The Michigan Daily
ay a
Ray Charles enter
ARTS
Saturday, September 24, 1983
E
Page 5,
Aman for all
ages
By Jeff Manning
E NTERING HILL AUDITORIUM
Thursday night was interesting, if
not a bit awkward. As expected, there
was a large number of students, but
also in abundance of the over 50s crowd
- ladies with fur-lined coats and grey-
haired husbands in navy blue sports
jackets - the kind you'd never see on
the diag; only on the suburban streets
of your hometown on a Sunday after-
noon. The thought that jazz alone could
unite the two blatantly distinct groups
was wonderful.
The Marcus Belgrave Sextet, which
was really an octet, opened the show
featuring Robert Penn on guitar. The
band played some original tunes, but
quickly fell into some R & B numbers.
Penn sang the vocals, obviously en-
joying himself, especially when
covering Charles' "Let the Good Times
Roll." The group closed with some hot
jazz/funk. Trendy, fer sure, but good
jazz.
The stage was rearranged and the
Ray Charles Orchestra (which wasn't
really an orchestra, rather a 16-piece
big band) played instrumental jazz.
They performed some good solos and
the music was fine, but for the half hour
they played, I couldn't help but think,
"Where's Ray?" The restless looks of
the others around me, told me they
were thinking the same.
Finally, after the announcer from the
ginsu knife commercial bestowed titles
upon titles on "the genius of soul," Ray
emerged. Dressed in black, he was
slowly led to the piano. A slight grey
around his temples was the only sign
of his age - he bopped onto his piano
stool with, the livelihood of a child.
Wearily toppling out of his seat,
Charles began with vintage R & B,
which was very brassy and loud. The
college audience loved it; the older folk
tapped their fingers.
After a few songs, however, Ray
slowed things down and played;
"Georgia on My Mind" - definitely a
highlight in the show. Many slow;
ballads followed causing the elders to
smile and nod while the rest of us sat
back in our chairs. Late in the show,;
Ray introduced the Raelettes, five
female back-up singers who wore mat-
ching dresses and motioned with their
arms, like the Andrews Sisters on tho
Lawrence Welk Show. But they had fan-
tastic voices and Ray dug 'em so we did
too.
After about an hour and a half of per-
forming, Ray left the stage (again to
the excited voice of the Ginsu man).
While leaving the auditorium, I saw the
happy faces of the elders who were cowi
tented with a night of nostalgic music;
And to myself, I thought the show,
though highly polished and obviously
staged, was good just because I saw
Ray bounce around like a little kid.
Daily Photo by RENEE FREIER
rtains young and old alike at Hill Auditorium Thursday night.
...- . . l ....:. .
of the Police, contributed solid bass year. Their "Radioactive Love" video All three musicians did, however,
By Frank Schraner line . is being shown on Swedish television, exhibit decent technical abilitf,
Bohemia played more than 15 songs according to Zirbel. "Promoters over especially effects-driven guitarist Duke
and instrumentals, including the three there saw it and want to bring us over, Roth. Maybe they can find a more
h e m a ro u tESPITE DRAWING a disappoint- songs on their latest 2inch, No Or- so it's just being initiated," Zirbel said. musical means of displaying their
D ing (though appreciative) crowd dinary Moon. The band has also "So hopefully next year." talent.
of about 30 people, Bohemia gave a released two 10-inch 45's and a single. Another video, "Is It Hot Enough?," Ann Arbor was the first stop on a
spirited performance at Joe's Star Bohemia's records are getting radio has been accepted by MTV, but it has scheduled 14-week, 37-stop tour fo
n e Lounge Thursday night. play on "a lot of the college stations out yet to be aired. "It just has to wait 'til it Bohemia, during which they are to play
Lead singer Carla Evonne spent East," insisted Zirbel. comes upon rotation," said Evonne. in Boston, New York, Jaurez, Mexip
much of the night rocking from side to Bohemia has been trying to secure a Opening for Bohemia was Special Ed, City, and Vancouver among othr
Jsside and alternating between alto major-label record contract. "We've a trio of guitar, bass, and drums. They cities.
J o e S Tu sa saxaphone and keyboards. Fast Frank had a number of rejections (and) I un- played 30-minutes of improvised in- Lounge owner Joe Tiboni said tht
bounced around on stage, alternating derstand that the more rejections you strumental with almost no chord the low turnout for Bohemia may have
between guitar and tenor sax. His fran- get, the closer you are to being accep- progression, much less melody. Special been because they were playing on the
tic, jazz-like sax solos and fills were the ted," joked Fast Frank. Ed meandered back and forth, same night as Bad Manners at the
show's highlights. Zirbel, who bears a The band, which has been together sometimes crossing the line that Second Chance, and Ray Charles at Hill
striking resemblance to Andy Summers for four years, may tour Europe next separates music from noise. Auditorium.
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X X X
The guys have rockin'
By Jay Dorra
nce
CAN'T 'SLAG these guys; no way f,
£This§ihowwis too much fun° A good i
conet-t"full of high errey dances
music, and for once the promoters
managed to match the opening act with
the headliners.
Of course there were problems. Bad
Manners' equipment van broke down
and they were forced to use SLK's
sound system, but no one seemed to
mind the muddy mix. As a matter of
fact the crowd went nuts and for good
reason. The line-up of SLK and Bad
Manners was a case of ska
schizophrenia.
SLK opened with a hot set of top
ranking ska spiced with touches of soul
and hard core. These guys have learned
a lot in the three years they've been
together. Every tune in their 14-song set
was an original, and they worked the
crowd like seasoned professionals.
SLK is Ann Arbor's premier dance
band. If you want to go out and burn off
some energy SLK is the band to see.
Thursday night was one of their finest
sets I've had the pleasure to catch.
The secret of the band's success is
their style and attitude. These guys
want to play good music that's fun to
dance to. That's not all, they've got a
spirit in the music that's infectious. It
makes your feet move. These guys are
going to knock the walls down before
they're through.
The set opened with"Fight," a
favorite off their Dance Disk LP.
Another hot moment in the set was the
introduction of their next single "Why
Don't You call?" Future plans for SLK
include a couple of videos a second
pressing of Dance Disk, and a new
album. It looks like SLK is on its way.
After the sharp, mod look of the local
boys, Bad Manners was a real shock
playing Mr. Hyde to SLK's Dr. Jeckyll.
To understate it, these guys are bizarre
looking. The guitarist and bass player
etiquette
With his shaved head and pot belly, he
looked like Uncle Fester gone to seed.
These guys were real spectacles, but
they could play. Their bizarre stage
presnce did!t: ,detract from the fact
'that they played-bigh- netgyska: ,
The -set opened with 'Echo 4/2," an
instrumental off the Klass LP. Winton
Bazoomies led the big man, Fatty, on-
stage, and the assault was on. Once
"Buster Blood Vessel" hitthe stage, no
holds were barred.
The band blasted through pulsing
versions of "Just A Feeling," "Only f--
king," "Lollipop," and "Benny
Wiggle" before hitting stride with "Ivor
the Engine." With this the crowd was
really juiced up as Fatty egged them
on, rapping to them and throwing glass
upon glass of water upon them. This
was Bad Manners in their element. The
sound pulsed to the crowd, driven by
the dual percussion and bass. The
crowd was leing assaulted by powerful
mutant ska.
Some of the other highlights of the set
were covers of "Wooly Bully,"
"Tequila," and the ever-popular theme
from Bonanza in ska. As other crowd
favorites were their English hits,
"Flesh and Blood," "Lorraine," and
"Lip Up Fatty," with the latter sending
the dancefloor crowd into a frenzy.
These guys held no pretenses. The
music had no message nor heavy social
commentary. They just hit you on the
head with some fun, danceable sounds.
Judging from the crowd reaction Thur-
sday, they lived up to expectations. If
you missed out on this one, keep your
eyes open. These guys are expected
BIB back next November. If you can't wait,
catch SLK; they'll give you a generous
helping a highlife ska sounds.
Daily Photo by DAN HA
Mr. Fatty, lead singer of the English ska band Bad Manners, kept the
crowds boppin' Thursday night at Second Chance.
were wearing matching bum outfits.
The drummer looked like a cop from
the Bahamas. The congo player was in-
to North Africa garb. They keyboardist
was straight from A Clockwork
Orange and to top it all off, Mr. Fatty
"Buster Blood Vessel," the lead
vocalist, looked like a refugee from big-
time wrestling, complete with a sleazy-
looking little guy who acted as his an-
nouncer.
Fatty was decked out in tight, green
satin shorts, red Converse high-tops,
and a T-shirt that said "Pineapple."
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ARTS
CHORALE
UNIVERSITY-CHOIR FOR
A NIGHT WHEN CASANOVA,
THOMAS PAIN AND RESTIF
DE LA BRETONNE MEET AND
WITNESS THE END OF ONE
WORLD AND THE BEGINNING
OF ANOTHER.
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LA NUIT DE VARENNES
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