Page 9 - "-Michigan Daily - Friday, March 31, 1989
Bluefields: Musical architects
that kick some flying buttress
BY D. MARA LOWENSTEIN
A friend handed me a tape a few days ago and asked
me to "take a listen." At first I thought, "Oh great...
another feebly made recording of anti-intellectual, post-
progressive, bad garage-band rock that smacks of
mediocrity." I put off listening to the tape for a few
days. The cover looked great, but I wanted to make
Caught between the Irish ballad,
I the English Merseybeat and the
New Southern sound of R.E.M., the
Bluefields break the Ann Arbor
Sound Barrier.
sure I was in the right state of mind before panning the
recording.
When I finally listened to the tape, I was blown
away. Far from the "garage" sound that I had expected I
was treated to a sound that was reminiscent of both
James Keelaghan and R.E.M. Caught between the
Irish ballad, the English Merseybeat and the New
Southern sound of R.E.M., the Bluefields are a local
band that breaks the Ann Arbor Sound Barrier.
The band started out in the summer of 1986 when
Mike Campbell (vocals, guitar, and bass) and Dave
Stanton (vocals and lead guitar) began to "jam." It
wasn't until May of 1988 that Campbell and Stanton
recruited Brian Ferriby to provide the percussion. Once
the band was together they "started booking gigs." The
band travels a lot, often playing in small towns and
resorts in northern Michigan. They only recently be-
gan playing in Ann Arbor; they delayed their debut
because they "haven't figured out the (Ann Arbor) se-
cret yet."
The band's theory of composition is one of
strength, patterns, and structures. The band contains
one LSA student, Dave Manchel (guitar), and three ar-
chitecture students, Campbell, Stanton, and Ferriby.
Having three architecture students in the band is
"purely coincidental," but the musical structure is not.
The intricate patterns of melody and harmony are
clearly defined by the strength of voice, be it human or
instrumental. The music is vibrant, colorful, innova-
tive, and even danceable.
The group released its first recording last Friday.
Highpower Creek displays the band's enveloping
sound. The first track, "Art & History," thematically
depicts Mike's view on human existence. "Life in this
world, right now, is [full of] opportunity," he says,
"but people are passing it up. People should be re-
sponsible for their existence on this planet. A strong
belief in protecting the environment and supporting
human rights influences much of the songwriting
without constricting it."
Redheaded, impish, and strangely reminiscent of the
hobbit, Campbell comments on the apolitical aspect
of the band: "I think I am up to something, but I'm
not quite sure what yet." The band is good, really
good. So go hear them - really, hear them.
THE BLUEFIELDS will be entertaining the masses
during Happy Hour (5:30 - 8:30 pm) at the Apartment
Lounge tonight.
The Harmonettes, a division of the Women's Glee Club comprised of
non-music majors, will perform in their first "big" show.
Harmonettes
Group to inspire humming
BY AMI MEHTA
COMBINING upbeat, slow, dance, modern, top-40, and '50s and '60s
songs, the new and improved Harmonettes plan to present a show that will
bring audiences to their feet and send them singing all the way home.
The Harmonettes are a unique division of the Women's Glee Club.
They were founded in the 1970s as a subdivision of that club and can be
likened to the Friars. But the Harmonettes have a style all their own. The
group consists of the new voices of eight undergraduate women at the
University, consequently none of whom are music majors. They are simply
part of an organization that promotes and broadens their enthusiasm for
singing, and they hope it will carry over to their audiences.
A self-directed group, the Harmonettes arrange all of their songs,
combinations and dance steps themselves. According to Mary Randolph, a
sophomore Harmonette in LSA, "It's sometimes hard with no director, but
we try to make sure things are equal with solos and group numbers. We are
very democratic."
Mainly a profit organization as well, the Harmonettes have performed
concerts for local businesses, the University Business School and campus
fraternities and sororities. This upcoming concert is the first one primarily
for the entire campus - their first "big" show. A lot of hard work and
daily rehearsing has gone into this particular concert, according to
Randolph, even more so than usual because of the new structure and new
voices of the performers.
"We don't really have a model to base ourselves upon," said Randolph,
but this doesn't discourage her. Instead, it will encourage innovation and
creative spark on the part of the Harmonettes. So, come out and see the
new and improvedHarmonettes - you might just find yourself humming
a tune or two all the way home.
THE HARMONETTES will perform April 2 at 8 p.m. in the Michigan
Union Ballroom. Tickets $2.50 at the door.
music offers
jazz and Blues
- Quit playing that air sax in front
of your bedroom window and
come to the Eclipse Open Jazz
Jam Session this Sunday from
8-11 p.m. at the U-Club. The
sessions, which will be held
every Sunday in April, are open
to the public. Suggested
donation $1.
" Amazin' Blue, the 12-member a
cape/Ia University choral group,
will performaits spring concert
tomorrow at 8 p.m. in the
Michigan Union Ballroom.
Admission is $2.
Mona
Continued from Page 8
know where she is from" seem to
follow her.
Mona is very much like Betty
Blue, another strong-willed female
main character in a French film.
Betty also rebelled against society,
and also lost, but neither film
pushes the idea that rebellion is
wrong. Instead, Vagabond 's director
Agnes Varda makes it clear that it is
society as a whole which is to blame
for the non-acceptance of those peo-
ple considered rebels.
Sandrine Bonnaire is powerful in
her portrayal of the vagabond, show-
ing both the strong and weaks points
in Mona's character, while alwayq
being sincere. The score, composed
by Joanna Bruzdowicz, is beautifully
foreboding, building upon the at-
mosphere created by Varda and Bon
naire. The result is a touching, yet
dour, story about a woman who re-
presents a bit of each of us.
VAGABOND is being presented by
Cinema Guild Friday at 7 and 9 p.m.
at MLB 3, and Saturday at 7 and,9
p.m. at MLB 4.
Local bands, fraternity Rock For Life
BY D. MARA LOWENSTEIN
I hate rock charity bashes. I hate
the Greek system. Putting the two
together seems not only incompre-
hensible, but, rather, impossible.
I've always looked at the whole
"charity rock bash" thing as some-
how incongruous with the notion of
charity itself. There appears to be
something wrong with a whole
group of rockers getting drunk and
sexually charged-up over cancer re-
search. I guess, however, that money
is money, and if it's raised while
celebrating life, well... I can't how-
ever get over the notion that this is
simply an excuse to have a big
block party to celebrate the coming
of spring and the resurgence of hor-
mones. With this in mind - and
cynicism in check - there is a rock
charity bash coming to Ann Arbor
tomorrow.
"Rock for Life" is the name of
the bash. Co-sponsored by CBS
Records and the Delta Sigma Phi
house, the bash will raise money for
the T.J. Martel Foundation. The
foundation, named for a CBS record
executive's son who died of
leukemia, was founded in 1975 by a
small group of record executives, and
provides financial support for cancer,
AIDS, and leukemia research.
The bash will close off South
Forest with performances by Juice,
Kenny Neal, Big Box of Nines, Ann
B. Davis, and Mission Impossible.
There will be lots of giveaways, in-
cluding records, posters, sunglasses,
etc., as well as volleyball, booze,
etc. The bash will raise revenue
through T-shirt sales, donations
(i.e., bucket drives), and corporate
sponsorship (Soho Soda).
ROCK FOR LIFE takes place
tomorrow noon-8 p.m. at the Delta
Sigma Phi house, corner of Hill and
S. Forest.
"d
y
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Mass Meeting!
Come to our office on the first floor of the
STUDENT PUBLICATION BUILDING, 420 MAYNARD STREET
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