The Michigan Daily-Saturday, September 6, 1980-Page 7
Expanded Talking Heads climax
Canadian new wave festival
W (Continued from Page 6)
radioactive music, science fiction
beach party frenzy grips the audience.
A mad, smiling gleam is in every eye on
the stage and off. "There've been three
babies born here today," shouts singer
Fred Schneider. "All have been named
Heatwave." Hippy, hippy, hippy, hippy
shake; the 52 girls, rock lobsters-there
We 50,000 people swirling on this roller
* e6dster through time and space and
Betty, my god, I never knew you could
ddkce that way before. The long drive
from Buffalo, Montreal, New York, Ann
Arbor or wherever is beginning to seem
worth it.
JFhe Talking Heads appear to know
the crowd, as at least 50,000 strong have
iade a special effort to be here. The
Tdlking Heads have come prepared to
fully reward that effort. This is the
pzemier of a new version of the band as
tha'stermind David Byrne has extended
tbe band's line-ups. He's brought in the
hired guns; the rock and roll hitmen.
The band on the stage includes bassist
Buster Jones, keyboardist Bernie
Wurrel of Funkadelic fame, vocalist
Dollete MacDonald, percussionist
Steven Seal, and a David Bowie alum-
ni; Adrian Belew, plus the original core
members. They open with a perfun-
ctory performance of "Psycho Killer".
0Then the magic begins. The music is as
full and succinct as David Byrne's
early creations have always promised.
The songs from Fear of Music and the
new compositions are euphoria-
inducing-performed live: fine rushes up
and down your spine-alpha
waves-funk waves-please don't let it
ever stop waves-take some risks, stay
true to your heart and you might go to
heaven waves. The Talking Heads
throw down the musical gauntlet with
easily the outstanding performance of
*the festival.
Elvis Costello and the Attractions
follow. Good luck. The band is pushing
it; the music sounds forced. Elvis soun-
ds like someone is chasing him. They
empty spaces in the tunes, the fact that
a four piece band can only make so
much sound, become glaringly ap-
parent on the heels of the Talking
Heads' finely paced ensemble perfor-
mance. Elvis does have his moments
and he did hit some stellar notes.
Singing "Secondary Modern" his vocal
phrasing was flawless. Individual com-
positions shine, but by in large the band
seems propelled on nervous energy, one
gear out of sync so thesset never gels
Man, it's been alorg day! Holly, an
apprentice velder from Buffalo, and
her friends are packing up. Her heavily
henald hair glows in the night. Her
yellow Capezio jazz oxfords are mud-
stained. "The sequence of bands was
kinda like sex," she explains. "Rock-
pile and the Pretenders were the
preliminaries; you're interested and
even though you've been there before
you start to get excited. The B-52s were
the heavy foreplay; lotsa laughing and
uncontrolled fun cause you know what's
next. The Talking Heads were the real
action; the sun, the moon, and the star-
s. Elvis, I don't know if it was afterglow
or post-coital depression."
The promoters have put another local
band on, the Kings, to closp the show.
But after seeing all the headliners,
three-quarters of the crowd have
picked up and left, leaving the park
looking like a war-torn city after the
final bombing. There are several bon-
fires being stoked by the tons of leftover
debris. Freddy the Fearless Firediver,
busted lawn chair hanging around his
neck, moves from fire to fire, plunges
into the middle of the flames, rolls
around then emerges to cheering fans
and queasy passersby. Heatwave has
left at least one person who needs more
heat.
David Byrne at the helm of the new, improved Talking Heads at the "Heat-
wave" rock festival this August. Byrne's band has been expanded to include
a brass section and extra guitar and keyboard.
AMAZING
NEW
CANCER
OPERATION
UNVEILED.
The doctor
doesn't cut out
anything. You
cut out cigarettes.
This simple
surgery is the
surest way to save
you from lung
cancer. And the
American Cancer
Society will help
you perform it.
We have free
clinics to help you
quit smoking. So,
before you smoke
another cigarette,
call the A.C.S.
office nearest you.
And don't put it
off. The longer
you keep smoking,
Daily Photo by MAUREEN 'MALLEY
Cindy Wilson of the B-52's
TONIGHT
CINEMA GUILD
PRESENTS
TONIGHT
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
SCREWBALL COMEDY NUMBER ONE
A Reporter, Airplane, Runaway Rich Girl, Romance, Crazed
Father, A Rope, A Blanket and a Three Stooges Short before
the feature. CLARK GABLE (man), CLAUDETTE COLBERT
(woman), Frank Capra (Director). 7:00 & 9:15 at Old A&D Aud.
WANT TO JOIN US? Fill out an application at the movie. (Not Too Bureau-
cratic is it?)