Page'22-E -The Michigan Qiy;- ThursdaySeptember 8, 1983 V V w w v ยข Video spread The Michigan Daily - Thursday, Septe By Mike Wilkinson F ROM METROPOLITAN NEW York, throughout the rural midwest, to the fast life of southern California, video games may now be the most common form of entertainment around. And Ann Arbor is no exception. If you have worries that the best quarter-gobbling machines in town will. be your washer and dryer, cast them aside. Ann Arbor is the home of eight (could be nine by the time this is prin- ted) video arcades within walking distance of campus. Ann Arbor's arcades offer a wide range of token rates, atmosphere, game selection, and other quirks that set them all apart. Wherever you are from, there is probably an arcade in town that is just like the one in your neighborhood, and seven that are completely different. Atmosphere is the first thing that immediatly separates the arcades. Walking in to the carpeted spaciousness of Simulation Station, is sharply dif- ferent than climbing the neon-lit stair- way to Mickey Rat's. These arcades represent the two extremes on campus. Simulation Station is a wholesome, bring-the-parents type of place with nice attendents and nice furnishings, while Mickey Rat's is a small and cramped, yet popular, college and high school dive.' The number of token per doller is another area that separates local ar- cades. Like the weather, token specials Video Arcades: Plenty of places to pop your quarters. are changing all the time. It's a little game between arcades called token wars. And this war has doubled the average number of tokens per doller in only a year. When Mickey Rat's raises its token rate to ten per doller, its neighbor, Focus, ups its rate to eleven, and just around the corner, Flipper Mcgee's of- fers more token specials. "Playing video games in Ann Arbor is about as cheap as breathing air," commented one arcade manager. Although a lot of the newer games take two tokens per dollar, he is close the mark. Dance Theatre Studio 711 N. University (near State St.) Ann Arbor " -< F 1 ' Below are short reviews of the dif- ferent arcades in town-what's good, what's not, token rate (if known) and other intangibles if there are any. Simulation Station (500 E. Liber- ty)-Located next to the Second Chan- ce, Simulation Station has a comfor- table, spacious interior. It's an arcade you can take a date to. Token specials are limited, usually only four for a buck, although more if you buy in bigger quantities. New games and old standbys. Great Escape (1216 S. Univer- sity)-Great Escape has a triple deck floor plan with a diverse collection of machines. Tokens are the standard six per doller. Clean. Flipper McGee (1217 S. Univer- sity)-A token's throw from Great Escape, Flipper's is the largest arcade on Campus, but still has a good number of machines. It's token specials can get you up to 11 plays per doller on certain days of the week. Focus Pinball (621 E. William)-Located close to campus, Focus is a good place for a fast game between classes. Many games, both new and old and good token (Continued from Page 21) nual theme show will feature "Heat and Light" during December and January. A gallery which attests to the area's diversity. Blixt Gallery (229 Nickels Arcade; 662- 0232) Hailed as Ann Arbor's premier photo gallery, Blixt opened 5 years ago and has since built up the respect of local and national photography buffs. Gallery director Jill Blixt and her husband-co-owner, Al, feature shows by national as well as regional photographers; recent months have also seen a growing number of painters and other media artists. Previous shows have highlighted the work of such prominent photogs as Ed- ward Weston, Picasso contemporary Andre Kertesz, and Imogen Cun- ningham, whom Al Blixt calls "the first really important woman photographer in the 20th century." Upcoming events for 1983 include a poetry-photography 3. rates - usually between six and ten plays per doller-although new games are two tokens. It's usually crowded. Mickey Rat's Video Circus (603 E. William) - Mickey Rat's has the best token rates in town, anywhere from eight to twelve tokens per dollar. The newest games require two tokens. It has a cramped, machine- in-every-space atmosphere.. Campus Arcade (600 Packard)-In the southern shadow of South Quad. Campus Arcade is in a small building with comfortable atmosphere-token rate is a steady six for a dollar. By the fall, they should have more new games. Double Focus (632 Packard)-Across the street from Campus Corners it is owned by same people as Focus, token rate is eight for a dollar, games are one token per play. It's clean and well kept Rabbit Hutch Video Arcade (707 Packard)-If you blink on your way by, you might miss it. There are not many machines and most of them are old. It does, however, have a deli counter for the hungry. There is an M-TV outlet playing all the time.W Aural eclipse By Jim Boyd F OR MANY students at the Univer- sity, Ann Arbor is the first city they have lived in that offers easy ac- cess to a wide range of cultural events. Primarily because of the University, the city hosts a well rounded selection of ballet, theater, classical music, pain- ting, and sculpture. Ironically, however, it is jazz, an art form virtually ignored academically on campus, that has one of the strongest local followings. Despite the music school's heavy emphasis on classical music and a lack of jazz courses elsewhere at the University, Ann Arbor has a large and remarkably discerning population of Jazz fans. Eclipse Jazz, a student run jazz promotion group, deserves much of the credit. Thanks to Eclipse, jazz giants like Miles Davis, Ornett Coleman, Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, and rising star Wynton Marsalis have all played on Ann Arbor's stages. The presence of such great musicians cannot be brushed aside as a charac- teristic of large college campuses. Population in itself does-not attract the arts, not even a musically educated audience can do it alone. It is Eclipse's ability to exploit Ann Arbor's student population, and create a highly literate jazz following that brought those big shows, as well as dozens of smaller ones, to town. Eclipse was formed in 1975 with two primary goals: to establish public sup- port for the jazz idiom as an art form, and to provide an environment where students could get hands-on experience in the music business. Student director Larry Bram asserts that they have suc- ceeded in both. "We have gained a truly international reputation as a fir- st-rate jazz promoter," says Bram. Eclipse operates out of the Univer- sity's major events office, but is run en- tirely by a staff of 25 to 45 student volun- teers. Financially independent of the University, the group raises all of its $120,000 budget by itself. The most striking thing about Eclipse is its total committment to Jazz in the "educational sense," as Brain ex- presses it. To paraphrase former Eclipse director Micheal Grofsorean, "Duke Ellington is the Beethoven of the twentieth century. He deserves that respect." This type of vision and respect make Eclipse so successful. "This music is copied all over the world," says Bram, with a touch of frustration over the lack of respect jazz gets in this country. "These musicians make most of their money in Europe. The rest of the world would kill to hear this music." Eclipse succeeds in attracting big- name acts because it tries to show musicians that in America, Ann Arbor at least would kill to hear them, Bram says. While in town, the artist is wined, dined, given first class lodging, and shown that Ann Arbor appreciates their music. When Wynton Marsalis played town last winter he was ushered through record signings, interviews, and a highly successful teaching workshop. "We kept him busy, but that's what musicians love-to know that the audience appreciation is out there" says Bram. Once the artist hits the stage, the Ann Arbor audiences consistantly reinforce Eclipse's pampering. Often jazz acts can get many more seats filled here than they can in New York City, and ar- tists know they can count on a knowledgeable and enthusiastic audience. They often come off stages here saying they have never done a concert like that before, that they have never had to play that well, says Bram. With shows like Wyton Marsalis, Weather Report, and Dave Brubeck last year, Ann Arbor may be the only city of its size that can boast of such variety and quality of jazz performan- ce. Year round it may exceed even that offered by Detroit. In addition to the large concerts at the 5000 seat Hill Auditorium or the 1400 seat Power Center, Eclipse also utilizes the intimate atmosphere of the Union's University Club for their smaller shows. The U-Club is "probably the nicest venue to see live music in town," says Bram. Its superior acoustics and small size result in a very live perfor- mance. Pulling in prominant artist is not Eclipse's only function, however. The group also sponsors jazz improvisation workshops, classes in composition, amateur jam sessions, and sound engineering classes among other things. This term a jazz history lecture Wynton Marsalis: A highlight jazz show la series will be taught by musicians and music educators. Based on its support for the jazz idiom, Eclipse won a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts this year, which will be channeled back into their workshops and classes. Big and little things can be expected from the Past succ respect in a solid fou Ann Art and good produce middle m. pen. Eclip Separate classes for: adults: ballet, modern, jazz children: ballet New classes begin Sept. 12. For current class schedule and more information: 995-4242 1-5 weekdays z; Y combination by area talents William Pellitier and Jay Asquini. The gallery has regular arranged visits from University art school classes as well as from other local colleges and photo groups.tAlthough prices for framed photographs might be a little steep for most students, Blixt also sells posters and work by well- known artist Milt Kemnitz. Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum (219 E. Huron; 995-KIDS) . If you get tired of "art" as something to experience from a distance, then this is the place for you. Housed in a for- mer fire station, the Hands-On Museum means just that-hands on. Visitors of all ages can blow giant soap bubbles or get a closer look at their own finger- prints. Many exhibits are designed by University professors, and there is an emphasis on science and education in general. Fun for little and college age kids alike. 5y/via studio of Dance / Lee Ann King Ann Arbor Classical Ballet Established 1932 WELCOME TO OUR FALL CLASSES Register Now! Featuring Beginners thru Advanced & Professionals Phone 668-8066 525 E. Liberty St.