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Local band Choosing Sides aims for national
mcognition, returns to College Station
t, with - ■
UVsam fl B y Crystal Dobson
targetedf! the battalion
ad. StudeiB^s a b arK j that delivers a high
!!r enlrgy, crowd-pleasing show.
Choosing Sides has had little
*We to get its act together. The
trgeted m ■ee members reunited in
s an V September 2001 and played their
tat ree B 1 s b° w a month later,
j i n the BJason Wyatt, front man, gui-
carried w, Tter; Dan Nowlan,
ages lefiBs' 81 ant f Ernesto “Ernie”
chines er, Chacon, percussionist, make up
ing conrB aggressive rock style of
I to an' Choosing Sides,
id in Has a whole, the goal of the
public. Houp is to grow into a nationally-
red cal> recognized band that financially
brief grace supports its needs.
’ beginrarafl “1 have always wanted to be
tnsumerii able to say, T play for a living,”’
■ ot the ir Nowia,-) sa j(j “How great would
ed. Oiaree t l at be?”
^ nSM ^boosing Sides has four
v®*‘““■corded songs on a demo CD
that is given out at shows, as well
about 20 written songs. The
hnd plans on recording a full-
length CD this summer.
J During shows, it is guaran-
■ed the band will play several
aCC6pt$If°P ula r covers. It is always sure
I j : tpplay its favorite cover, “Tyler,”
1 pi6u0“ l|y the Toadies. The band closes
show
;e agaifiil fr
n people r;
itesting to
r office, W
a role ter
; report'.!
pne-haMfel
with “Bloody
that keeps the
■ut the
jupid,” a song
[rowd pumped.
“If our band and crowd
jren't exhausted by the end of
the show, it wasn’t a success,”
Vyatt said. “I have to have
broken a pick, Dan is bleeding
and Ernie’s usually broken a
drumstick or two by the last
song. The crowd is totally into
the music, singing along with
the band, even after we are
done playing. That describes a
successful show.”
Choosing Sides was original
ly formed in 2000, when the
members attended Texas A&M.
The band primarily played cover
songs. Three months later it
broke up.
After the band reunited, it
decided not to stick with its for
mer name. Wyatt dubbed the
group “Choosing Sides,” a
thought spurred by the Sept. 1 1
terrorist attacks.
“There are always two sides
to everything,” Wyatt said. “A
name such as Choosing Sides
gets people to think about
what side to choose; good and
evil usually being the sides
presented.”
Less than a year later, the
band has gained recognition. It
has been on KAMU’s “Between
the Lines” and performed at
places such as Big Pauly’s and
the Texas Hall of Fame.
Choosing Sides played at Big
Pauly’s “Toys for Tots” and par
ticipated in the Northgate Music
Festival.
The group loves what it does,
mainly because of the fans.
“Being onstage is such a
rush,” Wyatt said. “The influ
ence our band has on people
is amazing, and it is even
greater experiencing this with
Ernie and Dan.”
All of the members in
Choosing Sides believe that the
music scene is changing in
College Station.
“The music industry has
been growing exponentially
over the past few years,”
Nowlan said. “The businesses
on Northgate see a need for
entertainment, so the bands
help them out, and in turn, that
provides us with a job.
Everyone is gaining fans and
customers.”
Big Pauly’s is the favorite
venue of the group.
“We love the people at Big
Pauly’s,” Chacon said. “Owner
Cameron Smith has helped by
providing a place to perform, and
he is great to work with.”
Chacon also said their success
has a lot to do with a few select
people.
“Besides the fans, we are
very grateful for Vanessa Reece
and Casey Mack,” Chacon said.
“Vanessa has helped out a great
deal by booking us at places like
Texadelphia, Big Pauly’s and the
Crooked Path. As for Casey, his
Website AggielandConcerts.com
has contributed to the success of
many small town artists per
forming in College Station.”
Choosing Sides will return
to College Station May 4 at Big
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHOOSING SIDES
Jason Wyatt, Ernesto Chacon and Dan Nowlan of Choosing Sides
perform one of their hits.
THE BATTALION
3
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
Natalie Portman has grown
accustomed to show business
NEW YORK (AP) — Natalie Portman used to hint in interviews
that she would give up acting someday. Now, she knows it is in her
blood.
“I know that I need it,” Portman told Vogue magazine for its
May issue. “When I’m in school I miss it like crazy, and it
feeds me.”
The 20-year-old, who reprises her role of Queen Amidala in the
upcoming Star Wars prequel, said she has learned how to juggle
her fame with her studies at Harvard University.
“It makes all social interactions a little harder,” Portman said.
“It sort of eliminates the level of the middle friend — people either
are acquaintances or they’re my best friends. Because the mid
dle people are usually the ones who just want to rub shoulders,
you know?”
After 10 years in the business, she has also learned how to deal
with people staring at her.
“I used to do really immature things — this is a couple of years
ago — where I would just, like, stare someone down, like, ‘See
how it feels to be stared at?’ Which is horrible,” Portman said. “I
mean, it’s completely natural to stare. If Harrison Ford walked in
right now I’d be totally checking him out."
Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones, co-starring Ewan
McGregor, Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson, opens
May 16.
Ted Danson will portray medium
he consulted to contact his father
RADNOR, Pa. (AP) — Ted Danson stars as best-selling medium
James Van Praagh in the CBS movie Living with the Dead on
April 28 and 30.
It turns out the role might not be much of a stretch for Danson,
who stars in the CBS sitcom “Becker.”
After network executives sent a script and offer to Danson, they
learned that subject and star had met a week earlier.
“I had been to Ted’s house just that week before to do a spiri
tual reading for him and his wife, Mary Steenburgen,” Van
Praagh said. “Now, how wild is that? It all seemed to be part of
a divine plan.”
Danson told TV Guide for its April 27 issue that he believes he
made contact with his late father through Van Praagh.
“I’ve had several evenings with James and he has transformed
me,” Danson said. “The experience is like a two-by-four across
the forehead.”
Steenburgen called the sessions “extraordinary, uplifting and
beyond any rational explanation. And believe me, I tried to
explain them away.”
Living with the Dead is inspired by the life and work of Van
Praagh, author of Talking to Heaven and Reaching to Heaven.
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LAYBOY
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Attention female student body! Ever fantasized about being pictured in the number one men's magazine
in the world? Now's your chance to turn fantasy into reality. Representatives from PLAYBOY magazine
are in College Station to interview and photograph female students for "Women of the Big 12," the
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INTERESTED STUDENTS SHOULD CALL TO ATTEND THE INTERVIEW SESSIONS:
CALL GEORGE GEORG] OU
312/401-7343
TUESDAY, APRIL 23 & WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24
© 2002 PLAYBOY