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Articles by Benjamin Allen
TheARTI$t is turning off the world to find herself
Daniel Young|Updated 16 minutes ago For her latest project, TheARTI$t lets the music speak for itself—no features required. Image: Benjamin Allen In the music industry, "Do Not Disturb" is usually a sign on a studio door or a setting on a burnt-out executive's phone. But for the Newark-born singer known as TheARTI$t, it’s the title of her most definitive work—and a radical act of self-preservation.
Benjamin Allen (1960–2026) of Lawrence, KS, IL | Obituary
Ben Allen Jr. passed away Saturday January 3, 2026, in Lawrence, Kansas with his family by his side. He was born December 18, 1960 in Alton, Illinois to Ben and Trudi, Benjie was the oldest of three children. Ben graduated from Alton High School in 1979 and went on to attend The University of Oklahoma. He was a talented and self-taught musician and artist. Ben began playing the piano as a child and quickly became prolific in classical and later contemporary music.
Candidate comment: After disasters, California should ensure people recover, not be forced out
This story is part of California Voices, a commentary forum aiming to broaden our understanding of the state and spotlight Californians directly impacted by policy or its absence. Learn more here. With the first anniversary of the devastating Southern California wildfires approaching, CalMatters asked candidates for the 2026 state Insurance Commissioner race to share thoughts on what the state can do to help victims and stabilize insurers. This is the second response.
Copper recycling is critical for a green economy and the environment
Opinion Recycled copper, image by PitukTV by BENJAMIN ALLEN & ROBERT WIECKOWSKI posted 01.25.2024 Twitter Facebook Email OPINION – Historically, “copper” pennies used to be 95 percent copper. Now they are just 2 percent. Why? Copper is now too valuable to be used to make pennies, millions of which are simply thrown away or lost by people every year due to their low cash value.
10 reasons humans kill animals – and why we can't avoid it Original
As long as humans have existed, they’ve killed animals. But the necessity of many types of animal killing are now questioned by many. So can humans ever stop killing animals entirely? And if not, what’s the best way forward? New research I led investigates these questions. My colleagues and I identified the ten main reasons why humans kill animals.
GitHub, accessibility, and the disability divide
There are more than one billion people in the world with disabilities. I’m proud to be one of them. However, those of us with disabilities encounter barriers every day. From transportation to civic participation, from education to employment, and from entertainment to healthcare, people with disabilities must overcome a myriad of environmental and attitudinal barriers to live the lives we want to live.
Rufus Du Sol, Like a Saturday on a Tuesday at The Armory
Rufus Du Sol brought all the feels and love that accompany their music at the Armory last night. Rufus’ wide-ranging taste in music is commendable. They’re great DJs and consistently push great new artists on their DJ mixes. They also enlist a variety of help to remix their work. It’s not surprising, then, that they’re very good at selecting openers for their tours. This stop’s opener, Paraleven, was no exception.
First Avenue was Positively Frothing for Sofi Tukker
Part circus, part rave, part birthday party at the roller rink, part fitness class…I think that about sums up the live Sofi Tukker experience. This wasn’t just limited to the main act, either, that same energy carried throughout the two openers and into the headliner. Minneapolis brought the energy to First Avenue last night for Sofi Tukker’s “Wet Tennis” tour, where many attendees donned their most tennis of clothing. Stress on the athletic part of athleisure.
Flume and Friends the Armory
Minneapolis, you really showed up last night. On a Thursday. The openers certainly noticed, and I’m sure Flume did as well when he took the stage. Everybody wore their rager pants. Well, those of the attendees who wore pants, anyway. Flume is out on tour supporting his new album, ‘Palaces,’ released last Friday. He’s accompanied by a stellar opening cast of Chrome Sparks and Channel Tres. I owe an apology to Chrome Sparks for arriving too late to shoot his set.
Elated: An Evening with Suzanne Vega at the Dakota
If you wanted to go to Suzanne Vega at the Dakota and you’re looking for validation that you made the right choice by staying home, then I have some bad news for you. You made the wrong choice, but I wouldn’t dwell on it for long. If you’re on the fence from a future stop on the tour, let this be a warning to you. Go to her show. You will not regret it. I’ve been attending electronic music shows for a while, which largely attract a younger crowd.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Are Lovely Folks: A Live Review
Photo by Ben ALlen It was cold and blustery outside last night, but inside the Turf Club it was warm and cozy. Of course some of that is on account of shelter from the elements, but it was the music and musings of Alex Ounsworth, aka Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, that provided the warmth. A modestly sized crowd cozied up to the stage for a bit of a divergence from a typical CYHSY live experience. There was no opener and the band’s configuration and roles shifted throughout the night.
Washed Out's Lofi Wash at the Fine Line
Washed Out by Benjamin Allen I arrived just as the lights dimmed and the players took the stage. As Earnest Weatherly Greene Jr and his cohort ambled up to their respective places, I sought to find mine in the crowd. I wound up with these notes from the show: Washed Out is a state of mind. Washed Out is Sade on quaaludes. Washed Out makes summer sounds. Their basslines are elating and laid back. It’s as if 80’s music were recorded using modern equipment. Washed Out is as hipster as it gets.
Gogol Bordello Came, Saw, Conquered at the Palace Last Night
Photo by Ben Allen If there were ever any doubts about whether Gogol Bordello could survive a pandemic, they were laid to rest last night with their performance at the Palace. They came, they shredded, and they left the audience wanting more. I feel like it’s the best you can hope for, on either side of the stage. Eugene Hütz address the Palace crowd, Photo by Ben Allen If GB were a machine, the ‘intensity’ controls would essentially be either ‘extremely high’ or off.
Please stop asking for director’s cuts – The Bowdoin Orient
Sophie Lipset After watching six hours of footage expanded from what was previously one two-hour movie, I can say that “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is vastly better than the original theatrical release of “Justice League.” A film that was meant to make millions was fumbled so badly by those involved that it took four years before the intended cut was seen by fans.
How “Nomadland” became the quintessential pandemic-era film – The Bowdoin Orient
Kyra Tan Come Oscar Sunday, it should not be a surprise if (and when) Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” wins the coveted Best Picture prize. It was clearly an early favorite, even in a year full of many impressive films. “Nomadland” has the makings of a standard neo-adventure film and remains in the vein of Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild,” but what makes it stand above the competitive films of this year is its inadvertent poignancy.
“Judas and the Black Messiah” and the evolution of the biopic – The Bowdoin Orient
Sophie Lipset The biographical film has been a staple of Hollywood since its creation. Look at Oscar winners in all four of the acting categories from the past 10 years, and you will see that 17 awards have been earned for portrayals of actual people—seven of those being in the Lead Actor category. The conundrum for biographical film directors, however, has been finding ways to make those portraits interesting.
The importance of Black stage-to screen adaptations – The Bowdoin Orient
Shona Ortiz It’s safe to say that the majority of present-day moviegoers steer clear of stage-to-screen adaptations. There are films in this subgenre that would be considered classics, like Elia Kazan’s “A Streetcar Named Desire” and Milos Forman’s “Amadeus” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” but there is something about the intimacy of watching the film version of a work originally performed as a stage play that turns many audiences off.
“Hillbilly Elegy” and Hollywood’s struggle for authenticity – The Bowdoin Orient
Dalia Tabachnik In 2016, J.D. Vance released “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” and it has been the topic of conversation for years since. Some say it points to why Trump won the 2016 presidential election, as it unveils a group of people living in Appalachia that have seemingly been forgotten. The book was meant to act as a gateway for the world to see the struggles working-class Scots-Irish people have in America—and it was a hit.
Cybeats cybersecurity company announces seed round of investment
Cybersecurity company Cybeats today announced it has raised a seed round of investment from iNovia Capital, Maple Leaf Angels (MLA48 II), and cybersecurity industry insiders Dr. Richard Reiner, Brian O’Higgins, and Brian Bourne. Cybeats – which provides cyber defense solutions for Enterprise IoT infrastructure – additionally announced that investor and serial cybersecurity entrepreneur Dr. Richard Reiner will join the company as Chairman.
We deserve a celebratory return to movie theaters – The Bowdoin Orient
Zoe Becker For years, one of my holiday traditions has been watching movies all throughout Thanksgiving break with friends and family. As we approach the end of this unusual year, this tradition of seeing, at times, five movies in the theater is something that I am especially missing. Christmas and Thanksgiving bring the release of dozens of new films, from blockbusters to independent, Oscar-bait movies, and I eat up every second of it.
Arts & Entertainment – The Bowdoin Orient
Quarantine Cinema By Benjamin Allen • 3 days ago Over the past few weeks, I have constantly been thinking about the movies that studios are putting on the backburner to release when theaters are completely reopened. I am excited to see Cary Joji Fukunaga’s “No Time To Die,” Edgar Wright’s “Late Night in Soho,” Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” and, honestly, I am curious about Malcolm D.
“The Forty-Year-Old Version” and the nightmare of being a marginalized creator – The Bowdoin Orient
Zoe Becker Over the past few weeks, I have constantly been thinking about the movies that studios are putting on the backburner to release when theaters are completely reopened. I am excited to see Cary Joji Fukunaga’s “No Time To Die,” Edgar Wright’s “Late Night in Soho,” Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” and, honestly, I am curious about Malcolm D. Lee’s “Space Jam: A New Legacy” with LeBron James.
Daily Legal News
Bankruptcy 2020-41375 Case Number 2020-41375 Date Filed Wednesday, September 16, 2020 Chapter & Region 7 & 474 Debtor Benjamin M. Allen 1808 Roberts Lane NE Warren, OH 44483 About your information and the public record.
How “Tenet” and “Mulan” tried to save the movies – The Bowdoin Orient
Nancy XingNot long ago, it was assumed that two types of film could make studios a significant profit: Disney remakes and Christopher Nolan films. Disney has been churning out remakes of animated classics yearly since Rober Stromberg’s “Maleficent” in 2014. Last year, the studio released four (4!) remakes: Guy Ritchie’s “Aladdin,” Jon Favreau’s “The Lion King,” Tim Burton’s “Dumbo” and Brigham Taylor’s “Lady and the Tramp” (all available on Disney+).
DecorMatters Announces AI Integration in Interior Design App for More Personalized UX
At the end of March, DecorMatters announced the launch of its interior design app backed by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. And on April 10, the newest version of the app will be available with a more personalized user experience. The 6.0.0 edition of the DecorMatters’ app integrates artificial intelligence to customize features to users’ preferences. Multiple versions are expected to be released after, with extended AI features.
“Boys State,” as explained by a former Boys Stater – The Bowdoin Orient
Sydney Reaper In July 2018, I prepared to go to the 75th Annual Florida Boys State Delegation, sponsored by the American Legion. This event is held all over the nation, with 1,000 rising high school senior boys in each state participating in mock state government. My brother had gone two years before me and didn’t exactly give me any clues as to what I should expect. Two years later, we both decided to sit down and watch the documentary “Boys State,” knowing exactly what we would see unfold.
Letter: Our voting system is outdated
We hear every day that we live in a country divided along distinct ideologies, and that has reached a boiling point this year. Yet most Americans share the same goal of making this country better. Often the pursuit of truth becomes drowned out by the pursuit of political victory. Look back in United States’ history and you will find time after time where this rings true, and this makes clear where the problem lies: how we elect our politicians.
Parnassus on Companies Becoming More Relevant to Customers during COVID-19
Companies that exhibited the best capabilities to serve customers as they began to shelter in place relied on innovation long before the pandemic emerged. Remaining relevant to customers during this time requires doubling down on inventiveness, adaptability and resilience. Companies Stepping Up Humans are incredibly innovative, and the companies they have built are finding ways to meet the challenge of the pandemic with innovations to fight the virus and keep the economy up and running.
Many Companies Will Emerge Stronger From the Pandemic
Written by: Benjamin E. Allen and Todd C. Ahlsten | Parnassus Investments Companies that exhibited the best capabilities to serve customers as they began to shelter in place relied on innovation long before the pandemic emerged. Remaining relevant to customers during this time requires doubling down on inventiveness, adaptability and resilience.
Why we must keep the movie theater experience alive – The Bowdoin Orient
Holly Harris Movie theaters are currently experiencing a grueling face-lift, and it seems the two reasons would be COVID-19 and “Trolls World Tour.” If a Justin Timberlake animated film musical is a catalyst for change within a multi-billion dollar industry, we are truly living in the end times. For months, theaters have been closed. Movie studios have shifted their release dates from the summer to later in the year or even into 2021.
Conversations with a Rock and Roll Legend and Vampire: Nick Cave at Pantages
A night of conversation with Nick Cave went exactly like you’d expect with a 62 year-old self-proclaimed rock and roll legend. But it also went not at all as you might expect. The abrupt shift from his usual raucous tours with The Bad Seeds stemmed from two things. First, there’s the quality connections he’s established directly with his fans through the Red Hand Files, a minimal site where he invites his fans to ask him questions and where he provides long-form answers.
Vive la France: Polo & Pan Live at First Avenue
If you were at First Avenue last night for Polo & Pan and you closed your eyes and concentrated just so, you could have convinced yourself that you were at a swanky beach party on the French Riviera. Or was it Ipanema? In any case, this would have been a fantastic show for the above ground pool and sand set-up from First Ave’s past*.
jackLNDN is No Lionel Richie, But He's Still Pretty Good
Photo – Benjamin Allen “Hi, my name is Jack and I’m from London.” jackLNDN’s show at 7th Street Entry started exactly like his previous sets I’ve seen, as recently as last February opening for the Funk Hunters and stretching back to his Electric Forest 2015 appearance. A quick introduction and a nosedive into a pile of tunes. In a word, the attendance of jackLNDN’s Entry show was sparse. On the whole, Minneapolis has a strangely erratic appreciation for electronic music.
Dennis Lloyd and Morgan Saint's Quasi Battle of the Bands at Amsterdam Hall
I originally signed up to cover Dennis Lloyd to see how his laid back, laissez-faire style transferred into a live setting. I expected that on leaving the show, my highlight would have been the answer to that curiosity, for better or for worse, but it wasn’t. It was unequivocally the opener, Morgan Saint. Photo by Benjamin Allen Morgan Saint is a 24 year old vocalist out of New York City who criss-crossed the stage in much the same way that a tiger paces in its enclosure, planning its attack.
Celebrating 40 Years of Music with The Specials at First Ave
It’s always a treat to see a band like The Specials with their own star on First Avenue’s famed outside wall grace the stage. On the Minneapolis stop of their 40 year anniversary tour, they proved that they still belonged on the stage and on the wall of silver stars. It’s difficult to imagine what the musical landscape was like when The Specials first started playing together over 40 years ago.
Gogol Bordello at the Palace
If you ever want a shot of humanity, be it a shot in the arm or served in a glass, get thee to a Gogol Bordello concert. Bodies pressed against bodies, dripping with sweat, fists in the air, collisions aplenty as everybody on the floor sings along at the top of their lungs. I look around the floor and it’s as if everybody’s bodies fused together to form a single creature with a hundred arms and a hundred legs, just churning around in front of the stage. It looked like some kind of beast.
FKJ Scorched the Skyway Theatre Last Night
It could easily take a ten-person crew to accomplish what FKJ does in a single show, and it would provide enough work to keep everyone busy. But no, he took care of all of it himself and he did it incredibly well. Man, what a pretty show. As a musician, Vince Fenton, aka FKJ demonstrated better than proficiency at each of the instruments he played. Along with an equally impressive technical abilities, he built songs layer by layer, creating a series of loops to lay across each other.
Manila Killa Lit Up the Entry on a Thursday
When I arrived at the Entry for Manila Killa‘s show on Thursday night, opener AObeats was still onstage, and he looked about as comfortable with standing on a stage as I do. That’s to say he looked rather uneasy. Thankfully, his music didn’t reflect his feelings or his body language, instead of stoic the music was bouncy and upbeat. At least he’s taking care of the important things, right? I can dance to whatever as long as the music is good.
Jai Wolf Brings Beautiful Production to the Skyway
I’m not going to lie, my expectations were low last night for Jai Wolf’s set. I can best describe his set three years ago as the worst parts of ADHD, not unlike that person who takes over the music at a house party and plays the first 15 seconds of about a hundred songs looking for just the right one. Genre-wise, it was all over the place, the songs didn’t mesh in any way, and his transitions were incredibly clumsy.
Is Tom Delonge Crazy or Genius? From Rockstar To UFO Hunter
Is Tom Delonge crazy? I have to admit, over the recent years there have been times when I asked that question. With help from relatively respected sources such as the Joe Rogan Experience and others, DeLonge’s talks of aliens, government conspiracies, secret meetings with world elites have made their way to the public, and his passion for these difficult to grasp subjects certainly caused me to consider interpreting his excitement for insanity.
Leikeli47: Rapper, Motivational Speaker, Hero of the People Live at Amsterdam Hall
Last night’s Leikeli47 show at the Amsterdam Bar and Hall was more than a Thursday night hip-hop performance. It was also a celebration of body positivity, a motivational speaking engagement, an exhibition of dancing like nobody’s watching, topped off with an “attaboy” pat on the back.
MarchFourth Really Funked Up the Cedar
The 20-person marching band mixed with vaudeville and a touch of circus known as MarchFourth filled the Cedar last night in Minneapolis. Not just in terms of the audience, but the group itself filled the Cedar’s sizable stage with personnel who in turn, filled the venue with a raucous mix of jazz, funk, hoots and hollers. It was also one of the few times outside of Electric Forest where I feel like I’ve been magically transported to the Hangar or Carnival Club.
The Monkees’ Best Kept Secret: Their Music is Really, Really Good
In a way, the Monkees are known for all the wrong things. Their TV show was fun, but it cast a shadow on them, especially their desire to be taken seriously as musicians. The tired storylines that they didn’t play their own instruments (they often did) or write their own songs (they did more than many ‘60s band) also don’t help. The power of their songs was on full display at Mystic Lake.
The Rebirth of Warped Tour?
Today there have been several accounts of well-known bands in the pop-punk and alternative scene spreading cryptic messages on social media. Though these short clips don’t give out much information, they have one theme in common – Sad Summer Festival. What is it Sad Summer Festival? Hardly anything has been released about it, aside from a webpage with a countdown to March 19, 2019 and a form that allows eager fans to sign up for email notifications to stay up to date on this new musical mystery.
VHS Collection: Brings Retrofuturism to Minneapolis
I’ve been having a craving for pop-synth music for a minute now. I recently got into the band GUNSHIP, which uses a lot of 80s inspired sounds in their tracks. Which brings up a great point, how do people hear new music? How did I hear of VHS Collection? On Instagram, they had a sponsored post up and I dug it. Enough said. The WLDLFE – Photo by Alexander Kohnstamm As I arrived, The WLDLFE was well into their set, people were grooving and singing along to their hit “Waterfalls“.
Spring Awakening Drops a Batch of Headliners and New Location Details
Chicago area readers rejoice, the Spring Awakening 2019 lineup is finally here. Well, the headliners, anyway, as well a bevy of information on the new site hosting the (late) spring fling. In a new move as of this year, the lineup will be released in two parts. Today’s list of headliners, then another announcement with the remainder of the lineup will come this Friday, March 15th.
Lords of Acid Bring all of the Sex to the Cabooze
I arrived at the Lords of Acid’s Pretty in Kink Minneapolis stop just in time to hear opener Orgy’s cover of ‘Blue Monday.’ It turns out that was just the amount that I needed to hear, and an absolute sonic mess until I got closer to to stage in the middle of the long concrete room that is The Cabooze. “Okay,” I thought to myself, “They can be done now.” And just like that, they were! Orgy was a clever inclusion on the Lords’ part on their Kink Tour billing.
Responsible Investing: Past, Present and Future
As President of Parnassus Investments, I often think about what responsible investing might look like over the coming decades. The future is anchored in the past, so I believe the best way to begin an answer to this question is with a look back at the early years of responsible investing. The modern movement to link investors’ values with their portfolio holdings is rooted in the 1970s.
5 Short Horrors To Scare You This Halloween
There are plenty of ways to scare yourself this Halloween and horror events like ‘fear fates’ popping up all over but nothing beats turning off the lights in your own home and watching a scary movie. I love horror films but good scary features that we’ve not seen before are few and few between these days.
What Could Henry Cavill's Instagram Tease Mean For Justice League?
Spoilers for Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (and potentially Justice League) are all over this article. If you don't want anything spoiled, you're probably best to look away now. Still here? Cool, let's get started. One of the best (and bravest) bits of Batman V Superman was having Doomsday kill Superman. Thanks to the somewhat ambiguous ending (and the fact that Henry Cavill has been confirmed for Justice League), we know that Superman isn't actually dead, but it was still a pretty brave move.
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