ARTS The Michigan Daily Friday, January 28, 1983 Page 5 Madcat and others rally against nukes iy r...,.... .. By Tom McDonald ELED by the recent passage of Proposal E, the struggle for nuclear disarmament is I reaching a climax. The performing arts has long been a vital supporter of this effort by giving benefit concerts to supplement the cof- fprs of various peace organizations. Area music listeners and dance enthusiasts will have the opportunity to contribute to this cause by attending Saturday night's benefit, IA Celebration of Life" at the Michigan Union $allroom, which will feature one of the most diverse and attractive lineups of local talent for tie year. t; "A Celebration of Life" will be divided into three separate entities: the first third of the program will emphasize performances and talks relevant to the nuclear issue, the second part will be all music, and the latter section will consist of dance music. The benefit is a highly recommended follow- up to the successful Ann Arbor Folk Festival two weeks ago, and will even include a few veterans from that show. Harmonica wizard Peter "Madcat" Ruth will highlight the second part of the show in a solo appearance. A musical legacy in the Ann Arbor area, Ruth has built up a sizeable flock of fans who make the pilgrimage to his every area appearance. Ruth is on* of those performers who is a testament to the ability of coagulating emotions and music. The musical passions of the instrumental sculptor are enrooted in "the blues," a style which Ruth has attacked like an exposed nerve. Cultivating his talents in such innovative early '70 s bands as the New Heavenly Blues, Sky King, and the Dave Brubeck Band, Ruth has enlarged the breadth of his musical foun- dation. His encompassing exploitation of the genres of blues and jazz leave few dimensions left to explore. The only thing that has seemingly eluded Ruth is a successful recor- ding career. But Ruth loves the Ann Arbor area ana its people, and reserves many dates on his extensive touring schedule for area per- formances. In doing so Madcat has become one of the most popular and recognized acts on the Ann Arbor musical scene. Expect a high-energy act from this one man band. And don't let his disheveled appearance fool you, for underneath the T-shirt and tat- tered blue jeans is a man who represents the quintessence of harmonica blues. Also slated to appear is Ann Doyle, a local singer-songwriter who was well-recieved at the Folk Festival. Perhaps a bit intimidated by the large crowd at the Michigan Theatre, Doyle will undoubtedly feel more comfortable in the intimate confines of the Union Ballroom where she will play a short a set of original com- positions on the guitar. Next on the bill will be an appearance by Trees, a local female duet with a scopious vocal range, who will perform silken folk and rock harmonies. Opening the nuclear oriented portion of the show will be University Dance Professor Vera Embree, a dynamic artist noted for her assiduous refinement of her craft. Miss Em- bree is scheduled to perform a rousing Africali dance routine. Following Embree will be the U-M Mime Troupe, a talented group of young artists whom Jessie Richards, event organizer, says "will be doing an interesting piece called 'Evolution' in which man evolves up through higher and higher levels 'until he explodes and reverts back to stage one as the ape." Richards, also a dance instructor for Artworlds, will exhibit her dancing prowess in an appearance with her group, the Afro-Jazz Jedi Dancers, who will perform a routine on personal power and celebration in hopes of initiating change in the social structure. Composing the last part of the show will be a group of seven local drummers who will crank out a conga rhythm jam session for those who wish to get up and dance to their driving exotic beats. Rounding out the event will be the all-female rock band, Herizon, a talented and versatile outfit who will belt out popular dance songs. Struggling for respect in the male-dominated rock scene, Herizon has silenced any possible critics with a polished and entertaining act. The band has fared well, playing to responsive audiences in the local bar circuit. This unique, heterogenous blend of talent promises to provide for an enlivening night of entertainment. Funds generated for the affair will go to the Interfaith Council for Peace, the Michigan Nuclear Weapons Freeze, and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Tickets are $5.00 and are available at the door or can be purchased in advance at the Herb David Guitar studio or Discount Records. Standing room only for Heaney By Jim Boyd R EMEMBER when poetry was fun?, When all you cared about were the: sounds of the words? Words with lots of "S"s, words that rolled and jumped off of your tongue; words that flowed or marched; words that rhymed and rang. Or what about the bawdy limericks? There once was a lady from Nan- tucket ... Fear not! The sonorous, sanguine, sustaining sounds of youth are not forever lost to the ravages of time. Refresh yourself; bask in the poetry of Seamus Heaney. Heaney is currently teaching at Har- vard University, but students here had the great privelege of hearing him Wednesday night in Rackham Auditorium. A resident of Dublin, Heaney's poetry is one of the Irish people and their land. His childhood memories-much in thevein of Dylan Thomas-pervade much of his poetry, as do .the rich elements of his Irish cultural upbringing. The standng-room-only crowd in Rachkam became revitalized by Heaney's poetic skill,'humor, and gen- sitivity. He is not just a poet of ideas; he is a poet of the language. It is a poetry rich in vocabulary that elicits feelings of sensation: texture, color, and warmth. , The audience were the lucky recipients of the product of Heaney's love affair with the English language. His words are not independent of feeling, but rather, inherent in it. In describing the funeral for victims of a Dublin bombing he reads: the coffins from the cathedral moved/like blossoms in slow water. This is, more than anything else, poetry of feeling brought forth through the skillful wielding of language. He was able to leave the audience hushed with his powerful descriiptions of the pain and confusion of the violence in Northern Ireland, and the next minute rally them into laughter with a tale of grade school fantasy. He per- ceives two functions of the artist; one serves the cause in voicing what is right and wrong, and the other serves the in- dividual in detaching himself from such questions. Heaney performs both expertly. His words ring powerfully in telling the tales of war, and sweetly in the tales of childhood. Inevitably his words defrost feeling, leaving it as fresh and intact as when it was first experienced. Heaney also possesses the charming quality of being able to laugh at him- self. He told of one of his poems that was described by a critic as being, "a long, disappointing poem about frogs." One is overcome with the desire to take Heaney to a bar and talk about whatever it is that Irishmen talk about in bars. His reading did not at all seperate the poet from the audience, but rather brought the two together. He reinstilled in the audience a faith in the poetry of their childh'ood; a faith that many would not admit to ever having lost. In Rackham Auditorium Wednesday night,300 people were born again. Praise God! Come to SURVIVING AND THRIVING IN GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL: WOMEN AT THE UNIVERSITY Saturday Workshop-February 5 9-2 with lunch 4th Floor-Rackham Women and the University "fit"-FAculty and Student Views SPEAKERS- PANELS - DISCUSSION $6. Reservations by January 31 U-M Center for Continuing Education of Women 2nd Floor Comerica Bank. So. Thayer/No. University 764-6555 AMTRAK ANNOUNCES SOMETHINGTHAT HASN'T HAPPENED IN OVER 90YEARS. In 1886, the Michyigan Central Railroad Station opened in Ann Arbor. If you weren't there, now's your chance to see history repeat itself. This weekend we're dedicating Amtrak's brand-new Ann Arbor Station at 325 Depot Street. Join in the festivities on Saturday between 11 AM and 1 PM. There'll be a ribbon-cutting ceremony, refreshments and prizes. Including the chance to win a Grand Prize weekend for two in Chicago, courtesy of Amtrak and Great Places Travel. So stop by and cheer loudly for it may be awhile until we ;? your new train station. After all dedicate another one. , '°° ' _: _ :ms - ':.:: '-x ,z; E _ rn-