Friday, September 15, 1989-- The Michigan Daily - Page 10 From frat row to fame, Commander Cody 0 returns to the Blind Pig BY BRIAN JARVINEN D ID you catch Mission Impossible's aweless covers at that frat last weekend? No? Not thrilled by this lead, huh? Well it may be hard to believe, but frat-bash cover bands do occasionally develop into talented, original musicians. It even happened right here in hipsville, dur- ing that decade that still controls our culture, the '60s. I'm talking about The Fantastic Surfing Beavers. No, they're not an- other one of those bizarre groups you've never heard of that us "critics" at the Daily are always telling you about. The Beavers got their start playing local frats but soon became Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, long-hair country-rock (with some R&B thrown in too) bar band extraordi- naire. You know, the guy that sings "son you're gonna drive me to drink- ing if you don't stop driving that hot rod Lincoln" on those K-Tel's Goofy Greats records you drove your mom crazy with when you were seven. Anyway, the Commander is com- ing home tonight after a three-and-a- half-year absence. But Cody is quick to point out that this isn't a 'come- back,' cuz "How can you be on a come-back when you never made it in the first place," adding "a touring band, that's not my life. My real life is more art, which it always has been. Just for a few years in the early '70s I put in 300 days a year building up my name and music." (The Commander has a degree in fine arts from the U, so there). And the Commander has indeed been busy since the '70s. Throughout the early '80s he toured the continent that really knows how Anyway, the Commander is coming home tonight after a three-and-a-half-year absence. But Cody is quick to point out that this isn't a 'come-back,' cuz 'How can you be on a come-back when you never made it in the first place.' tunes that should have put the record, which "got great reviews," in every truck cab from here to the ozone. Unfortunately the record was on an independent label, was not re- leased on 8-track, and Cody couldn't tour behind the record due to an auto accident that occurred shortly after it was released. Let's Rock featured several of the original Airmen but Cody now tours with a "really hot" band of veteran musicians from his current home, Marin County, California. Most of the Airmen have retired from the touring life, with the exception of guitarist Billy C. Farlow, who has "been writing some great - new tunes." Cody is back in the studio, which is "workin' real good." So, if you think country-rock means The Eagles' Greatest Hits, find true enlightenment by watching a band that plays classics such as "Riot in Cell Block #9" and origi- nals like "Seeds and Stems Again Blues" (my fingers are crossed), fire up your diesel, (but don't tell your mama), and head on down to the Blind Pig. COMMANDER CODY will per- form tonight at 9 and 11:30 p.m. at the Blind Pig. Tickets are $12.50, available at the door and at all Ticketmaster outlets. His hair might be shorter and he finally does look like a real truck driver, but Commander Cody still plays those beer 'n' diesel oil tunes Fat Al was always raving about. GET IT!I The Personal Column MICHIGAN DAILY CLASSIFIED ADS to appreciate American music, Europe. In 1986 he released the ex- cellent Let's Rock (appropriately enough on Blind Pig records, so named by a former owner of the Pig). Let's Rock featured some of Cody's trademark rockabilly ditties as well as some fine straight country q Jou canfinda mintos iom, wemi t put one in yours. Free. 0 LV LAWf !. l Ce~ AR EVO ,G MACWTS GeEAT AEQCAO. OOJlt (111fNIN In what will surely be the easiest test of your intellect this term, Apple invites you to try winnfing a free Applex Macintoshk Plus personal computer merely by finding it in this drawing. Well even give you a hint: It s not the table, the lamp, or the chair Now you're on your own. To register look for contest details where Macintosh computers are sold on your campus. Oh, all right, we1llgive you a hint for that, tOO: Look at the bottom of this ad. But do it really really fast. Because only one Macintosh is being given away on this campus, and it's going to happen soon. Soon, as in right away: Pronto. Quick-like. But hey you can take a hint. Somehodvs going to win a free Maintosh. 4 0