Kiss gimmicks
By TIM YAGLE
E VERYTHING previously said
about the things the outrageous
rock band Kiss does on stage is true -
these guys are mad! Kiss displayed its
spectacular yet bizzare stageshow to a
packed Olympia Stadium Friday night.
I was prepared for a crazy show, but
geez!
Detroit's Rockets launched the eager
crowd into the evening with some heavy
and loud rock'n'roll, which got the Kiss
fanatics ready for their band.
Then the moment came. The lights
went off and one of the stagehands
came out and gave the familiar intro-
duction from the album Kiss Alive II.
The sanity ended there..
RHYTHM GUITARIST Paul Stanley
and lead guitarist Ace Frehley boarded{
the elevated platform stage left, and
the ghoulish bassist Gene Simmons did
the same stage right. They were low-
ered to the stage amidst flashing lights
and explosions, beginning their choreo-
graphed assault with "I Stole Your
Love." This was a bit of a surprise, sin-
ce we assumed they would open with
their testimonial to the rock'n'roll
capital of the world, "Detroit Rock
City." The gruesome quartet, then
flowed smoothly into "King of the
Nighttime World."
Aside from being occasionally unin-
The Michigan Daily-
aptivate
telligible, the overall quality of the
music was good. Solmetimes, as in the
driving "Rock and Roll All Nite," the
overly-present bass made it difficult to
immediate discern which song they
were blasting at us.
The band played "Firehouse" (a
great live tune), during which Stanley
donned a fireman's hat while smoke
(what else?) slithered from back and
side stage. "Love Gun" continued to
captivate the audience.
BEFORE EACH TUNE, Stanley (the
most energetic performer of the group)
would talk to his fans, giving a brief in-
troduction to each song. Then all hell
would break loose.
"Christine Sixteen" and "Makin'
Love" ensued before the more passive
Ace Frehley took over with "Shock
Me." Dung his long solo his guitar
began smoking, as if he couldn't control
it.
During most of the songs, Stanley and
Simmons would stand at the mikes
while Frehley wandered around,
assaulting our ears with piercing but
decent guitar licks. During "I Want
You," Stanley got the crowd into the
act, with the band yelling "I Want" and
the people answering "YOU! ".
SIMMONS' GAVE his famous ser-
e
~L 'V/V V%1A
pent-like tongue a breather when he'
pelted out "Dr. Love," probably the"
best-played tune all evening.
Immediately after "Shout It Out
Loud," the lights were dimmed and, in
his only solo effort, Simmons stalked to
the center of the empty stage. With a
green spotlight on him, he "suffered
through" his blood-vomiting act.
As if that wasn't enough to keep your2.
eyes wide open, the platform on which-
Peter Criss' tremendous drum set was
mounted slid forward, lights flashing
and all. Criss mechanically went-,
through his drum solo, while his set and
platform virtually exploded with
Roman candles and sparklers.
STANLEY SMASHED his guitar, and
the band left the stage only to be sum
moned back for what the audience had
waited all night - "Detroit Rock City"
With Criss on his stool and taped
music flowing gently through the
speakers, "Beth" was the evening's
only mellow moment. "Black
Diamond" ended the display of good
hard rock, although the concert wasn't
as loud as I expected.
As Gene Simmons observed, "What a
way to make a living."
-Tuesday, January 24, 1978-Page 7 ,.
crowud
Is it San or Laz?
Duo doubly delightful
By JOSEPH ROSEVEAR
T HE AUDIENCE clapped, hooted,
and sang along with Sandor and
Laszlo Slomovitz at the Pendleton room
in the Michigan Union Sunday after-
noon. The Slomovitz twins - they call
themselves Gemini - are a local folk
music group. Having lived in Ann Arbor
for the past four years, they are well
known here. The twins have played a
number of times at the Ark and at Mr.
Flood's.
Gemini was well received. Although,
requiring a certain amount of warming
up, the audience soon was clapping,
singing, and having a good time. From
the beginning, the concert was ar-
ranged to encourage audience partici-
pation. Their opening number was en-
tirely vocal.
Laz and San sang very well. Their
diction was good, their style was com-
fortable and appealing. Their years of
vocal experience were evident in the
appropriateness of their pronoun-
ciation, the beauty of their harmony,
and the accuracy of their intonation.
Their unaccpmpanied vocal numbers
were very nice.
THE MOST ENJOYABLE aspect of
the performance, however, was the
great variety of instruments and songs
presented. Together they played guitar,
violin, panpipe, penny whistle, mando-
lin, limber-jack, fiddle sticks, and the
bones. Edmund and Quentin, a South
American folk music team, plus Sheri
and Helen, friends of Laz and San, also
performed. The six dd two South
American songs together. The first, the
most unusual number that afternoon,
used six panpipes and a cowhide-cov-
ered drum called a bombo. Edmund
played the bombo and his panpipe si-
multaneously. The others accompanied
him on panpipes. The weird, command-
ing intonations of the panpipes mixed in
interwoven harmony and melody punc-
tuated by the resonant beatings of the
bombo. The result was, strange and
moving. The other number in which all
six performed included two South
American instruments, a type of flute
described as a notched flute - two of
these were used, and the South Ameri-
can charando, a small ten-stringed in-
strument which is played like a guitar
or a mandolin.
In one number, Laz played the violin
while San drummed on the upper part
of the strings with fiddle sticks. It was
an interesting maneuver. The limber-
00
NEWS FROM THE
MAJOR EVENTS OFFICE
jack and the bones are percussion in-
struments. The bones, San explains,
"... are as much a dance as a rhythm
instrument." Yet, says San, *'it's not a
rhythm instrument that does a lot of
'oom-pa-pa,' it's a solo instrument in
its own right."
Laszlo and Sandor are skilled music-
ians. And they should be. "We've been
singing since we were tiny," remarked
Laszlo after the performance. "We've
been playing this kind of music and
writing our own songs, things like that,
about six or seven years." Laz did
apologize, however, for his playing. He
explained that he had played violin for
a length of time when he was very
young and took it up again only a few
years ago.
HIS VIOLIN playing, although not
virtuoso, was fair. His intonation and
rhythm were accurate. He played, how-
ever, with a heavy bow arm and made
at times loud and squawking sounds in-
stead of music. He did one number with
a mute on the violin and another involv-
ing pizzacato, both of which were pleas-
ant and well performed.
Gemini will be playing at a newly
opened coffee house in Detroit this Sat-
urday and at Mr. Flood's on Tuesday,
January thirty-first. And it is likely
they will continue to appear frequently
in Ann Arbor. "I'm hoping to make this
into ... a series of sorts - have concerts
here five or six times a year; probably
in this region, possibly elsewhere," San
commented.
"That's really nice when people come
back," remarked Laz upon seeing a
number of familiar faces. Certainly it's
no wonder that they do.
Birth defects
are forever.
U less you help.
TO PROTECT THE UNBORN
AND THE NEWBORN
March of Dimes
THIS SPACE CONTRIBUTED BY THE PUBUSHER
Sergei Esenstein's 1943
Ivan The Terrible I
Many consider this film to be
the Russian director's master-
piece. Intense, yet impeccably
orchestrated story of the first
czar to unite Russia. In Russian
with subtitles.
Wed.: McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Thurs.: Ivan the Terrible I1
Cinema Guild
Tonight at 7:00 & 9:05
Old Arch. Aud.
'Bridegroom impotent
By SUSAN BARRY continually trying to steal the sh
Franks is consistently abrasive and
A T TIMES PTPS The Robber Bride- scene as the stepmother, but not ina
groom, presented at the Power way that is interesting. She stri
Center last Sunday, was imaginative, poses and often recites her lines q
energetic, and thoroughly enjoyable. cleverly, but her performance se
Unfortunately, most of the time it was stale and calculated.
none of these. It was not, by any means, The same is true of Marineau's Ro
through lack of effort; the arm-wrench- mund. When fresh, her animated
ing, head-bobbing cast seemed all too pressions must have been delightf
eager to dive into each new number. inventive. Sunday afternoon shev
They just seemed to have been on the merely muging. Her often lov
ow.
ob-
any
ikes
uite
ems
osa-
ex-
ully
was
vely
CINEMA IIML3
Tuesday, January 24
EXPERIMENTAL FILMS
A selection of independent films by the true masters of the
medium:
LADY OF THE SPHERE-Larry Jordan
TO PARCIFAL-Bruce Baille
MY NAME IS OONA-Gunvor Nelson
GULLS AND BUOYS-Robert Breer
SAUGUS SERIES-Pat O'Neill
NEW, IMPROVED INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY-George
Landlow
78 9 P.M. $1.50
Cinema 11lis now accepting new-member applications.
Application forms will be available at all Cinema i showings.
The Robber Bridegroom
Pd wer Center
January 22, 1978
Jamie Lockhart ..................... George Deloy
Clemment Musgrove ............... Jared Matesky
Rosamund ................ Barbara Marineau
Salome ........................ Laurie Franks
Choreographed by Dennis Grimaldi
Composed and arranged by Robert Waldman
road too long.
The story, based loosely on an old
Grimm Brothers' fairy tale, concerns
the daughter of a wealthy landowner
who falls in love with a robber. The
robber Jamie Lockhart (George Deloy)
has met the lovely Rosamund (Barbara
Marineau) in the woods and stolen her
clothing, divesting her of all her char-
ms except those she is most anxious to
bequeath.
Although ruthless in his proficiency,
Lockhart finds himself to be somewhat
affected by the girl. They set up a
household inthe woods while Lockhart
contracts to marry the lovely daughter-
of a wealthy landowner who, unknown
to any of them, is the lovely Rosamund
herself.
OBVIOUSLY the plot retains many of
the fantastic conventions of the fairy
tale, complete with the selfish wit-
ch/stepmother (Laurie Franks) who is
voice, at least, added some element of
warmth to her performance.
George Deloy began, to give some
depth to his character. His rendition of
"Love Stolen" was original and amus-
ing. But he took the charm of his admit-
tedly beguiling face for granted.
ONLY TWO PERFORMERS, both
minor characters, were particularly
noteworthy. Penny Leone was effec-
tively bird-like as the raven, achieving
by slight jerks of her head and a craggy
voice a striking impersonation of the
evil precursor. And Michaelan Sisti as
the simpleton "Goat" was convincingly
limber in his oafishness. His disshev-
eled hair and tattered costume was an
astute study in penury.
Where Bridegroom fails is in sin-
cerity. While the dancers on stage are
whirling and slapping their thighs they
somehow fail to project their enthusi-
asm onto the audience. This is further
complicated by the fact that the music
is not particularly memorable and the
lyrics sometimes seem slightly out of
kilter with the melody.
Both acts open with rousing dance
reels as though to remind the audience
that they're supposed to be having fun.
Unfortunately, the Sunday afternoon
crowd was, for the most part, uncon-
vinced.
.THS WEEK
i--- -- -- ------- ------------[1
I I
the go# arbor film cooperativ
! TONIGHT! Tuesday, Jan. 24 i
I I
Artists & Craftsmen Guild presents:
Collaborative Winter Art &
Craft Classes Registration
The classes run for 8 weeks (beginning the week of January
30), are taught by professional artists and craftspeople, and in-
clude basic as well as more advanced training in weaving, batik,
jewelry, photography, woodblock printing, and clay workshop. Call
763-4430 or visit the Guild on 2nd floor of Michigan Union.
MEAN STREETS
(Martin Scorsese, 1973) 7 & 9:15-AUD. A
A virtuoso work of such explosive originality, intensity, and power that it
stands out as THE film of the 70's. The underside of New York's Little Italy is
seen through the eyes of Charley (HARVEY KEITEL), whose ascension in the
Mafia is hindered by the depth of his Catholic upbringing and his faith in his
reckless friend Johnny Boy (a brilliant ROBERT DeNIRO). "You don't pay for sins
in church. You pay for them on the street."-Charley. A "must see" film.
"Exquisite, savage, compassionate and brilliant."--Joseph Gelmis. "Everything
that is said or done has the sense of being absolutely right. It is evident that
Scorsese was a born filmmaker . . . MEAN STREETS is an unqualified success."
-Kevin Thomas, L.A. Times.
Plus Short: THE BIG SHAVE (Martin Scorsese)
Eclipse Jazz presents:
Chick
Corea
Herbie
& Hancock
Acoustic piano solos and duets
Thursday, January 26, 8 p.m. Hill Auditorium
SOLD OUT!
SINGLE ADMISSION $1.50
1
1
1
The AAFC is now accepting entries for the 8th Annual 8mm
Film Festival. Stop by one of our showings for details.
UAC Mediatrics presents:
THE STING
Friday, January 27, 7 & 9:30 p.m. Nat. Sci. Aud.
M*AS.H.
Saturday, January 28, 7 & 9:15 p.m. Nat. Sci. Aud.
L -- - ---- - - - - - - -- - --- ------- I
The big song breaking out across the na-
tion, this week, is Art Garfunkel's
"Wonderful World." All the excitement
arises from his back-up singers-those
being Paul Simon and James Taylor. With
help also from David Crosby, Stephen
Bishop and Jimmy Webb, the album notes
look like a "whos who" in music. Now, if
they'd only tour .. .
Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson have
just released a duo album that includes their
top-40 single, "Mama, Don't Let Your
Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys." Their
brand of hard-driving country-rock showed
through on last year's RCA release, "Wan-
ted: The Outlaws." Willie Nelson will appear
at Crisler Arena on Sunday, February 5,
with Ann Arbor favorite son Jerry Walker
and singer Katy Moffatt.
The Doobie Brothers will appear on the
ABC-TV show "What's Happening," this
Saturday, January 28, and Saturday,
February 4. The Doobies will perform six
tunes, ranging from "Takin It To The
.- ,.,an "d "R.I, Wnr" to "Tn Me In
January 28, 1978
Party
Union Programming Committee presents:
New Year's Eve Dance
A dance-party a la New Year's Eve with favors, streamers,
balloons, etc. Live band "Cypress," Beer & Mixed Drinks.
Saturday, January 28, 9 p.m.-Union Ballroom
Admission $1.
Viewpoint Lectures presents:
ALLEN GINSBERG
Reading his poetry (will answer questions afterward)
Tuesday, January 24, 8 p.m., Rackham Auditorium
$1.50, general admission, tickets available at Ticket Central
UAC Ticket Central handles ticket sales for
all UAC events. Located in the lobby of the Michigan Union,
New
Year's
Eve
I
i
-. ..