one of all of them is when I'm walking at night and I hear the singing trees,"" he said. ""It's quiet and you're by yourself and all of a sudden you hear this singing, and it puts a smile on your face.""

Muir freshman Lydia Wood has interacted with at least one piece of the collection, ""Green Table,"" on which she has studied.

""I enjoy this table quite a bit,"" she said, her books spread in front of her. She brought her studying out onto the green marble because ""it seemed like a peaceful place to do work. Some of the things written are very inspirational.""

The overall effect of the Stuart Art Collection, to many students, is a positive one.

""I see the creativity of the whole thing, how it's always changing,"" Gorospe said. ""It's pleasing to the eye.""

""It's pretty cool,"" David Merriam, a graduate student, said. He thought a moment about why he liked it.

""I don't know,"" he finally said. ""It's just different.""

In 20 years, the Stuart Art Collection has lived among UCSD students, grown with each campus addition to campus, inspired discussion and provoked experiences, and used the 1,200-acre UCSD campus as its canvas.

Sun God
Niki de Saint Phalle (1983)

""It is unique,"" said Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego curator Toby Kamps. ""The pieces are an ongoing negotiation with the landscape of the campus.""

The Stuart Collection was first commissioned in 1981, when the Stuart Foundation was formed to bring ""provocative, cutting-edge, contemporary art thinking"" to UCSD, according to Stuart Collection Director Mary Beebe.

""This body is definitely not to decorate the campus in any way,"" she said. ""It is to promote experiences as the pieces exist in the campus atmosphere.""

Two Running Violet V Forms
Robert Irwin (1983)

From the collection's first commission, Nikki de Saint Phalle's ""Sun God,"" to its latest, ""Read/Write/Think/DrE-am"" by John Baldessari, each piece is designed for a specific location at UCSD. Each artist offers his voice in his cultural, intellectual and artistic enrichment of campus life through public sculptures.

""A lot of the pieces speak for themselves,"" Beebe said. ""You do not have to know anything about art history to understand the piece is communicating with you, even though it may not announce itself as art.""

The Stuart Foundation Advisory Committee contacts the artists and works with them to choose a location to place their art. Each piece uses the campus space to create a relationship with itself and the environment.

For many of the artists, the Stuart Collection, which prides itself as public art, is their first experience with public art. Some were may be known internationally in other artistic fields prior to their addition to the collection.

Patrick Ledden, a member of the Stuart Foundation and the provost of John Muir College, has been involved with the collection since he worked with James Stuart DiSilva, the man who founded the organization.

Ledden says that the collection is interesting because it is so visible. The man-made, indigenous nature of art is employed in it.

""Unlike any other collection, the Stuart Collection really takes advantage of physical space,"" he said. ""We bring the artists to the campus. We walk around with them. They decide which part of UCSD that they want to interact with.""

As a member of the foundation, Ledden finds a personal meaning in the collection, which passing students may not have.

""I get to see these pieces from an artistic and historical perspective because I have seen their commission and proposal,"" Ledden said. ""The Stuart Collection really becomes an archive to the campus and to what is the best work of the time in monument sculpture.""

Beebe agrees that the Stuart Collection lends itself to history because different trends in art lead to different nuances in the works. She mentions pieces such as Robert Irwin's ""Two Running Violet V Forms"" and Alexis Smith's ""Snake Path"" as dynamic elements of the bustling campus life.

""The mood can change so much on some of them that they become a living, breathing part of the campus,"" Beebe said.

Ledden agrees.

""All over campus, the artists allow us to live with them,"" he said. ""They give us an artist's sensibility and energy as we go about our daily lives.""

Ledden and Beebe mentioned that the collection stands alone in its geographical use, as well as in its interaction between each artwork and the viewer.

""The work provokes an intentional reaction, giving us an opportunity to participate in them,"" Ledden said. ""Other campuses have artworks that interact with each other displayed in a field. Here, all of our works are designed to interact with the environment and the people.""

In regards to student funding, Beebe said, ""We don't use any student funds. All the funding comes from the Friends of the Stuart Collection group and other fundraisers.""

The collection becomes a provocative, cutting-edge archive subject to the test of time, but maintained to cultivate the overall experience of the art.

Each year, the collection undergoes preservation as repairs are assessed. According to Beebe, the repairs cost about $30,000, but the foundation must allocate for special projects. ""Sun God"" was repainted in 1999 at a cost of $22,000. When a bulb burns out in Bruce Nauman's ""Vices and Virtues,"" it is replaced immediately.

""The works really are not themselves if we don't keep them up,"" Beebe said.

She went on to say that a special renovation was conducted for the 20th anniversary celebration.

The celebration will take place Nov. 3, when the foundation will present ""Landmarks,"" a book documenting 20 years of the Stuart Collection. The day will begin with a symposium of artists and critics followed by tours of the collection. It will end with the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego's presentation of the Stuart Collection and a musical celebration. Terry Allen's Panhandle Mystery Band will provide the music. Allen created ""Trees,"" a work found in the eucalyptus grove and outside the library.

""The Foundation wants people to understand the collection. Like people, you have to get to know them,"" Beebe said. ""It is important to have the information and know who and what they are to UCSD and contemporary art.""

Stuart Collection Authors

JK ‹ Jessica Kruskamp

HH ‹ Hana Hsu

SB ‹ Sabrina Morris

MG ‹ Marissa Guiterrez

CVJ ‹ Claire J. Vannette

CT ‹ Charlie Tran

KH ‹ Keely Hyslop

JL ‹ Joseph Lee

ME ‹ Mara Evans

Stuart Collection Photographers

Sun God, Standing ‹ Lyon Liew

Two Running Violet V Forms, READ/WRITE/THINK/DREAM ‹ Tyler Huff

La Jolla Vista View, La Jolla Project ‹ Rebecca Drexler

Red Shoe, Trees ‹ Sam Scoufos

Green Table ‹ Colin Young-Wolff

Snake Path ‹ Anna MacMurdo

Vices and Virtues ‹ Scott Thomas

UNDA ‹ Dave Ries

Something Pacific ‹ Chris Padfield

Terrace ‹ Leo Der Stepanians

Untitled ‹ Isaac Sullivan

Long Beach Dub Allstars

Wonders of the World

Dreamworks

Medical miracle workers can transplant a heart when the old one fails, giving new life to a patient. The new heart will beat on, but can never fully replace the original. The ex-group Sublime lost its pumping heart with former lead singer Brad Nowell's death in 1996. The remaining members gained new lead singer Opie Ortiz, and the band evolved into the Long Beach Dub Allstars. Though the band's body lives on, its heart is sometimes a beat or two off.

On ""Wonders of the World,"" the Allstars bring 17 tracks of fun in the sun. Their music blends upbeat punk, reggae and rap with a tinge of pop. Through rhythmic beats and psychedelic effects, they amass the three styles of music into a colorful cornucopia of OK music.

""Sunny Hours"" is the catch tune and has enjoyed heavy rotation on major radio stations nationwide. Featuring Will.I.Am of the Black Eye Peas, this track is conducive to rhythmic head bopping. With a Sugar Ray-esque flavor, this song keeps it fun.

The Allstars offer modified reggae in tracks like ""It Ain't Easy,"" ""Listen To DJ's"" and ""Talkin' The Truth."" The latter track features Paulie Selekta from The Burn Unit; whether his presence actually contributes to the music is questionable.

Their SoCal punk side arises in tracks like ""Lies,"" featuring I-Man of Capitol Eye, and ""Every Mother's Dream."" Chaotic instrumentals and vocal straining blend into a cacophonous melody of music.

Though most of the tracks are upbeat and best enjoyed at a sunny barbecue, songs like ""Life Goes On,"" featuring Half Pink, Ives and other rappers, show that the Allstars know how to induce chill. Soulful vocals offer a glimpse into the mellow side of this band.

They're not Sublime. The Long Beach Dub Allstars have brought their own philosophy into music. Ortiz believes that ""it would be a better world if people would just cheer up a little,"" and this credo is seen in his music. If only the album were as good as his humanitarian intentions.

-- Eugene Kym

Contributing Writer

P.O.D.

Satellite

Atlantic

The boys from the South, P.O.D., are back with the much-anticipated follow-up album to their 1999 release, ""The Fundamental Elements of Southtown.""

Possibly their finest work to date, ""Satellite"" explodes with the sounds of cross-cultural power rock. P.O.D. successfully blends hip-hop, hardcore, reggae and rock once again on their second major recording.

""Satellite"" covers a wide scope of genres, all of which induce various emotions.

""All the great rock bands were always driven by passion and emotion,"" states Marcos, the band's versatile guitarist. ""Whether it's a negative passion and emotion or a positive passion and emotion. But to us, we always put all of our love and everything that we have into our music.""

The feel-good rock anthem ""Alive"" lifts our spirits and prompts the listener to reflect on the beauty of life. The old-school title song ""Satellite"" is reminiscent of '80s rock with a twist of hardcore.

""Youth of the Nation"" addresses youth issues and was written in response to the March 5 shooting at Santana High School in Santee, Calif. The moods of ""Satellite"" range from joyful to distressing, always provoking and challenging the listener to be real.

Sonny (vocals), Marcos (guitars), Traa (bass), and Wuv (drums) have been rocking audiences with their unique musical style since 1992. Coming from the city of San Ysidro, Calif., near the U.S.-Mexico border, ""Satellite"" allowed them to incorporate an infinite variety of textures and styles into their already diverse sound.

""We do what we know is right for us and that's it,"" Sonny said. ""We don't go out there and give a sermon when we get on stage -- we don't shove anything down anybody's throat. But we sing about what's real in our lives, and that's the bottom line.""

P.O.D.'s uncompromising lyrics and outstanding production on ""Satellite"" lifts spirits with a positive vibe and rocks our world, provoking us to reevaluate everything that is important in our lives.

-- Marisa Gutierrez

Contributing Writer

The Strokes

Is This It

RCA

The Strokes aren't sure what decade it is. ""Is This It"" blends '90s pop rock with a '70s groove on an album that sounds like it was recorded on equipment from the '50s.

Their Web site says that they dress like ""their clothes from the '70s and the '80s fell into the same hamper.""

The New York fivesome got together in 1998 and played the NY scene for nearly a year before taking off in the UK charts. The United States is now coming to appreciate The Strokes' unique sound.

Watching the video of their first single, ""Last Nite,"" one gets a good sense of what this band is all about.

A still camera films the band on a '70s-style sound stage. Lead singer Julian Casablancas thrashes about with a beer in hand, seemingly unaware that the making of a music video is in process. These guys could be the genesis of a whole new kind of rock star.

The album manages to hold its sound throughout.

Casablancas' fuzzy vocals are at times tiresome, at times brilliant. ""Someday"" features Casablancas at his best; his vocals are effortless and the lyrics rather than the vocals carry the song with ironically brilliant declarations like, ""Promises, they break before they're made sometimes,"" and, ""I'm working so I don't have to try so hard"".

Each of the rock songs offered up by The Strokes is refreshingly different than most of the rock on the shelves right now, and accordingly ""Is This It"" is a necessary addition to any rock fan's collection.

Although the album lacks a ballad and could have been helped by a few slower songs to mix up the tempo, it's still a must-have.

It is refreshing to come across a band that writes music in spite of the current sound instead of in line with it.

The Strokes are innovators, not imitators.

Or maybe they are just oblivious -- either way, they put out a great rock album.

-- David Bynum

Staff Writer

You would hope that the producers of ""Life as a House"" would at least come up with a title less boring. Fortunately for the cautious moviegoer (and unfortunately for the picture), the movie proves to be every bit as blase as its name.

Kevin Kline stars as a housing artist (the kind who builds the little models for clients to see before the actual building is created) named George. George is outpaced by modern 3-D house-viewing technology and gets fired from his job only to find out he is going to die of cancer in four months.

His utterly inane life previous to these events is a divorcee in an inherited shack juxtaposed with million-dollar homes overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It has his former wife, Robin (Kristin Scott Thomas), and his drugged-out, pierced-all-over, heavy metal, stereotypical, angst-ridden 16-year-old son Sam in a richer man's family down the street.

When diagnosed with cancer, George decides that he's going to tear down the shack that he lives in and build a decent house before his death.

The four months conveniently encompass summer, so George drags his son into the project, to Sam's chagrin and anger. What ensues is a predictable sequence of sappy and contrived scenes that illustrate George saving his son from prostitution, piercing and drugs, his wife from an unfeeling husband, and his own sense of pride and self-worth.

Although the movie's sensibilities do not prevent it from humorously portraying shower scenes between Sam and attractive neighborhood girl Alyssa (Jena Malone), the movie's message is not only hindered by its acceptance of conventional standards of morality, but it seems to advance the cause of conventional morality without any sort of justification or logic. It's a sappy, feel-good movie for people who want their ideas about the world justified by pop culture.

While movies like ""American Beauty"" make profound statements because they justify an ambiguous stance without resorting to a prepackaged group of scenes and morals, ""Life as a House"" gets lumped into the same group as movies like ""Fight Club."" These films are all well and good for their genre and for the people who appreciate the same core values as their respective producers, but inane, immature and trite for the rest of us.

Director Richard Linklater of ""Slacker"" and ""Dazed and Confused"" takes an innovative approach to filmmaking with his latest movie ""Waking Life."" Not technically an animated or live-action production, Linklater originally shot the film with real actors and then went back and painted each cell to give the movie a unique, dream-like look, making the atmosphere of the film become as surreal as the story.

However, when the entire background of the film is floating and the faces of the characters morph continuously, it becomes dizzying and difficult to concentrate on the complex matter of the film.

Starring Wiley Wiggins (""Dazed and Confused""), ""Waking Life"" chronicles the journey of a young man who cannot wake up from his dreams and spends most of them listening to many seemingly random people discuss intangible theories.

Appearances from other actors such as Ethan Hawke and Adam Goldberg seem to be random and sporadic with no real ties made to the main character and plot of the film, which makes it occasionally confusing.

Although the film was visually remarkable, its presentation contrasted with the subject of the film. In addition, much of the dialogue between the random characters is very complex and thought-provoking, yet the cartoonish feel of the movie takes away from the seriousness of the conversations.

In short, it's hard to concentrate on characters who talk about abstract metaphysical concepts when objects in the background start floating or random objects sprout legs and start dancing around the speaker.

An innovative spin on filmmaking, ""Waking Life"" sometimes looks like an impressionist painting vibrating with life but at other times seems to be cartoony and completely incoherent. For many college students, this would not be considered a must-see simply because it makes you think so much. If you decide to go see this movie, though, make sure you are completely awake, because this film is quite soporific.

evin Spacey has proven time and time again that he is one of the best actors of his generation. He even has two Academy Awards to prove it.

That being said, ""K-PAX"" is a poor attempt at an intellectual commentary about everyday life and questioning one's beliefs.

This is not to say that Spacey does not deliver a solid performance with what he was given, but that he should probably think a little harder about what scripts he chooses if he wants any more Oscar consideration in the near future.

""K-PAX"" is the story of Prot (Spacey), a strange person who police detain at the scene of a mugging after he recalls how bright this planet really is.

Prot is then turned over to Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges), a seasoned psychiatrist determined to treat Prot for what he thinks is delusion.

While in treatment at the psychiatric center, Prot interacts with many of the other patients in the ward, providing some interesting social commentary along with some slight comic relief.

As Prot's fact-finding mission on Earth nears its end, Powell finds himself questioning his own beliefs in reality as he attempts to get to the bottom of the case.

The film simply falls short in providing the sophisticated social commentary that it appears to strive for. The comic relief is composed of cheesy lines and lame jokes that sometimes elicit snickers of pity. Overall, the script is weak and the performances (aside from Spacey's) leave something to be desired.

Spacey is above-average in his role. He does a great job of convincing not only Powell, but the audience as well, that he is from another planet. He will not get an Oscar nod for this role, but he is the only reason to watch the movie. Without his performance, this movie would most likely be the most painful two hours of your entire existence.

In the other lead role, Bridges delivers an absolutely awful performance. While he has definitely had his share of great roles in the past, this one is simply not one of them. Mary McCormack was little more than eye-candy in her role as Bridges' wife. Alfre Woodard was average as Bridges' boss at the psychiatric hospital.

As far as cinematography and directing, there was simply too much use of light by director Iain Softley. He tried to make light another character in the movie, but the distracting, random use of the element fell far short of what the director most likely intended.

Overall, the movie was not very good. It had potential to be a decent flick, but a poor script couppled with subpar performances make this movie one that should definitely be left to the video store, if not cable television.

It has been 21 years since the first performance of ""Les Miserables"" in Paris, so naturally, a question arises: Can a touring production of an old musical still invoke emotions as it did on opening day? If there was a ""master of the house,"" it would be ""Les Mis.""

Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, ""Les Miserables"" is the epic story of Jean Valjean (Randal Keith), who is imprisoned 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. Upon parole, he eludes Javert (Robert Mammana), a brutal and cold officer of the law, and starts a new life of honor to give back to society as the mayor of a town.

In this town, a single mother, Fantine (Joan Almedilla), is dismissed from her job and forced into prostitution, which gets her in trouble with the law. Valjean promises to take care of Fantine's child, Cosette.

The musical goes on telling the story of Valjean's care of the now-older Cosette (Stephanie Waters). On the streets of Paris, Cosette falls in love with Marius (Edward Juvier), who happens to be the object of affection for Eponine (Diana Kaarina), a peasant living on the streets of Paris.

Valjean has to deal not only with Cosette, but also with confrontations from the revolution and eluding capture from Javert.

Sound confusing and complex? So are daytime soap operas. But unlike those TV shows, from ""Les Mis"" you'll get not only superb acting but also an intelligent plot that flows smoothly, and music that eloquently and captivatingly guides the audience.

What defines ""Les Mis"" is the music. The score appeals to all; from its comic relief to soliloquies to ensemble cheers, the music is the soul and driving force of this production. Not only is the music as addictive as crack, it's funny, sad, thrilling, inspiring and brilliant.

The music is so enthralling that it really doesn't matter who's singing -- it's just a matter of who does the better job.

Kaarina does a marvelous job as Eponine when singing ""On My Own"" to portray a fragile voice in the midst of chaos. Juvier also does a commendable job as Marius, providing a sad but gripping cry during ""Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.""

However, it is the comic relief of Thenardier (J.P. Dougherty) and Madame Thenardier (Aymee Garcia) that brings joy and laughter to the house. Their rendition of ""Master of the House"" brings laughter and silliness to what would otherwise be an all-serious musical.

The spotlight shines alone on Randal Keith, who plays Valjean. The vocal range required for Valjean's part is demanding and changes rapidly, but Keith hits all the highs and lows with superb accuracy. When Keith sings ""On My Own,"" he sets himself apart from the rest of the cast; he is on a cloud of his own.

Do you hear the people sing? They're singing for an encore of this great musical.

10/25 Thursday

Get closer to the energy of Mardi Gras with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. These masters of jazz play a distinctive New Orleans style of music and it can't be missed. They will perform at the Belly Up Tavern at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.

10/26 Friday

Tha Liks (a.k.a. The Alkoholics), Young M.C. and local hip-hop act Voice of Reason will be at the Price Center Plaza at 7 p.m. With a student I.D. you can catch the sounds of old-school hip-hop for free. In case of rain, the concert will be at RIMAC Arena.

The Konk Pack will showcase their avant-garde style of free-form jazz at the Spruce Street Forum. The concert starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10 for students. Call (619) 295-0301 for reservations.

The hip-hop-flavored jazz group Spaceman Spiff will be at Redfish in downtown San Diego. This local band was nominated for a San Diego Music Award and puts on one of the best live shows in the area. Call Redfish at (619) 234-7226 for more information. They will also be at Blind Melons on Saturday at 9:30 p.m.

10/27 Saturday

Check out The Ultimate Halloween Party at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the Satellite Wagering Facility. There will be a $3,000 costume contest, three rooms featuring Top 40, hip-hop, '80s, house and trance. Tickets are $19 and the event is from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. The admission also includes free entry to the Blue Tattoo Halloween Party on Halloween Night. The event is 21 and over.

Lost at Last creates a beautiful electronic landscape with a very danceable beat. Live instruments, vocalists and percussion give the group a very ""real"" sound. The concert starts at 9:15 p.m. and tickets are $10. The concert will be at The Belly Up Tavern.

10/28 Sunday

Jane's Addiction is back! They have been coming and going since the 1980s but for now they're back and they're at the Coors Ampitheatre. The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets start at $26. Electronic act Stereo MCs will be the support band.

10/29 Monday

Punk band Dropkick Murphys will be at 'Canes Bar and Grill. Hailing all the way from Boston, this band flavors its sound with Celtic melodies and good ol' late 1970s punk rock.

Were you going to the Butthole Surfer's concert at 4th & B? Well they canceled, and tickets can be refunded at your respective point of purchase.

10/31 Wednesday

Off-beat rhythms, dark melodies, powerful and agressive guitars and deep snyths have defined Tool as they redefined rock music. They will peform at the Cox Arena. Tickets are $35 and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Trip-hop master Tricky will open.

The Monster Bash in the Gaslamp features great cover bands and, of course, a costume contest that can yield $1,000 in prize money. The event will be held on 5th Avenue between J and K Streets. The event starts at 5 p.m. and ends at 11:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. For more information call (619) 233-5008. This event is 21 and up.

The Casbah presents its 15th annual Halloween party at The Westin Horton Plaza. This festival will have sideshows, costume contests, multiples stages and DJ rooms. Local San Diego bands such as Rocket From the Crypt and El Vez will perform. The event starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $25. This event is 21 and up.

You can celebrate Halloween at 4th & B at its annual Halloween Costume Ball. The party features DJ Richard ""Humpty"" Vission along with David Alvarado spinning dance music. The show starts at 6 p.m. and tickets are $15. This event is 21 and up.

Take a walk through Satan's Playground at the Belly Up Tavern. DJ Jalil will be spinning house and hip-hop while thousands of dollars in cash and prizes are distributed to the costumed crowd. All those in attendence are encouraged to dress up in red. The event starts at 9 p.m and tickets are $15. There will not be any tickets sold at the door. The event is 21 and up.

Midterms are nearly over, and with their completion come the congratulations of the A.S. Council. This Friday, all card-carrying UCSD students are invited to celebrate in typical Triton fashion: by going to see bands that we vaguely remember from junior high in concert. Don't complain. It's free.

The same event that brought groups such as Crash Test Dummies and Save Ferris last year brings Young M.C., Tha Liks (formerly known as the Alkoholics) and Voice of Reason to the Price Center Plaza Friday at 7 p.m.

Nowadays the words ""bust a move"" probably remind the majority of our readers of the hit Neo-Geo video game, but not too long ago Young M.C. sat atop the hip-hop Billboard charts for a good long while with this dance mix favorite.

We've all heard ""Bust a Move"" and we've all busted a move to it. Unfortunately, Young M.C.'s career disappeared along with his genre of friendly rap with the introduction of gangsta' rap in the early 1990s.

Don't doubt Young's talent, however. He coauthored other great hits from the late 1980s such as Tone Loc's ""Wild Thang"" and ""Funky Cold Medina,"" a favorite of everyone who knows what a medina is.

He released a greatest hits album in 1998 and is still touring and doing small shows. Young M.C. shows considerable commitment to his hip-hop career, considering he has a University of Southern California economics degree.

One wonders what UCSD could possibly be paying him that he couldn't be making at most desk jobs. The answer: not much. Young M.C. has been keepin' it real since before that phrase was coined.

Tha Liks bring a newer twist on hip-hop culture to the lineup. Their Web site describes their music as ""the flavor and aroma of an extraordinary cognac coupled with the draw from a fine Cuban cigar.""

Said less fruitfully, they combine the worlds of hard hip-hop and alternative music and are well-respected by those who participate in the hip-hop subculture.

If your idea of participating in hip-hop subculture is listening to Puff Daddy's album all the way through, then maybe you haven't heard of them. Tha Liks' most recent album, ""The X.O. Experience,"" is reportedly softer than previous releases and has a few radio-friendly tracks.

Starting off the night with a little local flavor is Voice of Reason, who placed runner-up in last year's battle of the bands at the Sun God Festival. (I guess whoever won the battle of the bands last year was unavailable.) Described as a hip-hop funk hybrid, Voice of Reason might be the best reason to come to the concert.

Between the has-beens, the never-weres and the could-bes, Friday should be an interesting evening. Come out and bust a move.

This year's installment of the long-running Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation held a great selection of new and charming films, along with some ""classics"" and a couple of easily forgettable pieces.

Amusing and coarse, the festival promotes itself as a collection of the nastier side of animation. In truth, the 18-and-over age requirement seems a bit overrated. Nothing is as offensive as you might expect. Most of the shorts are suitable for network broadcast. Granted, there are some ""adult"" themes: drugs, drinking, suicide, misogyny and sex; but come on, like you've never seen this kind of thing before.

The origins of the festival go back more than 24 years, before the ""classic"" animation festival got started. Spike was living in Riverside, Calif., ""the cultural end of the Earth,"" as he put it, where he was the bassist and vocalist for a '50s parody greaser band.

""We would play old cartoons before and in between the sets,"" Spike recounted. ""You know, old 'Popeye,' 'Betty-Boop,' 'Superman,' that kind of thing.""

Out of sheer desperation for something to do in Riverside Spike began playing cartoons in the party house known as ""The Manor.""

""It was a pretty wild place,"" Spike said. ""It was three levels, and we threw crazy parties, like in Animal House.'""

It was at one of these parties that Spike first met Mike, the now -- deceased half of Spike and Mike.

""He showed up to a party uninvited in a clown costume,"" Spike said. ""He had mirrors on his shoes, and was using them to look up women's dresses. Their boyfriends beat Mike up and threw him out of the party.""

Needless to say, Mike eventually moved into the The Manor's attic, and the two became fast friends. As a twosome, Spike and Mike were able to compensate for each other's talents: ""Mike was a great MC, and I wasn't,"" Spike remembers. ""He was always good at things I wasn't, and I was good at things he wasn't.""

A Festival of Animation began slowly.

""At first we just scrapped things together,"" Spike said. ""It was very crude.""

Soon they found a source for several films in the National Film Board of Canada. As time went on, a reputation began to build, and people began to send in films, but this did not happen overnight. Spike has traveled the world to find new and interesting shorts. He was on the road for 10 months of the year in earlier days, though now he spends more like four.

""The show is definitely fun,"" Spike said, ""but it's a lot of work, and a lot of commitment.""

Spike and Mike's has approximately 50-city run throughout the year, allowing for wide exposure for the festival and the animation. All that time and effort are really beginning to pay off.

""We got mentioned this year on 'The Simpsons,'"" Spike said. ""And we went on tour with Korn; it became titled the 'Sick and Twisted' tour.""

Many now-famous and infamous cartoons have passed through the ranks of Spike and Mike, from ""Wallice and Gromit"" to ""Beavis and Butthead"" and even the ""Powerpuff Girls.""

Watching this rise in the popularity of cartoons that have been helped along by the festival has been bittersweet for Spike.

""In the beginning we really got screwed on the legal issue,"" he recounted, ""so we've never gotten any money or even any recognition when people use the shorts.""

Still, Spike remains optimistic.

""It's coming back to us,"" he said coyly. ""It's getting bigger, and more and more people are hearing about us now.""

Audience participation is popular throughout the festival, building a consistent rowdiness that ""does not support the quiet movie-going experience,"" Spike said. ""You had better be prepared for childish comments from the more vocal attendees, but often it's all in good fun.""

Intermission entertainment was also provided. To the great delight of male audience members, there were five women up on stage, competing in the ""Best Ass"" competition. The pre-show entertainment was three massive balloons left to be tossed around the auditorium. It's amazing how completely enraptured people become by a large plastic sphere of helium. Since when did we all become cats?

There are a string of fabulous shorts that can be seen this year: ""Timmy's Lessons In Nature"" shows you what you expect to happen more often to the Crocodile Hunter, and in ""Voltron & Heroin"" you find a couple of great practical jokes for children. ""Maakies"" was featured on an episode of ""Saturday Night Live"" a few years back, but is great whether you've seen it before or not. After all, when isn't alcohol and suicide a winning combination? Chris Rock's voice and head star in ""Bad Phone Sex,"" which is humorous, if not predicable. Tenacious D, the acoustic-freaky-funk duo, and Jack Black of ""High Fidelity"" fame have an animated presence along with singing the soundtrack to ""Fuck Her Gently.""

The great and bizarre Bill Plymton (Liquid Television, and the animated GEICO ads) has a new film, ""Eat,"" that manages to capture the sick part of the festival fairly well. His twisting presentation of reality constantly blurs the lines of fantasy, allowing you to see what a character is thinking. The vomiting seemed inevitable somehow, but the crowd was pleased by the queasy sequence.

Both ""L'Amour"" and ""Rejected"" were present again this year; these are stick figure animations that manage to be some of the funniest films Spike and Mike have ever shown. ""Rejected"" has actually been nominated for an Academy Award; it's pretty amusing to imagine members of the Academy watching that fluffy little thing bleeding out of its anus. All you can do is laugh.

If you're not expecting to have the absolute limits of good taste and judgment pushed back, then Spike and Mike will certainly amuse you. Fans of early ""Beavis and Butthead"" will rejoice in the simple and often blatant gags that take place on screen. With around 20 short films, you can't really expect every single cartoon to be the most entertaining gem. Yet, what is occasionally disappointing in a film here or there, is more than made up for with the other shorts and the atmosphere, which includes stage antics involving the crowd.

In general, almost everybody will be pleased by attending, as long as they aren't expecting anything more than what this festival is: animation that celebrates its own lack of refinement.