4 ARTS Monday, April 13, 1987 The Michigan Daily Page 8 Snakefinger: Day in Bombay," and "Bless Me a Lepr By Matthew Smith For I Have Sinned." An avid film Overal soundtrack enthusiast, he's even finds S Phillip "Snakefinger" Lithman included a stirring rendition of Nino splatter is a guitar hero if there ever was Rota's music from 81/2- variety one. He plays guitar like nobody Snakefinger's backup band, the Sna else, with a quirky, spontaneous Vestal Virgins, features Eric Drew Ann A style that synthesizes a variety of Feldman from the seminal strange guest1 influences and reflects what genius outfit Captain Beefheart and Theatr sometimes seems to be an "art the Magic Band. The Vestal Having historian" knowledge of guitar Virgins' musical chemistry is as a k playing. unorthodox, precise, and brilliant. San Fr His new album, Night of Snakefinger's lyrics, like "I gave myste Desirable Objects (on Ralph you my spleen/ you called it remar Records), alternates between Bul - obscene/ then you split it in two," own se garian folk music, rock and roll, are delivered with deep conviction. Like th gospel, old time jazz, Celtic folk His lyrical visions presently remain genuin music, and other unpredictable more or less in the same far-out poser,I territory on tunes with titles like field as those in such previous everyt "There's No Justice in Life," "Bad Snakefinger classics as "Jesus Was Ton Strange gemus returns '4 rechaun," and "The Spot." 1, Night of Desirable Objects Snakefinger's creative juices ring in a seemingly endless of directions. kefinger was last seen in rbor as the Residents' special guitarist at their Michigan re appearance last year. g achieved much recognition ong time collaborator with ancisco's favorite avant-garde rians, Snakefinger is a kable talent that stands on his eparately from the Residents. he Residents, Snakefinger is a ne surrealist musician/com - finding new rules to break at turn. night, Snakefinger's Vestal s will bring Phil Lithman's e musical visions to the Blind 'his live appearance promises a thoroughly compelling ence. In a telephone inter - Mr. Finger shared some of oughts on a variety of things. m obsessed with playing," an said, explaining his own ng tastes. "I almost don't care it is or who's playing or ng, but I like to hear the guitar players. I listen to them HI-FI STUDIO The place to go for Audio-TV Service & Rentals Hundreds of Stereo & TV components, used and reconditioned Phono Stylii - Speaker Components Long Term TV Rentals We rent big screen TV & Sound Systems Fastest Service - most units out in 24 hrs. 35 years of serving student needs. Try us - You will like us! 215 S. Ashley, block N. of Liberty, Phone 668-7942 Virgin bizarre Pig. TI to be experi view,1 his tho Lithma listenin whati anythi great g Phillip "Snakefinger" Lithman Vestal Virgins. will be playing at the Blind Pig tonight with his backup band, The ^ 1. MAC IN THE MORNING MAC IN THE EVENING MAC AROUND THE CLOCK kinko's HONORS SUMMER READING PROGRAM (Sponsored by the L. S. & A. Honors Program and the Extension Service) Want to earn residence credits away from campus over the summer? Try the Honors Summer Reading Program! * $80.00 per credit hour * Unlimited course selection from L. S. & A. bulletin *Choose your own instructor For further information contact either Lorrie Redlin, Honors Program, 764-6276, or . Janet Baylis, Extension Service, 764-5311 from jazz, blues, modern music, right through to country swing... I like the sort of mad aspect of their playing - they usually put a slightly loony edge to it. Then of course, I listen to tons of soundtracks. There's so much inherent drama in a soundtrack... It tends to be more interesting than your average rock and roll song - more dramatic and less cliched, as it were." But can you make a living being Snakefinger? "Yea, I make a very poor poverty stricken type of living, if you can call it a living. I guess it's so far below the poverty line most people wouldn't call it a living, but with my needs being so small, I can manage to survive off it okay." What motivates Snakefinger? "I guess you could almost put it down to selfishness," he explained. "I have to please myself con - Considering Abortion? Free Pregnancy Test Completely Confidential Pregnancy Counseling Center 529 N. Hewitt, Ypsilanti Call: 434-3088 (Any Time) OPEN 24 HOURS SELF-SERVE MACINTOSH CENTER *FULL-SERVICE LASERSETTING. RESUME SPECIALS 540 EAST LIBERTY STREET ANN ARBOR CORNER OF LIBERTY AND MAYNARD 761-4539 siderably, otherwise I'd probably do another job. I have to please myself in the music department and make'A' sure that the stuff I'm playing is the stuff that I enjoy and that I want to play. "I enjoy having fun. I guess my' meaning of fun isn't necessarily" what other people would consider fun. For myself to have fun, fun '. has to have a little depth to it." When asked about the pop - ularity/notoriety he has achieved through his collaborations with the Residents, he sighs, "Sometimes I actually think it's a hindrance. Some people think, 'Oh, it's just that weird stuff. I know what that is, I'm not interested in Snake - finger. It's just that weird, you know, Residents chaos-type stuff."' k When probed about life with the Residents, who he has known for 17 years, Snakefinger declines to : give information, in deep respect for theseriousness with which the h Residents take their self-imposed obscurity. In a discussion of old recordings, he fondly recalls the classic Residents EP Duck Stab as his favorite collaboration with them. He also hinted that another Residents tour is in the works for the near future. Snakefinger's eclecticism has pushed him to the outskirts of the mainstream. Reflecting upon his determination toevade commer -x cialism, he says, "I couldn't bear to look back on something and feel horribly ashamed that I did something just in an attempt to get more people to listen to me." Snakefinger's strange labors may never launch him to stardom, but his music for the subconscious listener is too priceless to be ignored. His performance with his Vestal Virgins tonight at the Blind;- Pig will be opened by the Detroit acoustic group, The Volebeats, at 10 p.m. I ww~dprocezsiug I PEER INFORMATION COUNSELING Offers Minority students and student groups: -personalized research assistance -ibrary tours and lectures -word processing training CONTACT: DARLENE NICHOLS AT: 764-4479 5,L THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN . - UNDERGRADUATE hr LIBRARY Drop by the Academic Resource Center Room 219 Undergraduate Library Monday - Thursday 1 -7 p.m. Friday and Saturday 1 ;nm 4