ARTS
'
The Michigan Daily
Monday, October 31, 1988
Page 7
Show treats with frightfully
good music
BY MARGIE HEINLEN
THERE are many practices that
have been institutionalized uninten-
tionally at this University from
awhich many students and faculty
carelessly and ignorantly turn their
heads - racism, sexism and other
commonly exercised bigotries. Their
implications are grave and often
scary, but tonight, you can witness
one University institution that will
actually make you laugh.
The School of Music presents its
annual, unpredictable apparition, the
Halloween Concert, tonight at Hill
Auditorium. Marilyn Breiter, pub-
licity director for the Music School,
said that the concert has constantly
drawn such a crowd that many
consider it an institution. Breiter
hinted at past performances where
strange occurrences have been known
to happen. Last year the conductor
conducted Strauss' Die Fledermaus
("the bat"), dressed as a bat and
hanging upside down - meaning
that all of his directions had to be
executed inverted and backwards.
Keep your eyes peeled for the not-
quite-yet famous hospital staffer who
annually appears in the audience as
Queen Elizabeth II. She'll be the one
dressed in the pastel frock, crayon
lipstick with frumpy hat and
matching alligator bag, demurely
waving throughout the entire per-
formance. Most of the rest of the
audience comes in costume, too, so
dress up - everyone else is doin' it,
and you don't want to be left out of
the salient majority.
If you missed Band-O-Rama on
Hill. If you think listening to scary
music is OK for kids but not for
you, remember Night on Bald
Mountain? Bet you didn't know it
Last year the conductor conducted Strauss' Die
Fledermaus ("the bat"), dressed as a bat and hanging
upside down - meaning that all of his directions had to
be executed inverted and backwards.
Mouse's rendition ofThe Sorcerers
Apprentice by Dukas. And for you
Fantasia freaks, Dance in the Hall
of the Mountain King from Greig's
Peer Gynt Suite No.1 and Bach's
Toccata and Fugue in D minor will
again rise from your cobwebbed
memories.
If this sounds like highbrow,
esoteric stuff, you may be surprised.
Just try and keep those siren
hippopotami in tutus and little red
Chinese poppies from sneaking into
your bead when you hear those
opening chords - all those years of
slavishly watching cartoons was
worth something.
Gustav Meier, Director of
University Orchestras, will share the
podium with some graduate con-
ductors for a display of talent and
fright, and Richard Rosenberg,
Assistant Director of Orchestras will
again direct the show's bone-chilling
conclusion. And don't be afraid of a
little culture. The only thing that
will hurt will be your sides from
laughing. Take advantage of one-of
the few institutionalized social and
cultural programs at this University
that is truly funny and is only scary
on Halloween.
The Halloween Concert begins at 9
p.m. It's free of charge, but seats
disappear fast so unless you can
scare off the competition you'd
better go early. For up to date
program information, call the
School of Music's event hotline at
763-4726.
Friday and didn't get a chance to
dress up this weekend, this is your
last chance to celebrate Halloween at
was by
familiar
Special
by Mussorgsky. More
to you Sunday Disney
fans might be Mickey
Allison
works odd jobs
Local band charts course with Monkey
Business
BY JOHN CORTEZ
Frank Allison is an odd man who
writes songs with an odd sound and
plays them with a band called the
Odd Sox.
"The name probably does us more
harm than good," jokes Allison. "If
I'd never heard of the band and
someone said, 'We're gonna go see
Frank Allison and the Odd Sox
tonight,' I don't think I'd go."
Not everyone feels that way.
Frank Allison and the Odd Sox are
becoming a hot ticket on the club
circuit, regularly packing Rick's
American Cafe, the Blind Pig, and
the Beat. They also have large fol-
lowings in Flint and Kalamazoo, and
have played in six Midwestern
states.
Allison credits Paul McCartney
with the band's moniker. "I saw him
on TV with a shirt on that said, 'Hot
Sox,'" he said. "That sounded too
cool, but it reminded me of Odd
Sox, and that fit more with what we
were-doing.".
Allison leans his slender frame
back in his reclining desk chair and
talks about his band. Their musical
sound has been compared to every-
one from "the Police to Badfinger to
R.E.M.," he said. "But any four-
piece band with two guitars sounds
like R.E.M. these days."
The melodies are infectious, but
the lyrics are the band's real appeal.
Allison's witty rhymes can be set to
the Byrdsy guitars of Dan Beckett
and himself, and the powerful
rhythm section of John Boyle on
bass and John Sullivan on drums. Or
they can stand alone, supported only
by his acoustic guitar. Either way,
they present stories that are light-
hearted yet poignant, such as from
the bopping "Some Odd Girl":
"Even though you're a 4.0/ You will
fall in love with someone you don't
know."
On a recent Saturday night at
Lili's in Hamtramack, Allison and
the band are tearing through "Me and
My Girlfriend Alone Above the
Stars." The band's regular fans
pound the dance floor, as Allison,
with a backwards baseball cap over
his dark hair drawn back in a pony-
tail, wails the vocals with a big
smile and wild-eyed expressions that
change faster than Vanna White's
wardrobe.
Allison's facial expressions -
which he denies practicing in a mir-
ror - accent every word he sings
and every note he plays. He smiles
like a dolphin or pouts like a four-
year-old told to go night-night,
whichever the song dictates.
When first told of his exaggerated
expressions, he was unaware of
them. "I thought, 'God, what am I
doing - am I being a fool or some-
thing?' But then I just went with it.
Now I probably ham it up more than
I did before," he says. "I'm sure it
turns some people off. There has to
be some people that say,'Geez, what
a dork. Let's get out of here."'
He is alone on the stage now,
with his acoustic guitar. His folkish
stories keep the crowd's eyes riveted
to him. He begins the powerful
"This is Your Father Speaking," a
twist on the old generation gap
theme where now it is the child re-
jecting the trendy parents: "Kids are
supposed to be conservative these
days/ Your mom and I are up on all
the modern ways/ We like the
newest tunes and the newest styles/
So turn that record off and talk for us
a while/ Why do you bother with
those records anyway?/ Cassettes are
trendy and the radio is OK."
Allison's storybook songs smack
of Chuck Berry, whom he lists as
one of his major songwriting influ-
ences, along with Hank Williams.
"There aren't a lot of rock bands that
really tell stories," he says. "It's
usually a topic they can rant about
for a while. So I guess my writing
See Allison, Page 9
p- !4R!! m iI ii %&dbA
HALLOWEEN CONTEST
BEST COSTUME
$50 PRIZE
OTHER PRIZES AWARDED
BEER SPECIALS
WHAT'S
( HAPPENING
RECREATIONAL SPORTS
*THE TURKEYS ARE COMING!! !
THE TURKEYS ARE COMING ! ! !
NOW IS THE TIME TO START GETTING IN
SHAPE FOR THE
4th ANNUAL INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM
TURKEY TROT.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1988 .
OPEN TO THE TOTAL UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY.
PRIZES
!!ENTRIES DUE; THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17 AT
4:30PM IN ANY OF THE REC. SPORTS FACILITIES.
i ,
You may purchase a new directory
at these locations:
s Student Publications (9am - 4pm)
" Michigan Book & Supply (noon - 4pm)
" Michigan Union Bookstore (noon -.4 pm)
- Ulrich's Bookstore (noon - 4pm)
$2.50 each
.. I
3pm-2am
310 Maynard
994-6500
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