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Best Music
Del Fuegos
Boston based newcomers The Del
Fuegos brought their own brand of post-
wave-country-spiced rock to Joe's last
fall to a typically small but ecstatic
crowd. The Fuegos, a quartet con-
sisting of two brothers and a couple of
friends captured the crowd with their
raw, gotta-get-up-and-dance guitar
rock. The momentum never dipped
below sheer recklessness and their
comic antics, such as a couple of in-
spired Jackson 5 covers, inspired a
level of fun not usually seen in the of.
ten unamused Joe's crowd of regulars.
Their bopping about onstage reminded
one of a bunch of kids frolicking in a
backyard sandbox, having pure, un-
selfconscious fun. The crowd, caught up
in the whirlpool of the Fuego-beat,
found themselves so enraptured that
they didn't stop dancing until well after
the houselights went up and the juke-
box began to play.
Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Cockburn is one of the most
prolific, compelling talents around, and
though very successful in his native
Canada he remains essentially a well
kept critical and cult secret stateside.
While Cockburn's last March at the
Michigan Theater drew a large,
responsive crowd of admirers, the true
wealth and depth of the man's work
warrants a far more substantial
following.
Cockburn is a poetically inclined
lyricist whose singular
metaphysical/darkly romantic rum-
minations are melded to vital, often
stunning arrangements that incor-
porate elements of rock, jazz, and third
world influences into swirling musical
pools of melody and rhythm. Backed by
a fiecely proficient quartet, Cockburn
and band strove for, and found, that
rare, magical plateau where virtuosity
and raw, impassioned spontaneity
combine into something quite powerful,
giving added momentum to the
material, making the anxiety wrought
"Lovers In a Dangerous Time" that
much more desperate, and the bitter
outrage of "If I Had A Rocket Laun-
cher" searingly furious.
If Cockburn hasn't amassed a huge
following its because his work is
perhaps too thoughtful at times to be
easily digested, and because he
fashions his songs in a unique, highly
personal style oblivious to current
trends. If he embarks on more tours
such as this one his following will un-
doubtedly swell considerably, but even
if he doesn't his extensive body of work
will endure long after more fashionable
bands have passed out of vogue.
dB's
The dB's opened for R.E.M., but by
all rights they should be headlining
shows of at least the same size on their
own. Simply put, the dB's-under the in-
spired guidance of songwriter-guitarist
Peter Holsapple-are creating some of
the best crafted, purest, most inspired
pop music today. Onstage, their im-
passioned, bright delivery surprised
and enchanted a crowd mostly un-
familiar with their work and for a
moment it even looked as if, had they
more than the frustratingly short
allowment of time given to opening ac
ts, they might conceivably have stolen Y
the show. If there is any justice in the w
music world today the dB's will find
their long deserved recognition, and .
return to conuer Ann Arbor's someday i
on theit own terms.
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Cockburn: Cult Classic
UB40
UB40's sold-out show at the Michigan
Theater in March was a triumphant
return to Ann Arbor for the British pop-
reggae band. Playing older favorites as
well as material from their new album
Geffrey Morgan, the band delighted the
crowd with their music and their per-
sona. Many members of the audience
had attended the UB's show in early
1984 at the Second Chance; many other
fans had just recently discovered the
band. No matter, everyone enjoyed the
reggae-pop event of the year!
Los Lobos
The L.A. based Los Lobos have
racked up a considerable number of
Best Album plaudits this year for their
How Will The Wolf Survive? album?
and their winter night stopover at Joe's
gave all an ample opportunity to see
what all the talk was about. With a
strong Tex-Mex flavoring, and fondness
for fifties styled rock and roll, Los
Lobos put on one of the hottest, most in-
vigorating and joyous nights of foot
stomping this town has seen in some
time.
Folk Festival: Best of the folk barrage
Wee end/Friday