For about a decade starting in 1988, Awareness Art Ensemble regularly played 200-plus dates a year and evolved into a powerhouse reggae band far outside its home base of Richmond.

In the early ‘90s, AAE was a fixture at Royal Caribbean Restaurant on Harrison Street (which is now a parking lot), but the band worked tirelessly to promote its music nationally.

“A lot of people say we were instrumental in pioneering the reggae sound up and down the East Coast at the time,” said the band’s lead singer, Olamina, from his Richmond home.

Though AAE – which played the first Friday Cheers—never really broke up, it fell victim to changing lineups and changing priorities, with only occasional shows performed these days.

One of those rare performances will take place Saturday at The National, when originals Olamina, Drummie Zeb (drums), Ojulaba (keyboards) and Oginga (percussion), along with Zeb’s musical partner Ismail (who joins Zeb in his new project, Regwa) on bass, return to the stage for the first time, Olamina said, in at least a couple of years.

The singer said fans can expect “a few special guests and a dynamite show – we’re going to sing the song that AAE fans should recognize.”

Though the members of AAE keep busy with other projects – Zeb, for instance, recently toured with Kenny Chesney – their friendship has remained intact over the decades.

“We’re friends,” Olamina said. “We’re road warriors. We have to keep in touch whenever we can.”

Tickets for Saturday’s 8 p.m. show are $15 and available at The National box office, http://www.ticketmaster.com  or by calling (800) 745-3000. For more information, visit http://www.thenationalva.com.

By Wes Hester

So I was pretty sure of what this review would say before I arrived at The National last night: Against Me! should have been headlining the show, with Silversun Pickups [pictured right] opening. Not the other way around.

Sure, Silversun gets more radio play, but veteran Gainesville punks Against Me! have acquired a massive following of their own over the past decade with five albums (their latest, “White Crosses,” was released just weeks ago).

And after Against Me! performed, I was more convinced than ever they were the band to see.

Make no mistake; it was a Silversun crowd. When Against Me! took the stage — dressed all in black, covered in buttons and tattoos — they were greeted by a small crowd in front of the stage looking mildly curious (with the exception of the guy in the Against Me! T-shirt, who was super stoked).

But the band immediately set about winning the audience over with an earnest, high energy mix of old and new material. By the time they got to “Pints of Guinness Make You Strong” a few songs in, some in the crowd seemed to remember that they knew the song and loved it. Someone even tossed a beer, which seemed like the ultimate sign of approval.

And though new songs such as “I Was a Teenage Anarchist” are more anthemic and accessible than the abrasive, fast-paced sing-alongs of old, Against Me! is still very much a punk band and they were as intense as I’ve seen them, even years ago in Gainesville.

Front man Tom Gabel’s energy and passion was infectious and by the time late in the set that the band played “Baby, I’m an Anarchist” off 2002’s “Reinventing Axl Rose,” the floor was packed and the crowd was sold, even if confused as to how to react.

But as good as Against Me! gave, I was wrong to write off Silversun Pickups, which I had totally underestimated.

The L.A. group has two full length releases and a couple of singles that everyone has heard—“Lazy Eye” and “Panic Switch.” I can’t tell you why exactly, but I had heretofore dismissed the band as contrived. The cute female bass player, vocalist Brian Aubert’s serpentine voice, the heavy Smashing Pumpkins influence — something just didn’t seem right.

So when Aubert took the stage and hissed, “We are ready for the siege” from “The Royal We,” I wasn’t expecting much. But over the next hour or so, I was pleasantly surprised.

The band has a huge, impressive sound matched by its stylish, minimalist aesthetics. They played a wide open stage — no equipment in sight — with an enormous canvas backdrop that featured a well-choreographed light show during the set.

Drummer Chris Guanlao was a one-man spectacle with his snare seemingly set up taller than he is and his hair swirling against the colored backdrop. And let’s be honest, one of the best things about Silversun is Nikki Moninger, because in addition to being a great bass player, she’s also incredibly adorable.

There’s this thing she does when the band hits a peak and she does a little jump, but then looks like she feels a little embarrassed about it. I love that. And I wasn’t the only one smitten. On each of her few singing verses, the crowd went nuts, and she smiled shyly, being adorable all over again.

But I digress. It was the band’s sound — which makes perfect order out of a mess of dissonance and chaos — that was most impressive, and the big part of that is Aubert’s seemingly effortless guitar work. In fact, if I had to lodge a complaint, it’s that Silversun is almost too clean, too perfect.

And while many of their songs seem overlong on records, they’re somehow just right live, proving the band has more depth than the couple singles that have garnered them so much attention.

That said, when they finally got around late in their set to playing “Panic Switch” and closing with “Lazy Eye,” you realized why those are the songs they’re known for.
In the end, it seemed like either of the bands could have headlined the show. That and the fact that their styles are so different made it one of the better shows I’ve seen this year.

That happens to me all the time. It seems that my favorite bands remain small and cult for their entire career, so my only chance to see them in a larger venue is if they are opening for a bigger, usually newer band. But, I’m happy to be able to see the live performance any way I can.

If you don’t know about Levi’s Pioneer Sessions, you should.

The company has tagged a handful of current artists – Swell Season, She and Him, Nas, The Shins, and most recently, Jason Mraz – to re-craft a classic song that somehow inspired their sound.

Mraz’s version of Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky” is a warm rendition with flourishes of gospel and woozy guitar, but Colbie Caillat’s take on Blondie’s “Maria” is also an awesomely spunky addition to the MP3 player.

Oh, right – Levi’s makes these songs available as a free download.

Check them all out at: http://www.levispioneersessions.com.

Through July 1, the series will feature two new singles each week.

Look for John Legend with The Roots, Passion Pit and The Kills coming soon.

The thing you take away from “Hot in Cleveland” isn’t the always-welcome presence of Betty White – even though her role seems nothing more than a reason to get Betty White back on TV – but how appealing Valerie Bertinelli still is on screen.

And once you get past the show’s corny setup, it’s much easier to appreciate Bertinelli’s adorableness and the ever-sharp comedic timing of Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick as her fellow L.A.-rooted girlfriends who land in Cleveland when their Paris-bound plane gets diverted.

Yes, it’s a standard sitcommy setup – middle-aged women who are considered average or washed-up in L.A. are total catnip to a bar of Midwestern men who appreciate girls who can chow down on cheese fries…and since it’s such an awesome feeling to be wanted, why not move to this wonderland of Middle America?

That “Hot” is shot the “old-fashioned” way with multi-cameras only adds to its traditional appeal and, considering this is TV Land’s first foray into original programming, it’s probably best to play it safe for an audience used to tuning in for reruns of “The Cosby Show.”

Nothing about “Hot in Cleveland,” which premieres at 10 p.m. tomorrow, is groundbreaking, but neither is “The Middle,” another show that borders on hackneyed but shines thanks to an outstanding cast.

There are enough non-cringe-inducing one-liners in “Hot”’s pilot to suggest the show has potential, and with Huey Lewis, Susan Lucci and
Carl Reiner confirmed as guests throughout the season, there’s a good chance the show could turn into a campy-fun diversion.

If you haven’t had time to scour the Internet and dig up clips for all of the networks’ new shows, click on any of the links below for a sampling from each network.

Personally, the show I’m really looking forward to is ABC’s “Mr. Sunshine,” starring Matthew Perry as the manager of a second-rate San Diego arena. The clips are hysterical, but I wonder if Perry has gotten himself into another “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”—a great show that no one watched because the general public isn’t usually interested in how things happen behind the scenes.

I’m pretty familiar with the workings of the arena world, so it’s already immediately relatable…but will enough other viewers be charmed by Perry and Allison Janney (who at least can atone for her bizarre “Lost” stint)? I hope so. Perry deserves another hit—and really, how can you not be swayed by a premise that involves sports mascots?

http://abc.go.com/site/new-fall-season

http://www.nbc.com/upcoming-shows/

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/fall_preview_2010/

http://www.fox.com/programming

It’s becoming sort of Christmas in summer for concert fans.

Last year, Live Nation implemented weekly discounts on tickets and parking for select shows.

Today, the concert giant announced “No Service Fee June.” Yep, those irritating, unreasonable “service fees” that add $10-$20 to your ticket total will be axed for nearly 700 shows nationwide at all 50 amphitheaters owned and operated by Live Nation.

Great. Awesome. Yay. I just bought last-minute Yankees tix last week and my $44 ticket suddenly became $60 with all of those extra “convenience charges” tacked on, so trust me, I feel the pain plenty, too.

“No Service Fee June” runs through June 30 and applies only to tickets purchased at http://www.livenation.com.

As cool as this deal is, it also begs the obvious question – if Live Nation can exist without charging service fees for a month, why do they need to charge them at all? Or, OK, I’ll even concede that these fees cover some actual operational costs. But come on, don’t we all agree that $10-$20 a ticket is a bit exorbitant? How about adding a $5 “all-inclusive” charge into the ticket price and leave it at that?

I hate to use Creed as an example as anything except music I never want to hear, but the band has a great idea for its summer tour, selling the first 2,010 at each show for $20, all fees included. (Are there really 2,000 people still willing to attend a Creed show?).

Anyway, thanks, Live Nation, for the temporary reprieve. Maybe this will lead to discussions about how to make this a permanent policy.

In “The End,” it came down to the crux of “Lost” – faith versus science.

Well, good versus evil was also at the core of the show, but after six seasons of loving and investing in these characters, it was poignant and heartbreaking and completely sensible that in the final scenes we learned that they were all …dead.

But hang on before you start cursing the names of Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, “THEY PROMISED US IT WASN’T PURGATORY!”

The island was not purgatory. Christian Shephard (playing God, perhaps?) assured Jack that while yes, all of his friends gathered in the church were, like the two of them, dead, every experience Jack had on the island was real.

“The most important part of your life was the time you spent with these people. You needed all of them and they needed you,” Christian said, solidifying the hallmarks of the show – fate, destiny, things happening for a reason, every person in our lives providing a purpose as we all head toward our own inevitable ends.

But the confusing Sideways World that had us scratching our heads all season?

Purgatory.

Or, some form of the Christian (religion, not Shephard) belief of a waiting room for the soul.

While my first something-ain’t-right-in-this-World feeling came with the insta-recognition between Shannon and Sayid (as if anyone cared about that reconciliation?), I started getting more of a “Sixth Sense” vibe when John Locke, lying in his hospital bed newly mobilized, said to the departing Dr. Shephard as he skipped out ostensibly for his son’s concert, “You don’t have a son, Jack.”

Cue the “Lost” foghorn sound.

As the producers promised, the ending of the show is certainly open to interpretation and really, it will depend on your spiritual beliefs as to how you choose to interpret.

The men of faith will believe that Jack’s destiny was to come full circle, save the island, plug the fire and brimstone hole so that the eternal light returned and resolve his daddy issues before his soul could be set free.

The men of science might go a different route – that the church was merely a gathering place and the blast of light when Christian threw open the doors only signified that the gang was finished with their current alternate reality and ready to move to the next one.

Me? I’m embracing my Christianity and strong belief in fate and resolutions and going the faith route.

Of course, I, like most people, I’m sure, still have a gajillion questions, starting with, at what point did everyone else die and, not that it really matters, but how did Ben get out from under that tree?

Oh yeah, and lots of other things happened in the two hours and 20 minutes leading up to that climactic scene, such as the brutal death of FLocke, the heart wrenching parting of Island Kate and Jack, the brief return of Bernard and Rose and – yay! – Vincent, who also broke my heart at the end. And let’s not forget those awesomely clever Target commercials for a smoke detector.

More on all of those things once I have time to digest this beautifully complex show a little longer.

OK, it’s taken me half a day to realize this, but how about a snippet of one of my all-time Beatles favorites to seal this story: “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

But what did you think? Are you happy with the ending? Have any theories? Let’s hear ‘em.

I’m not mad about the ending, but I sure still have a lot of unanswered questions.  I’m such a sap that the ending did fulfill my need for a tear jerker - I sobbed like a baby, especially when Vincent layed down with Jack, and it looked like it gave him so much peace…..

Love the ending

After a six seasons of action, mysteries, suspense, drama, comic relief and romance Lost had ended. Did it work? Absolutely. Was the finale and ending satisfactory? Definately.
    The series (and its conclusion) worked because this show was character driven. I believe the writers intended all along to have us examine the idea “what would you do if…”. Viewers responded because they could relate to the flaws and strengths of the ensamble cast. The storylines - connected arcs of tragedy & triumph, overcoming odds, bad luck, redemption, sacrifice, choice, past & present, temptation and revenge - all connect the dots across the 121 episodes.
    Lost is not “perfect” and some will begrudge its creators for not answering every miniscule question raised within its sprawling stories. But what the show did do was give us a great mix of characters and show us why it was important to them to live the life they were given - which is the metaphor and message of the show itself. All the archetypes a literary professor could ask for, pop culture refrences to please even the nerdiest of us and philosophical/spiritual (science/faith) questions were addressed in a way that another show will not be able to duplicate easily (if at all).
  So it has come full circle as a series… and what has happened, has happened. It will be interesting to see if people someday view the themes of Lost the way some view Homer, Star Wars or Shakespeare.

Who cares?  Never heard of this show….

Here’s what a friend of mine concluded and this is what I’m coming around to understand:

It’s all about Jack. 

I think the sideways world for him was his “purgatory” helping him to let go and move on. 

I am guessing each of them would have a similar experience at the time of their death.

I am not disappointed one bit by this last episode. Each week I finished more confused and lost than the last and this episode did the best job of leaving me scratching my head.

I am sad to see it go though. Now I need something else to occupy my Tuesday night viewing. Any suggestions?

Homer, Shakespeare, Star Wars, and Lost in the same conversation…really?

So, what would have happened if the smoke monster left the island?  ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. IT DIDN’T MATTER.  The apparent secret plot that fueled power struggles, time travel, violence and subterfuge, was a product of a pseudo-reality that didn’t matter in the end.

I would have rather the island be revealed as a crashed spaceship than the location of a magic, light-filled kiddie pool that had no hint of relevance beyond the over-wrenched symbolism that this last season played ad nausea.

Cop out.  Worst. Episode. Ever.

After reading halfway down about the comments, I had one thought strike me, Gilligan’s Island. It had the ensemble cast, and they were trapped on an island. This was an updated freaky Gilligan’s Island lol

It was deeply disappointing.  After being assured by the writers that the story wasn’t about purgatory, the story was about purgatory.  Sure, it was a nondenominational sort of purgatory, though the symbolism of the stained glass window with six different religious images was somewhat mitigated by a character named “Christian Shephard” standing in front of them, but it was exactly what the writers promised us it wasn’t.

All the good versus evil, all the stories of Jacob traveling through time, the flash sideways events, the struggles over the power of the island, all resolved in a way we figured out six years ago.

It makes the finale of The Sopranos look good.

And time travel—-  It had absolutely nothing to do with anything.  They spent hours expanding on the rules of time travel, the inconsistencies, divergent timelines and consequences and then during the final season they introduce the flash-sideways, which builds in urgency and conflict, but the happy secret that Desmond knows, the reason he doesn’t fear the smoke monster and the mission of this time-travel reality is that he’s already dead.  What?

A final episode, a showdown with the smoke monster, and NO SMOKE MONSTER?  Are they going to use the flash sideways to defeat the smoke monster?  Will Desmond’s time travelling brain save the 2 dimensions?  Nope.  Everyone was already dead and everything was only kind of real, but not really. 

The whole message is nihilism.  Act, or don’t, but it doesn’t matter.

I enjoyed it.  It was different, unique.
There was romance, action, drama, suspense and originality.  I felt as though I knew these people and mourn their loss.
  TV today is not very good.  While Hollywood awards themselves all the time, most shows are copies of English shows, low-budget, fast, pieces of junk, or using the same idea over and over and over.
  I appreciated the creativity in this Lost Series and am Lost Without It.

Big sigh. This is it. The countown until the end and “The End.”

Regardless of how it ends, we know that tonight’s “Lost” finale will leave us wondering and pondering for days. Weeks, even. Heck, I still have conversations about “The Sopranos” ending, whether people want to discuss it with me or not. That might explain why I don’t have a lot of friends.

Anyway, I think we can safely assume that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse won’t torture fans by cutting to black while a Journey song plays, nor will this all turn out to be a Bobby Ewing-like dream.

So, also assuming that tonight’s goodbye won’t satisfy us all - because really, how could it possibly?—how do you want to see “Lost” end?

Personally, I don’t want a happy ending for everyone. That’s too simplistic for these complicated characters and I’d probably feel a little cheated if Sawyer and Juliet set up house in some Wistera Lane-like setting or Jack becomes a bigwig at the hospital and loses a little of his “God complex” (as one blog reader pointed out in an earlier poll). Life is messy, and even though these folks have been redeemed to an extent, absolute bliss would be too much of a fantasy—even for a show that put a polar bear on an island.

Your thoughts?

“Lost” is not about happy endings. It is about faith, redemption, hope and mystery.Tonight is going to be sad and bittersweet and I think I am in denial that the end is just a few hours away. There will never be another show quite like “Lost”.

After watching and obsessing over this show for 6 years, I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA how I would like it to end!

I don’t honestly know what the best ending would be but I do know this. Based on all of the recent interviews I’ve seen or read from cast members. There will be a lot of questions left unanswered. Maybe thats not so bad. They would need a lot more than 2 1/2 hours to do that and satisfy everyone. And some things should remain a mystery. I think tonight both realities are going to come together. Can’t wait to see what really happens.

Now that Jacob confirmed that the castaways’ arrival on the island was indeed planned—a matter of destiny and fate—and that, despite Sawyer’s protestations, the lives they were plucked from were flawed and lonely…which of the gang has truly found redemption?

Was Jack’s willingness to inherit island-duty born out of a desire to do the right thing or to, yet again, try to fix something? Has Sawyer’s untrusting heart been manipulated after his love affair with Juliet? And Ben…that wily Ben. Maybe some things never do change.

Discuss.

Jack. He found faith.

Sawyer, by far, is the most redeemed character. He went from surly con man to loveable hero because of his love for Juliet.

Jack on the other hand began with his God complex and ends with the God complex. That is no change.

Sawyer.  His relationship with Juliet was probably the best one on all of Lost.  He came a long way from the guy he was when he crashed on the island.

Well Sawyer is my favorite character, so I have to agree that he has come very far.But all the characters have made progress. Not too sure about Ben though, LOL. Will have to see what happens tonight!