The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, October 10, 1984-- Page 7 dB's do the Mic By Julie Jurrjens HOSE OF you who opted to come late to Monday's REM/dBs show - for shame. You who were tardy missed out on the dBs, despite numerous testimonies of their wonder- fulness from fans and critics alike. While my ears are still ringing from that show, I'd like to thoroughly dress down those of you who are too hip to be anything but fashionably late and 1commend those of you who were prom- pt. You could not ask for much more from an opening band than what was of- fered by the dBs, but those of you (and I noticed quite a few) who were epresented by empty seats didn't even -bother to be there to make any deman- ds of the band. Nevertheless, the band responded JUST FINE WITHOUT YOU, thank you. I suppose things could've been worse. Those who were in attendance and not swilling beer in the lobby were recep- tive and enthusiastic enough to make it an event unto itself. REM has great taste when it comes to opening acts, but the rather gentle imposition of their taste upon the audience by opening up their shows with their own favorite bands doesn't always come off. For instance; REM's last Michigan appearance, at Royal Oak, was opened by the Dream Syndicate. The audience, which was partially composed of curious Genesis t-shirted high school students (expecting to RAWKANROLLL, I hypothesised), received the Syndicate with the en- thusiasm of one receiving month-old soggy Wonder Bread. Went right over their heads, despiite the fact that the Syndicate played a pretty good, pretty accessible set devoid of fifteen-minute long jams that characterized some of their previous performances. At least the dBs got a hospitable reaction and probably won over more than a few ears for their trouble. The dBs set started only minutes af- ter eight - the promptest start I've seen in a long time - and didn't relent for a good fifty minutes. Those who know the dBs know they're a changed band, and their enthusiasm shows it. After all the agony the dBs have been through, they're finally getting what's been coming to them for a long time. higan After years of being unable to find a record contract in the U.S., they've finally found one. After losing half of the band's singing/writing team, Chris Stamey, and having to weather doubts that they'd not come out OK, te dBs have proved themselves as viable as ever. The first song, "Neverland"; off the dBs' second record, Repercussion, verified that the dBs do just fine without Stamey. This and "Bad Reputation", later in the set, surprised me by how good the band sounded through REM's big sound system. The sound was never muddy; the band utilized volume instead of letting it work against them. Early on in the set, the band amazed me with their technical- finesse. Drummer Will Rigby was outstanding, as was Gene Holder, who switched from bass to lead guitar after Stamey's departure. New member Rick Wagner filled Gene's bass spot nicely. The dBs Monday performance built upon their show at Joe's this past August in song choices and musical quality. While the Joe's show was good, this one was exceptional and exem- plary of the effect leader Peter Holsap- ple's more aggressive spirit has on the band, now that the somewhat modifying Stamey is gone. "Am- plifier," reissued on the dBs new album Like This, was a good example of this spirit in action. The band gave the song even more of a Southern boogie feel than on the record. Holsapple's general goofiness during the song (playing weird descending scales and suddenly crashing to the floor) pointed up its general silliness and at the same time its wit. (How many cheery little pop songs do you know about a suicide prompted by a girlfriend taking all of the hero's possessions except for a broken amplifier?). Next the dBs played "Nothing is , Wrong,"which was sorely missing from the Joe's set and provided a needed change of pace. Following it up was "A Spy In the House of Love", which star- ted off less striking than on the record, but improved when improvisation took over in the end. Holsapple then announced a tribute to like this Elvis. While I psyched myself up for some heavy duty King thing, Mike Mills and Bill Berry of REM shuffled out on stage (Mike holding a tambourine and Bill a surrogate-tambourine frisbee) and started adding backing vocals to "Suspicious Minds." Eventually their helping out degenerated - Bill dancing around with the frisbee, whomping Will's drums with it, and eventually lobbing it indelicately offstage. Just remember, though, this is the kind of thing that makes shows memorable, and for those of you who missed it, well ... I told you so. The set closed with "New Gun In Town", a song I didn't care that much for on the album but massively im- proved here, proving the dBs are no longer as poppish as they once were. The audience wanted more, though, and more they got. Pete Buck joined the band for the en- core, turning in an outstanding version of "Black and White". Yet another thing you lobby loungers missed out on. . . REM invited Holsapple to join them later in their encore. It's comforting to know that good bands (like REM) can appreciate and acknowledge the in- fluence of other good bands (like the dBs), and help see to it that others find out how good they really are. Both bands have a kind of kinship. They're not out to make great art, but they are out to be creative enough to hold captive our attentions, remain true to their, roots, and have fun in the process. n4 I (I I"" Irv 1 .Ooon V"- Daily Photo by DOUG McMAHON Pete Holsapple of the dB's (left) and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck engage in a fiery duet during their encore performan- ce Monday night at the Michigan Theater. Records Do you like Opera? Love it? Hate it? Can't understand it? Well.. .here is a new album that will suit you if you fit in to any of those categories and any others that may exist. This new Angel EMI Digital album is entitled Opera Arias and it is perfor- med by a very talented Bulgarian soprano named Ghena Dimitrova. In a collection of opera arias ranging from Verdi to Puccini, Dimitrova gives us cohesive and always very pleasant singing in the relaxed moments and in. the dramatic and intense ones as well. The first side of the album is all Verdi Arias featuring arias from the operas: I Lombardi, Attila MacBeth and the famous Aida. In each of the arias Dimitrova combines lyricism with dramaticism so well, that the Verdi. arias alone end up showing Dimitrova's extremely well-rounded, full bodied singing voice. Teh Verdi pieces give the listener a chance to sample different aspects of the art of Verdi Opera. We have tur- moil and fear in the heart in the Aida aria, conflict and prayer in the Lom- bardi aria, weeping and revenge in the aria from Atilla and resolution in the piece from MacBeth. On the flipside, once again we can en- joy the power and delicacy of Dimitrova's voice as she sings selec- tions from operas by Ponchielli, Cilea, Catalani, and Puccini. Dimitrova shapes her voice with the utmost skill in each different type of aria. In "Suicidio" (Suicide) from Ponchielli's La Gioconda, she produces beautiful, crisp tone colors with dramatic and ex- citing depth. 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