When it comes to music festivals, the closest thing locals have is Corn Fest, which may not satisfy the musical hunger of everyone. As if in response to the prayers of the hardcore and the punk rock set, Kickstand Productions has thrown together the first...

In a city with a vibrant, 21-and-over nightlife, seeing bands and entertainment outside of bars can be a difficult thing to do if you're not shelling out serious coin. Thankfully, in a college town like DeKalb, there are plenty all-ages venues out there...

1) Barb Wire was invented in DeKalb: FACT Why do you think they call it the Barb City? Because Joseph Glidden, one of DeKalb's most prominent historical figures, patented the idea for barb wire in 1874. That, and because we're known for our razor sharp...

Being a freshman or transfer student can prevent various obstacles to those coming in. You may not be familiar with dealing with other students in a dorm-type setting which can present various pitfalls. The Northern Star would like to present soem things...

Omaha, Nebraska indie rockers Cursive will be stopping in DeKalb on Sunday, July 26 at Otto's Nightclub, 118 E. Lincoln Highway, at 8 p.m. to promote its latest album "Mama, I'm Swollen." First forming in 1995, the post-hardcore trio has built a fanbase...

The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy nominations were announced late last week and has turned Hollywood on its head with its snubs and surprises. Here is an examination of what won, what lost and what is just plain frustrating: THE WINNERS 1. "30 Rock" Nominations:...

5. Beating Quest 64 When Quest 64 came out it was the only role-playing game available for the Nintendo 64 nearly two years after the console came out stateside. The game itself wasn't terrible until it seemingly ends after a mere 10 hours of game play....

Michael Bay is an easy target for film critics like Nickelback is an easy target for music critics. They produce work that's flashy and lacks substance while they laugh all the way to the bank. Though Bay's films usually receive very low ratings, he's...

In the first 20 minutes of "Bruno," there's a scene involving the fictional Austrian celeb and his Asian boyfriend Diesel that makes that naked fight in "Borat" seem PG-rated. A constant flow of envelope pushing gags seems to be the underlying theme here....

After twenty years playing together, 3 million albums sold and supporting some of the biggest bands of all time on tour, genre fusing band Rusted Root is bringing their unique sound to town when they play Otto's Niteclub, 118 E. Lincoln Highway, on July...

The latest release from metalcore innovators Killswitch Engage feels like a riot on a reality TV show. It has the potential for chaos, but the producers will step in if things get too crazy. Unfortunately, KSE is at their best when they embrace chaos...

Johnny Depp's new period piece "Public Enemies" doesn't involve swashbucklers or gaudy makeup or the unbearable stench of a Tim Burton project. Oh, what a glorious time to be alive. Bringing his too-cool-for-school bravado wherever he goes, Depp takes...