The Michigan Daily-Friday, December 3, 1982-Page 9

Top-ten rundown on Cub Koda


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Michigar heatre
Saturday, Decembr r4
8:00 pm

fly Andrew Porter

CUB KODA'S memorable contribution to the
Rolling Stone Book of lists regarding the 10 rules
for a good concert calls to mind a unique but efficient
method,of reviewing his particular show at Rick's on
Wednesday night. Following (in traditional list
fashion) are 10 characteristics of the performance he
gave and the reception he received from his home
y crowd at Ann Arbor.
* The instruments that Cubmaster and the
Houserockers used could not be pawned at any store
.in the nation at any price. With beat-up telecasters
that look like they were found on the ground after an
old Who concert, the band delivered a fuzzy but
somewhat effective sound.
* Drummer Ted Harvey's haphazard whistle
blowings were the only hints that he was alive during
- the performance. Any rumors claiming that the
figure behind the drum kit was dead may therefore
be dispelled.
" The amplifiers were cranked up so loudly that
?Cub Koda's lack of hearing problems testifies to.his
lack of eardrums. At one point in the show static
.seemed to be dominating the noise that was pumped
from the amps. After careful examination, however,
it was apparent that the amps were functioning
properly and that it was only our ears that were
:giving us the problems.'This made Hendrix at Wood-
stock appear as if he were playing acoustically and
unplugged.
" The concert kicked off with "Bad Boy" and
featured some incredible fine blues guitar jamming.
Brewer Phillips, formerly with Hound Dog Taylor,
.played a fiery, piercing duet with Cub and commen-
ced the evening on such a dynamic note that until the
final song of the set everything that followed went
.straight downhill. "Highway 49" ended the first set
just as the stoic audience seemed to display some

blues that the band incorporates brings to mind the
dark, old-fashioned nightclubs that invade the spooky
south side. George Thorogood and Dave Edmunds,
two well-known counterparts, represent, however,
the more modern, upbeat styles of the same genre of
music. What Cub lost in spicy, wave appeal he
regained through his abundance of soul.
" Slide guitar was a recurring phenomenon during
the evening and its unique contrast to Harvey's
rhythm guitar was quite a bit appealing. Although
Cub has by no means achieved any mastery with his
slides, he has used it to his advantage as a neat tool
with which to beef up the music.
" In comparison to recent Ann Arbor visitor Koko
Taylor, Koda retains a definite vacuum of vocal
strength. His lyrics are strongly de-emphasized and
serve only as a thin background for the more impor-
tant instrumental work. The band is also devoid of a
bassist and that leaves drummer Phillips floating off
and unconnected to the musical activity of the other
two.
" In general, the show was very enjoyable (excep-
ting for the eardrum annihilations) and an un-
derrated performer turned in a fine performance.
Had the audience been less concerned about the drink
specials and their post-nightclub plans, the evening
may have been a little more than just a routine con-
cert at an Ann Arbor nightspot.

4., Tickets: 3i J.(ad
S3.50atdo,
call: 763-

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vance
or
107

Cub Koda fixes his guitar string at Rick's Wednesday
night.
'vague signs of response to the music. In the midst of a
powerful improv-like solo, the Cubmaster walked
through the audience and just continued to jam amid-
st his tour of Rick's. The people seated at the tables
which he stopped and played for were left visually
unimpressed at Koda's excellent guitarwork. Only
when the music abruptly halted were those just get-
ting comfortable able to appreciate the incredible
noise that the trio was producing.
" Cub's sense of humor was revealed after he snap-
ped his high E-string and then proceeded to sing
about repairing his incomplete instrument. He
simultaneously replaced his string and sang the
vocals for an amusing midpoint to the concert.
" The audience could not have been less interested
if they were seated in a dull p-chem lecture. It took a
long while before Cub Koda's music evoked any form
of response from the drousy audience; which was a
shame in light of the high energy performance.
* Koda's bright red shoes were a bright contrast not
only to his suit, but the general images that the
band's style seems to project. The Chicago flavored

4'.

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'Equus'questions religion

By Dave Kopel
DISTURBED teenager named
*L71Alan Strang, who gives off
"vibrations," speaks only commercial
jingles. He worships horses as gods, yet
one night he put out the eyes of eight
horses with a metal spike.
Child psychiatrist Martin Dysart
-tries to save Alan, to remove the
twisted passions hiding in Alan's
psyche. But Dysart wonders if by
curing Alan, he is really destroying
Alan's soul.
The story of Alan and Dysart is
Equus, named for Alan's horse-god.
" Equus continues at Canterbury Loft,
332 S. State, Dec. 3-5, and Dec. 9-12.
'Performances are at 8:00 p.m.
A three-hour production, packed with
psychological tension, Equus demands
much of its cast. Happily, that cast tur-
ns in a moving, if occasionally uneven,
- performance.
As Alan Strang, David Eichenbaum
steals the show. Eichenbaum under-
'stands the urgency of Alan's passion,
and makes the audience understand. As
the evening progresses, we see Alan in
a variety of ages and settings: the
withdrawn teenager in Dysart's office;
the child galloping on a horse for the
:first time; the priest in ecstatic
religious communion with his horse;
the mental patient awakening from a
screaming nightmare; the shy teenager
on his first date. Eichenbaum moves
from scene to scene easily, and uses
'each opportunity to add depth to Alan.
Alan's moments on confrontation with
his God Equus become real.
Throughout, Eichenbaum shows us an
animated face, highlighted by childlike,
vivid eyes.
Lanney Steele, who plays Alan's
psychiatrist, Dr.. Dysart, grows into a
stronger performer as the evening
progresses. His initial monologues are
declamatory, and he has trouble fin-
ding different levels of emotion. But

around the other characters, Alan in
particular, Steele becomes more
emotional and spontaneous. Especially
when talking with and manipulating
Alan, Steele performs confidently.
Even his monologues improve; the
final speech conveys the power and
anguish that-author Peter Schaffer in-
tended.
J. Drew Picard and Julie Bernstein
play Alan's middle-class parents.
Picard is a delight to watch as the
"relentlessly self-improving" and
hypocritical father. The mother has
some engaging scenes-laughing with
Alan at the beach, and telling Dr.
Dysart that the devil has possessed her
son. Bernstein is, however, very ob-
viously a nineteen-year-old dressed up
like an older woman.
Kim. Hartman's set shows the ver-
satility of simplicity. Two risers and
some benches become a multitude of
worlds-Dysert's office, Alan's home, a
beach, a movie theatre, stables, and
more.
Among the most powerful elements of
Equus are the horses, played by actors

in tights, who wear stylized horse-
heads. The horses move with the
rhythms of real horses, and convey the
power of the god Equus. Martin Sim-
mons' original piano music, combined
with eeerie shadows, brings to live
Alan's strange world of horses and
flesh.
The rest of the cast has some good
moments, but often slip in and out of
character, reminding us that we are
just seeing actors on a stage reciting
lines.
But when the supporting cast is good,
it is very good. The best moments in-
clude Geoff Langford riding his mount
on a beach, Ann Zald seducing Alan in a
tender nude scene, and Erike Fox
speaking up as the advocate of "Nor-
malcy."
Despite some weak moments by
some of the cast, Equus maintains a
fast pace for all of its three hours.
Equus has so many powerful scenes
that even if a few miss, we are still left
with an evening of compelling theatre.
As Dysert foresaw at the beginning we
have watched a ritual sacrifice, full of
glory and pain. d

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December, 1982
A number of us have begun to notice the emergence of
what may amount to a new generation of students at Michigan. They
are moved to action on social issues and do not share the cynicism
and career obsession of the mainstream. They resemble college
students of over a decade ago more than their contemporaries. These
students want plenty of'information and skills to use in the causes
for which they work. They recognize the importance of well considered
ideals which go beyond themselves, and they want very much to be
effective. Even in the darkest times there have been a few such
college students, but now their numbers seem to be growing steadily
in Ann Arbor. None too soon.
It is for these students, and others who might join
them, that Canterbury Loft will sponsor next term a new "free university"
program. Here is how it might look:
" a "free" university in that the courses focus on some aspect of
social change for human liberation, either presenting in-depth informa-
tion on a particular subject or a set of skills.
0 "free" from grades, credits and other University formalities
where all participants can be active in their learning.
" "free" in that participants do not pay to learn and resource
people are not paid.
The format might be as follows: These free university
courses would be four weeks long, two hours or so a week beginning in
mid-January and ending before Spring break in mid-February. The groups
would of course have the option to continue, but resource people and

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Keep
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THE ROCHES
Inckr,* Hemmond M SoqSeleck
TheTrain/The MarMen

On Warner Bros.
Records and Tapes

CASSETTE

The ROCHES will arrive at SCHOOLKIDS
Tuesday, December 7, between 4-5 p.m.
(Please bring EMPTY record lackets if seeking autographs)
See the ROCHES perform at the Power Center Dec. 8

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