ARTS n .rhe Michigan Daily Thursday, November 2, 1989 Page 7 ,W. Tolman registers ,high on Ri~chter BY NABEEL ZUBERI IN 1984 Rolling Stone named jan- gly guitar band True West one of their hopefuls of the year. True West promptly split, but that hope has Obeen partially fulfilled in lead singer Russ Tolman's career. Tolman's star is definitely in the ascendant. His second album, Down in Earthquake Town (Skyclad Records), poetically follows through the western preoc- cupations of his old band. Tolman's distinctive voice is a cross between Iggy singing "China Girl" and Al Stewart doing the venerated '70s classic "The Year of the Cat." Don't let that put you off, though. Songs such as "Vegas," "Down in Earthquake Town" and "Palm Tree Land" are thick with seamy romanti- cism. Down in Earthquake Town (about L.A., not San Francisco) will remind you of Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye, in which Elliot Gould's scruffy Philip Marlowe shuffles through seedy joints in rmodern L.A., trying to make sense of various incidents. Likewise, Tol- man sings of bars peopled by grotesque characters, pathetic wash- outs, guys with axes to grind, and guys who are just dreamers. The album's title track is a first person narrative by a man from Smalltown, U.S.A. moving to L.A. and still celebrating that he's at least escaped o the big city, despite none of his hopes being realized. All he wants is "an unlimited credit line and pole position in this human race." Is that too much to ask? Failure is the subject of many of Tolman's songs. "Palm Tree Land" is a philosophical loser's tale. The way Tolman's songs come over, you can't help feeling a grudging respect for the sorriest of losers. He never ,shirks from reporting the ugliness and failure in the California "utopia." In "Baby," Tolman sings "I wish I could write a song where everything's right and nothing's wrong/ But I don't feel that way," and then adds, that if you don't like it, "why don't you take a flying fuck at the moon." There's a consistent Russ Tolman, formerly of True West, flies the solo route with the help of his Totem Poles tonight at the Blind Pig. Tolman's guitar craftsmanship and distinctive singing style make mincemeat out of most singer-songwriters out there. Beantown's The Neats open up the show. Can do Guys and Dolls a good bet BY AMI MEHTA ON a stage stand characters ranging from a promiscuous showgirl to a nosy lieutenant to a gang of half-witted hooligans whose leader cries out, "If a guy doesn't have a doll, who's gonna holler at him?!" That's Nathan Detroit, a dowdy, streetwise gangster who spends his life setting up and playing crap games behind the back of his own doll, Adelaide. The fact is, guys need dolls and dolls need guys and this inter- play is shown in the musical comedy Guys and Dolls, presented by UAC-Musket. This hip, upbeat musical, set in New York City of the '40s, shows a comic portrayal of the intertwining lives of gangsters, showgirls and missionaries rolled up into an unlikely love story. With the cast of 36 people, most of whom are non-theater majors, the show comes together to capture the audience through its lively dancing, music and acting. Ac- cording to director Matt Meko, a junior musical theater concentrator, "The cast comes from such different backgrounds and majors, and it's nice to see them building and all working with each other." He has seen this dedicated and hardworking cast show a day and night improvement from early rehearsals. The four main characters are brought out strongly by the students who play them. Sky (LSA sophomore Jaimie Mistry) is a "slick, persuasive smooth-talker" who takes on a bet from Nathan. Nathan (junior commu- nications major Joey Craine) is everything that Sky is not. He's the leader of a set of gangsters in the play, and everyone depends on him to find a place to hold the "oldest established floating crap game in New York." Bilmore's Garage seems to be the preferred choice, but there's a $1000 rental fee - a lot of dough Nathan doesn't have. So he bets Sky $1000 that Sky can't take Sarah (first-year student Angela Peterson) to Havana, Cuba with him. She's active in the local mission and "wants to save the world, basically," according to Peterson. "Sarah is a naive, uptight and sheltered girl, and Sky is the wrong type of guy for her, but t all works out in the end." (Just as all good musicals should.) Most of the characters represent extreme types of people. Adelaide (Kelly McGrath) is Nathan's ditzy doll who's been engaged to him for over ten years and hopes to eventually get married to him. The storyline revolves around Sky getting Sarah to go to Havana and Nathan wanting :o win the $1000 to hold his crap game. The heat's on Nathan but he ,.omes through and everyone is happy, including Sarah and Adelaide who get together with their respective guys. A double wedding results - a orny but always welcome happy ending, especially in the '40s. As an entirely student-run production, Guys and Dolls also showcases the talents of choreographer Elizabeth Rossi and the conducting of sopho- more musical director David Kirschenbaum. The music ranges from jazz to brassy Broadway tunes to a unique Irish ballad. With all of the music and dance uncut from the original show, Guys and Dolls promises to be an inventive as well as authentic hit slapstick musical. The word is out for the rest of you guys and dolls out there. If you're looking for a swingin', frazzlin', dazzlin', hip-hoppin' good time, this show is a must see, sweethearts! GUYS AND DOLLS runs tonight through Saturday; shows start at 8 p.m. in the Power Center. Tickets are $6. k, bite and irony in Tolman's lyrics, man's band, the Totem Polemen, content of his lyrics. It was Jack which keeps him from sinking into provides a definitive rock group Kerouac who blamed city intellectu- the conceptual mire that is the backing. Jangly and chiming guitars als for forgetting the folk-bodied "singer-songwriter syndrome." are still in high relief, and there's blood of their own land. That's sadly So many singer-songwriters also rousing brass accompaniment true these days, but nobody could swathe their Gucci existentialism in from the the L.A. Free Love Orches- ever accuse Russ Tolman of that. wimpy, arrangements that lack any tra on the album. This muscular strength of conviction. But Tol- sound complements the sanguine RUSS TOLMAN plays tonight at the - nt" T T FT 1nfm OC rnthe p.m. Sunday this weekend and next; Directed, acted, and scored entirely by students, this promises to be worthwhile. Student tickets are $4. -Pianist Malcom Frager will perform with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Armin Jordan tonight at 8 p.m. at Hill Auditorium. Frager replaces the originally scheduled Martha Arg- erich. Student rush tickets should be available at Burton Tower. CLASSIFIED ADS Blind Pig; THE NEATS open it up at 9 p.m. Tickets are $4 with student I.D. uasat East Thun The RC Players present Plautus' na, an Athenian comedy, in the Quad Auditorium at 8 p.m. rsday through Saturday and at 2 764-0557 F emSAE '87 HONDA HURRICANE Must sell black/red. Excellent condition. $3000 994- 8937. BALLOONSI BALLOONS! BALLOONS! Call BALLOONEY TOONS for all occas- sions. 996-4526. 415 Church. Free delivery. CAMPUS CONDO. 2 bedrooms cheaper than rent. Mid-60's. Call The Richwine Company 761-9766. ROLLING STONES TICKETS. 12/10, priced to sell. 662-9865. SINGLE IN SOUTH QUAD Must sell '89-'90 lease. Call Renee @ 930- 6662, anytime & leave a message. AUTOMOTIVE '82 J2000-A/C-Auto-PS/PB-4 Dr-AM/FM- New Breaks/Trans-Must sell-$950. 449- 4797. 1982 TERCEL 95K miles. Some body dam- age runs well $500 call 483-2034. 1984 PLYMOUTH TURISMO, 5-spd. 62K. $2000 or B/O. MUST SELL NOW! 662- 1301. 84 PLYMOUTH TURISMO. 62 000 ROAD MILES. Great Condition. Call 469-6074 & leave message. $2700 or best offer. CLASSIFIED ADS BASS LESSONS. Private instruction given by Berkeley Grad. All levels of harmony & performance. All styles taught. Individually tailored programs. 981-1545, leave message. HAVING A PARTY? Need entertainment? Call The Harmonettes! Eleonore 996-5628. HERB DAVID GUITAR STUDIO 302 E. Liberty. 665-8001. Lessons- intro. special: Pay for 4, get 5! WEEKEND MAGAZINE Fridays in The Daily 763-0379 Read Jim Poniewozik Every TAKE A STATION BREAK. 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