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PAGE 68
TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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MUSIC
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Look ahead: April music scene
RYAN WRIGHT
entertain@kansan.com
March was a relatively slow month in music. While there were a few major releases toward the beginning of the month, it slowed down as the month was ending. With March now behind us, April is full of live music in the Lawrence and Kansas City area and there's also quite a few albums releasing. Here's what to keep an eye on.
NAS - "ILLMATIC XX" - APRIL 15 In celebration of the 20th anniversary of his classic debut album "Illmatic," Nas will be releasing a special edition of the album entitled "Illmatic XX." The album features a remastered version of the original album as well as previously unreleased tracks and new remixes of classics from the original album. Nas is rumored to be working on a new album and this should hold fans over until then.
MILEY CYRUS LIVE AT THE SPRINT
CENTER - APRIL 15
Whether you hate her or you love her, Miley Cyrus is
bringing her "Bangerz" tour to the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. Miley has been in the news a lot recently for her wild antics and this concert should be entertaining at the very least. Tickets are still available for prices ranging from $41.50 to $91.50 and can be purchased at sprintcenter.com.
SCHOOLBOY Q LIVE AT LIBERTY
HALL - APRIL 23
After releasing his long awaited album "Oxymoron" in February, Schoolboy Q began his world tour in promotion of the album which makes a stop in Lawrence at Liberty Hall. Even though he's a relatively new artist, Schoolboy Q is known as one of the most energetic performers in hip-hop. His shows often include mosh pits in the crowd. Q won't be alone though, he'll be bringing along Isaiah Rashad and Vince Staples. Tickets are still available at libertyahill.net for $25 in advance and $28 the day of the show.
FUTURE – “HONEST” - APRIL 22 Atlanta rapper Future is back with his follow-up to his 2012 debut "Pluto." The album
features production from Mike Will Made It and guest verses from Kanye West, Andre 3000 and others. Future is known for making street bangers which will be included in the album but he's also going to try his hand at R&B. With its release in a few weeks, this is an album to look forward to.
ARCADE FIRE LIVE AT STARLIGHT
THEATRE - APRIL 26
Grammy Award-winning indie rock band Arcade Fire is making a stop in Kansas City, Mo. at the Starlight Theatre. The tour is in promotion of its 2013 album "Reflektor" and the concert will feature opening acts Kid Koala and Tune-Yards. Tickets start at $30.50 and are still available at tickets.kcstarlight.com.
WAKA FLOCKA FLAME LIVE AT THE RIOT ROOM - APRIL 27
With his highly anticipated album "Flockaveli 2" right around the corner, Waka Flocka is touring the country and making a stop in Kansas City, Mo. at the Riot Room. Waka Flocka's concerts are often compared to punk rock concerts and this one should
be no different. Tickets can be purchased at theriotroom.
com for $25. VIP packages are available for $50.
RIFF RAFF - "NEON ICON " - APRIL
29
These aren't the only important things happening in music, Bun B, Chuck Inglish, Asher Roth and others will be performing in Lawrence. April is shaping up to be a remarkable month for live shows and it's going to be exciting to have so many choices.
After numerous delays Riff Raff's "Neon Icon" will finally be released on April 29. The album is executively produced by the legendary DJ Diplo and will include guest features from Drake and 2 Chainz. Riff Raff is one of the most entertaining rappers today, and some of his lyrics will make you laugh out loud. Riff Raff will also be performing in Lawrence on April 14 at Liberty Hall. Early bird tickets are $18, advance tickets are $20 and you can buy a ticket the day of the show for $23.
Edited by Austin Fisher
VIDEO GAMES
Facebook's buy out of Oculus stirs developers
JAMES HOYT news@kansan.com
On March 25, Facebook announced its intentions to purchase virtual reality company Oculus VR for a total of $2 billion. Oculus VR is known for its continuing development of the Oculus Rift, a Kickstarter-funded virtual reality headset that is quickly becoming a viable VR solution in the gaming industry. The announcement came eight days after Sony Computer Entertainment announced Project Morpheus, a virtual reality initiative designed for the Playstation 4. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg published an official statement on Facebook.
"Mobile is the platform of today, and now we're also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow," Zuckerberg said. "Oculus has the chance to create the most social platform ever, and change the way we work, play and communicate."
The announcement has divided both the gaming community and the gaming industry. In a blog post on March 25, Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson stated, "I definitely want to be a part of VR, but
I will not work with Facebook. Their motives are too unclear and shifting ... that makes them seem creepy to me."
Persson had been developing a version of Minecraft optimized for the Oculus Rift display, a project that has been cancelled.
Former Epic Games designer Cliff Bleszinski, known for his work on the Gears of War franchise, took to his own blog and called Notch "a pouty kid who is taking his ball and going home."
Legendary game developer and Oculus VR CTO John Carmack broke his silence on the issue on Sunday in a comment on Tumblr; "I share some of your misgivings about companies 'existing and operating only to be acquired,'" referencing the Internet outcry because Oculus was largely crowdfunded, and some of its contributors saw the Facebook acquisition as a betrayal. "However, I do have reasons to believe that they get the Big Picture as I see it, and will be a powerful force towards making it happen."
Edited by Austin Fisher
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