Dance troupe uneven The Michigan Daily-Sunday, October 1, 1978-Page 5 If heavy metal's on the way out, someone didn 't tell Aerosmith By ANNA NISSEN The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre is currently presenting a series of performances at Power Center, celebrating its twentieth year with a program of standard company pieces and some disappointing newer works. The Ailey dancers are at their best in solos, and numbers not meant to be moving in unison. Otherwise the ensemble work is sloppy, embarrassingly so in "Streams." Ailey's choreography in "Streams" is simple and powerful, but apparently the abundance of prolonged arabesques calls for more balance than most of the tottering company is able to give. "Hobo Sapiens," on the other hand, is competently per- formed but poorly conceived, too cleverly staged and titled by George Faison. Dancer Dudley Williams does his best to perk up the hackneyed theme of youth-to-age progression in the ghetto with his pantomime and cute an- tics, such as dribbling a basketball to represent youth. As graceful as Williams is, though, he comes off looking more like a Harlme Globetrotter than a trained dancer. AILEY'S "Masekela Language," set to the music of South African trumpet player Hugh Masekela and highly overstaged with bar stools, potted palms, cigarette smoke, and a contrary jukebos, has its brilliant moments: Donna Wood's solo of seductive turns; a fun, saucy body- flaunt by Marilyn Banks; and a convincing rendition of a barroom brawl. For a literary work, however, "Masekela Langauage" is ambiguous and inconclusive. A wounded man staggers into the cafe-apparently set in South Africa-and after a passionate, angry dance and dramatic death, lies ignored on the floor while the other dancers return to their drinking, brawling, and general apathy. "Masekela Language" has all the props of a three-act play, without much plot and certainly without much of a message. The Company's classic "Suite Otis" was what made the evening worthwhile. Young couples flirt and bicker to Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose," "I've Been Loving You Too long," and others. Here again Marilyn Banks is the master comic in a bawdy boogies with Masumi Chaya. "Suite Otis" proved the Ailey Company still capable of the high-spiritedness it is famous for; the jazzy, full-skirted flamenco of five women in "Satisfaction;" and an am- bitious sequence of lifts with their male partners in "Try A Little Tenderness," were thoroughly exhilerating. WHILE MANY Lof the company's tendencies are novel and refreshing, others are just too distracting and gim- micky. It was unusual and profound when two or three soloists danced to total silence, and also when certain of the performers went the other extreme and made loud, accentuating shrieks. The mix of racial types among the characters, the combination of classical music with popular lyric songs, and traditional leotard costumes with contemporary street clothes, provide a nice variety without being overdone. The Company's penchant for mixing dance styles-even within a single composition-is nice and was kept under control; jazz, ballet, and soft-shoe elements merge in a style that is uniquely Ailey. I think the Company would do better, though, if they quit depending on stage props and amusing facial expressions, and put some effort into coordinating their corps work. By TIMOTHY YAGLE There is an intriguing mystique about Aerosmith. Many still consider them one of the premier heavy metal ensem- bles around, but their last album, Draw the Line, didn't fare as well as expec- ted, and their popularity seems poten- tially on the wane. At the band's concert at Cobo Arena in Detroit Friday night, a real question hung in the air: can they still crank it out with the best of them? As far I'm concerned, the answer is an unqualified "yes." FOLLOWING AC/DC, which attem- pted to fire the crowd up with some loud and monotonous punk rock, Aerosmith walked on stage and the packed house went berserk. The stage set-up was similar to Boston's from a previous concert, except that mirrors were mounted directly above the stage, I suppose to create ,a special effect when beamed on by the spotlights. It didn't i-I e work. But while Areosmith doesn't claim to have an illustrious stage show, they performed brilliantly without the benefit of gimmickery. Their pure physical presence is intimidating enough. As usual, a spotlight remained on the flamboyant Steve Tyler, as he flew around the stage clad in a black and white striped tightsuit. The rest of the band remained rather placid, with the exception of lead guitarist Joe Perry, who occasionally sauntered donwstage to deliver an ear-piercing solo. The band's forte was their excep- tional jamming, and they did a lot of it. "Back In the Saddle," "Train IDept A Rollin'," "No More, No More," and "Lick and a Promise" were all first- class renditions, although "Sweet Emotion" suffered, the only bright spot being when Perry's talk-box tools over, TWO OF THE highlights, "Seasons of Whither" and "Chip Away the Stone," were ironically the only tame moments in an otherwise frenzied performance. During "Same Old Song and Dance"' and "Draw the Line," most of the main floor ushers were useless in containing the onslaught of fans trying to get near their hearthrobs. Aerosmith is about to release their first live album-entitled Live Bootleg-after five solid studio efforts. The future direction of their popularity will surely be indicated by the album's sales. But if Friday evening at Cobo Hall was any clue, then their live LI may just put them right up to the top. Clearly, they haven't lost it all. The Ann Arbor Film Cooperative presents at Aud A Joseph Lewis Night Monday, October 2 Admission Free (Joseph Lewis, 1950) GUN CRAZY 7:30Oonly-Aud A Lewis' masterpiece and one of the most incredible films in cinema history. This passionate couple-on-the-run thriller makes BONNIE AND CLYDE look like a still photo, and it inspired Paul Shrader to call it "one. of the best American films ever made ...-a shockingly brilliant film, it is an exhilarating tribute to reckless love and nonstop action." JOHN DALL, PEGGY CUMMINS. Mr. Lewis will answer questions about his career and films in general after the show. Tuesday: Black Film Festival. ANGELA DAVIS: PORTRAIT OF A REVOLUTIONALRY and MALCOLM X. FREE Autoharp virtuoso visits Ark RamerWerner Fassbinder's 1970 By ERIC ZORN For most of us, the autoharp is an nstrument our elementary school usic teachers plucked amateurishly hile teaching us to sing "The Happy Farmer." For Bryan Bowers, who per- ormed at the Ark Friday night, it is omething more. Bowers is perhaps the orld's greatest virtuoso on this eldom-celebrated instrument, and his -how at the Ark was splendid. Unlike the crude scraping usually ac- 1orded the autoharp, Bowers picks with recision. "The thunm strums the hythm,"he explained to the audience, 'while the middle finger gets the elody note, the index finger low har- mony, and the ring and pinky fingers et two high harmonies." The com- ponents of each air fit together neatly ith a sweet, ringing sound singular in lk music. THE FORMER college basketball player stood tall in front of a generously 'ized Ark crowd wearing a patched t- hirt and a tiny microphone dangling rom his shoulder that picked up the ibrations of his autoharp, which he radled in his arms likea baby. "This is a weird instrument," he confessed asually before kicking off. "I got tur- ned onto it by a crazed doctor." Without laborating further he spun into an en- chanting fiddle tune from the British Isles, "The Flowers of Edinbergh." Throughout the evening he reached into American and British traditional music for instrumentals including a spirit lif- ting "Golden Slippers" which sparked the first set to life. Where Bowers let things down a bit was trying two jumpy fiddle numbers, "Blackberry Blossom" and "Fisher's Hornpipe," which lost a lot of power because their proper tempo prohibited him from improvising and adding notes the same way he did with the slightly less allegro tunes. The limitation was almost certainly in the instrument. THOUGH HE'S not nearly as live- wire electric as Steve Goodman on stage, nor as snappily amusing as Owen MacBride, Bowers has an easy charm and with which immediately siezed the crowd and kept them with him through the last encore. "I was just thinking'," he said quietly, setting down one harp and picking up another, "about one of my first bar gigs a long time back and how I learned the strength of these in- struments. "I had just finished that Jesse Colin Young song-the one that goes 'Let's get together and love one another right now'-and some redneck drunk in the first row yells out, 'None of that peace- nik stuff!' As I start my next song he comes up on stage after me, so I turn the. harp over and whack him on the head. Hardly missed a beat. I was kind enough not to hit him on the side with the strings and the pins." BRYAN'S MUSICAL history is somewhat unusual. Ho grew up working in the peanut fields in rural Virginia singing call and answer songs and spirituals. His interest wasn't revived again until the college years, when he bought a nineteen dollar guitar to see if he could learn some Bob Dylan talking blues. Since that was the first thing he ever did which made total sen- se to him, he quit school early to try to earn a living in music, but things came slowly. At first he was a street singer in Seat- tle, then he picked up a job in a bar in Washington, D.C. He hasn't become a household name just yet, but with a record out on the Flying Fish label and many concert and coffeehouse dates in front of him, the future is definitely bright. IF ALL HE did were play his- autoharp, that would be enough, but Bowers has a very fine singing voice to, complete the act. Several songs were done a capella, including an amusing bit about aging containing this line coming from a man who get up early to check the obituaries: "If my name is missing and I know I ain't dead/ I eat a See BRIAN, Page 7 THE AMERICAN SOLDIER A full scale homage to the realm of Bogey, black mask magazine and direc- tors Samuel Fuller and Ravol Walsh. This German film (with English subtitles of course) centers on "Ricky," a gangster whose holster is always stuffed with a pistol-maybe loaded. The amazing final shootout is probably the most startling of Fassbinder's bizarre endings. Tues.: CORMAN AT THE MOVIES CINEMA GUILD TONIGHT at 7:0. 8:15 & 9:30 OLD ARCH. AUD. $1.50 The Michigan Student Assembly is now accepting applications for the Central Student Judiciaiy Apply 3909 Michigan Union by 5:00 p.m., October 5, 1978 1970 CHRISTOPHER MILES 1970 THE VIRGIN AND THE GYPSY The simmering eroticism that is characteristic of D. H. Lawrence, brought to sensuous being in this delicately balanced film rendition of his last master- piece. JOANNA SHIMKUS is the brooding daughter of a despotic county rector who meets a Roman Gypsy (FRANCO-NERO)-a man of few words and simple intentions. She seeks escape in the ribald liberation of a neighborhood gypsy camp, savoring the intense energies that surround the sultry vagabond. Filmed in Derbyshire, Lawrence's village, with cultural authenticity acquired in attic and antique store searches. With HONOR BLACKMAN. Schedule changel-MEMORIES OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT on Tues. Oct. 3 (NOT Wed. Oct. 4!) I CINEMA 11 TONITE at 789 Angell-Aud "A" $1.50 MANN THEATRES e VILLAGETWIN MAPLE VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER 769-1300 1' WED. MATINEES ALL SEATS $1.50 UNTIL 4:30 Viewpoint Lectures Presents: William F. Buckley Jr. "Some of the Problems of Freedom" at SHOWTIMES SUN-WED-SAT 1:15 3:45 6:45 9:20 Hill Audiim- 8:00pm ues-Thurs-Sat 6:45 9:20 Tuesday; Oct 3 U.S. POSTAL SERVICE STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 U.S.C 3685) 1. TITLE OF PUBLICATION . A. PUBLICATION NO. . DATE OF FILING The T'iichigan Daily Sept. 29,19 78 3. FREGUENCY OFISSUE A. NO. 0F'ISSUES PUBLISHED B. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION Daily excet Ionday, re . school year 22PC1 $18.50 4. 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