OU Says "Hello" to Hellogoodbye

Hellogoodbye visits the University of Oklahoma

for a free outdoor concert in Norman, Okla., on Friday,

April 20, 2012.The event is put on by the Union

Programming Board on the east lawn of the Oklahoma 

Memorial Union. Hellogoodbye's drummer, Aaron Flora, 

says this is the first time the band has played at OU, and 

this is just one of many stops the band is making on their 

college campus tour. Auggie Rampolla, the band's bass 

player, says he enjoys playing college campus crowds, 

because since students are always looking for a break 

from their busy school schedules, they tend to bring a fun, 

different vibe to the show. For more information and tour 

dates, visit the band's website at www.hellogoodbye.net.

Going Raw

            The art of sushi is still a relatively new concept in many countries, and sushi chefs in Japan have recently been packing their knives to head to those less-charted territories. Students at the Tokyo Sushi Academy in Tokyo plan to join the growing ranks of professional Japanese chefs eager to serve a growing overseas appetite for sushi, according to the New York Times article written by Miki Tanikawa, “Japanese Sushi Students Aim for a Job Overseas.” With Japan’s declining success in the restaurant market, students training in sushi culinary schools are ready to tackle markets in other countries, where sushi is less saturated.

                  “Here in the U.S., especially in Oklahoma, you can see a steakhouse on every corner. Sushi is still an unfamiliar idea to many Americans, so there’s plenty of potential for growth in this market,” Beaux Mitcham, sushi manager at In the Raw Norman, said.

                  Many people in countries like America and Germany may be aware of the sushi craze, but may have never tried the Japanese delicacy. There are plenty of food lovers that are just not keen on the idea of eating raw fish. Perhaps with more and more sushi houses popping up, more people will be willing to give sushi a chance.

                  “I think a lot of people are skeptical of sushi, and as a result they end up missing out on something they’ve never even tried,” Joe Coscia, sushi chef at In the Raw Norman, said.

                The potential for getting food poisoning is also a factor in why some people steer clear of eating sushi. What a lot of people do not know is that the majority of fish you get in sushi restaurants is extremely fresh, making it safer to consume.

              “Even though we aren’t on the coast, we still are able to get fish really quickly after it has been caught,” Mitcham said.

                    “If people knew more about sushi and developed the type of respect for it that people familiar with it have, they’d probably discover that they actually like it,” Coscia said.

               As consumers become more acquainted with sushi, the demand will certainly become higher. As a result, Japanese sushi chefs looking to go abroad with their skills will have much more success in markets where sushi is only beginning to emerge.

Sushi chefs Beaux Mitcham and Joe Coscia discuss
the art of sushi at In the Raw in Norman, Okla., on 
Thursday, April 12, 2012.

Norman Music Festival 2012

           Norman Music Festival (NMF) will be rocking Oklahoma April 26-28, marking its fifth year as a legitimate music destination for local and national touring bands. For those three days, the typically sluggish downtown Norman will be transformed into a full-on dance party equipped with 13 stages, six venues, 44 sponsors, and countless artists from all over the country. This year’s festival is expected to bring in an estimated 40,000 attendees--10,000 more than last year’s event.

            Chrome Pony, a Norman Music Festival crowd favorite since NMF 3, will be the last performance of the 3-day event, playing at the Blackwatch Stage. Dark dance pop with an 80s sound is how the band is described. Steven Battles, Chrome Pony’s front man, is especially excited about this year’s festival.

            “Norman Music Festival is like a combination of Christmas and my birthday for my band. It has been the best show for us because the crowds that come out to support local music make our performance a really incredible experience,” Battles said.

            New to the stages of Norman Music Festival will be Tulsa’s own The Moai Broadcast. Members of The Moai Broadcast describe their sound as “rocktronica”—rock with electronic overtones. Cody Brewer, The Moai Broadcast’s guitarist, says the band is ready to join the ranks of NMF’s veterans.

          “We’re no strangers to playing bars and other venues in Norman, so we’re really excited that we are getting the opportunity to play this year’s festival.”

               The Moai Broadcast will be hitting the stage of the Sooner Theatre the last day of the festival at 3 p.m.

               A festival map for all the stages is available on NMF’s website. Ticket prices and music passes for Norman Music Festival vary. For more information and everything you need to know about Norman Music Festival, visit the festival’s website at www.normanmusicfestival.com. 

Steven Battles of Chrome Pony plays a melancholy
guitar riff in Norman Okla., on Thursday, April 5,
2012.