ARTS The Michigan Daily Monday, October 20, 1986 Page 7 Fest: Blues explode at Power Center By Joseph Kraus When a three and a half hour show earns its first standing ovation before it's 45 minutes old, you know you're in for an impressive evening. When it sustains that momentum for the duration, as Thursday night's blues fest did, it's the sort of show that spawns legends. The blues fest, featuring John Lee Hooker, John Hammond, Elvin Bishop, and Pinetop Perkins, got off to an explosive start when Perkins fronted Hooker's touring band through 45 minutes of hard- driving electric blues. Serving up classic blues numbers like "Drivin' Wheel" and "High-Heeled Snea - kers," the former Muddy Water's ,eyboardist brought the nearly full Power Center audience to its feet. The beat slowed up a bit when Hammond came on stage with just his harmonica and an acoustic guitar, but the energy went unabated. Faced with the nearly impossible task of following up Perkin's performance, Hammond leaned up close to the microphone and delivered a non-stop barrage of unadulterated blues. After winning over the crowd, Hammond called out Perkins and the electric band. They went into an electric blues rendition of "(Hand Me) My Walking Cane" that proved Hammond can do the blues any way he chooses. Bishop came next, again fronting Hooker's electric band. Dressed in overalls, a Hawaiian shirt, and a baseball cap, he looked less like a guitar genius than an escapee from a halfway house for deranged farmhands. But looks belie the truth. More an electric experimentalist than Hammond, he nevertheless showed he can play the blues as well as anybody and with more energy than most. Infusing a general craziness into songs like "I'd Rather be Sloppy Drunk than Any Way I Know," he danced all across the stage and twirled his guitar in seemingly out-of-control ways. Bishop brought out Perkins for "Brown Bird" and "Don't You Lie to Me" while he hit a stride that brought the whole crowd to its feet again. The audience might have nevere sat down again if it weren't for the inescapable sense that the best. Hooker, was yet to come. If the truth be told, Hooker's beginning was something of a disappointment. The 69-year-old looked sickly and confined himself to a chair in front of the microphone. His playing was strong, but he offered it only in short bursts. But as he warmed to the crowd, his sheer confidence carried the hour. Calling out, "Nobody boogies like the Hook," he belted out song after song of his that qualifies him for blues immortality. Finally, with about 20 minutes to go, he discarded his guitar altogether and began walking about the stage. The crowd, wonderfully receptive all night, sprang to its feet and many peopje congregated around the foot of the stage. Hooker capped off the whole evening by calling out Hammond, Bishop, and Perkins for a final 15 minute jam. In an amalgam of two or three songs, Hooker fused 40 years of blues history into a single moment. Harnessing all of the massive talent of the troupe and all of the energy the earlier performers had generated, he brought the show such a rousing finish it seemed impossible to believe it had ended. Dazed members of the audience looked from one to another hoping for more, but knowing they were too drained to take it. Not even a list of the concert highlights could do the evening justice; it was four master musicians at their creative best learning from one another, and sending one another into even greater flights of inspiration. U Players walk tall in - L - -- - - - -- By P.C. Russell Ginns The University Players brought John Murrell's Waiting For The Parade to the Trueblood Theater this weekend and it was a great success. With the exception of the Saturday afternoon show, all five performances were sold-out or nearly sold-out. The play is an entertaining and emotional story; and with the direction of Patricia Boyette and a talented cast, it made for a very enjoyable evening. Waiting For The Parade follows the lives of five Canadian women as they endure the hardships of World-War II as mothers, wives, and daughters. Some of them face the difficulty of loved ones going off to war while others struggle with bitterness and racism at home. The "parade" that they wait for is the end of the war, when their husbands and sons will return and, hopefully, their lives can return to normal. Amy Joe Lapin's portrayal of the patriotic busybody, Janet, was very convincing. This was perhaps the most difficult of the five roles, having to create a character which the audience would like to slap in the face during the first act, and then developing it into someone that the audience can sympathize with by the end of the play. Jane Gire was also very effective in her performance as Margaret, the aging mother whose eldest son goes off to the war in Europe while the other son is put in prison in Canada. Throughout the play, the characters ask, How old is that woman? This provides comic relief for the drama, but also highlights Ms. Guire's splendid ability to portray a much older character. Most impressive of all was Mary Beth Scallen as Catherine, the only one of the five women whose husband goes off to the war. Her performance as a woman who per - severes with strength and a sense of humor in spite of loneliness and hardship, was captivating and believable. The success of the production 'arade' was clearly due to the cast's ability to work as an ensemble since John Murrell's writing depends heavily upon this. In Waiting For The Parade, how the different characters cope with each other's hardships is just as important as how they handle their own problems. The University Players should be congratulated on a job well done. Hill Street Forum Great Writers Series presents Kurt Vonnegfut Jr. One ofrAmerica's great writers, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is a speaker of enormous wit and charm. His novels include Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-FIve, Happy Birthday Wanda Jane, Breakfast of Champions, and Galapagos. Tues., Oct. 28 * 8:00 p.m. Hill Auditorium Tickets are now available at Ticketworld in the Mic k a v Union and at Hudson's. $10, $8,$5 1429_HllStreet_ Mician onanterCard:t 763-8587)s reatwriters 4 1429ill Street Series tickets are available at Hillel. Phone 663-3336 663-3336 for more information. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN School of Music PRESENTS Tuesday, Oct. 21 UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Gustav Meier, conductor Brahms: Symphony No. 1 Wagner: excerpts from Gotterdamerung Hill Auditorium, 8:00 p.m. Free Wednesday, Oct.22 PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA Leo Najar, conductor Beethoven: Leonora Overture No. 3 Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 John Anthony. Lennon: Rhapsody forAlto Saxophone Donald Sinta, soloist Hill Auditorium, 8:00 p.m. Free THIS SPACE CONTRIBUTED BY THE PUBLISHER REPORT ANIMAL ABUSE. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke Recent break-ins and undercover activities at university and research centers have brought to light graphic evidence of gross negligence and irresponsibility in the use of animals in research and classroom demonstrations. We believe we shouldn't have to rely on break-ins to learn about illegal or unethical treatment of animals. That's why we're inviting those who work with the animals in schools, laboratories and research centers to report any procedures or conditions involving animals that you feel may be wrong, inappropriate, redundant, wasteful or cruel. All sources will be kept strictly confidential; your identity will never be revealed to anyone without your permission. We are particularly interested in learning of cases involving: - Procedures of questionable justification; frivolous or redundant research projects or classroom demonstrations involving animals. . Cruel or abusive treatment of animals resulting in unwarranted pain and suffering. . Instances where students were forced to practice or experiment on animals against their will. . Gross negligence or irresponsibility related to sanitation, overcrowding, or improperly conducted surgical procedures. - Experiments conducted without proper protocols or in violation of permits, including specific violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. - Outright mistreatment of animals unrelated to experimental procedures. - Research that you believe to be invalid because of poor or sloppy experimental techniques. - Cover-ups involving any of the above. When you contact us, give dates, room numbers, name of responsible researcher or teacher, type and numbers of animals used, and as detailed a description of demonstrations or experimental NEW WOLDCURIN [ ASSOIAlIOHIALCO MISTRS PRESENTS A STEVE-TISCH P RN STEV MIN F SUMAN SHOTARIN TOMASHOWLL'RAEDAWN INCHO N EGOS-JAMESB.BSIKKING