Panic in Nintendo Land? Every year when E3 comes along, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony all prepare huge press conferences that allow them to detail upcoming games, hardware and services. Online viewers tune in, yell at their screens angrily and dissect every moment with an equal emphasis on serious discussion and ridiculous .gifs. That will only apply to two companies this year. Last week Nintendo announced its decision to skip the big press conference — instead it will focus on smaller events for American distributors and the Western gaming press, respectively. Those smaller events will address the company’s upcoming software lineup, while Microsoft and Sony show off their brand new consoles. Thus Nintendo faces a dilemma that many saw coming from a mile away. It debuted its new system — the Wii U — well before Sony and Microsoft. But the hardware itself minimally improves on the current PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 from a technological perspective. The game library isn’t much better, with only a few standout titles since its... ...

FILM Focus on Film: Days of Heaven Monday, May 6, 7 p.m., $5 students Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, Mondavi Center Acclaimed director Terrence Malick’s second feature film, 1978’s Days of Heaven is renowned for its iconic, painting-like cinematography of the American Midwest. The film stars Richard Gere and Sally Field in early roles as lovers Bill and Abby, who attempt to pursue the American Dream in the Texas Panhandle circa 1916 when their idyllic romance is disrupted by a plan to inherit an ailing farmer’s fortune by having Abby marry him. MUSIC Christopher Taylor on Piano: Goldberg Variations Friday, May 3, 8 p.m. $17.50 – $29 students Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center The Mondavi welcomes another virtuoso artist who brings along with him a rare instrument: a Steinway-Moor piano with a unique double-tier that is an attraction unto itself. Taylor, whose other pursuits range from mathematics, linguistics and philosophy, brings his singular talent to one of Bach’s later works, The Goldberg Variations (1741). Rose Windows, Sea Dramas Saturday, May 4, 9 p.m.,... ...

Playing a hybrid mix of folk-rock, bluegrass and country, The McCoy Tyler Band is a Santa Cruz-based trio who will perform at Whole Earth Festival and live on air on KDVS 90.3 FM. The band is rooted in folk tradition, but McCoy Tyler, Clinton Brown and Chad Bowen add their unique musical perspectives to arrange progressive-yet-rootsy tunes. After having released their first full-length album in 2012, Cabin Fever Blues, the trio has been performing around the Bay Area, Sacramento, Tahoe and Oregon. MUSE was able to speak with Tyler, vocals and guitar and Brown, vocals and drums, in a phone interview, discussing their beginnings as a band, their musical influences and the unique style they bring to the traditional genre. MUSE: How did your band first take shape? Tyler: About two years ago, I wrote a bunch of songs, and I was looking for a band. I went on Craigslist seeking musicians, and Clinton and Chad were the first to respond. When we met, I explained the music, and we... ...

Consisting of various 5-minute acts, Undergraduate One-Act plays, Main Stage Dance performances and midnight sing-along showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the Edge Performance Festival showcases the performative talents of undergraduate and graduate students alike. The festival runs from April 25 to 28 and May 2 to 5 at Wright Hall and Wyatt Deck. David Grenke, artistic director of the Edge Festival, described the types of events to be featured during the festival. “Hour of 5s is an hour of five-minute cabaret pieces that showcase students’ talents, which can be singing, acting, dance, monologues or however they develop and express their creative process,” Grenke said. “The One-Acts are written and directed by undergraduates. They are each under 10 minutes in length, and the idea for that is to really focus on the craft of writing and directing plays.” The Main Stage Dance performances, occurring in Wright Hall’s Main Stage, feature four undergraduate and two graduate choreographies. “The dance performance is a capstone for Dance majors in the choreography track.... ...

As I sift through the myriad of magazines lining the back wall of CVS, my hand catches the corner of an askew publication and knocks it to the ground. I pick it up nonchalantly and catch a glimpse of the contents within. To my genuine astonishment, the $6.99 collective of glossy pages is completely filled with One Direction glamour shots, complete with perforated edges for quick access to the numerous headshots of Harry Styles. I turn to my friend from down the aisle and reveal my finding. The unexpected response: “I love that band! They’re so hot!” Two weeks later, I’m wandering through the many drunken masses of the West Quad on Picnic Day, enjoying a young rock band flood the landscape with pleasurable tunes. As I muse on the expensive sonic equipment the up-and-coming act is packing, I overhear a sentence that catches my attention. “I like this band, that guy is cute!” A hypothesis forms in my mind. Casually, I turn to the girl and ask one final... ...

I must admit, in the beginning, I thought I would hate Sexy Feminism. With the subhead “A Girl’s Guide to Love, Success, and Style,” the cover words are superimposed over a close-up photo of glossy, sultry, slightly-parted lips. It became very clear in the introduction that the book was for a very specific demographic when the authors self-identified as “shockingly mainstream” young women growing up. So in other words, I was ready to get outraged. I had primed paragraphs in my feminist bandolier about the exclusion of the lower-class, mixed-race, disabled, genderqueer, androgynous lesbian: You can’t just ignore them! They’re here, they’re queer, write books about them! But Heather Wood Rudúlph and Jennifer Keishin Armstrong hooked me with the second page of the first chapter, where they declared the first two steps of feminism: “Step 1: Call yourself a proud feminist. Step 2: Live up to the word.” They put the beat-down on the “I’m not a feminist, but …” stance: “To distance yourself from the word is to imply... ...

The Cross Cultural Center is searching for artwork to display in its front Art Lounge and hallway. Any current undergraduate, graduate, staff, faculty or community member can apply to submit art to be displayed in the center. Submitted artwork should reflect the Center’s mission: “… to foster a multi-cultural community through education and advocacy regarding systematic group oppressions, ethnic and cultural diversity, and establishing an environment of cross-cultural learning and exchange for the entire campus.” For expectations, responsibilities and specifics of submission, visit ccc.ucdavis.edu/about/artlounge. — Elizabeth Orpina ...

A Day in the Life of an Immigration Inspector The term immersion, as it applies to video games, often brings with it connotations of expansive landscapes, beautiful environmental vistas and compelling narrative developments. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim acts as a key example, in which the game’s greatest strength is the world itself and how players feel a strong connection to it. Over the weekend, I was reminded that the successful execution of a unique idea can establish the same level of immersion, in spite of a limited scope and modest production values. This cognitive shift came as a result of my time with a recent indie game titled Papers, Please. Described by creator Lucas Pope as a “dystopian document thriller,” Papers, Please transports players into the role of immigration inspector for the fictional country Arstotzka. I’ve played hundreds of video games in my lifetime, and never before have I had to admit or deny people entry into a country. Oddly enough, I had a lot of fun completing the... ...

On April 26, the pulsating beats of progressive house DJ, Panic City, will fill the courtyard of the Alpha Epsilon Pi house. The event, titled Panic Room after its featured artist, is a free event for students, put on jointly by the ASUCD Entertainment Council and AEPi and sponsored by Monster Energy Drinks. In terms of high-profile events at the AEPi house, “there has been nothing like this so far,” said third-year managerial economics major Brent Ghan. Panic City is the moniker for 26-year-old San Francisco producer Nic Magbanua, who began recording hip-hop instrumentals in high school before DJing at clubs in the Bay Area and elsewhere. Recently, his slick house remixes of highly popular artists (Daft Punk, The xx and official Chris Brown and Far East Movement remixes) have gained him increasing attention on sites like Hypetrak and Soundcloud. “Panic City is a solid EDM artist, and all involved with organizing the event, myself included, have put a lot of hard work into it,” said Kyle Simon, a fourth-year... ...

The upcoming installment of the Davis Flea Market will feature Music on the Green, an annual concert for the community organized by ASUCD. There are four bands playing, including The Blackbird, Jordan’s Beard, Whiskey Business and The She’s. “[Music on the Green] has been going on for a few years in order to bridge the gap between the community of Davis, the students of ASUCD and the university as a whole,” said Jenna Wooster, chair of the External Affairs Committee and a first-year biomedical engineering major. Wooster was involved in the planning process for this event along with the former External Affairs Committee chair, Emily Alice Gerhart. “I was involved in a lot of the logistical decisions, such as where to hold the concert, who to hire and the environmental impact,” Wooster said. The event had input from several units of ASUCD, including the Campus Center for the Environment and the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission, who are helping to make this a zero-waste event. In addition, the Entertainment Council... ...

The UC Davis dance team puts on its annual showcase, which is also the team’s largest yearly fundraiser, for the 10th year in a row next week. Although the group works with the cheer team and Aggie Pack to entertain crowds at various sporting events, this showcase allows for the dancers to display various styles of dance and student choreography. For more information about the show and how to purchase tickets, go to the UC Davis Dance Team Facebook page. Tickets are $10 pre-sale online and in-person and $15 at the door. — Elizabeth Orpina ...

One of the more popular Picnic Day events, the annual Davis Dance Revolution (DDR) will feature 14 student-run dance organizations competing for two $1,000 prizes this Saturday, April 20. DDR began nine years ago as an event to allow student-run dance organizations to perform for audiences and showcase diversity through modern and traditional dance, upholding UC Davis’ Principles of Community. Seven dance groups compete under each category, modern and traditional, with each category offering a grand prize of $1,000. “It’s important to see the richness of the diversity of our campus, and the event shows the power of dance through showcasing the talents of our students,” said Lori Fuller, DDR coordinator. “The performances speak volumes to who we are as a community on this campus.” Due to the popularity of the event for both performers and audiences, DDR has expanded this year, adding Agape, SoNE1 and Salsa Adiccion to the lineup. “This year we have 14 groups performing, and there were many other teams that wanted to participate but there... ...

Picnic Day is a staple of Davis culture. In its 99th iteration this year, it remains a timeless way to celebrate the unique qualities of the fine city and campus. In fact, one painter has chosen to transport Picnic Day onto his canvas, and he brings with him his first exhibition in the area since the late 1990s to the Elliot Fouts Gallery in Sacramento. Roland Petersen, a former UC Davis professor, is one of the founding members of the Art Department, which started in 1956. From there he taught at UC Davis until 1992. Known for his focus on Picnic Day, Petersen’s work defies traditional conventions. “The subject matter is unique. It’s a purposefully confusing manner; it requires the viewer to think. The way that he portrays a simple subject in a complex way makes the subject his masterpiece,” said Michelle Satterlee, 2010 UC Davis art history graduate and director of the Elliot Fouts Gallery. Petersen’s work is rife with contrasts that form his unique style of printing and... ...