Music for
yourffeet
(continued from Page6
these guys are not monsters. One can
dislike them, sure. But the worst reac-
tion I can imagine anyone having after
seeing them perform is a nasty snicker
or two.
Really, it comes down to how much
you hate the Monkees. Like those
loveable dopes ofsixties TV-land, the
Village People were put together with
absolutely no concern for how well they
could make music. Presumably, it was
such important factors as whiteness of
smile, grooming habits, and general
chumminess that were necessary to
make the grade as a genuine People.
Like the American-made mop tops, the
Village People, with the exception of
lead singer Victor Willis, who is not too
bad with soul, started out unable to sing
a whit, and their hoofing abilities were
decidedly leaden. Once doing shows with
only Willis singing into a live mike, the
People only after much practice have
graduated to the point where they can
reproduce onstage the same sort of
throaty, gung-ho non-harmonies one
finds on their albums.
BUT WHO CARES? So what if Alex
Briley (he's the GI) never could quite
get his flag-waving in synch with the
others in the choreography for "In The
Navy"? And who cares if by the end of
the concert the only number with much
energy left was Felipe Rose (the In-
dian), who hopped around until the end
as if someone had dropped a distress
flare behind his loincloth?-these guys
still showed they had it together. What
the Village People displayed
throughout their show, with their songs
and their goofy visuals, was a happy
unselfconscious, a willingness to adver-
tise for good times. And it's infectious.
What they do, by way of sani-
wrapped method safe for consumption
by the multitudes, is unlock some of the
most powerful impulses of their
audience, soothingly coaxing them out
with the good-natured spirit of their
put-on. Although they do play with the
aggression button (check out the
violence acted out in mock fist fights
during some of their choreographed
stuff), their forte is flesh. An interac-
tion between construction-man David
Hodo (my favorite People) and the
audience was telling: "How many of
you came here to hear the music?",
Hodo asked first. There was moderate
applause. "How many of you came to
see the dancing?" The applause was
louder, but still no big deal. "And how
many of you," Hodo said in a voice both
teasing and leering, "just dropped in
for some sex?" Need I say the audience
went nuts?
The People superbly triggers , those
sex impulses in both gays and
heterosexuals, and, incredibly, make it
all so laughable, se exuberant, that it
makes for some superb top-forty stuff.
The bottom line on all of tbis is that it is
all just for fun; Marps cap bring the
kids-chances are god she has a
Village Peoplp .alum of her own!
Casablanca hat mrade sure everybody
can latch onto the hottest mass-
produced wonders since the Monkees.
Does that sound cynical? It
shouldn't: the Village People, and all
disco artists, have in many important
ways brought together groups that
rockers have been unable to. And if
they are a cartoon band, a money-
making pre-fab, concept before they
are a musical group, well then so
what?-they have some great hits. But
then, I got off on the Monkees.
The Michigan Daily-Friday, June 29, 1979-Page 7
TO DISCUSS POTENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
Regents call special meeting
By JULIE ENGEBRECHT
The University Board of Regents
called a special meeting to discuss
"potential and preliminary can-
didates" for the University presidency.
The meeting, which will be held at 6
p.m. July 2 in the Regents Room in the
Administration Building, will be open to
the public, but it is expected the Board
will immediately close the proceedings,
according to an announcement issued
yesterday.
THERE IS "no danger" that the 10th
permanent University president will be
named at that time, according to Vice-
President for State Relations and
Secretary of the University Richard
Kennedy.
He said the Regents would be
reviewing candidates on paper, and
that the meeting has been called as part
of the process of the Open Meetings Act.
When preliminary candidates
request that their applications remain
confidential, an executive session can
be held, according to Section 8 (f) of
that law.
"I WOULD BE very, very shocked if
they announced it," said Jeff Supowit,
r n l t" ".I
co-chairman of the student advisory
committee. Supowit said he did not
know that a special meeting had been
called.
None of the eight Regents could be
reached yesterday for comment.
Sources close to the search have in-
dicated that a decision on the anew
president is nearing. "It's getting to
that point," one search committee
member said.
The Regents have refused to set a
timetable on the process, or say how
close they are to making a final
decision. They are reluctant to set a
time because they don't want to make
any promises, search committee mem-
bers say.
MEMBERS OF the Board of Regents,
and faculty, student, and alumni ad-
visory groups refuse to confirm or deny
whether interviews of potential can-
didates are taking place, but several
search committee members have said
interview procedures have been
established by the Regents.
According to guidelines established
earlier in the search process,
"hopefully less thanseight" candidates
will be interviewed.
ROBERT ALTMAN'S
1970
ELLIOT GOULD, DONALD SUTHERLAND, GARY BURGHOFF, SALLY KELLER-
MAN, ROBERT DUVLL, JO ANN PFLUG, TOM SKERRITT, and RENE AUBER-
JUNOIS. A film that needs less introduction than any other film on our
schedule, as the inspiration for the best television series ever made. But
the movie is even better-containing Altman's biting satire and innovative
use of sound. Ring Lardner wrote the brilliant screenplay which removed the
stigma or the Hollywood blacklist from his career. Excellent comic perform-
ances by the ensemble-especially Gould and Sutherland as Trapper John
and Hawkeye.
CINEMA GUILD TONIGHTA.
OLD ARCH AUD
$1.50
is one of the funniest films
in years. I was tripled-up with laughter.
It's been a long time since I've
laughed this side-hurting hard."
Gene Shalit, NBC-TV
fALIAKN -
PETER FALK - ALAN ARKIN in An ARTHUR HILLER Film "THE IN-LAWS"
Music by JOHN MORRIS - Executive Producer ALAN ARKIN -Written by ANDREW BERGMAN
Produced by ARTHUR HILLER and WILLIAM SACKHEIM -'Directed by ARTHUR HILLER
MON.-TUE.-THUR.-FRI.7:15-9:45
SAT.-SUN.-WED.
... 12:10-2:30-4:50-7:15-9:45