I
Thursday, September 6, 1973
THE MICHIGAN{ DAILY
Mage Three
Thursda, Septmber 6,1973 TE MICHGAN DAIY t1'ae Thre
Putting
together
University
concerts
By ERIC SCHOCH
supplement co-editor
When describing the Ann Arbor
and University c o n c e r t scene,
perhaps "variety" is the best
word to use.
Bands and performers appear-
ing at the University last year in-
cluded Commander Cody and his
Lost Planet Airmen, Stevie Won-
der, Cheech and Chong, the All-
man Brothers, Bette Midler, John
Denver and Ravi Shankar, in
addition to the nationally famous
Blues and Jazz Festival which
brought people ranging in styles
from Howlin' Wolf to Sun Ra and
his Solar-Myth Arkestra.
Although countless people put
in hours of hard work to provide
such concerts, ranging from John
Sinclair and the Rainbow Peo-
ple's Party to community and
student organizations, the driv-
ing force behind this diversity is
promoter Peter Andrews.
Andrews is the president of
Rainbow Multi - Media Corpora-
tion, a non - profit g r o u p that
brought us the Blues and Jazz
Festival, and also acts on a con-
tractual basis as a representa-
tive for UAC-Daystar, the group
that brings shows to the Univer-
sity itself.
AN ADJUNCT of the Univer-
sity Activities C e n t e r (UAC),
UAC-Daystar is a collection of
various student and community
groups-actually composed of a
board of representatives of those
groups-tsuch as the Inter-Cooper-
ative Council, Project Community
and the Council for Black Con-
cerns.
Meeting weekly, UAC-Daystar
puts together the concert series
presented at the 'U', puts up
the money ror each concert and
then divides the profit or spreads
the loss.
The group uses the services of
Andrews and Suzanne Young to
organize and negotiate the vari-
ous concerts. Andrews basically
deals with the negotiating hassles
with the v a r i o u s performers,
agencies and other (mainly De-
troit) promoters, while Young
works more than full time doing
indispensible organizing work.
Of course, no one is ever totally
satisfied with the concert series
at the University, but most of
the complaints are based on ig-
norance of the countless head-
aches involved with trying to sign
performers on to shows at the
big 'U'.
AS ANDREWS puts it, "People
don't realize the difficulties. They
look at the concerts in Detroit,
which has the money and the
people, and then they ask 'Why
don't we have that here?' "
The major problem, at least
until now, has been Ann Arbor's
proximity to Detroit. Ann Arbor
is 35 to .40 miles from Detroit,
while the average contract for
performances has an exclusivity
clause which gives Detroit pro-
moters first choice over the big
name groups for an area of any-
where from 50 to 100 miles.
That is in addition to the uni-
versal hassles of competing for
dates on any upcoming tour by
a group. If a band announces it
will go on tour, as many as 200
offers may come in for perhaps
40 possible concert dates. And
universities generally do not get
first choice on concerts unless
they are in a major market area,
which the University, at least
until now, has not been.
But Andrews is confident that
situation is changing. He feels
that the competitive situation
with Detroit is declining, largely
because the most important De-
troit promoter, Bob Bageris, has
decided that Ann Arbor is a sepa-
rate market and thus concerts
here won't hurt his position.
"THE PROBLEM was that we
were beating heads with De-
troit," says Andrews. "But now
we're trying to cooperate."
Andrews credits much of this
relaxation of competition to the
fact that Ann Arbor has now
established its reputation within
the music business as a good
place for concerts.
"We have finished a solidify-
ing stage in the last two years,"
Andrews sums up. "We've em-
phasized getting that reputation
and have gone way beyond what
universities usually are called
upon to do."
Their actions include points
o f t e n considered unimportant,
such as having the most consis-
tently fine concert posters in the
country, designed not only to
draw the crowds but to impress
the performers as well.
Of course, other problems re-
main, some of them built-in. For
example, the happy decision by
UAC-Daystar to keep the ticket
prices as low as possible. This
policy, of course, pleases concert-
goers, but means that perform-
ers cannot be offered as much
money.
OVERALL, THOUGH, Andrews
is confident, perhaps as confi-
dent as he has ever been that his
goal of establishing "the best
college concert series in the
country" is coming true.
Looking ahead, Andrews points
out, "This year will be the first
time we have had enough time,
the reputation and a cooperative
attitude with Detroit to set our
own schedule, and we know the
market better now as well. We
should have a much stronger
program."
This fall, for the first time
UAC-Daystar hopes to have its
first semester schedule set up
and begin selling tickets for all
the concerts the first week of
school.
Taking up much of the rest of
Andrews' harried time is the or-
ganization and production of the
Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Fes-
tival.
FOR TWO YEARS University
student organizations had spon-
sored -a summer blue; festival,
which had been artistically suc-
See IN, Page 8
The Music Scene
- ----- - - - --------
~ - - -_ -- - - - _
Campus
folk music:
An array of genres
By DIANE LEVICK
supplement co-editor
Does the term "folk music"
evoke images in your mind of
Gordon Lightfoot crooning pop-
folk love songs or does it con-
jure up images of the sweet
strains of an Appalachian dul-
cimer?
Ann Arbor offers you both: the
traditional and the contemporary
-and you needn't be just a spec-
tator.
The Ark coffeehouse offers the
full spectrum of folk-and it's
guaranteed to make you a folk
convert even if you know noth-
ing about the music. Actually
just a large living room with
cushions on the floor or bench-
es to sit upon, the Ark creates a
super-mellow atmosphere with
fine performers and coffee and
.doughnuts through the evening.
The Ark, a non-profit venture
sponsored by local churches, has
brought such contemporary folk
performers and writers as Steve
Goodman, author of Arlo Guth-
rie's Top-40 hit "City of New
Orleans," and Loudon Wain-
wright III, whose "Dead Skunk
in the Middle of the Road" is
merely one example of the writ-
er's absurd and piercing ironic
material.
ON THE traditional side, one
of the Ark's perennial favorites
is Owen McBride, an Irish folk-
singer from Toronto. He weaves
a web of magical fairy tales and
love ballads, but even better, he,
like other Ark performers, en-
courages his audience to sing
along - and they do. And there's
some mighty fine harmony, too.
If such involvement is for you,
you might check out the Ark's
Wednesday night hootenanies, or
investigate the University of
Michigan Folklore Society. The
Society, composed of both stu-
dents and non-students, tends to
center its interests on traditional
folk music and folklife. It has,
though, sponsored such perform-
ers as Joan Baez, Doc Watson,
and John Hartford.
In addition, the folklore society
has published a monthly newslet-
ter, held pot-luck dinners with
academic discussion, and spon-
sored various workshops with
Ark performers.
ON A MORE impersonal but
just as enjoyable level, the Uni-
versity Activities Center enter-
tainment office, UAC-Daystar,
stages large concerts from time
to time with big-name commer-
cial folk performers. John Den-
ver, for instance, played to an
incredibly enthusiastic sell-out
crowd last February.
But for you unknowns itching
to break into performing, there's
always the Diag. In decent wea-
ther amateur musicians - some
very good - abound, along with
frolicking dogs and curious,
friendly on-lookers.
Rive Gauche, an informal
meeting place on Hill St. cater-
ing to foreign students, occasion-
ally presents local folk perform-
ers. In fact, Lorre Weidlich and
Dave Moultrup, members of the
folklore society, were hired for
an evening of traditional and
country songs.
They also performed at the
Union Gallery, which exhibits
art in the Michigan Union and
which may be receptive to pre-
senting more folk talent in the
future . . .
And finally, you might ask
about your dorm's snack bar or
coffeehouse, which may show-
case its residents' talent.
0 0 *
Blues and: Jazz Festival brings
'high energy bc
Ann Arbor's classical sidi
By GLORIA JANE SMITH
An event not to be missed this
fall is the second annual Ann
Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival,
scheduled for the second week-
end in September at Otis Spann
Memorial Field.
The three-day festival, which
has been appropriately called
"the biggest party of the year,"
brings together nearly 15,000 peo-
ple- of all descriptions for over
30 hours of layed-back listening
and high energy boogying.
Produced by the Rainbow
Multi-Media Corporation (a non-
profit organization headed by lo-
cal concert promoter Peter An-
drews and Rainbow People's
Party leader John Sinclair), the
festival provides an unequaled
opportunity to become totally
saturated with not only some of
the best, but some of the most
progressive blues and jazz mu-
sic available today.
THIS YEAR'S line-tip of artists
scheduled to perform at the fes-
tival includes: Ray Charles and
)ogy-ing
his Raelettes, Charles Mingus,
Freddie King, Ornette Coleman,
John Lee Hooker, Johnny Otis,
Luther Allison, Sun Ra and his
Arkestra, Lucille Spann, Big
Walter Horton, Yusef Lateef,
Leon Thomas, and Count Basie
and his Orchestra.
The mood at the outdoor fes-
tival site last year was commun-
al and down-home easy-going.
Provisions made by festival or-
ganizers made it almost living-
room comfortable. A large screen
at the front of the field provided
everybody with a close-up video
vision of musicians (This year
there'll be two larger screens in
living color.); substantial food in-
cluding vegetables, brown rice,
and yogurt were available at non-
rip-off prices; and natural neces-
sities were readily available.
A team of Drug Help workers,
familiar with dealing with over-
dose problems, were on duty
throughout the festival. Aiding
to city
cided to fill the void by launch-
ing the first Ann Arbor Blues
and Jazz Festival.
The two festivals, according to
Andrews, are very definitely
"different." The current festival
is more community than Univer-
sity oriented. "We are co-spon-
sored by Project Community," he
explains. Student organizations,
which had been the mainstay of
the first festival attempt, showed
no interest in supporting the cur-
rent festival.
WHILE Andrews feels that the
festival is enjoyment - "We try
to make the audience feel as
good as they can" - he also sees
a serious side to the affair. "It's
an educational experience, he
says. "We've pioneered jazz, pre-
sented groups more contempor-
ary than other festivals have."
OTHER ARTISTS scheduled to
perform at this year's festival in-
Listen or get involved
By KATHRYN RACETTE
Patrons of the musical arts
will find no earthly limits on en-
tertainment offered in Ann Arbor
this season
Musicians, dancers, puppets
and mimists fromcountries as
diverse asNorway, Siberia and
the Philippines will present their
respective talents and compete
with University and Ann Arbor
performers for the enthusiastic
audiences which have made such
fine musical offerings possible.
The University Musical Society
(UMS), a campus-based organi-
zation, is responsible for recruit-
ing many well-known professional
artists from around the world,
sponsoring several series of dif-
ferent musical media.
DURING THE 1973-74 season,
the UMS Choral Union Series will
present in Hill Aud. concerts by
symphony orchestras from De-
troit, Leningrad, and Budapest,
recitals by soprano Martina Ar-
royo, violinist Yehudi Menuhin,
and guitarist Julian Bream, as
welass onthe events.
guitar and lute ensembles in the
Guitar Series, and the Asian
Series which includes music from
Iran, puppet theater of Japan,
and K o r e an and Indian folk
dancers.
The UMS Choice Series, so
named because season ticket buy-
ers choose their own schedules
of events from an extensive ros-
ter, includes a more varied pro-
gram than the others. Held in
the University's Power Center,
this series offers such options as
opera by Mozart and Menotti,
mime theater, Rumanian, Nor-
wegian and A m e r i c a n dance
troupes, a jazz quartet, and even
the Vienna Choir Boys.
TICKETS FOR all International
Presentations range from $2.50
to $8.50 for single events, with
special rates for season tickets.
For more information, you may
write to: The University Musical
Society, Burton Memorial Tower,
Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104.
The budget-minded s t u d e n t
should be advised of various al-
ternatives to these often impos-
those events. If you're interested
in the latter course, and intend
to make yourself available on
the d a t e s scheduled, you may
volunteer at the ticket office in
Burton Tower during the "free"
days preceding the beginning of
classes fall semester.
IMPORTED musicians supply
only one portion of Ann Arbor's
total concert schedule. Drawing
from a wealth of young but cap-
able musical talent, the Univer-
sity's highly reputed School of
Music usually presents at least
one, and often several, events
daily. Music school programs are
free of charge and take place on
or near campus. Both The Daily
and University Record publish
up - to - date schedules of these
events.
The School of Music maintains
two orchestras, the University
Symphony and the University
Philharmonia, staffed by music
students. Each group presents
approximately two concerts per
semester, programming w o r k s
from every musical period and
"The three-day festival, which has been ap-
pro priately called 'the biggest party of the
year,' brings together nearly 15,000 people
of all descriptions .. .
?':".:{ Go ng S :a; "';YF;S;i : f "i s '. : : ^ ";.
them were the festival's own
youth - based patrol called the
Psychedelic Rangers. Both will
be working at this year's festival.
FOR THOSE unable to make it
on down to the festival site, ac-
tivities were broadcast live over
two area stations. This year, Na-
clude: Roosevelt Sykes, J.B. Hut-
to and the Hawks, CJQ, The Rev-
olutionary Ensemble, H o u s-
ton Stackhouse with Hoe Willie
Wilkens and the King Biscuit
Boys, Victoria Spivey, Hound
Dog Taylor and the Houserock-
ers, Infinite Sound with Roland
Young and Glenn Howell, Home-